Stratós Dýo (1)
Chapter 1 – Polemarch and Hoplite
A world divided by war has only one destiny: destruction.
"Sasuke, you have to bear with this pain. If you don't, you'll never be strong enough to be the warrior I want you to be," spoke the voice of a father who never once cared for his child.
A small child sat on a cold floor of unyielding stone that was a muddy grey color. Lines of stone blurred as black eyes watered and the child squirmed in pain. He sat still while a mark was branded onto his back where neck and shoulder muscles met and intertwined.
"This, my son, is the mark of the Uchiha clan. You will wear it with pride and commit actions only befitting of an Uchiha. Now, be gone from my sight until you are able to call forth a summons," The man's words were far colder than any stone and the child felt a shiver run through his spine.
"Yes father," He said quietly. The child ran, not daring to unleash his tears until he was safe in his brother's arms. "It hurt so bad," he whispered in sadness.
"That may be, but now you bear the mark of a man. You've become a little bit more grown up, Sasuke," said a boy no older than thirteen. Sasuke nodded and bit his lip, striving to stile the tears that rolled down pale skin in thick streams. "Off to bed with you now," the older boy calmly carried the child clinging to him to another room and laid him down on a large bed covered with silk sheets and black blankets that were as soft as a kittens fur and as warm as a bright ray of sunshine. The child smiled shyly, his right hand lying by his head while the other rested on his tummy under the blankets. Raven hair lay in disarray, forming an image of a halo of black around his head. "Good night child," the older brother whispered with a smile before leaving the room.
Xxx Meanwhile xxX
Chubby fingers touched the red flames of a long coat of white. Large eyes, as blue and deep as the ocean, turned up to search for the familiar face of the man he knew this to be. He wasn't disappointed; a tan face, tired from long work, smiled at the boy and warm, calloused hands lifted him into the air.
"Naruto, if you're as much of a stud as your father when you get older, we'll be beating those poor women off you with a stick," he chuckled, despite the fact that the child had absolutely no clue as to what he was talking about. "I have a surprise for you."
"Daddy?" The child was set on his feet while the man dug about his pockets, searching for something.
"Here it is," kneeling before the boy, the man put a necklace on the child. It had a pretty, orange jewel in the shape of a single tear drop hanging from a loop on the silver chain. "It's called Phoebus," he said with a smile, "Just like you, as pure as everything innocent."
"Thank you daddy," The boy smiled as brightly as he could before attacking his father with a tight hug.
~~ SEVENTEEN YEARS LATER ~~
"These men have mocked your beliefs. They have laughed at your ideas. And now, there they stand, threatening the safety of your kinsmen! What are you going to do about it?" The man stood on a large rock as he shouted at a group of men wearing black uniforms that were accented with gold, braided ropes of thick thread. His hair was as golden as the wheat that is ready for harvesting. His eyes were bluer than any ocean and three times as deep, his skin was a soft tan, and on his face, adorning each cheek, lay three lines like the whiskers on a fox.
"Listen men, they may have weapons we're not ready for. Be prepared for anything. I don't want any of you dying out there." A man came to stand beside the blond. His hair was a sleek midnight black that sat in spikes like the tail feathers of a chicken in the back and framed his face perfectly. His skin was pale like the moonlight and his eyes were a deep dark grey color. "You always know how to get them riled just right, Polemarch (2) Uzumaki," he spoke softly. The blond man nodded.
"It's all about knowing what's important to them. While you're sitting in your tent drawing up plans and strategies, I'm out there getting to know them. I get to them personally, so that they'll like me more. In order to be a good leader, you must have trust with your soldiers," The blond said. He looked at the raven beside him. "Surely you, as a Hoplite (3), understand this."
"It's not my duty to understand why you do things, my lord. My only duty is to follow you until I die and make sure you are not harmed along the way," The man hid his smile by turning down his face. He would never admit that he enjoyed following the Polemarch more than he should.
"Well then, Sasuke, don't do me any favors. I'll be crushed if you were harmed for me," The blond chuckled and looked at his group. "Let's set up camp men! We'll see to it that the enemy never gets past this point! Arcacia will not fall any time soon!" The men went to work, setting up a battle camp right there, at the top of a hill with lovely grass of the deepest green and a beautiful view of the sunset.
"Soon this grass will be stained red with the blood of war," The pale man, Sasuke, said softly. He ran his fingers over the soft blades of green and observed the insects beneath, frantically trying to remove themselves from the strange creatures putting up tents of cloth. "Why must it always turn out this way?"
"Sasuke! We need some help over here!" The blond commander waved gleefully at his strange subordinate.
"Dobe! I'm in the middle of strategizing!" He hissed, marching over to take a rope and help hoist the pole for the infirmary tent.
"You strategize too much. You're going to fry your brain, you know," The blond said with a shake of his head. He took the man by the shoulder, ignoring the fact that he was shorter than his Hoplite by at least five or six inches, and stared into dark eyes worriedly. "Que sera, sera (4)."
"I know that, Dobe. I'm just worried. You can never be too careful," Sasuke said quietly. The blond nodded. "Look, Naruto, they're far more advanced in weaponry. They have no respect for the gods. These strategies are the only chance of survival we've got. Until the Prytanae (5) says reinforcements are needed, we're fucked."
"If that's what's going to happen then I accept it. I'd rather go down fighting to protect a city that the capitol and all their chorêgos(6) abandoned than to sit in some bunk house wondering how long it will take for these people to be murdered brutally," Naruto said sternly. He walked away to help more soldiers lift their houses and Sasuke couldn't help but admire the senior officer just a little bit more.
"WAAAH!" The blond yelled, pitching face first into a tent he was trying to put up. Sasuke came behind him with a chuckled and grabbed the rope with firm hands.
"You're so stupid, my lord," He said with a soft chuckle. One hard tug and the cotton tent was in place, a good shelter from the rain for a few good men. Naruto looked at the man behind him.
"Your betrothed would cry if she saw you with your arms around another man." He pointed out with a small smirk.
"Let her cry. I never much cared for her anyway. She's only my betrothed until either myself or my father dies. Don't worry, he won't last long," Sasuke chuckled and stepped back from the blond man. Despite himself, he knew that it was against the teachings of their goddess Elpis to love one of the same gender. Sasuke wasn't stupid; he cared too much for his young general to put their lives at such a risk.
"Don't talk that way. You make it sound like a conspiracy against your elders," Naruto ordered. He straightened himself and walked away from the strange subordinate. "Oh, and by the way Teme, thanks for your help." Naruto smiled over his shoulder before retiring to his own tent. He slid down onto the cot he set up and covered himself with a blanket made of bear hide. "He makes me forget myself," Naruto murmured, "That's very dangerous. I need to focus on my work, not my subordinates." He closed his eyes and let himself drift into a light slumber, relying on his hearing to alert him of trouble.
Night falls and blinds the hopeless.
"My lord, we've spotted an enemy!" Naruto jerked awake as a soldier entered his tent and yelled. He sat up quickly, tugging on his boots and grabbing his coat, pulling it on as he exited his tent.
"Status," He questioned of the nearest person.
"A small brigade of soldiers is coming from the east. Their uniforms suggest they're soldiers from Gaia." Someone handed him a pair of binoculars and Naruto peered through them. He froze, his stomach settling in a cold fear.
"What is he doing?" He questioned, spotting his only Hoplite making his way down the hill towards the brigade.
"Lord Sasuke said he wished to try to negotiate things with them and see what they want before engaging in any form of battle. He said you would know what to do from here," the soldier who handed him the binoculars sounded worried. Naruto looked at him and saw it was still practically a child.
"What's your name?" He questioned.
"Sarutobi Konohamaru, sir," He said, saluting and standing straight. Naruto nodded and ruffled the young boy's hair affectionately.
"Sasuke will be fine. He knows what he's doing. Not only that, he's an Uchiha. That man is probably the strongest person on this field. But if you ever tell him I said that, I'll kill you with my bare hands. Got it?" Blue eyes were questioning and teasing but the boy nodded frantically, as though he took it seriously anyway. Naruto turned back to his binoculars to see what had happened. He saw Sasuke heading back up the hill, the brigade shifting nervously and seeming to be in a deep confusion. "See? He's fine," Naruto tried to hide his sigh of relief.
Sasuke walked very close to Naruto. "Take about half a step closer to me," he ordered. Naruto did so, telling just from Sasuke's tone of voice that he was not pleased. Sasuke nodded his head and a single flaming arrow was shot, passing through the spot where Naruto's arm had been not a few seconds before. The arrow landed in the middle of the brigade and there was a short silence before the ground beneath their feet exploded and soldiers were sent flying in every direction. Naruto gaped at Sasuke.
"Gunpowder. I told you, we're not getting out of this alive without strategic maneuvers." Sasuke chuckled to himself and pulled out his sword. "Calypso!" Sasuke yelled. There was a round, deep blue gem on the hilt of the sword. It started glowing, a bright cobalt that enveloped both the sword and the wielder. When it died away, Sasuke had a black star with four points over the bridge of his nose and the whites of his eyes had turned black and the iris became a blood red.
"Phoebus! Help me out here!" Naruto shouted. There was the sound of an explosion and suddenly Naruto was completely hidden by a cloud of white smoke. A loud howl of pain filled the air before the smoke cleared, leaving Naruto standing there. The irises of his eyes were gold while his pupil was a horizontal bar like those of a toad. Around the edges of his eyes the skin was stained a fiery red-orange color. He licked his teeth slightly and jumped in, following after the Hoplite who was already waist-deep in battle.
"Light of Horace: give swift death to my enemies. Heed my call; come to me, light of the birds!" Sasuke held out his left hand and clenched his eyes shut as an electrifying blue light gathered in the palm of his hand. Running faster than they could keep up with, he ran through the crowd of soldiers that were still standing and sliced two men clean in half with his hand, while a third was decapitated when he pulled himself to a stop.
Naruto held his hands together and muttered under his breath, "Phoebus, let's work together. God of the waters, King Neptune, use your triton to stir the waters. Give me the power of the whirlpool that you command, and help me strike down my enemies with it. TYPHOON!" He yelled, holding a ball of water that spun wildly like a hurricane inside. He hit one man square in the chest and watched him and the three men behind him scream in pain and fall over with a hole in their chest. Naruto stood up and looked around.
"You're not a man, you're a monster!" Someone shouted. Naruto realized someone was behind him. He saw the reflection on the sword of a dead body at his feet, a man wielding a large silver axe was swinging it towards the back of his head. He spun quickly (not quick enough for his liking however), and rolled onto his back just in time to see the blue light of Sasuke's blade as the man's hands were cut off and the axe fell to the ground at Naruto's feet.
"Do not insult my leader. It leads to a slow death," Sasuke muttered darkly. He stood behind the man with his sword - the blade still glowing a bright, electrifying blue – stabbed through the man's bowels. "Do you comprehend? What you have done is the most grave of transgressions." Sasuke ripped his sword out carelessly and watched the man fall to his knees. He swung the blade and Naruto had to turn his head to not see the spray of blood as the soldier's head fell before his body did. "Are you going to give the order or do you want me to?" Sasuke asked calmly. Naruto looked at him and was relieved to see his normal Hoplite staring back at him.
"Burn the bodies. This is a victory for not just us, or our division, but for our entire country. This marks the first battle won against Gaia in our entire history," Naruto called to his soldiers. He looked at Sasuke. "I'm going to be in my tent."
"Go rest, we'll take over here," Sasuke assured him.
Naruto walked away, stroking the jewel that reminded him of the setting sun. "Thank you for all your help out there Phoebus. We're getting better and better at the typhoon, aren't we?" Naruto was whispering calmingly to his stone. "Sasuke sure was scary out there today wasn't he? I think he's in a bad mood. I wonder if he got upset when I mentioned Sakura, he doesn't like her at all. I feel so bad for him, being forced to marry a woman he doesn't love." Naruto sighed deeply and closed his eyes, ready to go to sleep. He wanted to lose the images in his head.
Xxx SasuNaru, dattebayo! xxX
"Commander, the chief and Lady Haruno are here to visit!" Someone called into the tent. Naruto blinked open tired eyes and glared at the stupid morning sun streaming in through his open door. He stood and hurriedly made himself presentable before rushing out the door.
"They wouldn't have made it this far without you, darling." Haruno Sakura was one of the most beautiful women in the land with her cherry blossom pink hair and moss green eyes. She was Sasuke's fiancée because of her family's wealth and her pretty looks only.
"No, the commander is amazing. He would've made it somehow." Sasuke denied. Naruto looked at him and felt pride well up in his chest. This handsome man who was two years his senior, probably three times his better, and five times smarter, was complimenting Naruto to Haruno Sakura, one of the most influential girls of the time.
"You're so modest, Sasuke. We all know you can go higher than him." Sakura purred. She leaned on Sasuke and kissed his cheek. He put his hands on her shoulder and took a step back.
"I told you not to touch me like that in front of the men. It's rude, unsightly, and horribly inappropriate. Now what did you come here for?" As curt and cruel as ever, Sasuke obviously disliked the woman.
"You're being offered another promotion. They want you to be the Polemarch of the sixth platoon." Kakashi said. Naruto felt his heart sinking. If Sasuke left, they'd never survive the winter.
"You can tell them once again that I decline their offer." Sasuke snapped. Naruto snuck just a bit closer. He watched Sakura try to hide her annoyance.
"Why do you turn down such a gracious offer, sweet heart?" She asked, tugging on his arm slightly. He pulled away.
"What I do and don't do with my life is my concern, not yours," Sasuke hissed. "And another thing, my name is Sasuke. Not sweetheart or darling or anything else your silly little girly mind can come up with. I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to me in such despicable names."
"Sasuke, is that any way to treat a lady?" Naruto asked with the shake of his head. He walked over to the group and slapped his Hoplite hard on the back.
"My apologies, sir." Sasuke muttered. "I have work to do." He gave a salute and left. Kakashi turned one annoyed eye to Naruto.
"Why do you always put your subordinates in danger?" Kakashi asked. Naruto looked down and pushed a rock with his foot like a shamed child.
"Never abandon a city in need, isn't that one of the rules of Elpis?" Naruto asked softly. "I didn't abandon a city of my great country like everyone else did. I saved this city and all of its people. Punish me if you must but I know in my head and heart that everything I did was justified," Naruto crossed his arms and stood challengingly.
Kakashi sighed and gripped his forehead, "Whatever you say, Uzumaki." He turned on his heel and started to walk away, the pink-haired heiress following him like a chick to the mother hen.
"Phew, I thought it was over for me," Naruto chuckled and joined his men for mealtime.
"Some of the soldiers wish to go into town to loosen up," Sasuke said calmly. Naruto looked up at him. "I'll stay behind for the ones that wish to stay if you'd like to visit the town as well," Sasuke added. Naruto smiled at him.
'Sasuke's always so collected, he's always there for me,' Naruto beamed wider and nodded, "Yeah, that's a great idea. I don't need to go though, so you can instead if you wish, Sasuke."
"I'd rather not," Sasuke murmured, sitting beside Naruto with his slop. He nodded to a group of soldiers by the door and they all cheered with joy in response. Naruto chuckled and spooned his soup slowly.
"Why don't you ever take the promotion?" He whispered. He got a blank stare from black eyes before Sasuke simply game a slow half smile.
"Because I'd have to leave here. I don't want that," Sasuke said softly. He stood and slid his full tray to someone else. "I'll be in my tent if you need me," He said, walking out with his hands in his pockets. Naruto shook his head and watched him go.
To Be Continued
Xxx Glossary xxX
1 - Stratós Dýo is Greek for "Army of Two"
2 – Polemarch is ancient Greek that roughly translates to "General".
3 – Hoplite is another Ancient Greek term that is close to the term "warrior" or the equivalent of a ninja in the Naruto world.
4 – "Que sera, sera" is a Spanish term meaning "what will be, will be."
5 – Prytanae is, yet again, ancient Greek for Council Members, or elders.
6 – Chorêgos is a term that means wealthy citizens, or town leaders. They basically equal to the clan leaders in the Naruto manga.
Sasuke: Look at that Naruto, You're in a higher position and I'm still stronger than you.
Naruto: SHUT UP, TEME! Anyways, review please!
Sasuke: Editing and Glossary terms done by Magical Mistress Sarai. Give her a round of applause, losers.
Naruto: - punches Sasuke over the head – DON'T BE MEAN TO THE READERS, TEME!
Sasuke: Ahem, I meant… you… beautiful… people…