Blinding Light
A Naruto Fanfiction, Sequel to "Wrapped in More than Kindness"
Author's Notes: Well folks, I know not very many people asked for a sequel. But heck, I want to do one. So yeah, here it is… please don't forget to review after reading!
Warnings and Disclaimers: All Naruto names, places, and related indicia are copyright to Masashi Kishimoto. Only the plot and the writing style are mine. This story is rated M for language, graphic sexual scenes, and mature themes. It is also a yaoi fiction, which implies a boy x boy pairing: Naruto and Sasuke. If neither is to your liking, please press the back button.
Summary: Can illusion be reality? Or is reality merely an illusion? When a strange genjutsu makes Uchiha Sasuke 'fall in love' with Naruto, the answers become an epiphany that will alter them forever…but is it for bad or good?
Chapter 1
Uzumaki Naruto stumbled out of bed and straight to the bathroom. He peered into the mirror, staring at his red-rimmed bleary eyes, tousled spikes of yellow hair, and thought: I look like shit.
Not really the best way to start the day.
This is all that damn bastard Sasuke's fault. Naruto grabbed his toothbrush and began brushing his teeth, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. Fucking teme…not only did he manage to plague Naruto every waking minute with his 'I'm an Uchiha and you're a nobody' attitude, but he had to pester him in his dreams, too! Naruto unconsciously flushed as he remembered exactly why Sasuke was to blame for his restless night.
If I bring you another bowl of the stuff, do I get another kiss?
Naruto spat into the sink with more force than necessary, as if spitting would make Sasuke's voice stop from echoing inside his head. He growled low against his throat as he washed his face vigorously with cold water. Stupid teme! Teme! Teme! TEME!
He closed his eyes and took several calming breaths. Sasuke would never ask something like that…he was just trying to psych you out Naruto. That's right. Naruto opened his eyes and stared at the mirror, nodding once. Yes, the teme just wanted to faze you, because you beat him and he wanted to even the score somehow. He pointedly ignored the fact that their spar yesterday had ended in more or less a draw. Feeling more confident of his logic, Naruto began to dress, his mood considerably lighter. Now that he thought about it, he shouldn't have let Sasuke's words affect him so much; he was a shinobi, wasn't he? Small stuff like this shouldn't be able to affect him at all.
Which only goes to show that I'm still behind Sasuke. How could I have been so stupid not to have seen through it? Naruto frowned, hating the fact that he was duped, once again, by the only person he saw as his rival and friend. How can he even hope to become Hokage in the future if he couldn't even match the Uchiha?
Well, there's only one thing for it. Naruto resolutely took several jutsu scrolls he'd stashed in one of the low shelves in his apartment and threw them into a bag, deciding to practice and learn them today. Heck, he was going to train all day until he could at least perfect one new technique. "I'll show that teme," Naruto grumbled as he hefted the bag and strapped on his kunai pouch. "The next time I fight him, I'll win for sure."
NxS NxS NxS
Hugging the scrolls closer against her chest, Haruno Sakura weaved through the crowds in the street, deftly picking a path through the throng. It was a Saturday, so the market area was naturally filled with people, but the pink-haired gennin knew this route would take her near the Uchiha compound, and that was what mattered.
As she neared the corner, Sakura turned hopeful eyes to the right, half-expecting to see Sasuke languidly walking out of the alley and into the main street, his face wearing a bored expression. But, like always, there was no Sasuke. Sakura sighed, her eyes lingering on the alley's entrance. Ah well. There was always the chance that tomorrow would be different, right?
BAM.
The impact was so sudden and unexpected that Sakura landed on her butt, and she was dazed for several moments before dull pain hiked her temperature up by several notches. When she looked up and saw who had crashed into her, she boiled over, her sea-green eyes ablaze. "Watch where you're going, Naruto!"
Naruto's blue eyes disappeared into a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head, sitting on the ground like Sakura was. "Ah, I'm really sorry Sakura-chan. I was reading something and I wasn't looking at where I was going."
"Obviously," Sakura bit out as she stood up. She cursed under her breath when she saw the scrolls she had been carrying all lying on the ground, some of them unfurled, the fine, aged prints inside smudged with dirt. "Just great," she rolled her eyes and began picking them up, muttering about her bad luck and stupid blonds.
Naruto frowned about the blond comment but did not speak. Instead he stood up and helped her, picking up the scrolls and handing them to her. Sakura accepted them with a grudging 'thanks'. Naruto smiled; at least Sakura didn't seem very angry now. Naruto picked up another scroll, the one he had been reading, lying near Sakura. He quickly rolled it up and put it away as he grinned at her. "Sorry about that."
"It's fine, just forget about it," Sakura sighed as she counted to see if there was a scroll missing. Finding everything was still there, she took in Naruto's backpack. "Where are you going?"
"I'm training by myself today," Naruto puffed out his chest with pride. "I have to train if I want to become Hokage!"
By experience, Sakura knew that whatever she said, it wouldn't affect Naruto's determination to do something once he had set his mind to it, so she merely smiled. "Ah. Well, Kakashi-sensei isn't going to meet us today, so I guess that's fine."
Naruto nodded, agreeing with her. His grin faded somewhat when he took in the presence of the scrolls in Sakura's hands. "Eh, what're the scrolls for, Sakura-chan? You're going training, too?"
"These?" Sakura held up her arms a bit. "Oh no, I'm just delivering them for my mother. They're from the Hokage's office."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Are they jutsu scrolls?"
"No, you baka. They're just old scrolls."
"Have you read them?"
"No," Sakura frowned. Sometimes Naruto can be a bit too nosy for his own good. "I overheard my mother say they're about a bunch of old nonsense, confiscated from a scamming thief way back. I think my grandmother borrowed these ages ago, and my mom wanted to give them back."
"Oh, I see," Naruto looked at the scrolls a moment longer before turning to smile at her. "Well, I'd better be going now! See you later Sakura-chan!"
"Yeah," Sakura couldn't help but smile back. Same old Naruto…he's always such a loudmouthed ball of energy. She gave a small wave at Naruto's quickly retreating figure, before setting her shoulders determinedly and heading off in the direction of the Hokage's office.
NxS NxS NxS
Uchiha Sasuke woke up feeling very unusual. He sat up in bed, thinking about it. He cast his eyes around his room, trying to figure out why. Only when his eyes found the framed picture of Team Seven with Kakashi on the drawer nearby did his lips curve in the slightest of smiles, remembering.
Oh yes, that's right. I scored a point against Naruto yesterday.
As far as Sasuke knew, no one was really tallying up the score between him and Naruto, but he was confident in the fact that he was still way ahead of the usuratonkatchi. What's more, his 'victory' over Naruto just yesterday only proved he was superior in every way. A smug smile crept into Sasuke's face as he got off the bed and went to take a shower.
The look on the dobe's face yesterday… Sasuke relished in the image of Naruto looking downright embarrassed by Sasuke's words. He had been so flustered he couldn't even speak. If that's all it takes to make Naruto loose focus, winning against him will be a piece of cake.
Sasuke mechanically went through his morning routine, leaving the house immediately right after. He didn't want to admit it, but Sasuke did not like to spend a minute more inside of his house than absolutely necessary. He always ate out, too. A small voice inside his head said he was just running away, but Sasuke pointedly ignored it.
Putting on a cold, unconcerned look, Sasuke walked down narrow alleys until he emerged into the main thoroughfare, hoping not to bump into anyone who knew him—or worse, Sakura or Ino. Sasuke liked his privacy and solitude, no matter what people said. He didn't really see the point of small talk or maintaining friendships with people who had not the slightest idea of who he was or what he had been through. Worse than the ignorance, however, was the pity. He wasn't some pathetic little kid who needed pity; he was a ninja, and he'd be damn if he was weak!
"Penny for your thoughts, Sasuke?"
The youngest Uchiha whirled around quickly, moving into a defensive stance. His eyes narrowed. "Kakashi. Hasn't anyone told you sneaking up on people might get you killed?"
Kakashi's one visible eye was crinkled into what Sasuke guessed was a smile. "No, not that I can remember. Hasn't anyone told you that you should talk to your elders with more respect?"
"Hn." Sasuke turned around and kept on walking, knowing Kakashi would follow. A streak of irritation made Sasuke scowl; how could Kakashi move undetected? He absently considered asking the copy ninja to teach him to move as stealthily as he did, while Kakashi himself walked at Sasuke's pace beside him, reading his Icha Icha Paradise book while doing so.
"So where are you going?"
"To eat," Sasuke replied curtly, not looking at Kakashi.
"And after that?"
"Training."
"By yourself?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Not really. So what happened with Naruto the other day?"
Sasuke missed a step. He turned a scowl at Kakashi, who was so intent at reading his stupid book that Sasuke almost bought the act. Almost. Was Kakashi spying on him? "What do you mean?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"We were talking about how Iruka had forgotten it had been Naruto's birthday yesterday, and then you suddenly disappear." Kakashi stole a quick glance at Sasuke. "It doesn't take a half-wit ninja to figure it out."
Sasuke continued walking; making sure his face and his voice betrayed nothing. "We sparred."
"Oh? Who won?"
Sasuke couldn't help smirking. "I did."
"Really…" Kakashi turned a page in his book. He hid a knowing smile behind the cover. "So that's why Naruto's taken it upon himself to train today."
Sasuke remained silent, waiting for Kakashi to continue. Finally he did, when he realized Sasuke wasn't talking. "I met Sakura this morning. She bumped into Naruto earlier, said he'd be training alone today."
"Naruto always trains by himself unless you call for us," Sasuke pointed out.
"True, but he seemed more energetic than usual." Kakashi chuckled. "I guess my hunch was right."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow mildly, but did not comment. He didn't particularly care what went on in Kakashi's perverted mind. He had a feeling he'd be better off not knowing. Instead he led the way to the small tea house he frequented for his meals. It was a ways from the Uchiha compound, and it usually had only a trickle of customers: the two main reasons why Sasuke chose to eat there most of the time.
When they arrived, Kakashi went off, saying he had important things to do, plus a mission for the Hokage. "Just reconnaissance, but I'll be gone for the rest of the day. Tell Sakura and Naruto. The Hokage says we'll be doing another mission when I get back, so meet me at Ichiraku's tomorrow at seven in the morning."
After assuring Kakashi he'd tell them, Sasuke was left to enjoy his breakfast in peace, much to his relief. As he ate, Sasuke toyed with the idea of training. He could do stamina training; that would help him build up his chakra reserves so he could do the Chiidori more than two times in succession. It was his strongest technique so far, but he didn't have enough strength to maintain the technique for very long.
Or, a small voice inside his head interrupted, you could see how Naruto's been doing so far.
Why not? Sasuke couldn't see any downside to this plan. He'd be able to assess just how far Naruto had progressed already, and gauge his own progress with the dobe's. Plus, he'd get another chance to push Naruto's nose down in the dust…it was perfect.
It wasn't difficult to locate where Naruto was training. All Sasuke needed to do was open up his senses to search for Naruto's chakra signature, and keep his ears perked to detect the dobe's loud, annoying voice. Within minutes he had found him, training near the edge of Konoha forest.
Sasuke stealthily jumped to the canopy of a large tree nearby, crouching down without making a sound. Naruto did not even look up as Sasuke settled himself on a high branch, watching. Too easy, Sasuke thought smugly to himself.
Naruto had his back to Sasuke, but it was clear from his posture and the way his chakra was being manipulated that Naruto was trying to perform a jutsu. The more Sasuke watched, the more he was sure Naruto was practicing a genjutsu, although exactly what the illusionary technique was supposed to do Sasuke wasn't sure.
Naruto was using a shadow clone to perform the genjutsu on. The clone was standing about five paces away from Naruto, yawning from boredom and watching the real Naruto with a slight frown. "Haven't you gotten the hang of it yet?"
"I can do this!" Naruto snapped, apparently ticked off. Sasuke smirked inwardly. Naruto's weakest point had always been genjutsu, even at the Academy.
The clone scratched its head and looked dubiously at Naruto. "I bet I can learn that quicker than you."
"Shut up!" Naruto growled against his throat as he did the hand signs again. Sasuke saw, with the aid of his Sharingan, how Naruto's chakra flared blue for a moment before returning to its normal state. "Damn it! I've checked a hundred times and I'm sure I'm doing this right. So why isn't it working?!"
The clone was now squatting on the grass, one hand supporting his head. "What's the genjutsu supposed to do?"
"It's supposed to make you numb and freeze up," Naruto replied, going through the signs again. "Feel anything different?"
The clone shook his head. "Nope. Better try again."
Naruto cursed loudly, scratching at his head in frustration. Sasuke, curious about the genjutsu, moved to hide in another tree, where he could see Naruto's hands clearly. He wanted to identify the genjutsu as Naruto made the seals, and maybe learn the technique himself.
As Sasuke settled into another tree, the clone made an irritated sigh. "You should forget about it. I'd much prefer if we looked for the Ero-sennin and ask him to teach us something new."
"Just wait a sec, I know I've got this." Naruto wiped away a trickle of sweat from his brow and readied his hands, mentally running through the order of hand signs he had to go through.
Hidden safely up the tree, Sasuke watched Naruto intently, his Sharingan still active. Naruto's hands moved quickly, but Sasuke could see each sign clearly and memorized it in his mind. Naruto's chakra rushed through his hands and out his outstretched palms in one quick, sharp burst, forming a ball of chakra that hung suspended in mid-air. Naruto and his clone stared at the chakra ball with identical looks of confusion.
"What the hell?" Naruto frowned. "I don't think this genjutsu's supposed to do this." He poked the chakra ball with a finger.
The floating sphere of chakra glowed white for a moment after Naruto touched it, then shot upwards quick as light, into the trees. Naruto and his clone could only gasp as the thing sped off, surprised. They were even more surprised to see someone fall from the trees, where the ball of chakra had gone.
Dismissing his clone, Naruto ran towards the fallen figure, only to find Uchiha Sasuke sprawled on the ground. Naruto's first reaction was to see if Sasuke had broken anything, and he immediately rushed to his side, the genjutsu momentarily forgotten. "Are you alright?"
Sasuke's reply was a groan as he stirred, sitting up slowly. Naruto felt his arms, his legs…nothing seemed to be sprained or anything, but Sasuke stiffened everytime Naruto touched him. Bruised, then, but no broken bones. Naruto wordlessly helped him stand up then stepped back, knowing how touchy Sasuke was with being helped. "You can stand, can't you?"
Sasuke grunted. The fall had done nothing damaging, but his head was starting to throb. He put a hand to his temple. "I'm fine," he muttered, and looked up at Naruto, who was scowling at him, his eyes darkening dangerously. "What?"
"Teme, what were you doing?" Naruto bit out, crossing his arms in front of him. "Were you spying on me?"
"As if I'd learn anything from watching you," Sasuke managed to smirk, ignoring the dull pain spreading in his skull. "You can't even do the genjutsu properly."
Naruto's nostrils flared, his eyes a bright blue blaze. "So you were spying!" he said angrily.
"Was not," Sasuke snapped. The dull pain in his head was fast becoming a full-blown headache, and this argument with Naruto was not helping matters any. "I'm leaving," he said as Naruto opened his mouth to speak. Sasuke began to walk away.
"I'm not done talking to you!" Naruto snarled, his hand whipping out to grab Sasuke's arm.
Blinding light flashed in Sasuke's eyes, pain blooming in his head, and he gave a sharp cry, swaying on his feet. With sheer force of will Sasuke managed to stay upright, gritting his teeth as the pain and the light flared for an instant that felt like eternity before slowly ebbing away.
Naruto's angry grip loosened when he saw Sasuke stagger, and he watched his team mate and friend warily. Sasuke had his eyes closed, breathing in measured counts through his nose. "Sasuke? What's wrong?"
Naruto's voice seemed far way. Sasuke could not understand what Naruto was saying, but he concentrated on the sound, trying to fight off unconsciousness. The pain was finally lessening to an extent, but then something else was happening. Sasuke could feel warmth spread from his chest, reaching to his skull and the tips of his toes. He frowned inwardly. What the hell was happening?
"Oi, teme, talk to me." Naruto was now shaking him lightly by the shoulders. Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, locking his knees rigidly to keep from swaying. Bright blue eyes shimmering with concern filled his vision, and Sasuke's breath hitched in his throat.
Before Sasuke could think, before he could completely regain his senses, his body moved of its own accord. He didn't even have a chance to protest as his own hands shot out and grabbed the front of Naruto's jacket, pulled him closer, and pressed their lips together.
For one moment Naruto froze, stunned, as he felt Sasuke's lips on his, and smelled Sasuke's scent so close to him. Then alarm bells rang shrilly inside his head, stirring him to action. He pushed Sasuke away roughly, feeling the blood rising to his cheeks. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but no words came out. Inside his head, though, three words kept repeating themselves: oh…my…god…
Sasuke staggered back, dazed, until the reality of what he had just done began to sink in. He whipped around to look at Naruto; he did not realize that his headache had mysteriously disappeared. "Did…did I just…?"
Naruto's shocked expression gave way to murderous anger. "What the fuck was that for, you bastard?!"
Sasuke swallowed hard, feeling the fringes of panic. He stepped back. "I…" The scene flashed again before his eyes. He had pulled Naruto flush against his own body and kissed him. "Look, Naruto…" He had kissed him. Kissed—! "I didn't…"
Naruto's only response was to growl dangerously low, his face a frightening resemblance of a very pissed fox just waiting for the right moment before it ripped him to shreds.
Sasuke's breathing became labored as his heart hammered against his chest. The world began to dip and tilt dangerously around him. He looked at Naruto, his eyes a darkened blue, demanding for an answer that Sasuke could not give.
Naruto watched as, in an un-Uchiha-like behavior, Sasuke turned and ran away. The blond gennin bristled. "OI! SASUKE-TEME! Get your pale ass back here!" he yelled, and prepared to follow. But he stopped at the last moment; he was fast, but Sasuke was faster. If the youngest Uchiha did not want to be found, no one—in Naruto's private opinion—would be able to.
The image of Sasuke's face as Naruto bore down on him came unbidden in his mind. It was the first time Naruto had seen him look genuinely at a loss; it was unnerving. Sasuke had always been the epitome of self-possession and confidence. Naruto looked up at the direction Sasuke had run off to, shook his head, and sighed.
The Ero-Sennin once told him that it was sometimes better to think things through before deciding to take action. Well, this one was definitely one of those times. Naruto let himself down on the grass, lying spread-eagled on the forest floor. He frowned at the canopy above, ignoring the way his lips still throbbed. "The teme had better have an explanation next time we meet."
NxS NxS NxS
End of Chapter 1.
Please send in your reviews and tell me what you think: should I continue the story? :) Your reviews would help me a lot.