AN: First off I want to warn all of you that I'm new to the Naruto world to begin with, I really only read the manga, and this is my first Naruto fic, (though definitely not my first fic). I try to stay cannon, but I'm human and I slip up on occasion. If you notice, feel free to point out any and all mistakes I make.
All that being said, I want to say that I'm not sure where this came from…but this plot bunny was gnawing at my brain so I had to get it out. I continue if asked…enjoy!
The Fox and the Snake
Chapter 1
You will regret killing him.
Onyx eyes snapped open and a soft sigh could be heard in the room. The clock on the wall ticked out the seconds; seconds that he should be sleeping. Knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to sleep any more that night, the dark-haired teen sat up on the hard bed and stared at the wall.
You will regret killing him.
The damn fox would not get out of his head. He couldn't train, he couldn't focus, couldn't sleep. He felt like his head was going to explode, like he was going crazy. Blue eyes haunted his dreams along with a red fox that never quit his smiling. Balled fists slammed into the mattress. He needed to fix this.
Standing, he silently found his sword and cloak before leaving the dark room. Karin, who was on watch for the night, looked up from the map she was hunched over.
"Ah, Sasuke, do you need something? Food, water, company?" she smirked at the last, but Sasuke barely acknowledged her.
"I'm going out."
"Out?" Karin asked uncertainly.
Dark eyes flickered in her direction before opened the door to the small room they had booked at the ramshackle hotel. "Out." He repeated before disappearing into the darkness.
Sasuke pulled the cloak tightly around his shoulders against the darkness. He was going to fix this issue before he went entirely crazy.
XXXXXXX
Naruto felt the wind flow against him as he bounded from tree to tree. He had been abnormally silent since they lost Sasuke's scent. The team had split up, canvassing the area and keeping in wireless range.
He grunted as an arm shot out from next tree over and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop. His eyes widened as he stared at the dark haired teen that had literally grabbed him out of thin air.
'Naruto, you okay?' His earpiece crackled to life, Kakashi's voice echoing in his head.
Eyes still wide and staring at Sasuke, Naruto reached a hand up to his earpiece. "Yeah, I'm fine…just tripped." He pulled the earpiece from his ear before clicking the 'off' switch. "What…?" he started.
Sasuke leaned in close, so that there were only inches between them, a curious look on his face. Naruto's eyes widened even further as Sasuke's turned red.
He blinked several times as he was drawn inwards. Sasuke was now watching the nine-tailed demon fox as intently as he had been staring at Naruto a few seconds before hand.
The fox grinned down on the Uchiha heir. "Ah, so you're back."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he stared down the fox. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"
If it was even possible, the fox's grin widened. "If you want to tell yourself that I'm the one you can't get out of your head…"
"You are, and your damnable voice."
The fox laughed before slowly dissolving. "Just come back sometime so I can say I told you so."
Naruto blinked as he suddenly found himself back on the tree limb, staring at Sasuke. He tried to figure out what the other teen was thinking, but reading his face was like trying to read marble.
"I can't train, sleep, or even focus." Sasuke stated, as if he was discussing the weather. "Because of that damn fox."
Naruto raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"So you're coming with me."
"Wha…" he was cut off when Sasuke appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious. He caught the blonde before he could tumble off the limb they were perched on and slung the limp body on his back, making sure Naruto's head was not lolling to the side.
He didn't seem to notice the earpiece that Naruto dropped as he bounded off into the thick forest.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Kakashi scowled at the earpiece in his hand. "He was here. It's in the 'off' position."
The nin dog at his heels looked up. "Sasuke. His scent is strong here too."
"Can we follow them?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, they left together."
"There is no sign of struggle." Kakashi admitted. "Perhaps he left of his own free will."
XXXXXXXXXX
Naruto blinked eyes open, noting that he didn't recognize the ceiling he was staring at. He heard the rasping sound of stone on steel. He sat up and noticed he was sitting on a hard bed, Sasuke sitting in a chair a few feet from it, running a wet stone along the length of the blade balanced on his knees.
"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, with the air of someone who didn't really care about the answer.
"You knocked me out!" Naruto accused, complete with pointing finger.
Sasuke's eyes flickered to him and then to the door as it slammed open. Naruto stared at the woman framed in the doorway as she stared at him.
"What the hell? Who is he, and what is he doing here?" She asked as she pointed at the blonde.
Eyes still on the blade he was working on, Sasuke replied. "He's recovering from being knocked unconscious."
Naruto's eye twitched. "Because you knocked me out!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So?"
Naruto felt like banging his head against the wall.
"Wait…isn't this that leaf ninja? The one with the nine-tails?" the woman seemed to be thinking as she looked between the Naruto and Sasuke. "Are we going to use him as bait?" he lips curved up into a smile.
"No." Sasuke said simply at the same time Naruto yelled. "I'd like to see you try!"
The woman now looked more confused as ever. A banging sound came from the outer room and a few seconds later another joined their little party.
"Yo. Who's that?" The man leaning against the door jam peered around the woman.
"He's the nine-tails that's recovering from being knocked unconscious." The woman said dryly.
"Who knocked him unconscious?"
The woman jerked her head to the side. "Our fearless leader."
"And he brought him back?"
"Uh-huh."
Naruto looked back and forth as the exchange was going on before turning to Sasuke, who seemed to be ignoring them. "You couldn't find better minions?"
"No." he said as the other two cried out indignantly. Sasuke raised his eyes from his work to stare at them. "Why are you two in my room?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Um…" She seemed lost for a moment before snapping back to attention. "Ah, I was wondering if we were leaving tonight or not…"
"Yes. And find Juugo. He should be back by now." Sasuke said tersely.
They nodded before turning on their heel and exiting the doorway. Naruto stared at the man he had been searching for, for more than three years. Sasuke seemed satisfied with the sharpness and he sheathed his sword and stood from his chair. He laid the sword on the chair before walking over to the edge of the bed.
"Move." He said when Naruto blinked at him.
"What?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Move over. I haven't slept more than two hours at a time in nearly a month, and we're leaving tonight."
Naruto complied, simply because he was still in such a state of shock. The dark haired teen lay down on his side, his back facing the door.
"Go to sleep." He commanded without opening his eyes.
The blonde lay down with his back against the wall and facing his dark haired kidnapper. "Why?" he finally asked.
"Because I said we were leaving tonight, you need the sleep." Was his response.
Naruto sighed. "No, why did you kidnap me?"
Sasuke cracked an eye open and stared at him. "Because I didn't think you would come willingly."
"Why did you want me to come?" Naruto felt like he was pulling teeth trying to get the Uchiha to give him a straight answer.
"I already explained. I cannot focus due to your damn fox…so I thought this might help. It was this or kill you." His eye drifted closed again. "Go to sleep, we leave in three hours."
Naruto sighed and tried to get comfortable on the hard bed. He closed his eyes as his brain tried to figure out what was going inside the other teen's brain.
AN: so should I continue this or no? Be completely honest…