Warning: SasuNaru pairing with side dishes of KakaIru, KibaHina and LeeSaku. Mentions: GenmaIru, YoukoKuramaNaru, and prostitution. If you are uncomfortable with the topics please do NOT read the story.
Rating: somewhere between M/R. Angst/ Drama/ Psychological
Note: Here there be Psychobabble... not noticeable (I think) but the whole story is based on several of its concepts. I'm planning a one-shot, but the way I see it, it will not be possible. We'll just see. AnbuNaruto and AnbuSasuke. MedicSakura. Timeline is a year after Sasuke is saved from the Snake by our ever so popular blond ninja.
Note 2: This is actually a spin off to one of my stories called Pyrrhic Victory. It's not posted yet becuase I'm tweaking the plot and arguing between omniscient pov or first person pov. I'm actually testing out writing styles... ahahahaha... so when/if Pyrrhic Victory comes out, don't be surprised at the tangents you see with this story.
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It was the tall, silver-haired jounin who happened upon 17 year old Naruto first. The blond was slumped on the doors of the Hokage office, reading what appeared to be a Mission scroll.
"Naruto." Murmured Kakashi. It was strange to see his jovial expression absent. Not that Naruto noticed.
"Kakashi-sensei... I ... I." the blond fixed the scroll and tucked it into his Anbu vest. "How do I get out of a mission? I cant' ... I... Kiba conned me into this." Sapphire eyes were swimming in anguish and disbelief.
The jounin took a deep breath. "Naruto." He said again, dumping a slightly crumpled piece of paper on his hand. "Go to this location. Right Now. There is something you need to see badly."
The fox looked to his sensei, then to the scribble then back at Kakashi. "I don't have time to play hide and seek, sensei, this is SERIOUS! This mission..."
But he was cut off. "Mission later. Just go NOW!" He barked.
Frowning, the blond ambled off. It was easy to see, that Naruto was operating haphazardly. "I can't believe Kiba would do this to me...You could have just asked me, Kiba... you could've just asked."
The silver-haired jounin placed a weary hand on his brow. "Naruto, I'm so so very sorry." With a POOF he was gone.
Naruto's scowl deepened. The address turned out to be some out-of the way motel. A particular haunt of Valentine's Day victims. "What would I need to see here?" he shrugged then climbed to the second floor as per directed in the paper.
"Naruto." a familiar voice called to him. His pink haired team mate greeted him at the floor's lobby.
The unexpected surprise made the fox grin. "Sakura-chan. Hi! What are you-?
He was shushed. Rather, the solemn expression on the girl's face silenced him. "Don't speak. Go to the end of the hall. Use this access card to enter room 216." She bit her lip. "I... I'll be here waiting."
Hello Twilight Zone. Naruto thought as he followed instructions, flipping the card key in his left hand. "It isn't mine or Sasu's birthday or anything."
"210. 212. 214. Ah 216." The fox paused. "I wonder what's going on?"
He inserted the card key and pushed open the door to a litter of ninja clothing: a set of jounin ones and a dark schemed shirt with a white hakama that looked overly familiar.
"Is that-?" He closed his eyes as he leaned on the wall for support.
No, it couldn't be! he uttered in his mind; heart racing. Yet the Uchiha crest remained on the hem of that dark blue long sleeves.
"Please, not him too..." he whispered, as he desperately tried to hang on to sanity. "Let it be someone else!"
This time, he heard the moans, the whimpers and cries that came from the bedroom. Horrified, his feet moved of its own accord.
"If there is a God. Please. Please. Let this be a joke! I'm not ready for this!" Naruto prayed but his body shuffled to the bedroom, unheeding. His heartfelt plea went unanswered and the sight that greeted him wiped away all traces of previous denials and rationalizations.
On that Queen size bed, lay one Sasuke Uchiha, his lover of nearly one year, on his back, with none other than Genma Shiranui between his muscled thighs. The jounin was apparently asking the raven haired boy to steel himself for him.
All was still for the blond. He heard nothing, saw a hazy grey and his thoughts were of emptiness. For a second he wanted to hurt both of the ninjas. Hurt them so badly... perhaps even kill them and take retritubion. The leak of his desparing intent froze Sasuke and Genma. The fox stilled with them.
Naruto's heart throbbed dully as he watched the couple untangle themselves; trying to hide their nudity under a flimsy blanket.
So this was what he needed to see.
A glitter from the bedside table caught his eye. It was the necklace that Tsunade had given to him, which he had asked his most precious person to keep for him until he would need it. From its position, it had been tossed there unwittingly. It was easily cast aside like he was.
Mutely, he reclaimed his token; eyes cast behind a curtain of blond spikes. He forced his torment down and shoved his embarrassment deep. He could not afford to break down now.He pocketed the trinket, noting to himself that he would have a jeweller scuff it clean before he tugged at the promise ring on his left ring finger and placed it where the necklace had been.
Neither Genma nor Sasuke could look at him in the eye. And as Naruto left in silence, he ignored the Uchiha's outstretched hand and the tears in those midnight eyes.
Dawn came and went. Under the guidance of Iruka-sensei, Lee and Sakura the night before, he had let the torrents loose. He was fortunate he had shoulders to cry on, but that did not ease his broken soul. After the initial purging, he had come to an understanding about himself. He was lost without the Uchiha, yet ultimately could not accept his betrayal. He was too afraid to be hurt again, because all his life he hurt.
It was frightening how quickly Uzumaki Naruto had come to accept his worthlessness.
Surprisingly, it was Genma who came to him first, apologizing for having seduced the raven haired teen. To which Naruto replied, "With or without your seduction skills Shiranui, Uchiha's decision belongs to him and him alone." The maturity of the insight stunned the senbon chewing man into silence. "I hope you know that I have informed Iruka-sensei about your... extra curricular activities. Good day, Shiranui." The blond left for Hokage's office.
The morning found Uchiha Sasuke in deep worship of the porcelain deity. He had been imbibing spirits after he had left the motel. He hadn't even remembered coming home and sleeping. All he could recall was the burning in throat and the fire in his gut.
"Really, Sasuke. You disappoint me." A half hearted glare. "G'way, Kashi. Don't need you... Naruto left me"
The jounin snorted. "Who wouldn't? I had hoped that what Sakura had overheard was nothing..." He threw clothes at his student's face. "Take a bath and get dressed. Naruto is leaving for a long term S class mission. You need to talk him"
Black eyes widened. "Don't order me around."
Kakashi shrugged. "Meh, you act like the petulant immature child that you are." He turned to leave. "If you aren't by the tower in five minutes, I'm transporting you there butt naked. I'm sure your fans and a certain jounin would like that"
Ignoring the jibe and grumbling under his breath, Sasuke hopped to it or more like swayed to. He was showered, dressed and in his semi-sane mind when he walked the halls of the Hokage office. That is until he came face to face with the pink haired snitch.
Sakura suddenly had a face-ful of the three-tomoed sharingan. "You! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOLD NARUTO!?? You involved Kakashi-sensei too!? HOW DARE YOU EAVESDROP ON ME"
His first reply had been a powered up punch in the cheek that sent him skittering on the floor. "And how dare YOU betray the only person who thinks the world of you! How dare YOU hurt Naruto!" The pink haired medic-nin hissed, pushing her teammate's chest with an accusing index finger. "How dare you lie to him, tell him you loved him, when you were opening your legs for someone else!"
The last of the Uchiha suddenly slumped on the floor. THere was a pregnant silence before a choked voice could be heard. "I'm sorry okay?! I didn't mean to. It was just that one time and we didn't even get that far... and I love Naruto very much... and I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." "It's Naruto who should be hearing this. I am not the one who needs an explanation from you." she sighed, hands on her hips. "Why, Sasuske? Just why?
There was a pause. "I... I really don't know."
"I am very much interested to hear your reasons too, Uchiha." the shadow of the Godaime loomed over the two."You and I are going to have a LONG talk."
Sasuke nodded, resigned, as Sakura bit her lip. "Tsunade-sama, is Naruto still inside your office?" The blonde shook her head. "You missed him. He's been gone even before your little drama"
Coming at attention, the raven haired teen was prepared to dash after his lover. "And WHERE do you think you're going, uchiha?" A perfectly manicured hand heavily grasped at his shoulder. "If I heard correctly, you don't even know why you did the things you did. Apologizing to Naruto in that way is rude and selfish. It will get you nowhere, while hurting more." "But I have to try!!" he struggled in her grip.
"Keh... Sakura, get some tea and luch served in my office right now." the Hokage ordered, dragging the Uchiha with her. "Sasuke, the truth. Naruto deserves that much at least."
Before anyone knew it, two and a half years had come and gone. Konoha was still slowly changing for the better, but Sasuke felt left behind. The weight of a thousand regrets and guilt settled on his shoulders. More than ever, his past kept hounding him in relentless pursuit. One of the multitude of regrets he had had was never knowing who Genma's lover was at that time he had... lain with him. It might not do any good, but at the very least Sasuke had wanted to apologize.
Last he heard of Genma, he had been kicked out of his lover's house and resumed Shinobi duties with gusto. Sasuke had met with him twice, trying to tie up lose ends. His apology was waved away. The senbon chewing jounin had claimed he was as much to blame for it as he was. With whatever scrap of dignity intact, he walked away and he never did bother to converse with the raven haired Anbu again.
Sasuke didn't know how he felt about that. Perhaps he wanted the company of someone who suffered with him... but he knew Genma suffered as much as he... as much as Naruto...
He had neither seen nor heard from the fox. He had tried swindling information off from the Godaime but she was much adamant about keeping him contact-free of his lover, claiming that it was for the sake of Naruto's mental health during a dangerous mission.
That and the fact that the Uchiha knew she was gawd-awful pissed at him and wanted to see him agonize. He supposed he deserved that really, but that didn't mean he would give up.
It took him all this time, and with the specialized Uchiha wallops from Sakura, to confront the nuances of what had happened (Kakashi called the episode "The Perils of Being a Sexy Thoughtless Bastard").
He had been afraid of the commitment. He was confused: He hated the one he was supposed to love the most.
Naruto was the one who brought him back from Sound, which also meant that he was stronger than Sasuke, which in turn, eliminated his chances of getting stronger in order to kill his brother.
Naruto was the one who forgave him and gave his place back, which puzzled the Uchiha to no end. He had expected to be smacked around, not hugged and smiled at. Naruto had been the one to tell him he loved him and Sasuke just took it all in stride, hiding beneath a wall of apathy.
Naruto had kept his promise. He had been celebrated by the handful who saw him for who he really was. Where did that leave the mighty, fallen, traitorous Uchiha in THEIR eyes?
Naruto could not bear him the expected child. Yet Sasuke wanted his line to die with him.
He knew now that it had been too early to start a relationship with Naruto... He hadn't been ready. He sighed. "Should haves. Could haves. What ifs. It doesn't mean a thing now. I just hope Naruto is willing to forgive me." Now, things were hopefully different. Hopefully.
A rustle in the bushes.
He crouched up on the tree branch, eyeing his surroundings extra warily, hoping against all hope that the blond would suddenly pop out of nowhere. He was disapointed to find that it was only one Hyuuga Neji who came to relieve him of his border patrol shift.
The Byakugan user curtly nodded to him and took his rightful place, not saying anything more than he had to. Most or the Rookie Nine were cold to him, but given his less than stellar performances, Sasuke wondered why his reputation wasn't as tarnished.
"I'll take my leave then, Hyuuga." with that said, he jumped off and ran for the village to the safety of his mansion.
Sasuke was just about to take the first bite of his onigiri when Kakashi conveniently popped in his dining room, nose buried in his ever immortal Icha Icha Paradise, Volume only-he-knows. His former student was to say the least, irked at the disturbance. "What?" he grunted.
A happy crinkled eye was sent his way. "Tsunade-sama has just received a missive. Naruto is coming home."
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AN: I know Sasuke acts OOC, but the way I figured it, he's one of those emotionally immature people who just happens to be selfish. (No offense to Sasuke fans. I'm a Sasu fan too, but this is one side of him I'd like to explore and exploit .) Like with his Orochimaru escapade, it's nothing more than self gratification (i.e. vengeance) and he is the type to seek ANY means to further his ends, while being negligent to the effects of his choices. And then people ask why Naruto doesn't throw tantrums and keelhaul his lover and gets the more mature insight... he's not... sort of... a little maybe... but you'll see what I mean, so read on. Goes into shock I really can't believe I did that to Naruto...
Apologies to Genma fans... I needed a scapegoat. I thought about it being Kakashi and realized that one: KakaSasu is so overused, two: Genma is one of the last people you'd expect. He and Sasuke really don't have much contact. Besides I'm planning something for Kakashi-sensei... .
Oh yeah, my ruler/line thingy doesn't work. Can anyone help me with that? ... cuz' I'm stuck with AAs...
Please review. And welcome CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Thank you very much!
Melampus