This… is going to be an epic, I bet you. I have a general idea of where this is going, but once again, time is my enemy, and I have no idea when I'll finish this, along with everything else I have up. I always bite off more than I can chew. --" I blame it all on the SasuNaru plot bunnies humping my legs.
This is going to be an AU, which means ages are screwed around, characters have different pasts and so on. They're not even the same race, the characters. And they have super awesome powers too. Yeah… literally an Alternate Universe.
Warning: Genre: Romance, meaning there will be kissing, hugging, sappy speeches, heartfelt emotions, broken hearts, actions (non-explicit of course) and perhaps cuddling. Humour, meaning there will be sarcasm, cynicism, mockery, teasing, taunts, comedic situations including the colourful crew and the bubbly Naruto. Drama, meaning there will be clichés, heaps of action, a dash of originality and plots worthy of Korean dramas. Slash, meaning there will be boys kissing boys, boys molesting boys, boys shoving boys up against walls and making out with boys, boys sticking their hands down other boys' pants and boys falling in love with other boys.
P.S. The 'colour' and 'color,' 'favourite' and 'favorite' will change sometimes cos my Microsoft Word is set in American English (how's that for an oxymoron?) but my Mac is New Zealand English. I write all my fics on my Mac first.
Enjoy, lovely people.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine.
"Alright, ready to leave this godforsaken planet?" Kakashi's voice crackled over the speakers. Kiba and Sasuke did some last minute checkups before replying.
"Cripes yes!" Kiba hollered.
"Hn." Went Sasuke.
Ino and Sakura looked up from perusing their cookbooks and yelled "Ready!"
Silence from the last crew member.
"Shikamaru?"
"..."
"SHIKAMARU!" Crash, curse, and an extremely grumpy and tired voice replied, "Ready... mendoukusee..." Then he yawned and promptly fell asleep.
"Why do we keep that lazy bum around again?" Kiba whined good heartedly as he threw himself into a chair.
"Because he is the only person who understands how the ship works." Iruka explained patiently, steering the airship with ease.
"And no one else does?" The wild haired youth snarked.
"Well, Sasuke might a little bit, but Shikamaru made adjustments to this himself." Kakashi joined in on the conversation, "When I first got it was a tin can held together by spit and prayers. Now it's a tin can held together by spit and prayers with a very large gun." He grinned. Kiba snorted and flapped a hand.
"You're just mad he doesn't do any physical labour." Iruka teased, and Kiba barked a laugh. "Yo Mr. Dark and Brooding, what're you doing man?" He called over to a black haired youth who sat at a computer and was typing furiously. Mr. Dark and Brooding barely spared him a glance. "Research." He intoned, and continued.
"Aww man! Why is it always research with you, Sasuke?" Kiba complained, and then narrowed his eyes. "It's about Kyuubi again isn't it?" Sasuke didn't reply. Kiba scoffed.
"Why do you insist on chasing after a fairytale?"
"You know why." Sasuke's voice was icy.
"Yeah, yeah, revenge for your clan and everything." Kiba mumbled quietly, not quite willing to go over the line any further. Ino came sprinting into the room a second later, looking frantic. "There's a stowaway." She announced, and all the men turned to stare at her. Only Sasuke looked at her once before returning to his computer.
"I was using my telepathy to find where Shika had fallen asleep again when I felt an unfamiliar mind." Ino explained, brushing her blonde locks out of her eyes.
"Where?" Kakashi said sharply. Ino shook her head. "You know I can't pinpoint them when they're unfamiliar. All I know is that they're somewhere in the engine room."
"Kiba. Sasuke. Find the stowaway." Kakashi ordered.
"But that place is huge!" Kiba protested.
"Use your abilities." The white haired man suggested.
"And deafen myself? It's way too noisy in there!"
"Then use the old fashioned way. Search." His tone finalized the argument.
Grumbling, Kiba followed Sasuke out of the cockpit and descended the elevator to the engine room. Kiba, already with heightened senses without activating his talent, winced at the sheer volume. Sasuke grabbed a wooden stick from besides the entrance and began to pace the room, poking at places. Still muttering about dictatorial captains and emo ice cubes, Kiba searched as well.
Ten minutes later, Kiba cracked. "ARGH! Why do we have to find this bloody stowaway? Why don't we just lock the doors and let him starve to death in here or something?" He stamped his feet. Sasuke took no notice. His head shot up when he heard strange noises over the gyrating of the engine room's pistons.
Sasuke looked up. Soft, shuffling sounds came from the ceiling. Leaping up into the air, he rose at least four metres before he reached the top. With one sharp jab of the stick, the panelling tilted and gave the game away - a blond, orange and cursing profusely heap tumbled down onto the hard, unforgiving floor.
"OW!" It complained, and turned out to be a boy around Kiba's age, probably younger, with a shock of bright butter yellow hair and clear blue eyes. There were strange whisker marks on his face.
He rubbed his back and behind, both of which he had fallen on. He looked up, and saw Sasuke standing there; stick in hand and an eyebrow raised over one onyx eye. The blond had the decency to look sheepish. "Uh... hi?" He ventured guiltily, giving a tiny, cautious wave. Whack. The stowaway clutched his head and yowled in pain as Sasuke's ever-useful stick bopped him over the head.
"What was that for, teme!?" He howled.
"Dobe." Sasuke deadpanned.
The blond spluttered. "Don't call me that! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and don't you forget it!" He pointed a finger at Sasuke. Whack. Kiba snickered in the background.
"You're a stowaway." Sasuke intoned, shifting his grip on the stick subtly.
"Well thanks for stating the obvious!" Naruto said sarcastically, rubbing the bump on his head. Whack. Naruto yelled as the stick collided with the side of his head.
"Leave."
"And go where?! This is the middle of space you know!"
"I don't care. Leave."
The stick descended again, but Naruto had had enough. He grabbed the stick. Kiba's eyes widened slightly, but Sasuke remained impassive. With one terrific yank, he tugged Naruto to his feet. The blond lurched forward with a yelp. Sasuke let go of the stick and clamped his hand around Naruto's wrist in an iron grip. His other hand shot out and grabbed the front of Naruto's jacket, and in one smooth, graceful move, he performed a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw.
Naruto landed on his back, again, though this time with more force. All the wind rushed out of his lungs and he lay there, gasping for breath and trying to ignore the shooting pain that lanced up his spine.
Kiba walked forward. "I wouldn't anger Sasuke anymore, dude, he's a wicked combat expert." Naruto looked up at him with incredulity. He looked at Sasuke, whose face was still a mask of apathy.
"Trust me, I would know." Kiba said, reading Naruto's mind. "It took me at least five years to read his masks." He held a hand out. Naruto took it gratefully, wincing as he was pulled up.
"I'm Inuzuka Kiba, crew member of the airship Sylvan." Kiba introduced himself, taking an instant liking to the loudmouthed blond. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Birds of a feather flock together, he thought darkly. "We'll let Kakashi deal with him." Sasuke said abruptly, and left.
Kiba rolled his eyes too and gave Naruto a shrug, and ushered him along.
"Did he hide that stick up his ass?" Naruto asked in a loud whisper. Kiba rocked with laughter. Sasuke didn't react, save for a slight tensing of his shoulder.
"Naw, man. He's just like that. He lightens up once you get to know him." Kiba explained, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.
"What do you think the captain will do with me?" Naruto asked worriedly, afraid that Sasuke might just follow up on his threat and chuck him out into space.
"He's nice, he'll probably let you stay if you work for your room and board. But first, you'll have to explain to him why you're here. And you better not lie about it either, Kakashi can tell if you're lying." Kiba tapped his left eye. Naruto whistled. "So do all of you have special powers?"
"Most of us. Sasuke here, as you unfortunately experienced first hand, is a genius fighter. Ino, one of our cooks has telepathy, and a bit of ESP. Sakura, our other cook, has telekinesis. There's Shikamaru, laziest bum this side of the multiverse. He doesn't have any powers but he's terrifyingly smart, so that's a gift by itself. Iruka, our second in command, doesn't have any powers either, but let me tell you, he can persuade anyone to do anything. If you ask me, he's the one that wears the pants in this ship." Kiba grinned. "And I, the great Inuzuka Kiba, has heightened senses. Once I activate mine, I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox, the nose of a dog and -"
"Shut up." Sasuke snapped, and opened the cockpit's door.
"Yo." Kakashi waved, looking up from an eye-violating orange book. Naruto stared. Wasn't that - ?
"Name's Hatake Kakashi. How are you?" A hand shot out in front of his nose. Naruto blinked. When had that silver haired man moved? "Uzumaki Naruto. I'm good." He said slowly, shaking his hand and trying to gauge this man. He had a mask over his nose and tinted goggles of some kind that tilted at an angle on his head, covering his left eye. "Sorry about sneaking onto the ship." Naruto apologised, rubbing the back of his head.
Kakashi's eye curved up into an arc. "No problem. Any reason why?" He asked casually. Naruto decided to take Kiba's advice and come out with the truth. Or at least, a bit of it. From what he learned about truth seekers, you can evade their questions unless they ask you directly, or you can omit truths. Tell half-lies, if you will.
"Well, I'm on the run." He said bluntly. No one looked surprised. Sasuke scoffed, and Naruto glared at him.
"From...?" Kakashi prompted.
"The government. The research facility actually." He looked unwilling to go any further, but he wasn't in a situation to be stubborn. Kakashi pondered this "Powers?" He asked, looking at the blond critically. Naruto shrugged. "None that I know of, I just heal really quick and I have super endurance to just about anything."
Kakashi nodded, and came to a decision. "Well, you're welcome to stay, as long as you work for your room and board, I'll introduce you to the crew at dinner time."
"If you house a fugitive you become a criminal too." Sasuke said, his arms folded over his chest. He wasn't going against Kakashi's decision; he was just stating a fact. Naruto hated him already, and stuck his tongue out at an indifferent Sasuke.
"What does it matter? We've got a whole universe to hide." Kakashi said flippantly, "And I'm already a criminal too!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Well, I haven't paid taxes in a decade." The captain said defensively. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to leave. He missed the twinkle in Kakashi's eyes. "Oh no you don't. Sasuke, why don't you show Naruto his room? I'm sure you know which one."
Kiba spluttered. "What! The last spare room is beside Sasuke's! You want Naruto to die of morbidity!?" Naruto looked horrified. Kakashi flapped a hand. "He'll be fine. He might even cheer Sasuke up!" The room was dead silent at this. Kakashi flushed after a while. "Ok, that was a lie. But Naruto has to stay there, unless you're willing to swap?"
Kiba shook his head furiously. "Sorry man," Kiba said apologetically, "But you'll just have to stick it out." Naruto shrugged, and eyed the dark cloud that hung over Sasuke's head. "I'll be fine." Nobody believed it, not even Naruto himself.
"Kakashi? Has the stowaway been found yet?" A voice, lighter than Kakashi's, came from the doorway. Naruto turned to see a man, around his late twenties, with brown hair and a curious scar across his nose. Iruka, Naruto supposed. Kakashi pointed at Naruto. Iruka gasped. "Look at him! He's half starved to death! He's staying until he's well enough to leave." Iruka commanded, and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and hauled him out of the cockpit. Kakashi's eye curved up again and he went back to his book.
Iruka pulled Naruto along to the kitchen, until Sasuke, who had been following, spoke up. "You know the girls hate to be interrupted while they're cooking."
Iruka stopped. He looked torn between wanting to feed Naruto and fearing the girls' sulking for days afterwards. Sasuke sighed. "I have some nutrition bars in my bunk." He offered. Naruto stared, as did Iruka. "Oh... uh, sure." Iruka let go of Naruto's shoulders.
Sasuke beckoned and turned, walking the other way. Naruto looked at Iruka, as if asking if it was okay to follow the rather dangerous man. Iruka laughed, and pushed him along. "Go on, he doesn't bite. Dinner bell rings around half-moon."
Naruto jogged at a slow pace behind Sasuke, then stopped when he reached the other. Naruto disliked the boy, but he figured if they were going to be living on the ship together he could at least try to tolerate him. He cleared his throat. Sasuke tried to stop a groan; the blond wanted to talk.
"So... uh, how old are you?" Naruto ventured. Sasuke debated on answering. "Nineteen." He finally answered.
"Wow, really? I'm twenty already, though I don't look it." Naruto chirped. Sasuke swung around to stare at Naruto, who looked, at best, sixteen. He was a whole head taller than the blond. Naruto huffed. "I know I look small okay?" He grumbled.
"Scrawny is more like it." Sasuke muttered. Naruto swelled in anger. "Gee, aren't you nice, teme?"
"..."
Naruto hated silences, more than he hated Sasuke at least, so he started conversation again. "So how long have you been here?"
"Twelve years."
"Since you were seven!?" Naruto whistled. "How come?" Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He turned around and slammed Naruto against the wall before the blond could blink. He coughed as he tried to get air in his lungs.
"Shut up. Stop asking me questions that's none of your business." Sasuke snarled, and then let him go. Naruto dropped to his feet and rubbed his much abused back, though the pain was already receding.
Naruto glared at Sasuke's retreating form, and imagined all kinds of painful deaths for the dark haired youth. He scowled and continued after Sasuke. But he couldn't help himself, his curiosity was already piqued; seven was much too young an age to be working on a ship, even in the harsh and unforgiving world of space-life. Naruto grinned foxily as he thought of ways he could irritate the answers out of Sasuke.
Ok, that's the first chapter. Reviews are fully appreciated and much loved.