Disclaimer: Don't own.
Author notes at bottom.
Warnings: Yaoi, possible OOCness, profanity, violence, etcetera. If anything on this list offends you, that's your problem. Find another fic.
Big Thanks to Sekra for beta-ing! Everyone hug her!
For Your Love
Chapter 2: Sasuke's Move and the Master of Love
Naruto was running, running through leaf and grass and underbrush. Running naked with all the speed he possessed, bundled clothes held tightly to his chest, reaching down and tangling with his legs. He was bare, he was nude, he was naked. Wet droplets streamed down his racing body, whipping off into the wind at his sheer speed.
He'd seen Gaara. He'd heard Gaara.
His brain had stopped.
He had sunk under the water to explode out in a volume of spray that had caused the Sand nin's eyes to widen slightly so.
Then he had grabbed his clothes and ran. Ran as fast as his legs would take him, and it was only now becoming important that he was naked.
He honestly couldn't say whether or not Gaara's behaviour was normal, because Gaara's behaviour was never normal. If it was normal for Gaara, he hadn't a clue.
Slowly, ever so slowly, his pace wasn't as rushed, wasn't as desperate, and he could feel himself begin to come to a stop.
When he finally stood still, slightly hunched over, arms slackened, but not completely loosened, he realized how badly his legs were quaking. It wasn't just Gaara. It was everyone. All the events that had happened while the morning sun was still shining brightly, refusing to even be directly overhead yet!
Although, 'just Gaara' was enough to make most people run anyway.
Of course, his momentary peace was not to last. He could chalk it all up to life generally sucking and fate having an unquenchable thirst for sucker-punching him in the gut.
Amidst the thudding of his heart and the shortness of his breath, he gradually became aware of a great deal of thrashing and noise and that's when he realized that the direction he had ran in, was the one he had originally come from.
As soon as this great epiphany nestled itself comfortably into his brain, Sasuke and Neji tumbled through the trees and bushes, hands clawing and grappling and going for the throat.
It wasn't even ninjutsu anymore.
Naruto stared in disbelief as he witnessed the primal, instinctive, bloodlust that was set in a glorifying display before him.
The two combatants, however, upon realizing that they had an observer, slowly turned their heads to gaze upon one wide-eyed, naked-as-the-day-he-was-born blonde. Both Hyuga and Uchiha deeply blushed twin shades of deep crimson, flooding across their visages so quickly and fully that it was similar to spilling ink on paper.
"You're... naked," Neji said, as if in awe. Though any wonderment that may or may not have crossed his features would forever only be known to him.
Naruto looked down at himself, slowly taking in his unshielded state, thankful beyond words that his loose clothing bundle was covering what was important, before looking back up to address the statement.
"Yes. It would appear that I am." His voice sounded hollow and distant to him, as if this were a new concept never presented to the thoughts of man.
The concept of nudity.
It was quite some time before anyone dared to say anything more.
"Why?" Sasuke asked, eyes strangely feverish.
"I was swimming," he replied, flatly. Naruto was not sure if he should be blushing as brightly as the two before him, who couldn't seem to remove their eyes from his predicament. They had a deer caught in headlights look.
For reasons Naruto couldn't even begin to fathom, the two opponents visibly relaxed.
Maybe they simply needed a plausible reason to explain why their peer was traipsing through the woods, buck-naked. After all, neither knew Naruto for frolicking in the nude.
"Why," Sasuke began, voice sounding slightly pitched, "are you still naked?"
Suddenly remembering the cause for his flight, Naruto could only say one thing, "Gaara."
Confusion was evident on their faces, but dismissing it, the blonde spoke again pointedly, "I'm going to get dressed now... do you mind?"
Immediately, Sasuke slapped a hand over Neji's eyes, seemingly forgetting that he was still staring.
For a moment crystal blue stared at onyx shards.
"Byakugan!"
Briefly, Naruto wondered if he should kill them both. Quick, simple, no-one would ever need to know.
Kakashi would never admit, even years later after several drinks and much insistence, that he was startled when Naruto ran into him. Stunned. Shocked out of his mind.
Mostly because he had his nose buried deep in the pages of his precious Icha Icha Paradise.
So, when the blonde barreled into his side faster than lightning, he was taken by surprise. He almost lost his balance, in fact, he came so close to falling, that the memory would haunt him for years to come. After all, he was the prodigious Kakashi.
If he were anyone else, he probably would have fallen. Instead, he managed to turn it into a graceful move of letting whatever hit him fall to the ground while he escaped relatively unscathed.
Then he quickly looked around for witnesses.
None. He breathed out a sigh of relief. The jounin then turned his attention to the object of his chagrin to find a dazed blonde, lying helplessly on the ground.
Dazed... helpless...
Kakashi had a myriad of less than pure thoughts run through his head as he looked down at his student. Technically, the teen was considered an adult...
"Naruto! In a hurry?" he asked, happily as he helped the bewildered blonde to his feet.
"Kakashi-sensei! I..." he trailed off as he eyes fell on two approaching ninjas. Two approaching ninjas that he had just run into his teacher to escape.
Kakashi turned to see what had caught the teen's attention, waving when he saw Sasuke and Neji, who both looked like they'd decided to hurl themselves down a cliff to see if they'd live.
They both seemed to ignore him, eyes intently focused on Naruto.
Curiously, Kakashi looked down at the blonde. His jacket was half unzipped, revealing a toned chest. A navy blue shirt was clutched in his left hand, and his pants were barely on his hips. It looked like the teen had very hurriedly dressed himself.
Kakashi wondered if his mask went high enough to hide the blush.
Naruto nervously stepped closer to his teacher as the two ninjas stopped before them.
The jounin was still grasping the blonde's wrist from when he had helped him up, and allowed his other hand to slide to the small of the teen's back, all the while, grinning like a madman beneath his mask.
Sasuke glared at the familiar way Kakashi was touching Naruto, and he was wrought with an overpowering urge to dive onto the jounin's arm and cling to it as he physically chewed off the hand with his own teeth. He could suddenly envision himself steeped in the shinobi's blood, smeared across his mouth, gushing through his fingers. He really couldn't imagine a more pleasing thought.
Kakashi saw the homicidal glint in Sasuke's eyes and wondered if 'crazy' ran in the family.
"Hey boys! Enjoying the day off?"
He was answered with twin glares. Kakashi cocked his head to the side as if something had just occurred to him.
"Hello Gaara!"
The three teens looked around wildly.
"Hello." Up in a tree, the sand nin was watching the proceedings with a blank stare.
"Well, it's almost lunch time," the jounin announced, turning to his flustered student, running his fingers up and down the blonde's spine, "What do you say we go get some ramen?"
All tension ran from Naruto's face as he agreed loudly and happily. It no longer even occurred to him that he should wonder why he was being caressed.
Kakashi smirked, and before anyone could do anything, he disappeared in a poof of smoke, taking Naruto with him.
Neji grimaced.
Sasuke swore openly.
Gaara stared.
Naruto looked around him nervously.
"Uh... Kakashi-sensei?"
"Hmm?" the jounin answered, preoccupied with what he was doing.
"When you said we should get some ramen... I hadn't realized you meant we'd be going to your apartment."
Kakashi turned to him, looking ridiculous in the frilly pink apron he had donned when he had set about cooking ramen. He raised the wooden spoon he was holding to thoughtfully tap his chin, before winking.
"A ninja should always be prepared for the unexpected."
For reasons he couldn't fathom, that sentence sent chills running up his spine.
Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara found themselves walking together, ignoring each other, and searching every known ramen stand.
None of them talked.
None of them looked at each other.
None of them acknowledged the others' existence.
Yet, they were all looking for the same thing. The same person.
None of them really knew why. Didn't want to question why. Just knew that they were all inexplicably pulled towards the same thing. The same light. The same radiant sunshine.
And they were coming up empty.
Until a blonde streak came careening through the street, knocking the three of them over in one fell swoop.
Mostly, Naruto ended up on Sasuke, who had up until recently, been wedged in between his unwanted companions. He still was, sort of. They were sprawled on the ground on either side of him, attempting to pick themselves up.
Naruto himself was looking somewhat dazed, mostly panicked.
Furiously fighting his own blush, Sasuke slapped the blonde. Hard.
In bewildered anger, cerulean whorls glared down at him, before turning into vague relief.
Sasuke knew people were staring. Was fully aware of it, even if the shinobi on top of him wasn't. But he didn't care. Didn't give a damn. Looking bemusedly above him, into the open, fully expressional face, it became clearer than crystal. Yang to his yin. The opposite side of the coin. One was not complete without the other.
Then Neji was helping Naruto up.
That ended all of Sasuke's self-internalized comparison bullshit.
With a slight sigh, the dark haired avenger pushed himself up and decided to focus his nervous energy on glaring at Neji.
Neji.
Neji who was doing his best to calm a frazzled blonde.
"He was making me ramen and he was wearing pink! Pink! With frills! Why were there frills? Is there something he's trying to hide? Does he want to be a woman?"
"Who wants to be a woman?" Neji asked, perplexed and shaken as a margarita.
No one had a clue as to what Naruto was saying.
Gaara spoke. "Naruto."
The blonde spun around. He paused. He looked at Gaara.
"I knew the man was a pervert, but I had no idea! He killed the innocence of my eyes!" Naruto continued as if he had not been interrupted. They still didn't know what he was talking about.
Neji stiffened in what could be assumed to be some sort of righteous anger. His eyes blazed.
"Who? Who did this to you? What did they do?" the Hyuga thundered.
"Do you understand! My eyes have lost their virginity!" Naruto wailed pitiably. He collapsed to his knees, the heels of his palms digging into his closed eyes, as if trying to rub away whatever images had been burned forever into his retinas. The three teens standing around him would have felt very uncomfortable, but this over-dramatization was expected from Naruto and by now, the people on the streets had stopped staring for the most part, so they only felt mildly uncomfortable.
"Naruto. Shut up." Gaara had his eyes locked on the orange mess that was currently shaking and moaning.
Surprisingly, the blonde did as he was told.
"Kakashi! I bet you..."
"I'm here to ask you for advice," Kakashi interrupted sheepishly.
Twin brows went up in surprise. The green clad figure was shocked and not afraid to show it, despite being in the presence of his rival. Nevertheless, he offered an easy smile and leaned forward in the chair he was seated. Always ready to help. Always ready to bestow his wisdom if he could.
"I need you to help me with... love."
There was a loud thump.
As Gai picked himself up off the floor and reclaimed his chair, he gave the other jounin a serious and severe look. "Love... not anything perverted?"
"I know all about being a pervert," Kakashi waved the question away with his hand, smiling cheerfully under his mask, "If it was about that, I wouldn't need to ask anyone."
Gai stared.
Kakashi smiled cheerily.
"Although... although... it would eventually lead to more 'perverted' acts. Yes. Yes it would," the sharingan wielder decided.
Gai slumped his shoulder forward, head hanging slightly. In an instant, he bolted to his feet, posing dramatically, and proclaiming loudly, despite the room's only other occupant being a few feet away, "Love..." He looked down at his rival, knowing beyond a doubt that his speech would have no meaning... yet. "I'll go put on some tea. This will take awhile."
Now calmed considerably, Naruto stood. He looked at the three crowded around him, not a face among them showing their concern. Neji looked angry, Sasuke looked annoyed, and Gaara... Gaara he was sure, didn't have emotions.
"I need to be alone to think..." Naruto said, rubbing his chin. This statement caused shock to befall the audience of three momentarily.
"Are you sure?" Neji asked, roughly.
Naruto nodded. Then he began walking away.
Neji decided he would respect the teen's privacy. He may not have wanted to. But he would. Because it was right and it was what the blonde obviously wanted.
Gaara understood the need to be alone. He knew what it was to be alone, but he also knew when he wanted to be alone, he wanted to be alone! So, he decided he would go eat some fish. This was a natural course of action. Everyone knew that.
Sasuke was annoyed.
The three watched the blonde go, before exchanging glares, threats, scowls, and what have you, before heading their separate ways.
Sasuke's separate way, was in the same direction as Naruto.
He didn't give a damn about privacy. At least, not Naruto's at any rate.
"Naruto."
No answer.
"I know you're there."
Still no answer.
"I can see your feet."
"Go away!"
"No."
The blonde jumped down from the tree limb he was on to land in front of the Uchiha. He shot the dark haired teen a venomous look.
"What do you want?"
Onyx glittered dangerously. "Do you really want to know?"
Naruto blinked. Was Sasuke playing games? Anger returned, blooming from confusion, sharp and hot.
"Duh! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't!"
Sasuke stepped forward, hand reaching the back of the blonde's head and pulling him in quick as lightning. The next thing either boy knew was that they were crushed together, Sasuke's hold preventing any argument as Naruto's mind sputtered then whirred.
Naruto... was in shock. Complete and utter shock. His jaw dropped as his eyes stared ahead, seeing nothing but the dark hair of his rival. Sasuke, of course, took available opportunities and demonstrated the talent of his tongue.
Naruto was gaping. He could not gape any more. He could not even react. His brain had frozen over with shock.
Vaguely, he was surprised to find Sasuke was warm and not as freezing cold as he had always suspected. Warm and... soft. He realized his hands had at some point gripped Sasuke's shirt at the shoulders. Neither pulling nor pushing. Do something, hands! Normally when his mind couldn't keep up, he relied on his body to act... which it was failing at. Pitifully. If his body could react, then maybe he might know what to think of the latest development in his life.
An arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer than he already was, which was ridiculous, because he was already absurdly close.
He wondered if he should faint.
Suddenly, Sasuke's mouth was no longer so intimate with his own, instead hovering by his ear.
"This should give you something to think about," his voice was silky, seductive.
Sasuke tried to step back.
"Um... Naruto... you can let go of my shirt now."
Dumbly, the blonde complied, watching as the Uchiha heir disappeared. Shakily, Naruto collapsed to his knees, face madly red.
What the hell is wrong with these people!
Out of lack of a better action, he laid back on the ground, staring up at the leaves above him. There was a terrible feeling in his gut that led him to believe that despite all the trials he had endured during the morning, the day wasn't over and the world was likely to fuck with his mind some more. Hooray. Bring on the champagne.
A/N: I've decided I like putting my A/N at the bottom. It's more convenient for people who hate this stuff, especially since I have a lot to say, but very little is important. Although I used to put them at the top and bottom just to take up space. Sometimes I'm just evil.
This chapter was tough. For me, the second chapter usually is. Fortunately, it's done and out of the way.
Someone asked about Itachi, and I'm really not sure how to semi-plausibly include him. So as to whether or not he'll ever appear... well... that depends on any flashes of brilliant creativity I may have.
Once again, thanks Sekra for being my beta! She was the first to offer.
Thanks you so much to everyone who reviewed, I love you all more than family!
Finally, (this is actually the first fic where I've put it bluntly) Review!
