Title – Worlds Apart
Genre – Romance/Erotica
Pairings – NaruSasu
Warnings - Mature Content, AU, Fem-Sasu
Summary – The tale of Romeo and Juliet was one of passion, pure love and heartbreak. This is not Romeo and Juliet...
000
Naruto chuckled at the look on Sasuke's face when he showed her the pixie eggs. Although he had planned on moving as fast as possible, the woman he loved needed some reassurance, comfort, and, most importantly, distraction. Anything to keep that paranoid brain of hers from imagining every worst case scenario possible and getting the idea that leaving him behind was the only solution to their current predicament.
"Can I touch them?" She asked softly with an expression that could only be described as childlike wonder.
"Of course." Naruto's smile widened. He gently placed the pastel-colored eggs in her smaller, slender hands. "Just be careful not to drop them."
"Why do they light up like that? Won't that attract predators?"
"No, it actually protects them. Pixie eggs are poisonous, but sometimes animals mistake them for berries. This glow warns other creatures not to eat them."
"How clever." Sasuke breathed out with a smile. "I always thought bioluminescence could only be found underwater."
"The Nix is filled with all kinds of magic. It comes alive at night." Naruto said as he watched her put the pixie eggs safely back into the hollow tree trunk. "There's so much more I can sho-"
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked when she saw the color drain from Naruto's face.
"F-father."
Namikaze Minato stood before them, accompanied by his fox. He was glaring down at Sasuke with such loathing that for a moment Naruto feared he would strike her. Oinari had grown to the size of a horse and was growling at them, reflecting her master's anger.
"I could kill you." His father said to her.
Sasuke seemed too shocked by his presence to reply. She had only ever caught glimpses of his father as he had never set foot on Anger Empire since his argument with Uchiha Fugaku. Minato towered over her like an angry titan.
"It wasn't her idea." Naruto said in her defense, sounding more confident than he felt.
"Does it matter?" Minato's eyes turned to him and it chilled his blood. He was furious. "You disobeyed me. Again. Because of her."
"I just wanted t-"
"BE STILL!"
Naruto recoiled and snapped his mouth shut. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sasuke look away and hug herself. His father was going to take her away, bring her back to her family and he would never see her again. He tried to will him to stop, silently begging him to understand, but his father merely sneered at the sight of his desperation. Minato could be ruthless. If there had ever been a reason why Naruto thought that his father would've accepted his relationship with Sasuke, he had forgotten it.
"I am disappointed in you, son." His father said, sounding treacherously calm. "I held back the urge to involve myself because I wanted to believe that you would do the right thing. But you didn't."
Letting down such a powerful figure of authority, not to mention the man who sired and raised him, was almost physical painful. Naruto could barely move, let alone speak as his father continued to voice his disapproval.
"I thought I had brought up my son to be a responsible adult capable of making difficult decisions. Both your mother and I were convinced that you were a born leader. Now I see that we were wrong."
Naruto felt his body turn numb. He swallowed thickly. "Are… you disowning me?"
Sasuke gasped softly, but it was enough for Minato to turn his withering gaze back to her. "Stay out it, temptress! You have no right to speak here!"
"I manipulated him into this." She said anyway, stubbornly meeting his ice-cold glare. "It is not his fault. You cannot disown him for something that wasn't even his fault."
"No, that's a lie. She never wanted this. I convinced her to stay." Naruto was not about to let her take all the blame.
Minato held up his hand, effectively silencing them both. "Naruto, as the future leader of two clans, you cannot afford to be led around by your emotions, no matter how strong they are."
"But he hasn-" Sasuke began.
"Let me speak!" Minato snapped. "A clan leader should always be in control of their emotions and, as someone who has been enticed by a woman like her for years, I no longer believe you have what it takes."
Naruto clenched his jaw, refusing to cry. "I understand." He replied shakily.
"I hereby strip you of your position as heir of the Namikaze Clan until you have convinced me that you are able to fulfill your duties as my clan's future leader. It pains me to do this. Not only because it leaves our clan vulnerable if anything should happen to me, but because I thought you better than this."
Each word was like a whip. It was worse than being punched in the face. Menma was going to be so thrilled when he heard the news.
"And you," Minato continued, turning to Sasuke. "I will personally take you back to Anger Empire to ensure that you arrive safely and to inform your father of what you have been doing behind his back."
"No!" Naruto leaped into action, taking a step forward and feeling determined. "Father, you don't understand. They'll lock her up. She'll never see the light of day again."
Minato narrowed his eyes. "She knew the risks. She should've known better."
"Please, I implore you not to tell them about our relationship. It was all my doing. I'm the one who-"
"You have no right to ask anything of me!" His father roared. "Both of you were aware of the consequences should your affair be exposed. I gave you a chance to break it off and, instead of doing what was right, you tried to sneak off to hide behind your mother! I dread to think what you would've done if she had also refused to bless the two of you. Would you have eloped? Run off to uncharted lands and leave us behind to clean up your mess?!"
Naruto stared at him in shock, his chest heaving. He glanced at Sasuke and his heart plummeted further down into the abyssal pit when he spotted the blank look on her face. She had already given up and was rebuilding her walls. And there was nothing he could do about it. He felt so helpless. He could no longer contain his tears.
"Oinari will remain here with you to make sure you do not follow us." Minato added when neither Naruto nor Sasuke dared to speak up again. "And, as for your elusive lover, you will not resist, you will not try to run from me – do so and I will be delighted to restrain you in any way I see fit and, I assure you, you will not enjoy it. Do you understand?"
Sasuke barely had enough time to nod before she was dragged away by his father. Naruto watched them disappear behind a curtain of leaves and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing himself to openly weep. His sobs rattled his chest and, combined with the humidity, made him breathless and dizzy. He remained rooted to the spot for what seemed like hours, Oinari keeping a close eye on him. He reached out to pet her, but she aggressively snapped at his fingers, leaving a puncture wound in his thumb. He stared at the drops of blood running down his palm, too exhausted to care about the potential infection.
He never thought he could feel so much hatred towards his father. He was suddenly and viciously shown what it felt like to be feel betrayed by your own family. Although a small voice in his head tried to reason that Minato had reacted precisely the way anyone in his situation would've, a much louder voice shouted profanity and cursed the man who raised him. Naruto knew such resentment was dangerous as he imagined himself attacking his father to rescue Sasuke from her fate, but he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. Within less than five minutes, Minato reduced his son to nothing but a broken heart.
000
Naruto did not return to his home. He couldn't. So he wandered on the edges of the Nix, not entirely sure where he was going or when he would return. He feared that if he went back to his house in the Namikaze forest, he would spiral into a depression that would blacken his soul and ruin him. He desperately needed to be distracted – something to prolong his state of shock yet take away the images of his father's snarling face while he dragged Sasuke away. Even then, as she looked back at him and cried silent tears which reflected the light of a passing firefly, her damp hair clinging to her face, she had been beautiful. Not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally – when the awe at her otherworldly attractiveness faded, he was met with an enigma. A mystery who, by all means, did not want to be solved. But Naruto was relentless. A trait he inherited from his father. He didn't know why he had thought that Minato would bless their relationship. Maybe it had been hope. Perhaps a part of him believed that his father would understand what it was like. The romance between him and his mother had, in a way, been equally forbidden.
Their planet was inhabited by three sentient races: humans, lycans and superhumans. All three lived in relative peace until their numbers grew to a point where they could no longer ignore each other and were forced to fight for land. Humans were the weakest, but had the remarkable ability to create weapons and devices that made up for their physical inferiority. Lycans were the strongest, but they were solitary creatures who didn't grasp the concept of teamwork until it was too late. Superhumans were the victors of the Battle of the Sentient. They were semi-immortal, possessed supernatural abilities and had mastered the art of war long before the other two races even knew how to stand on two legs. They overpowered mankind's technology, and outnumbered and outsmarted the lycans. They took all the fertile grounds for themselves, leaving nothing for the others. Humans were clever and built an empire in the sea, but lycans were trapped with nowhere to go.
The Uzumaki clan had taken pity on them, trying to convince others to give up some of their land so that they had somewhere to live and recover. But most clans only remembered their brutality during the battle, conveniently forgetting their own cruelty. Thus, when the clans were forming alliances that would eventually become the great territories, the Uzumaki clan found themselves exiled for 'siding with the savages'. None of the apex clans allowed them to join their territory unless they swore to turn their backs to the plight of the lycans. Minato fought tooth and nail to convince the Sarutobi clan to allow them to join Thousand Suns – not because he agreed with them, but because he had fallen deeply in love with the woman who ruled over them. He risked his own clan's position within the territory for Kushina who was too stubborn to accept his help at first.
His parents were an odd couple. His father was the cold-hearted leader of a warrior clan who protected the borders of Thousand Suns against invading lycans. His mother was the passionate leader of a shaman clan who spent her entire lifetime advocating for lycan rights.
"You're a long way from home, little fox."
Naruto was so caught up in sorrow and self-pity that he hadn't noticed he had walked in the wrong direction for several hours. He was in lycan territory. He blinked up at the massive figure. At first he thought the fearsome-looking male was talking to Oinari, but he was staring at him.
"I seem to have lost my way." Naruto said softly, careful not to anger the lycan.
"You're the offspring of that sehäk."
Naruto flinched. 'Sehäk' was not a nice word some lycans used to refer to his father. It loosely translated to 'imposter'. Oinari growled uncertainly at the stranger. Despite her feistiness, she was not a battle companion. Camazotz, the massive armored bat, was the one his father took with him to fights.
"I'm not looking for trouble."
The lycan narrowed his beautiful golden eyes. "You smell like our ancient god."
Naruto frowned, positive he had misheard. "What?"
"So it's true that you people stole him from us." He snarled, revealing terrifyingly large canines. "You took our land and our deities."
"God?" Naruto replied shakily. "I thought he was a demon."
The lycan snorted. "Your kind views every greater being that is not on your side as demons."
Naruto took a step back. "I didn't know."
"Give him back." The lycan growled and pounced.
000
Sasuke was having a lovely dream when Naruto woke her up. He shook her shoulder gently and whispered her name, his voice deep from sleep. She mumbled and complained, but he wouldn't leave her be. Perhaps a kiss would shut him up. She grabbed the back of his head and planted her lips against his. He smelled different, he tasted different – this wasn't Naruto. Sasuke shot back as if she'd been stabbed when she saw who it was. She had been traveling with him for almost an entire day. The man who ruined her future. They hadn't talked to each other at all in the time they spent together. Naruto's father was a very handsome man, dignified and elegant, composed and intellectual. Though Naruto looked more like his father in appearance, it couldn't have been more obvious that he was raised mostly by his mother. Unlike his son, Minato had a tight lid on his emotions. Though he looked as shocked as she felt, he was the first to recover. His shoulders relaxed as he raised an eyebrow.
"Oddly enough I didn't think you'd be so happy to see me, considering I'm taking you back to your father."
"I am not happy in the slightest." She made a show of wiping her mouth. Angrily turning away from him, she took a few deep breaths, willing herself not to cry. There was no point. The gods didn't care about petty things like romance and the world was adamant in keeping them apart. It was over. She took another deep breath to regain her composure. A pile of fabric was dumped on her lap.
"I found your kimono in Naruto's house. It would be best if you put it back on before we arrive in Anger Empire."
She threw a nasty look at him over her shoulder. "Will you let me dress?"
"Of course." Minato did not turn around or move away. "I don't want you to think I'm being lecherous, but I can't have you running off while my eyes are averted."
"I won't run."
"I don't believe you."
She could act offended, but somehow she knew that Minato was not as easy to manipulate as most men. She didn't want him to watch. It was uncomfortable and too intimate, especially after kissing him when she sleepily mistook him for Naruto, but she knew he had good reasons to be suspicious.
"I will keep my eyes on your feet." He added eventually.
"You better." She said. "I have no desire to become any man's shame."
Minato snorted. "Nor do I wish to be a woman's fool."
Sasuke glared at him. "I won't let you insult me."
"Just reminding you of your past crimes."
Sasuke gave him a defiant stare. "You think I'm exploiting your son."
Minato narrowed his eyes at her. "You want to know what I think? I think it's a very big coincidence that the man you decided to love all of a sudden, of all the men you had bending over backwards to please you, happens to be the heir of the Namikaze clan and the Uzumaki clan, both whom are loyal to Thousand Suns. Another coincidence is that in three days' time, my son will accompany me to an inter-clan meeting and you were right there pushing him to elope with you."
Sasuke gaped at him. "How dare you! What are you implying?"
"Your father ordered you to manipulate my son. You plan to ruin us." Minato hissed. "Do you deny it?"
"I love him." Sasuke said through clenched teeth. "Is that so difficult for you to believe?"
Minato's face softened slightly. "You are a serpent. You seduce men into drinking poison. You corrupt them. You lie to them. You turn them against their family, turn them against their clan. Any man admitting to having any kind of feelings towards you is handing you the sword with which you stab them in the back. You could never make my son happy. You don't deserve him. Even without the threat of a war, I would never allow the two of you to marry. You'd destroy him."
It took Uzumaki Naruto nearly two hundred years to open up her heart. It took Namikaze Minato less than five minutes to shut it down once more. In an act of desperation, she tried to lure her love back out, but it was gone – trembling in a corner, feeling abandoned and betrayed. It was tired and injured. So she left it to wither and eventually it would die.
"I would, wouldn't I?" She stood up, no longer caring whether or not Minato saw her naked. His eyes trailed over her body despite his promise to keep them focused on her feet. She nearly snorted. So even he couldn't resist her. Who needed love? She had the ability to make men do anything she wanted with a haughty flick of her hair. Who needed Naruto? She could have anyone she wanted. Her throat closed as she thought of him, an unrivalled ache settled inside of her leaving her unable to move or breathe. She dared to dream and, instead of it coming true, it broke her heart. Who was she to have dreamt of love? Who was she to have dreamt of the sun?
No, she thought to herself, it's over. It's done. No use crying about it.
"I'm curious." Sasuke said in an attempt to distract herself. "Why would you personally escort me home? You and my father have never liked each other."
"I have better things to do, but unfortunately I can't trust anyone else to do the job."
"It's a long journey. What shall we talk about?"
"Don't be coy. I know what you're doing."
"And yet, it's working."
Naruto would've torn his eyes away, as if the sight of her had burned them, in a foolish but adorable attempt to prove her wrong. Minato kept his eyes where they were. He didn't even flinch. He simply raised an eyebrow and grinned in a way that reminded her too much of Naruto when he was in a teasing mood. A cheeky smirk, like that of an imp who was gleefully pranking the unfortunate soul that mistook it for a fairy. But on Minato's face… she was suddenly reminded of the fact that this man was feared and respected for a reason.
"Are you sure you want to play this game? It might be too painful. You already mistook me for my son once. Or is that the reason why you're turning your tricks on me? After all, the older he gets the more he will look like me. Are you hoping I could give you the sense that you've been together for years?"
Sasuke smiled, but on the inside she recoiled and screamed. She wanted to burn him to the ground. "You flatter me. I'm not that sentimental."
Minato studied her, searching for some kind of sign that told him whether she was being honest. "You just confessed to being in love with Naruto. Were you lying?"
"You want to know what I think?" Sasuke said, using his words against him. "I think I could make you leave your wife for me. I think I could make you envy your own son for having me for all those years. I think I could destroy you."
Minato suddenly charged forward, but stopped himself. She hit a nerve.
"Get dressed." He snapped.
"Were you planning on ravishing me?" Sasuke teased. "In the good sense, I hope."
He grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed it painfully. "Don't test me."
"Or what?" She couldn't hide her pleased smirk if she bothered to try. She wanted to make him hurt. She wanted to make him pay. She wanted to make him angry. But, most of all, she wanted nothing more than to break his heart so he knew what it felt like. So he knew what he had done, not only to her, but to his own son.
"If you think I will be led astray by the woman who broke my son's heart-"
"I didn't break his heart." Sasuke snarled, backing away from him. "You did."
"Maybe I did and I would do all over again to protect him from you. He'll thank me one day."
She slapped him across the face. "No, he won't. He'll despise you for it."
Minato gave her a grim smile. "Then so be it." He tossed a layer of her kimono at her. "Now get dressed."
Sasuke did as she was told. There was no point in prolonging the experience and she was getting cold. "He will rebel."
"And that will be my problem entirely. Not yours." He snapped.
"You're taking this very personally."
Something in Minato's face changed and suddenly he didn't look anything like Naruto. He looked menacing, demonic almost. She instantly noticed the figure of a large bat, like an ominous shadow of misfortune, flying above them, it's eyes shifting between his face and hers as if it was waiting for the order to scratch her eyes out.
"You've been turning my own son against me. Of course I take it personally."
"I-"
"I am warning you, woman." He snarled in a way that was freakishly calm yet terrifying. "My patience with you is wearing thin. Make no mistake – if you anger me I can and I will obliterate you in ways you've never known."
Sasuke sneered at him. "I am shaking in my heels." She retorted sarcastically.
000
Uchiha Fugaku was a menacing man. Hair braided and wearing the finest silk robes – he was dressed to impress. He appeared much younger than he actually was which sometimes caused some to mistake him for his son, but no amount of glamour or grace could hide the malevolent arrogance in those pitch-black eyes. There was something inexplicably sinister about him. As always, he was followed by a gaggle of servants. Two were holding the hems of his dazzling kimono, making sure it never touched the clean wooden floor, while others carried drinking cups and a pitcher, plates filled with grapes and almonds, towels, his outdoor footwear, a bowl of water to clean his hands with and, of course, his precious pet eagle owl along with some treats. The massive bird glared at Camazotz as it flew in. Fugaku ignored Sasuke completely as he climbed down from his ostentatious throne to greet Minato, who's glare went from winter frost to subzero as soon as he laid eyes on the king of Anger Empire.
"Minato." Fugaku said grandly.
"Fugaku." Minato's upper lip twitched in a failed attempt to smile back.
"How long has it been since you've stepped foot on Uchiha soil?"
"Not long enough."
Fugaku's pompous smile widened. "Agreed." He grabbed two cups of cherry wine and offered one to Minato. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've come to return your daughter."
"So I see, but I can't help but wonder why."
Minato seemed a little taken aback. "Because she's your daughter." He replied slowly.
"Yes, and according to my daughter, she was visiting the Lugian Temple to pray. The last time I checked the Lugian Temple was situated on one of our southern islands, nowhere near Thousand Suns, so you can understand why I find it odd that you would feel the need to escort her home." Fugaku calmly took a sip.
Sasuke tried not to let any emotion shine through her mask, but she was so anxious for what was to come that she feared she would faint. She risked a glance in Minato's direction. It was odd to the two standing next to each other. Her father was rather vain, flamboyant and, like all Uchiha men, he was androgynously handsome. Minato, like his son, was more rugged with broad shoulders, ripped biceps covered in tattoos and an angular face.
"It appears that your daughter and her companions were assaulted by a rather rambunctious demi-god while on their way to port and one of my patrolling troops stumbled upon them as they tried to flee his harassment." Minato lied smoothly. He had obviously changed his mind about telling Fugaku the truth about her romantic affair with Naruto. Sasuke could've cried in gratitude.
"Is that so? And when was this? On their way there or on the return trip?"
"On their way there, unfortunately. He had chased her all the way into my forest."
"Your forest?"
"The Nix is my forest." Minato repeated sharply.
"I'm sure it is. And I'm sure the goddess Nix is your goddess as well?" Fugaku laughed mockingly. "Do tell me, old friend, because I seem to be a bit confused – how is it that it took you nearly four days to return my daughter to me?"
"She was upset when my troops found her so I had her examined by a shaman and allowed her to recuperate."
"A shaman? One of those male witch doctors? You let him run his hands all over my daughter?"
"Not all shamans are male and they use magic to examine their patients. No touching was required."
"You made sure of that, did you?"
Minato narrowed his eyes. "Are you accusing me of something, Fugaku?"
Her father's smile faded. "Should I be?"
"I did what was best for your daughter. I personally made sure of her well-being. I don't see why you should be so suspicious of me."
"There is no doubt in my mind that you personally ensured that my daughter felt her best."
"May I remind you that I am a married man." Minato replied. He was gripping the cup so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Sasuke's heart was pounding viciously against her chest.
"So am I." Fugaku stepped closer, holding up a hand to make sure none of his servants followed. Minato was taller than her father. The blond-haired man had to look down to keep eye contact. "But that never stopped me."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Because you're a man, Minato. Men grow bored easily. Especially of their wives."
Minato's arm began to shake in his effort to restrain his anger. Some of the wine spilled onto the floor and a young servant ushered forward to clean it up, but Fugaku kicked her in the face. She ran and hid behind an older servant, holding a hand against her cheek.
"Not if your wife is Uzumaki Kushina." Minato said eventually.
"Perhaps." Fugaku replied, disappointed that Minato found a way to respond without being offensive.
"I must be going. I have other matters to attend to so I wasn't planning on staying longer than necessary." Minato didn't wait for an answer. He walked towards the servants and carefully placed his cup back on the platter. The women, including the one balancing the platter on her head, blushed. He briefly glanced at Sasuke and gave a slight nod, which she returned. The man, who had spent the entire journey from the Absim to Mangekyo Mountains blaming her for turning his son against him, gave her one last look – a mixture of strong dislike and pity – before exiting the throne room.
Her father turned to her the second Minato was gone. He marched over to her and put his hand up her kimono skirts, feeling her up to see if she had had sex recently. He withdrew his hand with a snarl and struck her several times, each harder than the one before, until she fell to the floor. Then he proceeded to stomp on her head.
"Stupid girl! Disgusting girl! You dare take a lover without my knowledge?! You dare allow yourself to be touched by the likes of him?!"
Sasuke was stunned into silence. Her father had never actually physically harmed her. He didn't even give her the chance to apologize, deny it or explain herself before punishing her. Even the servants gasped as he dragged her across the floor by her hair. One of them fled the throne room, unable to watch. She looked up when the abuse stopped, only to get spit in the face. Fugaku grabbed a handful of hair and dragged her over to the fireplace. He picked up the poker and pointed it at her throat.
"Should I destroy your face? Should I make you so hideous that men would rather perish than put their hands on you?"
Sasuke stared at him in horror. "Papa… you wouldn't."
"I should." He hissed. "But, luckily for you, I'd rather have a dead daughter than an ugly one. However, give me one more reason and I will have you thrown in acid until there are no bones left to bury."
He used the poker to scorch off the hair he held tightly in his fist and again and again and again, until there was no more. The smell of burnt hair filled the throne room as he threw the beautiful black locks into the fire. Sasuke cried against Fugaku's feet, clutching her head. She could barely hear Itachi's shocked exclamation when he entered the throne room and saw what their father had done.
"Have you gone mad?!" Her brother rushed over to her. Sasuke latched onto him, eyes wide in shock, choking in her effort to breathe.
"You do not speak to me in that way!"
"She's your daughter!" Itachi yelled. "Not some servant girl! Look at her! Gods, her hair – what have you done?"
"Don't be so melodramatic. It will grow back." Fugaku snapped.
"She looks like a slave boy! She can't walk around like this."
"That's why you will lock her up in Otome Kyūden. I don't care if the whole palace is crumbling down over her head – she does not leave without my permission. Now take her from my sight!"
Sasuke couldn't have been more grateful for her brother at that moment. Itachi could be mean. He could be manipulative and harsh and judgmental. He was always sneaking around in her room, looking for letters or gifts or anything to hint that she was doing something she wasn't supposed to. But, in his own weird way, he cared for her. They weren't so different after all. He gently lifted her off the ground and carried her all the way to the maiden palace, built specifically to keep her locked up and hidden from the world. She cried into his shoulder, into his hair and his kimono, but he never said word. He sat down on the porch and held her until she fell asleep.
