Chapter four
Guardian Demon
It was a sunny morning, whoever no matter how colorful and cheerful the morning was, the thirteen year old boy Uchiha Sasuke could only feel like the all world was grey and dull. It had been five years since he woke up in a hospital bed, knowing that he was alone, and escaped death. Not the "lucky he was unharmed" kind of escaped death like everyone else said, but the "I was barely alive when suddenly someone took me back from death's cold arms" kind. Actually you could take it back the "he was alone", he knew he had something, someone that was there for him, yet he never knew if it was simply his imagination.
He remembered the dagger that carved his throat, he remembered trying to escape and fall, he remembered faint sounds like feet running and a loud and fuzzy voice, but the most vivid memory was the red eyes. For some reason they would call mixed emotions in him that made him confused. He felt fear and relieve, happiness and sorrow, confusion yet hope. Sasuke was sure that those eyes were related to the person who saved him, but he simply could not recall what happened. When he asked if there was someone with him at that time, the nurses would only tell that they found him alone, which he knew it was a lie. If he could only remember the face of who saved him and to whom those red eyes belonged to he would certainly remember who tried to kill him and who saved him.
It was since that time that he felt the weird feeling of someone constantly watching him, even when he slept. It was when he was deep asleep that he felt that presence even more! Still not fully awake Sasuke had the feeling of someone hugging him lingering in his body, and there were also the patting and soothing gestures that he felt on his sleep. He couldn't just decide if it was a dream or not the only thing he knew was that the feeling was not scary at all.
The raven boy was in bed covered by his sheets, wondering if that feeling had something to do with his savior, or if it was in fact his savior. He was suddenly interrupted by a knock at his door. His guardian since that time, Kakashi, a lazy high school teacher had been taking care of him. They were not close, but they were close enough to have Sasuke yelling over minor, ordinary things for his age, which made their relation healthy. Of course that, that alone could not fill everything else. Uchiha Sasuke had grown apart from people, he couldn't stand loud noises or people touching him familiarly or crowds. He actually despised talking or interacting with another human being besides Kakashi, if yelling and throwing things is considered as such.
That morning was no different. After trying hard not to talk to his guardian, he left for school, yelling and shutting the door with his full strength.
School, has Sasuke had concluded a couple of years before, was a cheap way for people to interact, which for Sasuke Uchiha meant hell! The most annoying and despicable kind of hell, starting with his so called "fans": a crowd of hysterical little girls, who grabbed every opportunity to talk to him; Hell! Fortunately they would never follow him to the library, where he spent most of his day, when not in class or home, after a deck in the lake, which he would go after school to be alone until curfew time. And how he wanted to be in that spot, gazing a beautiful sunset without the screams of girls to annoy him.
"Sasuke-kun!!!!!!"
That's it! I'm skipping class today!
Even before he had stepped one foot in school he turned around and ran to his peaceful spot. It didn't take long, even less than five minutes to be sitting under the warm sun away from others' gaze. He laid down on the vivid green grass closing his eyes to concentrate on his peace and quiet.
However someone not far away from the raven boy had other things in mind, as that someone watched the boy with interest. And yet when he was ready to approach said boy, someone had already beat him to hit.
Sasuke woke up jerking in surprise when he felt something ticklish rubbing against his arm. He sat meeting his gaze with an orange juvenile fox's blue eyes. Fearful yet confident that the fox had better things to do than bit him, he leaned down slowly against a tree, not turning away his look in case the fox changed its mind. The fox however seemed friendly. Rubbing against him with its soft fur and purring as soon as he was bold enough to touch it. The noise strangely filed him with warmth so he continued to pet it. At a certain point the fox had climbed to his lap, curling itself in a ball while Sasuke was gently petting its ears and neck. It sure helped the boy forgetting about his life. Relaxed at that position the raven fell asleep.
On his lap the fox was still awake… and rather embarrassed. Naruto was feeling awkward. Not awkward as in "I'm a fox in a kids' lap" but awkward has in "I'm a fox in a kods' lap, and I do not dislike it one bit". Naruto only learned recently how to use the demon fox powers' to change his form, so he could take an eye on the boy without getting caught. When he saw Sasuke running away he thought something had happened, and he ran after him. He had actually been mad at finding that the boy was only skipping classes but the petting made him forget about that. Who would have thought that such an unsocial child would be so gentle towards a strange animal? And plus the child actually seemed to like it!
Jumping of the boy's lap, Naruto transform back to his original form. The blonde paused looking at the raven boy. Who would have guess he had such a gentle touch? The blue eyed boy brushed his hand carefully against a strand of the little boy's hair. He then came up with a plan. Naruto walk way making a mental list of what he should do.
When Sasuke woke up, it was already noon. He noticed immediately that the fox had already left, but in its place something was left behind. Next beside him there was a box. Curious he approached the box to find a pair a kittens and a note. The boy petted the two kittens, one was black with its paws and belly dipped in white, and the other was an orange tabby cat. The raven then picked up the note that said: "Take good care of us."
Sasuke picked up both of the kittens, still with the note in his hand. He looked around trying to find someone but it seemed he was alone. He felt frustrated, again. The feeling of someone watching him and not knowing who, it was the worst yet the best. It was constant observation, but Sasuke wouldn't consider it stoking. The term "having a guardian angel" was more suited to his situation, since he did not feel bothered by it.
At dinner time Sasuke came back to Kakashi's place, holding the kittens in his arms. His guardian was surprised to see him carrying the little kittens, although he immediately changed his expression to a smile.
"Back so soon? I see you brought company. Is there something you want to ask, Sasuke-kun?", Kakashi asked amused.
"Can I keep them?"
It took Sasuke's all politeness and self control just to say those words.
"Not going to say 'please'? "
Kakashi was really enjoying torturing him.
"P-p-ple-please?", Sasuke begged, shuddering while trying to control his temperament.
"Aren't we civilized today? Maa I don't see the harm of keeping them, but where did you find them?"
"They were in a box near the lake in the park this morni…"
Sasuke cursed himself. He had just admitted he had skipped school. Not that he was expecting Kakashi not to know, he had Iruka-sensei has a mole. If he skipped, Kakashi would have been the first to know.
"You're grounded! To your room you go. And leave your friends in the kitchen; I don't want them to dirty up the place until I come from the pet store. After that, you can keep them in your room, I don't want Pakkun to lose an eye if they come up to have your temper. Now that I think about that, maybe that's why we're always fighting like cats and dogs, don't you think so Sasuke-kun? Eh? Sasuke-kun?"
The raven haired boy had already left to his room, a long time before his guardian notice. In his room he sat on his bed reading one of his books, since he couldn't find himself some sleep. At nearly midnight, Kakashi had already bought a bed and all the necessary things for the kittens that were now fast asleep on their new bed, near to his closet on his room. After petting the kittens slightly, the boy returned to his bed tired enough to go to sleep.
As soon as the lights of Sasuke's room were turned off, Naruto approached the window. He knew it was risky to follow the little boy around all day, but that part was easy. During the day it was actually pretty boring. The real work started at night and at that time he hoped there wouldn't be any action. Truth was, the raven haired boy had night terrors. They were pretty bad. Sasuke would wake up in the middle of the night screaming in fear, and was not just the screaming, he would turn paler, his heart beat would dart like a maniac, and his body would be covered in cold sweat.
The first time it had happen, the blonde went to Tsunade with the boy on his arms. The witch of course beat him up later for bringing the child out of the house. She had advised him to stay away since the boy was fine, but the screaming was heart-breaking so he would sneak in the room and in the bed to hug the boy. If his heart beat started to dash Naruto would calm him, whispering to him that everything was fine while rubbing his arm in a soothing way.
That night was not different. The blue eyed teen made his way into the room not making a sound. Before he went to the bed where the raven boy was sound asleep his eyes roam around the room. He smiled when he saw the kittens snuggling and purring, happily snoozing. He wondered if Sasuke had already named them.
"You should wait for me to fell asleep before you come in."
Naruto froze. He could tell that he was being stared by two onyx eyes, which where inspecting him in vain due to the darkness.
"You're terrible at doing your job. Next time ask if I want to take care of animals! Was the fox you're doing? I supposed it was, since regular foxes do not have blue eyes. Can I know your name at least? "
The blonde was still frozen unable to move or speak. That boy was certainly too cunning for his own good. Before he could respond to the other boy beat him to it.
"It's ok. Thank you. Just don't strangle me like you usually do."
Said that the raven boy went finally to sleep. Naruto was still in shock, yet after he recovered, he shyly made way to the bed and hugged Sasuke. The feeling was still strange but he felt comfortable. And so was Sasuke.
The morning after the raven boy waked up alone, but without the feeling of solitude.
