DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of this! Really truly I don't! And if you think that I'm making any money of this then I would inquire what drugs you're on.
WARNING: This, my dear readers, is the Yaoi chapter of doom I have been warning all about from the very beginning. This is also the chapter from which the rating heralds. It is not, however, a lemon so don't get your hopes up. I won't even bother telling you to turn back, as you obviously haven't listened yet, but you aren't aloud to say I didn't warn you!
This stranger worries me, and yet he fascinates me. The way he moves, it's unearthly. I am careful to avoid his eyes for fear of being trapped with in them; they are deep wells leading to a fathomless soul. I can't help but watch him when he's not looking. He is beauty incarnate and I am held spell bound. Yet, through all this I am wary of him. He is so familiar like a dream that soon after waking retreats beyond recall. He is dangerous though, my half a memory lends me that much insight. But what is beauty if it has no depth? I am intrigued as much by the fact that my instincts tell me to run as I am by his unmatched beauty. I long to throw caution to the wind and investigate this alluring individual, but the overwhelm sense of danger keeps me at bay. I will, for now, watch and see for myself how much of a threat he really is.
Kuro smiled as he packed the things Kakashi had loaned him into a bag. Despite its daunting name he was looking forward to his stay in the Forest of Death, though that might have had something to do with who he was spending it with. His smile widen as he thought of his chosen companion. Yes this next week promised to be filled with excitement.
Across Konoha a grumpy Naruto threw his things in his bag; the last thing he wanted to do was spend a week with Kuro. The strange handsome boy set Naruto on edge. There was something annoyingly familiar about him and Naruto didn't like it.
It wasn't only his traveling partner that worried him, but the forest itself was fraying Naruto's nerves. Try as he might he couldn't suppress the memory of the last time he'd been in there, and Orochimaru painted face kept dancing before his eyes. On top of everything the empty feeling in the pit of his stomach had been growing, despite the ramen Sakura had advised him to eat. He snarled and clipped his bag shut; not bothering to check that he had everything before leaving his tiny home.
There were only three people at the gate when Naruto arrived, but it was obvious that everyone was there. Kuro, his red hair blazing in the morning sunlight, Tsunade, looking sterner then normal, and Shizune, looking worried as she clasped her little pig in her arms. All four sets of eyes clasped on Naruto as he arrived.
"Are you ready?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded something seemed to weighing on normal bubbly young man. "You two must spend a week in the forest to pass the test. However, should you need help at anytime just open this scroll. Opening the scroll will mean you fail, but it could save your life. If you pass Kuro will become a ninja of Konoha and Naruto, after speaking with the Elders, we have decided that you will become a Chuunin." At this the blonde's face light up and he seemed on the verge of crying out when the Hokage cut him short, "Are there any question?"
"Will I really be made a Chuunin?" Naruto asked his eager self showing through despite his determination to be sulky. Tsunade rolled her eyes and nodded ignoring Naruto's cry of delight.
"If there are no more questions you may begin." The gate flew open and in an orange flash Naruto dashed inside, Kuro shouldered his bag a quickly followed. Tsunade watched them go.
"Be careful Naruto; the forest may be safer then your companion."
The dappled light of the forest casts shadows on his lovely face and darkens even his electric yellow hair. The gathering dusk and the creeping chill have done nothing to cool his attitude; he remains just as energetic as when we entered this forest. The forest around us is alive. I can feel how sinister it is and I can tell that despite his jubilant façade that the forest sets him on edge. I smirk, the setting is perfect, and finally I'll get what I've been waiting for. There is nothing and no one to stop me now; just me and him. Yes, my waiting will pay off at last.
The Forest of Death seemed to being growing more and more hostile as the night laid its icy blanket on the ancient trees, and the forest's unwanted intrudes felt the enmity it held for all thing that did not belong. As all animals accustomed to the comforts of a group do when threatened the two travels moved closer together, and the musty forest seemed to press in on all sides egger to be rid of the brave fools who dared disturb its rest.
Naruto felt the coward within him, that he'd thought he'd put to death, stir sending a paralyzing feeling of fear throughout his body. This fear had forced his senses so acutely on forest around him he failed to notice Kuro till the other man had his hand on Naruto's shoulder. With a start that nearly sent them both hurling from the tree tops to the forest floor below Naruto spun around, his blue eyes wild.
"Why don't we find somewhere to make camp? I don't want to be traveling the forest in the dark." Kuro spoke in a hushed tone as though afraid that the very trees had ears. Naruto nodded, unsure of his voice so soon after the fright.
The two young men found a tree so old that a single one of its branches, while looming high above the ground, was a wide as one of the village's streets. In unspoken agreement they stopped. The branch was an ideal place to sleep, high above the unspoken dangers of the forest floor and below the unseen predators of above. Silence presided until the ninja began to unpack their bedding.
"I forgot my bedding!" Naruto cried in anguish; the night was cold and blankets would be needed to keep warm. Kuro smirked, his face masked by dark shadows.
"We can light a fire; it will give us warmth and should keep away some of the wild animals." Kuro said calmly, he knew it was much to damp to keep a fire a going for long as there would be nothing to burn when their kindling ran out. Naruto dug through his bag till he found the necessary equipment to light a small fire; Kuro contented himself to lean against the tree's huge trunk and watch with barely concealed desire as the blonde worked. Despite his best efforts Naruto repeatedly failed to get even the smallest of sparks to appear.
"It won't work!" Naruto cried in frustration. Kuro smiled a moved with serpentine grace to stand behind the frustrated young man.
"It will; you're just doing it wrong. You have to hold the lighters like this." Kuro voice was melted chocolate, warm, rich, and smooth. Coyly he rapped his arms around Naruto waist and guided the other man's hands to light the fire. Naruto, however, had forgotten the fire, his own checks set ablaze by the close proximity of his beautiful companion.
"See." Kuro's warm lips brushed against Naruto's icy ear and set a shiver running down his spin. To his surprise Naruto found he had to stiff a cry of protest as Kuro broke his warm embrace and moved to the other side of the fire.
"We should eat now; this fire won't last long. The wood here is to damp to burn and it's not safe separate to look for drier wood." Naruto nodded, his mind still fogged by Kuro strangely warm body. Dinner was had in silence with Naruto still processing and Kuro plotting.
The wind began to pick up snuffing the life from the dwindling fire. Naruto shivered as the wind cut like knifes of ice through his light jacket. Kuro watched the boy shudder and a predatory smile stole across his handsome face.
"It's not good to be so cold. I remembered my bedding, perhaps we could share?" Kuro face and voice belied none of his motives; and Naruto fought unsuccessfully with the deep blush that tinted his checks at the thought of sharing the same blankets as Kuro. He was on the brink of denying the offer when the winds cold breath froze him to the bone; all he could bring himself to do was to nod mutely and shuffle over to where Kuro lay stretched beneath his blankets.
Even in the shelter of Kuro bedding Naruto was unable to get warm, and found himself, much to his chagrin, moving closer to Kuro radiant heat.
"Cold?" Kuro delightful voice asked.
"Aren't you? It's freezing!" Naruto cried and a blast of wind tore through the trees to prove his point. Kuro smirked revealing fanged white teeth to the now dark night. Careful he moved his warm body closer to his frozen companion.
"There are other ways to keep warm." His voice so low it could barely be heard above the howling wind; but the implication was not lost of the younger ninja practically curled in his arms. Naruto froze his mind whirling out of control as lewd images danced through his mind; and his tongue flickered out to dampen his dried lips.
"L-like what?" His voice shook as he tried to play innocent. Kuro's leer was masked by the night's dark veil, and he seemed to have abandoned words as his soft mouth covered Naruto's. The younger man froze but made no sign of disprovable as Kuro warm body moved to press the frozen Naruto to the ground. He broke his kiss and look down at the ninja straddled beneath him.
"Like this." Was as he said before he set his mouth to work, running his hot tongue down the Naruto's cold smooth cheek. One of his long hands traced the outline of Naruto's form through his bulky clothes and the other hand roughly pulled the zipper on the jacket down. Both hands worked together to shove the bothersome article free from the body.
At first Naruto was still, unsure of how to resound, but soon he found his own hands stripping the clothes off Kuro's burning body and pulling the older man down on top of him. Wither he was desperate for Kuro's warmth or for Kuro himself not even Naruto was sure, but soon twin cries could be heard echoing through the forest's silent corridors.
AN: Why, you ask, is it cold in the middle of the fire country? Because Kyuubi and I found it convenient to our plots, so there! Hope you liked. I tried very hard to write a lemon, I really did, but I'm just not gutsy to write one so I apologize if I disappointed any of you. The next update will be up next week!