A/N: ok, so sorry that it took a while to post. I needed some last minute brush up on some of the characters O.o I've been watching the episode where Naruto and Sasuke had that big brawl at the Valley of End…yeah…anyways, this chapter has some Naruto and Sakura fluff, along with some Sasuke bashing…heh…I got pissed at him while watching the fight . yeah…onwards!
Dog on His Master's Leash
10:45 a.m. Naruto's House
The sky burned brightly with the morning sun. There was only a slight wind to disturb the peaceful feeling of a brand new day. Everyone in Konoha was busy for this new and wonderful day. The day that everyone was going to be able to witness the trial of the villages' traitor. Everyone was excited at the prospect of being able to see this event. Much speculation was about, wondering what would become of the remaining survivor of the Uchiha Clan. There was also the questions' surrounding the new guy. Word on the street, Kyo Yamazaki was going to be dubbed a Konoha citizen at the same time as the trial. Now that was unheard of. Who knew if this Kyo guy was even to be trusted? No one really cared much, just as long as they got to see some good old justice being served. Nothing could damper the moods of the townspeople. It was all everyone could talk about, along with throwing in their own nasty thoughts about Uchiha.
It all sickened Naruto. All of this hostility and sick enjoyment. It reminded him of how he was treated in his younger days. He sat on the rooftop of his apartment, watching the clouds roll by as his mind ran in thought. Why did everyone have to treat someone indifferently just because of the way they thought, or acted? He sunk his head deeper into the barrier of his arms as he hugged his knees closer. Or even worse; why did anyone have to treat someone indifferently for what they held inside of them?
'Why are people so close-minded?' he thought to himself. As he heard a passing group below him talk about Sasuke's upcoming trial, he asked, 'Why do people concentrate only on what's in front of them?' He sighed as he shook his head in disappointment. Why couldn't people look past the image and into the reason itself? His eyes scrunched up in fury.
"Damn, I'm such a hypocrite." He growled. He believed in all of this, but whenever the chance came, his big mouth always got in the way and never truly let him voice what he truly felt. Yeah, he's said what he really meant most of the time. But if ever he got angry, or upset…he always managed to blow things way out of proportion. "Teme…why'd you have to do this? Things could have been so much simpler if you just weren't so blind." He muttered as he stretched backwards and lay flat on the roof. His mind began to wander back to earlier this morning, when he had the brashness to visit Sasuke while he was being prepped.
His eyes became lazy as he watched a cloud shaped like a lamb roll by. And to think he had about ten more hours to kill.
"Naruto!"
The blonde's eyes snapped open as he recognized the voice.
"Naruto, are you home?" Naruto jumped off of the roof to his balcony. He walked to his door and unlocked it. "Sakura-chan?" he said, surprised that she was even here.
Sakura blushed lightly, as if she herself didn't know why she was even at Naruto's door. She turned her attention to her hands, which were fidgeting below her waist. "Umm…." She felt her mind go blank. 'Dammit! What'd I come here for?' screamed Inner Sakura. Naruto stared at her curiously, cocking his head to the side. For some reason, that made Sakura smile lightly. "What is it, Sakura-chan?" he asked. "Umm….Oh! Tsunade-sama wanted to let you know that she would like you, Kakashi-sensei and me to be at the trial at 7. She wanted to review some things before she stated them publicly." She said meekly. She inwardly cringed as she realized that Naruto most likely did not want to hear anything about Sasuke on this day in particular.
She was surprised, however, when Naruto simply nodded in acknowledgement and opened his door wider. "You wanna come in?" he offered. Unsure of what to do, Sakura just stood at the doorway dumbly, her hands suddenly slacking. 'Since when did he become so polite?' she thought. She blushed at her impudence. She had always thought of Naruto as an immature brat, never giving him the chance. 'Time for that to change.' She promised. 'CHA!' screamed her mind-buddy.
With a nod and a small smile, Sakura entered Naruto's home, subtly surveying her surroundings. Naruto shut the door behind him and walked on ahead. He headed straight for the kitchen to see if he had anything to drink. Sakura just stood near the doorway like an idiot, not knowing exactly what to do. All she could really do was feel ashamed of her earlier expectations of what Naruto must live like.
Everything was completely opposite from what she had thought. Even though the floors were practically bare, they were still clean. Albeit, not totally immaculate, but enough so that you could actually see the sun gleam off in some places at her current angle. The furniture was plain, but suitable for the environment. No wild colors or anything; just a pleasant beige coloring for the sofa, and a peaceful wooden coffee table. Turning around, she noticed that all of his shoes were lined up nicely against the wall, and seeing this, she blushed furiously at her impoliteness. She hurried to kick off her shoes and set them beside the others.
"Hey, Sakura-chan, what do you want to drink? I've got milk, water, a couple of cans of soda, and…since when did I have salad in here?" he muttered, almost incoherently. But Sakura heard anyway. The high points he had earned with her suddenly crashed as she could only imagine what exactly inhabited Naruto's refrigerator. "I'll just have water, thanks." She replied. "'Kay!" came the muffled shout as he bent over and went inside.
Sakura shook her head with a small smile and walked over to the couch. The balcony doors were wide open and let in a fresh breeze which she inhaled deeply. "Must be nice to have a place all to your self, especially in a good part of town." She whispered. "Yeah, but at times, it gets too quiet." Sakura almost jumped off of her seat when she heard Naruto. She didn't notice him behind her!
"Here's your water." He offered, not realizing that her heavy breathing was because of him. Sakura took it with a shaky smile and gulped the water down. Naruto eyed her with a wide stare, watching the water disappear in two gulps. "Thanks." She whispered. Naruto shook his head and stared at her intently. "So, what else did you come over here for?" he asked.
Sakura blanched, although Naruto couldn't understand why. "What makes you say that?" she asked lamely. Naruto blinked at her. "Tsunade-sama would have sent someone other than you to tell me that she would want me to be in her office an hour earlier." He said with a smirk. "I got the message earlier than you and told the messenger not to bother, that I'd tell you when I ran in to you." Answered Sakura, almost too fast. Naruto closed his eyes and let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, I'm sure you did, Sakura-chan. Which is why I still got the letter she sent me last night telling me the message."
Sakura's eyes widened and Naruto watched as her face began to get redder by the minute. "Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Why'd you really come here?" he asked, a smile still plastered on his face. "U-umm. I didn't want to get you upset or anything." She muttered meekly. Naruto scrunched his brow. "Upset? About what?" Sakura began fiddling with the glass as she tried to find the right words. "Sakura-chan, come on. Tell me already." Insisted the blonde. Sakura glanced up at him and smirked at the pleading look in his eyes.
She shrugged and set the glass on the table. "I…I just needed a friend to talk too." She said. Naruto stared at her blankly. "About what?" he blurted, but he immediately understood. Sakura didn't answer the question, but instead stared at him with her wide, pale green eyes. He exhaled loudly through his nose and waited for what he knew would come next.
"What happened yesterday? After you and Yamazaki-san left, everyone was forced to leave. Our questions were ignored, and, dammit, not even Tsunade-san is telling me anything!" Sakura blurted. "There's a reason for that." Muttered Naruto. "Then won't you say anything?" asked Sakura, her voice small. Naruto shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure if I can. I don't even know for sure what happened my self." Sakura sighed impatiently and folded her arms across her chest, causing Naruto to glance somewhere else. "Fine, but knowing you, you'll tell someone soon. And I'm going to be that someone, because I have the right to know!" she finalized.
Naruto just stared at her and shrugged. "Do you really want to know what's going on?" he muttered. "Of course, Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun was our friend….I want to know what's happening with him as well." "Heh, what's going on with him is going to be totally humiliating. Apparently, Yamazaki is going to have Sasuke-teme in his custody as long as he sees worthy. He'll do whatever he wants with him, and there's nothing we could do about it." Spat Naruto. "What, why not?" asked Sakura.
He glared at the floor when he answered. "Tsunade-sama already agreed to it. You can thank Kakashi-sensei for that. He took Yamazaki's side the entire time!" Sakura frowned at the information. She watched as Naruto clenched his fists on his seat, his knuckles turning white with the force. She bit her lip, knowing fully well he wouldn't like what she was about to say, even if it was the truth. "Tsunade and Kakashi wouldn't have done anything so rash unless they knew for certain what they were doing." She muttered.
Naruto's head snapped up and he glared at her. "Oh, so you're taking Yamazaki's side as well? What was it, the way he charmed you yesterday in his room? Cuz what I could tell, he seemed to be able to charm the nurses as well." Sakura felt a pang in her chest from his offense. "No, Naruto-kun, that's not it at all! You know as well as anyone else that what I'm saying is true. We have to trust in their decision; obviously Yamazaki is one that they can confide in. If they do, then I do as well." She said with a firm tone.
The blonde sighed at how true her explanation was. God, how he hated when he wasn't right; but something about it…about Kyo, that guy, he wasn't natural. Something was weird with that guy, and he planned on finding out. "You can trust them all you want. No matter what, though…I'll find out the truth why that guy suddenly showed up. I would know if he had anything to do with me, and for him to come up out of nowhere…." He trailed off, not even caring to go any further. Sakura stared at him patiently, wanting him to keep on, to find out some more. But it was futile; he just kept glaring at the floor, every now and then, grumbling something incoherently.
She closed her eyes and sighed, standing up to leave. As she passed him, she laid a gentle hand on his arm, causing him to break out of his reverie. His dark blue eyes stared at her, slightly surprised to see her up from her seat so soon. She stared back at him gently, unsure what she was about to say. But once her mouth opened, the words came easily. "Whenever you're ready, come talk to me. We're both in this together, no matter what." With a small smile to leave with, Sakura turned around and headed for the door, sliding her hand off of his arm as she went.
She reached for the door knob when she heard his stuttering voice behind her. "W-wait." She glanced over her shoulder and watched as he hurried off of his seat and walked towards her. For some reason, the way he was walking for her made her feel intimidated. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until he was close enough to feel his body heat and she let out a low and shaky breath. He looked down at her with an uncertain and confused expression in his eyes. 'Wait, since when did he get so tall?' she found her self wondering as she tilted her head up to be able to look him straight in to those deep sea orbs.
"I, um…will you….crap…" he kept forgetting what he was going to say. "Yeah?" Sakura stared at him expectantly. Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he took in a deep breath, finally remembering what he wanted to ask. "6:30, can we meet up at the Training Posts? I…I want to walk with a friend to the hearing. We should go through this together." He finished lamely.
Sakura slightly frowned when she heard friend. Coming from him, she just didn't like how that sounded when it was about her. Without realizing it, she found her self somewhat leaning closer to him, her nose attracted to his spicy scent. Although she didn't realize it before, he smelled like a mixture of sweat and cinnamon. For some reason, it made her shiver lightly, the scent making her head somewhat fuzzy. It was something she could get used too.
"Sakura-chan?" Sakura snapped her head up to lock eyes with him again. "Oh, yes, of course. Yeah, I'll meet you there, no problem." She replied. Naruto smiled warmly, the action making Sakura feel warm and happy in her chest. 'As long as he's not in any pain, I'm fine.' She thought. "All right. Thanks, I'll meet you then." He murmured, leaning beside her and opening the door.
Sakura slowly walked outside, her mind jumbled in different directions at what she had just felt. "Hey," she turned around at his voice. "Hmm?" "Whenever you want to go somewhere for no reason, either tell the truth, or come up with a better excuse. Other than that, thanks for coming." He chuckled. Sakura blushed, her head bowing slightly as she pursed her lips. "I…oh, shut up! I'll meet you at the Training Posts, ok?" she said sharply. Naruto simply laughed and disregarded her tone. He wanted to keep teasing her.
Leaning closer, he gave her wink. "What? Despite the horrible lying, I'd say you did pretty well. Besides, I found it cute whenever you blushed and stuttered at the same time." He grinned widely at her reaction. She blushed even harder and even backed up a step.
Laughing harder this time, Naruto stood up straight and walked back in to his house. "I'll see you at 6:30, Sakura-chan." With a final smirk, Naruto closed his door, leaving a breathless Sakura just standing there, staring straight at the door with unblinking eyes. "You've changed a lot…and…I like it." She whispered to her self, a secret smile forming on her lips. Slowly, she began to turn around and head back home.
-X-
4:30 a.m. Forests Outside of Konoha
"So I take it you've finally started the mission?"
"Yeah, and I tell you, this shit's easy as hell. I thought it'd be more of a challenge, but I guess the old man didn't think it was worth the trouble."
"Have respect…he helped us when our lives were endangered."
"…I know….forgive me…"
"No need to be….so, have you located them yet?"
"Yes. The Jinchuuriki was easy…but the other…that's what delayed the mission; he was on the move a lot. And the brawl he had with Deidara? That made it worse. They began covering their tracks much more carefully….fucking bastard…"
"Hmph…Deidara was a fool…"
"Yeah…mmph!"
"….Why are you fidgeting so much?"
"It's this damn suit! It's not exactly what you'd call comfortable!"
"I told you to choose a different guise."
"You know I'm not much with imagination lately!"
"Oh? I thought 'Kyo Yamazaki' was one of your favorite imaginary friends when you were younger."
"I told you, Kyo was real! I thought I might as well respect his life by using his identity to good use. He had a pathetic life, and he deserved much more than what you're damn 'friends' did to him." Snapped Kyo.
"…..Never call them my friends….I am to my self….."
Kyo snorted at his companion. "Yeah, this is why you always practically risk your life trying to find me every time I disappear."
"….."
"I knew it, you care about me! Score for the Young One!" cheered Kyo, pumping his fist in to the air.
"I never said anything about caring about you. Don't assume things."
"Ugh, despite your quiet façade and you being, oddly, devoid of any facial expressions, you're still predictable." He stared at the profile of his companion. "I've been with you since I was 5. I think I'd know you pretty well….if not, then I guess it was a mistake ever trusting you." He whimpered. This caused his friend to sigh and turn to him. "I'm not falling for your mind games. I know you pretty well myself." Kyo grinned underneath his mask. "Damn, ah well. But you know that was half true, right?" His companion didn't answer. "Good, I thought so."
He rubbed the back of his head and took off his bandana, releasing the wild and unruly state of his auburn locks. "Whew, it's hot. I forgot how steamy Konoha's forests can get in the humidity. I'm surprised you're not affected." "You get used to it." Came the dry reply. "Yeah, I'm sure. And I'm also sure I'm going to get used to having to deal with certain tight spots whenever I need to fight."
"What do you mean?"
"When I went to get Sasuke, god where do I begin? I had to do a summoning as my first move. The rest of the time, I fought with Kage Bunshin. Not once did I get to go one on one the right way." Complained the youngest.
"It's your fault. I still don't understand why you chose to go this way. The original plan was to show up at Konoha in your true state, letting Sasuke know immediately. I was even allowed to come back."
"Yeah, but I'm your ticket to survival. Without me, you'd be dead from all of the ANBU, Kakashi, and not to mention, two of the three Legendary Sanin residing there." Pointed out Kyo.
"Exactly. You owe me afterwards…a lot…"
Kyo raised a brow and stopped fanning himself with his bandana. "Oh? So you're doing this because you care? Wow, I never thought you still had it in you." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Suddenly getting bored, he tossed his bandana over his shoulder and lay back on his arms. He leaned his head back and sighed.
There was a shuffling of feet, and Kyo lazily opened an eye to stare at his companion. The look in their eyes made him bolt upright and blush furiously.
"I hope you're not thinking about doing the same thing you did to me when I was 12." He muttered, averting his gaze. "That was for your own good. You kept obsessing over him." "What the hell? But finding out it was you, nee-chan?" Kyo snapped with disgust. "Keep in mind, we're not technically related. You were the one that found out that tasty little bit of information." Was the muttered reply.
Kyo looked away and blushed again. "You're five years older than me….and you know it's not you that I foresaw."
"Anything can change, you did, I did, and so did everyone else; all because of Sasuke's decision."
"Tch, whatever….that's why I don't bathe in a lake while travelling anymore. Even if I stink, I'd rather wait until I reach a good city." He eyed his partner wryly. "Who knows who might be watching….again?"
"….time to get serious."
"…fine…." Kyo fidgeted in his clothes again, this time letting a cry escape.
"First, release that Transformation Jutsu. If you're so uncomfortable, at least be in your true state."
"Ugh! But I have to get used to this! If I don't, the mission will be a complete failure!" whined Kyo, his body wriggling as the cloth tightened around his groin yet again. "Now I know why Sasuke changed to the tunic instead!" he growled. His companion tossed a bag at his feet.
"I brought products that will let you look like your transformed state while you're normal. Be warned that you have to make sure you don't make any mistakes every time you use these."
Kyo rummaged through the bag and frowned. "There's just one problem. I have different colored eyes than brown. I can deal with the wig and everything else, but what do I do about my eyes?"
"Colored contacts….they can especially come in to good use if ever the need arise."
"Where the hell can I get those? And why don't you use them?" frowned Kyo.
"I choose not too. I don't know where, that will be need to be found out by your self. Now release your jutsu and use what I've brought you….that disguise is getting on my nerves…." Muttered the companion dangerously.
"Too bad, just tell me what you had to say; I have to get back for Sasuke's hearing. Naruto will be there as well….and that new Hokage, Tsunade, she wants me to be there earlier so she can go over things quickly."
"Fine. The mission; since you had a two year delay, we need to quicken the pace. No matter what, have Sasuke crack by Chuunin exams. I'd tell you to just get on with the plan, but you're too stubborn to do as I say…especially when it comes down to revenge….."
Kyo flipped the bird and winked. "I'm as stubborn as an ass. What else do you need me to do?"
"The kid…Naruto; under any circumstances, you must gain his trust. The mission will fail if he ever finds you an enemy. He's very unstable with Kyuubi slowly taking control. Word has it that now he can transform to a miniature Kyuubi at times."
Kyo's eyes widened. "Thanks for the info…" he growled. "Other than that, be safe. You know what to do. Sasuke must know the truth, and Naruto must be saved….that kid has a future that he has a right too…"
"Hai! I promise; I'll do everything in my power to have the mission go exactly as Sarutobi wished it so." Nodded Kyo. "Good…in that case, I take my leave. I've been gone for two days without my partner….they might soon suspect." There was a shuffling and Kyo tensed as his friend bent lower and kissed him on his forehead. "You're special….don't get hurt."
Kyo blushed at the contact and averted his gaze….looking in to those eyes….especially his…that meant complete loss of control….even if they were just friends….'Get your self together. It's just the sex appeal. Your heart belongs to someone else.' He thought angrily.
Before Kyo finished thinking, there was a rustling of leaves and his companion was gone. With a sigh, he stood up from his seat on the boulder and released his jutsu. Rummaging through the bag, "Kyo" pulled out a replica of the clothing his Transformation had, along with the wig and accessories. "Man, this is going to be one long mission….hey, at least my body parts don't have to feel squished." He murmured.
That was when he took a closer look at the one-piece suit and glanced at the bag; an entire roll of linen bandages was tucked in. "Aww, dammit!" he screamed.
-X-
7:15 a.m. Konoha Prison Tower
"We have orders not to let anyone pass through. The prisoner is to be kept under watch until Godaime-sama and the necessary ANBU are here."
Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Kiba. You know I wouldn't do anything to let him free." Kiba shrugged and Akamaru stood up and sniffed Naruto. "It doesn't matter, Naruto. The Hokage specifically said not to let anyone get in. I'm not even allowed to let Kakashi-sensei pass through." Reasoned the boy. "Kiba, just give me five minutes." Pleaded Naruto. Kiba shook his head grimly and Akamaru began to growl lightly.
"Naruto, I'm not joking around anymore. This is serious stuff. Sasuke's in major crap right now. He's literally in a tight bind, and the slightest disturbance could set anything off. Only specialized people are allowed in." Kiba said tersely. He eyed Naruto's movements very carefully; no way was he going to under estimate this guy again.
"Kiba, I swear, I won't do anything. And even if something happens, I'll take the blame for everything. This is important." "Naruto, you had the chance to talk to Sasuke yesterday. Even if you didn't," he added hastily, seeing Naruto's mouth open immediately. "You'll get to have face-to-face with him after the trial. Godaime-sama promised anyone who's been associated with him that chance. Didn't you get the memo?" "Yeah, I did. But this is very important, it can't wait." Insisted Naruto.
Kiba stared at him hard and silent. Naruto stood his ground and gave him a silent and pleading look. He sincerely hoped it would work. A couple of minutes passed in silence in which Akamaru nudged Kiba in the hand and whimpered worriedly. Kiba sighed and came up with his decision. "Fine…you are the only one who has ever been truly concerned for the bastard. I suppose I can let you in; but only for 5 minutes, that's it. ANBU are coming in 20 to reinforce the bonds. It's been the same routine since he healed quickly yesterday." Naruto bristled at Kiba's insult to Sasuke, but nodded none the less.
Kiba clutched Naruto's shoulder and pulled him gently towards him. With a glance on every side, and a nod at Akamaru to keep watch, Kiba quickly turned around and unlocked the metal bolted door. "Remember, 5 minutes." He whispered. Naruto nodded and hurried in to the tower. There was a metallic snap of the door clicking shut, and Naruto was confined in semi-darkness.
Small cones of light lined the bottom of the walls, giving the metal room a strange reflected glow. He breathed in the metallic smell and braced himself. Slowly, he began to descend the steps of Sasuke's temporary prison cell. With each step, Naruto felt himself begin to break out in a cold sweat as his chakra began to weaken. 'So the rumors are true; this prison is made with a chakra depleting alloy.' He realized. He clenched his fists as he tried to control the amount of chakra that was being stolen from him.
"I'd hate to stay here for even an hour." He muttered to himself as the floor began to even out. He slowed his steps as he reached the end of the descent. His boots echoed off the walls as he surveyed his surroundings. The walls were lined with chains and shackles made from the same special metal. Naruto's attention was soon attracted to the lone slumped figure only ten paces ahead of him.
Sasuke looked more pathetic than he did yesterday. His breathing was slightly labored, probably from trying to break free of his bonds in his already weakened state. He had his head leaned against the wall, his neck glistening with sweat. His right leg was curled up to his chest while his left was sprawled lazily in front of him. His arms hung loosely, his left on his side, the right draped over his leg. He was no longer in his old white tunic, but in a new black one with matching pants. His tunic was opened, revealing that his wounds had greatly healed in the short amount of time. On closer inspection, however, with every one of his cuts, an ugly bruise took its place. Naruto could have mistaken Sasuke's body as a victim of a homicide.
"S-Sasuke…" Naruto trailed off, feeling the pang in his chest at his friend's piteous state. The chains rattled with slight movement, but Sasuke didn't even open his eyes to acknowledge Naruto. This caused Naruto to grind his teeth and step up closer. He lowered himself until he was sitting cross legged three feet in front of Sasuke.
"I know you're awake, teme. Open your eyes, you're not that weak." He muttered. Sasuke frowned slightly and opened his obsidian eyes in a squint. "What are you doing here?" he rasped. Naruto inwardly winced; Sasuke was either in some serious pain, or extremely weak, maybe even both. "To talk; yesterday wasn't what I wanted."
The chains rattled some more as Sasuke slowly got himself in a more comfortable position. "I'm sure you wanted more than me to just be in a hospital bed." He grinned manically. "Don't worry, that Yamazaki guy is going to take care of your wishes for you." He breathed in shakily and stared at Naruto expressionless. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face. He got the surprise of the day when Naruto returned the stare and simply leaned back with the air of a kid simply having a conversation in a normal situation.
"How long have you been in here?" asked Naruto. "Wh-what?" Sasuke asked, confused. He had thought that Naruto would probably be bashing on him already; either he wasn't a morning person, or he had really changed during the two years. "Answer the question; I only have four more minutes."
"Then you wasted your time, dobe." Spat Sasuke. "Why don't you wait until after the hearing? You'll have all the time in the world once my sentence is being acted out." Sasuke gulped, trying his hardest to swallow down the giant lump in his throat. 'Damn them….damn them all to hell…' he thought vehemently. He'd probably be facing Itachi by now. He felt his pride plummet even more so when a vivid image of how easily he was caught off guard by Kyo danced in his mind. That bastard made him look like a helpless little girl being beat by a drunken man on a rampage.
"Whatever. I'm not going to let your pompous ways get the best of me anymore. I'm not the same, Sasuke-teme." Muttered Naruto, his left index tracing circles on the ground. Sasuke blinked and turned his head to the side, his untamed hair hiding his face. However, behind the mask, he eyed Naruto carefully. "I take your word on that." He murmured.
Naruto sat up straight and gave Sasuke a hard look. "I came here to warn you." He said.
That caught the prisoners' attention. Slowly, he moved his head to face Naruto again and he lazily cocked a brow. "About…?" he drawled. Naruto cracked his knuckles on the ground, the popping noises lightly echoing. "That Kyo guy….I don't trust him."
"Thank you, Sir Obvious." Said Sasuke wryly.
Naruto shook his head and growled. "I'm the only one besides you. Yamazaki has everyone wrapped around his finger. Kakashi-sensei is taking his side on everything, and since Tsunade-san trusts Kakashi-sensei, she trusts Yamazaki as well. Even though it goes against what I feel should really happen, teme, I promise you, I won't let you get off any worse then you are."
"Wha-?" Sasuke said breathlessly. The information knocked the wind out of him, but what did the most was how Naruto just said that he was sticking to Sasuke's side, no matter what happened.
Naruto nodded in reply. "I won't be able to do much, but I will help you resist Yamazaki as much as I can. No one seems to know who he is, and he is going to gain custody of your imprisonment?" He shook his head in disgust, "No, not when I'm around. But, you have to promise me one thing." Sasuke remained silent, staring at Naruto blankly. "You have to work with me on this as well. No matter what, if we can get Yamazaki out of the way, you can't just leave again. I'm counting on you, Sasuke, you can't betray anyone again. You're strong, trust me. Even in your current state, I can sense how strong you can truly be."
Sasuke snorted and shook his head in disgust, his sweat-matted hair whipping his face with each move. "Strong? I'm the opposite of that, Naruto." He muttered. "Even after two years under Orochimaru's training, I was still beaten mercilessly by someone I didn't even know!" he spat. "He used such basic techniques, but his power, that was what ceases to amaze me. He hides it so well; he reminds me so much of you."
Naruto was stunned. Was he just complimented, or insulted? "Wh- that's beside the point. Don't ever bring that up again. We're talking about the present, forget about how you were brought back for the moment. You can think of yourself negatively all you want, but you will always be seen as a strong person by me, and countless other people." Again, Sasuke was silent. Naruto sighed and rubbed his face, "Would it help if I say if you promise not to betray the village again, I can promise that you will be trained by Jiraiya, after I convince him." He added as an after thought.
Sasuke smirked. "I don't need any of your empty bribes." Naruto glared at him. "I'm trying to help, either say yes, or no. I leave in thirty seconds, with or without your response." Sasuke bit his lip and groaned; both out of pain and of a hard decision. With a snarl, he watched Naruto stand up stiffly and hurried toward the exit.
"Naruto!"
The blonde stopped halfway to the stairs, but didn't turn back around.
"I-I promise. Get me the hell out of here, and I am in your debt." He whispered reluctantly. Naruto didn't move or make a sound. With a sigh, Sasuke went on. "If I stay in this state any longer, my Cursed Seal will be activated involuntarily. I won't be able to control that; and I would really rather not experience the unknown consequences of that predicament." Naruto sighed and looked over his shoulder at Sasuke's pathetic form. With a smirk, he nodded and began to walk away again. "We'll talk later; I hope you really do keep your word, teme. Or else, it's gonna be me that hurts you." He called back, halfway up the stairs. Sasuke grinned and replied with a shrug, his bonds clanking his reply for him.
-X-
4:00 p.m. The Docks
Kakashi sat down on the boardwalk, half listening to the soft running of the water, while the rest of his attention was directed at his book. In fact, he was getting so in to the "climax" of the chapter, he didn't notice the kunai being aimed at a main artery behind him. "Reading so much can damage your senses, Ookamishiro-san." "Nice to have you back, Kyo." Muttered Kakashi. "Nyeh, what are you doing?" asked the boy as he sat down beside his new roommate, leaning close to try and catch a glimpse of what was so interesting about the book.
"Killing time." Replied Kakashi. He glanced down at his companion and sighed. He watched in mild amusement how Kyo's eyes scrunched up in slight disgust at the explicit detail. It took him a while to realize why the atmosphere felt so different. "You are in your true state?" he asked mildly.
"Huh?" Kyo said dumbly. "Oh. Yeah, I was able to find good enough replacements so that I wouldn't have to attract so much attention from people who can sense me using my chakra." "Meaning Naruto, eh?" Kyo kept quiet. "He's going to be a hand full, I'll give you that." Kakashi sighed. Kyo nodded. "He seems like a good kid. It's just a shame on what he has to go through." Kakashi put away his book and cracked his knuckles. "That caught my attention; what do you mean by that?" Kyo flicked a stray pebble in to the running water, staring off in to space. "Uzumaki-kun really likes Sasuke, and that ass treats him like dirt. That guy deserves so much more than he's given credit for."
"You don't even know him, so why do you talk about him like that?" Kakashi asked, getting curious. He may know who Kyo really was, but there were some things about him that he still didn't quite understand…
Kyo shuddered and Kakashi was slightly taken aback when he heard his voice tremble. "I can't say anything until a few more months at least. It's going to be hard, knowing something that not even I knew until just a few moths ago, and keeping it a secret." He looked up at the Jounin. "Uzumaki-kun already hates me; how can I fix that? I want to be on good terms with him, I don't want him to shun me just like that. What do I do?" Kakashi sighed and stared at the water.
"You took away his chance of bringing back Sasuke, that's one strike. You beat up Sasuke to the point where we all thought he would die, that's another strike. Now, we'll be going to a trial where you will be given custody of Sasuke, along with the permission to beat the hell out of him whenever you please. That's strike three. Hnh, I'd say that your best chance is to just wait it out, be your self, and see how it goes from there." Kyo sighed and cracked his neck.
"Dammit all. And you know what's worse? I'm gonna regret beating the shit out of that asshole." Snarled Kyo. Kakashi twitched. "I don't know if I hate how much you've changed, or it just gives me another view at how much I underestimated you since the last time we saw each other." Kyo faced Kakashi. "Oh, you have no idea how much I've changed. I'll be taking your title as the 'copycat'." "Whatever, just-wait, you're going to regret doing…Ohhhhh, I see. Heh…hahahaha!" Kyo's eyes widened in embarrassment and annoyance as Kakashi threw his head back and barked with laughter.
"What the hell?" he muttered. "This will strike up some controversy. Haha! You really haven't changed…at least, not emotionally." Kakashi stood up and walked away. "I have to get to the Hokage tower earlier than you; thank you for the laugh. Hahaha! Regret it…that made my day. And to think, the girls that already seem to fancy you….won't they be disappointed?"
Kyo stared at the water with wide eyes, twitching uncontrollably now. "Aww, DAMMIT!" he roared once Kakashi had completely disappeared. With his outburst, birds from a nearby tree flapped away in fear. Kyo breathed deeply and clenched his fists. "I hate how I'm still easy to read…"
-X-
Awaiting the trial.
"The stadium is filled, m'lady Hokage."
"Thank you Rizu-san. Dismissed." With a salute, the Chuunin disappeared to leave Tsunade to her Shinobi at present. She turned around and stared at each of them in eye, sending a warning glare at a certain blonde.
"You know why we are all here. I only have a few warning words to say to you all before this trial begins." Sakura fidgeted unnoticeably and Naruto averted his gaze from Tsunade. Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata, Neji, Ten-Ten, Rock-Lee, Chouji, Ino, Sai, Kakashi, Shino, and Jiraiya stood still, paying full attention. They knew not to mess around with their leaders' orders. Four hand picked Anbu were standing behind them, silent and still.
"You selected few are the only ones that really know what the sentencing is. The reason: you have all been somehow associated with this Uchiha kid. I'm telling you now, should any of you still hold any feelings for him," she glanced at Naruto specifically. "Keep it locked up. His punishment is going to be rough, and possibly brutal. I don't want any of you to interfere under any circumstances. Are we understood! Naruto!" she barked.
"What!" he said hotly. "Why do you keep moving like that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Naruto blushed lightly and scowled as everyone turned to stare at him. He could swear he could even feel the stares of the Anbu behind him burning in the back of his neck. "It's…it's nothing." He muttered, tucking the Kunai deeper in to his pocket.
"Hmph. Fine then. Now, where the hell is Kyo-san? He was supposed to be here half an hour ago to begin performing the Jutsu!" she barked. Everyone shuffled uncertainly, save for Naruto and Kakashi. Kakashi noticed Naruto give out a small smirk of triumph, and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"I'm sorry, Godaime-sama. I ran in to a bit of trouble along the way. A set of blonde, pigtailed triplets suddenly jumped me on the way here…does every girl in Konoha like to strip in front of guys nowadays?" Ino and Sakura stifled a giggle while Shikamaru rolled his eyes at Kyo's appearance.
His bandana was askew, loosened and hanging by his ear. There was some dirt on his shoulder and his fanny pack was torn so that all of his Shuriken and Kunai were missing. Naruto paled and inwardly growled at the appearance of Kyo. 'So that's why…you idiot.' Thought Kakashi, shaking his head in disbelief.
"So, is the ass here yet?" huffed Kyo, straightening his posture. "Well, I'm staring at him, so what do you think?" cheeked Tsunade. Kyo chuckled and pulled off his bandana while walking towards the Hokage. "I deserve that; anyways, so you've told them already?" Tsunade nodded curtly. "Yes, and don't change the subject. Where the hell have you been? I'm sure those three girls could have been handled easily."
Sakura gasped and turned to Naruto. "You didn't?" she whispered vehemently. Naruto inched away from her and had to suffer the deadly glare she sent at him for the rest of the ten minutes they had to wait.
"Rizu-san? What are you doing back here?" Tsunade asked confusedly. "The prisoner m'lady! He's giving us trouble; it seems he has gained strength!" panted the Shinobi. "What?! How could that happen, he was locked up with tight security." Barked Tsunade. "Where is he?" murmured Kyo deadly. "Uh, he's, uh…ma'am?" he whimpered pathetically. Tsunade sighed and nodded at Kyo.
"What're you going to do?" snapped Naruto. Kyo turned to him and stared at him blankly. They kept eye contact, even when Kyo retied his bandana over his messy brown hair. "If you want to, you can come see." He said without expression. "Lead me to him." He ordered Rizu. With a grunt, he turned and led the Naruto and Kyo towards Sasuke. "I'll be back before the trial begins." Kyo reassured over his shoulder. Tsunade frowned. "So in about a minute an a half, you'll be done, huh?" she growled.
Kyo merely laughed and disappeared around a corner and out of Tsunade's office. "What are you going to do to him?" snarled Naruto. "Hmm? Oh," Kyo raised a brow and grinned underneath his mask. "His gaining in strength is probably due to his Cursed Seal. I knew that would become a problem sooner or later. But, all I'm going to do is poke a few pressure points to block the chakra from the seal." Naruto gaped at him. "You're kidding, right? You're not going to, to hurt him anymore until later on, are you?" Kyo stopped and turned around to face him. "Look, I know you care about him; possibly more than I'm giving you credit for." Naruto pinked up nicely and glared murderously at him. "I'm not like that!" he snapped. "And I wasn't implying that you were…but now that you mention it…" Naruto clenched his fists and Kyo laughed.
"Just a joke, I'm just trying to liven up the depressing mood around here. Jeez, I'm only going to be performing the sentencing, it's not like I'm going to murder the ass." Kyo crossed his arms, jutted out his hip and leaned on one foot. Naruto noticed this and again couldn't understand what was it about this guy that made him think of that one thing that was out of place. "Erm, wait, so you never were going to kill him?" asked Naruto. Kyo blinked and furrowed his brow, leaning closer to Naruto's face. It wasn't so impressive since Kyo was about two inches shorter than him.
"Did you really think I would do something like that? Uzumaki-kun, I may have brought Uchiha back in a brutal matter, but that was necessary! If you would have been the one to go head to head with him, you probably would have done the same. I assure you, the only reason why he was that beat up was because I had to use a few of my abilities and….allies…to get past his Sharingan. Uchiha can be a formidable opponent, if he wasn't so caught up in his revenge and whatnot."
Naruto peered down at Kyo and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "…I still don't trust you…" Kyo sighed and shrugged. "I understand; all I hope is that one day, you will begin to trust me." There was a loud shout from down the hall and Kyo straightened up. He snapped his attention back to Naruto and his expression softened in a way that made Naruto feel a cold pit in his gut. "We have more in common with each other than anything you could think of, Uzumaki-kun. I would hate to become your enemy for something as small and foolish as a man who denied your friendship."
The brown haired boy turned on his heel and hurried away to Sasuke's imprisoning room. Hesitating a bit to have Kyo's words sink in, Naruto soon hurried off after him.
-X-
The stadium was filled. Not one seat was left empty. People had awaited this day so much, that the stadium was overcrowded to the point where people were actually standing up. The Hokage and her selected Shinobi stood in a single file on her platform, staring straight ahead and not moving an inch. Tsunade leaned over her railing, surveying the people that had come to watch the trial. The sun was setting, giving the sand in the middle of the stadium a pale orange glow.
"Where are they?" she muttered. Her fists clenched the railing as she became nervous. Maybe she had spoke too soon to put her trust in Kyo. So what if Kakashi knew the kid? She still had never heard of him.
"Ma'am, Yamazaki-san has sent word. The prisoner is stable."
With a sigh of relief, Tsunade nodded her thanks to the Anbu Black Op Shinobi. "Bring them in." she whispered. With a slight nod, the Anbu disappeared in a flash. Behind Tsunade, Sakura began to tremble slightly.
"Naruto." She whispered. He was somewhere down there with their ex teammate with a guy he had sworn that he didn't trust worth of dog crap. She brought a finger to her mouth and bit down on it. She squeaked when she felt a nudge on her side. With a slight glance, she saw Ino giving her a faint smile. Sakura sighed and returned it, her butterflies not going away.
Sakura jolted when there was a sudden boom, causing the entire crowd to go silent. Straining her ears, she heard the light footsteps of someone coming out of the waiting area down below. "Come on." Whispered Ino. Sakura looked up and noticed that Tsunade had motioned for them to get closer. Complying with her teachers' commands, Sakura took a giant step towards her and gasped.
The four Anbu Black Ops that Tsunade had chosen each had a "chain" of chakra bound to them with Sasuke tied at the end. Each chakra chain was of a different color, letting everyone know that the chains were made of the Anbu's chakra element. Added to the chakra chains were the chakra deprivation chains bound to his neck, shackled to his feet, and strapped to his wrists.
Sasuke's lip was bleeding and his walking had a major limp to it. His face was stoic and expressionless. His bruises hadn't healed at all, giving his face a blue and purple coloring. One of his arms hung limply while the other held it tightly against him. He was changed in to something other than what he had on the previous day. Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at seeing her childhood crush wearing exactly what he had worn on the day of his Chuunin final, exempting the weaponry and headband.
The five walked slowly to the center of the stadium, giving off a tense and awkward air. Everything was silent, not even a cricket chirped. Behind the line of Shinobi, there was a light tap and Sakura turned around to find her self staring at a pale faced blonde. "Naruto!" she gasped, hurrying after him. Tsunade let the small interruption go as she watched the prisoner carefully down below.
"Naruto, what happened? Why are you shaking so much?" hissed Sakura. Naruto shook his head and gulped down a breath of air. "K-Kyo…he, Sakura, that guy is seriously something." He rasped. Sakura furrowed her brow. "What? What did he do? Did he do anything to you?" she demanded. Again Naruto shook his head. "He- Sasuke was worst than we thought. His Cursed Seal had begun to take over. But Sakura! You should have seen it!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Sakura and Naruto stopped their miniature conversation; the trial had begun.
"You have been charged with betrayal of the village, attempted murder at a fellow Konoha Shinobi, refusal to comply with the laws of the village, and illegally immersing yourself at a young age in the arts of Forbidden Jutsu." The crowd remained silent; Sakura and Naruto slowly crept in to the line, Sakura guiding him back by holding on to his hand. She clenched it when she saw how Sasuke stared back up at the Hokage daringly, and expressionless.
"Do you deny these charges?" barked Tsunade, her temper rising at how coolly she was being treated by a little brat the likes of Sasuke. There was silence, Naruto leaning closer to the railing and clenching his teeth. He hoped beyond hope that Sasuke would keep to his end of the bargain. What Kyo did…yes, it saved them, but that Jutsu; he would have to tell Tsunade about it later. The way Kyo moved, it reminded him of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds longer, strengthening the intensity of the "drama".
"No."
Tsunade blinked; did he just respond, or was that a toad?
"Y-you approve of being charged with these offenses, therefore taking in responsibility of the sentencing you will henceforth have?" she gritted her teeth at her stutter.
"Yes." Came the blunt response.
"Very well. Yamazaki Kyo, please step forward!" she barked again. Another door below opened and out stepped Kyo, wearing an expression of pure loathing, it sent Naruto reeling with anger. He was broken from his train of thought when he felt a light squeeze from Sakura. He looked down at her, but she stared on at the scene below. Her eyes were trained on Kyo and the way he walked smoothly and silkily to Sasuke.
Sasuke turned his attention to Kyo. This time, he remained motionless and did not respond to his appearance. A deal was a deal; and this time, he wouldn't mind complying with it.
Kyo stood in front of Sasuke and turned to the direction of Tsunade. He kneeled down and bowed his head.
"Yamazaki Kyo, under your request, I am entrusting the punishment of Uchiha Sasuke under your supervision. You may do as you will with the prisoner, so long as you stay through to your word that you will not harm him lethally. Are we understood?" Kyo stood back up and stared a Tsunade. "Hai, it is all understood, Godaime-sama." Tsunade nodded and sighed.
"Uchiha Sasuke, your sentence shall be to be under the public servitude of Yamazaki Kyo. He will treat you as he seems worthy while being under the bind of a Forbidden Jutsu that I have approved of. Yamazaki-san has been kind enough to put in a sort of treaty. Should you, Uchiha Sasuke, ever feel that Yamazaki-san has been abusing his power over you, or has made an attempt on your life, you may publicly declare a challenge. The challenge will be taken place during the beginning of the Chuunin finals. However, I must either have an eye witness account from someone other than the Shinobi I have lined behind me stating that what you say is true about Yamazaki-san, or, you must have physical proof. Are we understood?"
Sasuke stared blankly up at her, and then he slowly turned his attention to Kyo. Kyo felt the burning sensation of his gaze in the back of his neck and fought the urge to look back. 'He'll crack…he'll crack, then you can explain everything to him….be patient.' He assured himself.
Sasuke then subtly caught Naruto's eye and held it.
Even thought it disgusted him and made him just want to slaughter everyone around him; he stared back up to the Hokage.
"I accept." He croaked.
The crowd began to murmur in interest and excitement. Naruto sighed; Sakura let out a sound that was in between a sob and a grunt of approval; Kakashi closed his eyes and bent his head; Tsunade smiled and nodded. "In that case, Yamazaki-san, begin the Jutsu." She ordered.
Kyo bowed low and turned around to Sasuke. "You four, you remember what I told you, right? You must put in the chains at the exact same time once I finish the final seal." The four ANBU nodded and readied themselves. Kyo caught Sasuke's eyes and he shuddered. Sasuke noticed this and his eyes widened a bit in surprise. He parted his dry lips to say something, but couldn't get a word out once Kyo started performing the different seals.
Up on the platform, Naruto watched in fury. "I can't believe this." He muttered angrily. Everyone stared at him; Tsunade sighed impatiently and rubbed her temple with impatience. "Naruto, we agreed already. Kyo will not hurt him more than he promised." She sighed. "It's not that!" snapped the blonde. Sakura stared up at him worriedly. "Then what is it then? All I see is that you just hate that Kyo guy for practically no reason!" said Ino. "Stop being such a troublesome dobe, Naruto. We're allowed to keep watch, alright? We're just not allowed to interfere." Drawled Shikamaru.
"Argh! It's not that! Look at the way he's performing the jutsu! Tsunade-san, you should have seen him a few minutes ago. It was like something out of a battle between Jiraiya and, and…" he sighed in frustration, not being able to think up of that guys name at the last moment. "So he's hiding his abilities a bit, so what? Do you see me bashing everything I touch?" smarted Tsunade, beginning to get annoyed.
Naruto snapped his eyes wide when he suddenly remembered the name. He turned to Jiraiya who was staring back at him in silent interest. "It was like that battle between you and Itachi." He murmured. Jiraiya's mouth went slack just as there was a flash of bright white light.
"NOW!" came a bellow. There was a scream of pain from down below and a few shrieks of fear from the crowd. The screaming intensified until the four ANBU dispersed and the dissipated. All that was left was Kyo standing upright, his gloved right hand glowing a dark purple, the purple reaching out in visible chain links to a crouched Sasuke and writhed around his neck. Sasuke had now become a dog on his master's leash.
Everyone stared in silent awe as Kyo crouched down to Sasuke and peered closer at him. With a sudden movement, Sasuke flung a fist at Kyo's face, Kyo quickly backing away. Just as Kyo landed a few feet away and Sasuke moved a single step, the links around his neck gave out a pink glow and sent a jolt of electricity through him. Sasuke let out another scream of pain, his hands slamming to the sides of his head as the jolts racked through him. He crumpled to the ground after Kyo took a step closer to him.
"Gah!" he gasped, holding on to his neck. There was another faint pink glow and he was able to pull himself up. Kyo raised a brow and put a hand on his hip. He held out the chain in his right hand tauntingly and said, "Every time you get jolted and it stops, the chain gives you a bit of strength back so that you wouldn't be too weak. Although, don't get too excited. The pain comes back if you try to even touch it." He explained. Sasuke quickly withdrew his hand from his neck and glared daggers at Kyo.
"Heh, you ready, Uchiha? Pain starts today…"
Sasuke pulled himself up and clenched his fists. Kyo squeezed the chain and the glowing began to disappear. "What are you doing?" rasped Sasuke. "What, I can't make the chain invisible? Besides, I think that black one you have around your neck looks better than this nasty purple color, don't you?"
Sasuke pursed his lips and bit back his tongue. "Come on, I think it's about time the village sees its traitor." Kyo tugged at the invisible leash and Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt himself being dragged. "Godaime-sama, thank you for this opportunity. I will not abuse your trust on this." Kyo bowed low and turned to Sasuke. "Time to go."
With another tug, Kyo dragged Sasuke out of the excited stadium. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Tsunade, and everyone else watched in fascination and anger at what they had just witnessed. Naruto growled and turned on his heel to leave. 'I'll get you out of this, Sasuke. I swear, I'll get you out of this.'
A/N: that…was…the…longest…I've…written…falls on bed and drools in sleep….R&R!! Rating might go up due to language….anyways, I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a little bit more of Kyo. Next chappie…well, next chapter's gonna be a bit weird…anyway, the more reviews, the faster I write :P