Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction that borrows characters and themes from the Naruto manga series. No profits are being made from the creation of this piece of writing whatsoever.
Four.
As it turned out, Naruto didn't have to wait long for a chance to speak with Haku again after the marking process had ended. Immediately afterward, he, Sasuke, and all the other individuals who had successfully paired off were ushered politely from the hall number five and into another long hallway. Individuals in white or dark navy uniforms greeted them in said hall with polite bows as they filed in. Then, once they had all exited the marking room, the double doors hissed closed behind them and the overhead cued on again.
[Z and respective Carriers, congratulations once again on a successful marking. From here you will meet with your new primary instructors, who will guide the rest of the way on your final steps into adulthood. Each of your NAVs have already been updated with details as to whom your instructors will be. During the brief orientation that follows, please feel free to direct your questions to your instructors. They will be offering their full support, so avail yourselves of their knowledge and experience throughout your time here. You will now proceed to your new classrooms. Good luck, and once again may your continue to be the Hidden World's shining beacons of hope.]
After the announcement had concluded, Naruto looked to Sasuke nervously when he felt the other boy's gaze skewering him again, but this time the young Carrier turned his head away with a passe look. Something was definitely up with him, but at the moment the blonde hadn't the courage to pursue it. One question was nagging him, however, and after a moment of awkward silence and staring at his own feet, he gave in to temptation.
"S...Sasuke...right?" he began tentatively, annoyed at his own hesitance. It wasn't that he was afraid of the other boy, but rather the looming unknown that was now his future.
"Mn," the dark haired boy answered, still looking away. Naruto took this as an affirmative answer.
"If I can see your NAV, does that mean you can see mine too?"
This question earned him an exasperated gaze from the other boy, but surprisingly he did not snap at the blonde again.
"Of course I can. Kyuu, right?" he replied, crossing his arms, "Look, Naruto, your NAV filled me in while you were busy gawking around like a caught fish. You were a Drone, right?"
"Um...yeah." Naruto answered lamely, blinking several times in bewilderment at the other boy's surprisingly lenient, if a bit irritated, tone. It was the most Sasuke had spoken to him since their awkward meeting.
The other boy rolled his eyes at Naruto's wide-eyed gaze.
"Just so we're clear, I have no interest in where you're from or what you think you may know. I chose you, you accepted. Get used to it," he continued sternly, "Instead of staring at me like an idiot, do yourself a favor and check in with your NAV to find out who your instructor is. The others are starting to stare."
Glancing around, Naruto realized that indeed they were the only two who had not broken off and headed toward their respective instructors. Cheeks flaming, Naruto hurriedly pulled up the newly loaded information through KYUUBI as Sasuke turned with a sigh and strode off to where a group of boys had already gathered around a man dressed in the same navy blue as Sasuke and the other Carriers.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the long name that came up beside the ID photo indicating who his instructor would be. Apparently his teacher was a male. Looking up, he glanced around the hall until he spotted a long mane of dark hair framing sharp, almost feminine features – a man identical to the photo KYUUBI had produced for him stood not far away. A group of boys in the same white robes that Naruto himself wore idled nervously around said individual, occasionally glancing the blonde's way with concerned looks. Realizing that Haku was among them and seemed to be giving him a very worried look, the blonde scampered over abashedly under said instructor's sharp gaze to stand with his fellows.
The instructor's gaze did not soften when Naruto glanced up into the stern face from under his lashes, giving him the impression that his dawdling had not been appreciated. However, rather than reprimanding him the man's narrow face suddenly split in half in a rather sly looking smirk.
"I do understand your eagerness to be together with your partners as much as possible," came the man's low voice. Naruto couldn't help but notice how his tongue lingered just a little too long on his sibilants, giving one the impression of a snake attempting to speak in human tongue. "However, for the better part of the next hour, you are mine."
Every one of the boys in their group seemed to shiver with fright at the man's words. Though he addressed them all, he made a point to look directly at Naruto as he spoke.
"This way, if you please."
And with that, their new instructor ushered his obviously hesitant pupils into the room behind him, looking for all the world like a wolf herding a group of nervous sheep to their dooms.
As they entered the classroom, Haku made a point of covertly sidling over to where Naruto was, as the instructor indicated that they should take a seat where they pleased. The room was rather small and intimate, arranged with just enough seating for the dozen or so boys – including Haku and Naruto – who occupied the room. The desks were low to the ground – low enough that rather than chairs, dark navy blue sitting cushions were placed behind each of them. There was a wide holographic display board at the head of the class, positioned directlybehind the instructor's desk, which was mcu like their own but quite a bit wider and slightly more elevated. As they had entered the room first, Naruto and Haku were quick to snatch up two of the three seats in the very back row.
"Naruto! What on earth happened?" Haku whispered hurriedly as soon as they were seated. The blonde could only shake his head from side to side helplessly in response. To be honest, Naruto himself wasn't quite sure what had just transpired in the marking room. His head was currently spinning around the possible meanings of the parting words that Sasuke had left him with. He wanted dearly to tell Haku everything that had transpired right then and there, if only to get the weight of it off his own chest.
Unfortunately, that was not to be allowed.
"Welcome to Advanced Z Life Studies," the instructor began as soon as they were all seated, "As Z, beginning a successful life with your chosen partner is one of your final steps toward adulthood. In this class we will address all aspects of your lives as successful partners and – eventually – parents, from physiology to relationships and matters of intimacy. You should consider this a safe place to discuss any and everything having to do with your duty as Z."
As their teacher launched into a lecture about the specifics of what they would be covering in his class, every pupil sat at perfect attention, backs rigid. There was a definite tense hum of nervous anticipation throughout the room, as if every student was on edge for some reason.
"What's with this guy?" Naruto whispered as covertly as he could, casting a furtive glance toward their instructor, "Why is everyone so nervous?"
"That's Orochimaru. He's one of the most respected male Z in the history of Konoha's Z Program," came his friend's tense reply, "They say he's had over twenty children, and all of them have gone on to become either famous shinobi or as Z and Carriers themselves! I've heard that when he's not around everyone calls him 'Orochimama'... There were rumors that he had retired to focus on training future generations of male Z a few years back but..."
"Yukimura Haku. Is there something that you would like to share with the rest of the class?"
Both Naruto and Haku's backs stiffened right away at the loud voice that emanated from right next to them, effectively drawing all eyes in the room to where the two sat with their heads bowed close together. It seemed Orochimaru had managed to slither his way down the aisle until he stood almost directly beside them.
"Ah, no," Haku replied as smoothly as he could, tossing the teacher one of his winning smiles, "I was just answering a question."
"Is that so?" Orochimama answered back with a smile that was as chilling as Haku's was congenial. Naruto was beginning to think that his smile was more frightening than his glare. "Well in the future I would appreciate it if you would direct all of your questions to me, the instructor. Are we clear Mr...Uzumaki Naruto, is it not?"
Naruto merely gulped slowly and nodded back once in silence as the instructor's stern gaze landed on him again.
"Good. I'll also thank you both to save the intimacy for your partners, if you please," he added a bit teasingly.
Confident that he had by equal parts chastened his students and directed all attention in the room back to himself, Orochimaru proceeded to the front again.
"Because I'm in such a generous mood – and since you all seem so chatty – I suppose I'll skip the rest of the orientation for now and get right to the Q&A."
"So, Mr. Uzumaki, just what is it that you were wondering that couldn't wait?" the instructor queried, raising a single eyebrow as he turned his gaze to the still flushed blonde.
In an attempt to spare his friend any further unwanted attention Haku quickly answered in Naruto's place.
"Naruto just wanted to know what happens when a Z is for some reason unable to fulfill their role as a member of the program," the dark haired boy covered for him.
Orochimaru's eyes seemed to light up a bit at this, as his lips formed again into that foreboding smile.
"What a surprisingly astute question, Mr. Uzumaki," the exceedingly eccentric teacher smirked, his admittedly beautiful yellow-green eyes narrowing to near slits in what seemed to be some kind of sadistic pleasure," I belive this is the first class where I've been allowed the privilege of explaining what happens in the rare case that a Z isn't up to the task of continuing the shinobi line so early."
Naruto practically heard alarm bells going off in his head at Orochimaru's words. For his part the brunette at his side tossed the blonde a meaningful glance from the corner of his eye, as if to say 'This is meant for you, Naruto. Listen up.'
Seeming to feed on the positively stricken gazes that the rest of the class was casting on him at the very mention of being unable to fulfil their duty, Orochimaru launched right into his explanation. It seemed, somewhat surprisingly, that their odd instructor also had an slight flare for the dramatic.
"I'm sure you've all heard rumors that sometimes - though it is exceedingly rare - for some reason or other a Z is found unwilling to mate or even incapable of producing offspring," he prefaced, adding a slightly derisive snicker at the few who nodded in response, "Kukuku...Well, allow me to set the record straight for you."
"To begin with, the consequences vary depending on whether the individual is conscious of their circumstances and fails to bring it to the attention of staff before they undergo marking, as well as whether their condition is a result of psychological trauma, injury or even hereditary disease.
"In the event that said Z is merely unwilling to participate, they are usually sent for a conference with their instructors and the director and vice-director of the Program. This usually results in the individual being sent for psychological analysis and intensive counseling.
"Infertility is an entirely different matter. If it is a result of injury or disease and attempts to rectify the problem prove ineffective, they will naturally be expelled from the program, and thereafter will either be reeducated and sent to one of the other Strati or be made members of the Z Program's support staff. For anyone who becomes aware of their infertility and fails to inform faculty or staff, reprecussions can be...severe. At the very least the individual would be sent before the High Council for arbitration."
Gazing about and finding that the entire classroom seemed to be hanging on his every word in tense anticipation, Orochimaru gave them all a serpentine smile, pleased at the sensational effect that he was having on his students.
It seemed however, that their instructor was far from finished.
"Of course the party in question is not the only one to be affected by such circumstances. In the event that any Z who has for some reason been found infertile completes the marking process, there are also reprecussions for their partner. Because Carriers are indefinitely bound to whichever Z they mark, regardless of the circumstances, that Carrier will be unable to be pair with another partner, and will therefore become unable to participate in the program any longer. This is a particularly unfortunate situation for the Carrier in question. As we all know, after the marking process is complete, both parties' hormones become increasingly sensitive to their partners. Inability to mate leads to various health complications in Carriers and – over time – severe psycosis. As such it is common for a Carrier whose Z has been found infertile to be either neutered, re-educated, and sent to work in another Stratum, or – in extreme cases - put down."
At Orochimaru's words, a hush of finality settled over the entire room, as they all looked down at their desks in varying states of shock and fear. Haku cast a particularly apologetic glance Naruto's way.
"Well, fear not my little hatchlings," the man added a short while after he had confirmed that his words had completely sunken in, waving his hand gracefully as if to dispel the air of tension in the room, "There have only been a few cases of Z being found infertile or unwilling over the entirety of the program's history, and none in the past three generations. In almost all cases the program's director at the time was able to devise an outcome agreeable to all parties involved. None of you have anything to to nworry about."
This time he sent a more genuine, though still slightly predatory smile, down at his gaping pupils. Strangely enough, with the exception of Naruto and Haku, this seemed to calm them significantly.
"With that out of the way, how about I address some of your more serious questions, mm?"
At these words the rest of the class began tentatively directing their questions and concerns at their new instructor, gaining confidence as he continued to answer them seriously, almost kindly at times.
Naruto's mind, however, had gone blank ever since the end of the explanation. Now he knew why Haku had been so worried about him participating in the marking process. And suddenly, his situation was infinitely more serious than just having to deal with a taciturn and hard to read partner. Being expelled from the program, he could understand. In fact, he had been hoping that once he spoke to the director of this program, whomever she might be, he would be removed from it at once.
Even being sent before the High Council didn't sound that bad in honesty. Granted he might not see Gaara and his other cell-mates for a long time after that – maybe even never – but least then he might get some of the answers that he so yearned for. To be frank, he wasn't sure he could deal with being sent back to the fields now after what he had seen and heard anyway.
But Sasuke...
He'd had no idea what marking meant. If he backed out now, he'd be stealing Sasuke's chance at fulfilling his duty as a Carrier. Orochimaru clearly had a penchant for dramatics and putting the fear of God into his students out of some sadistic sense of humor, but Naruto did not doubt the veracity of his words. His inability to do...that...with Sasuke could eventually put the other boy's health at serious risk, even the threat of death.
Naruto unconsciously curled his arms around himself in defense just thinking about it. If he'd had even an inkling of what it meant to be marked, he would have opposed it tooth and nail instead of emptyheadedly falling into it like he had. But it seemed as if fate was propelling him on a jet-coaster course that he had no ability of stopping or even slowing. Like it or not, it looked like he and Sasuke were partnered – for good – and for better or worse, any action he took would have severe reprecussions on the other boy, no matter what his intentions might be.
The blonde spent the rest of the class turning over and over in his head the circumstances that had led him to where he now found himself, and wondering if there was any way possible that his situation could be further complicated.
Once their class adjourned for the day, Naruto, eyes downcast, followed his classmates back out the way they had come, leaving their instructor behind and to his own devices. He was startled slightly when he felt something soft press against his side from behind.
"Haaa..." Haku let out a soft sigh, as he leaned gently against his new friend. It was something of an unfamiliar gesture to Naruto, but somehow heartening nonetheless.
"Sorry about that Naruto," the slight boy said, sounding truly apologetic, "I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. I didn't think he'd be so dark about it. Are you going to be alright?"
Not wanting to worry Haku any further than he already had, Naruto meant to offer words of assurance. But instead, the moment he opened his mouth, he felt a lump jump up into his throat from somewhere deep down and bury itself there. Instead of putting his doting friend's concerns to rest like he had meant to, he suddenly found himself fighting back tears. Naruto had never been faced with such complicated situations before. Two days ago he'd had nothing to worry about besides what field he'd be working in, or whether he'd be on cleaning duty at night. Suddenly it was as if the weight of another person's future was thrust upon him, and to be honest he was scared half to death by it. Was this what it meant to be marked? If so, it seemed like a fate worse than death at the moment.
Sensing the change in his friend's aura, Haku tilted his head forward to try and peer into Naruto's face, his own expression contorted into one of guilt. He opened his small mouth, poised to say something, when a low, masculine voice startled them both from their veil of gloom.
"Oi."
Naruto slowly glanced up to find a pair of deep black eyes staring down at him from just a few feet away. It seemed Sasuke had finished his own class and come to pick him up.
Haku shrank back submissively as Naruto's partner made his presence known. For his part, the taller boy glanced disinterestedly at the slender boy for barely a moment before directing his intense gaze back to the blonde, effectively dismissing him from the conversation.
Taking the cue, Haku subtly bumped Naruto with his shoulder in a friendly gesture of encouragement as he wandered over to where the other remaining students stood making small-talk, looking about expectantly as they most likely waited for their own partners.
"Sasuke..." Naruto looked up at the dark haired boy somewhat fearfully from under his lashes, before quickly dropping his gaze down to his feet again, "U-uun.."
With the his partner's abrupt reappearance, he felt the lump in his throat threaten to form into a sob as warm tears brimmed at his eyes and he felt his face getting warm.
Naruto felt truly awful inside. Conflicting emotions chased each other round and round in the pit of his stomach – Guilt at having unknowingly drug someone else into his prolems; Mortification, as some irrational pride at turns floundered and bristled inside him, refusing to let him show his tears to his arrogant partner; And finally, genuine fear of what was going to happen next.
He didn't know what to do.
And then, all of a sudden he felt a firm touch on his face as the other boy abruptly grabbed his chin up between a strong thumb and forefinger. Sasuke glared into his eyes for a moment, something unfathomable blazing behind cold black pupils. He stared into the blonde's deep blue eyes sharply for a moment before dropping his hand away and turning his back on his increasingly emotional partner.
Naruto wasn't sure, but he thought he had felt the other boy trying to communicate something with his stare, as if he could physically pour his thoughts into his partner's mind through his piercing black gaze. For a brief instant the young Drone felt as if he had just barely glimpsed something that somewhat resembled his own feelings in the raven haired boy's eyes, if that were even possible. It at once confused and sent a kind of electrical shock through the blonde, which seemed to start at his toes and race all the way up his back to his shoulders. Before he knew it Naruto found himself clumsily reaching out his hand to hesitantly grab hold of the hem of his partner's shirt from behind. The fabric was a bit coarser than the robe he wore, reminding him a bit of the clothes he had worn back in the Agricultural Sector.
Seemingly startled, Sasuke glanced back at him sharply over his shoulder before turning away again and hastily grabbing up the offending hand in his own, sucking his teeth.
"Tch. Crybaby." he mumbled in irritation, "Come on. Our quarters are ready."
And with that he led Naruto by the hand, away from his classmates and off down the hallway toward their new home.
Notes:
Fuwaaaaa~ For some reason that last scene gave me kind of a warm, spring-timey feeling as I was writing it. Sorry for the long wait this time – Been having some health concerns lately, and honestly wasn't really in the mood to update for a few days. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon, and in the meantime I'll do my best not to let it affect the timeliness of my chapter updates!
With that out of the way...
Tee-hee, tee-hee! Sasuke, you are so crappy at comforting others. It's so awkward. I love you so much.
I'm not sure if anybody will catch on to what was happening in the last scene there, since it was only briefly alluded to, but there will be more as we progress. Regardless, this marks the beginning of the real story! We'll be building speed from here on, so get ready! I'm probably even more eager to get to the good stuff than you are! (And I think you know what I mean...Fufufufufu~)
Brief thanks for the awesome reviews so far. I'd be writing even without 'em, but they're a really nice bonus! X'D Since people were kind enough to pose intelligent questions as well, I'll try and answer them as best I can.
Charcoal Heart - Okay, so this wasn't a question, but still! I am with you all the way on there not being enough true sci-fi here on ffnet. I'm trying to fill the gap, one fic at a time! I'm hoping to put out a dark sci-fi fic once I finish this and Clockwork, called "The Bargain". Maybe I'll post a teaser sometime soon. X3
bridmatt - How awesomely observant of you! When I said NOT m-preg, I meant it. Nobody will be having any babies during the course of this fic. This is about two people who fall in love in a setting where male pregnancy happens and is actually expected, not about the pregnancy itself. I think there are plenty of authors out there who can do m-preg better than I could, and frankly I'm not interested. As to whether or not Naruto is in fact a Z...I haven't decided yet! It'll be a fun surprise for both of us. X'D Marking - what it entails and what its point is - will be elaborated as we go along, as will Sasuke's reasons for doing what he does - so hang in there! As for your last question...I believe it has been answered in this chapter. Yay! Worry not: My muse is working overtime on this fic! I just love having readers like you. Stay tuned!
Kit - Ooh, that's a great question! For the purposes of this fic, I will say that children with two Y chromosomes are not viable and terminate themselves in the womb. IRL though, I'd imagine they'd be hellified aggressive and prone to violence. O_O;; I actually remember finding a book at my school library once, called "The Possibilities of Male Pregnancy" waaay back in highschool, which discussed this. It was a really weird book, but an interesting read, so you might check it out. If I remember right it was this huge dark-blue book with neon green writing and a seahorse on the front. X'D
Next Chapter: More info on Carriers, their program and instructors, and what goes on on their end of the spectrum. Mostly a Sasuke-centric chapter, as we try to flesh him out more. And also.. more Orochimama! Kyahahahahaha!
As always, love to everyone who sees fit to leave a review! Comments! Questions! Suggestions!...all welcome! (if you can stand more long authors' notes ;;;) Muwah!
-hachico