Chapter 4
Sasuke gave a low moan as Naruto seated himself deep within the pale, sweat-glistened body. There was a long moment as each of them paused to just feel. Tanned hands gently gripped long slender legs behind the knees and pushed up and apart until the alabaster body was unashamedly displayed. Blue eyes burned as they raked over taut lithe muscles down to the velvet-skinned manhood proudly jutting from dark coarse curls.
Hips lifted in a silent plea for more. Naruto's pelvis rocked back slowly and then thrust forward, drawing another deep moan from Sasuke's chest. Pleasure flowed through their veins like hot lava as the rhythm of hips moving together sped up.
"I love you so much," Naruto gasped between quick pants of breath.
A strong tanned hand slid down a supple thigh, ghosted over a slender waist and caressed a plump breast, teasing the nipple...BREAST ?!?
Naruto blinked his eyes open and looked down at the young blonde haired woman with honey colored eyes and a very large bosom. "Rochi-kun," she purred in a throaty voice.
"B-Ba-Baachan!?!"
Naruto's consciousness jerked itself out of the dream. He was lying in a tunnel of the prison maze, water sloshing around his body. His arm was through the opening in the dark purple barrier made by Orochimaru's chakra, allowing him to touch the snake bastard's dreams.
"Oh my God!! I'm scarred for life!" Naruto shuddered. That was not how he wanted to see the woman that he thought of as a sister/mother figure. "I will never be able to look her in the eyes again." Not that he would get a chance to see her in the near future, if ever, he concluded glumly. Distracting himself, he turned his attention to his progress.
The hole was bigger than it had been to begin with. Naruto had first stumbled upon it not too long ago. There had been a slight gap where the pipes ran along the walls that the purple chakra hadn't completely covered. Naruto had been slowly peeling the hole open centimeter by centimeter using his spiritual "hands." It wasn't large enough to slip his whole body through yet, only about half of the way there. He just needed to be careful not to draw notice to himself before he could escape this containment.
Every once in a while he felt himself "slide" out, but he was unsure how he did it or what enabled him to do so. He just knew that he had to continue to work on it. He had to find a way to regain control of himself and stop that snake bastard from hurting either Sasuke or Konoha. He couldn't help but "peek" however. Not when it meant more information on his situation and a chance to see Sasuke.
Sasuke's dark eyes watched his sparring opponent with more speculation than concentration. Orochimaru was once again exercising through taijutsu this morning. Sasuke had learned over the last few months that although the body knew the moves, the mind didn't understand them as thoroughly. So even though he had to heed what the other was doing, he certainly didn't need his Sharingan for this practice. More than anything he was annoyed at this waste of his time. He kept his mouth shut for once however and participated.
What had his mind speculating however, were the Sannin's recent actions. While nothing overt occurred, he couldn't help but be reminded of Naruto when his friend's mannerisms seemed to be bleeding over into his sensei's. Just this morning he caught Orochimaru with his fingers laced behind his blonde head, moving down the hallway in a casual, inelegant stroll that resembled nothing like the snake's usual silent glide.
If only Naruto had gotten it through that thick skull of his that Sasuke didn't want to go back home. He had a goal to achieve; one that he had known all along would probably end up costing him his life. He didn't want friends; he wanted his revenge for his brother's crimes against their clan. Friends would slow him down, distract him, make him care about something else, get in the way of what he had to do. And friends would be hurt when he finally left this world. If he had friends, they could be used against him, used to hurt him, whether by Itachi's hand or Orochimaru's. He was better off alone with only himself to worry about.
If only that moron could have understood this, then Sasuke wouldn't be standing here now wishing there was a pair of azure eyes on the boy before him instead of piss yellow ones! At the sudden surge of fury, the dark haired shinobi didn't hold back. The kick that connected with the broad tanned chest full on had all the power of an infuriated high-level ninja behind it.
Naruto's body (for it was Naruto's dammit, not Orochimaru's) impacted into the wall ten meters behind him, causing cracks to radiate out from the vaguely human shaped indentation. He stood, shaking his head for a moment before flickering out of sight.
Sasuke's eyes widened just before the force of a sledgehammer slammed itself against his back. He whipped around to see a dark clothed blonde headed blur already moving into his next attack. Sasuke hastily blocked the fist and diverted chakra to his eyes, feeling them turn to crimson.
The attack continued. Sasuke executed a few maneuvers of his own only to have them countered or dodged with an intuitive skill that the Sannin had not shown previously. Wondering if the bastard was toying with him, he grabbed the wrist of the fist he had just blocked and jerked the blonde towards him as he swung his other fist, intending to drop the Sannin hard and quick.
The blonde caught the fist in a painful grip at the same time that Sasuke felt a twisting, stabbing agony in his other wrist. His Sharingan eyes saw a quickly rotating spike of blue chakra coming out of his forearm, blood flowing from the wound. He released his hold and jerked his arm straight up, not wanting to tear the wound further. He watched the spike swirl about the scar in the shape of the Konoha leaf on his friend's palm before it winked out of existence. 'What the fuck...?'
That's when he heard the laugh. Not the darkly amused, hissing snicker. Not the contemptuous or condescending chuckle. No, this was a laugh of joy, or merriment. It was pure and warm, untainted by darkness. He then saw what he had been looking at all this time. Blue. Vivid, bright, sparkling, shining. Azure, sapphire, cerulean, sky, ocean. Blue. He felt his chest contract and yet surge at the same time.
"What's the matter, teme? Afraid I'll kick your ass?" the voice taunted, but in a teasing, happy tone. Not mocking him, not trying to hurt.
Sasuke blinked. This was Naruto? What had happened to the dolt that had just stood there, waiting to be ran through?
He immediately shifted into a fighting stance as Naruto came at him again. And again there was that surge of emotion in him. A fierce satisfaction at facing the only one he had ever called rival and friend. As the fight continued with kicks, throws and punches, Sasuke imagined that if he had ever felt or remembered feeling what happiness was like, that this was as close as it got. Unlike the previous fights with the snake, this opponent required his full concentration, pushing him to the extent of his skills. He didn't realize it but a small, pleased smile graced his face.
"Don't look so surprised, bastard," Naruto said with a grin. "You aren't the only one that learned something these last few years. I had just finished almost kicking your master's ass when we met up a few months ago."
"He's not my master," Sasuke growled. He pulled out three shuriken and threw them in one smooth motion.
Naruto deftly twisted his body, avoiding the projectiles. He pulled his own shuriken out but held them in between his fingers, his brow furrowing slightly. Sasuke saw chakra mold, change and then swirl around the throwing stars even as Naruto blocked another kick. How did the idiot do that without seals? And exactly what was he doing? The question was answered as Sasuke suddenly had to go on the defensive. Naruto showered him with kicks and punches, before abruptly jumping and letting the shuriken fly.
Sasuke dodged the weapons with a grace that made Naruto's early evasions seem clumsy by comparison. Even though all three missed, he still felt his gi rip and a slice burn along his ribs as one shot by in close proximity. He was further impressed when all three throwing stars buried themselves deep within the stone wall.
"Hn," was his only comment. The Uchiha swung back around only to see a distant look on the other boy's face. "What is it, dobe?"
Blue eyes met his urgently. "He's waking back up. Act natural, I don't want him to know how far I can come out yet." His eyes softened slightly with one last gaze, then he attacked again.
Sasuke blocked and in the midst of his counterstrike those eyes turned golden yellow. As they blinked a few times in confusion, Sasuke took sadistic satisfaction in landing a hard punch to his opponent's ribs. A grunt sounded then Orochimaru raised a hand to stop the fight. "Enough for now."
"Are we ready to start my training finally?" he asked in a hard tone.
"I will train you when I deem it time," came the snapped reply. Without another word, the snake Sannin turned and walked off.
Sasuke's lips tightened at having been dismissed so negligently. Then his face went to its usual stoic mask as his thoughts changed subjects. 'I wonder just how much the dobe has learned since I left. How powerful is he now?'
He walked to the wall and carefully inserted his finger in the hole one of the shuriken had left. He was able to sink his finger almost to the last knuckle before he felt a sharp metal point. He still felt the rush of meeting an equal on the battlefield. He had to train harder. He had to get better. He wouldn't allow himself to be surpassed by that blonde dobe.
'...I don't want him to know how far I can come out yet...' The usuratonkachi was planning something. Okay, knowing Naruto, the blonde had a vague idea of what he wanted to do and then would wing it from there. Sasuke walked out of the training area, unaware he had the slight curve of a smile about his lips.
Two days later an annoyed Sasuke stalked through the halls of the hideout with murder in his eyes. Orochimaru had been "busy" for two days now, unavailable to train him. Further adding to his foul mood, he had not been sleeping well lately. Not that he usually slept well or deeply surrounded by people he didn't trust.
But his dreams were centered around Naruto more and more of late. Some were irritating but nice with the two of them acting the best friends scenario; hanging out and talking, eating and just enjoying each others' company.
Others were frustrating and embarrassing but very nice with the two of them being more than friendly together, but nothing too explicit thankfully. These dreams Sasuke blamed on whatever perverted influences Kakashi had unintentionally imparted onto him. His eyes saddened slightly at the thought of his former sensei, but then he ruthlessly banished the thought.
The last type of dreams were more of him arguing with himself over even thinking of contemplating helping the stupid dobe out of his current predicament. He wasn't thinking of helping him yet, he assured himself. He was just wondering if he should think about it.
'Dammit!' He barely even talks to the idiot and he was already thinking about altering his plans. Kami forbid what the moron would be able to talk him into had the loudmouth actually been present within his body this whole time.
He grabbed the arm of a Sound-nin that happened to be walking by going the other way. Usually he didn't waste time on these sycophants and boot lickers, but he was getting tired of his sensei avoiding him. "Where is Orochimaru currently?" he demanded in a cold tone.
"Orochimaru-sama was heading to his private chambers last I heard, Uchiha-san," the man replied carefully, eyeing the dark-haired shinobi in askance.
Sasuke dropped his arm and continued down the stone corridor. A few minutes later found him outside of Orochimaru's door, ready to knock when he heard voices. He moved on down the hall a short ways and then, suppressing his chakra, stealthily slunk back to the door.
"...care how long it takes, I want to find something that will either get rid of him or seal him away," Orochimaru was saying in Naruto's tainted voice. "I actually found myself wondering where those hideous orange pants were this morning. I'm not even going to mention what he has me dreaming about."
That perked Sasuke's curiosity. What do dobes dream about?
"Have you had any more luck with Kyuubi's power?" Kabuto's voice inquired.
"I can get a steady trickle. Enough to change basic physical features and enough to equal my own chakra, but nothing on par with what that brat is able to call up." There was a pause. "It is like the demon's chakra is suppressed with his consciousness. I don't know whether it is because they are linked in some spiritual way or if Kyuubi is locked away in the same area of his mind that I sent him to." Orochimaru growled. "I would love to get my hands on the Shiki Fuujin that sealed the Kyuubi to begin with."
"So we need to find something that will destroy his spirit so that you can reach the Kyuubi or something that will effectively lobotomize him so to speak so that he will not be a threat when you unlock that part of his mind." Kabuto paused, weighing his words. "Are you sure this is worth it?"
Orochimaru sighed softly. "I have three years here regardless. I would rather not spend them wearing orange and eating ramen. There is so much potential power within this body. Power to spare for some of the higher ranked jutsus. Knowing them all would be better with power to use them all."
"Have you thought about having Sasuke-kun using the Sharingan to further investigate the problem?"
"No. I think there has been... incidents... he hasn't told me about. I don't want those two in any more contact than necessary. Apart they are deadly, but manageable. Together..." his voice trailed off with a growl. Another sigh sounded. "I'm hungry..."
Sasuke gave a mental curse as he moved from his eavesdropping. A member of Orochimaru's more personalized ninja was coming down the hall. Not as powerful as one of the Sound Four had been but enough that he could cause Sasuke problems with the Sannin.
Sasuke lay back on his narrow bed, eyes staring blindly at the ceiling.
He didn't want to see the idiot dead. He reserved the right to end the dobe's life; no one else was allowed to kill the moron but him. As much as he denied that Naruto meant anything to him, he still remembered the excitement and thrill he had felt while he was sparring the other day. He hadn't felt that alive in ages. It was almost like time had reset back to when they were a part of Team Seven.
But there was something more to his feelings. Something that had everything to do with his dreams lately and the fact that he was now ready to think about helping the idiot. But he wasn't doing it because he cared, he told himself. If Orochimaru was so damn impressed with the dobe's power, then he would use that power without Orochimaru's influence to get his vengeance. He just had to keep the idiot from trying to drag him back to Konoha after freeing him.
'...Apart they are deadly, but manageable. Together...'
Now he just had to find an opportunity to talk to the idiot in question without the snake finding out.
Naruto stared up at the two blood red eyes glaring down at him. "Do we have a deal then?" he demanded.
The fox growled menacingly at him for the lack of respect or fear in his tone and manner. "We do," it finally rumbled.
Jiraiya took another drink of sake, simultaneously pinching a nice firm behind that was currently perched on the arm of the loveseat in which he was sitting. The red haired beauty giggled appreciatively, cooing at him teasingly. Not to be outdone, the young lady sitting on the cushion next to him caressed her hand down his chest, her dark hair brushing his skin as she leaned in to nibble on his neck. He gave a hum of pleasure, but his heart wasn't really in it.
He had just arrived at this town after a brief stop in Konoha to report his current findings on the Akatsuki to Tsunade and to check on his brat of a student. He was shocked to say the least when he had been told that the kid had been missing for six months. His former teammate had explained the circumstances causing his exodus from the village as well as a possible theory on his current whereabouts. He had wondered briefly through the tirade (for indeed once Tsunade got going on what they feared had happened to her favorite ninja, it had turned ugly) how many desks the Hokage had gone through in those six months.
His own hand tightened dangerously on the fragile sake saucer at the thought of Orochimaru using Naruto in such a way. The enormous potential of the blonde flushed down the crapper just because those paranoid fucks drove him straight into the snake's waiting arms. And damn Naruto for not trusting Tsunade and his other teachers, including Jiraiya himself, to keep him safe from the council's machinations. Although Jiraiya had to admit they had sounded pretty adamant this time.
He tried to console himself by squeezing a barely covered booby, telling himself that it wasn't possible. Naruto would not have fallen to Orochimaru so easily. And if he had it would just be a matter of time before the frog Sannin found the third member of his former team and ripped his ten-foot tongue out of his big mouth and strangled him with it.
Then, as if Fate was either mocking or blessing him, he saw a familiar, sunshine blonde head pass by a tinted window of the tea house. He jumped up and hurriedly left some coin on the table. After all he might want to return here in the future, no need to upset the ladies. He then rushed out into the cool winter air, scanning the direction he had seen the brat go.
It only took a few moments to draw within ten meters of his quarry. The boy turned suddenly and Jiraiya was staring into a pair of yellow eyes with slit pupils. 'Fuck…'
The eyes narrowed slightly in a predatory look and the mouth curled up into a smirk. "Jiraiya," the familiar voice drawled, seeming to savor the name.
Jiraiya felt his whole body tense and shake from suppressed anger. He forced his teeth to unclench so he could respond. "Orochimaru." He clamped his mouth shut again to halt the large number of expletives that wanted to pour from between his lips.
"Nice weather we are having, ne?" the voice said lazily, amusement crawling through the tone.
"You fucking bastard," he couldn't help but utter.
A delighted dark laugh sounded out at his expression. The laugh ended in a gasp as the eyes widened in surprise. Jiraiya watched in confusion as yellow bled to green and green changed to a painfully recognizable blue. Those azure orbs lowered to his and his breath caught in his throat. Suddenly it dawned on him that Naruto had grown considerably since he had seen him. With the longer hair, the body that was no longer scrawny and those piercingly blue eyes, it was like staring at another student he had taught. One that had been dead for sixteen years.
"N-Naruto?" he asked hesitantly.
"Ero-sennin!" The tone was devoid of the older man's timber and was pure, innocent Naruto.
Even as Jiraiya was assimilating the new twist, a shudder ran through the teenager's body and the eyes changed again, but stopped at green. "Back. Where you. Belong!" the snake Sannin growled out.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, mind quickly calculating. "You don't have full control over him," he stated, certain he was right.
"A minor problem that will be easily remedied," Orochimaru assured him smoothly.
Jiraiya snorted in disbelief. "Not so easily if it is still happening six months after the fact. The brat is hard to keep down, ne?" he grinned.
A shopping bag was shifted in a grip uneasily. "Is there something you want, Jiraiya? Because I have more interesting places to be if not." He gave a sudden, nasty smile that didn't belong on that previously open, smiling face. "After all, playing with two of Konoha's brightest and most promising takes a lot of energy."
Just as Orochimaru expected, Jiraiya's perverted mind came to the wrong conclusion. The white haired Sannin grabbed the other by the front of his shirt and jerked him closer. "They are just kids, you sick fuck! Why don't you find some other play toys?!"
The face in front of him, on the verge of transforming from boyishly cute to a more mature handsome, ran a slick tongue over full pink lips. "I do so love rattling your cage, Jiraiya," he chuckled. "Now be a good boy and let go." He watched as the fingers tightened in his shirt, the dark eyes before him glinting in anger. "We both know you won't attack this body if you think that brat might have a chance."
Jiraiya let go of his former teammate with a shove. "Watch your back, 'Rochi-kun, because I sure will be." The frog Sannin started to turn but stopped. "There is an Akatsuki team in the area. Be careful."
A hissing laugh sounded. "Worried about me, Jiraiya?"
"Of course. I wouldn't want your pitiful skills getting Naruto hurt." With that, Jiraiya gave him a big shit-eating grin and a salute. "Ja ne!"
Nails dug half moon shapes into palms as he clenched his fists in irritation. Making a discreet seal, the teenager disappeared in a curl of smoke.
An hour later, Orochimaru stalked into his private chambers, throwing the large shopping bag on the bed. He was still silently fuming over Jiraiya's insolence. As expected, Kabuto arrived not long after. The medic-nin was always aware of his comings and goings. Granted he was an excellent spy and that was the other reason why the Sannin valued him, but sometimes it was just annoying.
As his irate master walked over to his desk to start pawing through the scrolls there, Kabuto pulled the clothing from the bag. A couple of black sleeveless shirts with mesh v-necks, some black bikini briefs which he raised his eyebrow at. His hand stopped in shock halfway out of the bag. He glanced worriedly over at the Sannin who was currently unrolling scrolls, glancing at them and then tossing them aside when they didn't contain what he wanted. Kabuto finished pulling out the loose light-weight pants with the mesh side panels. They looked as if they would cinch shortly below the knees on someone Orochimaru's current height. They were very… orange. A glance in the bag showed another pair just like them along with a few other miscellaneous items.
The sudden tense silence forced the silver haired man to look over at the now still shinobi. The yellow-green eyes were riveted on the pants dangling from Kabuto's unsteady grip. With a shouted curse, the Sannin cleared his desk with the swipe of both arms. Those eyes quickly flashed to red as furniture was tossed helter-skelter around the room. Surprisingly, the enraged man never came close to Kabuto or his prize.
"I don't care, Kabuto. I am not going to let him win. I will wear the damn thing and I will make it look better than anything he would've picked out," the voice coming from down the hall said stubbornly.
"Orochimaru-sama, I just don't understand why you would give in..."
"I'm not giving in! I just refuse to be intimidated by him!" the voice growled defensively, approaching the corridor intersection.
Sasuke stopped in mid-stride as he felt his jaw drop. He quickly checked to make sure he was neither drooling nor sporting a nosebleed as a sexy-as-hell dobe passed by in the hallway. Kabuto paced by him with his usual guarded face though Sasuke could see him casting anxious glances at the Sannin as two confused looking Sound-nin trailed behind them.
A beaded orange cord held back blonde hair that had grown just past his shoulders in a queue with an intricate knot. A solid black sleeveless shirt clung to the muscled torso and revealed a tantalizing bit of skin through the mesh at the neck. Over that same tautly muscled chest hung a silver-worked black leather strap that held a scabbard across his back in which Kusanagi was contained, ornate hilt peeking over his right shoulder. Over this was a black silk yakama style shirt that hung open and ended at mid-thigh. It billowed and slithered like a thing alive with every stride forward. A black sash was encircled lean hips and knotted on the left side, hanging down to mid-thigh as well with tassels that continued to the knee. That sash held up deep, fire orange pants that flowed and clung much like the coat. Snug across tightly muscled hips and ass, they fit loosely over the legs, allowing the mesh to give teasing glimpses of tanned flesh and making it readily apparent that the figure wasn't wearing boxers. The pants ended mid-calf where they were tucked under the black straps of toeless ninja sandals.
As Sasuke stared at the retreating back, the figure's head looked over a broad shoulder straight at him. Eyes flashed blue and a knowing smile curled on the full lips. After the briefest moment, they faded back to green and the smile dropped as the figure looked straight in Sasuke's eyes suspiciously.
Sasuke gave a start as he realized that even in the cool air he was as hard as the stone that surrounded him. Then he had a strange epiphany. He was not homosexual because, aside from Naruto, he had never felt attracted to another male. He highly doubted he was heterosexual because, aside from being curious about Sakura a time or two, he considered most females to be more of an annoyance than objects of lust. Which since the first two were true then obviously he wasn't bisexual. That left him to one conclusion that he couldn't help but smirk at. He was obviously dobe-sexual. The only one that could rile him up either in anger, determination and just recently apparently sexual interest was that damn dobe. The only one that made him consider something besides his own obsession. Although technically being fixated on the idiot could be considered an obsession as well. The one that made him do stupid things like risk his life for others.
He sighed. He should have killed the moron while he had the chance.
After a few attempts he was able to get his mind out of the gutter and back on track again. He still needed to try to talk to the idiot so they could work together on getting them out of this place.
Naruto pulled his arm back inside his prison and snickered to himself. The look on Sasuke's face had been priceless. Granted anyone that didn't know the stoic avenger well wouldn't have noticed too much, but to Naruto's eyes he had looked ready to seizure. With Sasuke it was all about the eyes. Ignore everything else and the eyes could tell you what he was feeling. Of course what he didn't realize is that for most people even Sasuke's eyes were an enigma.
However, he had to be more careful. He had been deliberately trying to avoid Kabuto so that the man wouldn't tell Orochimaru of his forays. The less Orochimaru was consciously aware of how close Naruto was to the surface, the safer he would be and the more time he would have to try to get himself out permanently.
Naruto looked around his prison trying to find a viable way to lure the snake bastard in there. The Kyuubi had agreed to feed him power in the fight for control. After all he was sealed in here just as effectively as Naruto due to Orochimaru's jutsu. At least with Naruto freed, he was able to extend himself outwards at times.
Sighing, he started widening out the hole with excruciatingly slow results, waiting for an opportunity.
Days crept by for Sasuke.
Orochimaru had holed himself in his room, pouring through scrolls. While that wasn't uncommon given the Sannin's lust for knowledge and power, this time it was different. There was a frantic sense to Orochimaru's research. He knew that his sensei was trying to find a way to silence Naruto permanently, but he found himself helpless to do anything. Kabuto wouldn't let him get near the blonde no matter how much hell he raised. Finally, Orochimaru had hit the roof so to speak and yelled out that if he "didn't stop being a whiny little bitch" that he would get fed to Manda, the boss snake summons that had a nasty disposition on a good day.
Considering the fact that after almost three years Sasuke had never heard the Sannin speak in that manner, he decided to kick Naruto's ass for the insult as soon as the blonde was freed. However at the moment, with access to Naruto cut off, there wasn't much he could do besides train and wait.
It was several weeks later that his patience paid off. It was evening and he was asleep on his narrow bed. He was dreaming of peeling hot clothes off an even hotter body when he felt another presence in his room. Without hesitation, he grabbed a kunai from beneath his pillow and jumped up, ready to fight. He wasn't prepared to see Naruto's blue eyes looking at him in the darkness. Without preamble, the teenager spoke.
"I need you to go into my mind like you did before and suppress the purple chakra barriers before either Kabuto notices me missing or he wakes up."
"If I do this will you help me avenge my clan?"
A long pause, then, "Yes."
"No trying to drag me back to Konoha?"
No pause. "No."
Sasuke nodded then activated his Sharingan. The two figures, one clad in boxers and a tee and the other in a knee length black silk robe, looked into each others' eyes. "Hurry, he senses your chakra!" Naruto urged.
Sasuke once again found himself in the sewers of Naruto's mind. A brief thought about how appropriate that was flashed through his mind before he repressed the frivolous tangent. He stood before a wall of familiar dark purple chakra and knew that he couldn't merely pass through it. Extending his hand, he touched the barrier and hissed as power shocked painfully up his arm, dancing along his nerves.
As he fought the power down, he could see a figure appear on the other side through the purple haze. A faint voice, as if coming from a distance, murmured, "..suke, behin.." He glanced behind him to see Orochimaru in his true form coming up the sewer tunnel. His dead looking lower arms were covered in blue chakra.
Ignoring the burning pain dancing through him, he put himself against the barrier again, trying to quell the power that formed it. He forced everything he had at the portal, his ears catching a cracking and shattering sound before he was grabbed and thrown from Naruto's mind.
Sasuke picked himself up off the bedroom floor, watching his friend. Naruto's body didn't move although it quivered where he stood. His eyes were vacant but flared through the yellow, green and blue colors and back again. He quickly dressed, sliding his sword through the rope obi, wanting to be ready for anything. His own eyes widened as red became the predominant color in the other boy's gaze and the pupils pulled into slits.
The door slammed open and Kabuto quickly surveyed the room. "What did you do?!" he demanded.
Sasuke adopted his usual expressionless mask and lifted a shoulder negligently. "They decided to fight it out." His gaze sharpened as the medic-nin pulled out a scroll. Not bothering to wait and see what he was trying to do, Sasuke pulled out his sword and attacked.
Naruto saw the barrier drop just before Orochimaru evicted Sasuke out of his body. As soon as the purple disappeared, Naruto drew deeply from his own chakra reserve. It felt so good to be able to do that without restriction.
Orochimaru pulled from the same power pool, though his deepened to a blackish purple color once within his spirit form. Only his arms retained the pure blue of Naruto's chakra. They faced each other silently; the only sound was the dripping of water.
drip
Noiselessly, Naruto shifted, "muscles" tensing, ready to attack.
drip
Orochimaru slowly brought those blue glowing hands up.
drip
Naruto charged as Orochimaru started making hand seals.
TBC
