You're Adopted
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It takes place a few weeks after the last one.
Chapter Notation: More about merman/maid reproduction is discussed. Since they are mythological creatures, I figured I could be flexible with it. I will put up warnings before and after. If you feel uncomfortable reading about a more exotic reproductive strategy, feel free to skip it. I took some inspiration from seahorses. (Male seahorses actually carry the eggs in a pouch.)
Chapter Seven
A few weeks later, Sasuke hugs his parents and best friend. They were on the beach. According to Mikoto and Fugaku, he was going to transform today. While he'd be able to assume human form again, it would only be for a few hours at a time. Essentially, this was the last day that he would ever be human for any extended period of time. That was more than a little terrifying.
"Don't worry, baby. You'll make a wonderful merman. You were born for this." Mikoto says.
Fugaku gives Sasuke a reassuring pat on the back. Then he goes over to Suigetsu. He couldn't help, but be a little fascinated. Though he did have concerns. Mostly physical in nature.
"Sasuke tells me that the two of you are dating." Fugaku says.
"By human standards, yes. We call it courting." Suigetsu replies, not sure if Sassy's dad was going to be upset by this development or not.
"I don't mean to be crude, but how do your people express their love? I don't see any…genitals." He says as he glances down at Suigetsu's green tail.
"Oh don't worry! I'm sure everyone was thinking it. Well if you are really curious, I'll tell you." Suigetsu leans over to Fugaku and whispers in his ear.
The Uchiha Patriarch's eyes widen. He didn't know that mermaids and mermen had so many options available to them. Idly, he wondered if their was some sort of mythological Karma Sutra. It would make for a very long read.
"It's really a matter of preference." Suigetsu finishes.
"What's a matter of preference?" Sasuke asks as he gives Naruto one last quick hug and makes his way into the water.
Suigetsu laughs. Sassy would probably smack him for telling Fugaku that. Still he couldn't resist. It was just so much fun to rile the prince up.
"How mermen prefer to have sex with other mermen. There are a lot of ways that I can make you moan like a dolphin some more." He says with a smirk.
"What does moan like a dolphin mean?" Mikoto asks innocently and Sasuke looks positively mortified.
"Nevermind, mother. Well we should probably get going. People are going to start arriving at the beach soon. I'll stop by next week and visit you." He promises.
His parents nod. Sasuke waves to them and Naruto one last time, before swimming off with Suigetsu. The young prince knew he had to swim off quickly. It reminded him of when he left for college. Lots of waterworks involved, especially from Mikoto.
"Don't worry, Sassy. You can visit them as often as you want." Suigetsu reassures him as they head off.
Sasuke nods. That was true. He continues swimming off with his boyfriend (or whatever Suigetsu was to him). Suddenly, he noticed he wasn't moving both of his legs, but only one "leg."
"Suigetsu, stop!" He calls out in panic and looks down.
That's when he noticed his legs were completely gone. He had a large midnight blue tail. Here and there were a few scales that differed slightly in coloration. His scales ranged from midnight blue, to purple, and finally to black. He also had a "belt" like Suigetsu which was more of a navy blue color.
"What's wrong?" Suigetsu asks and turns around to face Sassy.
"My tail came in." Sasuke says in a stunned voice and the white haired merman looks.
"Yeah. It did. Fucking gorgeous tail by the way. Nice and long. Shiny scales. I like the blue against your fair skin." Suigetsu muses.
Sasuke blinks. The violet eyed merman was acting like he had found a shiny sports car, instead of just changed species! How was he so calm about this?
"Suigetsu, this is kinda a big deal!" Sasuke snaps at him.
"I know. You're a merman now. How does it feel? Try moving your tail a bit. See if it hurts." Suigetsu suggests.
Sasuke nods. He tries to move his tail. The Uchiha wasn't really sure how he was supposed to do that. He felt a wave of relief wash over him when he realizes that his tail responded to his thoughts, in the same way his legs did. His tail actually responded better to his thoughts than his legs had. It moved so quickly and fluidly. There was certain grace to the movement that he knew that his two human legs would never have been able to replicate. It was beautiful somehow.
"It doesn't hurt." Sasuke replies and swishes his tail more curiously, trying to get used to it.
"Good. Oh and your Sharingan is active. That's good. Didn't expect that to show up again and stay for awhile." Suigetsu muses.
"Sharingan?" Sasuke asks in confusion.
"Those who are of royal blood have it. It means your eyes turn red. It's genetic. Amongst other things, it allows you to copy other people's attacks, assuming that they aren't bloodlines." He says.
Sasuke blinks. Suigetsu basically told him that his red eyes advertised to everyone he was royalty. Wait a minute. His Sharingan could copy attacks? Excellent.
"Show me those water bullets again." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"Naughty, Sassy. As much as I would love to see you shoot that son of a bitch, you can't copy my abilities. My water talent is a bloodline. It's genetic. You don't have my family's genes." He says.
"Damn it. But I can copy OTHER attacks?" Sasuke asks.
"As long as they aren't a bloodline. Unless you know it's a bloodline or someone tells you, you can't tell just by looking at the attack. So it's a trial and error thing." Suigetsu informs him.
Sasuke sighs and nods. Damn. No water bullets for him. Oh well. It was kinda cool that his eyes were acting as a crown.
"Well that's still pretty cool. Is my tail permanent now?" Sasuke asks.
"Yeah. You can transform back into a human if you want, but you have to want to do it. It's not something that will happen subconsciously. Maybe we should have you get used to your new form before taking you to Atlantis. I'll take you to my place." Suigetsu replies.
The new merman nods. That made sense. He wasn't really sure he wanted to go to a city full of mermaids and mermen, if before he learned how to properly control his tail.
"I think you just want to get me back to your place so you can seduce me, but sounds good." The young prince states with a smirk.
"Can't deny that. I'm always looking for ways to seduce that fine tail of yours, but I'm being serious. It wouldn't be a good idea for you to go to Atlantis. Itachi lives there." Suigetsu warns him.
Sasuke's eyes widen. He didn't think that he was going to be expected to live in the same city as his psychotic brother. Maybe he could just crash at Suigetsu's place. It was kinda early to ask to move in, but Suigetsu had almost married him. Maybe he'd say yes.
"You know, it might be better…if I just stayed with you. At least until I pick up some really cool talents from other mermaids and mermen. Itachi is probably going to attack me again. I want to be ready." The raven haired merman says.
Suigetsu sighs. He pulls Sasuke into his arms and holds him closely. He could certainly understand Sassy's concerns. He'd be an idiot, if he wasn't worried about his half-brother. Still there was no way that he was going to let Itachi get another cheap shot in at his Sassy again.
"Itachi might be an arrogant prick, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't dare attack you in Atlantis. I already talked to your father about it. I don't know what King Izuna will do to Itachi to punish him, but I know for damn sure it will be pretty brutal. You're his son, Sasuke. He's not going to let anyone hurt you." The violet eyed man tries to assure him.
"Itachi is his son too. Itachi is the son that he actually raised. Somehow, I doubt he's going to favor me over a full merman. He probably got a slap on the wrist, if that." Sasuke mutters.
"Sasuke, you were a hybrid. Now you're not. You are just as much a merman as I am. It doesn't matter that you weren't born with a tail. You were still hatched from an egg." Suigetsu says.
"…" Sasuke is speechless.
"You were still hatched from an egg," Suigetsu had said. An egg?! Sasuke tries to process the fact that he was hatched from an egg, but he couldn't do it. That was just so…alien.
"Mermaids and mermen reproduce a little differently than humans. The egg thing doesn't matter at the moment. My point is that you are just as much a merman as Itachi is." His boyfriend states.
"I think the egg is kinda a big fucking deal. I mean we aren't like seahorses are we? Males can't have babies, can they?" He asks.
Suigetsu sighs. Damn he was hoping to spring this on Sasuke a little later. He wanted to wait until after they were Mates or at least had gotten a little further than tail jobs. (Tail jobs and making out was fun, but not enough.)
Warning Reproductive Cycle Description
"Mermaids and mermen can get pregnant. Our anatomy is a little different. We have two separate sexes, but the roles in reproduction aren't as neatly defined. Mermen and mermaids are capable of producing eggs and fertilizing it. So yes, it's possible for two mermaids or two mermen to have a hatchling. Happens all the time." He says somewhat nervously.
"If males and females can both fertilize and produce the eggs, then who carries the egg?" Sasuke asks warily.
"Well technically, either partner COULD carry the egg. Our sexes are more a matter of aesthetics. It your Inner Nature that matters." The white haired merman says.
Sasuke blinks. What the fuck did that even mean? Inner Natures? He wasn't so sure how he felt about the fact that Suigetsu was implying he could get pregnant!
"What's Inner Nature mean?" Sasuke demands.
"Well instead of arbitrary genders, we have Inner Natures. Nurturers and Protectors. Nurturers are the mermen and mermaids who are more likely to get pregnant. They carry the egg inside their pouches, until it's ready to be laid. Loosely speaking, they are the "mothers." Protectors are more likely to fertilize the egg. Again, your gender has almost nothing to do with it. Their job is to protect their Mate, while they are pregnant after they fertilize the egg. You can think of them as the "fathers." We still refer to females as mothers and males as fathers though. Even if you have two mermaid or two mermen for parents." Suigetsu informs him.
Sasuke blinks. Oh so either gender could get pregnant, but one subset of their kind that was more likely to get pregnant. Well he supposed in a weird way it was egalitarian.
Hell if he was looking at it from a purely evolutionary perspective, it made sense. If both genders could get pregnant, that meant they had an insurance policy. If for some reason there was a shortage of male or females, they could still sire offspring with the same gender. It was still utterly bizarre to him though.
"How do you know if you are a Nurturer or a Protector?" Sasuke asks.
"Well there's a test you can take. You go to a healer. You give a blood, scale, hair, or sperm sample. They run the test and let you know. A Protector can get pregnant and a Nurturer can impregnate someone, it's just a lot harder for them." Suigetsu explains.
"Oh. Which are you? Do you know?" Sasuke asks.
"Protector. Don't worry about it for now, Sassy. I'm sure that our hatchlings will be magnificent someday, but there's no rush." Suigetsu assures him.
End of Reproductive Cycle Description
Sasuke blinks. He didn't realize that mermaids and mermen were so different from humans when it came to having kids. The young man had a lot to think about. Starting with the fact that Suigetsu apparently was just assuming that they were going to have kids!
"You're pretty arrogant. I never said that I wanted to have hatchlings with you." Sasuke counters.
Suigetsu shakes his head in amusement. He kisses Sassy's forehead. He really did protest too much. The violet eyed merman knew that Sasuke wanted him, just as much as Suigetsu wanted the young prince. If he wanted to play hard to get, well Suigetsu didn't mind. The chase was fun.
"The didn't have to say it with words. You say it in the way you kiss me. The way you touch my tail. The way your eyes never leave mine, when we are together. Like I said, there's no rush. I figure I should at least let you get used to being a merman, before I start asking when you want to have hatchlings." Suigetsu continues.
"Oh how generous!" Sasuke snaps.
"Yeah, I thought so too!" Suigetsu says as he drags Sasuke off.
Sasuke blinks when a few hours later, they came upon a sunken ship. It was massive. He was hardly an expert when it came to ships, but he guessed it was at least a hundred years old.
"This is my home. It's not that far from Atlantis. Half a day's swim, but far enough to give me and Jugo some privacy." He says.
"Well that's good." Sasuke says as he follows Suigetsu inside.
It was a strange feeling. He was thousands of feet under water now, yet he was breathing here just as easily as he had on land. He decides, it was probably not a good idea to ask why at the moment.
"Hey, Jugo! I'm here with Sassy. Come meet him." He calls out cheerfully.
A merman swims out. Sasuke blinks. As a human, Sasuke had considered himself to be pretty good sized. He definitely wasn't small. Suigetsu was big or at least seemed to be big to him. Jugo completely dwarfed both of him. Maybe he and Suigetsu were considered "short" by merman standards?
Jugo had orange hair and exotic eyes. His tail was white with a practically silver "belt" around his hips. He looked friendly though.
"It's an honor to meet you, my prince." He says and bows.
"Yeah. Sassy's not used to the royalty stuff yet. So you probably don't have to bow. Wait do you want us to bow, Sassy?" Suigetsu akss.
"Um bowing is optional. Nice to meet you. My name is SASUKE, not Sassy. Suigetsu decided to give me a nickname for some reason." Sasuke says with a heavy sigh.
Suigetsu grins cheekily. He seemed enormously pleased with himself. The young prince just shakes his head.
"Oh and don't' worry. Jugo is really big for a regular merman. He's definitely on the very upper end of the size scale. He's just "tall" by merman standards. He's one of the few that can compete with Akatsuki when it comes to tail size." Suigetsu says, noting Sasuke seemed a little freaked out by the other merman's massive size.
"Good to know. It'd be embarrassing to find out that I was the runt of the litter." Sasuke mutters in relief.
Meanwhile Itachi had just returned to Atlantis. He had left Kisame behind with the promise to visit him the next day. The High Prince figured that he should tell his mother that he was now being courted.
"Mother?" He calls out softly as he knocks on the door.
"Come in." Kitasha calls out and smiles when Itachi swims inside her bedchambers.
"There's something that I thought I should inform you of. Kisame and I are now courting." He says.
Kitasha blinks. Well she supposed in hindsight, she should have seen that coming. The Akatsuki was suspiciously fond of Itachi. Which was odd as most Akatsuki tended to have a less than favorable opinion of "common mermen and mermaids." The reverse was also true. Though that was beginning to change.
"Well I do wish you luck in your courtship. He does fit the stereotypical role of a Protector. If nothing else, your hatchlings would be well protected." She muses.
"So you approve of the match?" He asks.
"Well I think it would have been easier if you had found a merman or mermaid who wasn't an Akatsuki. Still there are enormous potential political advantages for such a Mating. That and if he makes you happy, I suppose it doesn't particularly matter that his skin is…blue." She says with an elegant shrug of her shoulders.
Itachi was relieved to hear her say that. He hadn't been entirely certain how his mother would react to the exotic match. Now he could court Kisame without worrying.
"It pleases me to hear you say that." Itachi replies.
"Mhm. How badly did your father punish you for attacking the hybrid?" She inquires.
Itachi rolls his eyes. Izuna's punishment had been keeping him from public events for a month. The public was now wondering where the Hell he was. It wasn't like the crowned prince to be so reclusive.
Izuna was a smart merman. If nothing else, he knew where to hit his opponent where it hurt the most. For Itachi, that was his reputation.
"No public events for a month. That's at least four times longer than Sasuke's injuries likely took to heal." He states in annoyance.
Kitasha shakes her head. Leave it to Izuna to find an excruciatingly painful punishment, without ever raising his hand. It was regrettable, that he was so soft in other respects.
He was handsome. Izuna was a gifted lover. He was a devoted father. But he just was so weak. Oh not in body. He was a powerful warrior. It was his mind that was the problem. When push came to shove, his "morals" would always prevent him from doing what needed to be done. Well she supposed you couldn't have everything.
"Well I suppose that we should be grateful you were spared from the coral lash. Do not fret. I'm certain that somehow we can soothe this over. I imagine that you are not going to let your anger overwhelm you again." Kitasha says.
"Of course not, mother. It was a moment of weakness. I would not jeopardize our position by giving into my rage again. I do have some regret over it. It's not the hybrid's fault that he looks so much like father. I reacted poorly." He admits.
"Then consider this a learning experience. Unfortunately, I must go and speak with your father. He will want to discuss the hatchling." She muses as she swims out of the door and towards the throne room.
Izuna eyes his former wife warily. She reminded him of a sea snake. Beautiful and treacherous. If he had his way, she would never find out about Sasuke. Still he was certain that Itachi had told her of his youngest son's existence. He was surprised she hadn't lashed out yet.
Her silence was worse than her rage. Kitasha's silence could only mean that she was plotting something. He didn't care for that. Izuna did not care for that at all.
"I assume you wish to discuss your youngest son with me." She states.
The King nods. It was so like Kitasha to dive right to the heart of the matter. He takes a deep breath and braces himself. The merman doubted this was going to be an enjoyable conversation.
"You are correct. I understand that Sasuke's presence will likely not be an easy cross for you to bare, but bare it you shall. If his existence displeases you, you are ordered to ignore him. It will be difficult enough for him to adjust to life as a merman, without your terrorizing him." The handsome merman issues his order.
She places her hand over her heart. Kitasha pretends to be mortally wounded. Izuna raises an eyebrow at the dramatic gesture.
"Really, do you think me so petty that I would torment a helpless child? It's not his fault that our union dissolved. The boy likely didn't realize he was a merman until a month ago. It would be rather unfair of me to blame him for your actions." She says.
"So you are telling me that you bare no ill will towards him?"" Izuna asks skeptically.
She nods her head. Kitasha knew that she was going to have to put on a fine performance. Izuna was perceptive, if she lied…he would notice.
"Of course. I quite look forward to meeting him actually. Perhaps his spine will not be made out of jellyfish like yours. It's a pity Izuna. You're strong and intelligent, yet when it comes time to do what needs to be done…you don't have the spine." Kitasha mocks him.
"As warm and charming as ever, I see." Izuna's eyes narrow and he feels his teeth sharpen in anger.
Perhaps he had granted her too much freedom. She was the mother of his eldest child. Kitasha may no longer be his lover, but she deserved his respect. However, he certainly couldn't tolerate this show of defiance.
"As weak as ever. A real merman would never tolerate such disrespect. Perhaps you are more of a Nurturer than a Protector. It would certainly explain a lot." She taunts him.
There was certainly nothing wrong with being a Nurturer. But Izuna was a Protector, through and through. How DARE she try to imply otherwise?! She had carried his first child! She damn well knew that he wasn't a Nurturer.
"Careful, Kitasha. The thing that saves you from a corral lashing is public opinion. The public would be outraged if I had you punished in such a manner, but that can change as quickly as the tides. You should know that by now." He warns her.
She smirks. Oh she had gotten under his scales alright. His eyes were flashing red. There was that fire. That fire that made him such a fantastic lover. Yet, it was the same fire that he refused to use to rule. Pity. Maybe his hybrid would be more useful.
"You aren't merman enough to do it. You've grown soft. You are no more threatening than a clownfish." She hisses at him.
"By Neptune woman, why do you wish to provoke me?!" He snarls at her and swims over to mermaid.
"You deserve it. I knew that our marriage wouldn't last. That's not why I'm angry. I'm angry that you chose a human. Do you know how embarrassing that is to me and Itachi?!" She demands.
Izuna glares at her. Aiko was now a mermaid. She was no longer human. Kitasha should have accepted that fact years ago, but she never had.
"Aiko may have been a human once, but she's a mermaid now. She is also the mermaid that I love. I know that I injured your pride and for that I am sorry. But I will never regret choosing her. I swear by the power of the ocean, if you attack Sasuke in any way, I will have you coral lashed!" He snarls and his sharp teeth are revealed.
"Pity. If only you had shown that same fire when we were married, you might never have needed to settle for a human." She says and swims off, leaving a fuming Izuna behind.
