Sasuke's POV
Sasuke was running. He didn't even know how he managed that feat with the stab wound made by his own sword in the hands of a hydra. He was running, even though he felt his broken ribs poke painfully into his lung with every breath he took.
But he couldn't stop. He didn't know whether his pursuer was still behind him. After all even a lindwyrm could be dangerous when angry.
He cursed under his breath. It was just his luck. Of course Kabuto would come after him when his master was killed. The man had clung to the serpent as if his life depended on it after all.
Well it wasn't his fault Orochimaru chose this day to try to take over the control over Sasuke's body, being the sick snake he is…or rather, was.
While Sasuke did win the fight, going against a Surae of the Legendary Three certainly took its toll on the raven's body. He was battered and bruised and the wound in his stomach was bleeding heavily as Kabuto found him standing over the dead body of the hydra.
In a matter of seconds Sasuke had at least a hundred snakes, the pets of Orochimaru and an angry Kabuto, even more a pet of that sick man, on his tail.
With his injuries, Sasuke had made a tactical retreat. Basically he had run from the scene, not caring about the snakes nipping at his heels or the stinging pain of his broken ribs. Stopping wasn't an option. Stopping meant death, be it at the hands of Kabuto or the fangs of the snakes. Stopping meant abandoning his promise to Itachi, abandoning his quest for revenge.
So Sasuke ran.
He couldn't even use his wings. With almost all his chakra depleted, they had retracted back into the mark at the base of his neck. He was like a fish on land, Kabuto only had to reach him and he would be done for.
But of course, his luck had other plans for him, because when was his life ever easy.
The snake's poison made his sight blurry. It didn't actually help that he was immune to their poison, as it took a while for his body to flush the toxic out of his system. In his wounded state, even he experienced the effects.
The effects being that he was dizzy and didn't see the tree's root before he slammed against it at full speed. Sasuke could almost hear the bone in his leg crack and splitter as he crashed head first into the undergrowth. Now he wouldn't be able to move at all.
He was dead.
It was only a matter of time.
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But maybe, just maybe, fate had other plans for him.
He laid in the bushes, fading in and out of consciousness, his mind was still affected by the venom.
He wasn't sure whether it was real or he was already hallucinating.
Suddenly there was a strange man above him. He looked at Sasuke with concerned, panicked cerulean blue eyes that reminded Sasuke of a clear summer sky.
Why was there a stranger staring at Sasuke? But the odd thing about it, were the three patches of colors on his shoulders… were they… foxes?
Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. "Foxes on… shoulders…" he muttered and his world sank into darkness.
SNSNSNSNS
When Sasuke woke up again, he had definitely moved. He didn't recognize his surroundings and even in his still hazy mind that fact sounded the alarm bells in his head.
Where was he?
The last thing he could remember was running from Kabuto and Orochimaru's snakes, stumbling over a root, falling head first into the bushes.
Wait, that wasn't everything. He remembered a face and … foxes…?
He tried moving but that only shot intense pain through his whole body. Sasuke bit his teeth to prevent a painful grunt. He remembered his wounds from his fight with Orochimaru of the Legendary Three. Moving his body wasn't exactly a good idea.
So he opted for slightly moving his head and letting his eyes wander around.
He was in a cave. It wasn't a big one but it was a shelter from mother nature. He was lying on a mass of moss and leaves and someone had tucked him into an old quilt smelling of years and years of usage. It was still dark in the cave but Sasuke could make out the last smoldering of a fireplace.
A figure was sitting huddled together at the entrance of the cave.
Was this the one that had brought Sasuke here? What did they want from him?
Sasuke strained his neck to see more of this person but he stopped when he felt a wet rag on his forehead almost slipping off. He quickly reverted back to the position he slept in. Lest he woke the figure up with his rustling. Before he knew for certain that he wasn't in any danger from this person, he should feign sleep. Sasuke didn't like being in a predicament.
After what felt like hours watching the unmoving lump, the figure finally stirred. Sasuke could barely make out the person's silhouette in the dim lighting of a cave at night, but from the looks of it, he was probably male. The man stood up and stretched. In the all-encompassing silence Sasuke could clearly hear all the bones in his back crack from the bad position he had apparently spent the night in. The eerie sound echoed slightly from the cave walls.
The man sighed. Sasuke didn't know how a small sound like that could seem to carry all the weights in the world. Tired and sad and heavy. But still it bounded of the stone, ringing in Sasuke's ears.
Behind the man, the sun rose and the new, soft light shone brightly into the cave, creating a halo around the man that seemed utterly otherworldly. Sasuke's breath caught slightly, but he wasn't sure why.
The sunrise illuminated the cave and Sasuke could only blink against the bright light, trying to take in his surroundings.
But the man, still standing at the cave opening, didn't appear to see anything. He was standing there unmoving with his back to Sasuke and yet the Uchiha somehow knew that the man's gaze was distant. He wasn't taking in anything of this. The sight of the sun rising that could make everyone hopeful and yet the man's sigh still echoed in the silence.
Suddenly the serene atmosphere was interrupted. The man's breathing suddenly became labored and heavy and loud in the awakening world. A hand came up to clench above his chest. The frame trembled.
A panic attack , Sasuke realized.
The man fell to his knees, head hung low, hand still grasping his heart. In his still paced breathing, Sasuke could almost hear the suppressed tears. The stranger hit the ground with his fist once, weakly, probably not even realizing what he was doing.
And still, Sasuke did nothing. Couldn't do anything. He just lied there and watched, unable to tear his eyes away from the silhouette still illuminated by the rising sun, glowing ethereally. His hand twitched to reach out to the stranger. But he didn't succumb to the urge. He didn't know this man.
Then why did he want to protect him with everything he had?
What was happening to him?
The cave was silent save for the breathing of two people filling the air.
SNSNSNSNS
After what felt like an eternity, the man struggled to rise to his feet. The tiny pebbles sticking to his skin fell to the ground, making a light sound as they did.
This time, Sasuke couldn't control his hand as it twitched to reach out to the man. The quiet rustling it made sounded incredibly loud in the stillness.
The stranger immediately caught the sound and spun around on his heels so fast his joints cracked. It was as if he had forgotten that Sasuke existed.
Due to the back lighting, he still couldn't make out the stranger's face, but he swore he saw his eyes gleaming. Cerulean blue that shone brightly in the dim light despite everything.
Eyes that spoke of ages and wisdom that went far beyond a single man's years. Eyes hard and determined and yet soft and sad.
Sasuke gulped.
Cerulean blue clashed with midnight black as they both stared at each other unblinking.
When the man came slowly closer, his appearance finally became visible to the Uchiha.
Sasuke studied the man. He was shirtless and a his toned upper body was caked with dirt and what seemed to be dried blood. His pants were a torn, unrecognizable cloth and if he ever had had shoes they had been long lost. His hair hung in filthy gray clumps from his head reaching his shoulders. A short beard that was more fluff than anything framed a slim face that showed signs of lost baby fat. The man's appearance screamed of years spent in the wild, away from civilization and a hot shower.
And his eyes spoke of experience and pain and danger .
Sasuke was sure he had forgotten how to breathe.
He had to do something about it.
Without thinking he spoke first, a new experience to him. His words cutting the silence like a warm knife cuts through butter.
"Are you going to stare at me all day?"
The man jumped, as if he hadn't expected any word to pass between them. His eyes were wide and bewildered, the impossible blue shining brightly. He seemed to be holding his breath.
For a moment, nothing happened.
"Tch. Who are you and where am I?"
Again it was Sasuke who broke the awkward silence, it made him physically uncomfortable even though he usually preferred the stillness.
The man opened his mouth, as if to say something, but the only thing that came out of his throat was an inhumane screeching sound. It startled both of them equally. The man closed his mouth, his eyes widening even further if it was possible. And silence fell again.
What was this man? Staring at Sasuke with such a comical expression on his face he seemed almost childish and yet his aura still seemed dangerous and wild to the Uchiha, rising the little hairs all over his body.
"Just my luck to be injured and now stuck with some sort of feral who can't even talk," he muttered to himself low enough to not be heard. And yet, the man stiffened just slightly in response, he had clearly picked up on the words.
Just who was he?
From the looks of it he had understood what Sasuke had just said. Because he looked down at himself as if he was registering the state his body was in for the first time, going as far as making a faint disgusted noise in the back of his throat.
How could this feral, ragged man understand him, understand the high language of the Corvi?
Only high ranking demon nobles could understand it, only the Surae could. So how on earth was this possible? The man certainly didn't look like he stemmed of a family of nobles, much less one of the Clans .
Suddenly the stranger turned away from Sasuke and went back to the forgotten fireplace.
Sasuke was thoroughly baffled and stared at the man's back as if it held all the secrets of life.
The man went on to start a fire and boiled water over the flames, all the while being visibly nervous and fidgety. The nervosity was almost palpable, as he trembled slightly and even managed to get burned while reaching for the boiling water, letting out a quiet hiss in pain.
Was it Sasuke that made him so nervous?
Suddenly there was a pattering of feet just outside the cave, steadily coming closer. The man looked up from the fire just in time to see three different colored foxes come storming into the cave, making a beeline for the stranger. They were carrying things; a few dead squirrels and rabbits and one was dragging a bird's nest? They placed the things right next to the fire and, judging from the man's behavior, the three definitely belong to him.
Had he tamed them like dogs to bring their kills back to the man? How could one train foxes to be smart enough to bring a bird's nest back to their master? Maybe they were chakra animals? So many questions swirling in his mind.
The man petted them all and chuckled faintly at their antics. But then the foxes spotted Sasuke and immediately the stranger was forgotten and all three jumped him as if he was their new toy, attacking him with tongues and paws. Sasuke was taken aback, he even tried to move away but he could only grunt in pain as he was reminded of his wounds.
Soon Sasuke could no longer see anything other than colored fur. It tickled his nose and his face was wet from the foxes' little tongues as they licked him, while his shoulders got a "massage" from their tiny paws. It wasn't entirely unpleasant because somehow they were smart enough to be careful not to hurt him but it was absolutely unexpected and strange.
From the direction of the fireplace sounded a deep and throaty but powerful sound. it took him a moment to understand what was happening but he caught on quickly. The man was laughing . It vibrated off the walls and filled the place with a foreign melody. The voice was rough and unused, sounded more like a cough than anything but it stirred something in Sasuke's chest.
The foxes apparently understood the significance of that laugh because they immediately lost their interest in the young Uchiha and darted back to their master's side. Not long after, it was him who was lost in different colored fox fur as the gray, the crimson and the orange fox buried him under their love.
Chuckling again the man scooped them up in his arms, letting them lick his face with wagging tails. Their tails and furs in the man's arms dancing around him like liquid flames. And Sasuke could only stare. The foxes' excited yipping and the man's breathy laughter were making the very air seem alive . He wanted to hear more of that laughter.
After a while, the stranger let them jump out of his arms and attended to the water again. He rummaged in a backpack and not long after the scent of mint filled the cave.
The man then approached Sasuke's lair and helped him sit up as much as it was possible. Sasuke grit his teeth not to cry out from the sharp sting in his abdomen. Then he was given a plastic cup of the mint tea. A plastic cup and tea that spoke of civilization rather than wildness.
A seemingly feral man playing with foxes making mint tea in a plastic cup, laughing a breathy laughter that stirred Sasuke's emotions that he had long since declared dead.
Maybe on his fall on the run from Kabuto he had hit his head and was now dreaming?
This was too strange to be real.
But it got even stranger, as the man suddenly seemed to remember something and left Sasuke with the cup of steaming tea to rummage in the backpack again and fished a first aid kit out of it.
A first aid kit that - despite the man's appearance and years obviously spend in the wild - was still unused. In fact, the bandages were still wrapped in the plastic they came in. Sasuke wordlessly lifted his shirt to give the man better access to his wounds. He was too stunned to really think about his actions, foolishly trusting a man he knew next to nothing about.
Then Sasuke caught a glimpse of his wounds. They were shockingly not as bad as he remembered them, his broken ribs almost felt like they were healed and the stab wound was not even bleeding anymore, which shouldn't be possible since he had gotten wounded just yesterday. In fact, his sword Kusanagi likely still had the blood of both him and Orochimaru on its blade. He had spotted the blade leaning against the cave wall not far from his lair. But he hadn't exactly had time to clean it. A strange thought made its appearance.
Could it be that the guy had healed him? Seriously, who was this man?
Sasuke didn't dare to move, almost didn't dare to breathe as the man came far too close and clumsily bandaged his wounds. He stared awkwardly at the man's calloused hands and tried not to think about how the man smelled of forest and sun. What the hell was wrong with him anyway?
After the man was finished with his bandages they just sat in silence for a while, like neither knew what to do with the other's presence. Sasuke still didn't know what to make of the man. He wondered if he ever would.
Suddenly the stranger stood up abruptly, awkwardly pointing to the rabbits on the floor where the foxes had left them. Sasuke didn't know how to react. The man rubbed the back of his neck, a seemingly nervous gesture, and he turned away from Sasuke with a sheepish smile.
He went to skin and cook the meat and the only thing the Uchiha could do was watch him awkwardly.
Since the man was unable to communicate with Sasuke, he couldn't even hope to learn anything about this person. On the other hand, it seemed like the raven's presence confused the man. They were at a stalemate, with no way to make the next step.
So they were both sitting and assessing their standpoints, trying to figure the other out.
Trying to figure out whether they were a friend or foe.
SNSNSNSNS
The silence during their meal was deafening. The inhuman sound the man had made when he had tried to speak echoed in Sasuke's ears.
They couldn't communicate at all. He wouldn't even be able to learn the name of the man that saved his life. Said man was currently lost in his thoughts, that somewhere along the lines seemed to take a darker turn as the cerulean blue of his eyes darkened like clouds of worry, fear and grief obscuring the sky.
Even though Sasuke usually relished in silence, he desperately wanted to break it now. Wanted to fill the void between them with something, anything.
"Can you understand me?"
The man jumped at the sudden question. After a moment he just nodded mutely.
So Sasuke had been right. This seemingly savage man couldn't be from anything else than a demon society.
"So, a high ranking Surae ."
Sasuke was expecting a nod but instead he saw the man shake his head, looking utterly lost.
"What do you mean? You are a high ranking Surae, otherwise you wouldn't be able to understand the language of the Corvi ."
Sasuke went as far as using the demon name for his clan just to provoke a reaction but he got nothing in return.
It wasn't possible for an outsider to understand it. The language of the Corvi could only be understood by a being with massive amounts of chakra, more than a lesser demon could ever hope to have. A language full of chirps and trills, known only to a selected few; much like the tongue of the birds the Clan represented.
The man blinked at him.
"You really think you aren't a Surae..."
How was this possible? Sasuke was at loss. And he couldn't even ask his company for clarification. He stood alone in front of a puzzle he had yet to solve.
Suddenly the man's eyes lit up. When he moved he startled Sasuke out of his thoughts.
He scooped up the sand and dirt of the cave floor and formed a elevated line on the ground. He pointed at his work and then he pointed at the mountains, barely visible through the cave opening. Slowly it dawned to the Uchiha what he was trying to do. A miniature model of their surroundings. A map.
Then the man drew the outlines of… a country? The country beyond the mountains, the land of the humans, Horaeth. On their side of the miniature mountains he only made a wobbly circle . He drew an "x" near the mountains and pointed to Sasuke and then to himself and then around the cave. The "x" was their standpoint.
He continued by pointing on Horaeth and putting his hand on his own chest, using two of his fingers to "walk" across the model, across the mountain range to the "x". Then he looked at the raven expectantly.
Sasuke nodded but it still didn't make any sense.
"You say you came from across the mountains? From Horaeth? But that's human's land… How can you be from there and still understand the ancient language of the Corvi?"
The stranger just shrugged as if he never heard the terms.
"That doesn't make sense…"
The man rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. Sasuke stared at the man's dirty face, as if the answers to his many questions could be found there.
"Sasuke," he blurted out, suddenly deciding to trust this savage man who evidently saved Sasuke from his pursuers.
And after getting only a blank look, he elaborated.
"I am Uchiha Sasuke of the Corvi. Heir to the leader of the Raven. A Surae of the Clans."
There was a stunned silence but Sasuke wasn't expecting anything more.
So he continued. "And I don't believe you. You have to be at least a Surae of the Clans to understand our language. Only the Legendary Three make the exception. A lesser demon wouldn't even be able to make out words, let alone sentences. And I will find out about you soon enough, whether you can talk or not."
Sasuke was determined.
"Besides, I need to go to the lands of Horaeth anyways. You can guide me there."
Suddenly panic filled the man's eyes. A crazed look glazed over them.
He grabbed Sasuke's shoulders, his arms were shaking. But the grip was bruising and the way the man shook scared Sasuke.
What was happening?
His cerulean eyes had a far away, haunted look as if he was seeing ghosts from the past. The man's rapid breathing was shallow, reminding Sasuke of a fish on land.
Reminding Sasuke of the man's earlier panic attack he had secretly witnessed.
An eternity passed.
Suddenly something inside the man jolted and a violent shudder ran through him. Slowly but surely he regained his breathing back. The shaking lessened and the man loosened his grip on Sasuke's shoulders but he didn't let go.
He didn't meet the raven's shocked eyes.
Then he took a step back, eyes still fixated on the ground. He pointed to the miniature map that somehow survived his frenzy. He drew a circle in the dirt where he had drawn Horaeth, digging his finger deeper into the dirt. A choked noise escaped the man's clenched teeth.
Then he met Sasuke's eyes - wild blue clashing with shocked onyx - and made a "cut-throat" gesture.
The raven's eyes widened even more.
The stranger pointed at Horaeth, simulated a few coughs, and did the gesture again, looking at Sasuke.
And Sasuke understood. He didn't know why, he just did. As if he could hear the silent plea the man's eyes were sending him. Words rolled from his lips, hesitant and shocked.
"A disease… Horaeth… is dead?"
He received a nod in answer.
And silence fell again.
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The day went by quickly, the man had ducked out of the cave not long after his "explanation" leaving Sasuke alone with his raging thoughts.
Nothing made sense. A disease killed the entirety of Horaeth? And the man claimed to come from there? How? Why?
Though it certainly explained his attire, it didn't explain how someone who was supposedly human could understand a language no one without a huge amount of chakra could.
The only demons living in the human's land were the ones banished with their chakra suppressed. So how was this possible? This whole story just wasn't coming together at all.
A disease. Sasuke carefully suppressed a memory popping up in his head.
A memory of his brother coughing blood. Of Itachi telling him "Sorry Sasuke, maybe next time." A memory of his face as masked men took him away. A memory of his voice muttering "the experiment has failed, we clearly should have used the younger Uchiha instead" not knowing that Sasuke had heard.
Sasuke shook his head. The chances that this was the same disease were slim but still there. What could it mean?
He didn't come up with any answers.
SNSNSNSNS
The young Uchiha laid awake this night. The slight discomfort from his wounds were certainly a part of the reason, but mostly because he was still thinking.
The man had fallen into a restless sleep, probably due to exhaustion. His bare upper body was covered by his foxes as he curled into himself next to the dim embers of the dying fire.
Sasuke couldn't make sense of this man. Why had he saved Sasuke, a literal stranger, anyway? Why would he do that in a foreign land with foreign people after he had apparently fled from a disease? He was an enigma.
He turned his gaze to the ceiling of the cave. Staring at a sleeping man's form wasn't going to answer his questions.
After that he tried to sleep.
His closed eyes snapped open not a minute later as suddenly an eerie pale light illuminated the cave.
His head snapped around. Where would light come from in the dead of night?
Beside the man stood a fox. Well not exactly, the fox was translucent and as big as a horse and swirling behind it were nine flaming red tails, dancing around its form like flames.
The actual foxes covering the man as well as said man himself didn't even stir.
Was this… the Kyuubi ?
"I see you recognize me. Indeed, I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The Nine Tailed Demon Fox. The oldest of the Brethren of the Bijuu. And you are Uchiha Sasuke of the Corvi. And I shall answer a few of your questions because if my Kit has anything to say about it, you're going to stay with us for a while."
Sasuke could only splutter. His thought process had been halted. The Kyuubi's voice was reverberating through his head. It wasn't every day that you met the king of your race. The god everyone deemed either a legend or a being that was already dead. The Kyuubi and the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki had always been a part of the once great Clan of the Vulpes , the Uzumaki. But even though the job of a Jinchuuriki was usually passed on, no one had heard of the Demon King or his vessel for two generations.
And now this ethereal being stood before Sasuke and claimed to be said King.
How could so many impossible things happen in one day? Was he maybe already dead, killed by Kabuto and the snakes? Or had he hit his head when he fell and was now hallucinating?
"I get that this may come as a shock for you but I assure you that my appearance is real and that you are not hallucinating."
"Can you read my thoughts?" Sasuke blurted out, too overwhelmed to really consider his actions.
The fox chuckled softly.
"No, but my Kit had the exact same reaction upon seeing me the first time."
"Your Kit?"
The King half turned to the lump covered by sleeping foxes, his crimson eyes gaining a fond look.
"Uzumaki Naruto is his name and he is my current Jinchuuriki."
The name of Sasuke's savior, Uzumaki Naruto . The seemingly feral man was in fact an Uzumaki. So he was a Surae of the Clans. That would explain why he could understand Sasuke's words. One question was answered but a ton of new ones were raised.
Wait, didn't the Kyuubi say he would answer his questions?
"Why would the vessel of the Demon King come from Horaeth? And how can Horaeth be wiped out by a disease? Why is your vessel trying to stop me from going there?"
"That is a long story, Uchiha and I'm not sure you are ready to hear it yet."
Suddenly Sasuke's arrogant pride flared up. One day that would be his demise.
He had to go to Horaeth. He couldn't let some mute stranger and a weird fox apparition stop him from getting his answers! He couldn't let them block his way to his brother.
Sasuke was grasping at straws, but in his desperation he didn't exactly think things through.
But there was this feral man, who broke down in a cave while watching the sunrise, and a fox apparition that wasn't even corporeal, and they were supposed to be the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki and the great Demon King himself?
Maybe they were lying.
And if they were lying, it was possible that they were lying about Horaeth too. Maybe there was still a chance of Sasuke being able to go there and finally finding out something - anything - about Itachi.
He lashed out at the fox in his fear, a desperate attempt of gaining the upper hand in the cruel play of fate.
"Are you mocking me? Belittling me?! You told me you would answer my questions! I need to go to Horaeth! Why would I believe your stories and let you stop me from going?! You expect me to believe your lies?!" he snarled. " Why would a feral man from the human's land who claims to be no Surae actually turn out to be the Jinchuuriki of the strongest demon? Why should I trust him or you for that matter? Are you sure that you are the Kyuubi?"
Immediately he fox's posture changed. His face contorted into a snarl, showing every single one of his lethal fangs. He grew in size and his fur bristled as it stood on end.
He looked more regal now, deadlier. Sasuke had angered the Demon King.
"'Feral' you say?! Who are you to judge him on his appearance? Who are you to question his status as my vessel? You are nothing but a petulant child before me, you are hundreds of years too early to be able to question me! And how dare you look down on him who has saved your life and watched over your sleep when you were wounded! How dare you look down on him who has experienced pain and hardship worse than you could ever imagine!"
Sasuke could only stare in awe and reverence at this ethereal being. The fierce crimson eyes alight with anger and deep red flames dancing in his bristled fur.
He had fucked up.
But his pride wouldn't let him admit defeat and instead he found his treacherous mouth riling the ancient fox up even further.
"I am saying that I don't need his weakness to stand in my way. I will go to Horaeth even if a disease killed a few humans there. You know nothing about me, my past or my reasons for going and nothing you could say would waver my resolve! If he is too afraid to guide me there, I don't need him and neither do I need to trust him or you and your claims about being the Kyuubi. Every child knows that the Kyuubi hasn't been seen for two generations.
Besides, it would be a good riddance, I can't have some feral man and his pets to slow me down on my quest."
"'Weak'?! 'Afraid'?! What do you know about him to make these claims? You think you are so much better than him because you have some sob-story? Well I can tell you, whatever you think you've been through, he has been through worse. His entire country was wiped out due to this disease and he still hasn't given in to despair yet!
Can you imagine walking an empty nation? Knowing that you are the last one alive? After losing not only family, friends, home, no, losing your entire species !
Not being able to follow them in death because for some cruel reason, fate has chosen you to live! Live and mourn .
Wandering a dead land for years. Alone. While rotting corpses lay to your feet and the stench soaks into your very pores.
The Kit has found these three foxes - 'pets' you call them - the last living souls in this land, and he made them his new family. Can you even begin to comprehend a life in constant fear of losing everything again?! They lack names because of that fear. Because giving them names would mean becoming attached, and he can't afford to get close to anyone again.
So don't you EVER call him 'weak' or 'afraid' or 'feral' again. Or it will be the last thing you'll ever utter."
Sasuke didn't know how to react. So he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"The foxes? But aren't they chakra animals? They can't get sick or die… Why would he worry about losing them?"
The fox looming over him gave a dry chuckle.
"Oh, they might be chakra animals now, but they didn't start that way. They were a heap of skin and bones crying for their dead mother before the Kit came along. He gave them a new family and he fed them all his love, energy, chakra, he fed them his very life. He made them to the chakra animals they are now. Through loss and suffering and love. And they return the favor. Nothing will ever part them. Never again.
But that doesn't make them invulnerable or immune.
The disease, 'The Creeping Death' affects the very chakra of a being. Demons are equally as affected.
Horaeth didn't suffer only 'a few' human deaths. Surae died too. Even if they managed to survive a bit longer."
"How do you know that? Why would Surae die in Horaeth?"
"Have you already forgotten who I am? Insolent brat. I am still the Nine tailed Demon Fox, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the King, at this point God of your kind. I know every demon that has ever lived. I can feel your pathetic little lives. And I feel your deaths.
I feel every single demon who dies.
And besides, don't think I have forgotten where you exile demons to. Your favorite 'prison' is after all Horaeth. Realm of the Hourglasses.
But make no mistake, in that land demons and humans - hourglasses - die alike.
And in the end it doesn't matter who was stronger or better. Their bodies will all decay to the same dust.
You want to go to Horaeth?
You are foolish to think you can make it out alive."
The fox huffed and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
His words echoed on but in the now dark cave not a trace of the Kyuubi was left behind.
The whole situation was so unreal that Sasuke was left to wonder whether it all had just been a dream. But the goosebumps on his skin and the dread in his bones didn't let him ponder on that question.
Whether or not it was real, the words still lingered.
Together with the actions of the man - of Naruto - going to Horaeth was no longer an option.
Sasuke didn't get a wisp of sleep that night.
- end of Part 2: New World -
To be continued
Notes:
I really hope that wasn't too OOC, for some reason I always write a very soft!Sasuke (not that I'm complaining).
Starting now, I also don't have any chapters pre-written.. meaning I have no idea when the next chapter will come out, but I'm trying to bring it to you as soon as possible! In the meantime, you could guess where this fic is headed ;P and maybe I will find inspiration in your ideas.
Comments and Kudos make me happy
I wish everyone the best holidays and a happy new year!
