Finally, huh? I so agree. I promised the chapter this week and I just barely made it. I had really, really much trouble with this chapter 'cause I just didn't know what to write. I was stuck on the first three hundred words. Again and again I'm really grateful to all my reviewers and my passive readers, too. If I didn't have you people, I would have given up a long time ago. Still, my updating will probably slow down from now on. I can't help it 'cause it's school. But I'll keep writing even if it takes a month.


Killing An Immortal
chapter 7

Naruto gave up on the idea of sleep once and for all after Sasuke's temperature rose. He tucked Sasuke in and stood watch at the cave entrance after that until the sun went down. There was no light in the cave after that as predicted, but it was just as dark outside. Naruto's good night vision did little in that kind of darkness and standing at the entrance didn't make detecting enemies any easier than sitting inside. He could see where things were but they had no color and he didn't see in the distance.

For the whole time he stood there, a feeling of having to keep Sasuke company kept nagging him. It was a completely irrational feeling, but he finally gave up and sat down next to Sasuke and leaned against the cave wall. Even when all he did was listen to Sasuke's discomfort, he felt better being there, closer to him than at the entrance. It was a bit chilly but it seemed like a very impropriate thing to do to crawl next to Sasuke now.

Sasuke hadn't really fallen asleep but more like into a slumber. He mumbled something to himself but awoke a few moments later. Looking at the vague sight of Sasuke he saw, Naruto felt bad for letting him get injured. He knew he could do nothing about it now but it would have been so much better if he himself had gotten injured instead of Sasuke. An infection wouldn't have bothered him at all.

He reached his hand down to touch Sasuke's hair. It was now a little greasy after not washing it for a couple of days but it felt soft none the less. He didn't sense any signs of discomfort for the touch so he ventured on to stroking the brunette's hair. Sasuke's breathing hitched but calmed down soon after. His body had been tense in his slumber but it seemed to relax a little bit too.

A short moment later Sasuke opened his eyes.

"Naruto?" he asked in a whisper. Naruto's hand wavered. He wasn't sure if that was his cue to stop.

"Hmm?" He drew his hand away.

Sasuke pulled himself up to a sitting position.

"What is it?" Naruto asked and pushed himself off the wall.

"Water"

Naruto handed him the water bottle but wasn't happy about it. Their supplies were being drained too fast and it troubled him. They might have to resort to alternativetransportation in the end.

Sasuke gave the bottle back but remained sitting.

Just then Naruto sensed movement outside the cave. He could feel a really well hidden chakra pattern nearing the cave entrance but it moved swiftly and soundlessly. He barely felt the chakra at all and when he looked outside, he saw nothing. That surely wasn't an ally.

"Lie down. There's someone outside," Naruto whispered in Sasuke's ear. Sasuke still felt a little light headed so he decided to comply and trust Naruto. He saw nothing in the dark anyways.

Naruto created a clone in silence and fiddled with the ring of a kunai on his waist, ready to grab it if needed. The clone backed against the wall on the other side of Sasuke and hid its chakra skilfully.

Naruto felt the stranger enter the cave. Now that he was closer, Naruto could hear his steps, too. Still, they were only barely audible to him. The foe inched closer to them but circled past Naruto and towards Sasuke's foot. He thought they hadn't noticed him yet and thus proved Naruto right in assuming he didn't see in the darkness. Naruto had been observing him from the moment he entered the cave and he hadn't noticed his head turned toward him. 'Is he relying on sound?'

Naruto let him come closer. He would be able to protect Sasuke against one enemy even at the last minute so he waited for the right moment to attack. Waiting would demonstrate both the enemy's motive and skill, too.

When the foe was at Sasuke's foot, he attacked. He sent a set of shuriken at Naruto and two senbon needles towards Sasuke's body. Naruto made a quick decision and shot the kunai he'd fiddled with up and deflected half of the weapons aimed at him. The other half he caught with his left hand so that none of them would hit Sasuke. His clone threw himself forward at the same time and caught the needles. He tossed them aside and punched him hard on his stomach and kicked him back. He hit the opposite cave wall and coughed and gulped for air. He composed himself and pulled out another round of weapons.

Seeing them, the original Naruto quickly created a barrier around him and Sasuke. He didn't trust his luck in catching another round with bare hands. A dozen senbon needles stopped in mid-air and clinked to the floor a few seconds later. The barrier's surface vibrated a bit but remained otherwise unaffected.

Naruto's clone tried hitting the foe but all his attempts were evaded. The enemy connected his hands and started doing hand seals. The clone couldn't discern them and judge what he was doing. He put out a kunai and slashed at him. He evaded but the kunai managed to cut a gash across his stomach. He let out a muted yelp and jumped back covering the wound with his hand. He turned and ran out of the cave with the clone behind him but it tripped him down right outside. He rolled away from the clone and started doing hand seals again.

Suddenly a sword pierced his middle. It reached deep inside his stomach before it was pulled back underground. A gaping hole remained where the sword left the body but the only sign of blood existed under it where it flowed into a small pool. The man didn't move and inch, only stared at the dark sky.

A short moment later the original Naruto climbed back on the sand surface of the ground. He went to the dying man, carrying the bloody sword with him. He hated killing people slowly but he wanted to try and get some answers out of him.

"You're working for Orochimaru, right?"

He received no answer.

The sun was slowly starting to climb back on the sky. In the dim light it provided before sunrise Naruto saw the man's face. He looked up at him with a blank look.

"Are you from the Sound?"

"No."

"But you're working for Orochimaru?"

The man just looked up at him without answering. Naruto was losing his patience.

"Tell me!"

The man started coughing violently and his face stained red. Naruto pushed him on his side so that he wouldn't suffocate. Blood flew out of his mouth on the pure sand. He rolled back on his back.

"He doesn't know you're in the Sand. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he replied with a raspy voice.

Naruto's brow creased momentarily. "Who are you?"

"I led a group of five ninjas sent to the Wind to look for you."

"Just me or Sasuke?"

"Sasuke, but he suspected we might find you with him."

"When was that?"

The man inhaled heavily as if his breathing was becoming laboured "Almost two weeks ago"

'So he was predicting my actions…" Naruto thought.

"Were other groups sent here?"

"Not that I know of. He thought you would get this far…"

"Were the three we've already fought in your group?"

"Yes."

"And the fifth?"

"I don't know where he is." The man stopped to cough. "He separated from us the moment we left from the Sound."

"Sound? So you were there. Why are you telling me all this?"

"I want them dead. Both of them. Orochimaru and that guy... He's crazy…"

"Does he know where we are?"

"I don't know!" his voice gave out with the shout. He continued a moment later, "He could be anywhere…"

"You didn't tell Orochimaru we're here when you found out?"

"No. From the start I wanted him dead, not you. But orders are orders so…"

Sasuke limped to the entrance. Naruto turned to look at him before getting a sudden idea.

"Was there poison in the needle the girl used on Sasuke?"

"Yes," the man answered. He turned his head to the side to cough violently.

"Is it deadly?" Sasuke asked.

"No. It was only supposed to make you defenceless. And maybe if it would have hit you too…" he said looking at Naruto. "Do you want to know something else or can I go ahead and die?"

"One more question. Why do you hate Orochimaru?"

"Because I've been living in a tiny fucking cell for the last I don't know how many years of my life. And fighting for life against that maniac. Now finish me off."

Naruto raised his sword and cut the man's neck with a swift movement. He kneeled down and tore off a piece of the now dead man's shirt and wiped the blood off the sword.

"Aren't you disgracing the dead?" Sasuke questioned amused.

"Shut up. The sword needs it," the blond answered with a slight smile. He never actually considered killing nice but as something that had to be done. Finding out about their enemies was a great development and it made his mood rise. He wasn't too happy about the man dying seeing as he had co-operated quite easily but he had attacked them. Naruto had long since learned not to wallow in regret.

He threw the cloth back on the body and stood up. He used the same jutsu as last time to dispose of it. The corpse was enveloped in flames that didn't seem to spread any warmth around them despite the chilly air. They had a green shade this time.

Sasuke stared at the flames for a while. "What color are they really?"

"I don't think they're any color. It alters according to what they're destroying. I don't know how they work… "

Naruto turned to re-enter the cave but Sasuke stopped him at the entrance with his hand on his shoulder.

A small silence ensued while Naruto waited Sasuke to speak but he didn't. Naruto lifted his hand on the other's forehead. He was still worried about Sasuke's health even if the poison hadn't been lethal.

"Has your fever gone down?"

Sasuke's forehead was still a little warm but he looked healthier. He was a little pale but then again he always was.

"Yeah", he answered himself.

He moved his hand to the nape of Naruto's neck and stepped forward. He drew Naruto's head closer and connected their lips.

Naruto pulled away surprised. "What are you –"

"Shut up."

Sasuke drew him back and kissed him hungrily. Naruto blinked a couple of times before giving in. He closed his eyes and responded with the same vigour. He circled his arms to Sasuke's back. Sasuke's lips were a bit dry after the night, but Naruto barely noticed. They parted but didn't move away.

A sly smile slowly formed on Naruto's lip. "Was that just tiredness?"

"No," Sasuke replied with a soft tone. He had an unaffected look on his face but a small smile of his own fought its way on his lips.

After recovering from the initial shock the kiss had caused him, Naruto only remembered how much he really was attracted to the Uchiha. He wasn't sure what his feelings for him really were but he certainly cared about him. Part of his mind screamed that he shouldn't do this, though. He knew how much it would hurt when they would have to part ways, but he ignored those thoughts.

He had never had a serious relationship with anyone. When he was in his early teens he hadn't been too interested in dating and after Osamu died he decided he never would. Now he felt like living again was a good thing.

Sasuke's expression told him the kiss hadn't been just a whim, but he accepted it and answered simply, "Good"

ooooo

Naruto bit his thumb and drew a line of blood on his palm. He performed the necessary hand seals and hit his hand to the ground. Sasuke stood just behind him when a huge toad appeared under them. The sudden appearance would have thrown both of them off the toad's back right away if they hadn't fastened their feet to the toad's back with chakra. The toad was of a dull yellow color and it blended in with the desert sand nicely.

Naruto walked forward to the front of its head. "We'll hitch a ride, ok?"

The toad tried to turn its eyes to look at them, "Is it Naruto?"

"Yeah" Naruto leaned forward to its field of vision.

"Who's that with you?"

" Uchiha Sasuke, but we're trying to keep low profile, okay? We actually shouldn't have summoned you either but we need to get to the Sand village as fast as possible."

"Alright" The toad understood that they were in a hurry and they should get going as fast and with as little noise as possible.

"Thanks"

The toad jumped and soared high in the sky before landing softly a long distance further. It pushed up immediately and jumped again. Its landings lifted a small cloud of sand in the air but made little sound.

Naruto used a wind jutsu on his part to hide them in a sand storm. A rotary breeze picked up around them and soon lifted sand from the ground with it. It escalated into a wind and finally a gale that suffused further from them, creating a larger space around the toad where the sand didn't block the view. From inside the sandstorm it looked like they were inside a high roofless tower of sand.

The storm was better than having no shield for prying eyes but it had its downsides. Naruto had to keep it up for the whole time and keep it as wide as possible. Still, local ninjas would definitely know there was something odd about it, but in best case the local ninjas would be on their side. Naruto hadn't wanted to travel this way. It would still draw attention no matter how well hidden they were. Still, hearing that Orochimaru didn't know they were there made him feel more secure.

They had departed right after ridding the cave of evidence of them ever being there and putting their equipment together. Their travel time would be halved of how fast they could move with Sasuke's leg healthy and they wouldn't have to take any brakes to eat or rest either. It would probably take about three hours to reach the Sand now, Naruto thought.

"We have heard of Orochimaru being on move but what's your part in this, Naruto?" the toad asked while preparing for another graceful landing.

"I'm hindering him as always," Naruto answered with a grin.

"And the Uchiha?"

"That's what's hindering him. Orochimaru wants him as a new container for his soul and that's why we're getting away from Konoha. He was surrounding it with his troops when we left."

The toad understood and remained silent for a while. "You're in an awfully good mood, Naruto."

Naruto raised his eyebrows in question. "I am?" He thought about it for a few seconds and gave a small grin, "I guess you're right."

Sasuke sat a bit behind Naruto changing the gauze on his leg. He gave a small smile himself listening to Naruto's discussion. He was in an awfully good mood, too. It finally felt like things were starting to go according to plan.