Hello….again.

Well, after all those reviews I had to update so there. Or here. I'm not sure.

Slatedfox, you disabled your private message feature so how am I ever going to reply to all your questions? Gah. Toothbrush fan girl, thank you again for being so enthusiastic, as well as all you other randoms who review my work. You are all rather excellent. And for all those who didn't see the change in Kakashi, (Toothbrush I think you're the only one who didn't snap, lol) I hope this chapter explains things a little more. Big bad fox appears, LOVE.

Chapter Nine: What neither will admit.

In the woods, there was sound. Lots of little sounds, that combined together to make one, BIG, sound. It surrounded him, Naruto, and it was almost enough to drown out the sound inside. The sound that was plaguing him and raising the beast within him.

Little foxling. How pathetic you are.

Shut up, Naruto thought irritably.

So pathetic. And why? Because your heart sings for a man who is already in harmony with someone else? I weep for you, foxling. Truly.

Shut up, Naruto thought again, completely dead pan. It had begun to rain while he was running and he had sought shelter in the crook of a tree, his legs brought up to his chin. Shut up, You don't understand.

No foxling. I am afraid you don't understand. Why are you so sad? Hmmmm? Can you tell me that?

Naruto thought for a moment and contented himself with, Shut up. You don't know.

Ah. I see.

After that, there was only silence. Intercepted by the faint dark chuckling of a large fox.

Sasuke was furious. Before he had been sad, terrified for Naruto's safety and well being. But at the thought of Naruto in another mans arms, all that sadness. That sorrow. Had turned to bile in his mouth. And pure, undoubting fury is what remained. What reason had Naruto to run away from him? Had he not been a generous master?

Had he not been a good friend?

And more?
Why had he run? Naruto, you absolute bastard, when I find you I'm going to…

A thousand responses ran through his head.

….Hurt you…

…Kiss you…

…Hold you…

…Kill you, you fucking bastard….

…How dare you…

…How dare you…

…Hw dare you leave me! LEAVE ME!...

Sasuke packed light, which is to say he brung no rations, no water, no shelter. What he did bring however was a large net, a bottle of knock out pills and several weapons for bludgeoning. He mounted up and turned quickly in his saddle to nod a short goodbye to his Moon shadow.

Kakashi returned the nod with a languid wave.

Sasuke left.

Naruto turned off. That was the only way to describe the lifeless eyes he gave the world. The soft parted lips. The dulled senses. He didn't hear the thundering hooves or feel the dark coil of ice blue and colt black chakra, searching, searching, searching. He never felt it touch him, cradle him, and entrap him. Moments later, the sound of hoof beats got louder. He did not hear them. He was listening to an inner music of shadows and long, piercing notes. He didn't feel it when he was roughly pulled along by his collar. Nor did he feel the mud on his legs, as he was dragged along the ground. He did however, and this brung him out of his trance, remember the faint scent of something strange and odd and pleasing. He did however, recall the feel of fingers on his skin. And even if he hadn't, the round house punch that connected with his face, certainly would have put a few things straight. He awoke behind his eyes to see an almost ironic sight. Sasuke standing above him.

Only where was the umbrella? The shock collar? Where was Sasuke's constant calm and cutting remarks. Naruto, who pain could no longer touch, it pitied him so, opened his arms to the words he thought would follow. And was surprised when it was fist instead. And then an elbow. And, ow, what the fuck Sasuke?

He put his hands up, mostly to defend himself but also to try and stop the raven haired boy from hitting him.

It didn't stop him, mostly it just made him angrier

"Sasuke? What the- stop it. Stop it you bastard!" Naruto said tackling Sasuke's legs so they were sprawled with Naruto on top. Sasuke quickly moved to correct this. Kicking Naruto and turning so he was on top.

"Sasuke what are you doing. Ow! Stop that! What the-ow!...OW!" Sasuke stilled momentarily, breathing hard, his hands still pinning Naruto to the ground. He wasn't thinking. HE had found Naruto's chakra and had come with out thinking. Struck with out thinking. He was just so angry.

"Naruto…" He said, biting out the words. "Why…?"

Naruto stopped stock still, noticing something he'd been to blinded by pain to notice before. Trailing down Sasuke's usually always calm and composed face, were tears. Blood hot and streaming.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at the boy beneath him. "Why did you leave me, Naruto?"

Naruto gulped. He hadn't wanted to answer that question, because he didn't know.

Don't lie, foxling.

He ignored that thought. He didn't know. He wouldn't, he refused to, he couldn't acknowledge knowing. Because the real reason, the actual reason he was so mad, was impossible. Absolutely impossible. Why would the thought of Kakashi and Sasuke, ARGHHHH! He could harldy think it.

Yes. Why would that make him mad? He turned his face to the side, refusing to admit what he could barley think. He aid gruffly, "I don't know. I just…did."

"…Liar." There was a thud, as Sasuke's fist connected with Naruto's face, then everything went dark for the blonde.

Sasuke kicked the boy once more, in a last spurt of rage, before lugging him up and tying him to his horse with the net. The ride back was longer than he expected or cared about. All that mattered was that Naruto was back. Later, and he knew this for a fact, he would regret his action. Regret hurting Anruto. But right now all he could feel was a deep relief at having the boy back. And you are back, Sauske thought withholding tears. Because it was one thing to leave withous any reason, it was another rto lie about it. That htougth prickled Sasuek all the way back to the castle. Why had Naruto left? What was so terrible that he hadn't told him. He gave instruction for the boy to be put to bed, in his room. He wasn't going to take the chance of the boy escaping again. With that, he trudged up the stairs, wet and muddy and bruised. He was tired, and all he wanted was a little peace. But before that…

He steeped into his MOonshadows room and felt the familiar coil of the grey haired mans arm tighten around his throat. "moon shadow?" Sasuke said lifting one eyebrow.

"My apologies lord."

Sasuke shrugged. Kakashi was just wary, but a war would do that to you.

"Naruto is hurt."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to lift an eyebrow in question. Sasuek shook his head.

"Please. No questions. I'm just…tired. Call her, if you will?"

"Her, your lord? Surely you're not referring to that woman?"

"Please."

Kakashi hesitated….and then nodded.

"Is that all sir?"
"Yes, I…" He fell, his eyes closing as he went.

Kakashi moved, catching the boy in his arms and staring at him. Searching his features for a string or consciousness. No. Nothing. Safe in the belief that his master was unconscious, and could not hear of see him, Kakashi lifted the boy up in his arms and carried him to a piece of rather unremarkable wall. He gave it a kick, and a passage opened. It was narrow, but well lit, and Kakashi stepped into it readily enough. The moon shadow had been told about these secret passages by the last king. If any one knew about them, it would mean death for his lord. And that, he could not risk.

After a few turns, and more walking, he arrived with his bundle and placed it in bed. Tucking it in, as always. It was funny, Kakakshi had never usually been this parental. But the young lord had changed him. He remembered. He never thought of the night he was turned. It was all rather morbid and quite dramatic. He remembered blood, a lot of it, and several things that may have once been human beings. He remembered Sasuke's father, that raven lord himself, killing the Scorn he had come to think of as, well, not family. And not friends, certainly. But…associates, he supposed, or rather attractive (by no means surpassing himself) servants. He had been newly changed and he had yet to feed from a blood source. Seeing him, gasping for death, the raven lord had crouched over him, his dark eyes penetrating.

"Kakashi…"
He couldn't speak. His throat was dry with thirst.

He didn't know why the old man did what he did, but that night he drank, and the blood of the Uchiha clan suffused with his own. He was born, he was new, and through the blood, he was tied now. Tied.

He didn't resent Sasuke, nor did he resent the mans father. Of course it would have been nice to know that with out the blood of a powerful ninja such as the Uchiha clan, he would die, but hey, those were the breaks. It's not like he hardly needed to feed from the young lord. Fort nightly, really. He only ever needed extra blood for one thing, and that he could take form his partner at the time. The blood kept his body going. The energy form his lord kept his spirit from dying.

All in all, a wonderful state of existence.

He smiled. Because sometimes, briefly, there were times when he actually believed that himself.

There was a call, she answered it.

"You know who this is."

It wasn't a question so she didn't bother answering.

"He needs you. He…." Kakshi chose his words carefully. "Something precious has been broken."

She stirred at this. Remembering the young boys supple, over all fragile flesh.

"Go on." Her husky morning voice said, ellicting shivers across the mans skin.

"When will you be here?"

"Close your eyes and dream of me. Isn't that usually how I appear before you?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Soon, Moon shadow. Soon."

"Good," Kakahsi said, hanging up on the woman. He didn't want her to come. Not really. That insipid, annoying, gorgeous, irritating woman.

He felt a thrumming within him that had nothing to do with the current turmoil of emotions within him and everything to do with his duties.

He dissipated and reappeared in front of his master.

It might surprise you to know how very far away he was form the castle when he did this.

Isn't he lovely? I don't know, man. I'm becoming more attached to him. Kakashi that is. I'm not sure why so many of you dislike him. Care on explaining? Well, any way. As you can proabably tell, I am enormously vain ad update more when I get reviews, so. review people. Do it. Not because I'm awesome (thoughI am), or because I am extremely attractive (and I am that too), but becuase you are all wonderful generous people who, despite that, like indulging in pervy sasunaru actvities.