When The Demons Wake

Hey everybody! I'm really sorry for the very, very long wait. Almost three weeks I believe. But as I ask every chapter, please leave 2 reviews and you'll get the next chapter much quicker. Thanks for the reviews and the alerts so far, keep them coming!

A.N. Warning - This chapter contains yaoi. Italics means that's someone's thought or emphasis, or a demon speaking.

Have fun!

Chapter 10: Recuperation

Naruto sat on a flat slab of rock, leaning his back against a large boulder behind him. His injured leg was stretched out before him, and even with the bandage covering the wound, the blonde could tell it was in its final stages of healing. Now his ankle was simply badly bruised and sore. Saskue sat atop the boulder he was leaning on, watching their surroundings with a trained eye. The shinobi had recovered most his strength from using the Mangekyo Sharingan and being a conduit for the Five Tails chakra. The raven didn't show his tiredness, but after being with him for so long, Naruto could see how the Uchiha's movements were less graceful than usual. Zayn on the other hand, clearly showed his sleepiness. He leaned next to Naruto, his knees pulled up to his chest and his cheek resting on them for support. His usually large brown eyes were droopy, but the boy fought off the land of dreams, occasionally shaking his head or patting his face repeatedly.

Naruto wanted to set up early camp even though it was only mid afternoon, but he knew after all three of their demons using some amount of chakra, the Osamu would be right on their trail. They needed to move away from this position quickly to avoid any confrontation. Torin had left around fifteen minutes ago, the blonde guessing he would only have just reached his village. Naruto sighed and pulled his bag closer to him, taking out a few snack bars full of sugar; just the thing to keep their energy levels high. He handed one of the bars to Zayn, who immediately broke out into a grin and began tearing off the wrapper.

The blonde tilted his neck back so he was looking up and called to the man sitting there. "Oi, teme. Catch," he said before tossing the bar above him, seeing a hand snatch out and grab it. "Eat it, you need to keep your energy up." He heard his lover grunt in reply, knowing the raven would ever admit he needed the food. The blonde finished his own bar quickly, finding the chewing, fruity bar too good to be put down.

"Torin's on his way," Sasuke noted, and Naruto tilted his head up to look over another rock and saw the Uchiha was right. A minute later Torin's figure became more defined and solid.

"Back already? That was quick," Naruto commented as Torin slowed to a stop before them, a black back pack slung over one shoulder. The man simply smiled before lowering himself to the floor, crossing his legs and letting his bag fall from his back, his breath only slightly abnormal.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly and studied him, and from where he was sitting, made it look like a predator eyeing his prey. "You run like a shinobi, and move like one too. Yet you have no head plate to show where you are from." There was an unspoken question in the Uchiha's statement, and Torin shifted his steely gaze to the man.

"When I was younger, I had trained to become a shinobi," Torin explained quietly, a flicker of sadness passing over his eyes.

"Really?" Naruto asked. "What happened? Aren't you still one now?"

"In a way I am, but my training was stopped just before I graduated." Torin took a deep breath before continuing. "You see, the cluster of villages in this area has a main village, where all those who wish to become shinobi are trained. In that village is a master shinobi, and the only one who is allowed to teach the basics for you to become official. After graduating, you can return to your own village where you work alongside the shinobi already there. However, at that time there was a raid in the main village, and the master was outnumbered and outskilled. He was very old, and he lost his life trying to protect the village. There was no one who took up his position, and so shinobi were no longer trained to the full extent. Anyway, I doubt I would have been allowed to graduate not long after that. It was a month later when the Seven Tails was sealed in me."

"Eh? You were a teenager when the demon was sealed in you?" Naruto asked in surprise. At Torin's nod, the blonde leaned back in thought. "That's kinda strange. Both me and Gaara had our demons sealed practically at birth, and Zayn too. I thought it had to be at that time, before the Jinchuuriki had grown too much."

Torin frowned. "Who's Gaara?"

Naruto blinked and looked to the man. "Oh, he's the Kazekage in Suna. His demon was sealed by the Akitsuki, but we managed to save him."

"He survived loosing the demon? I thought that was impossible without killing the host."

"It is," Sasuke said. "According to everyone, Gaara technically died but this old woman gave her life to bring him back. It was just luck that let him live. In Naruto's case, he almost died too."

"Well, you can't help but hope. But I settled with the fact I'm stuck like this years ago. At least I got a few years of a normal life before becoming a host." Torin turned his gaze to Zayn, the boy blinking and leaning away from the man's intent stare.

"What?" Zayn asked, a light blush tinting his cheeks at being stared at.

"Your demon is strong. I can feel it... With sealed demons, their physical strength means nothing, but their chakra can still be used. Your demon is stronger than my own in that sense, but again his power means nothing as you cannot use it. I feel his frustration," Torin explain in a calm voice, Zayn looking at him in puzzlement.

"Hey, can you talk to your demon?" the blonde asked after listening to him.

"Yes. After an accident where I almost died, Kaku began speaking to me, and I started to form my own techniques with his guidance. If he hadn't acted that day and gave me his chakra, we would have perished. I guess the threat of loosing his life gave him the chance to push through the seal."

"That's good then, you'll be able to fight for yourself if we're attacked," Sasuke said, leaning back on his hands. Naruto saw Zayn retreat back into his former position, holding his knees to his chest.

"I'm sorry. You have to keep protecting me, and I can't do anything to help..." Zayn mumbled quietly, taking Sasuke's comment personally.

Naruto frowned as the boy stared intently at the ground, fiddling with his shoelace, a guilty look on his face. The blonde pulled Zayn into a one arm hug, ruffling his hair gently. "Don't be silly, it's not your fault. And you help out at camp. You're only eight, you have an excuse not to fight."

"So now what? Where do we go from here?" Torin asked patiently. He was in no rush to leave, but if what Naruto had told him was correct, the Osamu would be able to tell where they were, especially when three of them were in one area.

"Next up is the Land of Lightning to find the Six Tails. We're going to head to the coast and take a boat from there," Naruto answered.

Torin frowned. "If my memory is correct, wouldn't it be better to go across land through the Land of Sound and the other smaller countries?"

"Although sailing around might take longer, with Zayn it'll be easier and safer than running the whole way. Plus, there are some places where we shouldn't really go... old enemies and things like that," Naruto smiled nervously, glancing at Sasuke through the corner of his eye. Not only was the Land of Sound one of the places Orochimaru had a hideout in, but it is also where his report had rumoured the unsealed Eight Tails to be. He wouldn't want to endanger Zayn or the others by going through that land, especially when it would bring up bad memories for his lover.

"It's your mission," Torin said, accepting the route they would take. "When do we leave?"

"Seeing as we're all ready, now I guess. We need to get some distance from this place before we stop for the night, so we might as well make a move," Naruto answered, slowly standing and testing his weight on his foot, wincing as pain shot up through the muscle.

"But you're injured, shouldn't you rest a little longer?" Torin asked, but stood all the same.

"Don't need to," the blonde said with a smile. "I'm not gonna use that leg."

Zayn's forehead wrinkled as he went over what the blonde had said. "You're going to hop all the way?"

"What?" Naruto asked before realising what he said and burst out laughing. "No, of course not. Here, I'll show you. Take my bag?" he asked, turning to Sasuke.

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow and jumped down to their level. "You want me to carry your bag and Zayn?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, knowing that combined weight was nothing his lover couldn't handle. "No, I'm taking Zayn."

Sasuke finally understood and frowned. "Isn't that a little dangerous?" Torin and Zayn listened in silence, not understanding what the two shinobi were talking about.

"I'm not gonna drop him. I'll use chakra to keep him on," the blonde replied as Sasuke took his bag from his outstretched hand. The blonde limped back a few steps and with a quick flash of dark purple, he transformed into his second demon form. Standing next to the others, he was just a little shorter than Sasuke at his full height. Keeping his weight off his back paw, Naruto leaned down before Zayn and waited for Sasuke to sit the boy on his back. When the surprised boy was placed on his back, his small hands clenched the thick red fur tightly. Through his mind Naruto spoke.

"Don't worry about falling off. Plus, it's more fun this way."

Zayn gave a nervous smile and relaxed slightly. Sasuke pulled both bags over his shoulders and took out the map, checking it before setting off.

"So that's what happened. I got really confused when we were fighting when I felt your partner leave to the trees, and then all of a sudden there were four feet on the earth instead of two. You had transformed," Torin said quietly, looking over the horse-size fox with something like respect in his gaze.

"Is that how you tracked us? You felt our movements in the earth?" Naruto asked, receiving a nod from the man. He glanced to Naruto's back paw.

"Sorry 'bout that."

Naruto smiled in his mind, his tongue slipping from his mouth in a strange looking animal-grin. "No problem."

"Are you coming or what?" Sasuke called out to them, and slowly the group set out, heading north-east to the coast.

Salt air hung heavy all around them, accompanied by the rhythmic splashing of the waves. The skies were filled with dark grey clouds as the sun hovered over the horizon, but the water looked too calm for a storm to be approaching. Seagulls squawked out overhead, calling back and forth to their companions. The village was small and simple, but like most coast villages, was filled to the brim of inns and pubs, along with drunken sailors and workmen. Along the docks, multiple boats in a wide range of sizes and designs bobbed up and down, swaying back and forth softly. Nets and barrels were lined up along most of the wooden decks, some even holding crates of dead fish or other caught animals.

Leaning against one of the wooden railings, Naruto watched the large, blurry men pass buy, hauling their goods back and forth between warehouses and their ships. Zayn and Sasuke stood patiently beside him, and the group awaited the return of their last member with news of their hired ship. It had taken them ten days to reach the small village, and in that time Naruto's wound had fully healed, and he had gotten to know more about Torin. It turned out the man was quite a bit more like Sasuke than Naruto had first thought. Not only was he usually quiet, but he hardly ever showed any happy emotion apart from the rare smile. He kept to himself and talked only when needing to, or to supply some valuable information. On the good side, the blonde had gotten to see how the man fought in close quarters when they ran into three more squads of Osamu. That at least had settled his fears over protecting another member of their group.

Luckily enough, Torin had brought a tent with him, and so the man usually shared with Zayn or slept on his own. Another bonus of having a trained man with them was regulating night shifts. Now the three grown men rotated between them every night, ensuring they got enough sleep. At least Sasuke was pleased when he got to share a tent with his blonde, giving them a little more alone time even though Naruto protested to doing anything too extravagant, knowing the others were in ears-length. Naruto sighed, bored after having waiting for so long. Torin had said he would be able to find someone willing to sail them around the coast to the Land of Lightning, without explanations or a high price. But the man had been gone for almost an hour, and even after exploring the few buildings next to the docks, he still hadn't returned.

But as if willed by his thoughts, Torin appeared in the corner of his eye and Naruto bounced to his feet. "Finally! What took you so long? We've been sitting here for ages!"

"Quiet down dobe, do you want to attract unwanted attention to us?" Sasuke muttered, but a look of relief passed over his features.

Ignoring the blonde who was still blubbering about how numb he was from sitting, Torin spoke over him. "I found us a ship at a reasonable price, but it doesn't leave until the morning. There was another ship leaving tonight, but it was a little too shifty and unsteady for my liking."

"I guess we better find a place to stay. Know any decent inns around here?" Sasuke asked Torin, again blocking out Naruto's further complaints at having to wait to leave until the next day.

"I asked the captain of our ship and he gave me directions to a good inn," the man replied, hefting his bag higher over his shoulder and starting out into the town, the rest of the group slowly following.

"Look at it this way Naruto," the Uchiha said, cutting off the blonde, "you get to have a properly prepared meal and a bed to sleep in. Doesn't that sound better than a dirt floor or a cramped cabin on a ship?"

Naruto blinked and tilted his head. "Do you think they'll sell ramen?"

Naruto sighed happily as he rolled over in the single bed. His stomach was full with his favourite food, and his body was finally clean after days of travelling. He had never felt better. His clothes had been washed and were hung out to dry in the corner of the room. It was small, yet cosy. The one bed filled most of the space, save the table and chair, and the small wardrobe with draws. The walls were painted a light grey, and Naruto easily spotted they had been repainted recently. The inn they were staying at was cheap, but wasn't of poor quality. The floorboards creaked and the shutters outside the window flapped annoyingly, but otherwise the room was perfect. Much better than the outdoors anyway.

The room was pitch black, night having crept upon them while they were eating downstairs. Each of the members of their party had their own room, Zayn and Torin being straight across from himself and Sasuke. After persuading no one would attack them, Zayn had finally gone to his own room, a little scared as he had never been alone before with having so many siblings. Before coming into the village, Sasuke had set up more of his traps around the whole perimeter, so if any shinobi entered, he would know about it. Torin had even said he would listen to the earth for any strange movements that could be the Osamu. Torin had been right when he said this was a good place to stay. The innkeeper even supplied them with fresh food and supplies. Their ship left three hours after dawn, and was only just around the corner. Everything was ready, and Naruto was pleased he was finally going to sleep on something soft.

He lay there, snuggled into the pillow facing away from his door, the thick quilts keeping him warm. He just closed his eyes when he heard a click. His eyes flew open, but he kept his body still. He knew the lock on his door had just been picked, seeing as he had the only key sitting over on the table. The handle rattled as it was turned and the door was slid open briefly, a trickle of light flowing into the room before plunging into darkness again. Naruto slowly prepared to leap off the bed, but jumped when he heard Sasuke speak.

"It's just me dobe." There was another click as his door was locked again.

Naruto whirled into a kneeling position on the mattress, facing the intruder. The covers slipped off his shoulders, revealing his shorts and sleeveless shirt. The blonde waved his arms threateningly while hoarsely whispering, "Damn it, teme! I could have attacked you!"

"Hn. Like you could hurt me," the Uchiha smirked, stepping over to the bed. Moonlight that shone through the window alerted Naruto to the fact Sasuke was only wearing his trousers. The raven's skin looked even paler than usual and his muscles looked smooth to the touch. The blonde faltered for a moment before replying.

"What are you doing anyway, sneaking into my room like that?"

Sasuke stopped before his lover who was still on his knees, making the blonde's height a head shorter than himself. The Uchiha slowly smiled, unfolding his arms. "I guess you could say I'm feeling a little... tense."

"Tense? Why are you feeling tense?" Naruto asked, not noticing the look in the raven's eyes.

Sasuke still smirked however, and let a finger trail down Naruto's chest lightly. "In other words, you could say I'm sexually frustrated." The Uchiha stepped closer, leaning over the blonde and looking down on him.

"Oh..." Naruto said quietly before realisation hit him. "You mean you sneaked in here just for that! Why you -" He was suddenly cut off as Sasuke pulled him into a deep kiss. When the Uchiha let him go, Naruto scowled at him.

"It's been what, three weeks? Can't you go for longer?" he asked, suddenly grinning at how much he was wanted by the other man.

"Are you going to resist? I know for a fact you feel the same way. Just last night you were whispering my name in your sleep," Sasuke whispered, his voice full of hunger and mirth. Naruto was just glad it was dark as he felt a blush sweep over his cheeks. He was unexpectedly pushed sideways back on the bed, his head hitting the pillow and his legs getting tangled in his covers painfully.

"Ow! Teme!"

Sasuke swiped the covers away, leaving them at the foot of the bed. He turned back and slowly straddled the blonde's hips, resting one hand on his chest and the other on the mattress beside his head. He leaned down and captured his lover's lips with his own, feeling the heat of the other radiate off him. Naruto responded to the kiss almost half-heartedly, keeping his arms on the bed. The Uchiha leaned back, looking down and noting the frustration and temptation in the other's features.

"What? You not going to do anything?" Sasuke smiled, feeling satisfaction when Naruto scowled at him again.

"You just come in here and think I'm going to comply after just getting a bed to sleep in for the first time in over three weeks? Pah."

"Hmm... How about this. We'll see how long you can last without moving your legs or arms, or making any... pleasurable noises... The winner gets to top next time," Sasuke said seductively. He watched as Naruto's eyes widened slightly for a moment before grinning.

"It's a deal."

Sasuke took no time before kissing the blonde again, this time receiving back as much passion as he was putting into it. He smirked in his mind and let his hands flow over Naruto's firm chest and stomach, separating from him for only a second as he yanked off the sleeveless shirt that kept him from tan skin. He felt Naruto shiver beneath him from his cold hands, but after that the blonde went back to being immobile. Sasuke began a trail of kisses down the blonde's chin, across his jaw line and over his neck. He teased the body below him, nipping at Naruto's neck while one hand slowly played with the blonde's nipple. In a short space of time, Naruto's breathing was already faster than normal, his chest rising and falling beneath the Uchiha's hold. Making his way back up Naruto's neck, Sasuke stopped just below the blonde's ear and suddenly sunk his teeth into the vulnerable flesh.

Naruto gasped at the pain before it was soon pushed passed as he felt Sasuke's skillful tongue wash over the bite mark, his mouth clamping back over to suck on the skin. In his mind he swore at the raven for leaving such a big mark in clear view for others to see. He went to smack the shinobi over the back of the head but remembered he wasn't meant to move. After sucking on his neck a little longer, Sasuke pulled away and smiled and the red mark he left. He looked down into Naruto's blue eyes and noted the trickle of sweat that fell back into his hairline.

"You gasped, dobe. That means I win."

Naruto frowned before narrowing his eyes. "You said pleasurable sounds, not one of surprise."

"So I did," he replied, putting on airs as if he was thinking deeply about it. "Fair enough. It's more fun if we continue anyway."

"Teme -"

"And no taking either," the Uchiha added with a smile.

Naruto huffed but his breath was soon coming with less ease again as Sasuke continued to trail wet kisses down his neck and chest, over his stomach and back up again, never going below his waist all while the raven played with his sensitive areas with his hands. Sasuke leaned down and kissed the blonde's lips passionately. He gently nipped at the lower lip, asking for entrance. Naruto complied immediately and Sasuke wasted no time as he sunk his tongue into the warm cavern. At first, his lover battled him over dominance, but using a trick Naruto himself had once used, he shifted his weight and ground his hips into the other. The raven felt some satisfaction as he saw Naruto clench his fists into the sheets and his back arched of the bed ever so slightly. With his concentration diverted, Sasuke quickly took control of the kiss.

When the need for air became to overpowering, Sasuke pulled away and smirked down to his lover. The blonde's face was filled with a range of emotions. He was gasping to get back his breath and his forehead was burrowed into a frown as he could not touch the raven the way he wanted. His eyes held annoyance and lust and clashed together like a storm at sea. Naruto's mouth opened as if he were about to speak, but he thought aboout it a moment longer and remained silent, his frown deepening. Sasuke's smile widened before he resumed his kisses over the tan chest. He was close to winning. Naruto was starting to break and what was left of his control was fading.

But then a thought hit Sasuke. He remembered past bets and deals they had made and with some surprise he found that he, Uchiha Sasuke, always lost when it came to bets in the bed chamber. He always won in other things, give or take a few subjects, mainly focusing on the blonde's appetite. He could never eat as much as his lover, who seemed to have a bottomless pit as a stomach. Even as he continued playing with the body beneath him, Sasuke thought back and realised Naruto didn't exactly win, but rather the raven gave up. He recalled the bet they had placed on a race they once had; whoever won got to top in bed. While they had gone at a steady, even pace, the Uchiha couldn't help but get distracted. So he decided to lag behind and watch the blonde run rather than win the race. But this deal was slightly different, something felt as if it were missing and Sasuke wanted it back, even if he couldn't remember what it was. But then the truth hit him like a hammer.

Sasuke stopped his actions and leaned back, frowning in thought. He glanced up into Naruto's blue eyes and saw him raise an eyebrow in question. The raven sighed. "All right, you win."

Naruto looked puzzled and hesitantly spoke, wondering if the Uchiha was trying to make him talk so he would lose. "I... win? Why?"

Sasuke smirked and softly kissed his lover. "Because I don't like it when I can't hear you moan, and I don't like not feeling your hands on me."

Naruto watched him a moment before a grin spread across his face, his eyes coming alight. He let out a laugh and threw his arms around the raven's neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. "You suck at these games, Sasuke. But by all means, don't stop what you were doing."

Sasuke smiled and complied with his lover's wishes.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!

KCT