Yo! Sorry the updates are taking so long. My creative juices aren't flowing in the right directions. I'll try to be quicker so please enjoy this chapter. I know it's short and I apologize, but they'll get longer and better (hopefully). Enjoy!
Chapter Eleven. In Which Neko-Jin Isn't Just For T.V. Anymore.
Sasuke caught him before he could hit the floor and carried him to the couch.
"I see you've used Tsunade's Gift. What for?"
"There was a djinn here." Sasuke spat. "Bloodlust sent it with orders to kidnap the cat and kill the human."
"Shit." Shikamaru surveyed the damage. "Did it put up that much of a fight?"
"It was two at first. I didn't use the Gift until we were cornered. As far as I know, it didn't know I had that ability."
"Bloodlust will get suspicious when the djinn doesn't report back."
"Let him. He knows I'm not going back unless I'm forced to." Sasuke glared at them, frowning as Neji began to approach the boy. "What are you going to do?"
"Erase his memories. He'll have no knowledge of this." Neji leaned down, pulling his headband free. Sasuke's arm shot out to grab his shoulder.
"No."
"It's not your choice, Uchiha." Shikamaru's shadows snarled around his wrist and pulled him back. Neji leaned over him, pressing their foreheads together. He began to whisper, opening his eyes, Naruto's following suit. His veins around his eyes began to bulge and pulse. He leaned back a bit, so the tips of their noses touched, and began to whisper again. Soft wisps of light began to drift out of his mouth, Naruto's eyes started to roll back.
"No!" Neji was thrown backwards, falling against the armrest. The blond surged upwards, moving past them to the wall. Shikamaru's shadows dissipated, freeing Sasuke who began to approach the boy.
"Naruto." He said, warily. He raised his hands in a placating manner. "It's okay."
Red eyes snapped up to meet him. Utter rage filled his face, those thin scars on his cheeks darkening like whiskers. His tail twitched.
"You're not taking his memories. I won't be forgotten." He hissed. "You won't erase me."
"You're not Naruto, are you?" Shikamaru said as he helped Neji to his feet. The god swayed dangerously, struggling to stay upright.
"No. Kyu. I'm Kyu." He whispered. "You won't make Naruto forget me."
"We won't." Sasuke promised as he glared at the other two over his shoulders.
"I can't. Too strong. I can't take his memories just like I can't take any of the high gods." Shikamaru's eyebrows raised as Sasuke's tail twitched. Neji shook his head and clambered for the headband. He covered the pulsating tattoo on his forehead and shuddered.
"Too right. My memories stay where they are." He hissed.
"No one will touch them." He promised. "Let me speak to Naruto."
He sneered at them. "After finally possessing this body, you think I'll give it up?" He laughed. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I need to talk to Naruto. Bring him back."
"Fuck you." He spat, stalking forward to shove the cat-god. "I obey no one."
"Kyu." Sasuke's arm shot out, grabbing him as he tried to shoulder past. "If you won't bring him back, I will."
The blond stilled, gasping as red energy began to leak out of his body at where Sasuke clutched his arm.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm the God of Hate. You hate everyone, don't you? So potent. Let me feed on it." Sasuke whispered, drawing the energy out easily. It was stronger and older than anything ever before. Addicting. "Bring out Naruto before I take everything from you."
"Fuck you!" Red eyes blazed like a forest fire before they dulled down to blue. "I'm not giving up, Uchiha. Bastard."
Sasuke caught him as he collapsed, carrying him back to the couch as he started to wake up again.
"Awful dream." He whispered, pressing his hands to his face. "Fuck."
"Not a dream, Naruto."
He jumped, hands pushing him upright. "No way. You've gotta be shitting me."
"We're not shitting you." Shikamaru sighed, leaning against the wall. Neji shook his head as he looked at him. Naruto's eyes finally stopped on the cat-person and he colored.
"You were really the cat, weren't you?"
Sasuke nodded. "And I'm about to be the cat again in," He looked over at the wall. "Twenty-two hours."
"No fucking way." He took a few breaths, before he looked up again. "Okay. You were the cat. Do you have a name?"
"I told you earlier." His eyebrow rose in amusement. "Sasuke."
"Okay then, Sasuke. What the hell are you doing here?! Why were you the cat?!"
"Uchiha's being punished. He broke our laws and was sent to Earth to live as a cat." Shikamaru smirked.
"You're an alien?!" Naruto's head shot up, eyes wide.
"Hell no! I'm a God!" Sasuke tossed his head, ears twitching.
"What about you two?" His eyes narrowed as they fell on them. "Since you all seem to know each other."
"We're Gods. We trained with Uchiha at the Academy." Shikamaru shrugged. "Listen, it's probably best that he comes back with us. Hell will continue to send demons here for him. If he leaves, they won't have any reason to come after you."
"No." Surprised, everyone turned to Sasuke. "I'm not leaving here."
"Uchiha." Neji made a sound of annoyance and flipped his hair back behind his shoulder. "You can't stay here just for a little power trip. He's going to be targeted by Hell's higher ups. You're stuck as a cat. There's no way to protect either him or yourself."
"You are only here so that my powers aren't stolen. You don't give a damn about me or him. You care about Heaven."
"So should you! Think of how many lives could be lost because you were too weak to protect yourself. I won't let Heaven fall to the Kurayami just so you can have a few hours of satisfaction." Neji growled, grabbing his arm.
"I'm not staying for that!" Sasuke shoved him off, taking Naruto's arm tightly. "Listen. When Kakashi was here, he told me something. He told me to get to know the kid. He said we weren't that different. I think I understand what he meant."
"Sasuke." Shikamaru's voice was sharp.
"Seventeen years ago as the humans count. Seventeen years ago, the gods captured the rebellious god and cast him down to Heaven to live as a mortal, until the human died. Surely you felt that power from before. I've been around the Kurayami and if nothing else, they heightened my sensitivity toward power. That power is the strongest in Naruto." Sasuke stood then, still holding his arm tightly with one hand. He kept his eyes on Naruto, ignoring the others. "Naruto. What is Kyu?"
"How the hell do you know that name?" He grabbed Sasuke's free arm and tried to push him back. "How do you know that?"
"Naruto, what was the last thing you remember just before you collapsed?"
"They just walked in."
"Then what?"
"Nothing. I don't remember anything." He trembled, blue eyes widening.
"Exactly. Naruto, I talked to Kyu while you passed out."
"I've gotten worse. It's like before. Just like before." Naruto seemed to pull into himself then, shaking heavily.
"This is why I can't leave him. Kyu is the god that was sealed away. His hatred because of that has destroyed his life. I can't just walk away. He's as big a target as I am. With my powers, they could destroy Heaven. But they would need to take them from me first. If they unleashed Kyu, converted him to their side, there would be nothing you could do to stop him. I'm staying here to protect him."
Naruto's face was covered in tears when he finally looked back at him. He felt that uneasiness from before swell again, and sat down on the couch beside him. He gathered him to his side, letting him cry into his shoulder.
"You can keep watch on us, get a room upstairs or something. Whatever. I'm not leaving and neither is he."
"Yeah. Stay here, Sasuke." Shikamaru was watching this, undisguised surprise on his face. Neji looked as stunned as he did. "We'll look into that. See you soon, then."
They left, Sasuke's eyes following them until they were out the door. He sighed and turned back to the shaking body beside him, at a loss of what to do. Itachi would be better at this comfort thing. He tried to remember back to when he was young and needed his brother's comfort.
-X-
Naruto nearly jumped when he felt a hand petting his hair, and soft reassurances being whispered. He calmed down soon enough, the body he was leaning on very warm. He really wanted to sleep and forget everything. He contemplated just doing it when he remembered something Sasuke had said. Twenty-two hours.
He pulled away, face flaming as he began to notice things about his guest.
"Naruto?"
He looked up, meeting black eyes uneasily. "Yeah?"
"You're going to be fine. I won't let them hurt you." His face was so serious and calm, it reassured him a bit.
"What did you do to end up stuck as a cat?"
"I broke their laws. Some people were killed. I squandered the reviving abilities that are already slipping away. I fought for their enemy."
"Why?"
It was such an innocent question. He knew nothing about the war between Heaven and Hell. The Gods and the Kurayami. The betrayal and the resentment. The injustice and the hypocrisy. Sasuke smirked a bit.
"I'm not sure why. I just thought it was the right thing to do."
"How could betraying your friends be the right thing?"
"The Older Gods have been lying to the population. A lot of the Kurayami don't support the war effort. When Judgment was cast on them, many of them were too young to fight and it was mostly Gods in Heaven against Gods who supported Hell. A lot of the demons didn't even have interest in the war. It was wrong for them to be cast out and neglected when they had no ill will. Only one demon was admitted into Heaven and she was the wife of Heaven's General. Thousands were abandoned because of intolerance.
They cried for revenge and vengeance but not against Heaven. They laid blame where it was deserved. At the feet of their General. I killed him. When I returned, I was punished. I didn't mind then, but now I know. They left me here nearly defenseless with Hell out for blood. My friends can take care of themselves for now."
Naruto was silent as he listened. There was so much to be admired about a man who protected those considered his enemies. For being the God of Hate, Sasuke was surprisingly noble and generous. He smiled at the thought before he looked up. He even saved him from collapsing into himself. Sasuke was a good person, though he tried to hide it.
"Thanks. For saving my life. And for staying here." He averted his eyes, unwilling to meet Sasuke's. Movement caught his eye and his gaze dropped to Sasuke's tail. It flicked back and forth like a metronome. Without thinking, he caught the end, petting it gently. Sasuke gasped beside him. "Sorry!" He pulled his hands back quickly.
"It's...okay." He breathed out in relief, staring at the appendage. "I'm not used to it, is all. I don't normally have a tail and cat ears." He gestured to his head and felt Naruto's eyes land immediately on his ears.
He bit his lip and sat on his hands so he wouldn't grab them. They looked so soft and touchable! Sasuke smirked in amusement as he saw the pleading look.
"You can touch them." He said softly, thinking in the back of his head that this was a real bad idea. "Just this once."
Happiness lit up his blue eyes and Sasuke caught himself before he could smile back. Tan hand immediately flew upwards, but he hesitated.
"It's really okay." He reassured.
"If you say so." Naruto leaned forward, invading his personal space a bit, one hand touching the black cat ear. It was so soft, like silk. He scratched at the base, moving his other hand and petting it too. So soft.
Sasuke was struggling to hold back a purr and soft moan. This felt wonderful. Warmth flooded his veins as he relaxed into the touch.
Naruto smiled down at Sasuke, who had closed his eyes and sighed gently. He looked really relaxed. Probably more relaxed now than he'd ever been before. His eyes inadvertently took this time to realize that no, the change from cat to person had not included clothing. Those thick tendrils seemed more like tattoos than covering and he had been petting the very naked, cat-like person sitting on his couch. He paled.
"Clothes!" He jumped backwards, face burning. "You need clothes!" He ran to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Sasuke blinked owlishly after him.