Stranded

Ch. 11- Welcome to Chip n' Dales

Beta'd by: Naruto7771

Sasuke gritted his teeth, as he pulled the vines as tight as he could. Standing up, he brushed sand from his pants and inspected the net he created. This will help keep the palm fronds together and protect against rain and sunlight. Now, to tie this to the branches and secure it. Sasuke took his net and tossed it over the tree branches parallel to the ground. The branches were around half a foot taller than him and were perfect for creating a sort of roof. Grabbing the loose ends, he glanced over at the dobe. He's been sitting there talking to that ball. This is going to be another easy win. Smirking, he turned back and knotted the loose ends to the branches, creating a taunt, netted roof.

Naruto had been tying branches together. Okay, now this one is done. I'll be like an Indian! My teepee will be awesome! Humming, he propped the newly tied branches up, creating a sort of triangle shape. Branches of all sizes were strewn around him. Biting off a length of vine, he gagged at the sour taste and spit out the small chunks in his mouth. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he used the length he bit off to tie several branches of similar size together and add them to the others. Rubbing his eyes as he felt slightly dizzy, he shook it off and continued his work. Turning to his side, he looked over at his spherical friend.

"Oi, Kyuubi. This is exciting, right? I mean, it's kinda like a game. A game that I will obviously win. Don't worry, when we win, the bastard has to apologize. And if he wants to come over, he has to be my slave for the day."

Snickering, Naruto grabbed more branches. "Look at him. He's making nets. Just goes to show that he has no clue what he is doing."

Sasuke's ears perked up when he heard the word 'bastard'. Unbeknownst to Naruto, everything he said could be heard by said bastard. His back stiffening, he glared over at the blond. Is the dobe talking about me, to that ball? Naruto was still messing around with branches and chatting away to Kyuubi. What the hell kind of name is Kyuubi anyways? It sounds stupid. It fits everything he's done so far, so I shouldn't be too surprised. Smirking, he thought of his imminent victory. If the dobe thinks he'll make me his slave, he's sorely mistaken. He'll be my slave and have to do whatever I say. A light blush appeared on his face as his brain began to show him images of Naruto doing 'whatever he said'. Coughing, he reined his brain in and tried to focus on his shelter while visions of a tan skin danced in his head. Pulling on the plane pieces, he realized they were heavier than he had originally thought. Dragging them had been no problem, but now to lift them…I might need some help…No. No I don't. I can do this easily. Grabbing a particularly large piece, he hefted it into a vertical position and propped it up against the tree with the net. This might be a bit tougher than I thought…

Naruto yawned and put more branches on his teepee. Grinning down at Kyuubi, he stepped back and admired his work.

"Look, it's coming along just fine. This is so easy. The teme said I couldn't do it, but look! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I can do anything!"

Proudly circling his project, he peeped over at what Sasuke was doing. Laughing loudly, he saw that Sasuke was struggling with a piece of the plane.

"Oi Kyuubi, look. The teme can't pick it up. He must be weaker than I thought."

Sasuke froze as he heard Naruto mocking him. Eyes narrowing, he lifted an eyebrow. I'm 'weaker' than he thought? Weaker? ….Looks like someone needs a reminder of what I can do.

Unbuttoning his shirt, he ripped it off and cracked his knuckles. Throughout the process of building the shelter, he had worked up a bit of sweat. His pale skin glistened in the sun as drops of perspiration slowly slid down the ridges of his lean muscles. Grabbing his torn jacket, he ripped off a two long strips. He wrapped the black material around his hands; the plane chunks had sharp edges and he needed to be careful. Wiping his brow with the back of his hand, he inhaled deeply and stretched a bit, making sure to put on a bit of show for the dobe. Now to show him what all this can do. Smirking cockily, he tightly gripped the plane piece and lifted it up, grabbing more vines to help secure it.

Naruto gaped as he watched Sasuke seemingly effortlessly lift the heavy plane piece he had been struggling with and tie it into place to act as a wall. His eyes followed the curve of Sasuke's shoulders and the edges of his arm muscles. The smooth movements of the pale skin covering the sinewy muscles were mesmerizing. Naruto could imagine how smooth the pale skin would feel; the strength hidden underneath as his fingers would slowly follow trace along the ridges. Blinking, he saw as Sasuke pushed sand along the 'wall' to help support it.

Sasuke grunted as he shoved the wall in place. Shit, that was hard. Huffing, he clenched and released his hands several times. Breathing deeply, he wiped his brow again and exhaled slowly. Smirking at his accomplishment, he looked over at Naruto and nodded once. You were saying, dobe?

Naruto's face turned red as Sasuke nodded at him. Oh you think you're fancy huh? Not one to be outdone, he frowned and leapt to his feet. Taking off his own shirt, he glared a Kyuubi who had done nothing wrong.

"Alright Kyuubi, time to show this bastard how it's done."

He reached down and hefted up some of the heavier branches. Clenching his teeth and grunting, he set them up on his teepee and quickly had to tie them together. Slightly slipping, he had a mini panic attack when his vision went faintly blurry. Blinking rapidly, it went away and he managed to successfully knot the sticks to his teepee without any further slips. Needing to secure it, he dragged over several logs and shoved them up against the structure. Dusting his hands off, he grinned and looked over at Sasuke and nodded his head. What now, teme? Your move.

Sasuke had watched as Naruto yanked on the heavy branches. Amused that the dobe would actually try to outdo him, he was slightly alarmed when Naruto seemed to lose his grip on some of the branches. Resisting the urge to go and help him, he refused to acknowledge the fact that he was faintly relieved when Naruto appeared to regain his balance. He thoughtfully rubbed his face. Naruto wasn't weak, but he was stronger that he appeared. It would seem that the tan skin held a secret. Although the blond was smaller than him, Naruto's body seemed to fit him well. His body was perfectly proportioned and the swirl tattoo around his navel made it that much more enticing. With eyes zeroing in on the tattoo, Sasuke was curious about the design and the location. His inspection of Naruto's body was cut short when he noticed that the dobe was still challenging him. If it's a show you want, it's a show you'll get.

Grabbing on to another piece of plane, Sasuke yanked it up and quickly secured it, his tendons aching from all the heavy lifting. Biting his lip by accident, he tasted blood as he forced his arms to keep the piece in place before he shoved the sand along the bottom of the wall to help it stand. Tying the vine through the holes of the wall, he made sure to then tie those vines to the branches supporting the roof. Out of breath, he refused to show weakness by taking a break. Satisfied that his shelter was almost complete, he licked the blood from his lip, the tangy and metallic flavor tasting weird. He looked over at Naruto, who now seemed to be preoccupied with his basketball.

Naruto crossed his arms, unimpressed. Surprised, he glanced down at Kyuubi.

"What? No, I don't think the teme is hot. Why would you say that?"

"…"

"NO. I'm not showing off for him. He's being a douche and tried to act tough, so I decided to show him how it's done."

"…"

"What do you mean he's showing off for me? The bastard doesn't even like me. Kyuubi, you're getting confused. Maybe I've left you too long in the sun…"

"…"

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side! There is no way I was checking him out. Kyuubi, shut up or I will dig a hole and put you in it. Have fun trying to get out."

"…"

"That's what I thought. You better be quiet."

Naruto decided to ignore the pale bastard and go back to leisurely building his teepee. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up at the sky and saw that time had flown by. Instead of the bright blue of the morning, the sky was a deeper blue, with a bit of gray mixed in. The wind had started to pick up and blow cool air around them, lowering the comfortable temperature.

Sasuke glanced up at the sky at the same time as Naruto. Noticing the sun beginning to be blocked by clouds, he warily watched the gray-ish clouds begin to drift closer. Feeling hungry, he motioned Naruto over to the pool, grabbing his spear as he walked towards it.

"What do you want, teme?"

"Before it gets darker, we should break for lunch. It's already late in the afternoon. By the way, your shelter is basically useless."

"What the hell are you talking about? It's perfect. It's even better than yours. Jealous much?" Naruto taunted as he jabbed his spear down.

Sasuke internally rolled his eyes. Stabbing his spear down, he wiped the water that splashed up from his face.

"It's not structurally sound and it has no roof. That thing could fall down and hurt you. Face it, you lost this challenge too."

Naruto pressed his lips together and shot a death glare at the raven. Slamming his spear down, he managed to catch two fish simultaneously.

"Thank you for your input, lord of the shelters," he sneered, "but no thanks. Mine is better and I have not lost this challenge. I won't."

Sasuke threw his spear down and caught one of the orange koi fish. Scowling, he looked at Naruto.

"As much as it has been enjoyable watching you fail, this isn't a game. A shitty shelter like yours is going to be worthless. Take my advice and build another one."

"You can take your advice and shove it up your ass, along with the pole already in there. The deal was that I build one and win, while you build one and lose. The rules haven't changed and, oh look, it's time for my lunch. Good day, sir."

Naruto bowed sarcastically and yanked up his catch, stomping angrily all the way back to his side. Growling and muttering under his breath, he set to building up a small fire.

"Fucking asshole. Telling me that my shelter is shit, what a prick. See what I mean Kyuubi? You have no idea what you were talking about. The bastard and I aren't compatible…..Yes! The fire started!" Grinning, he realized that he had made the fire both times before, so Sasuke wasn't going to have one. Feeling only a tiny bit of pity for Sasuke, Naruto slyly glanced over at him.

Sasuke watched as Naruto stormed off. Shaking his head, he frowned and picked up his own catch. I try to give him advice, and he just throws it back at me. Just goes to show that nuisances like him aren't worth the time. Setting the sticks up, he began to try and start a fire. He had been watching the last time Naruto did it, and figured that he could copy. He did have good eyesight for copying things. Arms straining, he managed to get a small cloud of smoke before a bit of fire started up. There. Not so hard when you know what to do. Looking up, he noticed the dobe staring angrily at him as he successfully made fire. Staring back, Sasuke roasted his fish and dined in; shoving the fact that he didn't need the Naruto in his face.

"Stupid bastard got lucky ….Kyuubi! Shut up! NO, even if he couldn't make one, I wouldn't have helped him. Besides, we're hardly friends."

Biting into his lunch, he uncomfortably scratched his back, the pink skin feeling slightly raw and raised. Ouch. I probably have a sunburn or something. Oh well.

The wind had begun to blow stronger, making Sasuke shiver. Looking up, he was surprised to see that the sky was now a dark swirling mass of gray. The blue had vanished, leaving the sky in fifty shades of gray. (Ha) The sun was nowhere to be seen as the trees began to rustle loudly with the wind. Sasuke got to his feet and shielded his eyes from the sand being thrown up. The wind whipped his hair around his face as he felt a drop of rain strike him and slowly roll down his chest. Eyes widening, he realized it was raining. Shit, but my shelter isn't that ready! Running over to his shelter, he yanked up the palm fronds yet to be secured and desperately tried to tie them down. The loose palm fronds began to flailing in the air.

Naruto glanced up as the rain began to slowly pitter patter around him. Shocked, he looked at his teepee. Oh shit, I'm not done. I haven't even put up the plant leaves to act like insulation! Oh man, it's gotten really cold. Where's my shirt? Spotting it, he quickly picked it up and grabbed Kyuubi. Running into his teepee, he suddenly realized what Sasuke had been talking about. Instead of preventing the rain from coming in, the sticks provided little protection from the rain or the cold. Fuck, this is bad.

Slowly the rain began to pelt down; the clearing was soon almost impossible to see through. The rain created a sort of mist that quickly blocked out anything faraway. Thunder rumbled overhead, the vibrations making his teepee shake. Shivering, Naruto hugged Kyuubi to himself. This is going to be hell. Awe, shit.

xXx

"NO! Don't touch-!"

The small kitchen erupted into a cloud of white powder. Fully doused in flour, Iruka blinked, his chocolate eyes looking out owlishly from a pale face. Sighing, he shook his head, sending another cloud out to drift to the floor.

"…the flour…."

"Hmm. Didn't see that coming." Kakashi said, cocking his head. His clothes were peppered with flour and it looked like snow. Scratching his head, he watched as more flour was set adrift.

Iruka looked around the kitchen. He and Kakashi seemed to have bared the brunt of the flour. He was covered in it and so was Kakashi; the kitchen table was covered in a fine layer of flour and the countertops were mostly clean.

"Well, at least, I already made the mix for the pancakes."

Kakashi snickered. "Maa Iruka, you look like a ghost."

Iruka glared at him, using his best 'this isn't funny' look. "Didn't I tell you not to help?" He said stiffly.

Kakashi grinned joyfully. "It was purely an accident. Besides, I enjoy helping out."

"Now, we have to clean it up." Gazing around the mess, Iruka blew up his bangs that fell in his face. "Do you have a broom anywhere?"

"How about we eat first and then clean? I'm still waiting to see if you can live up to your words."

"You want to eat, while covered in flour?"

"Sure. Eat first, clean later."

"….Okay."

Capitulating, Iruka served up his pancakes and proved that he could make something out of almost nothing, simultaneously making them taste amazing. Kakashi was surprised to find out that the pancakes were indeed delicious and actually very easy to make. After making idle conversation and finishing off the cakes, Iruka went up to shower again put his newly washed clothes back on. Meanwhile, Kakashi disappeared from the kitchen.

Stepping out of the shower and dressing quickly, Iruka felt glad to be back in his own clothing. Tying his hair up, he ventured out of the bathroom, into the bedroom and out to the hall. Hearing no sound but his footprints on the creaky stairs, he was slightly wary.

"Kakashi? Are you there?"

Upon hearing no response, he was suddenly aware of the stillness of the house and the fact that he was in a stranger's house in an unfamiliar area. Confused, he stepped into the living room and looked around. It was empty of any silver-haired beings. His eyebrows furrowing, he called out again.

"Kakashi? Where are you?"

He was about to shout louder when he heard a slight scratching noise. Freezing, he strained his ears to hear the faint sound. It sounded like nails. Long, sharp nails that were clawing at something. Feeling the hairs on his neck stand up, he looked all around the room, trying to find the source of the noise. It seemed to becoming out of the kitchen. Irritated with himself, for feeling faintly nervous, he set his jaw and marched steadily towards the kitchen. Thrusting the door open, he was immediately attacked…

...by seven excited, slobbering dogs. Yelping in surprise, he fell to the floor and was swarmed by the seven furballs. The biggest one sat on his legs, pinning him down while the others licked every inch of exposed flesh they could find. The eighth and smallest one, a pug, had sat back, watching as the others sniffed and prodded the fallen man.

Laughing, Iruka pushed himself into sitting position and petted the one on his legs. Glancing up, he saw that Kakashi was leaning in the doorway, still covered in flour and laughing his ass off. Settling down to a chuckle, Kakashi regarded the brunette with amused eyes.

"How's the weather down there?" He asked; the laughter still evident in his voice.

"Cloudy with a chance of furballs. Now help me get up."

Kakashi whistled and all of the dogs immediately stood still. The biggest dog leapt off of Iruka's legs eagerly wagged his tail at his master.

Reaching a hand up, Iruka tightly gripped the pale one that latched on to his. Getting pulled to his feet and looking up, he suddenly noticed how close he and Kakashi were. Their faces merely inches apart, he found himself captivated by the mismatched pair of eyes seeming to stare deeply into him. Feeling his face flush and his pulse spike, he stepped back and nervously rubbed his scar.

"Um, thanks."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at the flush on Iruka's face. Oh? He's blushing. Hmmm.

"No problem. I hope you didn't get hurt."

"No, I was just startled. So where did all these guys come from? Did you have them locked up somewhere?"

Iruka bent down and lightly petted the closest ones. The soft fur tickled his fingers as he ran them over their coats. Touching something cold and wet, he wrinkled his nose as he realized the dogs had begun to poke at his hand with their noses. Smiling, he stood up and tried to walk to the living room, but was blocked from taking a step.

"Nah. I had a close friend, Yamato, watch them. He brought them over while you were showering. I figured we could watch them for a while until we head back to the offices and check if anything has happened."

"Oh. Hey, why is that one all alone?"

The brunette pointed to the pug that was still sitting on his hind legs and observing everything.

"That's Pakkun. He doesn't really like strangers, so it'll take him a while to warm up to you." Whistling loudly, Kakashi clapped his hands. "Time to feed them. Care to help?" He asked as he turned to Iruka.

"My god, how much food is that? It must be extremely expensive to have so many dogs."

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "They're worth it. And I get paid quite the pretty penny, so money is never really an issue. You want to help?"

"Okay, sure."

Going into the kitchen, Kakashi walked to a seemingly hidden door. Opening up, he revealed a room filled with dog paraphernalia. Huge bags of dog food were stacked up against a wall with the opposite wall having shelves filled with dog toys. Close to the back wall were dog beds of all sizes piled up on each other

"They don't sleep in here; they sleep in my room on the floor. The bowls are over here, behind the bags."

Opening one of the bags of food and taking out several bowls, he dipped the bowls into the bag and generously filled each one. Each bowl was colored differently and had names engraved on the side. Handing them off to Iruka, he finished the last bowl and opened up a cabinet. Removing eight water bowls, he placed each one next to a food bowl and filled it to the brim with water. Standing back, he was mindful to watch his step. The dogs had swarmed and had gone straight for their designated bowl. Chowing down, the air was filled with the sound of dry dog food being crunched and water being lapped up.

Amused, Iruka leaned on the doorframe and watched the canines. He had never had a dog before. He had never even had a pet of some sort. During the death of his parents, he had gone from orphanage to orphanage; the process was always hurried and awkward. Even if he had got one, there was no guarantee that he would be able to keep it if adopted. Sitting in a time out chair, he would often gaze out the window and watch as other kids play with their pets and with their parents. Feelings of longing welled up inside him as he observed how happy they were. Hugging his knees, he would turn away from the window and refuse to cry. Instead, he would run out and cause trouble to fill the emptiness inside him, masking his pain with a wide smile.

Now, as he watched the rambunctious dogs, he realized that he could have one. He had a stable job and had even taken care of a kid. There was nothing stopping him from going to the nearest pet shop and buying one. Naruto was soon going to be all grown up and live on his own, leaving him alone. Once this was over, and Naruto was safe and at home, he would go back to his mediocre life. Maybe…, a tiny voice spoke up in his head, …Maybe Kakashi will be there. What if you work up the courage and date him? That way, even if Naruto moves away, you won't be so lonely between his visits. You'll have someone who cares at your side. Scoffing at the voice, Iruka shook his head slightly. That's absurd. Kakashi is simply being nice to me. It's nothing more than that….even if I did like him, I don't think my feelings are reciprocated. Sighing, he rubbed his scar.

"If only if only." Iruka spoke softly, his inner thoughts raging in his head.

"If only if only

the wood pecker sighs

the bark on the trees was as soft as

the skies

as the wolf waits below

hungry and lonely

he cries to the moon

if only if only."

Kakashi had heard the soft words and had recognized them from a lullaby he heard as a kid. Singing it just as softly, he turned to the shocked Iruka who was staring at him with wide brown eyes. Shrugging it off, he scratched his head.

"I used to hear that all the time as a kid."

Iruka blinked and looked around as he regained his voice.

"I would hear it when I would go to sleep at night. I was taken to a foster home once. The family lived in these apartments and the walls were paper thin. Every night, a mother would sing it to her baby. Her room was next to mine, so whenever she would sing it, I would hear it. I used to pretend she was my mother and was secretly singing to me. It would put me right to sleep; imagining her tucking me in and kissing me goodnight."

Smiling sadly at the memory, Iruka suddenly realized that he had said it out loud. Blushing he stammered out and excuse.

"Oh, I mean I…..um….no, she…."

Kakashi was shocked at the reveal of such a painful, yet sweet memory. Watching the brunette being to stutter and blush, he gave a lopsided grin and stood up. Walking past Iruka, he gently tousled his hair.

Iruka closed his eyes and winced as he saw Kakashi's hand going near his face. Thinking the hand was going to silence him, he was stunned when the hand tenderly brushed against his hair, leaving his nerve endings tingling from the contact and his pulse speeding up. Swallowing, he raised a hand and touched the spot Kakashi had. Realizing what he was doing, he yanked his hand away with quiet curse, his face once more burning red. …Did he not hear what I said, or is he choosing to keep it quiet? Does he know I didn't mean tell him that? With the questions creating chaos in his head, he didn't noticed when Kakashi came back.

Feeling a tap on his shoulders, he jumped in surprise. Twisting around, he saw Kakashi holding up what looked like different colored ropes.

"Before you want to head out to the offices, do you want to help me walk these mutts?"