"Yes My Lord that's them. That man was the one that came and got her." Brando stood his face in very bad shape.
Darko watched them, she was beautiful. She laughed with the villager she was traveling with. "And, you say she is pure."
"Yes My Lord I assure you. Perhaps he and the girl are family." Darko looked at him and doubted that they looked nothing alike. She glanced at him and her eyes softened. No they were not related but, they were young perhaps the man was too young to care of such things or perhaps he preferred boys. He could care less but, he would have that girl. She was promised to him and he would get her. "And, they're ninja." Hmm. She wore a Leaf Headband and they both wore clan crests. The young man turned away and Darko smiled. "Uchiha that's right you said that was his name. I didn't realize anyone had survived that. Well, well that is interesting."
He looked at Brando and frowned. "And she did that?"
"Yes My Lord." He laughed heartily.
"Yes I think this is going to be a lot of fun. Oster get the men ready we'll be following the group and get me my blades." Oster didn't hide his surprise. Darko didn't need his blades. He hadn't in years. "Is there a problem?"
"No My Lord." He disappeared.
They were traveling and it was beautiful they had started heading up. Sakura leapt ahead and looked down. Sasuke joined her. "This is so beautiful."
"Yes it is." He looked out over the wild countryside and then his eyes narrowed and spun.
"What is it?"
"We're being followed." She looked and saw nothing.
"I can't see them." He nodded.
"They're there. Come we need to prepare. I saw a blade I have a feeling this isn't some fool trader that wanted a slave." He met her eyes and she frowned.
"Tuni we're being followed. We need you to go on like nothing is happening." Tuni nodded.
"Of course Lord Sasuke what will you do?"
Sasuke picked up his hands as did Sakura. Poof and there clones of each. Sasuke smiled at his clone. "We're going to do the same. The villagers were astounded. The clone looked at Tuni. "Come on we need to make it look like we haven't spotted them. And, this clone can't take too many hits before he's gone but, I'll know if something happens." He met eyes with Sakura and they were gone.
"What do you want me to do?" She watched him.
"I want you to back me up and take down anyone that might try to get in the way the one with the blade is most likely the one to worry about." She made to protest. He stopped and turned on her. "Do not fight me on this. If it weren't for the curse I still wouldn't want you in the middle of a fight. I get distracted. I could make a mistake." She looked in his eyes and sighed.
"Alright." He turned away but, he closed his eyes and he turned back to her and slid his fingers in her hair he pulled her up tight and kissed her roughly then he pulled back his eyes still closed.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "If I had known what it would feel like kissing you we never would have completed a single mission I would have spent my entire time trying to be alone with you." She smiled as he turned, they moved through the trees. Until they were behind the enemy and crept forward.
"Lord Darko we are coming up on them now." He nodded.
"Yes I can feel them. I'll engage the man the rest of you worry about the woman and if you put one scratch on her I'll kill the man that does she's mine if anyone gets the pleasure of cutting her it should be me." A low growl from nearby had them all looking but, they blew it off as an animal and moved forward.
Sakura looked at Sasuke and watched his face. He had growled at the man's words, growled. She just watched he was right if she ended up getting hurt it would be the end of both of them.
He moved forward she didn't know the plan she just followed his lead.
The group jumped and landed amongst the villagers and their clones put themselves in between the villagers and the danger.
"Well look what I found nin all the way out here. And an Uchiha what a pleasure that will be." The clone Sasuke smiled.
"The pleasure's all yours. I don't care who you are."
"Your clan always was arrogant." Sasuke's clone narrowed his gaze.
"I assure you I'm one of a kind." The words were tainted with bitterness. Sakura frowned.
"Oh well no matter you are still a boy you don't worry me. I see you have a blade why not test it." Sasuke smiled and stood. He looked at Sakura and nodded. He knew what was coming next.
"Men after her and remember what I said." Sakura's clone smiled and made ready.
They attacked and Sakura looked at him and he nodded she leapt over the group and landed among them. "Now there's two of them."
Darko looked and smiled. "Shadow clones very good."
"You may not feel that way soon." Darko turned and Sasuke stood before him.
"Ah is this the real you?" Sasuke smiled.
"Oh yes; because I honestly don't have time for you. I have much more important things to do than fight off old has-beens." Darko glared at him and pulled his blade it was big, not like Suigeutsu's, it curled with chakra.
"You will see I am not so easily beaten by a mere child either boy." Sasuke cocked his head.
"I wish I had more time to wipe that look off your face old man but, I honestly don't have time for you." He could feel Naruto and he was getting closer. "I have somewhere to be and I can't be late."
"You are an arrogant brat I'll teach you some manners." Sasuke smiled a little.
"All you're doing is talking." The man watched as Sasuke disappeared. "I told you I don't have time for has-beens or perhaps you're a never-was."
The man spun and sliced at Sasuke but all he hit was the Susanoo. He stopped and looked up. "What the hell is that?"
"I told you I'm one of a kind." He picked him up. "Now what to do with you." The man screamed. Sakura stood behind him.
"Who is he?"
"I believe he is the Lord of that village. But, since he threatened to hurt you I was thinking more along the lines of dead Lord." Sakura looked at him and frowned.
"No Sasuke don't, we don't need that." Sasuke met her eyes and his flared. "We don't, you still want to get there right. We don't have time to try to outrun a group after your head for killing the Feudal Lord."
He watched her and frowned. He looked back at the Lord. "Alright I'll just show you something then." He met eyes with the man and let him down. The Susano'o disappeared.
Sasuke stepped forward and looked down at him. "Where am I?" Sasuke smiled. "I've been in several of these they're fun. Let's see; what to do? She told me I couldn't kill you. So it can't be what I'd like.
Look! this is your life. Wow originally from the land of rivers. Ah I see you were a ninja as well. Too bad you didn't have a very good teacher. I had excellent teachers. You might not have been half bad. She'll be upset if I torture you too much since you didn't actually hurt us of course your threat against her was enough for me to kill you."
"How could you care what happens to her she's not your lover." Sasuke didn't see any reason to explain himself to this idiot.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" He picked him up and looked in his eyes. "I think for the next twenty four hours you can be treated the way you treat others that should be fitting enough." He threw him and he watched him be beaten and terrified and other things he'd rather not see but, by the time it was done and Sasuke closed his eyes the man sat there on the ground drool running out of his mouth. "What did you do to him?"
Sasuke turned and smiled at her. "Nothing he won't recover from. Come on let's get going." She nodded and they moved out.
Naruto smiled. "What are you smiling about Naruto?"
"My friend." He just leapt forward. They didn't know him at all if they really believed he could go and kill everyone in the village he wasn't capable of that. He just wasn't.
Suiguetsu sighed. They arrived at a large village two days later. They were moving fast but based on the time frame they were still two days behind Sasuke and Sakura.
"Okay we'll stay here for the day and leave out into the mountains in the morning."
Sai frowned. "Isn't it a little strange that he isn't even hiding his trail from us?"
"Not really." Kakashi sighed. "If everyone is right about the Kemei and he gets it before we get there. There'll be nothing we can do anyway."
"Hey You!" Kakashi frowned.
"Yes?" The men were guards of some kind.
"You're ninja from the Leaf village right." Kakashi was starting to not like the sound of that.
"Yes, what is this about?" The men surrounded them.
"You're under arrest by the orders of Lord Darko." Kakashi looked at his companions and knew that they could get away if they really wanted to. But, they would be causing problems that may not be necessary.
"Okay we'll come with you." Suiguetsu glared. "Just till we figure this out."
They were led through the village to a place called the Golden Ox. The guards took them to a big assembly room. A man sat in a chair his eyes sunken in. "So this is the party of Leaf ninja."
"Yes. We are but, I'm not sure why you've stopped us. We didn't do anything illegal I'm sure." The man smiled.
"No I'll just bet you didn't. Oh it's not you I'm after." Kakashi frowned.
"Then why stop us."
"I want the other Leaf ninja. The two that were already here and if he was that protective of her and he's not even sleeping with her I'm sure he'll be just as protective of you." Sai frowned.
"Wait so you're keeping us because you think Sasuke will come and save us." He smiled. The rest of them all but Naruto and Kakashi laughed. They giggled until the other two glared at them.
Kakashi met eyes with the man. "We are actually pursuing Sasuke he is a criminal in our land."
"A criminal." He frowned. Kakashi nodded.
"Yes he attacked a Summit held for the five Kage's of our lands." Naruto glared at Kakashi but, he held his tongue. His eyes turned red and his claws grew but, he kept his mouth shut. He was pretty sure this was a ploy and he didn't want to ruin it if it got them closer to Sasuke.
"You see we have already captured the other criminals that were with him."
"They don't look like they're captured to me." Kakashi looked at the three and smiled.
"They know we would find them and it would be worse than if they just came with us." The man looked at Naruto and frowned.
"What are you?" Kakashi glanced at Naruto. Damn it.
"He is a Leaf ninja as well but, not someone to mess with." Kakashi smiled sweetly behind his mask.
"We will check your story and if what you say is true we will allow you to continue. We will be sending my fastest hawk to the Leaf." They sighed. That would take at least four days to reach the Leaf even flying.
Naruto paced the room like a caged tiger. "Stop Naruto you can't do anything about it."
"I don't like being stuck here. I want to go after them." He sighed and flopped. His head back. He was asleep in minutes.
"Kakashi have you noticed something?"
Kakashi looked at Sai. "You mean the fact that Naruto isn't really acting like Naruto. Yes, he is and he isn't. The Naruto I know would have never stood there and listened to me talk poorly of Sasuke whether it was part of the plan or not he just wouldn't have been able to stand it. Then again he's still a knuckle head and refuses to believe anything he doesn't want to. I don't know but, fighting Pain gave him some wisdom he didn't have before. He hated that man for killing someone so close to him but, he managed to forgive him in the end most people wouldn't have done that."
Suiguetsu listened and watched the boy sleep. "He is really different isn't he? If Sasuke had treated me the way he treated him there's no way I'd care one way or the other what happened to him."
"Right that's why you're here now." Karin scoffed. "He left you at the summit to die."
Jugo looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "If it weren't you he needed to find Danzo he would have left you too he was really upset to think that the man that was responsible for the order to murder his family becoming the leader of the village was just too much for him. I don't blame him. I would have been angry too."
Kakashi sighed. "We didn't choose Danzou. And, now with Lady Tsunade awake it doesn't matter. Danzou chose himself."
"Oh, well that's different I guess." Suiguetsu shook his head. "Still how could you people not know what was happening."
Sai looked at him and raised a brow. "Did your village know that Zabuza was going to attack the Mizukage?"
"No I guess not." They were silent for a while.
Sasuke moved through the mountain pass and looked ahead. The villagers said that there was a tribe of people here that liked to kill travelers and eat them. That was certainly something he didn't want to have to deal with.
Sakura stayed to protect the villagers.
He summoned Garuda and flew over the ridge. "Do you see anything?"
"No but, that doesn't mean they aren't hiding." He nodded. "Do you want to go back?" They had been flying for an hour.
"Yes I think we've done all we can if we come upon them we'll just have to deal with them." Garuda nodded and took him back.
They landed and Garuda was a much smaller version of himself. He leapt to Sasuke's shoulder. Sakura smiled.
"He's beautiful." She reached up and stroked the soft head of the hawk.
"Yes he came to me when I tried the summoning and we have been together for a while now." She sighed.
"I have Katsuya and now that Lady Tsunade is awake I can speak with her through Katsuya." He nodded.
"She is like a second mother. She is so strong. I was afraid she was never going to wake up. She gave everything she had to save us." He frowned. To save the Leaf.
"Where was Naruto why did she have to do that alone?" Sakura sighed.
"Well there was a frog that was supposed to summon him but, we found it later stabbed. We didn't know what happened but, Naruto came back on his own. He had finished his sage training. We were lucky he had seen that the frog was missing from the lists and came back to check on us." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Who would kill his frog?" She shook her head.
"I don't know maybe it was an accident." He just looked ahead. He didn't think so it sounded like someone wanted the village destroyed or they wanted the Hokage out of the way. His eyes spun without him even meaning for them too and he saw it an instant before it hit them. He threw up his hand and the needles fell harmlessly to the ground. He felt it and leapt back and pulled his blade he blocked the needles from behind. "Sakura stay out of the way if they hit you we're all finished." She nodded if she died it wouldn't just be the two of them it would be the kind villagers as well. She pulled up her hands and made the signs it took a lot of chakra but, it was worth it. She pushed out and shielded herself and the villagers with chakra the needles bounced off. He looked at her and nodded then he went into the trees. They were painted with stripes to camouflage themselves but his eyes could see them it didn't matter. He swept through them and landed back beside her. "You can stop now we're safe." She nodded and let the shield down then she fell and he had to grab her. "Sakura are you alright?"
"I'm just tired. I'll be fine." She passed out in his arms. He pulled her up close.
"Alright come on I saw a cave a couple of Kilometers from here we'll stop there and let her rest we can start again in the morning." The villagers all looked at her with awe as Sasuke leapt ahead of them.
"She is very brave." Garuda commented.
"Yes she is." He smiled. Garuda looked at him and wondered, he had been with Sasuke well over two years and had never seen such a soft look on his face. This girl was changing him. Garuda like the rest of the summoned animals lived in a different realm and they come to the one that calls to their heart he had not been sure when he had been summoned to Sasuke he was angry and full of pain and hate.
Naruto looked out the window and took a deep breath. "Well they were attacked again but, their fine now."
"I wonder what he did to be in trouble here." Kakashi shook his head.
"He didn't say anything about Sasuke directly he said a Leaf Ninja that means that Sakura may have been the one that caused the issue." Naruto frowned.
"Maybe she hit someone she has a tendency to do that." He smiled. "I get the feeling that this has to do with him being so afraid the other day. I'll bet that Lord or someone else like him tried to hurt Sakura."
"I don't see why he'd give a damn about that." Karin muttered.
Naruto looked at her and shook his head. "You don't know him at all do you. Sasuke may not talk about it but, he's always saving someone. He's just like that. It used to drive me crazy." He laughed. "I wanted to be the hero too."
Suiguetsu smiled. "You know when I first started to hang around Sasuke I didn't care about anyone but, he made me defeat a huge bunch of ninja and he made a bet that I couldn't do it without killing anyone. Then when we went to get Jugo again he refused to kill anyone."
"That's because Sasuke isn't a murderer." Naruto said softly.
"He wants to destroy the Leaf. Don't forget that; it's what we're out here for." Sai said softly.
"He wants to avenge his family." Kakashi sighed. "He's hurt, the people he trusted suddenly became his enemy. He feels betrayed especially since he found out Danzou was running around as the Hokage and then what he did to his family specifically. The eyes." Kakashi sighed. "I can see why he was so angry when he saw me. Just someone else using his family's power."
Naruto snarled. "That bastard hurt so many people he needed to die. I can't forgive what he did. Kakashi, I'll stay here for one more day then I will leave here if I have to take this building with me." He sat on the window sill and stared out at the night.
Sasuke felt agitated. Like he was in a cage. He paced back and forth.
"Sasuke what's the matter?" Sakura stood and walked to him.
"I feel like I'm going to lose it." He looked at her and his eyes were crazed. "Like I'm imprisoned." He tried to calm himself. It just didn't work. "Damn it this is driving me crazy."
"Just breathe." He closed his eyes and he could see bars and the moon.
He frowned as he looked down and his fingers were long nails sharp. He turned slowly and saw Kakashi. He opened his eyes. "It's Naruto. He's in a cell somewhere."
"How in the world do you know that?" She looked at him in wonder.
"I don't know but, I just saw it." He closed his eyes. It was gone but, he knew that was what was going on. "I'm feeling his agitation. What the hell is going on?" Tuni looked at him and frowned.
"This Naruto, who is he to you?"
"A nuisance." Sasuke muttered. Sakura sighed.
"They were friends we were all on the same team when we graduated from the academy but, they haven't seen each other much lately." Tuni nodded.
"The bond between brothers is usually the most affected. So I am not sure perhaps it is not the Kemei." Sasuke looked at him and listened. He sat down and took a fish from the fire and handed it to each of them. "You see the Kemei was created by two brothers that were so close they could feel each other's pains and happiness. They could find each other over great distances. It is said that if one has that kind of bond it strengthens the closer you are to the Kemei."
"Then we are that close?" Sasuke asked.
"We are still a few days away from the mountain top forest but, perhaps it is the strength of the bond that is the factor even though you may not truly be brothers you may be bonded through something else." Sakura looked at him and smiled sadly.
"Like loneliness and loss." He frowned at her.
"Well that is the story." He smiled and laid down to sleep.
"Sakura get some sleep." She sighed unhappily.
"Back to telling me what to do. I knew it couldn't last." She curled up on a blanket.
"I'm going to watch." She nodded. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He wanted to kiss her and…he growled and left the cave.
He leaned back and watched the moon. He felt himself slowly relax. The agitation ebbed away slowly. Did that mean something, was Naruto calming down? How could Tuni be right? He had felt Naruto a few times. He had assumed it was just his instincts. His memories rolled back to another time.
"Naruto why would you go so far for me." Naruto had smiled sadly. His eyes were red that day.
"Because I've never had a bond like this. That's why I'll do anything I can to stop you." Sasuke had stood and made sure Naruto understood that he would break that bond. He tried, Naruto lay there unconscious but, he couldn't do it not like that. At the time he wanted to defy his brother but, there was more to it he didn't want to kill his friend. He didn't want to kill him later either. He avoided him to avoid a confrontation. He could have killed him at Orochimaru's he didn't even defend himself, idiot. He sighed and closed his eyes. He had promised to kill him first. But, could he do that. He just didn't think so. Was his resolve that weak. He felt completely relaxed now. Perhaps Naruto was sleeping.
Why was he in a cell locked up and what in the world would keep him anyway. There was no way a regular cell would hold Naruto. He saw Kakashi he must be keeping him under control.
Could he tap into that and find out what was going on? He wondered and he closed his eyes and let his mind pull away from him and slide over the night like a bird flying through the sky. He smiled it felt wonderful free. His chakra fueled the flight. He saw the village they had been in. He felt himself pulled to the building where he had found Sakura. He slid around the large building till he came to a roof and then he was there and it was such a surprise he almost lost his hold on it.
Naruto sat his eyes now blue and filled with peace. He looked around the room. His companions as well so they had teamed up to find him. Hmm that was interesting.
"Well that hawk returned so I guess we'll get to leave tomorrow. They won't keep us once they get confirmation that we were tracking Sasuke." Sai offered softly.
Naruto slid his eyes to Sai and they lit with controlled anger. "We are not tracking him. I kept my mouth shut because I knew what Kakashi was doing. But, that doesn't mean I will agree to what he said. Sasuke didn't kill the eight tails so there is no reason for him to be in trouble at all."
"He attacked the summit."
"And, no one got hurt so who cares. Like we haven't all done something stupid. I've messed up no one condemns me and I won't stand for them to do it to him either. It's that bastard Danzou that was the criminal. He did the Leaf a service. The other elders two. He was never a member of the Akatsuki so they can't even use that. Suiguetsu already said he was just using the Akatsuki to gain information." He looked back out at the night. "Tomorrow we're leaving but this is a rescue mission not a hunting party and if you don't feel that way then you can go back home I don't remember inviting you." Sasuke could have said those words himself. He didn't sound like Naruto at all. Sasuke looked at him and saw something in him what was that. It was something familiar about his eyes.
He felt the hold slipping and it was gone he pulled back into himself and sighed. That was tiring.
But, he now knew what he needed to know. Somehow this was happening. He wasn't very happy about it but, he couldn't deny it.
Naruto smiled as he felt the bond slowly slip away. He felt it too now. He knew he did. He didn't know what was causing it but, it felt relaxing to know that he was safe. So many years he had worried terrified for him. Now he could feel it. He was alright. It made the wait easier he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let himself sleep.
Sasuke leapt down from the rocks and walked in, Sakura lay by the fire. He smiled and sat beside her. She instantly knew he was there and she turned and her head rested on his thigh. She mumbled. He touched her hair. What the hell was he doing?
"Well brother how is he doing?"
"Fabulous brother he has saved her again and he has yet to take a human life."
"Very good well perhaps you are right about him. What of the other. He seems volatile."
"He is but, he is the bond and he is also absolutely pure of heart. They are like opposites.
Like us then brother.
Yes I think so….
Sakura woke and looked up. She blushed. "You didn't sleep did you?"
"I couldn't." She nodded and sat up. "We should get going Naruto and the others will be on their way after us and they're only a day and a half behind us. I don't want to have to see them until this is over." He stood and pulled her with him.
She met his eyes and saw something that didn't frighten her. She smiled and nodded. "Alright."
She trusts me. He sighed. He wasn't sure she should. He sat there and watched her sleep and he wanted her. It was all he could do to let her sleep.
He walked out and helped them get the packs ready. They moved out and now it was hard going. Because they were going straight up. He frowned. The villagers had to use ropes to climb. This was going to take too long.
There were eight villagers with them. "Alright there is no point to this." He sighed. "Here Sakura and I will simply carry you."
Tuni frowned and looked at the cliff. "We can climb."
"Yes but, it will take too long." He summoned Garuda.
"Taka will carry you Tuni and Sani and choose two others. Sakura you will go with them I will take the other four. Garuda nodded and held out a wing.
"Come along little ones." They looked at the bird apprehensively. Sasuke frowned. They climbed on his back. Sasuke grabbed two of the men and leapt. It took three good leaps to get to the top. Garuda had already dropped his load and stood waiting. Sasuke jumped back down and grabbed the other two.
Garuda disappeared and landed on Sasuke's shoulder.
Tuni looked down at the ground several hundred meters below and shook his head. "That would have taken a day for us. You are truly the prophesy." Sasuke just shrugged it was chakra control actually Sakura was better than he was.
He turned and a forest lay nestled in the sky. "So that's it."
"Yes my Lord we will take you as far as the village here and then we will wait for your return it is our duty." He nodded.
"Very well let's go." They moved forward and headed into the trees that were larger than anything they had ever seen.
Sakura matched his pace. "This is amazing."
He nodded and stayed silent. They were close. He could feel it the power of it. He was still determined to get it but, he was starting to have a hard time considering what he would use it for.
He would kill the elders. At some point, he would kill Madara. That bastard had wanted to kill his family he wasn't ordered. He believed what he said about his brother but, he didn't believe his family was going to betray the Leaf. His father took pride in his position. They may have been angry but, there was no way he was willing to attack the third Hokage they had been friends.
He knew his own family better than Madara who just wanted an excuse to kill them for betraying him.
For wanting peace. He took his own brother's eyes. Sasuke had Itachi's eyes. This was so wrong. Eyes made him think of Danzou's arm. His family's eyes in his arm. His anger was palpable. Sakura looked at him in alarm.
"Are you alright." His eyes were red and angry.
"No but, it isn't you. I was just thinking of something." He shook it off and his eyes softened. "How did you find out about Danzou sending Sai to assassinate me?"
"We found a bingo book. And, we knew there was something fishy about Danzou Lady Tsunade suspected he had an arrangement with Orochimaru." She frowned. "We met with Kabuto based on some information I gained from Sasori and wanted to find you. And, of course Orochimaru had killed the third Hokage he deserved anything he got." Sasuke couldn't argue with that.
"You don't have the curse mark anymore did that go away when you beat him." Sasuke shook his head.
"No it wasn't gone until my brother took him out of me." She frowned.
"Out of you?" He nodded.
"Yes he tried to take me over. It didn't work." A small smile played across his lips. "I took him over instead."
"Oh…well I'm really glad he's gone. That's a little icky though." He laughed.
"You have no idea but, it worked." He sighed. "Anyway he's gone and now it's just me. But, Tsunade knew there was something going on. Why didn't she arrest him?"
"You know the answer to that she needed evidence. It's what we were trying to gather and in the process Naruto won Sai over. Of course Naruto also lost it and turned into the nine tails only he only had four tails but, he was really crazy out of it. Orochimaru had to leave because he knew he was about to get eaten. Naruto was really in a bad place though and it took Yamato you know the one you stabbed to control him. He has the first Hokage's DNA. One of Orochimaru's experiments.
He can control the tailed beasts. He had to bring Naruto back to his senses. He was so upset though because he hurt my arm. He never wanted that power again." Sasuke nodded. "It doesn't matter now because he can control the fox now.
"I saw; he was telling it to go away when I saw you at Orochimaru's I suppressed it but, he was already telling it that he wasn't going to use its power. Now he's a sage like Jaraiya huh?"
"He's powerful." She smiled. "He's still an idiot." She laughed softly.
He looked at her and felt a warmth that he couldn't push away. Was this part of Naruto? He would like to think he could blame it on him but, he had always felt this way about her it was why he pushed her away.
They reached the village by evening. It was wonderful there were lights in the trees hanging everywhere. She gasped. "It's so beautiful." The light was dimmed and blue. She looked at him and almost gasped again. He was so beautiful the lights glittered in his eyes. She blushed and looked away.
The village was in the trees small houses with walkways all the way to the tree tops the villagers came out. "Tuni told me they call this village the village of light. Tomoshibi Shuuraku."
It looked like thousands of fireflies were everywhere. She just watched.
They were greeted warmly and a feast gathered. They sat side by side and ate the excellent food. He saw the cups and sighed. She took one and looked at him. "We might as well tomorrow we'll be setting off on our own." He didn't tell her that he wasn't taking her. It could be dangerous he would not take that chance; almost loosing her in the village by the water was enough for him. He let her drink. He smiled at her and took one as well but he was very careful not to drink too much.
The village danced and they danced as well it was not nearly as interesting as the first dance more like the western waltz. She danced with Sani as well. He watched her and felt his heart beating strong in his chest. There was a time when he had believed it was dead. She was beautiful.
Naruto ran forward and a small man in striped paint stepped out. He nodded to Naruto and then set down a large tray of food. Everyone else gathered. "What is that?"
"I don't know this little person with stripes left it." They shrugged and took it. "I guess we'll camp at the base of the mountain and go on in the morning."
He could feel him he was close and he was happy. He smiled to himself and ate the wonderful food. He didn't know why they left it but, it was good.
Sasuke looked down at her soft face. She wasn't drunk but she was very relaxed. He had stopped her not wanting her to be sick. "I love you." She whispered in his ear.
He smiled. "I know." He spun around with her.
"I think I'm getting tired." He smiled at her and took her to the tree house they had been given. He carried her in and laid her down on the soft bed it was more modern than most of the places they had been. He smiled at her and turned to walk away. A hand on his stopped him. "Sasuke." He looked at her and she was smiling at him. One kiss couldn't hurt. He wouldn't get another chance he may never get another chance.
He sat down and touched her face. "What is it?"
"I trust you." She smiled. He watched her face and he sagged. He slid into the bed beside her and looked at her. She touched his cheek and rubbed her thumb over his lips. He couldn't stop. He pulled her to him and kissed her. She sighed and her fingers threaded through his hair. He rolled them until he settled over the kiss started to change into something…
Naruto frowned and looked around. He wasn't sure what he was feeling but he was pretty sure it was private. He closed his eyes and pushed the bond away glad that it worked a little. He opened his eyes and sighed. "Thank God."
"What is it?" He blushed and looked away.
"Nothing. I just…Sasuke's feeling very happy. So Suiguetsu why don't you tell me a little about yourself." Please anything to distract him.
Kakashi watched him and frowned. That was odd. Sasuke was happy. Oh…. well that probably would make Naruto uncomfortable. They pulled out a game and started to play shoughi it was perfect because it took all of his concentration. Naruto was grateful.