So. You know when you're just writing and writing until you come into another idea?
Yah--here ya go.
(Don't get bored! makes sad face)
Chapter XIII
Train Me
Sakura came into the kitchen drowsily at 7AM, rubbing one eye with her fist. She stopped rubbing and stared at the table once she realized she wasn't alone. Sasuke was shifting in his seat, looking a little sleepy, Naruto right up next to him leaning right in his face.
"I can't eat anymore.." Sasuke complained, both arms around his middle. Naruto grinned, a slight red color appearing just above his nose.
"Come on Sasuke! Have more! Don't want me to out-do you right?" Naruto pressured. The table was spread with the hugest breakfast ever. Naruto patted Sasuke's stomach, leaning even closer into him.
"You can eat a little more.. wouldn't want all my hard cooking to go to waist, eh Sasuke? Go ahead, you don't want me to make you, do you? You need your strength!" Sasuke looked a little pale.
"Naruto-kun.. don't do that you're making me uncomfortable.." Sasuke said quickly, beginning to blush a bit at the cheeks. This only amused Naruto all the more. Sakura cleared her throat, staring at them in irritation. Sasuke and Naruto looked up abruptly, freezing in place, Sasuke with his hands folded over his stomach, and Naruto with his hand on top of Sasuke's.
"Narutooo!! You used all this food for one breakfast?!" She shouted angrily.
"Sakura! Don't be so loud, Sasuke asked me to make him a big breakfast so I made him a huge one!" Naruto defended, sitting up straight in his seat to yell at her more effectively. Sakura went purple in the face from annoyance.
"Wha!? Naruto look at him! Poor Sasuke looks like he's about to puke!" Sakura complained, coming up to the table and pointing at all the excess food dramatically. Naruto made a face and laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and shook him a little.
"Sasuke can handle it! Right Sasuke??" Naruto commented. Sasuke hiccupped, his hand nearing his mouth.
"Don't—shake me Nara—" Sasuke said a bit breathlessly. Sakura growled in frustration, threatening to slap Naruto's block off.
"You're making Sasuke-kun so sick!! NARUTO!!" Sakura shrieked. Naruto stood up and prepared to yell, but Sasuke cleared his throat, one hand still on his stomach.
"Hey.. I guess I could eat a little more.." Sasuke murmured, simply trying to keep the peace. Naruto sat back down immediately, while Sakura stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "Hmmph! Looks like Sasuke's still hungry! I win!" Naruto exclaimed, pushing a French toast stick into Sasuke's mouth.
"Easy---Naruto…" Sasuke mumbled with his mouth full. Sakura watched bitterly while Naruto excitedly encouraged Sasuke to eat more breakfast. Sakura's jaw dropped, and she slid into the seat on Sasuke's other side. Naruto growled, pausing with a piece of toast touching to Sasuke's lips.
"What are you doing Sakura.." he grumbled at her. She slowly picked up a breakfast burrito.
"Um.. well.. here Sasuke! Eat up!" She exclaimed. Sasuke paled a few more shades. "No—please—hm?" Sasuke paused and stared from between them, not having to worry about the food. Sakura shoved Naruto's hand out of the way and put her burrito in front of Sasuke, but then Naruto shoved her hand in turn, and they shoved back and forth rapidly.
"Sakura get away!! This is MY breakfast! Besides, he can't have two people giving him food at once!" Naruto screamed. Sakura growled in frustration.
"Hell no Naruto, that's why I'M feeding him this burrito!!" she hollered.
"Enough!" Sasuke suddenly interjected. Both immediately paused and turned their attention to him. Once he had their full attention, Sasuke cleared his throat.
"Okay.. well.."
"Sasuke-kun you don't know what you want, here, come over here by me and try my special eggs!" Naruto interrupted, scooting over a few inches and pulling Sasuke with him.
"Okay.." Sasuke agreed, trying a few bites with his chopsticks. Sakura sat in the background, excluded, staring blankly.
"Mm.. Naruto.. they're good." Sasuke complimented, taking a few more bites. Naruto had a scheming look on his face, combined with a strange look of approval. "Mmm…that's it Sasuke.. You'll be so much stronger in no time.. I'll make you a huge breakfast every morning!" Naruto planned, rubbing Sasuke's back while he ate. Sakura pouted and ate the breakfast burrito she held in her hand herself. Naruto ate some of the food himself while Sasuke picked off of things slowly. Sakura just sat and watched. "Weird.. it's like.. Naruto's enjoying this way too much.." Sakura observed. Sasuke leaned back and sighed.
"No more.. I'll puke.." Sasuke finally said. Naruto bounced in his seat.
"Hehehe! Perfect Sasuke! Okay now you can rest, then later you can train." Naruto organized eagerly. Sakura got up emphatically and walked over to the sink to wash some dishes. Sasuke sat still while Naruto stared at Sakura; she wasn't looking.
"Sasuke.. dang-it we were getting a little cozy before she interrupted our breakfast.." Naruto pouted. Sasuke stared at Naruto strangely.
"Seeing you eat like that.. it makes me want to.." Naruto was saying. Sasuke's eyes watched Naruto carefully. Naruto was getting closer, and Sasuke felt his heart-rate pick up as Naruto's fingers traced along the center of his chest.
"Makes me want to do things to you.. that make you crazy.." Naruto admitted, blushing. "My eating turns you on?? You little freak dobe…" Sasuke commented back, smiling a little. Naruto rubbed Sasuke's arm and shoulder.
"Just lay back, I'll get you back to full strength and past that!" Naruto promised.
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"Sasuke…?" ...
"Sasuke!! Where…"
Naruto felt his heart stop.
"SASUKE!!! NO!" Blood…Blood everywhere..
Sasuke's body in the middle.
"I wasn't even…able to help you beat this…you.. you destroyed yourself…."
Cold to the touch…
Overtaken by the curse….
Cold…hopeless…suicide….
Sasuke's body lay, a slashed mess, on the ground.
"NO! No, no, no! Sasuke no! Why…" Naruto felt himself awaken, arms flailing, not knowing up from down.
"Hey! HEY! Naru-chan! Sh!" Sasuke's voice. Naruto halted, sitting up straight, squeezing a grip of Sasuke's shirt in his fists while he looked around quickly first, then into Sasuke's eyes.
"Naruto, calm down, you fell asleep beside me during lunch…we're doing more chakra focus next." Sasuke said in his usual calm tone, his arm around Naruto's shoulders, keeping him sitting up. Sasuke swallowed, slightly nervous when Naruto didn't calm down and make a cheery remark. Naruto was staring hard. Sasuke moved his eyes to where Naruto was staring. The curse seal. Sasuke immediately covered it with his hand.
"Naruto…what did you dream? What did you see?" he asked quietly. Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head.
"No.."
"What are you talking about 'No', tell me Naruto!" Sasuke demanded. Naruto found himself shivering.
"I can't.." he choked out, hurriedly wiping his eyes with one hand and sitting all the way forward.
"Never-mind it.." Naruto whispered, staring at the ground as he stood up shakily. Sasuke stood quickly, stabilizing him.
"Naruto.. I don't like this.. What were you dreaming?! Obviously it's shaken you." Sasuke reasoned, standing in front of Naruto, his back to the training field and Sensei and Sakura. Naruto kept his head hung as he stood up also.
"I don't.. I don't want to tell you anything about it.." Naruto murmured, avoiding eye-contact. Sasuke took a few steps closer, so close that his forehead touched to Naruto's, and Naruto closed his eyes as Sasuke's warmth surrounded him. No cold hopelessness there.
"Naruto-koi.." he whispered. "Please.. I need to know. What's bothering you?" Sasuke asked again, rubbing both of Naruto's shoulders and arms with his hands. Naruto looked up slowly, their eyes locking gazes, and Naruto began to feel sick.
"Sasu—ke.. you…were.. you had.." Naruto's eyes read a strange emptiness that Sasuke rarely saw in them.
"Sasuke! Naruto! Let's go!" Kakashi yelled from the center of the field. Sasuke glanced back, then went back to Naruto.
"Come on.. whatever it is.. you can't worry about that now." Sasuke said hurriedly, still keeping Naruto hidden from the rest with his body.
"Pull it together.." Sasuke finished, reaching up to briefly caress Naruto's face with his hand. Naruto finally nodded.
"Yeah.. j-just a dream…It's nothing.." Naruto said so quietly it might as well have been a whisper. He glanced back up at Sasuke, and immediately saw slash marks all over his body and face, blood streaming.
"Naruto?" The bloody form spoke. Naruto stumbled backward, his hand on his head as he immediately closed his eyes tightly.
"Sas--Sasuke.." Naruto choked, shaking his head to erase the illusion. Sasuke stabilized him quickly. "
Naruto sit down. Now!" Sasuke ordered, pulling him down. Kakashi had noticed something was wrong and was making his way over, attracting Sakura's attention. Sasuke held up a hand.
"No! Stay back." Sasuke demanded, not even looking at them. Naruto was catching his breath, keeping his eyes closed.
"Sasuke…" Naruto sobbed, tears dripping. Sasuke gasped, then made Naruto look up at him.
"Naruto stop! What's wrong? You have to tell me what you're seeing!!" Sasuke shouted, shaking him violently by the shoulders.
"NO! Forget it!!" Naruto shouted, finally looking up and rubbing his eyes defiantly.
"It was nothing.." Naruto sighed, standing up despite Sasuke's hesitance. Naruto forced a smile.
"Let's just do our sparring...alright?" Naruto left Sasuke under the tree to stare after him.
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"Alright Sasuke. You've had issues with chakra lately.. So we're going to do this for you. We're doing a three on one; Naruto, Sakura, and myself, versus you and your chakra." Kakashi explained.
"Here are the rules." He began. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura nodded, listening as they stood in a row in front of him.
"I will be throwing kunai at you from hidden points, but not to anywhere critical. But you will get cut if you can't block them. Also I may come out and trap you if you give me the opportunity. Sakura will be telling me where you are, what you're doing, and also she is allowed to ambush you with jutsu traps. Naruto, you can basically do anything you see fit. You're the most similar to Sasuke in size and ability, so you're his match. Basically, your challenge, Sasuke, will be to hold Naruto off one-on-one while being distracted by Sakura and myself." Kakashi said. They all nodded, and Naruto closed his eyes.
"I have to help Sasuke get control by training against him…well then…" Naruto looked up and forced himself to appear alright.
"No mercy Sasuke." He warned. Sasuke smirked.
"Good, Naruto. Wouldn't want that huge breakfast you made me eat to go to waste, right?" Sasuke said, patting his stomach. Naruto grinned and blushed.
"Hehe yeah! Alright then!"
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Sasuke stood carefully, glancing around himself, maintaining a defensive moving stance. All was completely quiet. Sasuke glanced suddenly.
"There!" He bent backward at the waist at almost a 90 degree angle just as two kunai whizzed past him.
"Hn…decent enough.." Sasuke said to himself.
"But they can't all hide from me…" Sasuke said a bit louder, eyeing a bush where Sakura, inside, froze. Sasuke smirked at the bush and turned and walked away. "
Wait.." He spun around and flung a kunai right into the bush, not even shocked at the 'poof' that resulted.
"Clone replication…Naruto!" Sasuke concluded, and looked up just as about 5 Naruto's landed on top of him.
"Got you Sasuke!!" They all exclaimed, and Sasuke grunted as he hit the ground.
"Eh??" All the Naruto's pondered as pressure built under them where Sasuke was. With a forced yell, all five were blown about 10 feet away in opposite directions, and Sasuke's chakra was out and raging.
"Nope! Not that easy." Sasuke said with a smirk as all the clones abruptly disappeared. Sasuke turned and used his chakra to run up into a tree, and sat there crouched on a tree branch.
"I see you Sakura.." Sasuke murmured. He began to form seals.
"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" a pillar of fire shot out of the tree and incinerated the bush on the ground near a log, and out of the log crawled Sakura, coughing.
"Smoked you out…" Sasuke murmured, then leapt from the tree and onto her back, forcing her to the ground.
"You're done…" Sasuke murmured with a light smirk.
"Ok.. ok Sasuke I'm out! Smoking me out wasn't fair though!" Sakura complained with a blush as she stood up.
"So.. want me to help you—"
"No. I need to do this on my own." Sasuke went dashing off, immediately vanishing from sight.
"Okay.. Sakura's out.. now—" Sasuke halted, face to face with Naruto. He screeched to a stop, stopping with his face an inch away from Naruto's. Naruto smirked.
"You're mine.. Sasuke.." he purred. A kunai flew from a random location, and Sasuke moved, pulling Naruto into a headlock as he did so.
"No.. you're mine—what??" Sasuke gasped as the random kunai exploded and Naruto emerged from the smoke, then made a huge leap onto Sasuke's back.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!" The clone Naruto in Sasuke's arm shouted, forming the seals quickly, which forced Sasuke to let it go.
"Oh no you don't—" Naruto had to interrupt his seal forming and scoot away as Sasuke suddenly began spewing a reddish black fire.
"Waaah!! Sasuke watch it!" Naruto shouted, caught off guard. Sasuke exhaled a few more flames in his direction, forcing Naruto to flip backward, then paused when Naruto tripped and fell, staring wide-eyed. Sasuke patted his chest a few times and coughed a bit of smoke.
"It's more powerful. Didn't know that?" Sasuke said, crossing his arms. Naruto got up, not able to get away from Sasuke this time.
"Alright then!" He ran at Sasuke, ready to fight. Sasuke took a stance.
"Sharingan!"
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After about a half hour of intense taijutsu mixed with genjutsu techniques thrown in amidst ninjutsu, Sasuke was tired of also avoiding Kakashi's kunai and hidden traps. Naruto was using minimal chakra, if any, so had much more energy than Sasuke did at the moment. Kakashi suddenly showed himself next to Sakura, who was watching the fight.
"Haaaah!" Naruto shouted, round-housing immediately after Sasuke blocked a punch. The hit landed, and Sasuke stumbled back a little, but responded by right-hooking Naruto to the face, watching him fall, defeated, then collapsing to the ground nearly on top of him, breathless.
"Hold…" Kakashi said calmly, holding up a hand and walking closer to the two. Naruto, gasping for breath, sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth. His clothes looked a little singed.
"Sasuke use his new Black Fire Jutsu on you Naruto? It's not completely developed yet but it's getting there. He's really done a good job creating it, huh?" Kakashi teased, then looked at Sasuke, still on the ground and trying to push himself up.
"Too.. much.. chakra.." Sasuke groaned, rolling over onto his back.
"Spent?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke moved his hand to his chest.
"I—I—" Sasuke coughed, then sat up and covered his mouth, coughing some more, splattering blood against his hand and it dripped to the ground between his legs.
"I'd think that's a 'yes'." Kakashi said calmly, coming over with Sakura and kneeling beside Sasuke. Naruto crawled over, then sat beside him, rubbing his back.
"Sasuke! Is your chakra used up? Are you ok?" He asked. Sasuke nodded.
"Fine.." Sasuke said hoarsely.
"That upgraded fire technique of yours.. that's what did you some damage." Kakashi said, giving Sasuke a few knocks on the back. Sasuke leaned further forward, coughing some more, then moved his hand toward his throat.
"Ah…it really hurts.." Sasuke groaned, still hoarse.
"Okay, okay. You're done with the training part, right now I'm going to teach you something that'll help you balance your chakra output, and right now it's going to help speed up your production but keep it inside of you. Form two of your flame seals." Sasuke cleared his throat a little bit, raised his arms only halfway, then collapsed onto Naruto beside him.
"I can't move..." Sasuke sighed quietly.
"Sasuke-kun! Are you alright??" Sakura asked nervously.
"He'll be okay, he just has to do this." Kakashi said, making Sasuke sit back up.
"Okay come on Sasuke. Two of your flame seals, and add these to them.." Kakashi demonstrated.
"Hakkei.." Kakashi formed another. "Chuushin."(A/N :'Hakkei' is a word meaning 'release internal power', 'Chuushin' means balance.)
"Repeat after me and my movements. While you're doing it, trust yourself and force out the rest of your chakra." Kakashi said.
"What? But I'll.. I'll really come close to not waking up." Sasuke debated.
"Trust me. Now repeat. Hakkei-Chuushin no Jutsu!" Kakashi said. Sasuke formed seals and shut his eyes, Naruto staring anxiously.
"This is dangerous.." he murmured. Sasuke took a deep breath.
"Hakkei-Chuushin no Jutsu!" he spoke, and Kakashi calmly watched as he immediately weakened and fell forward completely.
"Sasuke!" Naruto and Sakura both exclaimed, then shoved to hold him up.
"Don't jostle him!" Kakashi ordered, and they both froze, Sasuke in their arms. In a few seconds, Sasuke sat up abruptly.
"What.." Sasuke looked at himself, then his hands, then up at Kakashi. "This.. this is amazing.. I forced the rest of my chakra.. which wasn't much.. out. And now…I have enough of it back to feel decent." Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded.
"Mm-hm. It's going to help you balance out. The less chakra you spend, the safer you are Sasuke." Kakashi said. Naruto cheered.
"Yeah! That's great Sasuke! Now it'll be easier for you to resist this curse thing!" He exclaimed.
"Okay everyone. Let's head back."
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"Easy Sasuke.. don't wanna regret it later." Kakashi warned from across the table. "Don't tell him that Sensei! He's eating what he needs to!" Naruto defended, his hand on Sasuke's back. Sasuke looked up with his mouth full.
"Hand me that Naruto.." he murmured, pointing to the miso ramen.
"Sasuke that's my favorite though, I wanted to eat that!" Sasuke closed his eyes and swallowed.
"You had five bowls of it already." He said coolly. Naruto pouted.
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Alright, alright. Eat it." Sasuke caved. Kakashi and Sakura both rose an eyebrow at the two as they both ate like there was no tomorrow.
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Kakashi had his ear pressed to the wall between his own room and Sasuke's room. He heard bumping against it. On the other side, Sasuke was straining himself, sweat trickling down the side of his face. A few drops dripped off of his chin—and onto Naruto's neck.
"Ah—Aah—AHH!" Sasuke grunted, slamming his hand against the wall just beside Naruto's ear. Naruto's breathing rate rose to a level of hyperventilation, his cheeks flushed to a strawberry red. Sasuke suddenly forced himself harder, adjusting his hold on Naruto up against the wall. Naruto's legs squeezed around Sasuke's hips, and his grip on Sasuke's shoulders tightened as they both reached their limit. "Ah…Faster Sasuke, come on…" he was demanding. On the other side of the wall, Kakashi listened to Sasuke sounding like he was in pain, and Naruto was being loud and extremely vocal with his noises. Kakashi felt himself blush.
"Whoa. Unbelievable."
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The next morning, Kakashi watched as Naruto yawned, flopping into his seat in the kitchen. A few seconds later came Sasuke, who rather dully walked in at his normal pace, but when he sat down he yawned, then winced.
"Train too much yesterday? Were you doing extra training at night again?" Kakashi said, crossing his arms. Naruto suddenly nodded off and fell face down on the table, immediately snoring, and Sasuke gave Kakashi a glowering stare for his comment. Kakashi gave a 'look' back at Sasuke as Sakura came downstairs stretching and yawning. "Ohayo…"
"Good, everyone's up a bit earlier than usual. Sasuke? How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke nodded as he poked Naruto awake.
"Good. I recovered quickly after the new Jutsu you taught me." Sasuke said. "Nothing happened with the curse-seal?" Kakashi asked next. Naruto felt his heart briefly pound against his chest at the mention of the curse. Sasuke shook his head.
"Nothing.. well.." Sasuke hesitated. Kakashi waited patiently, watching Naruto's eyes read anxiety.
"It stung the entire time we were walking back home after training yesterday.. nothing more." Sasuke admitted. Kakashi nodded.
"Uh-huh. Well, Sasuke. Don't worry about it, I'm watching you carefully. You won't get out of control. Today, we're going to make chakra maintenance your specialty." Kakashi assured.
(stampedes into next chapter and suggests you do the same)
-Kitsune