Chapter 21: Double-Sided Blades

Yay! Chapter 21! It took forever ... but it's here. It's been so long since I updated ... but no use complaining now. Do I do a good job with descriptions? I have a hard time judging my own work, seeing as I can't ask any of my family to judge. (or else I get weird questions ...)

Also, beware in this chapter of Neji/Sasu smut, Gaara and Naruto discussing a serious issue, and music-influenced work.

ATTENTION. ATTENTION.

I have a question for everyone, but before I pose it, consider the massive amount of detail I went into the chuunin exams.

Should I elaborate on the ANBU exam like I did the chuunin exams?

Thanks for your attention. Back to the fic.

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'ANBU EXAMINATION'

Sasuke looked at the paper on the table before him.

'Exam will be held between the 10th and the 12th. Examinees are to arrive promptly at 12:00 AM on the 10th.'

There was less than a month to prepare ... to train ... to do what little he could to ready himself for whatever they would throw at him. There had been rumors about the ANBU exams since the days of their childhood. Things from a lot-drawing to a battle royale had been suspected and dismissed. No one really talked about the exam. The ANBU members themselves didn't associate with anyone but the jounins and the Hokage, and didn't let on that they were ANBU when they were in the village. Sasuke looked up for a moment at the wall across from him. Sasuke wasn't staying at his house tonight. He was staying with Neji at the Hyuuga Main house. He and Hinata had invited him to stay so much that the servants had dedicated a room just to Sasuke that no one else ever used. The Uchiha looked back at the paper.

'Bring whatever weapons you feel you are suited to, as many as you like. Weapons are not required, but they are also not provided. However, weapons of a disqualified or deceased examinee are fair game.'

That was comforting.

'The exam will be further elaborated upon on site. At 12:01 AM, the proctors will no longer allow examinees to register.'

The door slid open. "Sasuke, are you still looking at that piece of paper?"

Sasuke looked up. Neji leaned in the doorway, one hand on the sliding door, the other dangling at his side. "You can't still be looking at that. It's been hours since we received those. Kiba has already dragged Shino and Ino off to train, and Sakura just stopped by to look for you." Sasuke nodded, eyeing his boyfriend with half-lidded eyes. The other teenager stayed in the doorway, eyes on the black-haired Uchiha. "So ... how's Itachi-san doing?"

Sasuke shrugged. "He's getting better. I haven't ..." Sasuke drew back into the couch slightly. "... I haven't checked in on him lately."

Neji shook his head. "Let's go some time before the exam," he suggested, turning to leave. A voice called to him from inside the room.

"Come here."

The white-eyed boy turned around and cocked an eyebrow, shutting the door behind him. "And what's in it for me if I do?" he asked, amused, though already making his way slowly over to the black couch on which his boyfriend lounged. Obsidian depths offered him no answer as Sasuke watched the white-eyed boy approach.

"Come here ... and I'll show you."

WARNING: shameless smut beyond this point. And I don't write smut that well. ;-; T-T oh well. you may skip it if you wish. It is Neji/Sasu. WARNING

A corner of Sasuke's mouth slowly rose towards his ear in a half-smirk. Curious, Neji returned the smirk and lowered himself onto the seated Uchiha's lap, silvery-white irises sliding over the hands that rose to meet the skin of his arms. A hungry mouth opened and met equally eager lips. Neji leaned into the kiss as Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, twirling an index finger loosely through the white ribbon that rested half-way down the brown-haired boy's back. Sasuke wound the ribbon around his finger twice and gave a tug, causing the loosely tied strands to fall freely over the back of the other boy's shirt. Neji broke off the kiss and frowned as the Uchiha brought the ribbon between them, twirling it on a finger.

"I like your hair when it's down," he said as an excuse, looking at his boyfriend's mock-scowl with a knowing glance.

Neji didn't reply, but took the ribbon from Sasuke's hand with his teeth, letting his tongue flick out and taste the tip of the offending index finger as he passed it. Sasuke shivered and Neji yelped as he was pushed back onto the large black couch, Sasuke's hands sinking deep into the couch on either side of his head and Sasuke's legs straddling his lower stomach. He winced as he realized that his pants were getting uncomfortably tight. Neji had to bite his lower lip as the other boy attacked his neck. Every time the other boy's lips met Neji's skin, the pinned boy couldn't help gasping at the sensations that rushed under his skin. A hand tugged at his collar, exposing more of his silky smooth skin.

"Sasuke ..." The black-haired boy didn't hear him at first, too busy trying to cover every inch of Neji's neck with his mouth, one section at a time. "Sasuke," Neji panted, a little more loudly, again with no response as Sasuke continued working his way across the top of Neji's collarbone. He was rudely interrupted when Neji gave a jerk and sent them tumbling off the couch, into the table, and finally crashing onto the floor with a wide-eyed Uchiha pinned beneath him.

"Sasuke," Neji panted as he felt heat consume his face, "you're driving me crazy ..."

Sasuke's eyes widened again as Neji leaned against his body and revealed the source of his frustration, and he groaned as the material constricting him grew tight as well. "Neji ... Neji, get off me for a minute," Sasuke commanded between quick breaths. Neji growled, almost primal in his state of arousal, but managed to get off the other boy long enough for Sasuke to rid himself and Neji of their pants. As the cool air rushed against the bare skin of his legs, Neji felt some sense leak back into his brain. Semi self-conscious, even with his boxers still on, he drew his legs toward his chest as Sasuke sat up and shamelessly let his eyes wander over the other boy's exposed skin, pale almost akin to his own.

"Don't do that," he said softly, reaching out and pushing the other boy's knees down. Neji flushed but spoke with a quiet calm. "You're rather cool about this. You ever jerked off another guy before?"

"You're my first," Sasuke replied, unknowingly knocking the breath from the other boy. Sasuke moved forwards and straddled his knees, hands resting on the elastic band of a pair of white boxers. He rose an eyebrow. "Why does your underwear match your eyes?" he mumbled to himself curiously as he gripped the edges with two fingers and tugged gently. Suddenly he was stopped, and a pair of pale hands grabbed his own. The eyebrow rose questioningly again, this time confusion flickering across Sasuke's unusually readable visage.

"Having second thoughts?" asked Sasuke softly, a pained hitch in his voice.

Neji shook his head quickly. "Not at all," he said, "it's just that ..." Sasuke blinked as Neji's eyes narrowed slightly, " ... I was wondering ... why you should get to lead."

The black-haired Uchiha stared ahead at the other boy, struck dumb for a response. Neji's hands released Sasuke's and slid to his waist. "I think that I should get the pleasure of helping you out with this," Neji suggested, hand brushing against Sasuke's tented boxers and leaning forwards to whisper into Sasuke's lips, "I am older than you."

Sasuke mumbled something that sounded like, 'talk too much,' and stopped the whispering by pressing their mouthes together, muffling any further reasoning. Neji groaned in frustration and pleasure as Sasuke pushed him backwards, fingers still resting at the band around his boyfriend's lower waist. An idea crept into Neji's mind, and suddenly Sasuke found no resistance as his hands brushed against new skin. "That argument went over fast," Sasuke mused as Neji shut his eyes and leaned back onto the floor, hips jerking into Sasuke's touch. Neji gasped and felt himself harden considerably in Sasuke's hand.

"Well, I figured--since you're so--aah! ... insistent ... on leading now, you can--nnnh ... be on the bottom later."

Sasuke squeaked and his hand squeezed in surprise. "Sorry," apologized Sasuke quickly. Neji shook his head, fighting to keep a calm voice as Sasuke stroked him.

"Just shut up and DO something about this!"

Neji shuddered as Sasuke took the order to heart. The Hyuuga leaned back onto the floor, his hair falling back onto the floor. The black-haired Uchiha moved his hand again, Neji gasping and gripping at Sasuke's spare hand. "Ahhn ... Sasuke ..." Sasuke flushed; hearing Neji call his name in that tone sent heat racing to his face. The heat rushed to the rest of his body, and he bet that he was as hard as Neji as the other boy bit his lip and tried to keep his trembling hips from bucking up into Sasuke's hand. Neji gasped and began to cut off the circulation to Sasuke's wrist as he came closer and closer, the black-haired boy watching Neji pant under his ministrations with something like jealousy and pleasure. The Hyuuga looked beautiful on the floor with his hair like a dark halo behind his head, panting and hard beneath him, because of him. He met Neji's panting mouth with a hot tongue as his hand moved faster, and Neji groaned into Sasuke's mouth, allowing the other boy to dominate the kiss fully. Neji felt pressure building inside him with every stroke, and suddenly it was gone, and all over Sasuke's hand. Sasuke's chest met his own and his full body weight splayed out over Neji's. The pale hand slipped out of Neji's boxers, covered for the most part in Neji's seed.

End of smutty scene.

Sasuke wrapped a clean hand in Neji's hair and let his head fall onto Neji's shoulder. Neji focused on breathing. They remained in their position for a good while before Sasuke rolled off the other boy's slowly cooling skin. "Neji ..." Sasuke inched his shoulder over in order to be within reach of Neji's forehead, which he tapped with his own. White eyes stared sideways across the floor and into his own. "Hn?"

"I love you."

Neji blinked several times and then a crooked smile broke out over his face. "You loser. I knew that."

Sasuke chuckled. "Just making sure."

Neji rolled over onto Sasuke's chest, lying his cheek to Sasuke's collarbone. Sasuke twirled the handful of hair he'd been holding, creating a terrible knot. "Hey," piped Neji, "Don't do that ..." Sasuke refused to release the lock of hair, and Neji gave a suffering sigh as Sasuke attempted to undo the knot with only one hand. Neji frowned and the corner of his eye twitched. "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"You better be able to get that knot out." Sasuke sensed a mild threat in Neji's tone, and continued to work on the tangle of hair, though a little more seriously. He shifted under Neji's weight, and then decided that it was all but impossible with only one hand. "Hey, get up." When the other boy obliged, Sasuke got to his feet and headed towards the bathroom of his room. Neij sat on the floor as Sasuke washed his hands, and then got to his feet and followed the other boy into the bathroom. Sasuke looked up from his hands in surprise. "Wanna use the toilet?"

"I want to take a shower," Neji said, brushing past Sasuke into the shower stall and turning the knobs in the shower on to hot and hot. He jumped when Sasuke pulled back the shower curtains and slipped in, shutting them behind him.

"What are you doing?" asked Neji through clenched teeth as Sasuke moved to touch his shoulders. Sasuke met his gaze and put his arms on the other boy's neck. "I'm not done with your hair, yet." Neji blinked and nodded, turning his back to the other boy. "Fine," he grumbled, jerking out of Sasuke's hold, "but don't touch me." Sasuke rose an eyebrow, wondering what he'd done to deserve the attitude ... and then it clicked.

"You that mad about me getting you off first?"

Neji blushed all the way to the roots of his hair, though Sasuke could only see his back. He shook his head to clear his face, and tried to focus on cleaning himself. "No, I'm not mad, I'm ..." He trailed off and then returned his attention to his body. Sasuke waited silently for the truth, patiently undoing the tangles he'd created in Neji's silky hair. Suds covered Neji's chest and then slid down his body with the water and what little whiteness had escaped Sasuke's hand. Neji felt heat rise back to his face and quickly banished it. The water fell against his body, warm and relaxing, and Sasuke's hands finished with his hair and moved on to his shoulders. Neji didn't resist as the black-haired Uchiha massaged his shoulders, strong fingers working the length of his back. "Sasuke, didn't I ask you not to touch me?"

"Sure, but you're tense. Let me just work your back, and then I'm done. Promise." Neji nodded, trying to stay frustrated at the other boy; but as Sasuke's hands ran over his back, fingers skillfully kneading the tenseness out of his shoulders and lower back, it was a task that seemed all but impossible.

"Yes," Neji said finally as Sasuke's hands stopped moving on his back. "Hm? Yes what?" Neji sighed as he grabbed the knobs and turned the water off. "Yes, I'm mad at you." Sasuke smirked. "Knew it."The brown-haired Hyuuga snorted and yanked the shower curtains back.

Sasuke blinked and stared back at the wide sea-green orbs that stared at them. Neji stood paralyzed, next to Sasuke, both of them wet and completely naked.

Sakura fell onto the tile floor, blood streaming from her nose.

..oo00oo..

..oo00oo..

Within the walls of Infinity Fortress, four figures worked, combining genjutsu with traps and winding hallways with illusions and mind-bending path divisions that led in circles and back again. The blonde, clad in a blue T-shirt featuring a red spiral in the center of the front and a pair of tan shorts that reached his knees, was busy re-organizing the first and second floors to whatever he wanted them to be. The red head, (whose hair resembles the color of blood more than carrots) clad in a dark red long-sleeved turtleneck and black baggy pants, worked the third and fifth floors by himself in a similar fashion. The other two figures, one a badger with silvery-gray fur and the other a dragon with brown scales that resembled the earth, were busy pushing large objects into place, and then popping in on the first five levels to distract the two boys from their work.

Since the fight between the two boys and the small troupe of Konoha warriors, Aki and Taro had shrunk back to their original sizes, Aki's head standing at Gaara's waist and the length of Taro's body was just above where the red head could reach without lifting his feat from the ground (and without the sand).

Naruto and Gaara lived day by day. Immediately after they returned and discovered the change in Aki and Taro's sizes, they wanted to find Kiiva a proper resting place. They knew that Kiiva would enjoy sleeping somewhere near the fortress, because that was where they met her. Behind the massive walls, just a little ways into the forest, they found a secluded ring of trees that opened up to the sky, and knew with a slight sting that she would have loved it. Knowing that Haku and Itachi would have scolded them for their gloominess, they went about returning her to the earth with as little sorrow as possible. Still, Naruto couldn't help breaking into loud sobs as Taro nudged the dirt over her still body. Gaara let Naruto bury his head in his chest, and shut his eyes against the cold, two tears of his own landing on the blonde's shuddering shoulders.

It snowed hard that day, rained in the night, but the next morning there was a rainbow sitting over the fortress and both the blonde and the red head put their tears behind them.

Pushing death from their minds, the two boys turned renovating the fortress into a race: who would fix up the most effective traps the quickest? The task was bigger than moving the fortress itself, and was taking several days. The two boys had worked from the top down, and were close to finishing.

When the sun finally managed to sit itself at the very highest point of the day, time seemed to stand still. Gaara and Naruto finished whatever they were working on, Aki and Taro slinking from their tasks without any verbal command. Purpose seemed to slip from their actions, and they gathered in the room at the very top of the fortress. A large square room greeted them and offered a small pool at it center, a large bed that would fit three in the south corner, a kitchen-like corner facing the west, and an empty bookshelf to the east.

Naruto looked up at Gaara. "You know what?" Gaara looked up, jade eyes slightly curious. "They'll be back."

"They who?"

"You know," said the blonde with a smile, "the people that have Itachi-nii."

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Naruto ... about them ..." Naruto sat up. There was something serious in Gaara's voice ... something was wrong. Aki and Taro glanced at each other and then lazily made their way over to the small pool in the center of the room, putting them far enough away so that the other two would have a little privacy.

Naruto turned to confront the other teenager as soon as they were 'alone.' "What's wrong?" Gaara put his hands in his lap, looking very much like he'd stolen the last cookie from the jar and was trying to hide the fact that he wanted another. Naruto looked over Gaara's body. There was so much he could tell without saying anything that it might have seemed like he was psychic. The way Gaara refused to meet his eyes meant that he had been hiding it, and was guilty about having brought it up so late with his closest friend, someone, the only one, that he considered much more than a friend. Gaara's hands folded into his lap, showing his nervousness. Naruto cocked his head to the side and wondered if Gaara could tell the same things about him. 'Probably.'

"Probably what?" Gaara's curious question jerked Naruto into realizing that while he'd been so intent on reading the other boy like a book, Gaara had been trying to work up to telling him something. A blush covered Naruto's face from pure embarrassment. "Gomen ne ..."

"It's ok." Naruto nodded, his gaze meeting the red head's. "Now tell Naruto what's wrong." Gaara nodded, unfolding his hands from his lap.

"Whenever we see them ... there's something inside of me ... not Shukaku," he said sadly as Naruto looked suddenly hopeful. Both boys missed their demon's presences, although they didn't leave their bodies, there was something hollow inside their minds and hearts. Some part of them that the demon had occupied had filled them with a warmth that they couldn't replace. "It's not him," said Gaara softly, sadly.

"What is it?"

"Something ..." Gaara paused for a moment, searching for a proper description of the feeling. "It's kind of like the feeling that we had when we went to Suna-village, to kill those kids."

Naruto nodded, suddenly understanding. It had been cemented in his brain, and his heart. The cold, calculating chill that seemed to fill his lungs, that choked the air from his throat. Feeling the warm blood of something so innocent, so pure, dashed upon the claws that had easily ripped their earthly bodies to shreds had sunk deep into his soul. He had been half weakened and half excited from the feeling--the feeling of absolute power. It was like a drug, tearing through his senses, adrenaline pumping through his blood, sending his heart beating a million miles a minute. The blonde's mouth fell half-open, caught up in the pure sensation of a memory; the feelings so real that the hue of his eyes took on a resemblance to the blood he'd spilled--

"Naruto!"

Suddenly the feeling cracked, and Naruto felt as if something solid was falling away from him, some kind of terrible shell that he had to shed. He was breathing hard, and Gaara was much closer than he had been a moment ago. "Gaara? What happened ..."

Gaara's hand was wrapped in Naruto's own, claws sliding against the pale skin like knives kissing his skin, but the red head had held on tight. Naruto's eyes returned to their blue-purple color, and he gasped as the red head finally showed a sign of pain, flinching as Naruto felt the warm blood dribble down his hand. "Gaara!" He grabbed up the other boy's hand quickly. "Gaara, Gaara, you're hurt, you're hurt--" Naruto looked at his hands. "Gaara ... I ... I didn't mean ..." Gaara shook his head.

"This is what I wanted to talk about." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Every time I see them ..." A pair of silver-white eyes.

"Every time I see that symbol ..." A leaf on a silver plate, just above blood-red irises that aroused the sleeping desire for bloodshed in his chest ...

"Every time I see it, I feel that way," Gaara said, bringing Naruto's claws to his chest, "Every time we fight, I think I can't hold it back anymore, but I do ..." Naruto watched Gaara clutch at his hand, helpless to do anything at all. Even breathing seemed impossible. They shared the same pain ... they shared the same love and hate of Konoha's people ... It was all he could do to hold their heads together and sigh softly.

"I don't know, Gaa-chan," he muttered into the red head's hair, "I don't know."

..oo00oo..

..oo00oo..

I had more, but I haven't updated in so long that I thought you'd need this. -; ...

Anyway, I have to work on next chapter! I'm also working on my Avatar fic again! My artwork can be found at Distant Horizons under 'fanart' by Blue 1/2! - Thanks so much for reading! Now, to respond to reviews:

Golden Warrior12: Oooh, thanks for the compliments! I really wanted to keep Diana's kids, cauz I had plans for the sequ-- er, I mean, I had plans for them in the future ... Anyway, I 'm glad that you appreciate what I do in my story.

JakotsuGlomper: Yes, I try to be as original as possible. Actually, this story plot is over 2 years old; I started it in 8th and now I'm in 10th ... It just took so long to develop. Naruto's personality was hard to develop, and I'm just kind of going with the flow now ... ;-; PS: I am an author: on FF.N. --

Blackangeltwin1: Ask and you shall receive.

Ruby Heart: SasuNeji? Here you go. My internet messes up occasionally, but that's no reason for me to stop working on mah story! -

Altariel Eldalote: I do believe that I shall have to steal you away, in retaliation to what you have done; for it seems you have stolen my heart.

EVERY time you leave a review, I find the strength to demolish the writers block that plagues me at every chapter. It seems that for some time now I have written each new chapter for you, and several selected few, including Ruby Heart, Death-Angel Lavenda, Jasmine Starlight, and Princess Kitana. For the five of you, I bequeath each and every chapter with what heartfelt words I can muster.

Kaiva's last thoughts are my own, the ones that I thought as I left Michigan in tears, never to see snow again. I live in a snow-less place now. I hate the heat. :( But it's true, isn't it? Snow is just frozen tears ...

Tsunade's monologue was long. Took me a while to write. The gaa/naru conversation was really long before I took a look at it and said 'I don't need 457 of these words ...' and chopped it down to about 100 or so. The HP fic? It's been in process for over a year, and I've got all of 3 chapters. I've been researching, planning, calculating, and researching all over again because it's so complex. I can post a first chapter, but if people (espically you) want to read more, what more will I have to offer? I wanted to develop it a bit more before I leaked it out for experimentation ... The Half Blood Prince (snape) is awesome. The book sucked ass-phalt.

For some reason it's easier to write about the feelings between two people of the same gender. o-o why is this, someone TELL me! I've tried girl+boy but it don't work ... maybe I have to fall in love first? o-O I have vol. 1 of FLCL, planning to buy vol. 2 soon. I really will have to locate you in reality and make you mine, you realize--

... (stares at own words)

(lots of the fancy words I've said is influence from MeruPuri ... T-T sorry.)

You're awesome. Awesome.

Devilz-Fallen: As they say, ask and you shall receive; you asked for another chapter and here it is. -

Uke Love: Sorry for making you all wait so long. T-T I'll work on the next chapter really hard!

DeathAngel-Lavenda: Mystery? Yes, that was what I was aiming for. --

Princess Kitana:Haha! You were right! - The memory thing took a while, thanks for your compliment. I might reveal why she died, but I might not. Depends on how much she'll weigh in on the story. I mean, it does seem that lots of people close to them die ... and who's the only other person they consider close? Oops, can't give too much away ...

Jasmine Starlight: Thanks for reviewing! I always love it when people say hi! -

Thanks again, everyone, for inspiring me to chapter 21! Hope things go well and chapter 22 is up sooner than this was! -