Yo! Here's something that will please you all...All chapters will be up before June is over! No thanks necessary.
XXI. White Stalemate
"What did he do?"
"His body was dying. I guess you could say he was already gone. But his soul, Kyuubi had stopped his soul before it cut all ties to his body. He used the chakra already in Sasuke's body to make a bridge between us and he sent me to bring him back. I didn't think I could. He was so determined to go. I don't know what changed his mind but he came back. Kyu put a bit of himself in Sasuke so that the Heaven's Seal wouldn't work anymore. He's still trapped in me, but he can give Sasuke the power to fight."
He smiled up at Jiraiya and Tsunade before looking across the room to the raven still asleep. His smile dropped a bit but it fell only into a content expression. Worry was lighting his eyes when he looked back to them.
"This won't help him, will it? The fox being in both of us. Him especially."
"No, Naruto, it won't. But I think we can make it work. Sasuke brought down Sound. He may not have realized it at the time but the chaos caused by Orochimaru's death and the death of most of Oto's shinobi reigned in a large amount of civil unrest. Akatsuki's destruction just cleared the path. Whatever debt he has left could be worked off with cofinement in the village and hard labor."
Tsunade kept her mouth shut about the petitioning his friends had done on his behalf. They were strong, well-respected shinobi from honorable families. They couldn't persuade the council to change their minds or hold sway over their fate but they were cushioning the inevitable backlash to their return. They were easing the public's hatred and suspicion for Naruto and Sasuke.
The raven stirred briefly, brushing a hand across the bed sheets, fingers flexing before relaxing in a loose manner. His brow was pulled down in agitation and his fingers flexed again. Both his hands suddenly clenched suddenly, the knuckles going a sharp white and red before he shoot up, fists slammed onto the bed, panting, every nerve buzzing. He brought a hand up to his neck, clenching, trying to hold back the pain he expected. As none came, he relaxed slowly, eyes widening as pure hands fell away from his neck. He studied them, turning them over slowly, then frantically moving the hospital top to expose more skin.
His breath shook as he uncovered more and more white flesh. He ran his fingers over the unmarred skin, tracing the imaginary lines. He felt his back, searching for wings but discovering scars, raised in their unique shape barely there. Soft near laughs escaped his throat, a crazed but delighted quality to the tone.
He felt his face with a gingerness that he hadn't displayed earlier except for the study of his hands. They ran over the skin under his eyes before skimming so, so, gently over the closed eyelid. He flinched, again expecting a cruel slice of pain, but receiving a buffet of warmth. Limply, his hands fell back to his lap, his body relaxing completely. There was a stillness about him that suggested deep thought, meditation, helplessness.
"Kyuubi's generally good about keeping his promises. He said it would go back to before, right? Even though he's a selfish, sneaky, twisted, rude, obnoxious, perverted old coot, he always keep his word. Most of the time, anyway."
He shot a surprised glance, across the room, meeting pacific blue eyes. He was also surprised when he felt warmth pool around his left shoulder.He gripped it, a confused expression melting away to shock and slight fear as he felt a voice in the back of his mind, whisper, "Watch your mouth, kit, I may not do another favor."
"What was that?" His voice was hoarse, barely audible over the sound of the heart monitor. "Was that…?"
"Kyu. Guess it'll be hard to have private chats if we can both hear the old bastard."
"Why can I? What did you do?"
A rough voice, touched with age, experience, rougish humor. A soft purr or growl. "I have violated every sense I have. Every moral I have possessed and my right as Youkai King. It's an old tradition among elder demons and their mates."
"…Mates?" The hoarse voice coughed over the last bit and rubbed his throat plaintively. "What are you talking about? Mates?"
"Not the two of you. The jutsu that I preformed to save you is to what I am referring. It's an old practice, long since dead. When all demons were as strong as I, in the time before you humans, mates would bind their souls together to survive. There was an infinite amount of power available because of this. Human souls are so weak and rot so quickly that I couldn't very well bind you together. And I needed another outlet. Think of it this way, you have access to an endless store of energy, I keep you sane and healthy, I give you a means of contact, and you in turn keep me alive."
White hands moved to a pale throat and temple, pushing slightly. Gentle bursts of warm chakra, spiced like a flame, aged, raw, bubbled against the pads of his fingers. They fell away and he cradled them in his lap. Both voices had stopped, blue eyes looking at him solemnly.
"This was the only way to save you, Sasuke. The demon is the price you must pay to have this life. I'm sorry." Here the strength faltered and they shifted to the side. "But I'm also not. I'm just as selfish as Kyuubi, Sasuke. Don't hate me. But I'm not letting you go."
There was a clarity in the pools of abyss that he hadn't seen in such a long time. If he could fuel strength into his legs, he would go over to the raven and touch the unmarked skin. Eyes tipped to the throat and felt a smal wave of satisfaction and possession. The ragged and slightly dark spiral proud as a lover's mark. A wry smile shaped his lips as he realized more truth in that statement.
He could feel the emotions of the other, dulled and barely there, coming through a demonic filter. The machines around him suddenly drew his interest, finally recognizing and hearing the noise.
"Why am I hooked to this? I feel perfectly fine." His throat was still scratchy with disuse and he looked plaintively for a glass of water or pitcher.
"At least one of us feels that way. I've been queasy and exhausted since." There was a feeling of helplessness. He was so used to aiding the raven that he wanted to summon the energy to fulfill whatever task the raven desired. Being stuck in this bed, watching the other struggle, in discomfort, only served to raise his hackles and become ill at ease.
Again he felt those eyes on him and met them steadily. "Dobe. Naruto." He sighed in exasperation as the other teen began to struggle in his bed to reach the pitcher of water on the table beside him. The blonde wasn't going to make it out of the bed, let alone across the room, carrying the pitcher and glass. "Stop. I can get it myself."
"With that stuff attached? Not likely." He was grumbling, pissed at his own incompetence. Why couldn't he get up?
His stomach dropped and his heart plummeted when he heard the flatline and immediately turned to the other, scream already in his throat. He calmed only marginally when he saw the raven stading beside the bed, the atachments dangling off the bed and the grimace on the raven's face.
"What are you doing?! Get back in bed!"
He was ignored and the raven held onto the bed and simply stood, regaining balance. He felt lighter, not only because he didn't have to haul around wings but in spirit too. He knew it wouldn't be painful to walk that small distance and he was thankful. More so than he could ever belive.
He tottered on unsteady legs, feeling tiredness and dizziness beginning to settle. But he took deep breaths, shuffling forward, pleased that he was managing but disgusted that he was so happy for such a minor accomplishment. Rehabilitation would obviously extend to more than shinobi abilities.
He reached out blindly as he wobbled, catching hold of a tanned hand and balancing himself. He walked the last few feet to the table and used his free hand to pour a glass of water, raising it to his lips and slowly swallowing, coating his throat in coolness. He closed his eyes, feeling the dizziness vanish and the hand in his tighten briefly. He placed it back clumsily, the harsh sound making him flinch.
"Don't even try going back. You'll probably fall and I couldn't catch you." He intoned bitterly. The very idea affronted him. The raven seemed to agree because he fell onto the bed with no argument. The small bed wasn't made for two but Naruto turned on his side, feeling Sasuke turn to watch him.
Blue eyes closed in grudging contentment and reveled in the fact that he finally had him back. The moment was savored, and he was only slightly startled when he felt lean fingers squeeze him back. To both, the other was the only anchor in this world, the only constant. The other hand he had been lying on came up, holding the tanned hand between.
The light and gentle caresses warmed him, banishing his doubts and irritability. He relaxed, the tension he hadn't even felt uncoiling. He didn't even start when he felt the raven move closer. The faint touches lulled him better than any lullabye but he still heard the raven's breakdown.
"Another chance. That's all I ask for. Let me make everything up to you."
He knew he startled the raven when he tightened his grip, brought up his other hand and turned the avenger into the curve of his body, arms around him protective, possessive, reassuring. He didn't say anything but let the drugs finish their course, finish letting the unbalanced hormones and disoriented mind seek their own release. The soft tears that ran over careful cheekbones, chapped lips and a crafted jaw. He felt them on his own arms, wet the bed sheets. He just pressed his face into a fragile back, feeling the scars.
"Just one more chance, Naruto. I want one more chance so much. I want to take back everything I've ever done to hurt you. Just give me one more chance."
The desperation moved in like a tide, drowning the fox and the blonde in the bitter taste. Dark red eyes looked through their portal forlornly. But it was something that needed to be worked out of his system before he could accept this new life. Blue eyes were screwed shut, obviously wanting to release the floodgates but the tears had dried up long ago. This wasn't his time to shed tears.
It was Sasuke's.
White hands were clenched around two tan ones. A white body cradled against a tanned one. Greyed black hair mixed with golden yellow. One set of lips curled into a faint smile. Another set in faint line.
The commotion had drawn Tsunade and Shizune, Jiraiya behind them. Neither boy had noticed when the machines had been stopped or when the blanket had been drawn up to their shoulders from where it had fallen in Naruto's struggle.
She ushered them outside, letting them keep this bittersweet moment private. She couldn't stall forever. Outside, the shadow moved, the rider, discontinuing his vigil, went with it and took his ill-will with him.