Welcome welcome, thanks to those who still continue to support. This chap, well what can I say about, really nothing. Enjoy!
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Naruto blinked his eyes several times, trying to focus on the surrounding area. He immediately knew he wasn't home, nor was he in a human form. He looked about and found himself burrowed in a small area, that smelt of trees, dirt and blood. He immediately began to check himself over for any painful areas, and found some dull aches and areas healing over. Dubbing himself okay, he gave himself time to think about the situation, laying his head back down in the sandy floor.
'What the HELL! My fox, who—who is me, well kinda like me…is having—sex!?' Naruto's voice echoed through the trees. 'With who!?' Naruto was shocked to think that his other self, which was technically him in a way, was out getting crazy animal rutting like sex with someone!
'Sasuke Uchiha is the reincarnation of Indra and you are his destined mate,' Honshu responded smoothly, not effected by Naruto's outburst.
'That cold bastard that was an asshole to me at the bar!? What the hell! I've only met him like once! How can he be the one?!' Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, clearly not pleased with what he was just told.
'Naruto, listen. I leave it to you to decide your path from here.' Honshu gave him a stern look and did not waiver his serious expression. He said no more and waited for Naruto to speak.
Naruto huffed through his muzzle, watching the dust raise from each breath he exhaled. He has chosen to keep his memories and be able to become aware of his inner fox. He felt betrayed somewhat, not given the chance of knowing his inner fox being and his memories being continuously taken from him. He accepted that Sasuke was his intended, but he wanted to know more about Asuri and Indra's past before possibly accepting his apparent mate.
As he laid quietly, his fox tickled at his senses, as if testing the water of finding out, about Naruto as a human. Naruto felt himself smile at the small tickle and concentrated on a response of his own. He felt out with his senses to give a touch back to his inner fox. He felt the fox give an emotional response of excitement and Naruto felt himself smile. Never having been able to remember what it was like to be an animal, Naruto tested his body. He had four legs, easily enough, but could he walk on them all? He looked over his front paws, fascinated at their shape. He stretched out his little toes and his tongue lapped out suddenly and gave them a lick. 'EW! What!' Naruto suddenly shook his head, his ears flopping back and forth. He had never licked his toes before! Smacking his tongue out, as if trying to get a bad taste out, he realized his tongue was of course longer than his human one. He flicked his tongue out a few more time, realizing he could taste the air. 'Is this what dirt tastes like?' Intrigued, he continued to lap around his muzzle, interested in all the strange flavours that went across his tongue. After some time, he began to sniff the air. Still smelled of the earth, full of aromas that instantly put thoughts into his head on what he was smelling. His inner fox rubbed his senses, giving off a vibration of excitement once again and Naruto found himself again mentally smiling.
Naruto then felt something moving his back end. Suddenly startled, he looked behind him to see tails moving. Tails! That's right he has tails! As if reading his excitement, he found the tails moving slightly in a wagging light motion. Because there were so many, he found that the tails couldn't move much about in the small cave, but Naruto didn't care. He concentrated and tested the movement, eventually moving the tails around him. He sighed and nestled himself within them, enjoying the coziness they provided.
After a few moments, Naruto realized that he wasn't sure what type of situation he was in, being that he appeared to be hidden in a den, there was no sign of Sasuke and he noted that he was injured. He didn't have any memories of prior to escaping where he was, did Honshu not think he needed the memories of him while he was a fox? Was it possible to get those memories? He mentally frowned. Did he escape from somewhere? Was there danger outside this den? Was Sasuke hurt? Taken? Missing? Needless to say, Naruto was going to lay and wait for a while, at least to see if Sasuke returns. He continued to concentrate and touch base with his fox as he lay in waiting. He curled himself back up with his tails and drifted off to sleep.
Sometime later, Naruto woke slowly. His tongue smacked at his muzzle, while his eyes began to focus on the small den he was burrowed in. Naruto felt hunger begin to gnaw at him and he was begging his body to let him ignore it for a little while longer. But the overwhelming desire to eat was becoming too much, that even his inner fox was becoming agitated. Slowly getting up, checking his body for any serious injuries, Naruto determined that his fox body was okay. It had some cuts that were healing, some aches that appeared to be just that and even though his one leg was much more tender than the others, he felt he could walk carefully on it. He began to nose his way through the thick tangles of brush, trying to find the way out of the small hidden cave. The scent of fresh open space hit his nose and he knew exactly how to get through the thick brush. He carefully sniffed about, finding the air cool and humid, indicating that it was night. He could sense no dangers and he therefore limped his way out of hiding and into the moonlit night.
Noting that he could see well in the dark he began to sniff about. His one leg was quite tender, thus his walking was limited in speed. His inner fox began to trigger instincts that had Naruto sniffing under small logs, brushes and rocks. With a tad bit of luck, he managed to find some field mice to snack on and satisfy his hunger with the help of his inner fox. It wasn't until his inner fox let Naruto have more control did he realize that he just ate a bunch of live rodents. 'Oh. My. God!' Naruto felt his mind mentally vomit at the thought of what he was just crunching on. Certain now that he must be feeling green, he decided to head to a small pool of water to have a drink and not think about how he was washing out the taste of mice on his tongue. 'Blahhhh…' he thought to himself. Curious about the surrounding area, Naruto then began to wander the area, sniffing about and listening to the sounds of the forest.
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The tracker wolves moved away from the orange wolf, banding back together as a group. It was apparent that they found the orange and black wolf of no threat and let them be. Their noses to the ground they began to sniff the surrounding area. One of the brown wolves perked up, giving some barks to catch the attention of the other tracker wolves. The brown wolf turned and began to sprint in a direction, the other wolves following, ignoring the two left in the rubble.
Jugo payed no mind to the strange wolves as he laid loyally beside the black wolf. He could hear Sasuke breathing and his heartbeat. But he didn't know how hurt he could be after the stone chimney had crumbled on him. He would wait.
It was sometime later Jugo felt the black wolf shift slightly. Jugo raised his head, 'Sasuke-sama? Can you hear me?' Jugo listened intently and wagged his tail when he heard the familiar grunt through the bond. 'Sasuke-sama! You can hear me!' Jugo slowly made his way up to his four paws, shaking slightly and stepping back slightly to give the black wolf space.
The black wolf head slowly rose, dust and debris falling from the fur, ears flopped slightly and what sounded like a groan released deep within the chest. A small sneeze escaped the black nose and the black wolf's head shook suddenly, creating a puff of dust and small bits of stone flew in all directions. Jugo side stepped through the stones, large paws slipping between the broken bits as he moved to get a better look at the wolf from the front. The black wolf struggled to move his legs beneath him, trying to get a footing so it could get up. Jugo noticed the thick black legs of the wolf shaking violently as he strained to get up on all fours.
'Sasuke-sama, please, don't strain yourself,' Jugo whispered out. His thoughts returned to the vicious fighting they were only doing sometime ago before the weight of hundreds of pounds of rock fell upon him. 'Let me help you.'
'J-jugo?' A whisper of a name came through the bond. Jugo could have cried with excitement hearing Sasuke's voice again. Sasuke's wolf body managed to get onto all fours, his fur quivering from the muscles twitching underneath. Jugo watched him struggle feeling instantly guilty, noting several bloodied areas throughout the black wolfs body due to their fighting earlier. He moved forward, nudging his head under the black alpha' head, helping him stand.
'What happened here?' Sasuke asked, as he looked about the area with his deep black eyes. 'And where is Naruto?'
'Naruto? I didn't see him here?' Jugo responded as he walked with Sasuke off the pile of rubble. 'How was he here?'
'He would have been in a large fox like form. I've apparently been here with him for some time, but not…not as myself.' Sasuke stepped away from Jugo, allowing his wolf figure to give a massive shake to his body, ridding himself of anymore dust and debris.
Jugo instantly understood now the situation of the fox creature he come into contact with. He immediately lowered his large orange head with his ears drooping. 'I-I am sorry Sasuke-sama. But-but I didn't know it was Naruto.' Sasuke whipped his head around, ears flattened back and a glare in place, silently giving a command for Jugo to explain himself. Jugo explained the story of coming across the fox creature in the forest and what had happened.
Sasuke snorted out a growl and immediately began to run in the direction of where Jugo stated he saw him last. 'Get moving and show me where,' he demanded. 'Explain the rest on the way.'
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The tracker wolves came across a heavily brushed area alongside a hill. They snapped barks at each other as their noses worked the area. One gray wolf nosed an area with closely tangled branches and gave a few barks, calling the other wolves together. Together they followed one direction, towards the sound of water.
Naruto's keen hearing picked up the noises of several animals. His ears instantly perked up, his eyes wide as he sniffed and eyed the direction. 'Somethings coming, smells like…like…' He instantly turned to run in the opposite direction. His instincts kicked in that what was coming wasn't friendly, and being that there were several of them, he kicked his feet into the ground and ran.
Coming to the area where Jugo last met up with Naruto, the pair found Naruto's scent along with several other wolves. Jugo had explained the pack of wolves that he followed from the building. He picked up Sasuke's scent that was on the same trail that the pack was following and Jugo assumed that it was the same pack that assisted in digging him and Sasuke out of the rubble. Sasuke growled out angrily, knowing if the wolves were from that building, then they were obviously looking for Naruto. Thanks to several of the memories that Honshu provided before his human mental self was allowed to re-enter his wolf's mind, Sasuke was absolute that is what they were seeking. He kicked his claws into the ground and sped off in the direction of all the scents, Jugo on his tail.
The trackers wolves caught the fresh scent of the fox and howled in excitement. Several paws kicking up moss and forest debris as they followed the scent. Their howls carried on the wind, traveling to Sasuke and Jugo, who snarled in response before picking up speed. Sasuke could feel his wolf becoming enraged at the thought of anyone getting to his mate.
Naruto's heart beat steadily hard, as his instincts were screaming at him to get away from the obvious danger that was crashing through the forest. The howls of the wolves had him pick up his pace and head straight towards the moon that shone brightly through the trees. He didn't know why he was going this way, but there was no time to question, he needed to just run. As he zig zagged between brush and trees, he hear the familiar sound of water running. His body zeroed in on the sounds and dashed towards it. He suddenly broke into a small clearing, his lithe body twisting to turn to left hard as his claws grasped at the ground, seeking out something to stop him from going over the edge of a cliff. As his paws desperately tried to grasp at the hardened dirt ground, grasping at tufts of grass, he panicked as he felt his back legs slip off the cliff. He could hear the unmistakable sound of rushing water that was several meters below and his legs strained to hold his weight from tumbling over. Thankfully luck was on his side as his body finally halted and his back claws dug into the rocky sides of the cliff, his front paws struck into various tree roots, successfully stopping him from tumbling over the edge. As he breathed heavily, paws scratched their way into a secure footing, with the help of some sturdy roots that thankfully held strong, Naruto pulled his body up back onto the edge. His chest heaving, trying to catch his breath, his legs trembling from the near drop he took, he hobbled away from the edge and collapsed on a patch of long grass. His body trembling slightly as the adrenaline declined, he barely moved when a pack of wolves burst through the tree line, bearing their teeth, releasing growls of intimidation and moved to surround him.
Naruto raised his hackles as he struggled to turn and face the pack. His limbs were shaking, but be damned if he wouldn't go down without a fight. His instincts wreaked havoc through his veins, every animal sense shrieking that the wolves were dangerous to him. Pulling back his lips to express his canines and pulling a warning growl deep from his chest, his tails flaring out and slapping the ground, Naruto held his ground. The wolves eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement, their own canines bared, continuous growls were released as they paced around the fox creature. Naruto tried to keep his focus on all the wolves surrounding him, but there was to many and they appeared to making a circle around him. A massive brown wolf stepped forward slowly. It lowly growled, lapping its tongue about its muzzle while the teeth continued to be bared. Naruto stamped his large front paws with snarls, indicating to the wolf to come forward. He was ignored as the wolf continued to step forward. Naruto's eyes widened as the wolf wouldn't back down. He had no choice, he thrust himself hard and fast towards the brown wolf that was at least a head bigger than him, but his instincts tore at him to try and take down the wolf that was most likely the alpha of the pack.
As the fox's wide muzzle went for the wolf's neck, the brown wolf was ready and twisted to chomp its own muzzle down onto the ribcage of the fox. The fox yelped out and turned to bite at the wolf head. The two began turning and twisting about as their teeth met with several areas on their bodies. Fur from both animals was being pulled, claws ripped into their thick coats with ease and cut into skin. The other wolves did not intervene, but kept their position surrounding the two fighting, often letting out barks of excitement.
The fox was slowing, but it continued to push at keeping the wolf away from him as best he could. Legs were trembling, he was falling more and getting slower on being able to get up and return attacks. The wolf was managing to rip at the fox legs more and more, injuring them to a point where it was getting harder to stand. The fox retaliated fiercely by snapping his sharp teeth at the wolf's neck and face, but contact was getting less and less. Now it seemed to get to a point that the wolf was testing him, as it clamped onto one of the wolf legs and shook, then released and jumped back. Strike after strike the wolf clamped his white teeth on the fox legs, causing more blood to tickle into the ground. The fox panted hard, still trying to snarl between the breaths and give its hardest glare. The fox's back legs were crumpled now, unable to stand and still the fox snarled, showing he wasn't giving up. The wolf seemed immense sized wolf towered over the fox, its lips curled up into an almost like grin, knowing that the fox was weak. A roar escaped the wolf's mouth as soon as it lunged at the fox's neck, clamping its strong muzzle on the fox's muzzle, forcing the fox onto his back. The fox twirled about, trying to escape the jaws, tails whipping out slapping about, but the wolf was to strong.
Snarls, snaps and barks broke through the scene as an orange and black wolf broke through the brush and took the circle of wolves head on. The tracker pack turned away from brown wolf and fox to attack the two new wolves that entered the area. Sasuke leaped onto the back of one gray wolf, clamping his jaws on its back and pulled. The gray wolf howled out in agony as it was flipped over and tossed. Sasuke paid no mind and charged for the next wolf in his sites. In his peripheral vision he saw Naruto pinned by a substantially larger brown wolf. His alpha howled in rage, pumping killer waves throughout his veins at the site. Sasuke swung his body, turning about and zeroing his rage on the brown wolf. His head was lowered as he pushed off the ground hard, his mind focused on sinking his teeth into the wolf that dare harm his mate. His aim was true, as his paws collided with the massive brown wolf's shoulders and Sasuke's teeth instantly grabbed hold of the neck. With as much force as he could muster, he pulled back with his teeth, intent on ripping out its innards. The move caused all three to propel and roll onto the ground, tumbling from the momentum of the attack, the three rolled with each other across the ground and off the cliff.
'Sasuke-sama!' Jugo howled out suddenly, as he watched the three disappear from site. He tossed the wolf he was currently struggling against and shot straight for the edge. He halted at the edge, looking down into the darkness. It was to far down for the moon to penetrate with its light. He could have sworn he heard the splash, but the water sounded like there were rapids down there, traveling hard and fast. Ignoring the continuous growls from the tracker wolves behind him, Jugo turned and took off following the edge of the cliff, hoping to come to an area that dropped closer down to the bottom.
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Itachi walked with Haku towards the kitchen, the morning sun shining through the eastern windows, lighting the way for the pair. Haku squeezed himself close to Itachi's side, his head slightly lowered but his eyes were looking about. Itachi glanced down to see and gave a small smile. Haku was slowly showing more of himself the more time he spent with the alpha, but still had a long ways to go. Not to mention the alpha wolf, who was still giving off a killer intent should anyone come near the timid omega. Itachi worked on calming the inner alpha continuously, trying to quell its killer aura. He wanted the omega to be comfortable wandering through the manor on his own, he wanted his alpha to trust the individuals of the pack and manor enough to consider them trustworthy, since he certainly didn't want to ever have to come home to a chaotic event since he was often away on business and wouldn't be able to always take his omega with him. His alpha needed to be calm if he has to leave Haku at times, but currently at this time, Itachi was quite content in hovering over his omega, being protected, doted on, adored and of course panting beneath him moaning in pleasure. Itachi felt a slight stir in his cock as the vision of Haku flashed in his mind. Haku sheened in a light sweat, his face flushed, lips swollen and panting, deep red marks littering his body and his hands stretched out towards him, begging for more. The alpha within him rubbed the arousal sensations instantly. Itachi bit his cheek. 'No! Need to feed my adorable mate and introduce him to the kitchen. Behave!' Itachi scolded himself and the alpha, while he tried to walk normally while his cock slowly tried to inflate. Haku glanced up at him briefly, question in his eyes before quickly looking down again. Itachi didn't miss the flush in cheeks though, he smirked.
As they entered the kitchen, there was only a couple staff preparing breakfast. A long table was to the side of the room, where the staff of the manor often ate. It was of course welcome for any member of the household to eat in the kitchen, but rarely was anyone home on a regular time anyhow. Itachi found Karin sitting at the far end of the table, one hand holding a fork, poking at her breakfast, a cup of coffee still steaming, and her other hand grasped a pen that wrote across pages swiftly. She glanced up at the pair, gave a nod, and then promptly dropped her eyes again to the notebook.
Itachi pinched his lips together hard, pleased to see Karin working diligently at the task he gave her the night before. He guided Haku towards the table, motioning him to sit, the furthest away from Karin of course. Haku snuggled in close to the side of Itachi, his head down, not meeting his eyes anywhere. Itachi grasped Haku's chin with his index finger and thumb, gently pulling up Haku's chin to look into his eyes. "Do not look down love, this house is yours, and deserve the respect that comes with it. No one in this house would dare look down on you," Itachi purred out as he watched the round black eyes roam about his face. Haku blinked several times before giving a slight nod. "Now love, are you hungry?" Haku gave yet another nod before Itachi waved his arm and the two staff in the kitchen brought forward several dishes of eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, fruits and vegetables. Itachi leaned over slightly, hiding Haku behind his robes as the staff brought food. His instincts still moving him about to protect his mate. Itachi tsk'd mentally at his alpha wolf for being so possessive. He moved to bring the plates of foods closer to Haku, inviting Haku to take what he wanted and put on his plate. Satisfied his mate was served, he moved to take his own food before looking at Karin."Update Karin?"
Karin glanced up, grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth before answering. "I'm almost ready to go over the synopsis, want to meet later?"
"Hn," Itachi nodded as he moved a piece of fruit to Haku's lips.
"Congratulations on your mating Itachi-sama. I'm extremely happy for you," Karin nodded and spoke with sincerity in her voice. Itachi gave a small smile towards her. "Have you heard from Jugo or Sasuke?"
Itachi shook his head slightly. "Not a thing, but I suppose there is a very good reason for their absence."
Karin tapped a finger to her chin before shutting her book and taking a large gulp of coffee. "I'll see you in the library Itachi-sama." She gave a short bow before heading out of the room.
Itachi nodded in response before taking a fork and stabbing a sausage. He brought it up to Haku's lips who eagerly opened his mouth to take the food. The alpha stirred with satisfaction watching his mate eat eagerly and Itachi felt him surprised at the feeling of being with an intended mate. He only hoped that his little brother could find such happiness as well.
Later that afternoon Itachi and Karin were sitting across from each other at a large oak table. Each had a respective notebook and other papers between them.
"Let's start from the beginning Karin, around the time that I had returned. This was when you three had met Naruto correct?"
"Mhm, you arrived a couple days later. That was also the night that Naruto was attacked, as per Sasuke had mentioned." Karin responded, going over her book.
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Jugo raced along the cliff line, becoming desperate not finding anywhere to be able to make it down to the rushing water. His eyes were continuously scanning the area, anywhere that he could make is way down. He would have rushed into the water, but not knowing what sort of bottom lay below, he couldn't risk having himself get seriously hurt in the process and how would that help Sasuke? His chest pumped out and in, as he pushed himself to run harder and faster. 'Sasuke-sama, Sasuke-sama,' he continued to call out, in hopes that he would hear a response. He drove his legs harder, eyes still flickering around, watching for any type of opening.
Sasuke paddled hard, trying to keep his head afloat, his paws desperately trying to find a footing. He felt the jagged rocks slam into him on either side, he couldn't see them as the current rushed him along, he knew he needed to keep paddling and find the sides of the river. His drenched fur pulled him down, and he felt like he was carrying a blanket weighted with rocks. Struggling to not swallow water with every blow into the jagged rocks, he mentally cried with glee when his paws connected with a rocky bottom. He was close to a shallow bank. His body screamed out in agony as he pulled his weighted body, his paws slipping through the dozens of pebbles under the water, but still solid in the rock bottom while he dredged his way up the slope. Tremors ran uncontrollably throughout his legs and back, the wounds in his body stung and burned from being exposed to water. When his front paws hit the rocky muddy shore, his legs collapsed and he succumbed to the darkness.
Jugo almost howled in excitement when the steep cliff began to decline downwards. His jumped and twisted about the large boulders and brush, making his way down and began to scan the river and the shoreline. 'Sasuke-sama! Sasuke-sama!' He called out continuously, waiting, hoping, for any type of response. The river had widened some, the current wasn't as fast, and the moon finally breached the towering trees and reflected off the rushing water. Jugo could see the areas where the river had calmer pools to the sides and he kept running, his eyes scanning the area. Coming around a bend he noted the large black shadowed mass not moving on a shoreline just a few meters ahead.
Jugo ran full speed to the shadowed black furred mass and skidded through the loose pebbles and sand that littered the shoreline. He came to a halt at the nose of the wolf and paused. The large wolf was breathing, heavy and steady, wasn't conscious and didn't appear to be in any apparent immediate danger health wise. Jugo padded around the large wolf, sniffing cautiously until the wolf began to stepped back and raised his hackles. The wolf blinked open its eyes, shook his head and looked about. Light brown eyes focused on the orange wolf that was now warning him, hackles raised, and a low grumbling growl rose from the chest of the orange wolf. The warning was subtle, telling the strange wolf that if it tried anything remotely threatening, Jugo would not allow it. The light brown eyes just watched Jugo, not making any movement that would suggest it was a threat. Jugo let out a snort and a huff, before standing straight up, indicating his power. When the brown wolf showed no signs of putting up any sort of fight, Jugo snorted again and turned, picking up his pace again down the riverbank.
Sasuke woke groggily, feeling heavy, aching and sore, his body screamed out as his mind slowly analyzed his body while his mind slowly kickstarted to consciousness. He didn't open his eyes yet, he listened to the sounds around him, felt nature surrounding essence and determined if he was seriously hurt. The river ride was intense, overwhelming and exhausting. He recalled falling through the darkness, hearing the rushing river below but not knowing what he may find at the bottom. He began to panic and twist to turn his body so he could at least see the end, should it come to that, but his eyes came across the falling body of the fox. 'Naruto!' Sasuke opened his eyes wide as he remember the vision of seeing the wind fluttering through the tails, sailing through the long reddish copper coloured fur, as if he was sitting on the ledge of a rock enjoying the strong spring breeze ruffling his hair. The sad look through the fox's red eyes as he quickly glanced at Sasuke before the water's icy blast shocked him into near panic.
Sasuke willed his body to move. He recalled not seeing Naruto or the other wolf while struggling to stay afloat down the stream. But being the moon light did not reach the black water, he wasn't able to even see where he was going. His muscles screamed out as they were forced to move before being ready, but he ignored. Sasuke looked about to find himself alongside the riverbank, a small opening area with calmer waters, his eyes scanned up and down the bank. Which way would he go? Could Naruto have washed up somewhere upstream or was he downstream? Sasuke growled out in frustration, he padded at the small pebble rocks below with his paws, digging at them aggressively. 'Which way?! Which way!?' Either way he went, if it was the wrong way, then it put the danger of Naruto being alone even higher. His senses perked when he heard familiar sounds of a wolf running towards him. His ears on instant alert, his alpha ready to pounce, injuries be damned, he turned towards the sounds and braced for a washed over him when he saw the moon reflect off the deep orange coat of Jugo. 'Sasuke-sama!' Jugo had called out and Sasuke responded with a bark. Thank the gods that he was here.
Jugo came to a halt at Sasuke's nose, lowering his own head quickly before speaking. 'Sasuke-sama? Can you hear me?' His large head tilting, ears pointed forward in question.
'Hn,' Sasuke responded. 'You came from upstream?' Jugo snorted yes. 'Did you see Naruto? The fox? On your way?' Sasuke answered hurriedly, his eyes flickering to Jugo and then the water.
Jugo shook his head, 'the only one I saw was a strange wolf on the bank. It was the one that fell with you. He did not appear seriously hurt and was not a threat.'
'We need to find Naruto,' Sasuke stated out and turned to head downstream. Be damned his injuries, he needed to find the fox, especially when he had finally just found him.
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His whole body screamed in pain as he began to come into consciousness. He felt heavy, wet, cold and continuously shuddered involuntary. He began to listen to his surroundings, noting the rushing water near him, the wet ground beneath him and the subtle sounds of the forest. There were no sounds of danger approaching, therefore he slowly opened his eyes. Naruto blinked his animal vision several times before being able to focus on his surroundings. It was still night, but the moon cast a glow upon the land, thus he could see around the area. His back legs were quivering from the pain and he swooped his tails up to fall upon him to keep warm. His inner fox rubbed his senses, letting him know that it was there for him and Naruto couldn't help by inwardly smile. It was a warm feeling to know that someone or something, in this case, was there for him. He began to analyze himself, feeling that part of his back end was still in the water, ripples of pain still there and his front paws had a solid hold onto the river bank. He began to lift his front end and yowled when a jolt of pain ran through him. He bit back the whimpers and tears as he turned to look behind him. His legs were distorted in a position they probably shouldn't be in. The pain constantly ran through his legs like a flowing river, no pun intended he told himself, and he tested his legs again. The slight movement caused him to howl out again and he wasn't able to hold back the tears. His legs were fractured if not broken, and Naruto couldn't help but flop his head down on the bank and sob. Just when he was at a time of understanding who he was, the freedom of knowing the fox spirit within him, and apparently meeting up with his intended mate, the situation got worse. Fat tears rolled from his fox eyes and he fell into despair burying himself in his tails again. Small whimpers escaped his muzzle and he tried to take in the comfort of the fox within.
After some time, Naruto heard the unmistakable sound of animals running towards him. He quivered in fear, knowing that he couldn't protect himself should something come to eat him. He remained coveredup with his tails in hopes that whatever was coming would pass him off as some drowned carcass and leave him be. He kept his sniffles low as he tried to control his fear as the distinct sounds of animals broke through the bush nearby.
'Naruto!' Naruto heard the voice echoing in his head. 'S-Sasuke?' Naruto whispered to himself, his mind foggy from the pain he was in. Naruto felt his inner fox rub his senses, urging him to get up, respond, anything as it got excited. Naruto heard the heavy feet coming to a stop beside him and something nudging at his tails.
'Naruto! Naruto!' The voice continued to push through the fogginess of his senses. Naruto mumbled outwhimpers through his muzzle. The pain was to great now and he felt heavy and oh so tired. 'Naruto, please say something!' The deep baritone voice continued to slam at his senses and Naruto felt something pushing through his tails to find his body beneath. Naruto finally let out a soft whimper as he felt a nuzzle on his head.
'He's fevering. We need to get him out of here. Jugo, go find a cave or something. I'll shift to see about his legs.' Sasuke barked out the order to Jugo, who took off to explore the area and Sasuke shifted into his human form. "Ah fuck, Naruto, can you hear me?" Sasuke's voice softly spoke out as his now human self, began to move the numerous tails covering the fox body. He succeeded in finding the fox's head and pulled the head into the palm of his hands. He could see the glossed over look in Naruto's eyes, pupils dilated with mucus built up around his eyes from the secretion of tears created from most likely the pain that he was in, his tongue hanging out the side due to him panting so hard, and he gently stroked the large fox like creature's head. "Hold on there, I'm going to get you some place safe," he whispered gently. Sasuke moved to check the fox's back legs and cursed. Both legs looked to be severely damaged and Sasuke knew that he would have to get him medical assistance for sure. He could set his legs with whatever he had handy, but unless Naruto got his medical needs met, he wouldn't survive. He needed Jugo to hurry and find someplace safe for them to be, he didn't want to move Naruto yet, too much movement would likely cause more damage. Thankfully Jugo appeared suddenly, nodding and barking to indicate that he had found a cave. "We need to find something large enough to place him on and drag him there. Hold on Naruto, I'll be right back," Sasuke stroked the fox's large head before sprinting towards the forest.
After an hour or so, Jugo and Sasuke managed to get Naruto secured in a cave, and by some luck they got a small fire going. Since Jugo and Sasuke had no clothing, they certainly didn't want to freeze to death. Jugo prepared some kill to eat while Sasuke worked on getting Naruto's legs secure.
"We need to transport him back to the manor. He can't stay here." Sasuke didn't want to even consider the what ifs, if they didn't get Naruto the medical attention he needed…"Head back to the manor and get the hummer. Fill in Itachi on what the situation is."
Jugo nodded, threw the skinned meat onto the fire and shifted. Giving a quick nod to Sasuke, he ran from the cave. Sasuke stroked the fur of the fox, pleased that it was finally getting dry from the heat of the small fire. He managed to get some water into the fox, though Naruto was delirious throughout the ordeal, the fox still managed to get some water in his body. With the fever not showing any signs of letting up, Sasuke hoped that Jugo would get back quickly.
===x00x00x00x00x===
"When will… break …"
"Time… be patient …"
The voices sounded like they were on slow speed of an old record player. They drifted into his head through the heaviness. Naruto felt the extremity of being tired and the voices wouldn't shut up for him to sleep. He felt himself become irritated with the voices disturbing him. The darkness in his head suddenly weighed upon him and he felt numb but warm and comfy. The pain wasn't apparent, and he willed the voices to leave him be before embracing the silence of darkness once again.
"Nii-san, his fever still hasn't broken, how can we be sure the doctor knew what she was doing!" Sasuke waved his arm over the sleeping form of Naruto, who was still in fox form, taking up the majority of a bed.
"Shizune-san is the best in the field. She was trained by the best and she has my utmost trust in her abilities to treat our kind," Itachi smoothly purred out.
"Our kind! Naruto isn't our kind! He's his own kind!" Sasuke spat out, now starting to pace in the room.
Itachi smirked slightly, watching how his little brother got all annoyed on the status of his little fox. "Otouto, if something were to happen to Naruto, trust me when I say that I will attend to it personally."
Sasuke just grit his teeth as he stopped near the bed and looked down upon the sleeping fox. He had an IV drip in to replenish his fluids, antibiotics and nutrients, his legs were both broken and splinted up and Shizune had explained that the fever was a result of his injuries. With proper hydration and the continuous nutrients being injected into his body, along with proper rest, Naruto's fever should break within a couple days if not hours. It had already been a full day and Naruto still hadn't woken and his fever still ran.
"His fever is steady and not rising, that's a positive sign otouto," Itachi added. "His body just needs more time." Sasuke threw him a glare and a huff before taking a seat on an armchair, bringing his fingers up to rub at his temples. Itachi could feel his little brother's wolf flare up and express its agony of being helpless towards the fox omega. He let his own alpha rumble out and quell the young alpha to relax. He noticed his little brother's shoulders finally relax into the chair and hummed out an approval. 'Young ones, always so quick to jump to the worst case scenario.' "I'm off to tend to my mate otouto, we need to meet later to discuss the situation."
Sasuke snapped his head up suddenly, "oh nii-san, I'm sorry. Congratulations on your mating with Haku-kun. Jugo informed me shortly after we arrived." Sasuke rose to his feet, bringing himself to Itachi. He embraced Itachi with a quick short squeeze of a hug, giving him a pat on his back before pulling back. He looked up at Itachi with a soft smile. "I'm happy for you nii-san, I would have never thought your old wolf would find someone," he gave a teasing chuckle. Itachi snorted out and playfully smacked Sasuke on the arm. "But how did Orochimaru deal with it? The contract…"
"Other things we need to discuss otouto, later, when you and your wolf are somewhat calmer. When Naruto is stable." Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze before turning to leave the room.
Sasuke ran a hand through his thick dark locks, giving a frustrating gruff before turning back towards the sleeping fox. He stood beside the form, noting the deep breaths escaping through the muzzle. He moved his hand and stroked through the long glorious tails. His fingers threaded through the silky feeling hair slowly, he watched as the tails responded with slight twitches and the fox let out what sounded like a long satisfied sigh. He moved to sit beside the fox and moved his hand to rub behind the large ears. He stroked them smoothly and smiled when the ears flicked about slightly. So much he has learned about the history and had yet to talk to Naruto about it. How much did Naruto know? What were his feelings about it? How did he feel about being mates? Judging by their last few days, their inner beasts were quite pleased with each other and let it be known. Would Naruto remember all that? What if he didn't want to stay? Sasuke stroked the fox's head as the questions piled up one after another. Answers would have to wait.
===x00x00x00x00x===
Orochimaru sat at a table with several documents laid out in front of him. A knock and the door opening had Suigetsu leading another man into the room. Suigetsu held out his arm, pointing in the direction of where Orochimaru was sitting. The older man released a grunt of acknowledgment before making his way to the table.
"Suigetsu, tea," Orochimaru snapped out without looking up from his documents. Suigetsu bowed and left the room. Only then did Orochimaru lift his head and gave a slick smile to the older man who sat across from him. "Thank you for coming, I trust the travel was smooth?"
"Could be worse, but no worse for wear," the older man responded, while snapping his fingers and a small beta stepped up and placed a briefcase on the table. "Let's get this business out of the way. I have what you want," he spoke as he opened the briefcase, pulling out a thick brown envelope and handing it towards Orochimaru.
"Always quick to the business Danzo-sama," Orochimaru took the envelope, proceeded to open it and look inside.
"What of the product extraction. Have you managed to expel on a regular basis?"
Orochimaru pulled out a small box from beneath him and slid it to Danzo. "There is a problem."
Danzo inhaled deeply, a grumbling rose from his chest as he took the box and handed it to the small beta behind him. "I can't keep the council from moving forward, they are going to expand their investigation. There better be a logical reason for this."
"I regret to inform that the kitsune had escaped a few days ago from the confinement in the eastern quarter section. It would appear that there was an activist that penetrated our systems and assisted in having the kitsune released." Danzo began to sputter out but Orochimaru held his hand up. "Fear not, we have taken care of the pest and are rehabilitating his behavior," Orochimaru added with a sneer. "Should not have any more concerns of that kind."
Danzo snorted out. "And how do you plan to rectify the situation now? Do you have any idea how much loss this is?" Danzo slammed his fists on the table. "If you cannot continue with keeping the kitsune contained, I will extend the offer to other countries that would be more than willing to take the position for whatever price!" Danzo hissed out. His annoyance with Orochimaru was not hidden.
Orochimaru leaned back in his chair and gave the council member a feral grin. "Well Mr. Council member, if you are not willing to continue, I can always find another way of funding my programs," he hissed out with a chuckle. "But then how will you continue on council member? Without my serum, your days may become much shorter, not to mention your youthful looks. You aren't the only one out there that desires to live forever."
Danzo glared across the table at Orochimaru. Suigetsu chose that moment to come in with a tray of tea. He said nothing as he noted that his alpha was giving a snarky grin at the council member, who looked furious. He stood back and decided to watch the two men. Danzo growled towards Suigetsu who just gave an impassive look in return. "What is your plan to recapture the kitsune? Where is the trust that I can expect you to be successful?" He clenched his fists, as if ready to strike out.
Orochimaru grinned, his tongue came out to wet his lips. "Come now council man, you know that we can't trust anyone in this business," he chuckled deeply. "But on a more enlightening note, I happen to know where the kitsune is hiding. With all the cards in place, I should be able to retrieve our property and I have also had the pleasure of ensuring I have a new secure location that unless one is part fish, nobody can escape."
Danzo focused his eyes on Orochimaru's grinning features. He shuddered slightly noting how pale the man was, how thin and his features almost looked serpent like. Nothing like a werewolf. "Until then, keep me updated," Danzo stood, taking his leave, his small beta following behind him.
"A pleasure as always council man," Orochimaru sing songed out to the retreating Danzo. He chuckled out deeply when the door closed to the room. Suigetsu snorted in the background.
Suigetsu moved forward, grabbing the pot and pouring Orochimaru some tea. "What's the next step Orochimaru-sama?"
Orochimaru hummed with a small smile, his hands folded beneath his chin and his eyes seemed to sparkle in excitement. When he watched the video surveillance from the station he was sure the black wolf in the video was an Uchiha. No other clan had the magnificent features like the Uchiha black wolves. The blue black fur was the first thing he noticed, but the ruby red eyes, those magnificent eyes that glowed fiercely at any who dared get in his way. The massive chests and legs that could plow through any wall and the Uchiha's walked with a grace only known to their family. To think if an Uchiha mated with the kitsune, the pups would be simply superb. He licked his lips in thinking about the possibility that one of the Uchiha's mated with the legendary kitsune. If he played this right, he would get his hands on the kitsune, transport it to his newly developed secure location, where there would be no chance of anyone finding them and certainly no way for escape.
===x00x00x00x00x===
Sasuke tended to the fox throughout the day by brushing out the silky fur gently and ensuring a cold cloth was applied to his head to help with the fever. The fox continued to sleep deeply, now and then if a whimper escaped, Sasuke was there, softly running his fingers through the copper reddish orange fur, until he would calm back into a deep slumber. Sasuke growled slightly when Shizune came back to record the IV bags and take Naruto's temperature. Sasuke was shocked at himself since he couldn't contain his alpha's threatening growl that someone was near the fox. Shizune ignored him while she checked the splints on Naruto's legs, noting that another day and they could come off. The healing speed of Naruto was similar to the werewolves and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief to that news. His fever had also lowered, thus she suspected it would have run its course by the next day. "But why isn't he waking?" he snapped out as he ran his fingers along the length of the fox's back.
"His body will decide when he can. He has been through quite the traumatic experience and his mind knows when he needs to be still, relax and just let things heal. When his fever is done, I do not doubt that he will wake, groggy, confused and please try not to scare him. He may have trouble recalling certain events and people, so be patient with him," Shizune barked out firmly at Sasuke, staring him down. Sasuke leaned back slightly in surprise at the harsh command that came from the petite brunette. She nodded firmly, giving him a small 'hmph' and turned on her heel. "I'll be back tomorrow morning," she added as she slipped out the door with Sasuke stunned to silence.
Itachi came to the room shortly afterwards, finding Sasuke still within the room, watching over the still sleeping fox form. He glided smoothly towards the bed, watching as Sasuke stroked the top of the fox's head.
"His fever is coming down. Shizune said it will most likely have run its course in the next day. His legs are almost healed as well." He didn't look up at Itachi as he continuously ran his fingers through the fox's silky hair.
Itachi held back a small smile. He had never seen his little brother be so… so touchy feely with anyone. Compassion was leaking out in rivers and the younger alpha was emanating a fierce aura of protection, even the staff could feel it that left them shivering in fear. Itachi could feel the waves coming from Sasuke's inner wolf and he wondered if Sasuke even realized it was happening.
"I suspect that what Shizune says is to be true. She is truly the best in her field," Itachi spoke as he reached the edge of the bed. "Otouto, we need to talk. Will you be willing to leave him for a short moment?"
"Is there any reason why it can't be discussed here? It is only Naruto here," Sasuke snapped up his head, his eyes squinting at him suspiciously.
"Well, it's," Itachi hesitated, trying to come up with the best words to explain. "We need to talk about the contract with Orochimaru and then the situation that we believe is going on with Naruto."
Sasuke's hand stopped suddenly, his head dropping so his bangs created shadows over his eyes. He looked up to the fox's head, then moved his hand to trace the silky ears. "I-I already know what he is nii-san," he whispered out.
Itachi cocked his head, his eyes full of question as he watched Sasuke and waited for him to continue.
"I was going to tell you about it after Naruto woke, to see how much he might know. I-I met someone—someone godly…" Sasuke released a shaky breath. "I learned that…"
Itachi held his hand up suddenly, halting Sasuke's speech. "Don't speak here, there are always ears in the walls otouto." He tipped his head slightly, his glare held Sasuke's tongue. "But, what I would like to talk to you about is the contract with Orochimaru's clan." Sasuke brought his eyes up to Itachi, wide with interest.
"I don't understand? With Haku-kun being your mate, isn't that all he wanted to join our clans? Should it matter which of us it was to be?"
"With the political involvement interlaced in contracts, I am afraid it is not that simple otouto. Please, come sit."
Itachi waved towards the arm chairs in the other corner of the room as he moved towards one. Sasuke followed, taking a seat. Itachi inhaled deeply as he settled into the chair. As he explained the situation, his conversation with Orochimaru regarding the mating contract and what Orochimaru would agree upon. Sasuke eye's ringed red around his dark pupils. His teeth were clenched as anger began to seep from his pores. His fists were flexing as it appeared he wanted to punch something but was holding himself back.
"I understand the anger otouto, but please try to understand why it had to be done," Itachi calmly spoke, watching as Sasuke began huffing, his brows furrowed in anger and the ring of red remained around his eyes.
"What's to understand Itachi," Sasuke spit out, venom clearly in his voice. "You basically sold me out to Orochimaru because your wolf claimed the one that was supposed to be mine!" He stood suddenly, fists at his side, shoulders square and his glare focused on Itachi.
Itachi jerked back suddenly, surprised at his brother's outburst. "Don't you dare insinuate that this was done solely for my benefit otouto," Itachi growled out loudly, showing that the outburst from his brother was not appreciated. "Sit back down and we shall will discuss more."
Itachi's voice was laced deep with authority, slapping Sasuke practically in the face. Sasuke was stubborn, he was upset and annoyed at the fact that his brother played with his life. He fought the older alpha's demand as a stubborn younger brother would, but the continuous hard gaze of his brother directed at him, the vibe from the older alpha, Sasuke eventually relaxed his shoulders and dropped back into the armchair, looking defeated but still annoyed. He dropped his face into his hands, rubbing his hands harshly across his face then through his hair.
"It was apparent that my wolf had found its mate, I could not fight fate otouto," Itachi went on to explain. "I myself, believed I was destined to be without a mate for my life, but…" He slightly shrugged with a small smile on his face.
"I'm sorry nii-san," Sasuke said tiredly. "I'm happy for you, I-I really am." He took a deep breath before continuing, "I was willing to go through protocol that was expected of me, and to be honest, I had wondered how others ever managed to get through arranged mating, as I felt nothing, though I tried, but there were no feelings at all for Haku-kun." He snorted slightly, "I even wondered how I would be able to perform for the duty of the clan, if you know what I mean." Sasuke then lifted his face up, his eyes now back to normal but looking tired. The shadows under his eyes were much more noticeable, his hair was limp and hanging loose, adding to the view of exhaustion. "I-I understand why you did what you had to do."
"There is much more to discuss, I realize otouto, but I wanted to let you know about the contract. We can discuss other areas later." Itachi moved to rise from his seat. "But you do need some rest otouto, I will bring you something to eat and drink in a little while, consider a nap."
"Hn," was all Sasuke responded with. When Itachi left, Sasuke wandered back to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through the silky hair on the fox's back. He let out a big sigh and decided to lie back on the bed, hand resting on the soft fur, his eyes staring at the ceiling. He listened to the steady breathing of the fox beside him and closed his own eyes, thinking that perhaps just a short nap would be beneficial.
Blue eyes blinked slowly open, trying to put the world he was in into focus. He felt incredibly groggy, but the scents and sounds were new to him, and he was curious to see where he may be. The place did not present any hostility, nor did it cause him fear. Naruto moved his eyes around, the world slowly coming into focus, and he noticed that he was not outdoors anymore. He felt soft and comfortable, warm and the pain wasn't as intense when he last recalled. Sure he still felt some aches, but nothing like before. He sniffed about, noting the warmth of the room, the smell of laundry soap, cleaners and a light hint of wood. He tested his arms and legs and found that he had four legs, fur and tails. He thought about where he was. Running from the pack in the forest, fighting with one, and then falling. There was pain and darkness, he doesn't have any memory of how he came to where he is now. He shuffled slightly and felt a presence beside him. His inner fox purred in delight as he turned his head and neck to look behind him. His nose met with thick black hair that smelled intoxicating. A slight murmur was heard as the fox nosed the hair slightly the best way possible in the awkward position he was currently in. His heartbeat fluttered in excitement as the scent behind him filled his senses. He felt drunk suddenly and a desire to roll in the scent that was leaving him in a lightheaded aura of happiness.
He struggled to move his body over towards the scent, his inner fox rubbing against his sensory areas that was releasing endorphins. He whimpered slightly as he struggled to flip, till he felt a hand placed on his hip. Heat and zaps of electricity prickled through his skin where the hand rested. His body shivered slightly and he felt himself smile through the fog that was beginning to settle in his mind.
"Naruto?" A sleepy voice spoke out.
Naruto stopped moving, his ears twitching, his eyes blinking and looking about the room. He felt his muscles twitch as he shuffled slightly in the bed to the best of his ability.
"Naruto are you awake?" the deep voice questioned out, no longer sounding sleepy.
The hand that was on his hip, slid slowly up his back, then stopped at his shoulder. He felt the weight shift behind him on the bed and then the heat of the hand was removed. His senses began to slightly sharpen, but still groggy. He waited for what was to happen next.
Footsteps walked around the bed and Sasuke knelt by the fox's head. His hand reached out and began to stroke the fox's head. Black orbs looked on sincerely as the fox's eyes blinked slowly, as if sleep was beginning to overtake him. "Your safe Naruto, you can sleep in peace. I'll be watching over you," Sasuke whispered softly. The fox eyes blinked slowly one more time before releasing a big sigh and drifted back off to sleep. Sasuke rubbed the head a little more before getting up and heading out of the room. If Naruto just fell asleep, he would have some time before he woke again, then he may as well go talk to Itachi.
===x00x00x00x===
The tracker pack wandered their way back to the building that was situated along the mountain side. Making their way through the corridors now as humans, they loaded up into a meeting room to report.
Kiba ran a hand through his brunette hair, let out a big sigh and sat hard on one of the chairs. He didn't feel right about what had happened. He felt so excited to be on the trail of Naruto, his wolf was anxious on the hunt, as it picked up the scent of the fox also being in heat. Kiba got lost in the lust desires that his wolf was swimming in. He recalled the thumping of excitement that pumped through his veins, and he cringed at the thought as he let himself be succumbed to that feeling. The crew gave their reports on the situation that happened, the two wolves they had met and how they lost the fox over a cliff. Kiba noted that he fell as well, but the drop was so deep, that he had lost the trail when he managed to get out of the rapids. The pack stated they searched the riverbanks for the fox, but didn't find the wolves that interfered nor the fox. The pack had followed the river all the way to a lake several miles away, and there was no trail there. The crew was dismissed.
As Kiba walked down the corridor, he picked up some of the crew talking to each other. He usually paid no mind, but a spoken name perked his ears up to listen.
"...being reeducated they call it. Can't imagine..."
"...was that guy Sai right? Heard he helped the kitsune escape. Wonder what shit they..."
"Dude, do you not know what they do to reeducate?! I'm telling yah, injections, beatings...hell I even heard electroshock therapy even! Ugh, who would do anything with discipline like..."
Voices faded out as Kiba went into his room, and the persons walked by. He clicked the door shut, and leaned against it. He brought his hand up to his forehead, his brown eyes wide from what he had just overheard. 'Sai? Did he really defy the counsel? Was he really the reason Naruto was no longer here?' Kiba pushed himself off the door to head into the showers. The more shit that was going down, the more he was putting pieces together and not liking the results. What did the counsel really want with Naruto? Was it that horrific that Naruto needed to escape, and that others would actually assist? Something wasn't right, and Kiba was getting more and more antsy at the thought that the counsel, was actually not as innocent as they seemed.
Kiba leisurely walked the corridor, making his way to the holding cells. Holding a couple chocolate bars in case some guard came by he would offer one, pretending to be on a stroll with a snack, he slipped down a hall that he knew was the main area for classified holdings, as it was called. It was where Naruto was first held when Kiba's crew captured him. Kiba bit his lip and clenched the bars in his pocket. He made his way down to the furthest cell area, noting that it had an active orange light on it. The rooms were colour coded, and from his training, if he recalled correctly, orange meant minimal security. All the doors had some small window, laced with wiring within the glass, thus could be broken, but with it being enforced, it made it that much harder. He peered into the small window, gasping slightly at the site. Sai was in the room, his body at least on a mat on the floor, in shorts but each limb was secured in four different directions. Black tubes were inserted into each limb but what looked like screwed type attachments that were embedded into the skin. What looked like two black tubes into each limb, a spider web of veins surrounded each attachment and Kiba dry heaved. The tubes were attached to smaller metal containers, filled with who knows what since the containers were not transparent. Sai's body was tinted blue, his body would at times convulse but straps held his limbs in place. Kiba frowned and felt overwhelmed with sadness. 'How could this happen to him?' Sai was such a gentle soul, Kiba had listened to him talk on the beauty of all things, living or not. Kiba fisted his hand and slammed the window. 'Damn it! What can I do?!' Kiba gave a longing look at Sai again, promising that he would be back for him before moving on his way back from where he came.
===intermission===
"Nii-san, I come to cross reference what we know," Sasuke spoke as soon as he entered the library, where Itachi and Karin were located.
"Hn," Itachi responded, nodding his head. Sasuke moved in beside him, taking a chair.
Itachi and Karin opened their notebooks to begin, the three of them began talking discussing from the beginning.
Meeting Naruto at the pub, and being attacked by Riku Tanaka, who was found out to have worked as a scout for Orochimaru. His job was to locate precious things and possibly retrieve. The incident at the subway, where Sasuke couldn't use the thrall on Naruto's memories anymore. How Sasuke's wolf needed calming after fainting at Naruto's home. Sasuke went over some of the times that he 'zoned out' and when his wolf would cause him discomfort for unexplained reasons. Sasuke explained the dreams from his past and his other past as well.
"Otouto, you were informed that you are one of our ancestor's reincarnations?" Itachi asked for clarification, his eyes wide with wonder. Sasuke nodded dutifully. "Fascinating…" he trailed off, making notes in his book. "Do tell us what else you were told otouto."
Sasuke began to discuss what he had discussed with Honshu during his time while his wolf was off finding Naruto. Itachi and Karin listened and took notes, both often looking up with fascination in their expressions, but neither said a word while Sasuke told the tale. Sasuke clenched his fists on several occasions when going into detail of what Naruto and his ancestors have been subjected to throughout the centuries.
After a couple hours, Itachi leaned back in his chair, bringing his folded hands under his chin. "After gathering the last couple weeks of information, of what we all know, I now have every reason to believe that Naruto is the prize that Orochimaru has been seeking for so long and that the counsel is somehow also roped up in this. It would not surprise me in the least to think that the counsel and persons like Orochimaru have been stalking, kidnapping, experimenting on Naruto and his ancestors for most of their lives. What Orochimaru wants with Sasuke though, still escapes me." He moved forward in his chair, leaning his elbows on the table. "I believe it would be in Naruto's best interest to remain in the manor, under our protection at this time." Sasuke and Karin both nodded in agreement. "Until we can find some sort of evidence that proves that Naruto is in danger from Orochimaru and others…" Itachi tapped his chin for a moment. "Though, I don't know what kind of evidence would sustain keeping the counsel out of his life." Itachi frowned.
"He is my chosen intended nii-san, I will not let him go and the counsel wouldn't dare to interfere with a such a bond," Sasuke growled.
"I understand otouto, but the counsel has not been subjected to intended mates for I don't know how long. I haven't even heard of such a thing until I experienced my own intended and read mother's journal."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the mention of his mother. "Mother's...journal?" His voice full of question.
Itachi smiled softly at Sasuke. "Yes otouto, I happened to come across it while you were away. It has been most informative and I do want you to read it as well. It is such a stunning read, as it is a glimpse of her and father, when they were first together. She speaks of the stories of destined soul mates and how she believes father was hers." Sasuke's mouth fell open slightly as he took in Itachi's words. Itachi chuckled slightly as he continued, "when I have finished, I will pass it on to you." Sasuke nodded courtly. "I suggest you get back to Naruto should he wake otouto. I would not want him to become distraught waking in a strange place after what he may have been through." Itachi closed his notebook. "I need to tend to my own mate. Karin, feel free to carry on, do come to us should you have any more questions or come across any more substantial evidence to discuss." Itachi gave her a nod after she hummed in agreement.
Itachi and Sasuke both stood together, heading out of the library and only the soft sounds of their shuffled fabrics were heard.
"What is the situation between you and Naruto otouto?" Itachi's voice smooth and gentle.
"Hn nii-san, it's like I cannot even fathom what it would be like without him." He gave a small smile before running a hand through his hair. "It's not… I can't…no it's…" he breathed out sounding frustrated. "The emotions running constantly through my veins, leaving me practically breathless that the mere thought of him being away from me, I feel tortured and my wolf. Ugh…the wolf, I swear… Fuck! it's so hard to explain nii-san!" Sasuke threw his hands up for emphasis, expressing his frustration at trying to find the words.
Itachi smiled discretely. He knew how his brother was feeling, feeling it himself when he was with Haku. He stayed silent while listening to his little brother sputter through words. "I hear you otouto, it is quite an exhilarating experience isn't it?" he whispered softly though Sasuke didn't hear him. He kept trying to verbalize out on the emotional turmoil he was experiencing. They approached the door where Naruto was staying in. Sasuke stopped outside the door, his hand paused on the knob, his face looking down at his hand, "nii-san..." Itachi paused in his steps, turning his head towards his brother. Sasuke shook his head, "nothing..." He slowly turned the knob to open the door.
"Sasuke..." Itachi stepped forward. Sasuke shook his head, avoiding Itachi's gaze and turning towards the door. Itachi stopped, choosing to give Sasuke his space. "I'll fetch you something to eat and drink otouto," Itachi quietly responded as he turned around, making his way towards the kitchens, as Sasuke slipped quietly into the room. Itachi frowned as he walked, he knew Sasuke was struggling, 'trust your wolf otouto.'
Sasuke slipped into the large room, taking care to be silent to not disturb the fox. The room was in the south west corner of the manor, thus the large windows let in the sun's rays throughout the day. If the moon was in the right position, the moon beams gave the room a magnificent glow. The bed was nestled near the large bay windows and Sasuke's eyes fell upon gorgeous azure orbs that pierced his very heart.
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So, any thoughts? I know this chap i'm sure you all wanted more, fear not, as the next chap is well on the way. Things need to start coming into play, so if you are all following Deny Thy, know that Tell Me has taken over and demands my attention :) Deny Thy is slowly in the background being poked at!