Author's Note:
Alright, everyone, I hope you're ready for this! We're reaching the climax; the Fourth Ninja War! Bear with me here guys. Since I've veered from Shippuden's cannon I'm going to make the story make sense as much as possible. Just a fair warning, I will continue to veer from the cannon and adding a lot of scenes that are both my own and cannon. It may get a little confusing from here on out, so please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I would just like to, once again, thank everyone who has ridden this extremely long journey with me and look forward to finishing the journey soon. Alight, time to buckle up and finish this bitch!
Reviewer Shoutout: I-Love-Trunks1
"Never let someone guilt you for what you can't do,"
-Badbutt94
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Chapter 67: Separate Agenda
Normal P.O.V.
Moonbeams leak into a dark room. All is quiet on a surprisingly warm October night. Two bodies are sound asleep on a makeshift queen bed. A larger, tan body drapes himself on his leaner, pale mate: snoring the worries of the upcoming war away. The smaller of the two dances between the realms of dream and nightmare. At first glance, the raven-haired male feline seems to be sleeping peacefully. But soon his peaceful expression turns into one of distress. Eyes move frantically under closed, pale eyelids. Quiet grunts and groans pale in comparison to his body tossing and turning. A fist tightly grips the sheets and comforter. Beads of sweat form on his forehead and his heart rate increases. The longer the teen dreams, the harder it becomes to breathe. Soon it is too much and said teen awakes, alert and frightened.
Onyx eyes stare endlessly at the ceiling as he continues to harshly pant. As he brings his hand up to wipe the sweat off his forehead, Sasuke looks over to see his mate is still sound asleep and snoring. Somewhat relieved, Sasuke gently removes himself and stands up. Only when Naruto tries reaching for him does Sasuke give up his pillow, calming his distressed alpha. Once Naruto is sleeping soundly again, Sasuke makes his way to the bathroom.
He squints as his eyes adjust to the bright light he turned on. After his vision corrects itself, Sasuke turns to face himself in the mirror. Small beads of sweat are still present on his forehead, his tail is puffed out from the stress, and his skin feels unbearably hot, sticky, and calm. Deciding that a shower will help him calm down, Sasuke turns on the water to his desired temperature before stripping his sleepwear and stepping in. He allows the cool water to run over his heated body as he braces his hands on the wall.
"Why am I still having these nightmares? I'm old to be dealing with his," he growls with his fists clenched.
Thoughts of the nightmare: the loss of his first child, his brother slaughtering their clan members and parents, and the thought of losing Naruto fills his head again. Feeling overwhelmed, Sasuke slides to the bottom of the tub to sit on his knees and stare blankly at the floor. The pressure of participating in the upcoming war doesn't help his anxieties. With all these emotions surrounding him, the raven feline tries his best not to pass out.
"If I don't get it together soon, then Naruto will notice. I can't fail him again. I just can't,"
Suddenly, pain shoots from his left shoulder and spreads throughout his entire body. Sasuke hisses in pain as he grips his shoulder and tightly clenches his fist and teeth. He waits for the pain to subside before finally relaxing. The remnants of the pulsating pain from his shoulder sits with him for a while, reminding him of an old enemy. An idea pops into his head with that thought, making him sigh in irritation.
"That bastard must still be alive inside of me. I thought I killed him. But then again… this is HIM I'm talking about," Another shot of pain hits his shoulder, causing Sasuke to chuckle, "How ironic. I never really needed him as much as I need him now. Well, I guess it's a good thing he's not dead after all. Now I know what to do,"
Satisfied with his plan, Sasuke shuts the water off and hops out of the shower. Using a fluffy towel to dry himself off, the omega returns to their bed. Luckily, Naruto rolled over enough for Sasuke to slip back into bed. At his reappearance, Naruto instinctively rolls back over to throw himself over his patiently awaiting mate. With his human heated, weighted blanket on top of him, Sasuke settles comfortably back into bed and drifts off to sleep without another nightmare making an appearance.
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The next morning, the two mates awaken at the sun's rays. Sasuke is the first out of their bed and begins making breakfast. Naruto remains in bed until breakfast is finished. The couple takes their place at the chabudai and quietly eat.
"So, how'd you sleep?" Naruto asks, breaking the silence.
"Alright. How about you?"
"Same. You know, besides my normal dreams of eating so much ramen that I explode," Naruto grins.
"And yet you continue to eat that shit. You are something else," Sasuke chuckles while continue to eat his food.
"Hey, I've told you. Ramen is a blessing from the Gods we didn't know we need it. If I end up exploding from eating too much of their food, then so be it,"
"And if Tsunade says she'll kill you if you don't stop?"
"Then that's just how I was meant to go,"
"Wow… so you'd sooner die than stop eating ramen? Why am I not shocked,"
"Because you know me so well," Naruto flirts with a wink, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. The two finish their breakfast in silence. When finished, Sasuke takes both their dishes and washes them in the sink, "So, what are your plans today?"
"I'm not sure yet. I might go see Suigetsu and Jugo. I haven't seen them in a while,"
"Sounds fun. And I'm sure they miss you. Every time I see Suigetsu, he's always complaining about Anko overworking him. Which causes her to hit him every time," Naruto laughs.
"Sounds like him. What about Jugo?"
"He's such a weird, quiet guy. Sure, we've had a few short conversations here and there, but nothing memorable. What's his deal anyway?"
"I met him while I was with Orochimaru, just like Suigetsu and Karin. He's always been like that though. I befriended him because of his monstrous strength. He can be a gentle giant when he's not enraged. I actually save his life once,"
"Oh yeah? What happened?"
"He almost lost control. Just like me, Orochimaru kept him as another vessel for his Body Transfer Jutsu. Every so often he would go into uncontrollable fits and kill others on accident. Anyone who survived his fits wished they were dead,"
"Damn. I always thought that dude was strong as fuck, but to know he can cause that type of damage is… scary,"
"Exactly why he's a valuable asset. Anyway, this particular day, they were experimenting with some heavier stuff. I still don't know what they did to him; he prefers not to talk about it, and I respect that. Well, he suddenly went on a rampage and killed a lot of Orochimaru's other experiments and "patients". I intervened and stopped him. It seems that I'm the only one who can keep him calm and save him from himself. He's been loyal to me ever since,"
"Wow, that's cool. You guys have been through a lot… while with Orochimaru, huh?"
Suddenly, Sasuke stops all movements and tenses up. He recovers quickly, but not enough to keep Naruto ignorant, "Yeah… It was… a difficult time,"
Naruto watches in worry as his mate subconsciously continues to wash their dishes. Wanting to comfort the suffering omega, the blond fox gets up to hug him from behind.
"You alright?"
"Yeah… I'll be fine… I always am…"
"You're strong, but we're stronger together,"
"I know. Thank you,"
Naruto kisses the pale cheek before heading to the bathroom, "I'm going to get dressed. I have to meet with Granny today again,"
"Wait for me when you're finished. I will join you,"
"Awe is my Sasu going to miss me that much. I can stay at home if you want. I wouldn't mind playing sick and having my mate "heal" me," Naruto teases.
"No, you dobe. I have to talk with her anyway, so I figured we'd walk together. So, keep it in your pants, horny fox,"
"I'd rather keep it in you," he winks.
"Oh yeah? Well, I'd rather stick my sword in you. I could use a new sheath anyway,"
"Oh, you know I love it when you're feisty," Sasuke grunts as he walks past Naruto with his arms crossed and nose in the air. Naruto reaches out to pull the shocked omega towards him. He buries his nose into Sasuke's hair and inhales deeply before sighing in content, "It's been too long, Sasu,"
"I know. I can feel you through your sweatpants," Sasuke says, trying not to moan as large, strong hands roam his body, "Don't you need to get ready? You know she gets mad if you're late,"
"She'll be fine, and I don't care. You're all I want right now,"
A small moan escapes Sasuke as he leans back and allows Naruto to continue filling him up. A grunt comes out when sharp fangs sink into his left shoulder and over his Cursed Mark. Warmth engulfs him as Naruto's tails and powerful aura wrap around him. Slightly louder moans escape him as one of Naruto's hands strokes his sensitive tail. Only when the other hand reaches into his boxer shorts does Sasuke return to his senses.
"We should stop," Sasuke struggles to say as he grabs both of Naruto's hands.
"Don't want to,"
"I'm warning you,"
"What are you going to do, Sasu?"
Suddenly, Sasuke turns around in Naruto's grasp, forcing them eye to eye. Red fox eyes stare back at him, making his knees weak. The desire: no the need Naruto has for him along with his alpha scent leaking into their apartment makes Sasuke want to submit to him. However, he shakes it off and activates his Mangekyō Sharingan. Trapped in his mate's gaze, Naruto takes a step back to sit on his heels with a relaxed expression.
"Good boy," the raven says as he runs his fingers through blond spikes, "Now, I'm going to release you, but you have to behave, got it?" Sasuke deactivates his Mangekyō Sharingan and waits for Naruto to return. The blond shakes his foggy head free and glares at his mate without moving.
"You know I hate when you do that,"
"And I hate doing it, but you had to be brought somehow. Now, get dressed so we can leave,"
"Awe come on Sasu. It wasn't my fault. It's been a while… I need some stimulation…"
"Then why don't you do it yourself?"
"I do! But it's not the same. I miss you, your touch, the way you shiver under me, your moans, the way I make you feel, the way you feel against me, everything! I miss everything!"
Sasuke rolls his eyes as Naruto rubs himself against Sasuke's leg, "Alright, alright. I miss you too and I'm sorry. I just… have been focused on other things, especially with this war coming up. I sometimes forget that you need me too. Can you just… hold out until after the war? I promise when this is all over, you can have as much of me as you want,"
Suddenly, Naruto jumps up with a wide smile on his face, "You promise?!" Nervously, Sasuke nods, "You know you're going to regret saying that,"
"Well, I'm counting on you to make that true. Now come on, Tsunade is waiting on you and I still want to talk to her before she gets too drunk,"
And with that, the two get ready for the day before heading to the Hokage Tower.
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"You're late, brat," Tsunade grumbles from her chair.
"And you look hungover," Naruto replies as they enter the room.
"Hey, I haven't had a drink a week. All this preparation has taken all my time and attention. Plus, it doesn't help that I ran out and everyone refuses to get me anymore. Whoever put all this pressure on being sober can kiss my ass,"
"It's good for you. Maybe you'd be a little less… bitchy is you were sober more often,"
"Do you want me to whoop your ass with my finger again? Let's not forget I can still take you on, brat,"
"Yeah, yeah I know. What do you have for me today?"
"I've been having constant meetings with the other Kages about the war. It seems that we only have until tomorrow to finish our preparations,"
"Are you serious?! They're ready now?!"
"I know. It was a surprise to all of us, but it's true. I must make an announcement today to the people to be ready to head out tomorrow. It's not going to go over well with the villagers and other shinobi. I fear for them,"
"Don't worry, Granny. Our village is full of strong and skilled shinobi. And with all Five Nations combining our armies, there's no way we can't win," Naruto grins.
Tsunade sighs as she leans back in her chair, "I hope you're right, Naruto. Anyway, your duties for today is to have a meeting with all the shinobi in the village. You're good with people, so having you talk with them ahead of time may help keep them calm while also inspire them. Try to keep the civilians from knowing before I make my speech tomorrow. I don't want the whole village in a panic and showing up on my doorstep. I'm counting on you, Naruto,"
"You can count on me!" he says before running out of the office.
"That boy… he's going to be a great leader someday,"
"Yes. He may be the greatest one we've ever head; no offense to you,"
"Oh Sasuke, I didn't see you there. But you're right and I'm not offended. He's not an old drunk like me and he's a ray of sunshine for the people. I'm sure more people would prefer him over me anyway. I may have my physical strength and medical knowledge. But that doesn't compare to Naruto's Will of Fire. It's the same fire that my grandfather, The First Hokage, had when he founded the village. It's almost as if my grandfather is alive again," she says, smiling fondly before giving Sasuke her full attention, "So what can I for you?"
"I am requesting to leave the village on a personal mission,"
"Sasuke, you know that you can't go off on your own yet,"
"I won't be alone. I'm commandeering my former Taka teammates,"
"Hn. Ballsy little shit today, aren't you. Did Naruto give you some "confidence" before coming here? Was that why he was late?" she teases.
"No. In fact, I stopped him before we could. I would rather take care of this now, especially with the war happening tomorrow,"
"And exactly is this "personal" mission of yours?"
"I… have been having nightmares about my brother, my clan's and my past, and a few other things. Before I can go into this war with a clear head, I must have some answers,"
Curious, Tsunade stands to walk around her desk and leans against the front with her arms crossing, "This all sounds suspicious. Just what are you playing at, Sasuke? You're not thinking of defecting, are you?"
"This has nothing to do with my loyalty. I am loyal to my mate and my village, nothing more. I just… have too much weighing on me. It is affecting both my daily life and shinobi duties. I need to do this, for the village, Naruto, and myself,"
"And just where do you plan on finding your answers?"
"There is someone who I must meet. He's been… hiding for some time now. I think it's time to bring him out,"
Realizing what Sasuke meant, Tsunade's eyes widen in shock and slight fear, "You don't mean him?" He nods, "But how? I thought you defeated him when you defected from him?"
"I thought so too, but it seems he found a way to continue living inside of me. I felt him last night when pain shot through my Cursed Mark. It seems he's tired of being forgotten,"
She shakes her head while rubbing her face in exhaustion, "This is all too much to deal with right now. Sasuke, you can understand why I am against this decision,"
"I am not that confident in it myself. However, I think this is what we need. If you give me a chance, I will take care of what I need to take care of and join you on the battlefield afterward,"
"And if he turns traitor or tries to take your body again?"
"Then I shall reseal him inside of me,"
"Does Naruto know anything about this?"
"As much as anyone outside this room does right now?"
"And how are you going to explain your absence tomorrow?"
"Just tell him you sent me on a mission for me, and that I'll be late,"
"I'm not lying for you, brat,"
"You don't have to. If you say exactly what I said then you won't be lying,"
"I won't send Naruto to look for you~"
"You won't have to. He'll come regardless,"
She glares at him for a while before finally sighing and moving to sit back down, "You two plan to send me to an early grave. Fine, go. But I swear Sasuke, if you defect from our side or allow Orochimaru to run rampant through the land I will personally hunt you down and prosecute you myself. Nothing Naruto says will save you from my wrath. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal,"
"Good. You're dismissed. Just let me know when you officially head out," Sasuke nods before leaving her office. When the door closes, she leans further into her chain and turns to look out the window, "If I don't die in this war, those two will surely kill me,"
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After leaving Tsunade's office, Sasuke sent messages to his Taka members to meet him in a secret location. Sasuke was the first to arrive and sat patiently for all three members.
"Sasuke-Kun! I came as soon as I got your message! I knew you'd come around sooner or later," Karin yells as she latches herself on his right arm.
"Get over yourself, Karin. He sent a message to all three of us. You're still nothing special," Suigetsu says as he approaches with Jugo.
"Why can't you just go die already? No one wants you around anyway," she glares.
"Hn. They care more for me than you,"
"Wanna bet. How about I kill you right here and now. Then we'll see who's wanted more,"
"Bring it bitch,"
"Will you two cut it out. You're giving me a headache," Sasuke growls in annoyance, effectively shutting both up.
"What did you need us for, Sasuke?" Jugo coolly asks.
"I need you three to accompany me on a personal mission. I already discussed with Tsunade about it and she gave us clearance,"
"A "personal mission", huh? And what is this "personal mission" of yours?" Suigetsu curiously asks.
"I'm looking for some answers to a lot of things. The war will be happening tomorrow. Naruto is off to war the village's shinobi and Tsunade will be making an announcement and peace before heading off in the morning. We're out of time,"
Everyone gasps at this news, "It can't be that soon, can it? Oh Sasuke-Kun, please tell me it's not true,"
"I'm afraid so. That is why we need to head out earlier than everyone else,"
"What, like tonight?" Suigetsu asks.
"Not tonight. Early tomorrow morning. I will send for you guys to meet here before we leave. I must let Tsunade know when we officially leave. Be sure to prepare well for our travels,"
"Where do you plan on taking us?" Jugo questions.
"There's a certain someone who has made himself known to me recently. I would say that he's tired of being ignored,"
Everyone gasps when they figure out who Sasuke is talking about, "You can't be serious dude! I thought you killed him when we left his last hideout?!"
"It seems I was wrong. But it doesn't matter. I need him for this mission anyway,"
"Sasuke, are you sure about this? What if he gets out of hand again?"
"It's alright, Jugo. I will defeat him again and reseal him inside of me if I must. I just hope it doesn't have to come to that,"
"You think Lord Orochimaru will side with us against your remaining relatives?" Karin asks in worry.
"I'm not sure what he will do. Personally, I don't care either way. However, since I am the one who will release him, Tsunade is making him my responsibility. We cannot afford for him to get away from us nor can we allow him to live if he wants to gain power again. Understood?" They nod, "Good. I'll see you guys early tomorrow morning. If you do not arrive on time, then I will leave without you. I expect all of you to be on that battlefield and fighting with us. Afterward, I don't care what you guys decide to do. I'll be leaving,"
He starts walking away, only stopping when Jugo calls out to him, "Sasuke… I hope you know what you're doing?"
"So do I…"
And with that, Sasuke leaves his team behind to head back home. On the way there, Sasuke remains lost in thought about the events to come tomorrow. Anxiety rages through his body. Causing mild panic attacks. Was he doing the right thing? Is what he's doing going to help solve anything? Will anything change? Will Naruto be disappointed in him? Can he live with himself afterward? What will Orochimaru decide? Does he care? Does he even want to know? All these questions run rampant through his mind during his walk home. When he finally arrives at his apartment door, Sasuke leans forward until his head touches the cool door.
"Only time will tell if my actions will lead to our success or failure. I just hope it's the first option,"
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To Be Continued…
