AN : Thanks for reviewing. Reviews are our fuel. Each time I finish a chapter, I will post it. Please enjoy this darker yet better path.
Rekindled bond
Sasuke entered the room in which Naruko was on the bed. He never thought in his life that he would see that blonde girl tired and weak. Sasuke looked at her with a bit of guilt and sorrow as she looked at him with a bit of dissapointement before she sighed.
"I was going to ask you why you killed the five Kages, but I don't think that you would answer it. What did Tsunade-baachan and Gaara ever did to you?" She asked as he sighed dejectedly.
"If it was up to me? I wouldn't have done so. However, I know that the shinobi system is not only flawed, but will lead to our doom. Is it normal for that genocide that they committed against my family? Is it normal for her not to reveal anything to you? Is it normal for her to let you unprompted just so the others can order you around? You're a billion times better, yet they don't even give you a field promotion, Neji is a Jonin who can't change his chakra nature. Sakura and Kiba are two chunins with the mentality of a raging bull, I heard how they disrespected you... Who do you think that encouraged that? It was Tsunade and her council." Sasuke's answer made Naruko's world shatter. Was that true?
"You're lying to me!" She replied in denial as he chuckled darkly.
"I would not." He replied, "Why do you think that she and the third encouraged your dream to be the Hokage? It was to tie you up to the village. Had she been really supportive, she would have promoted you after you bested Kakashi, who's the very best Jonin.."
"You talk too much. Why did you want me? What do you really want?" Naruko asked Sasuke who sighed.
"Look, you're tired, I can see that you want to sleep, so, sweet dreams. I'll talk to you later." Sasuke replied as he blushed a bit, and he praised the God that she didn't notice that.
As he left the Uzumaki blonde sleeping, he used a chakra seal and chakra cuffs on her before he walked out. Then he heard Suigetsu mocking his love for a blonde idiot.
"Mock her again and I will kill you." Sasuke warned Suigetsu who paled as Jugo and Karin snickered. "Karin, if any of these three try to get into Naruko's room, tell me." He then gave the three others one hell of killing intent, making them sweat profusely, "If you ever harm her.." He left the threat unfinished before he smirked, "I'm going to Konoha. Want to join me for our fast raid? I don't think that most shinobis are back there yet, and we're leaving them a nasty surprise."
"Heh, always thinking ahead, aren't we, Sasuke-kun? I'll stay here with Karin." Orochimaru told him as the Uchiha went out, activated his Susanoo and flied like wind.
Konohagakure, night
The nearly abandoned village had no chance as Suigetsu and Jugo went to the archives and shinobi library respectively, with a sealing scroll each. They decided to get everything their hands can take. Well, Jugo did as the Hozoki raided all informations there is on one Uzumaki Naruko, her mother, her father, her godfather, Everything... Jugo left as he felt Sasuke approaching them, his hands covered in blood as he killed two elders personally, raided the Hokage tower and got everything he had on them, all the classified Jutsus and journals, and even the scrolls of Hokage reserved Jutsus. He even learned about a very interesting information. He can easily destroy the Hokage tower and monument, but not yet.
"So, what's the plan now?" Suigetsu asked as Sasuke smirked Devilishly.
"We get Naruko, and then we'll talk about it." He replied as he flew back to the hideout, his prizes in two. Then he raided each and every shinobi village within a few minutes. What all the other countries were trying to do for almost sixty years, Sasuke just did in one single night with the help of his team.
Naruko's room
Naruko opened her eyes only to find herself cuffed and covered with many blankets to keep her warm yet secured. She wondered what was going on the Teme's mind as she inspected her chains. They were long enough for her to walk around and even move a bit freely, yet she couldn't access her Chakra. She was really worried about what will Sasuke do to her. She heard the door click so she tried to hide, only for a pair of strong pale arms to embrace her from behind.
"Good morning, Naruko-chan." She heard the Uchiha's unmistakable voice whisper in her ear.
"Sasuke, why am I cuffed? Why do I have some Chakra seal? What do you want from me?" She asked in succession. She was surprised when he sat on the couch, while he put her in front of him, but not before he kissed her hand, making her blush.
"Well, so you don't run away, so you don't lash out at me, and your love respectively." Sasuke replied as he blushed.
"Hah?" Naruko asked in confusion. Her love?
"You see, I always loved you, ever since that mission to the wave, I came in terms with my feeling, and Kakashi told me how you didn't allow anyone to get close to my body. When I was fifteen and we met again, it took every fiber in my being pulling in the opposite direction, for me not to return to Konoha with you, and then when Sakura tried to kill me, yet you saved me from Kakashi, I realized that my hatred towards you was utterly misplaced... Then when we fought, I realized that I want to protect you by any means necessary. Now tell me, did you get a boyfriend during my absence?" Sasuke asked the now totally confused girl. She shook her head in denial as he smirked, "Good, because if you did, I'd have to kill him."
"Oi, stop being a heartless bastard for one." Naruko warned as he sighed dejectedly. The only thing he wanted was to pounce of her until she screamed his name over and over again, but that would kill his chances. So, he grabbed a hair brush and gave her two journals. He then started brushing her long golden river of a hair. She red the journals until he was done. The Uchiha didn't leave. She gave him a cocked eyebrow and he pointed at the two books. Then, the more she red, the more betrayed she felt.
"God I was so stupid.." She whimpered as Sasuke was upon her, stroking her back gently, "To think that Jiji was using me.. That Baba was just.. Making sure that I remain in the bottom... Even she betrayed me.." She then broke down as Sasuke hugged her tightly as he wiped her tears. As she calmed down, he let her decide for herself. The usually bubbly and talkative blonde was quiet as she red the rest of the books. The more she knew, the more she felt a searing hatred taking her over. Sasuke regretted doing that, but he needed her to see things his way, even a little.
"To think that even my own children were not safe.. They planned to turn them into some test rats..." She said in utter disgust. "The so called friends I had once blamed me for not killing you, you know? They were like, 'but you're the hero who defeated Pain.' like I am the only one in the village.."
"They're too lazy to improve, and they always put a heavy burden on your shoulders. Who entered the fray with you?" Sasuke asked as Naruko whispered a name. "She told you that she loved you, right?" She nodded and Sasuke clenched his fist hard enough to turn the knuckles completely white.
"I lost all respect for them. Only Kakashi was truly looking after me.." She replied as the Uchiha sighed. "My own father sacrificed me for these ungrateful... They scorned, jeered, bullied, mocked my dream... I think that I understand why you left."
"Heh, finally about damn time." Sasuke said as he massaged her shoulders, making her moan in pleasure.
"Thank you, Sasuke." She told him as he smiled at her. And she was shocked by that. It was his true smile. She couldn't help but laughing before she flashed him her true grin, which melted his heart.
"Well, let's make sure that you eat something." He said as he unsealed a bowl of ramen and she shook her head. "Not hungry?" He heard her stomach growl and she turned away.
'If I submit I lose.' She thought as he looked at her before he gave her two chopsticks, which she threw at him. Sighing, he pulled some ramen with the chopsticks and went to feed her.
"Come one Naruko, I can't tolerate a hunger strike while you're in this state." Sasuke replied. "The Kyubi won't heal you when he's slumbering. You're going to take a week at least to recover your Chakra." He said and she gave him a pleading look. He sighed. "I'm sorry about pushing you thst far. I'll take care of you, and do anything you ask me to."
"I miss them.." She replied and Sasuke sighed in sorrow. He would like to let her go, but as a Nuke Nin, he couldn't protect her while she was away from him.
"I can't protect you when you are not close enough to me." He replied as she finally relented and opened her mouth. Sasuke proceeded to feed her gently and patiently. Had his team seen this, they would have mocked him. The girl then went to the bathroom as he waited for her to return. However, she was still tired as she laid on the bed. Sasuke noticed her definitely sore feet and he sighed. This was humiliating to him, but he had no choice.
The Uchiha then walked out to fetch something before he returned with a healing lotion. Naruko was shocked as Sasuke put her legs on his lap and proceeded to put said lotion on her feet before he gave her a foot rub. She moaned and sighed blissfully as he took care of her unspoken need.
"Thanks for the massage, Sasu-teme." She grinned only for said guy to give her a mischievous look as he then tickled her feet, played with her toes, then he covered her with the blanket, wished her sweet dreams but not before he kissed her forehead, something that earned him a blush.
'She'll be mine sooner or later. Now then.. Time to talk about the future.' The Uchiha thought before he went to Orochimaru and his team who were waiting for him, Suigetsu feeding Samehada as he was eating some yoghurt himself, Jugo was eating some fish, Karin was eating some okonomiyaki, while Orochimaru was eating some eggs. Sasuke ate his Onigiri with tomatoes and Okaka as he was thinking about the blonde joining them eventually. He then steeled his resolve as he started thinking about how to utterly control the world, once he did, he will share it with her. With their combined might, no one will be able to resist.
"Sasuke, how is she?" Karin asked the Uchiha who sighed.
"She have a really bad Chakra depletion. She sleeps all the time.." He replied sadly as Orochimaru caught the concerned tone.
"Never thought that you would care." Suigetsu jabbed.
"Suigetsu, you would care about Karin." Jugo burned his friend.
"Maybe?" The Hozoki asked. "Thanks for these Suiton Jutsus. They're pretty handy if I say so."
"You're welcome." Sasuke replied. "We're a team, remember?"
"Never thought that you would care about being in a team.. Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru commented. "Well then, how about we find a way? Kabuto is a loose end. The Daimyos need to die, as for Gai, you better kill him if he can recover."
"I agree.. But that's a big if. I don't want to spill more blood than necessary." Sasuke replied before he sighed. "I'm not going to pull any punches."
"No compromises, no mercy given. If you falter, who can we rely upon?" Karin advised her friend who sighed.
"Well, I think that I will enjoy cutting some rebels, what do you think, Sasuke? I hope Jugo can retain his consciousness.." Suigetsu commented as Jugo sighed, "But there was something interesting. I think that it have to do with that Senjutsu Chakra. Jugo, you need to train in that. How I have no idea."
"Naruko-chan is a perfect sage if you want to know." Sasuke told them and regretted his words immediately as Karin put two and two together.
"No way, my little cousin is that strong?" She asked and Sasuke sighed.
"She needs a lot of training if I say so. Alas, no one was willing. Jiraiya didn't give a shit about anything but 'improving the Rasengan', which he had no fucking input on the matter. He taught her no other jutsu. Two and a half years wasted... Kakashi told me about her training trip and I felt disgusted." Sasuke replied and Orochimaru sighed.
"Jiraiya is a fool, always was. He had an amazing Ninjutsu powerhouse, who could have been a beast. Now I hope that Kushina beat the hell out of him in the afterlife, cause her father? I don't think that he's even better..." Orochimaru replied with disdain. "Had I been her sensei, had I been Minato's sensei... Many things would have changed. Alas, we can't get what we want, can we?"
"Orochimaru, all is not lost. I found tons of good stuff. Care to teach us?" Jugo asked the snake Sannin who smirked. What an interesting team they were.
Sasuke immediately red everything with his Sharingan and smirked. Naruko will be his girlfriend, partner.. And apprentice. That's until they get married and hopefully bear a lot of children. He laughed as he knew that she will end up as the unrivaled Kunoichi, they were young enough to reach a level no one else ever did.
"So, what's the joke?" Karin asked Sasuke who smirked.
"I have to be her sensei.." He replied as Karin.. Squeeled?
"Ne, Sasuke, how can you be such a romantic at heart?" She asked and he gave her a raised eyebrow. "I mean, you training your girlfriend is something else.."
"Heh, I have to make it up to her." Sasuke replied guiltily.
"Did you do my idea?" Karin asked as the Uchiha nodded. "Here's another one women love to receive. Come here for a few seconds." And then she whispered something that made him nod at her with gratitude.
"Heh, never thought that you would get over your crush over him." Suigetsu teased Karin who shook her head at this. Really? She was THAT bad?
"Look, I know that I seem like a mindless fangirl, but I'm very supportive to a happy ending. These two, well, they love each other. Sasuke is not the kind of man who would change his mind this easily. She just had no idea what love is, so it seems only fair that I would help my little cousin know it. She deserves a happy ending with a man totally devoted to her. Sasuke would have been able to kill me, that pinkette, and anyone else, but he couldn't do it with her. If that is not true undying love, then I have no idea what it is." She replied as Sasuke smirked st her, "His happiness is worth it.."
"Well, I need to ask you hoe you slept?" Jugo asked the Uchiha who smiled.
"Peacefully and very well for once, thank you." Sasuke replied and Jugo just.. Laughed? "Oi, what's wrong?"
"Sasuke, you never slept peacefully nor well. We just couldn't sleep whenever you slept since you tossed, turned, and always had naps so you don't dream about anything." Suigetsu replied and Sasuke blushed in embarrassment, "So, what you dreamed about? Come on, we don't judge you?"
"My.. Our future. I saw myself married to a blonde, whiskered, blue eyed drop dead gorgeous woman that I would die for.." He replied dreamily. They shot him a look of pity before Karin asked him something surprising.
"Sasuke, can you teach me the Kage Bunshin?" She asked and the Uchiha shrugged.
"Just put your hands in this seal and picture how many clones you want and say the name of the jutsu as you mold your Chakra." As soon as he said just that, Karin had ten clones, and she wasn't even exhausted. "You Uzumaki are something else stamina wise."
"Coming from the Uchiha Sasuke? It's a compliment." Jugo replied, "How did you manage to push her that far. Karin, how much Chakra does she have?"
"More than I do, and Sasuke isn't that far actually." She replied as the Uchiha smirked. That was a compliment.
"So, why did you want to learn that jutsu?" Sasuke asked Karin who grinned savagely.
"Why to make my cousin submit to you and become your wife once and for all." Karin told Sasuke who raised an eyebrow. "Is she ticklish?"
"Yes, why?" He replied as the Uzumaki woman giggled. A good bonding exercise..
"Okay, now, leave me with my dear cute cousin. You guys are on training slash guard duty for a while. Do not come until I tell you so."
With Naruko
Sasuke removed the cuffs as Karin told him to. Then he went outside to train. The red haired snickered at the prospect of making her cute little cousin submit. Oh this will be funny.. For the both of them. She then put her cousin in a stock she sealed before she tied her arms above her head in some leather handcuffs. She then made five Kage Bunshin as the other girl woke up, she made another two.
"Karin-nee?" Naruko asked the older Uzumaki in a scared tone.
"Hello, Naruko-chan. Can I ask you about your feeling towards my leader?" Karin asked the blonde who gave her a confused look.
"I like him, as my rival, and as my old teammate, and as my friend." She replied as Karin sighed.
"Would you date him knowing that he would be yours only?" She asked as the other girl shook her head, "Why?"
"My other teammate loves him very much.." She replied and Karin scoffed.
"Yeah sure. Why did she send you twice to retrieve him? Why did she try to kill him if she loves him? Why did she always beat you? Come on, wake up. You think she would have given a damn? She would not. Now, do you love him romantically?" She asked as the other girl remained silent. "What's your criteria for a perfect man?"
"He accepts me, he can protect me, he loves me as who I am, he just.. be always there for me.. He would help me out, and so I do give him everything I have and more." She replied as Karin sighed. She was literally talking about the Uchiha. Who else is able to do all of these at the same time?
"You're in love with Sasuke. Let me ask you, did he ever tried intentionally to kill you?" She asked as she tried to think about the many battles they had and her eyes widened. Never did he try to attack her with the intention to kill. If he wanted her dead, he would have killed her already...
"I am not dating him. He just... Doesn't love me. I know.. It just hurts.." She replied as Karin frowned at her.
"He said he felt your heart. He said that he never felt someone loves him like you did. You promised to be with him, you promised..." Karin then begun to cry. Why? Why this girl couldn't even know what love is? "I will make you his girlfriend, so until then, I will tickle you until you give up, but if you do, you will marry him."
"No. I will never give up." Naruko replied and as Karin made more clones, her cousin gulped.
Five hours later
"Sasuke, you can return now. She will be your girlfriend, so, be gentle with her. A word of advice, whatever she asks you, do not say no." Karin advised her friend who gave her a grateful look. He walked in and saw Naruko's form, panting hard and tears streaming down her cheeks.
"NARUKO-CHAN!" Sasuke yelled in extreme concern about his one and only true love. "Naruko-chan, what happened to you? Please don't leave me like that.." Sasuke whispered as she was shocked how he was genuinely worried about her.
"Don't worry about me, Teme. It's just that.. Well, Karin-nee told me that there's a test I must pass, and I did pass it." She replied between pants. "Sasuke, do you really love me?"
"With everything I have." He replied genuinely. She smirked at him.
"If you kiss my feet, I'll be your girlfriend." She said as she thought, 'I want you to refu..' She didn't even finish as she had to stop him from doing so. "Stop it Teme! This is so.. Degrading to you. You don't deserve it." She said as she held him by his forehead.
"So, what does that mean?" He asked and she lunged at him with a surprising amount of power as she straddled him before she kissed him. She then parted and blushed.
"It means, that you are my boyfriend." She replied shyly. He smirked as he lifted her to the bed before he kissed her. FINALLY.
She belonged to him.
And he belonged only to her.
AN : Finally, Naruko reciprocated his feelings. Please review? Next one will be her descent through darkness and his ascension towards the light. Sasuke isn't really evil, he just did the harsh yet right thing come to think about it.