A/N: An explanation of Sasuke's . . . er, bad habit. A few people mentioned this reminded them of Soul Eater, which I didn't have in mind when I started writing this (it was kind of based off Elemental Gelade), but I totally see that! I LOVE Soul Eater. Except the weapons don't eat souls . . . haha
Pressing the Advantage (or Persistence: Thy Name is Naruto)
As it turned out, information was readily available on all the Coordinators enrolled in their first year. Controllers were encouraged to educate themselves to pair up with those who might best complement their own abilities. Naruto scrolled through them until he found Uchiha, Sasuke near the end of the list.
Coordinators were measured for three things. First, chakra control. On his chart, Sasuke's control measured somewhere around sixty-five percent. It marked him as average among the other first-years. The second was bonding aptitude, which measured at a consistent eighty-four percent. This put him well above average, since most first years could only achieve about seventy percent until they'd had months of practice.
The third - and most important to Naruto - was the level of their power, which included not only the breadth of their chakra but also their ability to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. Here, Sasuke was somewhat inconsistent. The sheer amount of chakra flowing through his body was immense. No one in The Academy surpassed him in that regard. However, he couldn't always effectively power his abilities. The reason for this wasn't listed, so Naruto chalked it up to lack of practice.
These things put Sasuke somewhere between eighty-nine percent and ninety three, placing him at the top of the Coordinators this year but not number one. Gaara held that spot, and so far the top Coordinator in the entire Academy was Neji Hyuga. Naruto dismissed them both.
Sasuke just needs a Controller like me. We'll be unstoppable with a little practice, we just need to smooth out all the rough edges!
Mind more made up than ever, Naruto went about his morning classes with more enthusiasm than usual. Then at lunch, he and Kiba met up to quickly bolt down some chow before sprinting to the sparring halls. They were no less crowded than yesterday.
Naruto's eyes scanned the gathered students until he saw Sasuke, in his same position yesterday in the midst of a few Coordinators and a Controller. Waving to Kiba, he trotted up to them with his usual grin.
"Ne, Sasuke," he said. "Wanna partner with me?"
Sasuke actually waited about ten seconds before finally turning to look at him. "No, usuratonkachi. I read your profile. I don't partner with idiots."
The word loser reverberated in Naruto's skull. Before he could draw himself up to offer retort, Kiba startled the crap out of him.
"Wanna partner with me, then?"
"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping. When the hell had his best friend followed him!
Giving Naruto a mean smirk, Sasuke straightened. "Sure." He brushed past the blonde Controller.
Kiba's grin wasn't the least bit apologetic as he followed the raven-haired Coordinator onto the sparring mat. Bastard! I'm gonna punch you right in the face tonight! You know I want him!
A slight red tinted his vision as Kiba (in a manner somewhat impolite) grabbed Sasuke's hands and spun him around, plastering himself to the Coordinator's back as he initiated the bond. Sasuke looked a bit disgruntled to be handled in this manner, but only a bit. The wonderfully rich cobalt of his chakra built up around them, then Kiba changed.
Naruto had seen Kiba's form, of course, but it still managed to surprise him. It was an extremely unusual one. Instead of a weapon, Sasuke now had an enormous wolf-like dog at his side. Or half of one, at least. The two remained connected by the silvery-blue of Kiba's chakra which appeared to be coming out of Sasuke's back almost like a ghost. Sasuke looked surprised, too, at this form.
Kiba's jaws parted in a panting laugh, and Naruto could imagine the dog-loving teen making some smart comment to Sasuke. The beautiful Uchiha suddenly blushed. Blushed. It was faint and so incredibly pretty Naruto felt a bolt of arousal matched only by his fury at Kiba.
Bastard! Flirting with my Coordinator!
The Coordinator facing Sasuke with his own Controller looked somewhat unnerved by Kiba's form. Sasuke didn't give him the chance to get used to the idea. He gathered chakra in his palm in a swirling ball of flame and leaped to the offensive.
Their opponent had the form of a great bow. Naruto knew immediately such a form would be useless against Kiba. Indeed, as the bow fired its first arrow, Kiba's form extended itself. His jaws snapped around the haft of the arrow and broke it into harmless splinters as Sasuke flicked his wrist and sent the ball of flame spiraling toward their opponent.
Folding his arms, Naruto watched them in sulky silence.
~o0o~
Though Sasuke didn't devote much of his attention to it, he was still aware of that blonde Controller watching him. It didn't distract him.
"This guy's gonna be minced meat!" Kiba crowed into his mind.
Sasuke couldn't help smiling a little.
Of all Controllers with whom he'd partnered, this one was definitely the biggest surprise. A form that moved independently was exceedingly rare and required quite a well of chakra. Though his initial thought was such a form didn't lend itself all that well to either offense or defense, Kiba quickly proved him wrong. He reacted immediately to all projectile attacks, deflecting them long before they reached Sasuke.
It was interesting to fight with his own hands and feet instead of with a weapon, but Sasuke found himself rather enjoying it. Kiba felt more like a partner than just the weapon in his hands controlling the pace of battle. Furthering this impression, Kiba didn't use Sasuke's chakra for anything. He used his own.
And his offense turned out to be as impressive as his form. Not only could he extend himself to seemingly any length, attached by that ethereal cord to Sasuke's back, but he had two very impressive attacks. He quickly decided their victory by extending himself to nearly two meters and latching his jaws onto their opponent's shoulder. He shook twice and flung them aside. Their bond unraveled.
Grinning, rather excited by the sheer novelty of fighting like this, Sasuke didn't sever their bond. Kiba's control of chakra wasn't impressive, but that was something he would perfect with practice. He liked this Controller.
"Goddamn you're sexy, Sasuke!" Kiba all but purred into his mind. "I feel like I could do anything as your Controller!"
Compliments on two fronts. Sasuke felt himself blushing again and shook his head as if that would clear away the flattered confusion. "Anyone else?" he challenged.
His second fight with Kiba also ended in decisive victory, and then a blonde girl wanted to partner with him. She introduced herself as Temari, and her form was a large fan. She turned out to be a potent weapon in his hands, controlling wind at will.
After a few more fights, he had to refuse the next Controller.
Neji and Gaara, as usual, flanked him as soon as he stepped down off the mat.
"Let's go smoke," Suigetsu said, stretching.
Sasuke frowned at him. "Have you partnered even once with any of the Controllers?" he demanded.
"Nah. But there's plenty of time. I get a kick out of watching you. I knew your ass would be hot shit when the Controllers came around, but I had no idea you'd be in this much demand."
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke followed Neji out of the sparring hall.
The campus grounds sprawled over quite a stretch of land, and there were a lot of grassy fields with trees where students could enjoy the outdoors during the day. The four friends settled in the shade of a few trees, and Neji took a little black case out of the small pack he always carried.
Suigetsu rolled himself a Reef joint and lit it up. "Ya wanna shoot up, Raven?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Can't. I have to be up really early tomorrow. Kakashi wants to see me."
Suigetsu sighed. "He ain't gonna go back to being a controlling bastard, is he?"
To this, Sasuke said nothing. These friends of his had introduced Sasuke to the rather seedy world of drugs, rock and roll concerts, and clubs when he was just fourteen. Sasuke's legal guardian, Kakashi Hatake, had allowed Sasuke to spend a month with them one summer. When he came home, his guardian had been surprised to find how relaxed his charge had become. However, Sasuke hadn't been able to hide his habit from Kakashi for more than five months.
He spent forty days in rehab. Honestly, those forty days were terrible. As Sasuke became more and more sober and lucid, nightmares and memories the drugs had erased came back full force.
When the rehab ended, Sasuke had stayed clean for no more than one month before Neji introduced him to Poison. The only part of this Sasuke regretted was lying to Kakashi. He knew his guardian cared for him deeply, but the man simply didn't understand Sasuke's need for the numbness of a high.
Without these three people, Sasuke was sure he would have gone insane (or killed himself) years ago.
The slightly sweet smell of Reef soon filled the air around him, and Sasuke leaned back against the tree behind him.
"That first Controller today," Gaara said abruptly. "What was his name?"
"Kiba," Sasuke replied, closing his eyes.
A moment of silence. "His form is impressive," Gaara commented.
"Oh, ya like him?" Suigetsu said at once.
Sasuke almost smiled. He didn't open his eyes, but he could imagine Gaara giving Suigetsu a flat look.
"I like him for Sasuke," Gaara said. "Potentially."
"He made you blush, Raven," Suigetsu said. "What'd he say to you?"
Sasuke twitched when fingers danced over his ribs. "Nothing."
"Yeah right!" Suigetsu denied his evasion. "C'mon. What was it?"
After a moment, Sasuke gave in. "He just called me sexy."
"Oh," Suigetsu said, and he sounded stupidly disappointed. "Well, that's nothing too exciting. I was imagining him telling you how he would pin you down to the mat and have his way with you doggy style."
Unable to stay calm through that, Sasuke opened his eyes and glared at Suigetsu. "Not everyone's a fucking animal like you."
Suigetsu cackled. "The irony of that comment . . . anyone?"
Neji lit up his own joint. "You've lost weight," he totally changed the subject, looking at Sasuke. "Kakashi will notice. We need to be more mindful of that." He took a drag on his joint, then handed it to Sasuke.
He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for several seconds before exhaling and handing the joint back. Reef always made his whole body feel heavy and warm.
For a while, his three friends talked. He contributed nothing, simply enjoying their quiet voices and the cool breeze. The constant darkness of his own thoughts and memories lightened, leaving him feeling almost peaceful.
"I like our choices of Controllers," Suigetsu said presently. "We've got a lot really talented ones! I especially liked that blonde chick whose form was a big spiked chain."
Sasuke drowsily agreed, though he wasn't sure if he did so verbally or just in his own head. He twitched a little when warm hands abruptly grasped his arms and gently pulled him into a reclined position with his head on someone's thigh. Then those hands began massaging his neck and scalp.
Neji, he thought hazily. No, Gaara. Whichever it was, their ministrations chased him into sleep.
~*o0o*~
After a week, Naruto was ready to break things in his frustration. Or maybe beat the shit out of someone. He hadn't been able to get Sasuke to agree even once to partner with him, and he was fixated so strongly on the raven Coordinator he didn't want to even practice with someone else. It meant unlike everyone else in The Academy, he hadn't had a single good spar with anyone else.
"Dude, just get in some practice with someone else," Kiba said, shrugging and looking smug that he had partnered with Sasuke. "He might thaw toward you."
"He's not even the best choice at The Academy," Choji explained, hand delving into his bag of chips. "There are other Coordinators with higher averages than him."
"He's too troublesome," Shikamaru added his two cents' worth. "High maintenance." And shuddered.
Naruto glared at them. How could he explain it? It didn't make any sense that he wanted only Sasuke, but something about that teen called to him. He was intensely attractive, sure. Anyone could see that. But there was something about him, something intangible, something he couldn't define, that just made him yearn.
Could be the way he carried himself, with an arrogant tilt to his chin that gave him the distinct impression of always looking down on everyone. Could be the way his shoulders curved ever-so-slightly inward as if he was trying unconsciously to protect himself. Could be the way his eyes were so bright and liquid black and so deep and cold and something else he couldn't name.
Fuck. He makes me sound like a fucking poet. He barely knew anything about Sasuke other than what he'd read and seen and heard from others. They hadn't even had a single civil conversation. But he just knew that if they got to know each other, something powerful would happen. Something profoundly changing to them both.
It was on his mind every morning when he woke and every night when he collapsed into bed. It drove him to distraction and made him crazy.
Today was no exception. He wandered around campus on lunch, feeling bereft. For the first time since day one, Sasuke was not in the sparring halls. Neither were any of the four teens always with him. Not really sure what to do since he couldn't even observe his fixation, he drifted through the halls sort of half-heartedly searching for Sasuke.
His feet eventually took him out into the impressive yards where The Academy grew trees and maintained a sort of park for students to enjoy the outdoors during fine weather. The grounds were suitably large, and Naruto plopped himself in the shade of a thick tree and closed his eyes, sighing deeply.
The fuck am I gonna do? I just hafta get him to partner with me once. Then he'll see what a crazy awesome partner I am and never want anyone else.
Presently, the soft sound of distant voices reached his ears. He ignored it until he recognized Sasuke's. Without a thought he rolled to his feet, perfectly willing to plead his case to the raven under any circumstances. Maybe away from the sparring hall, Sasuke would be more receptive.
Soon he spotted the ebon-eyed Coordinator, and sure enough he was with those four friends of his. However, the tableau unfolding before him had him darting behind a tree to watch in wide-eyed disbelief.
Neji, the freaky-eyed bastard, had a syringe filled with some bright green fluid. From his spot in the shade, Naruto could see clearly enough to watch him nod to Sasuke. The younger teen rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm. Neji stuck him with the needle and emptied whatever was in it into Sasuke's veins. As Naruto watched, frozen, the raven melted down against one of his friends and a vacant smile settled over his lips.
Naruto ducked back behind the tree, leaning against it, heart pounding. He just shot up. I just watched him fucking shoot up. Sasuke is a fucking junkie. No fucking way.
He didn't know enough about drugs and shit to have the faintest idea what was in that syringe, but clearly it wasn't natural. Nothing good could put such a ridiculously wrong smile on Sasuke's face. His hands were shaking a little as Naruto made his way unseen back indoors. What was he supposed to do with this kind of information? Tell someone?
A split second later, he shook his head. His heart rate evened and his hands stopped trembling. A shit-eating grin crossed his face. Tell someone? Hell yeah, I know exactly who to tell. If he couldn't make Sasuke partner with him in the normal way, then he would just have to get a little . . .
. . . Creative.
~*o0o*~
Sasuke's alarm always went off at six, and he usually woke before it. Today was no exception, but he bolted out of a sleep tormented by gruesome nightmares. Images of darkness and crimson bled through his half-conscious mind, and he all but fell out of bed as he ran for the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before expelling whatever remained from last night's small meal.
Fortunately, it didn't last long. His stomach tightened itself into uneasy knots as the worst nausea passed, and he blindly reached for the mouthwash he always kept on the back of the toilet. Then he shucked the boxers and black tee shirt in which he always slept and climbed into the shower.
Freezing cold water hit his skin and nearly elicited a shriek. It helped chase the black and red from his mind, then the water warmed and he felt slightly more human. He hated nightmares. They reminded him of a past he desperately wanted to escape, a past too painful to remember, too vivid to forget.
Black shadows.
Red blood.
The glowing eyes of the man who murdered (slaughtered) his entire family right in front of his eyes.
Itachi.
The bathroom door opened, nearly making Sasuke jump out of his skin. Then the shower door opened.
"I heard you throwing up," Gaara said quietly, taking the few steps necessary to embrace Sasuke, pushing the shorter teen's head to rest at the junction of neck and shoulder.
Sasuke neither protested nor resisted. "Nightmare," he mumbled, closing his eyes and enjoying the heat and closeness.
Most people who knew them always assumed he and Gaara were together. Intimate. Boyfriends. Whatever. Their relationship might be more than strictly platonic since surprisingly often they wound up naked together, but the breadth of Sasuke's love was entirely non-romantic. This person was simply his best friend, someone around whom all his defenses vanished.
He sighed and melted when Gaara's hands started massaging shampoo into his hair. Part of him felt selfish, never returning Gaara's attentions. He only ever enjoyed them. A bigger part of him knew such reciprocation wasn't needed. Gaara took greater pleasure in taking care of his friend than being taken care of in return.
Eventually the washing was done, and staying in the shower longer would stray into territory too intimate even for them. Gaara gently nudged Sasuke out of the shower, and Sasuke went. He dried off and got dressed in the uniform of first-year Coordinators.
The black slacks which had fit him perfectly two months ago had gotten a bit loose, and so had the high-necked, sleeveless black shirt with its silver buttons. The Academy's insignia was embroidered high onto the left breast in blue-and-silver thread, and instead of sleeves it had long arm-covers that hooked over the thumb and stopped about mid-bicep on the upper arm.
Sasuke liked the uniform, the fabric light and easy to maneuver in. Completing the ensemble were black knee-high boots of unpolished suede, giving them a flexible feel. Perfect for the constant shifting and movement required for sparring.
When he finished dressing, Sasuke made himself a quick breakfast of half a bagel smeared with cream cheese and topped with tomatoes. He called goodbye to Gaara before grabbing his book bag and heading from the dorms to the main hall where the teachers' offices were located.
He was halfway there when he heard a familiar voice,
"Ne, Sasuke!"
Definitely not in the mood to deal with this persistent idiot, Sasuke turned. He'd learned this guy's name was Naruto Uzumaki, and his test scores weren't fantastic. In one area in particular, they were abysmal. "I don't have time for you right now, dobe." He practically spat the word for dead last.
For once, Naruto didn't give him that supremely offended look. He just grinned. The grin about split his damn face right in two. It was the immature expression of, 'I know something you don't know'.
"Partner with me today," he said. "At lunch."
Sasuke gave him a cold look before turning on his heel and continuing toward the instructors' offices. "I don't partner with idiots."
Suddenly, Naruto was right in front of him. The other teen wasn't that much taller, but he was quite a bit broader in the shoulders than Sasuke, so he felt bigger. His grin had not abated one iota.
"You'll partner with me today." Confident. Obnoxiously confident. "Otherwise, someone might find out about your little . . . shall we say, secret?"
Unimpressed, Sasuke folded his arms. "What are you talking about, moron? I don't have a secret."
"Oh yeah?" the idiot said, smirking. "Not even one involving needles?"
For a moment, the weirdness of that comment left Sasuke baffled. He stared blankly for probably three seconds before he felt himself pale. He can't possibly be talking about . . . how could he know? There's no way he could know. Fortunately, he'd gotten a lot of practice at keeping his face neutral, so he didn't visibly react other than to raise an eyebrow. He leaned back, adopting a sort of indolent indifference.
"What does that even mean, idiot?"
Naruto snorted. "C'mon, Sasuke. We're both intelligent guys. I saw you shoot up yesterday. Lunch? Under the tree out on the grounds? Something green? Ring a bell?"
Stomach clenching and souring all at once, Sasuke's heart pounded and he actually felt faint. His breathing hitched unpleasantly, and he couldn't think of a single thing to say. All the acidity normally burning on his tongue fizzled. He glared up into summer-blue eyes, caught in a state of both panic and rage. It was a peculiar sensation.
The stupid Controller didn't seem to want a response. And he was still grinning. "So, all you have to do is partner with me today at lunch. Partner with me, and I won't tell a soul that you're doing drugs."
It only took a few seconds for the panic to change to helpless fury. Neji and Gaara always triple checked that no one was around when they used outside, so how could they have missed this loud-mouthed idiot? He ground his teeth. He may not want to partner with the blonde, but it would be infinitely worse for people to know about the drug use. So he forced himself to breathe through his nose.
"Fine," he said, pleased that his tone was even. "I'll be in the north sparring hall at noon. Be there." He shoved past Naruto, and this time the idiot didn't stop him.
His black mood didn't lessen as he stormed through the main hall to the fourth floor where were located the instructors' offices.
Kakashi Hatake, one of the most formidable bonded Shinobi ever to graduate from The Academy, had served the Imperial Army for many years before putting his career on hold to become a guest instructor. Sasuke was the reason for the abrupt deviation on this military path, and he had a feeling Kakashi would return to active duty when Sasuke graduated in four years.
On most days, Sasuke was grateful. Today was not one of those days. He knocked on his guardian's office door before opening it and entering.
Kakashi had picked up the peculiar habit of wearing a mask and forehead protector to conceal all of his face except for his right eye. Sasuke was one of a very few who actually knew what the man looked like beneath it, and he'd always wondered why the man wore the mask. He wasn't scarred or burned or hideous. Quite the opposite. Sasuke thought he was an incredibly handsome man.
So did his bonded partner-turned-lifemate.
Even with the mask, it was still easy to tell when Kakashi smiled, for his visible eye crinkled warmly. "Good morning, Sasuke," he said in his mellow drawl. "Sleep well?"
"Not particularly," Sasuke muttered, sliding into the chair opposite Kakashi at his big desk.
"Nah, me neither," Kakashi said, leaning back and stretching his arms over his head. Then he leveled Sasuke with a piercing look. "I got the results of your six-week physical. You've lost weight. And I'm not talking about a pound or two."
Bitching to Kakashi that no other Coordinator had to have physicals every six weeks would be a waste of breath. No other student had Kakashi as a legal guardian. "I always sort of skip lunch," Sasuke said truthfully. "Guess I'm more interested in sparring and practicing than eating." He shrugged one shoulder.
Kakashi's only visible eye peered at him. Hard. "If I made you take a drug test right now," he said in a low voice, "what would I find?"
"Nothing." And that was the truth. Poison metabolized too quickly to leave any traces after twelve hours, and he'd deliberately taken a dose on lunch just to be sure.
That hard stare lasted for about ten seconds too long before Kakashi relented. "I don't want to arrange for random blood tests," he said after a pause. "I'm trusting you're telling me the truth. You have been training hard. Only, don't let that get in the way of taking care of yourself. You especially need to keep your strength up. If you don't gain fifteen pounds in the next two weeks, I'm going to have to put you on a strict diet. I know you don't want that."
"No," Sasuke said, shuddering. Those 'strict diets' involved food that tasted like dirt and piss. "I'll do better, Kakashi. I'll pay more attention to meal times."
"Good," Kakashi said, rising and moving around his desk. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him up into a rough, one-armed hug. "You're a good kid."
For a moment, the urge to melt into Kakashi like when he was a little kid overwhelmed Sasuke. He managed to resist before pulling back out of reach. "Have you seen my bonding scores?" he couldn't help asking.
Kakashi's eye said he was smiling again. "I have. Higher than anyone except Neji. You'll surpass him at the rate you're going. But I've noticed your chakra control isn't improving. I want you to set aside at least two days every week to practice on that instead of sparring. There are quite a few Controllers who you could ask. Keep Sakura Haruno and Shino Aburame in mind. They both complemented you perfectly."
Sasuke nodded, feeling his tension bleeding away. Maybe Kakashi could be somewhat overbearing and protective, but he loved this man. He might not have been prepared to take care of a broken, orphaned child, but he'd risen to the occasion quite well in Sasuke's estimation.
Only way he could be perfect was if he let Sasuke use substances without protesting.
"Now go to the cafeteria and get yourself a real breakfast," Kakashi instructed. "I'm willing to bet you only ate a little before coming down here." He lowered himself down into his chair once more.
With a faint smile, Sasuke shook his head and left the office.
Halfway to the cafeteria, Suigetsu found and intercepted him. He folded Sasuke into a hug, grabbing the back of his neck and tucking his head into his neck. Sasuke just wrapped his arms around his friend's back and didn't protest.
"How'd it go?" the slightly taller Coordinator asked, letting go after a few seconds. "He make you take a blood test? Or threaten to do random tests?"
"No," Sasuke replied. "He just told me I have to gain weight."
"Well, that's good at least!" Suigetsu said. "Sounds like he's not gonna be a hardass on you. We'll talk to Neji about those protein smoothies he made for you after rehab. You liked those okay, right?"
Sasuke shrugged. They weren't good, but they hadn't tasted terrible. "I've had worse. And they don't taste like much." He hesitated. "But that wasn't the worst part of the morning."
Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Really? I gotta hear this."
"You know that blonde Controller? Uzumaki?"
"Yeah. The poor guy you keep being an asshole to." Suigetsu snorted.
Sasuke ignored the poor grammar. "He somehow saw us . . . me . . . taking Poison. Yesterday. At lunch."
"What? How!"
"He promised he wouldn't tell anyone, but I had to agree to partner with him," Sasuke concluded.
Those words seemed to distract Suigetsu from his shock. He started chortling. "Well, there are much worse things he could've done, you know. If that's all he asks, then just partner with the poor bastard and give him a break. Who knows! You might like him!"
"Yeah right," Sasuke muttered, glaring at the floor.
It really irked him that he had to give in like this. He didn't like being pressured into something. He liked being blackmailed into it even less. Suigetsu's point was a good one, Naruto could have done much worse than make Sasuke partner with him, but it left a bad taste in his mouth.
He just had the sinking feeling Naruto would be the worst Controller ever to partner with him.