Wow, people actually liked the first part! That's really surprising. Heh, so as has been asked, here's the second part. Btw, thanks to ** for pointing out that Hokage the fourth is dead, and that it would be the third that Sasuke would have talked with. Thanks! I appreciate it a lot! Btw, there's a fair amount of angst at the end of this, with queer bashing and whatnot. So don't hurt me! I warned you! Now, on with tha show!
KD.
Uzumaki, Sasuke (Part 2!)"Stupid… Dunce… K'so!!" Sasuke slammed his fist into the unforgiving bark of the tree in front of him, leaves drifting down from the force. "Damn him!!" he kicked his unwitting victim one last time and was rewarded with a loud crack as the battered wood finally gave way to his enraged onslaught.
"So you're the one causing all the commotion out here. I thought we'd been attacked by a demon with a loathing of trees."
Sasuke sighed, leaning heavily against his wooden adversary. "Kakashi-sensei…" he didn't bother looking up at the lanky Jounin, instead opting for glaring at the tree across from him.
Kakashi dropped from his perch above Sasuke and looked at the boy sternly. "I thought I told you not to leave the flat. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
The brunet flinched, but crossed his arms nonchalantly. "I can't go back to that hell hole, Master Kakashi. I can't stand being in the same room as those two anymore… They're driving me insane and I can't concentrate at all! I need-! I need…" he clenched his eyes shut, frustrated.
"You need…? Peace? Quiet?" The Jounin held his clothed chin, standing in what looked to be a thoughtful pose. "Hot, passionate sex?"
Sasuke paled, boggling at his sensei. "No! Fool, I'm not perverted like you!" his shocked look quickly becoming a chilled glare. "Not everything has to do with sex, you know."
"Then what do you need, Uchiha-san?" Kakashi smiled at the boy, nonplused.
"I…" Sasuke started, one hand raised as if he was trying to make an obvious point. "I need… Um… I… I don't know! But I need something, and it's driving me crazy!" He gestured wildly in his frenzied state.
His mentor nodded sagely. "I see. It must be frustrating, not even knowing what it is that you want." He crossed his arms and leaned against the tree as well, closing his one visible eye. "Hmm…"
Sasuke just sighed, going limp and his head dropping against his chest. "I don't know what to do, sensei… When I'm around them, it feels like… Like my chest is on fire… And Naruto! He's driving me insane with his constant badgering! Always getting on my nerves! When he's around, I can't sit still or I feel I'll explode…" He growled, thumping the tree with his balled fist. He muttered, "What the hell is wrong with me..?"
Kakashi looked over at his student, blinking in shock. Sasuke was blushing, staring at the ground miserably. The boy clearly never confided in anyone, and doing so now meant he must be truly suffering. The older man had a feeling he knew what Sasuke was going through and knew he would only feel worse as time went on, but…
He wasn't ready for this. Not now, maybe not ever. Yet he couldn't let the boy suffer in complete darkness. He had to tell him something…
The dark-haired teen looked up suddenly as he heard the older man push away from the tree next to him. He did so as well, taking an uncertain step towards him. "Sensei..?"
Kakashi turned and fixed a stern look on his student. "I'm disappointed with you, Sasuke. I told you to stay at the apartment until I said otherwise, but you disobeyed me. I do want to help you with your problem, but how can I help you when you can't even follow a simple order?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you have to be punished before I can do anything further."
***Later that night***
Sasuke glared at the ceiling. He would have glared at the person poking him in the side, but he couldn't turn his head. So he settled for staring at the peeling paint above him and growling occasionally.
Naruto grinned, poking harder. Kakashi-sensei had left for bed only moments ago, and he didn't want to miss a moment of this.
Sasuke was bound to his bed, his hands cuffed to the headboard by a set of silvery manacles, with his feet bound similarly. Even his head had been held in place by a length of chain, which also served to gag him and keep his head in place. Though not particularly tight, the links of metal pressed against Sasukes teeth uncomfortably, and he'd certainly break a few if he moved too much. If Sasuke was sensitive about anything, it was his teeth. He made sure to take very good care of those. Call it a hobby.
The short blond snickered at the sounds his rival was making. The growling, the incoherent muttering… It was all too easy! Feeling bold due to his rival's inability to defend himself, Naruto ran his fingers lightly across Sasuke's exposed ribs, watching his face in rapt fascination.
Somewhere in the process of tying the Uchiha to his bed, Kakashi had ended up ripping the boy's shirt into useless little pieces. Now he was lying half naked in the drafty room while Sakura ogled him, and Naruto poked and prodded him. This had to be his most embarrassing experience to date. And that was counting his and Naruto's accidental kiss.
Fortunately, the pink-haired shinobi girl had been sent out only moments before Kakashi had gone off to sleep. She had been assigned a simple mission to baby-sit an elder's grandchild, and that left the two competitive boys alone together for the night.
Suddenly, Sasuke felt rough fingertips brush against his ribs, and nearly bit through his chains. Apparently, Naruto had no idea how sensitive his ribs really were.
Naruto, taking Sasukes sudden jolt and red face as a sign that the stoic boy was ticklish, doubled his efforts. He crawled his fingers across the boy's chest and sides, smiling evilly. "Well well well! Is the great and icy Sasuke ticklish??" he cackled with delight.
Sasuke, however, was finding it difficult to even focus on what the other boy was saying. This was no laughing matter. He quickly freed one hand and removed the gag. "Naruto! Stop that! Now!!" He grabbed the blond's hands with his free one, and yanked him forward. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" there was an air of desperation in his actions, and he squeezed the captive wrists tightly.
Naruto yelped, and tried to pull away. "What the hell, Sasuke?! What's your problem?! That hurts!"
Sasuke let go, sending Naruto sprawling across the floor from the force of his pulling. He looked away from the shorter boy, busying himself with freeing his other hand and his feet. "You don't just go up to someone and start doing that to them, dunce!" He paused, visibly trying to get himself under control before continuing. "But it's not like you ever think of the repercussions of what you do…" The final cuff clicked open, and Sasuke swung his legs around to the edge of his bed. He grabbed a tight black t-shirt out of his pack and pulled it on quickly, as Naruto leapt up indignantly and glared down at him.
"Nani?! Why, you..! Well… you… you didn't have to go mental on me! I thought you were going to break my wrists!" He crossed his arms and tilted his head to one side with a frown. "Why'd you panic like that, anyway? You aren't still sore from our mission on the bridge… are you?"
Sasuke looked up at Naruto, noting the uneasy tone in his voice. The blond looked away quickly, uncomfortably. He sighed. "No. Just… Don't do that again." He stood up and walked past the other boy, heading for the small kitchen they were all sharing. He pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the mini-fridge and popped the top, taking a long swig of the bitter liquid.
Naruto walked over to him cautiously. Hopping up on the counter where Sasuke was now leaning casually, he peered over his shoulder at the bottle. He made a face. "Ugh! Is that the sour stuff Kakashi-sensei bought? How can you drink that? It's so gross!"
Sasuke glanced up at him, stifling an amused snort at the way the hyper blond pretended to choke. "It's not so bad, Naruto. It has vitamin C, which helps you grow. Not that there's any hope for you." He took another, smaller sip.
"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes with tired sarcasm. "Lets all make fun of the short kid." Naruto sighed, shifting so he was sitting more comfortably on the rigid tile counter. "If being tall means being an ass like you, then I'll stick with being short, thanks."
The older boy looked back over at his teammate, arching a dark eyebrow at him. It was rare to see Naruto act so… Un-Naruto-ish. Normally he'd attack anyone who so much as mentioned his height, but tonight he didn't seem to want to bother. It sent a cold chill down the avenger's spine.
Naruto looked back at the teen, mimicking his expression. "What?"
Sasuke shook his head and finished off his drink. "Nothing." He glanced up at the small wall clock hanging above them and sighed. "12:45…It's already past midnight…"
It took a moment for it to register, but the shorter boy soon realized Sasuke was suggesting they do something more productive with their time. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" He grinned. "Wanna have a late-night snack?"
The dark-haired boy chuckled, crossing his arms and shoving away from the counter in one fluid motion. He smirked. "Trust your first thoughts to be about food, even at this time of night." He paused, thinking for a moment. "… Hey, Naruto, I was wondering about something earlier…"
Naruto blinked, not moving from his perch on the counter. "Wondering..? What about..?"
Sasuke frowned slightly, eyebrows drawing down in thought. "I was wondering; why is it you're so different at night?"
"Different..? Huh??" The blond tilted his head to one side, squinting in uncertainty as to what it was the other boy was asking.
"You act differently at night. Like you're another person." Sasuke turned to face the boy and sighed, seeing that he still didn't get it. "You… do different things… Like just a moment ago; you didn't jump me when I called you short. And up on the radio-tower, you acted like you were actually concerned for my well-being. Why?"
Naruto stuck out his lower lip in a slight pout, thinking. "I did, huh? I dunno… You're my teammate. I have to care about my team, right?" He shrugged. "An' it's not like there's any point in arguing over my height when there's no-one here who actually cares. Why bother?" He hopped down then, walking up to Sasuke and tilting his head back to look up at him. "Sides, I'm still young, I have plenty of time to get taller than you at least." With that he grinned and poked his teammate. "Ne, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke flinched back slightly, his cheeks rapidly colouring. "Hey!" He glared. "Don't do that."
The shorter shinobi smiled impishly, repeating the action. "Why? Are you ticklish?"
The Uchiha continued to glare at him in warning, biting down on his lower lip to stifle any inadvertent sounds. He remained silent as the blond continued his assault, taking a step back at each poke or prod, until he was firmly pressed up against the sink with nowhere to go.
Naruto grinned evilly, gripping the sink on either side of his prey. He had to stretch somewhat to be at anywhere near eye-level with the Uchiha boy, but the difference was less than usual without their sandals on. He looked up Sasuke's nose at him. "So, is this what you meant by me acting different?"
Sasuke swallowed rapidly, arching back over the sink in an attempt to put more distance between them. Though he tried to stifle his rising panic, he nodded with evident un-ease. Naruto smirked.
"I take it… you don't like being this close? Ne?" His smile inched wider at the affirmative nod. "Why is that, Sasuke-kun? Does it bother you?" he fairly purred.
The taller boy was at a loss for words in his alarmed state. His back was beginning to hurt from the uncomfortable position he was in, but he ignored it as he suddenly felt the other boy press up against him firmly. He could feel the heat of Naruto's body pressed against his, and it made his blush deepen. The reaction was inevitable.
Vaguely, he remembered Iruka-sensei mentioning something about how they would be hitting puberty soon, and how the body's reactions could sometimes run counter to what the mind wanted of it. How gender was not something your libido took into account when faced with a situation like this, or how even the slightest physical contact could get a rise out of your body, never mind the fact that you were both boys!
Naruto blushed some himself, his eyes taking on a slightly glazed sheen. "Sasuke-kuuun…" he murmured, stretching up slowly, licking his lips.
Sasuke gulped at Naruto's tone, trying desperately to think of a way to get out of there without resorting to violence. He didn't want to hurt Naruto, but he didn't want this either! He did not want to kiss another boy! Regardless of the tightness in his pants, he was not gay, let alone turned on by Naruto of all people!
A crashing sound made both boys jump as their sensei suddenly bolted from his room and made a mad dash for the bathroom, followed by the sound of sliiightly rancid sashimi meeting the bottom of the toilet bowl.
By the time Sasuke had recovered his wits, Naruto had already dashed to his bed and buried his head under his sheets. Still somewhat stunned and very confused, he headed back to his own bed to await the dawn.
***3:05am***
A muffled thump drew Sasuke from his half-sleeping state. How long had he been lying there? He could hear a sickly coughing coming from somewhere down in the alleyway below the nearby window, as well as the sound of bare skin and clothing brushing together. There was also the occasional creek as someone crept across the old wooden floor towards him. Without moving, he looked towards the sound. Sure enough, Naruto was crawling towards him on all fours, his cotton-clad knees brushing against his arms and chest now and again. In his hand he clutched a marker. His face was hidden by shadows; the fluttering curtains let only the occasional band of silvery light dance across the room.
Sasuke didn't bother closing his eyes just yet, as it was obvious the blond hadn't noticed he was now awake. He watched the boy move closer, the irregular moonlight illuminating his toned flesh and shimmering hair as a slight wind ruffled the curtains. In the fleeting light, Naruto gave the impression of a lean fox stalking its prey. Sasuke couldn't help but feel the same trepidation he'd felt before. He shivered, and screwed his eyes shut tightly.
But Naruto stopped suddenly, as though sensing something was out of place. He looked around briefly, before continuing warily. He sat up once he reached his "sleeping" rival's bed, and popped the lid off the permanent marker.
Sasuke could hear that Naruto was only inches away now, the slightly labored breath tickling his face. He could smell the acrid tang of the black marker, as well as the faint hint of ramen with miso Naruto had eaten at dinner. And something else… the bitter smell of… salt? For a brief moment Sasuke was preoccupied with the unusual scent, so nearly jumped when Naruto began whispering next to his bed.
"Sasuke-kun… it took me so long to work up my nerve for this night… It was so hard… I should have known, but… Whenever you're around, it makes my heart ach so bad… I just can't… …Damnit, why did you have to look at me the way everyone else does??" The voice was hardly more than a faint whisper, but it was laced with so much hurt, so much desperation and pain… It was like a dagger to the heart.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open. Naruto's face was mere inches from his, tears glistening in his eyes and carving silver rivers down his cherubim cheeks. His right arm was raised slightly; marker poised to graffito tag the older boy's face.
Startled, Naruto jumped back. He dropped the marker and it clattered to the floor before rolling away under Sakura's vacant bed. The shorter teen scuttled backwards across the floor until his back thumped up against the wall. His face was a mask of horror and panic, like a kitten caught in the sights of a hungry wolf. "S-S-Sasuke!! God! How long have you been awake??"
The boy sat up calmly, not taking his eyes off the terrified person staring up at him, and was silent.
Naruto was clutching his chest, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. After a moment he realized Sasuke wasn't going to kill him, though rather than relaxing he started feeling more uncomfortable under the cold, unerring gaze. He shifted minutely, looking up at the older teen cautiously.
Unexpectedly, Sasuke sighed and looked away. He pulled his blanket up around his shoulders to ward off the nightly chill that permeated the room, closing his eyes. "You're going to catch cold if you stay down there like that. Go back to bed, Naruto." His voice was devoid of emotion.
The blond just blinked up at him, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. "Th-that's it? J-just; 'go back to bed'? Wh-what about… Didn't you hear anything I said??" He sat up on his knees, staring at the other boy in confusion.
Sasuke turned and glared at him with such heat that the younger boy shied away again. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to get up and kick your ass? I don't care about how you feel! That's your problem, not mine! Maybe I should beat you up after what you pulled in the kitchen, but I'm not going to waste any of my time, or my energy, on you." His eyes narrowed, his tone turned frosty. "I have better things to do than deal with you, you confused, disgusting little faggot."
Naruto's head snapped back as though he'd been struck, and the tears ran freely down his cheeks once again. He could feel his heart thumping painfully in his chest as he stared at nothing, his eyes wide in shock. He suddenly felt dizzy, and he stood up awkwardly. "I-I… I see…" He stumbled away from Sasuke's bed, banging against the foot of Sakura's accidentally. He didn't notice. "I… I'll just… leave, then…" He bumped into the wall, but just pushed along it until he found the door. "I don't… really have any reason to be here, a-anyway… so… I-I'll just…" His voice was strained, and he had to force out each shuddery word. Somehow, through his bleary vision he found the doorknob, but couldn't work the lock with his trembling fingers. He eventually gave up with a desperate whine and sank to the floor, his forehead pressed against the rough wood of the doorframe.
Sasuke clenched his jaw painfully, his eyes tightly shut. He refused to feel bad about this. He refused to hear the agony he'd caused his teammate. He absolutely refused to acknowledge the fact that he'd hurt the only person who'd ever come close to being his friend. When he forced himself to open his eyes, his heart stopped.
Naruto was crouching before the door, holding his sides in pain as he cried silently. He was shaking with each pained breath, and he coughed as his throat grew raw. Knees pulled up tight against his chest, his face now pressed hard against them. He was an image of pure agony and betrayal, though he tried hard to not break down to sobbing.
Sasuke unthinkingly slid from his bed and walked over to the hunched over form, unable to stop himself. He paused uncertainly, before touching the boy's shoulder gently as he slid down next to him.
The blond jumped at the searing touch, plastering himself flat up against the wall, eyes wide. "G-get away from me, Sasuke… D-don't touch me!" He stared at the dark-haired boy kneeling in front of him, expecting anything but what happened.
Sasuke lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Naruto's chest, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Hot tears splashed down his cheeks and ran down the younger boy's bare shoulder, dripping silently to the floor. "Naruto…"
The shorter boy stared, dumbfounded. Eventually he looked down at the mop of matted black hair that was clinging to his wet skin. He blinked. Sasuke was shuddering with silent sobs, and he tightened his grip on the blond. Naruto soon realized Sasuke was whispering apologies through his tears, though his damp shoulder muffled the words.
Sasuke jumped slightly as he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his shoulders, but relaxed in the comforting embrace. He looked up into Naruto's eyes, seeing forgiveness there. He closed his eyes again, silently letting his tears run dry.
Sasuke and Naruto sat that way until well after dawn, huddled against the wall together, wrapped in the warmth of the elder boy's blanket. Though Kakashi found them that way when he awoke that morning, he moved the two to their own beds before Sakura returned. If the boys wanted people to know about this, then the people would find out from the boys themselves, not a hysterical young girl.
He had to smile. They made a cute pair, even though he doubted Sasuke was ready to give up on his destiny just yet… Two boys did not a clan remake… Even if they were two of the most determined boy's he'd ever known. Watching the boys sleep, he hoped they could find a way to realize how they really felt about each other…
+End Part two+
Heh, part two is now done! Not as long as part one, but still long by my current standards. I'm quite proud of this part!
So, what do all you think? Too fast? Confusing? Did it suck ass?? Tell me! I need to know these things if I'm gonna get better at this!
Btw, should I make this longer? Part three is written out on paper, as well as the beginnings of a fourth part. If this is good enough, I'll leave it at this and just keep writing for my own pleasure. But if enough people want more, I'll take the time to type up the rest.
*laughs* I'm actually surprised I got this part done so quickly. I don't have a net connection in my apartment, so I have to upload everything at the local library, which is a 40min walk away. Things like that tend to discourage me from doing stuff. I'm damn lazy, too. It's because of all the wonderful reviews I've gotten thus far, that I hurried my ass up. Thanks again!
Anyway, tell me what you think, if I should continue, and all that jazz. Later!
"Love and peace, Hate and war! This is what my pills are for!"
Koril Dragonic