A/N: Yay... Another chapter. School is kicking my butt so I don't know how
often the updates will be coming. Also, as you can see I've upped the
rating to R. I think that this topic is more appropriate for a higher
rating than PG-13. Review if you like. I know I'd like ;)
Thanks to Satori Hunter for all the help she's given me during the process of writing this =)
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
Naruto returned to the Uchiha manor as quickly as possible, but it still was not fast enough to completely prevent any harm from coming to Sasuke. He found the man curled up in a forlorn ball in the corner of the cell-like room that they used for sleeping. A single kunai from the considerable collection that Sasuke still kept on his person at all times had been flung so hard that it rested hilt-deep in a wall already pockmarked with holes left by previous weapons. Dirt and tears and a streaked wash of blood from a coagulating cut on his forehead stained the man's face, accenting the eerily beautiful spiral tendrils that the curse seal ran up and down his body whenever his control slipped. There was no light of sanity or recognition in the Sharingan eyes that looked up at the intrusion and scrutinized Naruto.
Swearing softly under his breath, the blonde crossed the small room in three hurried strides and gently toed the pathetic heap before him that was Uchiha Sasuke, warily remaining on his guard for the attack that may or may not be forthcoming. As unpredictable as Sasuke was under normal circumstances, his sporadically violent tendencies were always made worse by the blossoming of Orochimaru's curse. Even as his toe made contact with the other man's body, Naruto kept one hand on a hidden kunai, the other held in a loose position that would allow him to move to accommodate any situation. His eyes practically glowed red as he allowed the demon within him to gain that much more control, having learned long ago to trust in its fighting instincts better than his own.
The curse seal flared back into active life at the careful touch, clawing its way over a few more inches of Sasuke's body before settling back into a semi-dormant black color. The man's reaction, lunging at Naruto's leg and grabbing it in a desperate embrace with that speed that very few besides Sasuke could obtain, caught the blonde off-guard, causing him to totter for a moment before regaining his balance. It seemed as though violence would not be forthcoming this time, and as he carefully readjusted himself to make his new position a touch less vulnerable, Naruto frowned. This was not the first time he had had to help his partner recover from the clutches of the seal.
"What happened?" Best for both of them if the interrogation was slow. Quiet. Gentle. He could easily piece together what had transpired on his own, but he needed to get Sasuke talking. Bring him back to the present.
"He's gone." The words were muffled, pressed into Naruto's thigh. Absently, the blonde lowered a hand to pat Sasuke's tangled and greasy locks in a soothing gesture. He could feel the touch of the demon fox drifting from his consciousness as the promise of imminent fighting faded. His eyes were fast regaining their traditional baby blue color.
"Who's gone?" Ever so slowly, Sasuke was coming back, regaining control over the curse bit by arduous bit.
A slight, confused hesitation as the warm face was removed from where it had been buried in Naruto's thigh to stare at him suspiciously. "You?"
The blonde smirked. "I'm here."
"You disappeared."
"That's what happens when you hit a shadow clone with a kunai," Naruto sighed, letting his hand drop to Sasuke's cheek where the curse seal had flourished only minutes ago. "It disappears."
The dark-haired man turned his face away from Naruto's touch although he maintained his death grip on the blonde's leg. "You're real?"
"I think so." He shook Sasuke off of his leg long enough to sink down beside him, endured the immediate and breath-stealing embrace as the other man attached himself to his torso and buried his face in his chest. It was an unusually peaceful and tender moment, but then again it had been an unusual day. For a few minutes, Naruto was content to remain in that position. He hated to be separated from Sasuke, hated it and feared it and avoided it with everything he had, but knew also that sometimes it was inevitable and that every time they were apart the chances increased that Sasuke would attempt to defect and join Orochimaru's ranks once again. Or, worse, that Sasuke's violent tendencies and the promise of power from the curse seal would force them into a fight that neither of them truly wanted and that would only end in death for one of them, leaving the survivor more profoundly alone than he had ever been before.
A hint of red crept back into Naruto's clear blue eyes at the dark path his thoughts were following and he found himself once again considering the task that he had set for himself, all the while cooing soft words of comfort to his partner. Now, more than ever the blonde's eyes were an indicator of his current stability. As the demon fox slowly began to assert its control over the man, his eyes often reflected the angry red of the fox's limitless chakra.
At this point, there was no reason for the fox to break through the seal that bound it to its host as long as it could chip away at Naruto's will bit by bit and gradually begin to use the boy as a physical vessel, slowly undermining the very essence of what he was. That was the absolute beauty of an immortal life: time was of no consequence. There would always be new and pleasurable ways of causing panic. Although Naruto was still battling back, still had quite a bit of spunk left in him, he was growing weary. More and more every day, they were merging in body and mind and heart and spirit, becoming one being, and now the line between Kyuubi and Naruto had grown hazy enough that the fox's urges to destroy and to hurt and to kill were becoming the man's driving force as well.
The Kyuubi KNEW that the group of jounin from earlier was the key to what could ultimately be the final blow to Naruto's resistance. A good means of severing the few bonds that still tied not only Naruto, but also Sasuke to the past. Enough to cause fear and unrest and turmoil and all of the things that the demon fox thrived on, fed off of. The Kyuubi could allow Naruto the slight bit of solace Sasuke's presence afforded; after all, having long since been lost to madness himself, the Uchiha heir could offer Naruto no salvation. He would be a useful tool.
The dark-haired man was reviving, his soft, black eyes finally lighting up with recognition as he regarded Naruto with a sheepish smile. The red was being pushed away from both of them again and it was so easy to separate Naruto from the demon within when Sasuke smiled like that because that smile was sometimes the only thing that could force his inner turmoil away. The Kyuubi could afford to gracefully accept defeat in these small battles. Solidify their relationship, their NEED for one another and Sasuke was the means to an end. A reason for doing and a competent accomplice in crime. Let them have their fun unabated now and in the end, the demon fox would be the one who came out on top.
The haze of red and of evil that blanketed the Uchiha manor often waxed and waned in strength but never quite disappeared entirely. That night and for weeks after, the fluctuations were more pronounced, more violent and erratic than ever before. Piece by piece, halfheartedly questioning his motives and his sanity every step of the way, Naruto gradually managed to convey to Sasuke his and the Nine Tails' desires when it came to the group of jounin, the last of those who had been dubbed the rookie nine so many years ago. They fought over this as they fought over everything, passionately and physically trying to destroy one another and mentally unsure whether they really wanted to or not. Naruto fought Sasuke and Naruto fought himself and Naruto fought the Kyuubi in a never ending battle that quickly began to erode the very core of what was left of his being as he tried to determine whether his past truly needed to be eradicated. It did.
And in the end, the demon's timeless perseverance won over human endurance, which was how Naruto and Sasuke found themselves crouched precariously outside of Yamanaka Ino's window late one evening. They were there for vengeance, to satisfy the blood lust that taunted and teased and tainted them both... But most of all, they were there for a bit of fun. Physically leveling an entire village was enjoyable, yes, but so was the slow, methodical process of destroying a village from the inside out. Ah yes, this was going to be quite fun. Especially for the demon fox.
Thanks to Satori Hunter for all the help she's given me during the process of writing this =)
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
Naruto returned to the Uchiha manor as quickly as possible, but it still was not fast enough to completely prevent any harm from coming to Sasuke. He found the man curled up in a forlorn ball in the corner of the cell-like room that they used for sleeping. A single kunai from the considerable collection that Sasuke still kept on his person at all times had been flung so hard that it rested hilt-deep in a wall already pockmarked with holes left by previous weapons. Dirt and tears and a streaked wash of blood from a coagulating cut on his forehead stained the man's face, accenting the eerily beautiful spiral tendrils that the curse seal ran up and down his body whenever his control slipped. There was no light of sanity or recognition in the Sharingan eyes that looked up at the intrusion and scrutinized Naruto.
Swearing softly under his breath, the blonde crossed the small room in three hurried strides and gently toed the pathetic heap before him that was Uchiha Sasuke, warily remaining on his guard for the attack that may or may not be forthcoming. As unpredictable as Sasuke was under normal circumstances, his sporadically violent tendencies were always made worse by the blossoming of Orochimaru's curse. Even as his toe made contact with the other man's body, Naruto kept one hand on a hidden kunai, the other held in a loose position that would allow him to move to accommodate any situation. His eyes practically glowed red as he allowed the demon within him to gain that much more control, having learned long ago to trust in its fighting instincts better than his own.
The curse seal flared back into active life at the careful touch, clawing its way over a few more inches of Sasuke's body before settling back into a semi-dormant black color. The man's reaction, lunging at Naruto's leg and grabbing it in a desperate embrace with that speed that very few besides Sasuke could obtain, caught the blonde off-guard, causing him to totter for a moment before regaining his balance. It seemed as though violence would not be forthcoming this time, and as he carefully readjusted himself to make his new position a touch less vulnerable, Naruto frowned. This was not the first time he had had to help his partner recover from the clutches of the seal.
"What happened?" Best for both of them if the interrogation was slow. Quiet. Gentle. He could easily piece together what had transpired on his own, but he needed to get Sasuke talking. Bring him back to the present.
"He's gone." The words were muffled, pressed into Naruto's thigh. Absently, the blonde lowered a hand to pat Sasuke's tangled and greasy locks in a soothing gesture. He could feel the touch of the demon fox drifting from his consciousness as the promise of imminent fighting faded. His eyes were fast regaining their traditional baby blue color.
"Who's gone?" Ever so slowly, Sasuke was coming back, regaining control over the curse bit by arduous bit.
A slight, confused hesitation as the warm face was removed from where it had been buried in Naruto's thigh to stare at him suspiciously. "You?"
The blonde smirked. "I'm here."
"You disappeared."
"That's what happens when you hit a shadow clone with a kunai," Naruto sighed, letting his hand drop to Sasuke's cheek where the curse seal had flourished only minutes ago. "It disappears."
The dark-haired man turned his face away from Naruto's touch although he maintained his death grip on the blonde's leg. "You're real?"
"I think so." He shook Sasuke off of his leg long enough to sink down beside him, endured the immediate and breath-stealing embrace as the other man attached himself to his torso and buried his face in his chest. It was an unusually peaceful and tender moment, but then again it had been an unusual day. For a few minutes, Naruto was content to remain in that position. He hated to be separated from Sasuke, hated it and feared it and avoided it with everything he had, but knew also that sometimes it was inevitable and that every time they were apart the chances increased that Sasuke would attempt to defect and join Orochimaru's ranks once again. Or, worse, that Sasuke's violent tendencies and the promise of power from the curse seal would force them into a fight that neither of them truly wanted and that would only end in death for one of them, leaving the survivor more profoundly alone than he had ever been before.
A hint of red crept back into Naruto's clear blue eyes at the dark path his thoughts were following and he found himself once again considering the task that he had set for himself, all the while cooing soft words of comfort to his partner. Now, more than ever the blonde's eyes were an indicator of his current stability. As the demon fox slowly began to assert its control over the man, his eyes often reflected the angry red of the fox's limitless chakra.
At this point, there was no reason for the fox to break through the seal that bound it to its host as long as it could chip away at Naruto's will bit by bit and gradually begin to use the boy as a physical vessel, slowly undermining the very essence of what he was. That was the absolute beauty of an immortal life: time was of no consequence. There would always be new and pleasurable ways of causing panic. Although Naruto was still battling back, still had quite a bit of spunk left in him, he was growing weary. More and more every day, they were merging in body and mind and heart and spirit, becoming one being, and now the line between Kyuubi and Naruto had grown hazy enough that the fox's urges to destroy and to hurt and to kill were becoming the man's driving force as well.
The Kyuubi KNEW that the group of jounin from earlier was the key to what could ultimately be the final blow to Naruto's resistance. A good means of severing the few bonds that still tied not only Naruto, but also Sasuke to the past. Enough to cause fear and unrest and turmoil and all of the things that the demon fox thrived on, fed off of. The Kyuubi could allow Naruto the slight bit of solace Sasuke's presence afforded; after all, having long since been lost to madness himself, the Uchiha heir could offer Naruto no salvation. He would be a useful tool.
The dark-haired man was reviving, his soft, black eyes finally lighting up with recognition as he regarded Naruto with a sheepish smile. The red was being pushed away from both of them again and it was so easy to separate Naruto from the demon within when Sasuke smiled like that because that smile was sometimes the only thing that could force his inner turmoil away. The Kyuubi could afford to gracefully accept defeat in these small battles. Solidify their relationship, their NEED for one another and Sasuke was the means to an end. A reason for doing and a competent accomplice in crime. Let them have their fun unabated now and in the end, the demon fox would be the one who came out on top.
The haze of red and of evil that blanketed the Uchiha manor often waxed and waned in strength but never quite disappeared entirely. That night and for weeks after, the fluctuations were more pronounced, more violent and erratic than ever before. Piece by piece, halfheartedly questioning his motives and his sanity every step of the way, Naruto gradually managed to convey to Sasuke his and the Nine Tails' desires when it came to the group of jounin, the last of those who had been dubbed the rookie nine so many years ago. They fought over this as they fought over everything, passionately and physically trying to destroy one another and mentally unsure whether they really wanted to or not. Naruto fought Sasuke and Naruto fought himself and Naruto fought the Kyuubi in a never ending battle that quickly began to erode the very core of what was left of his being as he tried to determine whether his past truly needed to be eradicated. It did.
And in the end, the demon's timeless perseverance won over human endurance, which was how Naruto and Sasuke found themselves crouched precariously outside of Yamanaka Ino's window late one evening. They were there for vengeance, to satisfy the blood lust that taunted and teased and tainted them both... But most of all, they were there for a bit of fun. Physically leveling an entire village was enjoyable, yes, but so was the slow, methodical process of destroying a village from the inside out. Ah yes, this was going to be quite fun. Especially for the demon fox.