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A/N: I had quite a lot of trouble with this chapter, as my inspiration refused to come. And sadly this chapter may be of lower quality when compared to chapter one. I've to confess though, that I relied heavily upon my previous version of chapter 2 to write this chapter, sometimes cutting out whole chunks to copy down here. But I can at least say that I've tried my best to straighten out the whole thing. Hopefully the next chapter would come out easier for me –surprisingly I'm looking forward to writing Kiba again, despite my horrifying portrayal of him in the previous version…haha-. I'm really happy with the Kiba –and Orochimaru- of this chapter; somehow I finally felt that I was doing his character justice. My Kiba may not be perfect yet, but at least he is on the way.
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Pairing Warning(s): SasuxNaruxSasu, ShinoxKiba.
Other Warning(s): Obscure explanations and descriptions. Not-so-long-but-still-very-long chapter. Little bits of outright mushy speeches. Mass copying. God Pov: Focuses on Naruto and Sasuke. Inconsistent Italics as always. Mistakes in grammer, spelling etc.
"Lalapopo": Speech in demon form/ animal form/ telepathy
"Nyapapo": Speech in normal humanoid form/ human speech
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Notes to understand story better:
The way Shino tracks Sasuke and Naruto would be by using a female bug, having her spread her alluring lady perfume to attract the male bugs. He plants one upon the unknowing pair before using his swarm of male bugs to track her scent and thusly follow them. Simple as that.
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Debts of Blood
Chapter 2
-Transcending Time-
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"That title is something I no longer deserve to hold." The Fox sounds almost pained at the mention of that, but he does not waver from where he stands, "Call me by any name but that."
The Dog eyes him, saying nothing for a few long seconds, before he too tilts his head downwards, eyes shifting almost guiltily to the floor, "Then it is the same for me too."
Sasuke sits upon the leaf-strewn floor, a little damp, cold and confused –rather put off actually, by the sudden change in the tense, dangerous atmosphere…when did it get so sappy!- as he watched both Dog and Fox have some kind of minor moral conscience crisis. He almost huffs out loud in exasperation, tempted to cross his arms and tell both demonic canines to stop being such sappy morons.
Wisely, he does not follow his urges, and not one second after the thought crosses his mind, The Dog snarls viciously at them and shakes his shaggy head, as he takes a threatening step towards The Fox.
"Enough of this!" He growls, jaws snapping angrily. "I came here not to feel guilt over my mistake but to do the job I need to do!"
"Kiba!" The Fox barks in futile warning, and Sasuke watches, wide-eyed as The Dog –now identified as Kiba- leaps angrily upon the other canine in a mass of snarling brown fur, all teeth and claws, ripping and tearing madly while ribbons of white foam dribbled from his jaws. The Fox shoulders the brunt of his attack, grunting as The Dog leapt upon him and clamped his jaws around his neck savagely, neck muscles rippling as he shook the thick fur he had in his mouth, much like a pet dog would with an unlucky cat it found.
For a few long minutes they fought, growling and snarling in a bundle of gold and brown tipped with horrid fangs and claws, while Sasuke watched, wary and bewildered –and afraid, but he would never admit that- by the actions of both Fox and Dog. The trees shook with force of their anger, bending away in fear as one demon slammed another into the leafy floor.
Kiba cried out in pain as he was flung forcefully into ground, skidding for a few meters with the power of the strike. And when he finally stopped –after crashing into a few wailing trees- he laid there, thoroughly winded by The Fox's enraged hit. The Fox pants, a rumbling deep sound, which reverberates from his heaving chest, as he warily watches the limp pile of ruffled brown fur.
Then Kiba laughs.
It was a hysterical and desperate kind of laugh that… wasn't really a laugh, and although it sounded like one, it was definitely not one. Sasuke thought that it sounded rather like a mad man's laugh, the kind of sound that only the insane, and the suicidal made. It unnerved him, and The Fox too, judging by the significant increase of gold fur standing up, ruler-straight upon his back, but at least unlike The Fox, he had good sense not to show it.
"It will happen, whether you want it or not. He will leave you again." The Dog slowly rolls onto his feet, and Sasuke could see that he was struggling to stand, due to the numerous cuts and wounds lining his body, leaking droplets of blood so dark it was almost black.
"He will not. I will not allow it to happen." The Fox says, confident and stubborn.
The Dog grins at this, his teeth bared in a ghastly smirk, as he steadies his shaking legs. "Then lets hope so, but I wouldn't bet on it if I were you. I know for one, I may be the first but I won't be the last. The snake pit has vipers more deadly than me after all."
"What do you mean?" The Fox shouts, but Kiba does not answer, instead he charges yet again for The Fox, black eyes focused with a burning intensity that only the insane and the obsessed can reach. And The Fox has barely time to get into a defensive position again before The Dog slams into him with a horrendous snarl, jaws snapping wildly.
However unlike the last time, The Dog does not bother with The Fox, instead he ploughs on, uncaring of the wounds inflicted upon his already battered body, past The Fox, and to where Sasuke stood, stubborn and utterly vulnerable. "KIBA!" The Fox shouts again, looking behind him with horrified eyes as The Dog dove for Sasuke.
Sasuke stares, like a deer in headlights as the wide snapping jaws drew near. His legs seem to have suddenly taken root in the ground, and he can do nothing but stare helplessly into the jaws of his impending death like a moron, and somehow he feels that dying in the coffin of vines would have been a much more dignified way to go –at the very least he fought-. However, death never comes, as The Fox suddenly twists between them, his vulnerable belly, with its short, soft fur, takes the bite meant for Sasuke, before he twists his body yet again and pushes The Dog back purely through brute force.
"Sasuke, get out of here."
It wasn't a request it was a command, and Sasuke breaks out of his daze to narrow his eyes at The Fox. He wasn't his master and he was certainly not his mother, so why should he listen to him? But then a voice deep within him stuck its little head out and told him stubbornly to listen to The Fox. Besides, it reasoned, staying here would not do much good to either of them, especially The Fox. And didn't he love Foxes?
"NO!" The Dog yells, and tries again to get at Sasuke but The Fox holds him back. "You can't leave! He'll die!" He snarls and thrashes against The Fox.
"Sasuke go." The Fox repeats, stern and unmoving.
Well, run it was then. Sasuke steps backwards into the waving forest, and casting one more wary glance at the interlocked pair of Fox and Dog, he turns to go, diving into the forest of demonic trees which seemed to be shaking and wailing in fright. He blindly ran, not knowing the route back, instinct and adrenaline pushing him forwards, as overhanging branches and wayward leaves whipped into his face. It wasn't until he found himself almost-swimming in the familiar far too thick layer of leaves that he slowed down to catch his breath and climb out of the trench hole of leaves he had found himself in.
Scuttling up the valley on all fours, he stumbled awkwardly pass the swinging gates on his shaking legs but steadied as he jogged up to the looming Mansion. His pale skin was flushed lobster-pink with his exertion when he finally managed to place a hand on the paper doors, and he remained there for a short while, panting as he tried to catch his breath and fumble with the doors. Finally pushing the doors open, he clumsily slipped inside, and pushed them shut with a sharp click.
It was only then that he allowed himself to sink to the floor, his ball of used clothes already lost somewhere deep inside the demonic forest while he ran like a bat out of hell, almost literally. –well he wasn't exactly that far off- Truthfully, even though common sense was telling him to take his things and get the hell out of here, he did not want to do so. But Sasuke was a man who was ruled by logic and sense, not emotions, and stiffly he got to his feet, determined to pack his bag and get out, or at least, find his bag and do something.
But out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw a humanoid shadow upon the paper doors and froze.
The bright afternoon sun marked the approach of the figure with his shadow upon the doors, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes with apprehension, his hand reaching down into his coat pocket where his switchblade still lay. It wasn't normal for any human to think of drawing blood without provocation, but then again Sasuke was riding on his adrenaline and partly, his fear, in other words, he wasn't thinking normal.
Encouraged by the voice in his head chanting, "Go for the jugular, slash and rip" he pulled the switchblade out and held it tightly in his hand as he waited by the side of the doors, breathing in sharp erratic pants -if he were prone watching himself, Sasuke would have thought that he was on the way to a climax, with the way he was tensing up and breathing, it would have been a crude one but a climax nonetheless-.
The thought that it may have been Naruto never crossed his mind, as he held his breath and watched as the doors slid open smoothly and a mop of dirt-stained gold appeared through the gap. His hands shot out, and before he knew what he was doing, he had already caught a handful of the yellow cotton yukata, jerking the person towards him just as his knife dug into the neck of the other person with a mushy squishing sound. Vaguely, he thinks that this is what cutting through concentrated jelly must feel like, as his knife jerkily slices through skin and flesh to bury itself into the side of Naruto's neck.
On automatic, he pulls his knife back towards him, ripping through flesh and blood on the way. And by the time he realized what he was doing, Naruto had already crumpled onto the floor, gurgling a spirited –well for a man with his throat cut open-, "Uchiha you fucking asshole!" on his way down.
He seemed to be frozen in place, the knife clutched in one hand with a white-knuckled grip as he watched Naruto sink down to the floor, his poker face splattered with his--Naruto's blood. Most people would have called Sasuke merciless by now, with the way he watched as Naruto bled out his life, midnight eyes aloof and uncaring, but Naruto knew better. Sasuke had acted purely on instincts and as of yet, his mind was still trying to catch up with his body.
But that still did not mean that he wasn't angry.
"God, Uchiha you fucker. I would get up and smash your fucking idiotic head into the ground right now if I wasn't in so much pain." He groaned, rolling onto his back –and dripping blood everywhere- to glare at Sasuke through the small slit in-between his eyelids, the skin at the bridge of his nose wrinkled with pain.
Certain powerful demons, especially Animal Spirits, are known to have healing abilities beyond the wildest imagination of man. Even the fatalist of wounds becomes a mere paper cut to those with such power.
Sasuke merely stared down at him, watching as flesh and blood knitted together once more, to form a perfect, if not flawless throat, completely unmarked by his vicious attack.
"I was right…" he murmured, knife slipping out of his grasp, to land with a loud thud upon the wooden floor, "you're the Kyuubi no Kistune."
At this, Naruto tilts his head –wincing a little as he feels the soreness of his wound, which unlike the wound itself, has yet to dissipate- to stare at him from beneath his lowered lashes, smirking foxily at him, "So? Afraid?"
Sasuke narrows his eyes, and suddenly feels shorter than Naruto even though the blond was the one on the floor, "Whatever. I'm leaving." He announces, deadpan.
He would have expected Naruto to protest loudly, or make some noise of disagreement, but the dark amused chuckle from the blond was definitely what he had not been expecting. Frowning, he stooped down into a crouch and grabbed Naruto by his bloody yukata. Jerking the blond roughly into a sitting position, he pulled him close, and hissed an angry "What the hell are you laughing about?" into his face.
Naruto however, chose to ignore his question, and instead lifted a hand to rub at his throat, still sore from the vicious slash Sasuke had given it, "Asshole. Wouldn't know kindness if it came up to you and bit you on the ass." He gave Sasuke an annoyed glare, and calmly reached up with his other hand to detach Sasuke's fingers from his clothing, making a face as both his hand and Sasuke's hand came away sticky with his blood.
Gritting his teeth in irritation –Sasuke didn't care if Naruto was stronger, he was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Of course he was stronger, but Sasuke had the right to know what the hell he was laughing about. Uchiha pride was at stake here-, Sasuke fisted his hand over Naruto's wrist, and used that to jerk him closer.
"What is it?" He demanded, voice low and furious.
Naruto grins, and once again manages to make Sasuke feel like he was being looked down upon instead of the other way.
"Ever heard of one-way trips?" He asks, and suddenly almost everything makes sense as Sasuke's carefully constructed world collapses right there and then upon hearing just that simple sentence.
"Cut the crap Uzumaki!" He yells –almost hysterically-, and fists both hands at Naruto's collar to jerk the blond roughly forwards.
Naruto grimaces, and allows himself to be manhandled by Sasuke like a stress-toy silently, although he could not help but look a little indignant at the treatment. He waits till Sasuke calms down enough to stop shaking him, before opening his mouth again.
"You weren't even supposed to enter in the first place." He says, in a quiet, wistful tone. "No one was supposed to pass through the human world and demon world in any other way than birth and death." And he looks up, to watch Sasuke with his blue eyes, neither teasing nor expecting merely watching, as the man struggles to accept and deny the answer he had been given.
Acceptance eventually won, and Sasuke releases Naruto to sit back upon the blood stained floor, hunched over his bent legs, looking for the entire world like a sulking teenager.
"You're gonna ruin your coat if you insist on sitting on my blood any longer." Naruto says, not looking at Sasuke as he shifts away from the spot where he had bled all over the floor. Sasuke doesn't respond, and he stubbornly remains where he is, not caring whether his coat was going to be ruined.
He had no more Uchiha clan, no more Sakura, no more normality and most of all, no more contentment, he didn't care whether his coat was going to be ruined or not, especially since it didn't seem to matter anymore anyway, not like a blood-stained coat was likely to bring him anymore shame than it was likely to bring him his life back.
And so, with that he gives Naruto a metal-melting glare, pinning onto the fidgeting blond, all the blame and hate he could muster for this state of events he ended up stuck in. However contrary to the I-hope-you-burn-in-the-flames-of-hell feeling he was expecting, all that he could feel was a tired sort of resignation, moody and reluctant but accepting. Naruto however, continues to fidget nervously, because despite Sasuke general inner mood of "ah well", his face was still frozen in the I-absolutely-hate-you-why-don't-you-die-now mode, and Naruto did not like it very much when Sasuke was hating him –although he would admit that it was a thousand times better than being ignored-.
Sasuke sighs, and his brow smoothes out considerably, "I want explanations. And I want them now. Especially why that stupid mangy mongrel tried to kill me." He says, pinching the bridge of his nose as he arches his eyebrows, drawing them together as he half-heartedly glares at Naruto.
"And no nonsense from you." He quickly snaps, as a big bright grin breaks out upon Naruto's face.
"Where do you want me to start?" Naruto asks, a little too eagerly, as he scuttles closer to Sasuke. "At the start?"
Sasuke frowns and gives Naruto a disbelieving glare. "Yes, whatever, I don't care."
Naruto nods, and closes the open doors first before he lies down beside the still-sulking Sasuke upon the bloody floor. Folding his arms behind his head, partly as a make-shift pillow and partly so that his hair wouldn't have dried clumps of blood sticking to it later, he stares up the dusty, cob-webbed ceiling, cerulean orbs focused at somewhere beyond, a memory hidden in time.
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Kiba was silent, as he lay at Shino's side. Akamaru, a bundle of worried red fur whimpering from where he had taken to curling beside his head, small tongue flicking out occasionally to lick his master's face miserably.
If it had been any other demon, Kiba wouldn't even be lying here, injured and defeated. But it had been Naruto, and there was no changing that fact. And when he stumbled back into their temporary nest, bleeding and half-dead. Shino would have gone, to try to avenge him and would have most probably died under Naruto's paws, if he had not held onto the human's arm stubbornly since the minute he stepped into their home, mindful of the bugs that lay beneath the skin.
"You will die." He says, tired and resigned, and that is the truth.
Shino says nothing, but he lifts his other arm and caresses the scarred face of the Dog Demon. And Kiba can feel his lover's dissatisfaction, Shino wants to protect him, but Kiba cannot allow him to take on Naruto alone, he would never survive.
"Let me," Kiba says, lifting his other hand to curl affectionately around Shino's. "I will, I have to. Its either Naruto or Orochimaru after all, and even if I have to die, I'd rather it be Naruto."
"No." Shino protests, silent and stern. "It is my curse, and our burden. I will not allow you to die alone."
Kiba blinks, still rather unused to such bold declarations of loyalty and love, before he smiles, a toothy fanged smile that somehow comes off warm and blissful instead of frightening. "Yea I suppose, you'd never let me rest in peace if I died without you. Wouldn't you?"
"Yes." Shino agrees, and returns Kiba's smile.
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(Flashback 1: The Sasuke of the Past)
The sea wind blew, cold and harsh against his face, as he stared out into the boundless ocean, ebony eyes unreadable. He stood alone upon the empty deck, devoid of any life but his.
Uchiha Sasuke had never claimed to be a choosy demon. So instead of trying to find a perfectly pureblooded demon girl to mate with, he chose the closest, acceptable female he could find. It was unfortunate that she was a human, but he rather liked her backbone and especially her devotion towards him and his clan.
Just as long as there was a certainty of his blood being passed down, and his clan once again being revived, he could settle for having a human wife, no problem. Besides if he had supposedly died, a demon wife would surely have forgotten about him and undoubtedly his clan, to move on and find some other detestable male demon to support her.
Ungrateful bitch.
So well, he had been lurking around the last year, carefully watching his latest wife as she coped with his supposed 'death' –a purely orchestrated incidence, to allow him to leave his responsibilities here and to do the task he had been living for all his life-, living wisely with the fortune he had left behind, while bringing up their son.
He was reasonably satisfied. Even though she was a human, when compared to his two previous poor excuses for wives –they were demons…pureblooded demons…nobility too!-, she was practically like a shining sparkling diamond, and that pleased him. She had good sense, watched their son and the house well, and had thoroughly hammered into his son's head that he was an Uchiha, and that he was going to do his "late" father proud.
So all in all, everything was fine and dandy. And with that reassurance in his mind, Sasuke set off for Konohagakure, and towards the end of the life-long task he had set upon himself.
Throughout his life, he had only two goals in mind: To kill his brother and revive his clan.
And with one goal accomplished, or at least, on its way to being accomplished, he could now concentrate on the other goal he had set for himself: Killing his brother.
Uchiha Itachi was all that he ever saw, and everything he did -ever since his life changed that one horrid night- had been for Uchiha Itachi. He had lived for Uchiha Itachi, trained for Uchiha Itachi, hated for Uchiha Itachi, and grown stronger for Uchiha Itachi. He had accepted the fact that he would eventually die, either killing Itachi or being killed by Itachi.
But…although killing Itachi had became his greatest ambition and greatest wish, deep inside him, all he wanted was a "sorry" from his brother. A sorry for leaving him, for making him hate him, for killing everyone, for becoming everything that the brother in his heart was not. But with years, he smothered that desire, and honed his hatred and anger into a frozen black blade, sharpened to perfection, made just for killing Uchiha Itachi and nothing else.
And so, here he was, on his way to Konohagakure and the place his brother was last seen, or so according to the rumors spread from far south. He was desperate for anything, anything to make him stronger or to help him find his brother. Sasuke did not know if he was powerful enough nor where Itachi really was, but still he went. His desire to kill his brother outweighed all reason and sense, and really, he did not care anymore about anything else, not about dying, and especially not about living.
Closing his eyes, he allows himself to take a brief rest, and leans heavily against the side of the boat, the very picture of serenity. Letting the gentle sway of the ship lull him into calmer lands, Sasuke takes a short breather from the nauseating passion of his thoughts.
One by one, his guards went down. Paranoia, hatred, anger and fear, he took them all down, until all that was left was his instinct, the very core of his demon side, and something he had learned to trust and appreciate wholeheartedly. Instinct to demons was basically the very thing that kept them going, that kept them alive, and demons pride themselves for having it, for it was an invaluable treasure and humans did not have it, or rather, they had it but lost it long ago –or maybe humans had instincts, but the instinct they possessed had surely became blunt and unused, as intelligence took over-.
Instinct was what made a demon, a demon and a human, a human. It was the defining factor, the very last guard of a demon's mind that only takes control in situations where conscious thought can't be used. And it is a tried and proven theory that instincts usually succeed in ensuring the highest chances of survival -through secrets passed through millions of years of evolution-, while intelligence can't be trusted to succeed that often.
But the downside to instincts would be that they recognize neither enemy nor ally, merely the self, the well-being of the self and the safety of the self. It is undoubtedly selfish and thinks of nothing but its own survival, and has been known to be the wrecker of many a relationship –mostly because the demons kept on killing allies/loved ones unconsciously-.
Instinct brought meaning to the phrase "Let sleeping dogs lie". And it was here, that it should be proven once more, that you should really let sleeping dogs lie.
"Hey, you alright?" A concerned voice asks and Sasuke feels a sudden presence at his side, invading and unknown.
The man sealed his own fate the moment he tapped the cloaked form, hunched over the side of the boat upon its shoulder unknowingly. The only glimpse he got of his killer, was of two unnatural red eyes –with two strange comma-shaped dots in its pupil-, before he felt a strong jerk upon his neck, and the next thing he knows –or rather, doesn't know-, he is crumpling onto the wooden floor, dead as a doormat, neck bent at a horrifying angle.
Sasuke blinks once, as the Sharingan dissolves from his eyes, crimson red bleeding into midnight black. And then he realizes what he –or actually, his instincts- has done, and he mutters a curse under his breath.
"Shit."
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Pulling his cloak closer around himself, Sasuke quickly walks off the pier, his hood draped low and concealing over his face.
The body had been conveniently dropped into the ocean with a heavy sack of sand that Sasuke had found tied hastily to its midriff. With luck, it'll stay at the bottom of the sea for at least a week before the sand leaks and the body floats to the surface. By then, he'll surely be far away and no blame could be placed on him.
Listlessly, he dropped the last few coins he had into a beggar's bowl as he passed, before moving on towards the outskirts of the small bustling sea town. He had exchanged what money he could into notes –tightly wadded up in his money pouch- before giving away the remaining coins he could not exchange –to the delight of several dirty spawns of the humans and a few rotting beggars-. Notes were the preferred currency of traveling demons like him, for one they did not jangle and secondly they were much lighter then the flat pieces of metal circles, a blessing in situations where one found oneself battling for one's life.
Upon reaching the edge of the town, he found himself momentarily stumped by the spiked wall surrounding the town protectively, jutsus made specially to keep demons out and away spreading out upon any surface the humans could reach -which was basically everywhere-. Sasuke stood there for a long moment; eyeing the wall intensely for any weak spot he could take advantage of, before he caught sight of a pair of open gates leading out to the outside world, and he grimaced at the sight of that.
Beating down his embarrassment over his poor observational skills, Sasuke swiftly walked past the gateway, slipping expertly past the two lazing guards leaning against the open gates, who did not even stir from their afternoon nap as a suspicious black figure glided past. Not once did he look back as he dived into the nearby forest, the very embodiment of the dangerous and unknown.
An enormous wolf padded silently past a few trees before it stopped and turned back its head, crimson eyes looking towards the busy little town it had just left, it lifted its muzzle to the still sunny sky, and let loose a bone-chilling howl. With an amused glint in its eyes, as the sounds of frightened screams and crashes echoed from behind, it galloped deeper into the forest, a mere shadow in the thick darkness.
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Orochimaru had always considered himself a remarkably open-minded demon. He was of the opinion that he forgave more then he grudged, -despite what his horrible minions may say, if you had ever asked them, and you had better not now.- and so, when an upstart young demon came bursting into his lair, demanding for information he decided to look on the bright side of his black little heart, and forgave the rash, young thing anyway.
"Ah." The Snake said, as he leaned back in his rather plain looking throne, "Itachi-san you say?"
However Orochimaru was also a realistic demon, and he knew that forgiving wasn't good for the egos of rash, young demons, especially since it only made their egos bigger. But, Orochimaru also knew that sometimes, you had to sacrifice some ideals for the greater good, really, and unlike some demons he would not mention, he knew when and when not to give in.
"I want everything you know." Narrowed black eyes stared back without hesitation or fear, and The Wolf calmly crossed his arms.
The Snake smiled, bringing the cup of rice wine he held in his hand to his lips, and sipped a small mouthful of the faintly sweet burning liquid. "Well…" He said, leaning forward to rest his chin on his propped hand as he held up the small porcelain cup to his eyes and admired the beautiful brushwork upon its surface –he had always loved snakes, and he even had them hand-painted upon all the cups he used, to have a snake to watch while there were none-, "Itachi-san is no longer with me," he admitted, "but I do keep track of him. Always."
It had been absolutely delightful for him to find this almost-perfect copy of the Wolf demon he had known, and especially after he had seen what the Uchiha bloodline could do, he had yearned for Itachi's body almost desperately. But well, he took what he could, and while Itachi was a dream, this Wolf demon could very well become reality for him.
A small tilt of his head, limp black strands swaying gently, Orochimaru's piercing eyes shifted from the cup to the youth, who stared back into his eyes unflinchingly, neither moving away nor moving in.
Sasuke knew that Orochimaru had just posed a deal to him, and all he had to do now was to decide whether to take it or not. The price Orochimaru wanted was insignificant; Sasuke was wiling to do just about anything now, just to be able to kill Itachi.
Orochimaru, the rising snake lord of the Hidden Village of Sound reclined upon his throne, lazily sipping his sake as he waited for Sasuke's decision. The Hidden Village of Sound was something all demons had grown to fear and respect within the last few decades as Orochimaru, their leader, had led them to one victorious war after another. Simply put, he was starting to become a big threat to the other major Villages.
However that was not the thing that had garnered Sasuke's interest in Orochimaru though; it was the rumor that the infamous Uchiha Itachi –mass murderer and S Class criminal-, had a hand in helping Orochimaru to the top. If there was someone who knew Itachi, Sasuke was going to find that person and dig out every single little bit of information they had, unwilling or willing. And who was he, to give up the willing bait that dangled right before his face.
"State your price." He said, refusing to play Orochimaru's game of words.
Upon hearing those three words, Orochimaru sat up immediately and refilled his cup of wine, his snake eyes bright and alert. "Well then," He said, smirking slyly, "I guess I better get right to the point, after all you don't seem to be a person who likes pussyfooters. Just like how your brother was." Orochimaru lifted his cup again, "Am I right Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sasuke arched one sharp black eyebrow, it was not surprising for Orochimaru to know his name… he knew Itachi after all. Plus he was the leader of a Hidden Village, whom no doubt had a rapidly growing empire, along with a whole arsenal of spies. It was easy to find his name.
"Simply put, I want your body in return." The yellow eyes affixed themselves onto his face with a glittering passion, as the smirk below spread wider. "And no, I'm not talking in the pleasurable sense, although I would definitely not mind if you did want to offer your body up to me in that way…" Orochimaru trailed off, a hopeful note in his voice.
The black eyes stayed unmoving, Sasuke was not interested in whatever perverted ideas Orochimaru had, he wanted the power to kill Itachi, and that was all he wanted to get from Orochimaru.
Orochimaru deflated a little when Sasuke refused to respond to his little invitation of pleasure, but he soon picked himself back up. "I want to possess you," He fervently whispered and leaned forward a little more, "to occupy your body, along with those pretty little red eyes you have." And Orochimaru reaches out, to touch Sasuke's face, but The Wolf does not move forward to allow him to touch his eyes, and he gamely retracts his outstretched palm
"In return, I shall assist you in your mission in killing Itachi of course." He finishes with none of the passion from his previous words, and sits back with a subdued smile.
Silence reigned in the shadowed room, Orochimaru had showed his cards and it was now Sasuke's turn now to show his. Heavy strands of midnight black shielded his eyes from view, as Sasuke bent his head in thought.
He had nothing to lose, since after Itachi died, Sasuke would have no more purpose in life. After a few long minutes, intense dark eyes looked up into eager yellow. He had decided.
"Deal." He says and Orochimaru's smirk widens upon hearing his words, ash-yellow eyes brightening disturbingly at his agreement. Sasuke however, takes a breath to continue, "but Itachi has to die in my hands first before I'll give you my body."
The smirk on Orochimaru's face faded slightly. Well, it wasn't as tough as everyone made it seem, Orochimaru reassured himself. Itachi may be the strongest demon to ever walk this miserable land, but everyone has their weaknesses, even the most infallible will fall one day, and all it took to make them fall was a mountain of patience and determination.
"Well, now that we are partners, I suppose you'd want to know this." The Snake said and leaned forward conspiringly, yellow eyes gleaming with a sudden excitement, somewhat like a nosy woman sharing gossip with her equally nosy neighbor, "Itachi has been looking for a certain demon… specifically, the Kyuubi no Kitsune of Konoha. I wonder what would happen if you managed to get a hold of it first…"
And with that said, Orochimaru sat back with a boneless grace, letting the silence carry his meaning. The Kyuubi no Kitsune would be the perfect bait for Itachi, Sasuke had to obtain it, no matter what happened. Besides, it was in Konoha, just where he was headed to anyway.
"Thank you." He said, bowing politely, Sasuke excused himself from Orochimaru's presence, and was about to leave, when Orochimaru spoke up.
"Oh no my silly little wolf cub, you can't leave! We have not consummated our deal yet." The Snake cried, and leaned forwards in his throne.
Sasuke stopped and turned to watch Orochimaru carefully, who was beckoning him near with excitement. Shrugging inwardly at the sense of foreboding he suddenly felt, he padded slowly to The Snake's side, and stared quietly up at Orochimaru as The Snake grinned, one hand reaching down to curl around Sasuke's cheek, as he moved closer. And Sasuke never knew what hit him next as Orochimaru snapped forward suddenly in a startling show of agility, and bit him painfully upon his neck, poisoned fangs sinking below his skin to burn the blood beneath.
The Wolf had struggled, but the poison that seeped into his blood made him sluggish and weak, and he growled under his breath as he saw large black spots dot his vision. He felt like punching Orochimaru. "Damn you asshole." Sasuke snarled out, just as he went limp as a rag doll in Orochimaru's hands.
Orochimaru released Sasuke from his hold, and allowed the unconscious Wolf to fall at him feet in a heap. He wiped away the drool that had trailed to the side of his mouth absently and smirked down at the heap of black at his feet, "Take him away." He said, and with that, he sealed Sasuke's fate.
- + - + - + - +
Sasuke awoke upon a leaf-strewn floor, under a thick canopy of leaves and branches. And he blinked as his vision swam into sharpness.
Slightly disorientated and confused by where he was, he sat up and winced as he felt the burning sting upon the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Clutching the place where Orochimaru bit him, he gritted his teeth and rode out the excruciating sensations of pain the poison in the bite brought. But strangely, as soon as the pain appeared, it faded away and Sasuke was left with a vague sense of uneasiness, that something had happened that should not have.
He stood up upon his feet –swaying a little on his stiff legs-, and uneasily rubbed the junction where his neck met his left shoulder. He could still feel the faint painful sting of the snake demon's bite if he rubbed hard enough. But he did not care much about it; it was after all, just a bite, a symbol of their consummation of their deal, that's all. Shaking his head –which had taken up the habit of leaf-adornment-, he walked deeper into the forest, hand covering the tender spot protectively.
Some years later, Sasuke would come to regret the moment when he allowed Orochimaru to mark him. He would regret his entire meeting with Orochimaru, and the biggest mistake of his life, which would eventually cost him his life.
(End: Flashback I)
- + - + - + - +
Naruto was subdued as he finished, Sasuke looked rather unbelieving.
"What has that to do with me?" Sasuke questioned, looking rather doubtful about the whole story.
"Everything," Naruto answered, "Has to do with Orochimaru."
Sasuke still looked rather skeptical about the whole fiendish thing but he said nothing more. Naruto took one look at his face and sighed, sitting up in a slouch to eye the man irritably, "If you don't want to believe me, then I don't see why I should be telling you this." He told him matter-of-factly, and crossed his arms over his chest and looked sulky.
Frowning, Sasuke turned to look Naruto in his eye. The blond was behaving surprisingly sullen, a complete 180 from his previous cheerfulness, and even when Sasuke dared to look him straight in the eye, he did not do the mysterious little intimate eye-thing he had been doing ever since he told Sasuke his name. This told Sasuke, that something was seriously making Naruto unhappy.
Of course, he had enough brains to figure out what it was. The retelling of the Past Sasuke's little fling with the Orochimaru-guy was making Naruto unhappy, but Sasuke was not meant to be a considerate and caring person, he was selfish, horrible and grumpy 24/7, he wasn't Mr. Nice Guy –whom Sasuke was sure should be Rock Lee- and so he wasn't about to comfort the blond over whatever he was wangsting about now.
"Hey, did the Past me tell you all this?" Sasuke asked, nudging Naruto insistently.
Naruto looked up long enough to spare him a "duh, are you acting stupid or what?" before he went back to drawing shapes in the hardening blood. Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch at the lackluster response and he turned away from Naruto with a sullen grunt, silently poking at his bandaged hand where the tree had sucked away his blood.
Unwrapping the excellent bandaging –he refused to tell Naruto that-, he held up his hand to his eyes, and stared at it in bewilderment. The last he had saw of this wound, it had still been bleeding and red, still on its way to being fully healed and yet the hand he held before his eyes was unmarked of all scars, and even the small scar he had obtained on his inner wrist as a child while being childishly stupid had disappeared.
This was making no sense, and neither did Naruto's story, but Sasuke was willing to take his chances, and well, with the proof right before his eyes, what else could he do?
"Tch, I believe you, so stop sulking." Naruto turned towards him, wide-eyed and questioning, but the moment he caught sight of Sasuke's revealed hand, completely unmarked by blemishes or wounds, he seemed to burst into life, practically crawling over Sasuke's lap as he grabbed his hand and held it, cupped between his own.
"You're coming back to me… first soul, now body… You're coming back to me." Naruto whispered –and was that tears in his eyes!- while Sasuke watched on, a little ruffled by the sudden movements of the blond.
It was for their good that he left, he decided. He could not let his curse-this monster endanger Naruto any further, and with that decided; he turned his back on Konoha, and despite the howling of his heart, he carried on with his decision. But he did not count on Naruto following him, on Naruto telling him to stay, on Naruto telling him that he'd do anything to be with him, and that he does not mind his curse, so please stay, they'll fight Orochimaru, together.
Memories of a promise unbound danced behind his eyes. Sasuke frowned, as he vaguely remembered hearing Naruto make a promise to overcome the curse together with him, but he could not for the life of him, recall as to whether he accepted or refused the promise. He placed his other hand over the gentle palms that held his, a swirl of confusing emotions twirling within his heart.
Feelings of a Past Life transcended time and body to merge with his, the distinction between present and past blurring as he lost himself within the blood and soul of a person he could hardly remember and hardly was.
"Can I kiss you?" Naruto whispered against his ear, eyes closed as he nuzzled the side of Sasuke's face kittenishly. He had pressed closer to the silent man when Sasuke said nothing to push him away.
Sasuke did not answer him, acting upon his principle of 'actions speak louder than words', he turned his head towards Naruto, tilting his face as he kissed the waiting blond, ebony eyes a mere slit as he peered out of his almost closed eyelids and under the curtain of long black lashes to watch the trusting, vulnerable face of the fox demon. Naruto surrendered completely to him, without a single fight, moaning as he leaned heavily upon the Uchiha.
A twinge of jealousy throbbed painfully in his heart. Raven eyes widened in a sudden realization, Naruto was in love with the past Sasuke, not the present. And that somehow, that made it all the more painful.
When Naruto saw him, he did not see the Sasuke of now, but of the past. He saw the wolf demon who had no love, only a burning vengeance within his heart, not the lonely orphan who distanced everyone because no one wanted to truly know him.
He was falling in love with Naruto simply because the Sasuke of the Past loved Naruto, and the feelings that belonged to him were flooding into his body, along with his blood and lover. And that hurt even more. He had no choice in loving the fox demon, because that was what he was supposed to do, and he hated that kind of absolution immensely.
"No." He said against Naruto's lips with much effort, and pushed away the blond roughly. A shocked yelp escaped Naruto's lips as he hit the floor and slid against the slippery bloodstained wood, coming to a stop only when his back slammed against the doors.
"What was that for you bastard!" Naruto snarled, from where he had landed.
Sasuke just scowled, and turned away from the flushed fox who was sprawled ungracefully on the floor, a furious snarl twisting his face.
"I am not the Sasuke you want. If you want to find him so bad, go to hell. Because I'm not him. He is dead. I am Not!" He growled in answer and stubbornly refused to turn back.
Lest to say, Naruto did not understand what Sasuke was going on about; to him, Sasuke was always Sasuke. There were no other Sasuke's in the world; there was only one Sasuke to him. His reasoning was based simply on logic, but life was illogical, so that made it inaccurate.
A person's personality and character is made in accordance to their environment, you could put two identical people in two different environments, and they would turn out differently, no matter how identical they were when they started. The Sasuke of the Past and the Sasuke of Now, shared the same soul, same body, same looks, but they did not share their memories or their personalities. They may have been similar, but they were also different like the sky and the sea was.
Naruto did not understand that, and he treated the Sasuke of Now as the Sasuke of the Past.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto asked as he sat up, legs still spread akimbo, as he glared bewilderedly at the back turned towards him, the spikes jutting out from Sasuke's head made him seem like a wary porcupine that had just been disturbed by a wily cat, curled up and defensive towards the world –and Naruto included-.
"We may be the same person to you. But I'm not him," Sasuke turns his head slightly, staring at the hurt and obviously puzzled Naruto out of the side of his eye, "I'm not the Sasuke in your memories. I'm the Sasuke of the present, but you think I'm that Sasuke of the Past, and I'm not him even though I look like him, act like him, smell like him, I am not him."
Realization shone in the bottomless blue depths, as Naruto finally understood what Sasuke was saying at last.
"Oh…I see." The fox demon said, and inched closer, one hand grasping the edge of Sasuke's slimy coat tentatively as he took a deep breath. "Well…Um. Sorry, I didn't know that- well- um- Sorry. But- I- Ireallydoloveyousopleasedon'thateme!" He babbled, looking for the entire world like a little puppy that had just been kicked.
Hesitant blue eyes looked upwards at him pleadingly, and Sasuke was taken aback by the genuine fear in Naruto's eyes, for the first time since he met Naruto, the blond actually looked afraid. Of him a grumpy little thing that was neither human nor demon, the notorious Kyuubi no Kitsune who was one of the rare demons to ever become something remotely close to a god… afraid of him…afraid of his reaction.
Sasuke swallowed his nervous ball of saliva, and turned away with a soft grunt. "Whatever, like I care." He said, not even giving thought to the babbled words Naruto had mumbled.
At that, Naruto smiled at his back, a wide happy smile gracing his lips, even though the reply Sasuke gave was harsh and uncaring, he knew that the Uchiha was blushing faintly, a little flattered and embarrassed by his bold honesty with his feelings…there was at least one similarity between the Sasuke of old and the Sasuke of now. They were both horrendously shy, afraid of showing their true feelings to the world, and Naruto was going to drag it out of him, kicking and screaming, just as he did so many years ago.
Suddenly, Naruto jerked, eyes widening. Sasuke was alerted by the sudden force tugging on his coat, and he turned to glare worriedly at the frozen fox, who stared unseeingly into the ceiling, Naruto's eyes were wide and they darted restlessly about the room. Sasuke watched in bewilderment as Naruto suddenly leapt to his feet and thundered to the wall which faced the backyard. Pressing one hand to the worn wooden surface, he concentrated his chakra into it, and the wood glowed momentarily with the red flames of his chakra, before it melted away to reveal a dark cloud spread out above the forests, thin trails of vines reaching out into its looming buzzing mass.
"Shit!" Naruto cursed and quickly made his way back to Sasuke's side.
Legions of snakes, dogs or animals his forest of demonic trees could handle. But insects? Fucking tiny little microscopic insects? Damned no. He could see the thick cloud of black, hovering just a few miles away. His trees had noticed the army long before it even reached the front lines of the unnatural demonic plants, but it had been useless anyway, they were small enough to avoid the mad flails of the vines which easily kept away stronger intruders and the insects easily infiltrated the Blood Forest unharmed. It was pitiful, his infamous forest of bloodthirsty trees beaten by bugs of all things –although Naruto would die of shame if they had been slugs…no offence to Tsunade-baba of course-.
He knew that they were coming for Sasuke –as Kiba had so kindly hinted to him-, and as things appeared, they would reach him soon. Naruto frowned at the motionless Sasuke, who was sitting on his bloody coat, staring at Naruto like he had grown a third head or something equally wacky.
"We need to move, now. Enemies are coming, from the snake bastard." Naruto said, and picked up the abandoned switchblade to press it into Sasuke's hand. And then he stared as Sasuke started to look vaguely confused. "Orochimaru I meant, and keep this, you'll need it."
The single word Orochimaru was enough to have Sasuke on his feet and ready to follow Naruto. Making a face as his bottom came off sticky from the ground, he tried not to think too much about the uncomfortable feeling and focused his mind on the desire to not be caught by Orochimaru. Swiftly, he followed Naruto as the blond leapt into the backyard, muttering something about a perverted hermit and toads.
"Toads?" Sasuke asked, his tone a little bit more than incredulous.
Naruto looked towards him with a distracted 'eh? Orochimaru has toads?' only to realize what exactly Sasuke had asked after a few seconds of puzzled staring. He smiled weakly and simply said, "We're going to Jiraiya's…if you remember who he is. He'll help us with Orochimaru. He is the only one who can."
Sasuke did not remember who Jiraiya was, but his curiosity was piqued by Naruto's words about him being the only one who could help them. His musings were cut short however, by the deafening hum in the hair, and he winced, raising his hands to shield his ears from the roaring buzz. Naruto however did not seem to be perturbed by the sound, as he stared up into the approaching cloud of bugs, blue eyes narrowed and serious.
Looking up at the big dotted mass of black beetle-like insects, Sasuke definitely did not need Naruto –who was busy making some kind of complicated hand signs- to tell him that such a big congregation of bugs was definitely a bizarrely unnatural occurrence and judging from the actions and words from The Fox, he supposed that they were the enemies as well.
"Stand back Sasuke." Naruto suddenly says, his voice clear within Sasuke's mind despite the deafening hum in the air, and Sasuke barely has time to look at him and stumble a few steps backward before the air before them suddenly combusts with a booming roar. Throwing an arm up to shield his face from the razing heat, he watches as the fire burns bright and scarlet –and he blinks as it vaguely takes the form of a majestic fox padding through the air like an Emperor or a God- before them.
He could swear the fire had snarled before it charged towards the bugs, and it roared with triumph as the little black beetles fell like rain all around them, charred and lifeless. The insects screeched with pain and fear as the fire ripped through them, long licks of scarlet flames reaching out to mercilessly draw their life away from their blackened bodies, before dropping their bodies carelessly to the earth with light popping noises.
It was practically raining bugs.
Sasuke looked pretty disgusted as corpses fell all around them and under his already disgusting coat, the bodies went everywhere. He resisted the urge to shake his body free of the bug bodies –like a dog-, and instead pulled the hood of his coat over his head, scowling at the fried black dots littering the ground. Naruto however showed no outward displeasure towards the bugs, and instead he grinned, propping his hands upon his hips as he admired his handiwork.
"Tell your master!" He yelled out towards what bugs still surviving. "That the Kyuubi no Kitsune is no pushover!"
Then he turned towards Sasuke, one hand reaching out to lace his fingers around Sasuke's own. "Well we better go before more come. As much as I like frying bugs, too much is too much." He said, as he tugged Sasuke into movement.
With warm fingers curling around his hand, gently tugging as Naruto led him away from the screams and fire. Sasuke followed Naruto wordlessly as the blond pulled him past the gates and down the valley side, their hands never separating, he tightened his fingers around those that cradled his, long legs stretching to pull himself forward, almost matching the pace of the slightly shorter blond, but always behind, because he had no idea where they were going, and he was trusting Naruto to lead them somewhere safe.
Somewhere deep inside him, a furry bunch of emotions –that was starting to look suspiciously like a large black wolf- wagged its tail.
He followed Naruto blindly through miles of trees, eyes never leaving the golden mop of ever messy hair; it shone weakly under the shadowed covering of leprous scarlet crowns, sometimes shining bright and brilliant, sometimes pale and ghostly beautiful. Sasuke did not notice the tortured faces carved upon the trunks as they ran past –a mere blur of yellow and black-, nor he did not notice the vacant eyes that followed them as they ran past, wide and fervent.
All he can see is Naruto.
And that frightens him, because he never felt anything like this before. The intensity frightens him; a blinding intensity that he is not even sure belongs to him. He doesn't want to love Naruto because of his Past Life, he wants to know how to love Naruto, how to slowly fall in love. Sasuke never liked fast things, because they left as fast as they came, and he wants to keep things slow, so that he could keep Naruto with him as long as he could, so that he could understand the enigmatic blond from the tip of his hair, to the tip of his toes, to be able to understand him so totally and utterly that he could practically read his mind.
A whirlwind love can never give him that. The rush may be heated and passionate, but when the day ended, it ended with it.
Somewhere deep inside of him, he wishes that he would not remember his Past Life, both feelings and memories. Because this life is after all his own, this time is his own, and he'd be damned if he'd let anyone wrestle it from his hands without a fight.
- + - + - + - +
"They've gone." Kiba said, as he sniffed the air, the scents of both their targets lingered in the air, faint and old.
Akamaru sniffed at the charred corpses littering the ground, the thick smell of smoke and ashes still polluting the air. The jutsu had long dissipated when it had no more lives to snatch away, and they were lucky it had or it would have caused even more trouble for them, of the fiery kind.
Kiba turned towards Shino, who was looking down at his very dead and fried insects. They may have been able to pass through the Blood Forests unharmed, but there was still the owner of the Blood Forests to contend with before they could reach Sasuke. Naruto was not as callous as his trees were, he did a simple and clean job, and almost all the bugs were well and truly dead.
"Do you know where they are headed?" Kiba asked, as he watched the few remaining survivors buzz happily back to their Master.
Shino nodded, "There is a female on them."
Smiling wryly, Kiba linked his arm with Shino's, "Well then, what are we waiting for?"
Naruto was his benefactor. That Kiba knew. But he wasn't about to sell his life and his only remaining love for a God that abandoned him and whom he in turn abandoned. Grinning up at Shino, he summoned Akamaru to his side, the young whelp running excitedly to his heel just as Shino held up his hand and the remaining survivors buzzed around them, before the bugs, tugged upon by numerous strings of allurement, flew almost in almost perfect lines towards where Sasuke and Naruto were. Using the scent of a female bug upon their targets to attract the males they had, Shino and Kiba followed the black cloud through the path they had made through the forest –dozens of trees lay dead upon the ground, viciously hacked into halves-.
And the Master led his Dog away.
- + - + - + - +
Sasuke was not sure how long they ran, but he could be sure that they were running for a very long time. They had started running at full speed for some time before gradually slowing to a jog, faces flushed and panting, eventually taking to walking, feet slow but sturdy. His eyes were focused on their hands and the ground, but mostly upon their clasped hands, and sometimes at the ground, when Naruto jerked slightly to avoid jutting roots or some other obstruction, he needed to watch out for the obstacles after all. Him getting into an accident would definitely not help matters, especially since they were on the run.
The red forest had long been left behind, and they walked now, beneath the much more bearable sight of familiar green.
"Where is it?" Naruto whispered, as he looks right and left, almost as if he were searching for something.
Blinking quizzically, Sasuke opens his mouth to ask Naruto what exactly he was searching for when the blond suddenly stops, and with a relieved "Aha!" quickly drags them over to an enormous oak tree. He blinks and before he could even question Naruto on why they were headed towards a very old, very large and very unmovable oak Naruto stops, just a few steps away from colliding with the trunk –which Sasuke stared at in wonder; it must be at least five arm lengths wide-. Squatting down amongst its roots, he proceeded to dig at the earth doggishly, to the horror of Sasuke –and his coat, which was getting filthier by the minute-.
Then he hears the sound of flesh meeting metal, and he blinks, as Naruto grins and lifts a metal trapdoor from the ground. "Heh," The blond grins as he pokes his head down into the hole. "Still looks good down here."
Turning back towards Sasuke, Naruto grabbed him, and tugged him over into a squat beside him. "Come on, the sun is setting, and I'm not staying out here for the night when I've got a good warm bed inside." He says, and manhandles Sasuke into the dark square hole, pulling the trapdoor shut behind them.
Sasuke freezes, as the musty scent of moist earth and metal reaches his nose, and he takes his time to navigate his way down the lightless tunnel –just big enough for a full grown man to crouch in-, his feet just barely balanced upon the crude stairs leading downwards, as Naruto impatiently pokes him in his back, and after a few irritated snaps between them, the blond practically picks up Sasuke and hefts him, potato-sack position down the tunnel at a far more respectable speed.
It was just as well that they reached their destination, before Sasuke managed to knee Naruto in the groin –or vice versa- and the man freezes as he lands upon an impossibly soft bed, a silky and furry thing that felt strangely like the pelt of a particularly well-groomed animal. Then he blinks, as the cave lights up suddenly, with small balls of flame hanging upon the low ceiling above them, to create a soft warm orange glow all around them.
It was a fox's cave. He realized.
The metal he realized, was limited merely to the trapdoor, everything else was earth and roots. Sasuke looked around him at the rather modest cave, the piles of pelts littering the ground and the small battered chest in the corner. It did not look lived in, but it looked prepared for living in. It should be one of many caves that Naruto had lying around the whole forest just in case of emergencies.
Naruto almost purrs as he throws himself upon the space beside Sasuke –and thusly interrupts the man deep within his thoughts-, and he yawns unashamedly with a cat-like stretch before he draws his limbs close to his body as he curls into a ball of Fox Demon.
Sasuke stared speechlessly, as Naruto started snoring softly beside him.
How could this not excite him? This was the very first time Sasuke had ever seen the Kyuubi no Kitsune's ca- Oh. And Sasuke looks a little ashamed as he realizes how much energy Naruto must have spent to keep him safe and alive. The fight with Kiba and the ripped throat that Sasuke later gave him must have worn him out. Sasuke looks almost apologetic, as he watches Naruto sleep, the fox demon who meant nothing but good all the time, while Sasuke himself acted like a right out jerk in return.
Sighing, he resigned himself to resting for the night, and he curled around the warm yellow body, breathing in the scent of the grass, and sun, the scent of Nature. He soon fell asleep with Naruto in his arms. Feeling strangely peaceful and safe, content beyond what he ever had.
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TBC
Read and Review as usual please thank you. And thanks all you guys who reviewed! I LOVE YOU! –hearts-