A/N: Bonjourno! I'm finally back from my vacation to Europe =] Hopefully this chapter will have more action than the last 2 (which were atrocious), so I'll keep this author's note short and sweet :D But, I have to say, imagine my surprise when I came back to have 13 reviews waiting for me! GRACIAS TANTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it really made my day =]
Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas Naruto :( I'm not sure if I wrote that right =] And they say applied French is good...;/
Warning: Yaoi! This will be a GaaraNaruto and a SasukeNaruto fic (as of now anyway :P) AND, there will be added yaoi. Not much, but this chapter is going to the beginning of a new pairing :P I r very very sorry for those with yaoiphobia, I am still deciding on a pairing with a boy ad a girl (most likely Ino and Shikamaru :D One of my favourite pairings) to balance it out. Oh, and I almost forgot, there's fucking swearing XP
"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Dobe = dead last
Baka = idiot
Futon = Japanese bed made of straw
Ohayo = Good Morning (said before 10 AM)
Bolded text – setting
Italics – emphasized thoughts or words, can also be flashbacks
Italics: underlined – emphasized thoughts or words underlined for added emphasis
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Chapter 5 – Devil at your Door
Konoha – Sasuke's Apartment
BANG!
The sound reverberated through the still air of the building. A frustrated Uchiha flopped himself down onto his couch, trying to gain calm, but failing to do so.
His mind was empty, but his rapid breathing didn't cease. Once his tired and exhausted body touched the couch, his restlessness only caused him to get back up and start pacing.
'How could she!? What the hell does she think she's doing!?'
The steady, loud drumming of Sasuke's feet as they hit the floor with uncontained rage woke up several neighbouring inhabitants.
Reaching for his clock, Sasuke grasped it in a vice-like grip, causing several cracks to form across its once-smooth surface.
'That...that...bitch!'
With that thought in mind, Sasuke threw the unfortunate clock across the room and watched as it shattered to tiny shards as it hit the wall. Unsatisfied, Sasuke's temper did not improve as he continued pacing.
Without the incessant ticking, Sasuke lost track of time. The room filled with only the sound of his breathing and his stomps upon the floor. But soon, a new sound made itself known.
Tap, tap.
Sasuke whirled around, the dark corners of his mind half-hoping for a bandit to hurt. But, at the sight of the familiar green vest, Sasuke saw it was the Chuunin that Tsunade had undoubtedly sent.
Sasuke stared at the kneeling figure drenched in the shadows, hiding his face. When the figure showed no signs of leaving, the onyx-eyed boy went to the window in two angry strides and flung open the window.
"What?" Sasuke said with all the bitterness he could muster as he gazed at the silhouetted figure reproachfully.
"Message from the owner of the apartment," the figure answered, unfazed by the Genin's behaviour. "I'll be checking back shortly," he said as he got up and disappeared in a tiny cloud of smoke.
Slamming the window shut after he had picked up his message, Sasuke quickly skimmed it.
Stop it with the racket! I'm getting complaints!
-Kuninobu Ando,
Apartment Manager
With an angry growl, Sasuke threw the paper to the floor, stepped on it, and continued his trudge between the confining walls of his apartment. Due to the absence of his clock, Sasuke never knew that he was pacing steadily into the early hours of morning. While the moon hung in the air, singing its silent requiem of solitude, its rays washed through the window and illuminated the Sharingan, activated subconsciously by the frustrated Uchiha.
Konoha – Gaara's Apartment
Gaara shifted from his stock-still position, and caused the blonde stirred in his arms. Gaara opened his own eyes from his feeble imitation of sleep and looked down at the smiling boy.
With a great yawn, Naruto wriggled free of Gaara's slightly possessive hold and stretched. Naruto noted that Gaara didn't smell like the soap he had been taught to use last night; he smelled like something rusty, something he couldn't remember.
"Sleep well?" his sleepy voice sounded.
"I don't sleep," was Gaara's cold reply. His bolded eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto.
"Oh, I see," Naruto responded quietly, hoping he had not hit a sensitive spot. An awkward silence settled itself between them. Gaara continued to look at Naruto with his usual air of macabre slowly filling in the space between them.
Naruto tried looking at Gaara's eyes, but he kept breaking his gaze each time he tried. He wanted to ask him why he doesn't sleep, as he was told everyone does so when it gets dark, but Gaara's glare was enough to silence even the most iron-hearted of shinobis.
'He isn't very talkative is he?'
In all honesty, Naruto really wondered how he managed to be compatible with someone like the torpid boy sitting in front of him, cross-legged and arms crossed. Silently, Naruto desperately hoped for a miracle to save him from the loud silence, all the while trying to fix a half-hearted and nervous grin on his face.
Then, his pleading was answered. His stomach gave a loud and intrusive growl. Naruto couldn't really quite remember what that meant, but the stone- edged Gaara had got up and was making for the door.
"Follow me," Gaara said as he walked out.
His face lighting up like a light bulb, Naruto jumped up and dashed after him and followed Gaara to the kitchen.
Naruto peered inside the kitchen only to be met with the unblinking eyes of Temari and Kankuro sitting at the table, cups of tea steaming in front of them.
"O...Ohayo Gaara," Temari stammered as Naruto walked into the room. The atmosphere was tense, and it was all caused by Gaara's presence.
Gaara made no reply as he only gave Temari a glance and brushed her off. He looked around the kitchen, as if looking for something. When his eyes came upon Kankuro, he noticed the purple-painted boy tensed even more, but he held his gaze.
"I'm going grocery shopping soon. There's no more good in the house," Temari explained. She looked at the clock hung on the wall. It read 8:43 AM. Draining her cup of tea, Temari stood up.
"Well, I guess I better be going now. The market should be opening soon."
With that, Temari was gone with a flash of metal from her large fan when she was done holstering it in its normal position.
Unfortunately, the only sign of life had just left and left the three males in another deafening silence in the kitchen.
Before Naruto was about to crack, however, Gaara walked out of the room, telling Naruto to follow him, much to Kankuro's relief.
"Brush your teeth," Gaara said as he pushed Naruto in the bathroom once again.
"Brush my teeth?" Naruto mimicked with a genuinely confused tone. Once again, his eyes became slits as he scrunched up his face in effort to remember what Gaara wanted him to do.
Gaara exasperatedly turned Naruto around and pointed to the cup, brush and toothpaste placed neatly in front of the sink by Temari the night before.
"Oh! I remember that!" as the blonde dived for the sink and began enthusiastically filling his cup with toothpaste. Gaara, spending a moment's time debating whether he should trouble himself, walked over and took Naruto's hands firmly in his own.
"No. Like this." Gaara explained firmly. When he was done filling Naruto's cup with water and putting a glob of toothpaste on his toothbrush, Naruto looked at Gaara and smiled sheepishly.
"Oops. I forgot."
Gaara just gazed back and left the room, surprisingly feeling quite calm. Normally, he would've killed any person who would annoy him so, but something about Naruto's embarrassed face that made his murderous instinct think otherwise. If only the assassins sent to kill Gaara were able to see this selfless act of the internecine sand-nin today. But that would be impossible of course, because they were already dead.
Konoha – Sasuke's Apartment
Sasuke had finally taken refuge by sitting on his windowsill sometime during the night. His body and mind had taken a rough beating of the previous day before. He had been calm, angry, hysterical, and angry once more. That had to be one of the most emotional days that Sasuke has ever had the misfortune of experiencing.
But on this nebulous morning of Konoha, Sasuke lay numb with his forehead pressed against the cool glass with his eyes dazed and smudged. His breathing had slowed, but now it was quiet and shallow like breaths drawn from a person near the brink of death. Below him, early-bird villagers went about in a slow pace, including a familiar pig-tailed shinobi grasping a fair amount of grocery bags in hand.
Sasuke's unfocused eyes immediately shot to her form retreating form, her back faced towards him as she passed his apartment.
'Sand in the forest. Sand-nins in Konoha.'
Anger bubbled up inside Sasuke's heart. His spirit was writhing with hatred and his fists clenched with murderous intent. His nails dug into the rough skin of his hand and crimson life force began to leak and fall to the floor in thick drops. Sasuke found new energy within him. His Sharingan flared crimson and his eyes widen to watch the oblivious Temari walking through the almost-empty streets.
'When I'm done with you, you're going to wish you never laid a hand on my Naruto.'
Konoha – Market
As Temari walked at a slow pace through the earth-paved streets of Konoha's market, a chill ran down her spine. Immediately, she stiffened. She sensed eyes bearing down upon her, and she felt a trace of unpleasant chakra very faintly. So faintly, that if she hadn't been alert at that moment, she might've missed it. She dropped the bags in her hands at once and placed a hand on her fan and turned around.
The few villagers in the market at this time continued about their business. Temari scanned the view carefully and slowly. Her senses were on the edge of a knife, ready to track down any suspicious sign of movement. She looked at each stand visible, and then looked to the right to scan the buildings next to her. Some more stands, a small park, and an apartment. She skimmed the apartment's windows, looked at the top and then decided that there was nothing remotely dangerous.
Relaxing, but keeping her senses still alert, she picked up her bags and continued to walk home.
Unbeknownst to Temari, while she was scanning her settings so deeply, a wisp of a shadow had managed to pass her undetected, ready to follow every step she took.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Much to the assembled Chuunins' surprise, the form of Hatake Kakashi appeared from the large cloud of smoke that appeared from the room. Tsunade took a glance at the clock. The Jounin who was famous for his lack of punctuality was actually 10 minutes early.
With a glimmer of hope, Tsunade stood up.
"Well, it seems everyone is here," she said as all the Chuunins turned their shocked gaze from Kakashi to her, "so we might as well start. Uzumaki Naruto has been abducted and I suspect he is with sand-nins staying within our village right now, whom are residing in the apartment nearest to Konoha Hospital. Your mission is to get him back safely. Avoid causing too much havoc. We don't want to hurt the sand-nins in such a way that it will anger their village and provoke another war. Your squad leader, Kakashi, will give you information on the three sand-nins as you make your way there. Failure is not an option."
"Hai!" was the resolute response.
'I lost my brother once. I won't lose another again.'
Kakashi looked around at his squad members. They were all familiar faces, but they were mere acquaintances to him. There was no one he had really talked to.
"Alight, lets go."
"Wait!"
Every eye in the room turned to the new comer who came stumbling in through the door, which was supposed to be locked. The man lifted his head up and everyone recognized the normally friendly face at once.
"Wait," Iruka repeated quietly as he caught his breath and stared desperately at every face turned to him.
"Iruka, what do you think you're doing here?" Tsunade asked menacingly.
"Hokage-sama, I know this is on a short notice, but I request that I be added to Naruto's rescue team."
"Request denied," the pig-tailed woman answered immediately.
"But I'm the one who knows Naruto the best! I saved him once, and I'll do it again! Why can't I go!?" Iruka protested angrily, forgetting formal titles in the process. Iruka's burning desire reminded Kakashi faintly of Sasuke's anger last night.
"I didn't put you on the team for a reason Iruka. Now leave," she answered with her eyes narrowed.
Iruka prepared to leave helplessly, but stopped for a moment's hesitation. After a fraction of a second, Iruka faced Tsunade again, stood tall and immobile and answered quietly, "No."
Everyone revelled in silent shock while Kakashi's only visible eye widened. The good-natured Iruka had never gone against an order before. Ever. Especially against the Hokage's orders, Iruka was always obedient and flexible. But now, Iruka stood, stubborn and determined. Tsunade, on the other hand, looked flaming mad.
"What did you say?" she hissed. Her eyes were fully glaring at Iruka now, who was standing resolute with his gaze unwavering.
"No, Tsunade-sama. I care for Naruto as much as you do and I request that I do my part," Iruka answered, each word growing with more confidence.
Tsunade opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Kakashi interrupted.
"I also request that Iruka be added on the team."
Every eye turned to him now. Tsunade rounded on him, her eyes shining with the fire of malice.
"Why?"
"Iruka is not an incompetent ninja, and it is true he knows Naruto the best. He has proved to be a capable ninja on previous missions in the past. His presence may even help Naruto's morale if he's in need," Kakashi explained with unforeseen calm. The whole time he kept his eyes on Iruka, who in turn was wearing a face of utter shock.
After a moment, Tsunade growled and finally said, "Alright, fine! You may go Iruka. But if you fail..." "I will make sure we don't Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, with a trace of a smile under his mask. "Alight then, lets go."
With large round of smoke, everyone was gone, leaving a tired Hokage in their wake.
Konoha – Gaara's Apartment
Sasuke melted within the shadows and corners, all the while keeping Temari in his vision. It took all his will power to keep his chakra inconspicuous, as he was even then quivering with the need to spill blood.
'What's taking her so long!?' Sasuke yelled in his mind. His hands itched to grab the girl by the neck and slowly torture Naruto's whereabouts out of her.
She turned a corner and he followed. She reached a building much like Naruto's, at the bottom floor and the door facing the open street. She disappeared inside it. Sasuke's eyes widened in anticipation, and a maniac grin appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, Temari had walked in and locked the door. Glancing at the clock, Temari found out to her surprise that she had taken a surprisingly long time to get the groceries.
On the other side of the door, the door clicked shut followed by sounds of it being locked. Sasuke then charged towards the door with an angry yell, his fist colliding with the door and immediately breaking it open.
Gaara's head turned. The sounds coming from the front door were not easy to miss: a vociferous BANG!, a scream, an angry growl, and then sounds of a struggle.
Kankuro had already appeared at the end of the hallway, Karasu in hand.
"What the hell!?"
They both made their way to the front door. Temari was on the floor, but had managed to avoid Sasuke's whistling kunais and shuriken, which were imbedded in the wall behind her, inches above her head.
Sasuke looked at the newcomers.
"You!" he hissed at Gaara, hating every inch of him. In Gaara's mind, the echo of Shukaku's growl sounded as he always did before taking another life.
Sasuke was already charging towards, him, but was forced to dodge the poison needles flying from Karasu.
Giving a feral growl, Sasuke gained his pace again and continued charging blindly, but was thrown back by a large wave of sand.
He flew through the wall, making a fresh hole in it, sending splinters and dust following him through to the street.
Coming a halt from his long skid, Sasuke got up immediately, narrowly avoiding a sharp pinnacle of sand. In the corner of his eye, he saw more senbons flying towards him, bathed in a purple liquid that could only be poison. Gathering chakra to his feet, he jumped up into the air, throwing weapons down to them as he began to fall.
Landing a few feet away from Kankuro, he began to gather chakra into his arm, waiting desperately for the familiar chirping sound. But before he heard it, sand flew towards him.
As he jumped back, a large force knocked him backwards. He fell again, finally becoming aware that his body was too simply too tired to last him very long. He had trained the previous day and ran around for hours only to come home very late to pace around his room all night.
But the lone Uchiha would not give up yet. Sitting up and getting into a fighting stance, he discovered with immense hate at he had been knocked back by the wind of Temari's fan. She had apparently recovered and joined the battle.
He knew he wasn't going to win like this. But the overpowering thirst for their blood blinded his judgement, he knew nothing more than to hurt every single fragment of their beings he could get at.
Sasuke began to charge towards them, forming hand seals as he did.
"Katon Goukak-"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He had been aiming for all three of the sand- nins, who were all in close proximity with each other in the small street, but was momentarily distracted by the locks of sunshine-gold hair that he loved so much. Naruto peered around the doorway.
"What's going on?" he asked, gazing at the amazing sight before him.
"Naruto..." Sasuke said as he gazed at him, feeling the immense relief that he had finally found his hyperactive shinobi.
"He's mine!" the hiss echoed menacingly, with a voice that was not his. Gaara's eyes began to change its cold sheen of piercing green.
Sand collided painfully with Sasuke's body before it encased him.
"Sabaku Kyuu!"
"No!" he yelled as he tried with all his might to free himself. In his mind, he saw Naruto's arrogantly smiling face, finger pointed defiantly at him.
"I'm going to be the Hokage one day! You just watch bastard!"
Sand poured into his eyes and he shut them painfully, fully encased in an impenetrable cocoon of sand that would suffocate him if he weren't crushed first.
"Sabaku Sou-"
Gaara was suddenly aware of the new chakra entities in the area. All his sand was focused on Sasuke, but against his will, some of it flew back just in time to protect him from incoming kunais.
Sasuke felt release and air rushed into his lungs. He opened his eyes and quickly rubbed all the sand out of them.
He looked up expecting to see the forms of the sand team, but was met instead with the traditional ninja shoes. He looked up and finally saw the silver locks of Kakashi, standing in front of him with a squad in sight.
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A/N: Wah! That was one long chapter! It was a bit slow at the beginning, but hopefully it got a bit better halfway. I'm not as disappointed with this one as the other 2 chapters though. But, it could've been better :P I must apologize for my very bad action scenes. I positively suck at them =] But even after the last chapter, you guys still reviewed! That one was so baad XP but THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING NONETHELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review Responses:
Kamikakushi: Wah! The last chapter was absolutely horrible XP –burns it- Well, I hope I made Sasuke go crazy enough ;/ I really didn't know how to describe it without writing an essay about it But at least he got his butt kicked =] Even if it was just a little :D My poor inability to write action scenes –sighs- There was a teensy little blood, but angst is probably be somewhere in the next chapter or the one after that ;) Was this chapter worth the wait? Hopefully it was! I have to do some serious self- editing! –bashes head on table- Fank you so much for liking my work! Hope this chapter wasn't coma-inducing :(
Dark Mimiru-Chan: Keke XP In all honesty, my trip was terrible! Europe is very pretty and all, but then the tour guide just ruined it! Gah, how I wished I had a laptop or something to keep myself occupied! But –looks sadly at her puny suitcase and pokes it- this thing is too small to fit a live human in it ;---;
yaminakathy: aww thank you so much! All of the previous chapters were really meant for some, I dunno, character building? Blah, authors and their excuses XP But at least you liked it! This update was hopefully a bit better than the last! I have a weird tendency to write run-ons :P Must go back and proof read! Thank you for liking the last chapter!!!!! I hated that one XP
The BirdFox Hybrid Productions: Wah! GaaraxNeji! CUTE!!!!! I've never seen that pairing before! But it's so cuute XP I dunno why, but I find them so cuute together :) Even though I hate Neji –glares at him- that's the cutest pairing ever XD! Poor poor Sasuke =] He's definitely not getting Naruto at this rate =] It's like dangling a Naruto plushie off a string while a Sasuke plushie tries to jump up and catch him o.O Don't ask ;/ I have weird mental images XP anywhos o.O but I have to put some SasuNaru in this fic! They're just made for each other! Like Naruto is with Gaara ;/ I can never decide which pairing is better =] But torturing Sasuke soon come to an end for the fic to go on :( -sighs sadly-
Little Leila: Unfortunately, I'm not kidding :( That last chapter made me weep :P I dunno, but for some reason, I always wonder if Gaara took a shower and stuff...But, since he looks clean most of the time (even if they do mention he smells kinda funky o.O) he probably does =] It would be nice to see Gaara get a nosebleed XP When Naruto was fighting Gaara, I was just wondering why Naruto didn't do the Sexy-no-jutsu on him XP It worked on the Hokage –shrugs- Hehe, and yes, I'll make sure to get rid of all evil bosses over the world and continue this fic! In fact, when I'm ruler, I think I'll force everyone to read my fic =] And maybe make the people I don't like memorize word-for-word the last 2 chapters cuz those chapters were so bad they'll make anyone go crazy :D YAY for the Evil-Boss-Hating Club!!!! XD
PuNkRoCkBuNnY182: WAH! FANK YOU :D!!! This chapter was hopefully a bit better than the last one :P Finally managed to chuck some action in it XP Vacation was fun for the most part, but that tour guide was really asking for it :[ Europe is very very prettyful =] But no ideas...except, maybe one ;] but that one's a bit debateable XP Me and my crazy ideas XP
Saiera: Thank you!!!!! This concept took a million years for my simple, slow mind to think up XP Hope you liked this update! It was definitely better than the last chapter XP The last chapter was disgraceful –cries- THANK YOU once again!!!! =]
Ria Sakazaki: Yay! The last chapter wasn't boring XP This chapter was a bit long though XP But I wanted to get to the action sooo much =] I'll keep trying! The future chapters can't be as bad as the last one! XP
Yaoilover S: Lurrv the name :D This storyline took me so long to think up XP and even longer for me to actually get off my lazy butt and write the first chapter! And, being the lazy author I am, I was too lazy to write one the day after I got back XP Lazyy I am :D But I finally got it up! Hope you like it!!!!! :D
duenna: Wah! THANK YOU!!!! Was this chapter good? Bad? =] I wanted to hurry back soo much ;--; I missed my tarepanda dolls...and my computer...and my tv –sniffles- but the stupid plane –kicks it- wouldn't hurry up :( 7 hours on a plane! Gahh! I was going crazy in there :P stupid airplane food...must burrn.. anywhos :D finally got this very very long chapter written! Hope you like :D
Iceheart19: Yay for GaaNaru!!!! :D Yep, Iruka did appear to save Naruto! Really not sure what Iruka's gonna do in the last chapter though :3 Iruka's kinda weirded when it comes to Naruto isn't he? :D That doujin sounds so CUTE!!!!!!! Too bad I can't see it right now :( But I can just imagine it XP Poor Poor Naruto ;/ If I were him, I'd be feeling kinda scared cuz I have a stalker :P Anywhos! Thank you for liking that last chapter! I'm glad everything's makin a little sense XP Hopefully this chapter wasn't too long and confusing ;/
Kashisenshey: yep! I finally updated! :D I'm glad you like it!!!! The last 2 chapters were soo bad though ;/ was enough to make me think twice about this fic! Very sorry for the 12-day delay though! Welps, hope you like the chapter!
DrakeSiege: Yay!!! Another GaaNaru fan! I'm really starting to think that maybe this would turn out to be a GaaNaru fic =] There's too little of them out there! But there's so many other pairings I'd like to try ;/ too bad Gaara didn't get Naruto for too long :P Not too much GaaNaru, but I'll make sure to squeeze it in somewhere XP
An there you have it folkses! The fifth chapter! Very very sorry if it was dull or it was horribly written, I'll just blame it on the vacation that dulled my writing abilities...or what was left of it anywho ;/ But you guys actually read the last chapter! WAH! As they say in Germany (or at least I think they do o.O), VIELEN DANK SEHR VIEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for reviewing the last chapter!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how far this fic is going! I didn't expect for it to even last this long! I'm not sure if I wrote German right :P Feel to correct me anytime you wish :D If you gots any problems or confusions, feel free to ask me in an e-mail or a review :P doesn't matter which!!!!!!!! Arrivederci for now!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU READERS AND REVIEWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tsuki