Out : -tear- No...no reviews?
Chapter 6 - Bonding
Naruto couldn't wait till that night. He couldn't wait to see Sasuke again.
'Dear Sasuke'
But the words didn't come. So he shut the book and put it up. Naruto looked up and saw the sun set. He took out some sketch paper he'd managed to sneak in. He drew a picture from memory. It wasn't the best picture ever but it fit. It was a picture of 6 year old Sasuke Uchiha.
The eyes showed sadness and happiness at the same time. He was smiling slightly and seemed to have just finished laughing. His dark hair was done in the hair style that the boy loved so much. His skin was pale as if he wasn't usually in the sun and he was skinny. Naruto noticed something he hadn't drawn. A single tear on each side Sasuke's face. He thought it worked well and left it there.
Naruto thought it was a really good picture. One of the best he'd ever drawn...ok...sketched. Naruto hardly ever colored his pictures except with pencil.
He blinked and noticed the sky had darkened. It had been another uneventful day in his camp. Naruto took out his 'Dear Sasuke' book and carefully put away his picture.
'Dear Sasuke,
I missed you so much more than usual these last few days. I'm sorry. I did something terrible. I fought in a battle and killed an entire army fleet by myself. I'm not sure how. I think there's a beast inside of me, one that waits until I'm mad to unleash itself.
I drew a picture of you today. I think it came out nicely. It shows you as I knew you eight years ago. Man...I really wish you were here.'
Naruto felt a tear run down his face and hit the paper. He wiped it away.
'Ok...I'll stop avoiding it. Sasuke...My parents are dead. A Uchihan warrior took them down while I was here. Dammit Sasuke...why do I care for people that never paid me any mind? Just because they're my parents? I'll ask Sasuke later.
Oh right. I met another guy named Sasuke. He kind of reminds me of you...But you had more of a free spirit than he does. I gotta go. He's waiting. You see, he's in the military so his schedule is hard to fit me in I guess. Wait...I'm in the military! Oh, never mind. I'm saying good-night now Sasuke...Night Sasuke.
Lots Of Love,
Naruto
Naruto closed his book and put it away. He then rushed off to find the tree where Sasuke would be.
-
Sasuke blinked. It was back. That feeling that he was being called was back! He stared off in the direction of the feeling, even after it had gone, as if telling the one responsible to come to him. Suddenly, Naruto jumped out of the bushes and landed quietly next to him.
"Naruto." he said curtly.
"Sasuke." the blonde replied.
Both just stared at each other. Then, Naruto suddenly asked a question.
"Have you ever been to the Uzumaki Kingdom, Sasuke?"
"Huh?..." he fought himself, then answered. "No." he lied. Oh, but he lied well.
"Ok..."
"Why?"
"No reason." Naruto leaned against a tree next to the one Sasuke leant on.
"Naruto...Why?" Sasuke gave him a dark look.
"Cause...about this time of year...the flowers are in full bloom and I bet Jasmine, my horse, is out in a pasture with the other Uzumaki horses...Eating flower petals and basically dancing..." Naruto lied as he reached a hand out to some flower petals only he could see as they blew in the wind, then he saw that these Uchiha trees were flowerless. "Why are your trees so dead?"
"I don't know...it's just...always been that way. Our trees don't flower except for three weeks in winter and we all have a party during those three weeks. The flowers are black and red, a nice contrast to the shades of green of our trees...What's the Uzumaki Kingdom like?" Sasuke turned a questioning look upon Naruto.
Yes, he had been there before. But that didn't mean he knew anything about the place.
"Well...there are fields of green, tall grass. The forests are all filled with living creatures, constantly on the move. Many people just use one word to describe Uzumaki...paradise. But if they lived there, they'd know differently." he said sadly.
"Oh really? How so?" Sasuke pushed away from his tree, brushed off his clothes, and walked over to the blonde as he spoke.
"Well...we have rainstorms. Paradise wouldn't have rainstorms. The king had a cold, frozen heart and the queen had a rose, thorns and all, for her heart. It seemed like paradise, but if you looked past the forests...past the fields...past the flowers, animals, and blue open sky...You see that the castle, just like any castle, is made of stone. In truth, Uzumaki is centered around that stone figure...So I guess that the heart of Uzumaki...is cold stone." He looked at the ground.
"Not everything in Uzumaki can be bad." Sasuke muttered, flashes of a faded out but smiling boy flashed in his eyes. "There's gotta be at least...one truly good person in that kingdom." He saw Naruto as he gave him Hebbet.
"Yea...I bet there is one..." Naruto smirked slightly at Sasuke. "And there's one in your kingdom too." He was reminded of small smiles, hidden tears, and gifts gladly given. "I should know...I've met him."
"You've met-" Sasuke started before footsteps caught their attention and both jumped into the bushes.
"Naruto. Naruto are you out here?" came Fehrock's, no Kakashi's voice. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who couldn't see Kakashi, and then frowned.
'I'll be back tomorrow' he mouthed to the dark aura'ed boy. He nodded and Naruto stood up.
"Ah, Naruto. I just came to find you. Please don't go wandering to far off ok?" Kakashi smirked as if he knew something Naruto didn't and it was the best news ever.
"What's that look for?" the blonde asked as he glanced back at the bushes Sasuke was in.
"Look? What look? I have a look on?" he played innocent.
"I think I liked it better when I didn't know your real name and you were really formal." Naruto muttered as he walked off. Sasuke heard Kakashi laugh.
"But it's no fun to act serious around people who know my name." he walked off after the young king and when their footsteps were gone, Sasuke stood up.
"Who was that guy?" Sasuke asked no one.
"So don't worry so much. I believe you'll make a great king some day!"
"Heh...I could use a smile right now Naruto...your belief isn't enough...if you're not here to give me strength." he turned and walked off, deciding that he'd act as if he'd been patrolling and spying all night and never tell anyone about Naruto.
-
"Naruto." Kakashi said when they reached camp, now regaining his usual seriousness.
"Hmm?" he turned around, the smallest semblance of a smile on his face. Kakashi frowned at this.
"Don't try to act fine, my lord. You're entire family is dead. It's natural to feel sad after something like that. Even if you weren't that close to those that were lost." he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, only to have it knocked off.
"I'm fine-" he snapped, then calmed. "-Captain." he finished. "I'll be okay, okay? So...you don't need to be so...so worried." Naruto assured him in his soft voice.
He smiled up at his captain before turning and heading to get something to eat. The men dodged away from him as he walked and Kakashi could only wonder what they would do when they found out who he was.
-
"Uchiha!" Merdal called. Sasuke turned his head slowly and uninterestedly to see his captain
"Yes Captain?" he asked in a bored tone.
"Have you found anything while spying yet?" Merdal asked in a dark tone.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked.
"What? Why should I tell you?" he snapped. Naruto glared.
"Cause I asked!" he blinked and smirked. "I'll tell you my name, then you'll have to tell me your name." Sasuke cursed under his breath. "My name is Naruto."
"No. I've found no enemy camps, spies, or corpses of any kind." Sasuke answered truthfully.
"Hmm...Have you checked east of here?" he asked.
"Yes. For two nights I've checked almost 5 square miles east of here." he again answered truthfully.
"Tonight, I want you to search west of here." Merdal ordered.
"What?" Sasuke took a step.
"It's clear that the enemy, if there is one around here, is not to the east of us. So you continuing to search there would be a waste of my time." he explained as if bored.
"Your time huh?" Sasuke inwardly smirked at the thought of wasting his leader's time.
"Yes. So you will check up on the west side! In 1 hour!" Merdal was losing his small amount of patience. He walked off and Sasuke glared.
"I know who you are but I work for your snot nosed older brother." he mocked, motioning with his hand as if it were the person talking. "So I rule over your scrawny little butt. Go spy the west side, go spy the west side."
Merdal turned around to glare at Sasuke, as if warning him, but he was to far away to have heard the boy. Sasuke pretended like he hadn't been doing anything. When Merdal turned away, he narrowed his eyes and muttered under his breath.
"Works for my brother. Ha. He thinks I don't know my brother is dead." a thought hit him. "Unless...unless he himself doesn't know..." Sasuke smirked slightly, then went back to normal. "Well, off to work then." he picked up his weapons, mask, a single sheet of paper, and a pencil before leaving camp in a westward direction.
-
-Forest : East of Camp-
Sasuke took out the sheet of paper and pencil. He sat on a rock and wrote.
"Dear Naruto..." he blinked. "This seems oddly familiar." (1)
Sasuke shrugged and kept writing. 2 minutes later, he pinned the note to a tree and set off in a stealthy yet quick way.
-
-Forest:10 minutes later-
A blonde blur fell into the area. He blinked and looked around.
"Sasuke?" he asked. A piece of paper caught his attention and he pulled it off the tree.
Dear Naruto,
I, being in the army, have certain rules to abstain from breaking. Therefore, when I was ordered to be in another area, I had to follow orders. Don't worry though, I'm still near you, I hope. Go to the lake about 1 mile from where you stand now. Head west and you should get there. If you see an army camp, stay out of view.
Uchihan army men don't care who it is, as long a they can capture and torture someone. I've seen them kill their own fellow soldiers just because of a misconduct. So, other than you being captured and possibly killed, my life would also be put into serious danger for not telling them about your existence.
I'll be waiting near the lake. Why a lake? To tell you the truth, it holds a sentimental value. Not this particular lake, but lakes...I've written down more than I've ever spoken. So, see you when you get to me.
Lots of
(this was scribbled out but Naruto could read the 'Lots of' part)
Eternally,
Sasuke
Naruto blinked, then smiled a small smile. Sasuke was waiting at a lake for him. No one else! Him! He folded the paper and took off in a westward direction.
-
"Hey! What do you think you're doing there Hancrof?" a deep voice yelled.
"Sorry sir! It'll never happen again!" a voice called.
"For breaking your bowl; No meals for one day and you'll be cleaning all the dishes tonight!" the deep voice ordered.
"Yes sir, Mr. Merdal sir!" the soldier saluted, then was dismissed. As he walked off, Merdal scowled.
"Morons." he muttered. A blonde head peeked out from between the bushes.
If you see an army camp, stay out of view.
'Stay out of view.' he chanted in his head as he snuck around the large encampment. 'Stay out of view.'
"Hmm?" Merdal saw some bushes rustle and made his way over to them.
'Craaaap!' Naruto dropped completely to the ground as Merdal's footsteps got closer.
"Who's in there?" he heard.
'Stay quiet. Stay quiet!' Naruto yelled at himself.
Merdal began to search through the bushes and Naruto began to sweat.
I'll be waiting near the lake. See you when you get to me.
Eternally,
Sasuke
'Great. Look at the King of Uzumaki now!' Naruto grumbled. 'Huh?'
"Gotcha." Merdal pushed back the bushes where Naruto was. "What?" he looked around.
There was nothing there.
'Great. Now go away...' Naruto stayed perfectly still.
"Hmm..." Merdal put the bushes back as they were and walked off, thinking.
"Whew..." Naruto relaxed and then pulled himself out.
A few yip-like noises were heard. Naruto turned around and smiled at the squirrel there.
"Thanks Mr. Squirrel. I would've been in so much trouble without you." he smiled what seemed to be a warm smile at the squirrel and then took off.
Soon, his smile dropped and he ran faster. The squirrel turned and jumped back into his hole inside the tree.
-
You're all lost, right? Oh yea, Hi again. Remember me? First chapter? Yea. I'm not really supposed to be here, but I'd like to explain what happened to you. There are no real...-clear throat- good visuals for what happened, so I'll take over.
Naruto was laying in the bushes as you know. Merdal saw the bushes move and came over to investigate. Naruto quickly moved a few bushes over but then stopped as he hit a bush slightly. He thought he was going to get caught when Merdal kept searching. Then, he saw a squirrel dart into a tree and down a hole out of the corner of his eye.
Naruto scurried into the hole in the trunk of this tree and sat down in the hole that this particular squirrel lived in. Apparently, it ran the entire tree so it had a home in the ground and in the air. When Merdal looked where Naruto had been, he saw nothing because Naruto's hiding place was on the opposite side of the tree than Merdal was. So yea, that's what happened.
I have to go now. The house is still covered in blood and I'm sure you don't want to listen to me when you could be seeing what King Naruto and Prince Sasuke are up to. Heh, didn't see that one coming, eh? Naruto a King and Sasuke a mere Prince. Yea, take that all you Sasuke fans. (A/N: I am a Sasuke fan, this was just something the inserted mystery maid person said because she works for Naruto) Well, goodbye.
-
'Ok. Here I am. Now where's Sasuke?' Naruto thought as he saw the lake coming into view.
The lake glistened and sparkled in the setting sun, turning the water a multitude of beautiful colors. All different shades, all perfect in their own way. Naruto admired the lake for a moment as he took a few steps into the clearing around the lake, not noticing the dark figure that crept up behind him.
-
Sasuke was admiring the lake, it was so beautiful. It reminded him of Naruto Uzumaki. The sun setting reminded him of when Naruto gave him Hebbet. So what if Hebbet was old now, he was still alive and well.
A single footstep broke him from his revere. Sasuke stood up from his place by the lake and darted into the bushes. After that, he circled around to where the footstep was. Through the bushes he could see golden sunshine. Sasuke blinked.
Sasuke looked up and saw his face. It was so angelic like. His blonde hair seemed to shine gold in the sun filtering through the leaves.
Sasuke shook his head as he moved up behind the blonde.
-
A hand came up right next to Naruto's neck. The blonde felt the heat radiating off of it and broke out of 'it's so pretty' land. The hand, though letting off heat, seemed to be giving off a certain type of cold too.
Naruto began to sweat as the hand brushed against his neck and was placed lightly in the perfect place to strangle him. The other hand came down around his waist and Naruto, to preoccupied with the hand on his neck, didn't notice the other hand until it touched him and pulled him back against whoever was holding him.
'Oh no...Is this a Uchihan soldier? Did Sasuke set me up? Why did I trust him?' Naruto's mind was flashing. He wasn't even trying to move. A whisper in his ear made him flinch.
"And that...is how easily I could've killed you..." it said in a soft, tantalizing whisper.
Naruto felt himself involuntarily shudder. The hand on his waist pulled away and pressed into his back while Naruto focused on the one holding his neck, which seemed to be the immediate problem. Said blonde boy let out a short yell of surprise when the hand on his back pushed him forward and the hand on his neck let him slip out like ice on smooth tile.
"Dobe. You would never make it as a soldier." came a voice overflowing with boast.
"Oh shut up Sasuke! I could've taken you!" Naruto snapped back, turning around to face the black haired boy. "And what was with that anyway? Do you always scare people when they come to meet you?"
"Scared? I scared you?" Sasuke smirked as Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I don't usually do that because I don't usually meet with anybody."
"Really?" Naruto blinked and seemed to forget his anger. "Do you ever talk with anyone?"
"Just you and my captain. But my captain only talks to me when he's giving orders. My parents too sometimes, but they're always busy, so I never see them. So...just you I suppose." Sasuke shrugged, sitting on a rock by the lake. Naruto sat on the ground next to it.
They sat there like that for a good while. Naruto was staring at the water's changing colors and seemed preoccupied. Sasuke did not fail to notice this and found himself wondering what it could be that was bothering the boy. He glanced around and saw the moon slowly creeping up into the sky. Words fell from his mouth before he could even think them.
"What's wrong...Naruto?" he didn't even think about them after he said it. They had been said and that's all their was, no thoughts on it.
Naruto didn't answer. For awhile, Sasuke thought maybe he hadn't heard him. Or maybe the boy was asleep with his eyes open. But then, Naruto sighed.
He turned to Sasuke, but was looking at the ground. Naruto's voice was so soft Sasuke could barely hear it. But there was such sadness in it.
"Sasuke...what would you do...what do you think it would feel like...if your parents died?"
"Huh?" Sasuke thought a moment. "I wouldn't do anything I suppose."
'Except take over as King, but I'm not telling you that.'
"I think I'd feel...the same as always. I would feel a bit relieved because then no one would be able to make fun of me anymore and they'd leave me alone."
'But I'd be called the 'miracle-prince' for becoming King against all odds.' he thought bitterly.
Naruto shook his head and Sasuke blinked.
"No. You'd be sad. More sad than you've ever, in your entire life, felt." he said softly.
"How would you know?" Sasuke asked, a bit of anger in his voice. Naruto shrugged and there seemed to be one of those 'how ironic' smiles in what he did.
"It's stupid...me talking like this to someone I just met..." he ran a hand through his hair and Sasuke stared in awe as it glittered in the moonlight almost and then fell back into it's usual messiness.
"Talking about what?" Sasuke asked, softly.
"My parents...they're dead." Sasuke started. "I learned the other day. The same day I met you." The black haired boy blinked. "At first I thought 'wow, how great! No more parents.' then 'Oh well, it won't be any different. Not like they ever paid me any mind anyway.' But...after it sunk in...I felt like something was missing. Now I'm an orphan."
"I wondered...'How can I miss someone who was never really there anyway?' but I know...it's because no matter what they did...or didn't do...I was their son and they were my parents. It just fits. I have no brothers or sisters, no real relatives at all...I'll be all alone when this war is over."
"When the war is over...you can come and find me in Uchiha." Sasuke heard himself mutter softly.
"What?" Naruto's head popped up. Sasuke saw even more sadness in his eyes than his voice.
"You can come see me anytime after the war." Sasuke said with a little more confidence. All that mattered was that Naruto felt better. Who cared if that meant him finding out Sasuke was the prince?
"S-s...Sasuke..." Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, clearly trying not to cry.
"Go ahead and cry...It's alright..." Sasuke said softly. "I know what it's like to need someone who cares." Naruto Uzumaki had said that to him.
Naruto felt a single warm tear escape his eyes and fall gently down his cheek before the dams broke and he cried. Naruto never cried. This wasn't like him! He was the king, and he was trusting someone from the enemy side. But...Sasuke seemed so...so different. Different than the warriors he killed in that battle. He remembered what he'd done and cried harder.
Warm arms fell around his shoulders from behind and pulled him into a warm embrace. He fell back into the chest of the dark haired boy, comforting him. Naruto had a memory break.
"Is something wrong?" Young Naruto asked. The boy shook his head.
"Nothing. I'm fine." he muttered. Naruto could hear the tears in his voice.
"No, you're not okay. What's wrong?" he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Grandma died...and no one seems to care." he said, reacting to the fact that someone was actually talking to him. "She was the only one that even recognized me as a actual living being. Now she's gone..." he said softly, the tears began to fall.
Naruto had a pained look on his face. He sat down next to his new dark friend but kept a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, he released the boy's shoulders and pulled him into a hug.
"Go ahead and cry...It's alright..." he said softly. "I know what it's like to need someone who cares."
The black haired boy, after coming to terms with the fact that someone was hugging him, a stranger no less, and after taking in Naruto's words, let it all go. The tears flowed down his face in waterfalls. Naruto comforted the boy the whole time.
"Sasuke!" Naruto turned around and clutched the boy holding him. He cried into Sasuke's shirt and Sasuke pat him softly on the back in a comforting way.
Naruto and Sasuke stayed like that for awhile. Naruto fell asleep and Sasuke couldn't bring himself to wake the boy up.
"I'm sorry Naruto...I'm sorry your parents died...I'm sorry you're alone...I'm sorry this war even started. Though I'm happy...because I met you. I feel connected to you as I did to the prince of Uzumaki, whom I only knew for one hour..." he looked at the moon, shining brightly.
Sasuke leaned down and kissed Naruto on the top of the head, in his blonde locks, before realizing what he did.
"Do I feel...the same for you...that I did for...Prince Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked as tears welled up in his eyes as thoughts of the Prince's possible demise filled his head. "This is so out of character for me...I..." a single tear fell and landed on Naruto's lips. "I loved him..." he whispered before a dark silence echoed around them. Sasuke lowered is head and used one hand to wipe his eyes while holding Naruto with the other one.
O.C. #2 : Holy -bleep- ELEVEN PAGES! -faints-
Out : Um...-pokes-
