Side note: Longer chapters ahead with some Naruto x Sasuke and then it's off to fight Orochimaru.

Date 06.11.06

Day 3 Part III

At this point in his life, Sasuke wasn't one to disobey rules. When Naruto told him to stay put and left for the grocery story at nine in the evening, the raven haired teen had simply settled down beside the open window and watched the moon and stars in the night sky. A cool breeze floated in through the open window, and chilled the hot room,. Especially in the midst of summer, it felt good, really good. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall beside the open window, remembering and reminiscing about the past and the future.

He had not agreed to the mission assigned to him by Orochimaru, but Kabuto had made it clear that he didn't have a choice. The silver-haired man had his ways of making himself heard, drugs among them, and Sasuke had not wanted to be drugged, just in case. So, he had listened to the Snake Man's orders and did as he was told.

Funny how Orochimaru, for all his insanity, had the power to teach Sasuke how to obey orders, without question.

He went down to the holding cells that night with Kabuto. He hated that creepy place far below ground where Orochimaru held his prisoners and experimental subjects. All of them had been lured there by petty feelings, but now, it hardly mattered. Despite the sheer numbers, it was deathly quiet. Even the occasional moan drew stares from other cells.

"Let's start with this one and go around," Kabuto said conversationally.

As far Sasuke was concerned, conversational Kabuto equaled trouble in its many forms. "All right."

Kabuto opened the first cell door and let Sasuke inside. "Bring me the women first."

Sasuke had stepped into the cold, stone room that house maybe fifteen people and looked around. Angry, defiant stares met his gaze, but there was also fear. He knew that his eyes were glowing red and his Sharingan fully active, but despite that, he was afraid. Spotting the first female in the bunch he walked over.

"Come with me."

The woman had shaken her head and backed away.

"Come with me," he repeated.

Finally, she rose and followed him mutely out. No one else dared say anything, but Sasuke kept expecting them to. He could almost touch their anger as he walked out of the cell. Kabuto was waiting.

He grabbed the woman, barely out of childhood really, and stabbed her arm with a syringe full of something liquid and yellow. She screamed. Sasuke would never forget that scream for as long as he lived. Pale hair flew all over the place as she began to thrash around, cursing in some language the ninja didn't know.

Finally, she collapsed onto the ground and lay there, twitching.

"What just happened?"

Kabuto smiled. "I'm testing a new poison. Obviously it still has a few flaws."

"Poison?"

"Of course. What else do you think I was going to do, give them a check up? Orochimaru, of course, didn't want you to know." He turned to Sasuke. "You're too soft hearted. How do you plan to kill your brother if you feel sorry for every person you meet."

Sasuke remembered his mother then, telling him to be nice to people. Her smiling face floated before him, and he saw it in every woman he had to bring to Kabuto. It haunted him all the way back to his own room.

When he lay down to sleep that night, he thought of Sakura and her love for people. Maybe this hadn't been the right path after all?

Naruto snapped Sasuke out of his daydream when he stepped through the door and announced loudly, "I got you something besides ramen. Come look!"

"Why are you doing all this, Naruto?" Sasuke stood up and walked over to his friend.

Naruto shrugged and replied, "Because I always knew you'd come back. And while we're rivals and best friends, I never want us to be enemies. Ninja have to kill their own sometimes. I never want that to happen to team seven."

Sasuke smiled and looked at the food, then helped Naruto put the stuff away. "You believe in me more than I believe in myself."

"Weren't you always arrogant?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Orochimaru let me see the world in a different light, as well as the curse."

"Is it still there?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered. "It has to be, for Orochimaru to do his magic trick."

"Wonderful." Naruto pulled out a glass and filled it with milk.

He was about to take a sip when three ninja jumped in through the open window. All three were dressed in black pants, white shirts, and wore those ridiculous, purple bows on their backs. Somewhere in the back of his mind Naruto wondered if their outfits made them feel fat. Both he and Sasuke took defensive stances.

"We're just here for him," one of the sound nin said, pointing at Sasuke.

Naruto shook his head and immediately formed the seals for his shadows replication technique. Ten or so versions of Naruto poofed into the room and formed a wall between the ninja and the raven haired teen. They fought.

Or more precisely, the clones fought against creatures they could never hope to match. After years of training, the clones didn't die after the first hit, but they weren't bullet proof either. Within a few seconds, the three sound ninja had gotten through the defenses.

Only to be blasted by a powerful ball of glowing blue-red energy and the crackling static power of the Chidori. Two of the three assailants flew straight out the window. The third made a valiant effort against Naruto, but damn the kid was hard to kill. Between the fox's healing abilities and Naruto's inner determination, it took more than the ninja could give. He soon joined his two partners.

Problem was, that woke up half the neighborhood, including, of course, plenty of ninjas. The three assailants never saw the end of that commotion in one piece. Naruto turned to see Sasuke restrained by a man. Clearly the teen was struggling, but it wasn't helping. Naruto felt like strangling someone.

He lunged at the attacker, and between him and Sasuke, they were able to subdue him, just barely. Sasuke had a nice long, bleeding cut to show for it, as well as poison in his system. And Naruto, well being Naruto, he was just pissed.

The ANBU came through next, like silent butterflies. One moment they were there. The next they and the last of the sound nin were gone. Sasuke waved at the window before examining the latest addition to his collection of cuts and bruises. He sighed and sat down on the wooden floor of the room, looking up at Naruto.

"That woke people up."

Naruto nodded. "And they stood up for you. Says something good about the villagers. Are you okay?"

"I think so," Sasuke replied. "It's only a cut."

Naruto took a look and nodded. "I think they did more, though, because you look paler than usual. And you're usually pretty much in the death department in terms of skin color."

Sasuke had just enough time to nod before he collapsed into unconsciousness. Naruto looked at the clock, which proved that it was past midnight, and grimaced. He knew that Sasuke would wake up again, since no one wanted him dead yet, but he wasn't sure when or how. Carefully, he dragged the boy over his mattress and covered him with a blanket before calling out into thin air.

"Sasuke is going to need a doctor."

A voice answered, "I'll get the hokage."

"Thanks."

Naruto settled down beside the bed and watched his friend sleep. Sasuke looked more innocent when he was asleep somehow. By the time Tsunade arrived, Naruto was sleeping as well, curled up beside Sasuke, protective of the other boy's injury.

"Guess I made the right decision," she said to herself as she checked both boys over.

A leaf ninja appeared beside her and said, "Reports indicate that the nin were not acting alone. We expect more trouble and soon."

"Of course."

"Hokage, we have also identified the source of the recent troubles to the east. It's Itachi, and we have good reason to believe that he is heading straight for Naruto."

"Between a rock and a hard place?"

"Yes, ma'am." The nin sighed. "We've called back as many as we can so we are more prepared, but these will be trying times."

The woman sighed, her blond hair falling into her eyes for a moment. "We can only hope that in the confusion, we come out in one piece. Begin the preparations for a war because that is what's coming."

The man nodded. "Will do. You should speak to the people. Tell them that the war is not for Sasuke alone, or for any one person. Tell them the truth. Tell Naruto the truth."

"That his father died because ninja can't get along? I read the Third's records, and Naruto does not need to live with that kind of hatred."

The man nodded again. "He wants to fulfill his father's legacy even if he doesn't know it."

"He does, and right now he acting much the same way as the Fourth would have."

"What about Sasuke?"

Tsunade sighed. "A drug has been injected into his system. He'll be out of it or confused for the next few days, as well as very tired, but he should be all right soon enough. Tell Naruto when he wakes up, if he doesn't find my note."

"Yes, ma'am."

She left. Just like that, the famous medic known throughout the land, jumped out the second story window and was gone. It was past midnight, by then, on a rather normal day in comparison to those yet to come.


vlissan: Your wish is my command.

sigh - I really should spend time with my husband instead of doing this...