General Warning: Yaoi, Possible Adult scenarios, Violence, AU.
Chapter Warning: Drunk Kiba, Fire.
Pairings: NarutoxSasuke, Others later.
Songs While Written: Chop Suey - System of a Down
Disclaimer: This will always be the same. I don't own Naruto, never will. I did however come up with this plot and the character Sumiyaka Rie. Sumiyaka Moni belongs to Marauding-Moonpaw. These two will be appearing later.
A/N: Well here it is folks! Chapter two. Thought i'd warn you that NONE of this chapter had any looking over so I'm apologizing ahead of time for any mistakes. Also, I'd like to mention that some characters may seem a bit OoC I am taking the liberty to adjusts their attitudes a tiny bit since this is an AU fic, thus they didn't completely grow up under the pressuring cicumstances as in the Manga/Anime.
Oh, and the first of the other pairings makes an appearance here, still willing to know which pairings you all would like to see!
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Sasuke sulked as he found himself not only subjected to the company of Ino and Sakura, but to that of the girls' friends. In all truth they had flat out lied, it was a 'movie night.' Oh no, it was a full out party squashed into the girls' apartment. Sasuke recognized a few people whom they had briefly been introduced to on one occasion or another. Screwing his face up into a scowl Sasuke attempted to put names to them all.
Rock Lee, that guy was easy to remember. What with the haircut that just screamed something like I-got-a-bowl-stuck-on-my-head. Oh, and did he mention the eyebrows? Really, wasn't there a surgical cure for that sort of thing? Rolling his eyes Sasuke brought the drink he'd been handed up to cover an amused snort. From what he knew Lee had been introduced to Sakura and Ino through another girl named TenTen, so Sasuke wasn't very familiar with the two.
Dark eyes slid over the other people there recognizing Inuzuka Kiba, who had lived in one of the apartments on the floor above Ino and Sakura's for a long time. From what the two gossipy girls had told him, Kiba had recently moved out and in with his Fiancé, Hyuuga Hinata. Again, Sasuke wasn't that well acquainted with either of them. Another amused snort left the Uchiha as he thought about it. He really wasn't acquainted well with any of them; they just up an announced themselves to be his friends.
The only people at the little party that he was decently acquainted with were Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru. Then again, Shikamaru didn't particularly like him, and as far as Sasuke was concerned it could be left that way. He didn't relish the idea of another person attempting to get him to socialize. Giving a frustrated little sigh Sasuke sunk back to brace his shoulders against the wall he was lingering near, and allowed his head to tilt forward. A small frown marred his visage as he glared through his bangs at the congregation, and listened to the mild thump of some music or other in the background accentuated by the idle chatter of the group.
Sasuke could see Lee flirting unsuccessfully with Sakura who was looking slightly freaked out by the attention, while Ino stood slightly to the pink haired girls left and teased her about the ordeal. Shikamaru had taken possession of the couch sometime earlier, obviously only there due to threats made on Ino's part, or perhaps he'd been kidnapped to. Sasuke did admit that he felt slightly sorry for the shy Hyuuga girl who was currently watching Kiba attempt to start a conversation with one of the plants in the room. Warily Sasuke looked down into the drink he'd been nursing, there wasn't anything alcoholic about it. Shaking his head slightly Sasuke supposed that the Inuzuka had brought some other drinks for himself, he never did turn down an opportunity to be a wild child.
Things progressed similarly for about another hour before Tenten and Lee stepped in to wrestle anything alcoholic from Kiba's grip. It somehow ended up that Tenten got soaked and attempted to murder Kiba, much to a terrified Hinata's dismay. Luckily Shikamaru and Lee moved quickly to restrain the enraged girl while Kiba giggled in her face. This amusing display was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.
Sakura moved to answer the door rolling her eyes, "I bet that's him." She called back to Ino.
The blonde laughed, following after the other girl, "Better late than never, as they say!" she chirped.
Curiosity piqued, Sasuke maneuvered a little closer to the door. Frowning slightly at the fact that his view was blocked; at least he could here the conversation. The voice wasn't one he recognized and he wondered who it was since the person obviously wasn't part of the girls' usual group.
"Hey Sakura-chan!" the person chirped, whoever they were they sounded rather cheery. "I just dropped by to apologize. I can't come, got called in to pick up an extra shift at work. I'm sorry."
"Awww." Sakura whined out. "That's to bad! I was really hoping to introduce you to our friends!"
The unknown person laughed, "Yeah, maybe another time, okay?" he, yes defiantly a male voice, asked.
Sasuke could hear the smile in Sakura's voice as she responded, "Of course. Well, see around then!"
"Sure thing!" came the reply, followed by the soft click of the door closing.
Blinking Sakura and Ino moved back into view talking to each other. The blonde frowned slightly, "I was hoping to introduce him to everyone. I mean, he's a really cheerful guy. I'm sure he'd get along with all our friends."
"Yeah," Sakura replied sadly. "He works night shifts somewhere though, from what I gather."
Ino nodded sympathetically, and sighed, "Poor guy."
Frowning in slight confusion, Sasuke drifted back over to his original position. Whoever this other person was, they obviously weren't part of Ino and Sakura normal group of friends. He simply shrugged it off, it was about time he escaped this place. Pushing off the wall once more Sasuke moved over toward Sakura, tuning out the sound of Lee preaching about youth or something in the background.
Sakura looked up as Sasuke neared her and a large smile split her lips, "Sasuke-kun!" she chimed in greeting her arms folding around behind her.
"Sakura." He stated blankly, nodding toward her. "I'm going to head home now."
Sakura frowned up at him, "Aw, but Sasuke-kun! Its not even nine yet. You can't leave now!"
Scowling, Sasuke gave her a mildly annoyed glare, "I can and I will, Sakura. Good night." With another nod he retrieved his jacket from where Ino had deposited it on the back of the couch earlier, and shrugged into it. He could feel the hurt looks from both Ino and Sakura drilling into his back, but ignored them; choosing instead to walk out the door without a second glance.
Sasuke's walk home, though it wasn't unfamiliar, was slow and only chose to increase his general aggravation. The streets were packed by the milling people out to enjoy the cities night life. A few drunks stumbling into him here, a woman with an another laugh slamming into him there. Sasuke offered them nothing more then his nastiest glare. He hated this time of night; a time when nothing but idiots wandered around increasing the amount of havoc already clogging the streets.
Wandering passed one bar a group of drunk guys outside let off a few cat-calls and wolf whistles, shouts of him looking feminine ringing in his ears. Clenching his teeth so hard it ached he picked up his pace, and to think people wondered why he stayed at home for the greater part of his life. Sure, most people suck it up and deal with the degrading natures of other humans, but Sasuke just didn't have the patience to deal with them. It annoyed him, and he was a little afraid he'd snap and do something rash. He was not a rash person, nor did he want to become one. Still the little barbs stung and balled up with the others that had been thrown at him now and again to create a nasty little trap set on spring release.
Oh, sure, Sasuke had always been the popular kid with all the girls flocking after him in school, but being popular didn't make you immune to the insensitivity of other people. Just because he had been surrounded, rather unwillingly might he add, by large groups of people didn't automatically make Sasuke immune to being tormented and picked on, no, all it meant was that it wasn't done to his face. Sasuke was not stupid, he knew that the majority of the people who outwardly swooned over him secretly disliked him. After all what was there not to dislike? He had what they wanted: the attention, the groups of friends, the popularity, the looks.
Pausing on his doorstep Sasuke cast a glance toward the street, and narrowed his eyes at the white vehicle parked across from the house. He could have sworn that thing had been there for a couple days, but white cars weren't exactly rare. Shrugging it off as another one of those useless observations he jerked the door open with a quick, irritated motion. Stepping inside Sasuke slammed the door shut, and shrugged out of his jacket placing it on its usual hook.
His gaze flickered upward as he took note of the other presence in the entryway; Itachi was leaning his right shoulder against one wall, watching him with an unreadable expression and even blanker eyes. Feeling the aggravation of the last couple hours boiling beneath the surface Sasuke simply glared for a few moments before tersely questioning his elder brother, "What?"
Itachi shrugged languidly, "Is something wrong, little brother?" he asked smoothly, his gaze never faltering an inch from the perturbed figure before him.
Grinding his teeth in mild annoyance Sasuke pushed past the other and stalked toward the stairwell intent on getting to his room, and staying there for the rest of the night. Pausing on the first step Sasuke turned back to Itachi, "By the way, someone called for you earlier. I was asking them if they wanted to leave a message, but the hung up before I could get the whole sentence out."
Itachi's shoulders tensed minutely, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly at this uncharacteristic motion, "Thank you, little brother." Itachi replied simply before turning and disappearing into the living room.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed further at his brother's odd behavior. Itachi normally didn't react that way, then again, Itachi rarely got strange calls from stranger people. Still standing there Sasuke could hear Itachi pick the phone up out of its cradle by the soft click of plastic on plastic. Angling his head to the side he listened, who would his brother be calling at this time? Itachi normally didn't contact anyone, let alone at ten at night.
Realizing what he was doing, Sasuke turned and started up the stairs. The very idea that he was eaves dropping unnerved him. What his brother did was none of his business, and frankly Sasuke didn't want it to be. He did catch one thing from his brothers conversation, a name: Kisame. He didn't know who that was nor did Sasuke particularly care, he figured it was one of his brother's 'friends' if you could call them that, the man was icier than he was.
Inside his room Sasuke collapsed on his bed with a sigh, not even bothering to get undressed, and burrowed his head into his pillow. Slowly the sweet blissful sleep drifted over Sasuke, and enveloped him in a world of dreams he'd never remember by the time tomorrow floated around; he rather liked it that way.
The next thing Sasuke was aware of is that kind of consciousness that a person is jerked awake into. Sasuke's whole body was soaked in that peculiar feeling. The one feeling that something is terribly wrong yet you have no idea what it is: you just know something bad is happening or is going to. All Sasuke was aware of was that he was now sitting bolt upright on his bed with his eyes wide open, and a suffocating feeling of dread pounding in the back of his skull.
Sasuke didn't know how long he sat there, frozen, unable to move as a worry howled in his veins; a worry made by some source he was unaware of. As though someone had poured ice cold water over the dark haired youth's head he snapped his gaze around to lock dark eyes on the digital clock sitting on his bedside table. The low glow of the red numbers announced the time to be exactly three in the morning.
Slowly pushing himself off his bed, Sasuke crept over to the door to his room, and rested his hand on the knob. Tilting his head to the side Sasuke listened for several long moments; the house was dead silent. The silence, something he'd normally embrace, unnerved him at this moment. Carefully pushing the door open he crept out into the hallway, and peered down the dusky corridor toward Itachi's own bedroom. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in surprise; there was light coming from beneath the door, but it wasn't a normal steady glow of an electrical light. This light source was odd; flickering like a candle, or a flame.
It was about then that realization hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks. The feeling of impending danger that had the hair on the nape of his neck standing on end, the odd flickering gleam from beneath the door to his brother's room; Sasuke understood it now. Sasuke moved forward in panicked motion his throat clenching as he rasped out a hoarse call, "Itachi!"
Grabbing hold of the doorknob, and ignoring the soft searing pain of heat the metal gave off, Sasuke jerked the door open. Stumbling back a ragged gasp of horror left Sasuke's lips. Itachi's once immaculate room was drowning in crackling flames the air heavy with smoke, smoke that was billowing out the open doorway and surrounding Sasuke in a thick black fog. Dark eyes wide Sasuke attempted to see into the room. He couldn't tell if Itachi was in there or not, and his eyes were beginning to burn from the smoke. Backing up slowly he placed his wrist against his mouth, coughing and gagging against it.
Fire was beginning to creep out of the room and into the hallway, the sound of wood popping from the intense heat filled the air. Sasuke kept backing up; his mind was screaming for him to run, but his human nature was horrified. Shame crept up his spine as he realized he was afraid. Not afraid of the fire, but that he may have just lost the last person that he had left.
The smoke was getting thicker around him now and it was beginning to make it difficult to breath. The fire roared more incessantly to life as it met with more oxygen. He had to move, if he stayed standing where he was any longer he'd be trapped, and he'd be dead. Still he was riveted; Uchiha Sasuke was stuck to the spot as fear flowed cold in his veins. A yelp of pain left his throat, sore from inhaling the heavy smoke, as flames licked at his arms. The fire was spreading across the banister of the loft like hallway. The pain seemed to snap the dark haired boy out of his own personal indecision. Sasuke whirled and ran toward the stairwell, he didn't need to see to know where he was going.
Coughing and gagging with smoke filled lungs Sasuke stumbled down the stairs, the first few dangerous creaks of weakening floor boards sending chills down his spine. Dizzy with smoke inhalation he found himself tripping up on his own two feet and falling down the rest of the stairs to land in a heap at their base. Sasuke lay there on his stomach, a few moments ticking by. His lungs seared with each inhale and clenched at every exhale, his throat felt raw and his eyes were watering, and if he wasn't mistaken he had some burns on one arm.
Groaning Sasuke dragged himself back to his feet and stumbled to the front door. His body rested heavily against the solid wood, and his hands fumbled for the knob. His mind seemed to have been fogged over, and Sasuke found himself having problems concentrating. Glaring at the door when it refused to open; Sasuke's brain processed the fact that it was probably locked. Scowling tersely as his fingers fumbled with the lock, and finally twisted it open. With a sigh of relief that swiftly turned into a hacking cough, Sasuke opened the door and stumbled out into the cool night air.
Sasuke moved away from the burning house on instinct, his body staggering as he moved across the lawn toward the general safety of the street. He had reached the edge of the front yard when he turned around to stare back up at the house, his childhood home. The building had smoke leaking from cracks between the windows and their sills, and flames flickered demonically behind the glass. The whole thing looked surreal and rain washed. He didn't know if the cause of the blurry appearance was from his eyes watering, or if he was crying now.
Sasuke looked back over his shoulder at the sound of car doors being swung open. His eyes squinting at the sight of a man leaping out of the little white car that had been parked across from his home. The man was moving toward him with quick steps, and a hand was reaching into the breast pocket of the jacket he wore.
Idly Sasuke noticed that his world seemed to be turning into a sort of liquid, melting away. His body seemed to falter the sting faded as he toppled backwards, catching sight of what looked like a police badge being flashed at him by the man, and the sounds of a police radio buzzing somewhere in the background. The world slide away, turning black as Sasuke's eyes rolled back into his head and his body hit the ground with a solid thump.
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A/N: Well there you have it. This chapter wasn't as long as the first, only about three pages in word, but I didn't want to leak over into the next chapters stuff... So I jsut left you all with a nice cliffhanger.
I'd like to express my gratitude for the attention this fic has got. When I last check its stats I had 6 reviews, 10 alerts, 4 favs, and a C2 fav thinger.. I've never had this much attention on a fic and I think my exact reaction was "HOLY FLYING COWS IN SPACESHIPS!" You all make me feel happy.
So then, some answers to a couple few reviews:
BeuitifulDisgrace246: Glad your enjoying the suspense of it. I'm really pleased you mentioned the phone call, i won't say who it is since I'll probably explain that in chapter three, but It is a tad bit important!
KC Evans: Glad you enjoyed it, and yeah.. I type pretty bad so its not surprising that there were mistakes in there.. It probably would have been even worse if I wasn't using spellcheck fanatically. I don't actually read over my work, if I do the word flow stops. So i apologize, still glad you enjoyed it.
And a further thank you to the rest of you who reviewed, or faved, or put this fic on your alert list. You all made my day. This chapter would have been up last night, but was being nasty about uploading my documents. Bah. I wanted to post it on the 25th but that got delayed because I was to busy enjoying being lazy on my birthday. Oh well, it didn't take to long so i'm not gonna worry that much. Hope you enjoyed the read!