A/N: Thanks to all the readers! I'm going to get straight to the good stuff.

Disclaimer: Naruto, or any of the characters that appear here, are not mine. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do own this cute blue sweater though!

Warning: This story is SasuNaru shounen ai which means that Sasuke and Naruto sre romantically involved with each other. Don't like it? Can't help you there…sorry.

Deep Blue Sunshine

"Legend are passed, legends grow old,

Legends aren't seen, but always told."

Chapter Two: In a Sea of Confusion

Time had sped up.

In a split moment, those hypnotizing eyes had crashed and melded back into the lake, creating a small tidal wave that brushed against Sasuke's boots. Hellfire whinnied and backed up into the trees, ripping the reigns straight out of Sasuke's hands. He lowered his sword—what had happened? The lake no longer represented a shattered mirror. Now the smooth surface stood still, creating the image of mercury.

Silence.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke breathed. His eyes remained pinned on the small lake. He refused to sheathe his sword. No matter what he saw—even those blue eyes—he couldn't let his guard down.

Suddenly the forest returned to its normal state. The birds chirped again as if in applause for a wonderful show. A rabbit on the other shore perked it's ears in curiosity. It looked just like an ordinary forest…

"Were you the one who threw that rock? That hurt!" A voice cried, and it came from right in front of him. Startled, Sasuke backed up and readied his sword.

Blond hair, blue eyes, tan skin…

The monster.

But instead of the deadly, ugly monster that Sasuke had traveled so far to see, it turned out to be something completely different. It eyed his weapon and scrunched it's nose in annoyance.

"You aren't here to slay me, are you? I didn't even do anything! Hell, I don't even know what you are!"

"I'm a human, you idiot." The prince blurted without thinking. Who didn't know what a human was? This…thing looked human itself. If it hadn't been fore those odd scratches on his cheeks and the small, silver scales that started down his waist, Sasuke would say it was a prank by some stupid boy.

"Don't call me an idiot! You're the one who threw that stupid rock at me anyway!"

The small splashing behind the monster distracted him from what he was saying. Silver fins slapped the water, producing crystal drops that flew into the air. He followed the trail and eventually ended up to the waist of the boy. This thing was a merman!

"What's your name?" The merboy asked, mildly irritated. The blonde's gaze looked as if it could pierce through his soul.

"…Why do you want to know?" He drawled. The boy gritted his teeth.

"So I don't have to call you 'human' all the time! Come on, humans do have names, don't they?"

Sasuke admitted that he didn't know much about merpeople, but were they all so…interesting to look at? Those eyes kept grabbing his attention, even if the merboy looked angry right now. And the scales that covered his lower body reflected a pale version of the color of the stones and algae. Almost as if his lower body acted like a chameleon's—absorbing the pigment to blend in to the surroundings.

"Hello? Earth to human, are you there? Geez, if all humans are slow like this…"

That irked Sasuke's temper a bit, but it had retrieved his attention. He sheathed his sword (the only danger here was the merboy's naiveté) and crossed his arms.

"My name is Sasuke. Not that you'll be needing it anytime soon."

He saw something spark in those clear blue eyes, but it disappeared in that fraction of a second. The merboy brilliantly grinned.

"I'm Naruto! I'm the keeper of this lake!"

But his grin turned into a frown and he glared at the prince.

"And you just threw a rock at me. Apologize!"

Naruto's tail slapped the water again, sending droplets everywhere. Sasuke shielded his eyes from the oncoming rain. Once the onslaught dispersed, he put his arm down and looked at the expecting blonde.

"Aren't mermaids supposed to live in the sea?"

There it was again—that look in his eyes. It shifted to one of annoyance. He could hear the utterance of "bastard" escape from Naruto's lips.

"Yeah, but not me. Are you going to apologize now?"

Sasuke found his mouth quirk into a torturous grin. For some strange reason, he liked teasing Naruto this way.

"No."

A small silence wedged its way between the two, where Naruto looked as if he were trying to keep his temper under check while Sasuke basked in his glorious work. Naruto's tail swayed violently from one side to the other. Small rocks drifted from the makeshift current.

"Fine. Forget this!" The blonde remarked, and pulled himself into deeper waters. His scales dragged on the floor of the lake, making a cloud of dirt in its wake. Sasuke stood straighter.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

Naruto paused and looked back. "Away from you. It's obvious I'm not wanted. Even a bastard like you can get your point across, you know."

And before Sasuke had a chance, Naruto melded back into the lake without warning.

For the first time, Sasuke realized the darkening sky and the lake's reflection of the shy moon peeking out from the clouds. When had it become so late? He had to leave now, or else the advisors would send out search parties.

He whistled, and Hellfire grudgingly beckoned to his side. He tried to convince himself not to stay any longer. Any longer and it would lead to trouble.

He hoisted himself onto Hellfire's back and took the reigns. No, there were more important tasks at hand. He had to find another stable, then run to the castle before anyone panicked for too long. Naruto went back to the bottom of the lake. There was no point in staying.

He motioned for Hellfire to run back into the forest, not once sparing a glance at the lake.

Sasuke barely had the time to bathe and change out of his peasant clothes before someone knocked on his chamber door. He clasped his navy blue velvet mantle over his shoulders and answered.

"Come in."

The door swung open and revealed yet another of the nobles. Hyuuga Neji, heir of the Hyuuga clan and future strategist of the kingdom, bowed and looked blankly at Sasuke.

"Prince, your…excursion has left us in a state of panic. The counsel requests your presence immediately."

"Of course." Sasuke replied smoothly. Straight and to the point, Neji had a way of thinking that no one could ever contemplate without gaining a major migraine. He had always been like that, even to his cousin Hinata. Safe to say, his mysterious aura earned his fair share of girls—a group that rivaled his own suitors. Neji's most important trait that Sasuke came to respect was the unwillingness to butt into affairs that were not his own.

This wasn't the first time Neji had caught him out of the castle. It wouldn't be the last time either.

"Anything else, Neji?" He asked, eyeing the stoic, pale teen.

"A reminder that the prince of Naida will be arriving next week."

"You are dismissed."

Neji promptly bowed and left.

The council wanted him, like always. They most likely wanted to scold him for running off like that again, and he once again would state that he was off training on his secret grounds. The Uchiha had secret grounds on the castle for centuries. The council knew this, and he took advantage of it every moment he could.

Buckling the last belt on his leather boots, Sasuke walked out of his chamber into the hallway. The large open arches allowed the moon to reflect it's light onto the intricate surfaces of the gargoyle statues, and light up the hall. Since tonight held a full moon, no one bothered to light the torches. He spent hours sometimes in this hallway, looking out into his kingdom. Nights like this were especially beautiful to gaze out at the buildings and streets…

He turned to the main chamber, where the council usually gathered. Brushing off any stray dirt from his black silk tunic, Sasuke poised himself and entered.

Just as he expected—the old bastards started attacking him with questions.

"Where did you go, sire! We cannot allow you to continue disappearing like this all the time!"

"Certainly your Highness knows what can become of the kingdom if he is not present?"

He let the men drill him with questions that were supposed to make him feel guilty, knowing that none of them really worked. When had they ever? He knew whenever Konoha was being attacked, inside and outside the castle. The horns would blow whenever there was an attack, and the sounds traveled for miles on end.

"I think," Voiced an old man, one everyone knew as Sarutobi the third, "That the young prince knows his boundaries."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, while the other council members looked at the man in surprise.

"But sir—" They started, but Sarutobi cut them off.

"I am sure that he has reasonable explanations to his actions. If we are to ever advise the prince properly, we must trust him first."

Sarutobi never let on any knowledge of Sasuke's outings, but sometimes the prince just wondered what the third really knew. Was he really putting that much faith in the Uchiha, or he did it for other reasons?

Now was not a good time to be contemplating the old man, so he changed the subject.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" Sasuke asked, staring at the members apathetically. He would rather be at the kitchen, getting a meal.

"Just to remind you that our neighboring kingdom of Naida is sending their prince for friendly negotiations."

Sasuke bowed his head. "Neji has informed me of this."

"Preparations will be made for the occasion, and we will see to it that the security is tightened, just for a precaution." One of the newer members announced. Sasuke made another small bow and headed for the door.

"Inform me if any changes are made." He told the council, and headed out of the room.

The prince then headed down to the kitchen, where the chefs cooked his meal. Oddly enough, the sight of a lifeless salmon that laid on the cutting board brought chills down his spine. He ate his meal—minus the fish—and retired early for bed.

He dreamt of lakes and mermen.