Responsibility

/Blah/ Naruto talking to Kyuubi mentally.

Once again, the raven was left unattended with Konoha's sacred Vessel.

Naruto had peeled himself from the ivory Cabinet though his demeanor seemed more sedate than before.

"Did you mean what you said?" The blonde asked though he kept his eyes downcast at his feet that had turned inward. His lips pursed in thought.

This is absurd! He couldn't be someone's mate. This village must have had too much inbreeding going on to come up with such a barbaric custom. How old was this brat anyway, ten or eleven even?

"Every word I don't know you and I'm being held prisoner," Sasuke felt the answer leaving his lips before he had a chance to rethink it.

Something engulfed Naruto's bronze features an emotion that Sasuke had yet to decipher.

The adolescent's bright sapphire hues had taken on a cold calculating amber glow if that was possible.

That's new. Sasuke inquired. This time those intense amber orbs had met somber depths before something very strange happened. The corner of the blonde's mouth had hitched upwards exposing the sharp canine he looked almost feral.

"I only said that to save your life," within seconds, the intense moment between them was gone and the blonde looked like he was back to normal, though Sasuke had an inkling that the brat was not entirely true if that reaction alone was proof enough.

"I'm sorry that I put you in this predicament, there wasn't any other way. On the plus side, you chose the right time to get caught! If you showed up a month earlier there would have been nothing I could do…" His voice had trailed off. The teen sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than the Shinobi sitting across from him.

"What do you mean a month earlier?"

Naruto had once again plopped down next to Sasuke totally disregarding the Shinobi's personal space bubble again.

"I'm supposed to choose a mate before the end of my third spring. If I don't, then I won't get another chance."

Something definitely was not adding up to Sasuke. If it really was his third spring, then that would mean in retrospect the boy would only be three years old, but he did not look three, in fact, nothing about this felt right.

Sensing Sasuke's confusion the blonde continued. "With each passing spring, I grow faster than any normal human child. Until I hit the mature age of eighteen that is when my growth slows down until it's virtually nonexistent."

"That does not seem fair," He had said this more to himself.

"I know but it's the price to pay to be a vessel. The older I get the more Kyuubi and my chakras merge until we are one body and one mind. " Naruto had been staring transfixed at a piece of lint that was resting on his right knee. The weight of his own words just now sinking in.

"What Naruto says is true."

Both Sasuke and Naruto had jerked to their feet. They were unable to detect the silver-haired Jonin that had slipped unnoticed inside the dining area.

"Oy, took you long enough old man. You're starting to get rusty Kakashi."

The silver-haired Shinobi chuckled at the insult. The Jonin was used to the blonde and his jokes. He practically helped raise the boy.

"Naruto I need a word with your mate alone. You should go and find Tsunade before you get yourself in even more trouble." Kakashi's tone seemed casual enough, but Naruto knew better.

"Aw, alright…" The blonde looked put out but he gradually moved towards the exit.

"What part of Tsunade is looking for you that you don't understand?"

"Find I'm going!" The Vessel had given both of them one last glance before sticking his tongue out and leaving.

Ugh, Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes.

"The Gods must be smiling down upon you," Kakashi said this with genuine mirth.

"I like to beg to differ." There was something about this man that made Sasuke uneasy. First off, why was 50 percent of his face covered?

"There will be a special place in hell for you."

He hitched an ebony brow, well Sasuke sure wasn't expecting that.

"I don't under-"

"-If you think you can take advantage of Naruto. Whatever self-respect you have as a man will make you hold off on any advances."

"What!?"

He could not believe what this silver-haired asshole was insinuating.

"You know as in se-"

"-I know exactly what you mean! I didn't ask for this!"

Kakashi had paused long enough just to see that arrogant asshole mentally disheveled.

"Just remember there will be a special place in hell just for you."

Naruto found Tsunade's nose deep in a bottle of sake. Her cheeks were flushed from the warm alcoholic beverage that most likely impaired her senses. Fortunately, for him, if she chose to start chucking things at him. He knew she would be concealed away from view in her tower.

"Tsunade-baa-chan you were looking for me?"

The attractive blonde grimaced at the offensive nickname she wasn't even that old.

"Took you long enough brat… Did you have fun? Flat out disobeying me," She had said this while taking a huge swig of her sake cup, before slamming it hard on her wooden desk.

"I should've had you bound and gagged to your bed…" Naruto wondered if she had been thinking out loud just then.

"You know Naruto this outsider is going to betray us someday. And you just had to have gone off and gotten yourself betrothed to him."

The blonde knew she only drank like this when she was stressed.

"Then it will be my responsibility." He had said this with both fists balled.

"You're damn right it is! Stupid boy!"

"I reckon it's time for a change! We have been closed off from the outside world for way too long-"

She had tossed her sake cup at him but failed miserably and winded up hitting the door behind him.

"I thought you had more common sense than this Naruto! If anyone was to get a hold of these hidden scrolls the world as we know it will fall to pieces. No one will be safe."

Both blondes had locked eyes, sapphire blue exchanged with warm honey. Naruto sighed there was no use in trying to get her to listen. She was old and set in her ways.

"You're right…" He said this as he left her with her precious sake.

Author's Note: Thank you all for the support! It brings me great pleasure to know that people actually enjoy my story ;D and no worries TS will be updated soon enough.