The Never-Fading Light
Chapter 2: A New World
Sasuke practically purred as warm lips kissed their way down his chest, lifting his thin hips to slide off his boxers as they made their way lower. He inhaled the familiar scent, spreading his legs obediently as a warm tongue licked along his abdomen, dropping lower as he grabbed for blond spikes. Blue eyes glanced feraly up at him, grinning before he took him into his mouth.
"Remind me to go on missions more often…" Sasuke managed, gripping the hair tighter as he arched up into that perfect mouth. "Fuck I missed this," He moaned, shifting his hips along with Naruto's mouth. He dropped his head back on the pillow, enjoying himself as he had already been close when the other kissed him awake. Of course he was...the dreams had started again. He hadn't been taking his medicine.
He lazily came in his mouth, Naruto resting his nose in the dark curls and he could feel him smiling. Sasuke stretched as he spread his legs wider, offering himself up if Naruto wanted to take it, but the other crawled up his body instead, and he found his lover's lips for the first fully conscious kiss this morning. His taste spread between them as his lover crawled fully on top of him, laughing as Naruto pulled away to nuzzle his neck.
"I missed you too," Sasuke said, nose crinkled with a smile as Naruto kissed all along his chin.
"Not as much as I missed you...I promise," Naruto assured him, and kissed him once more as he cupped his face. "Happy birthday Sasuke...18...how does it feel?"
Sasuke hummed in his throat, hands coming to grip Naruto's hips as he thought about it. "Well, I suppose it could be worse."
Naruto laughed at that, punching him playfully in the shoulder. "Could be worse? I'm almost Hokage...just a few months and Lady Tsunade is handing over the reigns. You're Captain in the ANBU...what more could we want?" Naruto glanced down at him between thick blond lashes. "Well...there's something else I want." He told him, finger trailing down his chest.
"Oh?" Sasuke asked teasingly, spreading his knees wider as he figured that's what the blond wanted. "Get on it already...think I'm up for another round."
"I want to have a baby…" Naruto said quietly, finger lingering on Sasuke's stomach.
Sasuke felt his jaw drop a little at that as he pushed himself up, Naruto now straddling his hips as he pulled him closer. "What?" He asked curiously, scanning the blond's face. "What do you mean you want a baby? I know you make good use of cumming between my thighs, but you do realize there's a dick down there, don't you?" He asked, grinning now as he figured Naruto was joking.
"We've been together six years," Naruto pointed out.
"I wasn't aware this was a history lesson," Sasuke pointed out, smile fading a little. "I can't have a…"
"I obviously don't mean you carry it Sasuke-teme," Naruto murmured, rolling his eyes. "You can knock someone up."
"Me!?" Sasuke asked, entertaining the crazy notion for half a second. "You want me to bang some girl and have her carry our child?"
"Of course not!" Naruto said. "Like...turkey baster style," Naruto pointed out a little nervous. "We would have an heir...and you could start rebuilding your clan,"
Sasuke was interrupted from telling Naruto that he was a crazy person by the piercing pain in his head as he gripped his skull. Memories flooded him...memories of a similar conversation ripped through him, piercing, expanding as he gripped the sheets, refusing to acknowledge these dreams as real life. He wouldn't. These dreams he had been having since he was a child of Itachi were poison.
"It's alright, baby," He heard Naruto whisper, rocking him as the cascade of pain finally calmed, leaving him lying in Naruto's arms. "Did you take your medicine last night?" He heard the question asked, trying to get through the thrum of pain in order to answer.
"Out," He managed, sighing as Naruto rubbed his back and the pain began to ebb. "I'll get some more today...they haven't...they haven't been as bad." He never told Naruto what they were. He never told anyone what they were. Just that there was something wrong with his brain...that he got headaches. Sometimes he woke up screaming, and other times he woke up with cum between his legs and his fingers inside himself. Naruto never asked during those times. He supposed it had to do with Sasuke distracting him with other means.
Naruto kissed his dark spikes and smiled at him when Sasuke finally managed to lift his head. "No more baby talk today Naruto...I kill people...do you really want our child to be bathed in that blood?" He asked, pushing out of bed and pulling his boxers back on. "Do you want breakfast?"
"Yes," Naruto pointed out. "But we aren't done with this conversation either," He got out of the bed, following him into their kitchen and grabbing Sasuke from behind as he pulled him to his chest, hands coming to his belly. "I'm going to be Hokage, I need an heir," Naruto reminded him, and Sasuke was sure he honestly thought his negotiation skills were on point.
"Oh?" Sasuke asked him, turning his face to glare at his blond shinobi. "Then maybe you should have married a girl?"
"Is that a proposal?" Naruto asked, not taking the bait.
Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes. "Again I would like to remind you that it's my 18th birthday. I offered you sex, is that not enough for you? Now you need proposals and babies?" He teased him before he kissed him. "You want an omelette?"
"I want you to commit," Naruto said seriously, and the smile fell from Sasuke's face. "How can you have been mine since we were 12 and giving each other handjobs in back alleys, and yet when I bring up something important to me you act like we just started dating? The entire village knows we are together!" He accused. "You think I'm ashamed of you because I'm going to be Hokage? Scared of the spotlight because I'm the Kyuubi!?"
"Kind of just not wanting to pick a fight with you after just waking up," Sasuke pointed out, used to Naruto's temper. It had been getting worse the longer the fox was inside him. "But if you want to marry me so much, well then maybe you should propose?" He asked him, before going back to the stove and cracking some eggs into the pan. "You better be okay with omelettes, because I have that and ramen in my wheelhouse, and otherwise I'm worthless as a chef."
"I love you," Naruto whispered, lips pressed to his pulse in apology.
"Yeah yeah…" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I love you too, Dobe. Now go make me coffee," He commanded between a kiss.
Naruto grinned, slapping his ass as he went towards the machine. "Like I would ever willingly deal with you without your coffee. Cranky bitch,"
"Crazy asshole," Sasuke said right back as he cooked, smiling faintly to himself. He wiped at his nose as it bled just a little more from his headache. He pressed close to the stove as he thought about what he had seen. He thought about how Itachi had touched him...had made him promises. What was wrong with him? Why did this happen to him? He hadn't seen his brother in 10 years, and yet he saw him every night. He saw him during the day. He saw him all the time. How could he commit to Naruto completely when it felt like half of his soul belonged to someone else? How could he ever tell Naruto about his insanity when the person in his sick fantasies was his own brother?
"You know it is your birthday. You should have let me cook for you," Naruto pointed out, handing him his coffee. "Though I guess Kakashi is already taking care of that tonight, right?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he sipped. "Good...a parental figure to harp on me about eating more."
"You are really skinny," Naruto remarked, grinning as Sasuke glowered at him over his coffee.
"Shut up Naruto...or I won't give you birthday sex tonight," He threatened.
"Wait," Naruto considered. "Wouldn't I be the one buried between your pretty thighs?"
"Only if I spread them," Sasuke pointed out between sips, handing him his omelette. "Eat up. I've got to go get the medicine, so I'll be back for dinner." He poured the coffee into a to go container as he leaned down to kiss him good-bye. "A few hours tops."
"I don't mind, Sasuke," Naruto reminded him. "It helps you to talk to him, right? To tell him whatever you see?"
Sasuke flinched, Naruto was always more perceptive than he gave him credit for. "It helps," He agreed, and knew Naruto was looking for a promise to open up to him. However, that was something he could never do. "I'll only be a few hours," He finished with before finally leaving the house.
Sasuke stepped out into the streets of Konoha. The apartment they had was right across from the ramen shop. ...Naruto's idea. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he remembered the argument they had had over that one. Sasuke had wanted to go back to his village, and Naruto had wanted hot soup and noodles. ...Of course it wasn't worth the fight. It never was. He wanted to stay in his village out of a promise to himself, but he honestly hated it there. Too many memories. Too many nightmares. The headaches were almost unbearable there. He felt Itachi in everything he touched...he saw those false memories that couldn't possibly be right. That wasn't all though...he saw their deaths every time he was there.
That bastard in the mask, he had been hunting him his entire life. There wasn't even a scrap of information about him. Not even a whisper. He suspected of course. He had to have ties with the Akatsuki, didn't he? But then again, who didn't?
Sasuke glanced up to the banners of black and red that hung even in Konoha...the last free territory left. Akatsuki bastards. The Jinchuuriki terrorized the nation, tearing and ripping their way into absolute obedience. Those monsters had toppled armies and destroyed entire villages. One of those monsters came between his legs every night… It was a strange thing, hating them so much and yet rallying behind one. Naruto was different though...Naruto had to be different.
His fingers reached out, tracing over one of the red clouds as he remembered the war. He remember Naruto being thrust into the front lines at only 15. He remembered the skin ripping off of his face as it elongated. He remembered the monster that came out of the person who kissed him so sweetly. He was bedding a demon, but he didn't care. If anything...he was jealous. Naruto was all that stood between them and slavery like the rest of the territories.
He was going to be Hokage. He was the hero of the village, and Sasuke hated it. ...Deep down...he hated it. He would never tell Naruto that. He would continue on in the ANBU looking for the man in the orange mask, but it was shameful. It was shameful that Naruto should have accomplished so much and he so little. What would his brother think? Where was his brother? There had been whispers of Itachi, but no sightings. It was almost like he was being kept intentionally blinded to his whereabouts. 10 years...10 years with no trace of his family other than these visions...memories...nightmares. How was he expected to go on like this? How could he talk of marriage and children with Naruto when he had a second life he was living in dreams and fantasies?
He supposed it didn't much matter. One day the peace negotiations between Konoha and the Akatsuki would fail, and they would come for Naruto. If that happened...well...he supposed they would all die trying to protect him. Plenty already had. Blood and death were a common occurrence anymore. He happened to think the Akatsuki dogs bled the best. His sword had been covered in plenty of it. Soon he would kill one of the leaders...11 he was told. Just because they hid behind monsters, didn't mean he wouldn't find them some day.
Sasuke headed towards the mountain with the faces of the founders. Konoha was a free territory...but for how long? He heard the stirrings of all out war. How were they supposed to fight off an army of monsters? How was he supposed to stop Naruto from succumbing and becoming just like them?
"You're early," He heard a familiar voice taunt, and turned towards it almost longingly. That voice meant medicine. It meant relief from the torment that came at Itachi's hands.
"Come now sensei," He said with a tease on his breath as he smiled at the man...well..kind of man. "Don't tell me you're upset about getting to see me just a bit early." He bowed to Sasori. "Besides I brought my part." He tossed a vial to his teacher, to his godsend. Sasori had found him on a mission four years ago. His face was covered in blood from the headaches and he had nearly lost his mind with wanting his brother...wanting something. It was almost like he should remember something that he shouldn't have. It was almost like this was all a lie. Sasori had picked him up and gave him a tonic. It had stopped the nightmares. It had stopped the pain if only for a brief moment.
Sasori opened the vial, inhaling as he looked more curious than anything. "It's good...but it isn't good enough. You didn't use enough nightshade."
Sasuke rose an eyebrow. "Criticizing my recipe, now?" He asked. "Wow, you are in a mood." He came over, grabbing the vial back as he inhaled. "It will still kill somebody, I assure you."
"It will," Sasori conceded. "But I am teaching you to be a master assassin. I am teaching you how to carve your name into this world. Just killing someone isn't going to do that."
"Meaning you want them to suffer?" Sasuke asked. "Forgive me if I don't quite have your bloodlust yet, Sensei."
"Forgive me if I don't buy that, Sasuke," Sasori shot right back. "Captain of the ANBU not having bloodlust is an irony that is lost on me." He grabbed the vial back. "You can cut your enemies into bits and carve your name out that way, or you can be more elegant. Shinobi will fear you because they won't understand you," He pointed out.
"If poison carves your name out so well, how come I've never heard of you, Sasori?" He asked right back, smiling as his teacher rolled his eyes.
"Let's not get into the amount of things you don't notice in your life, Sasuke," He said. "Just keep your head buried between your Kyuubi's thighs, and pretend that the world is exactly what you think it is."
"Implying what?" Sasuke asked, friendly nature turning suspicious as he watched Sasori.
"Honestly, Sasuke...Open those pretty eyes and maybe you'll see something," He grumbled to him, pouring out the vial and tossing it back to his apprentice. "Try again."
"I worked a month on that recipe!" Sasuke bit out, staring at his hard work soaking into the ground. "What the hell, Sasori!?"
"Do you want to be good, or do you want to get noticed by him?" Sasori bit right back, no sympathy in his voice.
"Him?" Sasuke asked, anger still strangulating, but his curiosity was piqued. "Have you any news of the man in the orange mask?"
Sasori tilt his head, as if he was considering his answer. "Is that who you thought I meant when I said him?"
"Who else could you mean?" Sasuke murmured back, feeling his heart begin to pound. Sasori was acting very strange today, as if he had grown tired of pretending. He was acting as if this was a bore. "Who do you mean, sensei?"
"You belong to the free territory, Sasuke," Sasori murmured, staring up towards the sky. "Konoha is a haven against the rest of the ravished world. You have surrounded yourself in an illusion. The illusion is going to fade. What will you do when you finally see the truth?" He got up, walking over to him, and Sasuke was forced to look up at Sasori as he tilted up his chin. "What will it do to you?"
"You know," Sasuke started after a minute, reaching up to grab that unnatural hand gripping his chin. "You say these little snippets, implying that I shouldn't quite trust you. Implying that I'm being lied to. You could just tell me the truth?"
"The truth?" Sasori asked right back, reaching in and pulling out his own vial, handing over the medicine. "You don't want to see the truth. You're content to believe the very best in people, and yet soak your own soul in blood and death. You're a conundrum to me. You have the potential inside of you to be Hokage if you wished it, instead you lick that Jinchuuriki's boots. You serve as an ANBU dog, and you meet in back alleys with me to get medicine for a condition that should worry you much more than it does."
"My 'condition' worries me plenty, Sensei," Sasuke growled at him, pocketing the medicine and yanking his face away. "I have no wish to be Hokage. That's Naruto's dream."
"What's your dream, Sasuke?" Sasori asked him. "What do you want?"
Itachi. He wanted his brother. "Revenge," He said instead. "That man took away my family. He took away my village. He took away my brother."
"Itachi Uchiha...He isn't dead," Sasori growled, and Sasuke ignored the sound of dislike in his voice to focus on the first mention of Itachi he had had in years.
"Sasori...Do you know where he is?" He asked, reaching forward to grab him close. "Do you? You have to tell me. I have so many questions for him. I need to see him!"
"There it is," Sasori remarked. "There's actually passion in your eyes. I know where your brother is," He assured him. "That's a very different path than the one you're walking, however. You let everyone see the light, Itachi would eclipse that. He would push you over the edge you've been walking."
Sasuke's heart was pounding so hard he couldn't breathe, fingers twisting almost desperately in Sasori's shirt as he struggled to find the words. "W-w-whe…" His head exploded as he grabbed for it, flashes of images coming to his mind. He remembered Itachi teaching him to throw a kunai, carrying him through the village, bandaging his legs. Those memories turned false, and he saw Itachi between his legs, Itachi pressing him against a tree, Itachi lowering him down on his… Sasuke screamed to get rid of the false flashes, slamming Sasori against the side of the mountain where Madara Uchiha's head stood. "Where is my brother!?"
Blood poured unnoticed down his face, dripping on the ground as he stared Sasori down. He no longer had any doubt that this man had been lying to him. He had been deceiving him all along. He had been keeping Itachi from him.
Sasori didn't seem phased by Sasuke's anger. No, he just reached down into the teen's pocket to pull out the medicine, bringing it to his lips and making him drink. Sasuke's eyes went hazy, dropping to his knees as the sweet relief of the nothingness the tonic provided washed over him. "There's going to be a day where the medicine no longer works, Sasuke." He told him as Sasuke let his head fall to his knees. "You'll have to decide by then if you want to continue to stand in the sun, or follow the trail of breadcrumbs into the darkness."
Sasuke felt a hand in his spikes, stroking them almost delicately, but he knew Sasori had said all he had to say. He knew he had pushed his teacher too far. ...But he also now knew that Sasori had seen Itachi. His sensei knew where his brother was, and all he had to do was make a plan to go get him. That didn't matter now though. Nothing mattered when he thought about sleeping without any nightmares. He slumped over as his eyes shut, considering the bliss lying ahead of him at the prospect of a dreamless sleep.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sasuke was still high by the time he finally managed to get to Kakashi's house. He was dressed in dark jeans and a dark blue shirt that he had focused on buttoning in the mirror for almost a half hour before he managed. ...He supposed there were side effects to Sasori's tonic. It almost felt like he was drunk for the majority of the day. This was fine when it was his day off and he could sleep his way through it. It was less good when he was expected to be at his guardians' house for a birthday dinner. He knocked, attempting to look normal as he took in the familiar surroundings. Just what would he have done if they hadn't taken him in as a child? Just how alone would he have been if he hadn't gotten a new set of guardians? ...Parents really in every meaning of the word.
Naruto was the one that opened the door, and Sasuke grunted as he was immediately yanked forward into his arms. "Where have you been!?" Was the anxious comment, and Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. He smiled, lazily wrapping his arms around him as he nuzzled into his neck.
"You worry too much," He managed, the words heavy in his mind as his hands trailed up Naruto's hips. ...Yeah...the medicine had other side effects as well. "I tried to find you at home," He murmured into his neck, inhaling that almost citrus like smell he associated with his lover. "I even laid in bed naked hoping you would find me, but you never came."
He heard a sigh coming from the left of Naruto's very inviting neck as he dragged his head away, noticing how rosy Naruto's cheeks had become. He smiled at the man who was frowning at the two of them. "Sorry, Kakashi...got a bit carried away."
"Are you drunk?" Kakashi asked. "Here I thought you had just stumbled into adulthood today and may practice a bit more self-restraint."
"Oh give them a break Kakashi!" His other guardian said, and Sasuke grinned at his other guardian, taking in the covered eye and the grinning face. "It's his birthday, he can party if he wants to."
"Don't encourage him Obito," Kakashi scolded, frowning at his lover as he was pulled back against his chest. "Though I suppose if you're already halfway there you might as well come all the way inside for a drink," Kakashi conceded with a sigh.
Obito grinned after him. "Don't let him fool you into thinking he doesn't drink," Obito reached out to grab Sasuke's chin, tilting him up to look at his eyes. "Just like you can't fool me into thinking that's sake on your breath. You told us the headaches were better,"
Sasuke's thoughts were sluggish as he considered that. Well...they were better right now. He supposed it wouldn't be too much of a lie if he told him that. "They are better. Just had a bad nightmare this morning,"
Naruto jumped to his defense. "He hardly has them at all anymore, Obito-san. He's getting better." Sasuke wondered vaguely if Naruto believed it when he lied to himself like that. ...Probably not.
"Practically healed," He continued the lie to his guardian. His only family. Obito had been presumed dead. He had been imprisoned by the Akatsuki for most of his life. That was before they had come out of the woodwork with their master plan. That was before they had taken over. Obito had escaped and had come for Sasuke when he was 9. He had taken him in...his only family left besides his wayward brother. It hadn't taken long after that for Kakashi to move in with them.
It had been Obito that had pushed him to join the ANBU, it had been Obito that had helped him with his leads towards the murderer of his clan, it had been Obito that had suggested Naruto could move in as well when they were 12. It's not like his dobe had any family either, and the four of them fit together. A perfect family. Well...as perfect as two orphans could find he supposed.
"You're not a very good liar, Sasuke," His cousin murmured, but let it go as he headed after Kakashi.
"You got more medicine?" Naruto asked, pulling him back close. "You wouldn't have taken it if you didn't have another attack. Was it bad?"
Sasuke leaned forward then, kissing him as his lips trailed lazily to his cheek and then down his perfectly sculpted chin. "Nothing I can't handle Dobe...Don't you trust me?"
Naruto scoffed, but didn't pull away. "When it comes to your health? When it comes to how much you like to torture yourself? No...not at all. Not even a bit." Naruto pulled him back so that he could look at him properly, and Sasuke smiled playfully at him as he saw his dobe frowning. "We have to do something different about the headaches, Sas…"
"Let's go get a drink," Sasuke interrupted, not wanting to have this familiar fight yet again. Not today. Not when he had just come to the first proof that his brother was out there somewhere.
"Sasuke…" Naruto tried, tired frustration in his tone. "Babe...You can't just ignore this."
Watch him. "I have a mission coming up tomorrow, did I tell you that?" He asked his lover as he poured both of them a glass of sake.
"No," Naruto managed, but Sasuke heard the annoyance in that tone as he handed him the glass. Naruto seemed to be debating with himself if he was going to push the issue. "I suppose I can't ask you where to. Can you at least tell me if you're leaving the territory?"
"Yes," He told him, ignoring the frown that creased Naruto's face.
"It's dangerous out there, Sasuke. Why are you the one that always has to leave?" Because he wasn't a coward. Because it gave him a little excitement. Because the man in the orange mask was out there, and so was his brother.
"I'll be fine," He assured his lover. "I'm always fine. I'm not a Captain because I'm weak, Naruto. Obviously don't have a Jinchuuriki, but I'm not weak."
"I'd rip it out and give it to you if I could," Naruto growled. "At least then you wouldn't act like this every time you mentioned it." Hands came to his hips, and Sasuke looked up as Naruto's eyes flashed red. "Do you think I want this inside me?"
Sasuke stood his ground, not backing down to the monster inside of him. "I think it makes you special. I think it's the only thing keeping Konoha free from the Akatsuki. I think it's what is going to make you Hokage some day." Sasuke downed the glass of sake. "Why wouldn't you want it?" He growled. He went to pull away and join his guardians in the dining room, but Naruto grabbed him and pulled him back almost roughly.
"Why are you being like this today!?" He asked, and those nails dug in hard enough to bruise. Sasuke would never admit how much that turned him on. "Is it because of this morning? What I asked?"
"Gods don't bring it up again…" Sasuke begged, gritting his teeth as Naruto's temper grew along with his nails.
"So it is about the baby?" Naruto shot back.
"There is no baby," Sasuke promised him. "There is never going to be a baby. I am not your goddamn housewife...my dear future Hokage," He hissed, shoving Naruto away from him and grabbing the bottle as he headed in towards the food.
What did Naruto think was going to happen? They were going to get married? They were going to have a son who would be the next Hokage? Would Sasuke be known in the village as the Hokage's consort? As a kept pet who had to give up his position to tend to a child? He wasn't ready to be that ordinary yet. He wasn't ready to give up his life to walk in Naruto's shadow, no matter how much he loved him.
He sat down next to Kakashi, who eyed the bottle in his hand. "Are you planning on sharing that?" He asked his ward, and Sasuke grinned as he poured them all glasses as Naruto came in to sit down.
"Of course, Sensei," He commented. After all, he may be a jounin now, but Kakashi would always be his original teacher. Even if he had a new master now, one that lied to him. Sasori kept secrets, but Sasuke was very good at getting secrets out. He just wished the ones he loved didn't feel the need to lie to him.
He felt Naruto's searching hand grasp the one laying on his lap, and he glanced over to the blond. He smiled softly at him as he squeezed the hand back, giving him his forgiveness. They would talk about this later...of course they would, but he hated fighting with him. He hated when Naruto was angry with him, and he knew his dobe felt the same. They weren't ready to have a kid...but maybe...maybe someday they would be. Maybe someday Sasuke would realize why when he thought about his future with Naruto he felt so hollow.
Kakashi reached out to ruffle his spikes. "Happy birthday, brat. I can't believe I managed to raise you into an adult," He pointed out.
"Didn't take much work," Obito pointed out. "Sasuke practically raised himself. I've never seen a more focused child in my life. Of course, having Naruto to compare to you really had the advantage, didn't you?"
"Hey!" Naruto shot out, affronted. "I'm focused!"
"Yes yes," Obito agreed placatingly. "You are very driven towards your goal. You are also messy, loud, and you spent a good portion of your adolescent life stinking like BO," He teased him as Naruto glared.
"Well we all can't be perfect and preen ourselves like Sasuke,' He pointed out, but the hand under the table squeezed harder.
"I don't preen," Sasuke pointed out. "I'm just naturally sexy,"
"And clearly not full of yourself," Kakashi pointed out with a laugh, dealing out the food as he rose his glass. "However, I will go ahead and add to your already extraordinarily large ego and say a toast," Kakashi pointed out, standing and ignoring the way Sasuke blushed at the attention. "Sasuke, when you came into our lives I had just found something precious to me. I didn't realize I would be getting something even more so." He looked to Obito, winking. "No offense," He turned back. "You have grown into an amazing young man. You are one of the most cherished jounin in the village, and have risen to a rank in the ANBU that is enviable to even the most seasoned shinobi. You are a great partner to Naruto and Sakura, and you are an even better son to us." Sasuke looked to the ground then, cheeks hot and eyes stinging as his hand shook in Naruto's own. Kakashi laughing is what made him glance back up. "You hide your face when I call you son. What makes you think you aren't?"
"I...I…" Sasuke cleared his throat as he fought through the haze. "You took me in. I'll never forget your kindness," He told them both. "But you don't have to consider me a son. I lost my family. I am grateful to have found a new one, but I'm not selfish enough to have thought that you would want me," He stopped himself, eyes burning with embarrassment and emotion as he leaned into the arm Naruto wrapped around him. "Thank you," He just said, keeping his face hidden as he raised his glass into the toast. "Thank you all. I don't think I deserve your kindness, but I don't know where I would be without it."
Naruto kissed his cheek, laying his forehead against his dark spikes. "Happy birthday, baby." He managed, and then raised his glass. "To Sasuke," He said, and Sasuke heard an echo from his two guardians in the room. Sasuke smiled as they clinked their glasses, and he thought for not the first time what would have happened to him if Obito and Kakashi hadn't taken him in. How could he even think about being lonely when he had this family? How could he be this happy and yet, not the first time, wish his brother was there. What he wouldn't give to have Itachi there to wish him a happy birthday...to say he was proud of him. What he wouldn't give to have his beloved answers to just where his Aniki had gone.
Sasuke was in the kitchen doing the dishes after dinner when Obito came in. He paused in his task as his cousin leaned against the counter, turning towards his guardian as he dried his hands. "Thank you again for…"
"I have another birthday present for you," Obito interrupted the formalities, and Sasuke noticed his eye was dark and intense. His gaze was focused on him as he held up a slip of paper.
Sasuke glanced at the piece of paper, raising his eyebrow. "Is it the location of my pony? You know I've always wanted a pony," He said sarcastically. "Naruto and I can keep it in our living room. Like a puppy,"
"It's something much better than a pony," Obito assured him, ignoring the sarcasm. "I found something. A lead on the murderer."
Sasuke's heart stopped dead as his eyes widened, flooding with the sharingan as he watched his guardian, as if searching for any lie that could come from his lips. "How? There has never been any…" He swallowed as he tried to calm down. "What did you find out?"
"He's in the Akatsuki," Obito said, a lilt of tease in his tone. "But then you knew that. You've been theorizing that since you were 15."
"I never had any proof," Sasuke pointed out, mouth having gone dry as he gripped the edge of the sink.
"Here's your proof," Obito handed over the paper. "I think you're old enough now to handle it. One of the leaders is the murderer of your clan. That's their location. What are you going to do about it?"
Sasuke stared down at the coordinates as he felt chakra whipping through him, wanting to explode in his anger as he remembered every death he had witnessed. He remembered that man holding him down, torturing him and making him witness their murders over and over again. "You can't tell Naruto. He can't leave the territory," Sasuke managed, his voice sounded sharp as a knife. There was death in his tone as sparks left his fingertips.
"I won't tell him," Obito agreed. "However, you know he'll go after you if he knows where you're going."
"He thinks I'm going on a mission," Sasuke said, voice still having that strange edge.
"Meaning you already intended to leave?" Obito gave a small laugh. "You found out something today, didn't you?"
"I found a lead on Itachi," Sasuke murmured, never feeling the need to lie to his cousin. He always seemed to know anyways.
"Did you?" Obito asked, only he didn't seem that surprised. "My my...such a interesting birthday, isn't it? So which murderer will you seek out?"
"My brother isn't a murderer," Sasuke growled at him, because he was the only one allowed to have doubts over his wayward family.
Obito laughed full heartedly this time, shaking his head as he eyed Sasuke. "Dear boy, whatever gives you the idea that Itachi isn't a murderer?"
Sasuke glared at his cousin. "How would you know, Obito?" He asked him, teeth gritted as he held up the piece of paper. "How long have you had this information?"
"You weren't ready before," Obito informed him, not denying he had been holding onto it.
"Why am I ready now?" Sasuke asked him, and knew he wouldn't get an answer as Obito just gave that same infuriating smile. "Will you watch out for Naruto while I'm gone?" He asked instead.
"Don't I always?" Obito questioned with a head tilt. "You're not our only orphan,"
Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I hope he gets an equally as embarrassing speech for his birthday,"
"Now now...you know all my sentimentality is reserved for my spiky haired brat," Obito teased him. "Now, go get your answers. I'll make your excuses here. It has to be tonight."
"Why does it have to be tonight?" Sasuke asked, but knew he wasn't going to get an answer as Obito moved towards the unfinished dishes.
"I would use the window if I were you," Obito remarked. "And don't forget your sword,"
"When have I ever forgotten my sword?" Sasuke remarked back as he opened the window and began to crawl out.
"Oh, and Sasuke?" Obito asked as Sasuke glanced back. "I really hope you find your answers."
Sasuke grinned back at him, even though his heart was pounding with nervous anticipation. "Thank you cousin. You managed to make this the most memorable birthday I've ever had," He said before disappearing out into the night. He would find his answers, and then maybe...just maybe...the nightmares would stop for good.
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A.N- I hope this wasn't too confusing to anyone! I really tried to build this new world that Sasuke had created. I promise more of this new existence and the secrets around it will begin to unfold. Sasuke really built himself a happy world, and yet wrecked everything at the same time. He's happy, and yet as discontent as always. I hope his brightness kind of carried through into the writing. It is kind of fun to write a happy Sasuke. More answers coming in the next chapter I promise, and hopefully we will get a glimpse of this world's Itachi ;) Thanks for reading!