The Company We Keep

As he made his way through the trees of the forest, Sasuke clicked his tongue in irritation that nightfall was already nearly upon him. He'd barely rested in the three days he'd been gone and was paying the price with his stamina running low. A large portion of that was due to doubling back multiple times to ensure he wasn't followed and weaving traps. Call it being paranoid, but he didn't want to take any chances.

For the time being, he had a destination in mind and had hoped that today, he'd reach it. He paused for a moment to look around, wiping sweat from his face. He couldn't wait to sit down in all honesty. But not now, not when he was so close. The landscape looked the same no matter which way he turned but he used his Rinnegan to assist with perceiving any lifeforms in the area. He turned a full circle until, to the left and behind him, he sensed something other than the animals and fauna.

So he'd passed it up. He exhaled a breath, heading in the correct direction. He wasn't thinking straight now, which was dangerous. He'd also been using his Rinnegan so much that the six comma-like tomoe that surrounded it were nearly gone. If the final one disappeared, he'd be reduced to only having his Sharingan to guide him; powerful, but not useful in the current situation.

His walking brought him to a large tree with an unassuming trunk. He smirked briefly that at least it offered a little more originality by not having the entrance so close to the ground. However, he was exhausted and the last thing he wanted to do was move more than he had to. He forced his remaining chakra to his feet and jumped several branches up, circling around until he reached about halfway. A large branch obscured a hole small enough that no man could fit through.

He certainly wasn't a child but seeing it made him just the smallest bit relieved that he hadn't hit full adulthood yet. Pushing his bag in first as a way of notification, he then wriggled through as well. Instantly, he was plummeted back down the length of the tree but the tunnel went much deeper. A dull light came into view and within seconds, the tunnel ended where he was ejected unceremoniously on his rear end across a floor.

Rising to dust himself off, his eyes rose to meet those of the occupant of the base. "My, my, I let you go and you come right back to me," Orochimaru smiled mischievously, handing over Sasuke's bag from where it'd come shooting through the tunnel.

"I'm not staying," Sasuke quickly cleared up, looking around. The room they were in was a lab but filled only with various utensils and questionable ingredients. "Where's your test subjects?" he asked, letting a hint of disgust creep into his voice.

Orochimaru gave a vague wave. "Tucked away safely. If you're not staying, I'm guessing you want me to put you up for the night then? You look rather tired and…sweaty." His eyes raked Sasuke from head to toe, assessing his condition. "I do happen to have a spare room, though I'm curious; how were you able to find me?"

The man began to lead them further inside, taking a few turns down hallways that each looked similar to the last. "I had plenty of time to wander around and find your hideouts after I'd absorbed most of your body," Sasuke admitted with a note of superiority. "And any I didn't know, Karin helped me find."

"I see," his former trainer nodded with mild amusement. Stopping in front of a door, he pushed it open and turned on the light. "It's a bit smaller than the room you previously had when you lived with me but I hope you find it adequate."

With little respect, Sasuke stepped past him, examining the room. Indeed, it was smaller, though it had the basics: a bed, a small bedside table, and…an attached bathroom. Now that, his other room did not have.

Noticing him looking at the bathroom, Orochimaru smiled. "Figured it'd be more convenient for guests to simply have their own bathroom. That way there's less of a chance of them getting hopelessly lost in the hallways…like I remember once happening to you." That smile widened, making Sasuke turn his head away with slightly red cheeks.

Walking out the room, the man paused to inform him, "You know already I'm not fond of cooking but while you get settled, I'll see what I can make. If only I still had Kabuto…" he lamented. "Oh, and…perhaps I'm being paranoid, but I still must ask. Are you certain you weren't followed?"

"Rather positive. I doubled back multiple times and I didn't sense anything with the Rinnegan." In truth, Sasuke was a little offended that he would be doubted. Even if he cared little for his former teacher, compromising his safety right now would come at the cost of compromising his own.

Orochimaru eyed him a moment longer. "Fine then. I'll send for you when dinner's ready." He left, strolling with a certain dignified air.

Sasuke closed the door behind him, then turned to sit on the bed. Opening his bag, he dug out the second outfit he'd packed, wrinkling his nose as he smelled just how dirty his current clothes were. The bag was also rather low on provisions, another reason he'd chosen to stop here.

In the bathroom, he took his time in the shower, uncertain of when he'd have a chance to experience hot water again. Turning his back to the spray as he liked, he folded his arms on the back wall, resting his forehead against them. Now that he didn't have to focus so much on staying safe, all the worries he'd pushed aside came trickling forth, and all of them dealing with Naruto.

He found himself chuckling ironically that he rather missed his blond loser. Was it really within this lifetime that he'd completely rejected him, doing everything in his power to hurt him? Even though they'd only been together for a short time, it already felt much longer, perhaps due to their extended history.

He worried about mundane things: Was Naruto eating right, taking the time to make more than just ramen? Was he doing okay on his mission objectives and not letting his hyperactivity get in the way? Did he remember to disconnect the services in his house as Sasuke had stupidly forgotten to?

And then his deeper feelings surfaced their way to the front: How was Naruto handling the issue of his removal? Did he hold resentment towards the village? And…did he miss him?

The hot water made it too easy to feel comfortable and so he forced himself to not think about their last night together. Just the notion of "taking care" of himself within Orochimaru's residence was enough to ensure he remained flaccid. With a sigh, he tried his hardest to push thoughts of Naruto again to the back of his mind; there wasn't anything either of them could do for each other at this point.

Once finished, he dried off with a large, powder blue towel that was in the bathroom. Wrapping it around his waist , he cleared off a section of steam from the mirror to comb out his thick hair. Even that made him think of Naruto, lamenting his presence to massage his scalp like he would always do. Another pang of longing he forced himself to suppress.

The knock on the door came just as he was exiting the bathroom, now fully dressed. He opened it to see not Orochimaru, but another old, familiar face. "Long time, no see," Jugo greeted, holding open his arms.

Sasuke made no move towards him so Jugo stepped forward to complete the hug anyways, squeezing him tightly in his massive arms. Never before had Jugo hugged him but he had to remember that the guy was a gentle kitten in the body of a beast. The young man spoke to birds like Snow White; he shouldn't have been surprised that he'd want a hug. Also, Sasuke figured it was best to let him do it so that he wouldn't see his dark side come out.

"Orochimaru told us you were here but I couldn't believe it," Jugo said, guiding Sasuke down one of the hallways. "Never in a million years did I expect you to come back."

"Who's 'us'?" Sasuke instantly noted.

"Oh, Suigetsu and Karin are here, too. Usually, Orochimaru tries to keep them separated so that they don't drive him up a wall but she so happened to be here to give him an update."

They went through a set of double-doors fit for a house and arrived at the kitchen. The area was large, sharing space with the dining room as well, which most of the room's occupants were seated around the table. Orochimaru was at the stove, reading the instructions on the back of a box while stirring something in a pot. The moment he entered, Karin and Suigetsu hopped up from their chairs and ran over, eyes wide as they appraised him.

"Sasuke Uchiha, in the fuckin' flesh!" Suigetsu crowed, looping an arm around his shoulders to pull him into a half hug. "So you didn't forget your humble beginnings, you know, before going off to save the world and whatnot." His grin showed off every one of his sharp teeth.

Before Sasuke could answer, Karin had thrown herself at him, squeezing tightly. However, he was surprised when she herself let go soon thereafter instead of having to pry her away. "I haven't seen you since the war! How've you been? You should've at least visited to let us know you were okay."

Sasuke looked at her curiously as they moved to the table to sit. Never before had Karin been so…calm. Usually she toggled between violently berating him and melting with adoration. "I had no reason to come here before now and sending a message is too dangerous since it can be intercepted." He figured that wouldn't suffice and awaited the impending thunderstorm that she would conjure forth.

Instead, she smiled in understanding. "Quite true. So, what've you been doing lately?"

It was here as Sasuke thought about using his Rinnegan to ensure Karin was truly herself that Suigetsu took a seat next to her. His hand rested itself on her lap where he could tell she wrapped her hand around it, making him hum in appreciation. Sasuke looked between them, eyebrows raised.

"That explains some things…" he muttered which was received by giggles all around.

"Yeah, well, it's also why Karin is usually at a different location," Jugo said, giving a look to Suigetsu. "The two bicker and argue so much, it's hard for Lord Orochimaru to get any work done. Don't let their lovey-dovey smiles fool you; Karin's not changed a bit."

"I'm not going to let you goad me, if that's what you're trying to do," Karin scoffed, pushing her glasses up primly. "I'm beyond that."

"Yeah right," Suigetsu said under his breath but his voice carried anyways.

"What was that?!" Karin immediately flared up. "Wanna say that a little louder?"

"Aw, c'mon, babe! You know I didn't mean anything by it!" Suigetsu innocently held up his hands.

"Don't 'babe' me! I have a name!" She shrieked even louder, her hair beginning to float as her chakra was emitted.

"Karin, baby, don't be like that! Nobody likes a crazy chick!"

Sasuke, Jugo and even Orochimaru groaned and face-palmed.

There was a flash of a fist, the sound of a loud impact, and then the stomping of feet as Karin went over to the kitchen to fume. Sasuke winced as he saw the rather large welt on the back of Suigetsu's head and as the boy rubbed at it ruefully, Sasuke quietly asked, "And how did you two ever think you'd work as a couple?"

"Meh, she's cute," Suigetsu winked. "Besides, I don't mind her getting mad so much anymore. In fact…I'd worry if she didn't. She didn't get mad at you not contacting us because she's moved on from you. I'll know she's stopped caring if she does the same to me." His eyes showed his apprehension. But Suigetsu was never one for sadness and he changed the subject by asking, "So! Are you seeing anyone?"

Sasuke thought about lying, but figured it honestly didn't matter. At least, that's what he tried to convince himself. His cheeks still flushed as he shrugged, "Naruto and I are together."

There was a small fumble in the kitchen as Orochimaru got plates out of the cabinet. He gave a quick, apologetic smile that was out of place on his face, then pretended to go back to what he was doing.

Now it was Suigetsu's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Naruto? You mean that blond kid that hosts the Nine-Tails? Now that you mention it…yeah, you'd probably prefer someone super strong like yourself. Birds of a feather flock together, right? Er, no offense."

"None taken," Sasuke dismissed.

"That sounds really sweet," Jugo quietly murmured, lost somewhere in his own memories. "To have someone like that to care for. Or to at least let them know your feelings before they're gone."

Suigetsu shot him a confused look. "Eh? What's that you're mumbling about?"

Jugo said nothing else, though his expression remained sadly pensive.

"Dinner's ready!" Karin called, helping Orochimaru to bring over the food. Dropping the previous conversation, the five instead exchanged information on what'd been happening on their ends as they ate. Sasuke withheld giving the real reason for why he was outside the village, instead stating it was due to his usual rounds of helping out after the war wherever he could. While the others seemed to accept that, Orochimaru gave him a secretive look that let him know he didn't believe him. A bit annoyed at Orochimaru's perceptiveness, Sasuke figured he'd pull him aside sometime before leaving.

After dinner, Sasuke offered to do the dishes, hoping it'd aid in his next request. "Orochimaru, I'm going to need to stock up on food and medical supplies. That's the other reason why I came here."

Stacking the dishes beside the sink, the snake man thought for a moment. "Medical supplies is no problem, though I don't think I have much of anything in the way of food that'd do well outside of a fridge." Suddenly, his golden eyes lit up with an idea. "Ah, I can make you a batch of food pills—"

"Sakura actually made me some not too long ago," Sasuke interjected. "It's all I've eaten for the last few days but I finished those. I was…kind of hoping for something different." Ugh, it sounded like he was begging.

But it must've worked as Orochimaru gave him an endearing smile. "Alright, I'll have something ready for you in the morning. Now if all of you will excuse me, I have work to do. Oh, and Karin, Suigetsu?" he looked between his two charges. "Please keep it down?"

"Sure thing!" Suigetsu sarcastically saluted him.

Orochimaru let out a huff as he rolled his eyes, leaving the kitchen.

While Karin and Suigetsu left not too long after him, Jugo remained behind to help with the dishes. Even though he'd talked some during dinner, Sasuke noticed he was still being quieter than usual. "You doing okay?" he asked, washing a dish and passing it to him to be dried.

"Yeah, just…thinking." He dried out the bowl and put it in the cabinet above.

Ordinarily, Sasuke wouldn't press anyone for details on their life, but he didn't want the guy to bottle up his emotions which might potentially set him off. Cautiously he asked, "A ryo for your thoughts?"

He was rewarded with a brief smile. "It's nothing, honestly."

But Sasuke waited.

"It's just that…I'm kind of jealous," Jugo finally admitted. "You have Naruto and Suigetsu has Karin, oddly enough. And I…had…" he faltered, biting his lip.

Sasuke thought he knew the answer. "Kimimaro?"

Jugo looked away, giving all the confirmation Sasuke needed.

"Hey, you only talked about him nearly every waking moment," Sasuke smiled sympathetically, giving a small nudge that he hoped wouldn't result in him being ripped in two. "I figured he was the most likely one you were talking about."

Continuing back with drying, Jugo also smiled faintly. "Yeah. He was the only one that really understood me. We both were outcasts to our villages. He's the one that encouraged me to go to Lord Orochimaru to help find a cure. And now, it's actually been months since the last time I raged. Orochimaru's come up with a new medicine that seems to really be working. I wouldn't be able to be this happy…if it weren't for Kimimaro."

Sasuke had always been rather repulsed by the extreme fixation on Orochimaru by some of his subordinates, almost bordering on a religious worship. He decided to keep that opinion to himself though and was rather glad that Orochimaru had at least genuinely helped one person without selfish reasons. "That's really awesome," he said and made sure to meet Jugo's eyes so that he knew he meant it.

Jugo flushed, lapsing into a content quiet. The two finished up the dishes before bidding each other good night and Sasuke retraced the steps he'd taken earlier to find his way back to his room.

Once there, he didn't bother to turn on the light, instead lazily pushing everything off the mattress and onto the floor. He was too full and too tired to care. But he also found that he was actually quite at ease. He had figured he was going to be nothing more than apathetic towards everything during his exile but being here opened his eyes to how much he actually cared.

That didn't negate his longing for Naruto though. Still, he knew his boyfriend would also be happy to know he'd made other friends, that there were people outside of Konoha who cared about him. He let the warmth of those thoughts wash over him until his eyelids inevitably became too heavy…

Yes, I know it'd be a cold day in hell before Suigetsu would ever date Karin, but…just indulge me in my humor for this one, 'kay? :) The idea of Kimimaro and Jugo though gives me the fuzzies…