Wonders and Miracles
Disclaimer: I still have yet to find the legal papers necessary for me to own Naruto. Darn.
Author's Note: It's always easier to write on a full stomach and when your stomach's full of BBQ, it's that much better. 'Course, grades come out this week, so I might not be able to write for a while, but, till then, I shall write to my heart's content!
Warning: Religious stuff is gonna be all over this story, so if you're gonna get offended, don't tell me about it or don't read it. And if you do tell me about it, don't yell at me.
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"Some would scoff and some would salute you. To consider what other people might say is hardly a good reason to take action or to defer it."-Master (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister)
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Naruto, being the naturally curious person he was and having an instinct to know whether or not it was time to run, turned to face the person. Familiar qualities assaulted him, but they were in a colder, harder face. Pale skin, much like the hand that had helped him out the window, icy obsidian eyes, so much like Itachi would get sometimes when he was angry and sharp angular features with charcoal hair that was graying at the temples, surely this man was an Uchiha.
Sasuke already knew who it was, recognized the voice from a decade and a half living with the man. He'd never entirely agreed with him, but he'd never hated his father either. Sasuke forced himself to turn and look at Fugaku, staring down at them.
"I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and say you were capturing this street rat, had I not heard those last words of yours, boy."
Naruto glanced back and forth. He had stuff to say to the man, but he didn't want Sasuke to hate him either. Sasuke seemed glued to the spot, his mouth refusing to work and his eyes were averted.
"What're you talking about? This bastard just captured me! Stupid teme got me as I was coming out the window. Double-crossing snake." Naruto spat, hoping that Sasuke would go along with it.
The softer onyx eyes glanced sharply at him, but Naruto didn't meet his eyes, keeping his gaze firmly on Fugaku. A thin, wintry smile came to Fugaku's lips.
"Nice try, demon. I'm well aware of what was going on."
Naruto bristled at the derogative. "So what're you gonna do about it?"
"Both of you will be burned for witchcraft. I thought this was obvious, but apparently both of you are too stupid to understand such a simple thing."
Sasuke didn't respond, didn't twitch and Naruto was worried. Sasuke wasn't the most rebellious person, but he went against what was wrong in his eyes. Was this any different because it was his father? Naruto couldn't remember his parents, so he couldn't really say anything. Jiraiya had told him that they were both proud, strong people that had died trying to get Naruto to safety. Those had been dangerous times, more dangerous than now, and they'd barely been able to get Naruto inside the church to Tsunade, who claimed sanctuary. Tsunade had been helping the church with the dozens injured in the wars, and had been allowed sanctuary for whatever time she spent in the church and had taken the child in, having been unable to save his parents.
"Sir, I see you found this vermin." Orochimaru told him, coming up the stairs and Naruto's heart dropped. Where were Tsunade and Jiraiya?
"I found two of them."
Orochimaru glanced quickly at Sasuke, then switching to Naruto, who glared back. "Sir, your son is there."
"That is what I mean. Lock them both up. They're to be burned in the morning."
-?-?-?-?
Sasuke hadn't said a word in the hours that they'd been in the cell. Naruto had tried talking to him, but he seemed almost dead if it weren't for the tension of his shoulders. The brunette was leaning against the wall, head bowed, the blonde cross-legged in front of him.
Hesitantly, Naruto reached out for his shoulder. "…Sasuke?"
No hint of recognition.
"Are you mad?" He didn't seem mad in Naruto's opinion, more like depressed.
Still nothing.
"…Sasuke, talk to me dammit."
The silence was starting to become very loud to Naruto.
"Sasuke, you're scaring me. C'mon. It's not that bad. We'll get out of here." Naruto told him, smiling slightly as he gently shook the pale boy's shoulder.
The reaction was instantaneous. Sasuke whirled, eyes glowing like embers, knocking Naruto's hand away. "That's exactly it, idiot! We won't get out of here, and by the slight chance that we do, my father is standing outside waiting for us!"
It was the first time Naruto had ever heard him raise his voice and he felt something inside him shrink back slightly. Still, he always rebelled against things and this was no different.
Flowing curses spilled from Naruto's lips, and Sasuke blinked, slightly taken aback. The cobalt eyes blazed as they came back up to meet his own. "Are you just gonna sit here in fear of your father forever?!"
"You don't know what it's like!" Sasuke got to his feet, pacing.
Naruto stood as well. "You're damn right I don't! And if it bothers you so much, why don't you freaking talk to me! I can't know anything unless you let me in, teme!"
Sasuke felt like strangling him. It wasn't something you could explain. Could you tell someone who couldn't feel how the fain felt, or a blind person how the sky looked? Naruto took his silence as stubbornness.
Growling, he used the speed he rarely got to use and pinned Sasuke to the wall, one hand fisted in his collar. "It don't really matter right now. I'm getting the both of us out whether you want to or not."
"You're
gonna force me out?"
"I'm stronger than you." Naruto
reminded him.
-?-?-?-?
Naruto had sat in front of the cell door for a half an hour, staring at it. To Sasuke, it was pointless. To Naruto, he was collecting information. The bars were so thick; the space between them was so wide, stuff like that. Naruto knew he could slip himself through the bars, but Sasuke….
"Sasuke, come over here?"
The brunette complied and looked at Naruto questioningly. The shouting match earlier had left them both, while not on easy terms, at least a respectful one. Naruto eyed him carefully. Sasuke might be a little thinner, but he was also taller.
"Do you
think you can fit through the bars?"
"Honestly? I
don't think so, but you've got more experience with this than I
do."
"You're definitely skinny enough, but you're taller than me. That matters sometimes. Let me get through first."
Sasuke stepped back, giving him the go ahead. Naruto carefully eased himself between the bars, ant twisted himself out. For the first time in his life, Naruto was thanking God for malnutrition. Naruto beckoned Sasuke forward. Sasuke had a doubtful look in his eyes, but anything was better than that terrible empty blankness that had been there earlier. Sasuke got stuck a little, but Naruto gently tugged him out, smiling when he saw the incredulous slight smile on the pale face.
"C'mon. We're home free now."
"Oh really?"
A smile lit up the tanned face. "Yup. Let's go." Naruto said, dragging him, "There's stairs over there and from those stairs, we are going to run back home and there will hopefully…be…some…Mary Mother of God, what the hell happened?"