Everyone's Got Secrets…
Chapter 11:
Sasuke left the empty training grounds and didn't stop running even when he reached the steps that curved up to the Hokage's office.
Unlike the rest of Konoha celebrating in hedonistic noise and color, this part of the village seemed unusually still. He noted that the Hokage's guards weren't standing at her door as he ran past; Kotetsu and Izumo must be in the conference room. Sasuke's expression darkened as he made his way to where registration was underway, if not over—he was going to be more than ten minutes late.
The hallway was empty and still as he approached the double doors of the conference room. He skidded to a halt behind them, senses on high alert as he could hear a massive group of people all yelling at the same time, even through the thick wood. 'What the hell is going on in there?' The intense energy thrumming on the other side didn't help him feel better about what he had to do, and he took a few moments to compose himself alone in the hall.
Sasuke closed his eyes, leaning forward with hands on his thighs, letting his breathing and heart rate settle down. He needed to appear calm and collected even though he was sick with anxiety about how Naruto would react to his sudden appearance.
This part was the only flaw in the plan that he could find—he'd really wanted to have a chance to explain why he had to be part of the Hunt before he went in to register.
Sasuke clenched his teeth, hating to admit that it might actually work out better this way. Naruto would honestly act like he didn't expect him to be there, and then the rest of his plan could be executed without a hitch. In fact, Sasuke needed everyone there to believe that their rivalry and general animosity towards each other was still as strong as ever. It was essential.
He coughed and then grimaced, clearing his lungs as his breathing calmed down to normal. While Naruto wasn't the best of actors, Sasuke had been willing to put the plan at risk by telling him about it first, if only to spare him any unnecessary anger or anxiety or confusion—whichever it was that Naruto would feel the moment he walked through that door after saying repeatedly that he wouldn't. They'd been teammates far too long for Sasuke to hope that Naruto could wait patiently for the whole story before reacting.
Naruto was the resident expert at overreacting .
But Sasuke knew he couldn't worry about that now; he no longer had a choice about whether or not to tell Naruto anything. What was most important was making sure he did everything he could so Naruto could win the Hunt in the end—he'd just have to trust that Naruto would believe in him. And he had to believe enough in Naruto to go through the door, to trust that even if his teammate got mad, he'd give him a chance to explain it all later.
Sasuke stood up, and smoothed his hands down his mesh shirt. He tried not to be annoyed that he hadn't been able to change; his original intention for wearing the mesh shirt seemed very distant now that he was facing the doors of a room teeming with strong shinobi, prepped to go in there and piss them all off.
His appearance was only one more thing that would work in his favor if he could disregard his real feelings about it. He adjusted the hem of the mesh so the seams were aligned, and tried to minimize the evidence that he'd been running all over the village for the last half hour.
It was time to go in.
He inhaled slowly; closing his eyes, he drew his fierce pride in the Uchiha clan to the surface. He let it flow over him, along with the memories of Itachi's power to steel his nerves, and the depth of feeling he had for his rival to harden him with purpose. He had to go in there with nothing short of confidence; believing utterly that whoever dared to challenge him was a fool.
He had to go in there with the attitude that he was unstoppable.
For Naruto, he was .
Sasuke's eyes bled to the red of the Sharingan as he set his jaw; he'd show them all what the Uchiha clan was made of. With his heart pounding in his chest, Sasuke pushed open the doors.
--
"Oi! It's 3:00, so let's get this thing going!"
Kakashi kept his hands in his pockets, though he was itching to remind Naruto that they were in a formal, public setting; the blond still didn't understand that his actions also reflected on his superiors. It was a good thing Iruka was nearby. Of everyone assembled, Naruto was the most vocal in reaction to the stress.
Now if only Iruka would look over this way; it was strange not to receive even a small acknowledgement from his lover now that there was plenty of opportunity for it to seem natural. Kakashi's eyes settled on Iruka's head. Then he moved his attention to the front of the room, where the Daimyo and his staff appeared to be quite flustered by Naruto's outburst.
"Pipe down," Tsunade ordered his student, rising to lean forward.
"It's time to start, Tsunade-no—er, Tsunade-sama," Naruto was shaking his fist. "You said so yourself! Be here at 3:00 sharp !"
"Oh ho," Genma leaned over and whispered in Kakashi's left ear, "There he goes again, that kid."
"Hmm," Kakashi muttered a response, managing to sound bored while he focused his attention on the details at the front of the room.
Tsunade didn't acknowledge Naruto's statement, and Kakashi watched closely as the Daimyo moved closer to the Hokage and began to speak. There were nine other Lords present and listening in, one in particular wringing his hands. Tsunade inclined her head the slightest bit towards the Daimyo, and Kakashi managed to read the man's lips from where he was standing:
"Tsunade-sama, I must insist on a delay. We have all gathered here to evaluate the competitors, but there is one competitor missing—how can we form an opinion without everyone present? I insist we wait at least ten more minutes; surely that can be arranged …"
Kakashi's stomach tightened from this information, mostly in sympathy of their impending disappointment that no one else was coming no matter how long they waited. It was obvious from their interest that he'd have to watch the Uchiha district a little closer than he'd originally intended. The Daimyo was clever—making his demand seem like a request, which Tsunade could hardly deny.
Sure enough, Tsunade nodded, then straightened and brought the room to a respectful silence. Naruto's expression was fierce, but he'd shut his mouth for the moment, eyes glued to the Hokage like everyone else.
"My apologies, but we will be delaying registration for ten minutes while we finalize some last-minute details. We will begin shortly, so please wait quietly ."
Kakashi saw Naruto's jaw drop, but Tsunade must have given him a look since he closed his mouth right away. Kakashi could hear multiple people muttering about the delay—Asuma for one, and Shizune for another—though he could bet they were grumbling for different reasons. Naruto turned around in a huff to stare at the clock at the back of the room, and Genma began a lazy stretch though the senbon was dancing a jig between his teeth.
Kakashi glanced at the other Jounin. None of them appeared any more restless than earlier, but then again, they were more accustomed to these kinds of gatherings than most other shinobi. The Jounin rank afforded opportunities to witness the politics and maneuvering that made up the running of the village, whether it was the Feudal Lords or the Elders that were jockeying to influence the Hokage. For Tsunade's sake, Kakashi was relieved that the Elders had decided not to oversee today's event.
Kakashi let his blue eye circle the room, and found that while everyone was tense, anticipating what the Hokage would reveal about the Hunt and watching their opponents warily, there was a distinct difference between the tension in some compared to others. One group was restless with the nervous excitement of getting to fight many strong opponents, reacting to the strength of the shinobi around them. Naruto was part of this group.
The other group though… these were the ninja who were tense with something dark; something like dread or apprehension. Fear wasn't exactly the right word, but it came close. Kakashi closed his teeth together with a muted click. These were the ones who'd fought in the last Hunt.
These were the ones who'd been defeated by him : Uchiha Itachi.
Naruto and his classmates weren't nervous like that; they were too young to understand what had happened last time, even if they'd heard stories from older siblings or parents. The lack of firsthand Hunt experience was a blessing they weren't aware of, although they weren't immune to the overall tension in the room.
Yet these lines dividing the assembled ninja into two groups didn't correspond to rank, as Kakashi could see people everywhere in the room who felt the press of their comrades' chakra signatures, tension turning to something palpable as they were all forced to wait. Kakashi could feel it too, a pulse indicating the general stress of the assembled combatants. He turned back to the front of the room and wondered which group he fit into.
There was movement around the Daimyo, and Kakashi caught a flash of brown hair from the mysterious hidden person before the Daimyo leaned forward to converse and blocked the view. Two Lords behind Tsunade's left side were deep in conversation, eyes flicking from the Daimyo to the open double doors at the back of the room and then back to each other, their expressions more angry than tense. Kakashi recalled their names and made a note to watch them extra closely.
While looking out the far window, in a pose oozing boredom from all the waiting, Kakashi took a moment to look over the ANBU guards. He knew them of course; he knew them all. And of course they all knew him.
Tenzou (or Yamato, or whatever name he chose to go by now) was an interesting choice on Tsunade's part; he wasn't usually assigned token guard-duty. Yamato and his female compatriot Yuugao both turned and gave Kakashi the slightest of nods. He smirked under his mask, nodding back.
The ten minutes were almost up, and Kakashi was glad to have had the uninterrupted time to observe. It made his mission easier if he already had mental lists of the most suspicious characters, as well as the most nervous competitors. Kakashi sighed. Of course Naruto was always the one who got the most worked up.
"Oi! It's ten after three, so let's get this thing going!"
Good grief. Naruto shouted again, this time pointing his finger; the Daimyo began whispering urgently to Tsunade. Tsunade nodded and whispered back, but Kakashi could see from the Daimyo's face that he wasn't happy with her response. He clearly wanted to wait longer for Sasuke to arrive, but Tsunade held up her hand. Then she turned and looked right at Kakashi.
Her left eye flickered in an almost-wink, and then her brow rose in a silent question. Left eye; Sharingan . The silent question: "Does he need more time?"
Kakashi understood the seriousness of her gaze, and was glad that he could give her an answer–even if it wasn't the one she wanted. Very subtly, he shook his head.
"Sasuke's not coming."
Tsunade paled and swallowed. But despite Naruto's annoying shouts of "OI, OI, OI, OI!" the Hokage rallied and stood up, silencing everyone as she gazed over the room.
"Ibiki," she said, the man in question obeying instantly and charging across the room to shut the doors. Once he'd returned to her side, Tsunade began to outline the registration process.
"First we'll take down the names and ranks of all of you competing in the Scavenger Hunt—"
"Then I'll be the first one to give you my name!"
Kakashi glanced heavenward, requesting the patience to keep from murdering his student. He watched Naruto make his claim, pointing right to the leader of all of Fire Country.
"I'm the great Uzumaki Naruto! Current rank: Chuunin! Future rank: Hokage!"
Then, predictably, Naruto turned his energetic boasts to the rest of the gathered competitors. "You may as well leave now, because I won't lose to any of you!"
Kakashi shook his head, hearing the mass grumbling at such an obvious taunt. If Naruto was this overexcited, and he hadn't had sex with Sasuke yet… Oh boy. He might have to have another talk with the blond once this was over. Hatake Kakashi might not be a teenager anymore, but there actually were ways to control your hormones.
"Is he crazy?" Genma asked, one of the few shinobi that wasn't taking the bait and shouting his own challenges to everyone else.
"Nope. He's Naruto," Kakashi replied, moving closer to Genma so that Aoba could shout his name without deafening his ears.
Gai was yelling of course, striking a ridiculous pose, and Asuma had gotten out a knuckle-knife to stroke–for comfort?–while glaring at the rest of the room. Shizune's face was already red from scandalized rage at all the improper behavior, and Kurenai was laughing at her, not bothering to hide her mirth.
Kakashi kept his eye active, surveying the increasing chaos all over the room—the Feudal Lords were arguing amongst themselves as well, and Tsunade was caught in the middle. Ibiki's voice began to thunder over the din as it grew near impossible to discern one name from another, and Kakashi could see Iruka grabbing Naruto's arm, Naruto's expression angry as he shouted back into Iruka's face. Kakashi's lips tightened at the sight.
Then–the doors at the back of the room opened.
The ensuing hush was altogether different than the silence that Tsunade could command; it was eerie. The battle-cries might have dwindled, but the undercurrent of leaking chakra intensified and every head in the room turned towards the late arrival.
Kakashi's blue eye narrowed. Sasuke stood in the doorway–but this wasn't the moody and nervous Sasuke of last night. This was a Sasuke that said he was powerful, and he knew it. Kakashi felt a tiny flare of panic at the uncanny family resemblance, but it was quickly suppressed since he'd been shocked by it once already.
This was definitely Sasuke, though Kakashi was sure that anyone who remembered Itachi would be startled by the similarity, to say the least.
What was Sasuke up to?
Kakashi watched him strut down the center of the room, the aisle still clear from when Ibiki had closed the doors. His student had seemed serious when he'd insisted he had no desire to enter in the Hunt, but his sudden appearance in this room, at this time, clearly meant otherwise. Kakashi met Tsunade's eye, but made no response to her second silent question. It annoyed him to have his information proved false, and he looked upon his student coldly.
Sasuke deliberately drew attention to himself, not only with his cocky smirk, but with his flashy Sharingan and the mesh shirt that made him look both tough and tasty at the same time. It was clever—whoever didn't respond to his fighting presence would no doubt succumb to his sex appeal, and the latter group probably wouldn't be strictly female.
Kakashi could feel how the incredible power coming off Sasuke beat against the swirling undercurrent that had already been growing in the room; no Genin would be able to stand the way the air thickened. Kakashi wasn't personally affected, or at least not physically. He watched Sasuke stir everyone up just as thoroughly as Naruto had done, but in a dramatically opposite method. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest; a prime example of the difference between those two.
Yet something was definitely wrong with this picture.
Sasuke didn't look in his direction, nor was he meeting any eyes except Tsunade's. She was the only ninja who seemed relived that he was there–the Feudal Lords scurried in a tizzy of activity, whispering and pointing and shuffling through their documents for information on the long-awaited Uchiha. Their excitement didn't match the reception from the rest of the room.
Kakashi couldn't help but look at the last member of Team Seven, fists clenched, and shaking with ill-suppressed fury. It pained him to see Naruto like that, almost as much as it had pained him to see Naruto so giddy earlier that day. Sasuke had to be aware of his teammate's reaction, though he appeared pleased by the unhidden animosity being directed at him from all sides, flourishing in the spotlight.
Sasuke was competitive. But he'd never betrayed someone close to him the way he was doing it now. It was more like Itachi than Kakashi had ever wanted to see Sasuke become.
"Now I know why I never took on a Genin team," Genma leaned in to whisper, his senbon pointing at Sasuke. "I don't envy you either of them."
Grimly, Kakashi watched on as Naruto took a step forward, ready to unleash an angry outburst, but Sasuke cut him off, directing his statement to Tsunade.
"Sorry I'm late." Sasuke didn't seem sorry at all, shifting into his regular pose of superiority and eyeing the Feudal Lords as well as the Hokage. "But there's one more name you need to mark down."
Kakashi couldn't have missed Naruto's reaction—he jerked, stricken, like Sasuke had just slapped his face.
Ibiki, always so cool in situations of palpable tension—a sign of why he was an expert in his chosen specialty—poised his pencil and regarded Sasuke, asking his name. Everyone there knew who he was; the question was a formality.
Kakashi looked away from Naruto as Sasuke answered, the weight of the Uchiha name thrumming through the room. He looked away, not wanting to see any more pain, and his blue eye met the brown of Iruka's.
His stomach lurched—Iruka was finally looking at him! But his heart sank at the fierceness behind those eyes, as if this unexpected turn of events was somehow all his fault. Iruka's posture said it all, rigid with indignation, anger, and the need to protect someone precious, namely his favorite student: Naruto.
For the second time in one afternoon, Kakashi was thoroughly jealous of his blond student—jealous that Naruto was also loved by the Academy teacher, but loved in a way that could be shown out in the open. This time, the jealousy turned swiftly to anger.
Anger at the three of them; angry at himself; angry about the past; angry about the future. Angry about the mission, angry about the Hunt… He clenched his teeth. 'Goddamn it!' Then–
'Oh hell.'
All that anger had surfaced into his eye, readable by only one ninja, the one ninja who happened to be looking at him now. Iruka stiffened, misinterpreting the anger and scowling with more hostility than Kakashi had ever seen. Then Iruka turned to the front of the room, shutting him out.
Kakashi kept watch over the proceedings and used his anger and frustration to focus on the mission he'd been assigned, irritated that assassination hadn't been part of it. This was the last holiday he'd ever try to enjoy if it made him forget who he really was so easily—there was no room for such softness when he did what he did as effortlessly as blinking.
He wouldn't forget so easily again.
--
"Uchiha……Sasuke."
His name reverberated just the way he'd intended, but the glorious sound of it gave him no pleasure—he was all too aware of his teammate shaking with rage off to the left.
Ibiki calmly wrote it down, and Tsunade eyed him with calculation. For about five seconds the silence stretched taut, but then there were several muttered curses and movement behind him, and Sasuke could sense that at least eight ninja had left the room, exiting without explanation. Well. So far so good; the plan was working.
'Just don't look at him,' he reminded himself. 'Don't look.'
If he looked, he'd see Naruto's reaction to his unexpected arrival and it might make him falter—it had been nearly too much in the brief second their eyes had met at the door.
It was already bad enough to feel how much everyone left wanted to kill him—or kill his brother—and it wasn't comforting in the slightest to guess the majority wanted to kill them both.
'Aniki… what did you do?'
There was movement to the left, and then Sasuke heard Naruto's voice shout his name in utter fury: "SASSSSSSSUKEEEEEE!"
Sasuke held his breath, cringing on the inside at being forced to respond. He turned his imperious expression towards Naruto, his heart twisting at the stricken look on Naruto's face and the white knuckles on his rival's raised fist. Sasuke knew he should probably retort something, but his voice wouldn't function properly after seeing Naruto in such obvious distress—not while knowing he was the cause. All he could manage was to raise his eyebrow and smirk with condescension.
Naruto's expression shifted briefly into anguish, and then Iruka appeared, stepping up beside the blond and flexing his chakra signature, his scarred face hard-set with disapproval. It was such a protective gesture he may as well have stuck out his arm to hold Naruto back, even though Naruto just stood there, shaking.
Sasuke wasn't completely surprised to see him there at registration; he wouldn't underestimate him again. Iruka was two arm lengths away, but even so Sasuke could feel the nonverbal threat spilling from him in slow waves.
"Tch," he muttered, shifting his smirk into a bored scowl.
Iruka looked furious, but Sasuke was glad—Iruka was someone he could provoke without nearly as much guilt, though he still didn't enjoy doing it. But Naruto…
Sasuke stopped the thought before he could be distracted from his true purpose. Naruto would understand it all later if there wasn't some other disaster. Right now, Sasuke couldn't worry about him. He had to trust that it could all be made right between them afterwards—this was for Naruto, after all.
"Now that everyone is here, we will—" Tsunade's commanding voice was cut off by someone abruptly pushing through the assembly of Feudal Lords behind her and taking center stage.
Instantly alert, Sasuke had just enough time to take in the details of a young woman's face before she came right at him. He saw an impertinent, sassy smirk and pretty features, rich brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Then the rest of her was a blur of black and gold as she spun towards him, armed by a four foot staff in each hand.
He wasn't the only one surprised; there were gasps from the Lords in front of him as well as from the ninja all around him, and nobody seemed to want to get in her way. But there was no mistake—she was coming for him and him alone. Sasuke struck a defensive taijutsu pose, recognizing some of the girl's movements from the acrobatic performance in the stadium.
But who the hell was she? A performer? And why was she attacking him?
He could hear her laughter as she approached, her long legs kicking out while she pressed him backwards with what he now recognized to be double-ended, though thankfully unlit torches. If he kept backing up, he'd eventually be pushed into the doors, but he wasn't too keen on taking the offensive either—didn't she realize that he could kill her in less than three seconds?
Something told him that wasn't really an option; if she'd come from the front of the room, then she had some connection to the Feudal Lords, and while he did want their attention, he didn't want the kind of attention dispatching one of their minions would bring. But he was also never one to be pushed backwards . He'd just have to immobilize her, and he had an idea about how to do it. He set his feet, and instead of dodging he blocked her next kick with his forearm.
She paused for a split second, her leg high in the air against his raised arm. She met his red eyes and grinned, and then she was leaping again, striking at him with both torches and her other leg. Sasuke dodged the first torch, then the second, then the leg—though he grabbed her ankle and locked it under his arm, and used his longer reach to snatch one of the torches from her hand.
She laughed, tucking her body inward and somersaulting away from him, twisting her ankle free from his grip with the momentum. She rolled up to her feet and paused in a different kind of acrobatic stance. His eyes took in the black spandex bodysuit, her calves covered in golden yellow legwarmers, and her torso wrapped in a soft yellow sweater. She twirled her torch from one hand to the other, and then came at him again in fluid one-handed cartwheels.
Sasuke sensed the other ninja in the room giving them space. They all knew not to interfere in someone else's fight; it was too unpredictable, especially since this woman wasn't a ninja herself. So far he found it very frustrating. If she were a kunoichi he'd have no problem taking her down. But this wasn't shinobi combat, and so most of his repertoire would be taboo.
He blocked her torch with his torch, throwing in a few experimental attacks to test her. She was remarkably flexible, able to back-flip or somersault or otherwise maneuver in both offensive and defensive techniques. She kept him on his toes, never once landing a blow but forcing him to showcase his own speed and skill. Even still, she had openings he could have taken advantage of if she'd only been a real opponent. Sasuke sincerely wanted to hit her for being drawn into this ridiculous game, especially since it was clear that she was having great fun, like she was the one testing him .
Sasuke scowled, beyond irritated by the musical quality of her laughter.
He watched her twirl and come at him again, switching from a back-flip to a cartwheel to some kind of pseudo-roundhouse kick. Sasuke let her foot brush by his cheek—then he twisted behind her with a blinding speed she couldn't hope to imitate. When she'd finished rotating enough to see him, he held both torches in his hands.
He smirked, twirling the two of them in an exact replica of her beginning moves, and she flashed him her white teeth in a happy grin as she redoubled her efforts to attack him. Sasuke saw his miscalculation almost immediately–he grimaced as she whirled, flipped, and sprinted at him with twice the variety of moves.
Her abilities trebled with her hands free, which allowed her to balance or slide across the floor with a wider range of gymnastic "attacks," while Sasuke was now stuck with the torches encumbering him. Part of him appreciated the subtlety of what she'd done, attacking with the torches first so that he'd focus on disarming her as he would in a formal sparring match. And now, even though he was the one armed, he could hardly use either "weapon" against her. Unless she pushed him too far… and then he'd try his best not to break her ribs.
It was time to end this.
He gauged her movements and anticipated the timing of her flips; in the previous minutes he'd already calculated the limits of her body's reach and speed. He held her off, diverting her intended path with the spinning of the torches, dodging her limbs as she struck at him with misleading gracefulness.
Finally he saw his chance, stepping into her guard and lunging towards her as she pirouetted. He heard her giggle as she jumped out of his way, and he smiled on the inside—it was exactly what he'd wanted her to do. Before she could put too much distance between them, he sprinted one step forward and leaped to intercept her, this time planting the end of a torch on the floor and kicking his feet high into the air, using it to boost the height of his somersaulting flip.
Sasuke arched through the air to land directly behind her, and he crossed the torches in front of her body to cage her within.
"That's enough ," he said, tilting his neck so that her ponytail wasn't directly in his face, putting a bit more space between them.
"Oh?" she replied, laughing even though she was completely trapped.
The next thing he knew, she'd hopped and twisted herself around, wrapping not only her arms around his neck, but her legs around his waist. He looked into her grinning face, stunned for half a second that someone had dared to touch him so intimately before she abruptly leaned in to kiss him full on the mouth.
Sasuke dropped the torches unceremoniously, placing his palms on her cheeks in the nick of time. To his horror the room erupted in female squeaks and male gasps, and he knew that it must look like they were really kissing. She squirmed in frustration against him, her breasts pressing flat into his chest as he held her lips a half-centimeter away from his own.
He'd played the game, but he'd be damned if he let her kiss him.
Her nose was awkwardly mashed against his, and their balance shifted as her hands slid up into his hair, but he was too strong for her to succeed in forcing their mouths together. She stubbornly tried with all her will, and he curved his thumbs more firmly into her cheekbones in warning, so angry that his voice hissed only loud enough for her to hear it—
"I belong to someone else. Now get off me, before you regret it."
From the bizarre angle he could still see her eyes flash at the insult in his words, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of her, whoever the hell she was, even if the unexpected mock-battle and suggestiveness of their current position would probably help him further intimidate his opponents.
Regardless—there was someone here that he would never betray by something like this.
She moved her legs first, letting him hold her weight with his shoulders as she slid down his body to touch her toes to the floor. He released her head as she stepped back from him, her hands lingering on the mesh shirt as she fixed him with a particularly evil smile. He reached to smack her away, but she avoided him, making it look like flirtation.
"Mmmm," she touched her mouth, and then ran her hands through her long hair. Her voice was quite loud and boastful, "I knew you'd taste as good as you look." More murmurings fluttered across the crowd of ninja; the girl looked extremely proud of herself.
Sasuke's instant fury was terrible, oozing from his skin as he glared at her gloating face. 'That bitch!'
He kept still, though he could have ripped all her hair out and then crammed it down her throat for that remark. Her eyes gleamed; she clearly enjoyed whatever she could read from his stony face.
She turned on her heel and sashayed back to the Feudal Lords, smirking all the while and disregarding the apoplectic face of the man Sasuke could only assume was her patron. In dismay, he recognized the man as the Daimyo–he cursed the bitch even more floridly under his breath. That man had to be her father. Sasuke's brain flashed with the image of a regal girl riding horseback behind the most gaudily decked Lord in the parade last night at the Ceremony.
Shit. Well… now he knew her specialty .
"To…mo…ko!" The Daimyo said her name the way a parent would scold a five year old after being thoroughly embarrassed in front of guests. Tomoko took her time crossing the room, her ponytail swishing behind her, the tail of a cat full of mischief.
"Mmmm," she purred, eyeing the rest of the Lords and ignoring the rest of the shinobi. She stopped in front of her father, and placed her hands on her hips. "I've made my choice." Her father glowered at her, but she didn't cow under the weight of it, instead fixing a similar glare on the nine other Lords.
Sasuke could tell she was pulling some kind of rank, and it made him boil. He was not some kind of pawn in whatever politics were going on behind the scenes of the festival. He raised his chin and walked forward, passing the fallen torches with disdain and resuming his original spot. His only consolation was the fact that she'd lose every bit of her money wagering on him.
One of the Shijimi assistants guided Tomoko deferentially by the elbow to her original seat, though the chairs around her had been removed to open her view. With a saucy wink at Sasuke, she sat down.
He felt his left palm itch with the yearning to blast her with Chidori for the spectacle, embarrassing him and implying a lie to everyone in the room, including the person he cared about most. He glared at her with the full force of his red Sharingan, and added revenge to his goals for the next few days.
Tsunade cleared her throat, looking easily as displeased with Tomoko as the girl's father, probably ruing that the princess was outside her jurisdiction. The Daimyo did his best to ignore his daughter and present himself regally enough to make up for her display, and his staff followed suit—which only served to make Tomoko stand out even more, her demeanor conveying the attitude that the assembly of ninja was there for her amusement alone.
"We will now resume the registration process." Tsunade's voice was firm, and the penetrating gaze she swept across the room ensured that there would be no further outbursts. The Hokage nodded to Ibiki, who stepped forward with his clipboard, walking towards the Jounin side of the room.
"Unless I've already marked it down," Ibiki glanced at Sasuke, "When I come to you, state your name and rank." Ibiki indicated a Jounin with long brown bangs hanging down on either side of his face, and Sasuke shifted into his favorite pose of bored superiority, folding his arms across his body.
He memorized the names of all the competitors, glancing at each with his Sharingan so that he'd have a retrievable image of them to refer to later. He especially noted those who met his eyes with something other than passing curiosity—the majority were either threatened or eager, for reasons he couldn't know, or didn't especially want to know.
Sasuke looked at everyone except Naruto–he avoided looking at him just yet. He could feel the intensity of those blue eyes trying to pierce through him without looking, a sure sign that Naruto had believed what Tomoko had wanted everyone to believe; Sasuke cursed the complication. He could guess how bad it had looked, and it was more than unfortunate for Naruto to be one of the ones fooled by what she'd said.
He clenched his teeth. Just one more thing he couldn't change. Naruto of all people should realize that he wasn't interested in women. And in truth, there'd only ever been one person who stirred his blood. It hurt to think that Naruto could have so little faith in him after the night they'd shared—had he not been clear enough?
Sasuke felt his blood stirring, not with that kind of desire, but with the pure, honest desire for combat. It had been a while since he'd had a succession of good fights, and from the undercurrent of chakra in the room, he couldn't help but anticipate the upcoming battles.
There was nothing better to ease frustration than ramming a fist into an opponent's jaw.
Ibiki completed his circuit of the room, and signaled to Tsunade that he was finished. Sasuke realized that Naruto had been skipped, which he found more than odd. Did Naruto know Ibiki so well that he hadn't had to give his name?
The Hokage stood up straight and everyone in the room went still, eager to hear the long awaited details. Tsunade pointed to Ibiki as he crossed the room back to her.
"First, let me make one thing clear. Your name on that clipboard means you agree to all the rules of the Hunt. And the first rule is this," she raised her manicured finger, "From this moment until the Hunt starts tomorrow at midnight, there will be absolutely no fighting between combatants. Anyone caught fighting beforehand will be disqualified."
Tsunade folded her arms underneath her breasts. When there were no objections to the first rule, she continued. "I will be sectioning off an area of Konoha forest. Once you're inside, you will be hunting for these–"
She nodded again at Ibiki, who reached into his coat and withdrew a translucent, blue-green sphere, holding it up for everyone to see. Sasuke regarded it intently. Water balloons again; he puzzled over the color, but was happy to see that the weight of the sphere didn't seem irregular since Ibiki held it comfortably.
"Now these are not quite like the spheres used by Sandaime," Tsunade had a note of pride in her voice as she smirked. "You may have heard about the last Hunt, but I do not recommend destroying them."
She might not have meant to, but Tsunade glanced at him. Sasuke ignored it but raised a brow, curious about what was inside the teal spheres; she wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't important. The Sharingan wasn't reacting strangely, so genjutsu or ninjutsu could be ruled out for causing the odd color.
"You'll have from the moment you enter the forest until dawn to find as many spheres as you can, and then the single Chuunin and Jounin with the most intact spheres will proceed to the second round. If there is a tie in either rank, we'll have a preliminary match to determine the final contestants."
"Excuse me, Tsunade-sama."
Sasuke heard the voice of Shikamaru, and glanced to the left.
"What do you mean, from the moment we enter the forest? Didn't you already say it started at midnight?"
Tsunade smiled, her eyes sparkling as she answered, "Ah, yes. Well, the exact location where the Hunt will take place will not be revealed here."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he heard several voices object to this statement with little enthusiasm.
Tsunade held up a hand, "Listen up. Let me explain. The location will not be revealed here ," she paused for emphasis. "In order to find the Hunting grounds, you will first have to find him—Morino Ibiki."
"What?" Kotetsu asked, other voices backing him up, "You mean we can't get into the Hunt unless we find him first?"
Izumo continued, "And he's really going to tell us where to go?" The Jounin's voice sounded incredulous.
Sasuke agreed. Getting information out of the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Department would not be easy. And he had no real idea of Ibiki's other skills—finding the man in the first place could offer a serious challenge.
"Yes," Tsunade nodded. Ibiki's lip curled upward as he stood beside her, still holding the sphere on display.
"At midnight, you are permitted to begin your search for Ibiki. Once you find him, he will give you what you need to get into the Hunting grounds, and then it's open season as you all try to find the spheres. Naturally this means not everyone will enter the forest at the same time."
Sasuke thought about this, the murmuring around him buzzing just outside his awareness until there was still another question.
"How many spheres will there be, Tsunade-sama?"
This came from Matsuri, the younger kunoichi with dreads standing near Hanabi. Sasuke noted the confidence in her steady voice, ringing clear above the mumbling in the room. She'd asked a decent question too, for a brand new Chuunin.
"Well well," Tsunade grined openly at them now, "What fun would it be if I told you everything?" She spread her hands to show they'd have to find the answer themselves.
"Then might I ask, esteemed Hokage-sama, how will we know when the time is officially up? Could you be more specific as to when exactly ' dawn' is?" Ebisu asked, adjusting his sunglasses.
Sasuke had always found Ebisu's voice grating, although Naruto started laughing uncontrollably each and every time the two of them crossed paths. He'd often wondered what could be so funny about the prissy Jounin, but he'd never asked. He wondered if Naruto would share the joke he had with Ebisu if he did ask.
He wondered if Naruto would even speak to him at all after this.
"The Hunt will end exactly when the sun rises, which is around 6:00 am. You'll all be formally notified by my summon Katsuyu." Tsunade put her hands on her hips, "She will explain where to go to turn in your spheres and determine who will be advancing to the next round. And," Tsunade grinned, "She will also make sure all battles stop. So don't plan to push on past the deadline."
There was more mumbling, people turning to their neighbors to discuss these parameters. Sasuke listened closely and watched the shinobi around him, his mind mulling over the details he'd heard so far. However, something she'd said in the beginning was nagging him.
"So what are your other rules, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke kept his voice strong, even as the rest of the room grew quiet. He couldn't tell if it was the question, or because it was him asking the question. "You've only told us one."
She regarded him for a long moment, and then answered for everyone, "The second rule forbids killing any other combatant. A festival is no place for a funeral."
The room stayed quiet at this announcement. Death was a part of being a shinobi, they all knew. But it made sense to be reminded that this was supposed to be a game, a fun contest, a chance to use their skills and not grow restless from the lax environment of the village-wide celebration.
It also reminded him that for some, killing came all too easily. Sasuke didn't allow himself to touch the bead at his throat, though he had to wonder if blood had been spilt in the last Hunt. He didn't like to think of Itachi as a killer, though he knew he'd been one of the best. He also resisted the urge to glance at Kakashi; the Copy-Ninja had almost the same reputation.
"The third rule," Tsunade's face was serious, "Is there are no other rules."
Sasuke was glad to hear that. It gave him plenty of freedom to come up with the perfect strategy to combine skills with Naruto, assuming the idiot would agree. He already had several ideas of how they could accomplish the first two parts of the Hunt and make sure Naruto went on to the final round. However …
The hardest part would be next—getting his rival to sit still long enough to hear what he had come up with. Sasuke could still feel murderous intent from the spot where he knew Naruto was standing. He dreaded the moment he wouldn't be able to ignore his teammate anymore.
"Now, if there are no more questions, you are dismissed. Remember Rule #1, and Ibiki here," Tsunade rested a hand on the man's big shoulder, "Will be more than ready for you at midnight tomorrow night. Be sure to enjoy the festival while you still can, and I'll see you all again in thirty six hours!"
On her cue the room began to empty. For all the drama, Sasuke thought Tsunade seemed pleased with the turnout and the overall skill level of those competing. She turned around, now able to direct her attention fully on the gathered Feudal Lords, many of whom were talking over each other trying to ask her questions. Sasuke looked away when he sensed the eyes of her ANBU guards watching him. It was eerie.
Thankfully, Tomoko was busy ordering someone to do something and therefore wasn't paying him attention any longer. He'd deal with her later.
He closed his eyes for a moment, his ears picking up the muffled syllables of his name as people began to meander to the doors. Sasuke sighed, relieved this part was over even if the dreaded whispering had started again. But there was still a lot more to be done, and he felt his gut tighten in anticipation of the unavoidable confrontation with his rival. It'd probably be best to get out of there quickly, so he could wait for Naruto to come out. He needed to talk to him alone.
Sasuke turned to leave, and found a finger poking him right in the sternum. He didn't back up, even though Naruto's savage blue eyes tried to stare him down. Unmistakable gusts of energy from his teammate flared around them, pressing in on his chakra shields–Sasuke's first reaction was a thrill. Naruto always seemed to affect him that way.
His second reaction was to get angry—he didn't want to see such an intense look of rage, especially from Naruto, and especially when it was founded on misinformation.
"Oi!" Naruto's voice was surprisingly steady; intense. Sasuke could only glare at him, gracefully ignoring the finger digging into his flesh. Those blue eyes burned hotter: "I won't lose to you Sasuke!"
Sasuke told himself it was Naruto's own fault for confronting him publicly, sneering down as he taunted him back.
"You have no choice."
Naruto shoved him, and then stormed out.
Sasuke watched him go, adding in his head: 'Because I want you to win.'
--
Iruka couldn't stand it anymore; he watched in anguish as Naruto stormed out of the room after being blatantly insulted by Sasuke in front of so many of their peers. Furious, he started to go reprimand his black-haired student, only to be held back by a strong hand on his bicep.
"Iruka, c'mon. Let's just go," Mozuku tugged on his arm. "It's not worth it."
"I'll see you later, Mozuku." Iruka glared, yanking his arm out of the other Chuunin's grip. He didn't give his colleague a chance to argue back, walking away and approaching Sasuke with a livid expression on his face.
"Some teammate you are," Iruka spat at him, squaring his shoulders to face him dead on.
Sasuke scowled, shifting into one of his infinite poses of cocky overconfidence. "It's not my problem he can't handle it."
Iruka clenched a fist, "I didn't know the Uchiha clan could be so treacherous ."
"Tch," Sasuke inclined his head with disdain, "That's because you only know how to fight weak brats in the Academy, Iruka- sensei . Anyone who challenges an Uchiha is a fool."
Iruka's face colored violently in response. "If that name is measured by you, Sasuke, then it really has become worthless—only a fool betrays his comrades!"
With that, Iruka turned and marched out, jogging the last few feet to the door to try and find Naruto.
If Sasuke's behavior could make him this angry, Iruka couldn't imagine how Naruto felt right now. He wanted to scream on his behalf—to think that Sasuke would act that way after… well … after the previous night? That was not the same Sasuke who'd sat across from him earlier at the tea-shop!
What on earth had happened between the two of them for Sasuke to have shown up so dramatically, and then kissed the princess? It was shocking!
Iruka bit his lip, dashing down the empty hallway to the curving steps, taking them two at a time until he'd caught up with his blond student. Naruto walked like a zombie, his hands crammed into his pockets. He seemed very alone and small for someone fully grown and usually surrounded by friends.
"Naruto!" Iruka called, getting no reaction even when he'd caught up him and matched his pace to Naruto's. "Naruto, I can't believe he did that—any of it! But—"
"–Don't bother, Iruka-sensei." Naruto interrupted him, face scowling, blue eyes not meeting his. Iruka was concerned at the force of his words.
"I just don't want to see you so upset, Naruto, I mean, I know it's got to be a shock—"
"—Look, just leave it alone. I don't want to hear it, okay?" Naruto picked up the pace, trying to end the conversation.
"Naruto, listen to me!"
Iruka grabbed his elbow, and Naruto finally turned to scowl at him directly as they both stopped short. For a moment he just glared, shaking off Iruka's hand, though he didn't go anywhere.
"You can't protect me anymore, Iruka-sensei." Naruto's face was so serious, Iruka almost couldn't take the weight of it. Naruto turned away and looked out over the village, his eyes sweeping over the view beyond the metal railing.
"Not from him."
"Naruto…" Iruka's heart clenched. He never wanted to see people in pain, and this person had always been special to him. "Naruto, I—"
Naruto pushed past him then, moving grimly down the steps, "You shouldn't worry about me so much. Not everyone's like Kakashi-sensei." Naruto paused, not looking back, "He's probably up there waiting for you."
In a burst of speed Naruto darted off, and Iruka was left alone near the bottom of the steps. He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, realizing that he'd actually forgotten all about Kakashi—he'd been so focused on Naruto that he'd run out of the conference room without even a glance at his lover.
He could kick himself for it now, even though they avoided interacting in public. He should have at least acknowledged him, even if he was pretty angry for that mean look he'd given him; what had he done to deserve that? It also rankled that the Jounin hadn't clued him in on Sasuke's change of plans. Still… he hadn't meant to rush off without any contact at all.
More people were coming down the steps now, Kiba and Shino among others, and Iruka searched for the familiar mop of silver hair. He hadn't seen Mozuku yet either, and felt guilty about the tone of his last words to his friend. Konohamaru and Hanabi waved brightly, holding hands, and Iruka leaned against the railing at the bottommost step and kept watch.
Iwashi had left long ago, of course. As Iruka watched the shinobi dispersing from the meeting, he had to wonder what had happened last time; he knew that Itachi had been highly skilled, but the level of fear—and also the resentment he'd caught from some—was more than mysterious. Iruka wanted to ask, but wasn't sure it would be right to bring it up again. Maybe after this was all over he'd see if Iwashi was more open.
Iruka brightened when he saw Mozuku emerge, pleased he could make something right at least, but his stomach twitched when Genma came around the corner with him. Genma wasn't someone he wanted to see right now, even though the senbon-sporting Jounin could hardly know who he was. Iruka had to force his teeth to unclench from the remembrance of how the man had hung all over Kakashi and stroked his face. Speaking of things that rankled .
He was disappointed that Kakashi hadn't come out yet, but he knew waiting around any longer wasn't a good idea. He nodded briefly at Mozuku, and then turned; putting his hands in his pockets and making his way back to his apartment.
Naruto was right; he shouldn't be worrying. He had to start thinking of his favorite student as well as all the other Chuunin as opponents, regardless of their friendships or bonds. In a little more than a day they'd be fighting tooth and nail over the Hokage's hidden spheres, competing for a chance to fight against Kakashi, who would surely win for the Jounin side.
Iruka bit his lip. He hoped Kakashi would come over as soon as he could. There were a lot of things he suddenly wanted to say, almost none of them the same ones that had been on his mind when he'd been climbing up the steps less than an hour ago. There were also many things he wanted to ask.
With any luck, Kakashi would come directly to his apartment. It was just a matter of waiting for things to calm down.
Too bad he wasn't good at waiting, period.
--
"Asuma, I said let's go." Kurenai pulled on the Jounin's arm, though he seemed to be more interested in sticking around to glower at Sasuke. With Gai's help, she pulled him away and out of the room before he caused an incident.
Kakashi returned the nod from Genma, who glanced at Sasuke and then crossed the room to speak with the Chuunin who'd spent the whole meeting standing beside Iruka. He knew the name now. Mozuku. Kakashi watched them leave together; remembering how Mozuku had grabbed Iruka's arm right before he'd gone to shout at Sasuke. He tried not to acknowledge his disappointment at watching Iruka run out the door after Naruto without looking back.
Kakashi rested by the windows, harmless, settling under almost everyone's radar as smaller groups of ninja made their way out the double doors. It allowed him to watch not only the Feudal Lords, but also his prodigy. He didn't exactly enjoy seeing Sasuke challenged by numerous people, but Sasuke had, in fact, brought it on himself. And—Kakashi frowned under his mask—he was determined to find out why .
There was a logical answer, of course, but he wanted to be sure; Sasuke was risking a great deal by his approach if he was as serious about Naruto as he'd acted all week. Kakashi couldn't quite believe that that had been the act, and this today was the truth. But remembering Itachi…
Kakashi watched the younger Uchiha intently. He'd try to make an opportunity to talk with Sasuke while not neglecting his mission.
"Got something smart to say, Hyuuga?"
Sasuke jerked his chin at Neji, who had come to stand before him without speaking while his teammates exited. Kakashi watched Neji meet Sasuke's Sharingan head on before he replied in his smooth, refined voice.
"On the contrary. I wanted to say I'm glad you came after all; it's always a pleasure to fight against you, Uchiha Sasuke. It's very interesting to me the things you will do, and the things you won't."
The two eyed each other for a long moment, and then, very calmly, Neji turned and walked unhurried out of the room. Sasuke watched him all the way, scowling, like he was working a mental puzzle that might include the image of Neji's back.
Kakashi glanced back at the Feudal Lords, gauging how long he should stick around. Tsunade's assistants were attempting to rearrange the tables so that everyone could face each other during the discussion, but weren't having much luck getting anyone to cooperate with the efforts. Princess Tomoko, for one, seemed to enjoy being in the way. Kakashi didn't particularly look forward to finding out her part in all this. Tsunade had her hands full in regaining some sense of order.
Kakashi was academically curious about how she'd handle the gambling. It was clear that the next half hour at minimum would be a meeting between her and the Lords as she outlined the details pertaining to their fiscal participation in the Hunt. It was a topic that he could easily catch up on later; right now he should find out what he could about this other mystery before Sasuke disappeared.
And in any case, although perhaps only technically, gathering information on Sasuke had been included in the mission Tsunade had assigned him in the first place.
Sensing that they would soon be the last two ninja in the room, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and shifted his gaze over to Sasuke. Sasuke was looking right back at him, with a stance and expression that said he was both expectant and worried that Kakashi would be the next and final shinobi to issue a challenge.
Kakashi waited a moment before walking past him, letting the last three ninja leave the room ahead of him, pausing just long enough to make a comment he was sure would get the intended reaction.
"You'll get a headache if you keep using your Sharingan like that."
He kept his pace deliberately slow as he exited the room, turning left into the empty hallway that stretched deeper into the Hokage compound. He stopped six feet from the door, and leaned back into the wall, propping the heel of his foot along the baseboard.
Sasuke soon came out of the room and stopped not too far away. They listened to the doors close with a soft thud. Sasuke didn't say anything, but Kakashi didn't expect him to offer an explanation without some prompting. Instead, he stood there with a hand on his hip, always so defiant even though he'd accepted the invitation to have a private conversation. Kakashi knew he'd have to tread carefully.
"Too bad. Itachi's eyes are prettier, I think." It was a gamble, but it might be worth it to take it from this direction. Sasuke responded by looking him full in the face. Good.
"Did you know he used to talk about you all the time, Kakashi-sensei? Yet you don't ever talk about him ." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, a challenge to give something away before getting any answers. Kakashi had forgotten how intense opposing two red eyes could be.
"Hmmm," Kakashi unclenched his fingers in his pockets. "Well I could remind you that his cloak is still in my apartment, though I don't imagine it to be that helpful." Sasuke's lips tightened, but he didn't comment further.
It was a long moment before Kakashi continued, "You've really done a good job, and I compliment you on your fashion statement, although… I'm sure Naruto , for example, can't quite appreciate the full effect since he never knew your brother."
A widening of the eyes, a slight increase of heart rate, a barely visible flaring of nostrils—all these tiny signs told Kakashi that Sasuke knew exactly what Naruto's reactions to him had been, and he wasn't as happy about it as he'd tried to look.
Sasuke was also probably relieved that Naruto and Itachi had never gotten to know each other. Kakashi hated to remember it, but Itachi had been truly spectacular—and at everything he did. He counted it lucky that Iruka hadn't ever met him, even though the idea and the sentiment were both absurd.
Sasuke pulled himself together, adjusting his stance and raising his chin, "No one, not even you I hope, would underestimate an Uchiha."
Kakashi's brain whirred; Sasuke was good at this. It was almost thrilling to have this verbal duel, there were few in Konoha up to it. But which way to respond? Sasuke was warning him about the fighting abilities of his clan, but he was also warning about the same clan's passion and tenacity. It was meant to make him consider which he thought was more important.
"I admit I'm rather surprised to find an Uchiha bothering with a festival competition. Rumor had it there would be none competing this time, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke kept his face strong. "Naturally a shinobi uses everything at his disposal to succeed." Yes, shinobi were rarely, if ever, completely truthful. Still…
"A true shinobi doesn't turn his back on his comrades, no matter how important the success of the mission is," Kakashi countered.
"Then you won't mind if I borrow Pakkun, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi paused, and Sasuke smirked. He was obviously proud of himself for throwing a curve ball–asking to borrow a summon was incredibly rude . Kakashi half wanted to laugh in appreciation, but there was nothing about the current situation that could be considered funny.
"Well you know," Kakashi scratched the back of his neck; what a clever student he had indeed. Let's spring the trap. "Pakkun is quite bullheaded. He'll only take direction from those whose intentions have honor; something about how they smell…" He smirked under his mask. Sasuke's next move would cinch it; he'd show where his loyalties truly were, no matter what.
"Hn," Sasuke turned smoothly on his heel to walk away, keeping eye-contact over his shoulder. "That's not what Itachi told me. Dogs obey no matter the nature of their master."
Sasuke walked smartly past the closed double-doors and around the curving hallway towards the exit. After a moment, Kakashi could no longer sense his chakra signature; he'd vanished out into the village.
Kakashi sighed, quickly reviewing their dialogue. Sasuke had played the game well–better than he'd ever played before. He'd asked for a favor, pointing out that he was still a comrade while also implying that Kakashi would be turning his back on him by refusing. He'd in turn countered by calling the bluff, forcing Sasuke either to admit his intentions or renege on the request, which would also show his intentions.
And then Sasuke had played a wild card. He'd left without Pakkun, but he'd reminded Kakashi that things were almost never what they seemed, as if to throw his favorite teaching back in his face—to search underneath the underneath.
An honorable assassin. It wasn't exactly how he saw himself.
He considered all the possible things Sasuke could accomplish by borrowing his best tracking dog. Then he nicked his thumb on the razor edge filed on the plate of his right glove, pressed his palm to the cold floor, and recited the incantation, "Kuchiyose-no-jutsu!"
The small puff of smoke cleared to reveal the squished face of his smallest canine summon. Kakashi stood, and Pakkun looked up at him with his usual lack of enthusiasm.
"Yo. I thought we were on vacation, Kakashi."
Kakashi didn't waste any time with greetings. "I want you to go after Uchiha Sasuke."
"Hmm," Pakkun rubbed his eye with his paw, "You say that like you're not coming with me; he must not be running too far. So why am I going after him?"
Kakashi paused, considering his instructions carefully. Pakkun's eyes narrowed.
"I don't like the way you're hesitating, Kakashi. Tell me what's going on."
"Sasuke… Hmmm, well he asked to borrow you, but then he took off rather than explain why. I'm sending you anyways to find out why he asked, and if possible, to find out what he's up to."
"That damn kid."
Pakkun didn't hide his irritation, both at the mention of Sasuke's name and the news that Sasuke had had the audacity to try and borrow him. It always seemed to be Sasuke at the heart of the most dangerous situations where he was summoned, and the pug had often complained to Kakashi about it.
"What's he done now?"
"He's playing a deep game here, and I'm sure it has something to do with Naruto, or Itachi… or both. Saying he won't compete in the Hunt, and then showing up to register is only part of it, Pakkun." Kakashi crossed his arms as his brain sped through scenarios.
"So I'm supposed to catch up to him, and then do whatever he tells me to? That doesn't seem like a good plan at all, Kakashi." Pakkun stood up from his spot on the floor, pacing back and forth on his short little legs, deep in thought.
Kakashi shrugged. "He asked for you, knowing you answer to me. I don't think he'll deliberately put you in a situation where you'll find out anything he doesn't want you to find out. Or want me to find out. But—you don't have to do everything he says."
Pakkun stopped his pacing to look up at him intently, "How long do you want me to follow him after I've helped him with his task?"
Kakashi smirked. What a good doggie he had.
"Find out everything you can, beyond what he lets you see or hear, and then report. I have to warn you though, there might be more than a few people after him despite Tsunade's no-combat rule; he didn't make any friends today."
"Hmmm," Pakkun considered this. Then he gave an eerie, rasping dog-chuckle, "I'll find out what the brat's up to, Kakashi. It'll be a pleasure."
With that, Pakkun sniffed the floor, and then sped down the hallway towards the exit, his tiny claws chiming against the concrete. Kakashi watched him go, and then turned to face the wall he'd been leaning against. He made a long succession of hand seals, and then stepped forward, using an earth element jutsu to sink through it and into the next room, silent and invisible.
Oh boy. If the Feudal Lords only knew what Konoha shinobi were truly capable of, they would certainly not be so eager to cross the borders of the village.
--
Naruto had only thought to get away from the Hokage tower fast , so he was surprised to find himself in the front yard of the Ninja Academy when he'd finally slowed his pace enough to check where he was.
There were no kids here today; school was closed for the festival. But for him the area was swarming with memories, of children playing and laughing together and trying to be so grown up, all while he'd sat alone on the pathetic single swing.
He was half tempted to straddle it like he used to; it had been about that long since he'd felt this miserable. He grabbed hold of the rope support instead and squeezed, wanting to feel pain somewhere other than where he was hurting the most. The sting of the fraying fibers wasn't pleasant, but it was far from satisfying—this place was much too full of remembered heartache to allow him relief. As a child he'd cried. But he refused to give in like that now.
Teeth clenched, Naruto took off again, this time heading to where he knew he could try and release what was currently splitting him apart. He didn't bother with speed that was visible. Pushing his body to the limit was always how he coped with the things that weren't physical.
Seeing the looming faces of the previous Hokage grow larger and larger as he covered the distance, he couldn't help but be fully aware of the irony of his destination. It was his life's bitter motif—chasing after the Hokage name while being upstaged by his rival at nearly every step. The difference, before, was that Sasuke hadn't ever done it on purpose. Hadn't hurt him on purpose.
Or at least he'd never thought of it that way before.
Naruto tore over the landscape and up the winding path to the top of the monument, solid rock dense with trees behind the high cliff's edge. Panting from the effort of such an extended sprint, he let out a barbaric roar and smashed his fist into the first boulder he came to, packing the momentum behind his body into the force of the blow.
The rock cracked loudly from the impact, but Naruto didn't feel much better from only breaking it in two, so he followed the blow with another from his left hand. The boulder exploded from the force of his chakra, and Naruto coughed on the dust, scowling fiercely and wiping particles from his eyes with scraped, bloody knuckles.
On the backs of his eyelids he could see separate moments of the day; Sasuke's presence when he'd entered the room, Sasuke's smirk as he'd said his name, Sasuke's eyes as he'd looked down on him with that sneer he used to start their sparring matches.
And Sasuke's hands—caressing the face of someone who wasn't him.
Naruto's throat tightened around a lump. He wished he'd never known what it felt like to be kissed while those hands cupped his jaw. He wasn't ever supposed to see it, only know it—the same way he knew when he was hungry or needed air.
He'd forgotten about Sasuke's clan. He'd forgotten that Sasuke was the only one left to revive it, and if things could go the way Naruto truly wanted then the Uchiha clan would eventually die out. Who better but a princess of Fire Country to help Sasuke create his legacy?
Naruto couldn't bear to think about it. He couldn't change who he was.
Before any other images could surface, torturing him with the sweetness of what had happened in his moonlit bedroom since it would never happen again, Naruto's blue eyes snapped open. But all he could see was red—his vision glazed over with righteous fury at being fooled by his rival twice over.
It was humiliating, and the need to destroy something—anything—surged inside him. He looked down on the broken remains of the boulder in irritation.
Releasing a howl that tore at his throat, Naruto conjured a clone, and single-mindedly razed the nearby trees to the ground with his huge, burning blue Rasengan, exploding trunks and branches and replacing the clones that died in the crossfire of debris with no remorse.
Again and again, arm protesting the vibrations from the spinning impact of his jutsu, he charged against everything in his path, cutting a swath of destruction until he was dizzy, head pounding from his fury and the Kyuubi tickling at the back of his senses. The Demon was awake and wanted to be let out; Naruto hadn't let him play in a very long time.
Shutting the fox's wordless urgings away, Naruto collapsed breathless onto his knees, sinking his fingers into what counted for grass on the high ridge of mountain. He shut his eyes and heaved; twice more and everything he'd eaten that day came back up, splattering the ground in front of him. He coughed, spitting the last of the acidic residue from his mouth and closed his eyes, waiting to make sure there was nothing left for his body to reject.
After a moment, he gave a raspy chuckle and shifted himself more upright, wiping his mouth with the back of his dirty hand, the red haze gone from his vision. He settled a palm on his navel, finally feeling some relief from the tempest that had been going on inside him from the moment he'd understood exactly how much Sasuke had lied.
The Kyuubi was now coiled tightly inside his cage, seething in fury that he hadn't been let out. But it was a kind of pain and discomfort that Naruto could manage. Somehow the fox trying to get out or the sight of his own vomit had cleared his head, and he felt rather drunk from the sudden sharpness of his thoughts.
Naruto looked around at the chaos he'd caused, relief that no one had been close enough to be endangered a faint whisper in the back of his mind. He got slowly to his feet and straightened his hitai-ate, taking inventory of his body to make sure he hadn't inflicted any critical wounds, rubbing his right hand and arm where his muscles were throbbing and sore.
He took a deep breath, not yet calm enough to be startled by the extreme focus and clarity of his mind. It was so obvious what he should do–he chuckled for being so blind in the first place.
He and Sasuke were rivals, had always been rivals. While the opportunity to become something more had surfaced that week, real and solid, Sasuke had thrown it away the moment he'd kissed that girl. There wasn't anything Naruto could do to change that; he wouldn't settle for less than total loyalty from the person who belonged to him that way. It was just how he was.
But Sasuke had also challenged him by registering in the Hunt. That was something he could address, and he could address it immediately. If Sasuke really thought he was better, then Naruto would give him the chance to try and prove it. And he'd even do it on Sasuke's turf; he always did enjoy a handicap. His face split in an eager smile, showing a few too many teeth to be considered friendly.
Brows creased and blue eyes fierce, Naruto left the top of the Hokage monument, making a line over Konoha to the Uchiha district where he'd settle things with his rival once and for all.
--
Kakashi followed at a leisurely pace, blending effortlessly with the surroundings as the Feudal Lords made their procession away from the Hokage tower to where they'd tethered their mounts.
The meeting with Tsunade had been interesting, mostly because someone had arrived halfway through that Kakashi hadn't expected to see. A far cry from Sasuke's dramatic entry, Jiraiya had simply opened the door and walked into the discussion on his clicking geta, moving to the opposite side of the seated men and women and leaning against the wide window as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Tsunade hadn't seemed at all surprised to see him, and actually nobody else did either—they were probably used to Jiraiya doing things on his own schedule. Kakashi thought they were a lot alike that way. But Tsunade hadn't seemed pleased, either… though that was usually how it was with them.
Jiraiya restrained himself by only winking at her, folding his arms and settling back so she could continue with the betting rules. He did nothing throughout the meeting to disturb anyone, although at one point he did look Kakashi right in the eye, smirking his knowing smirk.
Kakashi knew he was invisible, though he was only trying to be invisible to the gamblers. It would take much too much energy–not to mention it would be pointless to be invisible to Tsunade, her ANBU guards, and now Jiraiya as well. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, tilting his head in a nod at the older man. Jiraiya chuckled, probably all too aware of what he was doing there.
Kakashi wasn't worried about the Sannin, even if he did find it ironic that he and Naruto had been discussing Jiraiya's Oeuvre just that afternoon. The question he did have on his mind was why Jiraiya had waited until now to arrive—everyone else who was betting on the Hunt had been there for all of registration, looking all the competitors over like a buyer at a horse auction. It was an unfortunate parallel, but it fit.
Since Jiraiya was now part of the gambling, Kakashi'd just have to see what he was up to, if anything at all.
The Feudal Lords were now returning en masse to the largest Inn in the village, though meager compared to their usual housing. Kakashi wouldn't be surprised if only the important staff members stayed in the Inn with the Lords, with the rest of their entourage sharing the large, sectioned tents erected around the temporary corrals outside the center of town.
They weren't riding pell-mell down the streets, instead keeping a steady and proper pace, the Daimyo surveying the village's festival decorations with a pleased expression although Kakashi knew he was tense. It hadn't been said out loud, but he was sure the Daimyo had ordered a special meeting of his own, out of earshot of the Hokage and away from any ninja that they could see. For this, attendance would be mandatory; Kakashi knew it was true as not one horse deviated from the course.
It made things so much easier for him. With all the chaos of registration, Kakashi had decided to make one small detour and was glad once again that his apartment was near the center of town, so convenient for any number of needs or whims either before or after missions.
Thinking of Iruka with a heavy heart, Kakashi flipped over his roof into his kitchen, not concerned in the least about being separated from the Feudal Lords for a short while. He eyed the stained Yukata on his kitchen table and hastily scooped it up. He dashed into his bedroom and tucked it into the empty bottom drawer of his dresser for two reasons; not only would it would be safe there, but he also felt it probably wouldn't be good for his lover to find it, considering how things seemed between the boys at this point. No need to add fuel to that particular fire.
Kakashi came back out into the living room for his intended task, carefully placing something on the coffee table, just in case. Then he went out the way he came, and caught up to the sauntering caravan of horses as they wound their way through the celebrating village.
As he tailed his quarry, Kakashi wondered what Iruka might be doing right then. He wondered if Pakkun had caught up with Sasuke yet, and what he might find out. And then he tried to focus on his mission. It was nice to have something to do other than ponder things like past rivalries and the thin threads that bound people together, even if the distraction was a mission ranked awfully low for someone of his skills.
From his bird's eye view, Kakashi could see Shijimi Tomoko riding in elegance, her ponytail catching in the wind. Every so often she turned her head to speak to the man riding beside her, though he kept himself rigid and never looked away from the road in front of him.
He was most likely her bodyguard, though if he was also her babysitter he'd done a terrible job of it. It would be interesting to find out more about her interest in Sasuke; Kakashi could tell that Sasuke had held her off, and Neji had also said as much… but maybe he'd actually find something interesting when he tailed the girl.
He hoped he would, so that the mission wouldn't be quite so boring. But he hoped more that he wouldn't , since he didn't want anything else to disrupt his students, or his team.
Oddly, Kakashi found himself missing Sakura. She had a way of balancing all of them that he'd never be able to copy.
He sighed, descending to street level as the horses drew nearer to the Inn. As he ducked into a tight alleyway, he hoped Sakura was having more fun in Suna than the rest of them were having at present.
--
Sasuke's eyebrows felt permanently creased by the intensity of his scowl as he crossed the village heading to Naruto's apartment for the second time that afternoon. Although this time, his urgency was multiplied to a point that he could hardly stand it.
Shit, shit, shit.
All of it had been harder than he'd imagined: Pretending to be as strong as Itachi, pretending to challenge Naruto, pretending it didn't twist his heart that Naruto thought he'd accepted the Princess' kiss.
In truth, he'd never ever wanted to kiss anyone but Naruto, but in that situation—besides snapping the girl's neck—what else could he have done to stop her?
Kakashi was right about the Sharingan; his head was aching in a way that preceded a raging migraine, but until he found Naruto it would stay in place—disengaging it would be a painful distraction he didn't need. He couldn't imagine how Itachi had kept it constantly active, and Sasuke felt bitter that he'd missed his chance to ask. The Sharingan was extremely useful, made for their bloodline, but he'd forgotten how quickly it drained his energy, and how heavy his body felt after such a long period even as it made him quicker.
'You better be at your apartment, moron,' he thought, the sentiment intense; he was anxious to explain everything and set things right. There was no point to any of this if he lost Naruto, and the pain of his anxiety was nearly blinding. Sasuke touched his right temple, for no other reason than to pretend it might bring relief.
He was almost at his destination when he had the feeling that he was being followed. He slowed his pace, and changed his course so that the pursuer wouldn't guess where he was really trying to go. Once in an appropriate spot, he strategically ducked behind a chimney, drawing a kunai and scanning with his chakra to get an idea of who was after him.
"Tch," he muttered when he recognized Pakkun.
Well, well, well. Kakashi had decided to gamble after all. Sasuke tucked away the kunai and folded his arms, moving from behind the chimney and leaning against it to wait. Soon enough, Pakkun came across the ridgepole of the roof on his tiny feet and stopped not too far away, sitting and scratching behind his ear with a hind foot.
Sasuke glared down at him and said nothing. Pakkun finished scratching, then watched him and said nothing back. After a few moments, Pakkun's pink tongue began to waggle as he panted in the warm sun, and Sasuke's frayed nerves just couldn't engage in another pointless battle of wills. He didn't even like Pugs.
"What are you doing here, Pakkun?"
"That's my question, kid. What am I doing here?" Pakkun stopped panting, but his tiny eyes regarded him with an intelligence that Sasuke had always found disconcerting from a four-legged animal.
"Kakashi sent you after me, and now you've found me. So now what?" Sasuke retorted. There had to be a trap in this. Kakashi wasn't a fool.
"Oh alright," Pakkun sighed, like he was talking to a five year old. "Let me explain it again. You asked for me, and then Kakashi-dono sent me to you. As much as I enjoy our conversations," the dog paused with extreme sarcasm, "I'm going to assume there's a reason I'm on this roof, a reason which only you, Sasuke-kun, can enlighten me. That is, unless you're out here to get a tan, in which case I'm going to take a nap."
Sasuke clenched a fist under his elbow, glaring at the dog as he stood up and made circles on the slanting tiles as if he were going to flop down and go to sleep whether Sasuke answered him or not. Standing here was wasting time, however, and as much as he loathed having to borrow a summon—more because it was Pakkun than because it was impolite, or because he didn't have his own—he sincerely wanted to find Naruto as soon as possible.
Sasuke scowled, equally sarcastic. "Let's just say I'm surprised at Kakashi-sensei's generosity."
"Hmmmm," Pakkun stopped his circling and eyed him with ill-concealed dislike. "I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you kid; this is the only time you'll have me at your bidding. So where are we going?"
Sasuke gave a wry chuckle, "You mean you're not going to smell me first? To check my intentions?"
Pakkun rolled his eyes, "The way you were running I'd guess that instead of wasting time here, there was someplace or someone that you were serious about finding. And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not smell the things that I can see."
Sasuke was proud that he didn't bristle at the insult, cutting to the chase before he did excruciating harm to the charming canine. "Take me to Uzumaki Naruto, pronto."
Pakkun's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment other than to ask, "Where was he last, that you know?"
"At the Hokage tower. He left before I did, and his apartment isn't far from here."
Pakkun didn't hesitate; he turned around to run back the way he'd come. "Oi, this way!"
"Tch," Sasuke muttered, catching up to the small dog on the next roof. "Why are we going backwards? Naruto's apartment is over there!" Sasuke pointed, and Pakkun shook his head.
"That's the wrong way kid; I didn't smell his scent anywhere near yours when I was tracking you."
Sasuke thought about this a moment, then asked, "Why would you check for his scent if you were tracking me?"
"Jeez," Pakkun creased his brows, which didn't help him look any more attractive, "I don't have to check for his scent on purpose. If it's there, I notice it; didn't you know it was highly distinctive ?"
Sasuke glared at him, and Pakkun smirked. "Naruto's freshest trail was back near the Hokage tower. We'll track him from there, kid."
Sasuke tightened his lips as they retraced his steps. He was reluctant to admit it, but this was exactly why he'd requested the dog in the first place. Without the invaluable sense of smell, he knew he could be running all over the village with only gut instincts to help him find Naruto. Now, even though Pakkun was hardly the kind of tour guide anyone would choose on purpose without an emergency, Sasuke knew Pakkun's nose was the best, and he'd get to Naruto faster than any other method.
Pakkun glanced at him then, and Sasuke had to wonder how far his sense of smell really went—was it insightful like the Sharingan or Byakugan? Could the pug smell intangible things from him like worry?
Sasuke didn't think he could mask how worried he really was, beyond controlling his expressions and tone of voice. He was worried both about not being able to find Naruto, and also finding him—if he knew his rival at all, things would probably get worse before they got better.
Pakkun slowed down and shuffled along with his nose near the ground when they reached the wide, bricked area at the base of the Hokage tower. Sasuke watched the dog intently, trying not to be suspicious of the amount of time it took him to pick up the correct trail. Pakkun went up the steps part way, sniffing by the railing, and then bounded back down and around the corner towards the next block.
"This way!" he called, and Sasuke sprinted after him, trying to imagine what Naruto had been thinking as he'd left the registration room.
He and Pakkun ran away from the tower, turning down a side street and eventually crossing from pavement to grass. Pakkun slowed and kept his nose in the ground, moving here and there, but Sasuke halted in the center of the open yard of the Academy.
He swallowed, surprised to be at the place where it had all begun, where they'd first met and become classmates, perpetually annoyed at each other and always getting into fights. He looked around the empty yard, remembering all the other kids playing and laughing and inventing games together, though he'd never watched them himself; he'd only heard the squeals and noises of recess in the background.
Instead of playing with the others, Sasuke had always gone around the side, training alone while everyone else was busy. He spent his time throwing shuriken, practicing taijutsu, and hiding the fact that he could do Goukakyuu-no-Jutsu while yearning for someone to show it to–other than his brother or father who could do it so much better.
"Oi." Pakkun was standing over by the swing, and Sasuke didn't notice that his voice wasn't quite so sarcastic this time. "He went this way," Pakkun gestured with his head, and then took off at a pace that wouldn't outstrip Sasuke while he was daydreaming.
Sasuke shook his head and darted in the direction Pakkun went. They covered quite a bit of ground this time; with Pakkun having to stop several times to be sure they were on the right trail.
"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide his impatience when they'd adjusted their course for the third time.
"Hmmm," Pakkun was sniffing, "He was going fast. Real fast." Sasuke tightened his lips. If faster speeds were harder to trace, Naruto must have been in a big hurry. But why? And to where?
"Got it," Pakkun muttered and was gone. Sasuke kept his attention on following the dog, leaping overtop the village in pursuit of his blond teammate. At one point he looked up, and his steps nearly faltered under the stern, piercing gazes of the previous and current Hokage.
"Pakkun!" Sasuke was glad it hadn't come out in a shriek—his heart thudded loudly in his chest. "I know where he went!"
He pointed at the monument, situated in a direct line from the path they'd been following, and knew without a doubt that that's where he'd find Naruto. It made so much sense; that's where Naruto always went when he was happy.
Or upset.
Sasuke didn't wait for a response, his feet were suddenly flying across skyline and air towards the stone symbol of Naruto's biggest dream and goal. He could kick himself for not thinking of it earlier—was that where Naruto had been earlier today while he was looking all over for him?
Vaguely he knew Pakkun was running along with him, and he glanced to the side to see him checking for Naruto's trail every so often. When their eyes met, the dog gave a nod, and they both lengthened their strides.
The incline was unfriendly and Sasuke's thighs and calves protested the pace, but he wasn't about to slow down now. Not when he was almost at the top and could finally see his—
Sasuke skidded to a stop, his eyes wide at the sight that greeted them as they crested the last stretch up the hill. One sweeping glance told him that Naruto wasn't there anymore, but he most certainly had been. Sasuke's chest heaved from trying to catch his breath but he barely noticed it, such was the shock of the altered landscape stretching before him.
Pakkun sniffed around the debris, but Sasuke didn't need to look at the dog to know they'd come to the right place. Who but Naruto possessed this much power?
Naruto had not only knocked over the trees, he'd smashed them to bits. Rocks, too–what must have once been giant boulders were now only gravelly-pieces scattered amongst the branches and bark and the flesh-colored, splintered remains of the forest.
There were pits in the earth where some of Naruto's Rasengan had burst through their intended targets. Frankly, Sasuke was amazed that there wasn't some kind of inquiry already going on—how had nobody heard this? The air was still humming with the echoes of splitting wood, granite explosions, and what he imagined to be the sound of his teammate's furious bellows as he unleashed his power.
Sasuke stood still, thrilled by the intensity of what his teammate could do even as it drove something sharp through his core to hold the responsibility for it. Naruto had been mad at him before, but it had never been like this; Sasuke wasn't coward enough to try and pretend that Naruto could be angry for some other reason, or hurt by some other person.
It was always the one you loved most who could hurt you the best.
In the face of such destruction, Sasuke wasn't comforted from the evidence. It meant Naruto must care for him a great deal to have had such a violent reaction to a misunderstanding, even one of such gigantic proportions and ill-timing, but the knowledge wasn't sweet against this kind of background.
"Oi."
Sasuke turned towards the noise and for a weird second didn't recognize the small brown dog before snapping out of his daze. He took a few steps closer, trying to fight against the mounting urgency he could feel thrumming in every cell of his body to find Naruto and reverse this mess.
"Where did—" The question died as Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.
Pakkun was looking at him, for once not spouting any snide comments, and Sasuke would have been grateful if he'd been able to process anything past what the Pug was standing beside. His red eyes took in the mess in one glance, but he couldn't stop looking at it right away in the twisted fascination that occurs when seeing something horrible.
Naruto had puked. Sasuke waited for something to happen, either in his heart, or his gut, but there was nothing. He only felt cold, the coldness that went with the fear that perhaps this was something too extreme to be fixed.
Sasuke liked to think that he could control his expressions expertly, but he knew that his face was slipping from its mask of calm into a scowl of anger. He accepted it, all of it; anger was something he knew well, and it helped diminish the cold. What he wouldn't accept, in any form, was defeat—and the fact that a lie posing as truth could push Naruto so far made Sasuke extremely, and thoroughly angry.
And it made him that much more determined to get back to they way things had been between him and Naruto only that morning. The memory of waking up in Naruto's arms, and being greeted with such carefree enthusiasm probably hurt the worst, slicing through him bitterly.
He wouldn't give that up; it was how they were supposed to be!
"Which way did he go, Pakkun?" Sasuke's voice was the steadiest he'd heard it since they'd been to the Academy and Pakkun responded immediately.
"Follow me," The dog said, and sprinted through the trees.
Sasuke's scowl loosened as they ran through the trees and descended back down the high cliff following Naruto's scent. He'd reached the point where there was nothing left to feel but the urge to find his rival and make him understand.
They didn't talk on the way, Sasuke shadowing the Pug and expecting him to know what he was doing, not needing to ask any questions. Pakkun and Naruto were probably close; unlike himself, the blond seemed to collect friends wherever he went, doing whatever he did. He still exchanged letters with some of the people they'd helped on missions as Genin.
Vaguely Sasuke knew the idea should have hurt, how Naruto made and then kept friends while he, Sasuke, couldn't really understand why he had the friends he had. But today he didn't feel the need to question it. It seemed obvious that it was one reason why they connected so strongly in the first place—there was something inherent in his teammate that Sasuke simply couldn't do without. It was why he had done a lot of things since the day they were both put on Team Seven.
Pakkun was efficient if also suspiciously tight-lipped. Sasuke ignored everything going on around them in the village; the crowds and the food smells and the brightly colored decorations blurred in his peripheral vision as they followed on the heels of Naruto's trail. All that mattered was getting to him and fixing things, no matter what it took.
And so he was surprised when something in the back of his mind broke into his thoughts, telling him to pay closer attention.
Sasuke blinked, noticing that they were now on the opposite side of the village's center and moving further away, the decorations and lanterns of the festival diminishing incrementally. He glanced at Pakkun with a questioning look, and the dog nodded.
"He came this way, kid. I'm sure of it."
Sasuke kept following, and when he could no longer deny the scenery around them he started to chuckle. This noise put Pakkun on alert, and Sasuke's gaze narrowed as he honed in on their destination.
"I know where he is, Pakkun."
He felt an odd twinge of excitement along with the anticipation of seeing Naruto again. The trail was obviously heading towards the Uchiha Clan's district, which meant Naruto had decided on his own to confront him. While he knew how strong the blond was, and how irrational his power sometimes became, Sasuke was glad that this time they would both be ready to face their issues head on.
He let Pakkun keep the pretense of leading them, though he knew—even with every wrong turn and random loop in Naruto's trail—that they would end up at his own house. The proof of this was not only in the scent, but in the chakra signature that Sasuke could have recognized in his sleep. He reached for a kunai, but resisted—he didn't want to be the first one to draw a weapon. Not when he wanted a peaceful resolution from this unavoidable confrontation.
Sasuke's skin tingled when they entered the large courtyard of his house, and Naruto waiting when they arrived. He stood tall and fierce out in the open, dirty and sweaty, absurdly and ruggedly attractive. With precise calculation, Naruto threw a shuriken in the nin-dog's path to cut him off.
Sasuke halted and Pakkun leaped out of the way, but barely. The intensity of Naruto's sky-blue eyes made him shiver as their gazes locked, but it was the words Naruto said, and the determination behind them that raised all the hairs on his body in response:
"We've got something to settle. Uchiha … … Sasuke."
--
Sasuke's red eyes weren't wavering, locked with his as they faced off in front of the house.
Naruto was glad he had Sasuke's full attention, although his rival did reach his hand out towards the dog, shooing him. "Go back Pakkun; I've got it from here."
"Hn," Pakkun eyed them both suspiciously, but disappeared back the way they'd entered. Naruto was glad. While he didn't want the Pug to alert Kakashi before their fight was over, he'd have to risk it; he didn't want Pakkun to get hurt when things got started since he wasn't a combat type.
For a moment he and Sasuke just stared at each other. Then Sasuke took a step forward, and Naruto had a kunai in his hand so fast that only someone with the Sharingan could have seen the draw. Naruto's voice was controlled and he liked the sound of it; he'd had time while waiting for his rival to focus.
"Not so fast, Uchiha. First you tell me what the hell you were doing at registration." A hot breeze ruffled through their clothing and hair.
Sasuke moved his back foot up, so that he could face him evenly, though they were both on edge. He kept his hands loose at his sides, but it seemed to be costing him some effort.
"I've got a plan so you can win."
He'd meant for it to be a hook, and Naruto's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why should I believe you? You said you weren't competing and now you are ."
"Tch," Sasuke's scowl grew deeper along with his protest, "That's so no one will expect it when we fight together."
"Heh," Naruto chuckled dryly and glared back at him. "Teamwork? Coming from you ?" That bastard must really think he was stupid. Stupid and weak . How presumptuous to think he would even consider it after what Sasuke had done today.
"I said the same thing to you once, Naruto," Sasuke took another step forward, his voice angrier, "But I was at least willing to listen. Don't you remember what we were able to do?"
"I didn't ask for your help, Sasuke," Naruto clenched his teeth around the words, gripping the kunai tight in his fist. "I can win this on my own–I don't need you!"
"That's not the point!" Sasuke's voice was fierce, just like the chakra leaking from him in agitation. Naruto smiled to feel it; it meant Sasuke would fight seriously. Good.
"The point is, Sasuke, you don't really believe I can beat you," Naruto lowered his kunai to square his shoulders. "I'm going to show you that I can."
Sasuke's whole body changed, and there was a ferocity in his twin Sharingan that Naruto always enjoyed seeing. It was an essential element to their fights, and it pleased him to inspire it in his rival's face.
"What about the rule? Did you forget what Tsunade said?" Sasuke placed a hand on his hip, though his pose was significantly more superior than bored.
"She just said not to get caught." Naruto didn't falter from those eyes, which were beginning to simmer dangerously from the deliberate taunts. "You worried ? Sa-su-ke ?"
Sasuke's lips thinned. "You're not going to listen unless we fight, are you." There was understanding in his teammate's voice.
Naruto pointed with his free hand, "You started this! You set yourself against me when you walked in that room, and when you chose someone who could revive your clan!"
Sasuke's expression twisted in shock before returning to a mask of fury, and Naruto's belly flipped at seeing his small loss of control.
"Is that what you think?" Sasuke's voice was low and tense, rising in volume with each word, "Then you don't know anything , Naruto!"
"I know I would never have betrayed you, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted back at him, sweeping his hand angrily across the space in front of him, palm down. He took up his preferred fighting stance and got ready to spring.
"I didn't betray you, Naruto, ask Neji!" Sasuke took another angry step forward, shaking as he shouted. "I would nev—"
"–Why should I believe you, Sasuke? Huh?" Naruto's hand shook from holding the kunai so tight. "Give me one good reason."
"Because I'm telling you the truth!"
Naruto laughed, though there was no humor in it. "The truth is you set me up because you always have to be the one who wins—but you will acknowledge me today, Sasuke!"
"Fine, Naruto," Sasuke drew a kunai, slow and deliberate, taking his own stance; everything about it was assured and—Naruto was glad to see—deadly. "If this is the only way to convince you, if this is the only way to prove that you're wrong, so be it!"
Naruto charged him then, and the clanging of their kunai reverberated over the still, empty courtyard. They leapt and blocked and retreated, weapons clashing against weapons, the sounds of their sandals mixing with grunts of effort. Naruto threw a volley of shuriken as he sprang back the fourth time, making Sasuke pause long enough in deflecting them that he could conjure two clones.
The three of him rushed his rival, interweaving their paths to confuse which of him were the clones, pushing Sasuke to utilize some of his chakra to be fast enough to ward off their simultaneous attacks. He got one of the clones in a countermove, but Naruto had sacrificed it in order to force Sasuke in a certain direction.
Naruto deflected Sasuke's next shuriken, spearing one on the end of his kunai and firing it back. Sasuke nearly got himself tangled in the rope-trap Naruto had set, but he back-flipped and skidded away from it, and managed to pull off a stunt-shot with two more kunai to dispatch the second clone. Naruto met the Uchiha's cocky smirk with one of his own, just as Sasuke's outstretched heel tripped the wire of the second trap.
The look on his rival's face when he realized how he'd been maneuvered was priceless; it shivered down Naruto's spine as he took cover right before the paper notes exploded.
Sasuke tumbled out of the way without being injured, of course, but the icy, reassessing look in his eyes as he coughed from the dissipating smoke was what Naruto had really been after. Now Sasuke would know how serious he was—this was not like the games they usually played.
"Heh, had enough yet?" Naruto taunted him, his knuckles ridged with shuriken, knowing that they'd only just gotten started.
Sasuke glared at him in response, and this time he was the one to spring, avoiding the shuriken with his quick footwork. Naruto felt the impact of their bracing kunai in a jolt down his sore right arm; for a moment he was close enough to his teammate to see the whites of his bared teeth before they separated and circled and came at one another all over again.
Fighting felt good, and he didn't flinch when the edge of Sasuke's kunai nicked his arm in a sharp sting, slicing through his orange jacket in a surface wound. Naruto drew a second kunai, and used it to continue to press his rival to fight him harder. Sasuke may have drawn first blood, but it seemed like part of him was still holding back. Naruto scowled, and changed his tactics to move them around to the side of the house where there was less open space to move around.
He wanted this to get personal.
If Sasuke realized that they were slowly changing location, at first he didn't oppose it. Naruto edged them closer to the house, pushing until Sasuke tried to redirect their progress back the way they'd come; he'd guessed right about Sasuke's reluctance to cause damage to the house he lived in.
Naruto used more weapons than he would have liked, but he cut off Sasuke's retreat and forced him into the closer confines of the side yard, nestled between the house and the dividing wall. His shuriken made a dashed line along the richly stained planks of the wall with staccato pings, and Sasuke dodged by jumping along the skinny top edge of the wall with Naruto in hot pursuit. Sasuke loosed his own barrage of weapons from his vantage point and Naruto tumbled out of harm's way, then leapt to his feet and continued the chase.
When they'd reached the sloping rear courtyard, Sasuke somersaulted off the wall and tried to catch Naruto's feet with well-aimed ninja wire. For a second it sliced into the knees of his training pants, but then there was a poof of smoke, and Sasuke was left having lassoed a crusty log.
"Tch," the Uchiha muttered, releasing the wire instantly, Naruto's face equally intense as he prepared his strike from behind, having used a Kawarimi to switch locations.
Sasuke turned at the last second and blocked Naruto's knee before it rammed into his back, using Naruto's own momentum against him and forcing him to catch himself on his hands. He barely twisted out of range of Sasuke's incoming fist, and skidded to a stop in a crouch, his sandals kicking up some dust.
Naruto's teeth clenched tight in his mouth, and he eyed his rival with renewed anger—was he fighting him for real?
Sasuke stood a mid-distance away, the breeze shifting his hair across his eyes as he held his kunai ready, breathing hard through his mouth, the same as him. Naruto growled, and then he charged again, this time upping his previous speed by half.
Sasuke gasped and moved out of the way just in time, but Naruto wasn't going to go easy on him and followed up his punch with a second and then a third, which Sasuke finally caught. His red eyes were still bright with fury, but Naruto wanted to see more of that fury from Sasuke's attacks. He twisted his wrist and grabbed Sasuke's arm instead, yanking hard to throw him to the ground. But Sasuke turned his body free and swiped at him with the kunai, which Naruto easily evaded.
Naruto was almost out of weapons, but it didn't matter—he'd intended from the start to finish this with fists. Once more he conjured some clones, spreading four of him out to harass his rival. While not exactly his most original move, Naruto knew it was a great way to deplete enemy ammunition. He circled the clones around the Uchiha and attacked in pairs, impressed as always with his rival's dark grace in combat.
The clones disappeared, and Sasuke lost more of his weapons. Naruto pressed closer, letting a shuriken graze the top of his shoulder so he didn't lose the momentum of his lunging attack. He aimed his fist for Sasuke's stomach, getting him to hop backwards while he pushed them up the slope and towards the back porch.
Sasuke glared as he fought back, and when he saw his chance, Naruto kicked his leg to meet the kunai in Sasuke's hand. His rival turned the weapon so he wouldn't stab him in the foot, and with only slightly less consideration, Naruto allowed the sole of his shoe to smash Sasuke's hand into the closest wooden pillar, breaking his grip on the kunai but not breaking any bones in the process.
The Uchiha scowled like a gargoyle but didn't cry out, simply thrust his left elbow into Naruto's chin and made contact in a rush of pain that split his lip. Naruto hopped backwards a couple of steps, grinning despite the sting. Now that's what he was talking about!
"Oi," Naruto chuckled, disregarding how his lip was already swelling. He settled himself in a comfortable attack stance, "Let's see if you can do that again."
When Sasuke came at him in a rush, Naruto managed to duck underneath his leaping kick but caught the impact of the following jab with his already sore forearm. Grunting with the effort of blocking and punching, he felt like they should be getting somewhere by now, but the outcome of this fight was still unclear.
Either they were both out of weapons, or Sasuke was trying to keep the match even by not going for any of his; the longer they fought the more Naruto started to feel like he was being toyed with. Was his rival even trying to win? He'd taken hits from Sasuke before, much worse than a split lip; though he couldn't say Sasuke wasn't trying at all, Naruto was convinced he was holding back.
His tanned, dirty fist went sailing by Sasuke's ear, and Naruto deliberately gave him a chance to hit him, just to test what he would do. Sasuke went for it, his clenched fingers on course to collide directly with his stomach, and Naruto didn't move out of the way.
The impact never came however, at least not how it should have—Sasuke opened his fist and shoved with the heel of his hand, knocking him on his back into the grassy dirt.
Naruto rolled up to a crouch, his eyes livid. He let out an angry roar and bounded towards his rival as fast as he could. He unleashed a tumult of attacks that kept Sasuke dancing as he dodged and blocked, his brain pounding with the rage that even now his rival assumed he'd given him the opening by mistake, and had taken pity on him by not landing a more powerful blow.
Why did Sasuke insist on ignoring him? Why did Sasuke believe that of the two of them, he was the only one who could be any good at what they did? Why did Sasuke think he could say and do anything he wanted, without thinking of how others might react?
Shaking with rage, Naruto slammed his fist towards Sasuke's jaw, and Sasuke caught it. Perhaps it was because he could finally sense the rage, or frustration, Naruto didn't know for sure. But something made Sasuke smirk at him just then, his eyes flashing with what Naruto would have called lust less than twenty-four hours ago, but now could only be some kind of selfish amusement.
It hurt to know the two could look so similar, whether Sasuke's eyes were red or black, and Naruto gave a rumbling howl as he lashed out at his rival, seeking to wound him as badly as he'd been wounded by two consecutive, public humiliations at the hands of the one he cared about most.
Since everything else he'd done to get Sasuke's full participation had failed, Naruto's fingers closed around the necklace at his rival's throat and he yanked with a savage thrill, snapping the chain and flinging it far into the yard where he couldn't see where it landed.
He felt surprisingly satisfied from the action—at least now Sasuke wouldn't be quite so beautiful when he looked down on him.
Sasuke shoved him away, his mouth twisting in a snarl of shock mixed with horror. His pale fingers touched his neck, and then Naruto's stomach dropped at the look that rose into those Sharingan eyes. He felt every hair on his body stand on end at that look, and he fought not to show the shiver that climbed up his spine from the evidence that he'd finally—finally!—gotten the complete attention of Uchiha Sasuke.
YES. This was what he'd been looking for, this is what he knew it would be like if he ever was fighting on the opposite side of those eyes. This was someone worth fighting, worth proving himself to, worth being acknowledged by even if that was where the struggle ended.
Sasuke's answering bellow was ferocious, and Naruto could taste the aroma of something very close to desire on the surface of his tongue as he watched his rival sprint directly for him. Sasuke was attractive no matter what he did, it was a fact. But there was something about Sasuke when he was enraged that had always drawn Naruto, even as it incensed him.
Mouth curled into a excited grin, blue eyes sharp and fierce, Naruto ran to intercept his rival, his fingers clenched tight in a gift of welcome. Sasuke was still snarling, and he cried out as he launched himself through the air, finally willing to fight with everything he had. Naruto swung his fist to meet him, and instead of simply striking back, Sasuke grabbed his forearm and threw him viciously across the grass with the spinning momentum of his own descent.
Naruto landed on his side, but bumped and skidded across the hard ground before he could get back to his feet and charge again, the air whistling painfully in his lungs from the impact. Sasuke moved to dodge, but caught Naruto's elbow in his back, just before Naruto got another cuff to the chin.
This went on for what seemed like ages, utter madness with both of them intent on getting the most hits to their opponent before they collapsed with fatigue. Most shinobi battles didn't last this long, although Naruto knew he and Sasuke weren't normal in either their reserves of stamina or in their desire to fight each other as hard and as often as possible.
Naruto planted his fist in Sasuke's jaw, making him stagger before his teammate countered with a kick to his knee. Naruto blocked with his own leg, but was knocked off balance by the awkward pose, which opened a chance for his rival to force him down to the grass. He twisted around, barely able to stay on his feet, but Sasuke intended to push his slight advantage.
His rival let out another barbaric shout, drawing out the battle cry as he came at him with fists flying. Naruto did his best to defend, but inevitably some of the attacks made it through his guard, and he didn't look forward to seeing the results that would be painted on his skin in the next hours. He was furious and thrilled to be caught up in a fight, but he didn't sense the Kyuubi bothering him this time–the fox was thankfully dormant after what had happened earlier.
Slamming his forearm against Sasuke's, Naruto was reminded why he preferred to fight this way; traps and stealth and some kinds of ninjutsu just weren't as natural, though he'd trained incessantly to master those kinds of skills over time. He was far from the worst, despite his longstanding nickname, but he'd always found hand-to-hand combat much more exhilarating—especially when his opponent was a dangerous predator like Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto was glad that he trained every single day; it was necessary in order to fight with someone who could copy another ninja's moves. Fighting Sasuke here and now showed him pieces of Neji and Lee, and even Kiba. But it was the pieces that were Sasuke, just Sasuke, that were the most appealing to oppose.
His wasn't an intensity Naruto could forget, even if Sasuke was usually like this only on their team's most dangerous missions. It was better, more thrilling than he'd imagined to be faced with such fury, and Naruto felt even more determined to conquer it.
Most of the time they fought each other with predetermined rules, expectations. But this today was a chance to see which of them would really come out on top once the smoke cleared. This was different .
Naruto knew the difference came from how the two of them were changing, and his heart tightened to think that they would change again, or were changing now—their rivalry was a necessary part of their existence, tinged now with molten, consuming desire.
Sasuke charged at him with so much passion, a passion also violent from its core of rage—how had Naruto never noticed it before? How had he never noticed how it called to his own anger? Sasuke might believe he could choose someone else, but Naruto could now understand that there was no other person who could hope to equal what they were to each other.
Something in him had always known about this connection—something deep down that recognized his rival, the same something that claimed the Uchiha tensai with an overwhelming sense of possession. Naruto had a primal urge to mark him, to graffiti the word mine on Sasuke's aura for everyone to see.
Did the bastard really think he could have this with anyone other than him?
This time when they charged each other, Naruto took another hit but grabbed on and held tight, effectively stopping any attacks while only increasing his rival's aggravation. Sasuke immediately fought against his hold, and the fact that he couldn't break free was what helped Naruto decide once and for all that he was truly unwilling to give up something that was his no matter what Sasuke thought about it.
Their furious grappling took them to the ground, Naruto landing on something rocky that jabbed into his back before gravity had them rolling towards the lake. He grunted as they were slammed alternately into each other and the unyielding earth, but with a calculated move Naruto was able to stop them with an outstretched knee, scraping off most of the skin where his pants had been split, yet gaining the advantage of being firmly on top of his rival.
Using one hand to brace most of his weight, his knee throbbing in agony, Naruto grabbed Sasuke around the throat with his other hand to make sure he couldn't get away, pressing hard enough to leave a mark. He shoved his rival's head back, his other shin angled to pin his teammate's thighs.
Sasuke glared at him with eyes nearly glowing from his furor, and his fingers dug painfully into Naruto's wrist as he tried unsuccessfully to pry it off. Naruto didn't budge; he waited for the exact moment Sasuke knew he was at his mercy.
Naruto looked down on him, meeting those red eyes, not afraid of anything he would see, and Sasuke didn't bother to conceal any of his resentment or fury. His rival's whole body was rigid as his pale fingers barely loosened their futile hold on him, and Naruto could feel the frantic pulse of Sasuke's blood beating against his grip. He didn't care if it was uncomfortable; right now he meant it to be.
Both of them panted from the effort of fighting each other full out, and as the seconds ticked by, Naruto wasn't surprised to recognize that same something besides anger dancing within the depths of Sasuke's eyes like it had before. Those eyes narrowed, daring Naruto to keep going, challenging him to move forward, and urging him to complete the thorough domination that he'd been so intent on from the moment the first charge had been made.
Sasuke wanted him.
What surprised Naruto was that it didn't make him any less angry.
Naruto shifted his balance slowly onto his hurt knee, moving his free hand from the ground to Sasuke's stomach, and then lower, somehow knowing what he'd find. He roughly cupped the full erection straining in Sasuke's pants. His rival didn't struggle, just looked at him with eyes full of hate, fear, and in-between those, a need so fierce that Naruto could taste it along with the tang of blood dripping along his lip.
This was something, at least, that couldn't lie.
Brows creased on his forehead, Naruto stroked him once through his pants, his fist anything but gentle in his declaration of ownership, and Sasuke showed all his teeth as he scowled, his breath hissing out in rebellion to the pleasure that had him instinctively jerk up for more.
It would be so easy—Naruto could see it in the way Sasuke's fingers dug into his forearm, how he kept himself from struggling through the tension, how his eyes were pleading for it somewhere underneath the mutiny.
Naruto knew he could take him here, just like this, the anger and adrenaline and lust that they'd always had for each other merging in a moment of raging passion. He looked into those red eyes and felt disgusted for truly wanting to do it—Sasuke wasn't the only one who was hard. He wasn't the only one who'd enjoy it, even if it destroyed them.
He felt Sasuke swallow underneath the grip of his tanned hand, those eyes now screaming at him to 'Get on with it—what are you waiting for?'
But after a difficult moment, Naruto moved not closer, but away from the temptation beneath him.
If they did it like this, Naruto knew it could only be this way between them afterwards. There would be no going back. And if there was even a small chance that they might be able to have something more than the repeated, frenzied slaking of lust born from an abusive anger, it wasn't worth damning them both now. Deep down he still believed they could have something better. And if he was wrong… well, this would still be there, lying in wait. Forever tempting.
Naruto had won this fight. Sasuke knew it as well. For now, it was enough.
The last part of Sasuke that Naruto released was his throat. He moved two feet away to crouch on the knee that still had its skin, still watching his rival while very gently stretching the bunched muscles in his back that were crying for relief.
Sasuke sat up, slow and stiff like he hurt all over, but Naruto saw that he didn't touch his neck. It was red from his hand, and looked rather naked without the necklace, but Sasuke wouldn't show any weakness–it wasn't part of his nature. He did, however, adjust his crotch.
After a minute or two of sitting in silence, Naruto decided to ask the question that had been burning on his tongue for hours.
"Just how much of it was a lie, Sasuke?"
Sasuke aimed a level gaze, managing to make a noise like a chuckle though Naruto knew it hadn't come out quite right. His rival didn't falter with the next words, even with a raspy voice.
"I've never lied to you." Then, after a moment, he added, "Moron."
Naruto heard vibrations in the air, vibrations that tickled the roof of his mouth with the clarity and weight of Truth. He held Sasuke's gaze for a long moment, glad that it was something–something they could work with, could build on, could cling to in order to keep out of this pain-filled abyss.
Naruto rubbed the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, trying not to wince. "Tell me your plan. Bastard."
[to be continued...]