Swept Away From the Ashes chapter 2

By: Mishka-chan

Dreams of memories; acquaintances unexpected.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I asked Kishimoto and apparently it is not for sale.

Warning: Not much this chapter, a homophobic father… so some offensive language (I think so), slight, slight, slight Itasasu, but only if you have like 20/20 a magnifying glass and squint.

Author's notes: I had English EOI testing today… I did well… sorry this is so late and too short. For those who don't know what that is, it is End of Instruction testing. I actually have about half of the next chapter finished.

"How dare you? How dare you disgrace this family with your perversion!"

"Otou-san, I'm sorry, I didn't know that it was wrong!"

"You are a failure! Why couldn't you be like your brother?"

"Father! I am sorry I didn't know. I won't do it again."

A hit landed on his shoulder and knocked him down. A sharp cry escaped him as he felt the collision of both the hit and the floor.

"You shouldn't have done it in the first place." The father stepped forward and the boy began to back away.

"Stop." A cold voice demanded of the father.

"Aniki…"

"Step out of the way, Itachi."

"Otouto did nothing wrong leave him be."

"Nothing wrong? His perversion will forever be a mark on this family."

"What's wrong father? Afraid of having a queer son, afraid that he will be like cousin. Afraid that he will be happy. Is that what you fear father? He is seven! A child! He kissed another boy it is called curiosity. Even if he decided he liked men better then you should be happy that he is. Is that what you are afraid of, that your son will love another man?"

The father glared at Itachi. "Fugaku…" The mother began. "He is your son."

"Mikoto, that queer is not my son." Fugaku and Mikoto left the room.

Itachi came over to the boy and knelt by him. "Otouto…Sasuke?"

The small form began to tremble slightly. "Aniki, I promise I won't do it again."

"I don't care little brother Sasuke. I don't care if you do."

Tears began to fall from Sasuke's eyes. "Aniki, do you hate me like father?"

"No. I can't hate you, I love you too much." Sasuke began to sob into his chest.

--;--

Itachi turned over in his bed. He could hear Sasuke moving in his sleep. More like tossing. He stood and began to stalk silently through the house. He opened his brother's door silently and approached his bed. Sitting on the edge he bent over and ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair.

"Otouto, wake up." Sasuke's eyes popped open.

"Dream or memory?"

"Memory."

"Do you need to talk about it, or better yet do you want to?"

"No."

"Okay then." Itachi kissed Sasuke's brow and walked to the other side of the room. He began to open the door.

"Aniki, do you hate me like father?" Itachi turned toward Sasuke frowning weakly. He looked so dead like that, his body seemingly collapsed in on itself, his eyes distant, and his face absolutely devoid of emotion as if he expected him to say that he did hate him. He strode back to his brother's side and sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed. He gathered him into his arms and pulled him closer and closer, finally Sasuke's head was laying in his lap.

"No. I can't hate you; I love you too much. Though you do aggravate me deeply when you refuse yourself happiness."

"Aniki, should find his own…"

"Aniki has. Go to sleep, you must wake up early in the morning."

"Aniki… don't forget that I love you as well. I want you to be happy."

"I am. I am happy being your matchmaker. Sleep."

"Goodnight." The boy closed his eyes and Itachi swept his hair from his face.

"I wonder; if you'll ever know. If I told you now you would hate me in the morning beloved Otouto." Itachi leaned down once again and brushed one last kiss across his forehead.

--;--

When Sasuke woke that morning he climbed up the ladder groggily to grab something to eat. Stumbling around dumbly in the dark he found relatively edible fruit and partook of the last food he would eat of this house for at least a month. He then began the almost grueling experience of dressing and preening himself for outside contact. It wasn't that he enjoyed breaking girls hearts… okay, yeah it was. He did enjoy and that was why he did his best everyday to look his best.

He climbed up the chair.

"Uke-chan is a hottie." Ino called from the breakfast table. Itachi looked up from his copy of Shakespearian plays and whistled. "Ita-chan agrees." Ino chimed. They all sat down at the table.

"What time is Kakashi supposed to be here?" Sasuke asked generally.

"5 minutes." Itachi answered.

"So basically 3 hours and 5 minutes." Ino popped in.

"Yep." The two brothers confirmed. Sasuke reached across the table to grab a piece of Itachi's toast.

"Don't even think about it." Itachi intoned from behind his book.

"Ne, Aniki please?"

"Fine. Only this once." He answered. Sasuke felt like cheering inside and reached over grabbing the toast and crunching through it.

"Yo." Ino and Sasuke jumped five feet in the air, whereas Itachi merely looked slightly surprised.

"K-k-k- Kakashi?" Ino stuttered.

"In the flesh."

"Ne, your on time!" Ino yelled out.

"For once."

"It is time to go."

--;--

The trip back to the inner city was even less eventful than Sasuke's last. It was early and so everyone in the city still lied in his or her beds. Soon the monks would begin their morning trip to gather offerings of food for them to live off of for the day. The only people on the streets were themselves and a few soldiers. As they approached the citadel walls, Sasuke began to feel nostalgic. He used to be a soldier here. The old army officers were mostly gone and one of the very few that remained was Kakashi.

They crossed through the walls and Sasuke caught a glimpse of the creed he used to believe in, used to live by.

We swear in truth, that our sweat, blood, and fear will not go to waste. All of our pain we bear for the good of the people, so that they may live in peace, equality, and so that they may never have to feel our pain.

The Red terracotta walls of the citadel had intricate swirling designs of pure gold etched into the russet colored background. The floor of the citadel was made of river rock. The citadel was simply a building made in the name of opulence and aesthetics.

Sasuke felt the ground beneath his feet and remembered how each individual stone felt beneath his bare feet as he trained in the early mornings. They continued through the citadel until they reached the very center, where the royal grounds stretched out. They continued through the doors that opened to the royal gardens and even farther in to the very doors of the royal palace. Two soldiers pulled the doors open after checking the validity of their papers and orders. Inside of the palace proper a man stood awaiting them. He bowed, waved Kakashi off and beckoned them to follow. Up the stairs, until they reached the very top. They then went to the very end of the hallway and began up the stairs to a parapet. Up, up, up. Sasuke heard a voice. Soft and beautiful. Lilting around and around and around. How long?

They finally reached the door and Sasuke could now hear the words being sung by the voice behind that door.

Hush a bye

Don't you cry

Go to sleepy little baby

When you wake

You shall take

All the pretty little horses

The man pushed the door open.

"Young master, your guests are here."

"Send them in."

Sasuke walked into the room and immediately recognized his treasure. The man left and Sasuke turned to his young charge.

"Sasuke." The blonde haired child whispered.

"Naruto." Sasuke whispered. A long silence, and then Naruto spoke.

"I thought I would never see you again."

A/N: Yes I am evil!!!! I end it there! Yes Sasuke and Naruto knew each other before. Yes!!! YES !!! YES!! And now some definitions.

Otou-san-- father

Okaa-san-- mother

Aniki-- older brother

Otouto-- younger brother

Ne-- an article generally, sometimes used to grab attention. Like saying "Hey."

Parapet-- a tower on a castle… that is what they are called.