The Warm Bride.
Chapter Three: Warm Silence.
The Giant Mundane Author's note: Horah! This one will be lonnnggg—Or at least I'm planning on it being the size of a um—a lot. –Yawn- I'm tired but I need to write this, damn-it-all. I have virtually no time to ever write; I have band practice everyday til' 5:30 then I work at the Library for long long looonnng periods of time, then I have an orchestra practice on Tuesdays-- But I have a satin pillow case. Yay! Nooo, sleepiness—leave, I have to write! Thank you sooo much reviewers—I'm going to start replying I promise. But only if you want me too—If you don't want me too, just say "listen you damn girl, I don't need any of your crazy words to satisfy me. Hmph." And If I don't cry for several hours then—well, nothing i'll cry for several hours. Um, please review I heart you a lot!
P.S: Gyahhhh! I'm a pervert!
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It was warm. That was all that seemed to register to Naruto as he stirred. His thoughts seemed as slow and as thick as molasses, while his mind seemed glazed over in some soft, fluffy material that banished all traces of logic and reality. He loved this part of the mornings most of all; where he was neither awake nor asleep, but simply swirling in a cauldron of pleasantness and warm feelings. The beads of his dreams still remained in droplets along his arms that would slowly evaporate with the rising of the sun. Instinctively, he curled in closer towards the consoling warmth.
Ew, his pillow didn't feel right. It seemed solid and firm and not anything like the feathery heap he usually twisted around at night. Naruto knew he was a clinger; he had always been since he was young enough to remember. He had once owned a teddy bear that was blatantly a hand me down from its ratty display, but it had been his and no one else's and that had made it special; cuddling with it every night made the world seem less murky and gigantic. He had a friend—one that didn't control a mouth to spout mean things from like everyone else did. When he was eight however, a throng of rowdy prepubescent Ninjas ripped it from his hands, sliced it open with a kunai and then threw it into the river. Naruto had instantly jumped in after it to save his fallen comrade but the rapids were too fierce and he almost drowned. Now, he held a pillow at night—a flimsy substitute to the soft, tattered fur of his long, lost friend.
It was warm and he didn't want to disturb the hazy contentment of the downy moment by opening his eyes so he reached aimlessly over with his hand to inspect. Probing the perimeter of his pillow he discovered that its case must've slipped off somewhere in the cloudy night hours, for the surface was not as soft as he remembered. But, suddenly, while savaging its exterior, his hand brushed over an odd round-shaped nodule, protruding upwards slightly. He hesitantly poked it. It felt like a spongy button.
I wonder what happens when I push it, he considered groggily. And so, he did. Once. Twice. Three times. Nothing happened.
" It doesn't work." He slurred aloud blearily, poking it a couple extra times for good measure.
"What doesn't work?"
The blessed, warm, merry, fluffy, happy-go-lucky unreality departed swiftly with the arrival of the tenor rumbling in his ear. His eyes shot open. Instantly, he felt as if he was staring out over a wavy, milky white lake, but upon blinking several times, he realized it was a chest; A very pale chest.
He was clinging unto Sasuke's bare chest and he had just been poking…
--Naruto felt all the blood currently residing in his body flood his face—
…his nipple!
"You perverted BASTARD!" He cried, bolting up and hugging his body protectively, as if his arms could defend against the wan boy's perversion. Lazily scratching his head, Sasuke sat up as well and eyed the fox child.
"Bastard?" He repeated calmly, his profound black eyes glinting crossly. "I wasn't the one jabbing someone's nipples in the early morning hours."
It seemed the remaining veins of blood that were lost finding their way to the cheeks the first time eagerly found their destination the second time. His face felt so heated he thought it just might melt off.
"That was—was—that was only—That was only because you were strangling me while I slept!" Even Naruto knew that it was a feeble defense, but he couldn't very well be seen as weak, could he? He wasn't a fragile person at all…He wasn't.
"Strangling you?" Sasuke replicated once more, his voice elevating slightly. "You were clinging to me."
Damn-it-all, his brain hissed. Of all nights, why had this been the one night he had clung to Sasuke? After that odd question had been carelessly tossed into the air? Sure, he knew sometimes he had cuddled up next to Sasuke, but Naruto typically awoke first so he noticed before the Uchiha stirred and stealthily untangled his body from his partners. He had always prayed he would never get caught in the act of doing so; it would be more than difficult to explain. He felt a subtle anger rising in his chest, but he couldn't find a direction to point it in.
"Well-I—You see, I sleep every night with a pillow and—" He anxiously twisted his blanket in his hands and bit his lip. Explaining it made him feel weak; almost unmanly. The last thing he had ever wanted was to feel frail next to this boy.
"Damnit!" Naruto howled irately, concluding anger was his best bet in escaping this with his pride. "You're just a stupid emotionless—" he fought his brain for a proper word and found none, so he improvised, "—idiot-ass-head!"
Sasuke scowled, his dark eyes flashing like the warning black dots in the vision of one about to collapse.
"Dobe." He declared. "Don't blame me for your terrible sleeping habits."
Naruto matched his glare with his own practiced icy stare.
"I have to pee." He announced hotly, promptly rising up and unzipping the tent. Behind him, Sasuke proceeded to get up as well, but Naruto spun around and held up an intimidating palm.
"What the hell are you doing?" He seethed, his voice rolling in fury not only directed at the pale boy in front of him, but also at his careless self. How could he be so stupid? How could his body betray him like this?
"I'm coming with you." Sasuke stated simply, his eyes begging for confrontation on the issue.
"Like hell you are!"
"Kakashi said—"
Naruto hastily pushed Sasuke back down to the blankets below and glowered furiously at him. The confusion and frustration, gnawing away at him pleasantly for days now, seemed to burst forth fresh from the womb.
"I. Don't. Care."
Then, he quickly slipped out of the tent and zipped it shut again, leaving behind a very bewildered Sasuke behind.
The sun was still lingering somewhere beneath the horizon, for the sky was still a mellow navy and the moon still lay languidly among the stars. Silent stillness conquered the air because no animal, except those with predominately weak bladders, were awake. He was scouting out a proper tree near camp when suddenly a sweet, tinkling voice sounded behind him.
"Naruto-san?"
Turning around, he found himself face to face with a mammoth bird nose that up close—kind of resembled a dented kiddy slide at a park. Kumiko was still wearing her cotton nightdress and her dark, coarse hair was splayed in every which direction, though her eyes looked pink and swollen. It was obvious sleep had eluded her the night before.
"I'm glad someone else is up—it isn't so lonely anymore." She announced, smiling kindly at him.
Even though his bladder felt like a ticking time bomb, he took pity on the poor, disheveled woman in front of him and returned the grin. Offhandedly, he noted that her voice was thick with a strange, charming accent he had missed completely when he first met her. She hadn't spoken directly to him before.
"I know it's kind of creepy isn't it?" He replied. He scratched the back of his head nervously, un-sure of what to say next. Silence and he just didn't mix well.
"You know, I haven't gotten the chance to thank you all personally yet—"
"It's okay!" Interrupted Naruto quickly as he felt himself flushing, "You don't have to worry; it's our job."
"I know but—"She focused her eyes on her small, meaty fingers. "This is such a wonderful thing you are doing for me; risking your lives for someone you hardly know." Her diminutive brown eyes focused somewhere far from her fingers; in another world entirely. Her thick lips thinned and condensed into a wistful smile. "It's surprising what people will do for one another when they don't even know each other," --shadowy, sad clouds darkened her eyes-- "even more surprising what they'll do for the ones they love."
Naruto abruptly felt like he should be comforting in some way. It was obvious she was in distress and who wouldn't be with their life on the line? He felt the need to reassure her that they wouldn't let a thing touch her.
"Don't worry! We're getting paid. If you die we don't get a cent…" Realizing that his previous statement did nothing for 'comfort' and reassure', he quickly tried to amend it. "What I mean is—we wouldn't let you just die. Er, we wouldn't want you to be dead!"
He was astonished when he heard her light, ringing giggles as she looked up and covered him with a jovial gaze. Pinching one of his cheeks with two plump fingers, she beamed at him and Naruto had to admit that when her eyes crinkled up and her lips extended far upwards to form the smile, she didn't look half as bad as before. An inner peace and merriment seemed to roll off her in clumps and it was almost communicable. She understood the joy of being alive and did not dare waste it on poignant thoughts.
"You are a sweet child."
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Concluding that the area around the camp was too insecure to commence his business (he didn't want Kumiko-san or worse, Sasuke to see him peeing) he stomped forward into the dark, motionless forest; his footsteps were thunderous in the quiet trees as twigs surrendered and shattered beneath his heavy foot. He was still very much fuming. Kumiko's amiable nature and kind words had bisected the rage focused on himself, but he still was irritated. He would rather crawl into a hole and die then to face that smirking, haughty face again. Realizing suddenly that he had traveled farther into the forest then he had initially desired, he spotted a good tree and let it rip.
Several seconds later, he began the trek back. Had he gone this way? Sure, he recognized that tree, or wait—It sort of was similar to the one over there. Hadn't there been some sort of boulder around here too? Maybe if he just hiked to the left he would pop back out at the road. But which way was left now that he had turned around so many times? Was it to the right? And just where was that bush teeming with red berries that had caused his tummy to rumble pathetically?
He was lost. No, he was temporality misplaced was all. Even he knew his directional skills were less than zero, but to get lost so easily? First he had cuddled up against his greatest rival/unwanted suitor and now he was standing helplessly in an eerily quiet forest with no idea from which way he had come from. He had only been up a total of 30 minutes and it already wasn't turning out to be a good day.
"Aww, look at the poor, lost little boy, Suzu."
Naruto stiffened as a brash, strapping voice, seeping with a deep accent, called through the trees. His hands instinctively itched towards his kunai belt.
"He's adorable! Can't we keep him?"
Another voice reverberated off the tranquil bark, this one softer and less edgy. Naruto inched his hand slowly inside his pouch to grab a kunai when all of a sudden, a glint of something metallic caught his eye and then—a razor-sharp pain erupted in his left arm. Looking down, he winced, finding a needle buried firmly in the crook of his limb. The pain extended quickly, boiling his blood up and down his appendage and causing it to tingle nastily, as if a thousand other invisible needles were pricking his skin and then—nothing. No sensation at all. Naruto's eyes widened as his hand fell limply to his side and swung their like a useless meaty glove.
"Now now, Suzu, we can't just pick up every stray we see." The first tone declared; a mocking laugh concealed in his demeaning words. "He may look cute but I imagine—"
Swiftly, Naruto retrieved a kunai from his pouch (with his good hand) and hurled it forwards so that it plunged into the tree he heard the voices resounding from. The bark around it cracked.
"Shut the hell up!" Naruto hollered, preparing to launch another kunai. "If you want to fight stop hiding and come out here!"
"Oh Sho! What a nasty little runt he's turning out to be." The second voice pruned. Another flash of metal signaled a new perilous needle and Naruto hurriedly ducked and rolled out of the way. Rubbing his throbbing head, he stood up slowly; wavering a bit with the unbalanced sensation from having one usable arm.
"Aww, he isn't so terrible after all."
The first voice sounded less muffled now and Naruto looked up to see two startlingly handsome men sitting on the branch of the tree he had previously flung a kunai at. The one of the left had a sturdy body, with long, flaxen hair that was carelessly tied behind him with a ribbon. His features were pointed and defined, as if his face was whittled tenderly from a block of wood. His counter part looked softer, with hair that was so fair it appeared almost white. A pastel lime painted his irises and his eye lashes were thick, dark, and long. Naruto didn't like them already; they looked too much like glamorous male models off a women's magazine cover.
"What the hell do you want?" Naruto howled, bandying a threatening kunai in direction of the lounging couple.
The soft boy's pretty green eyes glinted with suppressed mirth as his lips twisted menacingly into a sharp, sardonic grin.
"Look Sho—If we don't answer he's going to throw his sharp metal thing at us again and look what it did to the poor tree! We can't risk it."
The man dubbed Sho replicated his partner's smile with startling accuracy. They both resembled cats, snootily loafing above the rest of the world with their sleek, pointed faces. Naruto scowled.
"I guess we have no choice but to answer, my dear darling Suzu." Sho looked straight down at Naruto and the fox-child felt almost paralyzed as he focused his dark eyes on him.
"We are those cruel, ruthless assassins here to destroy that ugly, fat lump and her name." The man declared with an unnaturally detached tone, while his partner beside him—strangely—looked away, almost as if he was ashamed.
"We thought we'd attack you while you were not at your best." Suzu chimed merrily, regaining his composure swiftly while childishly swinging his feet back and forth. "I know that when I have a spat with Sho, I can't fight properly. We thought since, you know, you had that little lover's scrap with your boyfriend this morning that you would be at only half your game."
The fox boy's blood was surely becoming tired of having to ascend to his face by now; this had to be his third major blush of the day and he'd only been up for a few minutes. He began to stutter weakly. "He-He's not my boyfriend—He-He—"
Both men began to chuckle heartily and Naruto shamefully glanced upwards. Their laugh was not that of two sinister, hell-scent assassins, but rather that of two old friends chortling on an old joke over tea. They did not boast icy, wicked cackles, but warm, rich sniggers.
"Oh, don't try to confuse us." Suzu exclaimed breathlessly, the laughter still dancing in his gentle jade eyes. "We see how you two act together. He's rather aggressive too—Kind of reminds me of Sho. They know what they want and they grab it. He he, just remembering how you decided to grab what you wanted, Sho, still sends me into a giggle fit."
"Ha, yes, speaking of which." The long-haired man stood up and grinned impishly down at Naruto. Lowering his voice, he questioned. "So, what base are you two on?"
Naruto stared dumbly at him. What was that supposed to mean? Sensing his bewilderment, he elaborated. "What I mean is how far has he gotten?"
Naruto stared dumbly at him.
Sho shook his head disapprovingly at Naruto's evident puzzlement and emitted that glorious, warm smile again. "Has he gotten into your pants—or are you taking it slow? Suzu and I consummated our relationship the first time we—"
Somewhere, in that jumble of words dripping out of the beautiful man's mouth, Naruto found the hidden meaning. It clicked as the blood drained from his face and collected somewhere near his knees.
"I—SASUKE'S NOT MY BOYFREND!" He howled boisterously. Then pointing an accusing, trembling finger at the two of them, he continued. "DON'T COMPARE ME TO EITHER OF YOU ASS-"
Naruto was suddenly overcome with several stabs of intense pain that spread through the winding arties of his body. He had been showered with half a dozen needles all landing in various spots on all four of his limbs. The force sent him spiraling into the tree behind him, where he found himself, unfortunately, pinned. His entire body tingled, like fire licking his skin and then there was nothing. There was no sensation, no feeling, nothing. Panicking, he attempted to move his arms but the electrical signal lost its spark on the way down and nothing moved—not even a twitch. His body was as still as the forest was in the wee morning hours. The only thing he was deemed control of was his head.
"W-what did you do to me, you bastards?" He cried, desperately trying to conceal his awful terror. He had been in many near death experiences before, but at least he could move and bandy his fists about and feel like he had some sense of control. But right now, he was feeble, powerless, and completely helpless; all he owned was his strident voice. It reminded him to much of the time when he was a child and all he could do was mouth off—that time no one could take care of him, not even himself. He found himself so terrified his mind went blank and no thought could pass through.
The comrades elegantly dropped from the tree and stalked forward until they were dangerously close to him. Suzu, who appeared to be the gentler of the pair, kneeled and tenderly ran his pallid finger along Naruto's cheek.
"This really frightens you—being powerless." He whispered sorrowfully, his emerald eyes folding contemplatively. "Don't worry. We're not going to kill you—we have no reason too. We'll just put you to sleep for a while, that's all."
"He doesn't deserve to know that!" Sho yelled furiously. "You're being much to nice to the little runt after he called us ass-"
Suzu abruptly straightened up, his spine becoming straight and firm, and situated his hands on his hips. "He was just doing what he knew to be right."
They shared a quiet knowing stare and the world seemed to fall back into its preordained silence. Naruto, somewhere in his trembling, terrified mind, wondered just what thought the two were sharing.
Finally, the elegant man huffed, crossed his arms and turned his back on the scene. "Fine then—Put him to sleep already then we can get this thing over with."
"You know it takes me a while to restore my Chakra." Suzu grumbled, turning away also to argue with his partner face to face. The two began bickering and Naruto utilized this time to figure a way out of this mess. What could he do with just the movement of his head? Nothing, he griped in his mind.
Well, he could wiggle. And so that's what he did—He wiggled and wiggled and wiggled. He felt the pressure on his limbs plummeting drastically. Examining himself, he discovered his body was fastened to the tree by the needles jutting in and out of his appendages. When he wiggled, they loosened from his skin and maybe if he could free himself from the tree well—he could crawl away using his chin. It was worth a shot, but he would have to buy time and the only way to do that was by using his only true talent—talking.
Wiggle—wiggle. "So, why do you want to kill Kumiko-san? She's a very nice person you know. She said I was sweet this morning. She has a pretty smile too."
Suzu's back stiffened as if he had been doused in ice water and Sho spun around to gaze intently at him.
"Because of that woman, I cannot love this man."
Naruto gaped, wiggling suddenly forgotten. "W-What?
The gentle man slowly turned around, a regretful smile singeing his face. "If you couldn't tell from our accents—we're foreign. We come from a village far below the fire country where traditions are sacred."
"We're not allowed to be in love there," Sho stated softly. "We're not allowed to even gaze at one another."
When the pair grew quiet, he ushered them along. "Because you're both…guys?"
Unexpectedly, Sho and Suzu began to chuckle greatly with their rich voices shattering the hushed gravity.
"Looks like we've caught ourselves a homophobe, my dear Suzu." Sho laughed, clapping his hand down gently on his partner's shoulder. Suzu wiped the tears from his eyes with an elongated finger, grinning.
"No, no, no" he affirmed lightly. "For other reasons entirely—Surely in the fire country men are allowed to wed and love freely?"
A fire ignited on his cheeks and heated his face. Damnit! He was flushing again! When did he become so embarrassed over what other people said?
"Aww, he's blushing!" Sho chimed, squeezing his cheeks in between his burly fingers. "How adorable! I can see why your boyfriend likes you so much!"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Naruto whined pathetically, desperately wishing for the solemn and hazardous atmosphere back. His statement only made the queer couple laugh harder.
"So, just what is he to you then?"
"His fiancé."
A new voice sounded through the trees and Naruto felt a bubble of glee rise through him. The horror at his immobility had choked his lungs and made it hard to breathe but-- Sasuke had come to rescue him—Sasuke had—
The bubble burst instantly as the thought seemed to pierce it. Here he was, pinned to a tree, completely inert, surrounded by two flaming homosexuals. This definitely wasn't an ideal situation to be caught in. In fact, he rather wished he had 'been put to sleep' instead of rescued by Sasuke. He didn't want to think about that conceited smirk that knew Naruto was completely vulnerable and totally dependent on him.
Suzu, on the other hand, was taking Sasuke's abrupt arrival joyfully, for he was jumping ecstatically in the air and pointing towards the Uchiha heir like he was superstar. He still adorned his Pajama bottoms with just the addition of a bright orange jacket…His jacket!
"Look Sho! Look! He's come to rescue his damsel in distress!" Cried Suzu cheerfully, clasping hands with his partner. They stared thoughtfully into one another's eyes.
"It reminds you of us, doesn't it? It's so beautiful--! Young love." They sighed in unison and turned to face the new entry into their maniacal party. Naruto concluded it was a good time to pick back up wiggling.
"Let him go." Sasuke stated simply, crossing his arms and glaring haughtily at the couple.
"I don't know why I should. You four are guarding me from what my love and I need most in the world—the death of that woman." Sho interjected, suddenly resting a palm against one of Naruto's cheeks (infuriatingly halting his wiggling) and softly ran his thumb along one of his whicker-marks. He would have shivered if he could feel his body. "He's so adorable too. Suzu and I have been wanting a pet for so long and he's so rambunctious—I would love the challenge to train--"
A kunai rapidly soared through the air at the elegant man, whom caught it unflinchingly between his fingers.
"Let him go." The furious Uchiha heir repeated calmly.
"Na uh." Sho grinned, waggling his finger. "You're going to have to fight me."
And they did. Suzu respectively stayed back, a kunai in his grip defending their claim on Naruto. The fox child watched the brawl with only mild interest. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he acknowledged Sasuke was an excellent fighter that only a scarce few could take down. So far, Sho did not appear to be any true gift to Ninjas everywhere; he fought with needles. Naruto concentrated mostly on wiggling—his feet were already un-hooked from the tree and he had his thighs almost completely undone when the fight was over. He wouldn't have even noticed had it not been for Suzu's tearful gasp.
Sasuke had Sho pinned on the ground with one arm looped behind his back. The elegant man's intense eyes were closed but his breathing remained even which meant Sasuke had obviously knocked the daylights out of him.
"Sho!" Suzu cried desperately. "Sho!"
Naruto watched, horrified, as Sasuke heaved another kunai from his pouch and placed it to Sho's throat. He had the enemy subdued already—What was he trying to prove? Searching his eyes, the fox child saw a blazing fury kindling inside them. He had something to establish—the blonde boy had no idea what though maybe—
A sharp point invaded his neck and all of a sudden, Suzu was standing over him with a needle set forebodingly against his jugular. Naruto glanced up curiously and all thought escaped him as he stared into the gentle man's suddenly frantic eyes. He appeared like a dog, pushed into a corner with no way out but to bare his hackles and fight.
"Release mine and I'll release yours." Suzu's voice was no longer soft but tense, like a piano string wound to tight. Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes.
"Why should I? My mission is to keep our client safe and how will she ever be that with two wild men always lurking in the shadows?" The dark haired boy leered complacently. "I should destroy you both right now."
Another silence collapsed heavily in the forest and Naruto began wiggling once more. His thighs were free, now his torso…
"If I am correct," Suzu began eerily evenly, his eyes narrowing into sharp, green blades, "then you will not risk what is most precious to you for someone you scarcely know. People don't work that way. They have priorities and this boy is one of yours."
Naruto glanced between the two helplessly. His torso was free; all he had left was his arms and shoulders. A tingling began to rush the areas liberated from the needles which was a welcome sign his sense of feeling was coming back to him.
"Sasuke damnit! Don't you dare let that bastard go! We promised Kumiko-san we'd protect her!" He cried irately. Sasuke didn't spare him even a glance. His eyes were focused solely on Suzu and the needle placed strategically against Naruto's vital artery.
"We protect those we care most for." Suzu said his voice still calm and flat. "Our love for them is wild and hard to define—we can only identify it as the sensation we suddenly have when one of them is in horrible trouble and we want nothing more then to jump in front of the kunai. If you really think about it, it's a dangerous thing—the knowledge that you would throw your own survival to the wind if you could allow that one person just a few more moments of breath. It controls and makes you do rash, stupid things you would normally never even dream of doing. It can make you crazy—make you angry—make you die--" Suzu suddenly licked Naruto's cheek and pressed the needle deeper into the soft flesh. Small gems of ruby blood rolled down his neck. "—even make you kill—"
Naruto knew now there was no way Sasuke would hold the man and he was unsurprised, but none the less irritated, when the Uchiha heir dropped the limp body and backed away, his black eyes never leaving Suzu's face.
"No damn it! Don't let him go Sasuke I'm almost--!" A pale hand swaddled his mouth, and looking up, Naruto found Suzu smiling sweetly at the compliant boy in front of him.
"Good boy," He hissed, his needle retreating from the fox child's neck. His head suddenly plunged beside the boy's ear and he softly purred. "I hope we meet again Naruto. You are terribly adorable and very lucky to have a fiancé like him. Love him freely…"
There was a flash as Suzu darted over to his snoozing lover, delicately swinging his arm over his shoulder to support him and then—they vanished into the stillness of the forest. The cowardly sun peeked its flaxen rays through the miniscule holes in the foliage, creating the illusion that parts of the woods were glowing. Naruto gave one last wiggle, finally unhooking himself completely from the bark behind him, and tumbled forward to the grass below, only to be caught gently in the arms of Sasuke. They did not exchange words as the Uchiha heir attempted to place Naruto on his feet. He stumbled though, his feet not completely unthawed from the poison so Sasuke mutely hoisted him into his arms. Neither dared to shatter the silence. Neither dared to break the accepting, quiet world around them.
Naruto felt weak and stupid and just plain horrible with the unpleasant tingling ever present, but he didn't complain. He didn't know why—but he didn't complain as Sasuke
carefully carried him back to camp.
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It didn't come as much of a surprise when Kakashi changed the partners upon the return of Sasuke and Naruto. He didn't ask for the specifics of just what went on in the quiet forest, he didn't have too. It was obvious something of great significance to their relationship had occurred; why else would Naruto allow the stoic boy to carry him humiliatingly in his arms all the way back into camp without so much as a word? The fox child was also covered in small puncture holes that were slowly dripping blood. Something had gone on—and he didn't have time to contemplate whether it was a change for the better or worse. It was just much simpler to change the teams. Now he and Sasuke were a pair, and Sakura, Naruto and Kumiko-san were braced together.
Naruto moodily marched down the sandy path. Every one of his appendages stung fiercely with each step, and his pride felt like it had splintered into billions of irreparable bits. He didn't dare take a glance back behind him where Sasuke sauntered proudly. A concoction of feelings of uselessness and weakness made his stomach feel tight. He didn't want to admit to himself that he could count on Sasuke; he didn't want to admit that he could not take care of himself—he did not want to admit that he depended on Sasuke because…
What if he left him alone one day?
"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun." A tearful voice busted his miserable thought process in two. The fox-child looked into the unsightly face of Kumiko-san whom appeared to be close to tears, the small crystals clinging to her eyelashes and threatening to fall.
"Huh?"
"It's all my fault that you're in pain." She sniffled softly. "They're after me and I should just let them get me. My existence—all it does is create others such pain."
Naruto shook his head vigorously and stared at her earnestly. "No! I got hurt because I was stupid and got distracted by some weird, stupid things they said."
"But, you could've been killed!" She protested, her voice teeming with unfulfilled tears.
"Yeah, but I wasn't—So it's okay!" He chirped, offering her a bright, sunny smile.
"No," She shuddered. "It's not. I must carry some of the responsibility; one of them is my fiancé after all."
Gaping at her, Naruto's mouth suddenly fell open.
"But aren't they um—"
"Yes." She muttered, looking away into the forest that was now swarming with life and movement. The only silence now was produced in between words.
Naruto probed for more information, feeling surrounded by the lives of these three people. "So why are they after you then?"
She sighed, softly, as if it was the breath she had been clutching her entire life and began. "We come from a village south of here where the bond of marriage is seen as the most hallowed of unions. I was to marry Suzu; it had been preordained at both our births. He was from an ancient clan that wielded amazing poisons and I was from a prestigious family of healers. Our match was well planned. I grew up in anticipation for the day that he and I would be joined..." She grinned at the reflective memory.
"But, while I kept my heart locked up for only him, he carelessly lost his to a childhood friend, a man named Sho who threw needles. The only way they are allowed to express their love is if they are free of marriage—and Suzu is not. The only way to break that bond is through death—my death."
Naruto frowned and watched pitifully as the woman quietly cried, her shoulders trembling as the tears slipped down her plump cheeks. A sudden memory gripped him.
"Because of that woman—I cannot love this man."
"That's sick," He whispered, feeling sympathetic tears licking at the back of his eyes.
She laughed vacantly, wiping the tears always roughly with the back of her hand. "Isn't it? I joined the priesthood to hide from them and to help others thinking that maybe I could pay for my sin that way."
"You haven't sinned at all!" Naruto suddenly cried, a flash of fury streaking through him. "It isn't your fault! They're weird lunatics that only care for themselves!"
"No, Naruto-kun," she said lightly, presenting him with a watery, rueful smile. "They cannot love because of me. My existence creates a boundary between them. They can touch and hold each other as much as they want, but they can't give their hearts freely to one another because I have stolen Suzu's heart. I am a thief."
She turned her passionate russet eyes on him, which swirled like muddy water because of her tears. Naruto was paralyzed with their intensity—they strapped him to reality with tight chords and forced him to face the future.
"Love your fiancé freely—but don't ever steal their heart."
Flushing, Naruto looked down to the path below and murmured, "He's not my fiancé."
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They arrived in the priest covenant by noon and exchanged good byes with Kumiko-san. Sasuke waved lackadaisically at the repulsive women while Naruto heartily shook her tubby hand. Finally, she whispered, "Be good," patted him tenderly on the back and strolled tentatively inside, ornery priestesses on either side of her obviously miffed that someone as dangerous as her was coming to stay in their home.
Naruto felt a little less gloomy then before as he strolled back down the path with team seven at his side. It felt like he was leaving the entire mess behind him. There was nothing more he would love then to know Kumiko-san was okay and that she would live a long happy life. He prayed he could soon forget everything that happened on this horrible day and that only his hopes for Kumiko-san would remain.
--His hopes were dashed however when a needle suddenly pierced the tree beside him. Kakashi speedily unsheathed a kunai, Sakura and Sasuke following hurriedly after, but Naruto just stood there, gazing at the sinister slither of metal, his heart sinking rapidly as his breath hitched in his throat.
It was not a needle that had missed its mark. It was conformation.
Naruto took off, flying down the road at a dizzy speed with his team not far behind; they seemed to have worked out the alarming meaning behind it as well. There was no time to knock, the doors were open anyway, and he sped into the temple's main hall slowing down only we he eyed a band of people gathered around something and staring down.
Nothing seemed to make a sound anymore; the only thing he could hear was his own ragged breathing which crashed against his chest heavily. He walked slowly forward and the priestesses looked behind them, their teary eyes noticeably alarmed by his presence, but they stood back anyway. There she lay.
Death had molded her more beautiful then life did. Her dark locks were folded lovingly across her revolting face and a glimmering thin needle jutted out from her chest like a crude necklace. Her one exposed russet eye shined like a glossy marble.
Kakashi bent forward and gently plucked the thin slice of metal from her chest and examined the wound with a proficient eye.
"This was a mercy killing," he announced softly. "A direct hit to the heart. She didn't feel a thing."
Abruptly, Naruto's stomach began to churn and toss warningly, and he sped outside where he began to hurl. Vaguely, he was aware that Sasuke had arrived behind him and was rubbing his back.
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It hadn't taken long for them to make it back. Without the burden of protecting anyone, they could race home easily. They entered Konoha at night and wordlessly departed. Each one of them knew they had completed their mission, but they still felt like failures.
As he entered his quiet home, Sasuke concluded he would fix himself a cup of warm chamomile tea to relieve the tension in his body. Today had been a trying day and his nerves felt rather frayed.
Steaming tea in hand, he plopped down into his favorite arm chair and allowed the silence to envelop him, but he did not enjoy it. He did not desire anymore silence today—he wanted sound and life.
As if on cue, the doorbell chimed through the ancient house and, sighing, Sasuke set down his mug and reluctantly stalked to the door. He was stunned to see it was Naruto.
His brilliant azure eyes only gazed at him for a second before darting down to the ground like two frightened puppies.
"Teme…" The fox child acknowledged quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Dobe." Sasuke affirmed, stepping back and allowing Naruto into his house. The boy wordlessly entered.
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Author's freakin' note: OH MAH GOOSHDA! It's finally done! 17 freakin' pages of SasukexNaruto luvin'. Forgive the boring-ness of this chapter. I hope you all understand its importance. If you spot any plot holes please wait to tell me until after you read the next chapter because some things will be explained in there. Like why some characters did what they did. Suzu is a girl name but it's okay—it's the most adorable name for a boy I've ever heard. I hope you didn't mind my original characters to much—I swear they won't appear again. Eee, please review I heart you to pieces! Time to reviiisseee! Ps: What the hell happened to the happy magical seperating lines on the editor thing?