The Second Task pt.3
Author's note: Welcome back all! Covid was rough but i'm on the mend, and going to get back in the swing of my stories. Also this work since it's going to be shorter i decided might not be slow burn. They kiss in this chapter. Enjoy!
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Whiplash was a term Naruto had never understood until he finally felt it for himself.
For a fleeting moment after the second task with Sasuke Uchiha laughing next to him, Naruto had thought the Slytherin was flirting or at the very least didn't seem to dislike Naruto nearly as much as usual. It made Naruto question every interaction they had ever had.
The whole event was confusing to Naruto.
Before Naruto got the chance to question the Uchiha next to the black lake, his parents showed up making a fuss over Sasuke, and it was like Naruto stopped existing.
Naruto resolved to approach him in the days following. It proved impossible. Naruto got the distinct feeling Sasuke was purposely keeping himself surrounded by his housemates, making it impossible for him to outright approach him. Naruto waited after Sasuke's classes but somehow he always missed him. He tried catching Sasuke's eye during meals, and failed. The Uchiha was every bit as elusive as any snake.
What should he make of it? Naruto wondered. What did it mean that Sasuke was rude to him for years, then nice for one single moment, and then now he started to avoid him like the plague?
Naruto had walked out of the castle in order to clear his head. He went to the place he always liked to think, when something was bothering him.
The swing.
It was strung up on an old yew tree, it's structural integrity might be questionable, but Naruto had found it as a 1st year and had coveted it as his secret spot. The swing was on the outskirts of the forbidden forest, it was secluded and covered mostly by the trees, but not so much so he couldn't see the castle. He hadn't even shared the location of the spot with Sakura or Ino, he thought about telling Konohamaru once but decided against it. When Naruto left school he would let Konohamaru know about it, and it would be his place.
Naruto pumped his legs faster and faster. He went higher and higher. It was the closest he could get to flying without a broom, and when the air rushed passed his face it felt like all his cares started to fall away. Everything became clearer in the air. If Naruto had an elemental magic it had to be air.
Naruto turned everything over in his head, everything from the new school year. Sasuke's strange behavior. His name in the goblet of fire. Danger was all around him, and Naruto didn't know what to do about it, but he let it all go. He let it for those fleeting moments drift off his shoulders. Here he was free of being Naruto uzumaki, triwizard champion. Here, he could just be.
No judgment. No games.
His peace was short lived. A tree branch snapped somewhere close by. Naruto let his feet drag the ground to slow himself. The dirt kicked up in the air around him, and he tensed because it felt like he was being watched.
When the silence stretched on Naruto hesitantly called out.
"Hello?" He stood up from the swing, taking his wand out of his pocket purely on instinct.
There was a rustling of leaves, and Naruto gripped his wand tighter. Someone was watching him.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Naruto yelled out stepping a few paces in front of the swing and tree.
Naruto didn't expect of all people, It would be him.
"It's just me relax." Sasuke drawled as he appeared around the edge of the tree line. His hands shoved in his pockets, and his wand was not visible that Naruto could make out.
Naruto did not relax. If anything he was further wound up by Sasuke's casual remark.
Sasuke eyed his drawn wand with amusement.
"I won't bite, Uzumaki." He singsonged mocking him.
Naruto glared.
"Just you? Relax should i?" He asked incredulously.
"Yeah." Sasuke deadpanned.
Naruto wanted to tear at his hair, but settled for running his free hand through it to calm his agitation.
"You're avoiding me." Not a question.
"Not right now."
"What the hell is your problem, exactly?"
"I'm not the one with a problem." Sasuke eyed Naruto's wand again, that had not once faltered.
"Then what might you call it when someone bullies you for years? Turns around and gives you some helpful advice in the death tournament you've both found yourselves in? Then he pulls one of your best friends out of a lake in that same death tournament, that insinuates she's his most precious treasure? Then that someone says the first nice words you've heard from him in years, only after you and your friends have almost drowned?"
Naruto took a shuddering breath. Sasuke's face remained impassive, allowing Naruto to unload on him.
"What would you call it, when after all of that you try desperately to approach this person and talk to them, but they avoid you and act like you don't even exist?"
Naruto stood his ground waiting for Sasuke to speak.
"I wouldn't call it a problem, i have with you." Sasuke told him. "It's more like a conflict of interest." He didn't meet Naruto's eye when he spoke, but something sounded so vulnerable in his words it made Naruto lower his wand.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He was so damn confusing. Nothing Sasuke said made sense, it was all riddle and cheek.
"It means," Sasuke began to close the distance between them. "I'm torn."
When he got within arms length out of reflex Naruto began to walk backwards. He forgot the swing was behind him, and the wooden seat caught under the back of his knees making him topple over. He landed with his back in the dirt, and Sasuke towering above him with a smirk.
"Merlin, you are clumsy aren't you?"
Blue met black.
Naruto felt something tug somewhere within him, a pooling of warmth from staring up into Sasuke Uchiha's eyes.
"Torn between what?"
Sasuke lowered himself to his knees beside Naruto who still has his back in the dirt. His face was directly in front of Naruto hardly any space separating them.
"Torn between you, and my family name." The statement was raw, and honest.
Naruto's head began to spin at the implication. Naruto vaguely recognized that Sasuke raised one hand, and stroked his cheek.
Then.
Sasuke's lips were pressed to his lightly, and Naruto's brain short circuited for a moment. Kissing. Sasuke was kissing him. Sasuke pulled back, but it was to soon. Naruto needed to explore this. This feeling. The warmth. He surged forward to recapture Sasuke's lips. The hum he heard in the back of his throat told him, he was enjoying himself as much as Naruto, but still it was every bit as odd as it was thrilling to have his tongue in his rivals mouth. It didn't surprise Naruto that he was enjoying kissing Sasuke. He had long accepted that Sasuke was on an ungodly level of attractiveness only attained by actual dieties. He had more than once himself appreciated the way Sasuke's quidditch uniform hugged him, so no, finding Sasuke Uchiha attractive was not surprising. What was surprising to Naruto was that Sasuke wanted to kiss him. That Some part of Sasuke desired Naruto in any kind of way, made him practically float.
"I don't get it." Naruto admitted. Taking a pause from their lip lock. "You hate me. Why would you help me with the second task? Why was Sakura your treasure?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke was out of breath and he rested his forehead against Naruto's.
"You helped me for-" Naruto struggled. "So you could like kiss me or,- whatever?"
A simple sexual curiosity Naruto decided. That could be it. Sasuke was curious, and for some reason Naruto was the one he wanted to satisfy that curiosity with.
"So do you have a crush on me-"
Sasuke snorted.
"A crush?" He asked like it was the most insane thing Naruto could have asked.
"Look i'm just trying to figure you out." Naruto pushed away from the Slytherin and sat opposite him on the ground.
"I know. I apologize. I did not mean to laugh, it just- i could not help myself." Sasuke sighed. "If you only knew then-"
"Then?" Naruto prompted on the edge of his seat waiting for answers.
"Then you would know, i'm far passed a crush where you are concerned." Naruto felt his face heat up and color. Sasuke held his gaze unabashedly.
"You said you were torn between me and your family name." Naruto said dumbly.
"And i am." It sounded strangled. "For years i have been. You have to understand i am stuck between a rock and a hard place, with my family being who they are. I can't- I couldn't- There was no way for me to be around you before."
Naruto supposed that was true enough. If Sasuke truly felt torn between himself and his family then being around Naruto publicly or even in passing.. would not be well perceived.
"When you say before?"
"The Triwizard tournament." Sasuke answered.
"And because we're in the tournament together now? That's why you can be around me now?"
"I still shouldn't be. It's still dangerous for us both." Naruto shook his head understanding. "But I couldn't help myself anymore. Not with everything happening, i had to help you."
"Thanks, by the way. I never would have made it through the second task without you."
"I've been helping since your name came out of the goblet."
Naruto didn't know what to say to that. It did however spark something in his memory, and a puzzle piece fell into place. What had happened during the start of the tournament made much more sense to Naruto now.
With Sasuke still sat across from him Naruto reflected on the beginning of the competition.
The first task.
Naruto had never seen a fully grown dragon up close. They reminded him a bit of snakes what with the scales and all, so he hadn't been as intrigued by them as he knew many of his peers had.
In his dizziest day dream he never would have thought the first time he saw one up close, he'd be expected to get close enough to it to take an egg from it.
When he was in the tent with the other champions earlier that morning he had a sinking suspicion that like everyone said they really did know more than him. They hadn't been told what the task would be, but the others seemed prepared. The girl from Kiri kept reciting words to a spell, pronunciations flying out of her mouth until she had it just right. Temari was toying with an object in her pocket, like she was nervous the next time she checked it might be gone.
Sasuke seemed deep in his own thoughts, and twirled his wand back in between his fingers reflexively like he was practicing the motion of a charm. When he caught Naruto staring from nearby he accosted him.
"Shouldn't you be preparing?" He drawled not looking at him.
"Preparing?" Naruto asked dumbly.
How was Naruto to prepare for the task when he hadn't any clue what it was to be? He figured that was part of the thrill, to send them all in clueless. Admittedly Naruto worked best under pressure, but he was nervous flying into the tournament without a plan.
Sasuke's eyes got wide, and his fingers paused in their ministrations.
"Don't tell me, no one told you?" Sasuke looked disgusted and Naruto didn't understand what offense he possibly could have caused in their interaction so far, they hadn't said more than 10 words to one another.
"Told me what?" Naruto bristled as Sasuke stalked over into his personal space.
"It's dragons. Naruto." Sasuke said like it was the most obvious thing. "They've got one for each of us."
"Oh." Naruto's heart sank. Of course it had to be a giant snake with wings he'd have to deal with.
"They're guarding an egg. Were meant to collect it from them to win." Sasuke seemed exasperated as his hands pulled at his dark locks.
Naruto couldn't help but bite his cheek. A dragon? A damn dragon? How did you even get near a dragon? He was going to get burnt alive he just knew it, he facepalmed.
Sasuke clicked his tongue. "Just forfeit."
"What?" Naruto asked dropping his hand away from his face.
"You just have to compete right? No one said you couldn't walk out there, and give up once the canon blew."
"I'm not forfeiting!"
Naruto's Gryffindor pride felt wounded at the mere prospect of throwing the first task. Sasuke would just love that wouldn't he.
"If you don't forfeit, that Dragon's going to burn the flesh off your bones. You don't even have a plan. I've had my strategy for days."
"Good for you. I do have a plan." Naruto countered eyes narrowed.
Why had everyone else known about the dragon's and Naruto hadn't? A sick feeling in his stomach told him it could be the same individual's doing, who had entered him into this contest in the first place. That person was not his friend. They wanted Naruto dead, that was more than obvious.
"Hn." Sasuke answered unconvinced by Naruto's statement. "No doubt it's something wreck less. Although i might get a good laugh, the dragon won't so easily be amused by your idiocy."
Naruto glared at him.
The tent flap opened, and the council representative scurried in. "Mr. Uzumaki, if you will. You have the honor of being first."
What an honor.
Naruto started to follow behind the man, and Sasuke grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't." He hissed. "It's suicide.
Naruto shrugged him off, and began using every fiber of his being not to freak out, but to think. He didn't have much of a plan really, unless you counted 'don't die' as a plan. What could he do?
Wing it. Naruto thought. Wing it? Flying. Damn, if Naruto had only known about this sooner he could have had a great plan in place.
"What?" Sasuke asked taking in his bitter expression. "What did you think of?"
"Nothing that's going to help me," Naruto said. "My brooms still in the castle." He muttered mostly to himself as he joined the council rep.
It was quiet when he left the safety of the tent. The stadium was packed, everyone was watching Naruto. He took a quick scan of the arena. Mostly rubble, and large pile of rocks. There was an outcropping of grass at the far end, but no dragon in sight. What was in his sight was a nest made of straw. 5 eggs huddled together in the middle, and one of them was gold.
Naruto rushed forward. Could it be that easy?
No of course not he scolded himself when the dragon appeared out of no where and sent an inferno of hell fire raining down on him. He had jumped behind a rock, but not before his right side had been scorched. His wand arm had angry red blisters already cropping up on his skin, and he felt the burning sting of ruined flesh as the air touched it. He hissed out a breath.
He was able to tune out the sound of the crowd, there was booing and shouts but he didn't hear them. He cast a cooling charm with his left hand, and it helped manage the pain so he could stand without wanting to double back over. His back was up against the rock, and he used it to brace himself.
What could he do now? His left hand was not nearly as quick as his right. If he tried to fight the dragon he would lose. Perhaps he could spell something up to distract it?
Yes! That could work. The dragon was still prowling around, looking for him amongst the rocks. The nest still far out of his reach. Naruto summoned a double of himself, and sent it running in one direction while he made a run for the nest. He hoped the dragon would take his clones bait, and when it did he nearly fist pumped the air.
He didn't though, because as Sasuke had said the dragon was not amused. It took one flap of it's wings to hover in the air above his clone and then it let itself come crashing back down on top of it. His clone disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the crowd groaned sympathetically.
Naruto was out in the open running, his mad dash set for the egg, but he still wasn't even half way across the arena and the dragon was starting to head for him. There was no way he would make it to the egg before the dragon got to him, before it crushed him like it had his clone. His legs felt like they'd been burned by the dragon's flames as well, but he kept pumping them if he had to go out, he was going to die trying.
Naruto sent 3 blasting spells behind himself in a vain effort to hit the dragon. The spells were weak though, and they didn't even break the rocks they hit, they just left black singe marks. Pathetic, Naruto thought to himself.
Out of nowhere he heard a whistling sound. It was so loud the crowd had even begun to quiet as they all looked around, trying to place what the sound was. The dragon was about to blow out another puff of it's hellfire, and Naruto closed his eyes still running forward.
It felt like all the wind had been sucked out of his lungs, he tried to gasp. Had the flames sucked the oxygen from his lungs he wondered? Hesitantly he opened his eyes and found himself high up above the stadium looking down at the dragon, and the stands of people. His firebolt was under him.
Naruto was so shocked he hadn't burned to death moments before he didn't even try to think about what had happened. How his firebolt had magically appeared to him, he just went with it. He put his wand between his teeth and gripped the top of his broom with left hand. He nursed his ruined right arm down at his side, and clenched down on the wand as the air shifted around him making the burns ache.
Naruto started to spiral in an arc downward, drawing the dragons attention, it roared viscously. He shot down straight, going full tilt towards the ground then veered off towards the dragon. It's eyes were on him and it swung out to meet him, he feigned left but went right as the dragon shot out passed him. He pushed the broom as fast as it could go, his foot skidded against the ground as he brought the broom parallel to the rock encrusted landscape. He bent his ruined hand out to the side in a scooping motion, and couldn't help the scream that escaped his lips when he wrenched the golden egg from the nest.
The crowd cheered victoriously. Naruto felt like he might throw up, and he started to plummet back to the ground. Trainers were subduing the dragon, now that Naruto had collected the egg. The end of his broom caught on a rock, and he fell onto the rocks scraping his hands and face, but he held tight to the egg.
Naruto felt warm, and the black dots in his vision danced as he emptied his stomach in the dirt. He thought someone was shouting his name, and the tugging sensation of someone pulling him into their arms but Naruto was to far out of it to be sure. Something was pressed to his lips, and a cooling sensation ran down his throat. Then he fell into a deep sleep.
Naruto woke up in the hospital wing 2 days later.
Naruto broke free of his reverie, and stared at Sasuke Uchiha like his life depended on it, and maybe it did.
"It was you. You summoned my broom."
Sasuke smiled at him.
"I'm still confused about some things. I know we established alot already. We kissed. You say you passed the point of a crush with me. You're helping me in the tournament. It's just-"
"Just?"
"You bullied me. Knocked me off my broom last year. You pulled SAKURA out of the black lake. I feel like i'm getting mixed signals."
Naruto pulled his legs up to his chin as he watched Sasuke for his reaction.
"The bullying- not my finest. I just wanted your attention, i think, and i went about it in the most horrid way. Sorry. I never meant for you to fall off the broom, i'm really not sure what happened or how the rumors got started. It was a complete accident i swear."
Naruro nodded letting the information soak into him. But not failing to realize Sasuke was still avoiding the question of Sakura, not for the first time in their conversation.
"Sakura?" He asked. "Why?"
"I have some theories about that." Sasuke looked like he drank pumpkin juice that had soured.
"Tell me. Please." Naruto edged closer. He had thought up a million reasons as to why perhaps she had been Sasuke's treasure but in the end none of them made sense. Even Sakura herself was confused when Naruto had questioned her. She had maintained that she barely knew Sasuke and he seemed to care less about her existence when they had interacted.
"When i found you at the bottom of the lake. I knew immediately Sakura was for me. I just- knew. I've wondered if it was because of the way she challenges me. In the classroom. Sakura is the only person in our year that manages to exceed my grades in every class." Sasuke clicked his tongue in distaste.
Naruto chuckled. "She's pretty smart." Naruto held onto what Sasuke said. 'Theories. Not Theory.'
"What else? What other theory do you have?"
"I don't want to freak you out." Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Freak me out?" Everything that had happened recently, and especially in the passed few minutes freaked Naruto out if he had to be honest. "I'm not some wilting daisy, i can handle it." Whatever it was.
"Promise not to run away screaming?"
Naruto bit his lip. "That bad, huh?"
"Potentially."
"Just tell me. Rip it off. Like a bandaid."
Sasuke took a deep breath and uncrossed his arms. Naruto briefly thought he might be preparing Naruto from making a run for it.
"I am well passed the stage of having a crush on you."
"You gonna elaborate on that some?"
What was passed the point of having a crush on someone?
Sasuke continued ignoring his question. "What i feel for you at this point is passed a simple crush, it's deeper. More intimate, i realized recently. I think there's a chance that Sakura was my treasure, because my real treasure...the person i would miss the most couldn't be because he was already competing against me. I got Sakura by default, because she was the treasure of the person i love the most."
Naruto's mouth fell open.
Something occurred to Naruto then. Something he was afraid of knowing the answer to.
"Are you going to take the curse mark?"
Naruto braced himself.
"Not if i can help it."
It struck Naruto that maybe Sasuke wasn't as torn as he thought anymore. Afterall any amount of steps away from Orochimaru, had to be equal to taking at least one step towards Naruto.