Hello guys. I made you wait for long, right? It's too bad this chapter doesn't contain that much action. Reading your reviews made me happy. Thank you.
Chapter 67: Naisho
Naruto stood in the middle of the meadow, his hands tucked in his pants pockets. Grass rustled as the wind blew around the place, disrupting the calmness.
"Are you here to plead again?" an arrogant voice asked.
Naruto looked over his shoulder then grinned at the androgynous being that had one hand on his hips. He turned fully around. "You came so that means you're willing to listen again."
"I came because I don't want you to waste your time."
A sad look crossed on whiskered face. "Just one more. This will be the last."
"Funny. Those sentences seemed familiar to me," Kyuubi said with sarcasm then took the pose of one trying to remember. "Now I remember," thumping his palm with his closed hand few seconds later. "That's what you said when you wanted your fourth child."
He ignored his tenant's infuriating sarcasm thinking it would help make his wish come true. "And you agreed after I pleaded."
"And where did it get you now?" Kyuubi demanded. Stupid humans for thinking they could have what they wanted after fervently pleading. He was no god and even gods refused too. He was angry but told himself that it was no use to vent his anger on his container because it was his fault as was the blonde's. He told Naruto he could bear three children only and no twins but... he had given in Naruto's wish in the end.
Naruto shifted his gaze to the ground. He understood his situation but if Kyuubi made it possible for him to give Kisho then-
Kyuubi raised Naruto's chin, "Being my container doesn't make you me. You can only endure so much. For once, stop thinking about your man and think of yourself." Stupid Naruto for falling too deep. Damned him too for being dictated by his emotions most of the time.
"That's impossible! To think of myself is to think of him." The blonde pulled away from him but not too quickly. Kyuubi managed to grab his throat and gripped it with strength to choke him but not enough to strangle him.
"Foolish human," Kyuubi growled and the ground seemed to shake with his anger. "You should know where you begin and that Uchiha ends."
"If that line exists," he replied in a strained voice.
"Do you think he'll want another child when he learns about this? I don't think so." He let go of his container who was immediately busy coughing. "This topic is over," he announced tersely and with finality. And for good measure he kicked Naruto out. The place maybe a part of Naruto's mind but the blonde offered it as his turf so he had the privilege to do anything he wanted even booting his container out.
When Naruto became aware of his surrounding, he found Sasuke staring at him.
"What's wrong?" the Uchiha leader asked feeling the sadness vibrating from him.
"Nothing. It's just Kyuubi being a lousy tenant."
Was that the reason why Naruto had been spacing a lot lately? He couldn't remember Kyuubi and Naruto fighting over something for so long because most of the time the fox demon usually gives in. For Kyuubi to remain steadfast, it- whatever they were arguing over must be something serious. "What's with him anyway? What are you asking from him?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing important."
Doubt flickered in those dark eyes that Naruto decided to do something about it. It wouldn't be good if Sasuke would know of his two dangerous secrets. With that in mind, he pressed his body against his spouse. "Trust me," he murmured before fusing their lips together.
With Naruto around him; above him; beside him and beneath him smiling, laughing, moaning Sasuke immediately believed that everything was alright. And if Itachi was alive he would call him foolish for letting Naruto blind him and for letting his love for the blonde poison his logic.
When Sasuke responded to his kiss and deepened it with his hands sliding under his shirt, Naruto knew he was off the hook. For now.
-SasuNaru is love-
Miki finished her food quicker than usual and act which wasn't lost on her current date- Masao.
"After this, would you like to go somewhere else?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Shouhei-san and I agreed to spar by four-thirty."
"And you're running pretty late," he stated coolly.
Once more her head bopped up and down.
"That's why you're eating quicker." He let his irritation be noticed in his voice. To be dismissed because of one promised spar was an injury to his ego. "It seems you're forgetting that you're a girl."
"Meaning?"
"You may be beautiful but that beauty will be exceeded if you spend too much time sparring," he said. "Few years from now, no man would want you. No man would want a female spending too much time sparring and to top it off with a man."
Despite what she was hearing, Miki's smile never faltered. "Thank you for sharing your opinion." She stood up and leaned towards him to whisper sweetly, "and you can take it with you to hell." She walked without glancing back, therefore missing his surprised look. But why would she? She and Masao were over. Period.
-SasuNaru is love-
"Sorry for being late," she greeted as she joined Shouhei on one of the training areas.
"I just got here," he said. He had been few minutes late because his date had asked him to accompany her into buying a gift for her nephew. "So what now? With or without weapons?"
"Without," she replied haughtily making the male chuckle. Both of them took their stance and taking the cry of nearby crow as a signal to start, they lunged forward.
Shouhei noticed that there was something that was bothering Miki. She was smiling but her attacks although they maintained the same intensity were less fluid.
And when Miki whirled around, he felt something wet on his lefty cheek. Water? He thought as he countered another kick. When his eyes fell on Miki's stormy blue eyes, it was only then did he realize that the blonde was crying. "Miki?!"
"Shut up!" she almost shouted. She failed to understand why Masao's words hurt at that moment. The guy didn't know her dreams. The guy was just being a jerk. With a growl, she twisted her body and aimed a kick on her opponent's shin.
Shouhei leaped back and put a good distance between them. It was obvious to him that she was angry and hurt and if he isn't careful, he'd be a punching bag.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he leaned back to get away from her fist. He quickly swung his leg upsetting her balance.
She cried out as she hit the ground. In her frustration she uprooted a handful of weeds. She swatted away Shouhei's extended hand and stood up by herself. Before she could lunge another futile attack, she found herself surrounded by arms and pressed against hard chest.
Shouhei expected her to pull away or push him away not to cling to him with her hands tightly gripping the back of his shirt.
"He's a jerk," she whispered between sobs. And a second later, she started telling her friend what happened earlier.
The lad started rubbing her back gently and soothingly. "Don't waste your tears on him. He's a fool." And I'm twice a fool than he is.
Miki sniffed, nodded and wiped her tears. "Sorry but I was just so mad."
"It's okay," he replied and let her go. Now that his friend was okay, there was no need to hold her and besides he couldn't trust himself not to blurt his feelings out if she remained in his arms longer.
Miki felt cold and disappointed when Shouhei pulled away from her but she didn't dwell on that feeling. She wanted to spar and spar she would.
The way they exchanged blows, they were like two swords crossing in a clash. With the way they moved, they were like animals- Shouhei with his speed was like a jaguar and Miki with her grace, a swan. And like the animal they represented, Miki was no match for Shouhei who was still holding back but he was doing it not to demean or imply that the girl was weaker than him and Miki knew that. Despite his holding back, his skills were still one or two notches above Miki's so that he could give her challenge so she could grow beautifully like a plant. He may never be her love interest but he'd be a part of her growth. And that was like a consolation prize for a contest he had never participated in.
Miki gasped when a palm hit her stomach so hard she glided on the ground for few steps. She glared at her opponent who smirked and was wriggling his pointer finger arrogantly beckoning her to him.
"If you won't come then I will," she heard him say before he disappeared quietly like an apparition. For once she had to gulp loudly in anticipation and in fear because one more hit and it would be over. Her endurance compared to his was nothing.
She saw a flash of a hand coming towards and she leapt in the air. But Shouhei appeared behind her ready to deliver the last strike. Unfortunately, the girl detected him and quickly twisted around to deliver simultaneous kicks until they landed on the ground. Except when they did, Shouhei realized he was alone and couldn't find her. He grinned knowing she had improved... was improving.
He bowed down when he felt a leg moving to strike him from behind. His eyes widened to see his opponent in front of him crouching and swinging her fist. When did she...? He would have been hit if it wasn't for his instincts which took control of his legs and made them thrust his whole body into the air.
Still crouching, Miki watched as Shouhei performed a triple twist before slowly and gently falling like a leaf. Still suspended in the air and with his confident look never faltering, he looked like someone who was still in control; someone who had the strength to defy gravity. With the setting sun as his backdrop; with sheen of sweat glistening on his skin; with his hair flapping against his face together with his movement and with a smile tugging at his lips, he was manly grace personified. He was charming. He was gorgeous and she...
Miki's eyes widened as she realized that she like him... more than just a friend… more than just a brother. She liked him. For the first time, she liked someone and worse, that someone was treating her like a friend and like a sister at best. She had expected to like one of her admirers and not him. Not Shouhei. She knew liking someone who couldn't return the same feeling was troublesome and vexing and she wasn't ready.
Until now, everything she like, needed and wanted was given to her before she even knew she needed them. She didn't have to work for anything and now this? What was a pampered girl got to do? With panic rising within her, suffocating her, she did what she could only think was right-flee. If it was in a battlefield, she would fight but this was different even the panic she felt was different because it came from the depths of her heart.
When Shouhei landed, he was confused when he realized he was alone. Using byakugan, he searched around but found no trace of her. What is wrong with you?
-SasuNaru is love-
Kisho was the one who answered the door to see Shouhei at the doorstep. They exchanged greeting first before Shouhei asked for Miki.
"She's taking a bath," the blonde said.
"I see. Here," he paused to present the kunoichi's weapon pouch. "She left it after disappearing from our spar." Then he handed a box of chocolate and Kisho could tell it was expensive.
"You aren't courting her, are you?" the boy asked.
"If I am, what will you do?"
Tilting his head, the boy answered with a dangerous glint on his dark eyes, "who knows? But accidents happen-"
The Hyuuga member laughed. "I should have included a bouquet if I am, Kisho-kun. Anyway, Miki feels bad about something and I heard chocolates have special power."
Kisho looked at the present. Special power? Aphrodisiac?
As if reading his mind, the older lad said, "No, it isn't." And with that he merged with the shadows.
Since then, both of them were emotionally drifting apart while still remaining friends and spar mates. They never bothered to study what went wrong and why. Instead they wanted to forget their feelings and started dating others. They were stupid to force themselves into being satisfied with their friendship; to think that what the other had was just sibling affection. They were coward for not taking the risk of stepping forward when the door was now opened for them but that kind of fear was part of loving.
TBC
This is more or less like a preview of the things that would soon come over to the Uchiha family. What are the two secrets Naruto is keeping from Sasuke? Would Miki and Shouhei remain as friends forever? Is Akemi really asxual? These questions and more will be answered in the last season of this story. Look forward to it.