Song that helped me through editing this: Alice Nine - Mirror Ball. The Piano Version. Good stuff :]
Thanks for your review(s). I highly appreciate it :].
Warning: Angst, as always, but some minor fluff 8D. If that even needs a warning...
Disclaimer: I had Naruto in the palms of my hands, only to have it snatched away.
Enjoy :D
Chapter Six: Scouted
"From the minute I wielded my very first sword I knew I'd one day be a great warrior." – Sasuke Uchiha, age 13.
Meditation always helped to calm Sasuke's mind whenever his thoughts we're being constantly invaded by a certain blonde prince. Almost like a broken record the raven prince would be tortured with the sounds of Naruto's infectious, wonderful laughter. He'd be force to relive the pleasant memories of his last visit in Soleil when he and Naruto had taken a day out in the city. Naruto was on his mind, day and night, and it looked like he would never leave.
'I can't have these feelings.' he told himself over and over again, but his heart wouldn't listen. It refused to listen to such utter nonsense. 'Father would be angry. My whole clan would shun me... My people... they'd never respect me again.'
Sasuke growled out of frustration. Did it really matter what his people thought? Should he really forsake his happiness for the same people who were currently having a rebellion against the royal family? 'Relax... Breathe. Center yourself.' the mantra helped to slow down his erratic heart beat, calm his tingling nerves, and center his being. His thoughts were being placed in order, and he felt his heart become a little lighter. In a matter of minutes the prince had acquired an evened breathing system and cleared his mind of any and all distracting thoughts.
He was at one with peace, but only for a short while.
"You're going to catch a cold like that. At least put on a shirt if you're going to meditate, Otouto."
The younger raven winced slightly at the disturbance but made no inclination that he was going to open his eyes to fully address his brother. Not wearing a shirt; also something he wasn't going to address. Instead he guided his aura and settled it down to a more normal pace so his heart beat was beating regularly and his body wasn't placed in such a lethargic pace.
"Is there something you wanted, Aniki? If not, I'd like to return to my meditation."
Itachi was used to his brother's odd sense of politeness. It was highly respectable but still had a pinch of formal rudeness dancing along the edge. Chuckling, Itachi sat next to his brother and mimicked his sitting position. He even closed his eyes while he talked.
"Naruto on your mind again?" the only reaction he got was a subtle spike in his brother's aura. "Talking about it will better help sort out your thoughts."
Sasuke blew air out of his nose, but didn't object to Itachi's decision. Maybe voicing what was on his mind would make things easier to deal with. Lord only knew that Sasuke was getting no answers trying to debate alone. Opening his eyes, Sasuke directed his gaze to his patiently waiting brother.
"My heart hurts every time we're apart. I can't explain what I feel when ever I see that annoyingly goofy smile of his. It's like a blend of happiness, excitement and something... something more. Itachi, I will kill you if you release this to the general public, but Naruto is truly someone I will call a friend; my best friend. It's only been three years and he's able to do things to me without even trying that others have been attempting to do for years."
The younger raven chewed on his thumbnail, nibbling on it softly. His thoughts were becoming frazzling ends or string. They weren't making sense anymore! It was like he was running in complete circles. Naruto literally drove him to the ends of insanity.
But for some odd reason… he enjoyed that feeling of being driving insane by the blonde.
"And; that's all?"
Sasuke's head whipped up at the bored tone his brother produced. He literally growled at the passive look in those onyx eyes. "See? This is why I hate telling you about my problems!"
Itachi chuckled, which only resulted in adding more fuel to the fire, and reached over to flick his brother on the forehead. "You deserved that, Baka Otouto. Can you not even realize what you're feeling without turning it into some exponential crisis?" Sasuke merely scowled and his brother continued with a smirk proudly plastered on his face. "If you're too dense to figure out your own emotions, Otouto, than I shall leave you be to drown in your own stupidity."
"If you know, tell me, damn it!"
"Then your whole learning experience will be all for not." Itachi shook his head in mock exasperation and tapped the side of his chin thoughtfully. "However, I didn't come in here just to belittle you on your horrible skills of deduction."
Sasuke snorted and glared at his brother. "You could have fooled me. Well then,
Aniki, if you didn't come here to pick fun at me then why are you here?"
For a brief second, Itachi's eyes flickered with an unknown emotion and his lips pursed in a tight line. It didn't last very long. A tight smile crawled onto his face to replace his tight line, but it never quite reached his eyes.
"I actually came here to share some good news. Orochimaru-sama has decided to take you on as an apprentice."
"You're kidding!" Sasuke nearly jumped up out of excitement. Orochimaru didn't just pick random people out of the hat to train. Oh no, it was considered an honor among the people of the Luna empire to be chosen as an heir to his techniques. Sasuke was surely happy about the decision, and he had every intention to say yes, but why wasn't Itachi happy?
It was no unknown fact that Itachi was a prodigy when it came to matters of strategy and battle. Sasuke was slowly coming up behind him, struggling here and there, but he was catching up no doubt. The Uchiha siblings were known through out the western territories for their amazing skills in combat. You'd be one lucky duck to be able to survive in battle with them to tell the tale.
So, the fact that Orochimaru had chosen him to train made the excitement pulse through his veins double time.
"I do not kid. Orochimaru-sama is waiting for you in the weapon's room. It would be wise if you didn't—"
His younger brother was already out of the door before Itachi could finish his sentence. It seemed that Sasuke running out of the room before he could voice his opinions was starting to become a regular occurrence now. Sighing, Itachi reclined himself on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. One of these days Sasuke's impulsive nature would be the end of him. Itachi didn't want to have to face that day knowing he was right all along...
+Eclipse: I've Been Chosen+
Sasuke's heart was about to jump out of his chest and run a marathon around the castle. Excitement and nervousness coursed through out his whole body, sending his fingers into random spasms. He had to come off as calm, cool, and collected but the exhilaration coursing through his veins wasn't helping out at all. His footsteps quickened against the colored marble, echoing along the walls decorated with pictures of past successors.
'I wonder why Itachi looked so upset.' he pondered on this a while, wondering why his brother wasn't elated as he was. The comical idea of Itachi actually being jealous that Orochimaru had scouted his younger brother instead of him sent Sasuke into a satisfied smile. He was always hoping and working towards topping his brother in something and now that day had finally come.
'I can't wait to tell Naruto about this.'
Sasuke opened up the door to the weapon's room. The room was littered with weapons raging from swords, to spears, to magic staves. Orochimaru was in the center of the room, examining a staff with keen interest. Sasuke instantly felt the butterflies in his stomach do a million and one summersaults for the first time. Orochimaru was considered the best at what he did. He trained the greatest – and very select few – warriors into epic fighting machines that were still feared till this day. The man was a king in his own rights with all the knowledge he held about the old and new world. It was pretty intimidating just to stand in the same room together.
The raven exhaled a breath he'd been holding. And with that, his worries expelled along with the breath.
"You wanted to see me, Orochimaru-sama?"
Golden eyes glittered with resound interest. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, glad to see you've come. I am guessing you've heard of my offer from your brother, yes?" at Sasuke's nod Orochimaru continued. "Have you considered already or would you like more time to decide?"
Sasuke wanted to open his mouth and say "Yes, teach me!" but the letters wouldn't form. Instead, a bother question voiced itself. "Why me? Out of all the other candidates you could have chosen from why me?"
Orochimaru cocked an eyebrow, studying the older raven with his gaze. Sasuke held back the urge to squirm. How could he ask such a stupid question? He had allowed his insecurities to slip through and now it could cost him such a wonderful opportunity.
'Way to go, Sasuke. There's no way Orochimaru would pick you now. You've pretty much screwed yourself of any chance to get stronger…'
Instead, Orochimaru chuckled, his snake-like tongue flicked out in delight. "Do you mean why I chose you over your brother?" Orochimaru had hit the bull's eye because Sasuke's body turned as rigid as an ice sculpture. "Let me answer your question with another question. What makes you think you do not have what it takes to become my pupil?"
The mentor twirled the staff between his fingers, feeling the dormant magic dance along his fingertips. Magic always kept him sane. It made situations easier to analyze and made people are the more easily to crush if needed.
"You see, Sasuke-kun, I am referred to most as a Nomad. I travel from country to country, kingdom to nation to struggling empire in search of Raw."
"Raw?" alright, now Sasuke was seriously lost.
"It's the term I use for individuals with natural talent. They were gifted by God with the power to wield the elements, spirits, or magic. The power to use any weapon they possess to their breaking points. The ability to deduce reasonably in the direst situations brought to them. I've searched for people with these attributes and more, and I have come across a few." the staff in his hand flickered a bright red, alive and burning. Orochimaru's eyes seemed even more yellow in the light. "In the end their talent wasn't enough and they were all... snuffed out."
The light disappeared.
A whole new round of nerves crackled alive but this time they were itching to climb further than than the other students. Orochimaru had chosen him over the rest, over his brother, because he felt like he had the gift to strive above the rest – to become the rightful heir to a vast library of knowledge and power.
He would have been a fool to turn down Orochimaru's offer.
"Sasuke-kun, I do not want you to feel rushed but I would like your answer soon. By Friday afternoon would be best. If you decide to take my offer, we shall set off by the end of the month and won't be back for three years. If you feel that you are ready to leave your life behind, then I shall be ready to teach you."
Orochimaru stuck his hand out, waiting for a reaction. Sasuke stared at the hand, weighing the pros and cons of making the 'contract'. If he took up the offer he'd be separated from Naruto for three years. He didn't know if his heart could take the ache of separation and his mind the pain from insanity.
Sasuke didn't know if he was ready for this. Naruto held a huge part of his heart. He couldn't just drop what he had with the blonde prince to train. Three years was a lot of time. Anything could happen between now and then. The two could grow apart, never truly being the same again. Sasuke couldn't grasp the thought of a world where he and Naruto could see eye to eye with one another.
But in those golden eyes there held promises of power... So much power...
Could he really drop Naruto for such a thing?
Finally, after many grueling moments, Sasuke gripped the man's hand.
"You'll definitely get an answer from me."
+Eclipse+
Naruto had contacted the raven prior to his father's visit to the Soleil Kingdom with the simple message that they needed to talk. Sasuke frowned when he reread over the message on his Palm Reader. Normally whenever Naruto sent him a text, there were a variety of smileys sprinkled in the message. This message, however, was void of all emotion.
We need 2 talk.
The raven had wanted to use this visit to tell Naruto the good news about being chosen as Orochimaru's pupil. Now his first and major priority was to find Naruto. He needed to know what made the blonde sad in the first place, so he could do everything in his power to make him happy once again.
Sasuke found Naruto sitting by the pond, staring at his shaky reflection. There was a serious droop in his shoulders and his aura was screaming sadness and rage all mixed into one. Sasuke gulped. He was seriously reconsidering telling Naruto about his decision, and just staying here.
The urge to stay and comfort the blonde was strong.
"Sorry it took so long." Sasuke sat by his best friend, noticing how Naruto just nodded and didn't try to bite his head off for being late. "Aren't you going to flip out? Scream? Do something?"
Naruto tensed, gripping his fists, nails digging into his skin. How long had it been since his father finally decided to let him in on the little secret? Was it a few hours? Maybe even a couple of days ago? Just how much of his life was one horrible lie?
He was furious! Absolutely, maddening, furious! His father was the sole reason why people resented him; looked down on him. He literally screwed him over from the get go.
Who could he trust anymore if his own father deceived him like this? The raven's name was the first to pop out on his mind. And that's why he didn't waste any time trying to contact his best friend.
"You know... I was always confused why people hated me." Naruto's eyes clouded over with subtle rage, changing from bright blue to a stormy grey. "I thought it was because of my personality. I can be really obnoxious sometimes. But then I realized something... Maybe they looked at me weird it because I was different. Or maybe I had something they were all jealous of. I am the prince after all, so that sort of made sense.
The blonde laughed, but it was dry and humorless. "What a lie! Do you want to know the real reason why people hate me, Sasuke? Because trust me its one funny story."
The older raven visibly cringed at the cold and angered look in Naruto's eyes. This was the first time he'd ever seen Naruto look so mad. For a split second he even thought he saw those eyes flash red. He swallowed deeply. He already knew the answer Naruto was going to say. He already knew everything about his history. He already knew what horrible secret Naruto was forced to keep every since birth.
Yet he still asked why.
"Because I'm a monster, that's why!" Tears flowed down Naruto's face and he started to rip at the grass in blind fury. He hated this acceptance. He hated voicing out the horrible secret that would probably drive Sasuke away from him. The secret that kept him up at nights and mocked him for what he was. For the first time in years Naruto hated his existence and just wanted to die.
"Naruto... You're not a monster." Sasuke was there in a flash, wiping away those tears. Naruto flinched at the contact. Sasuke shouldn't be touching him so gently; lovingly. He should be turning away in disgust to leave Naruto in a pile of pathetic tears. Naruto hated this kindness. It made him feel even more weak and fragile. But at the same time he yearned to just throw every problem away and fling himself in to Sasuke's arms.
"No Sasuke, I am!" Naruto slapped the hand away and turned his gaze back towards the water. He hated his reflection. He looked so...ugly. "Kyuubi, the fox from my dreams I told you about, is the same demon that attacked the kingdom thirteen years ago. It was going to destroy the whole country. My father was the one to save everyone. But here's the good part: He sealed the demon inside of me!"
This time the tears tumbled haphazardly down his cheeks and his voice was cracking with sobs. He felt like the air around him was becoming thin. Like he was trapped in a box that was shrinking and shrinking at a incredibly fast rate.
"He told me that he did it because it would make me a hero! That the power I would get from Kyuubi would one day make me a strong king to be feared! I've already got the feared part down no problem. My own people are afraid of me!"
It was like all the words he wanted to say out of comfort wouldn't come. They were frozen in his mouth. He couldn't move. Guilt was ridding on his shoulders. Would it have been easier if he had told Naruto himself about the Kyuubi? Would there have been another way to prevent Naruto from having such an emotional breakdown in front of him.
Before he could register what was happening Naruto flung himself into Sasuke's arms and held onto him tightly. Instinct took over and Sasuke's fingers were stroking through golden locks. The boy's body was shaking like a leaf.
"Naruto," he whispered over and over again. That was all he could say. Words would be no use. Actions would be the key for comfort.
"Sasuke..." Naruto felt so weak, so fragile. But in Sasuke's arms he felt warm and protected. Sasuke was the only person he knew who could make him feel like this. Like a human. Sasuke would always be the only one who made him feel normal. "You won't hate me, right? Please promise me you won't look at me any differently. I won't be able to take it if you leave because of what I am." his body started to tremble, his grip around Sasuke's neck tightened. Fear that he'd no longer to feel this embrace rocked his body to the core.
A kiss to the forehead issued a silent promise, one that made Naruto escape into the simple ease of the touch. The skin where Sasuke's lips touched burned but it was a pleasant sensation.
"I promise, Naruto, I would never leave you because of this. No matter what I'll stand here by your side and protect you... I give you my word."
New tears fell but this time out of joy of finding someone like Sasuke. It was comforting knowing that he had made such a loyal friend. Someone he knew he could call on for times like these, when he felt so defenseless to the world around him. When he doubted himself and hated the being he was. Sasuke would be there. He'd be there to clean up the tears, to mask the pain, and to bring him up from the darkness he almost willingly fell into.
Sasuke would always be the one that he'd call his light.
The two princes stood there in each others arms and didn't move until the sun began to set in the sky.
Phew, another chapter done and posted!
Please do review! I love hearing your opinions, and constructive critiscism is always welcomed. :D
LOVE YOU ALL UBERLY.
Till next time ^^.