xxxChapter 5: Tornxxx

Naruto glanced up from his cereal as Kakashi sat down in the seat opposite of him. He stared at the wolf for a brief moment before murmuring a "Morning" and scooping up another spoonful to shove into his mouth.

Kakashi smiled and crossed his arms, leaning forward. "So, Naruto, how are you?"

Naruto paused at the question, raising a brow. "I'm...fine," he responded slowly.

The previous night flashed quickly across his mind, causing his lips to tilt upward as he looked back at his food. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're not," Kakashi tilted his head, "sore?"

Naruto blanched, cereal getting caught in his throat and making him choke. His eyes were wide as he began punching his stomach repeatedly and coughed up the food.

Panting heavily, Naruto slammed a hand on the table, causing the bowl to jump and some milk to splash over its edge. "And just – and just why would I be SORE?!" he choked out.

Kakashi shrugged. "It's normal to be a bit sore after the first time."

A deep blush flooded Naruto's cheeks. "There was no 'first time'!"

"C'mon Naruto, you came back practically bathed in his scent, and you're going to try and tell me nothing happened?"

Naruto growled, "How would you know what I smelt like? You weren't even here when I came back!"

"But I was," the wolf smirked, "Perhaps not in this room, but I was certainly here when you came back."

Naruto's blush deepened and he raised his palms in mock surrender. "You can just stop right there, I don't even want to know."

Kakashi chuckled throatily. "So, are you alright?"

Naruto threw his mentor a light glare before looking off to the side. "I was sore, for a little while. But I get over pain pretty quick, so after I slept I was fine." An abrupt thought struck him, "Hey..." his gaze jerked to the wolf angrily, "Hey how come you didn't think I was top?!"

Kakashi scoffed. "You? Top?"

Naruto's fists clenched, fangs bared. "Hey! I could be top!"

"Maybe the top of a pillow."

"HEY!"

"Look Naruto, predator always trumps prey in sex. Sasuke's a dog; his sole instinct was to mark you. He would've killed you before letting you claim him first."

Naruto suddenly flinched, his ears flattening. "...Sasuke would never hurt me, no matter what."

Kakashi's face softened, realizing he'd struck a nerve. "Don't take it to heart, Naruto, I'm sure Sasuke does indeed care for you." He tipped his chair back and brought his legs up to cross them on the table, his feet right by Naruto's bowl as he laced his fingers behind his head. "So," he said, "are you going to see each other today?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, we're not supposed to. But I plan to go see him later, at night."

A grey ear flicked twice. "Are you sure that's such a great idea? With Orochimaru and Itachi being there?"

The blond snorted, glancing at Kakashi's feet beside his bowl and moving his meal away from them. "I'm just going to see him, not do anything. Besides, I can outfox that stupid dog and that pale freak any day."

Kakashi leaned back further with a smile. "Cockiness killed the fox, Naruto."

Naruto smirked, standing up from the table. "And hate for the wolf brought it back."

x-X-0-X-x

Itachi scowled lightly as he leaned against his barrel, fingering a piece of meat in his hand.

Orochimaru smiled and looked away from Itachi, tossing another – much larger piece of meat – to Sasuke, who caught it with ease before tearing at it with his teeth.

The pale man smirked. "You were magnificent during the hunt Sasuke, you earned your meal. Well done." He glanced at Itachi with indifference before turning and going back inside.

The older dog sneered and moved to toss the poor excuse for food in his fingers, but then his stomach growled. The faintest of blushes rose to his cheeks, and he sighed softly before taking a bite.

The sound didn't go unnoticed, as Sasuke looked up at his brother with a small smile. "Hungry?" he chimed.

Itachi didn't even look at him. "You'd be wise to hold your tongue, baby brother. Remember who helped you hone those skills of yours in the first place."

Sasuke chuckled softly. "Yes, I haven't forgotten." He held up his meant in offering, "You can have mine if you like."

Itachi shoved the last bit of food into his mouth and swallowed, closing his eyes, his ears erect and unresponsive. "There you go, being soft again. Hunting isn't only in the presence of prey, Sasuke."

Sasuke snorted a laugh, knowing that was his brother's way of saying, "Fuck you, I can get my own food." He also finished his meal, and even went as far as to lick the remnants off his fingers, just to be smug.

Itachi opened his eyes at the slurping noises and growled low in his throat before lying down and turning away from the other male.

Sasuke's lips stretched out into a smirk and he crawled over to his brother, moving one arm over him and pressing his chest against the elder's shoulder, tail flitting merrily. "Hey Itachi, let's tussle. We haven't tussled in a long time."

Itachi made an annoyed sound and looked up at his brother, "How very unlike you to ask for something like that."

"C'mon," Sasuke coaxed.

Itachi closed his eyes. "No."

"You afraid of me?" Sasuke teased.

"Now you know that's not the case."

Sasuke laughed quietly and bent down, taking his brother's ear between his teeth and tugging at it, taunting him.

At first, Itachi didn't react, simply growled again in annoyance. But a particularly rough yank jerked him to widening his eyes and gritting his teeth, "Off Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't listen but tugged harder, pulled at his brother's shoulder with his hand, his lips tilted in a grin.

Itachi snorted, resemblance of a laugh, and his mouth made the smallest quirk. He held up a palm and roughly shoved Sasuke off while mumbling, "Stupid overgrown pup," under his breath.

Sasuke chuckled and went back for more, but Itachi kept his hand up. "Honestly Sasuke, that's enough, I'm tired."

Sasuke scrunched up his nose. "You barely moved," he drawled.

Itachi actually smiled slightly and flipped his hand, flicking it twice in a sign that this conversation was over.

Sasuke frowned for a moment before smiling as well and shrugging his shoulders. "Fine," he answered and crawled back to his barrel.

He stared at his brother until he was sure the other had drifted off to sleep. Then his gaze rose to the setting sky, dusted with all manners of pinks and orange and he sighed softly.

Sasuke lay down in his barrel and rested his head in the crook of his arm, lids meeting to close out the bright sky in favor of comforting darkness.

x-X-0-X-x

With wide blue eyes lighted by the moon, Naruto slipped through the fence that separated Orochimaru's and Iruka's property.

He smiled at seeing Sasuke asleep in his barrel and scanned the area before crawling into a bush and whispering a firm, "Sasuke."

The dog didn't move, causing Naruto to frown and lean forward a bit. "Psst! Sasuke!"

This time, Sasuke groaned, blearily opening his eyes and blinking a few times before glancing at the bushes that seemed to be whispering his name. Obsidian orbs widened when he caught sight of Naruto's head poking out from them. He got on all fours and eyed the barrel beside him before creeping over to the bush with a frown, staring the blond in the face. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto's brow crumpled, but he leaned forward until their lips touched. "I came to see you," he whispered.

Sasuke couldn't hold the sigh that escaped his lips, and he had to pause to calm his racing heart and flaring hormones that were coming to life. "You shouldn't be here," he murmured, "Itachi is right there, sleeping in his barrel-"

"Sleeping," Naruto emphasized. "Not watching."

"Still...if he wakes up..." Sasuke bit his lip slightly, eyes flicking away then back to Naruto, unsure. "You need to go, now Naruto."

Naruto tilted his head with a mischievous gleam in his eye, coaxing the other, and Sasuke exhaled heavy words into his mouth. "You know I love to see you, but it's not safe for you here. I don't know if I can protect you Naruto."

"Who needs protection?" Naruto snapped.

"Naruto," Sasuke pressed.

The blond frowned in defeat for a moment, but then smiled slightly. "Just one kiss, then I'll go."

Sasuke cocked his head, eyes settling on Naruto's full lips while his own quirked upward. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

But Naruto was already leaning in, until there was no space between them.

He didn't know what it was about Sasuke that was so damn good, so wonderfully intoxicating. It was just...everything. The way he tasted, the way he spoke, the color and feel of his skin. He'd been back for less than three days and Naruto still felt like Sasuke had always been there.

He pressed hard, ears flattening, and whined with satisfaction when Sasuke grabbed at his arm and yanked him out of the bushes to have their bodies touching.

Sasuke pushed the fox back through the force of the kiss and pulled him closer with pale fingers wrapped around his shoulders. He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, forcing his tongue through those luscious lips and gliding it along another.

Naruto moaned softly before pulling back, a strand of saliva keeping them connected before falling apart and dripping down their chins.

The fox moved forward and slipped his tongue out, sliding it up the dog's chin to clean the residue. He smiled at the lips that brushed his cheek and the hand that pressed at the small of his back to pull him closer.

Sasuke groaned, realizing that this, wonderful as it was, had to end before things became noticeable to his family. He already felt himself growing hard from simply having this kind of contact with the blond, the need to push him down to the grass and take him again building. He raised an arm to pry the fox off, but before he got the chance, Naruto was suddenly ripped away from him with a loud yelp.

Sasuke was disoriented, and the light pleasure high didn't allow him to focus on the blurry pile of colors before him.

But when he was able to grasp what he was staring at, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Itachi, with fangs bared and a series of growls humming from his throat, had Naruto pinned to the ground with a clawed hand wrapped around his neck.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, immediately jumping to the blond's side, clutching his brother's arm and trying to pull it away from the Naruto's throat. He tried to shove Itachi, but the dog held steady, glaring at the fox beneath him.

Suddenly, the screen door swung open, Orochimaru stepping out with a rifle in his hand. His eyes widened at the scene. "It's that damn fox!"

Itachi, distracted by his master's voice, turned his head and loosened his grip. Naruto used this opportunity to swipe his claws across the dog's cheek, eliciting a loud cry and leaving behind three red gashes. He shoved the other off of him and scrambled to his feet, then began running towards the forest in a panicked frenzy, not missing the sense of déjà vu.

A shot rang out, barely skimming his leg as he turned direction to a boxed pile of logs and dropped to the floor to squeeze his way beneath them.

Naruto was breathing erratically along with his heartbeat as he twisted his body to peer through the slight opening under the logs.

A pair of feet caused him to shrink back into the shadows, and he sighed with relief when they passed by him.

Naruto stuck his head out partially, ears alert, and flinched when Sasuke's face suddenly appeared in front of him.

The fox stared at him with a parted mouth, forming words in his throat but the glare he was being pinned with left him unable to speak.

Sasuke began growling softly, lifting his arm and reaching towards the blond but stopping abruptly in mid-air. He held the other's gaze.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke flinched at his master's call, whatever trance he'd been in vanishing as his features fell to sympathy. The hand that was undecided in the air lowered to lightly touch the fox's wrist. He spoke softly, "Naruto...I can't watch you get killed – I care about you too much. I'm letting you go, but you need to hurry.

Naruto seemed confused. Had it really been that difficult a decision for Sasuke to make? Whether or not to let Naruto get away? Why would he have to even think about that kind of choice?

His eyes widened as Sasuke stood up and tilted his head back, releasing a long, deep howl that made the blond's red ears flatten deeply against his head. But not because the sound was broken and high like when they were little, but because it was melodic, ominous and frightening.

And Naruto realized, for the first time, that everyone was right. The Sasuke he used to know was gone, replaced with this extremely skilled, extremely dangerous hunting dog.

This howl unnerved Naruto, he no longer felt certain of the fact that Sasuke would not harm him.

Despite how much they loved each other, instinct was a difficult thing to push back and ignore. Sasuke was a predator, Naruto was prey. And Sasuke's loyalties, no matter how his emotions were placed, lied with his brother and master, those he'd been with from birth.

All this was proven in the words he'd just spoken, which settled in Naruto's stomach like a heavy stone:

"I can't watch you get killed..."

If Sasuke truly cared about him, and loved him as he claimed he did, wouldn't he have said "I won't let you be killed?"

The sound of Sasuke's feet running in an opposite direction pierced through his reverie. And when Naruto saw Orochimaru follow him, he quickly wriggled his way from beneath the logs and dashed into the forest.

Slivers of moonlight speared the treetops as Naruto ran with a speeding pulse in his ears. Branches that stuck out on his path caught and tore at the skin of his arms, dead leaves crunching beneath his footsteps.

Naruto's eyes stung with the threat of tears as he slowed to a stop, realizing he had no clue where he was running to. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he labored for breath and looked around himself.

There was a steep hill a few feet away from him, and a quick flash of him and Sasuke as kit and pup rolling down that hill went across his mind. He swallowed and licked his lips, standing upright.

"At least I know where I am," he mumbled to himself.

He couldn't go back home, that was the first place they'd look for him, and he wouldn't risk putting Iruka in danger when two...maybe even three men were hunting him.

Blue eyes flitted quickly this way and that, searching for anyplace to run or hide – like they prey he was. And his gaze landed on the waterfall, rising up until he was staring at the cascading top, a strip of land on either side.

He hesitated at the thought; he had never been up there before, for fear of falling into the river and over the falls.

His brows furrowed with determination. "All the reason they wouldn't look for me there," he muttered, before hurriedly running forward and beginning to stumble up the slanted dirt land that lead up to the top of the waterfall.

Naruto hauled himself up while digging his claws in the earth, until he pushed once more and landed on flat surface, the rushing water stretched before him.

His breathing was heavy and he shook his head, pushing himself off the ground with his palms.

But before he even got the chance to stand, he had to let out a loud cry when something abruptly tackled him and took him sliding across the dirt to the edge of the bank.

Naruto's head hung over the edge, spikes of golden hair dipping into the water. And for the second time that night, he felt fingers curl themselves around his neck, and he stared up into Itachi's deathly red eyes.

The river was flowing violently in front of them, one slip and both of them would be swept away, meeting their end at the waterfall that dropped into the calmer river below.

Naruto reached up and wrapped a hand around the other's wrist, coughing slightly.

The dog stared down at him, red eyes flicking over his face, studying him. "...You're very beautiful," Itachi commented off-handedly. "I can see why my brother would want to claim you for himself."

Despite the situation, Naruto felt heat spread out to his cheeks. "Sasuke-" he forced out, "Sasuke told-"

"No, he didn't have to. He was sweating your scent when he came back and nothing is more distinct than the smell of sex." Itachi pushed Naruto's head further into the rushing river, drenching his hair, and caught the hand that came up to take another swipe at his face.

Itachi leaned down until he was nose to nose with the other boy, placing further pressure on his throat so he was gasping now. And Naruto couldn't help but let his gaze settle on the red gashes that now tainted the dog's pale skin. The wound was still wet, and two drops of blood trickled down to his chin, teetering for a moment until they dripped onto Naruto's cheek.

Itachi tilted his head, long black hair brushing the other's face. "This isn't anything personal," he whispered. "You and my brother could run and fuck, leave and become mates, that really does not concern me. But lately, Sasuke's exceeding and growing skills has put me in his shadow, leaving him with far better and privileged treatment from our master. And I'm afraid killing you is the only way I can regain my status." He smirked. "But then again, you have always been a bit of a slippery prey. Finally killing you would also bring me a sense of satisfaction."

Naruto coughed again, feeling his stomach twist with each word the dog murmured, at the mock pity he spoke them with.

There was no way Naruto was going to allow himself to be killed. Not now and not by Itachi's hands. So when he felt teeth scrape dangerously at the pulse of his throat, Naruto drove his knee up into Itachi's stomach with surprising strength, successfully sending the other up and over to fly into the river.

Unfortunately, the hold on his neck and wrist didn't break, nor had he really expected to. So he was pulled into the water as well.

If Naruto had no other choice but to die, then he was taking Itachi with him.

When they re-surfaced, Naruto felt the other grab at his wrist again and he immediately lurched to sink his teeth into the dog's hand, causing him to let go with a yelp.

He kicked at him beneath the water and twisted his head to the side, ears flattening and eyes growing wide when he saw they were headed straight towards the waterfall.

Though apparently, Naruto had something right in his life because he also saw a branch sticking out over the river – just low enough for him to grab onto.

Naruto swam with the current and reached up, grabbing hold of the wood with a quick hand. He sputtered as water filled his mouth and tried pulling himself onto dry land, but something caught at his hair and tugged harshly, tipping his head to see a more than irritated Itachi.

The dog growled and pulled harder, causing Naruto to yelp and his hand to slide against the branch, wood rubbing his palm raw.

Naruto gasped, taking in a mouthful of water and coughing it back up. He turned slightly and pushed against the current to press his foot against the dog's stomach. He bared his fangs, "Let" braced his leg, "me" mustered all his strength, "GO!" and shoved the dog off with one powerful push, successfully kicking him away and sending him further down the river.

Naruto gasped again and struggled to pull himself out of the water, tugging at the branch.

When he finally got out, drenched and exhausted, he collapsed on the dirt and began coughing up a lungful of water. His breathing was shaky, body wracked with convulsive shivers.

His hold on consciousness was slipping as darkness began swimming around the edges of his vision; his eyes became half-lidded. Thoughts fell apart, his mind fogged and he lost sense of where his body ended and the earth began.

Naruto knew, somewhere in the back of his throbbing head, that he was losing himself. To exhaustion, to relief, to the doubts...to the fear. And he was slowly giving in, until a sudden yelp pierced through the haze of his thoughts, and a shot of adrenaline suddenly rushed to every nerve of his being.

Naruto coughed once more, spitting up another glob of water before composing himself and hastily pushing up and off the ground. He began running along the edge of the river, and stopped when he found what had made the pained noise. His chest tightened at the sight.

Itachi was still in the river, his blue shirt caught on a rock by its neck, choking him.

Naruto's eyes widened as he shook his head slowly, falling to his knees and thrusting out a raw palm in the dog's direction, "Give me your hand!" he yelled desperately.

Itachi shifted his gaze to the fox, and Naruto found it both incredible and disturbing that, despite the situation, the dog still mustered up the strength to glare at him. He leaned in more, near tears. He didn't know why he needed to save Itachi, especially since he tried to kill Naruto in the first place; he just knew he had to. "You're gonna get killed! C'mon!"

Itachi coughed and lifted a hand out of the water, only to swipe it at Naruto's and make three cuts across his already tender palm, causing the fox the flinch and jerk his hand back.

Naruto wasn't sure if injuring him had been Itachi's intention, but the movement had caused the dog's shirt to loosen and come off the rock, sending him downstream again.

Naruto gasped and got back on his feet, holding his bleeding hand to his chest and continuing to run along the side of the river until he came to the edge of the cliff and halted to a stop.

Blue eyes watched and widened in horror as Itachi fell over the cascading waterfall. Even worse, he fell face-up, holding Naruto's gaze with an emotion he'd long forgotten he was even capable of feeling:

Fear.

Naruto quickly shut his eyes and turned away, tears streaming down his face.

No one could say he hadn't tried.

A few moments later, the blond swallowed and chanced a look. His breathing was heavy as he turned in one, slow movement, and what he saw made his brows furrow in confusion.

There were two people.

Naruto wiped at his eyes, his ears flattening as he sank down to his knees, carefully leaning forward with a narrowed gaze.

The blurry figures came into focus slowly but surely. One was definitely Itachi, on his back in the shallow water, not moving. His arms and right leg twisted at disgustingly unnatural angles; result from landing among rocks and stone.

The other was, "Sasuke..." he murmured.

As if on cue, Sasuke tilted his head up and looked directly at Naruto. But from this high up, the fox couldn't make out the other's expression.

Naruto licked his lips and turned away; beginning his descent back down the mountain towards the one person he prayed would give him comfort.

x-X-0-X-x

When Naruto finally managed to reach both dogs, he was met with the sight of Sasuke's back; sitting slouched next to his utterly still brother.

The fox frowned deeply and stepped forward, still clutching his wounded hand to his chest. "Sasuke?" he whispered.

The dog flinched and dropped his brother's hand, which Naruto just realized he'd been holding.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Sasuke slowly rose from the ground and turned his head half-way, bangs shadowing his eyes. "You killed him."

Naruto cringed and quickly shook his head. "No! I...I..."

Sasuke clenched his fist at his sides, holding back the urge to either grab the blond, yank him close and kiss him harshly until everything faded to normalcy. Or shove him down and tear his body to shreds in blind rage.

The latter seemed to be a bit more promising. But, "You killed my brother," was all he bit out.

Naruto opened his mouth, but only a small whimper fell out.

"Get out of here," Sasuke growled.

Naruto's ears flattened, his heart plunged. "But..."

"Get out of here!" he yelled.

"Sasuke I-"

Sasuke's head shot up, eyes bloody red and pointed directly at the fox. "Get out of here before I kill you!"

At this, Naruto's whole body jerked, and his heart sank past the pit of his stomach.

How could he have been so stupid? Did he really believe that Sasuke would pick him over his brother? Over his family?

Naruto took a step forward and hesitated, his eyes trailing downward. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Sasuke struck out at him, clipping his chest, teeth bared in a threatening snarl. "I said get out of here! Damn fox!"

This time, Naruto felt the sting of the words, the pain that spread through his chest was proof of that. His mouth went dry, and the ground suddenly became something very hard to pull away from.

And that's when it struck him.

Where they were. What they were standing on. Where Sasuke had just threatened to kill him.

Naruto realized, they were standing on the very same spot where they had made love just one night before.

He gave an empty laugh, the pain becoming too much to fit through a small frown. He let his hand fall to his side and allowed a scowl to twist his features.
If this was the end, so be it.

Knowing full and well of the consequences this might bring, Naruto stepped forward and shoved Sasuke back with both hands, causing him to stumble and almost trip over Itachi. Tears leaked out of his eyes from multiple origins; shock, hurt, pain, anger. "Kill me, huh?" He snorted, glancing at the red stain his palm had left behind on the Sasuke's white shirt, then up at Sasuke, locking gazes with him. His lips parted, "I wish you would've."

Naruto turned and began running towards his home, feeling a hellish glare burn through his back and spear his soul.