A/N: Here it is!! Chapter 16!! Didn't take too long huh? I hope that this chapter will be as good as the last few ones. It has lovey-dovey parts in it, but more action this time.
Disclaimer: OMFG!! I don't own Naruto but I will KILL Kishimoto for leaving us there in the last chapter!! -Spazzes out-
The Story So Far: A second attack aimed at Sasuke and Naruto nearly takes Sasuke's life, leaving Naruto unwilling to leave the apartment. Paired with the fear of losing Sasuke and the warnings Sakura put in her most recent letters make Naruto question the safety of both him and Sasuke.
Warnings: Okay...Lots of Swearing...(You know how it goes), mentions of Yaoi (SasukexNaruto, though it is pretty funny) and alcohol use (like I need to tell you...Tsunade)
Chapter 16
Sasuke pulled away from the overwhelming kiss when he had a coppery taste burst on his tongue. He wasn't sure if in all of Naruto's emotion-driven passion he'd bit too hard on his own lip or Sasuke's. Sasuke traced the angry-concerned corners of Naruto's lips, finding no sign of a wound at all. Naruto reached up and touched his thumb to the center of Sasuke's bottom lip. He pulled his digit back and reveled to Sasuke a dark crimson streak before he wiped the blood off on his slightly damp shirt.
Naruto lifted off of his knees to kiss Sasuke again, this time less angry and much gentler, making sure that both he and Sasuke got a taste of his blood again. He moved his face away from Sasuke's by only a few centimeters and licked the shallow cut.
"This is a reminder," Naruto began less rigidity in his voice now. "So you never think that I could live without you, you bastard."
Sasuke smiled at how vulgar Naruto was being, though it was a sign of stress it also meant that the boy was absolutely frantic over his situation and in fact couldn't live without him. This was comforting since Sasuke couldn't live without him either. It was nice that the feeling was mutual.
"G-Good to know," Sasuke stuttered through the lingering pain.
Naruto moved his hands to the hem of Sasuke's shirt and began to slowly move it up. It was filthy with sweat and grime and blood on his right sleeve, not fit for any person to wear. Sasuke complied as much as he could but the pain in his right arm made it clear that there was no way he was going to be able to move that arm right now. Naruto gently pushed Sasuke's injured arm down and carefully maneuvered the shirt to just slide down that arm. He tossed the filthy shirt to the side with little care for where it landed or anything that didn't involve Sasuke in that moment.
He trailed his hand to rest on where Sasuke's heart was. The now even thud, thud, thud against his hand assured him that Sasuke was still there with him, that he wasn't gone. But feeling his heartbeat made Naruto realize just how close it was this time. If he hadn't had kept that moment when he was poisoned, back in the early days of Team Seven, in the back of his mind there would have been no way that Sasuke would have made it through. Naruto had been inches away from losing Sasuke.
"I'm not going anywhere," Sasuke spoke clearly as relief settled in his veins and his muscles unwound themselves gradually from the intense physical exertion.
Sasuke lifted Naruto's hand to his mouth and kissed his fingers slowly to try to comfort him. Naruto pulled his hand away from Sasuke's mouth and planted a few fast and chaste kisses against Sasuke's lips, not wanting to live that close to being without Sasuke ever again. Sasuke could sympathize since all he wanted to do was wrap the two of them in their own world where losing the other was a horrid nightmare. But this was just a dream and they lived in a world where there was some one out to get Sasuke.
"Good," Naruto said between on of his firm kisses. "If you ever left me," he paused to keep himself from saying 'again'. "I'd have to kill you myself."
Sasuke smiled and tangled only the fingers on his left hand in Naruto's warm hair.
The next day Tsunade was handed the reports from her classified ANBU soldiers. She knew that the relations with Sound wasn't going any better despite her best efforts (which merely included buffing up the guards on her most cunning and educated diplomats) to make peace between the feuding political parties. She sighed as she received the reports from the ANBU she sent to Sound, purely for observation, and knew she wasn't going to like what she saw. Tsunade pushed the report around her desk, not quite ready to read what it had to say. She played with the flap of the envelope and turned it this way and that, all so that she wouldn't have to read what it had to say.
Finally, Tsunade picked the horrible folder and pried the gluey flap from the sturdy paper.
I'm being childish about this, She thought with a disgusted face. I'm the Hokage for crying out loud! I just need to read what is in this envelope!
With new found courage Tsunade ripped the paper encasing away and began to read the reports. It was dotted with a few good things, like active communication between the Hidden Villages sent to Sound. There was also one small note made about how the Citizens Party was willing to negotiate. But then it said that the leader for the Loyalist Party spit at him and told him that not agreeing to any terms was not a negotiating. Tsunade couldn't say that she was surprised by the behavior of the Loyalist's leader but it was sort of disturbing.
There have been missions assigned to stronger nins in the village. So far two have been sent out of the country, there has been talk in the missions room about sending a whole team out. Unfortunately the ones assigning the missions are a majority of well known Loyalists here. We have reason to believe that this next team sent out will be sent to Konoha (the destination of the previous two mentioned)…
Tsunade put the report on the desk and rubbed her weary eyes with the palms of her hands. Why in the hell did this have to happen now? She read a little further and the ANBU said that there were a few days of rest and then the nins should be deployed. Tsunade doubted that there were many days for her to come up with a plan. Why would they send their forces here? To get back at Konoha for sending some of the most renowned ninjas to their village?
It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense anymore though. Tsunade took a deep swig of sake she received from the Mizukage (expensive sake she noted). The alcohol didn't dull the horrid curiosity running through her mind like it normally did. A single piece of paper wrapped around the bottle's label said "Thank you" in the perfect calligraphy the Mizukage had been famous for prior to his Kage status.
Tsunade rubbed her temples and took another deep drink of the alcohol. Nothing made sense anymore.
"How's your arm?" Naruto asked for what seemed to be the millionth time that hour.
Sasuke growled, "It is fine. It was fine five seconds ago when you asked me. It will be fine five seconds from now when you ask me again."
Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke for his rude response, "Well sorry for worrying."
Black eyes stared at the ceiling, as if that piece of structure was the very cause of his frustration, "It's okay Naruto."
Naruto leaned over Sasuke and kissed him lightly on the lips in the darkness of their room. Sasuke kissed back and caught the highly contagious smile of Naruto. Naruto laid back down on his section of bed and kissed the gauze on Sasuke's arm again. Sasuke began to drift into sleep, well deserved sleep at that.
"How's your arm?" Naruto asked just before Sasuke pinned him against the mattress to show him just who he was dealing with.
Four days after the attack Sasuke convinced Naruto that it was okay for them to go outside. In order to help convince him Sasuke packed a full arsenal of weapons in his holster, showed Naruto the summoning tattoos on his wrists and then also promised to scan every large area with his Sharingan. After a second of reluctance Naruto agreed. He couldn't help being a bit cautious. The last attack had nearly taken Sasuke from him; Naruto didn't want to go through that again.
"We'll go some place without anyone there," Sasuke assured him as he held Naruto's face between his hands.
Naruto smiled and nodded and shared a kiss with Sasuke before they pulled their cloaks on and went into the outside world.
A small park in a remote area of Konoha was perfect for what Sasuke had promised Naruto. Red swirls scanned the area for any sign of a threat, or life, in the park. He found none and motioned for Naruto to follow him into the snowy clearing. Naruto bounced joyfully and held onto Sasuke's hand while they made their way through the snow to get to an ornately decorated bench close to the center of the park. Sasuke sat down with Naruto close to him.
He pulled at Naruto's cloak to make him get closer to him so that they didn't get too cold while they sat on the frozen bench. The sitting part of the bench was wood but the sides that supported it were metal sides that looked like vines that curled around the wood. Sasuke loved the way Naruto fit against his chest and couldn't help but be totally entranced by this fact. He kissed away the cold that spread across the bridge of Naruto's nose as Naruto giggled at him.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's cloak and forced him to roll on the cold snow with him. Sasuke grappled with Naruto to end up on top. Once this was accomplished he brushed the snow out of Naruto's face and hair. He leaned down to kiss him repeatedly in quick small pecks. Naruto smiled, like there was no other way he'd rather be, there was nothing else he needed except Sasuke and the still silence of the snow.
A silent silver blade slipped close to Sasuke's throat. He recognized the metal work of it, it was from fucking Sound.
"Uchiha, Sasuke," a smooth baritone voice spoke. "You are to be executed in the name of the Loyalist Party for the murder of the Legendary Sannin and Former Ruler over the Village Hidden in Sound, Orochimaru."
Sasuke swore, he didn't sense them in the slightest when he scanned with his Sharingan, didn't hear them coming (of course not, his mind rationalize, they're from Sound, they can control every aspect of it!) and didn't sense their presence at all. He took a chance coming outside and now he had to fight his way to get back to a safe place with Naruto. Sasuke looked Naruto in the eye to tell him what they were going to do. Instantly Naruto understood and barely nodded to show this. The blade swung back behind the executor's head and made cuts in the air on its path to Sasuke's neck.
Sasuke and Naruto rolled apart at the last possible moment and still managed to abide by the three foot rule. If the Sound nin thought he was going down without a fight he had another thing coming. The assassin cursed under his breath but still kept his composure impossibly still. Sasuke and Naruto began to run away from the park, the Sound nin still in the same place as where he'd found the two Konoha nins. That was too good to be true, both boys thought not bothering to look back at the brown haired killer.
Then there was a woosh of air passed their ears and they were being restrained by two other Sound nins. Naruto squirmed and fought and Sasuke twisted his wrists this way and that way. The executor came closer to them and raised his katana to Sasuke's throat in a show of superiority. Sasuke snarled at him.
"You can't escape us," he simply said before he slowly drew a bead of blood from Sasuke's pale neck.
Poof! Poof! Two logs replaced two boys and the Sound nins were dumbfounded. Their separation to hunt down the target and his 'friend' began. One male with long ivory hair honed his energy into the slightest rustle of a branch, a hint of breath, anything that could give away their position. A red haired guy dispelled all genjutsus placed on the park and the ring leader stood with his feet planted on the ground where he planed to avenge Orochimaru's death.
The ivory man heard a gasp escape a set of lips and he viciously turned to meet the sound. The red head caught the unspoken signal and followed in suit. Together they took Sasuke and Naruto to the ground, their heavy duty winter boots pressing against their necks. They were caught and this time they hadn't had adequate time to formulate some sort of plan. If they ran they would've led those Sound nin straight into the village and put the citizens in harms way.
Sasuke moved his left hand slightly to get the sun to catch the glint of silver in hopes that Naruto would understand him. Naruto nodded again and Sasuke gritted his teeth. Naruto pushed at his ring with his thumb, careful not to draw attention to him. Sasuke did the same his ring slid to the edge of his fingertips and then he heard a jutsu activate, a storm of ANBU men and then both he and Naruto slid into a dark slumber.
"Tsunade!!" Shizune cried as she burst through the door of the Hokage's office.
The Godaime felt the drag of alcohol on her system and barely lifted her head from the very comforting wood before her dear assistant made her way to her temporary bed. Shizune gave Tsunade a look of disappointment and grief.
"Tsunade," Shizune began again in a voice more suited for their distance. "Their rings went off! The ANBU just threw Sasuke and Naruto in jail."
Tsunade snapped out of her stupor and looked enraged, "How in the hell did those rings go off?!" she yelled after instantly becoming sober from the news.
"They were attacked in the park five miles south of the edge of town," Shizune explained as her hands shook from the tense situation. "A team of three Sound nins were sent to assassinate Uchiha."
"Fuck," Tsunade swore as she bit down hard on her bottom lip and put her forehead on her palms. "Why the hell does this have to happen?!"
Shizune flinched from the intensity in her voice. To see Tsunade so shaken up wasn't something she wished to see so often in such a tight space of time. Tsunade pounded a powerful fist against the wood. The desk trembled but stood strong against her abuse even after the fourth hit.
"Tsunade…" Shizune whispered not wanting to startle Tsunade, who very well could've forgotten that Shizune was there.
The unbelievably strong woman looked up at her companion, the weight of the world imprinted in her irises. Shizune's knees grew weak from the pain of having to see golden eyes so terribly distressed.
"The elders of the village have called an emergency meeting," she informed her in a soft voice.
Tsunade allowed her head to fall for a moment. As if having Sound nin breech their border with the intent of killing a citizen wasn't enough, now she had to deal with stuffed shirts who wouldn't budge an inch for her in the least. Shizune reached out and touched her hand to Tsunade's now messy hair. Where her head was touched Tsunade felt pain explode from the amount of sake she'd had earlier. She closed her eyes to block it out so she could fully receive the comfort Shizune was trying to give her.
"Okay," Tsunade replied to no one in particular. "I'll meet with them and find a way to get Sasuke and Naruto out of prison." It was more of a mental to-do list instead of a response to Shizune.
A massive head ache attacked Naruto as he opened his eyes to a dank jail cell. He sat up and looked around to make sure that Sasuke was with him. Much to his relief Sasuke was right next to him on the small navy blue cot he woke up on. Naruto used his free hand to message his forehead, it felt like some one was beating the shit out of his skull from the inside. Something scraped against his skin and he pulled his hand back.
Small shimmers of silver caught the minimal sunlight that filtered through the bars on the only window in the cell. Naruto turned his hand to make the silver reflect in the light again, it really was a beautiful sight even though he was in a dark prison at the moment. They had taken their rings off to activate the jutsus and alarms so had the ANBU put them back on to make the alarms stop?
"Uh," Sasuke groaned as he slowly sat up as well.
Naruto averted his eyes from his ring to Sasuke. If the sound he made when he woke up was any indication then Naruto knew that his head was throbbing just as much as his was. Sasuke looked at Naruto, not exactly happy about where they were, but happy that they weren't running away from Sound nin anymore. They were in jail, yeah, but Sasuke and Naruto were sure that they wouldn't be there long.
Tsunade would understand that they had removed their rings to prevent the Sound nin from killing Sasuke and to keep them from going into the major areas of town. Surely she'd let them go.
Tsunade walked into the formal meeting room with her shoulders held high. If you made the elders think that you were strong then they wouldn't walk all over you. That was one of the first things she learned when she took the position of Hokage. She nodded to Shikamaru (who was in full ANBU gear in the back of the room, waiting for all the participants in the meeting to be present before passing out information on the 'subject') and took her seat at the head of the table. Tsunade glanced around the room, everyone was accounted for mentally so she motioned for Shikamaru to start passing out the information.
The masked man did so without a word or whisper of protest. He'd been on the team that went out to retrieve Sasuke and Naruto so he was privileged enough to be able to observe this meeting. Even if he couldn't speak out he knew that he could speak to Tsunade-sama after words to hopefully help with the situation. The last heavy envelope was respectfully placed in front of a balding man with a long white beard and a scowl laden with scorn.
Every member present began to read their packets before speaking, even though most of the elders had an idea of what they wanted to happen in this meeting. Tsunade's papers fell on the table top in a very light airy way and she looked up to signify that she'd read about all she needed to. The packets included four different reports from the ANBU that had gone out to get Sasuke and Naruto, statements that ranged from when Sasuke was in the academy up until Kakashi left for Sound and various data charts concerning the treaties and relations with Sound (as well as few other Countries). One by one the elders, after barely skimming the reports from Kakashi, lifted their heads to signal that they too were finished.
"With all due respect Hokage," one of the elder women spoke. "I think that keeping Sasuke in this village is a liability."
"No doubt," a man with grey-brown hair intervened. "If he's here then the likelihood of more attacks will increase over time."
Tsunade nodded, "I understand what you are saying. But how do you propose we fix that? We can't just force him on one of the other hidden villages. All the work we've put into rehabilitating him would come unraveled if he was sent out of the country without his team." If she played he cards just right she could get them to agree to keep him here in Konoha.
"Hokage," the balding man at the other end began. "We can't keep him in our village. There's too much risk to our citizens in that."
"Do you expect me to just abandon one of my own?" Tsunade asked without a hint of venom but a hit of incredulity.
"No," the same man replied. "We expect you to keep up your end of the deal. When we agreed to let you rehabilitate Uchiha you agreed that if he even stepped out of line once you would ki-"
Tsunade was outraged, "And he's been nothing but helpful to this village ever since he returned." She tried hard not to scream at the top of her lungs. These people were unbelievable!
"Let me finish," the man warned. He took a deep breath, "That may be so but he activated those rings and you told us that if the ANBU we called then he would be executed."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "He activated those rings in order to save himself as well as Uzumaki Naruto! It wasn't like he was trying to get out of the village."
"The question of whether or not his actions were noble is not the issue here," he retorted. "The question here is whether or not we can afford our safety over one person."
"So now we're just going kill whoever puts our village in danger?" She asked in frustration. "If this is the case then you're going to have to kill all of our ninjas, you know the ones that keep this place safe, because they're going to make enemies simply because they're ninja."
"No Hokage," he let out a breath to make it look like he was seriously considering all options. "That's not what we're saying at all."
"We just want to keep our village safe," an old woman said in a nasally voice while she placed one of her hands over the other.
"If you do not say that we can execute Uchiha," the brown-grey haired man said in a threatening voice. "Then we will override that in order to preserve the peace this village has worked so hard to obtain. If it's in the interest of the village I don't doubt that we can get approval from the lower branches of authority." He leaned over his documents
Tsunade gritted her teeth. Although she ran the village she still didn't have absolute power over everyone like Sound had. If they took this by the lower branches then she was positive that they would all override her proposal. For now she'd have to agree to what they set out before her and come up with a plan later. She knew that she wasn't thinking right; the confusion from the sake was still pumping through her strong.
From behind her she heard Shikamaru shift uncertainly from his right foot to his left.
Naruto decided that the ANBU guards outside of his and Sasuke's cell were a little too rude for his taste. Already they'd refused to answer any and all of his questions, made snide comments when Sasuke had leaned over and kissed him and gave him sarcastic answers to questions he'd asked Sasuke. So now Naruto was underneath Sasuke while the other bit at his neck and fondled him through his clothing. Naruto and Sasuke knew that Naruto was moaning much louder than he usually did but they smirked when one of them clicked his tongue in disgust. Since they'd gotten such a positive reaction Sasuke decided to pull Naruto's shirt off of his torso and comment on how beautiful his chest was.
This time they could practically see the ANBU's eyes roll from being sick and tired of standing in front of their jail cell. Sasuke smirked as he kissed various points on Naruto's warm chest. Naruto let out an exaggerated gasp and swallowed a fit of laughter when one of the ANBU shook his head as he lowered it. That'll teach 'em to be disrespectful to Naruto and Sasuke!
Tsunade bit at her nail, nearly to the point of forcing blood from the small stubs she had left. What the hell was she supposed to do now?! In the meeting she had lied and gone along with their idea for execution but now she was faced with having to come with a plan to get Sasuke out of the village before the elders met again to discuss the details of his execution. She bit down harder and tasted blood in her mouth.
The sake still buzzed vaguely in Tsunade's veins but she ignored it as she pulled out an exquisite cloak and started to walk out towards the prison.
One part of Naruto was sad to see their dear ANBU friends leave (after all he was getting a good deal out of their snooty behavior) but the other part was happy because his throat was hurting from moaning too loudly. Sasuke assumed that the guards were just changing and that's why the stuck up morons were gone. But then Tsunade barked something along the lines of 'Get over here idiots'.
"Tsunade baa-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as he (and Sasuke by default) raced over there.
Once they arrived at the barred entrance to their cell Sasuke felt suffocated by the pained smile on her face. She looked terrible, like she'd had ten bottles of sake, been beaten in battle and then dragged through the mud. If Tsunade knew what Sasuke was thinking then she could say that metaphorically he was correct though if it were literal it would have been a lot better. Naruto still smiled even though he thought the same thing.
"You came to spring us out, right?" Naruto joked not knowing how much that had hurt Tsunade.
"Naruto, Sasuke," she began. "I want you to know that I tried my hardest but the fucking elders are so damn old fashioned and don't understand anything worth a damn."
"What are you talking about Tsunade?" Sasuke asked after the woman paused. She was talking like she'd told them the news already, just like when he'd first seen her after all those years.
"Yeah," Naruto added. "You're doing that thing again."
Tsunade looked at him questioningly but then understood what he meant after a moment of sake slurred thought. She rubbed one of her temples and then met their wondering gazes again.
"Oh, sorry," she apologized, which made Naruto scared. He thought she was much too proud to apologize to anyone, especially two kids.
"The elders have decided to execute you Sasuke," Tsunade informed them in an uneven voice.
Sasuke's voice and lungs seemed to cease functioning. He'd done nothing wrong. How did he deserve this?!
"WHAT?!" Naruto screamed after the shock settled in.
Tsunade recoiled from the combination of loud noises and the draggy effects of too much alcohol, "I'm sorry. I'm not going to let them kill Sasuke, I promise. I will do whatever I need to to make sure you are not killed."
Sasuke's lip started to bleed, the tangy taste meeting his tongue after he chewed on it. The taste pulled him out of his head. If he had to leave he knew that Naruto would still love him. His hand was grabbed by Naruto's abruptly and desperately. He gripped Naruto's hand, letting himself be comforted and weak for now.
"Tell us when you know what's going to happen," Naruto told her.
Tsunade took it as a hint to leave she nodded and kissed Naruto's forehead through the cold iron bars. When she turned to Sasuke she looked so apologetic as she held his face, much like a mother would, and then she turned to leave. Tsunade pushed the door open and motioned for the ANBU to go back into the section of the prison that Sasuke and Naruto were in. She walked outside feeling much worse than when she'd walked in. She had let them down, it would have been easier to just kill them herself.
The walk back to Hokage Tower didn't clear up her self-pity mood and when she arrived inside Shizune was there with a cup of hot tea to help clean the alcohol out of Tsunade's body. Sake from Mist was well known for keeping you drunk for much longer and was much more potent than what was available in the Fire country. Tsunade bypassed Shizune and sat down at her desk to try to figure out how to save Sasuke and Naruto. She pulled out the bottle of sake from the Mizukage and took a burning drink from it.
"Tsunade!" Shizune shouted at the Hokage. "You can't use alcohol to run away from your problems!"
Tsunade let the mouth of the bottle linger on her lips as she swished the liquid inside, "Watch me."
She was bitter, like the liquid she drank. Shizune bit her tongue as a knock at the door was sounded. She tried to keep her footfall light, but she more or less stomped over to the door to let the person in. In stepped a small male with mouse brown hair, one of her secretaries in the front. He brought in a handful of papers and set them on Tsunade's desk. But Tsunade didn't notice, she was too busy letting her mind formulate the skeleton of the plan that would save Sasuke and Naruto from what the elders had planned for one of them.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed when it hit her all at once. "Runaway!"
Shizune and the secretary both stared at their Hokage, wondering why in the hell she'd just shouted something so odd. Tsunade paced to the window, there wasn't enough time for her to come up with the plan on her own and she sure as hell couldn't carry it out on her own. She needed some one who she could trust, some one cunning and fast.
"Get me Hatake, Kakashi," Tsunade ordered through her tightly clenched teeth, if this was going to work she needed everything to happen fast. "And Nara, Shikamaru."
Her subordinate bowed respectfully and almost didn't say anything to her if it weren't for the status on Hatake, "With all due respect Hokage-sama, Hatake-sempai is in Sound right now acting as a-"
"DID I ASK YOU WHERE HE WAS?!" Now all the esteemed Hokage could see was red. Time was running out, she needed Kakashi here and she needed him here now. "JUST GET HIM!"
Shizune felt air flash by her as the terrified secretary fled passed her to make calls, send hawks, whatever it took to get Kakashi in Konoha again. Shizune approached Tsunade with caution, scared that she might be the verbal punching bag for the Godaime.
"Tsunade?" she began shakily. "What are you planning?"
Tsunade turned to face Shizune, "I'm not too sure, but I need to do something to help them."
End of Sake and Blood
A/N: ...So...what do you think? The next chapter will be really fast paced so BREACE YOURSELF!! Tell me what you think about all character development, I was kinda iffy this time. I hope you guys like it!
Preview of Next Chapter: Naruto stilled himself, feeling like his bones had left his skin and left him to fend on his own. Sasuke kissed Naruto's sweat slicked face, paying close attention to his eyes and cheeks. "Troublesome..." a voice scoffed from where the ANBU guards stood...