A/N: People...WE'VE MADE IT TO 20!! Chapter 20 is officially up!! Dear Lord I didn't think I'd make it this far! Now we much continue on to the end!! (Which has yet to be thought of in my head...) Sorry this chapter took longer than usual. Reasons: 1- I got uber sick on Saturday and it lasted till Tuesday so I was so out of it...2- internet...-growls- switching our internet service was the gayest decision my step-mom-Jess-thing has made...3- I was reading Tsubasa Resivor Chonicals and HAD to write a KuroFai (check it out it's pretty good!) But I hope that this chapter will be worth the wait...
Disclaimer: Dude...NO FRIGGIN' CHAPTER THIS WEEK!! I'm going through withdrawal Kishimoto!! -raises fist to sky- So...I basically do NOT own Naruto...who wouldn've thought?
The Story So Far: Being chased out of their last village Sasuke and Naruto head to the Wind Country with Pakkun as their guide. Will they be able to lay low and keep safe in their new home?
Warnings: Eh...So-So Yaoi (SasukexNaruto), An new character introduced (tell me what you think) ...I don't think there's that much swearing in this chapter actually..(don't worry...it's really me)
Chapter 20
They hadn't been running for more than five minutes before they were out of the village and nearly into the Wind Country. Pakkun stopped them for a second to show them the border between the two allied countries. While Sasuke just wanted to get out of Fire, Pakkun thought it necessary that they see this border. Naruto hadn't realized how close to the diving line between Wind and Fire they had been. If he spit his saliva would hit the sand in the Wind Country.
It was a marvel that damn near on the line between the countries the terrain changed. The side they currently stood on had a few patches of green-brown grass. The other side melted from spots of rock hard dirt into light sand.
"Don't relax just yet," Pakkun warned. "We still have a way to go. Your safe house is more inland."
"Safe house?" Naruto parroted. What could he mean 'safe house'? They thought that they would just have to fend for themselves again.
"Yeah safe house," Pakkun reiterated. "Hokage-sama has set a place up for you guys to live. She didn't tell me much about it, just where it was and that it wasn't much to look at but it would have to do for the time being."
Sasuke nodded, not really comprehending what the nin dog was saying, but listening none the less. Pakkun started walked toward the dividing line and the two boys followed close behind. Once they crossed it Naruto couldn't help but allow his heart to sink into his stomach. Leaving Konoha had been hard enough, but now he was leaving the fire country all together. He glanced at the sand that flew up around them from their steadily increasing speed.
Naruto ran right next to Sasuke, not behind him like when they were running from roof top to roof top. He liked having Sasuke right in his line of vision and he liked being in Sasuke's line of vision as well. Even if they had to travel around the world for the rest of their lives Naruto would be okay with that if it meant he could always be beside Sasuke.
There was sand, and damn was there a lot of it. When Pakkun told them they were nearly at the half way point Naruto felt like letting out an immature groan. They'd been running since forever. Pakkun and Sasuke glanced at him for a moment but then went back to watching the boundless sand in front of them.
"We have to keep moving Naruto," Pakkun told him in a stern voice. "The nights here are cold so we can't stop and rest."
Naruto made an 'o' with his mouth, and continued to push on.
A few hours later the three of them arrive at the village that Sasuke and Naruto were going to be staying in for as long as they could. At first glance, and possibly all the glances you took while there, the village appeared to be severely depleted in basic needs, much less luxuries. While the last little nameless squat they stayed at previously had at least an Inn and a local Tavern for any travelers to wonder into this place had barely anywhere for the locals to live. Naruto stared at the few children who ran passed them to their shouting mothers. Others, he noticed, just seemed to aimlessly mill around the few alleyways this place had to offer.
Naruto pulled his cloak closer to himself, feeling the cold of a desert's nightfall settle into his bones. Suddenly he felt a small scuffle at the toes of his shoes. A small girl had fallen (judging by her scraggly hair and starved frame Naruto could inaccurately guess she was about seven years in age) over him in her haste. The ninja bent down and helped her up. The girl looked wounded by this act but stood there as Naruto questioned her none the less.
"Where do you live?" Naruto persisted as Sasuke watched on in pain; he knew the girl would not cave to Naruto no matter what.
"None of your damn business!" she shouted at him with pained eyes that were masked by frustration.
"Do you want to come home with me?" Naruto asked as Sasuke saw the little girl's eyes widen ever so slightly to infer that she would give in to Naruto's efforts.
"Hell no!" she retorted tearing away from Naruto's worrying hands. "You could be one of those sick people who take children for their own twisted pleasure!"
Naruto looked taken aback by this, though she looked so young she sure spoke like she was decades wiser than her appearance. The boy let out a defeated sigh and began to unfasten his cloak. The girl looked at him, her curiosity shining through the anger in her eyes. In one swift motion Naruto place the cloak on her frail shoulders and back up a little from her.
"If you aren't going to take my offer than at least promise me that you will stay warm," Naruto asked of the child with a strong sense of conviction.
She began to protest, no doubt there would be many foul words intertwined with her prideful remarks but before she could form a full thought Sasuke was already tugging Naruto to his feet. Bringing Naruto to a standing position turned out to be much easier than Sasuke had anticipated but he was grateful for this, his feet hurt and his body hungered for sleep like it had never before. Traveling through sand and the cold was much harder than jumping from tree to tree in the snow. Through this trip he'd gained a greater respect for all the inhabitants of the desert country. Naruto gave the small girl a wave, leaving here on the side of the main road dumbfounded and drowning in a cloak that would keep her warm tonight and hopefully for many more nights.
Sasuke let Naruto's kindness pull the sides of his lips into a light hearted smile as the blond took the liberty of tangling their fingers together as Pakkun continued on toward their new place of residence.
It was a small shack with what you could call an unstable foundation but that would be stretching the truth until it cried and writhed for mercy. The edifice had many holes in the boards of plywood that attempted to create a haven from the cold. The door seemed to screech as the trio pushed passed its flimsy attempt at making the house a separate entity from the outside, as this is the point to most houses. Naruto had nearly jumped out of his skin when a dark figure glided toward them in the dimming room. Sasuke had sensed him outside while they were judging the safe house.
Pakkun bowed his head respectfully for a moment to regard the man when he stopped in front of them. The eyes didn't seem to be bursting with life, but no that wasn't he job to be the one full of energy and life, only to guide an entire country into peaceful times, as they deserved it just as much as their neighbors.
"Good evening Naruto, Sasuke, Pakkun," Gaara greeted in his usual monotone voice.
Naruto's stance was goofy, like he was prepared for battle in his mind but his arms and legs were still craving a good nights rest and immobility. Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at this and this startled Gaara inexplicably so. He turned his mint green gaze to Sasuke in surprise. Had Sasuke always been willing to let others hear his mirth?
"Don't worry Gaara!" Naruto assured returning to a semi-normal position. "This is normal now."
The Kazekage nodded curtly, "Is it now?" he rhetorically asked the pair. Naruto was about to repeat himself when Gaara continued talking, "Even though I can't guarantee a stable place for you to stay at for years to come I can protect you from any other countries jurisdictions."
He seemed to get a far off look in his eyes, as if this elaboration stirred up the fragments of memories inside of his mind's eye. Naruto stared at him strangely. Did he used to do this often? Gaara seemed to sense their eyes on him, even the eyes of the dog that was currently sitting on the floor, and snapped out of his reminiscing.
"I can protect you two from the other countries that the Elders in Konoha are hiring," the man just continued like he hadn't paused awkwardly to recall something. "They haven't called upon Suna yet, but when they do I won't be able to keep the ANBU forces from coming here."
Sasuke immediately understood what he meant. If the Elders had the sense to ask Suna for their help in the interest of diplomatic relations as well as not to arouse suspicion, Gaara had to comply and allow Konoha's Elders the satisfaction of tearing through his country. Of course this made sense. You couldn't sacrifice the whole country for two people.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, yeah we know." He sounded somewhat optimistic about this even though Gaara said that their living situation could be turned upside down at any given moment.
Sasuke concluded that Naruto saw the huge bed that sat in the farthest corner of the room, stacked with pillows and blankets for them. While the whole house looked deprived of at least a sturdy base, Gaara was providing them with a first class bed. Perhaps this was to make up for the crude housing, Sasuke thought for a moment. Gaara nodded to the two of them, signifying his departure. Sasuke nodded to him as well, a thank you and a good bye in one. Naruto, however, shook his hand and looked pretty damn close to hugging the Kazekage if not for the bed then for the shelter.
Gaara quietly slipped out of the house, the door creaking in response to his departure. Naruto grinned over at Sasuke with that sort of grin that lets you know that you are about to be jumped on. The blond pushed Sasuke roughly over to the bed and then pounced on the poor boy. It was a good thing he enjoyed that otherwise Naruto would have been a dead man. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto started to bite down his neck and then lick up the same trail.
Sasuke closed his eyes, so as to envision what this act must look like. Naruto began to let his fingers work over the clasps of Sasuke's cloak when a small cough was heard from the floor.
"Excuse me," Pakkun asked of them in a sarcastic voice. "But I think that we all need to go to sleep."
Oh, of course after a long journey Pakkun was going to be staying with them. It was, after all, the least they could do for him. Naruto let the patch of skin in his mouth slide painfully passed his teeth with a satisfying groan from Sasuke. He climbed off of Sasuke's hips and rolled onto the most inner side of the bed. Sasuke hid the smile that was crawling all over his lips in favor of rolling on his side to bury his face in Naruto's shoulder.
Pakkun rolled his eyes and walked in a circle a few times before finally settling in the same spot he'd been stalking on their bed since they walked in. Naruto laughed a little, Pakkun heard that much.
"Hey Pakkun?" the kid asked.
"Yeah?" he grunted out in response. Why did Naruto have to bug him just when he was getting comfortable?
"Do you need to be under the blanket to keep warm?"
Pakkun groaned, why did the kid have to say that? "No and I'm sure I don't want to be…"
Naruto let out a gleeful laugh and that made Sasuke's smile widen more as he pulled Naruto closer to him in a sweet kiss.
Sasuke woke up and spat a few pieces of blond hair from his mouth. Slowly he sat up and attempted to dust the shards of sun that tortured his retinas to no end. He felt Naruto nuzzle his side lovingly as the boy continued to sleep. Sasuke stooped down to kiss Naruto to wake him up in a kind way. Naruto wiped at his face and then told Sasuke to 'lea 'em alone'.
Well, no one can say he hadn't tried.
Sasuke took a hold of one of Naruto's cheeks and proceeded to pull the flesh from his face until it turned painfully red and Naruto was yelping.
"You bastard!!" He exclaimed as he sat up and rubbed the side of his poor abused face.
"You wouldn't wake up," Sasuke blandly stated no matter how much laughter he was holding back.
Naruto pouted for a second before a sinister glint refracted off of his blue eyes. Too bad Sasuke had been too busy trying not to laugh to notice this little change in Naruto's look.
"You are so gonna pay for that," Naruto threatened with a mischievous grin.
"Oh really?" Sasuke taunted. "How?"
Before Sasuke could fully stare at Naruto to challenge him the boy had tackled him to the bed and was sitting across his hips.
"How's this?" Naruto asked with a roll of his hips.
Sasuke hissed in response and tried to grab the back of Naruto's head to kiss him but Naruto's hands were pinning Sasuke's wrists to their bed. Naruto leaned over Sasuke's pulse and slowly nipped at it, not giving him a full on bite but also not just licking the skin. Sasuke responded much faster than Naruto teased his flesh. He clenched and unclenched his fingers and tried to move against Naruto but was stopped by a firm hand on his hips. Naruto slowly bit one section of Sasuke's neck and then slowly let the skin slide through his teeth, effectively driving Sasuke up the walls.
"I'm still here…" a gruff voice called from the foot of the bed.
Naruto pealed himself from Sasuke's body with a silly grin on his face. Pakkun stared up at the two of them from his little plot of bed. Sasuke smiled at him through the laughter. That poor dog was going to be scarred between being one of Kakashi's summonses and traveling with Naruto and Sasuke. It just so happened that both sides of his journey was thwarted with men with high sexual energy.
"Sorry Pakkun!" Naruto exclaimed as he crawled over to the summon to pet him in apology. "It's just that Sasuke's so damn hot it's hard not to want to jump him…" he tried to whisper this last part to Pakkun but Sasuke heard him and smacked the back of his head.
"Stop being stupid Naruto," Sasuke ordered with a semi-stern face.
The dog stood up and stretched. It was about time for him to get back to Kakashi anyway. The man would want to full report of what went on during their walk to the new safe house. He gave Naruto a groggy look, being woken up by two horny teenagers was not exactly what Pakkun would describe as joyful.
"I'll be back when I've got more news from Konoha or when you guys will need to be on the move again," the dog informed them with a wave and pointed nod to the two of the boys.
There was a poof of smoke, and then stillness for all of two seconds. Naruto waggled his eyebrows at Sasuke, who seemed to be getting over his whole push-Naruto-off-of-him-when-caught thing. Sasuke raised one elegant brow at him, he was being strange again.
"I think we need more practice," Naruto told him as he leaned over Sasuke and made him lay out flat against the bed sheets.
"Hey you!" a small voice called from behind Sasuke and Naruto.
The two of them turned around and unfortunately they turned into the hot sun that hung over them so high. They looked around for a little bit, not so sure that some one had really called them.
"Uh, come here!" the voice commanded in an exasperated tone.
Sasuke started to walk to where he assumed the voice was but was cut off when the voice called out again.
"UGH! Not you!" she (yes they identified the voice as being female) said in what sounded like disgust. "The blond one."
Naruto looked around but walked forward with Sasuke behind him. They scanned the area where they assumed the voice had come from. There wasn't anyone there, just a few people milling through the narrow street.
"Over here," the voice instructed as the same small girl from last night stepped out from a dark alleyway into the sun to show them where she was.
The pair made their way over to the alleyway to see what the small girl from last night wanted. She made a waving motion with her free hand; the other was clutching the cloak Naruto had handed her to keep her warm. Naruto leaned in to the little girl so that she could talk to him.
"Erm, thank you for the cloak," she began in an awkward voice that said she didn't do this often. "It is very warm."
A wide smile fell on the blond's face, "No problem!"
The girl was about to run the other direction but Naruto caught her, "Hey what's your name?"
"Mio…" she replied a little surprised that Naruto was still holding onto her arm.
Naruto finally got a good look at her. Her hair was matted and dirty with a few pieces of dry brush sticking out from the knots. He saw that Mio's clothes were one, too small for her and two, tattered more than a ninja's mission wardrobe.
"Where are your parents?" he asked in a concerned tone.
She twisted her tan arm and tried to get away from the two of them. But it really was of no use since Naruto wanted to know he wasn't going to let her go. A few pieces of dark brown hair flew in front of her face as she resigned to Naruto's strength.
"Where are your parents?" Naruto repeated loosening his grip on her.
Mio took this moment of slack to pull her arm from Naruto, "None of your God damn business!"
Before Naruto could grab at her again she was running down the narrow alleyway to the other side of the houses she had squeezed through. Sasuke took a hold of Naruto's shirt and pulled him out of the small area.
It was on the third day, during dinner to be precise, that Sasuke and Naruto got a knock at their door. Naruto was scooting his food around on his plate while Sasuke got up to answer the door. Ever since Mio yelled at him Naruto had been too preoccupied with wondering if the little girl was okay because if her reaction was any indication, she didn't have any parents. There was something about her that made Naruto want to keep her close and protect her from the harsh realities of the world.
"Hey, where's the blond one?"
Naruto perked up upon hearing this voice. Though he was happy to know she was okay he wondered why Mio would be here in the first place. He rushed to the door, but by the time he got there Sasuke was already letting the thin girl inside. Her eyes grabbed at every possible thing. Damn that was a big bed! She walked slowly so as to absorb all of the information, it was all overwhelming actually.
"Hi Mio," Naruto greeted with an elated smile on his face. "What are you doing here?"
The girl looked startled by his question. She started to head towards the door. What the hell? Naruto wondered before he blocked her path to the door.
"Where are you going?" he questioned with unashamed worry in his voice. "We were just having dinner! Why don't you eat with us?"
Mio's blue eyes (and how odd it was for a girl who lived in Sunagakure to have blue eyes…) lit up at this. She looked over at Sasuke, who was already half way to the kitchen area to fix a place for her.
After Mio ate dinner at Sasuke's and Naruto's house it wasn't an uncommon sight to stumble across the three of them eating together, shopping for food together or even on occasion to see Mio sandwiched between the two of them while they slept. It was like she was a part of their little family and both Sasuke and Naruto had developed a certain soft spot for her. They had taken to making sure Mio was fed, clean and happy, like real parents. Mio sort of saw them as parents when they told her to bathe or brush her hair but then other times she saw them as friends especially when her and Sasuke would get into play arguments over little things like when Naruto was being silly (Naruto had forbade her from saying people were stupid).
The day Naruto asked Mio to live with them was about two months into his and Sasuke's arrival in the small village and he'd grown quite attached to the little girl. Every night that she didn't sleep in their bed he worried that she wasn't warm enough or that something bad had happened to her and Sasuke had had enough of seeing Naruto so distraught so he suggested the idea to his boyfriend-thing.
"Do you want to live with us Mio?" Naruto asked as she picked at the spicy rice in front of her.
When she heard this she set her fork down and looked at Naruto with an "are you being one hundred percent serious" look. Sasuke chuckled at her as he put more rice in his mouth. Naruto swatted at Sasuke and then turned his attention back to the little girl.
"Well do you?" Naruto reiterated with a kind smile.
"Yes!" Mio spoke loudly and honestly to the two men.
Though the two were only going to be eighteen (when their birthdays came around) they loved Mio too much to let something happen to her and the only way to make sure of this was to keep her under their roof.
It was when Sasuke and Naruto were washing the dishes/making out that Pakkun showed up in front of them again. Mio nearly lost her skin when she saw a dog suddenly appear in their kitchen.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed causing Pakkun to turn around and look at her. "How did that dog poof out of nowhere?!"
"Watch your mouth kid," Pakkun reprimanded her for saying 'Oh my God' which he thought was not appropriate for a kid to say.
"IT TALKS?!" Mio cried as Naruto came to calm down the summon and the frazzled child.
"Mio, Mio, Mio," Naruto rubbed her arms to calm her down. "Me and Sasuke are ninjas and well nin dogs talk. Don't worry you'll get used to it."
Mio nodded, the shock wearing off. Pakkun simply rolled his eyes and stood up to go to Sasuke. Sasuke bent down and untied the small package from around the furry neck of Pakkun. He opened the envelope and found a few pictures from what appeared to be Hinata's wedding, but instead of the setting being a big fancy church it was in Kiba's back yard with a few shots that had extra photographer's thumb included. Sasuke allowed himself to smile at how happy the pair looked as they posed for the pictures and even in some of the more candid ones.
"Hey," Pakkun called Sasuke's attention to the fact that he was still on the floor. "Who's the kid?" he motioned to Mio who was still a little shaken by her encounter with a talking dog.
"Her name is Mio," Sasuke informed him as he wiped his hands off on his pants. "She is living with us from now on."
The pug nodded and looked at her, "Well if the rumors are true you guys might want to keep her close. Sakura said that Sound is dispatching another team to go out on a search for you. Keep a low profile."
Sasuke nodded, already letting plans of action go through his head. Mio and Naruto walked over to the talking pair and Mio stopped short of Pakkun. She looked off to the side, not directly at the pug.
"Pakkun, Mio has something she wants to say to you," Naruto said as he tugged her hand forward.
"I'm sorry," Mio apologized with just a slight hint of sincerity but not with her eyes on the dog.
"About…" Naruto pulled her forward a little more in a very motherly tone and Mio let out an immature groan.
"Pakkun I'm sorry I yelled, I was scared because a talking dog is just kinda freaky," Mio explained in a language all her own.
Naruto let out a snort as he tried to tell her that 'freaky' was not a word to describe a friend. Pakkun told him it was okay, and then he turned to Mio and said that he accepted her apology. What other choice did he have anyway? Sasuke scratched behind Pakkun's ears to make up for the tiff with Mio.
"Are you going to be staying the night here Pakkun?" Naruto asked as he too began to pet the dog for his apology.
He shrugged his shoulders as much as a dog could shrug its shoulders, "I don't see why not."
That night Naruto slept in Sasuke's arms, while his kisses rested softly on the hallow of Sasuke's throat and Pakkun slept with Mio's arms wrapped around him. It was a good thing that Mio wasn't a heavy sleeper otherwise Pakkun would have been greatly uncomfortable in this situation. Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto's hair and down his scar lines. Naruto traced the abs that Sasuke hid with a shirt while they were supposed to be sleeping. Sasuke kissed Naruto's bottom lip softly, enjoying the kisses on his mouth he receive in response.
"I love you Sasuke," Naruto whispered while Sasuke messaged the small of his back.
"I love you too Naruto," he said back before kissing Naruto in the softest, most caring way he could.
Naruto slipped his tongue into Sasuke's mouth to gently caress his as they tried to quietly make out. Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke's shirt and moved up to deepen the kiss between them.
"We can hear you…" Pakkun pointed out in a sleep written voice.
"Just go to sleep," Mio groaned sleepily only seconds after words.
Naruto licked his lips to get any of Sasuke's saliva off of them as he settled back into the crook of Sasuke where he usually slept.
Well now they knew that if Pakkun and Mio had nothing else to form a bond with they could always agree that they didn't enjoy being innocent bystanders when Sasuke and Naruto started trying to strip each other.
End of Finding the Future
A/N: Okay...Mio is NOT me, she is actually based off of my little sister but Mio has a sharper tongue than little sissy! -snuggles sister- lol. Tell me what you think of her, because as you can tell she will be in this story for A LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG TIME. The reason behind writing the InoxSakura stories on this account was to get feedback on how well I construct OC's. Natsuo (lil sis!) told me that Mio seemed a bit distant to the reader...but I think that is the way most of the characters I first introdue are like. But that could just be me. She will warm up to everyone as the story progresses I promise...Plus she isn't the end of the OC's so I'll need lots of thoughts on her until I bring in more OC's. Please and Thank you!
Preview of Next chapter: "Hey, blond one," Mio called to Naruto. Naruto turned away from Sasuke's inviting lips, "Mmmh?" "When's the freaky little dog coming back over?" she asked as she squatted down to look under their bed. "Why?" Sasuke asked with a bit of annoyance at being interupted with Naruto. "Yeah, ya miss him?" Naruto threw at her with a waggle of his brow. "HELL NO!"