Ohay readers! Enjoy!
"Pardon?"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't tell you about how claiming the concubines work. You see-"
As Sasuke leads them out of the room and into the place where the jewelry is contained, he tells him how it works.
To sum it up, Menma style, Sasuke came up with this system of claiming from an old thieves tale. One Menma was surprised Sasuke knew about. It was a story that followed the path of a black-hearted jackal. The jackal had learned how to take things without respect. Things of true worth to the heart. He was caught by a treasure hunter, ironically. The jackal begged for his life, and the treasure hunter was merciful. On one condition. He gave important things back to whom he took from.
Menma was unsure of how Sasuke knew this story. It was only known in the bands of thieves. Not royalty. And Sasuke was using it as a metaphor when it really men't 'don't get caught'.
"Menma, you're a thief. I'm sure you've heard that tale before?" Sasuke broke Menma out of his bitter thoughts.
"Yes I have." He paused before going on. "It's a lesson to young thieves. Don't get caught. Not 'start working as a slave because you can't get paid as a slut." Menma bites at Sasuke's precious ego.
Sasuke brushes his shoulder before changing the subject. "The city works timely through a system of bells. The gong chimes in the morning to tell everyone to go to work. The midday gong states noon-lunch. The third, go home. The fourth, sleep." Menma pays attention. He might need to know this for an escape plan.
"It's three hours until the final bell. That is why I wanted to show you your room, but seeing as you have... Preferences." Sasuke tensed at the word before sharply looking at Naruto. "I believe we'll have some extra time."
"Ah. I see." Menma says as he's reminded of his previous... Interactions with the blonde boy next to him. Even though he's wearing a mask, he stuffs that thought veeeeerry far into his mind.
"Uchiha," Menma starts. He was gambling but he could try. "Why do you need someone like me? A royalty, wanting a thief from the tropics?"
Sasuke smirks before raising a finger and waving it back and forth. "Nah Ah! That's for me to know and you to find out. You can't leave anyway, so best make yourself comfortable in the palace." Sasuke finishes before looking at Naruto again. Menma grumbled to himself how he knew about it. The group faded into silence. Only the clank of the bodyguards armor filling the asian halls.
Sasuke stopped abruptly in front of a door near the edge of the hallway. "This is the jeweling room." Sasuke says as the two prisoners go inside. They take a sharp left into the narrow hall before seeing another door, edges illuminated by the orange light peaking through.
Naruto opened the door and Menma briefly wondered if it was his first time in here. He assumes yes. Since Naruto has never been willing. Judging by his reaction, Menma assumed right.
The room was lit in an orange color. In the center was a large wooden desk with a bright blond lady behind it. He marveled at how big the room was. Gems glittered everywhere in the candlelight. On the glass racks, walls, in cases. He then assumes it to be an example of how many people use the concubines.
The blond lady catches Sasuke's eye, then Menma, then her gaze drops onto Naruto and her whole form jumps in shock.
He briefly notes that she is wearing a purple dress, her hair is covering half her face, said hair is also tied in a bun with a black hair piece. Her eyes are a bright green.
"No." She exclaims before looking at them all again. "No one has.." She says this before getting out from behind the desk to greet them all. She and Sasuke pass kisses on the cheek in a greeting of acquaintances before she pulls back to look at them.
Menma keeps a calm mask of dangerous indifference, but he's very confused. This woman didn't greet in an Asian fashion. Instead, she did something that the western people did; Spanish people exchanged kisses on the cheek? What was going on?
"Prince, did you-?"
"No I didn't." Sasuke holds up a hand to silence her then gestures to Naruto and Menma. "HE did." Sasuke tries not to grit out.
She completely looses focus on Sasuke and paces over to the two. Menma reached to Naruto behind everyone else's eyesight, and lightly touches his arm with his fingers. A cautious action.
She did something else. Turn around. It was a death wish in the Asian lands. Not that it mattered, Menma didn't follow customs and it didn't look like Naruto did either.
"You..." She looks Menma up and down with her visible eye. She lowered her voice. "You did it? After Sasuke has tried for a year or more?" She exclaimed.
"..." Menma stares at her in confusion.
"You must really be something." She looks him over again. "Hm. You look a bit rugged and... Outlawish. Fitting to Naruto.." Menma hopes that she didn't see Sasuke bristle at the comment.
"Come with me." Menma pulls Naruto by then arm, indicating for him to follow, then let's go when Naruto walks behind him.
"Oh!" They both simultaneously jump. "I didn't give my name. I'm Ino. Here as the jewelist." Menma raises an eyebrow at the made-up word. "I'm here to help you pick the right gem-piece for your...ah.. Companion." She says. Seeing how touchy they both seemed to be.
"What's the most obvious type." Menma asks in calm, controlled tones.
"Necklaces. As long as you don't wear any hindersome, and expensive robes." Ino says as she drags him off to a necklace rack. Naruto following in silent tow.
"Here, look at these." She stops him at one of the necklace racks.
He can't believe his eyes. Necklaces of every color, shape, and form must exist on the rack. His brain is overloading with mental notes to tell his fellow thieves and pirate friends to take it all from the undeserving Uchiha. Along with his own hands wanting to grab them.
"Are you looking for something in specific?" Ino peps.
"I.."
And thus the problems of shopping began.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was stewing in a huge pot of red, angry, boiling rage.
Menma was needed for one thing only, and that was his only use.
He was NOT supposed to take Naruto from him.
Maybe they had a plan of sorts going. Then again, maybe not.
Menma and Naruto were alike...
They had tried several necklaces at Naruto's neck. None of them were as popping as Naruto's eyes and hair.
"Agh! Ino!" Naruto handed back a large beaded necklace to the jewelist.
Menma reached up high and pulled down something that struck his eye. It was a wire band that wrapped around the neck tightly. Coming off the band were bright green to bright blue three-inch long slabs of jade.
"Oooh. Your master has found a good one!" Ino says and plucks the necklace open. Menma shivers at 'master'. "Oh wait! I usually let the master put on the items that they choose, everyone seems to like it, here." She flipped the necklace back into Menma's palm and stepped back. Menma followed and placed himself behind Naruto. He used every bit of his willpower not to be bothered by the scorching glare being sent his way from Sasuke.
He pulled the cord around Naruto and began to fasten the clinking device. He brushed Naruto's neck and placed the edges of his hands on Naruto's neck and shoulder area when Naruto doesn't react.
"Wow! You have a good eye!" Ino says as she flips Naruto around so Menma can see. He backs up. He wasn't aware of how close Naruto was when he was putting on the necklace. First it's Naruto's eyes and hair that catch his attention. Then the jades catch his eye. The contrasting colors working nicely here, the jade being a blatant 'I'm owned' stamp. He averts his gaze when Naruto pulls away from his observing eyes. Hey, he respects the other's space. If Naruto was uncomfortable, he'd back off.
"Such good eyes for color and style!" She says, giving Naruto the "up and down look" "First we see his pretty face, he then we see he's taken! Oh! Everyone will be jealous to see that Naruto is placed to YOU!" Ino jumps with her words and both boys tried to not think how true her words were.
"I believe you are done here." Ino says before pushing the boys to Sasuke and getting behind the desk again. They follow Sasuke out of the jeweling room and regain their bearings after the positive, peppy girl.
"Prince." Menma starts. Another chess piece in play.
"Hm?" Sasuke is dragging out his one-syllable replies, he's angry.
"Since Naruto is now mine. Is it possible to go out of the palace and buy thing for our later... Moments?" Menma curses himself for being so forward. He might've costed them the plan to the markets. Sasuke does not reply for several minutes. Menma is beginning to think that Sasuke didn't hear, and he could try again.
"Certaintly." Sasuke turns to face the two. "You won't escape. Guards layer the markets, go ahead."
"Thank you." Menma tries not to exhale in relief. Naruto's walk sways lightly and Menma knows he's done it. He could've sworn to his thieving jackal brethren that he could see the gears and cogs turning in Sasuke's brain. Was he imagining something perverse? Whips? No, he wouldn't do that.
Shaking himself of the previous thoughts, he pulled His body towards Naruto and they began to walk side by side. Sasuke stopped in front of another door and guestured "We're here." He let Menma personally open the the door. He didn't let his surprise show when he saw that it was the same room that he'd just been in before the jeweling.
"Oh sorry. I forgot to tell you that this WAS your room." Sasuke said with a sneer.
'Hm. Seems like a trick question.' Menma thought to himself as he analyzed the situation. 'Theres no way he could've forgotten. Since Naruto was already in the room and seemed quite comfy in it... Then that means prolonged exposure to each other must mean something. Or he was just testing Menma.'
"I see." Menma states as he enters the room and Naruto follows in suite. Sasuke grumbles at Menma's less-than-angry response.
"The gong will chime in an hour and a half. Is there anything else you want to ask?" 'Yes.' Menma scoffs in his mind. 'How the fuck do you know about my scars?'
"No. Thank you." Menma grits through his mask. Sasuke nods, gestures to his bodyguards, and shuts the door. It's the second time in the day they have to wait until the footsteps fade. Both teens exhale in release. Menma walked over to the bed and pulls his mask off, exposing Naruto to the marks again. He's brought out of his stupor when Naruto exclaims;
"Shit, it actually worked." Naruto says as he pops out of his relaxed state and looks at Menma expectantly. "So, Menma. Do you have any idea where this friend of yours is?" He jumps on the bed next to Menma. "And, we don't even know where the slave shop is." He curses under his breath as he realizes that Naruto is right.
"We'll figure out something." He says as he pulls his mask off entirely. No fabric dangling down, just Menma's face.
"I'm confused." Menma watched as the eyes pulled to him. "The palace is clearly Asian. Yet, that jewlist was clearly from the western regions?" Naruto lights up at the question.
"Ah, that. Sasuke and his parents aren't really, orderly. This is actually a place of many cultures. Ino is, like you said, from the western region. Where spaniards were. Her mom was from further north, but Ino was raised in that part before she was.. Here. That's why, there really isn't a proper system of bowing and the like. As long as you show respect to nobles, they don't care."
"I understand." Menma says before silence covers the room.
"Y'know, you're pretty good of an actor." Menma isn't sure if it's a compliment or... "I couldn't have done it." Naruto finalizes as he flops back onto the bed, then crawls over to his supposed side of the crimson sheets. Menma looks back as the other crawls under the blanket.
Naruto is... Brighter than Menma. Has more joy. Despite all the chaos of the Uchiha, he can see that Naruto would be a fun person if his life was under control again. Or Sasuke left the room.
Menma places his mask under the pillow and begins unstrapping the main hooks on his armwarmers. Doing the same to his sandals. He slowly gets under the blanket, brow knitting when he feels how thick it is.
"It get freezing in here during the nights. Northernly regions Y'know?" Menma blinks in understanding. He pulls himself deep in the blanket and forgets all the events of the days in his sleep.
When Menma awoke, everything came crashing back in waves of memory. He groaned and dug himself under the covers, curling them around him in a big, fluffy cocoon.
Somewhere in his morning mind, he scolds himself as childish. Bracing himself for a harsh change in temperature, he folded the covers over his lower body and sits up.
His skin gets chilled and bumpy at the contact of cooler air. The shock caused his torso to clench and shudder under the frosty temperature. Reaching under his pillow for the mask, he notes that Naruto was right, and that it was freezing his skin.
Although the mask and arm-warmers were of little help, he felt less exposed in case a servant popped in.
Lightly as possible, he got away from the bed and made a move toward the balcony. When he opened the doors, the sound of silence covered the morning. Ignoring the frost that freckled the fence, he peered onto the streets below.
People we're setting up shop and soldiers were getting ready for another day. Menma assumed that the first bell hadn't rung yet, he presumed that there was enough time to go over a plan with Naruto. Speaking of which...
Naruto had already arose from the bed and was scuffling around to find something. Menma could hear him. Menma abandoned the balcony, closed the doors, and paced to the fireplace. The soft memory of binding the others wounds still rests there with the pot and soap. Dirty and clean rags still layering each other.
Menma grabbed the pot and placed it back over fire the stacked the cloths back into place. Naruto walked next to him as Menma stood up. "You slept in the pants?" He asked and Menma could've sworn there was a light discoloration on his cheeks but passed it off as a imagination.
"Yes." Menma replied as he turned and plopped into one of the large chairs.
"Take off the mask. It makes you look more approachable." Menma cautiously did so and put it on the armrest.
"Here." Naruto said as he grabbed two cups off of the mantle handing one to Menma. "Minted Water. For morning to wake you up." Menma nodded and drank the sweetened water before setting it on the floor.
"So how're we gonna do this?" Naruto says as he mirrored Menma and sat in the other large chair. "I want to take you to the market. If we don't return with something... Sasuke will suspect." Menma let his gaze drop to Naruto's chest. He'd changed clothing. Into a simple cream and brown outfit. Made his eyes pop, along with the necklace.
"Yeah. Get something dangerous." Menma lifts his eyes to the other's water-blue.
"Why?" Menma raised an eyebrow and he could've sworn for a moment that Naruto was flirting with him.
"Make Sasuke jealous. Make him think that you are doing all the things to me that he wanted to do first." Naruto had a very valid point.
"Like... " Menma tries to think what would work.
Apparently, Naruto thought it was a question.
"Whips, chains, gags, reins and-"
"That's enough!" Menma says a bit louder than he wants to as mental images flood his mind.
Naruto's smirk wasn't helping the mental dam either.
Menma cursed the lack of mask.
"Held back." Naruto giggles. "But from the sound of it. We won't have to act like we're knocking each other in the wall every night. Only near Sasuke." A knock interrupts Naruto. Menma thanks his lucky stars that it shut Naruto up from his... Subtext.
Menma makes a move to answer it first. The door opens to a small Spanish woman holding a scroll. "From His Majesty." She says before shoving the paper into Menma's hands and dashing down the hallway.
"Here." Menma says as hands the scroll to Naruto. He glared at Naruto for his previous...sugestions before returning to his mask.
"Shit. Menma, c'mere." Naruto says in a hushed panic as he hands the scroll to Menma. He rereads it eight times before looking in horror.
"New sub-law, Those with concubines must-"Menma skips that. "Once a day for a week. Else there pets will not stay with them." The royal seal marking it as Sasuke's, stands proudly.
"Looks like I spoke too soon." Naruto says while his palm covered his face.
"I..." Menma couldn't find the words to express his dread over the situation. A bell rung through the air. Time to leave.
"We have to go. Get away from Sasuke's prying eyes. We need to go to the market place." The two boys made their way out if the castle as fast as they could. Naruto knew the layout well enough to go outside.
By every possible chance, they encountered Ino. "Oh my!" She says, a bit startled. "Menma, was it? What were you doing?" She eyes the two suspiciously.
"I was taking my, pet, out to get some materials." Ino catches on immediately and makes way for the to follow. Menma swears to his jackal brethren that she had a flirty look to her.
"Are you going to the markets? I have no idea how to get to the pleasure shop." He can't believe these words are coming out of his mouth. So steady too. A wry smile smile flickers over Ino's face.
"You'll know it when you see it."
As the pair travels down the streets, Menma can't help but hear how the villagers keep looking and commenting.
"He did it."
"Who is he?"
"Looks better for the Prince of Thieves."
"Has more respect for his... Than Sasuke."
"Princes...Thieves."
"What are they talking about?" Menma asks quietly as he pulls Naruto closer.
"I'm called Prince of Thieves because thieves were the first people my dad made connections with. And they think you and I look nice together." Menma scowled in embarrassment.
"I know where my friends is. We'll see him first."
"I'm go." Naruto says as he follows Menma's lead. Menma is surprised how cooperative Naruto is. Menma thanks his luck that Naruto went with plans. Now that he thought about it, why did Naruto have his scars? Did that mean there was something he didn't know about his past? After all, you are never BORN with cuts, someone has to hurt you, unless you come from a crazy cult.
He sighed and turned his attention to the people that didnt look at him. A German family was selling sausage, they looked like they'd found peace in the ominous Uchiha rule. He smiled fondly as the daughter of three was hoisted into her daddy's arms.
Another woman was pointing at the two boys, whispering to a guard. He nodded and Menma stifled the urge to run. Seems to be he wasn't trusted.
He tugged Naruto down a different path, away from the trouble, then the Family burns back to his memory.
He didn't know where he'd come from. He was raised by a dirt poor man and woman. He was content.
Until The day they told him that he wasn't their son. That someone in a cloak had begged for them to take Menma.
And who would deny the life of a child?
He told them that he thanked them for taking him in, that they would always be his parents and no one else.
His journey took him to be an adopt of the thieves. He proved his worth, they took him in. He would never forget the name of the man that took him in; Jala.(1)
He'd been thieving from rich people ever since. Not for money, but for clues on his face and past.
He turned into the darker side of the market and made his way to the spot where he presumed was that peculiar little shop.
It was dangerous here. Guards lurked the alleys, pointing at drunken beggers. Drug lords meeting and contracting, oh yes. Living as a thief men't seeing all the underground workings.
When they appeared at the flimsy shack in the middle of the market, Naruto raised an eyebrow. It looks like the Ichiraku stand, except in drab colors and the curtain is whole and all the way to the floor.
Menma pulled up the curtain and went inside with Naruto at his heel. It's hot and stifled in the place, but Menma does not care. From what he can tell, Naruto won't either.
"Riku!"(2) Menma yells into the abyss.
"Menma? Is that you?" A young adult with long silvery hair in a black cloak comes from the shadows. He carries a blue lamp. He has a blindfold on.
"It's me. I'm in trouble."
"Do you need a place to stay?" Riku asks in urgency. Understanding comes through his body language.
"Why are you here? Why are you in the Uchiha kingdom?"
"I'm here as a prisoner."
"Who's with you, and why?" Riku asks as he can't see.
"This will explain everything. Take a peek." Menma shuffled his mask down. Riku pulled up a portion of the blindfold and reveals a green eye. He looks at Menma and Naruto in shock.
"Your scars, what're you doing here?" Riku flips the blindfold back.
"I'm not staying to find out. Naruto is coming with me." Menma says as he flips the mask back on.
"The Namikaze... I can help." Riku says before going on.
"You want to escape. When?" Riku pulls out a scroll that Naruto didn't see before and lays it out on the table.
"Tommorow evening." Menma lays a fist on the table and Naruto gives him a bewildered look. "How?" Menma replies with a smirk. "As long as he has a transport. A horse... We can figure something out."
"I will give you backup." Another confused stare from Naruto. "You'll know it when you see it."
Twenty minutes of plotting go by in a lengthy manner before they have a concrete plan.
"Since the castle GROUNDS are covered. The only way out is UP." Riku finishes.
A voice punctures the roasty space.
"Men! Head out! Don't stop until ye have the prisoners." Riku could tell that it was them. That's what they wanted.
"You must finish your business in the market, quickly. You will have my support. Now go!"
"Thank you, Riku." Menma finishes as he exits. No doubt Sasuke is looking for them.
The moment they walk out, they are yelled at from behind.
"STOP THIEVES." And it's music to Menma's ears.
"Scatter." Menma and Naruto split from eachother's sides in opposing directions.
_ TBC
1. If you caught the Bionicle reference, Awesome.
2. If you caught the Kingdom Hearts reference, Even Better.
Sorry if it feels rushed toward the end. I don't wanna give away the plan. And, I've never done THAT kind of dialogue before.
And, I'll be losing my IPhone soon. Can't write on the notes after that. Mom and Dad are gonna cut me from it to pay for something else.
Expect slower updates(is shot)
Pluss, something about the slash hints is so addictive to write.
I feel dwarfed by all these SasuNaru fanfictions that have 1k and 500 reviews. But then I have to remember that I am aiming for a very small group of people that support MenNaru. So yerr. Bye-Bye!