Chapter 26
Naruto winced when his connection with Sasuke was suddenly severed. The many threads of his consciousness which had been focusing on the cool light of Sasuke's chakra suddenly scattered, like feathers loose in the wind. Regrouping quickly, he reached out once more, but was met by solid and impenetrable walls.
With a sigh, he set about collecting the strands of his consciousness. In order to find Sasuke, he had pushed his awareness farther than he had ever dared before. Although he had been rewarded in the end, the mental strain was incredible. By the time he was once again settled in his own body, his head was pounding painfully.
Releasing his breath slowly, Naruto opened his eyes.
"Any luck?"
Kakashi had landed beside him some time ago, having been relieved of his duties at the front gate by a group of Hyūga's. The wind whispered through his unkempt silver hair as he looked down at his student. Neither of them moved.
Naruto gazed out over the village, still feeling slightly light-headed. Flashes of chakra kept dancing through his head, memories of the millions of life forms he had made contact with while he meditated.
"I managed to find him, although it was only for a second or two." Naruto explained. "He thought he was dreaming, so he must have been stretching out his awareness subconsciously. It's the only reason I was able to find him at all."
"The important thing is that he's alive and still himself." Kakashi said, relief obvious in his voice. After a slight pause, he asked, "Do you think you'll be able to find him again?"
Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "I'm sure I'll be able to. No matter how strong the barriers around him are, they can't keep the natural chakra from seeping through. If it comes down to it, I'll just have to stop and search for him through meditation again, you know?"
Before Kakashi could reply, an approaching chakra caught their attention. Naruto stood up, brushing dirt from the back of his pants as he turned. Not a minute later, a masked ANBU jumped onto the roof and quickly knelt before them.
"Naruto-sama, Kakashi-sensei," Came a muffled female voice as she nodded to them both. She then turned her attention to Naruto, dark eyes flashing beneath her mask as she said, "Lady Tsunade has summoned you, sir."
"What's up?" Naruto asked gruffly, glancing at his old sensei. Kakashi only shrugged.
"I was not informed of the details, sir." The shinobi responded. "All I know is that she had received word from the enemy, and urges you to come as soon as you are able."
With a harsh curse that made the ANBU flinch, Naruto turned on his heel and ran to the edge of the roof. He hurdled the railing without pausing, his golden hair flapping wildly as he jumped out of sight. They heard a faint thump and a startled yelp as he landed on the roof below.
Completely unfazed, Kakashi turned to the ANBU and saluted lazily before following Naruto's path. He landed beside the blond on the smaller roof that surrounded the panoramic windows of the Hokage's office.
Tsunade clutched at her chest, her face slightly red as she leaned out the window. The wind whirled around her, making her blond hair dance against her neck and shoulders. Naruto didn't so much as flinch as she glared at him, barely an inch away from his face.
"Quit dropping onto my windowsill like a damn cat every five minutes!" She scolded, struggling to keep her voice down.
"Sorry, Granny." Naruto grumbled, waited for her to back away so he could climb into the office.
Tsunade's glare turned towards Kakashi. "And you too! Honestly. Would it kill you people to use the door?"
Shizune laughed nervously, trying to placate the Hokage. "Now, now, M'Lady. You did send them an urgent summons."
The Hokage ignored her as she began to lecture Kakashi with gusto. Sighing at the lost cause, Shizune turned to Naruto with a smile. Holding up a package, she said, "Your new cloak is here, already. It seems they made it a priority to finish it as quickly as possible."
"Thanks!" Naruto said, eagerly taking the package from her. He tore through the plain brown paper, smiling when the familiar red reached his eyes. Tsunade stopped mid-sentence, following Kakashi's gaze as he watched the blond lifting up the cloak slowly.
As he put on the garment, Naruto shut his eyes, his mouth set in a grim line. The thin fabric seemed heavy with foreboding expectation as he pulled it over his strong shoulders and straightened it in front of his chest. But then with a labored inhale, he collected himself proudly and his face smoothed, as if the weighty yet symbolic cloak completed him. With a sigh of contentment, he glanced up.
"So, you've heard something from the Kou? What'd they want?"
Tsunade continued to study him for a moment, unreadable but distinctly maternal emotion dancing behind her eyes. As she stepped towards her desk and exhaustedly sat, her frown deepened so intensely that the diamond on her forehead almost disappeared.
"They sent us this message." She extended her arm, plucking a tightly wrapped scroll between two crimson fingernails. With a slight flick of her wrist, she sent the paper twirling towards Naruto, who caught it with agile fingers. He misjudged his strength, however, crushing the paper in his calloused fist.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, rolling her eyes as she reached for her teacup. After taking a sip, she said, "It was delivered by an ordinary messenger. After interrogating him, it's clear that he has no affiliation with the Kou, nor any real knowledge of the person he was carrying the message for."
Naruto nodded slowly before glancing down at the message still crumpled in his hands. His deep sapphire eyes flashed with intensity as he realized, with a deep twinge of his gut, that this paper held both his and Sasuke's fate. Not wanting to read it, he returned his gaze to Tsunade.
Before he could say anything, there was a gentle knocking on the door. Without waiting to be admitted, Shikamaru entered the room with Neji close behind him.
Naruto turned to look at them and smiled slightly in greeting, but Shikamaru stoically ignored him as he made his way towards the Hokage's desk. Neji, on the other hand, glanced away quickly, his shoulders curling forward. In the absence of his ANBU mask, he instead utilized his long bangs to hide his expression from the Sage.
Both of their reactions confused Naruto, but he put them out of his mind, needing to focus on more important things.
"So, what's the word?" Shikamaru asked in a slow drawl, as if he were inquiring about the weather.
Tsunade glanced towards the scroll tightly clenched in Naruto's fist. "That letter was apparently written by the real leader of the Kou, the first Kou himself. It's nothing overly shocking. His demands are essentially true to what we predicted. He's trying to negotiate a trade - Sasuke for Naruto - and from the way he writes, it's obvious that he assumes his plan will be a success."
Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets grimly while Shikamaru rubbed at the back of his neck. Naruto frowned, but otherwise remained still.
"What does he think will happen?" Shikamaru complained tiredly. "That we'll just happily send Naruto out and trust him to send us Sasuke in return? And on top of that, does he really think he'll have the power to subdue Naruto? It's absolutely insane."
Tsunade drummed her fingernails on the polished wood of her desk, irritation showing in her stiff posture. "As our token genius, I was really hoping you could enlighten us as to what that madman is thinking, Nara."
Shikamaru's eyes popped open, his mouth poised for protest. But then he shook his head and sighed, clamping his mouth shut. He rubbed his eyelids with his thumb and forefinger, trying to ease the massive headache which was pounding behind his eyes.
"It's extremely difficult for me to grasp what Kou is going to plan next." He finally admitted. "The guy's hundreds of years old. The human brain isn't equipped to live for that long: even if the body were constantly restored, the mind would become warped and begin to decay. Basically, this Kou guy is totally deranged. And yet, I know he must be a good tactician for him to have survived for so long. In short, it's basically impossible for me to anticipate his next move."
The tension in the air thickened, seeming to suck away the oxygen.
Finally working up enough courage, Naruto unrolled the scroll in his hand. He scanned the neat script quickly, his entire body stiffening. "It says they will 'waste Sasuke's body' unless we respond to their demands quickly." He looked up at the others with burning eyes. "Granny, I cannot allow Sasuke to be tortured by these people."
"I understand, Naruto." Tsunade said in a placating tone. "But neither can I allow you to hand yourself over to them. You told me that you were caught in a Jinchuuriki seal by one of the Kou. I think you were lucky to get out of it that time. If they knew you were coming, they would no doubt be fully prepared to restrain you. You wouldn't be able to break free."
"If that's what it takes to save Sasuke, then I don't care." Naruto growled, the husky tones of his voice reverberating off the walls.
"Naruto!" Tsunade admonished, slapping her open palm down on the desk. The wood groaned threateningly as it bore the weight of her strength. "Don't you dare disregard your duty to this village! Sasuke is a strong and capable man! He will resist them for as long as he can. I hate to say this, but they are most likely torturing him already, trying to break into his mind."
"They would want a second option in case negotiations with us fail." Shikamaru mumbled, his hand still covering his eyes.
"Yes," Tsunade agreed. "I will not abandon Sasuke, but we must find a better way to go about this. I will not play into the enemies plans."
Naruto felt as if his insides would fly out of his mouth. His stomach churned sickeningly, his throat and eyes burning. Every nerve in his body tingled and burned, radiating heat into the small office.
"Dammit!" He screamed internally. "Sasuke!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi cried.
The blond glanced up with a start, only to realize that his fire-like chakra had started to dance across his skin. The paper in his hands was burning around the edges from the heat of it. He quickly dropped the paper, taking a few steadying breaths while Shizune rushed forward and snatched up the scroll. She retreated behind Tsunade's desk, examining the damage to the scroll with a disapproving expression.
The Hokage exhaled softly, her voice saddened as she said, "I know how hard this is for you, Naruto. I really do. But save your emotions for later, and help us come up with a plan."
After a tense pause, Naruto nodded. As the chakra flames vanished, he walked over to the windows, gazing out at the village unseeing.
It was Shikamaru who finally broke the silence. "It would be much easier to come up with a strategy to counter them if we knew where they were hiding Sasuke."
"Ah, about that." Kakashi said lazily. "Naruto knows where Sasuke is."
A chorus of disbelief filled the room.
"Why didn't you mention that sooner!" Tsunade exclaimed.
"Got a little distracted thinking about them torturing the man I'm supposed to be protecting, you know." Naruto replied bitterly, the muscles in his back screaming in protest from the tension of his stance. He took a deep breath, trying to relax.
"I'm a little surprised you didn't go rushing off as soon as you found him." Shikamaru admitted. Silently, the other four nodded.
Naruto still didn't move, his blank eyes watering as he said, "Wouldn't have done much good. Sure, I know where he is, but I don't know what to expect when I get there. Not only that, but you guys would definitely panic and do something stupid like follow me, and then you would be exposed and unorganized."
Tsunade laughed in disbelief.
"Where exactly is he, Naruto?" Shizune asked.
Naruto had to think for a minute, struggling to put into words coordinates that he had discovered by crawling thousands of chakra-covered miles with his mind. Finally, he said, "South from here, somewhere in the Land of Tea. He confirmed with me that he's definitely in an old temple somewhere in a mountain range."
"There aren't many mountains in the Land of Tea." Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "You say that Sasuke confirmed where he was with you? You were able to communicate with him?"
"Yeah," Naruto mumbled. "But only for a minute, you know."
After a long pause, Tsunade said, "Knowing where they are definitely gives us an advantage. In his letter, Kou proposed that in the event of our agreement, he would send a group of envoys to meet Naruto and take him into custody. Only when he had been safely secured would they release Sasuke. I propose that we agree to their trade."
Shikamaru nodded briskly, his mind racing. "I agree. It's a perfect opportunity to attack their base and free Sasuke. We should assemble our forces and divide them into two groups. One group will go to meet the Kou envoys with one of Naruto's clones, while another group heads towards their hideout with the real Naruto in the lead."
"No." Naruto said suddenly, his cloak billowing as he turned. "I will go to meet the envoys in person."
"But Naruto, why?" Shikamaru asked. "The whole strategy will be ruined if they somehow ambush us, or it goes badly and you're actually captured! Honestly, there's no way they would actually release Sasuke after getting you. They'd use him as leverage to make you do what they want."
Naruto studied Shikamaru intensely with his depthless eyes, until the strategist felt like he was burning. Only then did Naruto say, "When the Kou abandon a possessed body, they can retreat to another one which they leave several miles away as a precaution. Believe me, Shikamaru, if I send a clone to meet the envoys, they will know right away and warn their leader. If that happens, they'll probably just kill Sasuke and flee."
"What exactly are you planning then, Naruto?" Tsunade asked, interested.
"I will create a clone and have it guide one of the two groups into Kou territory. While they're making their way there, I'll go with the other group and hand myself over to the envoys. They'll take me to where Sasuke is, and my clone will be able to guide our shinobi there to help us escape the Kou."
"Do you intend to kill them, Naruto?" Tsunade asked softly.
Naruto squared his shoulders, his eyes flashing red as his voice combined with Kurama's. With a fierce canine snarl, he said, "Only if they try to fight."
Tsunade frowned, tearing her eyes away from Naruto with a shudder. "I pity whatever fool stands in your way." She whispered before sinking into thought. The room was utterly silent as they waited for her to reach a conclusion. She didn't keep them waiting for long.
"Kakashi," She suddenly barked, her tone commanding. "You will rally as many Jounin as possible and tell them to assemble in the courtyard tomorrow morning. Neji, please inform ANBU of the situation and take command. You will serve as Konoha's main protection while Naruto is gone. Shikamaru, I expect you to cover the finer points of the plan and make sure everything is in order. Report to me as often as you can so we can collaborate our efforts. Shizune, send word to the other Kage, but let them know that at this point, we are not in need of their assistance. And Naruto -"
Her voice faltered as she looked over at the blond, who stared at her with eyes as hard and bright as jewels.
She sighed. "Just, try to stay calm and get some rest, Naruto."
Naruto's face fell. He had hoped that he would be assigned with some task, no matter how mundane, to take his mind off of things.
"As for myself," Tsunade continued, "I will respond to this message immediately. You're all dismissed."
Kakashi lingered near Tsunade's desk while the rest of them hastened out the door. The three young members of the Konoha Eleven stood together for a moment in the eerily silent hallway, watching as Shizune bustled away. Only when the sound of her hurried footsteps faded did the three of them begin to walk.
"This just keeps getting more and more troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled, trying his best to sound detached and unconcerned. "I hope that this plan of yours works out, Naruto."
"So do I." Naruto replied, trying to keep his tone light.
At the first fork in the hall, Shikamaru excused himself, slipping away into the shadows as if he was one of them. Conscious of the fact that they were alone, and feeling slightly awkward upon remembering the way he had acted earlier, Naruto hesitated tensely before glancing at Neji.
The ANBU Captain avoided his gaze, his normally fluid gait stiff as they started walking again. As they traversed the quiet hallways together, Neji seemed to be working up the courage to say something.
Finally, as they neared the front door, Neji suddenly stopped. "I must apologize to you, Naruto." He said in his pleasantly deep voice. The corners of his mouth trembled.
Naruto stopped a few paces later, turning with a quizzical look. "For what?"
Neji folded his hands behind his back, saying rigidly, "Sasuke's protection was my responsibility in your absence. I failed you, and I failed my squad. I should have been more vigilant. Forgive me."
"Hey, listen Neji, it's not your fault." Naruto said awkwardly.
Neji shook his head in obvious disagreement. Although his kept his expression perfectly smooth, a range of emotions pinched at his opal eyes. For the second time that day, Neji lowered his head, allowing his hair to hide his face.
Seeing his proud comrade stooped like that pinched at Naruto's heart. He closed the gap between them, feeling Neji's muscles tense as he placed his warm hands on his shoulders.
"Neji." He said firmly. He didn't continue until Neji looked up, returning his gaze. "I don't blame you. The thought didn't even cross my mind. Not even for a second, you hear me?"
Neji studied his blue eyes intensely before nodding slightly.
Naruto returned the nod, his grip on Neji's shoulders tightening as he added, "I can only blame myself for this. And the Kou. So don't worry about it anymore, you know?"
Neji exhaled, smiling as he titled his head. "I will try not to. Thank you, Naruto. But I am still sorry. I am sorry for your loss, and for the pain you are enduring because of it."
Naruto released Neji's shoulders, striding over to the door and pushing it open. A rush of cool air rippled through Neji's long brown hair. The blond turned back to him with a wide, breathtaking smile.
"Things that have been lost can be found again." He said, the cryptic gleam in his eyes revealing that there was more than one meaning to his words. "Especially when you can see things a little better than most people, you know?"
Neji smiled. "Yes, that is true." He said simply.
He left Naruto at the door, rushing off to complete the task assigned to him. Naruto watched him go, early morning light glistening in his smooth brown hair. As he turned a corner, disappearing from Naruto's sight, the blond let out a long and exhausted sigh. Rolling his shoulders, he stretched his sore muscles slowly.
Without an assignment, Naruto found his mind and his feet wandering. He traipsed through the streets in a haze of daydreams, smiling back to the people who called out his name or bowed to him before they rushed away. Before long, he found himself standing below the ruined archway that led into his garden.
The shinobi who had been assigned to clean up the wreckage, mostly Chuunin and Genin, stopped and stared at him. After the briefest moment of hesitation, they hastily put down the armfuls of debris they were holding, rushing off the property while Naruto made him way up the pathway.
Ignoring the movement around him, Naruto sidestepped the locked front door and clamored over the teetering pile of wood beside it. A pale cloud of ash and snow rose around his sandals when he jumped down. The hallway, like the kitchen and Sasuke's bedroom, were completely destroyed. There wasn't much of the roof left, and half of the back room was charred black – including the collection of books and scrolls they had painstakingly accumulated.
Naruto's heart was screaming, clawing against his ribs as he surveyed the wreckage. He blinked a few tears from his eyes as he started off down the hall, glancing into the bathroom. Their bathtub was full of wood and plaster from the roof, the porcelain cracked and crumbling. He glanced ahead, seeing that the sliding door which led into his bedroom had been blasted off its track.
With slow and deliberate steps, Naruto entered the room he had barely used. All of the walls were still standing, although a corner of the roof was now on the floor. Wind whistled in through the hole, whisking away the dusk which had once clung to the surfaces. Too exhausted and miserable to be bothered by what he saw, Naruto limped over to his bed, sweeping a few pieces of wood off it before flopping down. Another plume of ash danced around him.
He thought of the time that he and Sasuke had made love on this bed. Desire and depravity coursed through Naruto, only fueling his hearts dogged attempts to destroy him from within.
Rolling over, Naruto wove the hand sign to create shadow clones. Two more Naruto's appeared beside the bed, staring at their creator for a moment before limping off to perform their tasks of guarding and monitoring the area around the house. For the next few hours, at least, all Naruto wanted was to be alone.
The red ribbon, which after the fire had taken on an oxen blood hue, fell out of Sasuke's dirty hair.
Icy chakra crackled over his skin, flashing bright and electric like lightning. It made his hair dance as if he was caught in a violent wind. As he stared at his opponent with hateful, bleeding sharingan eyes, an over-confident smirk found his lips.
The leader of the Kou Clan stared back at him with cold indifference.
With his audience of nobles and shinobi captains in tow, he had come sweeping into the room dressed like a king. An impressive collection of rings adorned his fingers, his royal blue shirt bright under his cloak of gleaming black fur. The occasion, he declared, demanded suitably formal attire.
"This is, after all," He'd said in his obnoxious, proud voice. "The day when a Kou will take control of an Uchiha."
His entourage laughed and whispered amongst themselves, their green eyes bright with anticipation. Luka looked between his father and Sasuke nervously, his handsome face pinched with worry.
"Father," He said in a low voice. "Would it not be more prudent to wait until Konoha has replied to our demands? Surely they will not comply to our trade once they see that Sasuke is injured."
Kou rolled his eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki will not comply to our demands willingly anyways." He said, slow and deliberately, as if he was explaining something obvious to a small child. "No, it will be much more fun for him to see his precious Uchiha all beat up and groveling at my feet."
Rage twisted Sasuke's features but he said nothing, not wanting to give Kou the satisfaction. Instead, he ran a mental check on his chakra reserves, calculating just how long he could resist.
"With Naruto's chakra seal in place, I won't have enough power to use Susano-o." He thought, still watching every move Kou made. "And as long as I'm tied up, it would be stupid to use amaterasu."
Sasuke shuddered slightly, imaging the all-consuming black flames coming towards him while he was trapped in place.
"I'll have to rely on genjutsu." He decided after a moment. "While I'm tied up like this, it's the only thing I can do."
He tuned back in to what Kou was saying, his head twisted to the side as he continued to lecture his son. But then, chakra began to glow in his hands, pale green and crackling. Without warning, Kou cut himself off mid-sentence, hurling himself at Sasuke.
But Sasuke was ready for him.
"Chidori!" He cried, allowing chakra to explode out of his entire body. Lightning flashed around the roof, carving deep grooves into the stone pillars and ceiling and cracking the tiles on the floor.
Still, since Kou's chakra nature was also lightning, he forced his way through without much damage. Madness glinted in his eyes as Sasuke's violent chakra burned and tore his skin, his fur cloak singed and flapping madly. And then he reached his target: the chakra around his hands which he honed into a blade sliced through the stitches on Sasuke's thigh.
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke ignored the pain and the fresh blood pouring out of the wound. Instead, he stared at his attacker, poised as a hunting cat waiting to spring. He wasn't kept waiting for very long.
Out of ingrained habit, Kou glanced back the moment after he struck, vigilant for a counter strike. In that single moment, their eyes met –fern green and crimson – and the entire world exploded.
The congregation from the Kou clan were torn to pieces, their innards stretched like highways from floor to ceiling. Luka alone stood intact, but his face was waxy and dead, his eyes staring at his father with unforgiving hatred.
Kou looked around, interested, as blood began to flow towards him in torrents. The walls faded away and darkness pressed in around them, but the blood began to glow and putrid vapor rose from it. The disfigured members of the clan began to scream, crying and pleading for help while their leader continued to look on without concern.
"I'm a little disappointed." He said flatly, turning back to look at Sasuke. "This isn't as interesting as I -"
He stopped talking abruptly. Sasuke had vanished, the shrine that he had been tied to crumbling and bare. Kou turned around again quickly, only to stumble as his sense of balance vanished.
The room twisted oddly, darkness quickly closing in as their audience vanished. His arms out to the side, Kou struggled to stay standing as sharingan eyes appeared in the dark. Hundreds upon hundreds of eyes appeared around him, each one as bright as a spotlight pointed directly at him.
He covered his eyes. "Getting better, boy." He chided. "But don't forget, I can play with illusions too."
A blast of pale white light chased away the darkness. Sasuke stood a few feet away from the Kou leader, his face an emotionless mask. Kou smirked.
"Let's see what a pampered Uchiha heir is afraid of, shall we?"
Before Sasuke could reclaim the flow of their illusionary battle, the plain blank space was transformed into a winter forest landscape. Where Kou had once stood, leering and arrogant, there was now a perfect replica of Naruto.
But rather than feel relief, Sasuke recoiled, taking several hurried steps back. This Naruto, barefoot and practically shirtless in his mesh top, was glaring at him with pure hatred. With his glittering eyes, pointed teeth, and golden hair dancing in the wind that rose around him, he looked positively feral. This Naruto was a world away from the angelic figure that flittered through Sasuke's dreams. This Naruto was the one that his enemies saw, the last, terrifyingly gorgeous thing they laid eyes upon before vacating this world.
"Oh, looks like I found a sore spot." Came Kou's voice, echoing so many times that it was impossible to locate the source. "What's the matter, Uchiha? Has it really been that long since you've seen him like this? Or is that you have forgotten that Naruto Uzumaki is a beast?"
Sasuke didn't reply. Naruto's mouth moved but he had no voice. His arms were curiously bent, as if he were holding someone in his arms.
"Did I mention that I've met your Uzumaki?" Kou said, laughing. "Yes, I ran into him while I was on a little excursion to capture Ino-chan. As you can see, he was not very happy with me."
Sasuke watched as Naruto crouched, one arm held out to the side in an obviously defensive gesture. Protecting the invisible Ino, Sasuke realized. Sasuke shook his head roughly and shut his eyes. He felt around for a loophole in the genjutsu, but it was solid. Kou had untold years of experience, after all. And so Sasuke opened his eyes, staring at the Naruto who existed in Kou's memories.
"Naruto." He said, his voice infused with chakra. "It's me, Sasuke."
For a moment, the illusion wavered. When it solidified again, Naruto looked ahead with vacant eyes, his irises fading from vibrant sapphire to a blind, powdery blue.
"Sasuke," He muttered, looking slightly confused. "I have to save Ino."
No longer feeding Sasuke his own memories on a loop, Kou's ownership over the illusion slipped. Sasuke stepped forward with a surge, his chakra blasting through the illusion and disrupting the scene. In the blink of an eye, they stood in a two-dimensional space.
Kou looked around nervously. His arms and legs were tied down with thick chains. Smiling, Sasuke stepped forward, a trail of black feathers following behind him. As he reached out his hand, a thousand swords appeared. Grasping one firmly by the hilt, Sasuke flicked his arm with blinding speed and accuracy. The sword cut through Kou's flesh like butter.
Kou screamed. Sasuke smirked, slashing downwards with as much righteous divinity as a god. As the spray of blood hit the ground, Kou wrestled control back from Sasuke, who was aware of his chakra quickly running out.
The hilt that Sasuke held suddenly became a hand, a familiar ring upon one of the fingers. His eyes darting up, Sasuke found himself face-to-face with Itachi. His brother smiled sadly, holding Sasuke's hand tightly as he looked down. Sasuke followed his gaze, only to recoil as bile rose in his throat.
They stood together atop a pile of rotting corpses. Carrion fowl tore at the bodies, cackling with pleasure at their feast. The bodies of women and children stared up at them with dead, accusing eyes.
Sasuke looked back at his brother. Itachi only stared, his eyes full of disappointment and sadness. "This isn't what I wanted for you, brother."
And then he was gone, his hand slipping away into nothingness. Before Sasuke could collect himself, an icily cold hand reached up, grasping him around the ankle. He cried out in shock, struggling against the corpse which held him, but another body came alive to grasp him. Soon, they were all coming back to life, ignoring the crows and ravens that tore into their flesh as they reached for him, moaning and crying wordlessly. Realizing that he didn't have enough chakra left to control the tide of their genjutsu battle, Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He would fight Kou's slightly superior genjutsu with something only he had access to: his memories. If there was one thing that Sasuke new for certain, it was that his bond with Naruto was one thing which could not be defeated.
And so he concentrated. Almost immediately, a summer wind whispered through his thoughts. The bruising grips on his limbs faded away into nothing. The scent of crushed pine needles and weapon oil carried on the wind, as speckled sunlight and the sound of leaves brushed against Sasuke's senses.
The world had changed. Already, Kou had lost his ability to maintain the illusion. Sasuke had freed himself from it simply by turning his focus away from his senses, and towards his memories of what was most real to him in the world: Naruto.
Eyes like tropical seas appeared from the darkness, thick lashes shielding them from the sun. Kou appeared then, and he stared in awe as two gigantic, disembodied hands came towards him. Those large, scarred hands that Sasuke loved so much. They reached for Kou and grabbed him, holding him tightly while Sasuke said, "You think you're better than the rest of us because you've lived for so long. How stupid. Look around yourself, Kou. You're all alone."
For a moment, Kou was silent, and Sasuke thought he had found a weak point. But then, without warning, he threw his head back and laughed. He brushed away Naruto's enormous hands like they were smoke.
"Alone?" He repeated, still laughing. "Why should that bother me? All it means is that I have nothing to lose. No weaknesses to be played against me."
And then the genjutsu ended, trickling away like raindrops down a pane of glass. In the real world, only a few seconds had passed. Panting like a dog on a summer day, Sasuke's chakra faded. His small reserve was completely spent.
Smiling triumphantly, Kou let the chakra fade from his hands. He turned towards the other Kou with his arms outstretched in a grand gesture. "Today, your Lord has beaten an Uchiha at his own game. Even the masters of illusion have no chance against me!"
He threw back his head and inhaled with satisfaction as the Kou began applauding and laughing excitedly. Luka glared at them, his face pale and eyes wide with disgust.
Sasuke cried out in pain as Kou turned and, in one swift movement, brought his heavy leather boot down on Sasuke's bleeding thigh. Before Sasuke had time to adjust to this new pain, Kou twirled around with a flourish and let his jeweled fist smashed across Sasuke's jaw. As his Sasuke's mouth filled with blood, Kou reached down and grabbed him firmly by each shoulder. Grinning widely he swooped down and, using the full force of his weight, swung his knee into Sasuke's chest.
A sickening crunch filled the room as several of Sasuke's ribs broke, cutting through his pale skin and puncturing his lungs.
Blood erupted from Sasuke's lips as he screamed in pain. His body contorted wildly, black spots dancing in front of his eyes. He was aware of someone else yelling –Luka, perhaps – and then there was the sound of fists and feet hitting flesh. They were beating Luka now, Sasuke realized vaguely.
"He must have tried to protect me."
Kou's face drifted into his vision again. Sasuke shut his eyes, his mind shutting down as ringed fists pounded into his face once – twice- three times. The world was fading. Merciless, another blow hit his stomach, then one more to his cut and heavily bleeding thigh. His body was getting cold as Itachi's face flashed across Sasuke's mind, his gentle, sad voice in his ear. "Foolish little brother." Itachi whispered, mournful.
A pair of rough hands grabbed at him, carelessly wrapping something around his leg, his chest. He cried out in pain as his ribs were forced back into place.
Warm hands, so gentle that the roughness of them went unnoticed. Arms strong enough to hold the entire world.
Someone was speaking, their voice too loud and too arrogant, smooth as a con artist in a back alley. A chorus of nervous laughter met their words; the Kou didn't like seeing their master's son in a bloody mess on the floor beside the Uchiha prisoner.
The gentle summer wind rose up again, rustling the pages on an old book. The scent of fresh wood and sweat, the rusty odor of blood and the radiating warmth of naked skin.
"You are the reason for my strength."
A door slammed, the sound of confident footsteps grew increasingly softer. Sasuke felt a gentle, shaking hand. There was someone calling his name softly, but he couldn't find his voice to respond. He was lost in the sensation of skin against skin, his mind retreating to the last place he felt safe: Naruto's arms.
"Never doubt the perversion of a man who has lost his love." Luka was whispering, his words falling heavily in the silence. "Because in order to live on, he must embrace madness. There is no other way."
Madness? The word slipped through Sasuke's mind without finding purchase. He had no time for something like madness. He was in Naruto's arms and he was ravenous, hungrily tasting every inch of golden skin that he could reach.
"Naruto." He called. "Naruto."
But Naruto wouldn't reply. Instead, he burst into heat and light, and he took Sasuke with him. They merged into one, glorious being, a phoenix which rose above the burning embers of their home.
"I love you, Sasuke."
That gentle touch on his forehead. Sasuke took comfort, knowing that Luka was there, knowing that he wasn't alone in his pain and his fevered dreaming.
"Don't go." Luka was whispering. "Don't go to sleep."
But the world was burning. Sasuke's body felt like it was going up in flames, and he couldn't feel his legs anymore. "Besides," Sasuke thought grumpily, "Naruto is waiting for me."
"Sasuke. Sasuke."
Sasuke turned away from Luka's cold hand, turning back to the brilliantly glowing light that surrounded Naruto. His angel. His beautiful, idiotic savior. Sasuke reached out and grasped Naruto's hand.
The world faded into darkness.
It's 4:30 in the morning and I have to get up in a few hours so I didn't proofread this.
SORRY. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME.