Pondering… Part 2
Disclaimer: Don't own anything!
A/N: Sorry this is a day late, but I'm now on spring break! Yaaaaaay, free time! X) (Even though it is spring break, it's snowing cats and dogs outside my window right now… -_-)
In the last chapter:
"Stupid… Asshole… Duckbutt Sasuke!" Naruto sat up and ruffled his blond spikes out of frustration. "What a sneaky bastard…" he growled and threw his pillow at the wall. The prince rested his elbows on his knee and stared at the flooring, remembering what happened earlier in the day.
"What?!" He yelled as he straightened his posture, "Why horseback riding?"
"Your father told me you 'go riding everyday', so we thought you would enjoy some company." Tsunade quoted what the blond had told the king the other day. "We have already arranged things with Neji, he is waiting for you two in the stables."
The two teens stumbled out of some bushes between two orchard trees, the wooden building stood just a few feet away from them. Both were out of breath and sported scratches on their skin. Naruto slowed his pace and fell behind Sasuke, "What are you doing?" the raven asked while turning to face the blond.
"Taking a breather…" The blond responded while bending down and resting his palms on his knees.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, turning back toward the stables.
Blue eyes focused on a small rock between his boots. Quickly, he reached down and gripped the cold rock in his tan palm. Naruto stood back up and lifted his weapon, aiming at the black spikes in front of him and released. Sasuke toppled forward at the sudden impact and clutched his throbbing head. "Naruto! STOP THROWING ROCKS AT ME!" The prince turned to the blond and snapped, his dark eyes widened in anger.
"Stop being an asshole then!"
Sasuke groaned in frustration, "You're lucky there aren't any fallen branches around!"
"Ha! You've smacked me enough with a branch near the roses, I bet I know all your moves." The blond smugly stated. The two princes glared at each other, until the long haired raven emerged from the stable's large double doors. He lead two adult horses behind him, their backs were decorated with decorated leather saddles.
"Will you two stop your lovers quarrel?" Neji spoke up, bringing the two teens out of their glaring battle.
"What is up with everyone today?" Naruto asked with exasperation. "This isn't a date or anything! I'm being forced into this!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. Sasuke starred at him in confusion and the pale eyed coachman smirked as the response. Once he realized he wasn't going to get a response, Naruto huffed and walked over to the horses. "So which one is mine?"
"I thought you went riding every day." Neji raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk placed on his face.
"You know I don't! I just told my old man that so they wouldn't find out about the orphanage." The blond said in a whisper as some other servants walked by.
"Why don't you want them to know?" Sasuke spoke up, Naruto jumped as if he had forgotten the raven was there.
"They don't like me to going outside of the castle, overly protective right?" He rolled his azure eyes and headed started looking over both adult stallions. "I want this one!" He pointed to the tall ginger horse with a bright red mane, "I'll call him Kyuubi…" The newly named horse neighed and scratched its hooves in the dirt, a wild look in its eyes.
"He's a new one, just imported from across seas." The long haired raven commented, stroking the long hair of the exotic horse.
"That leaves this beauty for Prince Sasuke." The servant brought over a light brown horse with a full grey mane, a strange black mark was spread across its nose.
"What'cha going to name it?" Naruto asked happily, showing a toothy grin to his new horse.
"I'm not an idiot like you, I don't see the need to name a horse I am temporarily borrowing." Sasuke scoffed at the blond prince.
Naruto stuck his tongue out and hopped onto his steed, "Whoa!" he yelped as the stallion bucked stubbornly. The prince softly stroke the bright red mane and whispered into its ear, "Shh, shh. It's okaaaaayy." Kyuubi softened his gaze and lowered his head slightly, acknowledging Naruto as a comforting presence.
Sasuke positioned himself on his stallion and clicked his tongue, the horse responded to the sound with a small huff and turned to the direction the prince was pulling his reins. The guest prince guided his horse down a path, which lead away from the stables and toward the back entrance to the castle's grounds. Naruto followed suit and settled for a casual speed next to the raven's horse. Neji stood in front of the stable doors and watched the two stride off towards the forest behind the back wall, a smirk placed on his lips. "This is so a date." He said aloud, grabbing a bucket of oats and heading inside to feed the other horses.
The two rode quietly through the yard until Sasuke glanced at the blond and asked, "Why so quiet?"
"Shhh, it's quiet." Naruto jokingly hushed the raven with an index finger at his lips. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the pathetic joke. The blond, on the other hand, was smiling and proudly patted himself on the back it.
"Don't be too stupid, or you'll fall behind." Sasuke told the other prince, clicking his tongue once more to quicken the horse's pace.
"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed and commanded his ginger horse to catch up. "You would be eating my dust."
"Uh huh…" The raven sarcastically said and quickened his horse once more, angering the blond.
"Fine! Try this!" The host prince yelled, "H-yah Kyuubi!" he commanded his steed. The horse changed into a full on gallop and flew past the raven and his horse.
"Oh, it's on."
The two rushed through the yards and towards the back gate. Each one, at some point, passing the other. Stationed guards at the gate panicked at the sight of the fast approaching boys and rushed to open the gates. Naruto yelled a hello and waved at the men as he zoomed through the entrance, the guards shook their heads disapprovingly but waved back anyway. The two horses and their masters rushed into the forest a few feet beyond the gate and created their own paths. A small pond came into view and they both agreed to stop and let the horses rest, calling a truce on the race. A strange sound erupted as they approached the small body of water. Sprawled on a bed of grass was an unknown creature, apparently favoring a leg and whining loudly. The strange mammal's fur shined a light shade of grey and pointed ears twitched as it winced in pain. Naruto quickly stopped his horse and started to dismount, "What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke snapped his head toward the teen.
"I'm gonna help it, it's injured." The blond said quietly, not wanting to scare off the hurt animal. He led Kyuubi to a close tree and tied his reins to the body of the wood.
"Don't be a dumbass, come back here!" Sasuke commanded as he hopped off his horse and went after the blond.
The injured animal growled at Naruto as he started to close the distance between them, lifting its lips to reveal sharp yellowed teeth. Its pale grey fur started to fluff upwards and its ears folded downwards. Slightly panicking, Sasuke bent down and grabbed a medium sized rock and chucked it towards the creature. The stone grazed Naruto's nose, a thin sheet of air between the rock and his face. A loud clack echoed when the rock hit a larger rock sitting a few feet behind the animal. The unknown creature jumped from fear and lunged at Naruto, which caused the raven to fling another stone at the animal. The blond prince stumbled back and tripped over a root extended from the ground. The creature gave up its attack out of fear, easily getting onto its feet and dashing deep into the brush.
"What the fuck?" Naruto whispered, "Asshole, why did you scare it?!" He snapped his head to the raven and gave him a deep scowl. He pushed himself up and brushed loose dirt and blades of grass off his backside.
Sasuke stomped towards the prince and rolled his eyes, extending his arms and thrust the blond into the cold water. Naruto wailed and flailed his arms in an attempt to grab something. A big splash of water jumped into the air as he was submerged. A soaked mass of blond hair poked through the water's surface, the prince held an unimpressed frown on his face.
"Think about it idiot. If the animal was actually hurt, why was it able to steady itself and run away so fast?" Sasuke walked over and squatted down, blankly explained to the soaked blond and smirked when reality dawned on Naruto. The hosting prince's face twisted in frustration and he jumped from the pond and grabbed the raven, pulling him down with him. Both began to flail around in the chilled water and started hitting each other. Their punches eventually slowed and lightened due to fatigue, the two princes were out of breath. Standing in front of each other, the pond's water settled around their hips.
A breathy laugh vibrated Naruto's throat, causing confusion in the raven. "We must look like idiots, what are we doing?" The blond asked aloud. A deep chuckle escaped the young Uchiha and grabbed the younger teen's attention. A genuine smile had found its way onto Sasuke's face. Naruto stared at the scene before him with surprise and fascination. The spiked black hair stuck flat to Sasuke's head and skin, some of his bangs were tousled and some rested above his head. Small blue droplets rolled down his pale cheeks and gathered at his chin to fall back to the surface. A warm tingly feeling, similar to the fluttery one previously, spread through his body. Dark eyes rested on the blond and copied what the pair of blue eyes were doing.
Naruto's usual mass of sunshine spikes were tame and stuck to his forehead and the nape of his neck. His tan skin shone in the sun's light, the small streaks of water glistened atop his skin. Large cerulean orbs, framed by dark lashes, swirled and clouded with an unknown emotion. Sasuke felt his heart quicken, a small flutter echoed in his chest and spread to his limbs. A pale arm lifted out of the water and gently touched the wet blond locks. Pale fingers twisted and caressed the bright strands, a visible shiver went down Naruto's body. The blond prince stood still in the water, small ripples swam away from the teens as the raven stepped closer to the younger prince. A tender palm rested on Naruto's shoulder and their eyes continued to watch each other as the distance between their faces lessened. Blindly, the blond teen raised a tan hand to the Uchiha's chest and gripped the dark fabric delicately. The raven was close enough for Naruto to feel his warm breath graze his lips. The two paused, both dark and azure eyes glazed over.
A sudden rustle in nearby bushes caused a flock of birds to rise from their place in the treetops, loudly cawing as they flew off. The two teens were startled and brought back to reality, back to the pond in the middle of the forest outside the castle's gates. Sasuke wavered before backing away, clearing his throat. "You had a piece of algae in your hair…" the raven informed the shocked blond as he flicked a meager piece into the water, a small plop sounded and ripples spread on the surface. Naruto's cheeks heated, he quickly turned away from the other teen and started for land.
"Thanks…" Naruto replied, his voice above a whisper.
Both stallions stood where they were left, sniffing around for things to snack on. Kyuubi lifted his head to the sound of footsteps, his red mane swayed to the left side of the long bridge of his nose. A chill ran through Naruto, causing him to stop in his tracks. He groaned loudly as he realized he forgot to bring his cloak. Long black fabric landed on his face and obstructed his vision. Naruto held a think dark cloak in his hands, he turned his head to the other teen to ask about it. Sasuke had already walked away and was mounting his steed once more. The blond stared at the mantle before tying around his shoulders, then heading to Kyuubi and untying him from the trunk. The two princes made their way back through the forest and towards the castle.
Naruto would cast some side glances to the raven teen, wondering what exactly happened back at the pond. "We were so close to kissing…" The thought caused his entire face to redden. "Was he about to?" Blue eyes darted to the side, examining the person riding next to him. "Couldn't have…" A sudden thought popped into the blond head, one with the image of a certain pinkette. "THAT DICK! He wants to distract me from Sakura so he can swoop in and steal her!" He furrowed his eyebrows. Anger burned in his blue eyes, though a certain shoulder tingled slightly.
Naruto silently dismounted from his horse and tied his reins to the post outside the stable, turning away towards the castle. "Naruto? Where are you going?" Sasuke asked as he climbed from his saddle and brought the grey haired horse to the same post as Kyuubi.
"Going to take a bath." The blond prince hissed.
Sasuke stood shocked and confused as the blond picked up his speed, basically jogging away.
The blond prince stopped at the castle doors, hesitating to open the door. He knew the three queens would pester him with questions and tease him. Turning away from the wooden doors, he decided to skip the dinner feast and waste time in the stables.
Naruto snuck back to the long wooden building, hiding behind a tree when he saw Sasuke emerge from the large double doors. The raven ran a hand through his dark locks before heading towards the castle for dinner. Once he was out of sight, the blond quickly entered the building and shut the doors behind him. Neji looked up from his work and gave the prince a confused look. "Naruto?" He asked, setting down the saddle he was working on. "What are you doing here?" The blond ignored his question and headed past the pale eyed raven and toward an empty stall. "Isn't dinner being served soon?" Neji asked once more, hoping to get something out of the blond. Naruto gathered some hay and grabbed a nearby blanket to cover the heap. Silently, he flopped onto his back and rested his arms behind his head. Figuring it was something personal, Neji sighed and headed back to his work. The two quietly passed time, Neji working on horse equipment and Naruto contemplating or napping.
The two teens jumped when the large wood doors were swung open and a petite maid entered. Worry and anger swam in her pale eyes, "Naruto! Come!" she yelled pointing an index finger downwards in front of her. The blond peeked his head through the stall door, giving the maid a 'please don't kill me' look. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, indicating once again with her downturned finger. The blond groaned and exited the stall, dragging his feet as he walked to the female raven. Neji chuckled as he watched, shinning some horseshoes. "Where were you sir?" She asked respectfully but with a hint of anger.
"What d'ya mean?" Naruto innocently replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You didn't come to dinner and both guest families have left. They insisted to wait for you to finish your bath. But the King and Queen told them they had a long ride ahead of them, so they should leave." She scolded the prince.
"Heh…" Naruto faintly replied as he ruffled his dried spikes.
Hinata rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm firmly, "Come sir, it is past nightfall. You must get to bed, since you will have a long day of scolding from the queen tomorrow."
The prince groaned dramatically and followed the maid back to the castle. They separated in the corridor after the staircase. Hinata going towards the guest rooms to help with clean up, and Naruto heading to his chambers. The blond prince stomped into his bed chambers, throwing his long cloak onto the room's single chair. His once yellow tunic was covered in grass stains and splotches of dirt. Naruto approached the large window and pulled back the silk curtains.
The prince had fallen asleep long ago, still sprawled on top of his bed. Though he lightly gripped his shoulder while he dreamed. The opened window allowed in the moderate breeze, causing the curtains to dance in the air. Two dark figures stood in the corner behind the flowing curtains. One quietly stepped toward the sleeping blond, pulling out a weapon of some sort from beneath their cloak. The second figure grabbed their partner's shoulder, "Not yet."
"Why not? He is an easy target right now!" The weapon holding figure whispered impatiently.
"We are still not sure, we need to wait for confirmation from the Raven. For now, we are to observe." The second figure quietly stated and headed to the open window.
"This is bullshit…" The figure slipped the weapon back into its place beneath the thick cloak. Both leapt from the window and onto the castle's roof, dashing away as the sun raised from behind the tree line.
Here is a small part I wanted to add but couldn't quite fit it in:
Sasuke wondered from the stables and towards the castle, heavy emotions swirling inside of his head. Sauntering down the path, he passed the outskirts of the garden. A small glance to the flowered area and the raven prince stopped in his tracks. The meek maid was sitting among some daisies with the pink princess resting her head in her lap. The pinkette dreamed quietly with an occasional mumble here and there. Hinata looked over the slumbering girl, gently combing long pink hair with her thin fingers. A slight blush dusted her cheeks as she smiled kindly to the princess, slightly hidden by long black hair fluttering in a gust of wind. Sasuke sneakily turned from the loving scene with an arrogant smirk placed on his lips.
"Good. She won't get in the way." He muttered as he sauntered to dinner.
Hope you enjoyed!