The Past That Repeats Itself; Chapter Two
It was dark before Sasuke and Suigetsu realized how tired they were. Whether it was the spring that had relaxed them, or just the night falling, they didn't know. Suigetsu was quick to reminded Sasuke of his own words that they had to get a good sleep as the night crept on, though neither acted. The two of them walked as quietly as they could down the halls to their room, hiding laughter as Suigetsu often walked into doors or tripped over the carpet, not used to walking in the dark. When they finally got back to their rooms, Karin and Juugo were already asleep and Sasuke and Suigetsu quickly followed suit.
Later on in the evening, Sasuke awoke from the nightmares again. He felt his body shivering and his breaths bordering on sobs, but couldn't remember what the dream had been about. All he knew was that it had frightened him, in a way that he couldn't remember feeling for a long time. He ran his fingers through his hair and stopped. The quiet sobs echoed in his ears again. Suigetsu's body shook lightly in his sleep. It was the exact same as whet had happened to him the night before. 'Damn it...' This is why the memories started. First because of Naruto, and now Suigetsu, Sasuke felt his resolve waver. He sighed and shook the figure awake.
"What's the matter Sasuke? Do we have to get moving?" Suigetsu woke immediately and was instantly alert although his eyelids were still heavy. As they were all missing Nins, and subjects of Orochimaru's testing, each of them was wanted with in their corresponding villages and were used to making speedy escapes.
"No Suigetsu, we're fine. I just..." Suigetsu relaxed a bit and looked Sasuke right in the eyes. "Ah... " Sasuke gave up and settled for balling his sleeves in his hands and awkwardly wiping the tear streaks off the boys face. Suigetsu pulled away and continued to wipe his face off with his own sleeves. "Was it about your brother?" Suigetsu looked up at Sasuke, shocked that he actually knew about his past, and nodded.
"How did you know about that?" Suigetsu asked dumbfounded.
"Orochimaru told me. He often gave me the back story on the test subjects..." Sasuke cut himself off for fear that he may have upset Suigetsu by referring to him the way they had first met.
"I didn't really like him all that much." Suigetsu said pointedly. Sasuke chuckled softly at this.
"Me neither." Suigetsu looked up at him and flashed him a wide, toothy grin. "You're part of a team now Suigetsu. I know you're not used to it but you're not alone anymore." Sasuke was looking at the ground and biting his bottom lip. Concered that the words that came out of his mouth were too familiar. Suigetsu was taken aback already by the time they had spent in the hot springs and this was just too much.
"You know you're not making any sense at all right now? Sasuke chuckled and looked back at him with a smirk on his face.
"I know, but," Sasuke shrugged. "I don't even know what I'm saying so it's alright."
* * *
"We have a very weak lead right near here." Karin said "The woman that owns the flower shop across the road said she saw with blue hair and a black cloak walking along the north road at about... WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Sasuke was pulling on his boots and fumbling around getting dressed for combat.
"Karin. Go question more people. Juugo, see if you can find a solid trail on either Itachi or Kisame, since the rumors are that they are often seen together. Suigetsu, you're coming with 've got one minute to get ready." Sasuke headed out the door.
"But Sasuke," Suigetsu mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I'm eating!" Sasuke poked his head around the door and pointed at Suigetsu.
"Now." Sasuke glared at the other two. "You two too! Move it!" Karin and Juugo fumbled around trying to get ready. Karin dashed out the door after Sasuke. Suigetsu sighed and grabbed his things. He gave a smile at Juugo and left, out the window.
Karin caught up with Sasuke quickly. He was walking fast and looked very determined but she knew her love made her fast. "I'm really glad I get to travel with you Sasuke." She began. "I understand your determination to kill your brother and I want you to know tha-" Suigetsu opened the front doors from the outside and made contact with Karin's faceas he saw Sasuke and Karin coming forward. Although, now Karin was standing further back and looking unsteady on her feet as her head was reeling from being hit with the door.
"Oops." Suigetsu said, hiding a grin. Sasuke rolled his eyes and knelt down next to her.
"Are you alright?" He asked. Suigetsu visibly pouted.
"I'm not sure..." Karin's voice was unsteady. "Sasuke... I feel weak." She opened her eyes as wide as she could and looked up at Sasuke.
"Can you stand?" His dark voice, laced with concern for her well being made her heart pound.
"I think so. Can you help me up?" Karin reached a hand out shakily towards Sasuke just as Suigetsu spoke up.
"I hope Itachi doesn't get away while we're taking so long getting up..." Sasuke jolted upright and barked 'Come' at Suigetsu, completely forgetting Karin, much to her obvious dissapointment. Sasuke ran into the alley next to the inn and hopped up onto the roof top of the building next to the inn.
"Scout around on the roofs, so they won't see us and so we can cover more area." Suigetsu nodded just before Sasuke took off.
When looking for someone, it helps when the person sticks out. Suigetsu spotted their target after a few minutes of scouting around. It also helped that that village was small. Suigetsu found Sasuke talking to a guard along the north road and relayed the coordinates of the blue haired figure. Sasuke thanked the man and the two took off again.
"There." Sasuke followed where Suigetsu was pointing and saw the tall blue haired figure with another person carrying a large bag. The other figure had their hood up but Sasuke could see dark black hairs poking out. Sasuke drew his Katana and dove down at the hooded figure pulling the hood off and landing sitting on them holding the blade at his throat.
The person was not Uchiha Itachi. The man looked like a young version of Uchiha Madara, but with short hair spicky hair. Sasuke whirled around at the blue haired figure and saw, not a tall man who resembled a shark, but a pretty woman with her hair in a bun and a white flower in her blue hair.
"Can we help you?" The blue haired woman said, looking pointedly at Sasuke with something like amusement. Sasuke felt his mouth agape and promptly closed it. He stood up and shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." Sasuke replied looking from the blue haired woman to the man on the ground.
"Well I'm glad we're not who you thought we were. We wouldn't want a fight on our hands." The woman helped the dark haired man to his feet, who was actually much taller than her, and they continued on their way down the road. The man kept whispering to the woman as they got farther and farther away. Sasuke clenched his hands into fists and felt tears prick at his eyes from embarasement and frustration. He heard some one in front of him and opened his eyes to see Suigetsu looking grim. Neither of them even bothered to try to smile.
"I'm sorry Sasuke. I just saw someone with blue hair and didn't really bother to look close enough." Suigetsu looked like he was afraid Sasuke was going to hit him. "Hey! Where are you going?" Sasuke had his back to Suigetsu as he walked towards the trees.
"Anywhere." Sasuke answered quietly. He just wanted to be alone. He heard Suigetsu say something and turned around to get hit in the stomach by the boy. He turned on his auto fight and threw a fast punch back at Suigetsu. The face he hit turned to water as Suigetsu's hands grabbed Sasuke's arm and tried to throw him off balance but Sasuke swivled around and drove a kick into Suigetsu's damp face. Sasuke felt his foot travel farther than it should as it passed through the liquified version of his team mate and felt a spray of water before hitting the ground.
Suigetsu fell onto his back just in front of Sasuke. Neither of them moved. Suigetsu listened to Sasuke as his breathing turned from aggressive and almost ragged, to calm, quiet and very controlled. They were both lying on their backs with they're heads only about an inch apart.
The silence was broken when Sasuke stood briskly and began to walk away again. "HEY!" An angry shout from behind him caused Sasuke to stop. "I know you're mad but you can't just keep walking away from me! Away from us! We're your team now. A TEAM Sasuke! Let me in! You don't have to always distance yourself from us!" Sasuke just wanted him to shut up. He turned around expecting to see Naruto, but saw Suigetsu.
"You wouldn't understand." Sasuke said looking away. Suigetsu laughed.
"I wouldn't understand would I?" He laughed again. "I wouldn't understand what it feels like to lose everyone I cared for? I wouldn't understand the need for revenge? I wouldn't-"
"You can't understand!" Sasuke's shout made Suigetsu stop. He looked back at Sasuke fear and anger clouding his delicate features. He turned his face away, looking at the ground, tears in his eyes shaking fists. "You could never understand how I HAVE to be alone because I lose everyone I ever get close to."
"I wonder why that is." Suigetsu snorted. Sasuke looked up to see Suigetsu glaring at him. "You lose everyone because you push them away from you. There are people who just want to help you Sasuke. There are people who just care about you." Sasuke thought about Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and all the other people he had left behind. They didn't care... did they? The memories came back hitting him from all sides. He remembered Naruto bringing a team after him when he left with the sound four and all the times Naruto and Sakura showed up with that Sai kid looking for him. He fell to his knees and looked up at Suigetsu. "If you really don't want my help I guess I'll just go then-" Suigetsu turned and began to walk away. Sasuke watched the boy go. The memory of Naruto when they had had the same argument flashed white hot in his memory. He knew what he had to do. He knew what he felt. Sasuke had known it back then too but figured he didn't need it. And he had been right. He didn't need this. But he wanted it. And that was good enough.
Sasuke ran after Suigetsu and tackled him to the ground. "What the hell Sasu-" Sasuke pressed his lips onto Suigetsu's and heard the boy under him yelp. Sasuke pressed on and was rewarded when Suigetsu almost immediately gave in. Sasuke reached up and interlaced his fingers with Suigetsu's on eather side of his head. Sasuke felt a nip at his bottom lip and opened his mouth in reflex only to have Suigetsu's tongue flick at his own. Sasuke began to feel dizzy as he stopped thinking and let his body take over. Suigetsu tasted sweet and refreshing. Sasuke chuckled when he though it reminded him of a cool drink of water.
"What are you laughing about?" Suigetsu turned his head to the side to free himself from Sasuke's lips as he spoke.
"I was just thinking that you taste like cool water." Suigetsu laughed as Sasuke nibbled his tender jawline.
"Yours is better," Sasuke must have looked confused because Suigetsu laughed. "You taste like ramen." Sasuke blushed and laughed. "Come on." Suigetsu flipped Sasuke off him and stood up, offering Sasuke his hand while he did. Suigetsu pulled Sasuke up and they began walking back to the inn. They walked in silence but it still felt like they were talking. There was an invisible connection that made it so that they didn't need to say anything.
Just as they approached the inn Suigetsu slipped his hand in Sasuke's. Sasuke lookde at him and had to ask, "Do we really want them to know? What ever this is."
"Do you want to be?..." Sasuke knew what he was thinking and nodded. "Then they have to know because if Karin hits on you one more time I'm going to knock her teeth out!" Suigetsu shook his fist in the air and mock punched the air. Sasuke laughed. Suigetsu felt his heart lift when he saw that he was really able to make Sasuke laugh. Suigetsu planted a kiss on the Uchiha's cheek. Sasuke blushed and looked over at Suigetsu. He lightly touched his cheek, which was tingling from the touch.
"What was that for?" Sasuke asked slightly confused. Suigetsu smiled.
"You really aren't used to this are you?" Sasuke shook his head slightly embarrassed. "A kiss on the cheek is good for lots of things. This one means good luck dealing with Karin." Suigetsu leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek but Sasuke turned around and caught Suigetsu's lips in his own. Suigetsu opened his mouth just as Sasuke ended it. Suigetsu pouted at the loss of contact. "That was mean." Suigetsu said blushing, slightly flustered. Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and stopped to look at Suigetsu. Sasuke pulled his hand out of his hair and looked at it; then at Suigetsu. "What?" Suigetsu asked just as Sasuke ran his hand through Suigetsu's straight white hair. It shimmered with blue when the sunlight hit it. Suigetsu blushed and reached up to fix his hair and smooth it back into place.
"I always wondered what your hair felt like." Sasuke twirled a piece of Suigetsu's hair around his finger. "I like it." Suigetsu squeezed Sasuke's hand then let go running forward shouting behind him.
"Race you to the room." Sasuke rolled his eyes and initiated his teleportation jutsu. He reappeared almost instantly to find Suigetsu sitting on the bed. Sasuke's eyes went wide.
"How the hell did you-" Suigetsu flashed a wide grin at the boy standing in front of his and giggled. Sasuke shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well that just reminds me on why I picked you in the first place." Suigetsu laughed. Sasuke walked over and sat beside him on the bed. Looking down at the floor, Sasuke spoke quietly. "How long?" Suigetsu looked confused for a moment, and then sighed with understanding.
"Ever since I joined your 'Kill Itachi Dream Team' I... I don't know... I wanted to get to know you. I wanted to help you and see what you could really do I guess." Sasuke looked at the blushing boy sitting next to him with amusement clear on his face. Suigetsu leaned in and pressed his lips to Sasuke's to clear the satisfied grin on the Uchiha's face. Sasuke remembered when Naruto did the exact same thing and almost pulled away again, but also remembered the emptiness he felt after. He guessed he had liked Naruto but sitting here with Suigetsu trailing his tongue along his bottom lip, Sasuke couldn't fathom why.
Suigetsu took Sasuke's face in his hands and pushed him over on the bed stradling his waist, not breaking their kiss. Sasuke was pleasantly surprised at how the pale haired boy was taking control but he didn't really mind. He would get his turn next time.
Their mouths laced together as the kisses heated up. Suddenly, Suigetsu broke away and kissed along Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke laced his fingers in Suigetsu's hair making him falter for a moment. Suigetsu trailed his tongue along Sasuke's neck and stopped to nip at his collarbone. Sasuke nuzzled his face in Suigetsu's hair as a moan escaped his lips. The smaller boy took this as a good sign and experemented by sliding his hands along Sasuke's torso. The deep sigh told Suigetsu all he needed to know. With a wicked grin, that Sasuke failed to notice, Suigetsu slid his hands expertly under Sasuke's shirt and felt the strong muscles tense. He moved his mouth back to the lips, dry from breathing heavy, and captured them quickly.
Sasuke wound his fingers deeper into the soft white hair as Suigetsu kissed him deeply. Sasuke had forgotten all thoughts on how reverse their positions as the skilled hands played at his waistline and his chest.
Suigetsu pulled back and looked at Sasuke who was panting slightly and breathing slightly erratically. He placed a chaste kiss on his lover's lips before rolling over and getting up. Sasuke pouted and Suigetsu just tapped a finger on his lips. Suigetsu strolled over to the kitchen and got some ramen out as the door opened and Karin and Juugo came in.
"I'm sorry Sasuke," Juugo began. "Must have just been a false lead." Karin followed behind him but didn't say anything. Suigetsu came out of the kitchen and handed a bowl of ramen to Sasuke. Sasuke placed a kiss on Suigetsu's cheek and thanked him, teying to compose himself after having being dominated so fiercely. Karin glared at him. Juugo actually had no reaction. He was quick to pick up on things and knew that Suigetsu had his eyes on Sasuke for some time now.
"I'm going to the hot springs!" Juugo was glad Sasuke wasn't mad about the false lead and that Suigetsu would finally be happy so he figured he deserved to relax after the normal antics seem to have settled. Sasuke sat down at the table with his ramen and began eating. He looked up just in time to see Karin follow Suigetsu out into the hall. He heard them talking in the hall and got up to make sure they weren't fighting. They were still trying to lay low after all.
"Well thank you!" It was Suigetsu, and he wasn't being sarcastic.
"I still want to know how you got Sasuke to fall for you." Karin sounded slightly hurt, but amused at the same time.
"That is none of your business! An expert never reavels his tricks." Sasuke still had his hand ready to open the door. He wasn't sure why he stayed quiet, but something seemed off. They never spoke to each other without fighting. "You better pay up!" Suigetsu spoke up again.
"Fine." Karin mumbled. There was the jingling of money exchanging hands before she spoke again. "I was sure I could get him to fall for me before you but I am willing to admit that you won this one." Sasuke opened the door.
"We should place bets more often-" Suigetsu stopped when he saw Sasuke standing in the doorway. Suigetsu grinned. "Hey! You heading to the hot springs too?"
"You want to bet on it?" Sasuke's voice was dead, but wavered at the very end. Tears fell slowly down Sasuke's cheeks. Karin backed up and walked quickly down the hall leaving the two alone.