Kyuubi Capers - Chapter 6
Assuming that Naruto's innermost subconscious wasn't an exact replica of Konohagakure, Sasuke had made it back to the real world. He was amazed that his plan to goad Naruto into blowing up had worked as well as it did.
But why on earth was he here?
He'd awakened in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown. Natural sunlight was pouring onto his face. He was all too familiar with this hospital, having spent a full month here after his last encounter with Itachi.
Yes, he'd definitely woken up in Konoha's main hospital.
He also hadn't been alone.
Mere feet away, he could see Naruto, his physical body exploding with chakra just as his mind had done. His teeth were bared and his claws were scrabbling at the air, almost certainly reaching for a Sasuke who was no longer there. Two people were holding him down on the bed to stop him from going on a rampage.
One of them was the Fifth Hokage.
The other was Kakashi.
Naruto awakened mere seconds after he did, just as a frantic jounin rushed in and performed an elaborate sealing jutsu on him. Sasuke recognized the jounin- Yamato, the one who'd been with Naruto when he'd arrived at Orochimaru's hideout. Whatever jutsu he was using, it was extremely effective.
Kyuubi's chakra receded immediately.
Sasuke frowned. Only the Sharingan was supposed to be powerful enough to control the nine-tailed fox, and even so, he had failed miserably when he tried. The fact that some random Konoha ninja was able to do it so easily with a simple sealing jutsu didn't even infuriate him- it just made him feel dull and empty.
At least Naruto was all right.
Sasuke remembered his cruel taunts- his vicious threats- and how easily Naruto had reacted, plunging deep into Kyuubi's influence, exploding with a rage that Sasuke might not have survived in other circumstances.
Had it really been necessary to push Naruto as far as he did to break out of Kyuubi?
Well, it had worked, so there was no use dwelling on it.
Naruto babbled out an incoherent combination of thank-you-are-you-guys-real-hi-Granny-Tsunade-I'm-so-hungry, before exhausting himself and passing out again. This time, though, it was a natural sleep.
Sasuke pretended to fall asleep as well.
Time passed. But now, even though the Hokage had gone, he could tell that Kakashi was still sitting at the foot of his bed, watching him.
If anyone had been around when he'd woken up, he would have expected it to be Orochimaru, or at least Kabuto. He expected a bleak underground hideout, and instead got a cheerful hospital. Fuck, the room had flowers in it. Someone had brought flowers.
He was sure they were for Naruto.
"Sasuke." Kakashi's quiet, not-quite-paternal voice stirred all sorts of memories that he chose to ignore. He continued pretending to be asleep. If Kakashi noticed, he was polite enough not to say anything.
"Are you hungry?" he asked instead.
A little. But hunger didn't bother him anymore.
"The Hokage went to order food for you both." The image of the blonde woman popped into Sasuke's mind. He could see her holding down Naruto, staring back at Sasuke with an expression that was half disgust and half pity.
Most of what Sasuke knew about Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, was information he'd gleaned from Orochimaru, not the village. She was a drinker and a gambler, but impossibly strong, and also the most knowledgeable and talented medical ninja in the world. Even Orochimaru had nothing but respect for her abilities.
If Tsunade had been treating them personally, that meant that their conditions had been serious.
How long had they been unconscious?
Well, long enough to be brought back to Konoha, though that wouldn't have taken more than a day or two if the people who captured him were moving at top speed.
Yamato spoke from the other side of the room. His voice was tired.
"Are you sure you should be talking to him like that?" So, he'd figured out that Sasuke was faking, too. At least he hadn't been dragged off to the interrogation room yet.
"He's my student," Kakashi countered. Not anymore, Sasuke interjected petulantly.
"You know what I meant."
"Nothing I say will make a difference." Sasuke was sure he heard a low hiss of disapproval from the strange jounin, but the man said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he switched to talking about Naruto. Despite his efforts to convince himself he didn't care, Sasuke paid extremely close attention to what was being said.
"He appears to have calmed down," said Yamato. "He's only sleeping now." The man sounded completely exhausted. Kyuubi must have been trying to take over Naruto's body while he was incapacitated- that was the only explanation for having someone around to perform near-constant sealing jutsu.
Naruto's fears were well-placed, then.
The level of emotion he felt about Sasuke's willingness to give his body to Orochimaru was beginning to make much more sense.
"Mr. "I'm going to give my body to Orochimaru!" Well, instead you're giving your soul to the nine-tailed demon fox. Congratulations. Glad your life was so fucking important to you."
"Want to go take a nap?" Kakashi was asking Yamato, oblivious to what was going on in Sasuke's head.
"Is that a good idea?"
"The Hokage will be back soon. Go, Tenzo." Ah, so Yamato was a code name. That meant he was probably ANBU.
"Don't call me that."
"Sorry." A few quick footsteps and the door opened and closed.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi were alone.
It was almost like a Team Seven reunion. Where was Sakura, anyway? Sasuke would have expected her to be clinging irritatingly to his side from the moment he crossed the village gates.
"Sakura wanted to be here," Kakashi said softly, almost as if he'd known what Sasuke would be thinking about. "The Hokage sent her out of the village on a mission." Smart move. Sakura had a special talent for being in the way, especially in sensitive situations. That didn't mean that he didn't feel a little pang of emotion at the fact that he wasn't going to see her.
Outwardly, he didn't react to the news at all.
"I know you're awake, Sasuke," Kakashi said. His voice still had the calm authority that Sasuke remembered. "Do you know what's going to happen to you?" Sasuke recognized the simple question for what it was.
Kakashi had gotten rid of the only witness, and now, he was offering him information.
Well, he had always been Kakashi's favorite student. He decided to accept the offer.
Sasuke opened his eyes and sat up.
Kakashi was staring at him, with nether approval nor disapproval, the same way he always did. It was as if Sasuke hadn't aged a day past twelve. He was back on his D-rank genin team.
"Assuming I stick around that long," he said flatly, "I'm going to be drilled for information on Orochimaru." That was a given. Kakashi did not react to his threat to leave. "What's after that?" Kakashi's one visible eye crinkled into a smile.
"Nothing," he said.
Nothing? What did that mean?
"What?"
"The Hokage never declared you a missing-nin-" ah, so that was why so few bounty hunters had come after him, no government contracts- "and technically, you've committed no serious crimes, so you face no criminal charges. Your house is still available, of course. As soon as you're capable, you could petition to have your rank as a Konoha ninja restored."
In other words, everything could go back to being exactly how it was before he left.
He could stay here, with Naruto.
Just like Naruto had always wanted.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked sharply. He didn't care for this information. He didn't know what to do with it.
"Because you need to know," Kakashi said simply, and he pulled out his damnable Make-Out Paradise, indicating that the conversation was over. Sasuke lay back down, and went back to pretending to be asleep.
Maybe if he pretended long enough, he could slip into the real thing.
A long period of time passed. The sun was beginning to set outside. Naruto was stirring, indicating that he was having a particularly vivid dream, that he would wake up soon, or both. Yamato- Tenzo- had not come back, and Kakashi had not moved.
Finally, the door banged open, and a person wearing high heels clicked her way inside. It had to be the Hokage. She was followed closely by a second woman, probably her assistant, who was carrying what sounded like a heavy load of packages.
"Did you get enough food?" Kakashi asked idly.
"It's mostly for Naruto." Sasuke recognized the Fifth Hokage's authoritative voice. "Is he still asleep? Have either of them said anything yet?"
"Naruto is still asleep." Kakashi paused. "Sasuke spoke to me briefly." You did most of the talking, Sasuke corrected internally.
"Oh?" Tsunade clicked her way over to Sasuke's bedside. She was wearing perfume. He didn't like having her so close. "What did he say?"
"He asked what was going to happen to him." No I didn't. You did. "He appears mentally sound." Damn straight.
"And what did you tell him?"
"Nothing." Sasuke listened to their exchange intently. It was all true, and yet it wasn't. Kakashi had always been willing to bend the rules, but lying to the Hokage? On his account?
He revisited their brief conversation. Some sort of important information must have been hidden in what Kakashi told him.
Because you need to know.
"Hmm. Shizune, bring those over here." The second woman brought over a bowl of ramen- of course it was ramen- and set it on the table next to his bed.
Sasuke hadn't had ramen in an awfully long time. He couldn't stop his stomach from growling.
They definitely knew he was awake now.
"Feel free to eat, Uchiha," the Hokage said coldly. The kindness she'd shown him while he was recovering from Itachi's attack was completely gone. Sasuke refused to move. She left his side and went over to Naruto.
"It's a light sleep," she said, after a moment. "He should wake up the minute we put food in front of him." Sure enough, the very moment that Shizune had placed a bowl of ramen at his bedside, she provoked a flurry of movement.
How did Naruto manage to be so loud right when waking up?
"Miso ramen!" he shouted. His favorite, Sasuke's memory supplied, unwillingly. "Thanks, Granny Tsunade!"
"You're welcome, brat," the Hokage said fondly. Sasuke remembered how Naruto's memories had gotten her confused with a real grandmother.
He'd had a grandmother once, too. Before Itachi gutted her like a fish.
Naruto had always been a messy eater, and now was no exception. Determined to restore the chakra that he'd lost, he attacked the ramen with a reckless abandon, downing one bowl after another. The sounds Naruto made while eating had always repulsed Sasuke, but now, despite his best efforts not to care, he just felt relief that Naruto had returned to normal.
It took three and a half bowls for him to realize that Sasuke was present.
"What about Sasuke?" he asked, with his mouth full. He forced it all down with a noisy gulp. "Is he ok?"
"He's fine, kiddo," Tsunade laughed. "He's just pretending to be asleep." Sasuke silently cursed her for giving away his secret to Naruto. Ok, it wasn't really a secret, but Naruto wouldn't have been figure it out on his own. And now, all of Naruto's attention was turned on him.
"What?" Naruto shouted. "That's stupid. Sasuke! Hey, Sasuke!" Ignoring the shouts was pretty easy. Unfortunately, Naruto was well-versed in getting people's attention in the most annoying way possible.
Sasuke got beaned by a chopstick.
He heard Shizune giggle.
While the treatment was infuriating, it was also comfortingly familiar. No one was this relaxed around him at Orochimaru's hide-outs. He was Orochimaru's favorite, the new vessel, and thus, almost the same as Orochimaru himself- and the prisoners treated him as such. Orochimaru treated him like a pet. Kabuto treated him like a spoiled prince.
In any case, no one would dare throw a chopstick at his head.
A small, rebellious part of him admitted that it was nice not to have everyone be afraid of him.
The excessive closeness Naruto felt the need to express all the time made him feel almost relaxed.
Naruto finished the last of his however-many bowls of ramen, belched rudely, and flopped back down on his bed with a satisfied groan. Sasuke's lip curled in distaste. But the groan reminded Sasuke of something else, something he had been trying very hard not to think about ever since waking up afterwards.
One-time thing, he told himself firmly. I just needed the chakra! It was a one-time thing!
The knot twisting up in his lower stomach told him that he was a dirty, dirty liar.
Years of training to suppress his sexual urges had been undone in less than ten minutes.
Stupid Naruto.
"Now that that's done," Tsunade said drily, "I need to give you some information. Kakashi, Shizune, thank you." Shizune gathered up the empty ramen bowls, and she and Kakashi left without saying a word. Sasuke found himself wishing that Kakashi had stayed. He knew he could count on Kakashi being on his side.
At least, he could in the past, and teachers didn't change.
"Sasuke, you are welcome to participate if you have any questions," said the Hokage. Sasuke stubbornly kept his eyes closed. It was petty, but at this point, it was a battle of wills.
"You're probably aware that you've been unconscious," she continued. Duh, thought Sasuke.
"How long were we out?" asked Naruto with a wide yawn.
"Eight days," she said.
Only eight days?
Sasuke hadn't succumbed to Naruto's hysteria about the end of the world, but he thought they'd been trapped for longer than that. He thought back to his time inside the demon fox. Between consciousness and unconsciousness, he had no way of knowing how much time had passed. That, and the fox's insides probably distorted time, like a powerful Tsukoyomi.
It certainly explained why Orochimaru and Kabuto hadn't come after him yet. They didn't have time. Or, rather, they were still waiting for him to escape and come back to them.
"Your team brought you back here and told us what happened," Tsunade continued. Her tone was unreadable. "Orochimaru is, predictably, not thrilled about having his prized vessel snatched out from under him. Sources tell me he's on his way here right now."
On his way here right now? What sources?
"Is he going to attack the village again?" Naruto asked worriedly.
No. He wouldn't. That didn't make any sense. Orochimaru had nearly been killed- permanently- the last time he attacked Konoha, and now, their defenses were stronger than before. The man was many unpleasant things, but he wasn't stupid.
"Most likely," Tsunade said blandly. "It would have been easier if you hadn't woken up, but still, neither of you are in any condition to defend yourselves. We'll need to move you both to a secure location and put you under guard."
Put us under guard?
Sasuke bit his tongue to stop himself from shouting at her.
Of course they needed to do that.
They would need to monitor his and Naruto's conditions, not to mention prevent him from running away again, and the easiest way to do that would be to keep them locked up somewhere under the pretense of defending them.
She was lying.
He wondered how long it had taken the mighty Fifth Hokage to come up with this gem of a plan.
"No way!" Naruto shouted.
"Sasuke is the target," she said.
"So you're using him as bait?" Yes, they were, but not in the way Naruto thought.
He was being used as bait to keep Naruto quiet. That was why they would be locked up together. If Sasuke was sent away by himself, Naruto would never shut up about it.
Everything was always all about Naruto.
Sasuke was beginning to remember why he so disliked Konoha.
"I don't hear him objecting," Tsunade said sharply. "You'll be moved tomorrow. I'm leaving for now, but I'll be back in the morning to ask you about the jutsu that put you in this state." Of course she would. She stood up and moved over to the doorway, pausing as she placed a hand on the doorknob.
"Don't think you can try anything funny just because no one's in here with you," she said. "I have ANBU all over this building."
She left without saying another word.
The room suddenly felt cold, and unusually quiet. Sasuke found himself missing the heat from Kyuubi's body.
He'd freed himself from one trap, and ended up in another.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, finally. "You're awake, right?"
"Hn." He offered up a small grunt, just so that Naruto wouldn't throw anything at him again. He assumed that Naruto would be satisfied just talking with him, but the other boy had other plans, apparently. He climbed out of his own bed and tottered across the room, setting himself down at the foot of Sasuke's bed. The sudden closeness, even as not-close as it was, was not what Sasuke had been expecting, and he felt his heart rate pick up.
Naruto certainly was the world's number one most unpredictable ninja.
"Thanks for getting us out," he said quietly.
Thanks?
Naruto was thanking him for upsetting him so badly that he cried and screamed and nearly went on a destructive rampage?
"Hn," Sasuke grunted again, to hide his surprise. He finally opened his eyes.
Naruto was staring down at him from the end of the bed. He had a friendly, undemanding smile on his face. Sasuke tried to make that expression line up with what he'd seen at the Valley of the End, and again inside Kyuubi- facial markings widened and electric, vicious orange eyes, fangs bared, chakra tails whipping back and forth of their own volition.
He wasn't able to do it.
"Orochimaru is coming after you," Naruto said quietly. "What are you going to do?"
Of course Naruto, being Naruto, would take everything the Hokage said at face value. Sasuke couldn't help but be amazed that Naruto didn't care at all that he was also going to be locked up. He was only interested in how Sasuke felt.
How did he feel?
Sasuke was beginning to understand why Kakashi had said what he did.
He was dangling the carrot of Sasuke's old life in front of him. Against his own desires, he'd been given a second chance. He could just go back to being an ordinary Konoha ninja, and erase the past three years as if they'd never happened at all.
This was a test. Kakashi knew Sasuke would be able to figure out Tsunade's intentions.
Meanwhile, there was Orochimaru. If he was actually coming towards Konoha, it was to meet up with Sasuke, not re-capture him. Orochimaru wasn't stupid. He would have seen the not-exactly-subtle evidence that Sasuke had been taken against his will. It wasn't like a hospital or a ninja village would be able to hold Uchiha Sasuke if he didn't want to be there.
Sasuke had his doubts, however, that Orochimaru had anything more to teach him. The three-year time limit on Orochimaru's soul transfer jutsu was quickly running out. He would need his new vessel soon. Privately, Sasuke had always had mixed feelings about going through with his agreement to give up his body, and his recent encounters with inner dimensions had solidified his doubts.
If he went back, and he decided not to go through with the soul transfer, he'd just have to escape again on his own. To do that, he'd have to kill Orochimaru. Maybe Kabuto, as well. If he stayed, Konohagakure would defend his body for him.
But then, there was Itachi.
If he stayed here, how was he going to kill Itachi?
And as much as Kakashi assured him that everything would be the same as it was, he doubted he would be allowed to come and go as he pleased.
"Sasuke?" Naruto pressed. His voice was quiet, but firm. "Are you going to leave again?"
One more problem tugged at his insides.
What was he going to do about Naruto?
Naruto would fight him if he tried to leave again, he was sure of it. He'd barely been able to walk away from him the first time. After he'd finally reached Orochimaru, Kabuto had spent hours healing the internal injuries.
Sasuke wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he liked being near Naruto. It was the closest thing he'd had to a home, ever since his real home had been destroyed. He also wouldn't admit that he didn't enjoy provoking the deepest pools of Naruto's pain and rage.
The longer he stayed, the less willing he'd be to leave.
Just like before.
My path is different from yours, Naruto.
"Sasuke," Naruto said calmly. "If you try to leave this village again, I will break you."
For the moment, Sasuke went with the only impulse he was sure of.
"Shut up, idiot."
Unfortunately, the title "SUP DAWG! I HEARD YOU LIKE BEING TRAPPED IN A MIND SO WE PUT A MIND IN YO' MIND SO YOU COULD BE TRAPPED IN A MIND WHILE YO' TRAPPED IN A MIND" did not fit inside ffnet's length requirements. (I just discovered that meme, like, last week. I lose at the internet.)
FUN FACTS: The first version of this chapter had Sasuke deciding to leave because Orochimaru would attack the village and kill people again if he didn't. But that was stupid and didn't make any sense, so I changed it. Sasuke's "WHAT? THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL" are pretty much my exact thoughts on the subject.