NOTE: Okay, so, for the sake of it being less confusing, all of the reincarnations will have the same names as their originals. Because, let's face it, we would all get really confused and if I had to rename every single one of them, we would be here for like 20 years. And we'd all be like "oh wait, who's Itachi's reincarnation again? Itsuki or Kasuki? Jesus this is hard…" So, let's make it easier in that regard.
And it seems everyone was super concerned about Naruto being sick. I thought that was adorable xD
Also: I had a very interesting review from a guest that I very much wanted to talk about since I cannot message them and have secret, secret time with them. It was about which Naruto will Sasuke end up with; his own or the past one? Well, all I can say for now is that I gave a very big hint in the first chapter as to which one Sasuke will be with. If you didn't pick it up, don't worry, I will make another reference to it later on. But it will become clearer as the story goes on.
ALSO, ALSO: Memories will be incorporated into the beginnings of chapters if the chapter before it ends with Sasuke being asleep. And in the first chapter, Sasuke was knocked-out, which is pretty much the same thing. Sooo, the first scene in this story is…A MEMORY. Yayyy.
I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter! Regular POV.
-
"See, Sasuke? I told you we should have just stayed home." Naruto muttered, watching as Ino lit a candle and set in on a small table. There were no chairs around it and if someone were to sit down there, the person's chest would barely come up, over the table.
"I'm thinking you were right." Sasuke replied, clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth.
"God, have you two started fucking each other yet? You're already competing to be Best Couple in the fucking yearbook and you're not even dating! Come on, give us the plot twist." Kiba said, making a face at the duo. Naruto was frowning, his fists were already clenched.
"It's not worth it, darling." Sasuke said, grabbing onto Naruto's hands, pulling them to his chest.
"You're right, babe." Naruto's fist opened and their fingers wove together. "And, Kiba, for you information, Sasuke and I are also going to dominate the Best Friends category. We are the best at relationships."
Kiba frowned. "You two can barely be considered friends sometimes! It's just a joke and you two will definitely win! What about the people in actual relationships?!"
"You calling me darling makes me sound like I'm your wife from the nineteen fifties." Naruto ignored Kiba's complaints. Sasuke nodded.
"As long as I come home and you're not in a bathrobe with a cigarette, sitting in my kitchen, I think we'll be okay."
"Oh but do you still want your dinner by six and a fresh baked…" Naruto paused for a second. "Fresh baked tomato pie? I know you don't like cake and cake was a go to fifties wife thing."
Sasuke hugged Naruto, pulling the blond in closer. "We are going to be so happy together."
Naruto burst out laughing, pushing Sasuke away from him. "I love us, we're great." He threw an arm around the Uchiha's neck.
"You two are my least favorite people to hang out with." Kiba quipped.
Sakura and Ino both managed to get shots in on Kiba while he had his back turned. "Don't be rude." Sakura exclaimed at him. He was holding his head, inches away from falling off Ino's bed and rolling on the floor in pain.
"Girls are so scary." Shikamaru sighed as he sat down on the couch in the corner of the room. "Okay, Ino, what kind of witchcraft bullshit are we doing today?"
It was slightly crowded with nine people in Ino's room but everyone just bunched together, finding places to sit. Sasuke sat down with his back against the side of Ino's bed. Naruto joined Shikamaru and Chouji on the couch. Shino managed to snag the only chair in the room. Hinata and Kiba were sitting elbow to elbow on Ino's bed. Ino was smiling, standing by the table. Sakura got the lights; the room went dark, all except for the candle light on the table.
"Shikamaru, this is not witchcraft. There's no 'magic' or 'voodoo' or anything about it. It's just spiritual enlightenment!" Ino countered. Her smile was large across her face. "So, the other night Sakura and I were messing around and we found this super cool thing online about past-life regression." She put her hands on her hips as she approached the table. "It's super simple. All you gotta do is sit down with someone else while holding hands and look at their face. Then their face changes and you start to see thing from your past together."
"I thought it would be fun since we're all good friends. It'd be super cool to see if we had other relationships in the past, like if we were old souls." Ino added suddenly, passing a glance over to Sasuke and then one over to Shikamaru. "Who wants to go first?"
"Ino, w-what if we see something weird?" Hinata was next to Kiba, looking down at the floor as she quietly interjected.
"Ino had a burnt face when I looked at her though." Sakura commented. She was smiling but her she was holding herself. "It was creepy."
Everyone's eyes kind of widened, looking at each other with skepticism and a bit of nervousness. Naruto's face drained as he glanced towards Ino and Sakura. Sasuke perked up a little. He was incredibly skeptical and thought this was all going to be really stupid, but the look on Naruto's face made him smirk. Naruto was incredibly superstitious. It would be fun to mess with him.
Naruto looked away from the group. Hinata nervously shook her head. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"Hinata, don't worry." Kiba put his arm around the girl's shoulder, pulling her closer. "It's just your eyes and the shadows. Nothing weird is going to happen."
Ino smirked slightly. "Well Kiba, if you're so convinced nothing will happen, why don't you and Hinata go first then?"
Kiba straightened up a little, a nervous smile coming up to his lips. "If Hinata is okay with it…" Kiba's voice cracked at the end. Even if it was dark, everyone knew Kiba was blushing. Hinata nodded meekly.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto and he exchanged an all too knowing look as Kiba led Hinata to the small table. They sat cross-legged, on opposite sides of the table. Kiba wiped his hands on his pants before grasping onto Hinata's. "Now, all you gotta do is look at each other and hold hands. And everyone else, be quiet so we can concentrate."
"Question!" Naruto said, incredibly loudly. "How do you expect all nine of us, in a small room together, to be quiet?"
"Because, Naruto, if you aren't quiet I'll throw you out the window." Sakura said with a dangerous looking smile. "Got it?"
Naruto gave a thumbs-up, quickly moving to the side of the bed with Sasuke as though the Uchiha could act as a meat-shield if Sakura got a little too rowdy.
As if to keep to their testament of keeping quiet; everyone pulled out their phones, scrolling through their apps and media feeds. Sasuke was checking his email and Naruto was looking through the texts he had piled up from Iruka.
Sakura and Ino sat down on Ino's bed, also going through their phones. The room was dead silent. Kiba's eyes were focused on Hinata's face. There were shadows under her eyes and along her chin, making her face dark and obscured. The candle was flickering on the wick, crackling the wax.
His eyes focused on her face. And slowly, it grew and changed, morphing with the shadows. It got younger, her hair shortening as her features were sharpened. Kiba's eyes widened as his breath hitched in his throat. He pulled his hands away and turned to look out the window, which was obscured with curtains. Hinata was also looking away.
"Wow, that was quick…" Naruto said with a smirk.
Kiba's face scrunched with anger. "Shut up, Naruto. It's weird, okay? You do see things."
"What did you see?" Sakura asked.
Kiba suddenly softened. "I saw Hinata's face looking younger but more defined. Her hair was shorter than it is now but I felt weirdly calm looking into it. Like, I don't know, she was more than a friend to me. It was…I don't exactly know what to say."
"When I looked at Kiba, his face had weird marks on it, on his cheeks. They were like red triangles…" Hinata's voice was barely above a whisper.
"That IS weird." Shikamaru said, looking up from his phone.
"See? I told you!" Ino said in a very excited voice. "Maybe you were lovers in a past life." Ino and Sakura were giggling to each other. "You know who I want to see do this? Naruto and Sasuke!"
The duo looked at each other. Sasuke shrugged and the blond looked tense as the Uchiha got up. "Sure, sure." Naruto's voice was meeker, sounding strained as he willed himself to stand up. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he sat down at one end of the table, his back to the couch. Naruto reluctantly got up and sat down opposite of Sasuke, his back towards the wall with the door.
They both looked at each other. The strength of Sasuke's feature illuminated by the weak light of the candle. He held out his hands to Naruto. The blond laughed nervously. "What? Nervous, scaredy-cat?"
He grabbed on firmly to Sasuke's hands, scoffing as he did so. "Yeah, right!"
Their fingers intertwined slowly; Sasuke's slightly rough palms pushing against Naruto's smooth ones. Sasuke shifted so that he wasn't sitting cross-legged, but with one of his knees tucked against his chest. His legs were long and kept knocking into the table.
The room fell silent again and Sasuke felt an eerie air of relaxation wash over him as his hands twitched slightly in Naruto's. There was a soft shadow on the blond's nose and chin, making his unreal blue eyes bright. Naruto was staring, his eyes moving a little as the blond took in Sasuke's face. It made Sasuke strangely comfortable.
It was weird, it almost felt familiar to Sasuke. A thought pushed up from the back of his mind. It was a thought of Naruto. He didn't look the same. He looked far different. He was dressed in classically; as though he had dropped out of one of the real life kabuki theatre acts, minus the stage make-up or masks. Naruto's smaller body encased in a loosened yukata; the belt slowly opening. Naruto was in front of him, showing him that body. His skin was tanner than he knew; he had seen Naruto without a shirt on many a time.
Sasuke noticed the differences then, in Naruto's face. They were striking. On his cheeks there were scars. But they looked smooth as if he reached out to touch them, they would have no texture different than his skin. And his eyes, they were just as strongly blue but there was a slit in the middle, as though he was glancing into the eyes of the cat.
Feelings were overwhelming him; he felt increasingly aroused. Naruto's hands were pushing into his hair, trailing down his neck, rubbing circles into his back. "Sasuke…I love you." He said, his voice was just the same. It was roughened with the hints of heady lust. Naruto's weight settled down in his lap; their warmth intermingling. Sasuke's hands were on the blond's hips, tips of his fingers pressing into the softly, plushness of the untouched skin. There was a heavy urge…He wanted to kiss Naruto. He wanted the full press of his mouth.
Sasuke struggled for a second; noticing that his eyes were stinging, starting to tear up. He blinked, holding his eyes shut for a second. When he opened his eyes again, he was holding Naruto's hands, not his body. He refocused on Naruto's face again and when he looked onto his friend's face, he saw it. Naruto's face hadn't changed from what he had seen in his head, in that strange passing memory. He looked down at Naruto's hands again, noticing that they were clawed with elongated nails. Naruto was snarling at him, eyes shining with such strong anger. He seemed to be coated with redness, making his eyes change from blue to crimson within an instant. He started to move closer to the Uchiha…
Sasuke jerked back as though he had been burned. The sheer speed at which he moved caused the candle to tip over; wax covering over the flame. Smoke spread between the two as Naruto suddenly got up. Sasuke could hear the choking of sobbing.
"NARUTO!" Sasuke wanted to get up but his head started to throb, sucking the strength out of his legs. He could feel a trickling out of his nose as he reached up, wiping the blood. He gritted the pain through his teeth, swearing.
"Sasuke? Are you alright? Your nose is bleeding!"
"What about Naruto?! He was crying, wasn't he?" Sakura looked to where the door had already been closed, obscuring Naruto's visible location from them.
"Sasuke, he started crying nearly immediately…Didn't you see that?" Sakura muttered. Sasuke shook his head. "Whatever you two just saw, it was strong."
"What did you even see?" Ino questioned, handing Sasuke a few tissues for his nose. Kiba and Shikamaru were both on their feet, on a man hunt for the blond. The door shut softly behind them.
Sasuke tilted his head back. "It's not important." The Uchiha shakily got onto his feet. "I'm going to find him; I need to know what he saw."
-
Naruto coughed, his back pulsing with pain as he rolled to the side. He moaned, popping and stretching his back as he sat up. His eyes blinked away the dust and dirt of the room; they watered, stinging with tears yet to be shed. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, a chill ran through his spine. He turned his head, eyes scanning the room with frantic quickness. He couldn't see Sasuke. He moved from his position, smelling the air.
It was there.
Sasuke blood mixed with dust.
"SASUKE!" Naruto called out, eyes still frantically searching for his now unseen companion. He had lost him somehow. He half-wondered if Sasuke had left him here but his instincts were telling him differently. Sasuke was still here, somewhere.
"Naruto!"
The blond gasped as his eyes rolled back into his head. He blinked away the ache in his temples and as he did so he arrived at a cage, sitting in ankle deep water. The cage was large, pulsing with wickedness. The water around Naruto rippled outward as the beast came to the bars of the cage, all nines tails fanning out against it's large body. "Kurama…"
"Boy, you must leave here at once! Why are you sitting around twiddling your thumbs?"
"Insolent fox!" Naruto cried, standing up. His legs felt shaky underneath him.
"Insolent?! Are you daft in the head, boy? Did you land harder than I anticipated?" Kurama practically rammed himself into the cage, teeth barring at Naruto. They were both glaring at each other.
"I have yet to find Sasuke! I need to protect him! I have given my word!" Naruto yelled back, his fist shaking at his sides. He was worried about the raven. He didn't know what happened while he was blacked out. But Sasuke was injured and alone. Naruto felt his heart beating unbelievably fast at the thought Sasuke in some demon's clutches.
"Do not fret, boy. He is around." Kurama muttered, annoyed with Naruto's twitchy demeanor and worried expression. "But you should give up on that child. He is in the malevolence's clutches now. There is nothing you can do; leave him to be with his ancestors."
"WHAT?!" Naruto's face expressed his exasperation and rage. "Do you really expect me to leave him to die? I was the one who failed to protect him! I will not allow him to rot here."
"YOU DO NOT LISTEN!" The fox's chakra whipped around Naruto causing his blond hair to whip around as the pressure filled the small room. "I know you've felt it! There is a darkness which lurks in the catacombs! He's taken the boy and there will be no more of this! He is going to be dead to the world soon, there is nothing you can do about it! You may be a priest but even your powers are not sufficient."
"Then allow me to have your strength."
The fox laughed, his dark chuckling reverberating off the barely lit walls. "You are such a willful child, so full of ideas and dreams but with no means of accomplishing them." Kurama laid down, paws extending their claws at the small blond in front of him. "A priest who relies on the strength of a demon when he has none. How do you expect to be respected when you're reliance on me grows?"
Naruto's nails were puncturing into the flesh of his palms. He couldn't look up at the demon in front of him, knowing that he was right. But he couldn't allow Sasuke to perish here because of his carelessness. He should have known this place was littered with traps; he had enough information to know that the Uchiha were tricky people.
His eyes tore upwards. "Fine, if you are not willing to give me strength, then I will use my own. And I will save Sasuke. I swear to Kami that I will bring him back to the village! This malevolence is just another demon and I will vanquish it."
The nine tails fanned out in an offensive manner as the demon rammed against the cage, fangs barred. "I do not wish to die this day, Naruto! This force is too much, even for you! With my help you will barely be able to escape him! Let this boy go. There will be others to replace him. Forget your heart, boy, and use your head for a change. If you listen closely, you will know that what I am speaking is undoubtedly the truth. The boy is of Uchiha blood, this is where he belongs…"
"Foolish fox, you forget that I am nothing more than human and as long as this heart beats in my chest I will continue to live my life by my means."
A smirk broke across the fox's face as he seemed to calm down, resting again. Waves and ripples assaulted Naruto's legs as the large body settled. "Oh yes, a heart. Perhaps I can lend you my strength in exchange for a heart as pure and golden as yours…"
Naruto stepped back, a hand clutched protectively over his chest. He was glaring at the Kyuubi. He was muttering in a language underneath his breath, making Kurama twitch. "I have given you my body, demon. My heart will never be yours to take."
The world around Naruto's eyes was fading as he was being pulled back into reality. Kurama gently 'tsk'ed his tongue and slunk back towards the back of the cage, red eyes illuminated in the darkness. "You may have that contract with me, child. But soon enough, I will have that heart of yours."
The blond took a deep breath as his vision returned to normal, leaving him in the collapsed space underneath the shrine. He stood up, wiping the dust, dirt, and debris off of himself as he wandered further into the room. He looked around, noting that there was no natural light around him, signifying that night had already begotten the day. He frowned. Whatever demons were lurking in the dark would be far more powerful now, the moon shining and strengthening them. He cursed under his breath.
He hoped Sasuke was close.
-
Sasuke moaned; his head was throbbing with pain. He tried to reach up to touch the drying blood on his forehead but found his arms unable to move. Sasuke desperately wanted to start squirming, panic nestling into his chest and making a nest out of his heart. He immediately paused, assessing the situation and taking a deep breath to calm himself. When he opened his eyes, it was dark, all accept for a small beam of light from a candle. Sasuke turned his head towards the light, seeing a figure leaning over something, blocking it with his body. They were working hastily, black hair swishing around their back, not seeming to notice that Sasuke had stirred. The air in Sasuke's throat caught as he noticed the chains binding him down onto a hard, marble slab. He had no idea how long he had been out, or where Naruto was. He looked around frantically, eyes searching the darkness for any sign of blond hair. His head was pounding with pain, feeling like his brain was about to explode from the pressure. Sasuke let out a pained whimper, despite his mental protests to his body.
The man suddenly stopped, turning slowly towards the immobile Uchiha, unable to hold back a smirk. Sasuke's eyes widened when he was met with a crimson stare. His eyes were patterned with black circles, connecting and seeming to spiral as they watched him closely. Sasuke felt icy as the stare became more intense, the man starting to move towards him. He stood up; a wickedness just in the movements of his body. He approached Sasuke slowly, fingers lovingly tracing his face. They stung his skin, feeling like the man was lighting his skin on fire with just the gentleness of a touch. Sasuke cried out and the man pulled back, smiling down at him.
"You are so beautiful…" The man muttered. "Beauty as pristine as yours should not exist in the land of mortals…" Again, the skin on skin contact with the man made Sasuke thrash against his bonds, pain entering and hooking into his pores. "Such youth, such grace. The blood of the clan has finally made a body strong enough." He gripped Sasuke's chin harshly, forcing an immobile body up and into a stretched, muscle tearing position. Sasuke's eyes widened as his spine was powerfully bent upwards. He bit down on his lip, teeth chewing the flesh trying to focus his mind off the agony in his back. Blood dripped thickly down his chin, coating the man's hand. He let out a sigh of pleasure, watching fat drop cascade down porcelain skin. "Finally, I am able to touch the flesh of the innocent. The clan has not forsaken me."
He leaned in, giving Sasuke a kiss on his temple. Sasuke twitched at the touch, his skin flushing and burning. His touches were acidic, like he was putting small drops of all over his skin and letting them burn, eating away at him slowly. Sasuke teeth grit together harshly as he started to pant, unable to keep back a scream of pain as the man's tongue started to lap at the blood which was dried against his scalp.
"Is it painful…?" The man's eyes were bright as though they were dripping with fresh blood and mixing into the whites. Sasuke let out a pained pant as he turned his head away, unable to find his voice to protest, though, deep down, he knew it would be useless to do so. "Forgive me, my dearest child, I do not wish to harm you but it is what is dictated. You've given me life afresh and I mean to enjoy it this time; pain is necessary for our sins."
The man leaned in again; this time he started to suck and lap at the blood from Sasuke's lip, making him whine and moan, jerking away from the pain. The saliva on his chin and throat like gasoline fueling the fire of pain rifling through his body making him unable to do anything more than cry out and squirm. Tears fell hotly down his cheeks and the man moaned at the sight of them, wiping them away with long, pale fingers. "W-why?" Sasuke's voice was small, meek against the silence of the room.
"He speaks…" The man's movement ceased as Sasuke turned his head towards him; his crimson eyes having an amused edge to them. "Just as I had feared; you're innocent. How could they send such a delicate kitten into the lion's den?" Sasuke flinched as the hand reached for him again; he made a soft noise of fear in his throat, causing the man to pause, smiling lightly. "Tell me, who is it that allows me to live again? What is your given name, my child?"
Sasuke shivered at the sound of his voice. It sounded too gentle, too caring, as those this man wasn't purposefully doing anything. But Sasuke knew that was a lie. He kept touching him, kept putting his searing fingers on his flesh. His voice, however, betrayed him. He wasn't sure why, but Sasuke felt like those eyes were compelling him to speak. "Sasuke…" He couldn't look this man in the eyes.
"Sasuke…" The man seemed delighted. "My Sasuke…My Salvation…" The man was looming over him, as if he was wondering what to do next. His eyes were glistening with admiration and Sasuke cowered slightly, shuddering against the gaze. "You asked me 'why' correct? The clan must be sending you in blind, then…"
Sasuke turned back, his hair falling over his eyes. The man took great care not to touch him this time as he brushed the bangs out of younger Uchiha's eyes. "Forgive them, Sasuke. They knew I could not accomplish my goal without a willing soul and they've made you so strong…" Sasuke made a weak noise in the back of his throat which came out choked, much like a sob. "No, no…Rejoice. You have given me a new life, sewn my soul back into a tomb of flesh. With a new life I can restore peace to the world."
"Peace?" Sasuke didn't know why he was bothering to question this mysterious man. He had been causing him nothing but pain. Sasuke head was swimming with questions though. He had come here for answers and now he was being assault by this man…
Sasuke could only assume he was some kind of demon.
Where was Naruto when he needed him?
"Yes, yes…" His voice was sultry, seductively sweet as he couldn't help himself, running a finger down Sasuke's cheek. The Uchiha cringed as the touch traced down his neck, causing him to arch up. "When I am finally fully revived, I will bring peace again to this world. I will purify it. And you were sent to be my salvation…"
The man suddenly turned away from Sasuke and the Uchiha trembled, fearful of whatever he could produce next. He picked up something from the small table across from him; it was whatever he had been working on when he had woken up. Sasuke was panting, unable to calm himself down as the man continued to do something he couldn't see. Panic was burning through his chest and bubbling up into his throat making him whine with fear. He had never been this afraid of someone before. This man was unpredictable; Sasuke had no idea what action he was going to take against him.
He turned back around suddenly, a small bottle in hand. Sasuke couldn't suppress the cry of fear; it ached in the back of his throat. "With you, I will save the world." He tilted the bottle against his lips, his cheeks swelling with the liquid. Sasuke closed his eyes as the man pressed his mouth against his. He made sure to touch Sasuke's face as well, causing the Uchiha to cry out, opening his sweet cavern. The liquid filled his mouth, swirled and twirled by the man's tongue. Sasuke immediately started to feel dizzy, his cheeks burning with a sudden heat as he greedily swallowed the liquid. His lips were wet and sticky when the man pulled back, licking the remainder off his own. "To numb your suffering… I am the leader of this clan and I will not allow such a beautiful child to endure such torment." His nose brushed into Sasuke's, lips hovering right above his. "When you go to the Whiteness, tell them Madara sent you." The hotness of Madara's breath tickled Sasuke's lip as he moved in, sealing his mouth over the smaller Uchiha's.
He whined into the kiss, tongue prodding open his already parted lips. He was feeling strangely hot and the man's skin no longer burned when he touched him. Sasuke moaned, his tongue pushing against Madara's. The older Uchiha made a satisfied noise in his throat as his hands descended down his chest, pushing the kimono the younger Uchiha was wearing open. He hand massaged the suppleness of Sasuke's chest causing him to twitch.
Madara grunted when the smaller Uchiha started to nibble and give succulent, sultry licks on his bottom lip. His eyes were coated over, glassy with lust. The medication had done well to numb him, to block out the sense in his head so he would not realize what was happening. Madara smirked into the kiss, suckling the abused bottom lip of his Uchiha companion; it was still coppery with blood. Sasuke moaned, whining incoherently against Madara's lips. He felt his groin twitch at the softness of the voice. It really was too bad for this child; he was sculpted in Uchiha beauty, practically perfect save the fact he did not have eyes burning crimson. But Madara did not need him to be that powerful; he needed the youth in this form. He needed to suck it from the marrow of this Uchiha's bones, to make sure he would not turn back into a corpse.
It was how the world worked. A life in exchange for a life. The clan sent him this one and he would be the sacrificial lamb. He almost wished they had sent him another but this one obviously lacked something that made him undesirable. They wanted Madara back, and so, Uchiha blood needed to be spilled for his soul.
Madara moaned as he felt Sasuke's chakra start to flow more, their kissing filling him with energy. He cracked open his eye, noticing that Sasuke's body was slowly starting to age. When he finished sucking the life out of this child, he would rejoin with the rest of the Uchiha clan, taking his rightful place, once again.
"SASUKE!"
Madara pulled back as a barrage of paper seals littered his skin, causing the ritual between him and Sasuke to break. The younger Uchiha pulled back all of his chakra, flesh filling up and falling into the correct age. He started to pant harshly, sweat beading on his skin, coughing but still looking longingly at Madara. The older Uchiha roared with anger, scanning the room for the interruption. "WHO DARES INTERFERE WITH MY PLANS?!" The paper seals were bursting into flames, filling the room with a brief moment of intense brightness. Madara saw him then, crouching in the doorway, blond hair dirtied. His blue eyes were shining, more paper seals ready to be thrown. Madara started to laugh. The power radiating from the small blond made him overjoyed; he could smell the demonic energy fueling the tiny threat. Madara smirked. "Such good fortune. A Jinchuuriki. The gods are smiling upon me this day; come to me child and face your end! I'll put your powers to good use, little priest."
Naruto's eyes widened as the man took a deep breath in, expelling fire into his direction. He fell backwards, back firmly planted to the floor as the fire sailed above him. It singed the top few strands of hair by his face and the blond held his breath. He had felt this power as soon as he entered the shrine but he didn't think this demon could be as powerful as he was. He had done well at hiding his true presence from the blond priest. Naruto felt his heart sinking, his mind wandering to what the Kyuubi had told him about running. It was far too late to turn back now, though.
Naruto rolled, pressing himself into a wall. He had to do something desperate to give him an opening. There was no way he could fight this demon just as it was. And if the demon inside wouldn't help him, he would call upon his own purity. Naruto took a deep breath, allowing his chakra to build up in his body, wrapping him in protective layers of gold. He needed to be strong to save Sasuke. When he opened his eyes again, the fire had dissipated and he could hear the man from the room heading to the door.
The chance was now.
The blond leapt into the room, using all the strength he could muster and letting his chakra flow rapidly into his fists. The demon didn't seem surprised and grabbed Naruto's fist as it came up. The demon had been faster than Naruto anticipated. He twirled the blond around, slamming his smaller body into the wall by the doorway. He cried out as his face was smashed against the rocks, cheeks scraping and bleeding from the contact.
"An Uzumaki?" The man purred his hand tightening in the blond spikes, pulling his head back. "I've always had such a fondness for that clan. Your bodies are perfectly designed to hold demons and you are obviously no exception." Naruto grunted as his face was slammed roughly back into the wall. He felt blood dripping out of the corner of his lip.
"Madara…" The voice was light and the man behind Naruto relaxed slightly, letting go of Naruto's head. He groaned when the pressure on his scalp was released. The blond turned his head, seeing Sasuke looking at the two of them. His lips were bleeding, puffy and bruised from the man's feral attack against them. Naruto growled. Madara simply tossed him into the opposite wall, cracking it with a sickening thud. "Madara…"
"My, my…" Madara was smirking as he approached Sasuke, fingers lacing into the sweaty bangs. He loomed over the smaller body, planting small kisses all over the Uchiha's face, savoring the sweetness of his heated skin. "Uzumaki, let me finish with this child first and then we can continue to play. He is becoming very impatient."
"Sasuke!" Naruto tried to get up but fell back to his knees; his back and head were throbbing from the earlier impact. Black spots were dancing in his vision. "Sasuke, fight it! He'll kill you."
"He is already mine." Madara said, pleasure tinging in his voice. "You cannot reach him; my eyes have gazed into his own and I have consumed his blood. Our bond is no longer one of clan but of spirit. He is my salvation now and nothing will stop me from consuming him in darkness."
"You know what I think?" A man walked in from the shadows, his hand pressing into the stone. Madara was stunned, completely unable to move. He looked upward, an intricate seal above him. Madara screeched angrily, eyes burning red. "I think if you plan to kill someone, do it. Do not stand around talking about it, you will definitely lose your chance."
"Treacherous blood! You cannot keep me here! It is my destiny to have that child." Madara was screaming it at the top of his lungs, the shrine's inner walls shuffling and starting to collapse with the rumbling of Madara's rage. Naruto coughed as clouds of dirt dropped down on top of him. "I WILL HAVE HIM!"
The man walked in farther, helping Naruto off the ground. He wore a hood over his face and his cloak was long, obscuring most of his body. "Come along, now. We must get that child out of here." Naruto wavered on his feet and the man clicked his tongue. "I will free him of his bonds; heal yourself while there is still time. That seal cannot hold forever."
Naruto nodded, still wary of this man and his sudden appearance. But he seemed to want to help them. For now, Naruto decided, he would trust him. Saving Sasuke was all Naruto's mind could process now and that was all he could really ask for from this man.
Sasuke's head was still swimming, not really grasping what was happening around him. He just wanted to continue kissing Madara; it had felt good, like his nerves were pulsing with fire, pooling magma throughout his veins. A hooded man approached him, tugging and at his restraints. Sasuke tried to focus but his head was too fuzzy and he was dizzy with pleasure.
"Damn it…Sealed down." The man muttered. "They'll need to be removed."
"Is there a problem?" Naruto limped over to where Sasuke was lying down and his eyes widened a little.
"Naruto…Am I dreaming?" The blond leaned over Sasuke, petting his cheek gently. "That feels good."
"What did he do to Sasuke? Do you know?" Naruto's blue eyes were bright with concern.
The hooded man glanced up. "Yes, but now is not the time to explain. You..." He suddenly stopped pulling at the small chains, looking Naruto over for a couple seconds. "You're a Jinchuuriki, correct?"
"Yes…" Naruto became suspicious at the question, eyes narrowing.
"Good, good." The man replied. "I am going to require your assistance. The lock on his right arm, use your power to break it free. The left lock, I will burn through."
Naruto nodded, his body slowly covering in the dark red chakra. Sasuke just watched as the arms sprung from Naruto's back, the blond was looking at the binding, his aura gripping the metal harshly, yanking it free from the marble. After the second was burned away, Naruto picked up Sasuke's body from the table, noticing that the shackles were still on his wrists. He supposed they could deal with them later though; they had no time to waste, the building was starting to collapse even more as Madara's immoble form fumed. His eyes were alight with fury as Naruto clutched Sasuke close.
Madara watched the three of them as they hurried out the door, the seal still holding him in place. They would probably get a few hour head start as the shrine slowly collapsed. He would have to wait until the seal broke down before he could move again. But when he was finally free, he would capture that Uchiha and he would suck away his life.
Madara dark laughed reverberated through the catacombs, chasing the hooded man and Naruto as they maneuvered through the dilapidated shrine.
The hooded man knew exactly where he was going and Naruto was thankful for that. The only reason he had found the room at all was mostly due to good luck and a bit of well-used tracking. But he had been in a hurry so he hadn't taken in much of the surroundings his first time through.
Sasuke was clutching to him, breathing hotly against the blond's neck. Naruto wrapped his arms even tighter around the raven. He had almost lost him to that mysterious demon and the thought of it made Naruto's stomach churn. Sasuke was completely helpless against him. He hated demons for that. Humans could barely raise an attack against them and demons always took such great pleasure in tormenting them.
"This way." The hooded man's voice was somewhat muffled by the rocks crumbling and falling around them. Naruto leapt through a small opening in the wall, finding that they were obscured by the night. He took a deep breath, sighing it out with relief. "Come, I will escort you to the village. He needs immediate healing."
Naruto took a step back, pressing Sasuke even closer into his body so that their clothes barely separated them. "As much as I would like to offer you my thanks for helping Sasuke, I do not fully believe that you are of trustable circumstance. How did you find us?"
The hooded man sighed, hand reaching up as tugging away at the fabric around his face. His hair was just as dark as the night, eyes shining with crimson, elevating the paleness of his skin to that of the moon; much like the man in the shrine, Naruto noted. But his hair wasn't as spiked, nor did he exude such a menacing aura. "I am of Uchiha blood, priest. I will give you all the answers you seek but first we must get him to safety."
Naruto begrudgingly nodded.
-
Sasuke screamed loudly, Tsunade's hands glowing green as she held them over his heart. He had to be held down by both of her assistants and Naruto. The Uchiha man Naruto had met in the shrine just watched from the corner of the room, frowning. Sasuke kept squirming and screaming loudly, pain near unbearable as he tried to free himself. "PLEASE!" Sasuke was begging, his vision blurry as it was obscured by his own tears. "PLEASE STOP!"
"Naruto, hold him tighter!" Tsunade yelled, her eyes shining with determination. "Just a few more moments, Sasuke. We will be done soon."
A black sludge started to press upwards at the skin over Sasuke's heart, slowly oozing out of his pores and spilling down the pale chest. Sasuke was crying out even louder, his skin stretching unnaturally over the area. His hands were gripped into the sheets of the bed he was lying on, muscles so taught in his hands and arms that it looked like they were tearing from the force. Saliva dripped down the sides of his mouth, dribbling into a small puddle on the pillow. He was crying too, tears falling in heavy drops down his cheeks. "AHHHH! STOP!"
"Sakura, I need a blade, now!" Tsunade yelled to her right. The pink haired girl nodded her head. The ooze was balling itself up underneath Sasuke's skin, pulling upward, wanting to be freed. The girl's grip on Sasuke's arm slackened as she reached behind her, grabbing a small blade. Sasuke immediately wrenched his arm free of Sakura's hold, reaching over to the other assistant and punching her with all of his strength. She remained firm in her hold though, despite the blood streaming down from her nose.
The Uchiha man in the corner moved quickly stepping down onto Sasuke's arm. The blade was passed between Tsunade and Sakura and the blond woman quickly cut the skin open, the wound popping with the black ooze. Sasuke calmed down near immediately, his breath coming out in harsh pants, saliva and tears still leaking out of his face. Tsunade was panting, teeth gritting as she glared up at Naruto. "What happened in that shrine, Naruto?! Sasuke is supposed to be human and his soul has been severely darkened."
"If anything, this is your fault Tsunade!" Naruto yelled back, eyes expressively bright with his anger. "You made us believe there would be information there! Sasuke has been befallen because of your misguidance."
The Uchiha clicked his tongue, removing his foot from the smaller Uchiha's arm. "Aniki…" All of them turned towards Sasuke as his fingers reached out weakly, grabbing the standing man's cape, tugging it gently. "Itachi, please, don't go." The Uchiha's eyes widened as he crouched, grabbing Sasuke gently and looking over his face.
"Tell me, priest, is this Uchiha a prophet?" The man mumbled watching as Sasuke's eyes slowly started to close.
He turned his gaze towards Naruto but Tsunade cleared her throat. "Sakura, Shizune, you may go home, now. I will take care of him tonight." The two of them looked between each other, nodding as they exited the room, muttering their goodbyes. Tsunade's warm eyes flicked up to the Uchiha, who was back to admiring the other boy's face with familiar kindness. "We believe that he is an anachronism…As such, he is from the future."
"Hn." The man let go of Sasuke's face, letting it hit the pillow with a soft thud. "It explains why he was foolish enough to enter that shrine…"
"Forgive me, I had misguided him and Naruto into that shrine, into that demon's den." Tsunade spit out the word demon, fists clenched at her sides.
"Why do you believe Sasuke to be prophetic blood?" Naruto muttered, looking down at the mats on the floor.
"He was able to speak my name without me giving it."
"Perhaps he knows your reincarnation as well." Tsunade suggested. "For now, let us converse in the next room. I will meet you there after I tend to the wound on his chest. Naruto; hospitality please."
Naruto nodded, standing up from the floor, motioning for Itachi to follow him. The door clunked softly behind them.
"He called you 'older brother'…in very affectionate terms…" Naruto said, giving Itachi a sideways glance.
"Yes, indeed he did."
The silence between them was thick, nearly palpable. Naruto twitched with awkwardness.
"What did that demon do to Sasuke? Will he…pass on?" Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, feeling a softness in his heart at the blond's reluctance to say 'die'. He found it quite sad; the blond had already become attached to the now cursed Uchiha child.
Itachi looked over at the blond as he slid open a large paper door, allowing the Uchiha to enter first. Naruto entered after, closing the screen behind him. "I cannot say whether or not Sasuke will die."
Naruto's face was scrunched with hurt as he started to tend to the small fire in the middle of the room, bringing it back to a small roar. He filled a kettle with water from a bucket, trying not to face Itachi with eyes burning blue with sorrow. "When we are rejoined by Tsunade, I will explain more to you, priest. There is still hope, I assure you."
The blond's smile was gentle on his lips; sorrow still shone through the oceanic blues, however. Itachi took a seat, nestling himself between the fire and the wall as Naruto set the kettle down onto the fire. After a few moments of silence, they were joined by Tsunade, whose brow was furrowed with worry. "He is sleeping peacefully at the moment but after our talk I will attend to him further." Tsunade paced to the other side of the room, looking fretfully down at the tea cups on the small table. She actually seemed a bit sullen after the event and Naruto sent her a sympathetic look. "Please, if you would, tell us what we might be able to do for Sasuke…"
Itachi cleared his throat. "You cannot do more than this, I'm afraid." Tsunade and Naruto both tensed at the Uchiha's softly spoken words. The kettle started to whistle and Tsunade moved towards it, pulling it off the fire, her face trying to remain stoic. "I felt that you, young priest, interrupted the ritual between Sasuke and Madara…"
Tsunade broke one of the tea cups catching everyone attention. They turned their heads towards the blond woman; she was shaking as she slowly peered over her shoulder towards Itachi. "…Madara? As in the old clan leader, Uchiha Madara?"
"Yes, the very same, unfortunately. Sasuke's presence within the shrine awoke him." Itachi's eyes casted towards the fire; the shadows danced on his face, making the crimson of his eyes look even more striking in the mock darkness. "The clan was foolish in the times Madara was alive, placing a curse upon him which could only be undone with Uchiha blood. We had no intentions upon reawakening Madara, however. Which was why the barrier around the shrine was placed, so all Uchihas would know if the taboo was being broken."
Naruto felt heat in his cheeks at that comment. "Forgive me…I was the one who broke through the barrier."
Itachi shook his head good-naturedly, smiling. "There was no way for you to possess information about Madara's burial place. The Uchiha are also partly to blame for this…" Tsunade had recovered somewhat from her initial shock, handing Itachi and Naruto their tea before retrieving a spare cup from a small cabinet above the table. "We kept it a clan secret, allowing the shrine to slowly die out. We hoped when it fell, Madara would forever remained buried, slowly eroded by time."
"I felt his evil presence there…I allowed Sasuke to go inside even though I was apprehensive." Naruto's fists clenched into the fabric of his hakama.
"Do not blame yourself for this." Itachi said soothingly. "Even if you had left the shrine without mishap, Madara would have reawake just smelling Sasuke inside. The problem does not lie within errors made by you or Sasuke; what is to be focused on is that Uchiha Madara is alive now and he wants very much to have Sasuke back."
Itachi took a sip of his tea, letting out a sigh. "Madara and he have made a pact…One forged in blood, much like that you would make with a demon. There was no doubt that he has tasted Sasuke's blood but as I said before, there is still hope, because you, Naruto, interrupted the ritual."
"What kind of ritual did he perform? I have been a healer for many years and I have never seen such a disgusting sickness…" Tsunade took a seat next to Naruto; she had been listening thoughtfully to the Uchiha's words for the bulk of the conversation.
"That black ooze was decay." Itachi answered quickly. "Madara's body had broken down very much in the past fifty years and he was trading Sasuke's youth and life to return his own. He was trying to remove Sasuke's life force from his body. One life for another. Sasuke was to take Madara's place in the afterlife. If he had succeeded, it would have effectively sealed himself inside the body which was reborn by young Uchiha blood."
"Is that…" Naruto paused, his face flushed as he thought about Madara leaning over Sasuke, their tongue passing into each other's mouths. "Is that why they were kissing?"
"Yes…" Itachi muttered softly, sighing once again at the end. "I'm afraid that is it a very effective way to extract Sasuke's youth. Engaging in sins of the body, especially between blood, is quite demonic. It gave Madara much strength." Naruto and Tsunade both frowned at the thought. "But that is not all, it is for…" Itachi turned his head briefly away, unconsciously chewing his bottom lip slightly. "The connection between them in strengthened to that of physical dependence. Sasuke will crave for Madara, until he is put back into the ground. Also, since the ritual was not completed, he will not be able to resist Madara either; if they are present together, that is."
"Kami save us…" Tsunade said under her breath.
"But, if you keep Sasuke away from Madara long enough…Madara will die again. His body is, as we speak, already breaking back down." Itachi said. "It will become your duty to protect Sasuke from Madara…"
Tsunade stood up. "I will go request more guards around the village." She looked towards Itachi. "If you would like, you may stay here for the night."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Tsunade." Itachi said with a slight bow. "I wish to speak with the Uchiha child when he awakens so I would very much appreciate staying here." Tsunade nodded as she walked to the screen, opening and shutting it with a small thud.
Naruto's eyes were shining as he turned his head towards Itachi. "What, exactly, would you like to speak with Sasuke about?"
"How to save his soul."
That's where I'm going to end it for today! I know things are starting to heat up already! Cause Madara is super duper evil and I LOVE IT.
Sasuke: Why do bad things always happen to me?
Me: Uchiha blood, yo.
Naruto: you know, I half-expected Orochimaru to be the main villain in this story.
Me: -snickers- oh ho, ho. We have yet to begun to play, Naruto. If you think he won't show up for Uchiha D eventually, you'll be sorely mistaken.
Sasuke: Oh, fantastic.
Me: this was Hitoko-sama.