Last bit of Chapter 7:
A flash of light in the corner of his eye – that was the only sign of movement behind the teme – more needles. Lots of needles.
Naruto didn't know where his speed came from. He just had to move. He felt a flame burst into life in his stomach and a burning energy spread throughout his body achingly. And he could move.
He felt pain – pain spreading out from his back and shooting to every part of his body – his vision blurred – he could make out Sasuke's frantic eyes in front of him and he was aware of falling . . .
xXx
Chapter 8: Ice? Sasuke?What is this creature . . . ?
Naruto fell into his arms.(1) Sasuke's wide eyes stared down. He felt the . . . the dobe's pulse slow. He saw needles – so many needles – piercing the baka's back.
Fuck.
Sasuke's mind went blank. He was only aware of the breathing against his neck getting fainter and fainter, until he could not feel it at all.
He felt Naruto's heart against his chest – felt a longer gap between each beat.
Do something, Sasuke screamed at himself. But his body didn't move. Help him. But his mind couldn't even call up the seals he needed.
Bloody stupid bloody dobe!
Sasuke's attention lagged for one second and he did this?! A string of mental profanities took over for a moment.
Breathe.
His hands moving shakily behind Naruto's back, he formed the hand-seals. The horse, the dragon, the tiger. He spread his hand out under the boy's torn shirt and an eerie green flow slithered over Naruto's skin.
One by one the needles fell – Sasuke didn't know where – his concentration was on the wounds. The healing felt almost like touch, in some ways more intense than touch. Warmth tingled in his own fingers.
Healing was always personal – it couldn't not be, with directing your magic into someone's body, it was close even if you didn't know the person – but now . . .
He really wanted to touch the tanned skin.
Concentrate, he tried to tell himself.
But slowly his fingers started tracing circles on the almost-smooth skin, the touch was addictive.
Thank god the dobe is knocked out. Healing him while he was conscious would be torture. Whereas this was . . . nice. (2) Sasuke blushed.
But then his thoughts returned to the person who had done this, the person who had hurt his dobe.
xXx
Haku hated doing this.
They look so sweet.
The blond one – Narito ?(3) – was draped over the other's shoulders.
Sasuke's arms were wrapped around him protectively – almost possessively. As Haku watched, the noble looked up. When he saw those eyes, he cursed.
He knew he should've gotten rid of that one first.
There was pure murder in the dark gaze.
xXx
Sasuke was always calm when he fought. He was calm (4) now, as he used one finger to lift Naruto and float him alongside him, weaving the healing magic into the floating bind.
His brother used to comment on how unnerved his opponents were by his calm.
A frown flickered across the young Uchiha's face.
He crouched slightly, and then seemed to fly.
The needle bastard was fast. So Sasuke would just have to keep up. No, he would have to be better.
His eyes flickered to the sails, the rigging, the mizzenmast (5), looking for anything to use. He found the attacker's clever hiding-place.
There was no expression on his face. He was hunting now. This would be an interesting fight.
xXx
Neither spoke.
Their pulses slowed. They lay in warmth. Daisuke didn't want ever to have to do anything else.
Without a thought, he leant up and found the brown-haired boy's earlobe. It felt soft between his teeth.
Masashi breathed in sharply at the hot breath and the softness of the tongue.
Dai said, 'relax,' and sucked on the skin slowly.
His friend stilled, and Dai felt the boy's heart begin to race again, saw a flush on his cheeks. Masashi gasped-
BOOM!
Kakashi's eyes rose. He turned the page, but his gaze lingered on the scene above.
The two shapes were as rapid shadows, flying from spar to spar as flame and ice moved between them, exploding against each other.
A sail was on fire.
Hundreds of metres of rigging were beyond repair.
The top of another mast had fallen.
The Uchiha was using everything on the ship, even an unconscious Naruto – very carefully though, the Captain noted, bemused. His eye-brows rose. The boy had lasted quite a while against Haku.
Kakashi returned to reading, tuning out the noises. His opinion of the royal family had risen in the last few minutes. Well, his opinion of their fighting ability, at least. They still were stuck-up bastards at times.
KA-BOOM!
The little brat really did have no respect for other people's property.
FWAAASH!
They were single-minded. That was the family's problem. Among other things.
CRACK!
He turned another page, biding time, because he did want to see how the fight ended. He blew ash off the literature in his hands. The captain knew he wouldn't have to wait long – Haku never dragged out a battle. The boy was too soft for that.
xXx
He woke up half-way through a shudder and wished his muscles weren't moving at all. Out of his control, the shudder continued and then stopped.
The pain slowly receded.
Until he tried to move. Argh . . . ow.
And he couldn't even budge. But he felt the wind brush his hair – he was moving, he just wasn't able to get out of whatever was wrapped around his body. It was itchy.
Damn itchy.
Was this Sasuke's fault-?
His eyes widened. Was Sasuke all right? Those needles…
Naruto's eyes flickered round frantically and found the black hair, those tight pants, those boots.
Ah, so he was all right.
The teme looked back at him. Naruto could almost have sworn he saw relief on Sasuke's face, but the teme soon frowned, saying, 'Finally awake, lazy ass? Think you could help a little?'
Naruto scowled before he noticed Sasuke's gashed arm, the blood, the tired eyes and quickened breath.
How long had he been asleep for? How the hell had he fallen asleep in the first place?
Embarrassed, Naruto landed unsteadily on the spar below.
He heard the chain clink – it was his first warning that Sasuke had moved. The black-haired boy flashed in front of him and Naruto saw flame burst from his mouth.
Magic? It had to be . . .
Blue eyes followed the fire – and saw the masked pirate leap away, water falling down in front of him. The pirate stood on top of a broken mast and looked at them.
Sasuke had an arm out in front of Naruto but watched the attacker silently.
Naruto stared at the arm. Blood trickled down it and dripped off the sleeve. He was being protected. He was being a burden again.
Angry eyes shot to the form on the mast. That bastard had hurt his friend – his first friend. (6)
'You bastard! This is bloody training! And look what you've done! Why?'
Naruto decided he hated masks. He couldn't tell what the guy was thinking.
'Why?' he shouted in rage when there was no response.
'I didn't want to,' a soft voice replied, 'but I warn you that I will again. Please don't go after the bells. I will not let you get them.'
Naruto blinked. They were fighting a girl?
He glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke had had his ass whipped by a girl?
'Will you stop?' the pirate asked quietly.
Sasuke's hand clenched into a fist and Naruto remembered his determination to get to Kinsgora. They both had to stay on the ship.
Naruto had sworn to himself that he would become a pirate. And getting to Kinsgora was the one thing he knew Sasuke wanted.
So they both had to get to the pirate capital.
'No!' Naruto shouted back.
'Can you not just leave it?' the stranger's voice sounded almost pleading.
'If you want us to stop just give us the bells!'
There was a silence. 'I do not want to hurt you.'
'Then don't.'
xXx
Sasuke looked around. They were fifty metres – by his quick measuring – from the bells. This talking was getting them nowhere. He looked sidelong at Naruto, who was already facing him.
They needed a plan.
They nodded to each other.
They dropped off the spar – Sasuke jumping forward, Naruto back. The chain caught on the spar and before they could even swing together, Sasuke cut the spar and they plummeted into mist.
The Uchiha shot a look up at the pirate – shock was clear in his body-language.
With a slight smirk, Sasuke pushed himself down further than Naruto, grabbed hold of the chain as tightly as he could and whipped it up – hearing it emit a crack at the speed of the movement.
Naruto soared up above him, out of sight in the whiteness – to a spar just below the bastard, if Sasuke's calculations were correct.
Barely a second later, Sasuke just felt a tug on the chain as he flew upwards. His fingers formed the seal of the bird – he coaxed the wind into sending him higher, higher, out of the mist and slowing, looking down at the back of the pirate's head.
Tiger – the seals came without thought.
Magic burst out of him in flame. Blurring through the heat-wave, he saw the mask look up.
Sasuke smiled.
The attacker blocked the flames perfectly. What he didn't block was Naruto's clumsy, but still powerful, kick from below.
The pirate went flying. He stretched his arm up behind his head and one finger touched the sail he was falling towards – and he was shooting straight back up towards them, landing without a sound. He spun in a blur and sent Naruto flying – which yanked Sasuke to the side with him as the Uchiha fell.
Sasuke felt ice creep along the chain and before he could counter it, the chain had bunched together in solid ice and formed a dagger which embedded itself in the mast.
A blur – the white and red mask appeared before them. Sasuke could feel a strong grip around his neck.
'If you will not stop, I will stop you. I have already told you this.'
Sasuke moved his hand slowly – forming the tiger seal. But as his hand curled, ice crept over it – solidifying the space between his fingers, burning with cold. Sasuke gritted his teeth and sent raw magic into his hand – the ice began to melt.
It was then that crystals crept around his neck. Breathing became difficult – became cold.
He heard Naruto's voice.
'What are you doing? He can't breath!'
Sasuke's vision nodded in and out, fading. Naruto was shouting? Noises were tuning out.
The pain increased. The shouting bored into his skull, but he couldn't understand it. His lungs became a solid ache. His skull pounded.
What was that?
All thoughts of pain were drowned out by the magic he felt. How could magic be this evil, this alien, this wrong? Sasuke had never felt anything like this before.
What the hell was it?
He was shaking from the sheer power of it, sweat dripping down him in spite of the cold. Was it even still cold? He didn't know – darkness had taken over everything. His mind wanted to flee.
He blacked out.
xXx
Naruto saw ice tighten around Sasuke's neck. He tried to move his right hand. It had been frozen to the chain.
He glared daggers at the mask, but his eyes widened when he heard rasping breath from his right. His eyes shot to the side, then his head followed.
'What are you doing?' he shouted, his one free hand clenched. 'He can't breath!'
'You cannot get those bells.'
'Why are you doing this? Nande?' Damnit! He couldn't move! What the hell was happening with Sasuke? 'What are you?'
'A tool,' came the emotionless reply. 'And I must fulfill a purpose.'
'Who? What? What's going on? Let Sasuke go!'
The mask tilted to the side. 'I also have someone I want to protect. I'm doing that now.'
'How? What are you doing? How are you protecting someone by hurting my . . . my . . . my friend?'
The stranger's voice turned sad, 'Please understand. I am doing this to save my precious person.' She . . . or he looked at Sasuke. 'I think you do understand.'
Sasuke's head lolled forward for a second, his lips were turning blue.
Naruto felt his stomach tense. 'Stop it!'
'He will free you and resist me. I cannot have that.'
Sasuke's breathing slowed.
Naruto looked down at the chain. He could see Sasuke's hand frozen in its attempt to save them. Blond hair fell over his eyes. When he looked up through the strands he saw the world strangely – it was a sharper, clearer, more fragile place.
Through gritted teeth he replied, 'I do not understand. I will stop you.' The world seemed to burn and he saw slanted eyes above a mouth pulled back in a grin, revealing sharp, enormous teeth. Whatever creature had appeared laughed.
Power flowed into every part of Naruto's body, flowed out of it and thrust itself into the world in aching intensity from the depths of him.
Naruto could not resist laughing with it.
xXx
(1) Big Pirate's boyfriend (who, she cannot help but let you al know – is wearing a smexy yaoi top :D while swigging elegantly on vodka – hehe)
:D
anyway . . . he suggested, or rather, attacked the keyboard and altered our opening line of chpt 8:
Chapter 8:
Naruto fell into his arse.
Hehe – poor Sasuke
Naruto: hehe – 'I had to do it to save your life, Sasuke.'
Sasuke: O.o 'IM SEME, DOBE!'
Pirates: hehe
(2)
pirate's brother said: especially when it requires grabbing his ass – 'I'm healing him, I'm healing him.' :P
(3)
Haku's really thinking of dorito's, of course – no one's concentrating on this battle . . . it's all almost-smut and food so far
(4)
another sigh typo – for a moment – Sasuke was 'a clam now'- little pirate attempted to make some sort of chowder out of him and eat him'
little pirate: 'I've got an Uchiha clam. Mmmm')
(5)
thanks secretlygeeky from livejournal and wlkwos from fanfic
(6)
his first very goooood friend – nudge nudge, wink wink
yeessssh . . . Little pirate and big pirate hit the vodkaaaaa . . . blame the Flying Pink Peanut
-pirates shake their fists-
'rum, we want rum, hi-ho, argh me maties, we want rum!'
hope you enjoyed the chaappter!
We solemnly promise that the fight is over in beginning of next chapter we promise pinky promise
And we'll find out who kiba's shacked up with :P
hehe
anyway . . . REVIEW!!!!
Pwease!