Blurred Lines

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: Sasuke was 13 when his family crossed over. I went back and tried to fix any "age errors."

Chapter 6

A few days later, Sasuke smiles as he sits in the back of a red convertible. The five friends were smooshed inside the beautiful car, but none of them cared. It was a convertible!

"Where did you get this sweet car?" Suigetsu asks Kimimaro.

The silver haired fairy smiles as he glances back at his new friends subtly. Human were rather easily impressed. That fact certainly worked in his favor.

"My Uncle is letting me borrow it for the weekend." He says happily.

"Damn. That's an awesome uncle!" Suigetsu says and the others nod.

Sasuke was relieved in a way. This was so normal. He was in the real world with his friends and enjoying a ride in a really cool car. It didn't get anymore normal than that.

His world couldn't be anymore different than Eien No Yume. There weren't any hot Vikings that could turn into Dragons here. His parents weren't alive here. Oh and there certainly weren't Goblin Kings who kidnapped people!

"You alright, Sasuke? You look a little spaced out." Karin inquires in concern.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well." Sasuke lies.

He didn't like lying to his friends, but he sure as Hell wasn't going to tell them the truth. Sasuke couldn't tell them what was really going on when Kimimaro was with them.

He had been part of Taka since high school. Kimimaro was a nice guy that he had met a few days ago. Sasuke wasn't ready to spill his deepest, darkest secrets to him yet.

"Ah. Yeah. I get it. I hate when that happens." She offers sympathetically.

"So where would you guys like to go?" The fairy inquires.

"The park is nearby. It's beautiful this time of year." Jugo offers and there were murmurs of agreement.

Sasuke smirks. He knew damn well why Jugo wanted to go to the park. He wanted an excuse to wander off with Kimimaro. He couldn't blame the gentle giant. Kimimaro was attractive and seemed to be into him. Why wouldn't the zoology major be interested in exploring the possibility?

Speaking of exploring possibilities, Sasuke touches the beautiful necklace underneath his shirt. Every single time he did so now, he was reminded of Naruto. There was another world out there just waiting for him to fall asleep. A world that included a sexy Viking.

"Looks like we're here." Suigetsu says, a few minutes later.

True enough, they had arrived at the park. It was a nice park, but it couldn't compete with the grand forests of Eien No Yume. Sadly, Sasuke knew the truth.

There were very few places left in the modern world that were anywhere near as pristine as the forests of the other realm. Now that he thought about it, Jugo would probably love it there.

"I'm going to go show Kimimaro the slide. He's been wanting to see it for awhile." Jugo says with a smile.

"Right. Of course, he wants to ride Jugo's big slide." Suigetsu says with a smirk and Sasuke sighs.

He swats Suigetsu upside the head for that one. Suigetsu was like a second brother to him. He really was, but sometimes he lacked any sense of tact. At times like those, it was his sacred duty to smack some sense into the other man.

"Owe! What was that for?" Suigetsu demands with a whine.

"For being an annoying pervert." Sasuke mutters as he drags Suigetsu off.

Suigetsu grumbles about bossy Uchihas. Sasuke didn't care though. He knew that the other man meant well, but he wasn't going to let his mouth ruin this for Jugo. He'd never really seen their large friend react this way to anyone before. It was a big deal to him.

"Yeah! You really need to learn to watch what you say!" Karin says as she follows them.

"Oh, not you too!" The violet eyed college student groans in response.

"You had that one coming. Honestly, I can't believe you said that about the slide!" She chides him.

Suigetsu shrugs. He was just trying to help. That and it was funny. They couldn't seriously say that it wasn't.

"Oh come on. It was funny and he needed a push." The violet eyed college student protests.

"It was kinda funny. That wasn't a push though. That was a shove over a cliff." Sasuke mutters in amusement.

Elsewhere Itachi sighs in his prison cell. He still couldn't believe that he had fallen for that. It was the oldest trick in the book.

"You don't actually think that they are going to attack Egypt to get me back, do you?" He mocks his captor.

The new Goblin King was worse than Orochimaru. Itachi couldn't believe that was he was actually thinking that, but it was true. Orochimaru just wanted to achieve personal power for himself and preferably immortality. He hadn't had plans to take over the entire realm.

Danzo was different though. His ambitions were far greater than just personal immortality. No. He wanted to completely dominant this world and the other worlds. That was why he needed Travelers.

"I think that they will. You'd be amazed at what parents will do when it comes to protecting their children." Danzo informs him with a cruel smirk.

"Somehow, I doubt they are actually going to attack one of the mightiest empires ever to exist on your say so. Why should they trust that you'll ever keep your word?" He demands.

Itachi didn't believe in judging people based on their appearance. There were all sorts of supernatural beings in Eien No Yume. Despite that, he couldn't help but think Danzo was a rather unfortunate looking being.

Goblins generally weren't going to win many Beauty Contests, but Danzo was in a league of his own. His skin was the color of tree bark and looked like worn out leather. Itachi wasn't certain if those scales were naturally that way or if that was the Goblin version of wrinkles.

"That's a good point. Unfortunately for them, they don't really have a choice." He says with a smirk.

Danzo had a habit of walking on his knees in a half hop with his back hunched over and using his hands as a second set of legs. That probably had something to do with the overall less than pleasing visual he presented.

"You've earned the ire of China and now Egypt. Those are two of the strongest empires in our world. That wasn't a very intelligent move on your part." Itachi tells him.

"You are not in any position to lecture me on intelligence. It's not completely your fault. Many otherwise very intelligent have fallen victim to the disease that you currently suffer from. It was all too easy to convince you that your lover had been captured." Danzo retorts.

Itachi winces at that. He should have known better. His lover wasn't even naturally a land dweller. Oh he could travel on land, if he really wanted to. He just preferred to be one with the water. That was the way of his species.

"Love isn't a disease. Though I can understand how the concept would confuse you though. Whatever pumps blood through your veins is surely not a heart." The Uchiha states.

"It's a shame. You have such marvelous potential, yet you refuse to see it. Your entire family refuses to see it. Do you not realize what each of you is capable of individually and collectively?" The Goblin King demands.

Itachi tries to hide his smirk. Danzo didn't know that their Traveling Days were over. Their souls were now firmly tied to Eien No Yume. They still had their magic, but they could no longer Travel.

"No, but I'm certain that you'll tell me." He replies dryly.

"You insolent whelp! I will not tolerate your disrespect. You forget who you are speaking to! I am the Goblin King!" Danzo snaps at Itachi as he slaps him across the face.

"You're no King. You're an opportunist. You merely rose to power because there was a power vacuum left behind, after we banished Orochimaru. You weren't born to royalty and you didn't earn it." The Uchiha growls at him, ignoring the stinging pain that he now felt in his face.

Danzo bristles. The urge to kill the brat was strong. It was almost overwhelming. Despite his fury, he forces himself to cool his temper.

He had to. Itachi was a Traveler. He was also the key to getting the other Uchihas to submit to his authority. Without his hostage, he had nothing that he could use against them.

"It's rather fortunate for you that you are my prisoner. You're too valuable to kill at the moment. That could change at any time though. I'm the one who will decide if you live or die. Perhaps you should remember that before you choose to spew such nonsense." Danzo practically snarls at him.

"You won't kill me. We both know that. Spare your threats for someone who will actually believe them." The Traveler seethes.

"Do not try my patience. I am not Orochimaru." Danzo snarls as he heads off.

How dare that brat speak to him that way?! He was the Goblin King. That meant that he was entitled to respect.

"Well I suppose it doesn't really matter what he says. As long as Itachi serves as suitable bait, the fool can say whatever he likes." Danzo mutters to himself.

Why had Itachi and the Uchiha family been born Travelers? Why couldn't he have been the one to be Blessed in such a fashion? It was such a wonderful Gift and it had been wasted on that damn family.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid that I have bad news." Danzo hears a cheerful voice say.

It had to be Sai. Sai was a centaur who lived in his kingdom. Danzo had kept him around because it was easier to ride on the youth's back than to walk long distances himself.

He had an old war injury in his legs that had never healed right. So he was forced to walk mostly on his knees and to use his hands as extra feet. That was why Danzo kept Sai around.

"What is it?" The Goblin King demands.

"It seems more of our ships have been sunken. I get the impression that the Traveler's lover is likely behind it." The centaur replies.

Most likely. Damn it. This was getting rather irritating. The other man was going to severely harm his economy at this rate. The Goblins were big traders and part of that involved sea trade.

"For now, that is merely an annoyance. If he keeps it up though, this could become a problem." Danzo says with a sigh.

He was simply going to have to do something about the elf's lover. There was no other way around it. Damn it. Hmm. How did one deal with an aquatic enemy from the land though?

At least, Sai was more easily dealt with. Danzo had broken that boy and bent him to his will a long time ago. Just as he had with his royal guard. He called them ROOT.

He was the tree and they were the roots. It was their job to support him and to remain unseen. That was why he had chosen the name.

"What are your orders?" Sai inquires.

"If you see any mermen or mermaids, attack without mercy." Danzo says and Sai nods.

"Very well, Your Highness." The centaur says as he trots off.

Meanwhile Naruto paces as he waits for Sasuke to return. Gaara shakes his head. He felt bad for his friend. It must be more than a little jarring, never knowing exactly when your lover was coming back.

The red head mentally corrects himself. Naruto's almost lover. That seemed to be one shy elf. Then again, elves were known as being rather elusive. So maybe, Sasuke was just acting like any other elf would in a situation like this.

"Naruto, I'm certain that he will be back soon." Gaara assures him.

"I know. I just miss him and I'm worried about Sasuke. I mean this is all a lot to take in. His parents are alive and his brother's been kidnapped. That and he's still adjusting to our world in general." Naruto says with a frown.

Gaara nods his head sympathetically. If he was in was in Sasuke's position, he would have likely already gone mad. The Pharaoh shakes his head in amusement and decides that was probably part of what made Travelers what they were. They could handle shocks like this better than most people could.

"Of course. It would be rather surprisingly, if he wasn't feeling overwhelmed." Gaara offers.

"I really wanna convince him to cross over eventually though." The Viking pouts slightly.

"I'm certain that you can give him more than a few good reasons to say. After all, his family is here. Not to mention, he does seem fond of you. Who could resist a Viking Prince?" The Pharaoh asks with a chuckle.

Naruto nods his head vigorously. That was right! He was a prince. A prince who could turn into a dragon. What elf wouldn't want to share furs with him?

"Exactly." The blonde says.

A short while later, Sasuke wakes up in the Egyptian bedroom. He must have fallen asleep, after he got home from a day at the park with his friends. It was so strange. One minute he was living a normal life and the next he was guest of a Pharaoh.

"I should probably go talk with my parents. We have to find Itachi." He whispers as he clutches his necklace and slowly leaves his room.

He honestly wasn't really sure if everyone had gotten the memo yet. Some Egyptians might see an elf and think that he wasn't supposed to be there. He had a quiver of arrows on his back and magic, but he didn't want to tangle with royal guards.

"Especially when I'm not even sure how I used my magic the first time." Sasuke whispers as he walks down the hall cautiously.

The elf was getting more and more nervous with every step he took. It occurred to him that he could easily get lost in the palace. He had no idea where he was going.

Thankfully, he saw his parents coming down the hall. They must have been on their way to his room. Sasuke sighs in relief and dashes over to them.

"Sweetheart, you should be more careful in the palace. It's easy to get lost here." Mikoto says as she embraces Sasuke.

Sasuke smiles and hugs back. It was nice to be held by his mother after all these years. It might not have been very manly, but it was still nice.

"Yeah. I know. I was looking for you guys." He says.

"And we were looking for you. I know that this must all seem very strange to you, but we will help you." Fugaku assures his son and Sasuke nods.

He felt like a kid again. It was like Sasuke had scrapped his knee or something and his parents were there. There was only one thing missing.

Well more specifically, there was only one person missing. Itachi. They had to find Itachi.

"What happened to Itachi?" He whispers.

"He was kidnapped by the Goblin King. That's why we were attacking Egypt. Danzo said that if we weakened Egypt, he would give us Itachi back." Mikoto replies.

Sasuke frowns. He had no idea who Danzo was. Despite that fact, he didn't think that his parents should really trust a goblin to keep his word. (Was that speciesist?)

"Do you think that he'll keep his promise?" The raven haired college student asks.

"No. Still if he thinks we believe him, it might give us a chance to get close to him. Once we get close to him, we can get Itachi back." Fugaku reasons.

That made more sense. Sasuke was glad that his parents weren't taking the Goblin King at his word. That was smarter.

"Alright. What are you going to do now? Won't he find out that the attack didn't work?" Sasuke asks in concern.

"'We'll figure something out. I think that Gaara is agreeable towards helping us. I imagine that this because he is friends with Naruto. The Viking Prince is obviously sweet on you. So it's in his interest to convince Gaara to help us because we are your parents and that will make you like Naruto better." His father says bluntly.

Sasuke felt himself blush. It was that obvious? Apparently, even his father could tell that Naruto liked him.

"So you're cool with me being gay and the fact that I have a Viking lusting after me?" Sasuke asks a bit warily.

"Oh sweetie, we just want you to be happy. That and Itachi is the same way. So it's not really that surprising." Mikoto informs him.

Sasuke blinks. Oh. Well that was interesting. Itachi liked men too. Maybe elves were more predisposed towards liking the same gender? It was an interesting question to ponder for later, he decides.

"Good to know. So let's go find him." The youngest Uchiha says.

"Easier said than done. We should find Naruto and Gaara. They might be able to help." Fugaku says as he leads them off.

Sasuke follows. His father seemed to know where he was going. That was a damn good thing because Sasuke sure as Hell didn't.

"There they are." Mikoto says as they came upon them.

"Sasuke! You're back!" Naruto says happily as he darts over to the elf and swings him around merrily.

Sasuke felt his face burn with embarrassment once again. It was one thing for his parents to know that he was gay. It was another thing for them to see Naruto swing him around like this.

"Yeah. I'm back. I wasn't going to leave everyone behind. Thanks for the necklace by the way." He says as he allows Naruto to get the spinning out of his system.

"You're welcome. I can give you a lot more jewelry, if you like." Naruto says.

"That's really sweet, but you don't have to do that." Sasuke says.

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. Her sons certainly favored exotic lovers. That much was obvious.

Sasuke had a Dragoon for a suitor. Itachi was in love with a merman. Well then again, she was a banshee who was married to a Fae. So perhaps in a strange way, it all made perfect sense.

"I imagine the Leprechauns would be happy to help us. Lee is eccentric, but his heart is in the right place." Gaara suggests.

Sasuke blinks. Leprechauns? There were leprechauns here?

Naturally, he mentally slaps himself for that thought. Of course, there were Leprechauns. There were dragons, succubae, elves, banshees, faes, goblins, and Go only knows what else in this realm. Leprechauns were the next "logical" step.

"Well their luck certainly would come in handy." Fugaku concedes.

"Their luck?" Sasuke asks a bit warily, not at all certain what he was getting himself into.

"Leprechauns have magic. One of their most powerful forms of magic is luck. The only catch is that it can be good or bad luck." Mikoto explains.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. How did they know whether it would be good or bad luck? Could leprechauns control that?

"You said that it could be good or bad luck. How do we know that this will work in our favor?" He asks warily.

"That's my elf. He's such a scholar." Naruto says proudly and Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. That was a Dragoon for you. It was just the way they were all wired. They lavished their Mates with praise, if they were happy with them.

Idly, he wonders what his son had gotten himself into. A merman was one thing, a Dragoon was another. Could Sasuke really handle Naruto? He supposed that they were about to find out.

"They can control their luck, if they use it for themselves or another leprechaun. When they give it to another species though, things become more tricky." Mikoto explains.

Oh. There was a catch. That made sense. Nothing was ever free. Sasuke supposed that he should have seen that one coming.

"Well I guess we can just have a leprechaun use their magic for themselves during the actual fighting." Sasuke muses.

"Our thoughts exactly." Fugaku agrees.

Sasuke nods and he subtly takes hold of Naruto's hand, once the blonde sets him down. The Dragoon had been nothing, but kind to him. He did like Naruto. He just wasn't sure that he really belonged in his world.

Naruto beams at him. Sasuke smiles. The blue eyed Viking had a way of looking at him as if he had given him the world. He wasn't really sure why.

"Let's go." Gaara says as they head outside of the palace.

Sasuke watches as Naruto transforms into a dragon. Gaara and his parents both jumped onto his back and Sasuke blinks. Apparently, he was expected to do the same.

"We're a long way from Ireland." Sasuke whispers.

"In our home world, Egypt and Ireland are far away from each other. That is not the case here." Fugaku explains to his son.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers this. Maybe his father was right. God only knows how distance and time really worked in this beautiful, yet bizarre place.

"We'll be there before you know it." Naruto says brightly.

"You don't mind all of us, riding on your back?" Sasuke asks as he strokes Naruto's gorgeous golden scales.

Naruto shakes his head. To him, the Uchihas and Gaara weighed almost nothing. It was no more difficult for him to transport him than for a horse to wear a saddle.

"You're all light as feathers to me. Don't worry. It's sweet of you to be concerned, but you don't have to be. I can handle it." He assures him.

"Alright. I just don't want to hurt your back or anything." Sasuke whispers.

It wasn't just his back that Sasuke was worried about though. He didn't want to break Naruto's heart. His parents were essentially saying that one day, he'd just choose between the worlds. If he chose his home, he'd be leaving Naruto behind. That thought disturbed him more than it should have.

If he chose his birth world, he wouldn't just be leaving Naruto behind. He'd be leaving his family behind. Despite that, could he really give up his friends and his life in the real world? Sasuke didn't know and that thought still terrified him.