Blurred Lines
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter because Sasuke is going to begin to take a more proactive role from now on.
Chapter 8
A few days later, Kimimaro tries not to frown as he walks around the campus with Jugo. The fairy couldn't lie, he was beginning to feel guilty. He was using the other man.
Oh he had good reasons for doing it, but it was still the truth. The silver haired fairy didn't believe in lying to himself. So he wasn't going to now. He was using the gentle giant and that bothered him.
"It's a beautiful night." Jugo says with a smile as he walks side by side with his date.
That bothered him far more than he should have. Jugo was a human. His feelings shouldn't have interested in him in the slightest. At most, humans were a passing amusement. Sadly, that wasn't the case this time though.
He LIKED the other man. Kimimaro liked him more than he should. It was getting harder to ignore that fact. Was it possible that he could convince Sasuke to take the three of them back? Him, Orochimaru, and Jugo?
"Yes, it's a very beautiful night. The Moon is shining so brightly." He observes.
Sasuke seemed like a nice enough person. He might humor him. Of course, first Kimimaro had to gain his trust. Jugo seemed to trust him, but the raven haired Traveler seemed to be a more cautious person by nature. He would be a harder sell, as humans called it.
"Not nearly as brightly as your eyes though." Jugo says.
Kimimaro smiles. He really was such a sweet human. It was a pity that he wasn't a fairy or at least native to his realm. Maybe that could change.
"You're too kind." He replies.
Unbeknownst to the fairy, they were being watched. Orochimaru was watching them from the shadows. The Goblin King frowns as he wasn't entirely certain if Kimimaro was acting anymore or not.
It was one thing to trick the human. It was something else entirely for Kimimaro to actually fall for Jugo. That could complicate his plans to return home.
"For now, I shall allow events to unfold. If he becomes a threat though, I'll eliminate him." He murmurs.
Oh Orochimaru didn't have anything against Jugo personally. It was just that nothing was going to stop him from reclaiming his Kingdom. His blood still boiled at the memory of being cast out and that damn smirk on Danzo's face when it happened.
"Orochimaru, we will no longer tolerate your reckless behavior. More than once, you have tried to control my family." Fugaku stated at the trial.
Orochimaru was bound tightly by magical ropes that had been woven by fairies. Try as he might, even the Goblin King couldn't escape him. He glared up at the Traveler defiantly.
He didn't understand why the Uchihas had to be so difficult. Orochimaru was offering them a place of honor in his Kingdom. Despite that, they always rejected his offers.
"I was trying to save your family. You're Travelers. You're foolish, if you think that you can hide behind the Great Wall forever. You'd be safer in my Kingdom. Your entire family would. Deep down, you know that's the truth." He snarled at the Fae.
"We'll decide what is best for our family." Mikoto said.
Orochimaru had never thought of banshees as particularly beautiful creatures, but the Traveler was in a league of her own. He could see why Fugaku had fallen for her and so had the Chinese Public. The woman was a beautiful Empress, but he still wanted to punch her at that moment.
Couldn't the woman see that her family needed his protection? Did they actually believe that a wall was going to protect them? It was a grand wall to be sure, but everyone would want to use the Travelers for their own purposes. At least he was honest about it.
"Forgive me, My Lady. You are making the wrong choice. I simply do not want any harm to come to you, Fugaku, or your sons." The Goblin King said as he looked at the two young Travelers.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru knew that he had just made a fatal mistake. Now the Fae was going to punish him far harder because he was worried about his children's safety.
"Let us have a vote. All of those in favor banishing Orochimaru to another realm, say aye." He hissed through gritted teeth.
A chorus of ayes was called out. Orochimaru screamed like a rabid animal when he saw the portal being opened by the family of Travelers. He fought as hard as he could to prevent being thrown in.
He was restrained, but he screamed. The goblin tried to kick. Hell, he had even been reduced to biting his attackers. Sadly, it was of no use. The last thing he saw before being shoved through the portal was Danzo's damn smirk.
It was at that moment, that he knew what was going to happen. Orochimaru knew that that viper would take over his Kingdom in his absence and there was nothing that he could do about it. That was perhaps the most infuriating part of being banished. The helplessness.
"When I return, I will mount that traitor's head on a pike and display it for all to see." He seethes.
Back in Eien No Yume, Sasuke was training and he was training hard. At the moment, Naruto was teaching him how to use a sword. The blonde said that he was a natural.
Sasuke wasn't entirely certain that he believed his Dragoon Boyfriend. Naruto might just be saying that to make him feel better, but he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He needed to get stronger and fast.
"You're doing great! I got knocked on my arse ten times before learning the proper way to hold a sword." The Viking exclaims cheerfully.
The Traveler supposed that was something. He could hold a sword properly, but he needed to learn how to do a Hell of a lot more than that. He knew that they were all planning a rescue mission for Itachi and he wasn't going to get left behind.
"I need to know more than how to hold it, Naruto. Don't go easy on me. You aren't doing me any favors when you do!" Sasuke says.
Initially, that had been his plan. Sasuke was going to get stronger and help his family rescue Itachi. Now, things were different though. The elf had realized that he had a powerful advantage on his side that the rest of his family didn't. The element of surprise.
The Goblin didn't know about him. Well as far as Sasuke knew, he didn't anyway. Even if the Goblin King did know about him, he might be more willing to speak with Sasuke than his parents. He was starting with a blank slate, unlike them. Sasuke intended to use that fact to his advantage.
"Sasuke, I'm an experienced Viking. You just started using a sword. It wouldn't be fair of me to come at me with everything that I have." Naruto points out.
"Do you think the Goblin King is going to give a flying fuck about what's fair?!" The Elf demands as he lunges at Naruto.
He really didn't want to hurt him. Sasuke just needed to get the Dragoon to take him seriously. It was the only way that he was going to get stronger.
CLASH! Their swords clashed. Naruto had raised his sword up just in the nick of time to block Sasuke's. Sasuke knew that he would be able to block that, but he needed the practice.
"You're just as mad as you are beautiful!" The blue eyed Viking exclaims as he shoves his sword harder at Sasuke, knocking the elf's sword out of his hand.
Mikoto shakes her head in amusement as she watches Sasuke train with Naruto. Her husband was at her side and watching as well. The leaders of China were getting quite the show.
"They're adorable." She notes with a sly smile.
"Yes, I suppose so. I just hope that they don't kill each other." Fugaku says with a sigh.
Naruto certainly had a strange method of foreplay. Then again, Sasuke wasn't helping matters. Fugaku knew what Sasuke was doing. He wanted to get stronger, so he could help them rescue Itachi. Apparently, the way he had chosen to do that was by training with all of them.
"I'm sure that they'll find a way to play nicely. Sasuke is a natural with a bow. I've been helping him practice." Mikoto says.
"And I've been trying to help him with his Susanoo. It's still rather rudimentary, I'm afraid. It will get the job done, as long as he focuses and the attack isn't too powerful." Her husband informs her.
The dark beauty nods. Well that was something at least. The sooner Sasuke learned how to wield weapons and magic competently, the better. He was a fast learner, but she wasn't sure if he was learning fast enough.
"I'm sure that he's trying. It's just been so long since he's last used magic." She reminds him.
"I know. We'll do our best to give him a crash course. The rest will be up to him." Fugaku whispers.
While the Travelers were watching, Gaara and Mei join them. The two Egyptian Rulers had had their fill of leprechauns. The friendly and mischievous race had a habit of exhausting the lovers with their antics.
Neither of them minded speaking with leprechauns in small doses. After awhile it was always a wise idea for them to politely excuse themselves. Less misunderstandings, tended to result that way.
"He's a rather determined little thing. Isn't he?" Gaara asks.
"Very. He takes after his father that way." Mikoto muses.
Mei smiles as she watches Naruto teach Sasuke how to wield a sword. It really was a pity that the Viking was too possessive and the elf was too shy to join in their fun.
"I imagine that you would be very good at teaching someone how to use a sword." She says to her husband.
"Thank you, My Love." Gaara says with a smile as he places his hand around her waist.
"Yes, our son or daughter in particular." She says and Gaara blinks.
Oh. She wanted to conceive an heir. He wasn't sure why that surprised him. It was expected. They were royalty, after all.
"Perhaps we can discuss such things, after we deal with the Goblin King." He offers and Mei just smiles in response.
Hours later, Sasuke collapses into his bed with Naruto. He was completely exhausted. His entire body was aching and throbbing.
"You really shouldn't have pushed yourself that hard." Naruto says as he sympathetically gives Sasuke a back rub.
"Mmm. I have to and right there. God that feels good." He says, practically purring in contentment.
There was nothing like having a sexy Viking massage away all your troubles. If this kept up, he'd be back in his home world before he knew it.
"I'm glad it feels good. Don't hurt yourself though. We'll save Itachi. I promise." Naruto says as he places a soft kiss to the back of Sasuke's neck.
"Yeah. That Goblin King won't know what hit him." The youngest Uchiha says.
Sasuke felt guilty. He couldn't tell Naruto the full truth. He was going to go after the Goblin King alone, but Naruto couldn't know that.
"That's right."" Naruto agrees.
The blonde had been nothing but kind to him. That was why Sasuke didn't want to put him in danger. When he went missing, he had an excuse.
His family, friends, and Naruto would think that he just crossed over. He highly doubted that any of them were going to suspect the truth. That he had left to take on the Goblin King and to rescue his brother.
"A little lower." Sasuke murmurs.
For now though, he needed to get stronger. The sooner he learned more about his magic and how to use weapons, the better. One way or another,, he was going to rescue Itachi. It really was that simple.
"Alright. Here?" Naruto asks as his powerful hands drift lower.
"Yeah. Right there." Sasuke sighs in pleasure and a few moments later, he completely disappears.
"Damn. He must have fallen asleep." Naruto grumbles.
Not long after, Sasuke wakes up in his world. He blinks when he realizes Jugo was in his dorm. Jugo looked anxious about something.
"Hey, Jugo. What's wrong?" Sasuke asks.
"It's Kimimaro. I really like him, but I think something is wrong. Sometimes he looks at me with a guilty expression." Jugo admits.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. A guilty expression? That exchange student had better not be cheating on his friend!
"And you want me to talk to him? See if I can't figure out what's going on?" The raven haired man asks.
Jugo nods. He couldn't ask Suigetsu. The man had no tact and would likely try to beat answers out of Kimimaro. That wouldn't work at all.
Karin wouldn't work either. She could be rather loud sometimes. This called for a more subtle approach. Sasuke was good at subtle. He'd figure out what was going on with Jugo's new boyfriend.
"Please. Just try not to let him know that you're probing." He says.
"Alright. I'll do my best. You got his number? I'll call and ask if he wants to go shoot some hoops with me or something." The Traveler inquires and Jugo gives Sasuke the number.
"There you go. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I really like him, but I feel like something is off. You know?" The gentle giant asks.
Sasuke nods. Well if Jugo thought that something strange was going on, it probably was. The other man generally had good instincts.
"I'll check it out." He says as he calls Kimimaro.
About a half hour later, Sasuke was at the campus gym and waiting for Kimimaro. It didn't take long for the exchange student to arrive. The Uchiha had to give him some credit. Kimimaro was certainly a punctual person and that was always a plus.
"Hey." Sasuke calls out.
"Hey. I'm glad that you called me. I have really been wanting to get to know you better." He says with a serene smile.
Normally, Sasuke would have thought that the other man was hitting on him. That didn't seem to be the case though. He chalked it off to Kimimaro being foreign and possibly not realizing how that sentence could be easily misinterpreted.
"Good. I feel the same way. So you and Jugo have been getting pretty close." Sasuke says as he dribbles the ball.
He'd just go for the semi direct approach. If Kimimaro was up to something, Sasuke was going to find out. There was no need to go in guns a blazing yet though.
"Yes, we have. I've grown quite fond of him. It's a pity that I'll end up going back to my own country eventually." The other man says as he tries to steal the ball from Sasuke.
Kimimaro was fast. A bit faster than Sasuke thought anyone should be. Well unless you were an Olympian. It made him suspicious.
"Yeah. That sucks. Though sometimes long distance relationships work."" Sasuke says.
"It'd be very long distance. I wish there was a way to bring him with me. Unfortunately, this world hasn't exactly developed teleportation yet." Kimimaro says with a sly smile.
This world. Sasuke's eyes widen when he hears those words. Surely, Kimimaro hadn't meant that the way it sounded. English just wasn't his native language. That was all.
"Yeah. That's rather unfortunate. If you really like him though, I'm sure you guys will find a way to work it out. I know that he's into you. Jugo's a big guy, but he's a bit on the shy side. Suigetsu didn't even realize he was gay and they've been friends for years. That's how rare it is for him to be really into someone." Sasuke tries to explain.
He wanted this to work. Jugo was one of his best friends. He'd never seen the gentle giant's eyes light up the way that they did when he saw the exchange student. Maybe they could find a way to make this work. He hoped that they could.
"Yes, he's clearly a very gentle soul. That's what I like about him. That and we both share a love of flying." Kimimaro says.
"Well that's good." Sasuke replies with a smile.
The two of them continue playing a game of basketball. It was going normally until Sasuke suddenly fell to the ground and felt dizzy. Kimimaro immediately rushes to help him.
When he reaches for him, Sasuke noticed two things. His vision was blurry and Kimimaro had wings. Beautiful, translucent wings that were a pale shade of blue.
"You have wings!" Sasuke cries out in shock.
"Sasuke, you fell pretty hard. Let's get you to the nurse. Alright?" Kimimaro asks.
Sasuke shakes his head. When he does, the wings were gone. Had he imagined it? A few months ago, he would have thought so. Now he wasn't so sure.
"No. I'm fine. Good game. We'll just call that one a tie. Alright? I think I just need to get some sleep." Sasuke says.
"That's a good idea. I know that college can be exhausting sometimes. Too many late nights is probably all that it is." Kimimaro says and Sasuke nods in agreement.
With that being said, Sasuke heads back to towards his room. Had that been real? Was he just imagining it or did Kimimaro really have wings? Did it even have anything to do with the exchange student specifically or were the lines just blurring between the realities?
He didn't know and that scared him. Sasuke knew that he had to get back to Eien No Yume and soon. He knew that it probably wasn't a smart idea, but he took a couple sleeping pills.
"Hopefully, this does the trick." He whispers as he lays on his bed.
Scarcely ten minutes later, Sasuke woke up back in the other realm. He was still on the same bed that he fell asleep on. Sasuke was beginning to notice a pattern. More or less, wherever he fell asleep was where he was going to reappear when he came back.
"You're back!" Naruto says joyously.
Despite his earlier panic, Sasuke couldn't help but smile. The Viking really was ecstatic to see him. It was sweet.
"Yeah. I'm back. Naruto, I have a question. Travelers are rare. But it's not just me and my family, is it?" He asks.
"No. It's not. I mean you're kind is really rare, but you aren't the only ones. Why do you ask?" Naruto replies.
Sasuke bites his lower lip as he debates about what he should say. He trusted Naruto, but would this put a kink in his plans? He had to save Itachi. Did it really matter if Kimimaro was a Traveler like him?
"I think I saw another Traveler. Maybe. I'm not sure." Sasuke whispers.
He couldn't be honest about the Goblin King, but he could be honest about this. Sasuke figured he owed Naruto at least that much. He really did care about the blonde, it was just family came first.
"What makes you say that?" Naruto asks in confusion.
"I was in my realm and I was playing a game with another college student. I fell over and I got dizzy. I saw wings. Beautiful wings. They were pale blue and translucent. Like a fairy's, but too big." The youngest Uchiha explains.
The blonde blinks. That didn't sound like a Traveler. Well not necessarily anyway. A Traveler in Sasuke's realm would look like a human. It wasn't like Eien No Yume, where they could change into multiple species. Where Sasuke came from, there were only humans, plants, and animals.
Travelers' bodies changed to fit in with their environment. It wouldn't make sense for another Traveler to have wings. It'd stick out too much.
"I don't know what you saw, but I don't think he was a Traveler." The Viking replies cautiously.
"You don't know then? Maybe I should ask my parents? That or even Gaara. He's a King. Red has to be familiar with all the species that live here and can travel back and forth, right?" Sasuke inquires anxiously.
The Dragoon frowns as he considers Sasuke's logic. That was true. Gaara did know a lot and his parents were other Travelers. If anyone would know what was going on, it would probably be them.
"Maybe. Come on. Let's go talk to them. That sounds pretty suspicious." Naruto says as he offers Sasuke his hand.
"Alright. Let's go." Sasuke agrees with a smile as the two of them walk off to find Gaara and his parents together.
Just being around the blonde made him feel better. It was hard to feel too nervous when you had a Viking Dragoon for a boyfriend. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that they would get to the bottom of it.
It didn't take them long to find Mikoto and Fugaku. The two of them were practically inseparable. That was a love match, Naruto thinks to himself.
"Mother, Father, I saw something on Earth. Something strange. One of my classmates had wings. They flickered though." Sasuke explains.
"Sasuke says that they looked like a fairy's wings." Naruto adds helpfully.
Mikoto pauses as she considers that. That was strange. There were so many possibilities that could explain what had happened.
"Well fairies have been known to travel between this realm and the next with more ease than most. They aren't Travelers, but it has happened before. Another possibility is that your realities are now blurring. When that happens, it becomes harder and harder to tell the difference. Eventually, you're heart chooses a home and it isn't a problem anymore." Mikoto replies.
Fugaku nods his head in agreement. It seemed a bit early for Sasuke to be choosing one reality over the other. He found it far more likely that he had encountered a fairy, masquerading as a human.
"I would be more inclined to believe that you encountered a fairy. Sometimes they have magical abilities that allow them to change their appearance. It's possible that because of what you are, you briefly saw through their disguise. They might have realized that and made it stronger." His father explains.
Sasuke blinks as he considers that. The second option sounded better. He didn't want to have to choose this early.
"You're telling me that my friend might be in love with a fairy?!" He demands.
"Possibly. We don't know for sure that this man is actually a fairy in disguise. Besides, fairies aren't so bad. Better a fairy than a goblin, right?" Mikoto offers helpfully.
Sasuke groans in response. What was he going to tell Jugo? Wait. He shouldn't tell Jugo anything until he had proof.
The young Traveler quickly decides on a new plan. First, he would get stronger. Then he would save Itachi. Finally, he would figure out what was going on with Kimimaro. He groans as he realizes that was easier said than done. Sasuke would find a way to do it though. He had to.