Blurred Lines
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 14
A few days had passed and Danzo was wheeled to balcony to make his announcement. The Goblin King had now been stabilized enough to be moved to speak more directly to his people. Sakura's spell and healing magic had played a big role in his speedy recovery and plans to announce Kabuto as Regent in his absence.
"My people, I was attacked. I was attacked by a Traveler. He slit my throat. Thanks to Kabuto, I am still alive. I am doing my best to recovery swiftly. Until I am able to fully resume my duties though, Kabuto shall be acting in my stead. Treat him as you would treat me." Danzo says.
There were gasps of shock and cries of outrage! How could someone attack their King?! How did Danzo survive such a savage attack and most importantly, what kind of temporary king would Kabuto be?
"You heard your King. I will be acting in his stead. For now, His Majesty needs his rest." Kabuto states as he wheels Kabuto back to his recovery room.
Things were going perfectly. Sakura's magic seemed highly effective. Now, it was just a matter of biding his time. He had to wait just long enough that it wouldn't look suspicious, if Danzo died.
It would look bad, if the former King passed so quickly. Kabuto would have to fight the perception that he had murdered Danzo to hold onto power. It would be an accurate perception, but that didn't matter. Clearly, such an outcome was not in his favor.
"You do excellent work." Kabuto comments to Sakura as he helps Danzo get into his bed.
"Thank you. I just hope that you keep your end of the deal. I want to go home." She whispers.
Kabuto nods with feigned sympathy. He didn't care that the witch wanted to go home. Not really. The goblin didn't mind making arrangements for her, but it wasn't his first priority.
"Of course. I am a goblin of my word. You have done our people a great service by healing our King." He says.
Danzo watches the witch and Kabuto. His head felt rather fuzzy, but mostly he was content. Little did he know that that the silver haired goblin was plotting his demise.
For the moment, he was grateful to be alive. The Goblin Kingdom would be well looked after in his absence. Once he had his strength back, he would make Itachi Uchiha pay.
"Do we have a location on the Traveler known as Itachi Uchiha?" He demands.
"I'm afraid that we do not have such knowledge at this time. Rest assured, that we are working on it. We'll find him. You may rest easy, knowing that. He won't be allowed to get away with this. I can promise you that." The bespectacled goblin informs him.
Danzo nods his head in approval. The other man was a loyal subject. That was why he would make a wonderful placeholder, until he could recover.
"Very well. Please do keep me informed. I do not wish to be kept in the dark and that elf needs to be made to pay for his crimes against me and our homeland." The elderly goblin decrees.
"Oh believe me. He'll pay. Everyone will get exactly what they deserve in the end." Kabuto vows.
Danzo smiles and closes his eyes. Yes, things would work out in the end. He had faith that they would.
Itachi would be made to pay for what he did. Oh and Sasuke would come to regret his decision. The man had tricked him. Clever boy, but Danzo planned on bringing him to heel in the end. It was just a matter of time really.
Meanwhile Sasuke was leading Taka towards the waterfall that he agreed to meet Kimimaro at. His friends were still adjusting to life in this realm, but they were adapting quicker than he could ever have hoped for. That was especially true in Suigetsu's case.
The man was now a merman. Most of the time, he was half fish. That had to take some getting used to. In hindsight, Sasuke was grateful that he had become an elf because most of his anatomy was the same.
"So Kimimaro is really a fairy?" Suigetsu asks and Sasuke nods in confirmation.
He knew that was difficult for his friends to wrap their minds around. Their new friend was a fairy. Obviously, Kimimaro had tried to trick them to get home and that made Sasuke worry for Jugo.
Jugo really liked that fairy and said fairy seemed to like Jugo. Sasuke was almost positive that Kimimaro hadn't meant any actual harm. He just wanted to go home and if seducing the giant was the best way to do that, that's what he was going to do.
"Yes, he's really a fairy and Orochimaru is really a goblin. Don't think about it too much. It'll make your head hurt. I'm glad that I'm an elf. Other than my ears being pointed, not much changed. Though I do have better senses and I'm stronger than I was a human." The raven haired college student observes.
"Yeah. I can see Orochimaru being a goblin. He's ugly enough to be one." The white haired man says with a smirk.
Sasuke snorts in amusement and shakes his head in response. Apparently, it didn't really matter what world they were in. Suigetsu was Suigetsu and that was that.
"He didn't actually have feelings for me then. That fairy was just using me to get back here." Jugo hisses as he clenches his fists.
Sasuke sighs. He had been afraid that the orange haired man would view the situation that way. Really, who could blame him?
That was likely how it had started out. Sasuke was still convinced that somewhere along the way though, that Kimimaro had developed feelings for the gentle giant. He just had to find a way to help the silver haired fairy prove it. That was all.
"I think that he does like you. It's just that getting home took on a greater priority for him. Can you really blame the guy? If we were in his position, we'd probably be doing whatever we thought was necessary to get home too. Try not to be too hard on him." The youngest Uchiha pleads with his friend.
"Yeah! At least give the guy a chance to explain himself!" Karin calls out.
Sasuke could see from the look on Jugo's face that he wasn't too thrilled by that prospect. Still it was the right thing to do. Now, they just had to find their fairy.
"Sasuke?" A soft masculine voice calls out, a few minutes later.
The Traveler sighs in relief when he saw Kimimaro. Good. He was here. Maybe, they could get things straightened out now.
"I'm not going to lie. You have a lot of explaining to do, especially to Jugo. So go ahead." The college student says.
The leader of Taka watches anxiously as Kimimaro blinks in surprise. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting to see Jugo there. He smiles and rushes over to embrace him.
"You're here! That's wonderful news! I was hopeful that Sasuke would eventually be able to transport you here. What do you think of my home? Well our home." The silver haired fairy inquires excitedly.
"It's not our home. It's your home. You used me. You only got close to me because you were hoping that it would convince Sasuke to send you back here. I don't like being used. I thought that I meant something to you, but clearly I was just a means to an end." Jugo growls at him.
Suigetsu and Karin wisely take a few steps back, Sasuke notices. He decides to do likewise. This could get ugly and fast.
Jugo had every reason to be upset. Hell, if Sasuke was in his position he probably would have punched Kimimaro. Despite that, he could only hope that somehow this encounter wouldn't end in violence.
"It's not like that. Alright. Maybe, it was originally. It was never my intention to hurt you though. I just wanted to get home. Surely, you can understand that. My feelings for you are genuine though. My intentions might have started off as less than noble, but that part I didn't fake." Kimimaro pleads with him.
The gentle giant was hurt. That much was obvious, but he was only hurt because he cared about Kimimaro. It was for that reason alone, that Sasuke hoped that the two of them would be able to work things out.
"Why should he trust anything that you say?" Suigetsu demands.
"Suigetsu! You aren't helping!" Karin says as she smacks him upside the head.
"No. He's right. That's a very good point." The orange haired man snaps.
Kimimaro sighs as he looks at Jugo. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't meant to fall in love with the other fairy, but he had.
"You have no reason to trust me, but I swear to you that it's the truth. My feelings for you are real." He assures him.
"Prove it. Tell us how to get home." Jugo demands.
"Sasuke can travel between worlds. He's the one that could take you home, if that's your wish. I'd like for you to give this world a chance though. I'd like for you to give me a chance. I know that I don't deserve it, but that's my wish." Kimimaro says.
He'd never seen the orange haired man so angry before. Jugo had always been so gentle. He'd always been so kind and mild mannered. That was what made his reaction so terrifying. It was so unlike him.
"Is that true, Sasuke? Can you get us back home?" Karin asks anxiously.
"It was true a couple days ago. I'm not so sure now. I woke up here. Usually, when I fall asleep I travel between worlds subconsciously. Now, I either have to do it consciously or I might have lost that ability. Travelers aren't always Travelers. Eventually, their heart chooses which realm they belong to and they get other powers to compensate." The youngest Uchiha explains warily.
That causes the other members of Taka to blink and Kimimaro tries to hide his smile. It seemed that Jugo might not be able to leave him, after all. Surely, he could find a way to make the other fairy forgive him. Just as long as they were in the same realm, Kimimaro was positive that they could reconcile.
"So you're saying we're STUCK here?!" The violet eyed human demands.
"I'm saying that we're POSSIBLY stuck here! I didn't do it on purpose!" Sasuke snaps at him.
"Are you coming with us, Kimimaro? You seem to know a lot about Orochimaru. I doubt that he's just going to slink off and leave us alone. Danzo is dead. That means he'll be gunning for the Goblin Throne." The red head points out.
Kimimaro pauses as he considers an answer to her question. He would like nothing more than to go with them. That would give him even more opportunities to win Jugo's heart again, but he wasn't entirely certain it would be allowed.
"I would like to go with you. Orochimaru is not too pleased with me now. He knows that I care for all of you. He might seek revenge on me through you. That or he will pursue the Uchihas because they are Travelers. He lusts after their magical gifts." The fairy explains.
At that, Kimimaro saw Jugo's eyes narrow. Oh yes. His beloved was very angry with him. Justifiably so, but he wasn't going to lie. Deceit was certainly not going to help him win his way back into the other fairy's good graces again.
"That's a good point. Jugo, I know that you aren't happy about it. We should take him with us though. If there's going to be a war between the Goblin Kingdom and other Kingdoms, it can only benefit us to learn more about Orochimaru. You don't have to talk to him, if you don't want to. I think he's being sincere though. For what that's worth, anyway." The raven haired man informs his friend.
Jugo sighs. Kimimaro could tell that he wasn't happy about it, but eventually the tall fairy nods his head in consent. Oh this was a joyous day indeed. His beloved wasn't going to completely shut him out, it seemed!
"You're right. A war is more important than my issues with him. Let's go." The orange haired man says as he begins heading back to the castle.
"He's really angry with me. Isn't he?" Kimimaro asks Sasuke, once Jugo was out of earshot.
"Yes. Yes, he is. Don't worry though. I know that he has feelings for you. If Naruto can forgive me for storming the Goblin Castle with you and Orochimaru,, I think that Jugo can get over your deception." Sasuke whispers and with that, the group heads back to the castle.
Naruto bounds over to greet them. He was worried about Sasuke. His elf had been acting a little strange the last couple days.
"I see you found the other fairy." He says brightly.
"Yeah. He's going to stay with us. I figure he knows a lot about Orochimaru. If that goblin tries to pull something, Kimimaro could be an asset." Sasuke reasons.
"Such a smart elf. Come on. The leprechauns have called an emergency. I don't know what's going on, but it must be important. They haven't called one of these in at least a hundred years." The Viking observes thoughtfully.
Sasuke blinks. If the leprechauns hadn't done this for a century, there had to be a good reason why they were calling the meeting now. He suspected it had something to do with Orochimaru.
That thought filled him with dread. He had always known that Orochimaru was a snake. He just wasn't sure if Orochimaru was merely a pervert and ambitious or if he was actually dangerous. Apparently, they were about to find out.
"Yeah. I'm still getting used the whole leprechauns are real thing." Suigetsu comments.
"You're half freaking fish and you can't wrap your mind around leprechauns?" Karin demands incredulously.
"Hey! I'm still getting used to all of this, but leprechauns with caterpillar eyebrows are a stretch." The merman replies.
Sasuke shakes his head and follows Naruto. He knew that his friends would follow after him. After all, curiosity was a powerful force and Taka Members were far from immune to it.
"Perhaps we should go see what's upsetting the leprechauns." Kimimaro suggests tactfully.
With that, Taka follows after Sasuke and the Dragoon. A few short minutes later, they were out in the Castle's Courtyard. The Leprechaun King was standing by a beautiful fountain along with the Egyptian Rulers and Uchihas.
"I guess we should go by the fountain." Sasuke calls back towards his friends.
"Good guess." Naruto says with a bright smile and they join their friends and family members by the fountain.
Guy was rather theatrical. The man was wearing full royal garb and a sparkling crown. Naturally, his royal robes were green and he had emeralds in his crown.
"FRIENDS! THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE!" Guy's voice booms throughout the courtyard.
Sasuke winces. Damn. Guy had an impressive set of lungs on him. The man could be quite loud when he wanted to be.
Whether this was a Guy thing or a leprechaun thing in general, Sasuke wasn't sure. Either way, it definitely had the desired effect. Every pair of eyes was now on the King.
"We have reports of the Cannon Ceremony occurring within the Goblin Kingdom. You all know what this means. Danzo is either dead or he is not fit to rule at the moment and has appointed a temporary successor. Either way, this could mean great danger for all leprechauns and our allies!" Guy states.
There were loud roars of outrage and fearful whispers. Apparently, goblins and leprechauns didn't get on well. Sasuke makes a mental note to try to find out more about the dynamics between different species. It seemed like it would be useful information to have.
"SILENCE!" Guy says and immediately silence broke out across the crowded Courtyard.
Sasuke was sure that you could have heard a pin drop. It was a bit creepy, really. With that thought in mind, he took Naruto's hand.
He smiles at the blonde. There was just something incredibly reassuring about having a Viking for a boyfriend. It probably had something to do with all those muscles.
"It's alright. We'll figure this out. We have three Kingdoms working together." Naruto whispers to Sasuke.
Sasuke was a bit stunned by Naruto's whispering. He didn't know that the Dragoon COULD whisper. He was always so loud. There really was nothing subtle about his boyfriend. The man definitely wore his heart on his sleeve.
"Yeah. We'll figure something out." The young Traveler agrees.
He didn't know how to tell Naruto the truth about his Traveling abilities. He was terrified. That and he didn't really know, if it was permanent or not.
"That's right! Believe it!" He says with a big grin.
"Good. Now that everyone is quiet. I believe that Gaara would like to speak." Guy says as he allows the red head to do exactly that.
"These are trying times. We don't know what is about to happen. Still we have formed strong alliances and there are likely others who would aid us, if we ask. We don't know what is going on in the Goblin Kingdom, but we can safely assume that a new King has taken over. What we don't know is who this new King is and for how long he will rule." The red head points out.
Sasuke had to admit that Gaara was good at this whole ruling thing. He was able to explain the situation without causing a panic. That or the leprechauns just didn't want to embarrass their own King by freaking out. Both scenarios were equally plausible to him at the moment.
There were murmurs of agreement. Well score one for the red head. He had somehow managed to convince the anxious beings that they needed to get all the facts before charging in. That was nothing short of a miracle, really.
"We'll need to send a spy to the Goblin Kingdom." Mikoto says.
"I'll do it. I can Glamour myself." Kimimaro volunteers.
Jugo blinks as he looks at the fairy. Was he out of his mind? He wanted to go the Goblin Kingdom, alone?!
"Kimimaro, you can't. That could be a potential suicidal mission." Jugo points out.
"I can and I will. This will prove to you that my feelings are sincere. That and I have always hated Orochimaru. So this way, I can see what that bastard is plotting." The silver haired fairy reasons.
Jugo sighs and nods. It looked like the fairy had made up his mind. There would be no talking him out of it.
"I'd do it for you, you know?" Naruto says to Sasuke as he kisses his elf's cheek.
"You'd do what for me?" Sasuke asks in confusion because he wasn't entirely certain that they were both on the same page.
"I'd go to the Goblin Kingdom and be a spy, if it meant helping you." The Viking Prince tells him.
Sasuke smiles. That was sweet. It was also very Naruto. He couldn't believe how sweet his Dragoon was.
"I know that you would and I feel the same way. When this is all over, I have something very important to tell you." The raven haired man informs him.
"What do you mean? What do you have to tell me? Why can't you tell me now?" The blonde replies.
Right. He probably should have expected that. Naruto was sweet, but he was also impatient. It hadn't been a smart move to dangle a steak in front of a starving dog in such a fashion.
"It's a long story. That and it can wait until we know what is going on with the goblins. Itachi killed their King. They aren't going to let that go." Sasuke points out.
Well technically, the sounds of those cannons could mean one of two things. Either Danzo had died and the goblins had a new King or a temporary King had been appointed because Danzo was too weak to rule. Either way, neither option boded particularly well for them.
"It's settled then. Kimimaro shall glamour himself and head to the Goblin Kingdom. There he shall spy for us and tell us what is going on. Once we are fully briefed on the situation, we shall plan our next move." Fugaku says.
Sasuke nods in agreement and smiles when he sees that Kisame and Itachi were standing next to each other. His brother's tastes were more exotic than his own in a way, but it was obvious that the unusual couple did love each other and that's what mattered most.
"You mean then we'll kick some goblin backsides!" Kisame chimes merrily.
Fugaku rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Well that wasn't exactly what he meant, but essentially it was accurate. So he just nods his head in confirmation.
"Yes, precisely." Mikoto agrees, much to Kisame's delight and amusement.
Itachi shakes his head at the scene. He was glad that his family was whole once more. Now, they just had to find a way to ensure that it would stay that were.
He wasn't going to let Orochimaru, Danzo, or anyone else stop them from being a family again. He didn't like killing, but Itachi Uchiha would if he had to. He would kill to protect his family.
"It seems that we have a plan. Safe journey, Kimimaro." He says to the fairy.
Kimimaro nods and produces a glamour. The glamour made him look like a gray skinned goblin with purple warts and blue eyes. A bald goblin at that. He definitely wasn't going to win any beauty contests in this form, but Sasuke was confident that it was quite the convincing glamour.
The Uchihas, Egyptians, Taka, Naruto, Kisame, and leprechauns all watch him depart with heavy hearts. No one was delusional enough to fool themselves about the nature of this mission. It was possible that Kimimaro could die.
"I think that's his way of saying sorry." Suigetsu whispers to Jugo.
Jugo sighs and nods. It was hard to stay made at the other fairy when he was risking his life to protect all of them. Kimimaro didn't have to do that. He didn't owe them anything.
"Yes. If he survives this, I might give him another date." The orange haired man says.
"That's hardcore. He's going to risk his life for a maybe?" The violet eyed college student asks in disbelief.
"Yes, that's exactly right. I don't like being used. I understand why he did it, but that doesn't change the fact that originally he tried to play me for the fool. He has a lot of making up to do." Jugo says smugly.
Suigetsu shakes his head and makes a mental note. Never get on Jugo's bad side. It was apparently rather hard to get yourself back in his good graces. That fairy had some very high standards!