Primal
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Naruto talking to Kyuubi in bold.
Kyuubi talking to Naruto in bold italics.
Chapter 12
The next day, Suki wakes up curled into Naruto. Her face was still bandaged, but that didn't matter. She would recognize his warmth anywhere.
"How are you feeling?" Naruto whispers as he runs his fingers through her long raven tresses.
"Other than the agony in my eyes, good." Suki answers honestly and Naruto laughs.
"That wouldn't be a problem, if you had listened to me. I guess I could talk to Granny Tsunade about this. She'd probably be able to give you more medicine…for the pain." Her Mate replies.
Suki shakes her head. That was a bad idea. They would have to explain why she needed the medicine. That wouldn't end well.
"I'll endure it. I've lived through worse. Besides, now I have you. There's no medicine will make me feel better than your kiss does." She tells him with a smile as she rolls over and kisses him.
Naruto eagerly kisses back. He wasn't sure when Suki became more cuddly, but he liked it. Now that she was actually here and had her new eyes, maybe things would be better.
"Good. Kissing is even better than ramen." He says playfully, after he breaks their kiss.
"Coming from you, that's quite the romantic declaration of undying love and affection." Suki taunts him and Naruto just rolls his eyes as he pins her against the bed.
"Yeah. It is! Believe it! You aren't running off this time." He warns her.
Suki shivers slightly at the possessive growl, she heard in his voice. There was something incredibly erotic about it. Naruto had already proven that he was willing to destroy villages for her. (Well at least he was willing to destroy one criminal village for her anyway; it was the thought that counted.)
"I didn't want to leave in the first place. Though I'm not going anywhere for at least a week. That's how long it'll take me to adjust to my new eyes at a minimum. That's without factoring in how long it will take me to master my new Sharingan. Realistically, we could very well be here for at least two weeks or even longer than a month." She admits in an embarrassed fashion.
She hated being weak. Suki hated that she had to wait for her body to adjust, but it'd be foolish not to do so. Itachi might be sick, but he was still a formidable ninja and she would like to survive their final battle.
"Good. It'll be good for you to be home and with people who care about you." Naruto says as he runs his arm along the curve of her hip.
"Other than Team Seven, I imagine that's a short list." Suki replies dryly.
Naruto frowns. He really didn't like her saying stuff like that. He wanted Suki to be happy in the Leaf with him, but not just him. It was important for her to have friends.
"That's not true and you know it." He protests.
"Naruto, let's not fight about whether or not I have friends in the Leaf Village. Right now, I have you and that's all that I really need." She tells him as she struggles for a moment to find his cheek and places a gentle kiss on is.
Naruto smiles. Well it was a start. He was just glad that she was home and largely unharmed. He still wasn't happy about her sneaking off for an eye transplant though.
He had plans to punish her for that one later. Plans that went a lot further than the apron. The blonde was almost certain that if Suki knew what he was planning, she'd probably Chidori him.
"Careful. The Bond is strong. If you feel something intensely, she will notice." Kurama warns him.
"Oh right. Thanks. Do you think she's really alright though? That was one Hell of an operation. We probably shouldn't have moved her so quickly, afterwards." Naruto asks anxiously.
"She's in pain. That's only to be expected though. If she was critically injured, we would now. We'd be able to sense it. That's what it means to be a Mate. It is perhaps the only way to truly know someone." The Nine Tails informs him.
Naruto relaxes at that answer. He'd know, if something was seriously wrong with Suki. That was a relief. His Mate was extremely stubborn. It was unlikely that the dark beauty in his arms would tell him, if she was really hurt.
"Are you talking to the Nine Tails again?" Suki asks.
"Yeah. We talk all the time. He lives inside me, after all." Naruto answers her honestly.
Suki merely nods in understanding. She honestly didn't know, if she could have managed it. The Uchiha woman didn't know, if she could have shared her body with another being. (Well outside of pregnancy, but being the host to a demon was a completely different situation than that.)
"It's fine. I was just curious. I detected more than a hint of sneakiness there for a moment and then you got somber. Is something bothering you?" Suki inquires.
"Well something is bothering me. Would you tell me, if something was really wrong? If you were hurt badly, would you tell me?" Naruto questions her.
She smiles wistfully and caresses his cheek. Naruto had no real reason to trust her. Truthfully, she didn't understand why he wanted to be her Mate at this point. Suki decides that it didn't matter. Today could be the start of a new chapter in their relationship.
"Yes, I'd tell you. Don't worry so much. That's supposed to be my job." She whispers.
"Good. I want us to have a real Mating. We should take care of each other and not keep secrets from one another." The blonde insists.
"I'd like that." Suki agrees as she cuddles closer to him and sighs in contentment.
Meanwhile Kisame and Itachi had made it all the way to a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Itachi knew that his time was limited. If his sister was smart, she would try to have a transplant done.
Suki would want the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. It would take her time to recover and seek him out. Time that he did not have. His only option now lay in seeking treatment.
"You sure about this Itachi?" Kisame asks as he points Samehada at a doctor.
"I'm certain. There is really no other alternative. If I don't receive proper care, I will die long before we ever meet up with Suki again." He reasons.
Kisame nods. That much was certainly true. On one hand, Kisame was happy that Itachi was seeking treatment. He was a good partner and the Akatsuki Member would like to keep him around for awhile longer. On the other hand, Itachi was seeking treatment in a civilian hospital.
"Wouldn't a ninja hospital be better though?" He asks.
"It would be ideal in terms of care quality, but we're too high profile. They would recognize us and send for help. A civilian hospital in a small village is my best hope for survival." The Uchiha explains.
The shark lover pauses as he considers that. After awhile, he nods his head in agreement. Itachi was probably right about that. If they went to a real ninja hospital, there would be issues.
"Well hopefully, they know what they're doing." He mutters.
"I'm certain that they are familiar with my illness. While I doubt there is much that they can do for my Sharingan, they should be able to at least slow the progression of my disease." The other man replies knowledgably.
The doctor gulps. These two were dangerous ninjas. They were so dangerous that they apparently felt quite safe in discussing their plans, right in front of him.
"We'll certainly do our best, if you promise not to kill us." The doctor stammers.
"I have no reason to want any of you dead and every reason to want you to live. Please do get started. Do not even think about trying to kill me while I am unconscious. Kisame will protect me. You do not wish to try his patience." Itachi warns the man.
The healer could only gulp and nod in confirmation. The strange looking blue skinned ninja was terrifying. His teeth resembled a shark's and he had gills on his face. Not to mention, he was also carrying an excessively large sword.
He certainly did not wish to face this Kisame in battle. The man would likely cut him in half, faster than he could blink. It was in his best interest to stay on both of their good sides.
"Of course! We'll get started right away. Obviously, you will need to be unconscious to perform this surgery." He warns Itachi.
"Naturally. I anticipated that much. Should you try anything, Kisame will slaughter every last man, woman, and child in this village. Do keep that in mind as you perform the operation." Itachi tells him in a casual voice.
"I understand." The doctor replies with a gulp as he administers the anesthesia.
Kisame watches warily. This was a risk and they both knew it. Thankfully, it appeared that the doctor was too terrified (or smart) to try anything. He could only hope that the doctor would be able to work some kind of magic.
A few days later, Suki was in her kitchen and she was irritated. Naruto sensing his Mate's distress, heads towards her and blinks at what he saw. Suki was clearly trying to prepare well something. Though it seemed that without her eyes, she was struggling to say the least.
Scattered on the kitchen counter was a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and other materials that he guessed were designed to make a salad. The blonde sighs and quickly grabs the knife out of her hand. She was trying to slice her tomatoes. Yeah. That was so NOT happening!
"Bad! Suki, you really shouldn't be playing with knives when you're essentially blind!" Naruto scolds her as he sets the knife as far away from his Mate as possible.
"Naruto, I'm recovering from a surgery. I'm not actually blind. I can handle making a damn salad!" She grumbles.
"Yeah.. I'm sure you can. How about you let me do it for you instead?" He asks as he wraps his arms around her waist, trying to prevent her from searching for the knife.
"Now would be a good time to assert a bit of dominance. A firm hold, a soft growl, and a nip to the Mating Mark is generally sufficient to get the point across." Kurama instructs him.
Naruto wasn't really sure if that was a good idea. He just hoped that Suki never found out about Kurama's fetish for "asserting dominance." There was no way that she'd react to THAT well!
"You don't think that would just make her mad?" He asks.
"It might surprise her. I don't think she'd be angry. Besides, she still feels guilty for ignoring your wishes and getting new eyes. Most likely, she'll be more receptive to such gestures because of that." The Nine Tails explains.
The Leaf Ninja pauses as he considers that. That was true. Suki did still feel guilty about running off. Maybe he could get away with hit.
He smiles and growls lightly into her ear. The blonde felt his Mate shiver in surprise, as he tightens his hold on her and nips her Mating Mark. Naruto couldn't help but admire the way it looked against her creamy skin. It was beautiful. Nothing like Orochimaru's ugly mark.
"Nnh! N-aruto, that's not fair!" Suki gasps as she leans back against him.
That felt good. Why did that feel so good? The feeling of his teeth and lips against the Mark felt like nothing short of ecstasy. Was that just a normal part of being Mated, she wonders to herself.
"Neither was kissing me and knocking me out. I like it when you say my name like that though." Naruto tells her, after releasing her neck from his teeth.
"Mmm you've really been spending way too much time around Kakashi and Jirayia. They're starting to rub off on you." Suki notes with amusement.
"Well I don't want them to rub off on me. I'd rather rub on, you." He shocks her by saying.
Suki blinks. The apron thing had shocked her, but this was even more surprising. Perhaps she should have expected it though. He had traveled with Jirayia for three years. That was bound to have an impact on anyone.
"I promised that I'd wear the apron, but it's a little early than that. I'm not really sure how good I'd be at reciprocating, like this. I can't see anything with these damn bandages on." She mumbles, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.
"Well you are still really good at kissing, even with the bandages on. So I don't know why that'd be any different. Besides, it's more about touching and feeling than seeing. That and it's okay. I don't mind. Making you feel good, makes me feel good. Oh and how do you get your hair to be that soft? I mean it looks so spiky, but it doesn't feel that way!" Naruto says all in one breath.
The young Uchiha tilts her head to the side in amazement. It was truly incredible. Naruto's lung capacity was unsurpassed. That was the only logical explanation for how he could say all that without any pauses to breath.
"Well I'm glad that you like my kisses. I guess you're right about reciprocating. That does sound intriguing. The thought of just enjoying your affection is really appealing, but it wouldn't be fair and I'm not a selfish lover. As far as my hair, I guess that's just good genes?" Suki ponders thoughtfully.
"Yeah. Must be." Naruto agrees as he holds her closer and Suki snuggles into his embrace.
Naruto could feel the panther fluff him rather affectionately. It was a nice feeling. This was what Suki was like when she was feeling happy and affectionate, it seemed.
"I love you." She whispers with a smile.
"I love you too, even I want to strangle you half the time for being so damn stubborn!" Naruto informs her as he light bites down on her Mating Mark.
Suki was about to respond to that, but she couldn't. The bite felt too good. She lets out a quiet moan of pleasure and arches against him.
"You weren't lying about the biting thing. I wish that I had known it was this easy to make her listen to me. This would have saved us both so much trouble. She really likes it." Naruto says smugly.
"If you had just listened to me earlier, it would have saved all of us a great deal of annoyance. I suppose humans are just slow learners and there is nothing that can be done about that." Kurama replies.
Naruto was about to tell Kurama off for that, when he heard a knock on the door. He blinks and sighs. Damn it.
"The one time that she actually wants to be close to me and someone has too come and visit us." He grumbles under his breath.
The Jinchuuriki sighs and mutters a hasty apology to Suki, before darting off to answer the door. He wasn't even sure who would be dumb enough to come to the Uchiah District in the first place. Oh well. Naruto supposed that he was about to find out.
"Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asks in confusion, after opening the door.
"Oh good. You're here. The ANBU say that they haven't seen anyone enter or leave the house for awhile. Lady Tsunade sent me to ensure that everything was still going smoothly and to bring the two of you to her office." He states.
"Oh yeah. We're fine. Though I don't think that's a good idea for us to go and see Granny Tsunade yet." Naruto says sheepishly.
Kakashi raises an eyebrow. That didn't sound promising. The Jonin wasn't entirely certain that he even wanted to know what his two wayward students had done this time, but he had to ask.
"Naruto, what did you do?" He demands.
"It's more what I did. We encountered Itachi and Kisame and fought them. Once the two of them retreated, I saw that Danzo was watching us. So we confronted him. It was a battle to the death. I took his arm which was covered in Sharingans to the Sound and had a transplant performed. Once my eyes heal from the surgery, I will be in possession of two fully functional eyes with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan." She explains.
Suki thought about lying to Kakashi or at least hiding the truth. She really didn't want to tell him about Danzo, but she wasn't stupid. People were going to notice that he had gone missing. That and his final Seal was anything, but subtle. It wouldn't take long for the Leaf to realize that he had been killed.
She shivers as she imagines what would have happened, if they found out that she and Naruto were partially responsible for his death. They might not have delivered the fatal blow, but they would have. She doubted that the Leaf Village would care about such a distinction.
"You two have certainly been busy. You are going to have to explain all of that to Lady Tsunade. Follow me." Kakashi says as he gestures for his former students to follow him.
Naruto and Suki reluctantly do so. Thankfully, Kakashi knew how to get them to Tsunade's Office without being seen. That was a fact that Suki was truly grateful for. She was in no mood to put up with the stares that her bandages would have earned her.
"Naruto! Suki! Where the Hell have the two of you been?" The busty blonde demands, once they were safely in her Soundproof office and the door was locked behind them.
"It's a long story." Suki says cautiously and Tsunade raises an eyebrow.
She really didn't like the look of those bandages. Those bandages were wrapped around her eyes. Suki was an Uchiha. Having her eyes bandaged likely wasn't a good sign.
"Itachi and Kisame attacked us. We fought them to a draw and found out Danzo was watching us. We fought him and won. Suki grabbed his arm of Sharingans and took off to get a transplant. It was really creepy! His entire arm was covered in eyes!" Naruto exclaims.
Tsunade blinks. Suki had likely gone to the Sound for a transplant. While she certainly didn't trust Orochimaru or Kabuto, she couldn't deny that they were well versed in medicine. The transplant was likely a successful one.
More than that though, Suki was now likely in possession of an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. That would make her even more formidable than before. The blonde woman didn't care for where this was going at all.
"I assume that you had a set of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingans implanted? I can't imagine that you would settle for anything less. Danzo wouldn't have settled for ordinary Sharingans, if more developed ones were available." Tsunade reasons.
"You assume correctly." Suki confesses and Tsunade sighs in response.
That's when she noticed something on Naruto's neck. It was a pattern that hadn't been there before. That wasn't natural.
"What's that on your neck?" She asks Naruto.
"That's my Mating Mark. Suki has one too. We're kinda married now. It's a Jinchuuriki Thing." The young ninja tells her.
Tsunade's eyes widen in horror. The fact that Suki had the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was bad enough, but this was worse than anything that she could have possibly imagined. They were Mated now!
Their very souls were linked. This could end in complete disaster, especially with Itachi still lurking out there.
"Do you have any idea what the two of you have done?!" She demands.
"I take it that you know about Mating then." Suki observes and Tsuunade nods.
"I know enough. The records are scarce, but I have access to the ones that exist. When I became Hokage, I read everything that I could about Jinchuuriki. I wanted to be able to help and protect Naruto. I just never thought that he would actually take a Mate!" She shouts at them.
Naruto growls. He didn't like Tsunade yelling at Suki. This wasn't her fault. He was the one that had asked her to be his Mate. Not the other way around.
"Don't yell at her. I proposed to her! This isn't her fault. We're Mates now and nothing is going to change that. We love each other. That's all that matters. Now Suki is going to be a lot stronger. We'll find a way to stop Itachi and then she's going to make me some ramen in an apron!" He says.
Tsunade blinks. She was with Naruto until that last part. She knew that the kid liked ramen, but she didn't really understand the apron thing.
"I'm glad that you're in love, but this type of Bond is very dangerous. If one of you dies, the other will almost certainly follow. Even if the second Mate somehow survives, they tend to go insane. You are playing with forces that you don't understand! Forget about the apron! This is important!" She thunders at him.
Naruto wanted to argue that the apron was VERY important, but he sighs. It wouldn't do any good. He had to make the Hokage understand.
"We fully understand the risks. Right now though, we are planning to stay on the village. I have to recover and get used to my new eyes." Suki says.
Tsunade sighs as she pours herself a glass of sake. She couldn't see any way that this would end well. Unfortunately, there was no way of undoing the Bond.
"Very well. I wish that the two of you had thought this through. You're teenagers. You aren't ready for a lifelong commitment! You most certainly aren't ready for a Mating that ties your souls together!" She growls.
"We thought it through." Suki protests.
"I hope for both of your sakes' that you are right." The Hokage whispers.
Naruto tries to keep his teeth from elongating, but it was no use. He knew that Tsunade was just worried about him. That didn't change the fact that he was angry with her. Very angry.
She was saying that he and Suki weren't good Mates. Tsunade was essentially saying that they didn't belong together. That was just wrong. After everything that they had been through, they weren't going to be kept apart anymore!
"We should go. I'm still recovering from my surgery. Is that alright with you, Lady Hokage?" Suki asks.
"Yes, that's fine with me. There's nothing more that can be done here, at the moment." The Hokage says as she sips her sake.
Suki nods and drags Naruto off. She decides that it was best to leave Kakashi behind in the office. He could calm Tsunade down. Well at least that's what she was hoping, anyway.
"Naruto, you need to calm down. I can sense your rage through our Mating Bond." She whispers as she flickers them back to the Uchiha District.
"She was saying that our Mating was a mistake!" The other ninja protests.
"I know and she's wrong. It doesn't matter what she thinks. What matters is how we feel about each other. Oh and you getting my salad. That would be great." Suki says with a smirk.
Naruto laughs. Suki was Suki. It didn't matter whether they were Mates, friends, teammates, or rivals. She was really bossy.
"Yeah. I'll get you, your salad. No more playing with knives, until your fully recovered though." Naruto says sternly.
"Mmm alright. I promise. No more knives. Well at least not for awhile. Oh and I like extra tomatoes in my salad." She says brightly as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.
Naruto smiles and kisses back. Once they killed Itachi, everything would be better. There was just one problem. They had to figure out what Danzo had been hiding first.
The blonde wasn't exactly Shikamaru, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that somehow Danzo was connected to Itachi. They just had to figure out how.
"You're lucky that you're cute when you're bossy. Yeah. Yeah. I'll get you, your extra tomatoes." He says with a smile, after returning the kiss.