Dark Deeds, Dark Words
Sasuke stood still under the silent gaze of Madara. He kept his face blank, his eyes angry and crimson. Madara was growing restless. The wait for the full moon kept him anxious, and he was convinced of treachery. The next retrieval attempt was in only a few days, and it was doing a number on the Akatsuki leader. Madara had sent scouts to try and collect intel from the Hidden Leaf. During the melee, one of the scouts had managed to kill an ANBU guard and successfully entered the village under the dead man's guise.
The thought made Sasuke uneasy. The Leaf had not repaired their weak spot in time before the infiltrator had made his move. An Akatsuki member was now in the village, and he doubted anyone had caught on. It was very clever, Sasuke had to admit. Black Zetsu had split from White, and infiltrated the body of the dead nin, spreading through the body like a fungus, and controlling the corpse from the inside and keeping it looking alive. It had been revealed, through the spy, that the ANBU guards were moving Naruto the following week to a safe haven.
"Take a team of no more than five. I want you waiting for him. Wait for the signal from Zetsu. The team will be in a state of chaos. Enter the scene and capture the Nine Tails. Bring him to me unscathed. Crush him all you will, but I want him alive, Sasuke," Madara hissed. Sasuke scowled and nodded. Madara's one eye narrowed and he glared at Sasuke when he did not immediately leave.
"I will make sure he lives," Sasuke said through clenched teeth. Appeased, Madara waved him away. I will make sure he lives. He meant it in a way Madara was not aware of. He wasn't Madara's man, and there was no way he was allowing the villain to have his revenge and bring his plans to fruition. Naruto…Sasuke pushed the thought away.
He would make sure Naruto lived to see another day. That was it. He couldn't afford to become too invested. Not now. It had become easier as the days slid past to think so. Easier to think he might be able to let it go. He called upon Suigetsu and Juugo, and made sure they were alone.
"Rally up a few more men for our team. Make sure they're green," he added. Nin inexperienced with the team's fighting style were easier to catch unaware and disposed of. Suigetsu flashed him a toothy grin. Picking weaker ones would make the job easier and more to the point, much faster.
"So we're doing it?" Suigetsu asked, his voice laced with excitement. Sasuke nodded.
"We're leaving. I thought it would be better to take Madara down from the inside, but Kabuto's treacherous, and it's better that we're not in the same place. They both need to eliminated." His teammates nodded.
"We'll raise strength on the outside?" Juugo asked.
Sasuke nodded. "We'll learn what we can. In order to understand how to kill Madara, we'll need to understand the Mangekyo further. We need scrolls, information. It wouldn't hurt to scope out intel on Kabuto as well."
"What about Naruto?" Suigetsu asked, smiling wickedly.
Sasuke looked away, irritation spiking his words. "Make sure the Leaf gets him to his hideout. Cause mayhem in our own ranks, kill our team members, and get rid of Zetsu."
"That's a tricky bastard to kill," Suigetsu said with a frown. He reached back for the handle of his blade and gripped it reassuringly.
"If we make it look like we were the ones to have been ambushed, and have the others killed, it will buy us some time," Juugo observed. Sasuke nodded.
"Are we going to trail lover boy?" Suigetsu asked casually. Sasuke flushed angrily. For a few heartbeats he didn't speak.
Finally, he spoke grudgingly. "We're going to have to. Madara already knows the first location the team is stopping at. He'll unleash Kabuto's experiments there. If there are suspicions from the other nin about us not immediately joining the fight, we'll say that we are trailing Naruto and keeping an eye on him, waiting for Madara's move. For the sake of our own lives, we cannot let Madara have Naruto."
Suigetsu scoffed. "Look at him, trying to act the part of unfeeling bastard." He chuckled. "As if this is really about saving our own asses. You know Sasuke, love looks good on you."
"Shut the fuck up, Suigetsu," Sasuke growled, shoving him away.
Suigetsu laughed, raising his arms in surrender."Alright, alright, stop giving me your death glare. Seriously, it scares me."
Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "One week." He informed them.
That week came far too quickly.
The following week, Sasuke headed out with his team. Kabuto had commented on his choices, much to his chagrin.
"I understand why you would gravitate towards your former teammates, but surely a more…competent member would add strength to your team. Kisame, perhaps? He has battled the Eight-Tails before-"
"And failed." Sasuke cut him off rudely. Kabuto looked up to Madara, who seemed thoughtful. His one eye slid over the two other members Sasuke had chosen. One was the snake nin, known as Ryota, and the other a former experiment of Orochimaru's named Tomatsu. He supposedly had skin of steel, but Sasuke would show him how easily steel could be cut.
"Do you forget, Sasuke," Madara began softly, "That you have failed to bring me both the Eight Tails and Nine Tails?" He looked down upon Sasuke in the most patronizing way.
"Remove both Ryota and Tomatsu and replace them with Kisame," Madara ordered. Sasuke grit his teeth, but had no other choice but to comply.
"I would also suggest," Kabuto ventured, his voice a triumphant hiss, "That I also accompany the hunting party. I would be of much use-"
"No!" Madara barked out. His eye narrowed. "Your place is tending to the experiments, ensuring that they are ready for their attack on Konoha. Even though we do not need to search it for the Nine Tails after tonight, I still want the village destroyed or at least its morale broken, as it's one of the strongest we have to face. Your place is here."
Sasuke watched them closely. It was apparent that Madara did not trust Kabuto anywhere but at his side. This was good. At least this one thing worked to his advantage. Kabuto couldn't try anything on him.
So Kisame joined the team. Suigetsu fingered his blade and grinned. Sasuke knew the rogue nin had been wanting to sink the teeth of his sword into Kisame's blue flesh for a while now, so the prospect of fighting him no doubt excited Suigetsu. Still, Kisame was a seasoned nin, a veteran of many fights, and ridding themselves of him would not be easy. He had a quick wit, and an even faster bite. The corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted into something that resembled a smirk.
A good fight was always fun, especially if it was as important as this. Sasuke refused to show any weakness regarding Naruto, and tried to tell himself that his mission was solely for the good of his own purpose, so he could take his proper revenge (just how was he supposed to do that if everyone was under Madara's genjutsu?), but he knew it wasn't true. That night with Naruto had changed him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or resented it. Either way, without Susano'o's evil chakra suffocating him, he was clear-headed, and knew it was time to branch off for his own purpose and defeat the fools that happened to stumble across his path.
They traveled by night, waiting in ambush in a heavily forested area for the team escorting Naruto. Sasuke's heart beat a little faster, though he wouldn't dare admit it was because he might see the blond. He was hoping Naruto wouldn't see him, he had other plans for that…later.
"So what's our formation?" Kisame asked gruffly, leaning against Samehada and picking his teeth with a twig he'd found on the ground. Suigetsu, eager to piss Kisame off, babbled on in a voice that hinted at stupidity.
"Well, when we see the team turn around that corner over there-"
"I know the fucking details, brat. Stop wagging that tongue of yours before I rip it out."
Suigetsu rolled his eyes."I'm so terrified," he said blandly. Kisame grinned and patted his sword, small golden eyes winking in the moonlight. Sasuke squinted down the road. Still no sign. Perhaps it was time to strike. He met Juugo's gaze out of the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. Kisame was oblivious, becoming angrier and angrier from Suigetsu's taunts by the second. Finally, he whipped out his sword and swiped at the white-haired youth.
Howling with pleasure at the prospect of a good fight, Suigetsu raised his sword and the two clashed. The two swords struggled against each other for a moment, before both fighters whirled away. Kisame raised his heavy sword, but the weight of the sword made Kisame a second slower. Suigetsu noticed this and ducked and jabbed, making Kisame angle away.
"You're making me angry!" Kisame growled, and brought Samehada down in a fearsome arch. Before the blade could kiss Suigetsu's, Sasuke's electricified blade caught Samehada and held it. Kisame's eyes widened at the look of the swirling crimson eyes.
"Let go, Uchiha!" he snarled. Sasuke pushed his weight against his sword and Kisame growled. Sasuke grinned, then whirled away. Before Kisame had time to process the look on Sasuke's face, Juugo rammed into him, grabbing him around the waist. Laughing manically, his body gray and slate-like, orange eyes blazing, he started to crush the shark man. Kisame laughed.
"Is this an ambush?"Grabbing Juugo's head, Kisame hurled him over his shoulder and crashing into a nearby jutting boulder. Juugo screamed in pain, but scrambled back up. Kisame swung Samehada, but Juugo countered it with his arm, which had transformed into something grotesque, scaly, and rock hard. Suigetsu and Sasuke stood back, allowing Juugo to unleash his anger upon Kisame. It was dangerous to get in Juugo's way at this point, and not worth the injury unless their friend seemed to be in mortal danger.
"Oho, this is amusing. Are you going to kill me?" Kisame asked, sharpened teeth glinting as he grinned.
"I'm going to crush you until your eyes pop out of your ugly head!" Juugo screamed, swiping at him. Kisame dodged, and shook his head.
"Sending the madman to do your dirty work? Or is just to tire me out? You're not dumb I see," Kisame taunted, fighting back. Kisame and Juugo clashed once more. Samehada's wrappings fell away, and it gnashed its teeth in glee. Juugo swiped once more, but this time Samehada bit through Juugo's flesh.
"It's going to feast on his chakra-" Suigetsu started to say, somewhat worried and already stepping out to join the fight.
"Wait." Sasuke hissed, looking to the sky. Suigetsu's eyes widened.
"You're not going to let him fight alone?"
"Let them dance. I have a plan." Sasuke assured him, his hands working quickly as he formed signs. Juugo was howling below, but tore the shark sword from his flesh, splattering the ground crimson. Heaving, he charged once more. The right side of Kisame's face had been split open from his temple to his chin, and half his face was slick in blood that looked black in the dark. Kisame roared, and struck again. Juugo feinted, ducked, weaved, popped back up to smash a fist into Kisame's stomach.
"No more games!" Kisame howled, and quickly formed seals. Made uneasy by Juugo's strength, the shark man decided to revisit a technique he'd used on the Eight Tails. In the water, Kisame had the advantage. From a lake nearby, a large wave of water swept over them, encompassing them in a large globe of water. Gills opened on the side of Kisame's neck and he laughed at Juugo, who struggled and sunk.
"You'll drown easily, and then I'll take down your traitor friends." Kisame started to dive, but suddenly lightning flashed in the sky, and Kisame looked up in confusion before his eyes widened. There was a sudden current in the water, for no more than a split second, and Juugo was suddenly being swept away, out of the bubble of water. Suigetsu had manipulated the water in his body in order to create a jet of water that blasted Juugo out of the bubble. Kisame noted the toothy grin of Suigetsu before dragons made lightning hit the water. He had hardly a second to react.
Kisame's scream was drowned in the water as he was electrified by the lightning. For several moments, the dragons wrapped their humming bodies around the body of water. Kisame seized and finally went still. The bubble burst, and Kisame's body washed up on the grass. Juugo was unconscious, back to his original state, and Suigetsu was re-solidifying his body. Sasuke walked over to Kisame, staring into his still open eyes.
"Is he dead?" Suigetsu panted. Sasuke raised his sword, and brought it down, but instead of striking Kisame's body, he struck Samehada. The sword shrieked and writhed and bit as the electrified blade hacked at it. Black blood oozed from its tough, spiked skin.
"What are you doing?!" Suigetsu shrieked, appalled. He had always thought the sword was valuable and had dreamed of plucking it from Kisame as a prize. Sasuke paused.
"Use your sword. It should cut through better than mine." Sasuke stepped aside, waiting for Suigetsu to follow through on the order. Suigetsu scowled. Sasuke lit the sword with lightning as Suigetsu swing his own giant sword, aiming for Samehada's gashes. It easily sliced open. Steam rose from the fried flesh and Suigetsu wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"Dammit, this was a fucking fine thing. The things you do for love!" he said with a shake of his head. Sasuke ignored this.
"Make sure it's dead. He's used the sword to escape his fate before, if what I hear is true. He is connected to his sword through his own life force, which is what makes it such a powerful weapon in his hand. As long as it's alive, a part of Kisame lives as well. It's important to ensure he can't come back. If we aren't thorough, Madara will know of our treachery," Sasuke explained. Suigetsu eyed the destroyed sword sadly and muttered under his breath. Something about "not knowing the true value of things".
"Now we wait." Suigetsu said glumly, plopping down on the wet grass. Sasuke nodded. The next attack would be on Black Zetsu, once the ANBU team was spotted. Juugo remained unconscious, and was hidden. Sasuke hid and masked his chakra in the trees, while Suigetsu turned to a small pool to conceal himself. Not long after, the Anbu team was spotted coming through the trees. They had defeated Kisame just in time.
The leader of the team stopped a few hundred yards away from Sasuke's position. He gripped his sword, trying not to look for a familiar blond face. Stay focused. He doesn't matter, not now. The signal from Zetsu turned out to be an easy one to spot.
The Anbu seemed to be conversing amongst themselves. Judging by the body language, however, Sasuke realized heated words were being exchanged. Still, he did not see Naruto. Every single member of the team was cloaked and masked. They had masked him to protect his identity, posing him as an Anbu Black Ops, Sasuke guessed.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose. The team leader turned out to be Zetsu, and the mask flew away from his face. The facial features started to twist and twitch, and the skin blackened. It was a grotesque transformation. His teeth elongated, long tendrils of black shadow erupted from his back, squirming. The Anbu guards kicked into gear. Half the team broke off, dispersing into pairs and scattering, and the other half remained to fight.
The long black appendages that had sprouted from Zetsu's back deflected an attack and grabbed the nearest opponent, curling itself around his body and sucking him forward like a frog's tongue would a fly. The rest of the appendages formed something that looked like a black venus fly trap, sucking the ninja into its dark maw. There was a scream, a crunch, and a roar. Zetsu grew stronger.
Calmly, Sasuke studied how Black Zetsu fought. He was a little unsure about Zetsu's techniques, so staying out of sight until he figured it out seemed best. Suigetsu was waiting for his command, but Sasuke knew he would note the paths of any pairs that crossed his path.
Black Zetsu's abilities were quicker, more predatory. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke noticed that the tips of the black appendages were armed with a formidable, concentrated chakra. Its properties seemed almost poisonous, as the victims it lapped up would suddenly seize and go still. They whipped about with incredible speed, and Black Zetsu dodged many attacks. Sasuke noticed his green eye roaming, slightly confused as to why he had not yet been backed up and joined in this fight.
Sasuke waited for his moment, after deciding how best to proceed. Forming a seal, Sasuke sent a streak of lightning hurtling towards the fighters. The Anbu Black Ops officers saw it coming and broke up, dodging. Black Zetsu hissed and bounded away.
"Sasuke?" The deep voice drawled. Sasuke bounded into view, and the Anbu Black Ops officers shouted and stood ready to fight. Zetsu chuckled darkly, believing his opponents' cause to be lost.
"Where are the others?" he rumbled.
"Tracking the scattered ANBU." Sasuke informed him. One officer's element appeared to be earth, and tried crushing Sasuke in a cage of rock. He easily dodged it and allowed Zetsu to become distracted by fighting. No more than two minutes into the fight, Zetsu paused.
His green eye grew wide, and the tentacle like black appendages began to rattle and squirm desperately, as if trying to cling on to something. He clawed at his mouth and throat. Sasuke grinned.
Only then did Zetsu realize he had been under the influence of Sasuke's genjutsu. He had made the mistake of looking Sasuke in the eye when the Uchiha had joined in. He had continued to fight until he realized he could no longer breathe…
Zetsu had been fighting illusions while encased in water. Sasuke allowed himself a triumphant smirk. By unleashing his own unique technique, Kisame had taught Suigetsu a rather interesting way to manipulate the water. The remaining Anbu Black Ops officers were also caught in separate illusions, but otherwise unharmed. Suigetsu had used his aquatic powers to encase Zetsu once the Akatsuki member was cast under the genjutsu. Zetsu glared murderously at Sasuke from inside his watery prison. He flailed and tried hitting the water with his black tentacles, but the surface only rippled. Sasuke winced, hoping Suigetsu wouldn't take too much of a beating.
Finally Zetsu stopped flailing and hung still, suspended in the water. The bubble broke, and Suigetsu didn't immediately solidify. Sasuke didn't waste time. When Suigetsu had completely disentangled himself, Sasuke activated Amaterasu.
He watched Black Zetsu burn, wondering what would now become of his other half.
Suigetsu reformed slowly, gasping and pale as the underbelly of a fish. He was shaking, Sasuke realized.
"The chakra in those tentacles threatened to kill me." Suigetsu hissed, voice slightly wavering. "It could have killed me!" He continued to complain.
Sasuke sighed. "It didn't."
Suigetsu rolled his large purple eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to find Juugo. Then we'll put on our…disguises and head for this village." At the word 'disguise' a wicked grin stretched across Suigetsu's mouth, despite his weariness and pain. Sasuke scowled.
Naruto's heart was in his throat as he bounded through the trees behind Takumi, the ANBU guard that had watched over him nightly in the village. The Leaf had been betrayed, and the whole team moved in deadly silence at the news, but they didn't stop, not for anything. An important mission was at hand.
A week had passed since the discovery of his pregnancy, and Tsunade had been at wit's end over what to do. But the morning he was scheduled to leave, she informed Naruto of her decision.
"I have a good friend where I'm sending you. She's well-seasoned in her field and has seen many things. I have trusted her with medical mysteries and rare discoveries and she has never once betrayed my trust. She also studied this matter with me." Naruto listened, nodding, wondering where she was going.
"I do not think I have the abilities to do what we have to." She informed him. Naruto raised an eyebrow. He noticed she looked defeated. The way she was looking at him…it unnerved him, like she was apologizing with her eyes.
"To do what?" Naruto wanted to know.
Tsunade sighed. "I think Aoi will have better luck at reaching the embryo. She had dealt with strong and formidable chakras before…in fact, she was the midwife that delivered you." She smiled thinly.
"She knew how to combat the Kyuubi's chakra so it would do no harm while she helped you mother birth you. Your father stood over them to work his magic on her seal should it weaken too much. You know what happens to a Jinchuurikis seal during childbirth?"
Naruto shook his head.
"The seal weakens," Tsunade informed him. "It took a skilled medical team and some highly skilled ninja to deliver you." Naruto's eyes widened. Tsunade rubbed at her eyes.
"I'm beating around the bush," she muttered. She looked him straight in the eye. "Aoi will see you once you enter the village. The next morning, she will perform your abortion."
Naruto froze. He blinked. Finally, he found his voice.
Go ahead, try and cut it from your belly, I will stop you. The Kyuubi's voice rumbled in memory.
"The Nine Tails won't let you. You can't touch it. It won't end well." Naruto found himself saying hotly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the anger coloring his voice.
"It didn't want us to seal it either, but where is it now?" she asked pointedly.
Naruto glared. "It's my body. You couldn't advise me about this before making me deal with it?" he growled.
Tsunade winced. "It's not worth the risk."
Naruto struggled to contain himself. He remembered what it had felt like…his child. He remembered how it had clung to him. He had found himself awake many nights, thinking of it, remembering what it sounded like.
I always wanted someone to hold me, to protect me when I was small. He found himself thinking of his days spent as an orphan, alone and miserable, and it had pained him after a while. He would wake some mornings with his hand splayed across his flat belly, as if comforting the unborn life within. It was hard to believe each day that passed…but he couldn't forget what it had felt like…his child's life nestled in his body. A tiny heartbeat, cradled by his own flesh and blood.
Maybe if he had continued to remain apprehensive and unsure about it, the decision would have been a lot easier to handle. Maybe if he hadn't thought of himself as a child and how he would have loved a parent to cherish and hold and protect him, he would have readily agreed to Tsunade's suggestion without hesitation.
"No," Naruto had said. Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"Naruto, it's too dangerous-"
"It's my own flesh and blood!"
"You're barely seventeen! You know nothing of parenting! This child will not only risk our position in this war, but your safety-"
"Like you know what it's like to raise a child?" Naruto had shot back. It hadn't been a fair thing to say.
Tsunade colored and rose. "It's hardly a life yet, and if you allow it to grow, you'll only give Madara access to a lethal weapon. Did you forget what your childhood was like? Would you wish it on your own?"
Naruto had taken a step back, wounded, looking as if Tsunade had slapped him.
"You're a ninja to your village first. This is what's best for you. This is what's best for your village." she finished curtly. That had been the end of it.
Naruto had refused to speak to Tsunade at all unless necessary after that. The war had further hardened her, and she saw no reason for Naruto to have this attachment if it meant risk. He left with a heavy heart, a sick feeling in his gut.
Was it really for the best? He felt sick again at the thought of it. His stomach churned, and he stopped suddenly. Takumi halted, looking back at him, face hidden behind his ivory bird mask. Naruto turned, lifted his dog mask, knelt, and vomited over the branch he was perched on. Takumi waited, scanning their surroundings, on the alert and ready for a fight.
When he was done, Takumi was pulling him by the hand, although his touch was gentle, understanding. Naruto decided he liked the man, even if he didn't say much. They bounded through the trees, and finally the small village came into view another two hours later.
A large wooden gate had been erected in front of the village. Waiting by its entrance were the remaining ANBU groups and two beautiful women draped in green cloaks that looked gray in the dark; one with raven hair that cascaded down her back, and another with white hair and large purple eyes.
Through the eye holes in his dog mask, Naruto noticed the two women whisper to another, and the beautiful raven-haired woman looked back at him with glittering obsidian eyes, and smiled in greeting. Naruto's breath caught.
Those eyes…
He didn't dwell on the thought. Ninja appeared and allowed the ANBU entrance. They paused to question the two women. Naruto stole a glance back and saw them admitted, although warily. The white haired woman flirted a little obviously, and batted her pretty purple eyes. The raven spoke few words and didn't smile. Takumi patted Naruto's shoulder, distracting him from the women, instructing him to keep moving forward. SoNaruto looked away from the women and forgot them.
But those eyes. Black as obsidian…had seemed so familiar…
The thought made his stomach twist and his heart flutter. He tried not to think about it. Tried not to dwell on similar dark eyes. Nearly a month had gone by, and Naruto was finally beginning to think that he might be able to overcome the sadness thoughts of Sasuke left.
They arrived at an inn and Naruto was grateful for warm food and a cold drink. Some of the ANBU guard were still shaken about the betrayal, and were reporting to Tsunade with summons. Takumi sat down by Naruto in the cafe and ordered barbecued beef, vegetables, and rice. Water for Naruto, and a glass of sake for himself, which he downed quickly.
As he was eating, Naruto felt eyes on him. He stilled, and glanced about. Sure enough, the two women were seated in a corner, speaking quietly and eating. Naruto noticed Takumi glance at them. He didn't dare voice his thoughts.
"I suppose the inns are full," Takumi observed, yet Naruto could hear the frown in his voice.
The women never did look at Naruto directly though, and Naruto kept eating. Later, when he was curled up in bed, thinking about a familiar face, a soft knock came to his door. Naruto's heart beat a little faster. He didn't move from the be. Instead, waited for a second knock, this one more hesitant and quiet.
He rose, and padded across the room, opening the door a crack. There, bathed in moonlight, was the raven-haired woman, cloaked and glancing down the halls. Naruto looked at her warily.
"Who are you?" He asked, fearing the answer.
"Let me in," she whispered, eyes glittering.
Naruto fidgeted, frowning."Am I supposed to trust you just like that?" he growled. She smiled, showing straight pearly teeth.
"You've trusted me before." Her voice dropped, low and husky, and she placed a white hand on the door. Naruto felt heat snake up his neck. Those eyes…
"What the fuck are you doing here, Sasuke?" Naruto snapped, heart beating way too fast. For a moment, he only wanted to punch Sasuke, beat him to a bloody pulp, but it was strangely hard to want to do when Sasuke was a beautiful woman.
"They'll catch you," Naruto hissed through the crack in the door.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "My chakra signature is concealed, and I fooled them with a clone. Need I remind you I fooled them before in Konoha just as easily? Now let me in, idiot, before they realize I'm here," Sasuke hissed. Not knowing why he did it, Naruto grudgingly stepped aside, but left the door open still only a crack. Rolling his eyes again, Sasuke pushed through the door, closed it, and threw off his cloak. He was wearing a simple white tunic and a dark lavender skirt. Naruto took this image in and suddenly snorted, swallowing gales of laughter. Sasuke glared at him.
"And to think you used to tell me it was a stupid jutsu!" Naruto wheezed through laughs.
"You're annoying as ever," Sasuke muttered, and suddenly he was across the room and in Naruto's arms, lips against his possessively. Naruto was too stunned, too engrossed, to move away. He pulled away panting after a bit. He reached up to squeeze a fake breast.
"Are you going to lose the disguise?" Naruto asked lowly, nipping at Sasuke's ear as he whispered. Sasuke practically purred, but then he pounced, throwing Naruto on the bed and perching on top of him, grinning. The jutsu wavered returning Sasuke's masculine features returned and making the breasts disappear. His hair shortened and became spiky again.
"Yes, but if anyone comes knocking at your door, it better be a woman in your bed and not me." Sasuke kissed him, and Naruto reached up, entangling his fingers in that black hair. He felt Sasuke stiffen on his thigh, felt himself harden in return, and suddenly he pushed Sasuke off. Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, but he waited.
"You left me," Naruto growled dangerously. "You left me and went back to Madara-"
"Madara can fuck himself for all I care." Sasuke interrupted, black eyes flashing. "I'm not his man."
Naruto laughed hollowly. "You left me," he repeated.
Sasuke frowned. "I had to. If I was going to bring Madara down on the inside-" Naruto raised a hand to stop him.
"Bastard, do you have any idea what I've been going through?" Naruto snarled. He reached for a pillow and pummeled Sasuke in the face with it. Sasuke let him.
"I figured as much," Sasuke said dryly. Naruto glared daggers at him. He wanted to punch Sasuke, beat him bloody, he wanted to kiss him, make love to him, all at once. It was confusing. Going a month without seeing the person you were crazy about after they left you to wake up alone did that to people, Naruto guessed.
"I've been waiting to see you. Do you know the trouble I went through to get here?" Sasuke sounded irritated.
"You haven't left the Akatsuki," Naruto observed.
Sasuke shook his head."I've gotten rid of Kisame, and half of Zetsu." He smirked. "Madara and Kabuto are next."
Naruto blinked, surprised."Kabuto-!?"
"Later," Sasuke promised and pushed Naruto down to straddle him.
Naruto shook his head. "Do you think I'm that easy?"
Sasuke chuckled and squeezed his straining member. "Your body says otherwise." Naruto swallowed, blinked away tears of frustration and rammed his palms in his eyes.
"For so many years, you've been my goal. The one person I couldn't bear to lose, and now you do this to me," he said helplessly. Sasuke said nothing for a moment.
"Once," he said quietly. "I thought you were the one person I had to kill."
"Wow, that really makes me feel special, Sasuke," Naruto said sarcastically. Sasuke frowned.
"Don't be a dumbass. It was because you were the one person who was in my way of what I thought was perfection." He bent lower, lips brushing close to Naruto's, who blushed.
"You were my only obstacle, my only flaw." Sasuke admitted in a husky voice. They heard footsteps in the hall, and Sasuke quickly returned to female-Sasuke in a poof. The door was thrust open and Sasuke acted his part well. He uttered a girly squeal and hid under the covers. Takumi quickly slammed the door closed.
"Naruto!"
Naruto blushed crimson."She won't be any trouble!" he called.
"I don't think-" Takumi began, but Naruto took a breath, throwing a sly grin at Sasuke.
"I already paid!" he called. Sasuke punched him hard in the arm, and growled. Naruto bit back a laugh. There was a silence.
"Well…" Takumi seemed at a loss for words. "I'll be outside." the ANBU guard said awkwardly. Naruto covered his mouth, laughing until his ribs ached, while Sasuke smacked him with the pillow. Naruto raised his hands in surrender.
"Ouch, dammit, stop! C'mon! That was too fucking funny!" Naruto cried. Sasuke's lips curled up into the smallest hint of a smile. Naruto looked at him. They studied each other in the dark.
"Are you sure you want to risk being here? You could leave and-"
"I'm not leaving," Sasuke interrupted.
Naruto grinned. "In case you've forgotten," he said, tugging at his shirt slowly, "You're a criminal wanted world-wide."
"As if they'll catch me."
"I caught you," Naruto whispered as he parted Sasuke's shirt to reveal the creamy chest beneath. Sasuke allowed himself a laugh.
"You couldn't catch me if your life depended on it," he challenged. Naruto pushed him down, so he was straddling Sasuke. If he didn't know any better, he would say Sasuke actually blushed, but it was hard to tell in the dark. Naruto's blue eyes gleamed, and he grinned.
"So, if you're the woman, does that mean I get to be on top this time?" Naruto grinned wickedly. Sasuke's breath caught, but then he smirked.
"Only if you catch me." he said with a chuckle. They kissed, wrestled for dominance. In that moment, the war was forgotten, Tsunade's orders were forgotten. It was only Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke's lips against his own was a thrill he'd never felt with Sakura, and he was more amped up than he cared to admit.
They made love twice. It was slower, more considerate, the first time. Sasuke's first thrusts were almost gentle, and Naruto had to cover his face with a pillow to stifle his moans. The second time, Naruto succeeded in pinning Sasuke, although in the back of his mind, he was certain the Uchiha had let him win. He felt awkward about it at first, but it was pure bliss, and he collapsed on top of Sasuke in a heap.
Their chests heaved with the effort to breathe, hearts ramming against their ribs. Naruto could feel Sasuke's heart through his chest as they lay together, and he thought it's almost as if it's the same heart. He looked up at Sasuke.
"What now? I thought you aimed to kill the entire village? Purify the Uchiha name by killing all who remembered them." His voice dripped with sarcasm. Sasuke looked away, scowling. Under the influence of Susano'o, he hadn't been very conscious of what bloodshed he sought, only that he wanted it. With his mind clear he realized, shamefacedly, that he had been weak in allowing the Mangekyo demon's power to overtake him and sway him from his goal of true justice. He wasn't bringing forth justice, only mindless slaughter.
Sasuke had never truly considered himself a villain, only an avenger, a seeker of justice. He might be considered callous at times, seemingly cold and uncaring, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't made of stone, or ice, for that matter. Without the evil of Susano'o, he couldn't say he wanted every villager to die for Itachi's sacrifice. No, the only blood that would stain the earth would be those who had schemed against his clan.
He looked Naruto in the eye. "I only want the Elders who ordered Itachi's mission." Naruto said nothing to that, and they lay in silence, bathed in shadow, wrapped around each other. Each trying to forget the fights that awaited them.
Naruto dozed off twice, each time waking with a frantically beating heart and reaching out for a body next to him. Each time, he wasn't disappointed. The second time he woke, Sasuke wordlessly reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Go to sleep," he ordered in a slightly irritated voice, but there was no real edge to it. Naruto blinked, looking at their entwined fingers. He slept.
He woke again as the sun began to lighten the horizon, where it gleamed pink and orange, washing the rest of the sky a dark purple while a few stars struggled to keep shining against the oncoming light. Naruto wondered why he woke so much, then he remembered as his stomach roiled. A wave of nausea came upon him again, and he gently rose from the bed and padded softly to the bathroom. He'd tried to be quiet, he really had, but nothing escaped Sasuke Uchiha.
Sasuke was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, black hair tousled in just the right way. He narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?" he demanded. Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and flushed the toilet.
"Nothing...just...it's nothing," he muttered, brushing his teeth. Sasuke raised a thin black eyebrow.
"You're sick."
"No shit," Naruto quipped.
Sasuke scowled. "Don't be an idiot."
"I told you, it's-" But the toothbrush was making him gag again, and he was dry heaving in the sink. He didn't even notice Sasuke cross over and rub his back in soothing circles. By the time he was finished, he didn't want to raise his head from the sink. He'd squeezed his eyes shut, afraid that if opened them, tears might fall, and maybe they wouldn't stop. Sasuke said nothing, only waited as Naruto gulped down a couple of shaky breaths. Not able to help himself, Naruto turned and rested his head on Sasuke's bare chest.
"I'm not sure how to do this." he whispered so quietly Sasuke had to strain to hear.
"Do what, dobe?" Sasuke asked, but then there was a knock on the door, and Sasuke was a woman again and quickly jumped in the shower. Takumi stood in the room.
"Naruto, tell your friend she's to leave. Prostitutes are illegal here, and I will have her arrested if she isn't gone within the next five minutes."
Naruto only nodded, too tired to argue.
"Get dressed, your appointment is in an hour, and we have the consult with the doctor first." Takumi left in a puff of smoke and Naruto slumped over the sink again, half-heartedly attempting to finish brushing his teeth.
"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke hissed from the shower. Naruto glared up at him through the mirror. He shook his head, rinsing his mouth out.
"You know, I really didn't want it to have to be like this-" and he really hadn't. A small part of him had hoped Sasuke would never have to know. He faltered. How did he even begin to say something like this? He shook his head, unable to form the words.
"Get on with it, dobe, before he comes back and I'm still here. What's going on with you?"
Naruto sighed and didn't meet his eyes. For several long seconds, he only gripped the sink and thought too hard about his next words before blurting,"I'mgettinganabortion."
World vomit, he thought with an embarrassed groan. Awesome.
Sasuke frowned, trying to make sense of what had just been said. "What?"
Naruto made an aggravated sound, building it in his throat like an irritated growl. "An abortion!" He hissed, feeling smaller and stupider by the second as it rolled off his tongue. At the look on Sasuke's face, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Fuck it, you know what, forget I said anything." He marched back to the bed, determined to get it all said and done as painlessly as possible (in other words, hold it in until the stomach ache eventually went away) when Sasuke hopped out of the shower, following him closely.
"What the hell are you talking about?"he hissed, grabbing Naruto by the shoulder and whirling him around. The look on his face, one of sheer incredulity, made Naruto pause.
He sighed. "It's true, and I know it's hard to believe," he muttered feebly. Sasuke blinked, then took a step back, face pale with anger.
"No. No, no," he barked out a disbelieving laugh, a scornful one, like someone who had just discovered they'd been cheated. "That can't be. Did you make a deal with someone? Is that what you did?" Sasuke looked angry, frantic. Naruto looked up at him, so surprised that Sasuke even knew it was possible, that it took him a moment to realize that Sasuke believed he had had sex with another after making a deal. Naruto looked into his eyes, a fierce glow brightening his blue eyes.
"It's yours, asshole," he ground out. Sasuke inhaled sharply, turned around, grabbed his clothes and hastily dressed.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, voice choked.
"That doesn't make sense." He watched Sasuke meticulously gather his clothes and dress. He was a man on a mission, someone who wanted out.
"The Nine Tails was behind it-" Naruto tried to explain.
"Get rid of it," Sasuke hissed, already preparing to leap through a window.
Naruto paused, momentarily stunned by Sasuke's apathy. He tried to wrap his head around it. "What-?"
"Go ahead with it, get the abortion," Sasuke advised.
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. He paled. He knew what was ahead. He didn't want to be reminded of it. He hadn't thought-his thoughts skidded over one another. He hadn't thought of, or even tried to imagine before, how Sasuke would react. Now that he was reacting, Naruto wasn't sure what he'd been expecting in the first place. He felt a little dumbstruck.
"Naruto, it's just a demon-" Sasuke tried to reason with him, assure him, but Naruto held up his hand as if to silence him.
"Don't you have anything to say about it? It's your kid, too!" he hissed. Sasuke's mouth was a thin, hard line and his eyes were smoldering.
"It'll only end up being Madara's pawn. Don't be stupid." With that, Sasuke vanished, leaping away, just as Naruto hurled a kunai at the window. It missed. Naturally.
Naruto wondered if he'd actually wanted it to nick the bastard as he stood, alone and despondent in the bedroom. It was happening again. He left alone to process it all, try to absorb it. Sasuke was leaving him alone to shoulder the consequences, again. Then Takumi was knocking on the door, and Naruto walked to the door, numb.
Sasuke ran through the streets, not seeing any of the villagers. He was blind to the early morning. He found Suigetsu sipping coffee with a ninja in a nearby café, giggling at the ninja's lame punchlines like a schoolgirl looking for a little action. He pulled him away, much to the dismay of the ninja, and Suigetsu's stomach. Suigetsu cursed.
"The fuck, man! He was going to buy me breakfast! I had to cozy up to that creep!" Suigetsu pouted. He stopped at the look on Sasuke's face. Sasuke didn't care to hide his anger, his disbelief, the feeling of dismay that coursed though his system. The countless how's piercing his thoughts. The demon, he knew, and he quietly raged at the injustice of it all. It had known all along. No peace could be had. Not now.
"Did you see him?" Suigetsu's voice wormed into thoughts uninvited.
"Yes." Sasuke snapped. He sidestepped a group of merchants, barely aware of their irritated curses flung his way. "Watch the road, woman!" one of the older ones cried. Sasuke flipped him off, much to their horror. How unladylike, how rude! they complained. Sasuke noticed Suigetsu beside him, watching him like he was someone to be worried over.
"Was it worth it?" he asked, catching up.
Sasuke paused to look Suigetsu in the eye. When his teammate's eye contact wavered, Sasuke clenched his fists."Yes," he bit out.
Suigetsu studied him."What's wrong, then?"
Sasuke looked away. "Later. We're leaving. Let's go get Juugo." Juugo had found a series of caves that honeycombed through the cliffs outside the village. He had decided it was better if he recuperated there alone. He didn't trust himself with the villagers.
"Just like that? We're leaving? What about the plan?" Suigetsu hissed.
"We'll come up with a new one," Sasuke deadpanned. He focused on the road ahead.
"On such short notice? What's that faceless bastard gonna say when we're not even pretending to trail his prey?"
"We'll come up with something-"
Suigetsu whirled Sasuke around, much to his irritation. He swatted Suigetsu away with a venomous "get off me".
"This isn't like you. Think clearly before I slap you!" Suigetsu warned.
Sasuke looked to the sky, to the kiosks littering the roadside, to a dirty old beggar asking for coins, to a woman pushing a pram. Sasuke shook his head. "He's pregnant." he said with a derisive snort and a shake of his head. Suigetsu's brows furrowed. He looked lost, and Sasuke didn't blame him.
"What-?"
"Pregnant." Sasuke repeated. "It's mine. Kabuto's story was true, only the demon was one step of everyone. It wants out…" Sasuke trailed, suddenly feeling bone-tired and strangely sad. Suigetsu gaped at him.
"Wow," was all Suigetsu managed to say.
Sasuke shook his head. "He's being forced to abort. It's better, safer for him, that way."
Suigetsu blinked. "How do you feel about that?" The question took Sasuke off guard. He had been trying not to think about it.
"It's for the best. From the sounds of it, such a child is dangerous. Naruto will be worse off should he go through with it. He can't fight, not like that-"
"Why do you sound like that? Did he want it or something?" Suigetsu asked.
Sasuke scowled. "It doesn't matter if he did. I told him to go through with it, anyway. He's...not happy with me," Sasuke said quietly. Suigetsu said nothing.
"It's for the best." Sasuke repeated. "If Madara ever found Naruto and captured him…" He clenched his fists, culling the thought. "No, Naruto shouldn't go through that pain. The child shouldn't either. It should be spared the life of a demon."
"You don't know it is a demon." Suigetsu said as they weaved through alleys. Sasuke looked at him, angry.
"It will have powers-"
"Think about it. The kid is human at the core. It must have your genetics, and Naruto's. A demon doesn't have that kind of material. It has its own soul then, doesn't it?"
Sasuke said nothing, so Suigetsu plowed on. "Does that mean Naruto should have been spared the misery of being a Jinchuuriki?" Sasuke punched him for that, but Suigetsu let him. He spat.
"Ugh, I forgot what it felt like to be punched by you," he groaned. "Fuck that stings."
Sasuke ignored him. "It's for the best," he repeated, but his feet didn't carry him forward. He made the mistake of looking back, just this once, and suddenly he was gone, leaving Suigetsu alone in the alley. Suigetsu smirked and wiped his mouth, looking at his womanly reflection in a barrel of water. He needed to return to the ninja presentable if he wanted his free breakfast.
So Sasuke did have a heart after all.
Who would have known?