Promises and Legends

Sasuke leaned back against the cool stone wall, studying Fukasaku coldly. So this was the old toad's aim. Fucking hell.

"So, you want me to do your dirty work."

The old toad flinched at Sasuke's words as if slapped. He puffed up in anger, slapping the butt end of his staff on the stone floor. "You know what must be done should you and Naruto face the Akatsuki-!"

"And if I don't agree?" Sasuke cut him off. Fukasaku cursed, seeming the shake his anger off with a roll of his shoulders before sighing deepl. He ran a webbed hand over his face in aggravation. He doesn't know we wouldn't hand him over to Konoha anyway, I'll play him a bit, the old toad decided. Sasuke watched him, wondering what thoughts the toad sage was considering.

Couldn't be good, Sasuke decided, at the look Fukasaku threw at him.

"We will hand you over to Konoha," the toad said firmly, trying to sound threatening.

Sasuke laughed, leaning back against the wall on his mattress. He grinned. "Excellent, I need to find my team anyway." He hooked his hands behind his head and enjoyed watching Fukasaku swell up with anger again.

Fukasaku bristled. "Insolent brat. Would you rather this be done by someone else? Have you no real concern towards Naruto?" Sasuke flared up, instantly rising, but he said nothing."Give me your word. The emotional response seemed to please the old toad and Sasuke despised him for it.

"Give me your word, Uchiha. You have the means to take care of this." Fukasaku urged.

Sasuke glared at him. "The child is of my own blood," he said, but he was stalling, and he figured the sage knew he was. No. The real reason is because Naruto will never forgive me. Not for this, Sasuke thought, Naruto's bright smile vivid in his mind.

Fukasaku studied him, and he snorted. "Heh! I am no fool, Uchiha. I know you do not care for it in that way. But hear me now. We both know why Jinchuurikis were created. Naruto is a weapon…and now he has another weapon hidden safely away inside him. The Great Elder has warned us. Under no circumstances must the Akatsuki come near. It is far too risky."

Sasuke's lip curled, and he quickly dismissed the Elder's prophecy. "Fuck your Elder's wisdom. This isn't about prophecy. It's about staying alive, and you know it is.-"

Fukasaku went purple, cutting Sasuke off. "It is about keeping Naruto alive! For the sake of the world we live in! Madara must never have this child. We are not prepared for this! A child like this hasn't been born in over a thousand years! For Naruto, giving birth might very well mean giving his life. An ancient jutsu such as this...only the gods and demons know how to fully control it. We know too little."

There was a tense silence. Sasuke had to grudgingly agree with the sage. He paced, stealing glances at the moonlight spilling onto the floor through his barred window, but he had already known, long before, what his decision would be.

"You're not wrong," Sasuke said quietly. Fukasaku blinked, taken off guard. For a long moment, nothing was said. Finally, the old toad grunted, and he looked weary beyond his years, and immensely sad.

"It is for the best." Fukasaku said quietly.

I once said those words as well. Sasuke remembered.

"When the time comes-"

"I had already thought, should the child should prove to be dangerous, I would see an end to it myself." True, he thought, but I was also willing to give it a chance at life then. "I do not need your wisdom. Now leave. Go home to your wife." Sasuke dismissed him. For once, Fukasaku did not argue, when otherwise he would have been furious at such treatment. He looked at Sasuke in a way the Uchiha found infuriating. As if the toad pitied him. Sasuke wandered back to the mattress, curling away into a shadowed corner. Fukasaku took the hint and finally, the toad left, muttering something incoherent under his breath.

Sasuke sat in the dark a long while, moving over to the ledge by the window, bathed in pale moonlight, and relishing in the cool breeze that glided across his torso from outside. It is for the best. It became a mantra. For the best. For the best.

But he'll never forgive me for agreeing to this. This way, the child stands no chance at all. Sasuke frowned, thinking of Madara.

It's for the best, he reasoned. A warm hand was suddenly cradling the back of his neck, but Sasuke wasn't surprised.

"So you didn't leave." He was glad.

Sasuke felt himself pulled gently against a taut body, his head turned so that dry, slightly chapped lips caressed his own. He sighed into the contact, unwinding, the fire in his blood setting it to boiling. Naruto trailed light kisses to the base of his neck, nipping every other kiss. Sasuke groaned, then whipped around, pinning Naruto against the wall so forcefully the blond grunted. Sasuke kissed him, hard. Naruto ripped his lips away after a moment, panting, gulping down air. Sasuke began to trail kisses down his neck, sucking and nipping, tugging at his shirt. Naruto groaned, but pulled away and placed his hands on either side of Sasuke's face.

"What's wrong?" Naruto breathed, holding Sasuke firmly so that Sasuke couldn't silence him with a kiss. Sasuke was silent. For a moment, he listened to the sounds of their breathing. He thought of saying nothing and kissing Naruto until he forgot about his question.

"You told me you never go back on your word," Sasuke whispered, their breath mingling. Naruto's brow furrowed, concern in his eyes.

"No." Naruto assured him, voice gentle but firm.

Sasuke watched his eyes as he spoke. "Give me your word then. You'll trust me. You'll forgive me." He was kissing Naruto as he said it.

"Of course I forgive you," Naruto murmured, not realizing Sasuke was asking for forgiveness for something he hadn't yet done. Satisfied, Sasuke tugged at Naruto's black shirt again, lifting it over his head, and the blond chuckled.

"You really are horny bastard," Naruto teased, before capturing Sasuke's mouth in his own. Sasuke found himself grinning, just a little.

He nipped at Naruto's bottom lip before trailing soft kisses along his jawline, and biting into the skin between his neck and shoulder. The low, guttural moan that ignited in the pit of Naruto's throat as he bit and sucked sparked a fire within him, and suddenly, he wanted Naruto beneath him. He wanted to savor the look on Naruto's face when he climaxed…he was beautiful in the throes of passion. Eyes heavy-lidded and gleaming, mouth slightly open, the vulnerable expression on his face…

It was too much, but Naruto took advantage of Sasuke's momentary distraction and pounced, so that he straddled The Uchiha. He was grinning broadly sitting on top of Sasuke, playful and alluring against the shadows. Sasuke grinned. The Uchiha would never admit that Naruto challenging him in bed was sexy as hell. So far, however, he had only allowed Naruto to enter him once.

While Naruto challenging him was incredibly tempting, there was no way challenging Naruto could beat vulnerable Naruto tonight. Not when Sasuke felt the way he did. He needed to feel Naruto open up for him, trust him, take all of him. It wasn't much of a struggle, and Naruto stopped trying, giving in to Sasuke's passion. They lay naked on the mattress, side by side, arms and legs entangled. Naruto groaned as Sasuke gripped his aching member. He pumped slowly.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, breath blowing in Naruto's ear as he spoke. Naruto squirmed, panting, arching his back.

Naruto bit his lip. "C'mon. Don't make me say it." He closed his eyes. Sasuke smiled. Naruto opened his eyes to look up at him, blue eyes dark. He kissed Naruto fully, before trailing his kisses…

Lower…

Lower still…

Naruto groaned when Sasuke's lips and fingers tickled the inside of his thigh.

"Sasuke," he warned, but his breath hitched when he felt a warm mouth envelop him. He let out his breath in a long whoosh. Sasuke stopped suddenly.

"What do you want?" He asked again. Naruto threw an arm over his eyes, groaning.

"Jerk," he mumbled, but there was no animosity in his voice. Sasuke craned his head closer to hear him, crawling up over him.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered again.

Naruto bit his lip again, like he was trying not to laugh or smile, but when he spoke, his voice was low and husky. "You," he said, so quietly that Sasuke had to strain to hear. It was all he needed. He paused, taking the moment to drink Naruto in again. Sasuke wanted to remember him like this. Trusting, accepting, loving.

"Tell me if it hurts," Sasuke whispered after a little preparation, thinking of his own experience. He pushed in. Naruto gritted his teeth, throwing his arm over his eyes once again, breathing deeply, trying to relax. Sasuke watched him intently, but never once did Naruto ask him to stop. The tight heat was almost too much and he had to get a hold of himself and pause for a moment. Naruto ground his hips against his enticingly after a bit, and Sasuke groaned. He quickened his pace, emboldened. Naruto began to arch underneath him.

In the end, Sasuke's orgasm shook him to the core. They lay entwined with each other after, panting and warm. He gripped Naruto tightly. When Naruto was soundly asleep, Sasuke watched his face, bathed in moonligh, brushing blond locks from his eyes.

It's for the best. Sasuke thought.

He grimaced, eventually getting up and sitting by the edge of the mattress. He hung his head. Fuck this shit. What the hell had he gotten himself into? As he brooded, he wondered suddenly how Suigetsu and Juugo were faring. They must be pretty pissed, he was sure, or maybe even thinking Sasuke had abandoned them. If only there was a way for him to contact them…

Naruto stirred in his sleep and Sasuke looked over at him.

Forgive me, Naruto, he thought.

Sasuke fell asleep by the window, watching Naruto dream.

Kabuto carefully studied the porcelain-pale features of Itachi Uchiha's corpse. It was morbid work. The snakes at his ankles hissed in displeasure, coiling under the shadows of his cloak. Kabuto was staring at the hollows where his eyes had been, eyes narrowed, as if he expect something to suddenly happen, or for the eyes to suddenly blink.

But nothing happened. And there was nothing.

Black. Nothingness. Forever sightless. Had he lived, he would have eventually known the darkness, anyway. Such was the fate of the Mangekyo users.

However…

Kabuto couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something. Something important to this study. He had invaded Itachi's memories before the brain was useless. He'd had mere minutes. He had studied the body intently, bent on discovering all of its secrets.

Yet…

A sudden presence broke his train of thought, making the fine hairs on the back of Kabuto's neck stand on end. He was being watched.

"Madara." Kabuto acknowledged. He formed his hand seals with incredible speed, and the coffin disappeared beneath the stone of his quarters in the blink of an eye. He turned to face Madara, sweeping a quick glance across the rest of the little chamber he had come to call home.

The room was a particularly small hollow, a shallow cave that probably would have served better as a storage area. A gray bed, a wooden chair, and an oil lamp on the damp stone floor were its only furnishings. The flame in the lamp glimmered brightly, casting yellow light and shadows along the dark stone walls.

"Yakushi." Madara greeted smoothly. Kabuto waited, wondering what this meeting might entail. The snakes writhed about his ankles, baring glistening fangs, daring to poke their heads out to taste the air.

"You're angry." Kabuto observed quietly, after a moment of silence and watching Madara cross the room to stare at the lamp. It was true. Madara was practically trembling with all of his pent up anger.

"White Zetsu died a few minutes ago. I would like you to see to his body." Madara ordered. Kabuto frowned.

"There is nothing to be learned from such a nin. Even if we did discover secrets, we do not have the same physical attributes or even biology of his strange being, therefore some of his techniques might be close to impossible to replicate. I do not see why it would be of importance-"

Madara moved fast. Kabuto's snakes went through him of course. When the Uchiha sprang forward, roughly grabbing Kabuto by the wrist, twisting his arm behind his back, and grabbing the end of his silver ponytail with the other, he smashed Kabuto against the wall so hard that his glasses shattered. He pulled Kabuto's head back once more, shoving his cheek against the wall. Kabuto groaned.

Pain lanced through his skull, and he gritted his teeth. He could feel blood dribbling down his nose. Blood! Damn Madara Uchiha. Damn him to fucking hell.

"I don't trust you, doctor," Madara hissed.

Kabuto laughed, spraying blood. "Keep your friends close, your enemies closer." He felt a gloved hand caress his chin.

"I intend to do just that, Yakushi," Madara promised darkly. Kabuto swallowed, narrowing his eyes. Something was off. Everything had gone as he had intended. Madara had agreed to handing over Sasuke. The experiments were proving useful. What had happened?

Or worse, what had Madara discovered? The thought made him grimace as he bit out, "What do you want?"

"I want Zetsu examined, preserved, and buried. I want to know everything you know on the demon child, and any leads you have thus far on the whereabouts of Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki. Oh, and a small request." He applied pressure to the arm he had twisted behind Kabuto's back, causing the medic nin to squirm. "I want my body back." He released Kabuto then, allowing the medic nin to shake out his arm and wipe his face on the back of a sleeve.

"You can't hurt me, Yakushi. You can't do anything. Go ahead and try. Your antics will only amuse me. Perhaps I will even indulge you. You think you can manipulate me. It's been tried before. Now I've really had it. I've played along with your little game. I agreed to give you Sasuke, I used your little experiments to my heart's content and used your talents, but maybe it was all just an act, just so I could have you where I wanted. Cocky, and unaware. I know what you are planning."

Kabuto throat seemed to constrict with his rising nerves. He thought quickly. The best way to get an enemy you couldn't hit to move out of the way? Hit him where it hurts. Leave a mark on his mind. Hurt him with a memory he longs to forget, if you have that kind of leverage, of course.

"Pathetic. Keeping me like this…who are you trying to be? Hashirama?"

Madara eye whirled and spun, burning bright as flame. For a moment he was utterly silent and still. Then he chuckled lowly. Kabuto wasn't sure if it was amused sound, or a wary one.

"You're an interesting companion, Yakushi, I'll give you that. My ally one second, my worst enemy the next. However, your little game comes to an end now. I've figured it out, I know your motives. Did you think I would let you waltz in here, demand Sasuke, show me you held my true body captive, and I wouldn't do my best to figure out your ulterior motives?"

"I'm only a scientist who managed to figure out your secrets. I offered your a trade: your body for Sasuke," Kabuto objected.

Madara laughed harshly at that. "Only a scientist! Cut the bullshit. You think you're all tough because you've absorbed some of Orochimaru's powers with your science, and you have little snakes that hiss and bite. You didn't think this through hard enough, Kabuto. You miscalculated."

A bubble of unease burst in the pit of Kabuto's stomach, but he ignored it. Better to play the part of the victim caught unaware, he thought. "I don't know what you're talking about. I have your body and information on the demon child in exchange for Sasuke-"

"I'm no fool. You want more than that. You have the audacity to think you can counter my Tsuki no Me. You're planning on using Sasuke's eyes for more than a little adrenaline trip. Maybe you want him for another reason as well. I wondered, for a long while, what you could possibly be planning. Why you would seek me out, and not stay hidden. Kill my body even to get rid of me if it was in your possession. I am a threat, after all. I do not doubt your ability to figure out how to accomplish such a task. You're an ambitious little fucker."

Kabuto grimaced.

"Tell me your sinister plan. I know it cannot be for the greater good. I might only be looking at you with one eye, but even this eye can see the evil emanating from that black, troubled heart of yours."

For a long moment, Kabuto was silent. He considered fighting and making a run for it, although it would cause a botch in his plans. He needed Sasuke, and to get Sasuke, he needed Madara. He reconsidered. Perhaps his alliance with Madara, despite its now tenuous nature, might yet be saved. Maybe if he played the part Madara believed in…

"You caught me." he said slowly, cracking a grin. "Yes, I planned on overthrowing you and taking over the genjutsu. Orochimaru did teach me to aim high. I wanted you to cast the genjutsu for me. I was willing to wait."

Madara watched him through a narrowed eye. His eye widened, and Kabuto noticed that it gleamed. He sprang before Madara could move, but he wasn't' fast enough. The arm that came in contact with his chest mid-leap was so forceful he felt a rib crack. He choked on a cry, unable to hit his attacker. He fell to the floor in a heap, arms crossed over his chest.

"You're lying to me, Kabuto," Madara whispered. He took Kabuto's face in his hands.

"Tell me the truth, and you might yet be spared," he said quietly. Kabuto said nothing.

"Look at me." Madara ordered.

"Only a fool would look you in the eye, Uchiha," Kabuto said carefully. He winced as his chin was lifted roughly.

"You're a fool if you think I would let you live long enough to acquire the Uchiha's powers of the Mangekyo. However, I need you to deliver the demon child, and I need you to aid me in extracting its powers. Therefore, you shall continue to live. For now."

"And Sasuke?" Kabuto asked. Madara's eye gleamed, and Kabuto knew that beneath the mask, that ruined mouth was grinning.

"You can have his corpse. As if I would give the boy to you alive. You're a greater fool than I thought."

"I still have your body." Kabuto gasped out.

Madara laughed. "It's only a matter of time, Yakushi. Only a matter of time before my Sharingan catches you at the right moment, and figures out the seals. You would have been better off running, killing my body while you had the chance. Now you're trapped. Was this worth it?"

Kabuto couldn't help it; he laughed. Taken aback and infuriated by the reaction, Madara aimed to hit him again, but Kabuto's body collapsed, becoming a tangle of writhing snakes. Madara slowly looked around the room as the snakes dispersed, looking in the shadows for his target.

"You need me."

Madara turned, glaring at the man behind him. Half of Kabuto's face glimmered in pale, opaque scales, and the iris of his right eye had changed color, becoming a glittering gold. A grin split his face, and in the dim light, he looked maniacal.

"Don't fret, Madara. I have come prepared," he assured. "Come now, don't make this hard. Let's work together, share the glory. Let me become your right hand in the dawn of this new era. You need me," he whispered, stepping so close to Madara that the masked man angled his head back.

"I don't need anyone," Madara said quietly. Kabuto smiled. Madara twitched. A snake slithered from out from Kabuto's sleeve and coiled itself around Madara's neck, forked tongue reaching out to taste the fabric of his mask.. Kabuto reached out to the snake, his thumb brushing against Madara's mask as the snake returned to him, slithering down his arm.

"You need me." Kabuto repeated. "With me at your side, this world will see a leader unlike its ever known. With me at your side, you'll gain the powers you need to achieve your dream. With me at your side, your unfinished revenge will be completed. With the death of Sasuke, the Uchiha can be started anew. Fresh and clean. A clan that wouldn't betray you. A clan that would fall to its knees in awe of its glorious leader."

For what felt like several minutes, Madara watched Kabuto closely, before finally speaking. "Sweet words, as rotten as my mother's corpse. You want power? You want to be by my side? Give me my body, Kabuto, and I promise you won't regret it."

Kabuto made a show of mulling it over, further infuriating Madara.

"No. You'll kill me," he pouted finally. "Instead, I will continue to work by your side. I will help you in finding this demon child. When I've come to know you, I shall consider it. Tell me your secrets, Madara. Let me in. With me at your side, there's nothing we cannot accomplish in this new, brave world." He was leaning in close, mismatched eyes gleaming. For a heartbeat, Madara didn't move, only let Kabuto angle in closer. Then, without much warning, Madara hit him hard across the mouth. Kabuto stumbled backward.

"That slutty act might have worked on Orochimaru, but I'm more than a man, Kabuto. I cannot be seduced. I won't let you in that easily. You have my body, yes. You know how to give me the power I want, yes. But you still can't manipulate the strings to your liking. Now you tell me your secrets, Yakushi."

Kabuto wiped his mouth, staunching his bleeding fat lip on his sleeve. "What do you want to know?"

Madara chuckled, taking a seat in the bare wooden chair that sat in a corner. "I know your keeping valuable information to yourself. I know you have spies you planned to be keep me unaware of. You will tell me everything you really know about the Jinchuurikis and their ability to create such children. You will tell me how such children are born. You will tell me what your own personal spies have discovered about the whereabouts of Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke has betrayed me, and I will not forget it. Don't deny it; I know you better than you feared. In time, I will learn the truth behind your intentions."

Kabuto eyed him warily, thinking. He wants the details so he can be rid of me. Instead he said, "I might tell you, but you still need a practiced hand."

"Of course. Now on with it!" Madara ordered.

Kabuto sighed. A little indulgence couldn't hurt. He decided to appease Madara with a little history that had been lost to the world.

"You remember the story of the Sage of Six Paths?"

Madara snorted. "Every child over five knows the story. Don't be idle. Get on with it."

Kabuto ignored this. "The Sage of Six Paths was the first Jinchuuriki, harboring the legendary Ten Tails. He sealed the monster within himself in order to prevent it from wreaking devastation upon his world. The Sage of Six Paths came to know this demon well. A sage he might have been, but he was seduced by power. He knew he would die alone, without any real descendants. He needed to pass on his skills, yet could find no able bodied person to his liking.

The demon inside him tricked him into believing it could give him the children he desired, for a price. Strong children. Children of gods. The demon knew such an act would weaken its seal, and it planned to use that as its opening for escape. The Sage believed himself above the demon, thinking he could double cross it. He laid with a male lover that night, and conceived twin sons."

Madara leaned forward in his seat. "Ah, so the Sharingan of the Uchiha-"

"Do not interrupt." Kabuto snapped. Madara glared but let it slide. "The birth was a terrifying and painful experience. The demon inside him was able to use an ancient art, a type of nature manipulating jutsu known only to demons. It had to aid him at that time, you see. It wanted out, but to make its host suffer would equal its own demise.

Still, the demon had no interest in actually helping its host, as it was using his weakness to try and escape. The sage almost lost his life and the lives of his sons the day of the birth. The jutsu used only adds more unnecessary pain to the process, but the male body is not equipped naturally for bith and so this is to be expected.

The chakra that helps create the womb actually funnels, creating a makeshift birthing canal. It cuts like a knife, but is made more tolerable with the demon's jutsu. His sons were then able to slide down the little chakra canal, and out of his body."

Madara winced.

"That is how a birth is possible. As I was saying earlier, he gave birth to twin sons. One son would grow to be the founder of the Uchiha, the other, the founder of the Senju of the forest. You see, the son born with the Sharingan was actually the result of the demon's work. A demon can't really split itself. It was only able to fuse its chakra or slivers of itself with one of the twins.

By doing so, it unwittingly granted the child a great power, and the demon's own thirst for blood and battle, as the Ten Tails was quite bloodthirsty. Some might say this is why the Uchiha history is bathed in so much blood: due to its founding father. It is said that demon children often possess a certain quality or even a personality trait from their demon counterpart. The eye technique the son bore was a gift. The very eyes of the Ten Tails. That is why your eye is so powerful, and why it can woo the Kyuubi into submission."

Madara was quiet. It thrilled him to think he had the bloodline limit of a demon. What power, what strength, what superiority!

Kabuto paused before he continued, "As for my own personal spies, they can find no trace of Sasuke or Naruto. There is a rumor that they appear to have vanished. Suigetsu and Juugo, on the other hand, were found by the Leaf and taken into custody."

Madara laughed. "Vanished? More like ran away to a place untouched by ninja and war…" His voice trailed. He looked at Kabuto, eye widening. Kabuto blinked, wondering what Madara had just discovered.

"A place untouched," Madara repeated. It was then that Kabuto knew. He was thinking of Nagato, of the man's sensei. Of the toad sages that had accompanied Jiraiya. Of how they were unable to find Naruto at the time…

"Mount Myoboku," Madara whispered, leaping to his feet.

Kabuto grinned. "Very clever, my Lord." He praised.

Madara nodded. "Get to work, Kabuto. We're finding a way in. Sasuke will pay dearly for what he's done. There will be a change of course. I want him to be alive to watch as I take away that blond brat. He'll beg me for death when I'm through with him."

He left Kabuto in the dark little room, a slight spring in his step and a hum on his lips. Kabuto waited. Waited until the echoing footsteps of the Akatsuki leader could no longer be heard.

A snake curled around his neck, and Kabuto gently stroked its scales as he sat on his bed, taking out a cloth to clean face. His hand shook as he brought it to his mouth.

"Soon," Kabuto whispered to the white snake. "Soon. Madara think he knows everything, pet, but he is no god among men; only a man. Although, I do commend him. He almost figured it all out. Almost. And yet, he still remains a pawn in the grander scheme of things. Once I have Sasuke..." he trailed, excitement lacing through his blood at the thought.

"Once I have Sasuke, Orochimaru will return. And so the new age Madara creates for us will begin." He smiled, watching the flame in the lamp sputter out before dousing him into a dark blacker than oil.

A/N: I didn't have this totally figured out when I first wrote this chapter, and it kind of seemed a mess as it kept playing it out, but I did figure it all out. Yep. Everyone has their own agenda.

Suspense!