Fire and Blood
The bright, orange hue of the horizon might have been mistaken for the setting of the sun, given the time of day. However, a closer look would bring any observer to come to the conclusion that what they were witnessing was not a sunset, but the glow of a raging fire.
It had begun during Fukasaku's daily trip to the Elder Temple to pray and be guided by the many mysteries of wisdom offered by the Great Elder. Although he was old and well versed in life and its many paths and meanings, he still sought Enlightenment: the ability to be considered wise enough to be an considered an Elder. Enlightenment could take a lifetime of devotion to reach.
The Great Elder and his apprentices, including the little red nephew of his, were burning incense and praying to the gods. The Great Elder was soaking in a large pool, the crystal clear water revealing hundreds of brightly colored koi. Their golden, orange, red, and white scales glimmered in the water like the reflection of a jewel in the sun.
It was a peaceful place. Fukasaku bowed deeply.
"Great Elder, I come this day in the hopes that I, too, may be gifted with your wisdom."
"Fukasaku," The Great Elder rumbled in greeting, shifting in the water. "It is most pleasurable to see you. I was thinking of you, old friend-" The giant toad began to ramble, when a sudden clanging sound caused Fukasaku to start and look sharply over at the apprentices.
The small red toad, Junichi, seemed strangely out of sorts. He had dropped the golden platter holding the burning incense. Fukasaku frowned. Junichi automatically moved to pick up the platter while he was berated by his peers.
But the little toad didn't seem deterred by the obvious disapproval of his friends and pond mates. He seemed distant, strangely so. His gold and black eyes followed voices, but did not seem to register what was being said. His movements were almost robotic and twitchy. Fukasaku grimaced but turned his attention back to the Great Elder.
"Junichi appears a little distant today." Fukasaku observed. The Great Elder sighed, sagging in the water.
"Since last night, when Suigetsu was imprisoned, I noticed he began acting peculiar. Although, this whole week, he has been quite reserved." The Elder confided in a raspy whisper. Fukasaku bristled.
"You do not suppose-"
"I have. I have wondered if Junichi was involved."
"Great Elder, if you are suspicious, that is grounds enough to interrogate him-"
"I will speak to the lad, have no fear. He is my sister's great grandson. If I come to find what I suspect, he shall not escape justice."
"Justice," Fukasaku echoed. "The Leaf attempted to poison Naruto-!"
The voices of the apprentices suddenly grew louder, a great croaking of dismay and fear. Junichi was twitching on the mossy stone, eyes blank. Fukasaku grabbed his staff, a new suspicion forming in his mind. He hopped forward, noticing that the Great Elder was rising from the pool, discontent, water sloshing and falling forward, spraying the stone within a a few feet from the pool's edge with warm water. Fukasaku was running now, as one apprentice knelt by the seizing toad.
"Get away from him! I said get away!" Fukasaku cried, but the toad reached out anyway, attempting to hold Junichi in place. Immediately, dozens of large white snakes poured forth from Junichi's body, sprouting from the abdomen, and rising, rising, rising, and growing, until their heads reached the ceiling and the poison from their fangs fell in large drops the size of small melons as they hissed. What was left of Junichi's body lay deflated and surrounded by gore.
Screams tore from the throats of the toads, and many tried to run. The snakes immediately began devouring the small toads, making a game of their fear. Fukasaku was frozen in horror, weak in the knees…
"No. NO!" he screamed, despairing. The day had arrived. The Akatsuki had infiltrated the Toad Lands. Naruto and the child were no longer safe.
"Fukasaku, with me!" the Great Elder roared, and aimed a water jet powerful enough to slice through rock towards the snakes. He decapitated one or two, but for every head that rolled, another sprouted in its place. With a roar, the Great Elder sprang towards the snakes, in the process of ripping away a giant katana that was held to its place on the wall by flowering vines.
He sprang forth, hitting the handle of the blade across a giant gong. The sounds of screams, the snakes fearsome hissing, and the ominous sound of the gong filled the air with chaos. The steel of the katana the Great Elder brandished began to glow with energy.
Fukasaku sprang forward, enabling senjutsu as he ran. Without Shima by his side, his choices for an offensive attack were limited. The snakes bowled towards them in a giant mass, dark mouths open and fangs bared.
"We must get its heart! Destroy Junichi's body! Do not remove any snake heads!" the Elder cried. Nodding in understanding, Fukasaku braced himself. In less than a second, the snakes were upon them.
The Great Elder, as old as he was, was fearsome to behold in battle. He dodged deftly, stabbing the snakes instead of going for their heads. As he ripped his blade from the heart of one snake, he brought up his weapon and hit the snake behind him with such brute force that the snake went flying backwards, slamming into stone pillars. The pillars crumbled, and half of the temple roof collapsed in on itself in one large slide of stone and debris.
While the Great Elder fought, Fukasaku was winding in and out of the melee, trying to get at the flat piece of skin that was once Junichi. The body appeared to be some sort of portal. The gong had signaled Gamakichi, Gamabunta, and Gamaken, who were now joining the fight, the shock in their eyes defying the ease with which they moved into battle.
Fukasaku cried out as a snake struck at him. He narrowly escaped, only to almost be caught in the fearsome maw of another. With his staff he jabbed, and he sent water jets, hoping to pierce the scales and shoot a deadly jet of water into a heart. But for now, killing the snakes wasn't his priority. He was only trying to get past them. The Great Elder had entrusted him with an enormous responsibility. It was his size that was advantageous.
Junichi's body was in sight, only yards away, and something was beginning to rise from it. The creature that erupted from Junichi's body was not a snake, although by the look of his face he might as well have been.
Golden eyes found Fukasaku immediately, and the pale silver haired man grinned crookedly. Half of his face was covered in opaque white scales. Fukasaku roared in rage, raising his staff and charging, but at that moment, Kabuto Yakushi stepped nimbly from the body of Junichi and did a quick seal.
The world was ablaze. That was Fukasaku's first thought. There had been a deafening bang, and Fukasaku guessed he had lost his hearing in his right ear, judging by the strange muffled silence on one side of him. Flames engulfed the temple, now in ruins. He rolled over, in agony, covered in burns. The snakes, save for the burned and dying, and Kabuto had disappeared. All that was left was ruin, flames, and the stench of burning flesh. He rose quickly, righting himself, forgetting the pain.
He froze at what he saw.
Gamabunta lay dead in the pool the Great Elder had been sitting in just moments earlier, scorched almost beyond recognition. The water had turned a ruby red, and the beautiful koi that had once inhabited it floated on the water's surface on their backs, lifeless and colorless in death.
His stomach churned, and his heart seemed to plunge into it. Fukasaku forced himself to walk past the shock, anger, and pain.
"Fukasaku!" Gamakichi roared. The toad sage turned numbly towards the left, and his heart dropped once more. Gamaken and Gamakichi were helping the Great Elder to his feet, but the massive toad seemed to be suffering from a fatal wound, as well as a few burns. Fukasaku raced forward.
"At the moment of a blast, a snake struck him in the chest." Gamakichi panted, trying to staunch the Great Elder's blood flow with his singed vest. Fukasaku stared miserably, meeting the Great Elder's eyes, which seemed to see him. In those eyes, he saw death.
The Great Elder wheezed, and Fukasaku bowed his head, remaining motionless, while Gamakichi cried out and kept trying to staunch the wound.
"Fukasaku!" Gamakichi cried angrily. "Do something!" Fukasaku looked to Gamaken, who seemed to understand, and the quiet toad backed away hesitantly, great tears pooling in his eyes, blood dripping from his own forgotten wounds.
"Why aren't you doing anything? He's dying! We have to help him!" Gamakichi shouted, pressing his blood soaked vest against the Great Elder's chest harder, though blood still flowed in streams past it. The Great Elder reached up, grabbing Gamakichi's hand.
"These are my last moments," he whispered. Gamakichi grew wide-eyed and backed away, letting his destroyed vest fall. He blinked, as if realizing something.
"My father," He said suddenly, looking about. "Where is he?" There was a pleading tone to his voice. Fukasaku did not meet his frenzied eyes.
"In the pool," he said quietly. Gamakichi looked sick, but looked back, observing his surroundings. He let out a terrible howl at the sight of his father and kneeled in the rubble, great choking sobs erupting from him.
"Enough." The Great Elder thundered, although it took a moment for Gamakichi to somewhat compose himself. Massive tears rolled off his skin, and his face was twisted with rage.
"I have but moments left…you must…find Naruto and Sasuke…keep the child away from Madara…at all costs. Fukasaku, you must…ensure…" He didn't finish. With those final words, the Great Elder slumped against a broken stone pillar and was forever silent. Gamakichi howled again, but this time he rose with his sword.
"I'll gut them and bind them with their innards while they scream." He yelled, in a voice so thick with hatred it was hardly recognizable. Fukasaku raced over to him.
"Rage will only blind you. We must move quickly. We must ensure Kabuto and Madara don't capture Naruto."
"They won't touch him." Gamakichi swore viciously. Fukasaku looked to the body of the Great Elder, bowed his head, said a prayer. Noticing the debris the Great Elder lay in (mostly the great vines that had held the katana, and broken trees littered by the pillar) he tossed a burning branch, and watched the fire catch.
"We must hurry." He croaked. So they ran through the heat, past their lush haven glowing like a sunset as it burned.
Naruto was coughing, his lungs seared with heat and smoke, yet he ran alongside Sasuke as he never had before.
"Over here!" a voice screeched. It was Shima, looking frightened, her green face ghastly pale. She took their hands as they rushed over.
"He'll be here any moment, I'm going to send you out of here-" A ball of fire erupted overhead, another explosion. Sasuke looked on with intense focus, and Naruto could see the bloodlust in his gaze. Sasuke wanted to fight, not run. Instead, the Uchiha turned his gaze, however reluctantly, and looked to Shima. Naruto could sympathize. The rage he felt at the devastation was consuming. He wanted to fight back so badly he was shaking.
"Now!" Sasuke growled. Shaking, Shima nodded, forming seals with clumsy hands.
"I see you, Sasuke Uchiha!" a voice hissed above the pandemonium the instant before they disappeared. Sasuke's eyes widened, seeing Kabuto wreathed in flame yet unburnt, burning whatever he passed, riding atop the head of a giant white snake. It sped towards them.
The world spiraled as as they disappeared, but Naruto saw Shima leap into action, shooting a water jet, but even her water didn't eat through the fireball that consumed her. Naruto screamed, struggling against the pull, but Sasuke held him in place, and then they were gone.
Naruto shoved Sasuke off him as soon as soon as they hit forest ground, tears blurring his vision.
"Shima!" he shouted, devastated, his tears making clean paths down his dirtied face. How? He wondered frantically. He threw a punch into the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, leaving a decent dent in the bark.
"And I ran," he whispered, hating himself more as the seconds trickled past. Sasuke stood motionless feet away.
"I ran!" Naruto growled again, slamming his fist against the trunk so hard the bark splintered. "They destroyed Mount Myoboku and I ran, leaving them to fend for themselves." He banged on the tree again in his fury.
"You couldn't have fought anyway." Sasuke reminded him. Naruto whirled around.
"Shima is dead because of me-"
"Yes, she is. Dead because you decided to keep the child. Poor, selfish you." Sasuke said coldly. Naruto froze at the harsh words. Sasuke was wearing a stony expression. Naruto's eyes flashed red.
"Fuck you-!" he snarled, but Sasuke cut him off.
"Want me to say more? You put them all at risk just by being there. You put your village, and those you love at risk the moment you decided you wouldn't be able to fight for them. There. Do you want more? Keep blaming yourself for everything that happens when you know damn well you can't control it. You can make yourself feel like shit, or you can mourn their losses and be grateful that they were willing to risk their lives for you. You can respect their memories by realizing they were fearless and loyal."
Naruto paused, feeling sapped of strength. Sasuke's words hit home. Still the tears came.
"I still-"
"No." Sasuke cut him off, moving towards him so he was only inches away. He placed his hands comfortingly on Naruto's shoulders. "You couldn't have. If anyone could trust their lives with someone, it would be with you. That's why they were so eager to do the same for you."
Naruto sucked in a breath at Sasuke's words. It was a rare, intimate moment.
"Let's get going. We can't stall much longer. You'll have time to mourn later," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto paused, taking a moment to take in their surroundings. He grew uneasy.
"We're near Konoha," he observed. Sasuke seemed unperturbed by this.
"I know," Sasuke answered in that offhanded, arrogant way of his. Naruto frowned.
"We should avoid Konoha for now. Tsunade's out for your blood. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that the Akatsuki is after us, we have no idea what Kabuto's true potential is or that he's even truly sided with Madara. I'm thinking we could be facing two deadly opponents with different ambitions that may both boil down to the kid. You can't fight as great as you should, so technically we're not a team. If word gets out, you can bet your ass most of the ninja world is going to be against us. We need allies, even if they stick us at knifepoint."
Naruto grunted, then looked to the sky.
"We won't reach it before night falls. We should make camp," he suggested. It was true, darkness was almost upon them. The sky burned a brilliant pink and orange on the horizon, reminding Naruto of the fires raging in Mount Myoboku. He closed his eyes a moment, letting the rage lick at him. Mourn them later.
Naruto exhaled, then followed after Sasuke, the duo disappearing into the thick canopy above them.
That night, they slept in the trees.
Naruto howled in rage and pain. Before him lay ruin and demise. The earth was scarred and gouged into its belly. Fires cackled and consumed the charred debris of what had once been a mighty temple. Fire raced and sputtered to life in many different places. It was hard to believe a village had once stood in the area. He was reminded of Pain's vicious attack, only this somehow looked worse.
Blood, smoke, burning wood and flesh. Those were the scents that filled his nostrils, made his lungs burn. The sky roiled, an ugly gray-green, the clouds restless. A great red eye appeared from behind the clouds, wide and burning, dancing with delight at Naruto's rage.
"Will you let them burn, Naruto?" Madara's voice boomed. "Will you let them burn at my hand for the one curled in your belly?"
Naruto could feel heat coursing him through him, the Kyuubi's chakra and strength. He shook almost violently as he attempted to ward it off.
"I'll kill you," he snarled, his body bending with the attempt at keeping the Kyuubi at bay. By now he was glowing a soft crimson, his eyes red as blood, nails elongated to claws, and teeth sharpened to fangs.
"I'll kill you with my bare hands!" A terrible cry ripped from his throat, and he leapt at the sky, feeling as though he could touch the clouds.
...
Sasuke woke to a strangled sound that was bubbling in Naruto's throat. Naruto had been restless most of the night, much to Sasuke's irritation, but this was different. He was upright in an instant, hovering by Naruto's side, watching intently. They were sleeping almost fifty feet above the ground, in a tree with a thick trunk and branches.
A growl rumbled in Naruto's throat again, and suddenly Sasuke could feel the heat. His brow furrowed, and he waited. He watched in astonishment as a light red glow suddenly enveloped Naruto. It was weak, nothing like Sasuke could remember it being at full strength. He bit back a curse and grabbed Naruto roughly, shaking him.
"Wake up! Naruto!"
Naruto woke with a snarl, quick as lightning, he slashed out with the kunai he had fallen asleep holding. Sasuke stopped the wickend point from sticking him between the eyes by grabbing Naruto's wrist with bruising strength. Naruto was breathing raggedly, eyes red, but then he seemed to realize where he was. His eye color cooled to blue, and the red glow disappeared. He was still breathing harshly, and sweat beaded his upper lip. His Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered the kunai, eyes wide and glassy.
"I was only dreaming," Naruto murmured, eyes downcast as if in shame. Sasuke frowned.
"Only a dream," he echoed.
"I'm sorry," Naruto said after a moment, looking worn and confused. Sasuke held his tongue.
"Go back to sleep, you need it," he said finally, deciding it was best to mull over this problem himself for a bit. Naruto looked up at him, blue eyes glittering in the dark. His face was still dark and smudged from fleeing the fire, so when he smiled grimly his teeth gleamed white, stark against his sooty face. He shook his head, leaning back.
"I don't know if I can."
Sasuke hesitated, but slowly, he reached out, pulling Naruto close to him. The shock and horror of the day past had left both ninja uneasy and aloof with each other.
"Sleep," Sasuke commanded in a quiet voice. Naruto seemed surprised by his touch, but Sasuke felt him instantly relax against him. Sasuke found he liked that he had that effect. The closeness, the contact, it was like a drug, and Sasuke never took the high for granted. His heart raced a little, body reacting to the memory of the previous night, but he kept his hunger at bay. For now. The blue eyes were closing, and Sasuke could feel Naruto's warm breath tickle the hollow between his collar bones, and the urge to become intimate, to feel Naruto's bare skin against his, was suddenly overwhelming. He didn't attempt to hide his arousal. Naruto noticed, leaning teasingly against him, grinding slowly against him. Naruto reached up, fingers tangling almost painfully in Sasuke's hair as he yanked Sasuke towards him for a bruising kiss.
"I can't sleep," Naruto growled, in answer to Sasuke's earlier command. Their breath frosted in the air before them, mingling and dancing together as if the heat kept bursting from one body. Konoha was generally untouched by snow during the winter season, but the region it resided in still experienced plunging temperatures at night. It was enough to pucker skin, but now the air seemed too hot.
Sasuke ripped the clothes from Naruto, who nipped and sucked and kissed almost aggressively as he shed Sasuke's shirt. Naruto allowed Sasuke to lead tonight, and it was then that Sasuke realized how desperately Naruto was seeking comfort in his anger and sadness. The day had left him empty, and he wanted to feel whole, connected. Naruto's skin was still hot to the touch, an after effect of the Kyuubi's chakra surfacing, but Sasuke wouldn't deny him.
They played a moment, teasing and kissing and touching, before Sasuke could take it no longer. He grabbed Naruto around the waist tightly, bringing the blond into his lap, and entered him so quickly it burned. Naruto hissed a curse at the initial thrust, back arching, fingernails biting into Sasuke's thighs so deeply he left indents in the skin.
Sasuke seized Naruto's cock and pumped with each thrust. The lovemaking was quick, almost brutal as a result the day's experiences, and Sasuke finished earlier than he wanted, Naruto not far behind. He slumped against the tree branch, breathing heavily, heart racing, an arm draped over Naruto's chest. Naruto was limp against him and gulping down air. The cold air that whipped past made them shiver, but it felt glorious, Naruto's skin against his felt almost heavenly.
Steam was rising off their skin, the heat from the moment having been intense. Naruto seemed to be shaking slightly, and Sasuke felt a damp spot on his chest from where Naruto's head rested. He froze, unsure of how to act, but then he noticed Naruto was asleep, really asleep, like a normal human being without a care in the world, and Sasuke studied his face. There was a small crease above Naruto's eyebrows, a frown that was slowly fading on his lips, and a trail the stray tear had left on his face.
How nice it must be, to sleep like that, Sasuke thought for a moment. He remembered a time where he hated sleeping, hated dreaming. He would have avoided it all together if he could have, because the only faces that had awaited him in the dark were the faces of his brother and Naruto. Sleeping was easier now, with Naruto's body beside him, but Sasuke hadn't slept deeply in many years, and he doubted he ever would.
He lightly touched Naruto's forehead, relieved to find the blond's skin was no longer hot to the touch. He frowned again. Simply through a bad dream, the Kyuubi's chakra had been provoked. The seal must be weakening…or perhaps…
Perhaps it was the child. Naruto fidgeted in his sleep and Sasuke's hold on him tightened. Naruto had never mentioned any danger, but sometimes Sasuke sensed Naruto was withholding valuable information from him. Perhaps Naruto was waiting for something…or maybe the simpleton just couldn't grasp the enormity of such a secret! Sasuke sighed in aggravation. If it was the child...
Sasuke layed his hand flat across Naruto's belly, and found the area still warm. He remembered feeling the nudge from the life within, and waited. Nothing happened. Perhaps the little demon was sleeping. He didn't remove his hand. The cold dark of night that veiled him suddnely seemed like a shroud, black as his thoughts. He knew how he was going to do it. He planned to be there, right there, as Naruto labored. When the child began to slip forth into the world, he would snap its neck quickly, and by the time Naruto could hold the child in his arms, or realize that it hadn't cried, it would be dead. Sasuke felt a strange hollowness at the thought. He imagined Naruto, bloodied and in pain, howling at the sight of the dead infant.
It was a gruesome thought, and not for the first time, Sasuke cursed logic. Cursed Fukasaku.
But maybe, maybe it wouldn't look like a baby at all. Maybe it would look like an unholy demon. He thought of how he might not be able to console Naruto, and the strange hollowness seemed to expand in his chest until it felt painful. It would make it all the easier if the child was born looking like the evil it embodied. But, for a reason he couldn't explain, Sasuke began to doubt the child would look like a monster. Maybe it would have his black hair, or Naruto's blue eyes.
Picturing it made him feel worse.
The thought left him incredibly bitter, and Sasuke grimaced, grinding his teeth. He wasn't meant to be a father, wasn't meant for that sort of intimacy. He couldn't see himself cooing over an infant, holding one and loving it, watching it grow... No, that life wasn't for him. Parenthood wasn't for the twisted, the fucked over, the cold ones. Naruto stirred against his chest and Sasuke felt the anger in him cool.
He banished the thoughts from his mind, and looked at Naruto until he was all Sasuke saw.
"Go to sleep," Naruto mumbled almost inaudibly against his chest. Sasuke chuckled, relieved to be temporarily distracted from his thoughts.
"You were trying to feel it," Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke said nothing, but he noticed, with a sense of dread, that Naruto seemed pleased. It irritated him, especially given his thoughts.
"Well, the little demon had other ideas," Sasuke huffed. Naruto chortled.
"He doesn't mean it," He whispered, as if the child within could hear.
"Oh I mean it," Sasuke said with a yawn, closing his eyes. Naruto shook his head with a grin.
"Keep playing the heartless bastard card, it's cute," he teased, guffawing. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
If only you knew.
"Keep thinking it's a ploy, it'll make you feel better," Sasuke drawled, although he wrapped an arm lazily around Naruto's shoulders. Naruto leaned away from him, back deciding to choose that moment to throw his jumpsuit back on with a slight shiver.
"I'm sorry about earlier," Naruto mumbled a little sleepily as he zipped himself up. Sasuke grunted. Is there something I should know? he wanted to ask, but decided their argument could wait for morning. He didn't feel like arguing. He felt like brooding over the problem alone for a while and just being alone in the quiet with Naruto.
"Just go to sleep," Sasuk sighed, but Naruto had already drifted, exhausted to the bone. Naruto's skin had completely cooled by now, Sasuke noticed. If the Kyuubi could really be provoked by something as simple as a dream during this pregnancy, what would happen if Naruto was provoked? What would happen when Naruto gave birth, if the seal actually was weakened during pregnancy? A ninja like the Fourth wasn't just waltzing around to help! He thought back to Madara for a moment. Madara, who denied anything to do with the Kyuubi…
"Eyes more sinister than that of Madara Uchiha," the Kyuubi had growled at Sasuke once. Sasuke frowned. If Madara had been involved with the Kyuubi's attack, how was it possible that the demon had cooperated long enough for the plan to be carried out efficiently? Even if the demon was having a bit of fun, it still should've played with both sides and screwed Madara in the end.
Unless…Sasuke sat up straighter.
Was it possible that the Sharingan-
The faintest snap of a twig caused him to start and broke his thoughts apart. Naruto jerked awake, cut off mid-snore. Sasuke held him back from instinctively investigating and going into a fighting stance forcefully.
"Stay in the tree," Sasuke whispered. Naruto's nostrils flared, eyes glittering in defiance at the command.
"Stop acting like I can't defend myself-"
"Shut up and stay in the tree," Sasuke growled, and disappeared before Naruto could do anything but growl and glower. Carefully disguising his chakra signature, Sasuke moved lower to investigate, the tips of his fingers already buzzing with electricity.
"Fuck!" a voice hissed, belonging to whoever had snapped the twig, which was promptly followed by a muffled thud, clearly a hit to the head, and a whiny "ow!".
"Gods, kid, you're not cut out for this. You make any more noise and if there's someone lurking out there we're dead men for sure," another voice muttered. Two cloaked travelers were winding through the trees, clearly not ninja. An older man with a lamp and a scrawny teen with bedhead and slightly droopy eyes that clearly screamed out for sleep.
"I'm tired," the boy whined. He couldn't be any older than thirteen, Sasuke guessed, but the whine in his voice made him sound like a grumpy six year old. The man grunted.
"And I'm hungry. Hell, deal with it kid, or I'm leaving your whiny ass behind for the Akatsuki to find." That shut the kid up. He bit his lip, his face white at the mention of the Akatsuki.
"I wonder when it will end. When we can finally stop running," he whispered. The man stopped for a moment, looking at the kid.
"Not anytime soon. Look, kid, we're on our own now. The Allied Shinobi Forces are a joke. What are they doing for us? Nothing! They're saving their own asses and covering up their Jinchuuriki with their best fighters while the Akatsuki sack our villages and kill us by the thousands, and for what? The fucking Nine Tails. Are we supposed to die for the likes of people who would rather skulk around in the shadows than help us or fight for their countries? Heh. Jinchuurikis! If anyone had any sense, they'd stop makin' em, put 'em out of their misery, maybe it'd end the war. The Akatsuki would have nothing to gain anymore."
"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is a hero, though," the kid muttered, eyes locked on the forest ground. The older man halted, and laughed harshly.
"A hero? Ah, I guess so. Tales of that blond kid are everywhere. So brave, so strong, so loyal to his people. So passionate. The great Defeater of Pain. Yeah, where's his ass now that you need him? Hiding or chasing that fucking Uchiha rogue. I listen, kid. The government tries to hush some things up, but I listen. I know he's out there somewhere. Gotta be alive or we'd be in deeper shit, but where is he then? Why isn't he fighting if he's so great and powerful? If he's so strong, what's the masked man to a real legend, even if he is a Jinchuuriki?
I'll tell you where your hero is, kid. If he's not hiding in a perfectly comfortable place right now, he's running after that fucking Uchiha. The very one in league with the masked man. The very one who was at the Akatsuki's side when they descended on your village months ago and sacked it. Hell, maybe Uchiha even killed your father. There's our hero, running after his own personal affairs, putting a villain before the war. When it comes down to it, men are men, and their hearts are just as greedy as the next person's. Remember that, and you won't get your heart broken."
"I think he's brave," the kid retorted angrily, "I've heard the war stories, and not one of 'em puts him in a bad light. He's always the hero. He doesn't give up, and he would do anything to bring back someone he cares about. That's not cowardly. I know he's good. He'll save us!" the boy finished. The man spat.
"Yeah? Well I think he's an idiot. Kid should get his head out of the fucking clouds and float back down to Earth and kill that Uchiha before the little shit gets any stronger. That's all we need, two fucking Sharingan users brainwashing us all into madness." With that, the boy and man disappeared into the darkness, the forest swallowing their voices. Sasuke silently seethed.
He supposed gossip and news traveled from village to village by mouth of bitter refugees such as the old man, who had heard stories in their travels to escape the death and fighting. He wasn't surprised his name was known. He had made it that way by joining up with Madara and allowing himself to be seen, especially during battle. But with Susano'o, he hadn't been thinking clearly. For all he knew, he had killed that kid's father, many months ago, during a raid. The thought made him feel strange, but not any less angry. He hurried back up to the tree, dreading the mood Naruto would be in.
Naruto was sitting with his chin on his knees, a melancholy air about him. He seemed to be lost in thought.
"Didn't know I was so popular," he joked at last. Sasuke sighed.
"At least you were the hero and not the little shit," Sasuke said tiredly, settling down beside him. Naruto chuckled.
"You are a little shit." he said with a laugh, and swiped at a tear. He cursed his tears, wiping angrily at his eyes. The night sky was beginning to lighten with streaks of gray and orange and pink on the horizon. The stars were beginning to fade. Naruto leaned against Sasuke, resting his head on the Uchiha's shoulder.
"What was I doing before I woke up?" Naruto asked suddenly. Sasuke fidgeted.
"Why? Is there something you'd like to share with me?" Sasuke asked. It was Naruto's turn to fidget.
"If you're not telling me something about the Kyuubi, I'm going to find out, and I'm not going to be happy about it when I do," Sasuke warned. Naruto rolled his eyes.
"You're never happy," he quipped.
"Your seal is weakening," Sasuke guessed. Naruto frowned.
"I'm at my most vulnerable during birth. That's why the Kyuubi was too happy to set this up. There's a chance he could escape." There was a silence.
"Sasuke," Naruto began, a little falteringly, looking up at the lightening sky. "If I ever begin to lose it-"
"I'll bring you back." Sasuke said quietly. Naruto blinked, looking at him.
"You'll bring me back? Heh. That's ironic," Naruto joked. Sasuke grimaced. Naruto clasped his hand, a pleading look in his eyes.
"If something like that ever happens-"
"Stop being so melodramatic."
"Shut up and listen. If something happens to me, promise me you won't leave the kid to die." Sasuke's eyes widened. For a long, terrible moment he couldn't speak. Sasuke ripped his hand away from Naruto's, standing, anger flushing his cheeks.
"We need to get going," Sasuke bit out. Naruto looked away.
"Sasuke-" Naruto reached out, but Sasuke shrugged him off, too upset to speak.
"We already fucked, what more do you want from me right now?" he hissed, more so out of spite so Naruto would leave it be and hopefully forget about what he had just asked. It worked. Naruto withdrew as if burned and Sasuke felt miserable about it, but he'd be damned if he apologized.
No way in hell was he making a promise like that. It bothered him, angered him beyond belief, that Naruto would decide to put his life second after the demon child's. Then again, Naruto had a very annoying habit of putting his life second for a lot of people, but this was worse. Sasuke turned away, a silent command that meant the conversation was over and it was time to leave.
"Oh hell no," Naruto growled, and grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder, spinning him around forcefully and pinning him to the tree hard enough so that the breath momentarily left Sasuke's lungs. He didn't fight back, he allowed Naruto his anger.
"You don't get to do that." Naruto's eyes gleamed brightly in the early morning. Sasuke glared at him.
"You think your asshole moves are going to shut me up? You don't think I got you figured out? You don't think, after years of being your rival, your friend, that I might have an idea of how your mind works?" Something twisted within Sasuke.
"You don't know me as well as you think you do," Sasuke hissed. Naruto shook his head, releasing him.
"I know there are skeletons in your closet you can't bury deep enough. I know there's always going to be a dark side of you that not even I can make go away. But even if I can't, just me being here with you is enough to warm that cold side of you touched by Susano'o, even if I can't melt it. I know you're fucking pissed right now because of what I just asked of you." Sasuke grimaced.
"I've been through hell and back, I just saw my friends die because they were hiding me. I don't need this shit from you. Not from you, not now." Sasuke looked away, seething.
"I'm not going to promise you anything. I can't," Sasuke bit out finally.
"Why? Why can't you just say-"
"Because if it came down to it, I wouldn't think twice about saving it before I could save you!" Sasuke admitted angrily. He looked away, almost unable to bear the sadness that shadowed Naruto's face.
"Sasuke-"
"Naruto, just drop it." Sasuke cut him off, turning to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He sighed.
"No. I won't promise you that. What I can promise you is that you'll never be in a position where I can't protect you," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto quieted, still not happy, but thankfully he decided to drop it. Sasuke held out a hand. Naruto didn't seem like he wanted to take it. He was eyeing Sasuke in that suspicious way. The kind of look that made Sasuke think he knew more than he let on.
"Let's go," Sasuke said, outstretching a hand. After another few tense seconds, Naruto took his hand without a word. They took off into the gray morning and sped through the trees.
Tsunade stared dumbly at the wall as she received the report from a bleeding toad. The poor creature was gasping and dying on her desk in a dark pool of blood. Mount Myoboku infiltrated. Great Elder dead. Naruto and Sasuke gone. Being searched for by Fukasaku.
Worse, Suigetsu had failed to report. When asked about the rogue nin, the toad on her desk had only shook his head, and muttered something about "deathly ill" and "traitor". Her plan had failed, and Suigetsu had paid for her mistake.
At least Suigetsu had been expendable.
"Shizune, take this poor toad to the medical wing. Fix him."
Shizune, pale as a sheet, nodded and plucked the bleeding toad from Tsunade's desk. When the medic nin had left, Tsunade found herself alone in her office, the setting sun casting shadows and giving the walls a russet glow. She rested her forehead on her hands. She was too old for this. Too tired for this. Fuck it, she needed a drink. She reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and whipped out a bottle of sake, taking a long, greedy suck.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Sasuke and Naruto were missing. Being searched for by Fukasau. She clenched her teeth. Why hadn't the sage appeared to her? This mess could easily be on the toad's shoulders. Sasuke had been allowed to thrive on Mount Myoboku and now?
Now he probably had delivered Naruto to Madara. The thought made her body buzz with so much pent up rage she bit her lip to keep from screaming. She had to remind herself that there was no news of that. She had to give Suigetsu's story a little thought. It wasn't impossible that Sasuke was now his own man. It wasn't impossible to think he could actually care for Naruto either.
She was at a loss. If word spread…she closed her eyes, took another drink. There was a meeting in the morning with the Kages for the Allied Shinobi Forces. They would have to be told. She had planned on Naruto hiding away until the demon child could be taken care of, but with his cover ruined…
She had no choice. She needed help, as much as she hated to admit it. There was a knock on her door, and Shikamaru peeked in, looking tired and miserable.
"It's happened." Tsunade said, without preamble.
"I just heard-"
"You know what to do," she interjected. Shikamaru's face hardened.
"Good thing I prepared myself for this outcome," he muttered.
"Tomorrow morning is the meeting with the Kages. I want you to attend with me. Sit at my side at the table." Shikamaru's eyes widened at her words.
"That's…that's an honor," he finally stammered out.
Tsunade nodded. "You're one of my best, Shikamaru. I'm grateful to have you on my side," she said. Shikamaru bowed his head, honored. There was a silence.
"Should we send out a team? Naruto could be out there as we speak."
"He is out there. With him. If Sasuke is spotted, I want him killed on sight."
"Of course. I will have the team sent out. If Fukasaku had any hand in Naruto's escape, I'm sure the toads would have sent him back towards Konoha. If that is the case, we'll scope out the perimeter. With the attack having just happened, they couldn't have gone too far," Shikamaru reasoned.
"Very good. You will join the team tomorrow after the meeting. Tonight, you must rest, prepare yourself for tomorrow. I want you at your sharpest. Shouldn't be too hard for you." Shikamaru smirked at this and took his leave. Shizune reentered.
"Lady Tsunade, you'll be in a terrible spot if you're discovered-"
"Don't preach to me, Shizune. I know what I'm getting myself into. We can't trust the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. Not with a secret like this, and with the Raikage being such a passionate man, it's best he were left out of it. I want to enlist the help of only the Mist and the Sand, no others."
"You're forming secret alliances within the group-"
"As I'm sure others have done. It's not that dirty, Shizune. Once it's discovered what the Leaf has been hiding, how many of our allies do you think will suddenly become enemies, and stab us in our sleep? What of those who desire power and would actually attempt to keep the child for their own benefit? I want the Mist, because I want their ninja with the stolen Byakugan working with us, not against us, and Mei is someone I would like on my side. As for the Sand, I feel I can trust Gaara completely. Shikamaru agrees. This is best handled quietly and efficiently. It's best the others do not know. It's best if we have help handling this and with finding Naruto and Sasuke."
Shizune said nothing more, only nodded.
"It is what's best, Shizune," Tsunade muttered, eyeing her sake bottle. Shizune frowned.
"Maybe I should take that," the medic nin suggested, gesturing towards the bottle. Tsunade flushed.
"You're free to leave for the night, Shizune. And you, Shikamaru. Go." Tsunade dismissed them. Shizune averted her eyes, nodded, and left quickly with Shikamaru. Night creeped up on Tsunade slowly. The setting sun seemed hesitant to sink. Anxiously, she awaited news.
Midnight, one in the morning, two in the morning… still nothing. At seven, she would need to be at the Kage meeting, but she couldn't sleep. It was easier to rest after a few drinks, though the alchohol left her head feeling fuzzy, her body warm, and her tongue thick. She drifted in and out of sleep. At four thirty, she was awake, dressing, jumping at every sound. Not a single nerve in her body relaxed.
By five, she felt she could not bear the silence and the uneventful hours any longer. SHe was about to plop back down on her bed to try and sleep for an hour more when someone came to her bedroom door. She could feel it before the knock sounded. An ANBU officer entered the room, eyes bright behind his white monkey mask.
"Lady Tsunade. We have him."
For the first time in days, weeks, Tsunade smiled.