The Second Task Part. 2
Author's note/ So here we are for another part, don't kill me for taking another go at this and ignoring my other works. I felt part 2 we needed some more backstory to further set the story up. I'll get back to my other wips eventually. This story is just really working for me right now, i'm not sure this will ever be like completed in any kind of aspect but it is fun. Additionally since this will be a wip or a series i need a new name for the work since it won't just be a one shot of the 2nd task. Thoughts in the comments would be appreciated! I want to tease you guys with SasuNaru i feel this is a slowburn kind of story. I have always felt there was such a parallel between the characters of Sasuke and Naruto and Draco and Harry. It's what got me on this in the first place. Enjoy lovelies! Also Happy valentines!
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Horror. That's the only word Naruto can find to describe how it felt when the goblet of fire spat his name out. All 3 school champions had already been chosen and were awaiting the Headmaster Tsunade Senju, in her office.
The headmaster was a brute, and Naruto at first had been wary of her. However the longer he knew the woman the more he just tended to go with it where she was concerned. She was rarely wrong about much of anything Naruto knew now.
The goblet was reacting oddly. Behind the teachers it began to take on a ghastly glow. A vortex of flame shot out of it, more brilliant and bright than the other names it had chosen thus far. A flap of paper drifted down as the students, and teachers alike looked on in confusion. People were whispering. There were only to be 3 champions, the council of magic had made that quite clear when the tournament was announced. The headmaster plucked the paper out of the air with delicate fingers, her face curious at first.
Naruto to looked on in wonder, until a few moments later.
"Naruto. Uzumaki." The headmaster called out in the middle of the great hall. The paper still smoking in her hand.
Hearing his name was like being dunked in a bucket of ice water. Naruto retreated back, as far into his seat at the Gryffindor table as he could. Praying it might swallow him up, so he could be anywhere else.
"Naruto!" The headmaster said more forcefully, her tone was ice. "Where are you?"
The entire room was abuzz. No longer whispers, but gasps of righteous fury.
'Cheater!'
'Phony.'
'Not even a jonin.'
The voices all said around him.
Naruto's shoulder sagged, he tried making himself as small as he could. Sakura however had the presence of mind he did not, in that moment.
"Naruto," she clipped out to him her voice desperate, and in charge. "You'll only make it worse." She tugged at him, and pushed him forward by his back.
As he made his way to the Headmaster he didn't dare look anywhere but at his feet. The room was deathly silent, the tension so thick he could part it with his wand.
He stood in front of the Headmaster, hoping the look he conveyed to her would speak for him. Naruto hadn't done this. He hadn't put his name in that cup. He would never have put his name in the cup.
"Go join the other champions." She told him barely looking at him.
Crushed Naruto left the great hall, and made his way. At least he got to leave. Naruto was afraid of whatever was about to be said once he left, he was thankful he wouldn't have to hear it.
When he opened the door where the other 3 champions were they barely noticed his arrival. Except Sasuke, of course, he glared at Naruto. The girl from Kiri didn't even look up from her perusing of the Headmaster's trophy case. Temari gave him a bored once over, and made herself more comfortable on the settee she was on.
"Uzumaki." Sasuke directed at him, staring holes right through him with his dark eyes. He quirked an eyebrow like he expected an explanation. Good. Naruto wanted one to.
"Did they send you to fetch us or something?" Temari had asked skeptically, once she realized it was rather odd Naruto was there.
The girl from Kiri looked over, perturbed.
"I uh- not really sure- i'm not supposed-" Naruto floundered. Still it was better then being in the great hall with all the other students.
Sasuke had his fingers clasped together under his chin sitting at a table, Naruto could just see the inner workings of his mind tumbling like a clock. Naruto cringed, when Sasuke gave him an imperiously knowing look. Guessing what his presence might very well mean. Naruto had been making quite a splash each year he attended the Academy. That was certain. Every year there was some new threat or trouble Naruto managed to fall into. Enchanted chess boards, basilisks, dementors, it was getting pretty exhausting.
They wouldn't make him though, he couldn't actually compete. No of course not. He was only a genin. As soon as the teachers arrived to collect them he would just back out, forfeit or whatever. This year Naruto was determined to have a normal year. No chess boards trying to kill him. No basilisks trying to kill him. No dementors trying to suck out his soul. Peace. That's all he wanted.
The door to the room banged open, chaos following. Shouting and the clacking of boots and heels, as the teachers storm into the room. All of them were looking at him, and Naruto starts to retreat and trips on the rug. The headmaster catches him by his shirt front. Naruto notices Sasuke had risen from his seat, the other champions looking tense.
"Shut it!" The Headmaster snarled out at everyone. Silence is quick. "Now i'm only going to ask you this once brat." Every word is enunciated like Naruto is hard of hearing. Her fist tightened on his shirt, and unconsciously he tried to pull back. She brought his face right up to hers. She was making a show Naruto realized, purposely putting everyone's focus on them so the other Headmaster's could hear what was said. "Did you put your name in the cup?" She breathed out, like she was trying to calm herself. "And don't you dare lie to me, Uzumaki."
Naruto paled. "No, i would neve-"
"Liar!" The Headmaster of Kiri interrupted him. "I won't believe a word out of his mouth, Tsunade!"
"No, i am not!" Naruto tried to defend himself.
Tsunade let him go, and she whirled on the others. "He isn't. He said he didn't put his name in the cup, so he didn't." She stared them all down, daring someone to challenge her.
Of course the Kiri Headmaster had more to say. "Oh, is that right? Well than how did his name get in the cup? Just fell in by accident?"
"No. The cup was tampered with, that much is obvious to me." The Headmaster of Suna interjected. "Why, is to be determined."
"Preposterous." Kiri rejected. "He could have asked one of the other jonin to put it in, or tricked one of the ghosts."
"I did. Not." Naruto's face was red sure, but he couldn't exactly stand there while they tore his morality apart. Especially when he knew he was innocent.
Naruto's head whipped around when he noticed Sasuke approaching. His eyes bulged out of his head when he heard what the dick has to say about it all.
"It doesn't matter why, or how. Uzumaki can't be allowed to compete. He's only a genin, he'll just be in the way or get himself killed, trying to go against the 3 of us." Sasuke finished it out by giving Naruto a less than impressed look. Naruto glared daggers right back.
How dare he. Never mind that Naruto was just about to quit himself. For Sasuke to say he couldn't handle the tournament, it made Naruto want to do it just to prove the smug bastard wrong.
"Hey! I-" Naruto got cut off before he could give the Slytherin a piece of his mind.
The representative from the council of magic that announced the tournament spoke. "It doesn't matter if Mr. Uzumaki is less prepared than the other champions. As it stands this tournament is a binding magical contract. As his name was entered into the cup, he hasn't any choice but to compete with the others. There is no getting out of this the consequences of not competing remain to be seen, but may be in fact dire. I caution you." He pushed his glasses back high on his nose, looking around waiting for anyone to say further on the matter. "I for one do not envy you. Mr. Uzumaki." He sized up the other champions. "You'll need it."
Sasuke's hands were shoved in his pockets and his scowl looked somewhere between pissed, and mutinous. Like the others had in the great hall.
The entire room it seemed is looking at Naruto.
"That's it then?" He asked of the Headmaster. "I don't even get a choice?" He hoped the momentary bit of fear he felt deep inside doesn't break through. Sasuke would never let him live that down.
"If there was one, i'd give it to you." He could hear the raw truth in Tsunade's voice.
The council representative spent some time going over the rules to them. Explaining what will be expected of them. Lets them know he will inform their parents personally they've been selected. He patted Naruto on the shoulder gently when his eyes fall on him. Naruto's face colored. He doesn't have anyone in the world, to be informed. No one to worry over him competing in this deadly competition or to fight for him not to be included.
Papers for them to sign were passed around, Sasuke handed him the quill and he almost dropped it because when their fingers touched it felt like a jolt of electricity shot into him. Sasuke gave him a hard look. Had he felt it to? Naruto wondered later.
The teachers, and Headmasters seemed to file out one by one. As they are no longer needed. Sasuke was the first of the champions to be released. When he passed Naruto, as per his usual he used his shoulder to shove him.
Naruto was certain he heard him mumble out 'Idiot.' Under his breath. His face didn't look so hostile anymore however, it looked scared.
When he relayed to Sakura and Ino the events that took place he had asked them.
"Do you think he will take the curse mark?"
They both seemed uneasy, by it. Naruto was in the couch across from the fireplace, his feet dangled from the side and a pillow was under his head. Sakura and Ino were curled together sharing a blanket closer to the fireplace. They were letting the fire dry their still wet from showers hair.
"I don't know, it's hard to say Naruto. I mean he's a jerk but to actually take the curse mark i just-"
"Of course he will!" Ino spluttered. "Itachi did, after all." She said, as if that was the only evidence she needed.
"Just because his brother did doesn't mean Sasuke will." Sakura defended.
Naruto wanted to curl up under the couch and never come out again. He isn't sure who's right, but the thought of Sasuke even considering taking the Dark lords curse mark makes him sick.
Sasuke wasn't his biggest fan, but if he took the curse mark that was a whole different ball game. Taking the curse mark, and aligning with Orochimaru was as good as saying you wanted Naruto dead. It actually was exactly that. Orochimaru was back, and he would come after Naruto eventually. He was busy gathering his forces Naruto guessed.
Naruto knew Sasuke didn't like him, but did he hate him so much he wanted to see him dead. Naruto forced himself to take a sip of butterbeer while the girls continued their conversation. It's evolved from curse marks into a debate on who the cutest jonin was. Sasuke they agreed, even with a curse mark.
"I'm going to bed." He told them when he couldn't stand listening to them anymore.
"You okay?" Ino asked pausing her rant about Sai and his dreamy eyes.
"Yeah, feeling a little sick is all."
Naruto laid down on his bed, drew his curtains around him, but he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking. He's surprised to find he wasn't caught up on the Triwizard tournament, or even thoughts of Orochimaru. No he couldn't get Sasuke Uchiha out of his brain, try as he might.
Naruto turned to his side trying to get more comfortable. His hands brushed through his already gnarled blonde locks, and it probably made his hair even more disheveled than it normally was. He can't bring himself to care.
All he could seem to care about at that moment was his first train ride, the one that brought him to the academy in first year. The boy he shared a seat with, had shaken his hand, and smiled at him. No one ever had before. He even offered Naruto a chocolate frog. As he wiped away the remnants of the candy from his face, he had just known the boy and himself would become lifelong friends. The boy told him in gripping detail about the Academy and the various houses one could be sorted into. Naruto hadn't cared, he just hoped he'd get to be in the same house as his new friend.
Before they got to the castle, Naruto had a chance run in with Sakura Haruno. She had read books about Naruto, and what had happened to his family how Orochimaru killed them. She was the one who first told him about the Dark lord and his disgusting affection for snakes. When the sorting hat was put on his head, Naruto hadn't been able to shake the thought of the Dark lord and slithering serpants. The hat made him a Gryffindor when Naruto resolved to get stronger, and better at magic if only for the chance to defend himself against the Dark lord.
When Naruto's blue eyes met the black ones across the great hall, he wanted to ask the hat to take it all back. To make him a Slytherin please, because the disappointment in Sasuke Uchiha's eyes, when he realized Naruto wasn't in his house nearly broke his heart.