Hey all, thanks for holding out, hugs and kisses to those who left me a review. I apologize if I haven't responded yet. This chapter literally kicked me in the ass and I hope to GOD that it makes sense.
My new job that started beginning of Dec, the holidays, my family and the whole world was kinda in a ruckus for me, so I wasn't able to update when I wanted. And then you know what, I got fricken covid last week. I've been sicker than I have been like forever...sigh. But nobody really cares, cause covid is like OLD news eh. But my whole family was knocked down last week with positive tests and symptoms, thus we been stuck in isolation for the past while. What better time than to look at my chapters and get them posted right? WRONG! Illness doesn't make for a happy muse, thus, its been tough, but...(i'm almost done), thanks to my wonderful amazing online friends, fellow authors, readers and SNS lovers, they held me up high and helped me power through.
Anyhow, here is the next chap and I certainly hope it makes sense, cause like I said, it literally kicked me in the wingwang cause I was trying SO hard to make a good picture of what was going on!
I'm trying to think if there are trigger warnings in this chapter? I don't think so, unless you have a fear of confined spaces. On with the show!
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Itachi's hands shook as he read the message that arrived from Kushina by hawk moments ago. Her writing had been hurried, but the news embedded in the message had his concern rising quickly. Rereading the lines over and over, he forced himself to take calming breaths with each line. He knew he needed to think with a clear head, getting in a panic wasn't going to help the situation at all. But the thought of his otouto, dangling from the belly side of that dragon that disappeared into the night; anger, frustration, depression and guilt flooded his senses. Crumpling the message between his clasped hands, he closed his eyes and compelled his thoughts to think rationally.
"Call the captain here, immediately," he snapped out when he looked up at the messenger boy. The boy quickly bowed and turned on his heel to follow through with the order. Grabbing a piece of parchment, he quickly began to write out his response to Queen Kushina.
"Your majesty," the captain of the guard called out as he bowed before Itachi.
"Gather a dozen of your best and prepare to depart to the Uzumaki kingdom. Sasuke has been taken by the dragon. Assist with the Uzumaki guards in a search post haste! Inform me when you are ready to depart!" The guard nodded and quickly left as soon as he came. Itachi finished writing the message and called the messenger boy back to his room, instructing the boy to send the message swiftly. He then leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. His breath quivered out with deep breaths, trying to not think the worst of the situation. His otouto was quite clever and trained in dozens of survival skills. He needed to think positively of the situation and not spiral down into a depressive state. A clearing of the throat brought his eyes up to see the same messenger boy had returned.
"Your majesty, this has just arrived," he squeaked out and held out a parchment.
Itachi raised a brow, recognizing the coloured seal. "Thank you, dismissed," he ordered out when he took the message. Not waiting for a response he began to crack open the seal and looked over the message. He frowned deeply before slouching his shoulders slightly in exasperation. He hadn't forgotten about King Yuki and his proposal, but he didn't expect a response this quickly. He did meet with the council and elders, who of course were ecstatic and pushed the obligatory regulations upon him which in turn led to Itachi accepting the proposal of marriage. The thought of being able to align with a neighboring kingdom created an excited murmur among the council and elders. He had informed King Yuki of the acceptance and it would appear that the King wishes to move this betrothed union quickly. So quickly that King Yuki has requested to attend Uchiha kingdom in one months time. Itachi rubbed his temples again, trying to ease the discomfort of several situations placed upon him so quickly. Though his main concern at this time was his otouto, he could not ignore King Yuki's request either, he had to move forward with his expected duties. Grabbing another quill and parchment, he began to make a list of what he needed to prepare. It was going to be a stressful day.
Later that day, Itachi had successfully completed sending off a message to King Yuki, informing him subtly to withhold visiting with his betrothed for a few more weeks. He was hopeful that the King wouldn't be objected, and that he would understand the need for Itachi to hold off, just until he could arrange and deal with the crisis at the Uzumaki kingdom. The worst part of this delay would be informing the council and elders, but he scoffed at the thought. He was the king after all, be damned their grouchy thoughts.
He met with the captain of the guard to oversee the supplies, the search party details and battle plan, should that be needed. He inwardly mourned that he couldn't join the guards to find his otouto. But he needed to remain strong, as an older brother should, with a sound mind and be prepared for whatever news was bestowed upon him from the guards after their search.
"Be certain you inform me of all details, at every chance," Itachi barked out the order. The captain bowed firmly and called the order for the guards to depart. Itachi watched the group long until they disappeared into the horizon. 'Be safe otouto,' he thought to himself with a heavy heart.
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Sasuke could feel nothing but pain in the darkness as his consciousness began to flicker through him. Sasuke was familiar with pain, having trained throughout his life with swords, axes, bows and physical combat. He knew the pain of falls, tumbles, fists and kicks, but this pain was different. It ached in areas that normally didn't when he was in a fight. He had a vague recollection of the fight, seeing Kushina battle head to head with the dragon, the knights scrambling about, shouting, war cries, and then he was holding on in the darkness, being swung about by the wrath of the dragon.
He quickly assessed himself quietly, his eyes still shut to determine what his position was. There was no agonizing pain, which normally meant no bones were broken. He wiggled his fingers and toes slightly, pleased that they were aching but nothing broken. He inhaled slightly, trying to catch a familiar scent, only to be met with damp, cold and what smelled like wet sand. His ears caught the sound of something breathing, long, heavy breaths, nothing like a human. His heart stuttered at the thought of what that breathing was coming from. He strained his ears a bit more, trying to catch any other sounds, but the deep breaths were even and loud.
It was then he realized that his back was secured to something hard, not cold like stone, but a bit of warmth was coming through. But the solid mass he was secured to moved, and he realized it moved in time with the heavy deep breaths that echoed around him. Avoiding panic, Sasuke forced his eyelids open a fraction, to determine what type of situation he was in. He didn't want to move, for fear that whomever or whatever held him captive, could be hovering near and notice he was awake.
It was dark, and Sasuke didn't know if it was because his eyes couldn't adjust to any light or if he was blinded by something. A quick flick of his eyelids determined he wasn't blindfolded and he moved his pupils about slowly beneath his lashes and continued to look about. Slowly his eyes adjusted slightly, dilating more to try and catch any source of light. There was but a small sliver of light coming from somewhere in the area and Sasuke's eye began to reflect it.
Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw that his body was chained across his torso, in at least three areas. The chains fell across his arms and legs as well, but not too tightly. From what he could figure, he wasn't chained as a prisoner, but sloppily, as if someone threw him into a mess of chains and he was just tangled. Like a kitten would get after recklessly playing with a ball of string. Determining that he was not a prisoner of someone or something, he opened his eyes wider and tried to peer through the darkness.
He could feel the weight of his body being pulled down by gravity, but the chains holding him in a position. He moved his arms slightly, finding that with a bit of work, he could get them free. He moved his hand about, feeling the solid mass beneath him, and found it to be slightly cool but very smooth to the touch. He forced his mind to relax, not to panic, when his mind realized where he most likely was. He was in a cave, not with anyone but with something much bigger, larger and if his fear was confirmed, he was in a situation he didn't want to be in. But how did he end up in this predicament? How was it that he was obviously strapped to the belly of the dragon? Obviously he didn't kill it, as he recalled his sword in the muzzle, but how did it survive? And yet, how did he survive? He pushed those questions aside, he would have to figure that out later. For now, he would need to determine how to get out of this situation, quickly and quietly.
He listened again, hearing the long deep steady breaths, feeling the movement behind his back in time with the breaths. Flicking his arms about slowly, he managed to get his arms free and he felt around the chains that still were against his body. When he managed to figure out a way to get loose, the challenge was to be able to get away from the massive body without waking the beast. With patience, twisting of his body and being extremely unhurried, Sasuke managed to wiggle himself free of the binding chains and felt his way down to the cold ground. He counted himself lucky then, being bound to the dragon in a spot that the dragon didn't lie down on. He could have been crushed. He steadied his breathing, his back still pushed against the scaled body and he listened closely. It appeared the beast didn't wake at his movement and Sasuke knelt down slowly, his hands reaching out around him carefully to determine a safe way to move away.
Slipping to the damp sandy ground, he managed to shuffle away from the body and feel his way about. When he felt he was a safe distance away from the body, he made himself wait and tried to get his eyes to focus on the area. The small sliver of light that was apparently coming from a small crack in the ceiling, provided Sasuke's eyes to see a glimmer of the area. The small light that streamed in, reflected on the dragon's scales on its back, creating a small rainbow of colours. It could almost be considered beautiful if it weren't for the fact that they were on a creature of death. The dragon appeared to be in a deep sleep. Sasuke could see the rise and fall of the massive torso and what was left of the chains it was originally tangled in. Leather wings were tucked neatly onto the side of the body. A long thick muscular neck was stretched out far, showing just how extensive the dragon was, for its head was tucked into the shadows that Sasuke couldn't make out. It's thick tail was curled slightly around its back legs and Sasuke could see the colossal sized spikes that adorned the end of the tail. Talons as big as his body alone, at least four on each claw, Sasuke shuddered slightly at the extent that this creature had for power just on its body alone.
Taking a few steps back, he reached out to find a stone wall, thus he confirmed that he was definitely in a cave of sorts. It must be the dragon's den. Several thoughts rushed through him. This was the creature that had most likely killed Naruto, judging from what he had found at the other cave the other day and anger, grief and revenge rolled through him. The yearning to slice down the creature before him shook through him but the logical side came forward. He didn't have anything that could possibly bring down this beast, considering the scales alone have shown that it was impregnable. Clenching his teeth, he decided to take in the surroundings to see if there was an exit.
He used his hand to guide his way along the cold damp wall, taking each step carefully since he didn't know what was on the ground. Sliding silently along, his eyes took in the area as much as he could with what little light shone through. The cave appeared to be several meters high and wide, but Sasuke figured it would have to be to house the massive dragon. The walls were damp with dew and foliage, and he was certain he could hear water dripping echoing through the darkness. He stopped suddenly when his feet appeared to be caught in something. Kneeling down, he felt about the ground to find fabric. Curious, he pulled gently until the fabric pulled away and he was able to bring it closer to his face. Holding it up to the light, he saw that it was a wool blanket of sorts. It was torn of course, thick with mildew or mold, covered in sand or mud but he could see the designs on it that showed it must have belonged to a household. He released it, let it fall back to the ground and shuffled his feet along. He was surprised to find that he came across a mound of more blankets. Kicking them to the side with his feet instead of handling them, he figured there must have been a least a dozen or more, scattered and piled up on the sandy cave floor. 'Almost like a nest,' Sasuke thought to himself while taking various steps through the mound of different coloured blankets.
He moved through the massive pile of wool blankets, trying not to get his feet tangled but something caught his eye that had him stop. Kneeling into the pile of blankets, he pulled at what looked like a mass of red wool. Tugging at it, he found that it was a bunch of threaded red wool, attached to what looked like a cloth ball. Upon closer inspection, there were black buttons stitched into the ball and black thread stitched to make a face. 'A child's doll head…huh,' Sasuke thought to himself. How curious to find such a thing here, of all places. He dropped the small doll head, watching it bounce on the pile of blankets and noticed that from where he pulled the doll head from there was another colour of wool beneath it. He reached down to find yellow wool, but it was attached to a complete doll made of fabric. It had basically the same type stitching, button eyes but a body still connected to the cloth head. Sasuke turned the doll about in his hand, confirming it was a child's toy before curiosity got the better of him. He reached down to the mound of blankets and began to lift them up and move them about. Various other dolls appeared, all with wool hair of red or yellow, all in different sizes, stitched differently but definitely, all were children's dolls mixed in with the mound of blankets.
'The dragon trying to find as much nesting material as possible?' Sasuke wondered to himself as he just looked around his feet. 'How many children did it kill to get this? How many families were slaughtered for this nesting material?' Sasuke's anger began to boil once more at the thought of families, children, all being killed as the dragon sought out bedding material. His fists clenched involuntarily and he fought the urge to growl out and attack. Taking several breaths, he forced himself to calm down before moving on.
He got out of the large mound and led himself along the cave wall. His eyes had adjusted as much as possible, but he was still encased in much darkness, he took each step carefully until a loud crack echoed suddenly through the air. 'SHIT!' he yelled inwardly. His foot had stepped on something loud and he held his breath.
The silence was deafening, and Sasuke realized the dragon's deep steady breaths had stopped. He held perfectly still, his hand splayed against the wall of the cave and his eyes peered through the darkness where he had last seen the dragon. The air shifted around him when the massive dragon moved in the darkness and Sasuke could feel the heated dragon breath out throughout the enclosed space. The vibrations of the growl shook the walls and Sasuke's heart sped up when he realized that the beast had woken and was moving. He struggled not to panic when his instincts pushed at him to run. He was still enclosed in darkness in an unknown space, if he was lucky, the beast wouldn't know he was there and somehow, he could escape without being seen.
The small line of light reflected off the scales of the moving beast and Sasuke moved his eyes to look at the massive form turning about. He could feel the beads of sweat beginning to fall from his forehead and he pinched his lips tightly together trying to breathe quietly through his nose. Out of the shadows, the massive shape of the dragon's head came up to Sasuke's body, it's slitted eye blinking and the pupil appeared to focus upon his form. Sasuke inhaled suddenly, his heart banging against his chest as the gigantic head floated through the air soundlessly and stopped a few feet away from him.
Sasuke fought to control his breath but he also began to go through scenarios in his mind on how he could save himself once the dragon decided to make a meal of him. No sounds but the huffing breaths of the dragon echoed through the cave and Sasuke could hear his heartbeat pounding through his ears. The seconds went by while man and beast seemed to eye each other.
The dragon released a loud exhale through its snout and it blew through the cave, causing Sasuke's hair to flutter. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, shielding his eyes from the blowing dust. When he reopened his eyes, he watched as the dragon's head moved elegantly through the air and back into the shadows. Vibrations then followed, as the beast stepped through the cave and Sasuke focused on the small sliver of light that reflected off the scales that crossed its light. 'It's moving away…'
He stood against the cave wall for a moment longer, feeling the vibrations from the heavy footfalls of the beast moving away from him before he continued to move himself slowly along the wall. He didn't know what the dragon was doing but this was the best time for him to attempt to get out of there. Not taking care of where he was stepping, he failed to notice the debris and found his ankle twisting painfully. He released a painful gasp as his leg gave out and he fell to the cave floor. His body hit a number of hardened objects and he couldn't stop the whimper of pain that escaped his lips. When his body stopped moving, he laid still, belittling himself of being so careless and listening to what the dragon was doing. 'If the dragon heard him, would it come back and finish him off?' He breathed in slowly, his eyes looking up into the dim area and waited. When no other sounds other than the dragon breathing heavily somewhere in the distant darkness, Sasuke moved his body and took a look through the dim light at what he had fallen on.
Wood. A small pile of it. No, not just wood, but wooden items. Gently he grabbed a piece and looked at it. It was a small wooden sword, child sized. Sasuke recognized it as a toy, since he himself had such toys at home at one time. Dropping it quietly, he reached for another article. It was broken, but it appeared to be a drawer. The kind you would find in a kitchen, that held mixing items or eating utensils. Looking over, he saw a few wooden and copper goblets mixed with what looked like spoons and forks. Maneuvering himself carefully, Sasuke managed to get back up onto his feet and get a better look at the pile he landed on. From what he could make out, various broken wooden articles were in a small pile. But what surprised him the most was an almost intact chiffonier, except the mirrored glass was no longer within the frame, pushed up against the cave wall. The various broken wooden articles were pushed up close to it, but did not appear to bury the small cabinet. Leaning closer to the cabinet, he noticed that there were several small wooden stools up against the wall on the other side of it. Sasuke shook his head and decided to not dwell on what he had seen and stepped around the small pile carefully.
Sasuke's breath was suddenly stolen when his chest was hit and he found himself being shoved relentlessly through the darkness of the cavern. His hands gripped blindly at whatever the force was that was forcing him backwards, but his back hit the cave wall just as quickly and he released a loud grunt of pain. Stars swam in front of his eyes when his head hit the stone wall and a solid mass held his body captive against the wall. He clenched his teeth through the pain in his head and his fingers gently felt at the object that was pressed painfully against his body. Smooth, hard and sharp edges. Scales. Sasuke stopped moving, holding his breath, his mind going blank on what to do next. The dragon had him pinned against the wall, there was no doubt about it, he might die now.
He could hear the heavy breath of the dragon to the left of him, moving closer to his front, his heartbeat was thumping strongly, he worried briefly that he may pass out. A heated breeze pushed past his face, moving the bangs on his forehead and Sasuke knew it was the breath of the dragon. He held still when the outline of the massive scaled and horned head came into his line of sight once again. The large eye focused on him and Sasuke could see his reflection against the slitted eye like he would against a still body of water. In any other situation, Sasuke may have found this a beautiful sight.
The dragon's tail held Sasuke firmly against the wall when the muzzle of the dragon pushed up against his head. Sasuke grunted out in discomfort when the massive muzzle squashed his body, but he felt the dragon inhale deeply before moving away just as quickly as it appeared. His body dropped to the cave floor and he could feel the tremors of the beast moving away into the shadows again.
'What the hell…' Sasuke wondered to himself. The dragon just had him pinned against the wall, reminding Sasuke that he was no match for this beast, but then seemed to study him before releasing him and just walking away? Sasuke struggled to sort through his muddled thoughts that were swirling in his head. He squinted through the shadowed area, trying to get a fix on where the dragon went. He began to crawl on his hands and knees, trying to quell his tremors that continued to rack through his body, barely holding back the fear. He just needed to keep a level head, find his bearings and get the hell out. He sought out the cave wall, blindly crawling along the cave floor before his body was shoved once again by a powerful force.
Covering his face quickly, Sasuke grunted out in pain when his body was pushed through the darkness until it came to a grinding halt. His heart hammered in fear when his body stopped on the cave floor but he managed to scramble to a sitting position, paying no mind to the scraps and cuts on his body as he moved. His eyes were wide as he scanned the darkness and crabbed walked backwards, hoping it was in the opposite way of the dragon. His body was roughly shoved to the side once again by a solid mass, invisible because of the darkness and he cried out in surprise as his body was forced to roll across the cave floor.
When his body came to a stop, Sasuke clenched his teeth tight, willing himself not to move and breath through the painful scrapes and cuts that were inflicted upon him when he was shoved harshly. He could hear the deep loud and powerful snorts coming from the dragon's muzzle somewhere behind him. Why would the beast continue to knock him about like this? Was it playing with him? Like a cat would a mouse? He couldn't feel any vibrations from the dragon moving its body, so he continued to remain limp on the cave floor to determine what the dragon would do next.
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Kushina paced the floor in her private sitting room, wringing her hands endlessly, worry lines etched into her beautiful face, her hair hanging limp and lifeless. The fight with the dragon was over a week ago, where she and her men were close, oh so close to finally ridding the kingdom of that massive beast! But when Sasuke got tangled in the chains…
Kushina clenched her teeth and bit back a sob. She had cried enough! Sasuke was alive when he was ripped from her! He should still be alive now! He is a strong, impressionable warrior! Kushina slapped a fist into her hand, willing the scene from her mind of Sasuke being dragged into the sky.
Her men were dispatched immediately to follow the trail of the dragon, but they lost the trail as the dragon disappeared over the mountain range. She wrote Itachi with trembling hands, only imagining what the Uchiha King may think of her, that he may rage war upon what was left of her small kingdom. She prayed heavily every moment of the days that passed to the late Uchiha King and Queen, hoping with every breath of her soul they would help their youngest heir. The dark recess of hopelessness trying to take her over and fall her into a pit of despair. She called upon witches, soothsayers, anything or anyone that could show her any sense of where the dragon could have gone. With every night that passed with no sign of the young Uchiha heir or the dragon that took him, she was slowly being dragged into a depression.
"Your majesty," the voice cut through the room that shook Kushina from her thoughts. She looked over to see Kakashi, her most trusted guard, holding himself in a bow by the door. The man was tall, broad shouldered and his mess of gray hair was ruffled all over, as if he had been running a hand through it constantly.
"News Kakashi?" Kushina replied quickly, taking steps towards the man. She noticed there was an envelope tucked within his fingers.
Kakashi stood then, holding out the envelope towards the Queen. "A message from the Uchiha King."
Kushina bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. Reaching for the message, she managed to get it open quickly and reviewed the writings from the inside. She released a long breath before looking back up at Kakashi. "The King is sending a team to assist in the search," she whispered out. "Have the extra barracks ready for the men. We need to ensure everyone has the strength to carry on the search for the young Uchiha prince." She nodded firmly before tucking the message away into her pocket.
"The search continues my lady, but what if–"
"NO!" Kushina cut Kakashi off before he could utter the words. "There is nothing but hope that prince Sasuke will be found alive. I have complete faith that the young prince knows how to get himself out of a perilous situation such as this." She turned to look away from the man, knowing that her face may give away any doubt she may have. "W-we have to keep trying," she whispered.
Kakashi watched the Queen's perseverance begin to crack and it pained his heart. He had been with the kingdom since he was a child. Watching the young royal couple work hard at bringing the best to their kingdom. Kakashi's father was the captain of the guard then, thus Kakashi lived within the walls of the castle. He was able to be present for the birth of the Uzumaki's first child and heir, watched the extreme joy it brought to the king and queen, and he watched Naruto grow up surrounded by loved ones. His heart ripped in two when Naruto went missing. The chaos that surrounded Naruto's disappearance, the searches, the tragedy of that night when the dragon took King Minato and the Uchiha parents, the outcry from the kingdom alone was enough to create a rift in the history books.
"It will be done your majesty," Kakashi responded gently and took leave. Closing the door quietly and quickly behind him, he wasted no time in taking the quickest route to the yards where he would find his most trusted men. Slipping through the large wooden door that led into the holding area, he nodded at several knights that saluted him while he strode past. Knocking briefly on a smaller wooden door, he did not hesitate to push it open and slip in.
"Kakashi, what–"
Kakashi held a hand up, immediately silencing the other man while he clicked the door shut. "King Uchiha's men are arriving in the next 24 hours, we need to prepare." Kakashi stood before the other man, looking down at the brunette, who was only a couple inches shorter than him.
"Uh, oh, alright then," the brunette stuttered out and pinched his lips together. His brown eyes looked away from the gray haired man and turned towards the single desk in the room. "Just let me, um, I have to get some information, well, you know–"
Kakashi grabbed the brunette's wrist quickly and yanked the man towards him. The brunette gasped out in surprise when his back hit Kakashi's chest. Kakashi quickly slipped his arm around the chest of the brunette, holding him steady and dipping his nose into the other man's neck.
"Kakashi! Stop!" the brunette snapped out but didn't push the gray haired man away. "W-we have to get th-things–oh my…"
Kakashi held the other closely for a moment, keeping his nose in the other's neck and inhaling deeply.
The brunette then dropped his arms, turning his neck to look at the other, "what's the matter Kakashi?" He could feel the other man tremble slightly.
Kakashi took some deep breaths before lifting his head away from the other. He slowly turned the brunette in his arms, looking down into the dark brown eyes that expressed concern up at him. "Iruka…the Queen looks strained, and I am worried for her health if we–the kingdom can't find–or retrieve, or what if we find…" Kakashi's voice tailed off when tucked his bottom lip between his teeth.
Iruka placed his palm upon Kakashi's cheek. "Oh Kakashi," his voice was thick with sadness. "We, you, all of us, will get them back! Have faith!" Iruka gave a smile in response. "I know it's been awhile for Naru, but, I have a feeling it will be alright." Iruka pulled Kakashi in for a hug. "I just have this feeling, okay? There is light at the end of the tunnel, I'm certain of it." Iruka hugged the man tightly, knowing he was struggling with the disappearance of not only Naruto, but the death of King Minato, the continuous struggle of the kingdom to survive and now the young prince.
Like Kakashi, Iruka had lived within the palace for several years. His father was a tutor to the young prince and his mother was a maid to the royal family. He watched Naruto grow up in the palace walls, and also came to love the Uzumaki's. Naruto was a vibrant addition to the household after he was born and Iruka, like his father, learned to tutor the young prince when his father became elderly. Like so many others in the kingdom, his heart was torn when Naruto went missing, King Minato died and he sobbed openly when the kind King and Queen Uchiha perished the same night. He knew Kakashi had a close bond with the young Uchiha prince who stuck to Naruto like glue throughout the summers. Kakashi would always tease the two youngsters when they wanted to practice with swords, try on armour and challenge the elder knights. Though Kakashi always tried to act like a tough, cranky older guard, Iruka knew those two boys had his heart wrapped around their fingers.
Kakashi buried his face into the other's hair until he calmed enough to step back and glance into those kind brown eyes. "King Uchiha is sending reinforcements to help with the search. We need to prepare," Kakashi whispered and nodded. Iruka nodded in response and ran his fingers through Kakashi's hair quickly. Kakashi leaned into the soft touch and placed a kiss on Iruka's forehead. He would put everything he had into the search this time, or the gods could take his soul and punish him for an eternity.
Kakashi and Iruka got busy giving orders to the various castle housekeepers, outdoor workers and guards to prepare for King Uchiha's men. With several more mouths to feed and to keep warm, the various castle help scattered around the area for several hours, preparing the area for their arrival. Kushina began to oversee the various areas as well, shouting out orders as well as thanking those for working so diligently. When the sun began to set, Iruka looked over the palace walls, squinting to see into the horizon.
"Men on the horizon! Prepare for their arrival!" Iruka called out to the small crowds of men still wandering about the courtyard. He waved over at the queen who was still pointing directions out to various women and she stopped to wave in response, indicating she heard Iruka. Iruka turned to see a large dust cloud rising higher in the horizon, indicating that the group of men were moving closer. Kakashi came up to the side wall and stood beside Iruka, shielding his eyes from the setting sun and squinting to see the slowly growing group of shadowed figures marching and riding across the baron landscape.
"Somethings not right…" Kakashi's voice trailed off.
"Kakashi?" Iruka questioned out, looking up at the taller man before looking out across the horizon again.
Kakashi pinched his lips quickly and released a grunt. "I don't think that's–" he stopped speaking suddenly and turned to climb down the ladder.
"Kakashi! What is it!" Iruka called out to the gray haired captain, but he was ignored. Iruke frowned when Kakashi quickly ran across the courtyard towards the Queen. He turned again, looking out and seeing that the group of men had gotten larger. "King Uchiha must have sent his whole army," he muttered. He rubbed his eyes and took another look at the group, and let out a gasp when he saw the flags flying above the soldiers. "Shit…" he muttered under his breath and quickly took off down the ladder where Kakashi had just gone.
Taking quickened steps across the courtyard, he ran to Kakashi's side, who still stood before Queen Kushina. "Your majesty," Iruka panted out while he quickly bowed before her. "Forgive me, for it wasn't whom I thought when I announced earlier–"
"We are aware," Kakashi quickly cut off Iruka. Iruka snapped his lips shut and looked between Kakashi and the Queen. Queen Kushina had gone pale and Kakashi's face was taut with seriousness. His voice was firm and cold when he spoke again to Iruka. "The Sound Kingdom's men approach, King Orochimaru has arrived."
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Let it be known that I am forcing myself to keep my body up to post this chapter. I really wanted it out there. And I've been napping on and off every day because of this god forsaken illness.
Love is appreciated, please send some. I'm on twitter and tumblr, my handle is: inluvwnaruto
I totally, totally, totally appreciate messages of love :D
Beta rambles...
I love my authors that I beta for, bless you all for being so kind and putting up with me. :)