Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst.
It's All In Your Head
Chapter 22: Reconnect
--
Three Years Later
Dark strands caught in the breeze, moving over a porcelain pale face. Long fingers, just as pale and captivating, tightened on the handle of a long blade. Sasuke's lean frame shifted out of view as he lunged in, his sword reappearing before the rest of him as he brought it down in a wide arc. Shadow clones disappeared from sight as he cut through the masses, brutal and beautiful- a personified kiss of death.
Orochimaru watched with interest.
He is progressing quite well, he thought to himself. Won't be long now before my perfect vessel is ready.
Sasuke could hear Orochimaru approaching. With one final blow, he slid his sword back into its sheath and turned to face the snake, his eyes burning with barely contained rage. "You're late."
"So I am.." he purred, a venomous grin cutting across his face.
"I don't care how you use your free time" Sasuke growled, "but don't waste mine."
"You are still as volatile as ever, it would seem." Orochimaru stepped forward, moving around abandoned weapons and signs of the Uchiha's destruction. "I know I have only been gone for a few days, Sasuke, but I thought you might be happy to see that your master has returned. Even if he is a bit late."
Crimson eyes hardened. "You mistake me for Kabuto. I won't call you that."
Orochimaru waved it off as he stepped closer. "A fine vessel, with a sharp tongue. Perhaps I have rubbed off on you more than you realize."
Sasuke was less than amused.
"I'm afraid your training will have to wait a bit longer, Sasuke. Though.. I would like to show you something."
The raven raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason why you are being so cryptic about this?"
Golden eyes shined as the snake met his gaze. "I merely thought it'd be more fun this way."
Sasuke gathered a palmful of sharp electric chakra and shot it out to the side, destroying several trees in its path. "I expect you to follow through on your end of our deal, Orochimaru" he said through clenched teeth.
"Yes, yes.. I will train you, and you will use your new power to destroy Itachi." Orochimaru scanned the Uchiha with undisguised excitement, his long serpentine tongue sliding across his lips. "And then you will need to complete your part of the deal."
Sasuke kept his face smooth and impassive. "I am familiar with our agreement" he said, slowly walking towards him, "as I am the only one who seems to be abiding by it."
"Impetuous, cold, and temperamental- how like your brother you are."
Sasuke suddenly threw out a kunai, which just missed the snake's face.
"I am nothing like him."
Orochimaru turned away to hide a lustrous grin. We shall see.
--
Naruto sat on a thick wooden chair in the middle of a cold room, his wrists and ankles bound tight. His captor had injected a chakra-blocker into his neck when he was first imprisoned, so by now the thick liquid had coursed through his veins and successfully diminished the blonde's chakra.
Naruto dropped his head, letting a heavy blonde curtain obscure his eyes. He forced his mind to stay blank and waited for his plan to set in motion.
--
"I have no interest in seeing anymore of Kabuto's perverse experiments" Sasuke said.
He followed Orochimaru down steep steps and into the winding halls that made up the lower level of the hideout. Orochimaru had many, and Sasuke had been to most of them, but this one seemed to be a favorite. They returned to it often; Sasuke was very aware of what they kept down here.
The raven sought power and chose a crueler path to find it, he was well aware of that, but he did not condone torture or any of the vile things Kabuto liked to do to their remains in the name of science and discovery. Sasuke had come close to killing Kabuto many times and had incurred Orochimaru's wrath countless others for destroying his lab and freeing some of his "experiments".
Sasuke wasn't the same person he used to be. There were still times when he had looked the other way as horrific screams shot up through the corridors from this place. It made him sick to do it, but he had his goals, and he wouldn't let anything get in his way.
Or anyone.
He realized that the snake had said something as he was lost in thought. He looked up, "hm?"
Orochimaru's smile stretched. "I said, I think you'll be interested in this one."
He opened the door and stepped inside, ushering the raven to join him. He did, then froze.
Long blonde hair hung low over the prisoner's face as he dropped his head down. His body, lean and clad in black, was strapped to a large chair in the center of the room. A jacket, black with orange outline, was tossed on a small table, along the rest of his belongings, including his shoes.
Sasuke knew who he was immediately, and he wasn't happy to see him. He whipped back to glare at the snake. "Why is he here?!" he snapped.
"Why else, Sasuke? To help us accomplish our goal."
Orochimaru walked over to the blonde, grabbed his chin, and forced his head up. "You would be wasted as the Akatsuki's weapon" he murmured. "Besides, wouldn't you prefer being with this Uchiha instead?"
Hard blue eyes shot over to the raven. They moved past long raven hair and a smooth pale face, down to the partially open robe he wore, before sliding back up to meet his cold charcoal stare. "Is there a difference?" he asked smoothly.
Sasuke's eyes flared red.
Orochimaru seemed amused.
"Looks like your little friend has gained some confidence, Sasuke."
"I have no need for friends."
Their gaze held and Sasuke wondered if the jutsu still worked between them. And for the briefest moment, he wanted it to. He wanted to know what the last three years have been like for Naruto, how he felt seeing him now. But he didn't want the blonde in his mind- didn't want him to know this Sasuke, didn't want him to try searching for the other.
In fact, he didn't want him here at all.
He shouldn't be here, he thought. I left for a fucking reason. He studied the blonde in silence, but he gave no reaction.
Maybe it's gone after all..
"Where did you find him?" Sasuke finally asked, knowing that Orochimaru brought him here to brag about his newest venture. And, just as likely, to test Sasuke's reserve.
"I lured him from his team and captured him outside of Kirigakure. Luckily, Kabuto had plenty of his little concoctions to keep him sedated until we could get him here." He released the blonde's chin and ran a long finger down his cheek.
Naruto jerked his head to the side and grimaced. "Don't fucking touch me, Snake."
Orochimaru smiled. "I don't think it'll take much to break this one." He turned back to meet Sasuke's dark eyes. "And once we do, we will have the power of the Nine Tails at our disposal."
Sasuke looked away from the excitement gleaming in those golden eyes. "So, you plan on allowing Kabuto to do his.. experiments" he said, not even trying to hide his disgust.
"This one has a strong will. Accessing the Nine Tails' chakra will be difficult, Sasuke."
And you're not one to run when things get difficult, Naruto thought. Right, Sasuke?
Sasuke couldn't stop himself from looking over at the blonde. His eyes were on the raven, reading his every reaction. He had seen the shock in his eyes, the sudden alarm as Naruto's voice flooded his mind.
Fuck, Sasuke thought.
We're still connected.
Author Note:
To anyone who thought that their happy ending was just around the corner, and that their suffering was behind them-
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.