Monsters | By : LoneReader3173 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4323 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters there in. I do not profit from this story. Any similarities to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. |
Chapter 11: Once More With Feeling
Every inch of Sasuke’s body ached as he blinked open his eyes. It was dark, almost to dark to see. Where was he? He could tell that he was sitting up right, leaning against something firm. had he fallen asleep in the chair again? There was something bright just past where he could see out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look at it. Moonlight? His head was pounding, preventing him from putting the pieces together. Shifting the rest of his body slightly he noticed three things caused him immediate concern; first that the soles of his shoes scraped against what felt like rocks when he moved them, second that there was something wrapped around his torso, restraining him, and third, that he was soaking wet. He struggled violently against the restraint in a panic, all thoughts of sleep or unconsciousness fleeing his mind in a state of survival.
“Ow, dammnit!” Came an irritated groan in Naruto’s voice directly next to his ear. “Stop squirming, Idiot, I’ve got you.”
Sasuke stopped moving at once, his senses were beginning to come back to him and it donned on him that Naruto’s arms wrapped around him was the reason he was unable to move, and the firm thing he was laying against was the other boy’s chest. Looking to the side he also realized that the reason Naruto was holding him was because they were sitting on a narrow ledge beside a fast moving river. There was enough room beside them that Sasuke pushed himself roughly away in disgust to sit in the empty space.
Naruto scoffed at him in irritation and disbelief. “You’re welcome.” He said in the sarcastic tone he seemed to reserve especially for Sasuke. “You really are one of the worst people I’ve ever met. It’s hard to believe that you and Itachi are actually related.” The comparison stung, but he was unable to find a suitable retort in his current state, so he remained silent.
Naruto stood up and brushed himself off. He was cover it cuts, burns, and scrapes that were already starting to heal thanks to the demon blood that flowed in veins. He turned towards the edge of the ledge they were on before adding back to Sasuke, “Now that you’re awake, you keep yourself from dying.”
Sasuke ignored him and began to look over his own injuries. There was a cut to his lip, as well as a large burn on his calf and thigh, but he appeared to be otherwise uninjured. He also pushed himself to his feet, an effort made difficult by the injury to his leg, and examined their surroundings. The cool night breeze reminded him that Naruto had been keeping him warm.
They were at the bottom a narrow ravine. Steep cliffs of dark grey stone rose up on either side of the river, as far as he could see in either direction. This part of the water, while moving quickly, was devoid of any rapids and was relatively quiet. It was evident to Sasuke that his lack of injuries, compared to Naruto, meant he probably owed the demon his life.
“Any idea where we are?” Sasuke asked tentatively.
Naruto took a deep breath before answering, attempting to keep their conversation civil, and not answer sarcastically again. “Not really. The river carried us quite a ways from where we fell before I could get us out.” He was holding his side where the dark sorcerer had stuck him, and blood deeper through his fingers and stained the shirt surrounding it. Pointing up stream with his free hand, he didn’t look back at Sasuke. “The cliffs end a little ways up around that bend, which will make it a bit easier if we can make it up there.” He finally turned back to Sasuke. “We’ll never make it with your leg like that though.”
Before Sasuke could react, the demon had reached him and grabbed him behind the head with his bloody hand. Biting into his own wrist, he then shoved it into Sasukes mouth. The metallic taste of warm blood coated his tongue and he choked, pushing Naruto away from him, but he seemed satisfied already and let go on his own.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Sasuke spluttered, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.
“Demon blood,” he stated simply. “I’m only half, but it’ll still help.” He gestured absently to Sasukes leg which had begun to tingle lightly.
He looked down at the wound. Steam rose off it and an odd sensation began to take the place of pain. It was healing, and quickly, But this brought up another question for Sasuke.
“If your blood can heal me...” He pointed to the wound naruto was still clutching, “why aren’t you healing?”
Naruto removed his hand and lifted his shirt to show Sasuke the injury. The was a long deep cut on his side that was bleeding profusely, but not only that, the wound was turning black, and thin tendrils we’re beginning to spread outwards from it and the surrounding skin was turning a dark greenish purple.
“He hit me with a cursed blade, I think .” The boy shrugged as though it didn’t concern him much, but his face told a different story. “We just need to get back to Sakura, come on.” He pulled his shirt down, putting his hand back over the wound, and began to pick his way through the rocks to reach the waters edge.
Sasuke followed slowly. His leg had healed enough for him to use it, but it was still quiet sore and more difficult to move. Apprehension and guilt sat in his stomach like heavy stone. Sasuke knew a lot about curses from all of his books. One like this wound continue to spread until it consumed Naruto and claimed his life. He’d never known a sorcerer or hunter to have survived one. Would Sakura really be able to save him? Being a witch, she drew her magic from a primal source rather than an arcane one like himself, would that give her an advantage. What if it couldn’t, What then? Would they have to just sit and watch Naruto die?
Sasuke was fighting with himself internally. Naruto has half demon, a monster, the likes of which he had been trained his entire life to destroy. The evil of which had been drilled into his head by his entire clan. A monster... that had saved his life. A boy, that continued to look over his shoulder with a worried expression, to see if he needed help. Who waited for him to catch up, wasting time he desperately needed to find Sakura.
They rounded the bend where the cliffs tapered off into a flatter grassy area. Sasuke could see what he thought was the cliff they’d fallen from off in the distance, but they still had miles to go, a cliff to climb, and he couldn’t remember how far back to the car.
The black tendrils where still spreading from Naruto’s wound. Sasuke could see the starting to show around the collar of and sleeve of his t-shirt. He was beginning to move slower as he wasn’t having to wait for Sasuke as much.
“Stop waiting for me, and go find Sakura.” Sasuke told him in a tone of mixed emotion.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“Then I’ll send up a flare, maybe they can get to us quicker than we can get to them.” He raised his hand to do so, but Naruto stopped him.
“No! Are you crazy?” He looked at Sasuke with wide eyes. What had he missed that Naruto had picked up on? “We don’t know if that Necromancer was working alone. There could be others.” Necromancer. That’s why the magic had felt weird. Necromancers pulled their magic from dead souls, and he had planned to make Naruto one of his puppets with that curse. “If theres more and they find us, then we’re both dead.” He walked away from Sasuke. “At least I can get you out of here alive.”
The comment stirred something in his chest. “You don’t care if you die.” He started after Naruto, forcing himself to go faster than was at all comfortable.
“Of course I don’t want to die.” Sasuke saw him reach up and scratch the back of his head as he spoke. “But there aren’t that many people who’d agree with that so, you know, majority rules, or something.” He shrugged in an exaggerated fashion. He’d meant it as a joke, Sasuke knew, but it had been anything but one. “Besides, I promised Itachi that I’d look after you.” The boy turned back to him with a wide grin, and Sasuke’s guilt returned.
Not everyone in his clan had taught him the hatred he knew so well. Naruto’s words rang in his head. ‘It’s hard to believe that you and Itachi are even related.’ Itachi was this boy’s friend, and trusted him enough to fight for and beside him. “You can’t protect me if you’re dead.”
“I’ll do the best I can until then.” His tone was final and they continued walking.
By the time they crossed the grassy field and reached the cliff face, they were both moving slowly. Sasuke’s leg ached and he could hardly move it. The cruse has spread to Naruto’s Finger tips and up the side of his face. His breathing was heavy as though it was also constricting his lungs.
“It’s less steep over there, it’ll take some doing, but I think it’s out best bet,” Sasuke pointed out to him a spot that looked to be a manageable climb. Naruto nodded, and gestured for him to go first.
It was maybe a little under 200 feet to the top, and very slow going. Sasuke went first and reached bam to help Naruto as much as he could. They were both exhausted by the time the finally reached the top. It felt as though they’d been walking for days. Sasuke had no idea what time it was, but the moon had crossed to the other horizon and dawn must not be far away. He’d hoped to see some sign of Sakura or Gaara, thinking that maybe they’re seen the lightning earlier and their way this direction. There was a small crater where the Necromancers body had exploded and knocked them into the river below.
Sasuke made for the place he thought they’d entered the clearing from, but stopped when he realized Naruto wasn’t following him.
“Naruto?” His teammate was leaning against a nearby tree, looking at the ground, but looked up at the sound of his name.
“I think... this is as far as I go.” He smiled sadly at Sasuke and slumped to the ground at the base of the tree. “I’m sorry.”
Sasuke ran to kneel beside him, not knowing what to do. “No, you’ve got to get up. We can still make it back,” he pleaded to the boy.
He looked at Sasuke, still smiling. “Tell Itachi that I tried.” And his eyes slowly closed and his smile faded as fell unconscious.
Sasuke felt for his pulse. It was still there, but growing weaker.
“Think!” He scolded himself. There had to be something he could do with all the damn books he’d read on curses. How did the work? They latched on to a living organism like a parasite and drain the life from it, right? Then maybe he could give it something else to drain.
“I won’t let you die, either.” He told the unconscious boy.
He pulled Naruto forwards enough that he could sit behind him and support him with his own body as naruto had done earlier. Soft blond hair brushed his cheek as he wrapped both arms around Naruto had placed his hand over the wound. He closed his and concentrated all of his energy into his aura, reaching out with it to make contact with curse.
His aura hit it with an electric shock, but he held on, pushing though the barrier and attempting to pull the curse out. It resisted, but Sasuke could feel it searching him, trying to identify what this new threat was. Then it felt it latch onto him and begging to creep up his own arm. It was painful. Like needles moving under his skin. Was this what Naruto had felt all night? And still the other boy had tried to help him.
Sasuke continued to pull at the curse, willing it to release its hold on his teammate as it continued to spread up his arm instead. The curse receded a bit from Narutos face, and Sasuke hoped his lungs and heart, but he knew he wasn’t strong enough to pull it out completely. All he could do was nude them time.
Throwing caution to the wind, he shot a flare of fire up into the sky, hoping above anything that either Sakura or Gaara would see it. If there were other Necromancers in the area, what did it matter now? They were dead anyway if they weren’t found soon.
Time passed and there was no sign of their other teammates. Sasuke was beginning to grow weak, and Narutos breathing had slowed considerably. He pulled as much of his aura together as he possibly could, and aimed another flare of magic into the sky, when he saw lights in the trees at the edge of the clearing.
While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
All works displayed here, whether pictorial or literary, are the property of their owners and not Adult-FanFiction.org. Opinions stated in profiles of users may not reflect the opinions or views of Adult-FanFiction.org or any of its owners, agents, or related entities.
Website Domain ©2002-2017 by Apollo. PHP scripting, CSS style sheets, Database layout & Original artwork ©2005-2017 C. Kennington. Restructured Database & Forum skins ©2007-2017 J. Salva. Images, coding, and any other potentially liftable content may not be used without express written permission from their respective creator(s). Thank you for visiting!
Powered by Fiction Portal 2.0
Modifications © Manta2g, DemonGoddess
Site Owner - Apollo