Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Antitype.	By : silversound Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 705 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not being written for sale or profit. Characters and elements of the original plot from the series "Naruto" that appear in this work of fiction do not belong to the writer.

Chapter List
- 1-Lower Chislev[1]: Contact.
- 2-Lower Chislev[2]: The way that should be.
- 1
- 2
Lower-Chislev
[2]: The way that should be.

“We
have contact,” came a low, male voice as a young man clad from
head to toe in black robes stepped through the brightly lit portal
that led to a wide private chamber. Anybody else would have been
immediately struck down for entering the chamber unannounced, but
this visitor was not just anybody. He strode in without regard for
common courtesy and came to stand at the foot of the slightly raised
dais that currently housed the object of his visit, who currently sat
bathed in ethereal sea green light that filtered down through a
stained glass skylight set at the very apex of the domed ceiling.
Ordinarily the effect would have been stunning, but it clearly made
no impression on the room's young visitor.

“As
rude as ever I see,” the man on the dais said by way of
greeting, “It seems these past years have done little to
mediate that off-color demeanor of yours.”

Despite
his harsh words, the man on the dais sat up straighter to address his
guest, sharp eyes gleaming with interest behind his narrow
spectacles.

“...How
recent?” he demanded at last, wasting no more time in getting
right to the crux of the matter.

“Twelve
hours,” came the curt reply, “More or less. The signal
on Type 6 is far weaker than anticipated, so I was a bit hesitant to
make the call. But as expected its counterpart is functioning
strongly. Its output level may be even higher than before.”

“Hmph.
Snubbing your nose at my work again?” the other hissed back
haughtily, “Type 6's output should start to catch up quickly
now that contact has exceeded 10 hours. My work is absolute.”

No
response was forthcoming, so he decided to add in a little jab just
to rifle his young colleague a little. It was ever so amusing to
tease the -- in his oppinion -- overly serious youth whenever he had
the chance.

“But
then again, I've had superior materials to work with, haven't I
Dagim-kun?”

There.

It
was barely perceptible, but the younger man was annoyed. Neither his
expression nor his stance changed in the slightest, but the very air
around him shifted dangerously in response to his rising aura. It
would be ill advised to tease him any further.

“Very
well, I'll make preparations for the both of them, since I seem to
have a need to earn your trust again,” he offered, changing the
subject and putting on his best cordial voice as he stepped down from
the ornately carved seat that adorned his dais. Silken robes dyed in
sumptuous blues and teals – the colors of the sea -- pooled
about his slender form, highlighting the accentuated curve of his
neck and other graceful lines. However, as usual his company was
unmoved by the calculatedly elaborate display.

“Be
sure that you do,” the younger man informed him coolly, “There
may not be very much time before we meet with interference. We must
be sure that conditions have been made as favorable as possible
before the time comes.”

“That
will take time,” his elaborately robed counterpart objected,
his alluring features shifting into a contrived pout, “I'm sure
I told you before Dagim-kun:
My work is absolute. It cannot under any circumstances be rushed.”

The
man before him glared, his eyes beginning to take on a dangerous
color.

“I've
warned you previously, Dali,”
he began, voice dropping into a threatening and altogether too
familiar tone, “If your incompetence causes any interference in
the execution of the project, I won't hesitate to do things my way.”

“And
I have warned you, my
most impatient colleague, that perfection cannot be rushed. Type 6
will proceed exactly as I have prescribed and no faster. The rate at
which it is developed is crucial to the overall success of this
project.

“And
besides, Type F won't function properly without Type-6's assistance
anyway,” came the reply, smooth and tinted with venom, “You'll
just have to contain yourself until then.”

The
smile that followed was equal parts conceit and challenge.

“Perhaps
you're right,” the younger party conceded after a moment of
meeting his gaze with unconcealed loathing, “But if your way
exceeds my patience then I'll take whatever recourse I have to in
order to ensure success, even if it means taking it from your
precious Type 6 with my own hands.”

“I'll
be looking forward to it, Dagim-kun,”
he answered, his voice dipping to a low and sultry tone, “That
is, if your beloved Type F doesn't interfere.”

With
another heartfelt narrowing of his eyes, his visitor turned smoothlly
and made his way back the way he had come. However, his intense
killing intent lingered long after he had left the room.

“Contact,
hm?” the man on the dais chuckled quietly to himself in
amusement, adjusting his spectacles.

“But
the truth is...even I'm not sure exactly what will happen to all my
hard work now that he's
involved...”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naruto
pulled him close, mouthing hurried words into his ear now, syllables
just barely audible as they wisped against the crook of his neck.

“Sasuke...”

He
could feel the gasping blonde boy clenching convulsively around him,
tight, slick and warm.

His
head swam as Naruto's form pulsed defiantly with life, throbbing
around him more intensely with each strained breath.

“Sasuke...”

He
could feel himself slipping...slipping out of control as he sank in
deeper, as though searching for something.

Yes,
he was searching. He needed what was inside of the other boy; kept
being drawn deeper into those pleading blue eyes. Another thrust and
he would reach Naruto's core.

Deeper...Deeper...

“Sasuke--!!”

“Sasuke!”

The
dark haired boy jolted awake as he was tugged back into reality by
the pitched cry.

Once
his eyes focused on the lowly lit room before him, he finally
remembered where he was and the events of the previous night. His
eyes flickered over to his side from where the distressed cry had
originated. There he came face to face with a slightly worried
looking Naruto. It seemed the blonde boy had been calling him for a
while now.

Noticing
that his dark haired companion's vision had finally focused, Naruto's
blue eyes fluttered closed as he uttered a sigh of relief.

“Geez,
I thought you said you didn't sleep!” he chided Sasuke, still
looking at him with a little bit of uneasiness, “You had this
funny glazed look on your face when I woke up. It was almost
like--....”

The
blonde boy stopped himself short as he followed up his words in
thought.

“Like
when you were coming to kill me yesterday, minus the red...”

“A-anyway,”
he moved on, changing the subject, “You were really spaced out
like that for a couple minutes. Didn't you hear me calling you?”

When
Sasuke merely stared back at him silently, dark eyes unreadable, he
gave up.

“'Taku,”
he mumbled under his breath, resolving to save it for later.

“So,
are you gonna tell me you don't need to eat either?” he asked
his dark haired companion a little bit testily.

“I
don't think so,” Sasuke informed him, nodding slightly, “I've
been wandering for two days without any problem.”

“Well
I'm starving,”
declared the blonde, finally throwing off his covers, “Come
with me to get something to eat!”

So
saying, he climbed out of the deep nest that he called his bed and
made for the basin that Sasuke had noticed the previous day when he
had first entered. Sticking a finger into it, Naruto exclaimed in a
manner that suggested that he had found its contents unfavorable, and
immediately headed for the partition that blocked off the other part
of the room, basin in hand. Sasuke could hear a heavy thumping
sound, as though Naruto were going down stairs, and then a moment
later the faint sounds of water splashing as the blonde boy tossed
the old water out. In a moment Naruto was back and the basin was
full again, which meant that wherever he had gone he must have also
had a water source for him to refill it.

“Okay,
this'll probably take a minute to warm up,” Naruto explained,
putting on the presumably self-constructed heater in the middle of
the room and settling his metal basin on top, “'M gonna get
dressed and stuff and then we can go.”

Sasuke
watched with inner curiosity as the other boy then proceeded to head
back to the other side of the drape and root around for a few
moments. When he came back he was holding a few folded up articles
of clothing, which he tossed onto his bed. It took barely a minute
for the blonde to strip out of his dirty and bloodstained clothing
from the day before, and soon he stood before the dark haired boy
naked, picking through his fresh clothes for a particular item.

His
companion watched silently, eyes wandering over Naruto's bony back
and down to his narrow hips. He looked as though he was hungry, but
not in a way that would be rectified with just one meal.

Naruto
was starving.

Slowly
perhaps, but certainly. No wonder he hadn't been able to fend for
himself properly.

A
displeased frown made its way across Sasuke's features as he watched
his blonde haired companion pluck a pair of underwear out of his pile
of clothes and slip in one thin leg, then another. His skin was
naturally tanned, but didn't hide the slight darkening of old bruises
under the skin of his lower back and thighs. Something seemed wrong
about the size and placements of the marks, but he couldn't seem to
come up with a valid reason why in his mind, so he slowly dismissed
it. Clearly they had been inflicted some time before yesterday, and
Naruto didn't seem to be in too much pain, so he dropped it.

His
more vocal counterpart began to whistle softly under his breath as he
selected a pair of more or less in tact faded navy blue pants, which
appeared to have been patched up a few times by hand, and slid into
those too. Then he pulled out a slightly stained, dark blue colored
knit top that seemed a little small for him, and a pair of mismatched
but comfortable looking knit socks. Finally he reached out to grab
the same faded orange jacket that he had worn the previous day,
ignoring the small flecks of blood that still stained the garment,
looking at it fondly for a moment before he dusted a little bit of
the dirt off. It wasn't a particularly nice looking garment –
a simple long sleeved jacket with a high collar and light brown,
ribbed knitting lining the inside. It was close-fitting and had
black paneling on the torso, lower back, upper arms and shoulders, as
well as a few glowing accents in neon blue that made it easier to
pick out in the darkness of the Underground, but was otherwise
unremarkable. However, Naruto seemed proud of it.

“All
done,” Naruto informed him pleasantly, tugging his jacket on.

Then,
turning his attention back to the warming water, removed his water
basin from the heat and set it back on its crate. Taking down a
small portion of torn cloth that Sasuke had not noticed before from
the same rope that held up his partition, Naruto then proceeded to
wash up his face and neck, shivering slightly as the warm water
dripped down under his collar and warmed his bruised flesh. He
repeated the same motion a few times, dipping the little cloth into
the steaming water and running it over his face again and finally the
back of his head to clear away the blood and grime from yesterday's
harsh realities. And when he was done, Sasuke was inwardly pleased
to see that he appeared to feel somewhat refreshed.

As
his eyes met the dark haired boy's gaze and he realized he was being
watched, Naruto hastily wrung out the cloth and hung the dampened
article up again to dry, before crouching down by his bed, mostly to
hide his blushing face. He dug around underneath the table that held
his bedding up until he reached his shoes, which had been hastily
discarded during the night when he had woken up suddenly and realized
he was still wearing them. They were probably the most reliable
article of clothing that he owned excluding his jacket, as they were
about the only other things from his original wardrobe that he had
kept since coming to Deep-ground. The sturdy lace-up boots reached
more than half way up his calves, which was nice considering that his
pants were all a little bit too small for him anyway. With the high
boots, even if he rolled up the hem to his knees it looked rather
natural. Tugging his shoes on, Naruto zipped both up before securing
the accompanying laces all the way to the top. And with that he was
finished.

Once
he was sure the redness had faded from his face, the blonde boy stood
up and turned to face Sasuke.

“I'm
ready now,” he declared, feeling heartened from his 'bath', and
having fresh clothes on, “Let's go, partner!”

Blinking
a little at the sudden term of endearment, Sasuke nodded and let
Naruto lead the way out of the apartment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“....”

“....”

“Gotcha!!”

With
a triumphant cry the blonde boy pounced fervently at the small blue
form, only to cry out pitifully as his prey chirped in terror and
scurried away before he would even brush it with his fingertips.
Sasuke's eyebrows quirked at the display, watching for the fourth
time as Naruto's prey escaped him and left him empty handed.

“...Dammit...”
the blonde boy grumbled, momentarily collapsing down into a dejected
heap, “I suck at this.”

“You
intend to cook and eat one of those?” Sasuke queried softly,
eyes flickering up to the ceiling where he watched several little
reptilian creatures much like the one Naruto had been trying in vain
to capture scurry to and fro. It seemed they were one of the very
few edible and prevalent fauna in the Underground, or so he had
gathered from the fact that Naruto seemed to be targeting only them.

“Yeah,
but they're wily and damned hard to catch,” the other boy
complained, “I haven't eaten right in like, days...”

“N-...not
literally!” he exclaimed immediately, upon seeing Sasuke's eyes
shift to his quickly with an intense stare, “Just a couple days
I guess.”

As
if in agreement, the tanned boy's stomach made a faint noise like
brittle rocks grinding together.

“Uuu...”
Naruto moaned, feigning a sob, “If I don't eat something soon I
think I'm gonna diiiiieee~!”

“So
all I have to do is catch one of those?” Sasuke asked him
suddenly, gazing up at the ceiling again.

“Well
yeah, but that's the hard--!!”

Without
warning, the dark haired boy blurred out of existence and overhead
there was a loud noise as something impacted heavily overhead.
Naruto ducked and covered his head protectively as the ceiling of the
large cave in which they stood shuddered, reigning down chunks of
rocks, moisture, and...

Kreee!

Naruto
cried out as well as one of the little lizards landed directly on his
head and summarily dropped to the floor unmoving. Creaking an eye
open to peek around himself, the blonde boy found that there were
several similar blue-green forms littering the cavern floor around
him, stunned or unconscious. Without hesitation he scurried over and
snatched up a good sized rock, then went about putting several of the
little creatures out of their misery with one solid, life stealing
blow each.

“Sorry
little guys,” he thought
guiltily with each small reptile whose life he extinguished, “But
you're gonna help me live to see another day.”

When
he had collected enough of the lithe little bodies, placing them
carefully in the hem of his shirt, he looked about for the little
sack that he had brought along to hold anything he might catch that
day, but instead met Sasuke, who was gazing at him patiently.

“Is
that enough?” the dark haired boy asked, gazing down at his
folded shirt and the burden tucked inside.

“Y..Yeah
plenty,” he replied, unable to keep from staring wide eyed at
his companion in wonder.

“Then
should we go back?”

Unable
to find his voice for a moment, Naruto nodded quickly and made an
affirmative noise, gratefully emptying his quarry into the
outstretched bag that Sasuke held open for him. When he was done and
he had finally collected his thoughts again, he merely looked over at
the other boy and smiled.

“Let's
go...partner!” he said for the second time that day, truly
relishing the words.

It
was weird to think he'd had to come to a place as awful as
Deep-ground to find a friend.

At
first he had been doubtful of Sasuke's intentions, but now he was
coming to realize that the other boy essentially had what could be
considered a pure heart -- something practically unheard of in the
Underground, especially down this far. In this hellish world where
man had lived underground for nearly a thousand years, humans had
come to be a truly fearful and selfish existence, deceiving each
other and feeding on whatever they must to survive -- even going so
far as to genetically engineer creatures, Genics, just for slaughter
and consumption. In upper levels there were even engineered humans,
called Replicas who worked tirelessly for mankind's benefit, to aid
the dwindling numbers of humans that lived underground.

That's
what he had thought Sasuke was at first, a Replica. However, that
just didn't seem right either. He had never heard of a Replica being
so...warm...before. An also, most humanoid Replicas didn't
have the kind of fighting capabilities that Sasuke had shown. Plus
the way the other boy seemed to watch him -- concerned, and curious,
and pretty attentive to his needs...that didn't sound like an
emotionless Replica at all.

But
he wasn't a human either -- that was a fact.

Naruto
pondered these curious circumstances over and over as he and Sasuke
made their way back to his home.

It
was when they were turning the corner that would lead to the section
of buildings where Naruto resided that Sasuke suddenly pulled him to
the side and crushed him against a building, shrouding them both with
the tattered black cloak that he wore. Naruto would have cried out,
but the slightly taller boy's hand was pressed softly over his mouth,
muffling his breathing.

Confused,
the blonde closed his eyes for a moment, wondering what would come
next, when gradually he could hear voices and footsteps. Though
faint as though they were far off, Naruto could distinguish that they
were getting closer, and they sounded as if they were coming from
direction in which his place was located.

“...heard
the Hounds...massacred but Toshi....came to Ichiro's...”

“...dead
for sure when the boss gets to him...”

Slowly
the footsteps and voices receded into the myriad alleys of the
abandoned city, but that didn't stop Naruto from shivering and then
going rigid as the protective darkness of Sasuke's cloak slipped
away.

“Ichiro.
Ichiro as in the Red Wolves,”
Naruto repeated to himself over and over again in thought, “Why
would he help Toshi?...Doesn't matter. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm
dead.”

“They
were probably talking about you,” Sasuke said, pulling his
thoughts back to reality. The dark haired boy could probably hear
better than he could too.

“Yeah,”
Naruto gulped, clouded blue eyes pinning themselves to the ground.
He could fight a little, and had Sasuke now, but...they couldn't
fight forever. And besides, he didn't want to ever see Sasuke's eyes
lose their innocent black shine and turn red again like that first
night. It was so wrong. He didn't want to feel afraid of Sasuke
like that again. Not after he'd promised, however suddenly he'd made
that vow.

He
wanted to turn and run away, but he didn't know where to. He had
already come this far and he still couldn't get away from those who
would harm him. Naruto felt a tight pressure building in his head.
It felt like an invisible noose was being tightened around his neck.

And
then his hand was enveloped in warmth as Sasuke began tugging him
toward home. If those men had been coming from his place, then that
probably meant it was safe to go there now. But still there was no
telling when they would be back and if they would have
reinforcements. In addition, he had a sinking feeling that his home
would be ruined when he returned.

But
Sasuke was with him. The other boy seemed unfazed by the
circumstances, as indeed he was unfazed by anything, coal black eyes
surveying the walk ahead with the same calmness and lack of emotion
that Naruto had come to expect from his quiet companion.
Surprisingly, he wasn't bothered by Sasuke's expressionless
nature...not knowing the overall gentle nature of the boy who had
saved him a mere twenty four hours ago and counting and had never
left his side since. It was actually steadying to know that whatever
happened, Sasuke would continue to look at him with the same
unchanging eyes.

Or
so he hoped. And fervently at that.

When
they got to his 'apartment' Naruto showed how much better he was
feeling by taking the approach at a run so that he could vault off
the wall and hoist himself over the edge of the opening that led
inside. Taking a deep, steadying breath before moving past the door
covering, he waited for Sasuke to join him, which he did a mere
moment later.

The
two of them cautiously made their way inside, letting the door cover
swish closed at their backs, and although he was not surprised at the
mess that they found, he still gasped lightly and, unbelievably, felt
tears sting his eyes as he took in the damage.

He
hadn't thought he was so attached to this place, but...

but...

His
bed, his stove, his wash basin, his clothes, everything!

The
makeshift partition that he had put up to separate his makeshift
bedroom from his makeshift kitchen – everything put together by
him! -- was utterly in tatters and on the floor, revealing the tiny
counter space that he had fashioned together from stray boards
cracked into pieces, the little tin can in which he kept his few
utensils overturned and the utensils missing, his single plate and
bowl both smashed to bits, trash overturned and scattered everywhere,
and...sewage...all over, presumably brought up from the bathroom down
below. The trap door that he had made to lead to the floor below was
open, and when he ventured downstairs, covering his nose, he found
that indeed the little spring that he had dug up had been soiled as
well, and the small water closet he had made for relieving himself a
little ways away had been completely torn down and made
unserviceable. It was there that he found his missing utensils and
everything else that was missing from his apartment, tossed
maliciously into the privy.

Having
seen all that there was to see, Naruto turned silently and made the
climb back upstairs to where Sasuke was still standing. The other
didn't say a word, as though the dark haired boy were patiently
waiting for him to witness all that had been done to what had once
been his carefully pieced together home.

It
wasn't until he faced his companion and felt Sasuke's gaze lingering
intently on his face that he realized how warm his cheeks were with
his streaming tears and how the snot ran freely from his nose. For a
moment he stood there, gasping silently and shaking his head slowly
from side to side as his gaze drifted around once more, unseeing.

He
barely registered Sasuke's warmth anymore as the other boy stepped
closer and arm slowly came around his shoulder, just holding him
still. He didn't have the wherewithal to bury his face in his
friend's shoulder the way he probably would have if he had been
thinking straight, so Sasuke pressed his head forward with rough
fingers until he was tucked right under the other boy's chin,
unmoving.

He
wasn't sure how long they stood like that, but gradually he became
aware of his surroundings again, and of the faint stench that was
permeating the room. In an instant he wanted to be free of the
oppressive sadness and odor that clung to his now ruined home, and
without a word he shoved Sasuke away and ran to the door, where he
hopped down again and ran until he was safely around a corner.

It
was not long until Sasuke came after him, forgotten sack full of
lizards in tow.

However,
he had barely approached before the blonde boy suddenly spoke to him,
a chillingly detached tone replacing his normally amiable one.

“We're
going.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke
had followed Naruto in silence for a long time after they left behind
what remained of the blonde boy's apartment, watching the smaller
youth's shoulders shift as he walked at a good clip, staring ahead
intently. He could tell that what had been done to his home had
shaken Naruto a bit, probably exacerbated by his awful experience the
day before, but the only traces of the incident left in his companion
were determination and anger now – at least as far as the eye
could see.

To
Sasuke it was clear that the other boy probably still felt like
crying, but instead was pushing himself ahead, not just because of
the clear danger to his life if he stuck around, but because he had
another person to worry about now too.

Of
course Naruto was no fool. He knew that Sasuke could take care of
himself. But in truth he did not want to subject his newfound friend
to any more violence on his account. Not when he had just realized
what kind of person Sasuke was.

The
kind of person who deserved to live quietly.

The
kind of person who didn't belong in Deep-ground.

So,
they were leaving.

Initially
he had been crushed by what he had found of his home...still was
really...but gradually he was beginning to realize that maybe this
was to his benefit in a roundabout way. He hadn't been planning to
make that his place of residence forever, just a temporary hideout
while he sorted things out a little bit and figured out what he
wanted to do. He hated Deep Underground more than any place he'd
ever been, and had been starting to consider moving to a higher
layer. The only problem was money and...well...him getting up the
nerve.

But
now that he had Sasuke to think about, he knew he couldn't stay there
much longer. He didn't think that Sasuke belonged in Deep-ground, no
matter how strong he was. Deep-ground...changed people. People who
had initially come there essentially sane and running away from
something became hardened and cruel hearted. Survival could do that
to people. Had done that to him.

Meeting
Sasuke had made him remember himself a little bit though. However
much Sasuke wasn't human, his selfless concern for another being
reminded Naruto that he himself was. He'd also realized that
he deserved to live like a human too.

So
rather than sit around sobbing and waiting to die, he'd decided right
there in that alleyway behind his house that this was how he would
repay Sasuke. He would get them out of here. Somehow they would
climb up as far as they could and he himself would learn how to be
human again. He would be happy.

With
Sasuke.

Tears
still pooling stubbornly at the corners of his eyes despite his
resolve, Naruto rubbed them away fiercely with the back of his hand,
and at the same time his other hand dipped down to clasp at the small
pendant that he wore around his neck.

This
was what he had risked his life to take back from Toshi and the
Hounds. Just feeling the tiny red stone against his fingertips gave
him strength, as though it emitted faint heat just for him, never
faltering.

Kind
of like Sasuke, he realized with a small softening of his eyes. It
felt strange to have become so attached to a person in such a short
amount of time, but also not strange. After all, Sasuke had
sort of turned his life around and changed the way he thought about
living in just this short amount of time. He'd never had any reason
to thank anybody before meeting Sasuke, and had definitely
never felt like he could trust anybody before. And most importantly,
he'd never learned to value his life before, let alone have a
stranger see value in him continuing to live. In a way it was sort
of like they were meant to meet like that.

Was
this what they called a 'fated encounter'?

Naruto
scoffed lightly at the thought, scolding himself internally for
thinking so fancifully in such a serious situation.

The
two of them would be coming up on the entrance to the Lift in a
little while, which meant that soon he would have think about how
they were going to manage to get out of Chislev. The Lift was this
lost city's only real connection with the layers above – it
could carry them to Tammuz, then Iyyal and, a little further up, Av.
Tammuz was someplace he had been before, and was not a bad city,
neither was Iyyal really, but there were people who knew him in both
places and consequentially wanted him dead, so it was more than a
little bit dangerous. Av was a little bit better though it was also
within the Red Wolves' sphere of influence.

But
where he really wanted to go was Marcheshvan. It was high enough up
that it was less likely that anybody who knew him from before would
catch up to them there too soon, and its intermediary nature between
The Lower-Mid layers of the Underground and the higher ones up made
it a good place to gather information. It was also a good place to
go if you wanted to start a new life, or so he'd heard.

However,
if they were going to make it to Marcheshvan eventually, it would
probably take a lot of doing. Especially starting from where they
were. It was better to aim for a place where they could get some
information and money. That was why Av was where they should head as
soon as possible, assuming they were also going to try and find out
where Sasuke came from.

“Sasuke...”
he began slowly then, deciding that it was time to go over his plan
with his companion. It was as much Sasuke's affair as it was his own
now, “Right now you and I are heading for the Lift. It's a
device that can take us between layers, but here in Lower Chislev
it's only allowed to be used by Hunters and Officials.”

“You
really plan to leave this place?” Sasuke voiced, looking at
him blankly.

“Mmhm,”
he noised, giving a sharp nod, “But for you and I to even get
on it, we're going to have to bribe somebody. I was thinking we'd
head for a layer a couple levels above this – Av.”

The
dark haired boy indicated that he was fine with that – Naruto
knew he would be. Not once had Sasuke ever shown any indication of
wanting to part with him since they had been together, and he was
starting to get the feeling that because the other boy had no
memories of his own or motives to direct him he didn't mind tagging
along at all. The blonde boy envied him that a little bit. He
himself had a lot of things that he would like to forget.

“I
think the cash I took off the Hounds yesterday should be enough to
get us on,” he assured the other boy with a nod, more to
convince himself than anything, “But the problem is what
happens after we get on. I got somebody to smuggle me down here when
I first came, but I never thought about getting out again. Most
people who come to Deep-ground don't ever want to go up top again...

“See,
there's this scan you have to go through to get back out of Chislev.
I kinda forget when it comes during the ride, but at a certain point
the entire Lift gets scanned to make sure that only verified users
are on it. If the car you're on doesn't pass the check, it gets
separated from the rest of the Lift and sent for inspection before
you even get into the next station.

“I
didn't have any problem getting in because the guy who helped me the
first time hid me inside some empty canisters that had been used to
hold sensitive materials. The sensors couldn't get to me in there.”

“So
what about doing the same?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto
worried his lip a little bit as he considered those words. Of course
that was the most obvious way but...

“Well
the thing is, I don't know if I can get in contact with the same guy
again...” he said feeling a bit disheartened, ”And anyway
it's not like he was a friend of mine or anything. I had to pay him
a lot of cash to get him to do that for me.”

I
don't have any friends, he
wanted to add, but that wouldn't have shed any light on their
situation. Besides, it wasn't true anymore anyway.

“So
what about another bribe?”

The
blonde boy really started biting his lip then. Therein laid the real
problem. He figured he may as well say it and get it over with.

“Well...if
it was just a matter of getting on,
I think we have enough...plenty even,” he explained, “But
this is really just enough to secure safe passage for one person. If
we wanna get on and
get somebody to smuggle both of us across without the sensors going
off, it might take about twice this much. Getting smuggled would
mean somebody either puts us in another empty canister or loans us
their ID for the scan, and either one of those means risking their
job. I doubt anybody'd be willing to do that for the kind of money
we have.”

Listening
to his words carefully, Sasuke's face took on a thoughtful look
before he spoke up again.

“Then
what if you just pay for yourself to be smuggled across. Would there
be enough?”

Naruto
shook his head violently. He'd been waiting for something like this.

“NO
WAY,” he put down the dark
haired boy's suggestion immediately, “I'm not getting on unless
we're together.”

“Together!”
he insisted, making sure the other boy understood him.

Still
holding his gaze seriously, Sasuke did not drop the point.

“But
the scan is, I assume, only scanning for biological anomalies,
right?” he inquired, giving his companion pause with the
carefully thought out question.

“Well,
I heard it was put in place to prevent any rogue Genics from getting
through,” the blonde boy admitted.

“Genics?”

Not
surprised to find that Sasuke was unfamiliar with the term, Naruto
smiled a little at him. It was nice to be of some help at least,
even if it was just letting the other boy know more about the
Underground.

“'Genic'
is the term for genetically engineered animals that are used as food
for us humans,” he explained to the other boy,

“Like
these guys here.”

So
saying he raised the bag full of what would eventually be his lunch
and shook it a little bit.

“Speaking
of which, how about we take a break so I can cook these up and eat?”
Naruto said, eager to change the subject for a while. Especially
since he was now beginning to have a good idea of what Sasuke was
about to suggest.

Besides,
he was starving.

With
no objection from the taller boy, he soon set about collecting stray
materials to build a fire, as well as looking for salt rock that he
could use for seasoning.

Several
minutes later, Naruto sat munching on a bit of tail as he sat facing
Sasuke across a small fire.

The
pylards, as they were called, had turned out fairly good, especially
the slightly burnt crunchy bits, and he was rather enjoying his meal.
It was a little weird knowing that the other boy would not share in
his dinner, but he had come to accept that these kinds of things,
like his strange quietness and not needing to sleep, were just things
that made Sasuke even more special. It was sort of fitting to him
that his only friend was so different from anybody he had ever met
before.

Relatively
contentedly, the famished blonde boy sat watching the shadows created
by the crackling flames play across his dark eyed companion's face,
making him appear even more ethereal.

Sasuke
was very attractive to him.

His
eyes and hair were both very dark, which contrasted well with his
pale skin. Even though pale skin was something common underground,
he still thought that Sasuke's was beautiful – his was creamy
and smooth, especially accented by his dark features and clothing.
The other boy seemed about his age or even, he thought, a little
older. But maybe that was because he was slightly taller. If Naruto
stood on the tips of his toes they might be the same height.

But
even though the dark haired boy stood taller than him by a little
bit, he still seemed small. This illusion of being so small --
compact really, not diminutive -- probably came from the fact that
Sasuke's body was deceptively lithe. Even underneath his large
obsidian cloak it was obvious that he had long narrow limbs and a
wiry frame. His form-fitting attire – a very functional, black
full-body overall of sorts, sleeveless and ending at the knee, with
black leather boots that laced all the way up to his knees as well
and were buckled near the top to make them further secure – did
little to hide that fact. His arms were wrapped in protective strips
of heavy black cloth as well from wrist to forearm, which gave the
impression that he was meant for fighting, and a lot of it.

But
still, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that Sasuke didn't like to
fight. He had seemed somewhat at odds with himself after killing the
Hounds, and had gone out of his way to avoid encountering any other
living soul since they had been together. Whatever had come over him
that first night was a mystery to both of them it seemed.

“Hey
Sasuke...I was thinking about what you said,” Naruto began
suddenly, trying to redirect his attention away from staring at the
shadow of a boy so intensely. He himself wasn't very fond of being
stared at, and felt bad for doing it to Sasuke so much.

“And
I was thinking...maybe there's something to it.”

This
seemed to pique the taller boy's attention, as he shifted his gaze
from the fire to his blonde haired companion's eyes.

“See,
even though the Lift's scan is programmed to weed out rogue Genics
that might climb on board these little guys have no problem getting
through,” the boy continued, waving his half-eaten pylard
indicatively, “Which means the scan probably isn't perfect.
I'd assume it picks up on large abnormalities like say, a Genic the
size of a dog. But it probably overlooks any amount of biological
material less than that...since anything smaller than that probably
wouldn't be dangerous to anybody.”

Following
his reasoning, Sasuke nodded slightly. It was similar to what he had
been thinking, but neither of them posed the next question, which
was:

Assuming
that the fact Sasuke wasn't a human meant he was made from artificial
materials like a Replica...did that mean he could get past the scan
undetected?

But
then again, he clearly had biological parts as well. He was warm
like a human being, and even though it didn't count as solid
evidence, the fact that he was so easy to get along with seemed
evidence that he was alive. Could the scanner pick up on him after
all?

“Aaaagh,
I dunno!!!” Naruto wailed at last, mussing up his already messy
blonde hair with his hands in frustration, “If you're wrong
about this we're fucked! Fucked!!”

Calmly,
Sasuke gazed back at the fire. In truth he wasn't very concerned
about getting past the Lift's scanners himself. He had a feeling
that he could find another way through to the next layer if his car
got derailed, as long as he didn't have to resort to violence again.
What he was most worried about was getting Naruto past said scan. It
wouldn't be good if Naruto weren't able to get out of this place,
what with those people who trashed his house trying to find him. He
wanted Naruto out of Deep-ground, or whatever this hellish place was
called. The blonde boy just didn't belong there.

To
be honest, the dark youth had been surprised to know that there were
actually so many people living down there in the first place. Naruto
had informed him that even though the city of Lower-Chislev was
supposed to be off limits since it had been declared uninhabitable, a
lot of people still lived down there, mostly because they had some
reason to want to escape from the upper levels and ordinary society.
Usually it was no problem getting in, but once you came down there
people pretty much assumed you were a criminal or similar, which was
why unless you were connected to one of the gangs that operated in
higher layers, it was extra difficult to get back out again.

Not
that many ever tried.

Still,
they had barely encountered any people since Sasuke had been with
Naruto, and the only ones they had gotten within yelling distance of
had been out to kill his blonde companion.

He
scowled slightly, face showing the first emotion that it had in a
while. The sooner Naruto left this place the better. He could find
the blonde boy and meet up with him later if they somehow got
separated, though it chaffed him a little bit to know that he
wouldn't have any say in Naruto's well-being while they were apart.

Strangely,
ever since he had rescued the other boy, he had felt a strange sense
of camaraderie toward him.

Camaraderie
and possessiveness.

If
he were completely honest with himself, he might say that he
considered Naruto's life to be his. He had saved it, and he felt
responsible for whatever happened to the lighter haired boy from then
on. It seemed...fair
...somehow.

After
all, it would be meaningless if he had rescued the other boy only to
have him die a short time later. And he was gradually becoming more
and more fond of him.

So
he would look after Naruto for as long as he could.

Thus
far Naruto didn't seem to object, so it would appear to be a win-win
situation.

He
glanced over to where the slightly dejected boy sat, flicking the
butterfly knife that he had stolen off one of the dead Hounds round
his fingers experimentally in his nervousness. Upon further
observation, it appeared the blonde actually knew how to handle the
weapon a little bit, which was heartening. It was nice to know he
could take care of himself should they be forced to split up. But
still, Sasuke preferred to be nearby if Naruto were confronted with
danger. It was safer that way. Together.

Or
at least he hoped that was the case. He really wanted to believe
Naruto when the blonde had said that Sasuke would not try to hurt
him, but reality might not be so forgiving. That time, when he'd
first met Naruto, he had really almost killed him. What was more, he
had killed many others with no problem, to the point where it was
sickening. If for any reason he was forced into a dangerous
situation again, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure that the same thing or
something similar wouldn't happen again. He wanted to protect Naruto
from outside harm, but the fact was that the person the blonde might
need the most protection from was himself.

That
thought bothered him deeply, reflecting itself in a tiny frown that
appeared on Sasuke's face.

“I
don't really know anything about where I came from either,”
Naruto said quietly, breaking into his reverie all of a sudden.

That
certainly got his attention. Sasuke sat focused on the other boy
across the fire. Naruto's face was down-turned, looking at the
ground thoughtfully with half-lidded eyes.

“Surprised
you didn't I?

“Yep,
woke up one day in an alleyway. Fitting huh?” he continued
with a self-effacing laugh, more bite than mirth, “That was
almost two years ago. All I had on me was this jacket, my boots,
some clothes – got rid of those a while back though – and
this thing.”

He
held up a tiny stone, deep red to the point of being tinted purplish
brown and strung around his neck by a thin chain that glittered gold
in the fickle glow of the fire.

“I'd
have given anything to know who I was back then...almost did,”
Naruto explained, sounding a little down – regretful even, “I
got involved with the wrong people, did some shitty stuff for
money...”

At
this he closed his eyes briefly before he went on, as if remembering
something unpleasant.

“And
I even betrayed the one person I probably should have trusted. Got
'im killed on my account,” he went on, almost whispering, “But
I never found out what I wanted to know. No parents, no past, no
future...Eventually I was just running away from all the awful stuff
I had done.

“See
these guys were after me...That's why I came down here in the first
place. They're the same guys who came and fucked up my house I
think. Want me to come back to them, since their boss...wants
something from me.”

Swallowing
heavily, he turned to look Sasuke in the eyes.

“I
was actually gonna go back to them before I came down here. I was
thinking: What the hell?...You know? But then the weirdest thing
happened,” he said, expression growing intense in that way that
made it hard for his dark eyed companion to look away,

“I
remembered.

“Not
a lot, I mean. It was more like just half a memory I guess. But it
was real vivid.

“I
was standing on this high platform in a place I've never been before
– I mean as far as I know – and there's somebody
I was with...who I made a promise to.”

At
this point he closed his eyes again and rubbed at his pendant, lips
moving softly as though reciting a chant.

“If
anything ever happens to either of us, I promise I'll come back here
and find you. Even if I'm nothing but a ghost. I'll definitely be
waiting, so come for me.”

Watching
the other boy's eyes grow far off, Sasuke almost felt something stir
inside himself, like a distant pull, calling him from somewhere. But
the look in Naruto's eyes dissolved a moment later, and so did that
feeling, leaving him doubting that he had ever felt anything at all.

“I...I
gotta keep that promise, Sasuke,” the blonde boy told him,
sounding a little bit desperate, “I don't know who's waiting
for me, or where they are...I don't even know if they're still
alive...but I gotta try and find them. It's the only thing I
have. I came down here so I could figure out a way to get away from
those guys, but... it was really just a big mistake. I'll never find
the person I made that promise to if I stay down here.”

Sasuke
didn't know what else to do but nod. A part of him felt like he
should respond with something more, but he had no idea what that was.
So he sat quietly and watched as the fire burned lower and lower,
and Naruto settled deep into thought again until he eventually
drifted off to sleep next to the low rock that he was propped
against.

The
area they were settled in was a little removed from the city proper
and closer to the far wall of the huge cavern that housed
Lower-Chislev, so it was even darker than it had been in Naruto's
room. There was little chance anybody would come upon them out here,
but even so, Sasuke was awake and alert to any sound or movement
while his self-declared partner slept.

As
he sat watch, long after the fire had burned to nothing but
smoldering embers in the little pit that Naruto had dug, the light
haired boy's words echoed in his thoughts.

“Come
for me.”

It
was only a few hours before Naruto woke up again, apparently unable
to sleep for very long with all the anxiety that was currently
running through him. With nothing else to occupy his time, Sasuke
had watched the blonde attentively each time that he had slept, and
thus far he had come to the conclusion that Naruto was almost never
still, even when he was resting. The other youth kicked, tossed, and
turned the entire time that he slept, to the point that his dark
haired companion worried how he could possibly feel refreshed when he
woke up.

As
soon as Naruto opened his eyes he sat up right away and turned his
head to locate his friend, whom he found in exactly the same position
that he had been in before Naruto had dropped off to sleep.

He
really hadn't been kidding about not needing to rest.

“Hey,”
he greeted with a yawn, as the dark haired boy's eyes wandered over
to his, “You've been up this whole time?”

“Hn.”
the affirmative (?) noise more or less confirmed his suspicion and
Naruto decided that now was as good a time as any to let Sasuke know
what he was thinking.

Stretching
widely for a moment, the blonde stood up and went about banking the
still slightly smoldering embers of their fire. He had a hunch that
the presence of the fire made little difference as to how Sasuke held
up against the draftiness of the cavern, but for him it was
indispensable.

“Thought
a little bit more about what you said earlier,” he started, not
quite able to meet his companion's direct gaze, “And I guess...
I'm for it. Nothing's gonna happen if we just keep sitting around
here anyway.”

Sasuke
gave a nod to show his approval of the decision, and Naruto felt a
twinge of irritation. It almost felt like the other boy had been
waiting for him to give in to the inevitable.

Grimacing
slightly, the blonde went about carefully packing away the remaining
meat, which he had smoked before going to sleep, securing the pouch
that held his rations to his person using a long piece of string.
When that was done, he turned to Sasuke expectantly.

“Ready
to head for the Lift?” he questioned.

Sasuke
seemed to consider his words carefully for a moment, seeming a little
bit reluctant to move forward despite the fact that it was his idea
in the first place that they try sneaking through without taking the
proper precautions for his own safety.

After
a moment he spoke up, causing the other boy's eyebrows to raise.

“Before
we go, there is something I wanted to ask you,” the taller of
the two began, fixing him with a serious gaze,

“...What
exactly is the Underground?”

In
response Naruto blinked, then smacked his own forehead lightly and
muttered something to do with his own idiocy.

“Of
course, amnesia,” he said, chiding himself, “I didn't
really understand this place at first either. Geez, you could have
asked me earlier...”

He
said that, but inwardly Naruto found himself a little moved by
Sasuke's considerateness towards him again. Of course the dark
haired boy could have asked him any time, but judging by his timing
it seemed he had been waiting for Naruto to recover from the
unpleasant events of the last two days first.

The
other boy merely eyed him patiently as the blonde looked about for a
good sized rock to sit down on for a moment. Naruto had a feeling
that even if he commented on the gesture, he would never get Sasuke
to own up to or even acknowledge his actions. It was as if he were
doing it -- the considerateness -- without thinking.

“Okay,
so let me try and explain,” he said with a sigh once he was
sitting,

”This
cavern is one of several similar caves that are sort of stacked on
top of one another to create what is collectively called the
Underground,” the blonde told him, gesturing widely, “I'm
not so clear on all the details, since the only thing I have to go on
is whatever information has filtered down to me from people I met
these past couple of years, so bear with me okay?

“Seems
that we – people, that is – have been living Underground
like this for as far back as anybody remembers.

“Not
always, though. A long time ago we used to live top-side.
Everybody, children included, seems to have the same understanding
that this isn't where we belong -- that man was meant to breathe
fresh air. It's almost like an instinct, as if it weren't painfully
obvious by the way we're so ill-fitted to life down here.

“But
beyond that, its been so long since anybody's seen this 'Overland',
as they call it, that nobody's even sure what it looks like any more,
or even how it's any different from the way we live now, really.”

At
these words, Naruto lowered his head a little, eyes downcast. In
truth the idea that the Overland might in fact be very similar to the
Underground was a concept which really disheartened him.

“Many
people claim that there's something called 'Sky', that makes the
Overland different from where we live though,” he continued,
pointing up toward the ceiling, “You noticed those strange
blue and white paintings overhead that cover the cave walls right?
'Sky' is supposed to look like that.”

At
this Sasuke took a moment to turn his gaze up above. It was true
that there were interesting, seemingly abstract paintings that
covered the entire ceiling of the huge cavern, but he was surprised
to hear that they actually symbolized anything. The more he looked
at them though, the more it seemed like they emitted a sense
of...comfort.

“Everybody
is pretty much used to those paintings to the point where we hardly
even look at 'em,” Naruto admitted with a small shrug, “But
the strange thing is that sometimes when people leave the places
where this representation of Sky is painted and head into caves that
don't have it, they start to become ill after a while. It doesn't
seem to apply to everyone, but some people, when separated from this
fake Sky for long enough, start acting....weird.

“People
even say that our ancestors, who first came to live Underground
hundreds of years ago after some great disaster that happened in the
Overland, painted these depictions of Sky for our benefit, to remind
us of where we belong and keep us from losing what makes us human
even though we're forced to live Underground.

“It
would be kind of hard to believe if it weren't for real cases in the
past of people getting sick when they're away from the paintings of
Sky for too long. So it makes sense that this myth comes from the
fact that people just can't survive without Sky.”

“But
what is Sky?” Sasuke questioned.

All
he received was a shrug in response. In truth Naruto himself had
trouble understanding it, but for the dark eyed boy's benefit he
tried.

“They
say it's like...it's like if the ground had no walls or ceiling or
anything connected to it, and it just went on forever and ever like
that,” the blonde boy explained at length, clearly straining to
convey such a concept when he himself had never seen nor felt it,
“But it's not black like looking into an empty hole; It has a
color. It looks something like the pictures you see up there...”

At
these words Sasuke looked up at said pictures yet again, but more
carefully, trying to imagine something that looked like them, but was
empty and went on forever. The image was very hard to conjure up, he
found.

“I
mean...it's not really like those paintings,” Naruto
struggled on in vain, noticing Sasuke's slightly perplexed
expression,

“Because
you can touch those. But Sky you can't touch. Sky goes on forever.
Sky is...is...it's free.”

Looking
at Naruto's face, the black haired boy noticed something shining in
his companion's eyes that he hadn't seen or expected to see since
they had first met. Seeing Naruto that way made him feel all kinds
of things, not the least of which was that he needed to touch the
other boy and make sure he was real.

So
he did. Lightly, on the mouth.

When
Naruto's eyes snapped to his, now filled with surprise and what was
probably confusion, he had no explanation to give the other boy as to
why he had suddenly run his thumb over his lips, so he stayed quiet.
But deep down he felt stupid for doing something that would wipe the
expression of open longing from his companion's face and the glitter
of possibility from deep within his blue eyes, which had seemed to
shine from within with their own light a moment ago.

At
that moment, he knew exactly what Sky would look like.

“Naruto...”
he said slowly, the beginnings of an idea stirring at the back of his
mind, “I'm going to take you to see this 'Sky' someday.”

The
blonde haired boy colored slightly at his friend's declaration.
Sasuke had said it easily, as though it hadn't taken him long to
think about it. However, the way in which he had stated it had an
air of finality, almost like an oath. It left Naruto with an
impression that if he could believe in anything it was that
statement.

Unable
to find words that seemed to appropriately reciprocate the sentiment
behind Sasuke's, he just cocked his head to the side and offered a
rare, quiet smile. Before this he had always been on the fence about
whether he truly believed in something as impossible as 'Sky' before,
but now...

“Sure,”
he agreed.

Now
he definitely believed, and that was thanks to Sasuke.

It
would truly seem that so far the strange dark haired boy was the best
thing to ever happen to him.

Encouraged
by their discussion, he hopped up from his rock energetically and
turned toward their destination, which was now just about half an
hour's walk away.

“Come
on, partner! Let's go!”

Comments
& Questions:

Nothing
important to note here. I really like writing a story where Naruto
and Sasuke get along. Their relationship will be pretty cooperative
in this fic, but that doesn't mean there won't be conflict. Stay
tuned.

Next
chapter: Sasuke and Naruto attempt to smuggle themselves to another
layer and reap the consequences.
- 1
- 2
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Antitype.