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The Fall of the Dogs of War	By : dolphina23 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 927 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
AN: Yeah for
reviews!! More please! ItanNarulover, where are you?
I miss your reviews, girl! Cupricanka, animelvr,
Sneakyfox, SamuraiSaiya and especially jordash00,
thank you for the wonderful words. I know that as long as it�s being read and
liked by some it shouldn�t matter who says what, if anything but thank you all
the same. There are maybe another three or four chapters planned. So sad I am;
it�s almost done. This is my favorite story (and not because it�s the first to
be finished and pseudo-published).
�� I borrowed
a Chinese Zen proverb for this chapter, but added to it because I thought it
sounded like it should be longer. It is more frequently titled The Zen Master
and the Villagers and appeared in the film Charlie Wilson�s War, which is where
the idea grew up from. I own not the words, nor the rights to the film.
�� This
chapter is a little heavy on the drama, and there�s that nasty Danzou character
floating back to cause havoc. I hope you all read, and enjoy. Thanks again and
please don�t push to get to the front of the line. The story is always here,
waiting . . . J

PS I love the songs Sweet and Low by Augustana
and the remix of Possession by Evans Blue. They are my newest crack, aside from
Naruto of course.

Chapter�� 22
Devil�s March

�� Sasuke sighed
as he dropped down on the couch and felt his shirt sticking to his back. It was
disgusting, to be so exhausted and sweating so badly. But, the training for
ANBU, and as the newest recruit of ROOT he�d been relegated to shoulder more
than most, was awful. It didn�t help that he wouldn�t do as Danzou, that old
hawk, wanted. He would never again swallow all his emotions to spit them out
into a forever closed dungeon of his mind . . . Never, never again, for the
sake of his sanity, his love, his lover. And if Danzou persisted, he might just
find a way to kill the old goat, especially as Sasuke hadn�t forgotten his last
attempt to shift the balance of favor and power in Konoha. He had a hard time
believing that a man willing to sacrifice anyone necessary to both obtain
power, and use it, even if he did indeed hold the safety of the village higher
than anything else, could do any real good. Sasuke sighed again and went off to
grab a shower before Naruto got back from visiting Neji Hyuuga.
�� Naruto had
made the pretense of needing fresh eyes to help him see the benefit of studying
history, politics, war tactics and economy. All the books Tsunade had lent him
had come from the Ninja library. And, as such, Sasuke thought they were perhaps
a little biased. But in looking through them the night before, when he found
himself too charged to sleep, Sasuke had been surprised to find that most of
them were fairly accurate, even when they detailed the Shodai Hokage�s rise to
power, leaving the Uchiha to wallow with the indignity of being pushed aside.
Or so Madara had tried to have him believe.
�� Thinking
back on all that he�d been told, Sasuke was not so stupid to realize that
Madara, like Orochimaru, had been trying to use him to further his own goals.
It didn�t take any real intelligence to understand that no man looking for
self-gain could possibly rule a town, or a country. But in the volumes of
history for this world, most villages, pre- or post-ninja formation, all had
leaders just like that at one time or another. Most wanted power, the land or
money that overtaking their neighbors would grant them, or were frightened at
the prospect of being overtaken first, so they fought. A few wars had been
started out of desperate revenge and a desire to change one country�s circumstances.
So many ages had gone by with turmoil and uproar and the poor outnumbering the
rich and healthy.�
�� He truly
hoped Naruto had enough morality, and the strength to keep it, so that things
could truly change. But then, hindsight was the only perfect one, and that was
so frustrating. What was it that his father had once told him during one of
their rare conversations? �There once was a Zen master . . .�
�� That was
how the tale had started. It had spoken of a boy who had been gifted a horse,
and then had fallen from it to break his leg. But, that misfortune, after such
a gift, had led to his being kept from a great war, so the other villagers had
thought him lucky. Of course the boy had ended up rich after having traveled to
a foreign land when his home had been destroyed by that same war, and had been
able to help them restore the village. Again, as with every time before, all
the Zen master would say was �We�ll see�. That is, until the boy had returned
to see the devastation and had proclaimed that he would help, only to visit the
Zen master afterward. He told the Zen master that it might not last, that it
might not have been the right thing to do, but it was all he could offer to
perhaps make them better. The Zen master had turned to the boy, smiled, and
said, �Now, my son, now you see.�
�� Sasuke
smiled, finally able to remember pieces of a former life as his father�s son
and Itachi�s brother without intense pain clouding the gift it truly was. Maybe
he would tell the story to Naruto; he owed him a few as he recalled. On second
thought, he probably would never understand, he thought as he closed the
shower stall behind him. Steam had risen to blanket the mirror with fog and
Sasuke wiped at it to reveal just how tired he looked. The skin sagged under
his eyes and there were dark smudges there for all to see. He sighed again,
hearing the front door bang closed and heavy feet enter the kitchen slowly.
Naruto was home. And from the sound, or lack of sound since he hadn�t started
banging things open and closed, the study session had gone well. Sasuke knew
that Naruto was, above all things, an optimist and very determined. So maybe if
he didn�t understand right when Sasuke told him the legend, he�d get it
eventually. Or, surprise him and get it the first time. He was good at that.

�� Naruto
hummed as he set about making dinner. He�d heard the shower being turned off
and knew from the signature that Sasuke had gotten back from his first training
session at ROOT. He�d been worrying over it the whole time he�d been at Neji�s
family estate. Despite the distraction of a full dojo and the lingering
embarrassment at seeing Hinata again � he recalled very clearly the night of
the festival, and their dance � thoughts of Sasuke and the important step he
was taking to form a new, second life in Konoha had surfaced continually. But
Neji, ever as sharp as Shikamaru, had patiently steered him back to the immense
task before him. As much as he felt honored by the village, and Tsunade, the
trepidation at not being smart enough to grasp so many vital issues, and ways
to alleviate them, took over at times. He snapped at everybody, even the maid
who came to bring them tea, until Neji pulled him into the dojo for a workout.
�� Afterward,
Neji had smiled and told him that faith, determination and time would be more
than enough to coax the innate understanding he�d found so endearing when they
were younger. That had thrown open wide a whole new discomfort, until Naruto
had realized the subtle amusement inside it. But he also recognized that what
Neji had said was true. They had three weeks and four days to study, Naruto had
thousands of clones at his disposal, and there was nothing beyond him if he
kept at it. Having to read through so much data, though, had eventually left
his eyes hurting so he�d claimed hunger had stolen his concentration and run
home to relieve his burdened mind on Sasuke. Of course, he�d let the earlier
worry slip away and now it was back. He wondered if he should mention anything
at all, now.
�� Sasuke
entered the kitchen to the scent of stir fry chicken and ginger. And there
stood Naruto, looking as though the art of making dinner on a Tuesday was
all-encompassing and deeply thought provoking. The sight made him smile. Coming
up behind him, even though Naruto should have heard him by now, was
surprisingly easy and he found that he liked it, for once, that no ninja skills
were needed.
�� Nuzzling
the side of Naruto�s neck and kissing him below the ear, Sasuke turned him
around. Planting a deep kiss to his mouth, Naruto made it even more passionate.
He dragged Sasuke�s head closer with a hand curling around the back of his neck
and pressed in firmly. Dragging his lips over Sasuke�s in a light kiss once
they broke for air, he smiled.
�� Hey, I was
just making dinner. How was your shower?�
�� Instead of
answering right away, Sasuke pulled him forward with a loose grip around his
hip and a hand curling around the fingers of Naruto�s own. He kissed him again
and this time it was gentle and just as passionately arousing.
�� Hello,
Naruto.�
�� Naruto
stared at him a moment, stunned, but recovered quickly to smile bashfully at
him. There was a nervous energy still lingering in the atmosphere, though.
Sasuke had hoped that he could provide a distraction, at least until they�d had
a chance to come down a little from the day�s events. The chicken, by then, had
begun to overcook a little and Naruto turned back to it with an eye trained
behind him. Sasuke smiled wider and he swore he could see Naruto tense up.
�� Training
with ROOT is grueling, but it�s what I expected. And it won�t take long,
whatever that hawk, Danzou, says for me to complete the program. I�m expecting
to clear the final level in about a month.� Sasuke started to speak since it
was clear that Naruto wasn�t going to be able to concentrate on anything else
but whatever was bothering him.
�� Hmmm,
that�s good. So you found something that you enjoy? Or at least, a new calling.
. .� he mumbled.
�� Sasuke
tipped his head back and narrowed his eyes. Naruto had still seemed distracted
when he�d said it but he�d learned never to take anything for granted with him.
He thought back to when he�d gone to Tsunade�s office the day before receiving
Chunin status. The conversation they�d had and how she had warned him of
Danzou�s interference, his manipulations. Then, he�d received not only the
higher rank, but was told he could begin training with ROOT immediately. The
news hadn�t affected him any differently than if she had told him the forecast
for the day included rain. Or so he had thought.
�� But during
the training, despite Danzou�s constant needling and jealous mockery, Sasuke
had felt . . . productive maybe? He was accomplishing something. Perhaps he was
wrong and being back here wasn�t just a chore he had to suffer for Naruto.
Perhaps he really had found a niche that he could grow in, feel proud of and
find rewarding. He hadn�t had such a thing before. Everything in his past had
been about one, perhaps two, goals. Now that everything was nearly over barring
Madara�s escape, a thing he anticipated would not last, he�d been floundering.
He realized that now.
�� Sasuke
shrugged and slipped past Naruto, bumping into his hip deliberately. Dressed in
his light cotton training gear, the friction was phenomenally satisfying.
�� Yeah, maybe. So, are you going to tell me about the session
at the Hyuuga�s or wait until after you�ve inhaled everything you�re making?�
Sasuke chided.
�� Naruto
frowned. �This isn�t just for me, Sasuke. And yeah, if you aren�t too tired . .
. well, I just don�t know about it all,� Naruto started mumbling again.
�� Still very distracted, then, Sasuke
thought. Not good. While Naruto cooked, Sasuke sat down at the table and
waited, leaning his chin on one curled hand.
�� You�ll be
fine,� he stated after a moment. �Just review everything as much as you can and
if there�s something you really don�t understand there�s always Iruka, Kakashi,
or even me if you like. You�re not going to fail at this. And, not just because
you haven�t failed at anything else either.�
�� Naruto had
frozen in place, tension ridging his shoulders until they almost touched his
ears, before Sasuke heard a soft exhale of breath. When he turned to him, plate
of steaming chicken and vegetables in hand, it was with a bright, relieved
smile.
�� I�m not
worried. If it�s not enough, I�ll just find another way to show her she made
the right choice.�
�� The fact
that he�d just as well admitted that he had been worried seemed to be forgotten
but Sasuke let it pass. They�d review some of the books later, if he wasn�t too
tired. That would help more, he thought, than just some spare words of
encouragement.
�� They ate in
comfortable silence. When the dishes had been cleared, Sasuke sat on the floor
while leaning back on the couch. He listened as Naruto delved into the
complicated history of Konoha, its politics, both current and prior to Tsunade,
and its military power. Suddenly Naruto was bent closer to the volume in hand
and narrowing his eyes.��
�� What?�
Sasuke asked. He tried not to let how exhausted he was show in his voice. He
wondered how it sounded, his head was so fuzzy from nearly endless drills and
learning the few hunting and assassination techniques he hadn�t acquired on his
own.
�� Huh? Oh,
well it keeps going back to things like the exams and how it�s important to
give a show of strength even if it never becomes necessary to use, and I just
wondered . . .�
�� He trailed
off and Sasuke pushed himself more upright with his hands after having slid
down closer to the soft carpeting.
�� You
wondered what? If there was another way?�
�� Yeah . . . uh, no. Well, I wondered if Iruka had been
wrong. Maybe the Council doesn�t want ninja to have any real strength. Aside
from muscle and stamina, I mean. That�s all it seems to talk about. But
there�re other kinds of strength, right? At least, that�s what I�ve come to
think. See, this is why it�s so confusing!�
�� Frustration
made Naruto�s voice sharp as he rose up from his seat and tugged at his hair
relentlessly with his hands, a bitter frown on his face. Sasuke sighed a tiny
bit.
�� Naruto,
politics don�t always remain the same. If they did, we wouldn�t be at relative
peace right now, or even living in this village. We�d still be just a bunch of
factions, powerful clans, rented out to the highest bidder and fighting other
men�s battles.�
�� Sasuke
tilted his head back and up to look at him while he said it. Naruto lowered his
hands and his head solemnly before shaking his shoulders roughly.
�� Yeah,� he
said quietly. �That�s right. Things change . . . they can change again. I think
I get it now, what to do . . .�
�� He laughed
a tiny, bemused laugh suddenly. Looking up and snapping the book closed he
leaned in to peck Sasuke on the lips fondly.
�� Thank
you,� Naruto said. Sasuke knew he meant it and smiled wider than ever. �� This meant he could go to bed,
finally, and maybe even have a little dessert on the side beforehand. Rising
and clasping Naruto around the neck in a mirror image of before, he pushed
forward for a kiss that involved their entire bodies pressed together and
exchanging heat in a way that left them both wanting more.
�� But when
Naruto tried to maneuver himself closer to Sasuke and part his knees with his
leg, Sasuke pulled away a bit. He wanted to do something, such a small thing
really, in order to make a change.
�� Hey, can
you do something for me?�
�� He guessed
the way he had said it was what led Naruto to tilt his head a moment and
consider the question before nodding silently.
�� Sasuke took
a deep, breath. �I want to cut my hair. And I want you to do it.�
�� Cut your
hair?� Naruto mimicked, staring dazedly at him. He frowned and studied Sasuke�s
face before glancing up and around his head.
�� Why?�
�� Sasuke
didn�t want to analyze any of the reasons, though. He just wanted it done.
�� Just do
it.� Hearing his own voice rumble out sharper than he had intended, Sasuke
stopped to take another breath. Maybe now wasn�t the time if his exhaustion and
the day�s events were making him so frustrated, but it felt as though he needed
this . . . just this small thing to feel better, maybe.
�� Please?�
he asked.
�� Naruto was
frowning slightly but nodded again quietly.
�� Okay. If you really want to.�
�� He led
Sasuke to the bathroom down the hall to grab a small pair of barber�s scissors
and a towel. But Sasuke wanted to be able to see the sun setting into the small
pond out back. He walked back to the living room and heard Naruto hesitate
before following.
�� What, you
want to do it here?�
�� Yeah,�
Sasuke replied quietly.
�� Naruto
looked out at the water, orange and red glass reflected brightly into the sky
and diamonds sparkling and winking at wavering intervals inside it. He smiled a
bit and shook his head.
�� Sure, why
not?�
�� Pulling a
chair out from the dining room set, he placed it in front of the sliding doors
and went back to the bathroom to retrieve a much larger towel to drape over the
floor. Sasuke sat down and listened as Naruto hummed under his breath, feeling
sleep try to lull him downward. But he didn�t want to listen. He fought it, and
for now, could remain awake while Naruto leaned his head back to catch his hair.
�� He�d
brought a bowl of warm water as well and used it to wet all the messy strands
evenly. The feel of his fingers running through it, teasing the ends a little
to get every inch, was oh, so good. Sasuke hummed a bit under his breath and
blinked his eyes open quickly. Working his jaw a little he steadied himself on
the seat. Naruto laughed very low in the back of his throat and caught Sasuke�s
forehead to pull it back again as Sasuke struggled to cover for the
misstep.��
�� Relax.
I�ve done this before. How do you think my spikes got so short during the Sage
training?�
�� The frogs
burned them off?� Sasuke suggested amusedly. He was tired but not too far gone
to get a hit in when he could, it seemed. Naruto laughed good-naturedly.
�� Yeah,
that�s it. Now hold still.�
�� Sasuke held
his breath for a few moments as he heard the scissors snipping away. He could
feel shreds of his hair falling away, tickling his ears a bit as they went.
Naruto�s fingers touched his scalp lightly in places and he was back to a place
between sleep and waking. Sighing in contentment, Sasuke pushed his head
further back into those warm hands. The snipping continued and it became
something of a lullaby, almost music. Sasuke drifted.
�� All done, love.� A murmur in his ear brought him up quickly
and Sasuke rubbed at his eyes. When he opened them again there was a hand
mirror in front of his face and he blinked rapidly. It was easy to see that he
was staring at himself; he hadn�t lost his senses completely. But the new look
was very dramatic in its difference. His bangs were much shorter and out of his
eyes now. They stopped just below his eyebrows. There was a slight lift to
them, perhaps because of the length. The rest of his hair was gone. Well,
Naruto hadn�t taken it off completely, but Sasuke could no longer see it
sticking up behind him. It lay flat against his skull, shortened to taper to a
point at the base of his neck. He could rake his fingers through it and meet
the ends of the strands, only about half an inch long, easily. It was
definitely . . . a change. Sasuke smiled a little as he twisted to catch the
sides and as much of the rest as possible.
�� When he
turned to smile at Naruto, to thank him, he found himself trapped in a light,
but passionate kiss. Sasuke�s earlier exhaustion melted under the pressure of
Naruto�s lips on his. Rising from the chair and turning to get a better angle,
Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto in a fierce embrace. They kissed again
and Sasuke nibbled at Naruto�s lips a little as they made their way up the
stairs slowly. Somewhere in the climb Naruto had lost his shirt and the ribbed
muscles of his abdomen bulged out to meet Sasuke�s in a gentle touch. The
velvet of his skin, the hard muscles under it, the slide of their bodies; it
nearly drove him mad.
�� Naruto had
slipped a leg in between his and begun rubbing at his erection so that Sasuke
wasn�t paying any attention to his surroundings. Sasuke ended up falling right
onto the bed. The low sounds they both made, grunting and murmuring to goad
each other on, seemed so much louder than they should in the quiet room. Or
perhaps it was that they were almost as arousing as the hands clasped at his
hips, kneading the skin under the clothes in seductive circles. Sasuke felt his
eyes beginning to sting a little. He rubbed at them to keep them from closing.
The soft mattress and the silk coverings were so comfortable. He felt he could
drift into a mist of warmth, breath and light and not be any wiser to the
change. Naruto flooded Sasuke�s skin with kisses, burning into it with his
tongue. The brands felt hot and wet and though Sasuke was worn out, he could
still feel it. The problem was he wanted to be on the inside. And yet, he
didn�t even have the energy to shift their positions.
�� Uh, ha,
Naruto . . . ,� he mumbled.
�� Hmmm? What�s wrong?� Naruto was too engrossed in saturating
his lover with just the right touch, just the right pressure. He kissed the
side of Sasuke�s mouth and delved into it with his tongue deftly. Their lips
sealed together again and Sasuke inhaled deeply. He pulled back sharply and
almost hissed when Naruto pressed a hand against his crotch and began rubbing
up and down.
�� Naruto . .
. wait,� he called breathlessly.
�� Naruto
pulled back further and stared down at Sasuke, noticing for what was probably
the first time just how tired he looked.
�� Do you
want to stop? Or I could just finish quickly, like this.�
�� He rubbed
at Sasuke�s erection a little more gently, hesitating. Sasuke groaned and
fought with himself; unable to clearly identify what was making him so
uncomfortable at the moment. He was aroused, sure, and that carried with it a
unique discomfort that was both pleasure and slight pain. But there was
something else. He didn�t want to have to ask. That was it. Naruto should
figure it out himself. And quickly, before he fell asleep.
�� He watched
as Naruto�s brow creased in confusion, then in worry. He felt something. It was
irritating and too close to guilt for his liking. Sasuke bucked up to meet
Naruto�s crotch, now that he was straddling him, with his own. The friction was
very effective. It sung up his dick and along his body with that tingling
spread that was so electrifying. Naruto threw his head back and closed his eyes
unwittingly. He moaned silently, his brow still creased, but this time with the
effort at holding back and the feeling of his dick hardening more than ever
before.
�� Oh . . .
,� Naruto murmured. He huffed and breathed out quickly. Running his hips in
slow circles, he gyrated down to push his pulsing erection against Sasuke�s
again and again.
�� Finally,
having helped Sasuke out of his clothes and struggling to remove his own,
Naruto straddled him once more.
�� Let�s try
this. I mean, if it�s okay,� Naruto said. The look of utter concentration on
his face would have been amusing had Sasuke not been ready to tear their skin
apart from need, tired or not.
�� Naruto rose
up and grasped Sasuke�s cock in one hand. Reaching behind with the other, he
did his best to open himself up. One and then two fingers slid in and he
stretched them out as best he could from the awkward angle. Deciding he�d had
enough and wanting to hurry for Sasuke�s sake, he positioned Sasuke�s cock and
slowly slid down onto it. It felt different than the other way. It grated
inside him more, the unpleasant burning at the beginning more intense. But once
he started to use a better rhythm, the intensity changed. It was even higher,
if that was possible, and yet the pain had morphed so quickly into pleasure he
was almost mute. Breathing heavily and leaning down into Sasuke�s shoulder
helped. Feeling those arms encompass him weakly, especially knowing how tired
he was, gave him more than just the contact alone ever could.
�� Sasuke
couldn�t catch his breath. It felt so good to not have to work so hard. His
hands found Naruto�s upper thighs and he squeezed them gently as they bulged
and relaxed with the yawing movements. A few more minutes of thrusting downward
and Naruto had to speed up. Grunting and pulsing and kissing their way to each
other, Naruto couldn�t imagine how they had ever not done it this way.
�� Sasuke
bucked upward, lifting his hips clean off the bed and crying out harshly as he
came. Naruto felt his dick convulse and twitch just before he followed, feeling
his toes curling upward and biting his bottom lip nearly clean through and
grunting rough and loud. That had never happened before. He�d always had
Sasuke�s mouth, his hand or that hot, tight tunnel to help him reach that
level. Trying to get his breathing under control and stop himself from shaking
was a force in willpower. Naruto was too tired to fight much for it though.
Sasuke stared blearily up him, smiling softly.
�� Naruto,�
he whispered out, on a sigh. He looked so very content, even while they were
still connected. Or maybe that was part of the reason.�
�� Naruto
smiled and leaned down to kiss him gently, passion still humming through his
bones. The wet mess on his buttocks and staining the sheets meant nothing. He�d
clean up later. Lifting up onto his knees while still shuddering from the after
affects, he felt Sasuke�s soft cock slide out of him easily.
�� That was
unbelievable,� he said. But looking down, he saw that Sasuke was already
breathing more evenly and with his eyes closed. He literally fell asleep after finishing, Naruto thought. Naruto huffed
out a tired laugh and shifted to lie down next to him. But the air had grown
cold in the room. The weather outside had begun to turn. Winter was fast
approaching on the heels of a stifling Indian summer and almost no change
during the fall.
�� Shuddering
against the sudden chill and the feel of drying sweat and semen against his
skin, Naruto slid out of bed quietly. He sighed as he looked out at the
landscape surrounding the house. The stars had already made their way into the
heavens and a quarter-moon brought a weak glow to the treetops. Something in
the distance caught his eye, a light that was far too orange and very low for
it to be from above. It must be one of their neighbors, then. Naruto suddenly
felt very curious and energized. He knew he wouldn�t be able to sleep just yet.

�� Shinta
struggled to find his feet. Grunting in disgust, he finally stood up only to
waver and fall into the frame of the door. Breathing in raggedly, he shifted to
finally catch his feet under him. He rose, if a bit unsteady, and tried to keep
the swimming doorway in sight. He didn�t think about how far gone he�d become
at that last bar. He didn�t think about how far he�d fallen from his days among
the most ruthless of soldiers. He just wanted his bed. Getting there seemed to
be a greater feat than when he�d taken on Sojiro, the man who�d wiped out his
entire team. The graying salt and pepper of his hair that matched his eyes made
him feel his age even more. The limp he�d acquired from a drunken fall down the
steps to an alleyway bar two years ago probably didn�t help his situation any
either. But it didn�t matter. He would arrive, eventually, at the sunken
mattress and sullied sheets he never bothered to change.
�� And then he
would sleep until he could no longer feel his brain pulsing out of his skull.
Until he could breathe without hacking on all the smoke he�d indirectly taken
in from the other patrons at his favorite of all favorite
rat-trapped-in-a-hole-in-the-wall bars. He grunted and slid around to the other
side of the frame, swaying only slightly. But before he could slam the door
shut, a spark of power coming toward him caught his attention. It was enormous,
and fast.
�� Trying to
steady himself, Shinta automatically brought a hand around to the back of his
pants. But when it closed on empty air instead of a weapons� pouch, he scowled.
Some old habits died very hard, even when he�d murdered them himself. The
chakra wasn�t one he recognized. Though, he�d been out of that life for many
years and there were always new lambs coming in to walk sedately toward an
inevitable, and crushing, death.
�� A young
boy, had to be no older than when Shinta had made Chunin, appeared out of the
trees. Only, this one he did recognize. It was that one, the demon carrier. He grunted and tried again to slam the
door shut, preferably in the brat�s face. It would serve him right, going
against most of the ninja code to form his own rules, consequences be damned.
He�d heard about him and his team�s exploits. He�d heard about the lost Uchiha
having been dragged back to this godforsaken pit, too. If the brat had been
smart, he�d have stayed the hell away in some hovel down south or else come
back to free all the other mindless drones.
�� Hey, old man.� Naruto called to him softly. The look Shinta
was getting . . . it wasn�t that
look. The one most of his comrades sported while he walked the streets after
his team had been killed. It wasn�t anything close to what the council, in all
their wisdom, had used either. What
was he after then?
�� Whadya want, squirt?� he slurred.
�� Me? Nothing. I couldn�t sleep. I saw your light, thought I�d
drop by.� The boy smiled then and it wasn�t pity Shinta caught in his bleary,
blurred vision. He wasn�t sure what it was it had been so long since he�d had
to read people�s faces so adeptly.
�� Shinta
watched as his visitor stretched his arms out and over his head.
�� Whadya want?� he said again. This time his words came out
sharper, clearer, at least to his ears.
�� You don�t
have to do this you know,� the boy answered.
�� Shinta blinked
slowly and huffed. His face twisted into a grimace and he leered.
�� What the hell you talkin� about now?�
�� Give up,�
the boy continued, almost whispering. �You could move on, instead of always
sitting in the back, waiting for the change.�
�� Shinta reared
back and snarled. He felt he could cow this boy, drunk or not, and considered
testing his old skills. The boy raised his hands in front of him in a placating
gesture, reading his stature rather well for all that Shinta had heard about
him.
�� I�m not here
to hurt you. I�m sorry. I just thought . . .� He floundered and Shinta watched
his eyes. They looked lost, but . . . he didn�t know. He wasn�t sure of
anything anymore, not after everything he�d seen and all that he�d been . . . commissioned, to do.
�� You
thought what?� Shinta bit out snidely. �You�d come here and save me? That I�d listen to you as
opposed to my family?�
�� I�m
sorry.� The child ducked his head. But it rose back up a moment and he was
smiling at him, looking like he�d found the answer to all the mysteries of the
universe. Shinta leered again, prepared to actually make good on his earlier
musing.
�� But, you
know, even without being a ninja there�s still something you can do. For me, I
mean.�
�� Shinta felt
his whole body freeze up, stunned. He blinked and wondered if the kid was real,
or maybe just stupid. He�d heard how long it had taken him just to clear the
Academy. Laughter bubbled up inside him, a first in many, many years. He let it
loose and had to lean over his cracking knees to steady his breathing out. He
thought the kid had just figured him for another sad drunk, on his way to one
dark cell or another. There wasn�t much difference between this place and hell,
not in his mind anyway. Instead he�d seen what almost every other ninja, whether
currently employed or not, had even after he�d been demoted and then summarily
discharged.
�� So, what? You want some extra trainin�
then, boy?�
�� Shinta
watched him shake his head and grin wider.
�� No thanks.
I�ve had all I need.�
�� The sheer
bravado of that idea, even if he hadn�t meant it that way, made Shinta snicker.
�� Really?�
he asked, and the grin he gave wasn�t anywhere near cheerful. �So what d�ya want me ta do?�
�� He�d
started slurring his words again. He was sure the stink of beer, sweat and cigarette
smoke was strong enough to reach the little house he knew the boy lived at. But
he didn�t give any sign that any of it bothered him. The boy shrugged.
�� Nothing much. But you�re strong, so I think you can handle
it. Or am I wrong?� he needled him.
�� Shinta
grimaced again and knew he was going to regret falling for the easy ploy in the
morning. But he also knew somehow that he would do it. He waited . . . and then
he listened. He felt something begin to erupt in his chest as the boy spoke,
something like hope. It was impossible, after so long, to feel it at all and
from such a young, na�ve person at that. Still, there was no denying it once it
had registered in his sluggish mind. When he was done he stretched and held out
his hand. Shinta found himself begrudgingly shaking it.
�� I�m not
all that stupid, you know. Even if you never get there, at least I tried
something.�
�� And with
that he strolled back into the woods. Morning had approached while they spoke,
even if the sky was almost as dark as it had been all night. The sounds and
smells that always greeted him at dawn were beginning to close in around him.
Shinta wondered again if the boy had been real as he made his slow, lumbering
ascent to finally claim his bed again.

�� Naruto
bounced a bit in his steady amble along the main streets of Konoha�s business
district. He thought it would be as good an idea as any to wait until they
opened rather than trying to catch a few hours of sleep before having to study
again. He�d gone through so many books that the words no longer stood out on
the page. They jumbled together to form some strange new language he couldn�t
understand. He�d already taken in the focus of most of it and a lot of the
detail. Now he had to concentrate on what to do with it all. He knew that
digging out the meaning wasn�t enough. Nor would it be impressive to just
recite things back from the text. That wasn�t what the Council wanted to hear
in order to put their faith in him as a leader. He would need something more.
And it was driving him crazy not being able to come up with a feasible policy
that would leave the ninja their position without having to resort to war every
time there was dissent between nations.
�� It almost
made him ill to think of the consequences that could arise. He needed something
to cull the frustration and fear before it developed into rage, vengeance,
jealousy or arrogance. But what could someone like him really accomplish to
oppose it? Naruto shook his head free of doubt, as if swiping a cloth into the
recesses of his mind nimbly. The irony was that it cleared out all the
unnecessary thoughts clouding his judgment and let it wander into all the
possibilities.
�� His focus
was so girded on economy, military prowess and government policies that he
missed the turn into a much loved alley. It held a meat bun shop that offered
the best breakfast this side of Wind Country. Sasuke loved them too, so if he
brought back a few he might be able to cajole him into helping him expand on
his ideas. That sounded better than having to deal with thoughts of ANBU
training and economy and Gods knew what else in terms of the revitalization of
his village. Making his way back to the cluster of weapon shops just outside
the alley, Naruto heard a murmured conversation halt at his approach. He recognized
one of the voices as a ROOT graduate from the year before. Sasuke had told him
of his penchant for trying to re-instate torture for suspects having possibly
committed minor crimes that did not merit long sentences to begin with.
�� His
curiosity would not be still this morning, urging him to follow the trail of
dimmed chakra of the two fleeing ninja to a nearby glade. The swaying trees
covered the minimal sounds of his approach and he waited to see if his bearings
were correct. He heard the murmuring again and stealthily crept to a low slung
branch in an elm tree. The voices carried up from a crop of bushes under him.
He checked to ensure that his chakra was not high enough for detection. A spare
tinge of guilt enveloped him for eavesdropping on his own comrades, but only
for a moment. He didn�t trust one of them and that man happened to be in charge
of the squad that Danzou was rumored to be considering for Sasuke�s placement.
A name uttered so low he had to strain to be certain he�d heard it caught him
up sharply. Naruto leaned over the branch, hidden well by a grouping of leaves,
and listened more closely.
�� I�m
telling you, we should alert the Hokage.�
�� The other
man, the one Naruto had felt so uneasy about, spoke up harshly.
�� Bite your
tongue! Keep your mouth shut and soon we won�t have to worry about some
doddering old hag controlling everything we do! Danzou has everything under his
command. You know how this will end. So stop whimpering.�
�� I can�t
stop worrying about it. This isn�t right. We should . . .�
�� Before the
other man could even finish trying to persuade his team mate, the other man had
slid a kunai through his ribs and pierced his heart. A low gurgle and a few
seconds of twitching were all that was left of the other ninja�s time on earth.
Naruto held a hand over his mouth to keep from calling out. He had not
expected, even from a man he had considered dangerous, ruthless even, such a
shameless betrayal. What came next alarmed him only more.
�� The man
ducked down and used an earth technique to create a hollow in the ground.
Rolling the other man to sprawl inside the recess, he covered it over with
dirt.
�� Madara
will help Danzou transform this land. I�m to see to that. It will all come to
pass as naturally as your death, my friend. Unfortunately, you won�t be able to
see it. I�m sorry.�
�� The
incongruity of such a tarnished apology was lost on Naruto. All his thoughts
were on the name, on the threat. His impetuous nature, though, wouldn�t allow
for the proper channels or military protocol. Naruto hurried back to the house
to collect his weapons. He�d left a camouflaged clone to track the ninja who
had already made it out of the village and begun to travel south. With Sasuke
still deep within the confines of their bed and too exhausted to wake at his
arrival, Naruto sped through his preparations in darkness. Without even
glancing back, Naruto hefted his body out the window and used Nature chakra to
cover a good portion of the distance out of the village. He passed the clone
he�d sent out to get the forgotten breakfast on the way, nodding grimly. By
full daybreak he would catch up to the defecting ninja and hopefully get a
location on Madara. ��
�� Clenching
his fists tightly, Naruto knew that if he did look back, he would not be able
to continue on. His heart pulled him toward his home, while his head forced him
to look beyond the next few hours when Sasuke would awaken to an empty house.
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and let his momentum carry him to the next
branch effortlessly. Better to risk as few as possible than drag an entire
country into a battle that he knew would stain the ground for years to come. He
would find a way to keep as many soldiers as he could, for as long as he could,
from returning gutted, misshapen, or worse, not at all. And he had until he
reached the place his unwilling guide was leading him to in which to do it.
��

AN: I think
Naruto may have found his favorite position . . .� I�m such
a pervert. But love me anyway!
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The Fall of the Dogs of War