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Kyuubi the Bitch	By : Lechan Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3775 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
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
- 2
- 3
- 4
A.N. Okay so I realized my blunder after finally reading past Gaara in the manga. So, for this story Sasuke didn’t get attacked by the sound directly after his talk with Kakashi, the rest will be explained. Okay? Again, sorry for the big time screw up, but then again, this is a fanfic.
Okay, now because someone asked, yes, Sasuke and Naruto are about 13-14 right now.

Kyuubi the Bitch
Sasuke
Chapter One: Change and Consequence

            The sun dripped down through the leaves like water, and dappled the trodden path in a dusty light. The woods would have been filled with normal sounds of birds and summer bugs, had the loud cursing and arguing from the two other Genins not startled all life into silence.
            “I said I’m fine, Sakura!” Naruto cried, ducking the girl’s prodding hands, his own arms thrown over his head in a protective manner, covering his blond hair and running up and alongside Sasuke.
            The Uchiha let out a sigh, his dark eyes following the shorter boy’s movements as he discovered that Sakura was not so easily deterred.
            “Agh! Knock it off!” Naruto cried when her gentle hands again attempted to pull his jacket down to see the shiruken wound in his back.
            “Naruto, stop acting like a baby and let me see! It looked really deep!” The pink haired girl complained, obviously still concerned over the deadly wound their partner had sustained, and proceeded to chase Naruto in circles around Sasuke.
            Black eyes rolled, and closed in mock annoyance at the two, pretending not to be bothered by the soft touches and bumps he received as Naruto used him as a human barricade.
            “Well, looks can be deceiving.” Naruto cried back, giving out a yelp of shock as Sakura made a dive for him as he clung to Sasuke’s arm.
            “I saw the blood, that was no small wound! Besides that, it was shoved in further after those missing nins threw and beat you around!” Sakura complained, and Sasuke couldn’t keep the flinch back as he too recalled the images from their last mission at the Waterfall Village.
            “Hey, I won that fight!” Naruto cried, taking offense to her observation and received a disbelieving look from Sakura.
            “I was there, Naruto, I saw what happened.” The blond stopped running to pout and Sakura slowly inched closer, her eyes closed in mock annoyance. “And from what I saw, you got your ass handed to you.”
            “I did not!” Naruto stomped a foot moving closer to the girl predictably. Sasuke closed his eyes, not wanting to be apart of their tussle. He was trying to forget the way Naruto’s blood had colored his clothes and the memories it brought on as he hung helpless in the air, bound as he’d been before when Itachi had trapped him in his Tsukiyomi all those years before.
            Sasuke’s patented scowl returned as he hunched his shoulders just as Sakura lunged for Naruto sending the blond scrambling back around his side. “Gah!”
            “Naruto, just let me see it!”
            “No! Leave me alone!”
            “Kakashi,” Sakura complained, when Naruto refused to listen to reason, but for once the Jounin seemed preoccupied with his thoughts and only shrugged. It made Sasuke wonder just what that meeting had been about.
            “If Naruto doesn’t want to strip for you Sakura, you have to let it go.”
            “Strip—“ Both teammates colored and shared a look of discontent.
            “Eww, no!” Sakura cried shaking her head as though he’d just told her to kiss a frog. Naruto pouted, giving the girl a dirty look.
            “Hey, you where the one pulling on my shirt.”
            “You were injured.”
            Sasuke let out a large sigh attempting to block out the chatter that always seemed to follow him as of late. He shoved his hands into his pockets, thinking back over the latest mission that had been more trying than he would have liked.
            It was supposed to be a simple ‘C’ rank mission—seemed Tsunade wanted to keep Naruto safe after his latest “surprise”. They were to escort the leader of the Waterfall village—one weak, pathetic, scaredy cat man who Sasuke decided he didn’t like. Especially after his rude attitude, the danger he’d put all of them in, and the near death he’d placed on Naruto—back to his home.
            Needless to say the shit had hit the fan once they arrived there, and Kakashi was called away for a Jounin meeting. All in all, they were quite lucky to be alive, especially one blond haired idiot—of whom Sasuke was increasingly glad—had the Kyuubi in his body, else he would’ve been dead.
            Another shiver snaked its way down Sasuke’s spine and he opened his eyes, just as Naruto zipped by again—the two having taken back up their chase at some point during his momentary lapse. Naruto’s face was scrunched in annoyance even as a large grin stretched across his face, as though he hadn’t just had a kunai lodged in his back between his shoulder blades.
            He could still die…Sasuke thought, eyes watching Naruto’s lively form, easily remembering the dark blood that had sprayed from his wound. Too quickly followed the image of his brother blocking the way to Naruto’s small form, and the memory suddenly made Naruto that much more precious. He was all he had left, and both then in that hallway, and just now with the missing Nin, he’d been forced to realize that Naruto could be taken from him, just like his family had been, and that knowledge made him slightly ill. As long as he is the Kyuubi, Itachi will continue to hunt him down. He’ll take him away… he’ll destroy all I have, again…
            Dark eyes sought out the boy made of sunshine and summer afternoons, and followed his motions with something akin to desperation. The annoying idiot had wheedled his way into his life and just refused to let go, and the longer he stayed there, the more they continued to hang out, the less Sasuke actually wanted him to go away.
            Without thinking, Sasuke’s arms shot out capturing Naruto on his next pass, and pulled the smaller body against his own in a hard hold.
            “Wah!” Naruto cried out, his sun-warmed body—who was he kidding, Naruto was always warm. He had the feeling it had something to do with the Kyuubi—struggled against his arms lightly. “What the hell, Sasuke!” Naruto twisted in his arms, glaring up at him, eyes a bright lively blue and Sasuke held just a little tighter, his eyes narrowed slightly as he returned the glare.
            “Just let her look at you, your constant running is annoying.” Sasuke snapped out.
            Naruto blinked a few times before a deep pout came to his face. “You already know its fine…” Naruto mumbled, his voice low enough not to alert Sakura, though Sasuke did notice that Kakashi looked at them from over the edge of his book.
            Sasuke caught Naruto’s hint and sighed, turning on Sakura then, his stare effectively stopping her hands that were raised in mid motion to Naruto’s shirt.
            She seemed to have become much closer to Naruto after he’d forgiven her for her slip up. That was fine by him; he didn’t really care either way, so long as the missions got done. Though her prostration to Naruto had been quite a spectacle.

            Naruto looked ready to run as the pink haired kunoichi kneeled before him, her head pressed to the ground in a full out bow that must have killed her pride, begging him to forgive her.
            “S—sakura…” Naruto stuttered, his voice surprisingly quiet and subdued: true.
            Blue eyes flickered to his own, and Sasuke wondered how many times Naruto had turned to him for help, and he’d never realized that that soulful look had been just that, a cry for help.
            Naruto was surprisingly easy to read after you managed a glimpse behind his perfected mask of uncaring joy.
            Sasuke shrugged, suppressing his smirk. He found it quite amusing that Sakura was taking things so seriously. Seemed she was finally realizing the consequences of her choices. It was about time in his book.
            “I’m really sorry Naruto, I didn’t think she’d say anything… I… I wasn’t thinking.”
            Sasuke rolled his eyes, he could have told her that much, but he kept quiet. His thoughts really didn’t matter this time around. It was up to Naruto if he wanted to forgive their teammate.
            Watching from the corner of his eye, he assessed the conflicting emotions of pain, betrayal, and uncertainty that flashed over Naruto’s face before that mask slid back into place and Naruto grinned shoving his hand behind his head. An action Sasuke was starting to see meant that he was uncomfortable and trying to hide it.
            “Of course I forgive you, Sakura-chan!” Naruto beamed, laughing as though she had just apologized for sneezing.
            Sasuke raised an eyebrow, seriously wondering how he managed to do that. To just forgive her for what had happened, and smile like that, it seemed like something so difficult Sasuke couldn’t imagine attempting it, yet Naruto did it like it was routine.
Perhaps it was.
            “Really?” Sakura looking up, green eyes wet with real tears, and Sasuke glanced away from the painful smile on Naruto’s face as he nodded.
            “Yeah, it’s fine. No real harm done.”
            Sakura was quiet a while, and Sasuke was certain she was aware of Naruto’s lie too as she finally replied with, “Still, I’m sorry.”
            “Hee hee, just buy me ramen and we’re even.”
            Sakura smiled then. “Sure, but only one bowl.”
            “Wha! But I’m a growing boy!”
            “My wallet’s only so big.”
            “Cheapskate!”
            “Pig!”
            And the arguing continued, smoothing out the tension in the blond until his smile was genuine, and Sasuke was left to wonder just how Naruto managed it, all the while coming up with no answer.

            No, it wasn’t Naruto’s forgiveness of the girl that irked him but how she suddenly seemed so attached to the blond, as though his sudden ability to conceive had somehow made him one of the girls.
            Sasuke’s glare increased as he spoke to the pink-haired kunoichi, somehow not wanting her to get any closer to the blond then she already was, though he knew he was just being foolish. “Since Sakura seems to doubt my first aid skills.”
            Sakura jumped back, her hand returning to her chest, her green eyes wide. “Wa—no! Of course I trust your ability Sasuke, I was just—“
            “Then, lets end this nonsense.” Sasuke ended the conversation, releasing Naruto and walking ahead, his hands finding their way back into his pockets.
He had been there to tend to Naruto’s wound, and had been surprised to find nothing more than a bruise. For some reason, Sasuke didn’t want to share in the knowledge of Naruto’s curse, with Sakura. In fact, he liked being the only one aside from the adults who knew, and he was determined to keep it that way.

            “I told you… Kyuubi...” Naruto said, his voice sounding almost sad. Sasuke tensed, looking over one tan shoulder at Naruto’s profile, and he was suddenly grateful that Sakura was busy with the town’s people and Shibuki.
            “Hn.” Sasuke said, smearing on some medicine anyway, rubbing it into the skin before applying the bandage and taping it in place. “Guess the fox is useful for one thing at least.”
            Naruto jumped under his hands, as though expecting to be struck, and Sasuke’s mouth tightened into a thin line angered that Naruto was still so sensitive about something he had no control over.
            “It’s nice to know that if I’m unable to be there I can rely on that strength of yours to save your stupid ass until I can.” Sasuke mumbled, packing up the medical supplies, feeling odd with being so open. But he’d promised himself he’d help Naruto the way he was denied, and open truthfulness was what Naruto needed, no matter how embarrassing.
            “Sasuke…” Naruto breathed, and Sasuke could tell the blond had turned his way. Glancing at him from the corner of his eye, he gave a small smirk, and as predicted, Naruto grinned rubbing the back of his head.
            “Dobe.” Sasuke nudged Naruto with his shoulder gently and received one in return as Naruto’s sunny disposition returned.
            “Teme.”
            There was a moment of contented understanding, where the usual bite of loneliness was absent, and it seemed they both felt it. But, like all things he’d come to adore, it was quickly lost as the world returned to intrude.
            “Naruto, Sasuke, you both okay?” Sakura cried, running to their sides, two small children tagging along, both worried for their Naruto nii-chan. Sasuke was almost jealous of the ‘siblings’ the blond just seemed to collect wherever he went. It reminded him too much of the brother he’d once known.
            Sasuke’s smile faded from his face and he stood stiffly, hands shoved deep in his pockets as the group arrived, once again closed off completely.

            “Well, sounds like you all had a few trials then.” Kakashi smartly interrupted what was sure to be another brooding silence, and Sasuke looked over his shoulder, put out that the Jounin seemed less then worried about their little mission alone, but stayed properly silent. After all, he owed the silver haired idiot more than he was willing to admit to.
            He wasn’t sure where he’d be now if the Jounin hadn’t followed him out of the hospital to knock some sense into him after he attempted to Chidori Naruto’s ass on the roof.
            If Kakashi hadn’t tied him to a tree and lectured him on things he’d seemed to have forgotten, before dragging him back to the hospital for wounds that he’d seemed to have gained from his little fight with Naruto, he was certain he might have hunted Naruto down and only god knows what would have happened then.
            Fighting Kyuubi…Sasuke suppressed a shudder. He’d never admit defeat, but he doubted he could even see his mighty brother defeat the fox if it ever truly emerged from Naruto. If it can… Sasuke shoved that thought away to mull over it later.
            Yes, Sasuke decided, listening to the man’s bullshit was a fair exchange for stopping his idiocy and kept quiet.
            “A few?” Sakura echoed, sounding the most upset by the whole experience, but, then again, she had done the least amount of work, being captured and all, so it was understandable. Sasuke could sympathize with her seeing as he’d been tied up as well for more than half of the battle. “I think near death, and bloodshed to be a bit more than a few.”
            Sakura was becoming more lippy as of late, and Sasuke wasn’t sure if that was good thing or not, he wouldn’t miss her sickeningly sweet attitude; her silence definitely, her false sincerity, no.
            “Hey, so what was that Jounin meeting about?” Naruto broke in, effectively ending Sakura’s triad as it drew her attention to the bizarre summons as well.
            On the outside it appeared as though Kakashi was ignoring them, but from the slight discoloration of his fingertips on his precious book, Sasuke could tell the question had unsettled him.
            Then it’s either about Naruto, the Kyuubi, or the Akatsuki. Sasuke thought darkly, his eyes trained on his teacher.
            They had stopped walking and now stood in the middle of the road where a spot of pure sunlight evaded the tree branches. The sun felt nice after all the time spent in the icy water, and Sasuke shot Naruto a look suddenly remembering that Naruto had been submerged in the water several times before and that—though his clothes had felt dry when he’d grabbed him—they had been wet for a long time.
            He doesn’t look like he’s cold. Sasuke thought, recalling the little heart to heart they had had the day before. It seemed that Naruto wore the jacket all the time because he was very susceptible to the cold. And he wore orange because it was the most annoying color he could think of.
            Sasuke smirked to himself, reminded of Naruto’s reasoning and how proud he’d been of himself. The color, now that he thought about it, truly suited him, almost as much as that stupid sleeping cap did.

            “Why?” Naruto asked, suddenly laughing from his place on the tree branch just slightly below Sasuke’s. It was a breathless laugh, showing his exhaustion from their recent fight, but the bruises on his face were already fading, and with it his energy returned. Sasuke was mildly jealous but kept it back with the reminder of the curse that Naruto’s abilities stemmed from.
            “Is it that funny Dobe?” Sasuke asked, annoyed at being the butt end of some joke.
            “Naw, it’s just I hadn’t thought of my reasons in a long while… and no one’s ever asked before.” Naruto responded, blowing some bangs out of his eyes, too tired to lift his arm and push the strands away himself.
            Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, urging Naruto to continue without degrading himself enough to ask him to. Uchiha’s didn’t ask for information, they demanded. Okay, so he had asked Naruto for the information Sakura had shared back when they were learning chakra control—and that had not worked at all—but that was out of need, this was just curiosity.
            “Well, I’m always cold so I needed a jacket, but the reason its orange is because it was the only color I could think of that wouldn’t blind me in the middle of the day, but would still annoy the hell out of anyone who saw me. Like to see someone ignore me running around in a bright orange jumper.” Naruto finished as though he’d just tricked the council into naming him the Rokudaime Hokage.
            Somehow it saddened Sasuke though he didn’t let it show on his face. To think such a small thing made him so happy, so proud.
            “It worked, everyone saw me!” Naruto laughed again, though there was a small pinch between his brows that spoke of the pain he still held, even though he hid it so very well. Naruto was truly much stronger than anyone gave him credit for. First Sakura, then this. Would wonders never cease this day?
            Sasuke gave him a half smile when Naruto grinned at him chuckling like a madman. “And those pranks… damn, I almost miss them.”
            “I don’t.” Sasuke snapped, crossing his arms and waiting for Naruto’s question.
            “What, why? I never pranked the Uchiha district… thought about it when I found out that Sakura liked you, but didn’t.”
            Sasuke blinked. He’d have to ask the dobe about that later.
            “You have any idea how many tests and annoying practices I had to retake with the class because you had cut out or pulled a dumb stunt making Iruka pissed off and so he forgot to record the test scores?”
            Naruto snickered. “Yeah, that was the one fool proof way to gain extra study time.”
            “What?” Sasuke asked, his humor suddenly gone with Naruto’s admittance that those had all been planned.
            Naruto must have heard the malice in his tone as his chortling laugh choked off on a squeak and blue eyes turned to him almost fearful. “… uh…”
            “What. Did. You. Just. Say?”
            “….. Uhm… yellow?” Naruto responded before leaping from the tree, his odd response gaining him a three second lead on the dark-haired boy once again out for blood.
            “You bastard!”

            “Just a meeting, now if we don’t hurry we’ll be late, and if we aren’t back from a one day mission before nightfall, Hokage will worry.” Kakashi side-stepped the question and Sakura and Naruto easily fell into the new conversation.
            Sasuke shook his head, coming back from his memory not all that surprised to find that he really hadn’t missed much.
            “Bah, that old bag wouldn’t get worried, she’d be more pissed because it be more work for her to have to go through.” Naruto argued, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.
            “Ah, but tomorrow is your monthly check up is it not?” Kakashi asked, and Naruto flushed maroon in under ten seconds, a new record for him. Sasuke shook his head, and turned away as Naruto predictably blew up.
            He’d gotten quite good at blocking out the sound of Naruto’s bitching over the years—having been in the academy with him and then pared with him on a team—and had just implemented his new skill when a sudden weight on his arm jostled him from his peaceful sanctuary.
            He tensed, already prepared for the unpleasant conversation that awaited him from whatever girl had decided that touching him was the best way to gain his attention, when he was met with blond hair that smelled curiously like musk and tree sap.
            “—shut up! C’mon Sasuke.”
            Sasuke caught the last part of Naruto’s rant before he was being dragged down the road back to Konoha. Black eyes blinked, more than slightly surprised at the grip Naruto held on his arm.
            It had been a good two weeks since they met on the Hokage monument and worked their problems out. Sasuke was the first to notice that the distance between them had closed a bit, and they were more comfortable with the other, but this was the first time that Naruto had actually ventured to touch him outside of fighting or the friendly knocking of knuckles that had somehow become their victory move.
            Sasuke forced himself to relax and set his pace so that it matched Naruto’s not all that concerned by the action. He’s finally stopped the worrying. Sasuke thought, glad that the scared, and slightly broken Naruto he’d seen on the head of the Fourth Hokage was slowly healing.
            He never wanted to see Naruto like that again. He’d always assumed Naruto was just a loud-mouthed jokester, and as he watched him through the missions he’d been forced to realize that he was loud-mouthed to keep others from looking to deeply at him, and he liked to joke around to keep his mind from what he lacked. Sasuke was forced to realize that Naruto was reliable, and true to his word, which was more than most the people Sasuke knew.
            So, perhaps he could see himself in the blond a bit, and the camaraderie came easily after they had a chance to kick the crap out of each other for the weakness they saw in the other that mirrored their own. Yes, Naruto was more than he appeared.
            Then Naruto was suddenly capable of having babies.
            That one had thrown him for a loop, but that was nothing compared to the utter breakdown and hysterical fit that Naruto threw after Kakashi’s joke.
            Sasuke suppressed a shiver, the memory of Naruto’s screams were still fresh in his ears. That had not been his best friend and rival in the hospital room at the time, that had been himself five years before as his family was massacred.

            “I guess that means Naruto is competition.” Kakashi’s taunting voice shattered the moment with a touch of mirth, and Sasuke managed to send the silver-haired Jounin a death glare.
            Sakura let out a choked nervous laugh, as though she was in a state of shock herself. “… yeah… though I don’t think Sasuke would—“
            She broke off with a sharp indrawn breath at the sharp, hysterical cry that suddenly burst from Naruto’s mouth. It sounded a little like a whimper at first but slowly grew into an earsplitting wail of anguish that dropped ones stomach and made their blood run cold.
            Sasuke turned to the boy who looked like he was ready to pass out, blue eyes a little frantic as he simply collapsed.
For several long moments no one moved. They were simply incapable of doing so. No one had expected this reaction from Naruto. He was… Naruto, and he didn’t just break down.
            Seemed they were wrong again.
            Tsunade was the first to respond when Naruto started to claw at his head, as though he could rip the truth from his mind. And from the way he kept screaming, “Its your fault! All your fault, you bitch! Give me my life back, damn you!!!” Maybe Naruto was trying to rip some nameless entity from his mind.
            “Naruto!” The Hokage leaped forward pulling his hands away as his nails started to stain a deeper color, and soon after Kakashi had joined the fray pinning the thrashing youth to his chest and bed, while the healer tried to ease the sudden panic that had overtaken him, but Sasuke knew, he knew it would do no good.
            His hands tightened by his sides as he stood helpless in the face of a mirror of his own nightmares, and he was disgusted. Some part of him always hated the village for doing nothing to save him from the darkness after Itachi’s betrayal, and now he was in their shoes and realized that they could do nothing then as he could do nothing now.
            He turned his head away unable to watch as the screams turned into sobs, and the sounds pierced him to the core, he doubted he’d ever be able to forget them just as he could still taste his own scream in his throat.

            Sasuke had nearly fallen apart himself in recognition of that cry of helplessness. That was why he’d trailed Sakura and Naruto after they’d left the hospital. He’d never admit it, but in that moment he’d seen himself in Naruto, he wanted to protect him. To see if he really could survive the pain, to see if he could save Naruto the way he always had hoped someone would save him.
            Of course it had to be Kiba who received the punishment of that protection. Sasuke smiled to himself in memory. It had felt quite nice to lay that dog-boy flat with a single punch; of course he hadn’t stopped there. That fight had been quite satisfying, but the biggest adjustment had been the Kyuubi.
            He knew that the Kyuubi had been sealed into something, he just wasn’t aware that it was a human child, a baby, if the stories were true. Though, now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense. The way the village treated Naruto, his overzealous need to be seen and acknowledged, not to mention the marking on his belly and Orochimaru’s comments on it. There was also Naruto’s never ending supply of Chakra, his new ability to procreate, and lastly that damn fox that just kept showing up.
            Mother fucking thing… Sasuke thought darkly. It had been funny the first two times the monster had shown up, and even though he’d been forced to give Naruto a piggyback ride back to the village (after his second assault via piss), and ultimately back to his house since eating in public was out of the question when Naruto was incapacitated because of fox spray, it had been amusing. Until the damn thing started showing up in his yard looking for Naruto, and waiting in the woods for the blond, it had been fun, but it was beginning to get old, and then it decided Sasuke was it’s enemy.
            Quite frankly, Sasuke was getting tired of fighting the fox off, and he was getting the impression that the red menace was starting to see him as competition since it had taken to peeing on his door, and the training grounds Sasuke visited most. The irritant had even dared to piss on his shoes.
            Sasuke wasn’t much one to get annoyed by such stupidity, but he was tired of smelling piss when he left his house, and damn it he was tired of having his things pissed on. He wondered what it would take to get the thing to understand, but quickly stopped when he realized it would most likely include him urinating on Naruto and that just wasn’t an option.
Sasuke cringed at the unnecessary thought and quickly shoved it from his mind.
            “… oh damn it.” Naruto grumbled, bringing Sasuke’s attention back to the present.
            “Hn?” Sasuke voiced, and Naruto glanced at him before scowling ahead at the road. Kakashi stepped up beside them chuckling.
            “Well, look who’s here.” Kakashi sounded amused as all eyes landed on the red fluffy annoyance and Sasuke scowled further. “Came to see his mate home!” Kakashi laughed, completely amused by his student’s problems and Sasuke glowered wishing some crazed animal would piss on his mask.
            “Shut up!” Naruto snapped, growling at his predicament, and Kakashi only laughed harder.
            Laugh all you want, you’re not its current piss victim… Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto contemplating just how much chakra it would take to punt the animal to Suna when Sakura stepped up beside him her hands resting on his arm, alerting him that she was too close.
            What was it with people and touching him? His “bastardly ways” as Naruto was so fond of saying, seemed to be working in reverse.
            “Wow, he just doesn’t give up.” She at least was beginning to sound slightly put out that the fox had yet to get the hint that it had been dumped.
            “… like someone else I know.” Sasuke muttered.
            “Huh, you say something Sasuke-kun?”
            “Hn.”
            Naruto chuckled, and Sasuke felt his lips quirk in an attempt to rise into a smile but he suppressed it as the male fox took up a predatory stance growling his way.
            Oh give me a break… Sasuke rolled his eyes with a sigh. If I used Katon Gokyaku no jutsu on it, would that be over kill? Sasuke’s eyebrow ticked up as the menace raised its hackles in retaliation, baring its teeth.
            Yes, burning the shit out of the little piss-monster would be so very therapeutic.
            “What are we going to do?” Sakura asked, and with a look at Naruto’s wary face, Sasuke pondered the same thing. It was a miracle Naruto hadn’t developed a phobia to all things fluffy and red, not that Sasuke could blame him if he did. Being bested by a stupid animal was humiliating, and annoying, and sadly it wasn’t just Naruto who was currently losing against the red fox, and Sasuke had cleaned the last piss stain from his clothes. That’s it, this ends now! You want to fight over the Dobe, let’s fight. Sasuke thought, turning to his blond companion.
            “Well, we could always leave Naruto—” Kakashi began but didn’t get to finish as Sasuke promptly knocked Naruto’s feet out from under him only to then lift the blond into his arms. Let’s see you piss on him now, little shit head.
            “S—sasuke?!” Naruto squeaked in his ear, bright red again, and Sasuke could feel the color rising in his ears and the back of his neck as he felt the astonished stares that his other team mates were boring into his head, but he ignored it in favor of walking.
            “Shut up, you smell bad enough as it is, don’t need you reeking of fox piss too.” Sasuke snapped, glaring down at the fluffed up cretin as he passed, daring it to attack so he could kick it into oblivion without looking foolish, but it seemed the animal wanted to just growl in indigence as he passed.
            “… smell…” Naruto sniffed himself before frowning. “I do not, take that back Teme!”
            “Hn.”
            “Oh don’t even start that crap!”
            “Hn.”
            Naruto boiled, practically spitting fire in his arms, but he didn’t struggle much, a sure sign he really wasn’t upset from Sasuke’s comment. If anything his words seemed to calm the blond down.
            “Nice move, Sasuke.” Kakashi chimed from behind, and Sasuke shot him a glare already knowing that the man was up to no good.
He hated being right.
            “Use superior dominance to show that Naruto already has a mate, making the fox either back down or fight a much more powerful male.”
            “What?!” Naruto blew up again, a new shade of color all together, his arms and legs kicking and waving in indignation. Sasuke didn’t waste a minute in dropping him.
            “Ow! The hell, Sasuke…”
            “Hn.” Sasuke stepped over him, stalking off, more embarrassed than he could handle. They were passed the fox, there was no reason to carry the loud idiot any further.
            Hurried footsteps told him of Sakura’s approach long before she destroyed his personal bubble. He’d grown accustomed to her presence, and would even admit that she was tolerable, but her touch still bothered him to some extent.
            At least she isn’t Ino… Sasuke thought just before her words reach his ears.
            “—maybe, you know. If you’re not busy, of course.”
            She was asking him out again.
            “No.” Sasuke stated bluntly, not really caring as she stopped walking and he left her in the dust as the gates of Konoha came into view. Finally… freedom from the madness.
            Sasuke thought, though inside he felt chilled with the knowledge that he had only the empty, echoless streets of the Uchiha District to return to. The never-ending reminder of what he could not forget: he was an avenger; he really had no time for games.

2

            Red. Sticky, crimson that clung to walls, the tatami mats, and made pretty, psychedelic designs on the shoji doors.
            Don’t come in…
            There was crying from beyond the door. A child’s cry, begging for salvation. Yet, the shoji door remained closed, covered in filth and carnage.
            Turn away, don’t look…
            There was a broken lock on the door, but it was taped back into place several times, as though who ever had trapped the crying child in that blood soaked room was determined to keep him there. But why?
            Forget it… don’t open it…
            Looking down at his own hands he found the answer as the sobs grew louder raising into a howled scream of anguish that grew far to recognizable for him.
            An avenger needs no one… least of all his heart.
A roll of duct tape fell from his bloodied hands, to roll across the floor, hit the shoji door and then it opened a crack.
            A small bloodshot eye stare out in mortified fury, a mouth opened wide in a wail.

Sasuke woke up screaming.

2

            “You know, you really don’t have to come.” Naruto griped, a scowl aimed Sasuke’s way from over a hunched shoulder. He seemed even more aggravated than usual, but then again, anyone would be annoyed if they had to meet with the Hokage for a checkup they shouldn’t need in the first place.
            “Hn.” Sasuke replied, not wanting—nor really knowing why himself—to explain his continued company. He’d been down at Ichiraku’s that morning, knowing that he’d run into Naruto if he hung around long enough, though why he wanted to see the boy on their day off was beyond him. Though he’d heard that it was normal to want to be with ones friends, he chalked it up to that.
            “Bastard.” Naruto grumbled, turning back to face the direction he was walking in, his shoulders hunched a little higher, and his steps a little more hurried and jerked.
            It was quite clear that the blond did not want him around for this meeting, and usually he would respect such feelings—being a guy he didn’t really want to hear that old crone talk to the blond about his female problems—but he had the feeling Naruto would want to talk afterwards. So, he followed.
            “… Sakura blabbed again… I told her I’d be fine but no… has to tell the Uchiha annoyance… freaking stalker…” Naruto’s mumbles could clearly be heard above the usual bustle of Konoha’s streets, and Sasuke would have taken the time to be insulted had he had another reason to really be following the smaller boy. As it was, he would be better off explaining Sakura’s reason for liking him.
            For all he knew, he was following the dobe simply to be certain that Kiba didn’t try anything. Naruto might have already forgotten—or very well pretended—and forgiven, but Sasuke was well known for his grudges, and Kiba was now on his hate list.
            Shock or not, there is no excuse for that kind of reaction… especially for another ninja. Stupid as he may be, it wasn’t his choice. Sasuke scowled and stuffed his hands further into his shorts, his shoulders hunching unconsciously, as though attempting to protect himself from the nameless, formless nightmare that followed him consistently.
            He would rather bite his own tongue off than admit that most of his physical habits came from his survival instinct to make himself as small of a target as possible. Uchiha’s didn’t cower, and he would become worthy to wear the crest on his back proudly.
            “If you’re going to follow me, can you at least remove the stick from your ass?” Naruto quipped jerking Sasuke’s attention back to the pouting blonde, again looking over one orange clad shoulder. “You’re making me nervous and uncomfortable, and I ain’t even using the damn butt plug.”
            Sasuke blinked, his mind blank for several long moments as that sentence fully settled in. He really didn’t need to know that, and he felt his arm hair rise in disgust and slight horror. His stoic mask slipped a bit as his dark eyes darted down to the place that had been so violated.
            “Hey! Don’t look at that!” Naruto cried, tanned hands clamping down over his back end as he trotted around in a full circle, pointing his rear away from dark, inquisitive eyes.
            Sasuke jerked his head up quickly, feeling his cheeks pink a bit from humiliation. I was just… looking at his ass. Sasuke cringed a bit at his stupid actions, and turned his face away, attempting to find a graceful way out of this mess.
            Sadly his mind had yet to catch up to his mouth as what came out was; “Well, you were the one that mentioned it first, usuratonkachi.”
            Sasuke could have strangled himself as he realized that he had just confirmed that, yes, he had been looking at Naruto’s behind, which in turn opened him up for endless torment; a fact that Naruto seemed to realize, if his sudden cat-like grin was anything to go by.
            Damn it… Sasuke scowled, dark eyes narrowed and daring the idiot to say something in regards to him and his major fax pas.
            The citizens of Konoha continued to file by in a slow mix of color and sound as the two Genins stood facing off in the dead center of the street, in a stand off of life, death, morals, and pride.
            “What?” Sasuke snapped first, not willing to wait any further as more people paused to stare in his direction when his family crest caught their attention.
            An Uchiha was on the streets, and in that moment, Sasuke could have sworn his family symbol burned him through his clothes like a branded weight. He had never wished for his unmarked clothing more. One of his hands twitched, the only sign of his discomfort, as Naruto answered; his features pinched in that annoying grin that made his marked cheeks stand out sharply, as though he really did have whiskers.
            “Sasuke-teme, did you just admit to checking out my ass?”
            Sasuke rolled his eyes and scoffed, shoving past Naruto making sure that his shoulder slammed into Naruto’s a little harder than necessary as he moved ahead. “Shut up, usuratonkachi and move your ass.”
            “Again, with my ass.” Naruto groused, as though extremely put out, while making certain his voice was just this side of shouting. “Do you have an obsession with it or what?”
            Sasuke twitched again. Why did I bother? Why the hell am I here?! It bothered him even more when he could not place his reason easily and he grit his teeth, fingers curling into fists as Naruto continued to talk and pester as he followed Sasuke in the direction to Hokage Tower.
            “Wait, when you said I gave the gay community hope, you weren’t talking about—“
            Naruto broke off with a strangled gasp as Sasuke promptly pinned him to a wall, kunai to his pulse point just under his jaw.
            “Say another word, and we’ll see just how good a healer the fox is,” Sasuke grit out, his threat loosing half of its potency at the mild embarrassed flush that still dusted his cheeks.
            He cursed his family’s genetics that gave him his pale complexion, as Naruto blinked, an evil sparkle lighting his blue eyes with mischief. Meaning the dumb ass either knew something, or thought he did, and his reputation was royally screwed. I’m going to kill him… Sasuke thought, lowering the kunai and stalking off.
            “Hey, Sasuke, where’re you going?” Naruto called out, his feet thundering across the ground as he ran to catch up with Sasuke, matching his pace to his own. “Where are you going?”
            “Away.”
            “…” Naruto was blissfully silent for all of four minutes. “Why? I thought your were shadowing me for my meeting.”
            Sasuke glared over his shoulder at a gloating blond, promptly wondering what in the nine-hells of his life had made him choose the bimbo as his best friend.
            I must have been high, or drugged… Briefly he wondered if Haku’s needles had been laced with some mind-altering drug, but was forced to forget his train of thought as Naruto laced their arms together and dragged him down the street.
            Sasuke rolled his eyes and let himself be dragged, not really minding the warmth wrapped around him, and the pleasant weight of a companion. Unconsciously, Sasuke relaxed his shoulders and uncurled to stand tall and proud as they walked along, dwarfing the blonde at his side with his actual height.
            Things were almost pleasant, and then Naruto opened his mouth.
            “I mean, if your after my ass you may as well know about the consequences in pursuing it.”
            I will kill him…

2

            The room smelled old; stale, like old paper, musty ink, and alcohol. Sasuke couldn’t stop his nose from wrinkling at the assaulting smells that reminded him of most of the houses in his own district. He hated going into the Hokage’s office directly for that reason; it brought back unwanted memories, nightmares, and feelings.
            His fists tensed just a bit more on his knees where he’d been forced to sit while Naruto finished dressing in the side room after his check up. Sasuke had been surprised at just how needed he had actually been for this meeting. Seemed the blonde needed more moral support than he was willing to admit to.
            The minute Tsunade had ordered him to strip so that she could be certain that nothing else in his body had been compromised by Kyuubi’s chakra influence, Naruto’s eyes had shot to his own looking panicked, and a little fragile. Sasuke had said nothing but had sat beside his bed with his head averted until he was in his hospital gown, and had proceeded to stay by his side through out the entire check up.
            Though, why did I hold his hand? Sasuke stared at his own palm like it belonged to someone else. His actions really didn’t make much sense, but he was certain it must have been a reaction he’d picked up from his mother.
            Until Naruto had decided that he was no longer needed and sent him out with Tsunade so he could redress, which led back to where he was now. Sitting in the smelly room waiting for Naruto so that they could get the final diagnosis.
            Tsunade had given nothing away with her actions, as she had simply sat back and began working on papers strewn across her desk. It looked as though she was either very busy or very lazy—his vote was on the later—from the amount of work she had yet to attend to.
            This could be a hint… if it’s a bad enough outcome that she’s reduced to doing work to ignore the problem. Sasuke’s brow lowered in thought, his dark eyes following Tsunade’s unhurried movements. Then again, it could be nothing… she seems too calm to be harboring bad news.
            Sasuke had no further time to study her movements as the door flew open admitting the short, obnoxious, ninja from Konoha. “Hey, Old bag, you find anything or what?”
            As straight to the point as always.
            Somehow that calmed Sasuke, though he was unaware he was tense until Naruto’s bluntness destroyed it.
            A wrapped scroll sailed through the air to nail the Kyuubi vessel in the head.
            “Ow, the hell grandma?!” Naruto cried rubbing at his forehead looking scandalized. Sasuke suppressed his smirk and crossed his arms over his chest, sinking into his seat.
            If she was throwing things at him, Naruto wasn’t in immediate danger.
            “Brat, sit down and shut up and I might tell you.” Tsunade’s voice left no real room to argue, but Naruto always found a way to do the impossible it would seem as he flopped into his seat making as much noise as he possibly could.
            “Gah, I’m so hungry! And its such a good day outside… why am I stuck in here on such a nice—“
            “Because you’ve managed the impossible, and are capable to carry children, and need to be checked out, now stop complaining!”
            “… you have to bring that up again?” Naruto asked, sinking into his seat with a pout, obviously still touchy about the whole uterus thing. Not that Sasuke could blame him, he was still having trouble adjusting, and it wasn’t even his problem.
            Don’t think about it, just focus on the fact that your friend needs your help. Sasuke reminded himself as Tsunade and Naruto finished their squabbling after a few more scrolls had connected with the blonde’s head with enough force to knock him from his seat.
            “Ow…”
            “Look, brat, from what I can tell you won’t be growing breasts, as it seems Kyuubi’s influence was stopped by your natural hormones after both of your chakras had settled.” Tsunade paused, pushing a hand through her hair, looking as haggard by the whole situation as everyone else that knew about it—and who had not been beaten to a pulp by one Uchiha Sasuke.
            “This is mostly speculation of the facts after all, but from what I can tell you do not have a milk sack in your breasts—“
            “I do NOT have boobs damn it!”
            Sasuke rolled his eyes feeling as put out as Tsunade looked at Naruto’s idiocy, but then again it was only to be expected from him. Stupid dobe… the thought was amazingly tender for him, and made him scowl as Tsunade informed Naruto on another name for the chest area that had nothing to do with mammary glands.
            “—anyway, as I was saying…” Tsunade continued with a huff. Just speaking with Naruto was like fighting an all out war. “As I already suspected, your body does not have a birth canal, meaning that its connection to your anus was a default action. So, a natural birth will be out of the question as it means certain death for both you and the child—“
            “Wait, wait, wait!” Naruto cried, again interrupting her this time a pukey white that was an amazing feat for someone as tan as himself. “You’re talking as though I will be giving birth. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t plan on ever getting pregnant!”
            “I’m just informing you, in the case that—“
            “What, someone shoves their dick up my—“
            “Yes!” Tsunade cut him off before he could continue any further, her eyes spelling death for any who dared to finish that sentence. “I am only telling you because it is your body, and while we’re on it, baring the slim chance of you getting knocked up, there should be no other physical signs of your condition. You may leave.”
            The words weren’t really a dismissal as much as a command, one that both boys took without further thought, taking to the streets via the open window.

2

            Sasuke wasn’t too surprised when Naruto led them back up to the Hokage monument. He chose the fourth’s head, which Sasuke had learned meant that Naruto was brooding over his inner parasite, or feeling lost. Otherwise he would sit on the third.
            Sasuke plopped down beside him, choosing to stay silent. If Naruto wanted to talk he would talk, and he would listen. If he didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t and Sasuke would drag him into another fistfight.
            “I hate Kyuubi.” Looked like Naruto was in a talking mood today.
            “Hn.” Sasuke replied, deciding not to point out that most of Konoha hated the nine-tailed pain in the ass. Instead he looked over the sun-covered village, noting the darker clouds on the horizon. Seemed the heat of the day would indeed dissipate with a storm. He couldn’t say he was looking forward to it, he didn’t like the way his clothing clung to his back when he had barely moved at all that morning, but he disliked storms more.
            “I mean it, at every turn, she manages to screw me over!” Naruto snapped, a bit of his mask falling away as he vented, for once vocally and not physically. Sasuke couldn’t say he was used to it, but it was becoming a more frequent event, and not one that he really minded. It felt, nice to be trusted enough to be confided in.
            Even so, he still found it hard to look at Naruto when he spoke so openly with him, so he kept his eyes focused on the scenery instead, the silent listener.
            “First I’m hated, I have no fucking chakra control, then your psycho brother wants me dead so he can get his hands on her, I get molested by a fox—don’t say a word!” Naruto said, pointing a finger at him, and Sasuke couldn’t stop his smirk.
            “I wasn’t planning on it, dobe.”
            “Heh, yeah, okay…” Naruto pouted obviously not believing a word he said, but he continued anyway, ignoring Sasuke’s slight smile.
            “Then I get… this. And to top it all off, if I can’t get stronger, I’ll lose to your brother. And god forbid he attack when I’m bleeding.”
            Sasuke tensed his eyes locking on Naruto’s, all humor gone at the mention of the reason for his rage twice in a row. Just being reminded of his brother set him on edge, and made him want to Chidori the shit out of everything around him. Only the fearful quiver in Naruto’s voice stopped him from blowing things out of control.
            “He’s mine anyway… I’ll kill him.” Sasuke promised, feeling odd when blue met him, looking tired, and far too old on the Dobe’s face.
            “… if they get me, they’ll remove Kyuubi, and it will kill me.” Naruto said with such certainty that it left Sasuke feeling chilled.
            “Usuratonkachi.” He snorted, hoping to lighten the mood, but Naruto just looked away, his face serene as though thinking of something that often plagued his thoughts.
            “That’s…” Naruto paused and fidgeted as though uncomfortable. It sparked several questions, but Sasuke remained silent. “… it’s what I fear the most.” Naruto laughed humorlessly. “I shouldn’t fear death but… I do.”
            Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek understanding that far deeper than the blond could ever realize.
            An uncomfortable silence settled over them, and it was Sasuke’s turn to shift. They hadn’t been this honest with each other since their fight on the Hokage Monument the day he beat up Kiba. It made things more than slightly awkward.
            How am I supposed to respond to that? Sasuke wondered, his shoulder’s hunching up in that way that always told when he felt cornered and he frowned. He couldn’t even admit he felt fear out loud with out feeling as though he was less than he should be, so how was he supposed to react to Naruto’s confession?
            Luckily it seemed that he didn’t have to as Naruto’s mask slipped back into place, and he put on a suspicious glare, again pointing and accusing finger in his face.
            “You tell anyone, and I’ll kill you.”
            Sasuke took a moment to decide whether to take the bait or not, but hi challenging smirk curled his face easily as he fell into comfortable routine.
            “You still think you can beat me, dobe?” He lifted on eyebrow for extra effect and took off in the direction of the training grounds, Naruto close on his heels.
            Even if the blonde didn’t need this sparing session, Sasuke sure as hell did, and he intended to drown out his emotions before they were finished.

2

            It was dark. It always started with darkness, and he supposed he should have expected as much after the years of nightmares that had plagued him over the fives years, but still he trembled.
            He was eight, he was always eight, and the darkness pulsed with his heartbeat, showing the bloody, corpse filled streets of his home in flashes that faded just as quickly as he recognized the carnage.

No…

            He was moving, his movements hurried, jerked, and uneven. The flashing came quicker, with shorter intervals of darkness as he came to the blood soaked doors of the place he called home.

Stop…

            Small, trembling, weak hands reached out and gripped the sliding door, throwing it open with sharp motions. The wood snapped and bounced back with a slight popping sound that seemed unearthly loud to his ears, and yet he couldn’t hear it all at once.
            The halls echoed the silence back in a way that made his heart pound just a little faster; the musky smell he would later recall as the stench of death lingered in the air, stifling his breath in his chest.

Don’t!

            His lips formed his inquiry of a call for his mother, then his father, but only the feeling of desperate nothingness returned to him. He shivered as he stepped further into the house, his motions slow as a snail’s now that he was inside the walls that were supposed to keep him safe from the chaos of the world outside.
            Somehow, he already knew that these walls would never bring him comfort again: only nightmares.

Damn it! Stop!

            The blood still splattered up the rice paper of the shoji door, just the way he would always remember, and as he did every night, he opened the door with painful hope, and vicious fear choking him.
Blackness.
            “… hello, Sasuke.”

Damn you, Itachi!

            Lips formed the loving term for the man covered in the blood of all those he’d ever held dear, and those unnatural red eyes glaring down at him in mirthful hate, left him shaken.

I’ll kill you!

            The darkness lifted slowly, the old building taking on the form of a long hallway, with two men in dark cloaks with the Uchiha colors formed into clouds in the blackness stood at the end of the hall. The clothes reminded him of the night he’d lost it all, and pale hands clenched in hate, again powerless and weak against the hated man with the red glare.

I’ll kill you!

            Orange.
…
            There, behind them, something old, but delightfully new, and uncommonly precious stood; in danger, both from the death that red eyes brought, as well as from being forgotten in the rush of rage.
            Forgotten, the boy stands, unaware of the threat to his life, his lips forming a name, blue eyes frightened, but not from the man with red eyes. No, the fear in those eyes, is the same fear he’d held as he’d thrown open that bloody door. Fear of loss.

Naruto…

Darkness.
            “… I’m the Kyuubi…” Blue eyes filled with pained acceptance.
            “I’ve not come for you this time, little brother.”

Shut up!

            “… if they get Kyuubi, I die… that’s what I fear most.” Blue eyes looked out from over the Hokage monument, brows pinched in concentration. “You tell anyone, and I’ll kill you!”

Naruto…

He was back in the room with the blood, shadows, and whispers of death. Dark eyes stayed trained on fisted hands, larger than before, but still not strong enough.

            He didn’t want to look up. He didn’t want to see who it was that let out that mournful cry which made his stomach drop to his feet like frozen stones. If he didn’t look up, it wouldn’t be real. It was what he told himself every time, and every time it was the same.
…you have to…
            “Sasuke!” the cry drew his attention up. He knew that cry, and he couldn’t allow himself to forget that voice. Not this time. Fearfully he looked up, across the blood spattered room that began to flicker once more with his heartbeat.
            Bodies laid across the floor, in various stages of slaughter. Two stood out in his mind, only recognizable by the crimson soaked silver hair, and the lifeless green eyes, and he felt his stomach heave with his lack of power and the loneliness that was once more building inside of him.
Two figures stood in the shadows, seemingly facing off, but they remained motionless. The shorter one stood, both hands held in the larger pale hand, a dirtied blade thrust through his chest.
…live!
            His body went numb, all sound blocked from his ears, as the deep colored liquid escaped to ruin the brightness of that orange cloth. The wound wasn’t healing this time; this time the blonde wouldn’t make a comeback. This time, Naruto would die.
            His mouth opened in a scream but no sound came out, as mocking red eyes locked on his own. Pale lips smirked at him, forming words his ears couldn’t make out, and he focused on the motions, attempting to read the words even as he knew he shouldn’t.
            ‘… what you wanted?’
            Startled, he locked eyes on the murderer of his happiness only to see his own face, smeared in Naruto’s blood, the sword his own arm, in his hand, Naruto’s still beating heart.
            “An avenger needs no one.”
Sasuke screamed.

It was the patter of the rain against his window that woke him from the last trendles of the nightmare that tried to cling to his consciousness. Sasuke stared up at the shadowed ceiling, black bangs plastered to his forehead and cheeks, not unlike the way his shirt and bed sheets clung to his arms and back.
            His face was relatively blank, quite the opposite of how his heart pounded in his chest and the way he pulled the night air into his lungs as though he’d just finished racing Naruto to Hokage’s Tower and back four times.
            A crash of sound quickly followed and irregular flash of light, and he let his eyes close for a moment, holding his breath a second longer than necessary as a way to calm his heart. It’s the storm… the sounds… are from the storm…
            A part of his mind argued that he should not need such words of reassurance, he was an Uchiha, an avenger, he should not have such childish thoughts over something as frivolous as a nightmare, and yet sleep seemed miles away.
            “… damn.” Sasuke cursed just under his breath, throwing his sheets from his body and allowing the chill of the night air that had settled into the halls of the Uchiha main house after the rain had begun.
            A sharp shiver ran over his body, and manifested in the slight tensing of his shoulders as Sasuke stumbled into the hall towards the bathroom. The glass he’d left on the nightstand was empty, and his throat felt as though he’d actually cried out in his sleep, and the taste of that bitter sound made his stomach churn unpleasantly.
            The tap water tasted somehow stale but he swallowed it down anyway, placing his cup on the sink’s edge before walking back into the silent bedroom that danced with the light and wind that assaulted the surrounding trees outside.
            Pausing just inside the doorway, Sasuke could almost imagine that the silence wasn’t so oppressing, that it was the peaceful quiet of night, and that if he dared walk down the hallway he’d find his parents asleep in their bed, hardly bothered by the weather outside.
            Once he’d feared the sound of thunder and the sudden flash of light that always preceded the sound. He knew better now, he understood what his mother had meant when she told him that things like thunder couldn’t hurt him. What she meant was that there are worse things than storms, much worse things with eyes the color of blood.
            Sasuke’s scowl was back, and he stomped into the room. He was meaning to go straight to bed, but something made him pause. Maybe it was the whining sound of the wind that reminded him so much of the screams from his nightmare, or the darkness that clung to room like it had that day. Whatever the reason, the last Uchiha paused, and turned instead to his window, watching the water as it slipped over the glass in running rivulets.
            His ghostly reflection on the glass had grooves in it from the rainwater, and for a moment it looked as though he was crying. It angered him more to see even those false tears and he moved to leave the window, when a flash of lightning caught on something orange outside.
            The hell…? Sasuke turned back to the window wondering if he was hallucinating, and blinked slowly. He had to be, for there was no way that Naruto was really standing outside of his window, on the abandoned streets of the Uchiha district looking lost and a little confused.
I must not be awake yet. Sasuke decided with a pout continuing to glare at the rippled image of his teammate. Yet, no matter how many times he tried to deny what he saw, Naruto remained outside his house.
            He finally moved to the ground level of his house, moving to the shoji door to the side and found himself faced with wide shocked eyes.
            “Naruto.” Sasuke greeted, covering his shock that Naruto had indeed been outside his house with his usual blank stare. Naruto seemed at a loss as to what to say, and Sasuke realized that Naruto was still dressed in his pajama’s—though where he’d found orange pajama’s he’d never know—the cloth now soaked through and clinging to his skin like a glove.
            Naruto was still built a little round in the middle, making him look younger, though from the muscles it was clear that he’d slender out more as he continued to grow, but for now, he resembled a child.
            A very wet, scared, uncertain child.
            A shiver of recognition flittered just outside his reach and Sasuke shoved it off snapping at Naruto in his annoyance. “What are you doing here dobe?”
            Naruto blinked and looked away, one of his hands coming up to scratch at the back of his neck, the other flexing by his side. “Uh… I… I couldn’t sleep.”
            Sasuke lifted a brow, seriously wondering if Naruto was serious. “So you came here?” He asked, and watched as Naruto gave him that fake grin that annoyed the hell out of him.
            “Yep.”
            Sasuke was seriously thinking about just slamming the door shut in the blonde’s face and leaving him there in the rain until a crash of thunder—sounding directly above the house—made Naruto flinch.
            It was a small move, almost non-existent, but having trained with the boy for so long that slight motion was painfully obvious. “Naruto…” Sasuke began, a little shocked at what that action meant.
            Once he had Naruto’s attention Sasuke pinned him with a dark look. “Are you…” He paused, unsure if he was ready to bring up the topic again after the one that afternoon.
            “Am I what?” he sounded defensive, which was always a good sign, meaning that he wasn’t in a sharing mood.
            “You act like your scared or something.” Sasuke teased lightly, smirking when the indignation sprung up on Naruto’s soft features and he relaxed a bit at the usual banter that was playing between them.
            “No! Geeze, teme I just couldn’t sleep you ass!” Naruto snapped, looking like a wet cat as he spat and yowled in anger. Sasuke sighed suddenly very tired as Naruto continued to go crazy outside of his house insulting him and all things that had to do with his existence.
            “—and another thing, why the hell are you up so late anyway? Are you afraid of the storm? I bet you are!”
            Another roll of thunder, this time preceded by a sharp flash of light made Sasuke tensed this time as well, suddenly remembering that storms did pose a threat if one remained outside without cover.
            “I couldn’t sleep either.” Sasuke snapped, stepping back and holding the door open in a silent invitation. One that Naruto seemed not to understand as he cocked his head to the side and blinked at him stupidly. Sasuke repressed his urge to growl, and glared at the idiot. “Get in here, dobe.”
            “Huh?” Naruto asked intelligently looking between Sasuke and the door several times “Why?”
            Sasuke could feel the beginnings of another headache and rested his forehead on his arm. “Because, we have a mission tomorrow, and it will slow us all down if you get sick. Now get inside.”
            Naruto looked like he was going to argue, but the distant colliding of hot and cold air masses shut him up and had him slinking inside with as much dignity as he could muster. “I don’t get sick… Kyuubi, remember?”
            Sasuke chose to ignore the grumble in exchange for leading the dripping boy up the stairs and into the bathroom nearest his room. “Wait here.” He ordered, stalking off to his room to retrieve an extra shirt and boxer shorts for Naruto to change into.
            Wonder if this means he’ll have to borrow clothes for tomorrows mission as well? Sasuke wasn’t sure how he felt about that, considering most of his clothes bore the Uchiha crest, but he decided not to dwell on that too much as he handed the clothes back to Naruto and made sure to point out the towel nearest him. “Just leave your clothes in the sink for now. We’ll deal with them later.” Sasuke commented from over his shoulder as he trudged back to his room.
            The sleeping space was big enough for the two of them to share it, and he didn’t much feel like searching for another bed, nor cleaning the dust from said place. It’s no different from camping out on missions.
            A small smirk lifted his dreary features as he was reminded of those first few nights as team seven. Naruto had been unaccustomed to sleeping beside people and had a tendency to roll and flop around in his sleep. A few well placed kicks and punches had taught him sleeping etiquette considering it was Sasuke who had had to sleep beside him as Sakura put up a fuss about sleeping beside the blonde.
            Once or twice he had woken with Naruto curled into his side, nose pressed into his stomach and arms wrapped around his middle. For both of their sakes Sasuke had carefully disentangled them before anyone woke up to see them, though he had the feeling Kakashi had seen it once or twice.
            Perverted Jounin… Sasuke crawled into his bed and waited, mind wandering over memories. The loud crash informed him that Naruto had fallen somewhere in the hallway and he closed his eyes trying not to lose his temper prematurely. You let him in… can’t really blame him if he was invited in…
            “Usuratonkachi, can’t you even walk right?” Sasuke growled loud enough for the bumbling idiot to know where he was, and several minutes later Naruto was walking through the door with a pout on his face.
            “Yes, ass-wipe, I can.”
            Sasuke snorted, taking note that his clothes fit Naruto fairly well before scooting father over in his bed, a clear indication that Naruto was to join him. For a moment, Naruto just blinked and shifted as though uneasy, his blue eyes eyeing the bed. The anxiety was annoying, and Sasuke let out another deep-set sigh forcing Naruto to meet his eyes.
            “I’m too tired to clean off another bed, so get in.”
            “… but, I roll…”
            “I know.” Sasuke grunted, giving Naruto a flat stare that told him just how much he did know about the blonde’s sleeping habits.
            The glare was expected, the slight jump at the thunder not.
            Sasuke eyed Naruto carefully, wondering how Naruto of all people could be bothered by something as trivial as thunder. He’s lived alone all his life, it should be… Sasuke’s train of thought derailed suddenly as the obvious hit him. That’s right, he was completely alone all his life… so he had no one to tell him that the noise was only that… sound.
            For a brief second, Sasuke pitied his friend but the feeling quickly passed with the reminder that Naruto didn’t need pity, nor would he want it, and so he flopped back on the bed, looking for all the world like he was going to sleep.
            “C’mon dobe, I’m tired and the loud noises the clouds make is keeping me up.” He admitted, his cheeks burning with enraged embarrassment. He wouldn’t have admitted it any other time—in fact he regretted it desperately the minute he heard the choked laugh—but Naruto deserved some form of comfort, and Sasuke was currently at a loss as to what he should do.
            “So you are scared!” Naruto cried with glee as he pounced on the bed wiggling under the blankets, suddenly unconcerned with the sleeping arrangements. “Do you need a hug? Should I sing you a lullaby?” Naruto asked, pressing up to his side, and Sasuke had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from pointing out that Naruto wouldn’t know any lullaby’s.
            His arm twitched with the urge to hit the other boy who was invading his personal space, but he’d learned from experience, that when Naruto cuddled it was his way of reassuring himself that those precious to him were still there. Sasuke could still clearly remember the morning after their final fight with Zabuza and Haku.
            His wounds had been wrapped in heavy gauze and he’d slept for most of the day to regain his strength, so he was disoriented when he woke with Naruto laying practically on top of him, his ear pressed solidly to his chest as though he fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.
            From the fact that Naruto’s bed roll was on the other side of the room, it was obvious that was exactly what had happened at some point in the night, and for the life of him, Sasuke still couldn’t help but feel a little happy that Naruto had worried so much. He’d left before Naruto woke up of course, and neither had ever spoken of the incident, but a kind of understanding had been shared then, and that was currently the only thing keeping Naruto from a bloody nose.
            “Shut it, Naruto.” Sasuke bit out trying to ignore Naruto’s chortling from his side. Neither spoke on the fact that Naruto was holding him around his middle, nor the fact that Sasuke was letting him do so, and if they had their way it would never be discussed.
            “That’s alright, Sasuke. I never can sleep on nights like this either.”
            A warm silence settled as Sasuke relaxed in his best friend’s hold, a soft smile on his mouth. “Shut up, dobe.”
            And for once, he did.

A.N. Hello everyone, I am back from boot camp and the same as I ever was. ^-^ Okay first off, I can’t believe I posted this looking as it did! 0.0 I reread it and almost had a heart attack at how poorly I worded some things, not to mention the flow, and the OOCness. Well, the first part is from the OVA “Protect the Waterfall Village.” That was jam pack with SasuNaru moments, I just had to use it. ^-^ And Sasuke’s dream sequence was supposed to mirror what he might have been thinking as he was “dying” in the valley of the Mist. His last thoughts where what he said to Naruto… so yeah, I don’t think that got across though. Anyway, the next chapter should be out soon. ^-^
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Kyuubi the Bitch

No…

Stop…

Don’t!

Damn it! Stop!

Damn you, Itachi!

I’ll kill you!

I’ll kill you!

Naruto…

Shut up!

Naruto…

He was back in the room with the blood, shadows, and whispers of death. Dark eyes stayed trained on fisted hands, larger than before, but still not strong enough.