Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Whosoever doth Awaken the Demon	By : vanessaclarke Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1344 -:- 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. Please don't sue me.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Whosoever doth Awaken the Demon

part 3

The journey had continued on in silence. The travelers were
too shaken by the earlier attack for any light-hearted chatter. Instead they
were moving as fast as the horses could safely go and eating up the miles twice
as quickly as they had on the way to Konoha. By the
end of the day, Naruto was fairly rejuvenated but Kiba�s mount was looking a little worse for the wear.

It was long past dark when they stopped for a few hours
rest. A hastily made fire was the extent of their preparations. Turns on watch
were agreed upon and Naruto volunteered to help out
but was immediately turned down by Sasuke, who said
that there were too few hours before dawn for them to bother with an extra
watch.

Naruto grumbled about this. He was
sure that the time had nothing to do with it and he simply wasn�t to be
trusted. Kiba attempted to sooth him, saying that he
still wasn�t in top form and should get more sleep. The irritated fox snorted
and threw one last glare at the Uchiha.

He did note with grudging approval that the other prince had
dutifully taken the first watch himself. From his generally high-handed
attitude, one might easily have expected him to play the spoiled prince-ling
and leave all the work to his men.

However, this did little to negate the perceived insult to Naruto�s honour.

Sasuke sighed as Naruto pointedly looked away from him before moving in to
settle close to the fire.

The brat was angry with him, again. He couldn�t seem to stop
offending him. He knew exactly how false his excuse had sounded. The truth was
that Sasuke agreed with Kiba
about Naruto needing the extra rest, but he couldn�t
come out and say that.

Sasuke was never a demonstrative
person, even before his family had been killed and the weight of an entire
kingdom was placed on his shoulders. He�d already shown enough concern for the
cheeky blond. Anymore and people might actually start thinking he�d gone soft.

He sat ramrod straight against a tree trunk, ready for his
watch while the others settled down. His dark eyes trained shamelessly on the
fox boy, watching his every move while Naruto curled
up by the fire, cuddling his tail and using it to pillow his head.

Sasuke was again reminded of a
child with a security blanket and he couldn�t help but smile at the sight.
Throughout the watch, whenever his mind would begin to spin with questions and
worries about his brother and his kingdom, he would glance back over at the
peaceful image and feel a strange but welcome calm, washing everything else
away.

The sun began to rise far too early for anyone�s
convenience. Or so Naruto thought as he woke with a
jaw-cracking yawn to Kiba�s whistling as he rummaged
in the saddlebag. Really. Whistling at this time of
day!

He could also hear Shikamaru�s
voice estimating their time of arrival and suggesting that Naruto
should switch off and ride with him for the day to keep Kiba�s
horse from getting too worn out.

�I�ll take him,� Sasuke replied,
and Naruto�s tired eyes shot open.

�Will you, Highness?� Shikamaru
sounded almost amused for some reason. �Are you sure?�

�I have the better horse. He won�t even notice the weight.�

Naruto frowned, slowly sitting up.
What the hell was he up to? Was Prince Stick-up-my-ass really going to lower
himself to share his mount?

�It�s time to get going, Naruto,�
the Uchiha called. �You�ll be riding with me today.�

�Well, at least he managed to get my name out without
choking on it this time,� Naruto mused wryly,
standing and brushing himself off just as Kiba
returned from the saddlebag with �breakfast�.

�Oh� goody,� he deadpanned as the flavourless
travel cake was dropped in his hand. The entire company smirked at him and he
scowled back, failing to look remotely menacing with his sleepy eyes and bed-head.
�Bunch of jerks.�

�Don�t even think about wasting good food, Dobe,� said Sasuke as he climbed
into the saddle. �We have no time for anything else.��

�Do NOT call me that!�

�Oh, I do beg your pardon. A thousand
apologies. Now come and get on the horse.� Sasuke
grinned inwardly as the blond fumed, turning away and crossing his arms, his
tail actually puffing out. This was, dare he say, fun.

�I will not be patronized. I�d rather ride with Shikamaru.�

What? Oh, no he didn�t. Sasuke
would definitely not allow that, because� because he had the better horse! Why
did that sound so weak?

�I said you�ll be riding with me.� Cantering up to the
blond, he reached down and grabbed him, swinging him bodily up onto the horse
behind him.

Naruto�s stomach fluttered wildly
as he was literally swept off his feet and he scrambled for a comfortable
position on the shifting animal, his hands trying and failing to find purchase
on Sasuke�s stiff clothing. He was forced to hug
around the other man�s waist just to keep himself
upright, a blush heating his cheeks.

Sasuke stiffened against his own
physical reactions to the unintentional embrace and Naruto
wriggled uncomfortably behind him while they started off. It was like hugging a
post.

�Damn, Bastard. You sit like you�ve got a metal pole up your
ass, propping up your spine. Is that where you keep your extra sword?�

�If you don�t shut up, there�ll be a sword up your ass in a minute.�

�Which one?�

Sasuke�s eyes widened as his pure,
princely mind took a sudden nosedive into the gutter.

�I mean, do you think you can actually take me on yourself?
Or will your highness simply order it done?� Naruto
went on obliviously, and the unsettled Uchiha shook
off that train of thought, thankfully before the mental pictures could really
set in.

�How drole.
Can you never be serious?�

�Oh, I�ve been serious, as you well know, but it�s in the
nature of the feyfox to joke and play. Must you always be serious? Even my father had
his gentle side.�

�I have too many concerns right now for such nonsense,� Sasuke stated grimly.

�Times of strife are often the perfect reason for
merriment,� Naruto countered. �A good ruler knows
that sometimes when a kingdom is ill at ease, the best way to help the subjects, is to distract them with a ball or a festival.�

Sasuke sniffed disdainfully at
that.

�Is that so? Well, I�m of the opinion that in this case, the
best way to ease the troubled minds of my subjects, is
to eliminate the threat.�

�Oh yes,� Naruto snorted. �I�m
sure it�s all about them and has nothing at all to do with securing your own
position of power.�

�What are you insinuating, Demon?!�

Sasuke could feel the fox boy wince
and withdraw behind him. From the corner of his eye, he caught Kiba and Shikamaru sharing a look
and shaking their heads at his snarled words.

�Well, you don�t exactly impress me as the caring and
considerate sort,� Naruto muttered.

The proud Uchiha was still angered
at the comment. But there was a significant bitterness to Naruto�s
tone and a rush of cold where the warm arms had retreated from his waist, and a
part of him was cursing himself.�
��
�I do need to secure my position against Itachi,�
he sighed, �but for the same good reason that my father chose not to give him
the crown. He cannot be trusted with the fate of an entire kingdom.

I� I do care about my people� They are all that I have
left.�

Naruto didn�t argue. He didn�t
answer at all, and the warmth did not return either. Was he just thinking? Or
was he still upset at Sasuke for using, �that word�?

Admittedly, it wasn�t very tactful and certainly not the
best way of developing trust, nor of convincing the blond of his consideration
for others. Normally, Sasuke would never have reacted
so hastily.

Of course nobody else would have said such a thing aloud,
but if they had, he would have calmly assessed the situation, and most likely
had them removed from his presence or possibly ordered their execution. But he
would have done so calmly.

He did not really care what most people thought of him. The
notion of Naruto having such a low opinion of him,
however, had truly stung.

�I am thinking and feeling things about him that I should
not be,� he thought, more than a little frustrated. Nevertheless, after several
minutes of awkward silence, he gave in, clearing his throat.

�I apologize�.

He spoke quietly and did not mention what he was sorry for
-the two words alone had been taxing enough- but a few seconds later, a pair of
warm arms slowly slid around him. A smile quirked his lips as he felt the
pleasant weight settle against his back and a sighed breath tickle the hair at
the nape of his neck.

Naruto hesitantly rested a cheek
against Sasuke�s shoulder and marveled at the way the
Uchiha�s unnatural stiffness finally relaxed, at
least a little. Maybe the Sound Prince really did care about something besides
saving his own ass. He had a hell of a hard time showing it, but maybe, he had his
gentle side too.

�Maybe.

--

It was dark when they finally reached Otto, the capital of
the Kingdom of the Sound. Sasuke had insisted that
they were too close to home to bother stopping for the night, so as they rode
through the main street and up to the castle gate, Naruto
could make out nothing more than hulking, featureless shadows.

They were only held at the gate for a moment before gaining
entry and were soon handing the horses off to a pair of yawning stable hands
who�d just been roused.

One of the guards was sent to fetch the General immediately.
Sasuke wanted to speak with him before anyone else
knew of their return. He led the rest of the little group to his study to wait,
though he imagined that they would be longing for their own beds by now. Shikamaru�s sigh said as much and the lazy soldier was
muttering under his breath about the troublesomeness of it all.

Naruto looked up with interest
some time later when a tall silver haired man in uniform came into the study
and halted smartly, directing a short bow to Sasuke.

�Your highness,� the man greeted, with quiet dignity. Sasuke nodded.

�General Kakashi�.

Kakashi had almost certainly just
been roused from sleep himself but he showed no sign of it. He appeared both
alert and impeccably dressed.

�We have news. But first, if you would give a quick briefing
on what has been happening in my absence��

�Of course. The battalions stationed
in the northern and western quarters have been pulled in. The armories are
full, provisions fully stocked and the mages have done all that they can for
now, with general protections on the mail and plates. Our troops are as ready
as they are going to be. I also have word that Itachi
has just begun to march.�

�Indeed? He�s decided to go ahead then,� Sasuke
mused, sending a glance to Shikamaru.

�He�s lost his most opportune moment,� the lazy soldier
responded. �Perhaps he means to draw you out, unless he has a plan to strike
against you from within these walls. That is not out of the realm of
possibility.�

Kakashi had been staring at Naruto�s tail throughout the exchange. His brows were
slowly drawing together in a frown, which only caused Naruto
to twitch the furry appendage in agitation.

�Is this your demon, Highness?� the General finally asked.

�Yes�.

Naruto snorted.

�That is not a demon�.

The blond�s attention snapped to Sasuke, his blue eyes hard as he watched for the Uchiha�s response.

��I know,� Sasuke sighed.

Some subtle tension inside of Naruto
deflated at the admission.

�Can he fight?� Kakashi asked
bluntly. Sasuke gave Naruto
an unreadable look.

�I don�t know. We will have to come back to that later.
There are more immediate concerns to be discussed at the moment.�

�More immediate?� A silver brow rose
at that.

�We have reason to suspect that there may be a traitor in
our midst. We were ambushed on the road. Itachi
somehow knew about my journey, if not it�s purpose.�

�You believe he has a spy in the castle.�

�It is possible, unless he has some magical means of
obtaining his information.� Sasuke really hoped that
wasn�t the case. As much as he disliked the idea of a traitor, it would
probably be easier to deal with.

�I don�t suppose you have anyone in particular in mind?�

�Someone low level, most likely,� Shikamaru
broke in. �He had to have been in a hurry to have made the effort in the first
place. And yet, they were just waiting for us within the borders for who knows
how long. He made no attempt to follow us into the Kingdom of the Flame, though
there were several points during our time there that would have been more
tactically advantageous.

I do not believe he knew where we went. He probably had
ambush teams set up at every point of entry, knowing that we�d have to return
through one of them. Whoever his informant was, they could not have been privy
to any details on the nature of the trip. They simply knew that the prince had
left�.

Kakashi seemed to breathe a silent
sigh of relief that the spy could be no one they really knew or trusted
personally.

�That still doesn�t narrow it down very much at all. How
shall we go about finding them?� Sasuke asked.

�That might just be more simple
than you think, Your highness,� said Kiba, brightly.
�My family breeds the finest tracking dogs in the kingdom. This spy must be
corresponding with your brother somehow. They may have papers or something else
that he�s touched. If you have anything of his to give them the scent, they�d
find it alright�.

Questioning looks and shrugs were passed around the room. It
may not have been a sure bet but it wasn�t really a bad idea either and it was
the only plan they had at the moment.

They decided not to waste any time. If this was to work,
they would need to catch everyone off guard. While Kiba
left to get the dogs, Sasuke went to retrieve
something from his brother�s old room himself. Anyone that would normally have
been sent on such an errand would have been suspect at the moment anyway.

Dawn had not quite broken when Kiba
returned, leading an enormous hound that he proudly introduced as Akamaru. His sister had come along as well, to handle a
second dog so that they could cover more ground quickly.

�Akamaru�s a tracking genius. I trained
him myself,� Kiba boasted. His sister, Hana rolled her eyes.

�These two are the best noses in the kennel, your highness.
Whatever you�re looking for, they can find it,� she assured with utmost
conviction.

Sasuke produced an old pair of Itachi�s gloves for the dogs to sniff and they headed for
the main servants� quarters, where they split into two groups. Kakashi and Shikamaru went with Hana down one corridor, while Kiba,
Sasuke and Naruto started
on the other.

Keeping as quiet as possible so as not to make a huge
disturbance, they knocked on each door and when the occupant would answer, the
dog was let in to sniff around the room. They would then apologize for the
inconvenience and move on. Room after room was checked with no result.

�It was kind of exciting at first, but this is starting to
get tedious,� Naruto remarked.

�Dobe�. Sasuke shook his head, though he was secretly inclined to
agree.

�Well it is. And I suppose that if we don�t find anything
here, we�ll have to move on to the barracks and the personal attendants and
even the kitchen staff�s quarters.�

Kiba had to stifle a yawn just
thinking about it.

As the thirty seventh door was
opened and Kiba was just begging the pardon of a low
level mage with long silver hair, Akamaru began to
whine and prance excitedly.

�Oh! Oh! I think he�s got something!�

Sasuke spared a moment to smirk
fondly at Naruto, who looked very similar to the dog
as he hopped from one foot to the other, his tail wagging madly.

�Don�t mind us,� he said, turning his attention sharply to
the confused looking man. �We�re just conducting a little random inspection.�

�Yeah, I hope you haven�t left any of your unmentionables
lying around,� Kiba joked as he let the dog loose.

Akamaru shot into the room and
zipped back and forth snuffling in a few corners and crevasses, but he kept
coming back to the desk. Finally, he jumped up. The rickety piece of furniture
wobbled dangerously under the weight of his huge paws as he nosed impatiently
at a smallish mirror that rested in a stand there.

�What have you got there, boy?� Kiba
called, stepping up to see.

Akamaru looked back at him and
barked in triumph before plunking his hind end down, tongue lolling in a
panting doggy grin and heavy tail thumping against the floor.

The silver haired mage had paled dramatically and suddenly, he
was bolting through the door but Sasuke and Naruto blocked the hallway in both directions, bringing him
up short. He was forced back into the room at sword-point, shuffling backward
until he hit the chair from his desk that Kiba had
slid up behind him.

�Go and find Kakashi,� the prince
ordered sharply. Kiba gave one last pet to the dog�s
massive head and rushed off while Sasuke�s blade
continued to threaten their prisoner into grudging stillness.

--

�Alright Mizuki, I�m sure you
realize that we have a few questions for you. The sooner you answer, the sooner
this particular unpleasantness will be done with,� Kakashi
began, once they were settled in their choice of interrogation chamber.

In this case, that happened to be a simple bare stone room.
He was being firm but still vaguely polite as they had not yet determined
whether the man had knowingly betrayed them. Though the way he was glaring at
the floor at the moment, was not a very hopeful sign.

�Where did you get this mirror?� He held the object up,
using a cloth to avoid touching it directly, since Naruto
had confirmed that a magical energy emanated from it.

�It�s a family heirloom,� the mage, Mizuki,
said innocently, the glare disappearing at once to make way for a helplessly
confused expression. �What is going on here? Why are you doing this to me?�

�This �heirloom� of yours looks awfully expensive for a
family of your standing,� Kakashi noted dryly. �Where
would they have come by such a piece, I wonder?�

�Are you accusing me of thievery?�

�Oh no. It�s much worse than that,�
Sasuke put in.

�Your highness, please, I have done nothing-�

�That mirror came from my foul, treacherous brother.�

The man�s face screwed up at that, the glare returning
tenfold.

�Liar! Itachi
is a great man, and the rightful ruler! It is you that is the traitor. You
stole what was rightfully his! But he�s coming for you now and you�ll be
sorry.�

�Well, that innocent act didn�t take much to crack, did it?�
Naruto thought to himself, half amused and half
disturbed by the magician�s sheer venom.

�Did Itachi give you this mirror?�
Kakashi demanded.

�I�m not telling the usurper anything!�

�I�ll take that as a yes. What is it? How does it work?� he
tried, his already thunderous expression darkening when the mage merely hissed
at him in response. �You do realize that if you refuse to speak on your own, we
will be forced to use certain methods of persuasion.�

Naruto flinched at the thought of
torturing the silly wretch and considered going back to the study. He hadn�t
been given a room yet but he recalled seeing a divan there that he might
stretch out on. In any case, he had no desire to stay and watch.

Mizuki, on the other hand, did not
appear to be overly moved by the threat.

�Do your worst. I will never cooperate with the likes of you,�
he spat.

Sasuke sighed silently. This man
was clearly deranged.

�Why protect him?� he asked. �What has he offered you?�
Again, there was no response. �You think you can withstand whatever hideous
torments we may come up with, do you?�

The man swallowed but gave a terse nod. Sasuke
had to give him points for determination, but he�d just come up with an
interesting idea.

�Hn� You feel the results are
worth a little pain. Do you think he�ll save your sorry hide? Or perhaps you
feel that the general and I suffer from a lack of imagination,� he said in a
ponderous tone.

�You know, I don�t believe I need to bother coming up with
something myself. I have brought something back from my travels that would do a
much more� interesting job of it. You can be our trial run. I highly doubt that
there�s any experience quite like it.�

Mizuki was starting to look more
and more nervous, a few beads of sweat dotting his brow.

�You see, I�ve managed to procure a demon and he�s been growing rather hungry.�

Naruto stiffened, his narrowed
eyes pierced out from his dim corner, straight into the Uchiha�s
head. What the fuck?! He�d thought that stupid son of a bitch had gotten past
that whole demon thing! And now he was volunteering him to-

Sasuke�s head tilted just slightly
toward him with the barest of smirks. He sent a quick wink and Naruto grinned, suddenly understanding the game. This might
actually be fun.

Sasuke very nearly gaped openly
when Naruto slunk out of the shadows with silent
grace and a dangerous grin. The blond stalked the bound prisoner, licking his
lips like a hungry carnivore. His tail made long sweeping motions from side to
side with a sharp little flick at the end of each pass, designed to draw his prey�s
attention.

The smirk on his whiskered face grew all the more wicked as
he saw how well the technique worked. Those wide eyes followed the movement as
though he were hypnotized. The mage startled when a deep, dark chuckle that
should not have been possible, rumbled from the blond.

�For me, Master? You shouldn�t
have.�

Sasuke bit his tongue hard to
distract himself from his uncomfortable reaction to those words in that low, purring
growl.

Having reached his target, Naruto
proceeded to circle around him with great deliberation, making him nervously
crane his neck to try to keep the looming creature in sight. The man�s pulse
had sped up considerably, his breath heaving in mounting panic.

�W-what are you going to do?� he stuttered.

Naruto leaned in from behind, inciting
a harsh jerk from the prisoner as his lips brushed his ear.

�First I�m going to play with you a little, of course. Then
I will feast upon your flesh, slowly, and devour your soul so that you may join
my other hapless victims that writhe in eternal-�

�My Prince!� Mizuki shrieked suddenly,
interrupting before he could hear another evil word. �Surely you would not give
me to this inhuman beast?!�

The foolish man was quaking so badly, he looked as though he
might actually wet himself. But Sasuke had caught Naruto�s slight cringe at his words and irrationally, found
himself less inclined than ever to take pity on him.

�Wouldn�t I?� he sneered.

�Y-you need me alive to talk!�

�You�ve stated that nothing will induce you to speak, so I�ve
no use for you. Consider yourself demon fodder.�

Naruto growled and pounced,
grabbing the mage roughly from behind, even wrapping his tail around him and Sasuke actually felt the briefest flash of envy that the
mage had gotten to feel the caress of soft fur, before the blood-curdling
scream echoed off the stone walls. Everyone hissed and winced at the pain in
their ears.

�I�m sorry! I�m sorry!� the cowardly man was sobbing. �He
told me you were a usurper. He wanted me to help him get back what should have
been his. He prom- promised that he would reward my
loyalty. He said that I would be given great power if I proved myself worthy.�

�He lied,� said Sasuke, motioning
for Naruto to ease up. �He would never have made you powerful.
He trusts no one and he wouldn�t allow you to become a possible threat. You�d
be lucky if he ignored you. Now, do you have anything useful to say?�

Mizuki nodded timidly, squirming
in Naruto�s grip.

�Let�s hear it then.�

The frightened mage immediately began to stutter out an
explanation of how he had been communicating with Itachi
through the magic mirror. They confirmed that while he had indeed informed the
elder Uchiha of his brother�s departure, he�d not
been able to give the purpose behind the trip.

And finally, Kakashi demanded to
know the reason that Itachi had been so desperate to
kill Sasuke before the battle even began.

�My Lor- er,
Itachi has acquired most of his forces by means of a
dark deal. He would receive ultimate power in exchange for the lives of the
rest of his clan. I�ve seen how he carries the contract around with him and as
a mage I have studied the theory behind such things.�

The mage paused here but a growl from behind had him
hurrying to elaborate.

�He has yet to fully uphold his end of the bargain. As long
as even one member of his family still lives, his great army is at only half strength.
All he needs to be truly unstoppable is Prince Sasuke�s
death.�

Blue eyes that had suddenly lost their wicked gleam, shot
toward the Uchiha, who seemed to be staring
unseeingly at the far wall. Viciously suppressing the roiling in his gut that
had begun to strike, Sasuke had already begun to
ponder how this information could be used to their benefit.

Naruto frowned, chewing on his
lower lip. Sasuke�s lack of reaction didn�t seem
right. The thought of your own brother being desperate to kill you, had to be�
unsettling. The stoic bastard really needed to learn how to emote, for heaven�s sake.

�You will report to my brother,� Sasuke
instructed the prisoner. �He will already know that I�ve returned and your
failure to inform him would be suspicious. You will say only that I have
returned and nothing else. Do you understand? Speak even one unsanctioned word
or make any odd movement that could possibly be interpreted as a signal, and you shall be left to the tender mercies of my
demon.�

Under careful observation, Mizuki
made the report as directed and was carted off to a high security cell. The
manacled mage sent one last nervous look over his shoulder at Naruto, who leered menacingly, letting a growl echo from
the stone walls of the dungeon corridor. Once the man was out of sight, the
blond had a good chuckle over his amusingly fearful expressions.

�So, devouring the soul� Is that what a real demon does?� Sasuke asked with a smirk.

�I have no idea,� Naruto grinned
back, �but it sounded pretty good, didn�t it?�

�He seemed to think so. And now, we know that Itachi has a weakness. We only need to figure out how best
to make use of it.�

�Yeah,� thought Naruto, �Never mind that the situation has become even more dangerous
for you.� It seemed that the prince of Sound was going to need some looking
after. Who knew it was even possible to feel worried about the annoying jerk.

A/N;�
Well, Holy Crap! I�ve finally returned. I wonder if anybody
remembers this story. So I�m already working on part four. I have other stuff I
want to get started on and my conscience won�t allow me to focus on anything
else while I have a story still hanging. The end of this one is in sight.

I suppose it�s been so long that no one really remembers
what they wrote, but I�ll go ahead and respond anyway.

Mija- Thanks for the support. I
know it may have been disappointing that Naruto didn�t
kick butt, but I needed a way to make Sasuke less of
an ass. Plus it builds tension while we all wait to see what Naruto
can actually do.

Kaliu6-san- Thanks! I�m trying to give the story the pace of a typical fairy-tale.
�
Kurai Kisu-
I love your enthusiasm. Glad you liked the picture. It may not suit the feel of the story but I just wanted to try something different.

Ivy- Thanks so much! Who doesn�t enjoy a clueless yet
jealous Sasuke? lol
Sorry for the wait. ��

Yue the Fox King- I think your
question has been answered. ^^

ecdragon00- Thanks. You were right.
The summary definitely needed work.
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Whosoever doth Awaken the Demon