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The Hunting Ground	By : Ljiljana Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1010 -:- 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.

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Chapter Four

Things rarely do go better once they start badly, so
Sasuke waited for Naruto to explain without any loud gasps and dramatic
gestures. He was not surprised, just a little worried about Naruto.

It was probably stupid
of him, but thinking about how tired Naruto had seemed yesterday in his office
while looking at his anxious face now, he couldn�t help it. The falling apart
between them hadn�t changed the fact that he still cared; if anything, it
underlined it. It was easy to lash out and clash, and bury all the friendly
feelings under the anger and adrenalin surges back when they were fighting all
the time. But now, when his head was clear, with Naruto acting as if he was in
some big trouble, there was no denying it.

On Sasuke�s side,
nothing has changed.

He had cared
while he was away from home; he had cared while he was in the Konoha hospital
after the big battle with Akatsuki, while he was imprisoned, when Kakashi
helped him out and reassembled team 7, and he had cared even when both him and
Naruto would come back home from every single mission bruised and broken from
fighting each other.

The mission would
always be completed, that was never the problem. Returning home was. Meals
together that were not filled in with forever strained conversation about the
assignment or technicalities were always ending up with Naruto unleashing all
the insults he had learned in various brothels around the world when he was
traveling with Jiraiya, and the only useful exchange of words between Naruto
and Sasuke happened through Sakura.

The teamwork was
compromised; Naruto simply refused to trust Sasuke, or to unnecessarily expose
Sakura to any danger, so he would always try to take care of things on his own
� which made Sasuke annoyed with him in turn.

Sakura refused to
treat anything that was not life threatening. She said that they needed to work
it out between the two of them, but Naruto wouldn�t talk � if you don�t count
insults, provocations and name calling that was always the thing leading them
straight into the physical fight. There was nothing to work out anyway. Sasuke
had explained � not to Naruto personally, but still � his motives. If he
couldn�t forgive him - not that Sasuke needed his forgiveness - then that�s it
nothing he could say or do would change anything.

And there was one
other thing. Fighting Naruto was always good, but fighting him the way he was now, was an incomparable thrill. He had
gotten stronger to an extent Sasuke never anticipated, never thought possible.

His fighting
style had changed. Even if on first sight it still looked like he was randomly
throwing himself and his chakra around in order to get a lucky hit, there was a
pattern, cleverness and maturity behind the way Naruto moved. He would come out
of nowhere, fast and fuming and loud beyond all reason, and very efficient.
Even the sharingan could help only to an extent; there was no planning ahead
when fighting Naruto. Sasuke could never tell what was he up to next, and it
was a challenge to try to figure it out, avoiding along the way those hits that
would end up tearing the ground apart when they would land.

Kakashi never
gave up, so he kept the three of them as teammates until the day he died. After
that, there was a huge revolt, people whose respect Naruto had earned against
those who were still afraid. When Naruto won and became the Hokage, Sasuke was
pushed on the side, and graced with one or two higher ranked missions only if
they were inside of Konoha�s walls.

Naruto obviously
couldn�t forgive him for past decisions, and Sasuke still cared, after
everything. It made him feel uncomfortable.

When it became
clear Naruto won�t say more, Sasuke prompted. �What else?�

�Um. There are people - you know, in the
committee - who think I did it.� Naruto finally said, and then continued
without a pause, �I�m still hungry.�

Sasuke ignored
completely the second part, because it was inserted only as a lame attempt from
stopping Sasuke ask questions. �Why?�

The surreal feeing
crept back to him with realization just how angry the question sounded. Why was
he upset about this? He half expected it ever since Naruto said that the news
was not getting better.

�Err.� Naruto
said, titling his head a little, as if to catch a better view at Sasuke�s face.
�They have a good reason for thinking it.�

�Really?� Sasuke said, the
little word as poisonous from his lips as the snake venom would be. He would
not say this out in the public, but here, in his own kitchen, he could afford
it. Naruto getting his nose rubbed on was just a bonus; a committee, the
democracy � what was he thinking? All that power in his hands, and the idiot
decided to share it to an extent when half of the village got to question him
rubbing the back of his neck openly. �Because the Nine-tailed Fox demon was
once known for its skill in genjutsu?�

Naruto made a
movement as if he was about to stand up, but he kept himself grounded by
gripping the edge of the table. Sasuke, across the table and with the files in
a neat pile still in front of him, hadn�t moved.� Naruto seemed on a verge of jumping and
shouting, probably something in defense of the people he chose himself; the
intensity in his eyes sent a familiar spark of excitement up Sasuke�s spine.
The absolute uncertainty about what he would do if the restraining failed only
made Sasuke want to open his mouth and say something that would definitely
throw Naruto over the edge.

He wanted to fight. He needed some kind of
a release. He almost had it, without even consciously trying, but then Naruto
turned his eyes to the plain side of the stove and relaxed a little, breathing
as heavily as he would if they actually were
fighting.

Alright, of all
the tricks Naruto picked up through the years, this one was the most annoying.
It was so unfamiliar to see Naruto restraining himself; it almost felt as if he
was brainwashed or possessed, wrong and upsetting.

�I get tired.�
Naruto spoke after a short silence, trying hard to look at the stove, then
walls and the surface of the table, just not Sasuke. �Really tired, I can�t get out of the bed. It goes on for a week or
so, and then someone dies and I�m all better.�

Sure, a
coincidence and its okay to think someone they had chosen themselves to be
their leader is a murderer. Trying to shrug off the absurd anger that wouldn�t
leave him, Sasuke asked to clarify: �So we have heads up? You always know when
it will happen?�

Naruto opened his
mouth, kept them like that for an awfully long time. Then he grinned.

�I think I like
how you are taking this.� He said first and answered after. �Yeah, I know. But
some other people who know about the connection think I�m the one doing it,
that that is why I am getting better.�

�While
you�re too tired to get out of the bed?�

Naruto nested his
chin into the palm of his right hand and yawned. All the anxiety from earlier
seemed to drain out of him how the conversation progressed. It seemed like he
was actually afraid Sasuke would think he killed those people, and was now
relived.

�Well, they don�t
really know it�s that bad. Sakura
takes care of me.�

�Hn.� Sasuke answered. What is worse - to show
the exact extent of your weakness to the people you should be ordering around
or to let your friends think you are a murderer? �So, you knew what will happen?
This time?�

�Yeah. We doubled the guard, made everyone walk
up and down the village repeatedly, keep their eyes open. It�s hard, because we
don�t know who is doing this, or how, or when exactly.� Naruto added in much softer tone, but Sasuke heard it:
�Or why.�

So basically, in
the eyes of those that knew about Naruto�s connection to the murders, he was
the suspect. In eyes of everyone else, that was probably Sasuke. It was almost
amusing � in a sad, depressing way. Finally, a thing they had in common.�

�If this happens
every several months, I have some time.�

Naruto snorted.
�That is what we were saying to ourselves the last time, when the connection
couldn�t be denied any longer. It got us nowhere.�

Sasuke didn�t
answer that. The only thing he had to say was that things are different now
when he was involved, but that was something that will show once he finds the
killer, so no point in wasting words. Not when he had more questions.

�Is it just
tiredness? Are you experiencing anything else?�

Unhappy with the
track the conversation was heading for, Naruto frowned. �Sakura says it�s like chakra is being divided inside of me. It
feels like chakra overuse � only
without pain.�

Sasuke had his doubts
about Naruto being aware how overuse of chakra feels; it was almost
unimaginable for that to happen.

�And that is
all?�

The frown grew
deeper. �What more do you want?�

It would probably
be more efficient if he talked to Sakura about the details anyway, Sasuke was
thinking, so he didn�t bother answering.�

�Look,� Naruto
snapped. �I don�t know, okay? I sleep it through. Sakura has to give me blood
transfusions and her own chakra only
to get me up for long enough so I can eat. I�m cold but it�s not painful; I
mostly can�t even remember it and the little of it I do remember are just me
wanting to get better and praying I won�t because it would mean someone else is
dead. And Kyuubi refuses to cooperate completely, like he doesn�t even care if
we both die.�

Yeah, that was
the �more� Sasuke wanted. He just didn�t expect to hear it - and not for all of
it to come out in one breath.

�Can�t you draw
from the nature?�

�Only
in early stage. After
that� it just takes too much concentration, and even when I take some, I can�t
keep it. It dissolves even quicker then my own strength.� With the finger of
him left hand, Naruto made a small circle over the surface of the table. Sasuke
could feel the energy flowing, just like the previous day in the office. �But it�s
very helpful when I�m recovering.�

So that was what
he was doing. From everything Sasuke read about lending the power from the
nature, a person has to be very still. Naruto seemed to be doing it better while
moving, even if only a hand. When did he learn that?

At the moment,
though, the more pressing question was would Naruto die if Sakura was not to
give him blood transfusions and chakra?
It was very likely, and not just because he was unconscious and couldn�t eat
and drink, but if the chakra was dissolving inside of him, then� Yes, he would
probably die.

�Is someone with
you all the time?�

Naruto, who was
now relaxed enough to curiously look around the kitchen like he never saw one
before, answered almost cheerfully. �Sakura is.�

Oh, the idiots. �That is not enough, Naruto.
Everyone knows Sakura would not tell a word even if she knew that you are the one killing people. You need a
firm alibi if we fail to catch the killer before the next time.�

�Sakura
wouldn�t�� Naruto started indignantly but Sasuke interrupted.

�Of course she
would. You need someone they all trust to be around when you�re sick.�

Naruto didn�t
like it. Sasuke wasn�t surprised about that; he hated people seeing him weak,
and that was something Sasuke could relate to. What was odd is that Naruto was
talking about it to him � although
reluctantly. Sure, he wanted the killer to be caught and all, but details about
how guilty he felt for wanting to get better? Naruto didn�t have to say that.

Sasuke decided to
change the subject before Naruto realize he slipped and try to cover for it
somehow � or run away.

Naruto got there
before him: �I�m hungry!�

There was a bowl
full of apples on the counter, so Sasuke pointed it out without a word.� Naruto widened his eyes like he was
instructed to eat worms, but took one anyway. Deciding an apple it�s not such a
bad deal after all as soon as he bit into it, he continued to munch on it
happily, not showing any signs he had plans to go home at all tonight.

�Which is a
thought that should�ve had made Sasuke annoyed, not hopeful. Years spent alone
in this house that was too big and too full of memories are not valid excuse
for unreasonableness and especially not for being unable to move his eyes always
from where Naruto all but molested his apple. There was something wrong with
Sasuke tonight; this was the second time he thought about Naruto sexual way.

It had to stop.

�Is that all?� He
asked intent on making it clear Naruto was not welcome any longer, but his
voice came out with a rasp on the last word. Naruto stopped in mid-movement.

�I don�t know.�
He answered and narrowed his eyes on where Sasuke was standing without a memory
of ever getting up from his chair. �Do you have any more questions? Suggestions?�

The last word
came out through a smirk; a blatant innuendo. Sasuke looked away to the wall
behind Naruto and said, �Don�t do that.� The words came out of his mouth before
he was even aware he was acknowledging the possibility Naruto was letting those
insane slips drop on purpose.

�What?� Naruto
asked, with his eyes so wide and fake-innocent, they were about to fall
out.�

Yeah, what? Who
allowed those words to come out anyway?

�I haven�t slept
last night at all. I have work tomorrow. If you have nothing else to say, go
away.�

The trash can was
almost completely hidden behind the counter, but Naruto knew exactly where it
was anyway, so the remaining from the apple fell directly into it when he threw
it.�

�Nothing
urgent.� He confirmed,
after making his way around the table to reach the door. Sasuke hadn�t moved at
all. Naruto didn�t seem to do anything unorthodox, so it was quite a surprise
when he stopped not a foot away from Sasuke, with a huge smile on his face that
was not annoying at all. �You�re always slouching when you�re tense.�

�What?� Sasuke
asked, taking a little satisfaction in the sound of his own voice that was not
reflecting the utter confusion inside. Whatever was it that Naruto thought he
was doing was never funny, but now was starting to be too much. Sasuke refused
to step back or avert his eyes first to the ground � well, not wanting to show
any weakness. Naruto smiled even wider and turned to the door.

The scent of
apples lingered.

�It�s a bad
habit.� Naruto explained and then he was out of the door that closed behind him
with a shallow thud.

So being crazy is
a requirement for the Hokage position after all, Sasuke thought and went to
take off another layer of sweat in frustration in the bathroom. Hopefully, he
would be able to catch some sleep after that.

��
* * *

When Sasuke
opened his eyes the next morning to the still dark room, he knew exactly why he
was thinking about Shusui while reading the file about the guard who had
drowned in the muddy puddle. He couldn�t remember if he had a dream that
reminded him of that memory, but it might have been that. A long time ago, he had
fought to forget about all the good things about his brother so hard; he often
ended up dreaming about it.

Sasuke was maybe
five when his father took him outside the Konoha for the first time, on some
clan business trip.� The journey was long
but fun, because Itachi was with him all the time, and back then, before the
academy brought the competition between them, that was the most important thing
in the world.�

The little party
had stopped at one of the hideouts to collect the weapons they wanted but Konoha
had restrictions on. It was an ugly, dirty place, almost completely abandoned.
The buildings were old, barely not ruins, crooked and kind of scary in the eyes
of a five yours old Sasuke. Itachi and Shisui were left to take care of him
outside of the tunnels.

Shisui didn�t
like being excluded from the important clan things to baby-sit, so after some
restless walking up and down the alley and trying to talk Itachi into some
sparing, he settled on trying to scare Sasuke � with the story about why the place
they were at was abandoned.��

Sasuke got up
from the bed, got dressed and packed his traveling backpack. From the little
storage under the floor, he took his sword. Then he packed the standard amount
of weapons and exactly nine shurikens
into his pouch. It was an old custom, nothing more then a superstition
nowadays, but whenever the mission had any personal meaning to Sasuke, he would
find himself unwilling to leave the house without nine shurikens exactly.

And this thing
might be personal even without the danger Naruto was in.

Sakura was at
home, not that Sasuke expected her not to be. The apartment she had rented
after moving out of her parents� house had no terrace, but the little ledge was
more then enough. Sasuke knocked on her window, because the entrance door of
the building was locked.

He could see one
head of two rising from the pillow, and then the familiar figure walking to the
window. There was no hesitation when Sakura opened the window; she probably
recognized him as well, even though Sasuke kept his chakra hidden.

�Sasuke?� She asked, worry and sleep cracking up
her voice.

�I need a pass
out of Konoha.�

Sakura blinked in
the dark and rubbed her eyes.

�If I get you a
pass this early, people will wonder what was so important.� She said, her voice slipping back to sleepy when there wasn�t seemed
to be an emergency.� �What is so important?�

Sasuke looked at
where he was standing on the narrow ledge on his fingers and then back at her.
�This is not the place for that conversation.�

Sakura laughed
softly and gestured him in.

�I remember the
time you could sing under my window for hours.� She said while he was jumping
over the windowsill. �Though I had a terrace back then.�

Sasuke assumed
she was talking about some ridiculous fantasy from the time she was sporting a
crush on him and decided not to say anything � not even to point out that he
doesn�t sing. Sakura led the way out of the dark room, and Sasuke was relieved
to see that the person pretending to be asleep in the bed had dark hair.

In the small
kitchenette, Sakura made tea for both of them, listening carefully about the
trip and the place. She looked like she was about to say something for a moment
while he was describing where it was, but she shook her head when he stopped
talking to hear it.

�He said that
they all drowned. It was a civilian place, known for the huge market place; no
one had a reason to wipe them all out. When the gate failed to open for several
days and no one answered the calling, visitors who were waiting outside forced
it open. They found the place dead; corpses were everywhere � with the heads in
their own sinks, bathtubs, fountain in the square. Puddles on
the ground.�

�Like the guard.�
Sakura made the connection aloud.��

�Maybe he made it
up to scare me. Maybe it is just a coincidence.� Sasuke warned when Sakura
beamed. �He wanted to tell me more, but Itachi interfered.�

Itachi interfered
by throwing a kunai that cut Shisui�s sleeve on the right elbow and pointed out
Sasuke was small and scared, and that it wasn�t his fault that Shisui was left
behind. The entire reason Sasuke had that scene firmly engraved in his memory
was the protectiveness his brother had for him, a thing that haunted him so
often, even when he refused to acknowledge it, in the years before he found out
the truth.

Sakura graciously
pretended he never said the last part and Itachi�s name.

She smiled.
�Yeah, I know. I�ll get you a pass as soon as the working hours start, but try
not to stay longer then you have to.�

That left him
with some free time, so Sasuke ate the breakfast Sakura insisted on and listen
to her repeat what Naruto said last night about his condition and then he went
to the training grounds back at his district. With the traveling baggage
against a tree, Sasuke was free to stretch and warm up for a bit, and that grew
into a complete, even though not severe, training session.

The sun was up
and leaving the east slowly when Sasuke went back to find Sakura in the Hokage
tower.� She was scowling deeply when she
made people go out of her office. Either she changed her mind, or something was
wrong.

�I have it here.�
She said. �But you will get it under one condition.�

Blackmail was not
something Sakura would reach out for often, which meant she was about to ask
for something he will not like, something that involved Naruto.

�I will go there
with or without it.�

Sakura ignored
the warning. �You have to take Naruto with you.�

On a trip that
will last maybe even as long as an entire week? Alone, just
the two of them? The many responsibilities on her still new job were
making her crack; Sakura was obviously out of her mind.

�No.�

�I have here,� She
told him, showing at the brick of papers on her desk. �More demands for
audience with Naruto then this building have bricks.� All least half of them will yell at him, and
the other half will demand explanations in a semi-calm tone, which will only
make him feel worse.�

�This is a bad
idea.�

�He is so good at
this.� Sakura continued, not paying attention on his words. She was looking
somewhere behind Sasuke�s shoulder, with glazy, worried eyes. �I know it�s hard
right now, but he is actually good at being Hokage, because he listens to what
people have to say. And all the emissaries and diplomats like him � and Lords
think he is funny.� The she focused on Sasuke. �But this is destroying him.
Naruto was never good with avoiding the guilt. Getting away for a couple of
days can only do him good.�

Maybe going on a
vacation with someone else would do him some good. It was unlikely being alone
with Sasuke would help � it would be unlikely even without the hobby Naruto
just invented that involved inane behavior and vague innuendos. They will end
up fighting � or doing something else that was not recommendable.

Then again, that
might be a good thing.

�Look, I want you
to go. It sounds like you are on to something. Just take Naruto with you.�
Sakura was pleading at this point. Sasuke was never very sensitive on it,
because only weak people pleaded, but this time� There was some desperation in
Sakura that made him want to do this for her.

�How do you know
he would even go?�

The only response
Sakura gave was a laughter that had in it everything but mirth.

�Leave that to
me.� She said eventually, and left him in her office to go and talk to Naruto.

***

The plan was to
meet Naruto on the bridge. Sasuke was pretty sure the place was to have some
symbolical meaning and that it was chosen by Sakura. The morning was shriveling
slowly away into the unbearable hotness of the day when Sasuke finally had a
pass in his hands.

He recognized
Naruto in the shadow of a tree napping on his feet just because he was holding his
head propped on his arm in the same way he always did, but that is where all
the similarity stopped. In the eyes of everyone who paid him no special
attention, Naruto looked around forty, with dark hair and his nose too big and
red.

Sasuke went to him,
and Naruto opened one eye to glare.

�I miss Kakashi.�

Sasuke saw no
reason to respond to that.� Kakashi's
sometimes annoying, sometimes obviously welcomed habit to be late had died with
him. Naruto was just making things difficult.�
He turned in the direction of the exit and Naruto followed, blissfully
silent � only yawning occasionally. The control on the gate barely spared them
a glance, so they probably hadn�t recognized Naruto.

So now, they only
had to survive a simple research trip. Nothing easier then
that, right?�

A/N: Plot device?
What? I can�t hear you! :P
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The Hunting Ground