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The Blessed Realm	By : susanna Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1746 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Naruto, his friends and the world he lives in don't belong to me but to Masashi Kishimoto. I write this story only for my pleasure and I don't make any money with it.

Chapter List
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Chapter
Forty: Support Network

Naruto
realized that there was no way of persuading Sasuke not to join and
that he'd better join too in order to keep an eye on him. It turned
out to be rather difficult, however, as Naruto was drawn into
conversation by one of the men who explained to him that they just
went to the pub on the other side of the street, which was all in all
an ordinary pub, but specialized in dark beer and a very specific
kind of harp music that sounded as if it was possible to dance to it,
though he did not know how.

When
they sat down at a long table (the men at one end, the women at the
other) Naruto and Sasuke ended up opposite of each other instead of
side by side, which Naruto would have preferred. Now he was not able
to lay his arm around Sasuke's shoulders in case of need, he could
only watch him and listen to his conversation and hope that nothing
happened.

It
did not take long before the man next to Sasuke addressed him:

“It's
rare that we get such a young couple in our group. Most young gay men
nowadays won't engage in such a female connotated activity as dancing
but rather insist that they are just like other men. They'll turn up
in our beginners' classes when they are in their twenties, I guess,
and no longer have to prove that they are real men.”

“Really?”
Sasuke asked. “But why? What's unmanly about dancing?”

The
man shrugged. “I don't know either. It's always been considered
for girls, I think. In former times when it was more difficult to
admit even to oneself that one was gay a boy's homosexuality often
showed in preferences that were considered unmanly, as dancing, while
at the same time they insisted that they were straight. Now coming
out is easier, and young men rather try to prove that they are normal
in every other aspect. So it's always been rare that men of your age
turn up in equality dancing groups – formerly they danced with
girls, now they engage in allegedly more manly sports.”

“I
did not think it's rare”, Sasuke said. “I saw the dance
tournament on that festival a few weeks ago and thought it was normal
here. Now you say it's much more complicated.”

“It's
always been complicated and it always will, I guess, even though the
situation really has improved. So you're not from here – where
are you from?”

“Konoha.”

“Oh.”

Sasuke
wondered what was wrong with his answer.

“It
often happens that young men from the ninja nations come to Music
Town because here they can be openly gay but it's rare that we get
refugees from the ninja villages themselves. They tend to be rather
possessive concerning their young shinobi.”

Sasuke
got nervous.

“They
have civilians there too”, the man next to the speaker said.
“They might be civilians.”

The
one who had spoken first looked Sasuke over from head to toe, or
rather to the elbows as they were sitting next to each other at a
table.

“You
betray yourself when you move. Particularly when you dance but also
when you walk.”

“I'm
a ninja too”, Naruto said. “I'm just as skilled as
Sasuke.”

The
men around him stared at him and sought for words. Sasuke knew why:
Naruto did not move in the catlike, economic way of most ninjas, but
abounded with energy like a young dog.

“You
know how to move, too”, they said,. “You are certainly a
talented dancer.”

Naruto
smiled, but he was still irritated because of the attention Sasuke
was receiving. He was jealous of Sasuke and jealous for Sasuke's sake
at the same time.

“So
you're from Konoha too?” the man next to him asked.

Naruto
heard that someone was talking to him, but he had not got the words.
The man had to repeat them.

“Sure,
I am from Konoha too”, he answered.

“How
long have you been here?”

“Some
three months.”

“Have
you managed to integrate a bit?”

Naruto
had never heard that word.

“Have
you already found some friends?”

“I
have found Sasuke”, Naruto said.

“Friends
among the locals, I mean. You've come with Sasuke, haven't you?”

“I
have”, Naruto said, not wanting to explain to a stranger that
things were much more complicated.

Sasuke,
in the meantime, was being asked similar questions by the guy sitting
next to him.

“How
are you doing here? Have you found a place to stay at? Do you have a
job, or some other source of income? We have a network to support
young gay men who've run away from home. I've told you, it happens
regularly. My own partner” - he laid his hand on the hand of
the man sitting next to him - “is from Earth Country. He's a
civilian, however.”

“You're
kind but we have a flat, and we have jobs too”, Sasuke
answered.

“We
can also help you reestablish contact with your parents”, the
man continued. “I told you we help out young gay men who've run
away from home or who got turned out and disowned for being gay, but
this does not mean that we support break-ups within families. We try
to help them come to terms with their families again. We can help you
negotiate with your parents and explain to to them that there's
nothing wrong about being gay, and persuade them to accept you as a
gay man. We have a lot of experience with this - in most cases both
parents and son are relieved when there's nothing to hide any more.”

“It
won't be necessary”, Sasuke said, frozen, so that it took him
an effort to talk. “My parents are both dead.”

“Oh.”
The man was silent immediately. “I am sorry”, he added
after a few seconds of thinking. “I guess you wish you were one
of those who had to leave because their parents disapproved of them
being gay so that there would still be a chance for reconciliation.”

“My
mother would not have turned me out”, Sasuke said. “She
loved me. And my brother would have accepted me too. My father –
he would have given in, eventually. I was the younger brother, so it
would not have mattered.”

“What
about your brother? Is he still alive? Does he know you're gay.”

“He's
dead too.”

“Do
you have any other siblings?”

“No.”

“It
must have been horrible to be all alone all of a sudden.”

“It
was.”

“But
you must still have some friends in Konoha who care about you. We can
help you contact them and make them accept you.”

“It's
not necessary”, Sasuke repeated. “The only one who cares
for me is Naruto and he's with me.”

“I
can hardly believe this”, the man said. “You surely must
have had more friends. - What about local authorities? Informing them
that you are living a lawful life here, asking them not to regard you
as a rogue-nin, telling them that you'll return as soon as you are
allowed to be openly gay, if that is what you want.”

Sasuke
sought for words. The man continued before he had found any.

“We
have a lot more experience negotiating with parents than government
officials, I have to admit, and we don't have any experience with the
tight military hierarchy of Ninja Villages. But I am sure there is a
way. Maybe you need the support of our own government: do you already
have an official status?”

“No”,
Sasuke answered hesitatingly. The man's speech had gone quite over
his head.

“You
should get one. Gay people are granted official status easily as
everyone knows how they are treated elsewhere, even if open
prosecution has ended. When you have an official status the town will
support you and protect you against requests to deliver you to
Konoha, and if you want they can also help you make a deal so that
you can return on your own conditions.”

“It
will be difficult with Danzou in power”, the man from Earth
Country interrupted his partner to Sasuke's great relief. Finally
someone showed some common sense.

“Well,
I guess Danzou's not a man who can be negotiated with. Yet he won't
be Hokage forever, and one day negotiations will make sense.”

He
looked at Sasuke, expecting some answer from him.

“Our
plan is that Naruto shall be the next Hokage”, Sasuke said.
“Then returning won't be a problem.”

The
man was speechless, much to Sasuke's satisfaction.

“That's
quite an ambitious plan”, he finally said. “Haven't you
thought of an easier way?”

“There
is none.”

The
man shrugged. “It's your decision. Anyway, for the time being,
don't hesitate to ask for help. You say you already have what
everyone needs most urgently: Money and a place to stay at. We can
still help you in other matters, for example if you need any advice
about local laws, or have difficulties understanding our customs. We
have a group of people from the ninja countries that meets every
second week to help each other dealing with local authorities, or
just to discuss what confuses them about this place. It sometimes
helps to talk to other immigrants from the same place.”

“I
don't care about talking to people from Konoha”, Sasuke said.
“Or people from Fire Country, or any other of the Ninja
Nations. They all function according to the same rules. This place
works differently, and I want to learn its rules, not meet people who
still follow the rules of the ninja countries.”

“Well,
then. It's your choice. Just tell me when you change your mind.”

Sasuke
realized he had to be friendlier not to make the man feel rejected.
“It's kind of you to offer us your help. Maybe you can tell me
where I can get those shoes you are all wearing.”

“Certainly”,
the man answered, sounding relieved that his offer for help was
finally accepted.

They
did not stay for much longer. One man had to leave, and soon everyone
was getting up. Naruto was glad, as it meant that he was now able to
keep a close eye on Sasuke, He was at his side as soon as they were
outside the pub's door.

“We'll
see you soon”, the man who had offered help to Sasuke said. “On
Friday there's free training, and on Sunday there will be a dance
tea. Will you come?”

“Sure
we will”, Sasuke answered.

“They
are really nice”, Naruto said when he and Sasuke were finally
on their own, walking home side by side. “They don't ask about
school. Instead, I told them about our jobs and said we're underpaid
and that we should ask for more money. They're also invited us to
play football with them on Sunday.”

“You
cannot play football.”

“I
can. On your birthday I scored twice against Juugo's friends.”

“These
are grown-up men.”

“Do
you doubt that I can keep up with them?”

Sasuke
was wise enough not to answer.

“And
you don't use your Sharingan”, Naruto continued. “I
don't intend to.”

He
had used it sometimes when they had watched matches of the top
league, but only to see through their actions when they played foul,
not to copy their skills at actually playing the ball.

“We'll
show them what true ninja are capable of”, Naruto said, laying
his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. “They're okay though. If
only they weren't trying to seduce you.”

“What?”
Sasuke asked. “Who was trying to seduce me?”

“The
guy who was talking to you all the time.”

“He
was talking, no more.”

“That's
how it starts.”

He
drew Sasuke closer to himself. Sasuke wondered whether he should talk
more to Naruto, in order to seduce him. It was difficult, however, as
normally Naruto did most of the talking.

“You
talk to me, too”, he said.

“That's
different. We're friends.”

A/N:

Ladygizarme:
I am not that sure about the gel in Sasuke's hair. IIRC it's not
the same in every panel of the manga either, so I think he just uses
a lot of gel and keeps restyling it.

Thanks
for the compliments! This chapter is a bit more serious, but there
will be some more cute and amusing chapters soon.

Sneakyfox:
Thanks again for your compliments! They're both overdoing, I think:
None of the other men messes with his hair all the time. And Naruto
is acting paranoid...
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The Blessed Realm