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Scale	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1195 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter
Seven: High-Wire Act

As
before, *** denotes that time has passed and the previous point of view continued

��Come in, Sasuke-kun.� The invitation to enter
the room he stood in the doorway of was vaguely polite but the blatant
malevolence in Orochimaru�s voice made the people in the hallway behind Sasuke to
immediately scatter and scuttle away. The Uchiha did not turn around and watch
them flee but he could hear their progress and it reminded the brunet of cockroaches
running for cover once the light is turned on.
He sneered, letting
his upper lip curl haughtily, and stepped inside the snake Sannin�s bedroom,
shutting the door silently behind him. Orochimaru was across the room, sitting
casually on the large, well made bed as Kabuto stood beside him, a small black
bag next to the pale-haired man�s feet.
Though his
expression remained customarily arrogant, Sasuke inwardly sighed, knowing where
this was going and wanting nothing to do with it.
Orochimaru held out
a pale hand and motioned the teenager forward before making hand signs for the
jutsu that would seal the room and their activities from anyone stupid enough
to eaves drop. It was an unlikely and, frankly, suicidal idea but there was
always one idiot ninja that tried to gather intel on these little meetings.
They were always caught and, though he didn�t know exactly what happened to
them, Sasuke did know that the perpetrators had a tendency to disappear.
Food for the
copious snakes Orochimaru kept as pets and sentries, no doubt.
I knew I should have fed them earlier. Sasuke thought sourly, making a mental note
to do so after Orochimaru was done with him.
�Sssasssuke�� The
sibilant hiss was both an unwanted caress and prompt, and shoving his
irritation aside, Sasuke obediently walked forward toward the bed until he
stood before the Sannin.
Orochimaru rose
elegantly and smiled as he embraced the Uchiha, wrapping those long arms around
Sasuke�s upper body in a familiar manner as he rested his cheek against
Sasuke�s spiky hair and sighed in satisfaction.�
All at once the creepy, borderline pedophilic persona the Sannin
displayed in public disappeared to reveal an even scarier version of Orochimaru
known only to Sasuke and Kabuto.��
�Sasuke!�Orochimaru
said brightly, his grip tightening as he suddenly lifted the Uchiha in a fierce
hug, jostling the irritated teenager as he preformed what Sasuke had privately dubbed
�the happy dance.� The older brunet�s speech patterns took on an almost
sing-song quality as he continued. �Guess what I got?�
Sasuke felt his
eyebrow begin twitching, a movement that only became exaggerated as, out the
corner of his eye, he spotted Kabuto beaming at the pair happily. As huggable
as a board, Sasuke remained stiff in both manner and speech. �A new justu.�
�A new jutsu!
That�s right! You�re so smart, Sasuke-kun!� Orochimaru praised, setting the
teenager on the floor and ruffling Sasuke�s hair, the older male smiled down at
him proudly.
Sasuke resisted the
urge to pull his sword and balled his fists tightly until the arm guards he
wore threatened to slice through his palms, knowing that nothing would be
solved by using a blade, He had to be patient- once the idiot Sannin had shown
off this new addition to his jutsu collection, he would allow the Uchiha to
leave and continue his pre-training responsibilities. �As the script required, the teenager recited
the words he knew his teacher was waiting for him to say. �What�s it do?�
Orochimaru smiled
at him like a proud parent, either not hearing or simply ignoring the bored
tone of his pupil�s voice. �I was hoping you would ask that!�
I bet. The
thought was petulant and Sasuke attempted to quell his impatience. The Sannin,
for all the power games he played and all the knowledge he had gained through
his artificially prolonged life, was like an overgrown kid when it came to jutsu.
Orochimaru collected them like a magpie collected shiny objects, using his
obsession to his benefit in both business and pleasure as he sought to learn as
many jutsu as possible, the need seeming to stem as much from his overinflated
ego as from an overwhelming sense of natural curiosity. Whether it leveled
cities, killed enemies, summoned horrific beasts or simply made stuffed animals
move, a new jutsu was always worth something to Orochimaru especially if it was
one he had never heard of before. Initially the Uchiha had been appalled with
this surprising side of his teacher, but Sasuke had figured out how to benefit
from this odd chink in the man�s armor and had used it to both bribe and
distract the Sannin when training.
Like a child
showing off a brand new toy, Orochimaru produced a scroll from the sleeve of
his robe with a flourish and pulled the white thread holding the roll of paper
closed. Grinning excitedly, the snake Sannin eagerly unfurled the scroll across
the bed and Sasuke stepped closer to study the signs written in delicate black
ink against the age stained paper.
The Uchiha frowned,
not recognizing any of them, and activated his Sharingan to memorize the list.
Under the Sannin�s tutelage, Sasuke had thought he had learned all the
variations of writing the twelve fundamental hand signs that made up every
jutsu created and it both surprised and irritated him that apparently this was
not the case. Orochimaru had drilled them into him in every language imaginable
and still, none of the symbols on the paper matched any of the ones he knew.
�This is going to
be fun!� Orochimaru said happily, the Sannin clapping and rubbing his hands
together as his gold eyes scanned over the jutsu. �Let�s give it a whirl!�
Damn snake.
Sasuke thought. Evidently, Orochimaru could read the writing just fine and
Sasuke glanced at his teacher, annoyed that the older male had been holding out
on him.
�The Sannin began forming hand signs,
excitement getting the better of reason again and Sasuke�s sense of dignity and
pride kicked-in as memories surfaced. The last time this had happened, the trio
had all walked around with pink hair for a month and the Uchiha refused to
repeat that experience.
�What does it do?�
Sasuke asked, turning toward the Sannin who was still forming hand signs. A
sense of impending doom began to fill the Uchiha as he watched Orochimaru�s
fingers continue to move, realizing that the other was almost done.� �What does this one do?�
�Don�t worry,
Sasuke-kun,� Kabuto said reassuringly, smiling as he entered the conversation
for the first time. �It�s a harmless prank jutsu.�
The alarm filling
Sasuke did not abate, only increased as he felt Orochimaru�s chakra pervade the
room, shaping around them as the jutsu�s preparation came to an end. Reaching
out alone to stop the Sanin wouldn�t stop him but if Sasuke could convince
Kabuto to help, they could probably stop Orochimaru.
Probably- one could
never tell with Kabuto. Sasuke�s eyes narrowed at the pale haired physician.
�The last time he used a �prank� jutsu, it summoned a skunk the size of a
bull.�
Kabuto adjusted his
glasses with his middle finger, the gesture not lost on Sasuke and making his
eyebrow twitch again. �The smell eventually went away, Sasuke-kun, and you were
given new clothes.�
�What about
the dragon that nearly burned down the lair?�The Uchiha scowled.
Kabuto shrugged
dismissively. �We did catch the beast and it was only a baby, after all. No one
was permanently harmed.�
Orochimaru ignored
them, focused solely on following the symbols on the paper.
Run! Sasuke�s
senses screamed, suddenly clamoring for him to get out of the room. He had
actually taken two steps backward before realizing it and when he did he
stubbornly held his ground, standing tall as the air pressure of the room built
to its zenith, his ears popping. Uchihas do not run from danger.
Naruto had always
said that Uchiha pride would be the death of Sasuke.
Orochimaru
completed the last hand sign with an excited cry that sounded suspiciously like
a little girl�s giggle and then there was nothing to do but wait for the
outcome as the jutsu took hold.
�
***

Grimacing, covered in sweat, Sasuke woke with a
start, jerking uncertainly as he fought with a severe sense of disorientation.
Attempting to breathe beyond his pounding heart only resulted in terrible blinding
agony, making his empty stomach roil threateningly as stars explode behind his
eyes. Fighting down nausea and panic, he laid back down on his side, curling up
slightly as he took short, halting breaths and tried to get his body back under
his normally disciplined control.�
Pathetic. This is
just... �He resisted the urge to moan in pain and stuffed
the not-made-sound deep into the darkest place within him Sasuke could find,
vowing that it would never see the light of day. Uchihas did not moan just
because they were hurting and Sasuke was Uchiha to the core. He would live
through this injury just as he had lived through every other injury in the past
and just as he would live through any injury in the future.
As he concentrated on just moving air in and out of
his lungs, he realized that it was not open air against his exposed cheek but
fabric that smelled heavily of Naruto. Listening carefully, Sasuke detected the
loud regular rhythm of the blonde�s heart and smiled as he wondered how he
could have missed the sound right beneath him.
The dobe is making
this a habit,
the Uchiha groused sourly but his heart wasn�t in it. Indulging himself, Sasuke
nosed the fabric underneath him, inhaling the comforting and reassuring scent
deep inside his body before forcing himself to get going.
�Moving slowly
due to his ribs, he crawled out from under the covers and sat on Naruto�s
shoulder, the Uchiha�s face set in determination as he looked around the
darkened room, realizing they were in the living room. It wasn�t true night;
there was a gray quality to the darkness that told the brunet it was definitely
before dawn though not for much longer. Naruto, most likely, wouldn�t be up
until his stomach woke him which meant that, for the time being, Sasuke was the
only one awake in the apartment.
Excellent- he wouldn�t have an audience.
Feeling top heavy due to his ribs and the bandaging
Sai had wound around him, the tiny ninja stood carefully, one hand against the
raised tracks of Naruto�s scarred cheek for balance. Bending at the knees,
Sasuke took hold of the blanket his departure had skewed and pulled it higher
before getting down on hands and knees to tuck it securely around the blonde�s
shoulders, needlessly smoothing it beneath Naruto�s chin.�
Sleep well, dobe. Feeling very warm, happy and daring,
Sasuke placed a feather light kiss against Naruto�s skin then quickly moved
away - because Uchihas did not scramble, which was what someone else may have
mistaken his rapid withdrawal for- when the blonde�s head unexpectedly turned,
shifting in the direction where the Uchiha had been standing seconds ago. Heart
in his throat, Sasuke decided that now would be a good time to leave and used
the blanket to reach the floor.
His intention had been to go through his normal warm
up routine of practicing katas but the moment his feet touched the floor,
Sasuke�s body made two very pressing issues known: one was that he was very hungry and the second, was that he needed
to use the bathroom immediately.
Biting his lip and concentrating hard not to embarrass himself, the Uchiha all
but ran for Naruto�s bathroom, only remembering belatedly that the facilities
were not designed to accommodate the needs of someone less than a foot tall.
He did not make a helpless noise as he surveyed the
rest room nor did he practically hop from foot to foot while doing so. A glance
at the toilet and the bathtub made it clear that neither were going to be
practical since he would first have to find a way to climb the smooth porcelain
to reach either and that was before addressing the issue of balance. Sasuke quickly
ganced up at the sink far above him then began looking for anything that he
could climb to reach it, making small frustrated sounds when he only found one
of the stupid broad leafed plants Naruto liked to surround himself wi-
Stuffing down his humiliation, the Uchiha ran and
leapt, hoisting himself over the edge of the pot and onto the soft soil, his
hands already digging a hole before he allowed himself to think about exactly
what he was doing. He barely managed to get his pants out of the way before his
control reached its limit and, as his body emptied itself of waste products,
Sasuke�s cheeks burned with shame even as he tried to console himself that this
would technically be considered normal if he was on a mission in the middle of
the woods.
Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious that
Naruto�s apartment was a far cry from any forest Sasuke had ever been in, and
the Uchiha wondered if his flaming cheeks could possibly get even redder as he
prayed desperately that no one walked in.
It was then that he noticed what he was dressed in.
His pajamas had an unmistakably feminine theme in appearance and his eyebrow
began doing a veritable jig as he took in the dancing, tutu wearing bears
performing various acrobatic feats as they cavorted across the pink cloth.
Suddenly, Sasuke didn�t feel nearly as bad about
using Naruto�s plant as a latrine.

***

A large furry leg appeared over the edge of the
planter and Sasuke held absolutely still as Ami joined him underneath the broad
leafy canopy.� It wasn�t fear of the
spider that held him frozen, though it probably should have been, but more due
to the knowledge that one did not run from a predator unless they well and
truly wanted to become dinner. Ami, so far, had not shown any interest in
attacking him but until now, Sasuke had always been overshadowed by Naruto�s
protective presence. This would be the first time the Uchiha and the spider
interacted without Naruto hovering nearby and the Uchiha refused to acknowledge
the nervousness trickling through him.
Startling the spider would not set a good tone for
anything constructive so he remained still even as she came closer, one long
leg delicately extending toward his chest until it touched him. The spiky hairs
tickled and though, the touch was gentle, it still aggravated his ribs and
Sasuke had to sink his teeth into his lips to keep silent, trying to be patient
with the spider. Ami seemed to understand that she had harmed him and moved her
leg from his chest to his shoulders, first one then the other, before pulling
back completely and lightly nudging Sasuke�s feet. The Uchiha had the distinct
impression that she was attempting to defile in position and he remembered
belatedly that, with rare exception, spiders had poor eyesight. As Ami withdrew
her leg completely and brought it up to her underbelly, Sasuke wondered if she
used a chemical means to track her prey and hoped she wasn�t attempting to
acquire his scent.
He also wished the large predator hadn�t caught him
quite literally with his pants down which, much to his annoyance, brought up the
issue of toilet paper or a sink for Sasuke to wash himself and his dirt stained
pants in.
Moving slowly, Ami turned and headed along the rim
of the pot to his left and Sasuke turned his head, following her. When he was
sure there was sufficient space between them, the brunet stuffed down his sense
of disgust and pulled his pants into place, then began covering up the evidence
of his activities, spreading the dirt around until it was evenly leveled.
Feeling incredibly soiled, no pun intended, he
looked around for inspiration as to how best to handle the hygiene issue and
noticed Ami crawling up the wall next to the sink, her injury not hindering her
assent in the slightest.
Thinking furiously, Sasuke followed after her,
vaguely wondering if he could hop a ride on her back but quickly dismissing the
idea once he remembered her very long
fangs. No, maybe not a ride but perhaps he could use the same method she was
using to get up the tiled wall. Despite their differences in size, both Sasuke
and Ami had to weigh roughly the same amount and anything that held her bulk
should therefore also hold the Uchiha�s. Touching the wall where Ami had begun
her assent, the brunet�s hands came away training sticky fibers and Sasuke
realized that there was a film of silk coating the tile.
He gave the network of threads a strong tug while
looking upward to see what Ami would do and found that, though the spider had
stopped, she was not reacting in a way that suggested she was bothered by his
curiosity. In fact, she began slowly moving back and forth, bobbing her lower
body and the fingerlike appendages on her rear against the wall, and Sasuke
realized that she was laying down an additional layer of silk as she continued
upward.
�Resolve firm,
the Uchiha took firm hold of the webbing and began to climb.

***

A half hour later, Sasuke was clean and back in the
living room, smoothly flowing from one kata to another, finding the feel of� his muscles working oddly soothing. The darkness
of the room had lightened considerably as the day finally began to break and
the Uchiha stuck to the shadows under the window sill as he practiced. Several
inches away, Ami moved, too, in ways that mimicked what he was doing but Sasuke
was too angry with himself to find amusement in her antics.
So weak! He thought, forcing himself to
move faster even as his injured body protested. He was disgustingly out of
shape given how little time had passed since the jutsu had been initiated and
this was beyond unacceptable for the Uchiha. Sasuke was not a person who had
been raised to find satisfaction in getting a free ride and the very idea
rankled something deep inside him, making him angry and malcontent with the
entire situation. He had to get back into fighting form as fast as possible so
he could be of some meager use to Naruto!
Furious, Sasuke put a little too much force behind a
high kick and became unbalanced, then over compensated as he rotated his weight
in the opposite direction trying to remain upright. The movements made the
muscles of his chest seize up, igniting twin rows of fire against his back as
his previous injuries were aggravated beyond tolerance, and suddenly Sasuke was
on the floor, holding his sides as he fought to breathe past the pain.�
Damn, now I need
another shower. The
brunet thought, grimacing as he tried to sit up, his body protesting loudly
until he lay back down. Ami came over and settled on the floor beside him,
keeping him company as he recovered, and Sasuke wasn�t sure what to make of the
gesture as he lay exhausted against the floorboards. He smiled sardonically and
closed his eyes, ignoring the way the rough wood beneath him dug into his naked,
sweaty skin. The Uchiha had discarded his bandages for his shower and, since the
dobe hadn�t put an extra set of clothing for Sasuke in the bathroom, the
diminutive brunet had been nude as he trained. At least I�m dressed for it.
Vibration against his back alerted Sasuke of
movement even before he heard the couch�s springs squeak, indicating that the
sleeper there was awake and stirring. Opening his eyes and turning his head,
the Uchiha watched as Naruto sat up and ran tan fingers through sleep tousled
blond hair before standing, the jinchuuriki�s blue eyes scanning the ground
until they landed on Sasuke laying on the floor.
�Sasuke?� Naruto�s voice was rough from sleep,
almost pleasantly husky, and the Uchiha suppressed the sudden desire to shiver
in reaction as the blonde immediately headed in his direction. Reaching the
brunet, Naruto didn�t so much as kneel as fall slowly to the floor next to his
friend, one hand held out and hovering uncertainly above the small body.
�I�m alright, dobe.� Sasuke said, inwardly elated
over the other�s fussing. He reached out and grabbed hold of Naruto�s nearest
finger and used it as support as he crawled onto the offered palm.
The blond immediately cradled his hand protectively
around Sasuke before climbing laboriously to his feet. The fingers flexed
briefly, brushing against the Uchiha�s body not once, but twice before Naruto
rocked to a halt and spoke again. �How come you aren�t wearing anything?�
Several responses to that question ran through
Sasuke�s head but none of them were repeatable, especially to the homophobic
blond. Deciding that anything other than the truth would be permissible and
that simplicity would be best, the Uchiha selected an appropriate answer from
his mental inventory and scowled up at his friend darkly. �You�re like a
furnace, dobe! I nearly died from heat exhaustion and had to strip down to cool
off!�
Naruto grunted and curled his hands around Sasuke
more securely before changing direction from the couch toward the hall.
Reaching the bathroom, the blond hit the light switch and the Uchiha barely had
enough time to cover his eyes as bright light flooded the small room, bathing
the pair in it and stabbing harshly through Sasuke�s eyes until the orbs adjusted.
�You stink, teme.� The comment made the tiny brunet
flush indignantly as they reached the sink and Naruto began fiddling with the
water knobs. When the blond was satisfied, he allowed Sasuke to approve the
temperature before ushering the Uchiha out of his hand and under the spray of
water. Handing him a freshly cut sliver of soap, Naruto grabbed the bottle of
shampoo from the tub and set it on the lid of the toilet before leaving the
room.
I do not stink,
damn it! Sasuke
groused, scrubbing his skin with soap as vigorously as his sore body allowed.
Still though, he was meticulous as he bathed, , being sure to wash every inch
of skin as well as cleaning under his nails and the nail beds. He had just
finished washing his intimate areas, both front and back, when Naruto returned
with the kitchen chair, a hand towel, and a tiny new pair of clothes in hand.
�We gotta be quiet,� The blond rumbled lowly, setting
the chair in front of the sink and sitting heavily down on it. He leaned to his
right to retrieve the shampoo bottle and dribbled a small amount of the
slippery goo into waiting pale hands. �Sai�s asleep and I wanna leave him that
way.�
�He�s still here?� The Uchiha had momentarily
forgotten that dobe number 2 had been present last night. Sasuke had assumed
that the other brunet had simply gone home while Sasuke was asleep but apparently
this was not the case and frowning, the diminutive ninja worked his shampoo
covered fingers through his hair thoroughly, not sure how he should feel about
Sai�s invasion of Sasuke�s rightful territory.
Propping his chin on the lip of the sink, Naruto
nodded shallowly. �He�s in my bed but I don�t think he�s been there long. Looks
like he�s been working on your house.�
Many things came to mind at that statement, none of
them pleasant, and Sasuke hid his thoughts from the blonde by stepping directly
into the deluge of water pouring from the faucet, allowing himself to momentarily
wallow in the sensuous feeling of shampoo suds sliding over his abused skin.
�Do you want some conditioner?� Naruto asked, his
voice oddly muffled. Raising an eyebrow, the Uchiha leaned out of the water to
look at his companion and nearly fell as he peered up at what looked like a
blonde hedgehog that had suddenly taken residence where the jinchuuriki had
just been.
��No.� Sasuke said and stepped back under the faucet
to rinse off. After making sure he had washed all the soap from his hair and
body, the brunet stepped from the water and stretched upward to push the knobs
in the �off� direction. Waiting until the last of the water slipped down the
drain, the Uchiha shook his hands and feet to rid them of moisture then leapt
at the side of the sink, scrambling ungracefully to gain purchase until he
managed to hook a leg over the rim of the basin.
�Dobe?� Sasuke called once he had pulled himself up
and gotten situated. He ignored how out of breath he sounded, how cold the
porcelain was beneath his bottom, and how tired he suddenly was. The Uchiha
reached out and grabbed a handful of the blonde spikes in front of him, pulling
the hank lightly until he felt Naruto begin to sit up.
�You finished, teme?� The large red pressure mark
across the jinchuuriki�s forehead made Naruto look like a Cyclops and Sasuke
found it remarkably difficult for several seconds to focus on any other
feature. At the brunet�s nod, the blond held out the towel and Sasuke
immediately began to dry himself off as fast as possible before indicating that
he wanted his clothes.
�Let�s go back to bed, dobe.� Hastily pulling on his
new yellow and orange striped pajamas, Sasuke pulled his hair free from where
it was trapped under his collar and looked up at his friend in concern. Despite
how soundly he had been asleep, Naruto looked as if he hadn�t slept well at all
and the Uchiha didn�t know if it was due to using the couch as a mattress or if
there was some other ailment Sasuke was unaware of bothering the blond.
Rubbing his eyes, Naruto shook his head in the
negative as he picked Sasuke up gently before gathering the chair and turning
off the bathroom�s harsh lighting. Seeming to find his way more by habit than
sight, the blond padded past the couch straight for the kitchen table and set
the diminutive ninja down carefully next to the dollhouse, which someone had
relocated from the bedroom. Naruto briefly stepped to the wall to flick on the
overhead light before coming back to the table and setting the chair down near
Sasuke�s position before sitting down.
Sai had been a very busy pain in the ass, the Uchiha
decided. Sasuke�s temporary residence was still predominantly white but now
there were spots of color to relieve the nearly oppressive blankness and,
grudgingly, the Uchiha privately admitted that the artist had done a good job
as he looked over the house�s new dark blue shutters, matching blue trim and
the roof which had been painted in various shades of brown to accurately
simulate the natural shading caused by the sun. Sai had also added plant life
to the house�s exterior in the form of various types of flowers and generic
hedges that didn�t seem terribly spectacular until Sasuke looked at it through
the corner of his eyes and some trick of the lighting or drawing style made it
all appear to be swaying gently in a phantom breeze.
�When he wakes, you have to thank him.� Naruto said,
his voice dragging. Sasuke looked at him and nearly blanched, unsure how the
dobe could have aged so much in the few seconds the Uchiha had been distracted.
Naruto looked old, as if he had gained fifteen years in under a minute,
alarming the brunet enough that he responded with a very shaky, �hn.�
�No!� The meaty thump of Naruto�s fist abruptly
hitting the table made Sasuke jump and take a step back instinctively. �You
have to thank him, Sasuke! He�s done us both a big favor�and you�!�
The blonde covered his face with hands, his shoulders
shaking, and the Uchiha realized with horror that Naruto was crying silently.
Sasuke�s heart twisted painfully and all reason suddenly disappeared as the
urge- the need- to do something
filled him. In that moment he would have promised or done anything, anything at
all, so long as Naruto stopped crying!
�I�ll thank him!� He babbled, looking for a way to
bridge the gap between himself and Naruto that didn�t involve running and
jumping, shamed that his injuries were bothering him so much. �I�ll even
compliment him! I�ll hug him, too, just tell me what�s wrong! Just, just�� Another
train of thought was born as his words stalled, escaping into the air before
the Uchiha could properly evaluate it. �Did he threaten you? Did Sai do
something to you, Naruto?�
Sai. Was. DEAD! Sasuke didn�t care what or how
long it took to accomplish it but by the time the Uchiha finished, the artist
would be nothing but an empty shell for hurting Naruto!
�What? No, no he hasn�t�� Naruto sniffled and rubbed
his eyes, making Sasuke relax slightly as the blonde began to calm down, though
the Uchiha could see in the blonde�s face that whatever was troubling the
jinchuuriki still weighed heavily on his mind. �Sai hasn�t done anything� Teme,
we need to talk. A lot has been happening while you�ve been, er, gone and most
of it affects you.�
Taking a final swipe at his eyes, Naruto stood to
fetch Sasuke�s kitchen table and matching chair, before returning and setting
both in front of the Uchiha. �Have a seat, Sasuke. I think you�re gonna need
it.�
The blonde was so solemn and sad that the brunet�s
body felt wire tight, practically vibrating with tension as he ignored the
offered seat and pointedly glared at his friend until Naruto began to speak.
��

�� Teme?� Naruto tried hesitantly,
unsure how to treat the Uchiha who seemed to be in a state of complete and
total shock.� Sasuke was still upright,
if a bit wobbly as he grasped the back of his kitchen chair with a white
knuckled hand, and the blond was fairly certain that this was a positive sign
even as the brunet stared at nothing, the Uchiha�s expression shifting so
quickly through a multitude of emotions that Naruto had no idea what his friend
was feeling.
The silence between them was heavy, making the blond
fidget as he continued to watch Sasuke stare into space and despite the
Uchiha�s almost calm exterior, Naruto could hear how fast the other�s heart was
racing.
�Say something, teme!� Naruto demanded, scrubbing
his hands through his hair in agitation. Sasuke had never been a big talker but
a familiar internal warning flag inside the blond had gone up, reminding Naruto
that the quieter the brunet was, the more pain Sasuke was trying to contain.
The Uchiha repressed- it was a survival tactic that had enabled him to overcome
the despair caused by the massacre of his family. �Sas-�
Sasuke was holding up his free hand in a stop
gesture and in the quiet Naruto obediently provided, the groan of wood buckling
under pressure could be clearly heard. Concerned, the blonde looked at the tiny
chair in the Uchiha�s grip and realized that he was going to have to get Sasuke
a new one if the other didn�t let go soon. A chair was a small price to pay,
though, and Naruto would happily buy a million of them so long as his friend shared
what he was feeling.
�� The Uchiha swallowed thickly and the
blond could practically hear the brunet�s emotional walls slamming down as Sasuke�s
face assumed a slightly arrogant expression and he let go of the kitchen chair,
his hand falling to hang loosely at his side.
�� No.� Naruto growled. He would not
let Sasuke isolate himself and endure this pain alone, wouldn�t allow it to
fester and destroy the Uchiha from the inside out. Even if the teme hated him
afterward, Naruto was going to make sure that Sasuke knew beyond a shadow of a
doubt that there was someone who cared for him, someone the Uchiha could count
as an ally. �No!�
�� Sasuke�s remote exterior faltered as
the blonde abruptly reached out and wrapped his hands around the other, lifting
him to the blonde�s eye level.� They
stared at each other, the Uchiha�s arrogant expression resettling easily while
Naruto, in contrast, felt his face flame.
�� Talk to me.� He demanded, carefully
shaking the tiny ninja.
�� Sasuke glared, tilting his head back
slightly and looking at Naruto haughtily.
�� Tell me how you feel.� Naruto
demanded, hating the edge of desperation creeping into his voice as, again, the
Uchiha remained silent. Sasuke folded his arms, clearly waiting for the blond
to grow frustrated enough to put him down.
Fine. Plan B, then. Naruto thought in disgust,
pissed that he had to resort to dirty tactics just to get Sasuke to open his
fucking mouth. Shifting the Uchiha to one hand, the blonde opened the doll
house and retrieved the unslept in bed he had made up for Sasuke. Setting it
down on the kitchen table, he arranged the furnishing carefully before curling
his fingers around Sasuke and roughly pushing the tiny ninja down onto the
mattress.
He was rewarded with a brief look of surprise from
Sasuke.
�Talk to me, teme, or else.� Naruto said, letting
his anger bleed into his voice as he continued to pin the small brunet to the
bed.
An expression darted across Sasuke�s face, something
that was there and replaced by the Uchiha�s customary arrogance too fast for
the blonde to decipher beyond the fact that it looked completely out of place.� �Or you�ll do what, dobe?�
Naruto frowned at the husky note in his former
teammate�s voice that seemed entirely in appropriate given the potential
violence of the situation. Maybe he was holding the Uchiha too tightly and this
was how Sasuke was disguising the pain? The blonde took his hand away and
curled it into a tight fist as he rested his elbow on the table.
�I�m going to make you talk one way or the other,
teme.� Naruto said quietly, glad that he sounded confident even if he didn�t
actually feel so. �You can do it voluntarily, now, or I can punish you and
you�ll talk, later.�
Sasuke�s upper lip curled as he sneered and the Uchiha
rolled on his side to get off the bed only to be stopped by Naruto�s hand
pinning him again.
�It was your choice, Sasuke.� Naruto said, his voice
firm and authoritative. Nervous, the blond took a breath to calm himself and
then began to tickle his friend mercilessly.��
��

***

�You said you�d talk, teme.� Naruto reminded quietly
as he eyed the Uchiha lazily and, nodding, Sasuke closed his eyes briefly
before opening them again to look at the ceiling.
With his head propped on his arms, the pair was
nearly eye to eye on the table as they both calmed down, Sasuke seeming to need
as much time as he could get after laughing so much. Grunting, gasping, and
hissing threats the entire time, the Uchiha had withstood ten minutes of solid
�torture� before surrendering to the blonde�s demands. Flushed and sweaty,
brushing haphazardly at his eyes with one hand while pulling his clothes into
place with the other, the brunet looked like an entirely different person as he
sprawled across the bed, concentrating on taking short, panting breathes.
�I don�t know,� the brunet said at length, having to
pause and wait as one last wild giggle possessed him. �I don�t know how I feel
about it, about any of it.�
�Naruto wanted
to scream but instead he lifted his head and dropped it on the table with a
loud �thunk� sound, making the small bed jump. �Then why didn�t you just say
that?! God, Sasuke, why do you have to be such a fucking hard ass?!�
Visibly calming, the Uchiha resettled and licked his
lips before pointedly resuming his contemplation of the ceiling. For several
minutes, he said nothing and, exasperated, the blond closed his eyes, grinding
his forehead against the table as a headache formed right behind his eyes. Even
though he had just woken up, Naruto already felt wrung out and exhausted, all
his energy sapped from dealing with the stupid, stubborn teme. A light brush
against his cheek prompted him to open one eye and look tiredly at Sasuke, who looked
back at him steadily.
The small pale hand against Naruto�s cheek moved
idly, as if the Uchiha needed something to distract himself with as he spoke. �Until
I knew what I was going to say, until I could figure out what I felt, I
couldn�t open my mouth.�
The blond jerked away, wanting to put distance
between them before he did something he�d regret - like inadvertently kill
Sasuke as he slapped or shook the Uchiha in a display of frustrated rage. Mouth
a tight line, Naruto sat up and pushed away from the table, disgusted with
himself as the urge to cry made his eyes burn, his throat tight. Stupid teme! Stupid, fucking� me� ��
�I didn�t want to make you a target!�
Naruto froze halfway to his feet, unsure if he had
heard correctly. �Huh?�
�I didn�t want�to make you a target�� Sasuke said again,
and it was the uncertainty in his voice that made the blond look at him. The
Uchiha�s face was flushed and he sat hesitatingly half on and half off the bed,
as if he�d been attempting to following after the retreating jinchuuriki.
Naruto frowned, trying to follow his friend�s logic.
Sasuke hadn�t known how he felt, so he hadn�t wanted to speak, and all because
he hadn�t wanted to make the jinchuuriki a target? A target for what? For the
Uchiha�s anger�? The blonde�s thought ground to a hault, his eyes widening as
he finally understood what Sasuke was clumsily attempting to say.
�You thought you�d take your anger out on me.� The
jinchuuriki said slowly, watching Sasuke�s face for confirmation as he spoke to
be sure Naruto understood the situation correctly. �Saying nothing was better
than screaming at me because you were hurt.�
It wouldn�t have been the first time that the Uchiha
had used Naruto as a punching bag, either literally or figuratively, and those
fights had always left the blonde raw and bleeding emotionally long after
Kyuubi had healed the physical damage. Apparently, Naruto hadn�t been the only
one to regret those past shouting matches and maybe during his time away,
Sasuke had had time to think and learn from his past mistakes. Face flushing
brightly, the Uchiha looked awkward and completely out of his element but
nonetheless sincere and Naruto realized that this was exactly the case.
Sasuke had never had been a people person to begin
with and Naruto could only imagine how much it had cost the Uchiha to shove
aside his deeply ingrained pride and make himself as vulnerable as the brunet
was doing now.
�Teme�� Naruto knew he should say something to
acknowledge the significance of Sasuke�s emotional growth but nothing appropriate
would come to mind. The brunet�s first reaction had not been to scream or
accuse nor bottle everything, as Naruto had feared, but to instead protect the
blond and preserve their relationship, something very difficult compared to lashing
out at a convenient target. The blonde�s heart seemed to swelled in his breast and
still he could not think of any words to accurately express how proud and grateful
Naruto was to the teme at that moment.
��I�ll fix
it.� The blonde said quietly, swallowing thickly as he sat back down. Setting
his hand next to the tiny ninja, he delicately reached out with his forefinger
to brush the mussed mess Sasuke�s hair had become. It was doubtful that the
Uchiha had fully processed the ramifications of Konoha�s actions toward his
clan, but he would eventually and when he did, Naruto would be there to support
the other as much as Sasuke needed. �When I become Hokage, I�ll make sure that
the Uchiha clan is rightfully remembered for their role in Konoha�s creation.�
�I know.� The Uchiha�s open expression vanished,
replaced with a fierce scowl as he glared up at the jinchuuriki and leaned away
from the blonde�s finger. �Tickle me again, dobe, and I will break your
fingers.�
Naruto just grinned cheekily, crossing his arms over
his chest as he sat back and gloated. �You�re just pissed because I wouldn�t
let you go brood in a corner somewhere.�
�The scowl was
instantly replaced by outrage. �I was not- I do not brood!�
�Of course you were!� The blonde said, fighting not
to smile. �You brood, Sasuke. It�s part of your sex appeal.�
��Sasuke�s expression went from angrily
indignant to startled puzzlement in two seconds flat. �My what?�
�Your sex appeal.� Naruto said again slowly, rolling
his eyes. �You brood and angst and it gets all the girls in a tizzy because
they want to rush in and comfort you. They want to be the one to heal your
broken heart and accept their love and remember that the world is so much
better so long as you have someone to share it with.�
The blonde licked his lips before folding his arms,
suddenly very unhappy and bitter about the subject matter even though he had
been the one to bring it up. Frowning, he looked down at Sasuke and found that
the brunet looked oddly troubled.
�But don�t worry, teme.� Naruto shoved his strange feelings
aside and rushed to reassure his friend. �It works for you! You�ll have the
Uchiha clan revived and no time- just pout a lot.�
This did not seem to make Sasuke feel better- in
fact, the Uchiha looked even more ill at ease. Mentally backtracking, Naruto
was saved from attempting further ego soothing techniques as Sai walked past
them into the kitchen.
�Morning Sai,� The blonde greeted, grateful for the distraction
and twisting in his chair to watch the newly awakened brunet putter about the
kitchen. Disheveled, the artist was thankfully wearing sleeping pants as he
flipped a switch on an appliance Naruto was certain hadn�t been there last
night. �I didn�t know I had a coffee maker.�
�You do not.� Sai said, voice gruff from sleep as he
set a mug on the counter near the burbling machine. �I brought it with me from my
studio.�
Running a hand through his sleep tousled hair, he
came back to the kitchen table and Naruto frowned, noticing for the first time
just how low riding Sai�s pajama�s were. A blond eyebrow began twitching as
Naruto realized that the artist wasn�t wearing anything under them, either. �If
you flash me, Sai, I�ll knock you into next week.�
�� In lieu of an answer, Sai moved
behind the jinchuuriki and draped himself over Naruto�s broad shoulders,
wrapping his arms around the blonde�s upper body loosely.
�� Special
jinchuuriki technique: Heating lamp no jutsu. Naruto thought, rolling his
eyes as he suppressed a sigh and ruffled the other�s short hair, letting Sai�s pale
skin soak up the extra warmth Naruto seemed to continually produce due to the
Kyuubi housed within his body. In some ways, Sai reminded the blonde of a
lizard and that comparison had only been reinforced once they got to know each
other. The artist was nearly as fast and as elusive as a reptile during battle,
knew how to successfully camouflage himself in minimal coverage, and could be as
creepy as the solitary beast. But like a lizard, when not in a combat
situation, Sai�s movements were distinctly slow until he warmed up; if awakened
too early, or if the morning was too cold, Sai had a tendency to invade
Naruto�s personal space until the artist�s body warmed up enough to function
without support. On the nights the artist slept over, it was common for him to
slip into Naruto�s bed unannounced to wrap himself around the blond when the
heater shut off and the temperature of the apartment dropped. With all the rain
lately, Konoha had been cool and this had been happening a lot, so much so that
Naruto had begun inviting Sai into his bed for the night, the blond no longer bothered
by the artist�s familiarity.
Sasuke, though, if his expression was any clue,
seemed to be annoyed on Naruto�s behalf and the blond was silently pleased,
finding the Uchiha�s reaction endearing and touching, taking it as a sure sign
that their friendship was healing well.
Brotherhood is
wonderful, Naruto
thought, the notion warming him all the way down to his toes. Hearing the
coffee machine click as it finished, he grinned and untangled himself from Sai,
leaving the chair and pushing the artist into the vacated seat.
�Play nice you two.� Naruto warned, heading into the
kitchen and pouring Sai�s coffee. Pursing his lips, the blonde considered the
dark liquid in the carafe and opened the mug cabinet.
�Do not try it, Naruto.� Sai warned, and Naruto
guiltily snatched his hand back, frowning at the back of the artist�s head.
�He can have coffee if he wants to.� Sasuke�s voice
was diminished by distance but the blonde�s ears picked up the clear challenge
easily and it made Naruto smile.
�He becomes very� excitable for a while when he has
it.� Sai said mildly, either ignoring or not hearing the Uchiha�s tone.
Naruto scowled at that and eyed the carafe again
mutinously.
�He�s always excitable.� Sasuke rebutted. �It�s what
makes Naruto, Naruto.�
The blonde instantly felt better but it was becoming
annoying listening to the two bicker like he wasn�t right there, not ten feet
away.
�Have a cup, dobe.�
�Do you want to be like our last client?�
Naruto�s hand froze halfway to the coffee pot,
suddenly wanting nothing to do with the liquid it contained. Heading to the
fridge, Naruto poured himself a glass of milk and, grabbing the artist�s mug,
returned to the table. He glared at him sourly.�
�Thanks a lot, Sai.�
�Last client?� Sasuke asked, and the blond blinked
at the weird edge in the teme�s tone.
The blonde shuddered and grimaced in memory. �The
mission we just finished. Spoiled brat. Real grabby bastard.�
�Only to Naruto.� Sai said, taking a sip carefully.
�The prince of Fang Country has a strong attraction for blondes.�
�He touched you?� Sasuke asked, clearly outraged
until Naruto shook his head.
�Tried to.� Naruto finished his glass and set it on
the table, suddenly wanting a shower. �I made it clear that I don�t swing that
way and if he pushed it, I�d make him regret it, diplomatic mission or not. We
were there to stay out of sight and shadow him during the finalization of a
peace agreement between Fang and Claw Country. It took forever but ultimately
everything worked out and now they�re all busy planning a wedding.� The blonde
shook his head again. �I pity Claw Country�s princess, though. Prince
Whatshisname is a going to be like Ero-Sennin as an old man.�
�Prince Yukio.� Sai supplied, sipping his coffee.
�His attitude certainly lives up to his name.�
Sasuke smirked. ��Get�s what he wants.� Not with
Naruto.�
�Damn right, �not with Naruto!�� Naruto said vehemently,
crossing his arms over his chest and nodding. �He made lewd comments the whole
time we were there and, on the first night, he put his hand on my ass. I told
him I�d cut his dick off if he didn�t stop touching me!�
Behind his mug, Sai smiled. �So you were going to
make him dickless, Dickless?�
�Shut up! It�s not funny!� Naruto said, indignant.
On the table, Sasuke was turning an interesting shade of red, his dark eyes
narrowing as his tiny hands clenched into fists, the Uchiha exuding menace like
a cloud. If he had been normal sized, it would have been terrifying but as he
was, the scare factor really was absent, making him seem more like a petulant
child than someone proficient in the knowledge of killing. Still though, Naruto
was glad that Sasuke would not be meeting the prince.
Good thing I didn�t
mention what Yukio attempted at night. The blonde thought and decided that a change in the
conversation�s direction would be an excellent idea. The pervert prince was in
the past and, presently, Naruto had to concentrate on keeping Sasuke hidden.
�You want a drink, teme?�
The Uchiha had to visibly struggle to calm himself
before he could manage a curt nod in the jinchuuriki�s direction and Naruto bit
his lip to keep from grinning as he headed in the direction of his bedroom.
Once we�re done
painting the interior of the doll house, the teme can pick out some furniture
to put all this in and then I won�t have to keep doing this! Naruto mentally huffed as he
routed through the shopping bags for the box of Sasuke-sized dishware he knew
was in there. Somewhere. Maybe.
Eventually he did find the box, the object of his
search cleverly hiding underneath the extra sets of bed clothes Naruto had
purchased, and triumphantly the blond retrieved his prize. Irritated, not
wanting to repeat this again, the jinchuuriki took a moment to organize and
condense his purchases. It was as he finished tidying his room that Naruto felt
felt Sai�s muted chakra flare and, puzzled, the blond picked up his pace,
suddenly worried that Sasuke and the artist were fighting.
�I told them to play nice!� The blonde grumbled
quietly, leaving the room and practically stomping down the hall as he heard an
odd click, the sound quickly lost as he continued his grousing. �Can�t they get
along for five minutes unsupervised?!�
This is how
Kakashi- sensei must have felt about Sasuke and I. The thought made Naruto smile and
kept his mind occupied with memories of past fights with the newly returned
brunet. �
�S-Sakura-chan..!� Naruto�s mouth felt bone dry as
he stared in horror at his female teammate. The shock of suddenly seeing her was
like a bucket of ice water to his senses, making his body freeze up with terror
on Sasuke behalf, his stomach twisting itself into painful knots. Clenching his
hand around the box he held, he realized he was shaking and tried to calm down,
hoping that his female teammate wouldn�t notice his odd behavior. His efforts
were wasted however since Sakura, standing in the doorway to his apartment,
didn�t even glance in Naruto�s direction��
�Good morning Sakura.� Sai said pleasantly, his
expression and smile politely distant. The artist had not moved from his seat
at the kitchen table and it was the small figure between Sai�s hands that held
her attention. �Would you like some coffee?�
Sakura ignored the offer of refreshment, her gaze
firmly on the Uchiha, the key Naruto had given her to his apartment dangling
from her fingers. When she spoke, her voice was hesitant and wavered slightly.
�Is that�Sasuke-kun?�
The smile the former ROOT member directed at them
only inspired feelings of anger and betrayal within Naruto as the jinchuuriki
watched the artist use one of Sasuke�s limp hands to wave at both members at
Team Seven. As Sai flaunted Sasuke at Naruto and Sakura both, the Uchiha hung limply,
like a broken doll.
A chill went down Naruto�s spine as he abruptly
realized that the Uchiha wasn�t moving at all, not even to breathe, and the
blonde searched Sasuke�s small face desperately for some sign of life. His
heart galloping fiercely in his chest and feeling as if he was going to be
sick, the blond waited for the Uchiha to move, to resist, but, much like a
puppet, Sasuke didn�t move in any way other than as Sai directed. Dark,
sightless eyes seemed to stare back at Naruto accusingly as Sakura walked past
the blond and gently touched Sasuke�s hair with a fingertip.
I can�t hear his
heart beating� Naruto
couldn�t breathe as he felt the color drain from his face, grey eating at his
vision and rage clawing at his heart. I
can�t� Sasuke!
As Sai continued to smile benignly at him, deep
inside the jinchuuriki�s mind the Kyuubi roared with raucous laughter.

A/N: Since it is that time of year
again and Anime Expo Los Angeles is looming on the horizon, some of you may be
wondering if another Fanart T-shirt contest is about to be announced and,
though I will ecstatically accept any artwork, the answer is no. With the
discontinuation of several of my stories (please see profile for full
explanation), there is very little inspiration to draw from since the only
story being actively updated is this one and though quite a number of you seem
to enjoy it immensely (Thank you!) there really are no scenes that appear to be
art-worthy. But that�s just my opinion as a (not terribly note-worthy) writer who
can only draw stick figures; a �Word� document is my canvas and the English
language my paint pallet and anything beyond that is well outside my meager skill
set.
I am
hoping to update at least once more before this summer so stay tuned for the
continuing adventures of tiny Sasuke!
Please let me know if you think anyone is out of character- I'm trying my best here but its a fine line, especially with Sasuke. Love it? Hate it? Let me know in a review!
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