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Sanctuary	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1111 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: No, I didn�t fall in a
hole somewhere and no, I didn�t abandon this or any of my other stories. I
actually have five, yes five, different versions of this
chapter on my computer that didn�t seem to really do what I wanted. That said,
this chapter starts off with a bang right on the heels of chapter seven with Itachi. Since
we have several POV changes, each time we jump views, I�ve put in a line to
indicate it so hopefully that should keep the confusion to a minimum.
Hopefully. I'm not going to be able to please every one of you so please just go with it- there's a reason for everything and it's all united by an overlying theme, I swear.
Thank you all for waiting for this chapter and please enjoy! If you�ve
got the time, leave me a review telling me what you like about this chapter.
What do you think I am doing right? What do you think I am doing wrong? Let me
know- it makes me a better writer.

This chapter is dedicated to
Trulywicked, the second place winner in the fanart T-shirt design contest! You
can find the lovely drawing here, http://ninjatoadsatemybaby.deviantart.com!

Chapter 8

Voices. Water sloshing. Chaos. Confusion. Pain. Someone
touching him, turning him over- unfamiliar. A groan. Screaming. Screaming,
screaming, screaming�
Dark eyes fluttered open as Itachi Uchiha roused, forced
to consciousness by some dim memory. He tried to concentrate, to bring it to
the forefront of his mind so that the memory could be examined and the urgency
known but he couldn�t- it refused to come forth. He lay there, feeling as if
something was missing, the vague shapes of the hospital ceiling and ruined medical equipment drifting in and out of focus above and around him as
he floated.
Floated?
A small wave slapped his cheek, further highlighting this fact, and Itachi sat
up, water streaming off his body. He felt stiff, incredibly so, and sore as
well but he forced himself to stand, driven onward by the innate knowledge that
he was needed by the person screaming. It wasn�t compulsion, not really, and
Itachi let it lead him forward on his stumbling, clumsy way down a flooded
white, white hall, glass hidden by water crunching beneath his bare feet as he
headed for the source of the screaming.
An eternity later, only moments in reality, the Uchiha
reached his destination and stood in the doorway of a blindingly white room as
pandemonium took place inside. It was a small patient�s room and part of Itachi
wondered if it was possible for steel gray walls to burst at the seams. So many
people! There wasn�t enough room in the place to accommodate all the doctors
and nurses running to and fro between the room�s sole bed and a cart set up
with vials and syringes positioned out of harms� way in a corner. And the yelling!
The Uchiha thought his eardrums would rupture there was so much, the words
indistinct and jumbled as the speakers fought to be heard above the
hysterically screaming from the figure at the center of it all.
The bed was hemmed in on all sides by metal railings that
disappeared in and out of view as the medical staff moved around and for the
first time Itachi realized that the blonde had been tied down. The hard
restraint seeming to swallow the dainty wrist pulling against it, the one arm
the blonde had free lashing out in an attempt to stop the hands that tried to
force needles into his flesh. The person was screaming at them all, begging
them to leave him alone, asking why they were hurting him. He didn�t know where
he was, what was happening, and he was absolutely terrified by the lack of
answers he received from the cold-eyed doctors with grimly set jaws who
continued to inject chemicals into him, to hurt him, to tie him down.
Even restrained, Naruto should be able to fight back with
more than just his body and the Uchiha frowned, scanning the room. �Drugs,� came the dimly offered thought
but it was pushed aside as dark eyes settled on a familiar spiky object,
recognizing the distinctive and unique curve of the scales that formed
Samehada�s blade. Not far from the bed, the sword was being held awkwardly by a
young male dressed in scrubs splattered with blood, the source of which was the
male�s own hands. Samehada did not take kindly to being used by anyone other
than Kisame and the young male was paying the price for this mistake, his hands
perforated by spikes from the sword�s handle. Samehada was undulating back in
forth, behaving more like a serpent than a sword, trying to get away as it
continued to absorb Naruto�s chakra, his strength, leaving the blonde
defenseless and at the mercy of the doctors.
For a moment, just a split second, in the Uchiha�s mind�s
eye, the hospital room disappeared and became an interrogation room and the
doctors replaced by ANBU officers standing over a much smaller unconscious
Naruto. In the memory Itachi was not alone as Shisui, face red with rage, and
the Hokage, radiating displeasure, were on either side of him. Then, as quickly
as it had appeared, the memory was gone, replaced by reality as history
repeated itself.
Anger
and bloodlust filled Itachi, making him both cold and hot as each demanded he
do something, demanding vengeance on the blonde�s behalf, and this time Itachi
welcomed them, embraced them, called them sweet names and wrapped himself in
them as he rushed forward into the room. He let them consume his legendary
self-control and lost himself, glorying in the destruction he caused, enjoying
the way the world became fractured images and disjointed sensations.
White
coated bodes flying. Limbs breaking under his hands. Steel colored walls being
splashed with drops of red as he took Samehada back. Metal bed railings
twisting, broken. The hard plastic of the restraint cracked and broken on the
white tile of the floor while Naruto clung to him, still crying and screaming
incoherently. People running, screaming, stampeding out of the door and away
from them, the sound of it all lost as wood broke and plaster crumbled, flaking
outward over him like brittle snow, massive red claws slicing through the
furthermost wall, destroying it and leaving a ragged hole illuminated by
short-circuiting wiring. A large golden eye surrounded by silver-white fur
peering through the new exit at Naruto.
A
blonde figure at his elbow, weighed down by a overstuffed bag, urging him
forward toward the beast, leading the way. Another person joining him, Kisame,
running beside the Uchiha as he raced outside into the predawn air, through the
opening, arms full of Naruto, the blonde wrapped in a sheet, Samehada�s scales
digging into his back as he ran. More shouting, more running, a massive form
running beside them as wind howled. More, large pale shapes darting amongst the
trees, keeping up with him as he ran full out. Shouts, the whistle of kunai
hitting the ground around them. ANBU masks like miniature moons in the branches
above, hunting him, hunting them. Explosions so close by his skin blistered,
burned by a wave of fire as he shielded the jinchuuriki, his hearing momentarily
gone do to the ringing in his ears from the blast. Naruto�s small body warming,
radiating heat as red chakra licked along his skin, the teenager spasming,
convulsing, violet eyes rolling back into his head. The ground groaning,
rumbling, giving way beneath them, the dark earth opening up to swallow them
all at Naruto�s command�
A
large red clawed white paw reaching out to catch them as they fell, toppling in
after them as they tumbled, unable to stop. Plummeting downward but not into
darkness- into silver liquid then blue sky filled with white clouds, cool
against Itachi�s skin as he fell through them. The sun high in the sky, as
bright and as golden as Naruto�s hair. Falling, buffeted by wind, blocking all
sound, an unfamiliar landscape below getting nearer and nearer as the gap
between them and it closed� Naruto shaking in his arms before being ripped away
by the wind and quickly lost to sight� Gusting wind slamming into him like a
wall, slowing his fall, cold as ice and sharp like a blade� Passing through
silver liquid again then blue as far as the eye could see, roiling and swirling
as it rushed up to meet him, to engulf him as he hit� Darkness.
When
Itachi woke, he was on a beach, fine sand making its way into uncomfortable
places as he shifted, sticking to his damp skin in large patches. He coughed,
sputtering, his chest aching as his body purged itself of the salt water he�d
swallowed. His arms felt heavy and rubbery but he forced himself to his knees,
scanning the area automatically as his instincts kicked in. As he rested from
his minor movement, the sound of the ocean was loud in his ears though the
regular rhythm of the water�s movements was soothing in an abstract way as the
Uchiha fought to turn his head as wet sand scraped against metal. Samehada was
laying next to him, the sword�s scales clattering angrily as it undulated,
leaving a trail as it fought its way to its owner, Kisame, who was further down
the beach. Another body was next to the former Mist ninja and beyond them both
lay the hulking form of one of the largest animal Itachi had ever seen.
A
preliminary scan assured the Uchiha that he had suffered no permanent injury
though, as he then looked down at himself, Itachi paused, one pale hand moving
to rest on his chest, experimentally giving the extra flesh there a light
squeeze. Frowning deeply even as his eyebrows rose, he patted his lap lightly
and found that he had lost his penis somewhere. He, like Naruto, had somehow
switched genders in the space of a few minutes. Or was it hours? How long had
he been unconscious?
Though
the sun had been strong while they were falling, on the ground it was weak due
to the thick cloud cover blanketing the sky overhead. Curls of mist snaked
their way across the beach like the questing fingers of the fog from which the
mist originated, obscuring their surroundings, creating the illusion that there
was nothing around them beyond the beach, as if the narrow strip of sand
existed in and of itself within its own pocket of the universe. It gave the Uchiha
little hint as to where exactly they all were beyond the fact that they were in
a country bordering the ocean.
More
importantly, where was Naruto? The Uchiha looked around for any sign of the
sheet the blonde had been wrapped in. The beach was at a slight slope toward
the water Itachi could hear even if he could not see it under the fog and
nothing within the Uchiha�s vicinity resembled neither the jinchuuriki nor the
almost blinding whiteness of the cloth Itachi had last seen him in. Activating
his Sharingan did not help the brunette at all in locating the blonde. Naruto
was not on the beach and worry, an emotion he had become ill acquainted with
during his absence from Konoha, started to gnaw at Itachi as he looked in the
direction of the water still hidden beneath the fog. Heart beating wildly, the
Uchiha got to his feet and began staggering his way to the shore line.
His anxiety
was thankfully short lived. Itachi felt a familiar presence behind him and when
he turned toward it, his Sharingan detected traces of charka, the energy faint
but real as it fluttered in the form of a flame embellished long coat. The
Uchiha calmed, looking fully upon the translucent figure standing slightly
above him at the top of the beach�s incline. Feelings of affection and loss
chased each other within him as old memories began slowly bubbling to the
surface of his mind, memories of dinners, of building baby furniture for
Naruto, of a smiling Shisui and laughing Kushina
There,
clear among the mist wafting in the air, stood Minato Namikaze waving a hand
lazily in the air as he looked at the brunette expectantly.
Itachi
immediately began making his way up the incline toward the Fourth Hokage.

*****************************************************************************************************************

�I wanted to talk
to you.� Naruto said softly, eyes flicking up to Sasuke�s face from the floor.
Gagged
and bound to the chair he sat on, Sasuke could only narrow his eyes at the
blonde, glaring as he waited for the other to get to the point. Absently, he
began working his wrists, trying to find some slack in his bonds only to have
them tighten and elongate as the rope pinning his arm transformed into a
manacle that covered his entire forearm.
�I��
The blonde swallowed, the sound painfully loud in the still landscape, and
looked down at his hands. �I meant to tell you the last time I saw you but� I��
He again glanced up at Sasuke.
The
Uchiha glared harder, frowning behind the gag as he waited impatiently for
Naruto to hurry the hell up and free him.
The
blonde�s eyes widened briefly before quickly darting down, his narrow shoulders
slumping as the jinchuuriki seemed to hunch in on himself, fingers tightly
clenching into the fabric of the white robe he wore. Heedlessly wadding the
material, the blonde stayed in that position for several more minutes before
finally raising his head to look at Sasuke once again, immediately revealing
that he had been crying silently while his face had been averted.
�I
love you.� Naruto said voice soft, blue eyes still raining tears over his
cheeks even as he smiled, baring all his teeth in a poor imitation of his usual
mad grin. �I�I�ve loved you for a long, long time. I was so afraid to tell
you�� He sniffled, the picture of misery as he pulled at his sleeve and wiped
his eyes, unsuccessfully trying to clean himself up. Making a desperate, frustrated
whine, the blonde gave up and simply fisted his hands in his bangs, hiding his
face from view as he continued in a voice thick with tears. �I didn�t care
about your name or your family fortune or any of that stuff. I loved Sasuke for
Sasuke and I wanted to make you happy� You were all I had left! I would have
given you anything- would have done anything you wanted! I could have had your
babies! I�!�
Kyuubi�s
words whispered through Sasuke�s mind, each one as sharp-edged and painful as a
piece of glass, the slivers seeming to work themselves deeper into his brain,
and the brunette felt his eyes widen as realization hit home. �Would gender still matter if I told you that he
could have both conceived and carried your brood? It was the only thing Naruto
wanted to do� Do you have any idea how long it took him to work up the courage
to finally admit he loved you?�
Naruto released the
grip he had on his hair, his eyes closing as he swallowed again, hands falling
limply onto his lap to be wet by his flowing tears. �You were all I had left.
They took everything else and I��
�You became his whole world while you were gone and the
only thing that kept him going was the desire to bring you home. Then you
showed up as if nothing had happened, strong and healthy and Orochimaru-free.�
�It doesn�t matter anymore.� Naruto said quietly, and
part of the Uchiha dismayed over how defeated the other sounded, how broken and
tired. The blonde opened his eyes then and looked at Sasuke, smiling sadly in a
self depreciating manner, making the Uchiha�s heart freeze in the process. �I
was selfish. I wanted you to pick me, to love me, but� No one loves monsters.
You shun them and you kill them but you never love them. I should have known
that by now.� He swallowed thickly, and Sasuke watched helplessly while the
blonde�s lips quivered as Naruto tried to repress another sob.
�While
you became buddies with that disgusting pervert of a child molester, Naruto was
abandoned by this village. He was tossed away like trash, left to hide in his
apartment because the village blamed him. They blamed him for not being able to
bring you back��
Naruto sniffled
quietly, wiping at his eyes again with his sleeve. �Before I� leave� I wanted
to thank you� for being my friend all those years ago. It couldn�t have been
easy, having such a weak teammate.� He laughed, a harsh, brittle sound that
tore at the Uchiha�s pounding heart as effectively as a kunai. �It took me a
while to accept that fact but Jiraiya� beat it into me��
�He
did everything Jiraiya asked of him but it wasn�t enough and the old pervert
sent Naruto home in shame. He wasn�t worthy of being a Sannin�s student.
�Naruto spent the remaining two years studying and training by himself.�
�I�m sorry I got in your way.� Naruto�s soft voice
jerked Sasuke�s attention back to the blonde and the Uchiha began shaking his
head frantically in the negative, teeth working at the gag as he struggled
frantically to free himself from the chair. �I think we�re leaving soon and
after that�� The blonde paused and swallowed hard, trembling. �I wanted to say
goodbye before then. If it�s not too much trouble, can you tell Baa-cha� can
you tell the Godaime that� that it was an honor filling in for her little
brother? I�d say �hello� on her behalf but� demons don�t go to heaven.� He
sniffled, and tried to smile but it crumpled as quickly as it appeared as a sob
broke the strained silence between them, the sound quickly muffled as Naruto
fought to swallow his misery down. �It was� really nice of her to pretend we
were family��
He sobbed, then quickly smothered it, again attempting
to contain his pain, wiping at his eyes again in an effort to hide the new
tears. �She won�t have to send out anyone to recover my body. Tell her not to
waste anyone�s time- I doubt that� there�ll be anything left to find
anyway.�
��now
only the desire to die remains.� Sasuke
couldn�t get the gag off but he began trying to speak around it as he tensed
his encased forearms and pulled upward. He used his weight and began rocking
the chair from side to side, fighting all out while attempting to communicate
with the blonde through his muffled protests.
But Naruto seemed not to hear him, his eyes fixed on
something behind Sasuke�s right shoulder as a small genuine smile played across
his lips, expression vaguely peaceful. �Itachi promised I could sleep through
it but I don�t think he can speak for everyone else.� He sniffled again, smile
sliding away as the tears cam back, his blue, blue eyes unfocusing, becoming
distant with memory. �Akatsuki can�t do anything to me that the people of
Konoha haven�t done already but I still want it to be painless� It�s not a big
deal though.�
The pain and anxiety in his voice belied his words,
making them ring false in Sasuke�s ears; he wanted it to be painless and he
wanted it very, very badly.
The legs of the chair made loud thumping noises as
they slammed repeatedly into the floor. Sasuke threw his weight back and forth,
making the chair rock dangerously as he tried to get the blonde�s attention.
The Uchiha couldn�t get free no matter what he tried, a fact that didn�t make
sense since this was his dream�!
Wasn�t it?
�I�m sorry for being selfish.� Naruto said softly,
standing slowly, his expression pained as his eyes once again fixed completely
upon Sasuke. �You won�t see me ever again, I promise.� Moving as if deeply
injured, the blonde stood and crossed the short distance separating them to
stand over the brunette as he looked down into the Uchiha�s face.
�Congratulations on your engagement.� Naruto said,
forcing his features into his infamous grin, the expression marred only by the
tears that continued to trail over his tear-reddened lined cheeks. �I don�t
have anything worthy of a wedding present but you can help yourself to
everything in my apartment. Or you could just torch it all, too. I won�t be
needing any of it any longer.� The blonde looked up and away, obviously trying
to hide the pain provoked by the idea of the person he loved making a giant
bonfire out of all of Naruto�s earthly possessions. He swallowed, Adam�s apple
bobbing, but his voice still came thick and strained anyway. �I, I never had a
family��
A light seemed to go off in Naruto�s mind and the
blonde looked sharply at Sasuke with an intensity that surprised the brunette.
The smile that suddenly graced Naruto�s face was so joyous that Sasuke was
taken aback and immediately put on edge as he watched the blonde warily.
�But you did.� Naruto said, expression an odd mix of
sadness and excitement. Sasuke felt a chill go down his spine. �You had a family
and I can give them back to you, temporarily at least.�
He could what?
Naruto wiped at his eyes again in an almost absent
manner as his whole demeanor became solemn while he looked at the perplexed
Uchiha. �After Jiraiya�� He paused, expression faltering, face momentarily
becoming haunted before he managed to lock it all away again. The blonde took a
shuddering breath to steady himself then continued. �After I came home, I
created and tested a new jutsu. You can�t actually go back in time but it can
enable you to see past events�� And here Naruto shot the brunette a guilty look
as the blonde scratched the back of head sheepishly, a blush creeping up to
become lost in the already red cheeks while a small smile made his lips twitch.
For a second it was the old Naruto peeking out from the miserable fa�ade and
the momentary glimpse made Sasuke�s heart ache painfully.
�I wanted to see your parents.� Hand still behind his
head, those blue eyes unfocused again, the smile slowly fading away as tears
again silently fell, the blonde�s breath hitching quietly as he continued
softly. �I was selfish. I wanted to see what our children might look like and,
one night, while I was dusting your living room� I� I just��
Sasuke stared at him, his attempts to escape
momentarily forgotten as thoughts whirled in his head. His home had been
spotless when he returned, a fact that had completely surprised him since there
had been no one to handle the upkeep in his absence. He had been fully prepared
mentally to be greeted by a pile of debris when he stepped through the gate but
he�d nearly swallowed his tongue as he had stared at his childhood home. The
floors had been swept and oiled. His refrigerator and kitchen cabinets had been
stocked with essentials. All the laundry had been done, a monumental task given
that Sasuke had never had the heart to throw away his dead parents clothes
though he had personally enjoyed destroying Itachi�s. The bedding had all been
washed and the sheets on his bed changed, the old ones laundered and put away
in the linen closet with the rest of the clean bedding and towels, the little
sachets hidden among the folds of fabric to keep insects away adding a spicy
scent to the air when the door was opened. He�d found the same sachets in all
the chest of drawers, wardrobes, and closets all over the house, the scent warm
and inviting, covering up any the persistent mustiness that continued to linger
even though the house had been aired out. Looking out onto the back yard from
the spotless porch, it was evident that the cleaning had extended outside as
well since the small verdant patch of lawn had been cut neatly and the water of
the small meditation pond was clear with no hint of algae. Thunderstruck,
Sasuke had turned back inside to continue his exploration of the house, opening
doors, reacquainting himself with the previously abandoned home that someone
had lovingly readied in preparation for his return.
The fact that
the house was still standing, that it was clean, that someone had obviously
spent considerable time and effort fixing the wear and tear that years of
disuse had wrought had touched Sasuke deeply though he didn�t understand why.
He had felt profoundly grateful, indebted to the person who had taken care of
his home, and this was why he had endured Sakura�s constant visits after his
return since she had confessed to be the one responsible.
But, if the blonde was telling the truth, all this
time it had been Naruto who was responsible! Naruto who Sakura had said was
still mad at the Uchiha for leaving, who hadn�t wanted anything to do with
Sasuke now that the brunette was back. All the work, all that monumental
effort�! It had been Naruto all along,
not Sakura�
�You�re mom was really pretty. You look a lot like
her.� The blonde said with a smile, startling Sasuke from his moment of
revelation. �If you and Sakura have a daughter, she�ll probably look like your
mom�� Naruto sniffled quietly, a fist coming up to once again scrub furiously
at his tearing eyes. �The jutsu� I only used it once but it uses a lot of
chakra, so be careful...�
Naruto winced, one hand suddenly flying to his stomach
as he partially doubled over. He blinked, straightening again, looking
surprised as Sasuke watched him with open concern. The blonde opened his mouth
to speak only to slam it back shut as a look of agony marred his features
before fully doubling over, hands hugging his middle as he fell to his knees in
front of the Uchiha.
The sound of labored panting in his ears, Sasuke
pulled desperately at his bonds, his right arm suddenly coming free with a snap
as the metal opened. Immediately he ripped the gag off, hurling it away angrily
as he pulled to free his remaining wrist. Though his ankles remained lashed to
the chair legs, with another snap the brunette�s upper body was free and
Sasuke�s hands descended on the blonde, hovering anxiously for several seconds
above Naruto�s shoulders. �Naruto? What is it? What�s wrong?�
There was no reply, only continued harsh panting as
tremors started to ripple through the blonde�s hunched body. Helplessly Sasuke
guided Naruto�s upper body up and forward, encouraging the other to lay his
head on the brunette�s lap so that one pale hand could run through the blonde
hair while the other fought to free the Uchiha�s legs. Fear was flowing through
Sasuke�s veins, burning like acid as his heart hammered in his chest, the
combined effect making him shake despite his efforts to keep calm even as
another tremor made its way through his friend. Not again! He didn�t want to
watch Naruto die anymore; Sasuke doubted his sanity wouldn�t survive it.
�I think�I think they started�� Naruto gasped out
against Sasuke�s knees, huddling tighter against the brunette�s legs as his
body again tensed up.
The bonds on
his legs wouldn�t release and the harder he pulled at them the less damage he
made. It was like being inside a well constructed genjutsu but no matter how
good the illusion, no one save another Sharingan user could beat him at this
particular game.
�I want out
of this chair!� Sasuke thought,
momentarily stomping down the fear screaming through him to concentrate on that
single thought. A second later he felt his ass hit the ground as the chair
vanished and, with no solid support to lean against any longer, Naruto fell
forward onto the Uchiha, trapping Sasuke�s legs between their bodies and
pushing the other backward. Shaking off the surprise of his abruptly granted
freedom, the brunette quickly pushed himself up while working his legs out from
under Naruto as gently as possible, letting the longer limbs sprawl out on
either side of the blonde once they were free. Sasuke pulled Naruto against
him, urging the blonde head to rest on his shoulder while he checked for
injuries.
�You� Uchihas. Always so� impatient for power.� And
even though it was said in a fond tone, Sasuke felt guilt stab through him like
a blade.
�Fight it!� Sasuke commanded angrily, fighting to keep
his growing despair away. �Fight them, Naruto! Don�t give up- you can�t give
up! You�re going to be the next Hokage so keep
fighting!� Not able to find any
obvious injury, the Uchiha could only wrap his arms around the blonde in a
tight hug. He vaguely realized that he was rocking the other slightly.
Sasuke felt the blonde�s nose press against the skin
of his neck as Naruto shifted his head slightly, the passage of air tickling
the Uchiha�s collar bone as the blonde breathed. He realized that his friend
was crying again as dampness began spreading over the pale skin of his upper
shoulder and Sasuke began rubbing small circles on Naruto�s lower back as he
felt his own eyes prickle.
�Fight, Naruto?� The Uchiha cursed the lilt in his
voice that transformed his reiterated order into a question. �Please fight
them. Don�t let them take you away!�
�J-jutsu�� A hand pushed weakly at Sasuke�s chest, the
palm that splayed against his pale skin occasionally trembling in time to the
bouts coursing through Naruto�s tense frame before moving away to wrap around
his middle once again. Immediately warmth pooled inside the Uchiha�s ribcage,
the sensation dissipating gradually as it spread throughout Sasuke�s body.
Startled, he resisted the urge to rub the area Naruto
had touched, wondering what the hell had just happened but more concerned about
his friend�s welfare to demand an explanation. �Teach it to me later, once you�re
back home-�
�Never my home,� Naruto said, lips brushing against
the Uchiha�s skin as he continued between sporadic gasps and pants. �Home is
where you�re wanted. No one wants me there. No one wants a demon. My parents
didn�t want me. Kakashi didn�t want to teach me. �Ruka� I was a mission to
Iruka. Sakura hated me. You left��
It felt as if someone had shoved a sword through
Sasuke�s heart and was gleefully twisting it to and fro, causing as much damage
as possible, distracting him as he tried to process what Naruto was telling
him. Just what the hell had happened while he�d been gone?!
�The only one who wants me is the Akatsuki��
�So you just went with them?!� Sasuke shouted, fury
suddenly overcoming him at Naruto�s show of self pity, appalled at how pathetic
his friend sounded. This wasn�t Naruto- it couldn�t be his Naruto! The very
idea that this dejected individual was all that remained of the blonde made his
blood boil and his temper flare. Kyuubi was wrong! The Naruto Sasuke knew was
stronger than this, stronger than any thing, person, or tradition! Naruto, his
Naruto, was in there somewhere- all he needed was a wake up call from the
brunette, just like when they were genin. �You quit? Things were bad in Konoha
so you just, what, gave yourself over to the enemy? Did you gift wrap yourself,
too, Dobe?! They want to kill you! How could you even think of doing something
so stupid? What�s wrong with you?!�
He expected an immediate angry retort. He expected
Naruto to start screaming and yelling, calling him �teme� and all sorts of
other things as the blonde threw a hissy fit over Sasuke�s insults. What he got
was silence, complete and utter silence. Naruto made no sound but the Uchiha
could feel fresh tears trail slowly down his back and Sasuke immediately
regretted his rash outburst.
�Dobe, I�m sor�
� But his apology was lost as the expanse of empty white landscape around them
began to fracture loudly, creating huge jagged pieces that fell away and
revealed dark patches underneath. It wasn�t just the floor cracking but also
the sky, raining broken shards of white opaque glass around them like lethal
snow and Sasuke pulled the blonde as close as possible, hunching over his
friend to shield the other from injury.
�We have to get out of here!� The Uchiha shouted but
the order was immediately swallowed by the cacophony around them. Several feet
away, another piece of white- this one as wide as the floor of Sasuke�s
bedroom- smashed into the floor and splintered, the shards spraying outward at
high velocity. Being so close left little chance of escape and the brunette
could only crush the blonde against him as he turned them both, hoping his back
would prevent the assault from reaching Naruto.
�Are you hurt?� Sasuke asked, gritting his teeth as
pain lanced through him, the pieces imbedded in his back seeming to work
themselves deeper as he spoke. He looked down at the blonde when there was no
response, panic spiking through him as the other remained limp against him.
Giving into the fear, the Uchiha gripped Naruto�s shoulders gently and pushed
the other backward so that Sasuke could look the blonde full in the face.
He couldn�t suppress the gasp before it escaped.
Naruto�s body was riddled with cracks, fine, spider
web-like lines that radiated outward in ever increasing patterns. He was still
in one piece and the sad blue eyes that stared back at Sasuke were as yet
untouched, but as those lines continued to devour the blonde the brunette knew
that it was only a matter of time before his friend began fracturing like the
landscape around them. Even as he made this realization, a small triangular
piece of Naruto�s cheek fell inward to reveal a patch of dark emptiness.
Terrified of causing more damage, Sasuke quickly
released the blonde and froze, staring in dismay.
�What�s happening to you?� He asked, his voice small
and childlike as his emotions rioted within him. Fear was there in a great
quantity, drawing strength from its very familiar cousins Betrayal and Despair,
but so was Anger and Loss amid a storm of raging others that Sasuke couldn�t
even begin to understand. Wide-eyed, rendered mute, he watched as cracks spread
over Naruto�s shoulders and the areas slowly began collapsing inward, crumbling
soundlessly as they deformed the blonde�s body.
It was a watershed moment. Suddenly Naruto�s back and
chest were meeting the same fate, collapsing inward, more and more of the
blonde being destroyed as the damage progressed in widening concentric circles.
As his legs were devoured, Naruto abruptly dropped several inches and would
have toppled if Sasuke�s hands hadn�t darted out to steady what little remained
of him.
�I want this to stop.�
The Uchiha thought, imaging the blonde whole and healthy, concentrating on the
image as if his life depended on it. He wanted it more than anything at that
moment and he tried to impose his will on the dream. �I WANT THIS TO STOP!�
Unlike when he was
bound to the chair, this time his orders went unheeded and the landscape around
them continued to break apart and Naruto�s body continued to collapse in on
itself. The blonde�s body was just a bare outline, rapidly disintegrating, and
Sasuke could do little but watch in horror as his friend�s body broke down into
a pile of glittering dust between the Uchiha�s thighs.
�Stop��
The brunette finally found his voice and tried to make it an order but it came
out more as a pitiful request. �Please, Naruto, stop this!� He pleaded,
ignoring the hit to his pride since Uchihas never begged for anything. But as
the pile of dust continued to accumulate, as Naruto literally fell apart like
some hollow clay puppet in his lap, the larger pieces making muted hollow
sounds as they broke away and fell to the floor, disintegrating, until all that
was left of the blonde was a mountain of sparkling particles.
The
shattering world around him froze, as if someone had hit the �pause� button,
shards of opaque whiteness hanging suspended in the air all around him, their
sharp edges glittering brightly in contrast to the large patches of darkness
that now made up most of the landscape.
�It�s
okay Sasuke.� The reassurance whispered through the brunette�s head quietly,
softly, as if the blonde was standing right behind him, whispering right in his
ear. Warm breath ghosted over his ear and the Uchiha quickly turned, searching
franticly but finding nothing as he scanned the area for Naruto. �Everything�s�
okay. I�m ready to go now.�
�NO!�
Sasuke roared, his heart twisting painfully in his chest. He had to do
something, had to say something because this was it and deep down the Uchiha knew,
knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was his last chance to fix
whatever rift there was between the blonde and himself. �Naruto, come home- whatever was wrong I�ll fix it, I swear! Don�t
go! Please don�t go- I... I NEED YOU!�
The last came
out as a desperate wail but, as the last note died away, he already knew that
it was too late, that the blonde�s presence was no longer around him, and the
knowledge settled heavily on his shoulders. He sobbed and sank his hands into
the pile of dust covering his lap, clutching handfuls uselessly of Naruto�s
remnants, feeling the shiny grainy substance cut into his palms. Naruto was
gone; Sasuke had chased away the only person who had, perhaps, ever truly
understood him.

Agony
bloomed in the Uchiha�s body, haunting him as he fell into another nightmare.

*****************************************************************************************************************

At the sound of a whimper, Tsunade looked up from the
paper work on her desk and stood, making her way over to the Uchiha where he
lay on a cot in her lounge, the only place she'd been able to put him since catching a nurse
at the hospital being a bit too interested in his recovery. The Godaime checked
him and found nothing wrong but turned the dial on his IV to release more of
the mild sedative and painkiller cocktail. Sasuke�s face relaxed and the
shaking caused by the continuous chakra infusions subsided into a mild tremor.
Satisfied, the blonde returned to her desk and sat down heavily in her chair,
feeling her age as she looked out the window, her eyes glued to the tree they
had found the blood soaked blanket on.
�Help is coming,
gaki. Just hold on a little longer.� Tsunade felt her eyes tear and let the
moisture slid down her cheeks unheeded. Her thoughts turned to sealed scroll in
the top drawer waiting for Sasuke when he woke fully healed.

The council and its plans to marry the brunette off would
have to wait until Sasuke returned with Naruto.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Awareness
returned in pieces as his senses awoke, small separate fractures that gradually
eased him into the waking world. The air was
faintly perfumed with the mildly musky scent of incense. The low murmur of
distant voices, voices that were both familiar yet not, told him that he wasn�t
alone. The vague tickling sensation of something stuck to his face and the
bothersome impression that something was blocking his left nostril. The feel of
cloth against his eyelids, gently soaking up the wetness pooling there.
Naruto
wasn�t completely sure if he was ready to wake up yet but there was the vague
sense of the passage of time, indistinct and undefined, making him feel as if
he had already been asleep for a long time but simultaneously as if he had only
just settled down for a nap. It completely skewed his sense of time and Naruto
couldn�t tell if he�d been sleeping for only a few minutes or if he�d been unconscious
for several hours, days or weeks. All he knew for certain was that events of
the world had continued on without him there to witness it, as it had when he
hid in his apartment after Sasuke�s rejection, as it would long after the
Akatsuki killed him.
He
sobbed before he could stop it and rolled over onto his side, finding the
movement harder to complete than it should have been. Ignoring the stiffness of
his legs Naruto curled up and pulled the blankets closer, taking comfort in the
warmth still clinging to the fabric. He felt very alone, both physically and
emotionally, and though the emotion was a familiar one, part of him found this
realization odd, as if someone should be next to him. His hand reached out,
fingers stiff as they smoothed idly over the space beside him, feeling the
shallow indent in the mattress.
Naruto
felt his eyes tear, the liquid sucked away as whatever was covering his eyes
absorbed it. Irrationally irritated by this, he pushed at the cloth, fumbling
with it because his fingers didn�t seem to work correctly until finally it
slipped upward and fell away. He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it
as pain stabbed straight into his brain, making him groan and snap his eye lids
shut as fast as possible. When the pain didn�t abate, he moved until he filled
the cooler vacant depression next to him and turned his face into the mattress,
inhaling the foreign scent of his bedmate and trying to ignore the memories of
Sasuke it seemed to invoke.
�Sasuke�� He
sniffled and felt himself sob, pressing himself harder against the bedding when
the tears didn�t stop. What had he been thinking, believing Sasuke would want
someone as tainted as Naruto was? Naruto didn�t understand why he was crying,
didn�t understand why it wouldn�t stop. He had no right to be upset; no right
to at all since Sasuke had told Naruto he didn�t want him and there was nothing
else to say on the subject. Despite this, Naruto had still wanted to say
goodbye and tie up the little loose ends his abrupt departure had left behind.
Sasuke was probably celebrating at that very moment with Tsunade and Iruka and
Kakashi� Naruto was about to be gone, the monster would soon be nothing more than an
unpleasant memory. Honestly, what was there to cry over?
�You�re being silly. Let it go already, whiner.� But still pain festered in his heart, making the organ
seem to swell, choking him from the inside out, and Naruto could do nothing to
ease it except curl up tighter and cry.

The
sound of chanting greeted him the next time Naruto woke. Someone had visited
him while he�d been asleep as there was a damp cloth over his eyes and the
blankets had been smoothed over and tucked around his straightened form. The
sensation of something in his nose was gone, as was whatever had been creating
the feeling of something being stuck to his face, and the absence of both was
comforting. However, there was a tightness around his temples that hadn�t been
there before and, reaching up, his questing fingers encountered small cloth
covered bars that he belatedly realized were barrettes in his damp hair.
Cautiously, Naruto sat up, swallowing down the groan the movement triggered as
he held the washcloth in place by leaning his head back. He felt sore and
stiff, unusually so, and his stomach did not like being upright at all. As he
reached up to touch his hair again, he absently rubbed the area surrounding his
navel in an effort to sooth the pain away while he brought his other hand back
down to sniff his fingers, smelling the lingering traces of shampoo.
He�d been bathed. He sniffed a corner of the large
T-shirt he wore. His clothes had been changed. Naruto blinked, unsure what to
make of these facts or the idea that a stranger had had their hands on him
while he lay helpless.
Pain blazed along
his spine as Jiraiya shoved himself inside the blonde�s abused opening, forcing
Naruto to take the elder�s length all at once. It wasn�t the first time, or the
third, or the seventh and the will to fight had been beaten out of him by then.
Ashamed, humiliated, Naruto stared up at the ceiling as he lay passive, praying
that it would end soon, that when his sensei finished this would be the last
time and would leave Naruto alone.
Naruto barely managed to reach the side of the bed in
time as nausea burned its way up his throat from his roiling stomach and out
his mouth. It felt as if an inordinate amount of time passed as he lay sprawled
across the mattress, unable to move as his stomach heaved violently, feeling as
if his eyes were bleeding as blood roared in his ears, pumped faster than it
should have been as his heart pounded in his chest. When nothing remained in
his stomach and the stench of vomit could only provoke dry heaves, Naruto
slumped weakly against the mattress, convinced that his head was splitting in
two.
�Ai-sama? Hey Pallas, we need you in here!�
The distant sound of a door creaking warned him he was no
longer alone. Light spilled across the blonde and though the voice was not loud,
it still felt as if someone was screaming right in Naruto�s ear. The double
whammy of sudden blaring noise and the glaring light sent spikes of pain
directly into Naruto�s brain via his ears and eyes, making him feel ill all
over again. His stomach heaved, twisting violently as it cramped, but the
blonde resisted the instinctive urge to curl up and merely moaned pitifully as
he put a hand up to block out the light.

Someone else stepped into the doorway, mercifully
blocking out some of the light. �What are you�Whoa. Go grab a mop and bucket to
clean up the mess.� More footsteps, soft and slow as they entered the room, and
Naruto forced an eye open tiredly to see who was approaching him.
Holy fuck, he had a twin sister! Her eyes weren�t as blue
as his were but her hair was almost the same shade of blonde and if they stood
side by side no one would know they weren�t related at all. �Family..!� But he dismissed the idea a
second later as idle fantasy; monsters didn�t have family. The resemblance was uncanny though and he stared
at her openly, unable to bother being furtive about it.
�Hello Ai-sama.� The woman said, speaking as slowly as
she walked. One would think she was approaching a wild, skittish animal not a
sick teenager. �My name is Pallas. I�ve been helping Itachi and Kisame take
care of you.�
�Itachi. Kisame.�
He felt a twinge of abandonment that neither was with him or close by but he
smothered it until the flare of hurt faded back into nothing. �Seriously, it�s not like they could spend
all their time looking after me; they�re S-class missing ninja and probably had
to go do like�S-class missing ninja stuff�� That, or they had gotten fed up
of playing nursemaids and had foisted him off onto this woman the first moment
they were able. No body wanted monsters around, what made Itachi or Kisame any
different?
He sniffled before he could stop it and hid his face in
shame. �Loser. I�m such a fucking loser.
Don�t have anything to cry about and still the tears come.� When he spoke,
his throat was raw, his voice hoarse. �I�m sorry. I�ll clean it up.�
�Nah.� The woman said, amusement creeping into her voice.
�My brother has been complaining all day that he�s bored. It�ll be good for him
to have something to do.� A hand very carefully descended onto Naruto�s head
and there was a tension in it, as if she were ready to pull away at any moment.
Naruto felt his lip tremble and wondered what it was that
made people unwilling to touch him then immediately regretted thinking of such
a pathetically stupid question when the answer was so glaringly obvious. He
wondered if she knew about the Kyuubi. He wondered if the Akatsuki pair was
paying her to show small gestures of affection. He wondered if he should tell
her that she didn�t have to bother, that she didn�t have to touch him, that he
wouldn�t tell on her and she could keep their money.
He said nothing, silently pulling his head away, out of
her reach.
Though she continued to talk softly and her tone remained
pleasant, she didn�t try to touch him any more than necessary after that as she
helped him clean up. Naruto retreated into himself and let his consciousness
slide away to the Kyuubi�s cell, crawling awkwardly through the hole in the bars
to reach the familiar dais the fox inhabited.
Kyuubi�s crimson red fur had acquired an unusual golden
glow and Naruto looked the demon over for several minutes before approaching,
admiring the color change even if he didn�t understand it. The fox appeared
both asleep and in pain but it shifted from its curled position, moving its
left foreleg to reveal its chest in open invitation for him as he came near to
gently caress its muzzle, smoothing any ruffled hairs back into their proper
place. This earned him a small lick, as close to a kiss as Kyuubi could ever
give, and Naruto smiled even as his lower lip trembled, hiding the tell-tale
sign that he was about to cry by closing the gap between them and pressing his
cheek against the fox�s bared chest.
�There�s nothing to
cry over.� He told himself sternly even as fat tears flowed over his
cheeks. �There�s nothing wrong. It�s all
okay.�
Dimly he realized that the chanting he had noticed
earlier had stopped and for the first time wondered if maybe they were in the
Akatsuki hide out. Maybe it was the Akatsuki chanting a jutsu, preparing for
the ceremony or whatever that was needed to extract Kyuubi? Maybe that was
where Kisame and Itachi were.
An odd sense of excitement rose briefly within him, there
and gone in heartbeat, as the full implications swept over him. This was it.
This was where he would die with Kyuubi. This was where he would finally be freed
from the pain, where everyone�s dreams would come true. Here, soon, his tale
would end, the last chapter of his life would both be written and the book
closed. It would be a secret known only between those involved, like an
exclusive party just for him and the Akatsuki, no one else.
Warmth spread through him even as he cried, even as he
let out a small broken bark of laughter. An indefinable something filled him up
as he tried to picture the Akatsuki members wearing party hats and blowing
noise makers, as he pictured himself wearing his own hat, and slowly he
determined what the emotion was, that this was what it must feel like to
belong, to be included in something.
It was foreign and unfamiliar but it was good and he decided he really liked
the feeling of being in on something, even if it was as inconsequential as
this. He had always been different, always the outsider looking in through the
window, never the one allowed inside even when he�s been on Team Seven before
it had disbanded. That knowledge had always been in the back of his mind,
tainting anything and everything, but here, here he was the one a part of
something not the one apart from it. It was different, real, and it added a
sweetness to everything that went beyond explanation.
Naruto buried himself against Kyuubi�s fur and chewed his
lip in an effort to stop his tears. He was glad he�d gotten to say goodbye to
Sasuke and hoped that the young Uchiha passed along his message to Tsunade.
�I�m sorry.� The blonde whispered into the fur, shoulders
heavy with guilt, shame and regret. He finally got to be included in something
and all he�d have to do was condemn them both to death. He really was a very
selfish person. �I�d free you from this if I could.� And he would have in a
heartbeat- Kyuubi was innocent of any wrongdoing. It was all Naruto�s fault.
The blonde sincerely hoped Itachi remembered his promise
as he hugged the Nine-tails tightly. �It�ll be over soon. No more pain. We�ll
be at peace soon.�
Hating himself for how weak he was, Naruto buried himself
in Kyuubi�s fur and sobbed as quietly as possible so as not to wake the other.

*****************************************************************************************************************

�Welcome back Itachi-san, Kisame-san.� The monk said as
he stood on the wide porch and held the door to the temple open for the
returning pair. In response the Akatsuki pair paused in their ascent of the
stairs that led up to the temple entrance and bowed respectfully at the man
before continuing on their way up.
�Thank you, Minamoto-san.� Itachi said quietly, silently
helping the other shut the large heavy door. �Have you been waiting for us
since we left?�
Minamoto was a small man made smaller still by the
saffron and white colored robes he wore that seemed to swallow him. He was
bald, something that was common among the monks, but his dark eyebrows were
peppered here and there with silver-grey. He was not young or old in appearance
and had a generous amount of laugh lines around his mouth and eyes that did
nothing to help the former Mist ninja in pinpointing his age. Initially upon
seeing the man, Kisame had put his age around fifty five, but after seeing the
monk spar with a group of student monks, the Akatsuki member wasn�t so sure.
The monk had been the one to see them off hours earlier as they had gone out
help round up some of the temple�s wayward livestock and had pushed the huge heavy
door of the main temple open for them as if it weighed nothing, saying clearly
that the small man was stronger than he looked.
Well, he did belong to a sect of warrior monks after
all.
Minamoto
didn�t reply immediately, preoccupied with sliding a large, steel-reinforced
beam into place across the entrance, officially locking the temple for the
night. �No, no. I actually just let Tatsumi-san and his group in from
patrolling the grounds not long ago. I spotted you two coming and, since I was
already here, decided stayed put.� He smiled, his whole face moving with the
expression and instantly looking ten years younger.
�Thanks,� Kisame grunted, impatient to get going so he
could change and shower. The pair had been gone much longer than anticipated
and the former Mist ninja wanted to get back to Naruto as fast as possible. He
didn�t like leaving the blonde with the brother and sister duo unsupervised at
all for any length of time for several reasons, one large one being the Kyuubi
whose presence the Akatsuki pair had yet to fully disclose to Pallas and Kana.
It was a need-to-know topic only and, in Kisame�s opinion, neither of them needed
to know.
�There was some excitement earlier with Ai-sama.�
Minamoto said casually as they walked in a group away from the foyer and into
the main hallway. �Seems your mistress got a bit sick� Got the shishi all in a
tizzy��
Whatever else the monk had to report was lost to the
squeal of metal hinges being torn asunder and the scream of wood splintering
under the force of some large object. Said large object turned out to be Kana
as seconds later the trio had to throw themselves to the floor as the tall man
flew by over head before hitting the floor several meters from their position.
Kana bounced twice before skidding to a stop, nearly thirty yards from where
his journey had started at the other end of the hall.
�Foo-kun!� Minamoto said anxiously, climbing to his feet
and hurrying over to the prone form. As the monk reached the brunette, Kana
stirred and sat up, muttering a very flat �Ow.�
Resilient little bastard.
Kisame�s attention was drawn by Itachi, the Uchiha
already on his feet and sprinting down the hall toward the source of the
destruction, which unfortunately happened to be the apartments given to them
for their stay. The former Mist ninja
shot to his feet, following, and was only several steps behind the brunette
when Naruto stumbled out from the wrecked ruins of the large double doors that
marked the boundary of their quarters.
The blonde was weaving as she determinedly moved forward
and her legs were shaking from being forced to hold her weight. It was like
watching a new born fawn trying to walk for the first time, awkwardly
struggling to stand on uncertain legs, fighting to coordinate the spindly appendages.
The chakra that winked in and out of existence was an odd red-gold hue and made
the air boil around Naruto said that he was far from something as helpless as a
deer, but the image stayed stuck in Kisame�s mind, reinforced when the blonde
stumbled and fell to the carpet only to shakily get back up to lurch forward.
Eyes made crimson by the Kyuubi�s presence settled on the Akatuski pair and
just like that, Kisame could no longer move forward.
It
was as if all that chakra had wrapped around his body like an invisible hand,
encasing him from the shoulders down while the demon looked him over, eyebrows
knitting together as she did so even as her eyes widened slightly. Unlike
Itachi whose appearance had been left relatively unscathed by their previous
exposure to the Kyuubi�s chakra, Kisame�s body had gotten a complete overhaul.
His once distinctively blue skin was now normal flesh tone, if a bit on the tan
side, and the almost colorless irises of his eyes were now a pale green. The
bone structure of his face had remained predominantly intact with the exception
of his jaw which had narrowed, no longer needing to accommodate the set of sharp
angular teeth he had been born with. Kyuubi�s chakra had remodeled is mouth,
making his teeth straight and even, and Kisame had picked up the habit of
running his tongue over them repeatedly because they felt so odd.
Then
she turned her attention to Itachi, her frown quickly turning into a nasty
smile, as if she had been successful in pulling off some great joke. Maybe she
had, though, since it had been the demon�s chakra that had changed Itachi�s
gender. The Uchiha still had pale skin, dark eyes and dark hair but Itachi�s
ability to father children had been taken away. The clothing they wore, loose
outfits that had been generously given to them by the monks of the temple, were
all an identical shade of blue and cut in a
style similar to that of the tan ones worn by the temple�s students. The
outfits were on the large side and pulled askew with the most minimal activity,
making them all appear asexual and badly dressed.
The
demon chuckled, or tried to as it quickly turned into a cough, the force of which
nearly tipped the blonde over, and she put her hand out as if leaning against a
wall. Since she was in the middle of the hallway, this mime act of leaning
against thin air was something of a neat trick and Kisame looked to Itachi in
silent question. The Uchiha shook his head, informing the former Mist ninja
that no hidden jutsu was in play but Itachi tensed minutely and Kisame quickly
returned his attention to Naruto as the blonde�s stance shifted and he leaned
against the invisible wall heavily, free hand settling on his belly and rubbing
as if something there hurt.
�Ai-sama,� Pallas said, approaching the other slowly from
behind. Though she was being cautious, her back was straight, her manner
authoritative as she approached the other blonde. She had gone into No Nonsense
mode. �Ai-sama, lets go back to your
room. You�ll feel better once you lie down. Kana will stay out here; he won�t
touch you again.�
Both Itachi and Kisame looked over their shoulder in
mutual disgust and irritation at the tall brunette in question. Kana had been
immediately forthcoming about his identity if not about other details, like
what the fuck he really was, and had answered all their questions concerning
his run-in with Naruto with a patience that was damn admirable. They had asked
him multiple times, individually and in concert, but his story never changed
and the Akatsuki pair was forced to believe that he at least believed his tale
of the events was the truth. That didn�t mean they trusted him with Naruto and
one of the rules of his continued allowance to remain with them was that, short
of a dire medical emergence, he was not allowed to touch Naruto. Until now,
Kana had been alright with this arrangement and had followed it to the letter.
�A Koma-inu?�
Kyuubi groaned, drawing Kisame�s attention again. �No wonder I feel so awful��
She put a hand to her mouth in a manner that suggested that the blonde would
shortly be sick.
Kisame was beginning to really hate the fact that
everyone around him seemed to know what Kana was. He wondered vaguely if he
could ask Naruto to ask the Nine-Tails for a complete explanation.
�Kana isn�t making you sick.� Pallas said gently, remaining
calm, several feet shy of her patient. She didn�t move toward Naruto, making
the former Mist ninja wonder if she still could or if she, like the Akatsuki
pair, had been frozen in place as well. �Let�s go back to inside��
It was possible that whatever Kana was affecting the
Kyuubi but the more likely culprit was something a whole lot smaller and much
more troublesome. Pallas had said that keeping the jinchuuriki calm and
inactive was vital to his health since he was already so fragile. Naruto had
been asleep all week and they had used this to their advantage to pump his
unresisting body full of fluids and high calorie food in an effort to replenish
his under nourished form. Even with their efforts he had physically shrunk
several inches, a feat that had had Pallas� jaw on the floor, and lost ten
precious pounds because his metabolism, and thus his healing ability, had remained
in overdrive for the three days immediately following their arrival here.
Kyuubi lurched
forward, tottering determinedly past where the Akatsuki pair remained glued in
place until Kana jogged toward her. The Kyuubi turned its attention on the tall
brunette, and Kisame could feel the demon�s chakra surge as the Nine-tails
frowned deeply. Kana continued toward her, his long, ground eating strides
quickly closing the gap between them and, to his credit, he didn�t touch her;
in fact, he deliberately kept several feet between them, watching the blonde
expectantly. When both their skin began to glow faintly and Kisame felt his
eyes widen as he watched.
�Get lost.� Kyuubi hissed at the tall male, again
shifting to lean against a wall only the demon could see. One hand again
returned to settle over Naruto�s stomach, rubbing small insistent circles as a
grimace crossed over the boy-turned-girl�s features. Kana took a step closer,
making the glow being emitted by the blonde�s skin become brighter, and a growl
filled the air. �Get away from me, little doggy. I have no wish to play with
you.�
�Foo-kun,� Minamoto said, taking a step to the side so
that he could be seen from behind Kana. He�d been so quiet that Kisame had
thought he�d left. �Perhaps antagonizing the young lady is not the best idea?�
Eyeing the monk, the demon looked over its shoulder at
the Akatsuki pair and raised an eyebrow in silent question.
�We�ve been staying here.� Kisame said, shrugging
awkwardly as he looked over his shoulder at the blonde. Chakra or not, staying in
this position was beginning to hurt and the muscles of his back and neck let him
know loudly that they were not meant to stay in such a way for this long. The
former Mist ninja frowned and flexed his ankle to see if whatever the demon had
done had worn off.
�Monk-san, let me introduce you to Ai-sama, my mate.�
Kana said, turning to face the other as he moved to stand beside Naruto, ignoring
Kyuubi�s resulting warning growl. The brunette looked as if he�d won some sort
of lottery, grinning and smiling, so obviously happy about something that it
immediately put Kisame on alert. �She�ll be carrying my pups once the one she
carries now is born.�
From behind him, the former Mist ninja heard the sharp
sound of flesh hitting flesh as Pallas smacked her forehead with her palm and
sighed heavily.
If the fox didn�t beat him to it, Kana was a dead man,
er, dog-thing, once Kisame got free. By tacit agreement, it had been decided
that Naruto�s pregnancy was to be kept from the jinchuuriki for as long as
possible so as not to stress the fragile teenager unnecessarily. Kisame doubted
Naruto would take the news well and he bet the Kyuubi would take it very, very
badly.
Kyuubi abruptly stood erect, rigid as the demon looked up
at the tall brunette in open horror before turning its attention to the
Akatsuki pair. The blonde�s jaw worked soundlessly for several seconds before
the demon finally managed to speak. �Puh�Pup?�
�We have a lot to discuss with you, Ai-sama.� Itachi said.
The Uchiha shifted, clearly testing if he had mobility. �Much has happen-�
�No.� Kyuubi said flatly, the blonde�s expression
blanking out eerily. �Just� No.�
Itachi shifted again and this time so did Kisame.
�Pups are good news!� Kana said excitedly, clearly
puzzled since no one else seemed to share his enthusiasm. �You�re going to be a
mothe��
He didn�t get the chance to finish as the demon turned
its attention on him fully, expression ugly, as if Kana himself was responsible
for the pregnancy and the former Mist ninja filed this information away for
later analysis. The air became thick as Kisame felt the blonde�s chakra swell
and then the brunette went flying across the hall to smack against the opposite
wall with a loud crack, pinned in place by the Nine-Tail�s chakra.
�No!� Wobbling, Kyuubi began shouting, as if denying it
would change the fact that Naruto was with child. �No, no, no! You�re lying! I�m not� we can�t� the bastard�s�
Noooo!� She screamed, her legs collapsing beneath her. Kisame realized that the
demon was sobbing, breathing raggedly as both arms wrapped around the blonde�s
middle, and he wondered vaguely what the problem was. Naruto being pregnant was
a big deal, no one was saying otherwise though only Itachi and Kisame knew
exactly how big a deal, but the Kyuubi was acting as if it was a death sentence
and practically having a meltdown.
Minamoto, to his credit, moved to sit beside the demon
but Itachi and Kisame shook their heads vehemently, warning the old warrior
away. If Kyuubi lost it, there was no telling what would happen to the monk,
the temple, or the whole damn island the building sat on. The most powerful of
the jinchuuriki, there was nothing beyond the Kyuubi�s power, nothing. It could
blow them to hell and back in less time than it took Kisame to blow his nose.
Even if it was in compassion, touching Naruto with the demon firmly in control
could inadvertently provoke the Nine-tail�s wrath and Kisame made shooing
motions to warn the monk further back.
Honestly, after seeing Kana go flying, twice, one would think that the monk
would have enough sense to not want to be within a hundred feet of the blonde.
But Minamoto was made of stronger stuff apparently and, despite Kisame�s
continued efforts to wave him away, the older warrior sat down on the floor
beside the blonde, a small smile playing at his lips. He didn�t speak or move
to touch her, merely sat and smiled while next to him the small body was
wracked by harsh sobs.
The monk casually looked to his right, toward the other
end of the hallway, and made a vague wave in that direction. Kisame followed
the motion and realized that Kyuubi�s rampage had not gone unnoticed by the
other residents of the temple. Tatsumi, a captain in the ranks as far as Kisame
could tell, and his squad had crowded into the hall, everyone armed to the
teeth and ready to charge forward. They watches Naruto carefully, like any good
hunter would watch a dangerous rapid animal but at Minamoto�s wave, though,
they relaxed, standing down and sheathing their weapons but not leaving.

�Ah.� Kyuubi said, drawing
everyone�s attention back to it, the soft gasp of surprise the only warning
something was amiss before the blonde abruptly tipped to the side. The monk
moved like lightening, catching and guiding the blonde as the other fell,
easily pulling Naruto into his lap instead of letting him hit the floor.
Released, Kana hit the floor with a loud thump and both
the Akatsuki members and Pallas nearly followed suite as their feet were
suddenly unfrozen, the abrupt return making them wobble. Immediately Kisame and
Itachi pivoted, letting gravity pull them forward, using the momentum to
smoothly turn and launch into motion, running toward Naruto�s prone form.

Concern and frustration warred within Kisame as he sat on
the bed and watched Itachi help Pallas splint Naruto�s ankles, silently
dismayed as he glimpsed the mottled flesh while it disappeared under the new
bindings. The area already looked painfully swollen despite the ice Pallas had
been applying, proving that both joints were broken and useless until they
healed. Kisame and Itachi had both become accustomed to carrying Naruto around
to the point that it was almost second nature but it was still mildly annoying
The unconscious jinchuuriki had been lain so that his
back was against the former Mist ninja front in a semi-reclined position, an IV
catheter in his arm. The NG tubing had been reinstalled down the blonde�s nose,
the end looped around his left ear and taped carefully in place so it wouldn�t
move when either Naruto or Kisame shifted position. Pallas, clearly frustrated
at this new set back to her patient�s recovery to the point that she was near
tears, had deemed both supportive measures were necessary after taking stock of
the damage wrought by Kyuubi�s impromptu power display.
Both of Kisame�s arms were wrapped around Naruto�s waist,
his large hands splayed over the blonde�s lower stomach in an almost possessive
manner as they glowed, hunting for the spark that marked Naruto�s pregnancy.
Finding it and feeling it fluctuate, Kisame immediately started feeding it
healing chakra until the little spark burned bright and strongly again. Reassured
by the feeling of the quick regular pulse beneath his fingertips, Kisame let
out a quietly held breath as he relaxed against the pillows behind him. This
cycle had been repeating itself with startling frequency since Kyuubi�s
appearance and the Akatsuki member was beginning to wonder if the Nine-Tails
was actively trying to make Naruto miscarry.
Being
of the Mist, Kisame was naturally sensitive to all aspects of water and when he
had sensed the small knot of unknown density, he�d thought it was another wound
or a clot and had subsequently brought it to Pallas� attention. Since then, he
had been serving as a human ultrasound machine since the temple unsurprisingly
didn�t have one and there wasn�t a hospital in the immediate vicinity.
There
was a knock on the door and Itachi adjusted the sheet pooled next to the
jinchuuriki, spreading it to cover Naruto�s naked lower body since the pajama
bottoms he�d been wearing had been removed for ease and simplicity when the
damage to his ankles had been discovered. Naruto still wore the large sleep
shirt Itachi had dressed Naruto in after his bath was long enough that it reached
the blonde�s mid thigh but that was not sufficient cover by itself, especially
with Kisame�s hands under it. When the blonde was fully covered, Pallas gave
assent for the person to enter.
The
bedroom door opened silently revealing a dark head as it cautiously peeked in. �How�s
she do��
�Get
out, Kana!� The order came from three throats simultaneously in identical angry
tones, snarled out in a move so well orchestrated, one would have thought that
the spontaneous delivery of the words was choreographed.
The tall twenty something year old hovered in
the doorway, expression alternating from anger over being chastised and guilt
for being partially responsible for the current situation. He dithered,
shifting on his feet but neither leaving nor pressing forward into the room, and
Kisame growled irritably reaching for something to throw but Pallas beat him to
it. She pulled off her slipper shoe and hurled it, hitting the wall right in
front of Kana�s nose. He jumped, startled, and shot his sister a glare before
doing as he was told, closing the door softly behind him.
�Your brother is not allowed in here. At. All.� Itachi
told the doctor, his voice not quite able to achieve its usual flat monotone,
though whether from emotion or due to its recent feminization Kisame didn�t
know. �He is not to be anywhere near Ai-sama.�
�What exactly is she?� Pallas exploded into movement,
standing up and angrily hurling her medical supplies into the bag she kept them
in, the dwindling amount having been pilfered from the clinic they fled. She
glared at the Uchiha, her fists clenching and unclenching, as if she just
wanted to haul off and hit him. �She did something to Kana to get him
all excited before all this��
�She �got him all excited?�� Kisame said, impressed with
how calm he sounded while feeling so angry. His hands still splayed out against
the skin of Naruto�s belly protectively, fingers absently playing over the new
ridge of scar tissue just under Naruto�s navel. �Your brother can turn into a
huge dog and brushes off damage tat would kill normal people. He knew the names
of most of the knives and swords in the temple arsenal and seems to suddenly
think that he and Ai-sama are going to get married in the near future like some
psycho stalker. He doesn�t seem worried at all about the baby she carries now
or how it occurred after Ai and he �talked.�� The former Mist ninja irritably
made air quotes with his fingers and continued to talk over Pallas� sputtered
indignation that Kana did not turn into a dog. �He admitted to touching her
then and, now after touching her again, she nearly kills herself and miscarries
trying to get away from him!�
�Get away?!� Pallas said, voice rising. She stood over
him in what Kisame assumed was an attempt to intimidate his with her not so impressive
height. Pallas wasn�t terribly tall like her brother but she wasn�t as small as
Naruto�s current four foot something either. The doctor was very firmly average
in her height and her attempts to use it to frighten Kisame made him want to
laugh as Pallas continued to rage. �Get
away?! She hurled him through a pair of barricade doors! Barricade
doors, you idiot ninja meathead, and she didn�t even touch him to do it!
Her healing ability� is unnatural! She�s can�t be human��
�Shut up.� Itachi had been watching the exchange silently,
content to let them squabble but her last comment seemed to have crossed the
line with the Uchiha.
�No!� The irate blonde said petulantly, glaring at the
brunette. �She�s not human, at least not a normal one, and I don�t care what
Kana says but she is not a goddess��
�It has been my experience,� a familiar voice said
seconds before Minamoto pushed the door open, a tray laden with teacups and a
small steaming kettle in his hands. Smiling, he entered without waiting for
permission. �That even legends of gods and goddesses have to start somewhere.
What better place than with young men and women gifted with extraordinary
abilities beyond normal comprehension?�
�I thought you were a Buddhist.� Kisame said, an eyebrow
rising. �Doesn�t that rule out believing in anything else?�
The monk set the tray down on the side table located on
the far side of the room. �I am a good citizen of Water Country but that
doesn�t mean I don�t like visiting other places.�
Kisame didn�t understand the comparison.
�Once not long ago, Koma-inu were thought to be
unnatural.� Minamoto continued, pouring tea for them, steam wafting up to hide
the older man�s face for several moments. The monk looked at Pallas. �It was
why there are so few of you today, is it not?�
She paused, looking thoughtful as Minamoto handed her her
cup.
�What the hell is a Koma-inu?� Kisame asked, exasperated.
Neither Pallas nor Kana had been forthcoming with answers regarding what Kana
really was the entire week they had been together and this had annoyed Kisame
to no end. However they, in turn, had not pushed for answers regarding Naruto,
and Kisame had refrained from pushing the issue, allowing them their privacy
since they were allowing the Akatsuki pair theirs. Now that Pallas was had
begun demanding information about Naruto, the unspoken agreement between them
was broken and now Kisame�s curiosity was making a comeback of epic
proportions.
Minamoto blinked in surprise as he carried over the tray,
walking slowly so as not to spill the hot liquid. �Koma-inu, shishi, cerberi,
Foo-dogs, Imperial Guardian Lions, Lions of Buddha� They are known by many
names world wide but all are fundamentally terms for the same type of animal. They
are, in essence, mystical guardian beasts. Due to their nature and temperament
they were usually found protecting sacred sites and those who dwelled there.�
�So they�re guard dogs.� Kisame said flatly, truly
unimpressed.
�In a sense.� Minamoto said, nodding, ignoring Pallas�
sound of indignation as she tried to swallow the hot tea and protest at the
same time. �Most guard dogs though do not have the power to keep demons and
evil away though,��
Alarm bells began ringing within Kisame�s mind and he
accepted the tea stoically, too busy trying to keep his expression neutral to
do anything but hold the fragile cup in his hand over the side of the edge of
the bed. If Kana�s powers abilities were interfering with the Kyuubi�s
regenerative abilities then it would explain why Naruto wasn�t recovering as he
should�
��Or redeem angry spirits.� The monk continued
conversationally as he handed Itachi a cup as well.
Kisame�s train of thought went off a cliff. �They can
what?�
�According to some tales, they can neutralize negative
energy and redeem angry spirits.� Minamoto said, sitting down on one of the
large sitting cushions throughout the room and taking a sip of tea. While the
monk�s eyes were elsewhere, the former Mist ninja chanced a look at his
partner, wondering what the Uchiha made of this sudden idea. Itachi�s eyes were
a bit wide, dark eyebrows creeping into his hairline, and Kisame felt
marginally better to know that his fellow Akatsuki member was as thunderstruck
as he was about all this.
�Redeem,� Kisame couldn�t completely keep the note of urgency
from his voice. Triggered by the monk�s words, his thoughts began racing as his
brain suddenly fought to put together a puzzle he hadn�t even known was there. He
felt as if he were on a precipice; an idea was forming in his mind and it
stubbornly hovered just out of his reach. A few more inches- a little more
information- and he would have it, solid and real in his hand. �Redeem how?
What happens to the angry spirit once it�s been redeemed by a Koma-inu?�
The monk stared at him over the rim of his teacup but he
answered the question and that was all Kisame cared about. �No one knows for
sure. Some stories say that, once free of the bonds of anger, is allowed to go
to heaven. Other tales say that Koma-inu eat the angry spirits.�
�But what if the
angry spirit is a demon�s spirit? What happens then? Can a demon be redeemed?
If it can, does it become it�s opposite�?� Kisame could feel his heart
pounding, as if his body had realized where his thoughts were taking him even
if he didn�t truly know. He thought furiously, adrenaline spiking through him
as he tried to put everything together. He had to think, and think hard
because� somehow it was very important. Not only for Naruto but for the baby
the blonde now carried and also for Itachi and Kisame both.
He
was nearing the edge of the percipience, his hand outstretched. Closer and
closer, almost, almost..! �What was the
opposite of a demon? What was the equivalent of a demon for good? An angel?� Imagining
the fox with little cherub wings was a strange image that felt wrong, as if he
were on the right track but had misinterpreted the message�
��And I don�t care
what Kana says, she�s not a goddess��
�His fingers closed over something�
�Kisame-san?� With a start, Kisame jerked back to reality,
blinking, suppressing a frustrated yell as the thought slipped through his
fingers and disappeared.
Minamoto chuckled lightly. �You were thinking very hard and
seriously about something there.� The monk chuckled again and sipped his tea.
The former Mist ninja suddenly wanted to hit the older man. �Do you know an evil spirit, Kisame-san?�
�You have no idea,
old man.� The former Mist ninja made a face, pursing his lips and screwing
his eyes shut as if he had tasted something sour. He wondered if Itachi would
have a theological discussion with him later because Kisame was sure he�d never
be able to come up with the answer on his own now. Something brushed his lip
and his eyes popped open, darting down comically to see what the hell had
touched him.
Blue eyes narrowed in concentration were studying him and
Kisame realized that it was Naruto�s fingers touching him, tracing the Akatsuki
member�s jaw, delicately reaching up to touch the other�s mouth lightly before
moving away. This was the first time Naruto had seen him after Kisame�s
transformation and so he held still, allowing the other to continue as he
would, too busy staring at the blonde�s eyes to really think about what was
happening.
Naruto�s
eyes were still blue, the same pretty sky blue they had been the first time Kisame
had met him years ago, but now there were small golden motes of some sort
sprinkled throughout the iris around a dilated elliptical pupil. The blonde
blinked slowly, his strange eyes disappearing as his eyelids closed, and the
blonde retracted his hand to let it lay limply on the former Mist ninja�s
chest, as if the minor bit of exploration had exhausted him. Kisame gripped the
wayward hand lightly with his own and carefully brought both back to rest over the
blonde�s stomach, trapping the dainty palm under his larger one.
Blue
eyes fluttered back open slowly, mouth having to work briefly before any sound
came out. When it did, it was rough, raw, as if the Kyuubi�s earlier screaming
had somehow damaged Naruto�s throat. �Aum?�
Kisame blinked, puzzled. It wasn�t a word, he was
positive of that much. Feeling foolish, he repeated it back to Naruto who had
angled his head to look at the Akatsuki member. �Aum?�
�Now that is interesting.� Minamoto looked thoughtful,
peppered eyebrows drawing together slightly as he looked at Naruto. The monk
scratched his cheek but his gaze never wavered from the jinchuuriki.
Pallas snorted, irritated. �The tube prevents her vocal
cords from closing completely. Until she gets used to it her words will come
out weird.� Waving her hand in a dismissive gesture, the blonde reached for her
medical bag. �I�m sorry but Minamoto-san and Kisame-san need to step outside
while I conduct a��
�In a minute.� Kisame said, glaring at her. If nothing
else, the Akatsuki pair needed to brief Naruto on their cover story now that
the teenager was awake.
Itachi shifted on the bed, moving so that he could get
off. �Get out, Pallas.�
Unsurprisingly, she sputtered, indignant, but Pallas did
eventually leave the room, stomping out the door and slamming it shut behind
her despite the fact that Minamoto was still there.
�Quite a live one, isn�t she? She�ll make quite the
Koma-inu when she awakens.� The monk commented, climbing to his feet. He gathered
the tea cup Pallas had left and took the others from the Akatsuki pair and set
them back on the tray. �I understand the need for privacy between you and your
mistress but alienating the only one who can put Ai-sama back together may not
be the wisest course of action. I suspect that you�ll be needing her help after
your talk.�
He was right, unfortunately, and Kisame knew it even if
he did not say it allowed. Isamu and Bob had said that Pallas had experience in
dealing with rape victims and the Akatsuki pair would need her when they broke
the news to Naruto about the attack and the pregnancy that had resulted from
it. The blonde was probably going to loose it like the Kyuubi once they told
him about the baby though it was possible that the fox had beaten them to it.
If that was the case then Naruto was taking things way too well�.
As Itachi pulled open the door to let Minamoto, Kisame
hastily pushed all sharp objects out of reach of the blonde jinchuuriki.
The Uchiha shut and locked the door. �Naruto-kun.�
Naruto, who appeared to have dozed off during everyone�s
departure, roused and turned his head to look in Itachi�s direction. He made a
sound of acknowledgement low in his throat, wincing before he waved
halfheartedly at the Uchiha in greeting once the brunette returned to sit on the
bed. The hand that Kisame had pinned beneath his own fluttered and the former
Mist ninja released it, watching while Itachi received the same treatment he
had gotten as Naruto�s fingers delicately touched the Uchiha�s face. The
blonde�s hand lowered and hovered uncertainly for a second over the mounds of Itachi�s
breasts before finally breaching the space between them and copping a feel,
expression curious.
Though Itachi allowed it without any form of protest,
Kisame did not miss the faint blush that stained the pale skin of the other�s
cheeks and the ex-Mist ninja had to turn his head away before the Uchiha caught
sight of his smile.
That smile soon faded though as Kisame tried to think of
how to start this particular conversation. A lot had happened while Naruto was
unconscious and though most of it was inconsequential some was not. Kisame
determined that plunging headlong could do more damage than good and he deemed
it best to start with an assessment question,
�How you feeling?�
Itachi, apparently fed up with being felt up, had trapped
Naruto�s hand between his two and the Uchiha stared at Kisame as if the other
had asked the stupidest question in the world.
The blonde angled his head so that he could awkwardly
regard him, blinking, making his new eyes disappear from view. His mouth moved
but nothing more than slurred gibberish came out. Looking frustrated, Naruto
frowned deeply, trying to force some sort of understandable speech through his
lips to no avail. He shook his head and tugged his hand free of Itachi�s grasp,
wiggling his fingers.
Kisame sighed in defeat and irritation. He hated yes or
no questions.
�Good.� Itachi said suddenly, and there was a note of
something in the other�s voice that sounded suspiciously like relief. �He says
he feels good. No pain. He�s ready to go.�
�He says?� Eyebrows
in his hairline, Kisame blinked, realizing belatedly that Naruto was
communicating with his hand. It wasn�t uncommon for each village to have its
own sign language system as a back up but most did not extend beyond combat
situations when verbal communication was not an option. Though at one time
there had been one standardized system of sign language, many regions had done
away with it as an outdated custom once a single dialect had been chosen as the
official language throughout the larger countries.
Itachi�s hands moved, making gestures that Kisame
couldn�t make heads or tails out of, dark eyes focused on Naruto�s reply. The
elder Uchiha�s eyebrows shot up.
Kisame felt strangely left out. �What? What did you ask
him and what did he say?�
�I asked him where he learned to sign. He says he�s been
borrowing books and reading a lot.�
�Time well spent.� Kisame grunted, ruffling the blonde head
and mussing the long hair. Naruto smiled, leaning into the touch, clearly
enjoying it. �Good job, though I�m surprised it wasn�t your senseis��
The blonde stiffened instantly though Kisame couldn�t
understand why. He would have thought Naruto would have enjoyed the compliment
but here the boy-turned-girl was, rigid, trembling, tears forming at the edges
of his eyes. For a second he feared the blonde was going to start bawling but
then slowly Naruto relaxed again, as if he�d taken the emotions affecting him
and stuffed them away, though perhaps �relax� wasn�t the correct word since
Kisame could feel the blonde�s pulse thudding quickly.
��My senseis taught me many things.�� It was the way
Itachi said it that let Kisame know that the Uchiha was as equally confused
about the teens response. It wasn�t a typical reply to such a passing comment and
the way Naruto reacted was truly odd. Maybe his teachers had been cruel? Funny,
Jiraiya was a known pervert though cruelty seemed a bit of a leap�
�Naruto-kun, did Jiraiya do something to you?�
The blonde didn�t respond and, really, he didn�t have to.
At the mention of the Sannin the trembling had returned, the already pale skin
paling further into a distinctly unhealthy color that shone as Naruto began
sweating copiously. Keeping one hand firmly on the blonde�s belly, Kisame gently
closed his freehand around Naruto�s neck, feeling the pulse there beating
wildly like some trapped animal.
This wasn�t good not only for Naruto but also for the
baby. The former Mist ninja took his hand away before it could agitate the
blonde further and began threading his fingers through Naruto�s hair since the
jinchuuriki had seemed to like that earlier. Unfortunately, it wasn�t helping
calm the teenager as Naruto continued to minutely tremble, tense and stiff as
he tired to surreptitiously crawl out of Kisame�s lap. There wasn�t anywhere
for the blonde to go and the moment he seemed to realize this, he began pulling
the sheet up over himself in an attempt to hide.
Kisame glanced at Itachi to see what the Uchiha made of
the behavior and realized that the currently Sharingan-eyed brunette would be
useless for the time being.
Too
busy plotting Jiraiya�s demise, no doubt.
�Okay.� The former Mist ninja said, stretching out the
word while working hard for his voice to be calm and low. He let Naruto disappear
beneath the sheet without protest though Kisame didn�t allow Naruto to remove
the hand that covered the blonde�s belly. Kisame reached out to touch the
hidden head with his unoccupied hand, hesitating as he thought better of the
action and pulled back. �Okay, but we�re here if you want to talk or anything.�
The words were lame but Kisame felt that they needed to
be said nonetheless. Whatever Jiraiya had done must have been horrific to
provoke such a reaction from the once carefree blonde but Kisame could not
fathom what point there would be in the Sannin torturing his student so
severely. What would Jiraiya possibly gain from it? What exactly had he done to
make the blonde this was and was their a chance it could be reversed? Naruto
was a mess- mentally, emotionally, and physically- and had been so before the
Akatsuki pair had found him. Whatever potential he had had as a ninja had been derailed
by years and until he healed completely there was no way he would be able to
function in combat�
Unless� unless that was the exact outcome Konoha was
hoping for. Kisame had seen repeated proof that if Naruto became stressed
enough, the Kyuubi would come to his rescue and protect him. Put the blonde in
the path of an oncoming army and it would be a bloodbath of epic proportions as
Kyuubi possessed the blonde and sought revenge. No, not just armies� Countries.
Continents. No one would stand a chance against the jinchuuriki and all would
fall before the Nine-tail�s efforts to protect Naruto. The entire balance of
power would shift globally as Konoha employed its ultimate weapon and took out the
other big five countries, assuming power over all.
And stuck in the
middle, helpless to defend himself or his baby, frightened out of his mind if
not already outright insane from it all, would be Naruto.
Kisame�s mind boggled and silence swelled within the
small room. �I think I need some sake.� He said at length then remembered that
there was no alcohol in the temple.
A shudder passed through Itachi as the Uchiha fought down
the emotions possessing him and came back to the conversation. The Sharingan
faded into the normal bottomless dark of the brunette�s eyes, one pale hand
reaching up to absently tuck a wayward lock of hair behind his ear.
�Naruto-kun, are you hungry?�
He pulled lightly at the sheet, slowly revealing the
blonde. Naruto allowed the action, not stopping the other until Itachi tried to
pull the cloth past the jinchuuriki�s shoulders, and then the teen waded the
excess sheet in his hands, gripping it tight to keep it in place. The blonde
shook his head weakly then tried to pull the sheet back up to hide beneath again.
�No.� Kisame trapped the blonde�s hands, preventing the
action, and looking down at the teen as Naruto looked up at him fearfully. �You�ve
got to eat, hungry or not. Naruto, you�re sick and you�re eating for two. You
need to eat and rest so you can get better.� The former Mist ninja sighed and
resisted the urge to run a frustrated hand through his hair. �There�s a tube in
your nose that goes down to your stomach that we�ve been using to get food into
you. I�m going to sit up now and you�re going to sit in my lap while Itachi
feeds you dinner. If you get tired, sleep. If you have questions, ask them, but
you can�t hide until you�ve eaten.�
Itachi was looking at Kisame strangely which wasn�t
terribly surprising since Kisame didn�t usually make it a habit of ordering the
other around. Out of the two of them though, when it came to Naruto�s care,
Kisame was in charge more often than not- probably because he was the only one
willing to listen when Pallas went into lecture mode. Whatever the reason,
Itachi let him have the authority about Naruto�s care, apparently content to
sit back and help as needed, if needed. It was weird, very weird to have the
Uchiha assume a subordinate role, but it worked so Kisame didn�t worry over it.
�Pallas took her bag with her.� Itachi reported after
climbing off the bed once more, his unhappiness over this development plain.
�I�ll have to go to the kitchen.�
Kisame sighed but wasn�t terribly surprised; Pallas had a
nasty tendency to be spiteful when annoyed. The former Mist ninja released
Naruto�s hands and pinched the bridge of his nose, smothering the urge to sigh.
�Top shelf in the auxiliary pantry. Check the expiration date though, I had to
chuck one earlier because it expired. If there aren�t any more cans, we�ll have
to mix some from scratch.�
Itachi nodded, face expressionless though his back was
stiff and straight as he shut the door behind him. Despite his seemingly
limitless innate ability to be good at anything, the Uchiha had no luck
operating a blender. Kisame truly didn�t understand the problem- how hard was
it to fill the glass container, put the top on and hit a button?- but when
Itachi tried to do anything with the simple kitchen appliance, it ended badly
for anyone within a ten foot radius.
�We�re in a
temple.� Kisame said abruptly to Naruto after several moments of silence had
passed. Small talk had never been something he was good at and since Itachi was
usually so quiet, Kisame had never had to hone his conversation skills. �In
Water Country. We�ve been here a week with two other people, Pallas and Kana.�
At the mention of the tall brunette, Naruto tensed.
�So you did run into him?�
Naruto shifted nervously.
�I�m not upset,� Kisame murmured gently, forcing himself
to relax, idly running his fingers through Naruto�s hair. �Just confirming what
Kana said.� The adrenaline from earlier had faded, leaving him mildly fatigued,
and the former Mist ninja sighed inwardly at how quickly his body had become
out of shape in just a few days.
The blonde turned carefully onto his side but didn�t stop
once he�d achieved the position. Instead he kept going and once Kisame realized
that Naruto was trying to turn onto his belly, the former Mist ninja aided him
in getting comfortable, leaning back further so that the blonde wasn�t laying
awkwardly, eyes on Naruto�s face for any signs of pain.
Kisame pulled a pillow out from under his back and tossed
it carelessly against the wall the bed bordered, shortly repeating the action
with another pillow so he could lay horizontally. He made sure Naruto�s IV line
wasn�t tangled or crimped and craned his neck so that he could check to make
sure Naruto�s ankles were still splinted. When Naruto awkwardly reached for the
sheet, Kisame beat him to it, pulling it up to the blonde�s shoulders and
covering the majority of them both.
�Good?� The Akatsuki member asked. Naruto nodded from
inches away, blinking his blue, gold flecked eyes down at Kisame, his body
stretched parallel atop the former Mist ninja. So that the blonde wouldn�t fall
should he roll over and also so that he could continue to keep track of the
baby�s heart beat, Kisame put his hand on Naruto�s lower back, feeling the
small line of scar tissue to the left side of the teenager�s spine and absently
playing with it.
�I don�t know how to sign.� Kisame told the other slowly,
thinking as he spoke. �So me understanding you will be a bit difficult if you want
to tell me anything.� He waited until Naruto nodded in understanding before
continuing. �Okay, so you did meet Kana.� Another slow nod accompanied by more
tensing. �Did you know him before?� Naruto shook his head and Kisame nodded
slowly, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. He needed Naruto�s side
of the story to either confirm or disprove Kana�s version but he knew that
pushing wouldn�t work.
Kisame
took a breath and slowly let it out through his nose as he came to a decision.
�I�m going to tell you what Kana told us. If you think
anything is wrong, let me know.� Kisame said then belatedly remembered that
ordering Naruto around probably wouldn�t be appreciated by the blonde. �Please.
Itachi can translate when he gets back.� He waited because the teenager looked
uncertain but then continued when Naruto eventually did nod his permission to
begin. Kisame began from the beginning, telling the story as Kana had told him,
starting with the events at the bar. It wasn�t until Kisame reached the point
where Kana had grabbed him did Naruto become distressed.
Thinking
that he had hit upon a flaw in Kana�s story, Kisame pounced. �Is he the one who
attacked you? Did Kana hurt you?�
Naruto was alternating between nodding his head and
shaking it rapidly, each movement too fast, his eyes unfocused and lost in
memory. The blonde reached up and touched his shoulder with his free hand,
cupping the area and shielding it, as his pulse beat rapidly against the skin
of his throat. He was breathing shallowly and beginning to sweat, small trails
of liquid running over his pale skin to drip onto Kisame�s chest.
It was not quite the response Kisame had been looking for
and the former Mist ninja inwardly cursed, knowing that he should have foreseen
the possibility of triggering a panic attack given the subject matter.
�Breathe,
Naruto or you�re going to hyperventilate.� Kisame cupped Naruto�s cheek with
his free hand as he spoke, startling the teenager back to the present but had to
let go as the blonde jerked. Immediately Naruto�s knee pressed down into
Kisame�s crotch and even if there was a soft mattress below them Kisame�s eyes
went cross eyed with the pain of having his manhood partially crushed.
The former Mist ninja resisted the urge to cup himself
and instead sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep from swearing, his free
hand clenched in a tense fist at his side as Kisame breathed through the pain.
When he�d recovered enough, he forced an eye open to check on Naruto, finding
the blonde looking frightened but also vaguely resigned, as if afraid Kisame
would hit him, but would still just sit back and take it should the other
strike him.
Kisame wasn�t an expert or anything but his senses
screamed that this submissive acceptance to violence indicated just how damaged
the jinchuuriki was.
He put a hand on Naruto�s head, feeling the other flinch
slightly but ignoring it as he began ruffling the blonde hair. �It was an
accident. No harm done.� Kisame continued to pet the blonde, watching as the
fear gradually left the teen face. He momentarily moved his hand to touch the
shoulder the blonde had been clutching previously.
�They�re
memories, Naruto. They�re past events and those people cannot hurt you now.� He
paused and mentally tested several words before deciding there was no way to
really be delicate about this. Blunt had always been Kisame�s style anyway,
and, honestly, there were just some things that needed to be said in as
straightforward a manner as possible and this was a situation where pretty
words would bring hollow comfort if they brought anything at all. �Naruto,
whatever happened to you, you didn�t deserve it. Senseis or strangers, you are
not at fault for what happened and it is okay to be upset if they did something
to you.�
Naruto�s shoulders shook and the blonde head lowered
until it rested on Kisame�s chest completely. Small hands grabbed at the former
Mist ninja�s shirt, fisting the material tightly as sobs shook the
jinchuuriki�s frame and Kisame�s hand moved from the teen�s shoulder to Naruto�s
upper back, rubbing circles of comfort as the blonde shook, and muttering small
sounds of comfort against the blonde head.
Naruto
cried and Kisame wrapped his arms around him, holding the teen tightly,
providing the warmth that the blonde�s small body seemed to lack.
It
was a strange sensation for both of them.

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