Ren looked around him, taking in the large barred doors and the seal upon them. His eyes dropped down to where the pale-skinned Sannin rested upon the floor. Naruto held his breath, waiting for the condemnation. With Sasuke�s ability as his own, the old man would have to know that this wasn�t just an image, that it was truly the Sannin before him.
As if finally sensing that he was no longer alone, Orochimaru slowly raised his head up. His yellow eyes narrowed in both defiance and hatred as he gazed upon them. It grated against his pride to be seen in such a state and he could only promise himself that once he finally escaped this hell that he would destroy every person who had laid eyes upon him while he was imprisoned.
Naruto turned to Ren. �There�s your proof. He�s trapped behind the seal. He�s not getting out.�
As he was about to suggest they leave before his other unwanted guest made an appearance a low rumbling chuckle sounded, echoing off the dimly seen walls. Two large, impossibly wide spaced eyes opened to reveal the red fire burning within them. The face leaned down out of the shadows, hovering over Orochimaru�s now-tensed form.
�Fuck,� was Naruto�s first thought.
�Did you bring me more toys to play with?� it asked in amusement, its lips pulling back to reveal its extremely sharp teeth in a parody of a smile.
�They�re not here for you,� Naruto said with a scowl. �Keep your paws to yourself.�
It purred at him in a darkly taunting tone, �I thought you were bringing me more presents. Ones that I could play with like this one here.� It looked down at Orochimaru with some strange form of affection in its hellish eyes. A large, red furred paw pulled itself out of the darkness and drew one taloned claw very carefully and very lightly over the dark hair of its play toy.
Orochimaru shivered and turned his face away, looking back down at the stone floor beneath him.
The demon looked over at Naruto before trailing his eyes over to Sasuke. �I know you consider that one yours, but are you sure you don�t want to share?� it asked in a tone designed to rile up his container. �Surely, we could have a lot of fun.�
Naruto�s hands clenched into fists as he glared at the demon before him.
�Very well,� it said in false disappointment. �The other one�s too old for my taste anyway. Bring me something young and new to play with. Or at least young looking,� it added, gazing down at the Sannin.
Naruto watched as Orochimaru�s body stiffened further in humiliation and anger.
�Are we done here?� Sasuke asked shortly, trying to mask his uneasiness at being the apparent object of Kyuubi�s twisted fantasies with studied indifference.
Ren nodded affirmatively. �I believe we are.�
Sasuke vanished first and to Naruto�s surprise, the older man stayed a moment longer. He gave one last look around, especially studying the seal, before he disappeared as well.
Naruto gazed into the bars of the cell before him once more. Kyuubi�s hand was still stroking through Orochimaru�s hair. The demon had that look in its eyes again that said he was contemplating what to do with his favorite toy.
�At least wait until I get away from the others before you start flooding my body with your hormones,� the blonde half pleaded, half demanded. He shook his head. �You shouldn�t be doing this at all.�
Kyuubi lifted his gaze up to the boy. �I think it�s time you left. Don�t you have something that you should be attending to? And rather quickly, I might add?�
Naruto scowled at the creature, feeling powerless to stop the demon�s antics, and allowed himself to fade back into consciousness.
The elderly shinobi had apparently already disconnected himself from Sasuke and was looking over at Kat and Hanzaki. �I don�t think you have to worry about Orochimaru any time soon,� he announced calmly. �I think that he is sufficiently locked away and shouldn�t be an issue.�
Naruto waited with bated breath for the older man to spill the beans about the demon inside of him and about the fact that Orochimaru locked away in his body as well. He waited for the demands for his demise. He knew better than to hope that they would just try to lock him away until they could find a method to extract the Sannin. After all, he was nobody here. They wouldn�t care about trying not to hurt him.
But the older man said nothing as he stood and bowed to all of them. His eyes met Naruto�s for a moment before turning back to Hanzaki. �If you have no further need for my services, I have a garden to return to.�
With that, he turned and calmly walked out of the room, his age doing little to diminish the grace with which he moved.
Naruto looked back at Hanzaki and his assistant Kat and tried not to show his bewilderment. �Are you satisfied now? Do you believe us?� He forced himself not to react as he felt the first stirrings of lust within his body.
Hanzaki nodded once and Kat slowly followed his lead. �I think that about settles it,� the first man agreed.
Kat stood up, signaling an end to the meeting. "We will send men out to the Hidden Village to get repairs done. Afterwards, the two of you need to report to Hanzaki so that he can give you your instructions." He paused and looked them both over carefully. "If you betray us, your presence will be revealed to those you are running from as well as a price placed on your head and posted in every mud hole from shore to shore."
Naruto nodded, unperturbed while Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow to display his unconcern.
The two teens rose to their feet and headed out.
*****************
Kyuubi continued to run the back of a claw over the toy�s hair, enjoying the silky feel sliding against its own fur. The man lay quietly, unresponsive to the attention he was receiving. The demon quirked its lips in mild irritation. It wasn�t a pout. Demons didn't pout when they didn't get their way.
There was a red shimmer and shortly afterwards the large humanoid fox crouched beside the still, pale form on the floor. Nine black tipped red tails waved lazily through the air as crimson eyes studied the naked form with growing lust.
Placing a hand on either side of Orochimaru's prone form, the furred figure leaned over and ran a rough, wet tongue up the Sannin's spine. The pale body shivered in response and then tensed as it sunk in that the fox wanted to play.
Kyuubi took its time and made sure to thoroughly bathe every inch of ghostly skin on the snake's back. Then the textured tongue moved down and began its ministrations across the two pale globes of flesh below the waist.
Orochimaru shivered from the gentle touches, but he knew better than to relax. They wouldn't last long. They were always followed by pain. Pain and ecstasy and the humiliation of having no voice in what happened to his body. No control over what or when or why.
The demon maneuvered back behind him and nudged his thighs apart with a knee. Wickedly sharp taloned hands gripped his hips and lifted his ass into the air.
Now it would start. The raping, the pain and the unwanted pleasure.
Thumbs parted him further, revealing his entrance to devouring eyes. Since he was braced and ready for penetration, the tongue swiping over the sensitive skin caught him by surprise. His yellow eyes widened, but he held back any sound that the creature might take as encouragement. While nowhere near the length of his own tongue, the slightly roughened appendage was longer than a human's and lapped at his flesh teasingly.
The Sannin felt his body quiver without his consent as his folds were parted by wet flesh. Indeed he was penetrated, but not by a means that he would have guess at in a million years. The agile muscle slid into him, pushing its way past his tight ring and started to lick at his tightly constricted walls. A hand reached underneath him and expertly massaged his cock, quickly bringing him to arousal.
Orochimaru tried to bite back the moan, tried not to let himself feel the pleasure that the knowing hand and tongue brought to him. His rim was continually licked and nipped as his manhood was stroked with increasingly swifter caresses. Small sounds of desire escaped his lips as his breath began to pant out.
He could feel himself swell and his muscles tightened, ready to expel his ephemeral seed in a culminating moment of sensual turbulence. He could feel his will weaken. He could feel his determination slipping. It all snapped like an over wound watch spring and he let out a loud cry of pleasure as his body rocked back and forth between tongue and hand.
The hazy fog in his mind was just starting to clear when he felt those clawed hands on his hips once more. Thumbs parted him and he almost moaned at the thought of experiencing that pleasure again. That was when the piercing, ripping pain flooded his body, overwhelming his senses. His defenses down, he was unprepared for the agony that spread out from the tearing of his anal passage. His first scream went unchecked and he heard an answering groan from behind him.
He tried to choke back his cries afterwards, tried to escape what was happening to him at least mentally, but with the demon feeding lust straight into his brain, his mind stayed riveted on the present circumstances.
As pleasure and pain lanced through his mind, he tried to console himself by remembering he had a plan. A plan that had acquired a new facet just recently. A plan that was sure to succeed as long as he was patient.
He was brought to another exquisitely painful orgasm and felt the demon join in him in the devastating sensations of release. As he continued to kneel there and pant, he felt that tongue lazily swipe up his spine before the pseudo muzzle-like face buried itself in his dark hair. The creature backed out of him and then pulled him down and up against its chest as it lay down on the cool stone floor. Clawed hands stroked his hair as a sated purr vibrated from its body and into his.
His first order of business after he got out of this hell hole was to find a way to steal the demon's powers and destroy the beast.
**************
Naruto tried to keep his mind focused on the simple act of leaping from tree to tree as the lust boiled in his veins. He repeatedly had to suppress the urge to tackle the male that traveled in front of him and nail him to the nearest surface available. While the coat hid his form, Naruto could easily imagine the tight clothes clinging to the lithe body, could picture the way his muscles would flow like water under his skin as he propelled himself from branch to branch.
He tried and failed again to push the feelings away. His damn seal burned almost as bad as the ache between his legs. He didn't want to touch his lover in this state though. Sasuke deserved to be made love to, to have someone who cared touch him in passionate devotion, not fucked like some animal in heat.
He vaguely noted that his friend had dropped back even with him. He shrugged mentally, he didn't mind since it meant that he could stare at other aspects of his body rather than just his ass. He then realized with a start that those luscious pink lips were moving with the patterns of speech. He shook his head sharply and tried to focus on the words instead of the motion of the lips that shaped them. He halted automatically as Sasuke stopped on a branch and turned to face him.
"Wha-?" Not the most intelligent of responses, but the best he could do at the moment since his mind was picturing him dropping to his knees and devouring the pale teen's cock.
"Dobe, my eyes are up here," he heard the amused drawl of his lover's voice.
Naruto quickly yanked his eyes off of the other shinobi's crotch and back up to his face. Sasuke seemed to search his eyes for a long moment before starting to take a step toward him. Naruto immediately stepped back.
"No! Stay back," he warned almost desperately.
Sasuke hesitated only a moment before taking another step forward. "It's okay, dobe. I trust you."
"You don't understand!" he said in a strained tone, holding his clawed hand up as if to stop the other's encroachment.
"It's Kyuubi," Sasuke stated confidently, knowing he was right. The slit red eyes and deepened whisker marks giving ready evidence to the demon's influence.
"Dammit, Sasuke," Naruto said frantically, "I don't want to hurt you."
Sasuke raised a sardonic eyebrow. "You don't think I can handle myself, dobe?"
Naruto yanked his coat off, hoping to cool himself down so he could think rationally. "I don't want you to see me like this," he growled.
"Why not? The demon may not be you nor you it, but you are connected. It is part of you and always will be. Should I stand back and just accept the parts of you that are pretty? Wouldn't it be shallow of me not to accept all of you, dobe?" He had managed to take the last few steps up to the blonde during his rationalization. He lifted a hand up and gently stroked the darkened marks on the flushed cheek.
Naruto's eyes fluttered shut and he pushed his face into the caress. His red eyes snapped open and he made a last ditch effort to move away. He got half a step before the thick bough of the tree stopped him.
�Sasuke, there is nothing that I want more than to throw you down and take you here and now, but I don�t want to do it while I am feeling emotions and desires that aren�t my own.�
Naruto gave him a look that begged him to understand. �I want you, but when I am with you I want it to be us. I want the passion I feel to be mine, not some byproduct of Kyuubi raping Orochimaru.�
Sasuke hesitated, but nodded in reluctant comprehension. While he was taken aback by what apparently went on inside of Naruto�s mind and body, he realized that he really shouldn�t be. If the Sannin had become perverse in their old age, how much more so should an ancient demon that had been locked up for sixteen years. �When we get back you should go train. Channel some of that lust into anger and take it out on the dummies.�
�Sounds like you�ve had some experience with that,� Naruto ventured with a small smile. His blood was still buzzing, but he was doing a better job of ignoring it.
Sasuke turned and crouched slightly to leap. Just before he did so, he flashed a smirk in the blonde�s direction. �I had to do something after I woke up from dreams about you.� Without waiting for a response, he sprang from the branch and into the next tree.
Wearing a wide, stupid grin, Naruto followed.
**************
Sai looked around with the gawking attitude of a tourist. �Wow, they don�t seem to be here. I wonder where they could be.�
While Shino�s expression was hard to see under both the hood and the glasses, the others could feel the weight of his stare. They had searched several villages in an area around the last place that anyone had seen the missing shinobi and had come up empty handed.
Kiba gave a sigh. Those two were seriously starting to irritate him. Shino was a friend and teammate and Kiba loved him like a brother, but the boy needed to relax once in a while and go with the flow. Sai, on the other hand, was just fucking weird and somewhat annoying.
�So where do you think they went, Sai?� he asked in exasperation. He knew his friend wouldn�t ask and he didn�t feel like wasting more time than they already had.
Sai gave a blink as if surprised by the question. �I thought we weren�t following my intuition anymore?�
�Well we don�t have a whole lot of anything else to fucking rely on at the moment since we�ve lost their trail,� Kiba growled.
Hinata spoke up, trying to derail the fight that was brewing. �Please, Sai, if you know where he might be, since you are his friend and teammate��
�Gee, why didn�t I think of that,� the dark-haired boy replied. Strangely enough, there wasn�t a sarcastic tone to his words, rather just a statement. It confused the others slightly since they were unsure if he was being a dick or not.
�Where?� Kiba prompted when the other boy fell silent.
�Oh!� Sai looked slightly startled. �Back where it all began, naturally. Otogakure.�
Kiba let out a squawk, Hinata gasped and even Akamaru let out a questioning yip.
Shino took a step towards the Anbu member. �You had better be right this time or this mission is over.� If the blonde wasn�t in Otogakure, Shino had no intention of roaming all over the countryside with the lunatic before him. He would go back and report to the Hokage first and get a different team put together to accomplish this task.
�You know I read in a book somewhere that sexual frustration can lead to anger management problems,� Sai said calmly as he looked up at the hooded figure before him. �Are you getting laid enough, Shino?�
Chapter 41
With the arrival of the workers, Sasuke had taken anything of value that belonged to the two of them and promptly sealed it into their private chambers. He gave only one warning to the foreman to keep anyone away from the room unless they wanted to be missing body parts.
Currently he was leaning against a stone wall, watching workers scramble to and fro with a scowl on his face. He didn�t enjoy having so many people around him; too many opportunities for the enemy to infiltrate their domain.
He felt eyes on him and glanced over to see bright blue orbs tracing over his body. He mentally smirked as he caught the dobe ogling him once again. Since the Fuuma�s seemed to be so concerned as to how he dressed around civilians, he had once again donned on the black pants and blue muscle-tee.
A small flare of desire made itself known as he thought back to earlier that morning.
Waking up next to the blonde always seemed to have a soothing effect on him and was something that he made sure happened every morning. He enjoyed being able to watch the other sleep. He seemed so peaceful and innocent when his lips weren�t constantly flapping. He sometimes eased out of the bed and got ready for the day, being careful not to wake the other boy. Once he did, the yakking would start and it would ruin the mood.
Of course this morning he had found another way to occupy the blonde�s mouth.
Blue eyes finally lifted to meet black and Sasuke let a slow smirk form on his face. Almost immediately pink lightly flushed the tanned cheeks even as the pupils in those blue eyes dilated slightly.
A familiar head of orange-red hair bobbed into view and Sasuke had to repress a growl. That was the other thing that had shown up with the workers. Supposedly here to be a liaison between the hidden village and the town, Sasame had shown up with a bag full of gear asking which room would be hers.
Sasuke had been half a step away from tossing her out when Naruto had grabbed her bag and started to happily show her around. The damned idiot. If anyone besides himself even thought about touching the blonde�
It wouldn�t be pretty.
She gave Naruto a happy look with those big chocolate eyes that Sasuke would just love to stab out with a kunai at the moment and tugged the blonde�s hand to get him to follow her. Ignoring her babble, Sasuke watched the orange-headed girl lead his lover off down the hallway.
Wait a damn minute.
Orange hair.
Naruto likes orange.
Did Naruto find her hair pretty perhaps?
Scowling even more fiercely, the raven-haired teen pushed himself off the wall and made to follow the two discreetly. He remembered how the dobe had practically fallen over himself trying to get Sakura to go out with him. He�d be damned if he was going to allow history to repeat itself. The girl needed to learn once and for all that Naruto was taken.
He found the two sitting on a slightly battered sofa in the lounge/sitting room. They had dragged it in there as well as a few other items into their own rooms shortly after the workers had arrived and started clearing out debris that had covered heretofore unexplored rooms. Sasuke moved over and perched on the arm behind Naruto, making sure that his sword didn�t gouge the couch.
Naruto smiled up at him and shifted slightly so that his back leaned into the side of Sasuke�s chest and his forearm rested along the length of his black-clad thigh. Sasuke could have started purring contentedly as a tanned thumb traced small designs on his knee.
The pale ninja settled himself in a little more comfortably and allowed his fingers to toy with blonde strands of hair at the nape of Naruto�s neck. He smirked as his lover shivered slightly under his touch.
He glanced over at the orange-haired nuisance and saw that her smile was still upon her lips. He also noticed that, after a first glance, she never lifted her eyes to meet his. He tuned out their discussion of the plans for the base, but never let his awareness of his surroundings falter as he continued to twine strands of soft hair around his fingers. Why had he never done this before? He found it very relaxing as apparently did the dobe since his words trailed off at times as he rubbed his head against Sasuke�s fingers.
�Oi, bastard,� Naruto finally said as he sat up straight. �Let�s go make lunch before you put me to sleep.�
Sasuke stood and stretched his shoulders. �It�s your turn to cook,� he announced.
�What?! I cooked yesterday!� he protested loudly. �I made sushi!�
�That was the day before. I made eggplant yesterday,� Sasuke reminded him.
Naruto made a face of mild disgust. �Oh, yeah. That�s right.�
�Shut up, baka. It�s good for you.�
�Still tastes nasty,� the blonde grumbled. He looked over at Sasame. �Want to join us for lunch?� he asked brightly.
Ignoring the warning glare shot her direction from dark eyes, she smiled brightly and nodded. �Sounds great!�
The three made their way to the kitchen where Naruto started digging around, looking for ideas for lunch. �How does rabbit stir fry sound?�
�Don�t forget the vegetables this time,� Sasuke said as he started pulling out the tea kettle. Without missing a beat, he added, �Don�t stick it out unless you plan on using it.�
Naruto quickly pulled his tongue back into his mouth, wondering if the Sharingan had suddenly developed 360 degree vision like the Byakugan. Shrugging, he turned on the stove and started lunch. A few moments later, he almost jumped when he felt a pair of arms go around his waist. Sasuke wasn�t usually one for public displays.
�You�re awfully touchy feely today,� he murmured as he leaned back against the strong chest.
�Hn,� was the reply as a nose gently nuzzled into the crook of his neck. �Just proclaiming my territory,� he whispered into his ear before nipping it.
Naruto let out a snort. �You gonna hike your leg on me next?�
�No,� Sasuke said with a smirk. �But I might just mount you.� He emphasized his words by lightly rubbing himself against the tight ass in front of him.
�Teme!� Naruto yelled, half scandalized, half amused. Had they been alone, he would have shoved the food aside and jumped his dark-haired lover. However, they had an audience at the moment and Naruto couldn�t help but feel a bit embarrassed by Sasuke�s advances. He should have realized that two and half years of training under a Sannin had to have left some kind of perverted mark on a person.
He paused as he realized that he fell into the same category. Oh well, his perversion could be summed up in one word. Clones. And Armguards. And tight, form fitting clothes. And� Fine, he had a lot of perversions, dammit. Sasuke�s seemed to have fallen into exhibitionist at the moment.
He idly wondered what Sakura�s kink was. He snickered to himself as he ran a few guesses through his mind. His strongest, or rather he thought funniest, was B&D. He could just picture her in a dominatrix outfit. Of course the image would have been hotter had Fuzzy Eyebrows not been tied up in front of her. He might have just scarred another part of his brain with that mental picture.
Sasuke had moved aside to watch Naruto�s face when it became evident that his friend�s brain had just taken a side trip somewhere. By the expressions that flowed one into another, however, he was quite sure he didn�t really want to know where it had gone.
�Usuratonkachi,� he called out.
Naruto jumped slightly and glared over at him. �What do you want, bastard?�
�They call it stir fry for a reason.�
Naruto let out an �eep� as he quickly stirred the contents of the pan around. It didn�t smell burnt at least. Maybe a little too well done on parts of it, perhaps.
�Should I set the table?� Sasame finally spoke up after silently witnessing their interactions.
Sasuke didn�t respond since he knew that anything he said would likely piss off Naruto. She was the blonde�s problem, so he could deal with her.
�That would be great!� the younger male chirped up. �Plates are in the second cabinet there and chopsticks and other utensils are in this drawer here,� he said while indicating the two locations.
Lunch continued without further incident until Naruto and Sasame started going over plans for infiltrating and disabling the lab sites. They agreed that no matter what the daimyo had to say, the labs needed to be eliminated whether or not a new Otokage was elevated.
Sasuke listened with seeming disinterest as the two lined out their ideas. It was half way through the discussion when he realized that the girl was including herself into the operation.
�Who decided you could come along?� he asked coldly.
�Hanzaki decided that having an extra ninja would be of benefit,� she replied with a frown. He could tell that she was offended as if he had called her skills into question.
�Naruto and I work alone. I don�t know you and I can�t trust you in a battle. Besides, most girls are totally worthless when it comes to actual fighting.� He said the words emotionlessly, not showing anger or derision; just an icy resolve that his words were true and would be heeded.
Sasame gasped as if she had been slapped in the face. Her cheeks reddened in anger and she stood up, glaring down at the unperturbed shinobi. �You know nothing about me! And it isn�t my fault if you never fought with a real kunoichi instead of some fluff-brained ninja-wannabe!� she yelled down at him. �I am going with the two of you because it has already been decided by our leader.�
�He�s not my leader,� Sasuke cut in bluntly.
�He became your leader when you agreed to work for us,� she retorted angrily. �And instead of making presumptions, why don�t you spar with me and find out exactly what my skills are?�
�Hn,� came the reply which was Sasuke-speak for �Fine, we�ll see how you do.�
Unfortunately, Sasame wasn't fluent in Sasuke-speak and threw her chopsticks down on the table in a fit of anger. �Are you too-�
�Sasame,� Naruto cut in abruptly. He didn�t want her to screw up the concession that Sasuke had just made through ignorance. �We�ll spar outside in an hour.�
She looked from one man to the other and when no contradiction was made, nodded assertively before leaving.
�She reminds me of you,� Sasuke grumbled after a moment.
�You mean how she stands up for herself and won�t back down until she�s proved herself?� Naruto asked with a grin.
�No, how she�s a pain in the ass,� he explained, standing to take his dishes to the sink.
�Bastard,� the blonde muttered.
**********************
An hour later the three ninjas were outside a short ways from the base. Sasuke hadn�t really liked leaving the workers there unsupervised by someone they didn�t trust, so Naruto had left a clone there to allay some of his friend's paranoia. He had wanted to make sure that he was present at the spar as well to make sure that Sasuke didn�t return alone. He didn�t want to have to go find where the older teen had buried the body. He was only half joking when he�d had the thought.
Sasame had her ninja mask on so that only her eyes and her topknot were visible above her shoulders. She faced off with the Uchiha and crouched ever so slightly, prepared to attack or defend either one.
Sasuke started out with his shuriken, throwing the weapons with deadly accuracy. As Sasame dodged adroitly, he had already started in on his next move. Naruto recognized the hand seals for a katon jutsu right before Sasuke blew out a large fireball at the area in which the girl stood. She jumped up, flipped and came down right beside the Uchiha.
The two dropped into a spurt of taijutsu with quick hand strikes and kicks, but it seemed as if Sasame was coming out the worse for it. Naruto frowned as she made several hits that were in not only non-vital areas but seemingly non-crippling as well. After a particularly hard kick sent her back several meters, she pulled herself to her feet and set herself in a slightly different stance.
Sasuke gazed at her with his dark eyes for a moment, not considering her enough of a threat to activate the Sharingan. He then boosted his speed with his chakra and charged straight at her, deciding to finish her off once and for all and prove his point. The girl made a slight hand gesture and the most graceful shinobi that Naruto had ever seen (even counting a naked Hinata dancing under the moonlight by the waterfall) fell flat on his face.
Sasuke quickly regained his feet and the red of the Sharingan flared to life. He narrowed his crimson eyes at her and moved to attack again. As he neared her, his hand reached back for his katana; but as soon as he grabbed the hilt, his hand opened again, releasing it.
The avenger lifted his leg as if to kick, when he suddenly switched feet, hoping a few times to regain his balance. He stepped back to make a hand seal, but one of his hands miscued and made the wrong motions. Frowning, he jumped in with a swing of a fist, but the hand missed. However, the other hand that he had moved a split second after the other did connect and knocked the kunoichi backwards into a tree.
�You can only control one limb at a time,� Sasuke said with absolute certainty.
�It�s enough to keep you from using ninjutsu,� she said confidently.
Naruto bit his lip to keep from commenting on that. She would find out the hard way.
Sure enough, Sasuke dove in for another attack, a kunai appearing almost miraculously in his hand. Sasame hastily diverted his hand away from her face, but at the same time the shinobi was making one-handed seals with his other hand.
Not able to stay put, Naruto dove in to remove the girl from the path of the flames. �You�re supposed to spar with her, not barbeque her, bastard.�
�Flames never stopped you before,� Sasuke said with an unconcerned shrug.
�How did you do that?� Sasame asked in genuine interest as she got back to her feet.
�How were you controlling my movements?� he countered.
�With chakra threads. Our clan specializes in their use,� she answered readily. �I tied them to you while we were in hand-to-hand. You honestly didn�t think my fighting skills were really that bad normally, did you?�
His raised eyebrow told her clearly that he had indeed thought that she was just a poor fighter.
She made a little �hmph� sound to show her displeasure.
�I learned how to use my fire techniques one-handed,� he said as if he could care less if she knew or not.
�So, does she pass your test, bastard?� Naruto asked with a grin.
�Hn,� he grunted with indifference. �You better not have to save her during the attack.� If Naruto ended up putting his life on the line to save a helpless damsel in distress, then that damsel was going to get her ass handed to her the first spare moment he had.
**********************
Katsuro sat across the low slung table from his father upon the beige, comfortable cushion. None of the daimyo�s guards were in attendance. His father sat there unconcerned even though his son plotted behind his back and had made an unprecedented request see him alone. He wondered if his father actually knew of what he did when he made his many trips away from their home.
�Orochimaru has been defeated,� Katsuro said without ceremony.
He watched as his father�s eyes flickered with thoughts and suppositions. He saw situations and actions being weighed and measured. He saw pros and cons being considered. He knew that any other person would probably have seen none of these things, but when he was younger, he had known his father well. And while he may not spend as much time with him now, he was still able to see his mind at work through his dark eyes.
It had been his mother from which he had inherited his exotic eye color. When he was much younger, his father had told him that it was the first thing that caught his attention about his mother. However, he had received his brunette hair color from his father, not his mother�s silvery moonlit locks. He had never gotten a chance to know her well as her death had occurred during the early years when the wars were just skirmishes and the fighting hadn�t been as fierce as it had been right before Orochimaru had shown up.
�You obviously have a proposal or you would not be here like this,� his father finally said in his deep baritone voice. It had been that wonderful sound that had chased away many a childhood monster from under beds and in closets. Now he was old enough to know that most monsters wore the faces of men.
�We need Otogakure to keep our enemies at bay,� he began calmly and quietly. �We need to keep our image strong so as not to tempt them to test us. A new Otokage needs to be appointed and we need to demonstrate our strength to quell any doubts from within as well as without.�
�What demonstrations do you have in mind?� his father asked in the same collected tone, as if they were merely talking about the weather or what crops should be planted in the family fields.
�There are several locations that are under the leadership of those with dubious allegiance. I would say that we go in, remove the possible trouble makers and show our people as well as our enemies that we mean business,� Katsuro said with quiet determination. He wasn�t sure how much his father actually supported what Orochimaru did or whether he just tolerated it.
�Do you have someone in mind for Otokage?� his father asked with mild curiosity.
�One of the stronger members of our own Fuuma clan. It is about time that Rice Field�s shinobi were once again led by our own countrymen,� Katsuro said with conviction.
�Don�t always think that since someone is not from our own country that they are not qualified or worthy. Some are and some are not. Just as some of our own are and some are not,� his father told him almost gently.
�You were wrong before,� Katsuro thought to himself, but held his tongue. �Do you have someone else in mind?� he asked, trying to keep his anger from his voice.
His father was quiet for a long time. �No one that I would trust at the moment,� he admitted without inflection. �Do this and we will see what becomes of it,� he finally instructed.
�You are putting me in charge of this?� Katsuro questioned with mild disbelief. Then he realized that his father was probably doing so in case Orochimaru showed back up. This way he could claim plausible deniability. He was offering up his own son so that he wouldn�t take the fall.
�You are going as my representative,� his father corrected him. �This elevation must be supported by me so that the other Sound-nin will accept it and come into the fold. If you were doing this on your own, it would be seen as an attempted coup.�
Katsuro had never been so glad that he had been wrong as he was then. His father wasn�t setting him up to take the fall. It helped restore some faith that, perhaps, his father hadn�t been a willing participant in all of the snake Sannin�s atrocities.
Katsuro bowed lower than he had in a long time before exiting the room.
Chapter 42
Sasuke and Naruto stood outside, well away from the quickly reforming base. They had recently realized that they had never practiced their combined jutsu outside as of yet and had no idea of its full range or power.
While Sasuke knew that this step was important, he was frustrated that he had yet to find a way to make the chakra barrier mobile. He wished he knew what jutsu Orochimaru had taught the members of the Sound Four when they had set up the barrier around the Sandaime. If he�d had that particular jutsu, then Naruto could just use four clones whenever they wanted to use the combination attack. Of course getting the timing down could be tricky since they couldn�t raise the barrier until after the jutsu was initiated and he had to use his chakra to guide the flames to the Fuuton Rasengan. That left them with only a precious few seconds before they were engulfed in flames.
There had to be a way without resorting to the Kyuubi�s powers.
Naruto and his clones made the advanced Rasengan. As he threw the spiral away from him, still concentrating on all the aspects within it, Sasuke used his jutsu and directed the fire immediately after it. As the jutsu passed the range of where they used it inside, the different elements unraveled, causing the Rasengan to collapse with a gust of air.
The fire had nothing to join, so Sasuke allowed it to dissipate.
�What happened?� he asked in confusion.
�Once it got more than thirty meters away, it collapses in on itself. I can�t keep it together past that point,� Naruto explained.
�Okay, let�s do it again and this time keep it where we usually do.�
Naruto reformed the jutsu once more and, once Sasuke nodded he was ready, he cast the swirling sphere. Sasuke hurriedly completed his hand seals and the bluish fire raced to merge with the wind. The two combined and ignited. A ball of flame swelled and then burst outward, just as it was supposed to. The two clones tried to intercept the flames as the two ninja tried to jump back out of the area of effect that the jutsu usually charred.
Blue eyes widened as the flames didn�t stop at their usual boundaries (artificial boundaries formed by the walls of the lair, he realized) but kept expanding. A few quick hand seals enabled them to be dog piled by a horde of clones which took the brunt of the fire. They were still in the middle of the flames when the last of the clones had been destroyed.
Sasuke hadn�t been idle however as clones were getting roasted by fiercely hot blue flames. He finished the last seal that allowed him to teleport himself and Naruto to a safe distance. Once the smell of charred wood died down and the presence of chakra all but vanished, they moved back through the few trees that they had been transported through. Two sets of eyes widened at the devastation that they had wrought.
An area half again the size that they were used to had a haze of grey ash drifting around, sometimes whirling for a brief moment before settling into a lazy float towards the ground. Trees, plants and any other signs of life were simply gone. The area was barren except for the black soot that coated the ground and the grey snowing ash.
Once again the two boys were soot covered and red skinned from the heat of the flash fire. It looked as if both had spent way too many hours in the sun and then rolled around on a dirty hearth.
�Hey, Sasuke��
�What, usuratonkachi?�
�The trees are on fire.�
Through the haze, Sasuke was able to spot several small fires that were slowly crawling outwards along the forest floor. The two boys looked at each other a moment before bursting into action. Several dozen clones in a fire brigade stretching from the nearby river to their practice area made short work of the flames before they could get totally out of control.
�I think that before we practice again we need to clear a few more trees out,� Sasuke said through soot streaked lips.
Both boys sat on the dirty forest floor covered head to toes in sweaty ash and smoke stains. Their breaths came in light puffs as the incident had definitely tested their speed and endurance.
�Just think,� Naruto said with a huffed exhale, �if I get tired of being a ninja, I can hire myself out as a one-man fire department.�
Sasuke gave a snicker before easing himself up to his feet. �Come on. Let�s go get cleaned up. I don�t think I can stand to smell this badly for another minute.�
The two made their way back to the base and into the showers. Sasuke was being his normal, efficient self until a certain blonde haired shinobi slipped into the shower with him. They quickly decided that mutual bathing would be fun, which then digressed into play, which then morphed into mutual fondling, which then progressed to a heavy make-out session. It was then that a disagreement broke out about who was going to be blown first. That was until Naruto pointed out that after an orgasm Sasuke couldn�t even blow his own nose let alone Naruto�s dick.
Once the point was conceded, amongst many protests and counter arguments, they both were able to conclude their shower most satisfactorily. They then moved to the kitchen so that Naruto could fix a late lunch while Sasuke recuperated.
**********************
�I hate you,� came the muffled announcement from where Sasuke�s head was buried in the crook of his arms on the kitchen table.
�Oh?� asked Naruto in a seemingly unconcerned voice. He set down the bread and walked over to the table.
�Yes,� Sasuke affirmed, apparently addressing the table.
Naruto gently pushed the dark hair out of the way, clearing the view of one dark eye that glared up at him. He grinned and rather awkwardly kissed Sasuke�s temple. They usually didn�t kiss outside of sex and only touched when they teased each other. It felt a little strange to bestow the affectionate gesture out of the blue. Nice, but strange.
�And why do you hate me this time?� he asked curiously.
�Pink,� was the succinct answer.
Naruto chuckled in response. �I don�t know whether to find it funny or be insulted you were thinking about pink hair while you had my-�
�It�s all your fault,� Sasuke cut him off with the faintest of blushes. He really didn�t need a blow by blow, �I didn�t just fucking think that,� he denied, description of what they�d just done.
Naruto merely snickered and walked back over to finish making their sandwiches. That was the one nice thing about working with the villagers. They were able to get a better variety of food as well as larger quantities. His stomach was once again a happy camper.
Once finished, he put a plate in front of his lover and then sat down to eat as well. Sasuke pulled himself together and dragged the plate closer. The two ate in silence until they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
�I have news,� Sasame announced with a sense of suppressed excitement. �The daimyo has supported our decision and is backing our plans. They will be announcing Hanzaki as the new Otokage.�
Sasuke lifted an eyebrow at the news. Hanzaki wouldn�t have been his first choice for a position that was supposed to be for the strongest ninja in the country. But then, the man was already in charge of the shinobi that worked against Orochimaru, so he was used to being in a leadership position. He finally acknowledged that his promotion would cause the least amount of waves within the rebellion and since they were going to be the core of what was to become of Otogakure, it was probably the wisest move to make.
�That�s great, Sasame!� Naruto said happily. �So when do we start kicking some serious butt?�
�We�ll be leaving in two days,� she said with a fierce grin. They were finally going to pay back the Oto-nins some of what they deserved.
Sasame paused in the act of walking from the room. �By the way, Naruto, if you are still trying to keep people from finding out where you are, you might want to think about some way to hide your features. Otherwise someone might see you and recognize you.�
*****************
�Fuck you, bastard. I know I look stupid, you don�t have to rub it in,� Naruto growled from behind the black cloth mask that covered his lower half of his face.
He was dressed in a tight but comfortable black catsuit outfit with a hood covering his hair and the mask covering his nose and mouth until only his bright blue eyes showed. His hands were covered in black fingerless gloves and his feet were in some kind of soft soled shoe/sock thing that went between his toes. He felt like he was wearing pj�s and a ski mask. What kind of self-respecting ninja would run around dressed like this?
Sasuke, for his part, merely stood there with this half sneering, half smirking expression and his eyes dancing with unholy amusement.
Grumbling about pain-in-the-ass mates, Naruto undressed quickly, shedding himself of the ridiculous outfit.
Sasuke quelled an irrational spark of warmth at Naruto�s running commentary and decided to take pity on his fuming lover. �Luckily for you, usuratonkachi, I was more successful in finding outfits for us to wear.� He gestured to a rather large stack of black and white clothing sitting on the table against the wall. Sitting next to the clothes were two very familiar white porcelain masks.
�Anbu uniforms?� Naruto asked curiously and with a touch of confusion.
Sasuke nodded. �They were in one of the rooms that had been uncovered. Maybe they were going to use them for infiltration. I don�t know. But I figured if we were going to play the part of Hunter-nin, we might as well look the part.�
�Cool!� Naruto, now down to his black briefs, bounded over to the uniforms and shook them out. �I always wanted to be Anbu!� His expression faltered for a moment, but then hardened up into a smile once more.
Sasuke suppressed his own expression at his lover�s fake smile. He walked up behind him and ran his fingers through Naruto�s ponytail. �Try it on, see how you look.� He smiled and leaned in closer. �I bet you look hot in it.�
Naruto�s grin was genuine as he grabbed the clothes and started sliding into them. Sasuke felt tension ease out of his shoulders. He hated it when the dobe tried to hide what he was feeling. The blonde should know by now that he didn�t need to hide his pain. Sasuke would accept it just as he accepted everything else about Naruto.
*******************
The three ninjas were hidden in the shadows as they watched the entrance to the first base on their list. There were only a few guards outside of the innocent-looking shack and they had become lax in their duties as a result of the lack of incidents in a long period of time. They were child�s play to eliminate and if Naruto had at first hesitated, he only had to think back to the lab in Lightning Country for his kunai to become swift and sure.
They slinked into the run-down cabin and to the back room. They dispatched another bored guard before lifting the large trapdoor that covered a set of descending stairs. Gesturing for continued silence, Sasuke led the way down the stone steps.
The underground complex wasn�t very large, only housing two dozen shinobi as well as a small handful of technicians. The three-man team swept through the laboratory with silent and deadly efficiency, leaving nothing alive in their wake.
Naruto was almost disappointed with how easy it played out.
They found three small children kept in cages towards the back of the complex as well as one young boy kept in a separate room. While the other children had a few fine, thin surgical scars on them, denoting possible experimentation, the last boy was literally covered in them. As soon as he saw the three masked figures, one in black that showed her eyes and two in scary white and red masks that only showed hollow slits where eyes were supposed to be, he tensed up and ripples started appearing under his skin.
Naruto quickly pulled off his face cover and smiled at the young boy, large blue eyes crinkling with the expression. The boy�s muscles loosened slightly and the rippling slowed.
�Hi there!� Naruto said in a cheerful, but quiet voice. �We�re here to get you out of here!�
The boy, who couldn�t have been older than five, managed to look both hopeful and suspicious at the same time. Soulful green eyes blinked up at them through a veil of brown hair as the boy looked from one person to the next. His eyes landed on Naruto again and, after a long moment of staring into the bright blue gaze, he slowly held his arms out.
Being sure not to make any sudden moves, Naruto carefully walked over and picked up the small boy. Tiny but strong arms wrapped around his neck and held on tight. Naruto quickly formed a clone to take one of the girls while Sasame and Sasuke picked up the other two children, a boy and girl respectively.
The three shinobi then placed explosive tags all over the lair before heading out. Once they were a safe distance away, Sasame activated a tag. The explosion set off the others until the night sky was lit by burning embers where the shack had collapsed as the ground beneath it caved inward.
Satisfied, the figures moved off into the night.
*******************
�What are we going to do with him?� Sasame asked as she looked over at the sleeping boy.
They had made it back to the village easily, even with carrying the children. The kids were all tucked into beds at the gentleman�s club for the night. Not the best of environments for the young ones, but they were surrounded by shinobi so it was probably the safest. Others would start to look for their parents the next day to see if they could be located.
�At the moment we can�t do anything,� Sasuke stated firmly. �We still have three other labs to take out and only two days to do so.�
�We�ll need to find out what was done to him and see if there is any way to reverse it,� Naruto murmured. He wanted to do whatever he could to ensure that the boy had a normal life after this. He knew what it was like to be thought of as a monster and he wouldn�t wish that kind of pain on anyone, especially an innocent child.
�I�ll report to Hanzaki. Then we can get a couple hours rest before we head out again,� Sasame told them as she stepped out of the boy�s room.
�I�ll stay here for now,� Naruto said. �To make sure nothing happens while we�re here.�
Sasuke looked at him for a long moment before walking over and pulling out a spare futon from the wardrobe. He spread it out on the floor not too far away from the boy and fetched a blanket to go with it. He pulled off his mask and sandals and settled down on the soft mattress.
�Come on, idiot, you�re wasting your sleeping time.�
Naruto smiled at him warmly before pulling his mask off from its perch on top of his head and his sandals as well. He slid in next to Sasuke and was enclosed in a strong, comforting embrace. He would probably end up on his back before too long with Sasuke using his shoulder for a pillow, but he would enjoy being held while he had the chance.
******************
Sasuke�s consciousness flickered to wakefulness as he felt the weight of eyes upon him. His lids fluttered open to immediately reveal a green gaze from across the expanse of a tanned, broad chest. The boy that they had rescued had taken up residence on Naruto�s other shoulder, his small arm thrown across the blonde�s torso much like his own.
�Do you have nightmares, too?� the boy asked in a small but curious voice.
Sasuke�s eyes flickered up to his lover�s face, but saw that he was still in his own dreamland. �Sometimes,� he reluctantly admitted. He didn�t know why he bothered to reply, but there was something about the boy that reminded him of himself when he was younger.
�He makes them go away,� the boy stated confidently, looking up at the whiskered face as well.
�Yes, he does,� Sasuke agreed.
Both males snuggled their heads back into strong shoulders, closed their eyes and drifted back into a sleep without scary dreams.
********************
Kiba listened to Akamaru as he gazed around the old, worn down shrine. The walls were about to collapse and the place had more field mice holes than an owl could eat in a year.
�Are you sure?� he asked dubiously. Apparently offended, the canine let out a long string of barks and yips. �Okay, okay, I was just asking!�
The brunette turned to the other members of his team who were currently bedding down for the night. �Akamaru says that Naruto has been here. It was a long time ago, but the scent has lingered since this place is sheltered from the elements.�
�All I smell is rat dung,� Sai grumbled as he shifted his blankets around once more, trying to avoid all of the tiny black pellets on the floor.
Hinata covered her mouth to hold in the giggle at the Anbu member�s expression of distaste. It seemed that he definitely had one expression down well.
�You�re telling me,� Kiba agreed in a disgruntled tone. �Akamaru also says that someone else was with him.�
�Sasuke?� Sai asked curiously.
Kiba shrugged. �Could be. It�s been a long time since he�s smelled the bastard. He thinks it might be him, though.�
�It was Sasuke,� Sai said confidently.
�How do you know for sure?� Shino finally asked. His teammates could pick up the slight tone of annoyance in his voice that no one else, including Sai, would have noticed. �He could have been here with Itachi for all you know.�
Sai looked at him strangely. �If he was with Itachi, then I doubt if they would have stopped here for the night. They would have immediately headed for whatever hole in the wall that the Akatsuki are currently using to extract the demon. I don�t believe that has happened since I don�t think they would just sit on their fingers once they had done so.�
�Thumbs,� Kiba corrected.
�Excuse me?� Sai asked.
��they would just sit on their thumbs�not their fingers� Kiba tried to explain.
�Why would they sit on their thumbs?� Sai asked in confusion.
�Exactly, they wouldn�t,� Kiba agreed.
�But, didn�t you just say�?�
�He was correcting your saying, Sai-san,� Hinata intervened. �The saying is not �sit on their fingers� but rather �sit on their thumbs�.�
�Besides,� Kiba added. �Shino wasn�t being serious, he was just being funny.�
�What�s funny about the Akatsuki having Naruto?�
Kiba took a long, deep breath. �Nevermind.�
�I�m confused,� Sai admitted in a quiet tone almost to himself.
Chapter 43
The second lab had gone down without a hitch and, in their arrogance; they believed that the third would be the same.
They were wrong.
****************
Flicker on
The lights came up, illuminating a scene of chaos. Fires raged out of control and people ran in all directions, screaming in terror. The sounds of metal clashing against metal could either mean a fight or something trying to get loose from its cage.
Flicker off
The orange glow lit up the area like a back drop. A woman wearing rags came up to Naruto, weeping for help. As soon as she got near, the kunai buried itself in his stomach. A slash to the throat revealed the clothing of a Sound-nin.
He held his hand to his stomach, hoping that the Kyuubi�s powers would stop the flow of blood soon. He couldn�t afford to lose much more and he didn�t dare call upon the demon�s powers in this madhouse. It would be too easy to lose control.
Flicker on, Flicker off
He kept everyone away from him now. He had four clones stationed around him to take the brunt of the surprise attacks. Traps, shinobi, test subjects and even the scientists were playing every-man-for-themselves. When he knew it was a prisoner, he tried to reason with them and have one of his clones lead them out to freedom. Sometimes they stayed with the clone; more often than not they ran as soon as the smelled the forest air. Sometimes they stopped to kill the clone before making a bid for escape.
Flicker on
He didn�t know where his other two teammates were. Lost somewhere in this maze like he himself, no doubt. Well, maybe not Sasuke, he had probably memorized the way out with the Sharingan. Bastard.
Something roared from down below and the sound shook the walls and reverberated through his bones. The bellow was the fuel to people�s terror and they raced that much faster either toward freedom or their own deaths.
He knew one or two of the people he killed did not change into Sound-nin after they died. He knew that their faces would stay with him for a long time, their terror-contorted expressions frozen in his mind�s eye.
Flicker off
Something large slammed into the side of his shoulder, throwing him several meters until he hit a wall hard enough for it to crack under the force. He thought he felt a few ribs crack, he knew that his left shoulder was out of socket.
He could barely see in the flame-lit darkness. Shadows shrouded everything, hiding both those who needed to be saved and those who needed to be killed.
Flicker on, Flicker off
Naruto�s breath froze in his lungs. The flash of light had revealed his opponent. It was too many, too big. Twice his height, too big. Too many arms. Too many legs. At least as long as it was tall, too big. Too many heads with twisted faces. Twisted in anguish. Twisted in terror. Twisted in rage.
He instinctively ducked as the huge paw of a hand slammed into the wall, crumbling stone in its wake. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the dim outline lit up by the distant fires.
Another deep, rumbling bellow sounded from down below. He couldn�t believe that it hadn�t come from this damn thing. How many fucking freaks of nature did this place contain? Where the hell were Sasuke and Sasame?
He had to get his arm back into place. He had to kill this thing. He had to find his friends and protect them. He had to get everyone he could out of this fucking macabre asylum while he was still sane!
The thing in front of him screamed. Too many screams, so many screams coming from too many mouths. Facing Gaara had been a nightmare, or so he had thought. Now, he realized that while it had been terrifying, this was a real nightmare.
He felt like emptying his stomach. He felt like destroying every damn thing here so he could be sure nothing escaped.
Flicker on
The lights revealed everything that he hadn�t wanted to see on the patchwork creature before him. It charged at him, moving faster than he could believe something that awkward and hideously malformed should be able to. He jumped out of the way, throwing kunai wrapped in explosive tags. He triggered the tags and body parts flew everywhere.
Blood splashed, organs splattered and still the damn thing stood there with half of its body gone. Bile rose acridly in his throat. Oh fucking god, one of the heads was weeping.
Flicker off
He could feel his guts churning. He could feel the power of Kyuubi trying to surface, to come to his aid for its own selfish purposes. With it, he could feel the snake squirming, trying to wriggle free and it was enough to push him to vomit. He was somehow shocked that he didn�t feel something long and slimy and writhing sliding up his throat.
Puke flooded his sinus cavity on that lovely thought and he couldn�t blow it out. Sucking it back down, he gagged again and started heaving, unable to catch a breath, practically choking on his own half-digested dinner.
He simultaneously did the correct thing as well as made a mistake in checking on his opponent.
The fucking thing had joined hands and was holding the rest of its entrails inside as it made its ponderous way over to the still gagging shinobi.
Between the choices of puke while fighting or puke while dying, Naruto decided he would go down swinging. He awkwardly brought his right hand to his dislocated left arm and made the seal for his clones. Three sprung into being; looking as awful as he himself was feeling.
One immediately threw itself at the abomination, trying to hold it off for the few moments it would take to get the Rasengan going. Getting his gag reflex under control, he held back his right hand as he and the other two clones formed the ball and added wind chakra to the mix. He then charged at the thing, thrusting his signature jutsu right into its �too many, too fucking many� main
Flicker on
torso.
Blood and bone and unnamable things flew in all directions, covering everything within a three meter radius. He felt the wind-driven Rasengan explode into the creature, but some of the power back-lashed into him as well. Somehow it was more powerful with him using it as a melee technique as opposed to the ranged jutsu that he used to combine with Sasuke�s fire. Bone crunched just before he was thrown against the wall, his head bouncing off the immovable surface.
He was thankful that the other two clones were still up since they had more working arms than he himself did at the moment. He seriously thought about waiting for a few moments to see if Kyuubi was going to help him, but decided against it. If Zabuza could fight without the use of his arms, then so could Uzumaki Naruto.
Flicker off
*****************
Flicker on
Sasuke strode down the hallway, his bloodline illuminating what the lights would not. After the first time someone had tried to stab him, he had kept everything at a distance. If they looked like civilians, he directed them towards the hallway that led to the stairs that went up to the first floor in this hellish dungeon. If they attacked anyway, a swift kick to the head usually knocked them out or discouraged any further aggression on their part.
If they looked like Sound-nin, they died quickly and efficiently with a flick or two of his sword. Okay, so a few took a few flicks, a couple of stabs and a slash, but they were few and far between. Well, at least they had been on the first floor. He was finding that the guards on this floor were a little better armed and trained and actually presented a minor challenge for him.
Flicker off
A shinobi, who had apparently been waiting for the darkness, chose that moment to strike. Not realizing that his opponent was not as blind as he thought, the man charged at what couldn�t be more than a boy and a slim, pretty boy at that. It was only when red eyes turned his direction did he understand the full depth of his mistake.
Flicker on
The man�s head rolled off to the side. Crimson eyes registered it, categorized it and then ignored it as it was no longer a threat. He had seen so much worse when he had been a student to Orochimaru. Little things like decapitated heads no longer bothered him.
Ahead of him, lost somewhere within the twists and turns of the corridor, something roared.
Sound-nin as well as a few prisoners streamed out of the halls like rats from a burning ship. No one raised a hand to him as they raced by in their mad, headlong rush to freedom. Naturally Sasuke took advantage of their distraction, unwilling to let the opportunity to kill a few Sound-nin pass him by. After all, they were shooting for a hundred percent fatality within the enemy ranks that were stationed in these labs.
Flicker off
The ground trembled under both weight and power as the something came nearer. The crunching of stone could be heard both underfoot and along the walls as if claws were sinking into concrete.
Sasuke moved forward, knowing that whatever it was, it had to die. He couldn�t allow something like that to live to terrorize the countryside. Not only that�
�it sounded as if it would be exciting to fight.
He rounded the corner and there it was towards the center of the hall. The first thing he saw was the flaming green eyes. The feel of the chakra and the killing aura were impressive. Not as much as Orochimaru, but more than your average jounin.
He could feel the eyes trying to capture his gaze, trying to instill fear in his mind. However, he knew that game as he could play it himself. Pulling his eyes away from the green glow, he noted that the thing was almost twice his height and took up most of the corridor. That could be both beneficial and a hindrance. He wouldn�t be able to move behind it, but then it wouldn�t have a lot of room to maneuver either.
Flicker on, Flicker off
Sasuke felt his eyes widen from both shock and an attempt to recapture the vision. He quickly reminded himself of the feel of its aura and hoped that it wasn�t holding anything back. Those features�
If he had ever thought that Naruto could look demonic, he was sorely mistaken. The thing made the Kyuubi look like an overgrown plushie. It wasn�t youkai.
It had looked like an oni.
The black scaled body had sported spikes protruding from knees and elbows. Talons had adorned both hands and feet and looked razor sharp. The head had appeared draconian with more than one set of horns, each pointing in a different direction. The snout was full of wickedly sharp teeth that were easily those of a carnivore.
Sasuke honestly didn�t know if Orochimaru had successfully summoned a true demon or if some poor soul had been transformed beyond all recognition.
The thing moved incredibly fast, charging down the hall. Sasuke crouched, ready to dodge and launch a counter attack.
Flicker on
Light flooded his eyes, blinding him for a split instant. A large clawed hand connected, slamming the shinobi into the wall with crushing force causing stone and mortar to crumble under the impact. Sasuke�s head rang with the beginnings of a concussion but he forced himself to move as the other clawed fist came at him, ready to pulverize his skull.
He rolled to safety and tightened his grip on his sword. Shaking his head once to clear it, he leapt at the creature that was in the process of turning towards him. Gripping the hilt in both hands, he brought the weapon down in an overhead swing, intent on doing as much damage as possible.
He scowled as the sword�s edge slid off the diamond hardness of the scales and dodged almost automatically as a claw swiped at him.
He had to move and weave as best as he could within the tight confines of the corridor as he looked for an opening. Once found, he called up his Chidori Nagashi and allowed the lightning to flow into his blade. He dodged under the thing�s guard until he stood directly before its belly. He swung the katana and almost swore out loud as the creature blocked the attack with its forearm.
The worst part was that while the lightning enhanced weapon did damage the demon, it only scored the scales, leaving behind a crease in the armored hide. He allowed his jutsu to dissipate and once again dodged as this time the thing tried to bite him.
Flicker off
Sasuke turned and ran, leading the thing back down the way he had come. He needed room to maneuver, needed room to be able to use his full abilities. He had to find a way past the creature�s defenses.
As soon as he entered a larger area, he immediately went up the wall to the ceiling and masked his chakra. As the demon stepped into the room below him, he had a sudden idea. If he could rip the scales off first, his Chidori would have no problem piercing the tough hide. From what he had seen, Naruto�s Rasengan would be excellent for what he needed. The jutsu could grind stone; surely it could peel off a few scales. He had watched the blonde countless times with his Sharingan activated, surely he could duplicate the jutsu.
After all, it couldn�t be that hard if Naruto had learned it.
Knowing that as soon as he started pulling his chakra into his hand that the beast would sense his presence, he waited until it was across the room so as to give himself more time.
Realizing suddenly that there were no hand seals to gather and mold chakra with, he did the only thing of which he could think. He reached inside of himself and pulled his chakra out toward his palm. He smirked triumphantly as a ball of light formed. His smirk faded when he realized that it was half the size of the one that his friend usually created. Trying to pull out more chakra, he started spinning the strands of power as he had seen the blonde do.
�How in the hell can he make dozens of these at once?!?� Sasuke thought in disbelief as he felt his power reserves being dumped into the jutsu. He hoped he had enough left for his Chidori or this was going to be a moot point. Maybe he could get his sword through if it ripped enough scales off for a clean hit.
The demon turned and saw its prey on the ceiling above it. It turned to the nearest wall and, digging in its claws, began to scale it.
Sasuke cursed as his eyes glanced towards the creature crawling its way towards him. He wasn�t happy with his form of the Rasengan. It was smaller, less compact and had less spin than what Naruto could do, but it would have to suffice.
Flicker on
The lights in this place were really fucking starting to irritate him.
He launched himself at the demonic-looking thing, aiming the ball of spinning chakra towards the creature�s left side. He wanted to get a heart shot if he possibly could.
The Rasengan connected, but instead of the ripping and tearing of flesh that he expected, it seemed to collapse in on itself, impressing the scales with a spiral indentation. He was about ready to start cursing fluently until he saw a space where a few scales had been neatly filleted off.
That was also the moment that he noticed that the creature had a tail. One with many spines and spikes set into it. He noticed this because some of those spikes were currently embedded into his side. The thing whipped its tail back away with lightning speed, tearing flesh as it pulled the spines out from its victim�s body.
�Fucking piece of shit,� Sasuke muttered as he felt pain and the warmth of blood spread over his side. �Fuck this,� he thought. There was one way to make sure the damn thing didn�t live past the next few minutes. He ripped the armored Anbu vest and mask from his body.
Launching himself away from the scaled monster, he allowed the curse seal to activate. Black fire spread over his skin bringing both pain and power to him. He then let it go further, the fire encompassing and staining his skin as his hair greyed out and wings ripped from his back.
The sight was almost beautiful in a macabre sort of way. The dark archangel was hovering on grotesque wings, clutching his sword and facing the demonic beast, ready to send it back to hell.
The angel sheathed its weapon and called holy, or perhaps unholy would be a better description, lightning to its hand. With a flap of wings, he charged. The beast thrust itself away from the wall, turning to face its foe with all claws extended.
Sasuke waited until the last moment before flicking a wing, causing him to pass to the creature�s side. His wildly glowing hand shoved through the weak point he had made earlier and into the thing�s chest. He could feel the muscle pulsing rapidly against his hand and clutched his fingers around it. He ripped his arm back out of the warm body, holding his prize in a clenched fist. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as the lightning sizzled and cooked the organ.
The creature continued forward with its momentum until it landed on the ground, unmoving. Sasuke tossed the heart down and landed. He then tried to pull himself back from the brink, tried to pull the power back under control.
Flicker off
*********************
Sasame felt herself get knocked against the wall by the larger of the two men. He was a well trained individual and it showed in the number of cuts and bruises that her body had sustained. The smaller of the two males was not as well trained and she could have handled him easily had the other not been here.
She had gotten the last thread tied on anyway, no matter if she was going to be sore for a few weeks after this. She turned to the smaller man and attacked him, her motions disguising her real intent. After securing her last thread between the two, she pulled out a kunai and shoved it into the guts of the lower ranking shinobi.
Both men spit up blood as their bodies jerked. Taking advantage of the momentary shock of pain, she pulled out the dagger and shoved it back in harder, going up under ribs. There was a long moment of silence before two sets of eyes glazed over and two bodies hit the floor.
Wiping off her kunai, Sasame limped out of the room, favoring her sprained ankle.
She believed that all of the people were finally out of the lair. Only a few that were too injured or too scared to move were left. She carefully combed the place, helping anyone that she could outside before moving back into the building to find another lost soul.
She stumbled across Naruto who was trying to shove his shoulder back into place with the help of two clones who only had the use of one arm each. He gave her a relieved look when he spotted her, grinning around the bloody kunai clenched between his teeth.
She quickly moved the clones out of the way and grabbed his arm, rotating it carefully until it was where she needed it; she abruptly shoved the arm back into its socket. The blonde let out a pained sound around the dripping dagger, but kept his teeth clenched together around the weapon.
He gingerly tested his arm before reaching up and taking the kunai from between his lips.
�Thanks, I needed that,� he said with a grimace.
She grinned at him. �My pleasure.�
He took his mask back from where it hung on one of the clone�s belts and placed it back over his face. �Let�s find Sasuke.�
She noticed that his other arm was held against his waist and that he tried not to move it.
�Broke, I think,� he told her as he noticed her gaze.
She hurriedly ripped a piece of cloth from a body that she didn�t look at too closely and helped him form a make-shift sling.
Once done, they moved further into the base.
The flickering lights illuminated some scenes that the two wished they hadn�t seen and then shrouded them in darkness, leaving them to stumble blindly onward. Naruto found the stairs by almost falling down them, but his clones grabbed him at the last moment and pulled him to safety. They carefully made their way downward, stepping over bodies as necessary.
They quickly searched through the debris, going from room to room looking for both survivors and their other teammate.
They entered into another room and their eyes were immediately drawn to the winged figure crouching on the floor. His chest heaved and his body trembled and a small pool of blood was slowly forming under him. His hand automatically fumbled for his katana as he sensed an approaching presence.
Sasame, reacting more than thinking, drew her hand back and let her kunai fly. If one of Orochimaru�s creatures was injured, it would just be that much easier to finish it off. She looked on in astonishment when one of the clones threw himself into the path of the weapon before dissipating in a puff of smoke.
�Sasame! NO!� Naruto yelled as he put himself in between the two figures. �Don�t,� he said, holding out his good hand to stop any further actions. He left the clone standing in his place and turned to go to Sasuke.
�Sasuke,� Naruto murmured quietly as he placed his hands on the injured angel. Even like this, he couldn�t deny that there was a devastating beauty to his beloved.
Red eyes looked at him as if not recognizing him at first, but then they slowly faded to black. The body convulsed as wings were drawn in and colors started to revert from their negatives. Skin lightened, hair darkened, lips paled.
Naruto gently pushed the dark shirt up on his friend. There were a few puncture wounds on his side where the blood was oozing out. He quickly yanked his sling off of his neck, hissing in pain as his arm was jostled.
�Come give me a hand,� Naruto called over.
Sasame hesitated a moment, but came over and started to help wrap Sasuke�s wounds. She pulled the cloth tight and aided in getting the older shinobi back up to his feet. He swayed slightly from both blood loss and exhaustion. She grabbed the ripped chest piece from the Anbu uniform from the floor as the clone grabbed the discarded mask. She then got under his shoulder so he could lean on her. Naruto had already claimed the side where he could actually help with his one good arm.
Once they had made their way outside, Sasame eased out from under Sasuke�s arm and ran back into the fitfully burning lair. A few moments later she came out with a few poles and several strips of cloth. She hastily made an impromptu stretcher as Naruto lowered Sasuke down to the ground.
�We�ll be able to travel faster this way,� she explained shortly. �Put him on it and I�ll take the end since I have two good hands and you and your clone can take the front.�
He nodded and quickly moved to maneuver Sasuke onto the stretcher. He paused when he saw some of the people still around, looking dazed and a little confused.
�Let me make a few clones to take the stretcher. You think you can help these people back to the village?� he asked. �If not, I�ll send the clones with you and I can stay back.�
�What�s the range on your clones? You�ll need to stay with them if they are carrying the stretcher,� she said firmly.
�I�m glad I�m not in critical condition,� a faint voice said dryly from below them. �I would be dead by the time you two got around to making a decision.�
�Sasuke!� Naruto protested as he tried to prevent his friend from getting up.
�Shut up, idiot. I�m not an invalid.� Sasuke pushed Naruto back slightly as he stood up. He felt like wincing in pain, but forced himself to not do so. The last thing he needed was Naruto even more worried about him. �Grab me some tape or needle and thread and either tape me or sew the wound shut. Sasame, tend to the others while he does so and then we can all go together.�
They both hesitated as if afraid he would fall over at any second. While the black cloth hid the blood well, it was apparent that he had lost a lot of it.
�Move it!� he growled.
They both sprang into action.