Chapter 50
Sai cradled the sniffling boy against him, at a loss of what he should do to get the child to stop crying. He doubted that Naruto would appreciate him quieting the boy in the same way that Danzou had quieted him as a toddler. After all, they had just retrieved the boy from being shut away in a room by himself, they probably wouldn�t want Sai to put the kid back inside.
So, how to get the kid to stop sniveling?
He decided he would try to approach this from a logical perspective.
�Hiroki,� he said quietly, getting the young boy�s attention. The teary, puffy eyes looked up into his own. �Naruto said he would be back,� he stated calmly. �If he said he would be back, then he will.�
The child looked spectacularly unimpressed as his sobs seemed to renew with a greater volume.
Okay, so much for logic.
�Hiroki,� he tried again. �Do you remember what Naruto said to you exactly?�
Hiroki nodded, but refused to answer verbally.
�He said that he would definitely return no matter what, that he promised he would return to you. Naruto never breaks a promise because that is his nindo. Do you know what a nindo is?� he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle and understanding.
Hiroki shook his head in a negative reply.
�A nindo is a ninja�s most sacred belief. It is how they live their lives,� he explained. �Didn�t Naruto give you the �good guy pose�?�
Hiroki looked confused for a moment before his face cleared. He stuck out his thumb and gave a large, wavering smile.
�That�s right, he did. That means he was deadly serious about his promise. Do you know what happened the last time he gave that pose and made a promise?�
Hiroki looked up with curiosity plainly written across his small, red blotchy face.
�The last time he made that promise, he promised that he would find Sasuke and bring him back home. He spent almost three years looking for him,� he told the child.
Hiroki looked at him with large, green eyes.
�Yeah, three years is a long, long time. But you know what? Naruto had made a promise and he always keeps his promise.� Sai thought he should probably leave out the fact that Naruto had yet to take Sasuke home. That situation was a little more complicated than the kid needed to know.
�So, if Naruto promised that he would come back to you, no matter how long it takes, he will come back, okay?� Sai asked, hoping the boy would understand what he was saying and take comfort from it.
The boy sniffled a time or two, but reluctantly nodded. He then promptly curled up in Sai�s arms and fell asleep.
Sai frowned down at the boy in confusion. Why did humans have to go through this stage? It would be so much simpler if they went straight from babies to genin.
He couldn�t help but think that Shino had gotten the better end of the deal by going with Sasuke and Naruto. Had he not been injured, he would have volunteered to go instead and left Shino with the child who seemed to possess such leaky eyeballs. Of course he had no doubt that Shino would have never let him leave alone with the two misplaced-nin, he refused to call Naruto a missing-nin.
Sighing, he was thinking about moving the kid onto the futon when he saw one of his teammates start to stir.
*******************
The three young men moved swiftly through the trees, one in a concealing hooded coat and the other two in Anbu uniforms. With every passing mile, Sasuke seemed to regain his strength, the poison finally fading from his system.
They had opted to go to the capital first. While speed was of the essence, they hoped to get a clue of what or with whom they were dealing. An examination would also possibly give them a better idea of what route the kidnappers had taken to escape.
Although they had a letter from Ren explaining who they were, Sasuke decided it was best to try to sneak in first to see how competent the security actually was.
As they slipped through the city, Naruto noted that while not as large and grand as some that he�d seen in his travels with Jiraiya, it was clean if not exactly prosperous. However, there were no pan handlers or beggars readily apparent in the streets either.
What confused him was when he saw people working at tasks that didn�t appear to be necessary. Such as the men that were painting a public building when said building�s paint was still in good condition. Men were sweeping already clean streets and it seemed a few older buildings were being cleared away to make room for newer accommodations or parks.
�Interesting,� he heard Sasuke murmur and shot him a questioning look.
�I told you once before that Orochimaru drained a lot of the country�s resources. It looks like the daimyo is making up for lost time. He�s trying to get everyone back to working again, trying to recover the economy. The question is; how is he paying everyone?� the raven-haired shinobi explained thoughtfully.
They slipped inside of the small palace/large keep with minor difficulty. While the guards weren�t bad, it was obvious that they weren�t shinobi. Once inside, Sasuke found the answer to his previous question.
While they layout was elegantly done, with defense as well as aesthetics in mind, the daimyo�s home was only sparsely furnished. From his only visit with Orochimaru, he remembered the palace have been decorated more opulently. It was evident that the daimyo had started selling off family treasures to pay for the work force within the city.
Sasuke led them to the daimyo�s audience chamber, sure that they would find him there even at this late time of day. He took a look at the guards in front of the door.
�Shino,� he said quietly.
*******************
Tsukuda looked up at the brief, startled exclamation that sounded outside his door. He didn�t even have to look at the dozen guards that lined the walls in the room. They all pulled their weapons as four of them approached the doors.
The doors were opened by one of his men and three young men stood there, one holding a scroll out. The guards took one look at their unconscious comrades on the ground and attacked.
The fight seemed to consist of a lot of dodging on the ninjas� part with a few punches thrown in to keep the guards on their toes. It wasn�t until one of them finally got a good hit in and the masked face before him vanished in a puff of smoke that they began to worry that they�d been had.
Heads turned swiftly, only to find the two guards flanking the daimyo in body locks and the daimyo sitting there calmly with a katana resting on his shoulder, pressed against the side of his neck.
The guards� instinctive reaction was to protect their lord and they moved a few steps to do so before their leader�s voice cut their actions short.
�Enough,� he said sternly to his men. �Stand down.�
The guards reluctantly put up their weapons, although they did not immediately return to their posts. There was a popping sound behind them as the other two clones vanished.
�I assume since I am not dead that you want something,� he stated evenly as if the sword didn�t exist.
A scroll was dropped into his lap in reply. He unrolled it and read it carefully. It wasn�t a ransom demand as he had expected.
�If you are indeed trying to help find my son, then why are you here instead of looking for him?� he asked, a tinge of anger creeping into his voice.
The cold voice of the man holding the sword to his neck answered. �One, we needed to see how hard it was to break into this place to get an idea of the minimal skill that the kidnappers would have to possess. Two, we need to see where he was taken from to see if any clues were left. Three, we needed to get an idea of what the surrounding area was like so we could narrow down the possible direction they went.�
�I can tell you which direction they are going,� Tsukuda said heatedly. �They are heading toward Kingin and you should be catching up to them not here attacking my guards!�
He felt one of the ninjas shift, the slight movement betraying his disapproval at his companion�s tone.
�The faster you show us, the quicker we can accomplish our mission,� the same one as before added, slight exasperation at having to explain himself intruding into his tone.
The second shinobi moved suddenly, causing all of the guards to tense. He carefully let go of the man he had been restraining and moved around to kneel in front of the daimyo. He pushed his mask up onto his cloth-covered head to reveal two incredibly blue eyes set into a bewhiskered face.
�Dobe,� Tsukuda thought the one behind him breathed.
�We are going to find your son,� the young man, younger than even his son Katsuro, said quietly. �But to do so, we need more information. Information that we can only get by looking the area over. Information that others who are not shinobi may have missed.�
Tsukuda reluctantly nodded, his shoulders drooping just slightly. He just wanted to be a concerned father for a few moments, but the fact that he was the daimyo prevented him from giving into his concerns and fears.
He stood, still ignoring the sword that slid from his shoulder and back into its sheath. The third shinobi let go of his other guard and stood aside quietly. The one in front of him lowered his mask back down, effectively transforming him from a sympathetic boy into an anonymous killer.
Sasuke allowed Naruto to fall into place a half step from the lord�s side as they moved down the hall. Apparently, the dobe had reached the man and he was more than happy to leave him to Naruto. Six guards boxed around them in an escort, but Sasuke wasn�t concerned. They had already proven their ineptitude when it came to dealing with shinobi. If an attack came, the three ninjas would be a much better defense.
The man led them to his son�s private chambers, where he had last been seen. Sasuke and Shino moved into the room, starting their search.
Tsukuda couldn�t completely suppress the flicker of distaste as the insects poured out of the arms of the shinobi�s khaki-colored coat. The young teen next to him appeared to notice.
�I know what you mean,� he whispered and Tsukuda could almost hear the grin in his voice. �I�m used to it and it still creeps me out.�
The daimyo watched as the one that had held a sword to his throat abruptly froze, his body tense and almost quivering.
�Sasuke?� the boy next to him asked in concern. Receiving no answer, he strode over to the other shinobi and placed a hand on a rigid shoulder.
Sasuke reached up and yanked his mask and bandana off, allowing black spiky hair to spring free.
Tsukuda�s eyes widened as he recognized Orochimaru�s pet shinobi.
�So is Orochimaru really gone or are you and he playing some kind of sick joke?� he choked out.
The dark-haired teen didn�t answer, seemingly trying to deal with some intense internal conflict.
�Are you going to take over Sound now?� he demanded, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Just when he thought he could make amends to his people, amends to his son for having tolerated the Sannin�s activities and not having the courage to stand up against the powerful madman.
The stoic boy finally regained control over himself and gave him a disdainful look. �I generally can�t stand most people, why would I want to be in control of a large group of them and be forced to come into contact with them on a regular basis?�
His eyes returned to facing forward. �The only reason why I joined that snake was to gain enough power to kill the man that wrote this,� he said while gesturing to the blank wall.
Another mask was quickly ripped off and blue eyes studied the wall in confusion. �Sasuke?� he asked uncertainly.
�Dobe,� the other muttered with a whisper of amusement. However, his voice sounded strained and his eyes were still riveted to the wall. He brought his fingers together and channeled his chakra. �Kai!�
The genjutsu released, revealing the previously hidden words.
�It looks like gibberish,� the now revealed blonde said with a scowl. �Prettily written gibberish, but still gibberish.�
Red eyes shot a glare over at the other shinobi.
�It�s code,� said the teen in the hooded coat.
�Well, duh, Shino. I knew that,� he grumbled, sounding slightly embarrassed.
Why were all shinobi so strange? �What does it say?� Tsukuda demanded from the doorway.
�It�s a ransom note,� Sasuke muttered, his eyes taking in the flowing script. He felt his hands clenching and forced them to relax.
�Is it really him?� Naruto asked carefully, eyeing the writing. �And stop glaring at me, bastard, I�m just asking.� He turned his head and met the expected look.
�It doesn�t make sense,� Shino murmured. �If it really is him, why would he kidnap a prince? Especially for ransom?� It didn�t take a genius to figure out who could affect Sasuke in such a manner.
�So it really wasn�t Kingin?� Naruto asked hopefully.
�We can�t assume that it wasn�t,� Sasuke said with a slight shake of his head. �Maybe Akatsuki are involved because of some deal between them.� He frowned slightly. �Although if they are, what they are asking for makes no sense.�
�What is it they want?� the daimyo asked, concern lacing his voice. Things were even more complicated than they had been before and his son was still in the middle of it.
Sasuke glanced over at the man briefly before his eyes were drawn like magnets back to the wall. �They want a meeting with Orochimaru or they will kill the boy.�
�Do they really believe that ol� snakeface would have been that stupid to go meet with them?� Naruto asked with slight incredulity.
�Would you want to refuse them and risk pissing them off enough that they send their whole organization after you?� Sasuke asked simply.
Naruto raised an eyebrow sardonically.
�Hn, never mind,� Sasuke amended once he realized to whom or rather in Akatsuki�s eyes to what he was speaking.
Sasuke forced himself away from the wall. �Let�s rest up tonight so that we�re fresh in the morning.�
�You�re not going tonight?� the daimyo demanded.
�Either your son is already dead or they�re waiting for Orochimaru. Either way a night won�t make a difference,� he said emotionlessly.
�Sasuke!� Naruto protested.
�No,� Tsukuda interrupted despondently. �He�s right. If he is dead, then time doesn�t matter. Rest so that you have a better chance of freeing him tomorrow. If he is dead,� he said as his eyes narrowed, �then rest so that you can bring me back their heads.�
Sasuke nodded at him solemnly, understanding his rage and pain intimately.
***********************
Sasuke opened his eyes slowly. The chest beneath his arm had been rising and falling steadily for some time now. He briefly wished that it was bare skin beneath his cheek rather than cloth, but they were in a strange place and it was better to be prepared than comfortable.
He slowly sat up and looked down at the whiskered face of the one that he cared about so much. He wanted to slide his lips over those of his lover one last time, wanted to run his fingers through his hair once more so that he could fix the sensations in his mind. A memory that he could lose himself in while his body died.
He couldn�t take the chance of waking Naruto up however. He turned and, as he picked up his sword from beside the bed, deliberately started hardening his heart for what was to come. He had stood and taken a few steps toward the door when he heard a voice speak behind him, no trace of grogginess in its tone.
�I thought we were past this,� it said in both understanding and irritation.
�I�m just going to the bathroom,� he said without any inflection.
�Don�t fucking lie to me, Sasuke,� Naruto said in exasperation. �You were sneaking off in the middle of the night. Again.�
Sasuke wasn�t sure to which instance that Naruto was referring and thought it better not to ask. �This is something that I need to take care of,� he murmured. He didn�t want Naruto anywhere near any of the Akatsuki members.
�And it will be taken care of,� Naruto assured him before his voice hardened in determination. �But together. There is no you anymore. There is no me. There is only us.�
Sasuke wanted to throw those words back in his face. He wanted to say anything to piss the other boy off enough that he left him, so that he wouldn�t try to come along. He wanted to verbally tear him apart so that he could push him away to physical safety.
Maybe a few months ago he could have done so. Maybe he could have crushed the affection that those blue eyes held when they looked at him. Maybe he could have silenced the need that his voice held when he cried out Sasuke�s name in the throes of passion. Maybe he could have let those painful talons rip his lover�s heart apart when he walked away.
But now he couldn�t.
His throat closed over the words that his lips tried to speak. His heart sabotaged his brain�s logical attempt to keep his lover safe. His heart knew that dying in battle, fighting for what they held dear, was infinitely more acceptable and welcomed even, than betraying his love with false words of rejection.
He fucking hated this bond at times.
But not as much as he cherished it.
His shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned back around, placed his sword carefully by the bed and crawled back in next to his best friend and lover.
�The things we do from now on, we do together,� Naruto said firmly but with tenderness as well.
Sasuke gave a deep sigh and then pressed himself against Naruto. An arm went around him and he had to hold himself back from snapping at his friend. He didn�t need to be cuddled right now. He needed to pull up all of his anger and hatred and focus them on his goal.
The thought crossed his mind that he should be making love to his mate right now; sharing what could possibly, what was most likely, going to be their last moments together.
The thought was enough to completely derail the images of why he had to obtain his vengeance. It shattered his attempts to build his rage into a cold blaze within his heart. Instead it left him seized by a piercing ache, by a panic that he hadn�t felt in years. Tomorrow, there was a more than good chance that he would lose Naruto.
Someone else important to him would die.
Naruto let out a surprised sound as lips sealed over his demandingly, almost desperately. He almost melted when he realized he would get to spend this night in Sasuke� arms after all. He had made no advances of his own for fear of rejection, but it was clear that Sasuke wanted him tonight. Naruto would have shouted his glee to the heavens had his mouth not been occupied.
Sasuke deepened the kiss aggressively, thrusting his tongue into the other boy�s mouth. Naruto put up the front of challenging for dominance, but readily submitted when Sasuke grabbed two fistfuls of hair and tilted the blonde head the direction he wanted it so he could plunder the depths of his warm, slick mouth almost harshly.
Sasuke clambered on top, straddling Naruto�s waist and continued kissing them both into oblivion.
Chapter 51
Sasuke reluctantly pulled back from the deep kiss. He didn�t want to break the contact with his blonde lover, but it was necessary.
He had to get the rest of his clothes off somehow, after all.
He grabbed the other teen by the front of the sleeveless turtleneck and pulled him upright. Glad that the armored portion of the Anbu uniform was already off, he tugged the shirt over Naruto�s head and tossed it negligently aside.
His breath caught briefly at the sight of the toned torso in the dim light of the moon. No matter how many times he saw the sight, he couldn�t help but stop and ogle a shirtless dobe.
His scrutiny was interrupted as clothing blocked his gaze. Naruto finished pulling off Sasuke�s shirt and dropped it onto the floor. Instead of stopping to admire the view as his lover had done however, he wasted no time in leaning forward to latch onto a pink nipple.
Sasuke moaned and tilted his head back, pressing his chest into the sensation. Strong warm arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him in tightly before a hand slid down to cup and squeeze his ass.
Those arms helped lift him to his knees as the mouth trailed down over his chest; biting, licking and kissing over ribs until he got to Sasuke�s abdomen. Once there, he began to rub his cheeks against the taut muscles, almost like a cat nuzzling against him, scent marking him.
Sasuke leaned more of his weight against the arm holding him, forcing Naruto to tense his muscles to support him. Sasuke ran his hand over the hard, defined arms; reveling in their strength.
He wasn�t sure how Naruto had taken control from him so easily, but as a deft tongue slipped into his navel, he decided that he didn�t really care. It wasn�t worth arguing about and he couldn�t complain about the pleasure he was receiving.
The hand stopped fondling his ass to move around and fumble with the fastening on his pants. The waistbands of both his trousers and boxers were lowered, exposing his heated flesh to the cool night air. His gasp turned into a moan as Naruto scooted lower beneath him and took his erection into his warm, wet mouth.
He steadied his center of gravity once more so that he could reach down and tangle his fingers into the blonde silken locks.
Naruto braced himself up with an arm behind him as he continued to bob his head up and down the length of cock in his mouth. His arm left Sasuke�s waist to grip the base of the manhood before him. He looked up and blazing blue met hazy black. Naruto pulled his mouth off and began to lick the blood engorged flesh like some kind of sinfully sweet confection.
Sasuke moaned both in pleasure and protest. It felt good but he wanted those lips wrapped around him, sucking him off.
The only warning he had was the sudden mischievous gleam in the darkened blue eyes. With a tilt of his head, Naruto sank all the way down until his nose was buried in dark, coarse hair and Sasuke�s musky scent flooded his brain.
�N-Naruto!� His name sounded both like an exaltation and a curse coming from Sasuke�s mouth.
Pale slender fingers tightened even further in his hair as he repeatedly swallowed around the cock lodged in his throat. His nose was mashed into that wonderful scent as Sasuke pushed his head closer, wanting himself deeper. Naruto felt his chin brush the tight sac below as his lover clutched at him.
When he felt the body start to tense under his ministrations, he pulled his head back, ignoring the pulling in his hair and the plaintive groan. One, his body was fervently trying to remind him that he needed air to survive and two, he didn�t want Sasuke to cum just yet.
He pulled himself back up into a sitting position and gently lowered Sasuke back in between his legs. Smiling at the slightly curious look, he quickly divested his lover of his pants and boxers. He took a moment to run his hands over the pale, smooth legs; enjoying the shaky sigh that the other teen let out.
Sasuke looked up at Naruto and decided it was time to show that he could give as good as he could take.
He sat up and pushed Naruto back much like the blonde had done to him. He then proceeded to strip the remaining clothes from Naruto�s body. He often still had a hard time believing that the beautiful, maddening, powerful, idiotic, caring boy before him was truly his.
�Sasuke.� A husky voice called him back to the present, a slightly pleading note threaded into it.
He smirked at the dobe�s impatience. Although in this instance he was inclined to agree with him. He straddled those strong thighs once more to lean down and plant an open mouthed kiss on those talented lips, paying them the homage that they so well deserved.
After what seemed like several long moments, Naruto finally pulled away, his breath rushing in and out of his lungs. �My weapons pouch,� he panted, gesturing next to the bed.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow but obediently retrieved the requested item. Curious, he opened the bag and quickly spotted the small tube of lubricant. His eyebrow once again went up at his mate.
Naruto had the decency to blush lightly. �Ero-sennin always said that a ninja should always be prepared.� He grinned and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.
Sasuke opened his mouth to retort that he doubted that Naruto�s sensei had meant it like that and abruptly remembered exactly who they were talking about. He quickly decided it was unlikely that the toad hermit had been referring to extra kunai or smoke bombs.
Damn perverted Sannins.
He tossed the pouch back in its place after he had removed the tube. He felt Naruto spread his legs slightly behind him but ignored it as he squeezed the cool gel onto his fingers. The smell of black cherries assaulted his nose.
He gave Naruto a pointed look to which the blonde responded with a large grin. �They didn�t have any that was miso pork scented.�
A snort of amusement escaped before Sasuke could quell it. Leave it to his dobe.
He reached down and started slicking the thick, hard length that was his lover�s. He saw the brief look of surprise flicker through Naruto�s passion darkened eyes.
�If you were planning on fucking me, then you�re lubing up the wrong dick,� Naruto pointed out helpfully.
�Shut up, usuratonkachi,� Sasuke muttered, a little embarrassed that he was giving into the desire to feel his lover sheathed within him.
�Keep calling me that while we�re having sex and I�m going to start calling you �Baby� again,� Naruto threatened petulantly.
�Keep talking and I�m going to go jerk off in the bathroom,� Sasuke promised darkly.
Naruto�s mouth snapped shut with the click of his teeth. Sasuke shot him a smug looking smirk before positioning himself over his lover.
The blonde hissed as he rubbed the head of Naruto�s cock over his puckered hole, spreading the lubricant to ease the entry. He began to lower himself, slowly spearing his ass on the rigid manhood. Once the head was past, he began to take the rest of it in longer, deeper movements until he was completely stretched and filled, sitting flat on Naruto�s pelvis.
Sasuke took a deep breath that was as shaky as the muscles in his thighs. He leaned forward and placed his hands on Naruto�s broad chest, bracing himself as he slowly lifted his hips.
�Damn, Sasuke,� Naruto whispered fervently, his body starting to take on a sheen of sweat. �You feel so fucking perfect.�
Sasuke reversed direction, sinking down onto the rock hard cock until it once again filled him. He set a slow pace, deliberately tormenting them both, trying to draw it out as long as possible.
As he gazed down at the expressive face of his lover, Sasuke was struck once more by the fact that tomorrow could be the end for them.
He started to move faster, wanting to hear the sounds of Naruto�s lust. He wanted there to be no doubts that they were alive in this moment in time.
It wasn�t long before Naruto was moaning beneath him, running his hands over Sasuke�s straining body. He lifted his hips to meet him half way, trying to slam himself as deep into Sasuke as he possibly could.
Sasuke�s eyes blazed red down at him, his breath erratic, his body starting to quiver both from exertion and his peaking pleasure. Naruto�s eyes were closed, his head tilted back and his mouth hung open as his chest heaved, his rapid breath leaving a chilled burn in his throat.
�Naruto,� Sasuke gasped urgently.
Blue eyes flickered open to meet his.
�Am I yours?� he demanded as he impaled himself harshly. That hadn�t been what he meant to say. He had meant to get Naruto to tell him that the dobe belonged to him, not the other way around.
�Always mine, Sasuke,� Naruto groaned, his body at the point of sensual overload. The direct look in his eyes however assured Sasuke that he took the question seriously. �Always yours,� he added, his look holding more than just lust.
With that Naruto grabbed Sasuke�s hand and swiped his tongue wetly across the palm. He then guided that hand to the swollen, dripping manhood between his lover�s pale thighs. As Sasuke began to stroke himself, Naruto grabbed his hips and angled his thrusts, trying to bring him the greatest pleasure possible.
Sasuke threw his head back and bit into the meaty part of his palm below the thumb to stifle his cries as the sensations crashed through his body. He could feel those blue rimmed dark eyes on him, watching him touch himself and he was surprised at the thrill it gave him.
�Don�t catch it,� Naruto said hoarsely, trying to control his breathing and with it his urge to let loose. �I want to feel it.�
As if those words were the keys to the floodgates, his orgasm overran, rushed through him like a torrent and burst from the confines of his body. He forced himself to look down as the thick white streams jetted over a tanned chest, splashed onto a clenched stomach and pooled in a navel.
As soon as he felt the first spurt of cum hitting his chest, Naruto could no longer contain his own climax. His muscles contracted so hard that his back came up off the bed, his orgasm ripped through him so intensely that it stole his breath as his balls kept trying to pump every ounce of seed in his body into Sasuke�s ass. He wouldn�t be surprised if they were fucking shriveled after this.
After what felt like both an eternity and yet way too soon, he collapsed back onto the bed with a ragged gasp, trying desperately to get oxygen up to his brain before the lack caused permanent damage. Sasuke swayed slightly, still astride him, hand loosely holding his now limp cock. He looked wrung out, debauched and oh so utterly fuckable. If Naruto didn�t know that it would be at least another fifteen to twenty minutes before Sasuke would be coherent again, he would have rolled him over and taken him again. He just looked that goddamned tempting.
Sasuke forced his mind to function despite the white noise in his brain. He slowly lowered himself down onto Naruto�s chest, unmindful of the mess even though in a few hours from now he would be wrinkling his nose in disgust and thinking how nasty it felt. For now he just tucked his head up under Naruto�s chin and allowed himself to relax.
It occurred to him, in his foggy thoughts, that it didn�t matter what he did, he and the dobe would always be bound together. Even if Naruto were to die, even if Sasuke were the one to kill him, it wouldn�t change how Sasuke felt about him. Naruto had been right. There was no Sasuke. There was no Naruto. �There is only us,� he dimly thought.
Lying there with his guard down, with the realization fresh in his thoughts and the satiation making both body and mind languid, Sasuke said the last thing in his thoughts before he fell into a peaceful slumber.
�Ahwuffoo,� came a mumble from the vicinity of Naruto�s chest. Blonde brows furrowed in confusion, then smoothed out with a smile. The bastard could be really cute sometimes. If it had been important, Naruto was sure his lover would mention it to him again tomorrow.
********************
It was when Sasuke was staring down at his sleeping lover the next morning, his hair still wet from his early shower, that he made his decision.
He had to live.
He had to win in this fight against Itachi because if he didn�t, Naruto would die. There was no question of the outcome. If he lost against Itachi, then his brother would take Naruto to have the demon extracted, killing him in the process. Even if he won, but died in the process, then the Akatsuki would still be free to take Naruto and the results would be the same.
He had to be alive so he could protect Naruto.
There was a quiet knock at the door, breaking him from his reverie. Standing carefully so as not to disturb the blonde, Sasuke pulled on some clothes and answered the door.
Shino stood on the other side, dressed and ready to go. �It�s almost time,� he said soberly. It seemed this morning that Shino had dropped some of his animosity towards Sasuke. It was strange really since Shino had been adamant that Sasuke�s vengeance meant more than Naruto did to the younger Uchiha.
Sasuke nodded and moved back to shut the door. Shino�s voice stopped him.
�I may have been wrong about you, Uchiha. For that, I apologize,� the bug user stated, a hint of something underlying his tone.
�And why do you believe that?� Sasuke asked, curious despite himself.
�You are still here, are you not?� Shino queried softly. �You could easily have gone off on your own without a thought to others.� By �others,� Sasuke knew he meant Naruto.
Sasuke gave him a dark, sardonic smirk. �Not for the lack of trying.�
Shino raised an eyebrow over the rim of his sunglasses. �Do you honestly expect me to believe that you are here against your own free will?� He gave a soft chuckle, apparently amused at Sasuke�s expense.
Sasuke frowned at him and shut the door without any further words. People needed to mind their own damn business and stay out of his.
�I need a shower,� Naruto mumbled from the bed. He sat up and stretched, then idly scratched at the dried matter on his chest.
�Go get a shower; I�ll get some clothes out for you. Then we need to head out,� Sasuke said quickly as he moved over to their gear. A warm hand on his shoulder stopped him and turned him around.
He gave Naruto a slightly irritated look, wanting to get going so that he could finally bring this to an end. Now that he was awake and moving around, a buzz of adrenaline was starting to make itself known in his blood. He was anxious to start the encounter for which he had been training and waiting almost ten years.
Naruto reached over and slid a palm against Sasuke�s cheek and then into his hair. He pulled the other shinobi over to him and leaned in to kiss him deeply but tenderly. Even with what awaited him today, Sasuke�s world still narrowed down to the lips gently moving upon his.
Naruto slowly pulled back and smiled at him brilliantly, dazzling him. The blonde then gave his shoulder a firm, but teasing shove in the direction of their gear. �Finish getting ready, teme! I�m not gonna wait on you today! I have some ass to kick!�
Sasuke snorted at him. It suddenly didn�t matter that they weren�t ready, that their jutsu still needed work or even that Naruto had no clue which end of a sword to hold let alone how to use one. It didn�t matter because his friend was going to be beside him and that would be enough.
Together they were unbeatable.
*********************
The closer they came to the area specified in the ransom note, the hotter Sasuke�s blood ran. He tried to keep himself cold, he tried to keep his hatred knife-edged and ready to cut.
He knew he had to be logical and calculating, not raging and unfocused. His first encounter with Itachi had taught him that. He would not charge blindly into the fight once again.
However, the thought that he was so close and that he would be able to test his progress against him once again, to measure himself against the prodigy that was his murdering brother made his pulse race.
A part of him knew that he shouldn�t be this excited, this eager for the upcoming confrontation, but he couldn�t help himself. As much as he hated his brother, as much as he wanted to do nothing more than kill him for the pain that he had caused Sasuke to suffer, he admired his strength and abilities. He knew that if he was able to defeat his brother, it would prove once and for all that everything that he had done; the betrayal, almost killing Naruto, almost losing himself body and soul to Orochimaru, had been worth it.
A strange calm began to enfold him, containing all of his mixed and conflicting emotions beneath the surface. He began to focus, to narrow his world down to two goals. Kill Itachi and stay alive.
Naruto watched Sasuke carefully, looking for signs of doubt or, worse yet, the curse seal-induced rage and madness. He knew that Sasuke operated differently from him. While rage, anger and fury could oftentimes help Naruto in a fight, Sasuke fought better when he was cold. Sasuke had not been lying the other night when he had taken Naruto so harshly in the forest.
His body pulsed at the erotic memories, but he shook them off.
Naruto operated on a more emotional level; he was more intuitive, more likely to ad lib any plans that he might devise. Sasuke worked better when he was in control. Whether of himself, the situation or of the planning involved, Sasuke thought rationally in a more linear fashion.
At least until it came to his brother. Although he knew Sasuke wanted to fight Itachi, Naruto couldn�t help but dread the encounter. It was a no-win situation.
If Sasuke lost, then most likely his best friend and lover would be dead. If he lost and lived, he would be even more driven to gain power and would most likely try to push Naruto away again, blaming his weakness on the bond that they shared.
If Sasuke won, then he would come to the devastating realization that he had just killed his brother, the only remaining family he had and the one that he had admired as a child. The guilt would likely turn into anger and he would turn the anger in upon himself.
Either way, Sasuke would lose and Naruto might very well lose Sasuke.
He could only hope that they could manage to rescue Katsuro without the encounter taking place. Somehow, he knew that it was just wishful thinking.
**************
They slowed down at Sasuke�s signal, only going a few more meters before coming to a stop. Both teens pulled off their masks as Sasuke surveyed the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It wasn�t long before they found the traps designed to act as early warning devices.
Knowing Naruto�s propensity for suddenly losing all coordination around anything remotely resembling a trap, Sasuke had the blonde following him carefully as they maneuvered their way through the devices.
Shino had already sent his insects ahead, looking for people with large chakra signatures, denoting shinobi. All three stopped when Shino spoke the awaited and dreaded words.
�Someone is ahead.�
A quiver ran through Sasuke�s body, not unlike the anticipatory shiver a race horse gave right before the gate opened. He drew his katana and looked towards his companions. His Sharingan eyes spun wildly even though his expression was calm.
�Naruto, keep Kisame occupied. Shino, get the daimyo�s son out of there.� He didn�t state what he would be doing and neither of them needed to ask.
Sasuke was in the act of turning his attention forward again when he suddenly paused. He looked over into Naruto�s determined blue eyes and simply said, �I won�t fail you.�
He then turned and moved out, giving Naruto no chance to respond.