Hidden Beneath

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

A/N: I apologise once again. I feel like a poor author for taking this long to update. Enjoy :D


Chapter 10 ( Water, Water, Pounce )
The youngest Uchiha woke from one of the better slumbers he had had in ages, including while on these solo training escapades. His eyelids remained shut as his thoughts slowly caught up with his consciousness. The sleep had not left him lethargic as the usual deepness of exhaustion would have, but it had been free of bloody flashbacks and night terrors. His muscles had chosen to stay lax, limbs heavy, seeming to be trying to hold onto oblivion a little longer before day and responsibility beckoned with dawn lightened fingers.

The darkness - an environment he had long since become accustomed to in the underground mazes of Orochimaru’s hideouts - was not absolute when he deigned to uncover those deep grey irises, the faint outline of objects decorating his vision. Sasuke inhaled deeply and took in the scents permeating the small cavern. The meat-tinged smoke, the lingering of beeswax and sweat were familiar while the musk of mammal was not. Damp earth on an errant draft let the shinobi know the weather had turned once again in the night.

His arm flexed where it was wrapped around the breathing pillow heating the length of his torso. The teen stretched from the stationary position he'd slept in, mindful of the way the fox was trying to burrow closer to the leaving warmth.

Sasuke ran through a quick mental appraisal for what today's activities could include. Training was a must to continue since that was the reason he was out here in the first place. Besides, if he stopped doing things of his own interest to care solely for an injured animal Naruto, no matter how oblivious he could be at times, would become suspicious. Speaking of which, he'd need to check the bandages sometime before noon.

But a bath was this morning’s top priority. Sasuke wanted to be clean after days of exercise and it wouldn't hurt to drag the fox-disguised boy along. The little eight-year-old inside him speculated on all the different and fun ways to get Naruto into the river with much glee. The neutral personality of the stoic shinobi began to doubt whether Sasu-kun was as innocent as he was supposed to be when he caught flashes of him pulling Naruto into the water to the fox being dumped off the bank. He fished into Sasu-kun's aura and sensed wickedness standing over the child's shoulder. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Uchiha-sama attempted to influence Sasu-kun for the worse.

Uchiha-sama could be called the epitome of Sasuke's aloofness. The entity was rarely unchained to be in full control of their body so Uchiha-sama retaliated whenever possible. In most aspects Uchiha-sama could be compared to the tailed beasts sealed inside of the jinchuuriki, dangerous only when allowed out.

Sasuke brushed off the events occurring in his head and gathered everything he needed. A spare pair of boxers, loose pants and his towel went into one of the smaller bags he owned. Naruto remained undisturbed in his curled position on the human's thin blanket while he moved about. The slate-eyed teen approached the sleeping fox, crouched by his head and ran a single finger down the length of Naruto's furry spine with medium pressure. A black dipped paw twitched. Sasuke snorted at the extent of the other's reaction as amusement quirked the corner of his lips. It was time to wake the deceiving little animal.

Quickly but deftly the Uchiha swept the injured shinobi into his arms and settled him in a firm hold. Naruto let out a whining squeak at being woken so abruptly. Sasu-kun was aglow with glee and anticipation of playing with the kitsune after they took their bath.

The pair journeyed the distance to the nearby stream without fuss, the dark-haired boy able to listen contentedly to the snatches of song by early rising birds. On his initial exploration of the area, Sasuke had discovered the choice spot for bathing a little ways downstream where several boulders jutted into the river slowing the current into a natural rock pool.

It was pure serenity beneath the emerald canopy, the foliage dimming the consistent grey light heralding dawn. The birds had faded into the background against the lazy shushing of the rippling currents.

The Uchiha crouched next to one of the flatter rocks on the bank and let Naruto down from his embrace before dropping his belongings to the ground. Swift and practiced hands unwound the numerous bandages snaking around his forearms and calves, placing them in his bag before roughly folding his clothing into a pile after each piece was stripped from his grimy body. Sasuke was completely indifferent to whether or not the fox watched his naked form as he leisurely waded deeper into the lukewarm waters. He lingered near the wall as the soles of his feet scraped over first rounded pebbles then the band of fine sand he was searching for. Slipping smoothly under the surface Sasuke scooped a handful and used it to scrub the dirt and sweat from his pale skin. Washing this way had become habitual over the years, allowing the teen's thoughts to wander elsewhere while his body was in methodical automation.

Sasuke surreptitiously observed the lazing fox still on dry land from the corner of his eye. Naruto had adopted to lie facing the water and his eyes were alert while watching the pale boy bathing. The Uchiha wondered briefly whether the blonde expected him to just run off again. It was a strange thought since Sasuke had chosen by his own freewill to care for the animal to just abandon it in mid-healing, but then again the boy rarely understood how Naruto’s stubborn mind worked.

Dismissing those thoughts the nuke-nin turned to another matter, though it still concerned the other young shinobi. Sasuke predicted Naruto would assume the older boy would simply return the kitsune to the cave for the day as he trained alone in the forest. The pale Uchiha smirked. It was thanks to Sasu-kun and the child's want to include the fox that Sasuke had had this idea. Today's session of training was going to get a whole lot more interesting with what he had planned. Many of the elder Uchiha would have greatly disapproved but damn, Sasuke was going to have fun.

*

Naruto grumbled mentally while he waited on the mossy bank of the river as his ex-team mate bathed. Honestly he was still miffed at Sasuke for the sudden wakening this morning. The antidote must have contained a slow sedative because the chuunin had been extremely groggy on consciousness. It had only lasted a small period as the blonde was coherent by the time Sasuke had waded out into the middle of the natural pool.

Since then he'd been closely watching the bastard, detecting some of the changes time away from Konoha had wrought in the Uchiha. Practiced hands flowed in a familiar rhythm like Sasuke was well used to washing in a rushing river. If Naruto took a guess he'd say the dark haired boy spent a hell of a lot of time out here, never mind how the cavern they were currently residing felt very lived in.

Just then the subject of his thoughts half turned in the water, so Naruto could see the smoothness of the other's left flank. If foxes could flush Naruto bet his cheeks would've been a healthy reddish colour, as it was heat infused his skin under the speckled pelt in a very good imitation.

Maybe it was the fever talking - Naruto swore madly he had a fever from the wound - but Sasuke looked incredibly attractive right then. That blue-black hair glistened in the pre-dawn as the Uchiha moved, still slicked against his neck from when he had resurfaced. A deceptively delicate hand reached up and brushed away the strands plastered against his high cheekbones. Naruto watched in fascination as the drenched hair sent little rivulets of clear liquid coursing down the well-defined back and chest. Lightly toned muscles flexed under pale skin as Naruto's eyes travelled along the other's long arms.

The blonde sighted the black ink marring the left forearm, startling from his distracted reverie of Sasuke. The ever present bandages had hidden the contract seal used to summon the snake clan from casual scrutiny. It was a subtle yet cruel reminder there were new facts about his friend that Naruto did not know, compounded by all the things he'd been ignorant of before Sasuke even left.

Naruto's attention was recaptured when the older shinobi dived under to rinse and reappeared mere metres from the bank's edge, facing away from him. Sasuke seemed to glow in the soft light of daybreak, which frustrated the disguised fox even more by renewing his damnable blush. Too bad the chuunin wasn't in his own form or else he'd have started an argument and distracted the bastard from being appealing, or at least himself from being aware. But wait, vulpine body or no, he still had movement. Something akin to a grin displayed a hint of fang and mischief flashed in those navy eyes.

Hoping he wouldn't strain his injury any further, Naruto eased to his feet and crept closer to the river’s edge. Most of his weight shifted to his hind legs before the fox used all of the strength of his weakened body to pounce on the unsuspecting Uchiha's back. Naruto had just enough time during the act of freefall to begin thinking this might not be such a good idea after all. He proceeded to crash unceremoniously into firm flesh and then lukewarm water was swirling over his head. Momentary panic set in before strong arms wrapped around the small body and pulled him above the pool surface to be cradle against a pale chest.

The fox recovered his breath while Sasuke made his way back to shore and dragged them both onto dry land. He remained in a limp heap once he was placed gently on the ground. The older boy then dried off and dressed quickly. The towel was draped over him as Sasuke carefully lifted the blonde to rub down the soaked fur. Heavenly hands massaged the tense muscles running down the line of his spine in constant strokes. Naruto pressed his forehead into the clothed breastbone on the return journey, comfortable where he was despite the sodden towel cooling against his skin.

All too soon he was being put down once again, this time on the floor of the Uchiha's home-away-from-hideout. The fox cocked his triangular head to the side as Sasuke gathered cooking equipment, a med-kit and a small pack then settled cross-legged between him and the cold ashes in the ring of stones.

A tripod and pot were set over relit kindling, a jar of pastel green liquid left to sit in the warming water. While they waited Sasuke unravelled the damp bandage from his mussed fur and removed the dressing covering the affected area. The kitsune winced as probing fingers examined the edges of the gash. Naruto watched the human shinobi's actions with curiosity, since he had never really had an active interest in healing because the Kyuubi had always taken care of any major damage. Not even when he suppressed the demon's abilities and had Sakura as a close friend did he bother with anything beyond basic first aid.

The nuke-nin had produced a small whisk from somewhere and was currently frothing the mysterious liquid once it was removed from the pot. Naruto felt slightly queasy looking at the stuff and hoped against hope that Sasuke wasn't going to make him drink it. To the blonde's relief his carer just threw several lengths of cloth in to soak. The Uchiha reused a dirty dressing with the warmed water to thoroughly clean the wound before completely covering it with the other strips of solution-tainted material.

Every touch of those dexterous digits was a welcome sensation in the blonde's drowsiness. Naruto was too sore to be anything but placid in Sasuke's warm hands, never mind the way they melted his body into contentment. He barely noticed when Sasuke finished wrapping another beige bandage in place over the poultice and then stroked over the fox's head and ears in reward for good behaviour.

The boy transferred to a more comfortable seat on his blankets from the cold dirt and uncovered some of the cooked meat he had stored in a pack the previous night. Sasuke alternated between breaking his own morning fast and offering small strips to the disguised chuunin. Naruto was happy to be finger-fed, his rough tongue surreptitiously licking the other’s fingers clean of juices after each piece.

If foxes could smile Naruto would have had a huge grin coupled with a semi-dazed expression since it was not like Uchiha Sasuke, the Avenger Prince, waited hand and foot on anyone or anything.

. . . T B C . . .


And this entire fic was spawned from the idea of the bathing scene. It really wasn't supposed to take this long to get here nor be as angsty. Ah well I hope to guys enjoyed the fluff.