For the Love of His Son

Disclaimer: Not mine. Bummer.
Summary: Lord Sasuke Uchiha believes that he has lost something precious to him and struggles to convince himself everyday that it didn‘t exist. What will he do when a blond haired peasant arrives at his doorstep claiming he has something the Uchiha “misplaced.” (SasuNaru)

Author’s Note: Ahhh… shucks! Who are the coolest readers and reviewers in the whole world? You guys are! (pinches your adorable cheeks) Yes, you are!


For the Love of His Son
Chapter 10


“It’s that bad then?”


Sasuke turned toward the weary voice. Seeing Tsunade framed in the doorway, he stood slowly. His Uchiha pride wouldn’t let him wipe the tears running down his cheeks. It was enough that he had been caught crying, he wasn’t about to look like a three year old rubbing his grubby face in the process.


“Yes, it’s that bad,” Sasuke leaned against his newly ‘cleaned’ desk. He watched while Tsunade crossed the room and stopped in front of him. When she reached out a hand toward his face, he raised a dark eyebrow in question.


“Your activities,” Tsunade smirked, sending an assessing glance over the room, “seemed to have cut up your face, Uchiha. Let me heal you or would you rather explain the cuts to Naruto?”


Sasuke nodded stiffly and the Hokage’s hands glowed with healing chakra as they removed slivers of glass and healed the small gashes. When she finished, she looked into the black, expressionless eyes of the stoic lord and cupped his cheek gently, worry swirling in her chocolate eyes.


“May I sit?” She asked, turning and walking to the nearest chair.


“Hn.”


“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, brat.”


Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for the blonde healer to begin the conversation. She had obviously wanted to talk to him. Sasuke tried to calm himself while he waited. He knew his hands would shake if he held them in front of his face. He was so angry and sad, but mostly he was scared. So fucking scared that he wouldn’t be enough for Naruto. His dobe deserved the world. Would the small piece that Sasuke could offer him be enough? Enough to make him happy? Make him feel safe? Make him feel loved, whole… healed?


Tsunade’s voice interrupted Sasuke’s uncharacteristic mental insecurities, “Naruto told you everything the snake bastard did then?”


Sasuke looked up at the Hokage and nodded, “He had told us bits and pieces of his previous life in that place. After he came, Neji used his sight and was able to see that he had been abused. Cracked ribs, bruising, internal damage, lacerations commonly seen due to severe whipping.” His voice was dry and technical. It made him feel more in control. He needed that control.


Tsunade’s face remained unmoving, but her eyes were flashing emotions between deep sorrow and ferocious anger.


“So, we knew all of that before we even knew the dobe’s name.” Sasuke stopped and looked searchingly at the Hokage. He was certain that she had noticed the intimacy he and Naruto shared in the library this afternoon, but should he share everything with her? What if she and Jiraiya tried to take the dobe back now that they had ‘found’ him? No, that wouldn’t be an issue because Sasuke knew he would never allow it to happen.


“Naruto and I have been developing a relationship since he arrived.” He paused, his possessive eyes searching for the Hokage’s reaction. She gave away nothing. Sasuke smirked, ‘Hokage indeed.’


“Tonight in the interest of furthering that relationship, Naruto told me everything that Orochimaru and my bastard brother did to him. Things so much worse than physical hurts. Things part of me knew had happened from the blanks Naruto left in his explanations or how he would react to different physical situations. But to hear it from his innocent lips…”


“They raped him.” Tsunade whispered, fury and pain warring for dominance in her voice.


Sasuke continued as if she hadn’t spoke or he hadn’t heard her, “I watched him curl into himself, heard him call himself disgusting and dirty and knew that the dobe really believed it. I watched as his trusting blue eyes clouded over with the knowledge that I might feel the same way. I-I…”


“Uchiha, stop!”


Sasuke blinked, owlish black eyes starting at the Hokage as if just now remembering that he wasn’t alone. He shook his head, damn it, he needed to get it together. He couldn’t help or protect anyone like this.


“What did you say?” She quietly asked.


“What the hell do you think I said?! I told him it wasn’t true, that I didn’t, couldn’t think that. I held him when he let me. I told him I still wanted him, would always want him and that I lo…” Sasuke abruptly pushed himself off of the desk.


Brown eyes snapped to black. “That you loved him?”


Cold, black eyes looked up at the question. “I need to get back. If he wakes up alone, he’ll take it… badly.”


“Of course,” Tsunade stood as well, “Sasuke?”


The young lord turned at the door.


“It’s okay to love him. Almost impossible not too you might say.”


“Hn.” And Sasuke walked out.


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Naruto awoke the next morning to the feel of Ryuu’s wet baby fingers touching his cheek. Smiling, he sat up slowly and lifted the baby into his lap.


“Morning, Chibi. I can’t decide if this is super cute or super gross.” His tan face squished up comically and he let out an exaggerated ‘EWWWW’. His reward was a perfect Uchiha smirk and two wet palms on his face.


“Okay, so we’re going with solid gross then?” He concluded, rubbing his face against the baby’s.


“If it’s up for a vote, dobe, I’d have to go with cute, because it’s happening to you and not me.”


Sasuke watched as Naruto’s face paled, obviously just realizing he wasn’t alone in the room, but when he finally met Sasuke’s eyes, a large, nervous smile was firmly in place.


“Teme! I didn’t see you there. G’morning.” A slender tan hand came up to rub the back of his neck.


“Hn. Dobe.” Sasuke strolled purposely toward the bed, never breaking eye contact. Reaching the bed, he sat gently on the edge, resting a pale hand against Ryuu’s back. He leaned forward until his lips were but an inch from Naruto’s surprised frown. “Good morning, Naruto.” Sasuke whispered and then their lips met.


Sasuke gently pressed against Naruto’s softness, relishing in the taste of his dobe’s tender lips. Sasuke kept his eyes open watching emotions surface, drown and resurface in deep, blue pools. Finally, acceptance and pleasure surfaced and stayed afloat. Sasuke felt a genuine smile grace his lips as he languidly licked the seam of Naruto’s mouth with his tongue asking and… merciful god… receiving entrance into the sweet mouth. Slowly coaxing the blond’s tongue with his own, Sasuke’s eyes finally slid shut when he heard the longing purr from his dobe. With his free hand he reached around rubbing the back of Naruto’s neck, nudging the boy’s head to the side, giving himself better access to the lithe tan neck. Releasing rose colored lips, Sasuke immediately attacked the dobe’s speeding pulse point.


“Oh god… S-Sasuke! Oh… ohhhh…”


Sasuke lifted his head and smirked before giving the new red mark he had created one last, soothing kiss. Moving his lips to Naruto’s ear, Sasuke whispered, “I was noticing you’re beautiful when you sleep, but I must say, you are breathtaking when you’re awake.”


Naruto who had been attempting to regain control of his breathing, stopped breathing all together at Sasuke’s words.


“Teme. You don’t have to say those things…”


“Dobe, I don’t waste my time saying anything I don’t mean.” Sasuke gently squeezed the boy’s hand… whether in comfort or threat, Naruto wasn’t entirely sure.


“I know, I know, but after last night, I…” Naruto defended, his thought being caught off by Sasuke’s swift movement.


“Naruto,” Sasuke grabbed the boy’s chin, lifting it until their eyes met, “I don’t lie and I would never undermine your courage or your strength by coddling you. I said you are breathtaking and I mean it.” Sasuke fiercely pressed his lips against Naruto’s again, pushing his tongue inside, ravaging the warm mouth until he heard Naruto’s pleasure filled moan.


Breaking away, Naruto panted, “O-okay, Sasuke, I understand.” Naruto’s smile was bright, relaxed and stunning. ‘Oh, yes,’ Sasuke thought, ‘breathtaking.’


Naruto leaned forward, resting his forehead against Sasuke’s, “But, in the future, before saying things like that, you should let me put Ryuu down. There’s a serious possibility I could drop him due to shortness of breath.”


“Then, dobe, it’s best you never hold him again.” Sasuke smiled as a blush washed over whiskered cheeks.


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Sasuke had left soon after to take care of his morning responsibilities with the promise of seeing Naruto at breakfast. Naruto smiled to himself while he thought of the dark haired man. His confession had been horrible to give, but the result left Naruto feeling like the weight of the world had been taken from his shoulders. Sasuke still wanted him and Naruto knew that the information would serve to make things easier for the two of them in whatever relationship they pursued.


Naruto still felt anxious when he thought about him and Sasuke moving faster in whatever ‘this’ was, but he was no longer petrified at the prospect. Sasuke understood now. Sasuke wouldn’t pressure him and Sasuke would listen to what Naruto said, felt and needed. Naruto swore that he would return the favor. He saw the looks that crossed Sasuke’s face, the sadness when he remembered that his family would never sit at the dinner table or see his precious son. He would do his level best to make the dark haired lord feel happy, wanted and safe as well.


“Well, come on, Ryuu. Off to breakfast,” Naruto said as he swept the baby off his changing table and out of the nursery. “I might have a future worth thinking about, little dragon. I’ve never felt that before. Let’s both hope it doesn’t end.”


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Sasuke was surprised to see the number of people sitting around the table for breakfast. Normally they saved the whole ‘family’ gathering for dinner. But, looking closer, Sasuke could see the concerned glances sent toward the blond dobe currently joking with Kiba and eating ramen. It was a show of support. Whether they knew what happened in the courtyard or perhaps Kiba had shared details as well, they were all here to make Naruto feel at home and welcome. Sasuke nodded as he caught Kakashi’s knowing eye and wondered if Naruto realized how much his presence had affected everyone in the castle.


“Well, this is different.” Sasuke said to Kakashi as he sat in his normal seat at the head of the table.


“Yes, apparently our young guest inspires others to eat together. Not the most useful of traits, but we can’t have everything.”


“Kakashi, you know as well as I do that he is more than a ‘guest’” Sasuke said, filling his plate while watching Naruto laugh at some story the baker’s son had told. ‘Since when was it necessary to touch someone while telling a story?’ The young lord questioned silently, his eyes narrowing at the scene.


“Well, perhaps not quite as ‘well’ as you do…” Kakashi mumbled into his mug.


“Kakashi,” Sasuke warned, but like so many times before, a loud mouth dobe interrupted before he could finish whatever threat he deemed worthy of his sarcastic friend.


“Oi! Teme! If Ryuu and I had waited for you to get here, we would have starved by now. You would think that as the lord of this castle, you would be slightly more considerate. Imagine if I hadn’t convinced these fine men and women to start without you.”


“Yes, dobe, imagine. I am told that it can take up to three weeks without food before you die of starvation. Tell me, Kiba, when did you last eat?”


“Ah, last night.” Kiba said around his breakfast of oatmeal.


“And you there, Tomz, was it?” Sasuke asked the oh-so-charming baker’s son, “When was the last time you ate?” The young man looked up at his lord and scooted back from Naruto. Sasuke’s inner three year old smirked, ‘Yeah, that’s right! Back the hell up.’


“Last night, my lord.”


“Well, Naruto, it seems that they all do owe you for saving their ‘starving’ hides.” The unmasked sarcasm could have poke someone’s eye out if they weren’t careful.


“Someone is certainly in a bad mood.’ Naruto huffed, “I know for a fact that you had a good morning…” Naruto pondered, stopping when Iruka started choking and Kiba spit his oatmeal across the table onto young Tomz’s face.


“What? Did I say something wrong?” Naruto asked, listening the table’s occupants fail to stifle their snickers. Sasuke fought valiantly to control the rolling of his eyes while his inner three year old had no such qualms.


“Well, brat, someday you’ll become a man and understand.”


Naruto looked up to see Jiraiya and Tsunade enter the dining hall. Sasuke and the rest of the table stood and bowed to the Hokage as her and Jiraiya sat down near the young lord.


Naruto noticed that with the Sannin’s arrival, the atmosphere became colder and many glares were sent at the Hokage and Lord. Naruto shook his head as a huge smile graced his lips.


“Oh, now, come on guys! They didn’t do anything to me. It was just one big misunderstanding, but I am fine now.” Naruto received skeptical looks all around, “No, really. If anything, they saved me when I was a baby. Tried to give me a better life. Like parents, yeah?” He said looking at Jiraiya, who smiled and gave a slight nod. When the blond’s eyes rested on the smiling Hokage, he continued, “Ah, well, maybe grandparents.” And the smile left her mouth.


“Excuse me, you little…”


“Lord Jiraiya, perhaps after breakfast, you could join Naruto and the knights in the courtyard for a little training.” Kakashi interrupted before the Hokage could really get going.


Naruto leaned across Iruka and Tomz to talk to Sasuke, “Teme? When did I say I was going to the courtyard?”


Sasuke simply shook his head. Apparently Kakashi couldn’t wait to ‘show off’ Naruto’s abilities.


“Ah, is this about what the brat can do?” Jiraiya asked, “I know you all have these fantastic stories about the boy, but he seems kinda scrawny… what could he really do to impress me?”


“Hey, old man, there’s a lot I can do!” Naruto said, then turning to look at the others around the table, “Are we done here?” Without waiting for an answer, fifty Naruto’s appeared and started clearing the table.


“Jiraiya… is that?” Tsunade asked, grabbing her cup before it was cleared away.


“Where did you learn that, brat?”


“Cleaning. Study. Scroll. Success.” Naruto said with a simple wave of his hand. As his gaze turned to the gray haired man, Naruto eyes widened and his face paled.


“Dobe?” Sasuke asked, preparing himself to stand and help the dobe if needed.


“Oh my god! I know how I know you!” Naruto hollered, pointing his finger. “I knew you looked familiar in the courtyard, but then you said that I knew you when I was younger and I just assumed I was remembering that. But just now, I remembered that I have seen you since then. It was you!” Again, the pointing of the finger with huge fox like grin.


“Dobe, what the hell are you talking about?” Sasuke asked while stabbing a ‘helpful’ Naruto clone with his fork after the clone tried to take his eggs.


“That was just mean, teme!” Naruto pouted, throwing his napkin, “I’m always going to remember you ‘killed’ me!” No power on earth or clan pride in heaven could have stopped Sasuke from rolling his eyes at that moment.


“Dobe, focus. How do you know Lord Jiraiya?” Although every person who had seen Naruto’s Rasengan knew the answer.


“Oh, well, remember when I told you I learned Rasengan from the visitor at Orochimaru’s castle? It was him!” More pointing.


“Wait. You saw me at Orochimaru’s and you learned the Rasengan?” Jiraiya asked, so shocked that he didn’t even see his cup and plate being spirited away.


“Yeah! You and Orochimaru were arguing. Something about him killing your teacher, I think, and then you stood up and ran at him with swirling chakra in your hand. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Had Kabuto not got in the way, do you think you would have killed him? Do you?”


“You were there that day? You were in the room? There’s no way I would have missed you. Even if I hadn’t seen you, brat, I would have felt your chakra. You keep it out there for everyone to feel. I wouldn’t have missed so much power.”


“Huh, that is strange… not the part about you not seeing me though, I worked hard not to be seen,” Naruto said, sitting back in his chair. He wished he was sitting next to Sasuke so he could feel his warmth. He knew no one was upset, he would just feel better. “Oh, I know. Whenever I am near Orochimaru, I can’t used chakra at all. Maybe the seal works by blocking it to the point of it not being there at all, therefore it would be untraceable as well.”


“You might be right, brat. Later, I would like to talk more about your seals. Maybe there’s something I can do about that.”


“Yeah! That would be great and I bet you could help me with Gaara’s problem as well. You see he…”


“Hold on, brat. You still haven’t explained how my visit allowed you to learn the Rasengan? And are you sure it’s Rasengan?” Every knight at the table nodded their head.


“Nothing to explain really. I watched you do it and whenever I had time alone and away from Orochimaru, I practiced and practiced and practiced. It took me awhile, but I finally got it.”


“And when he says ‘awhile’,” Kakashi added, “He means a few months.”


Tsunade blushed after tea went flying out of her mouth. “Wh-what?”


Jiraiya just stared, shaking his head. “No. Impossible.”


Kiba made to open his mouth, but a look from Sasuke silenced him.


“Why does everyone say that?” Naruto shook his head. Standing up slowly he raised his right hand and chakra began to swirl in his palm. Soon, a perfect light blue sphere was bouncing in Naruto’s hand.


“Holy…” Tsunade said, eyes wide.


“Shit.” Jiraiya finished, chin on the floor.


“Dobe, please put the powerful chakra ball away now. Some of us are still trying to eat.”


And just like that it was gone.


“Holy fucking shit, brat. How? And when? And how? And HOW!”


“I, well… I don’t really know how to answer those questions? Could you be more specific?”


“Specific? Specific!! Oh, I can be specific. It took Minato three years, YEARS, to develop that jutsu. It took ME one year to learn it from its creator. And I’ll have you know that I am no slouch. You’re telling me that you learned it in three months with no explanation at all. You saw me do it once! One time!” By the end, Jiraiya was nearly beside himself, eyes crazy, spittle escaping with each word.


“Old man… maybe you should sit down. Don’t get too worked up alright. How’s your chest feel? Any tightness?” Naruto asked, concern threading throughout his words.


“I’ll show you tightness, you little brat!” Jiraiya screeched, hands held in front of him, fully prepared to show Naruto’s neck a little ‘tightness’.


“Jiraiya! You will sit down right now!” Tsunade yelled, having finally found her voice. “Now then, Naruto, could you explain this more for us, please?”


“I guess, although, I don’t know what else I can say. I recalled the move in my head, taking apart each detail, the look, texture, sound and so on, then just worked to recreate it.”


Sasuke smirked, lightly buttering his toast. It was nice to be on this side of the conversation. The side not reeling from Naruto’s ability to do anything he wanted.


“How did you draw it back in? Once you have created the sphere it has to go somewhere. Where is it?” Jiraiya asked, seemingly in control of himself again.


Sasuke and all his knights looked at Naruto, this was something they had been wondering as well.


Naruto fidgeted. Damn it. How many times was he going to have to say ‘Because I want to’ or ‘Because I didn’t know I shouldn’t’ before everyone understood!


“You just can. That’s your answer, isn’t it, dobe.” Sasuke sighed while sending a small, reassuring smile to the blond dobe.


“Yeah, teme. I just can.” Naruto felt relief. Sasuke understood. No one else mattered.


“He just can… just can…” Jiraiya mumbled, shaking his shaggy white head.


“Um, Lord Jiraiya? I did have a question that I have been wanting to ask since that day.” Naruto said, eyes filled with curiosity.


“Yeah, what is it brat?”


“Well, Kabuto stopped you and then you were being quickly outnumbered, but before Orochimaru or any of the other knights could kill you, you summoned a gigantic toad that swallowed you before it disappeared. Tell me about that!”


“Ah well, you see, with summoning, you call forth a creature and then…” Jiraiya began, only to be interrupted by Naruto.


“Oh, I know all that. I tried and tried to summon a big toad that would shallow me, but every time I got these annoying brothers, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu.” Naruto rolled his eyes, “Boy, could they talk and talk and talk and yet, I never learned anything at all. I asked what summons could do and Gamakichi would tell me how cool his dad was and how they could send messages and help in battle, but when I asked them if they would do that for me, they just went on about some damn scroll and where were the snacks…”


Once again, every eye in the hall was on him. Sasuke thought his time on the “other side” of Naruto induced shock had been nice while it lasted.


“You were able to summon two toads without signing a contract?” Kakashi whispered.


“Yeah, at first, and this is a little embarrassing, I just got tadpoles, not much use. But soon I got the brothers. They seemed surprised to see me at first, but now I think they’re okay with it. Won’t do any ‘contract’ work for me, but if I need to chat or have extra snacks lying around…” Naruto shrugged his shoulders.


“How do you all survive without the word ‘impossible’ in your vocabulary?” Tsunade asked, shaking her head in an attempt to understand the impossible.


“We met Naruto.” Kiba explained patiently. The rest of the table nodded, faces full of fond acceptance.


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Later, Sasuke was once again in his study. When Naruto found him, his head was bent over his desk, midnight strands falling across his dark eyes and pale cheeks.


“Sasuke?” Naruto whispered from the door.


“Dobe.” Sasuke said, not looking up from his work, but waving Naruto into the room all the same.


Naruto walked quietly into the room and sat down. He silently watched Sasuke work. Sasuke said that Naruto was breathtaking, but Naruto couldn’t believe that… how could ‘he’ be breathtaking when there were people like Sasuke out there. Naruto blushed remembering this morning. Sasuke made him feel so good. So bloody good that Naruto thought it might become an addiction. Feeling Sasuke, tasting Sasuke, touching and being touched by Sasuke… sweet god in heaven…


“Dobe, care to share that thought?” Sasuke smirked as Naruto choked.


“Yes, I mean no. No, I don’t think so.” Naruto forced about, glaring at the dark haired man before him.


“Well, then, did you come to daydream in my presence or was there another reason why I get to see your beautiful blush? Haven’t we be taking it ‘slowly’ enough for you?” Sasuke sat back as the dobe’s face got even redder.


“No, yes. I mean, no, no daydreaming. But yes, something. Oh, dammit Sasuke! You do this on purpose!”


“Perhaps.”


“Teme! I came here to tell you some of the clones came back.”


At that, Sasuke’s face immediately became devoid of all humor and pleasure. “What did you find out?”


“Orochimaru and Itachi haven’t left the castle, but many knights that I’ve never seen before have been arriving there daily. Later, knights I do know and the foreign knights leave the castle and head our way. So far, my clones have been able to take care of them before they get far.”


“Take care of them?” Sasuke asked.


“Yeah, take care of them. Stop them from going forward. Disposing of them. Putting them out of their misery. The final termination notice. Do I need to go on, teme?”


“You’ve been killing them?” Sasuke spoke quietly, forcing Naruto to look him in the face. He was shocked to see storm clouds filling Sasuke’s black eyes.


“Well, I guess in some situations. If you’re worried, I do send out new clones for those that are lost.”


“Naruto! I’m not worried about the number of clones. However, I am pissed off that you have been killing people!” Sasuke stood, hand running through tussled hair, only leave it more tussled.


“Well, what did you think I would be doing?” Naruto asked, frustration heavy in his voice.


“I don’t want you killing anyone.” Sasuke growled out, monotone and furious.


“Sasuke,” Naruto’s tone dropped to dead seriousness, “what would your knights be doing, if not killing them?”


“YOU are not one of my knights, dobe. You are Naruto, blond dobe, mother of my child, innocence…”


Naruto stood. He knew where this conversation was heading. Sasuke trying to shelter him to the point of suffocation. Naruto yelling about how he was independent and more than versed on the cruelties of reality. Angry words that resulted in poignant and apparently worthless apologies.


“Sasuke, you need to be very careful with how high a pedestal you place me on… I am far from the innocent you seemed determined to make me and a fall from those heights could be fatal for us both.” With that he turned and left the room.


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Naruto wasn’t avoiding Sasuke, per say, but for the last few days he hadn’t been actively seeking the lord out either. Sasuke needed to learn that Naruto wasn’t a fragile doll and that it took a lot to break him. Certainly more than killing a few knights bent on hurting him and his loved ones. Naruto understood where the young lord was coming from. Since meeting him, Naruto had spent a majority of his time scared, crying or passed out. If that didn’t scream ‘damsel in distress’, Naruto wasn’t sure what did. But, Naruto had spent most of his young life scared and he was still alive, still Naruto and he would continue to be with or without the Uchiha.


Naruto would admit that surviving this way had been extremely difficult and painful too, and relying on Sasuke to protect and shelter him was a temptation that Naruto would almost willingly embrace. Except the fact remained that Naruto wasn’t weak willed or frozen in fear and he was more than capable of taking care of himself.


Naruto knew that Sasuke understood this, he just needed gentle reminders now and then. And, Naruto grudgingly admitted, probably would for the rest of this life. He was an Uchiha after all. Prone to possessiveness, broodiness and an overprotective streak a mile wide. Itachi may be a sick and twisted bastard, but didn’t he show these traits as well? Of course, Naruto wouldn’t be sharing this little epiphany with Sasuke anytime soon. He was so enjoying his life now a days.


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“So, brat, let’s see this curse seal.”


Naruto lifted his shirt to show the seal the Fourth Hokage had placed on him. Naruto concentrated and the seal appeared on his tan, toned abdomen. Jiraiya poked and prodded while Kyuubi yelled about ‘dumbass humans and their crazy urges to poke around things they had no right to’. Naruto chose to ignore him.


“Well, this one looks exactly like it’s suppose to. Has Kyuubi ever leaked out? Taken over in any way?”


“No, not without my permission.” Naruto adjusted his shirt back over his stomach.


Jiraiya’s eyes shot to the boy, “Without your permission? Explain.”


“Well, for instance, when I brought Ryuu here from Orochimaru’s. I was really hurt when I left,” Naruto chose to ignore the growl coming from the Toad Sage, “and I had used most of my own chakra to help Ryuu. I gave Kyuubi partial control of my body, it makes it easier for him to supply chakra to me that way. I never would have made it otherwise.”


“You and Kyuubi seemed to have a interesting relationship. I have never heard of anything similar.” Jiraiya looked at Naruto. He still couldn’t believe that he was here and alive. He was so much more than Jiraiya had ever imagined he would be. He was so proud… of Naruto, of Minato…


“I’m glad that we do. I would have been… lonely without him. At first, he spent most of his time being an ass. Rants including but not limited too, world domination, better than me, pitiful humans… but he had spent the first ten years of my life trying to find loop holes in the seal. I guess that after he realized there was none, he was more open to a symbiotic relationship.” Naruto smiled at the white haired man. “Whether he says it or not, I think he respects what you did, taking me away from the village. I do too. It was a good idea.”


“Yeah, brat, it was. While it lasted.” Jiraiya stopped himself from reliving the memories of finding the young boy dead. Tsunade had filled him in on just how far the snake bastard had gone. Jiraiya had hated Orochimaru before, but now he wasn’t sure there was a single word to describe this feeling clawing within his chest demanding vengeance.


“Hey, Lord Jiraiya, are you okay?” Jiraiya looked up to see worried blue eyes.


“Yeah, brat, I am and drop the ‘Lord’,” He reached forward, haphazardly ruffling Naruto’s blond spikes. “Now, show me the other seal.”


“Why are you people even lords then if you never want to be called that?” Naruto mumbled while standing and showing his lower back to Jiraiya.


The Sannin leaned forward and examined the black seal against the boy’s spine. It was comprised of several small swirls, like the Fourth’s seal, around a solid black dot. Jiraiya hadn’t seen anything like it before. Where had Orochimaru learned this? How did he know he would need it? This was just another sign that Orochimaru had known about the boy long before he had come to take him away. Orochimaru had taken time to plan how and when he would take the boy from Jiraiya and Tsunade. How had the two of them not noticed in all that time?


Well, he could try to rid the boy of this cursed abomination. “Naruto, I want to try and release the seal, if you will let me.”


“Ah, sure, why not. What do I have to do?” Naruto asked, turning his head around to look at Jiraiya.


“Just stand there.” Jiraiya slowly gathered chakra into his fingertips.


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“Kit! God dammit, kit! Stop blocking me… make him stop!”


Naruto found himself standing in front of Kyuubi’s cage. It had been awhile since the fox had forced him ‘in’ for a conversation. “What? Why?”


“The seal is stronger and deeper than it looks, if the moron tries to remove it, it will kill you! Why do you think I never mentioned removing it?!”


“Shit.” And Naruto disappeared.


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“Wait!” Naruto lurched forward just as Jiraiya’s hand moved toward his back. “Stop!”


“Brat! What the hell?” Jiraiya lost his balance, falling forward, leaving fingerprint scorch marks on stone floors.


“You will kill me. Kyuubi says that it’s a trap of sorts. If I attempt to remove it, my chakra will go with it. I would die.” Naruto kept scooting away from Jiraiya like he thought the man would jump up and try anyway.


“I see.” Jiraiya looked at the blond boy who was pushed against the far chair. “Hey, I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt you. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help you.”


Naruto smiled, body visibly relaxing. “I know. I know. And really, it’s not something we really need to worry about, right? It only ‘hurts’ me when I’m near Orochimaru and I’m told the plan is I’ll never be near him again. So, no worries.” Naruto shrugged his shoulders, his smile bright and ridiculously fake.


Jiraiya smirked. The boy couldn’t lie any better than his father. But, who was he to call Naruto on his lie. He would do his best to ensure that Naruto wouldn’t be seeing that bastard again and, if their luck held, maybe he wouldn’t.


“So, I can’t help you, but tell me about the Sand kid.”


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Sasuke walked into the kitchen. The closest that he and the dobe had been in the last week was sitting next to each other at the dinner table. Naruto didn’t seem angry, but ‘this’ was at an all-time low and that had to stop.


And so, with that thought in mind, Sasuke came to the kitchen, armed with a plan.


“Chouji.”


“Boss! What brings you here?”


Sasuke looked down and mumbled. Chouji’s eyebrows rose. That was new.


“Ah… I didn’t quite catch that. Sorry.”


“I need a picnic. Food the dobe likes. Milk for Ryuu too.” Still, Sasuke talked to the floor.


“A… picnic?”


“Yes, Chouji, with a blanket and food, often held outdoors on grassy nulls.” If Sasuke was trying to keep his voice pleasant, he was failing.


“Ah, yes… that kind of picnic.” Chouji turned around so that Sasuke wouldn’t see his smile. “When would you like it ready?”


“As soon as possible and when the dobe comes in for lunch, will you send him out to the garden.” Sasuke turned to walk away.


“What about Ryuu?”


“I’ll have him.” Sasuke stopped at the doorway, making eye contact with the cook, “And, Chouji. Thank you.”


Chouji’s smile lit his face, “You’re welcome, my lord.” But Sasuke was already gone.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Naruto had gone to the kitchen in the hopes of getting a little, okay a lot of ramen. What he got instead was a ‘suggestion’ to go out to the garden. Working his way out of the castle, Naruto could only hope there was ramen out there.


Turning the corner, Naruto stopped in his tracks. Sasuke was lying back on a red blanket atop a hill that overlooked the pond. He held Ryuu over his head, bringing the dark haired baby down to nuzzle his small tummy, before lifting him up to start again. Naruto could hear the tiny baby squeals and deep chuckles from where he stood. The picture they made together was… Breathe, Naruto thought, breathe.


“Hey, teme!” Naruto forced his feet to move toward the father and son as Sasuke sat up.


“Dobe.”


“A picnic? From an Uchiha? I am impressed.” Naruto gave the dark haired lord a genuine smile and sat down next to him. Their knees touched but neither made any effort to move. Sasuke handed the wiggling baby to Naruto before reaching for the wooden basket to the side of the blanket.


He reached in bringing out a bottle for the baby and handing it to Naruto. Next he pulled out napkins, silverware, plates and bowls. As Naruto fed the suckling baby, Sasuke dished up chicken, seasoned rice and of course, ramen.


“Ahhh… all my favorites! Thank you, teme!” Naruto gently burped the wee Uchiha before setting him on the blanket with a small rattle.


Sasuke and Naruto began eating quietly. Occasionally, Sasuke would reach for something at the same time as Naruto and their hands would touch and linger a little longer than necessary. Naruto would blush and Sasuke’s inner three year old would purr with contentment.


Sometime toward the end of the meal, Ryuu fell asleep, shining midnight locks falling gracefully on cherub cheeks. Naruto absentmindedly rubbed his small back. Sasuke got up to put away the remaining food, but when he came back, instead of sitting beside Naruto, he sat behind him and pulled the blond back against his chest.


Naruto closed his eyes and felt like he could finally relax for the first time since their study ‘discussion’. The feel of Sasuke, the scent of Sasuke, the all encompassing warmth of Sasuke. God, he had…


“Missed this.” Naruto whispered out loud.


“Me too, dobe. Me too.” Sasuke rested his chin on Naruto’s head, wrapping his arms around the tan boy. “Naruto, about earlier…”


“No. Please, before you say whatever you are about to say, I need you to listen for a moment.” Naruto spoke quietly. He felt so good being in Sasuke’s arms again, he didn’t want to peaceful feeling to leave.


“Sasuke, let’s just agree on two things right now. I think doing so will make future interactions between us flow more smoothly.”


“I’m listening.”


“You are a possessive bastard.” Naruto felt the young lord try to pull away, but he pushed his body back into the lord’s strong chest. “And I am a stubborn idiot.”


Sasuke stopped moving all together.


“These two facts are not likely to change anytime soon. Would you agree?”


“Hn.”


Naruto smiled, “A ‘yes’ then. Teme, I- I like… being with you. It makes me feel… happy, that you worry about me. Some parts of me wish that I could curl up and let you take care of everything, but that’s not who I am. I recognize that I may have inadvertently stumbled into some roles that might be seen as ‘feminine’, but I am not a girl. I want to and can protect myself and my loved ones.” Naruto shifted so that he was sitting facing the lord, straddling his lap. “We can’t change one another, teme. You will always want to shelter those that you lo… care for and I will always need to help when I can, regardless of your demands that I don’t. I guess to some, these things might make us incompatible, but Sasuke…” Naruto leaned his forehead against the stoic male’s and whispered, “I don’t ever, ever want to stop feeling this.”


Naruto closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against the lord’s. He tilted his head slightly to the side to allow Sasuke’s lips to move more naturally against his own. Somewhere, he heard a weak mewl and slowly recognized that it had come from him. Naruto had missed this so much! Almost feverishly, Naruto brought his hands up and into midnight strands of hair, gripping two handfuls as his hips thrust into Sasuke’s lap. Sasuke growled at the friction as he grabbed Naruto’s hips with his strong hands to get more of the delicious feeling.


“Dobe, dobe, dobe,” Sasuke moaned trying to slow the boy down even as he snaked his hands under Naruto’s shirt to feel the smooth, heated skin across the blond’s chest.


“Teme!” Naruto shouted as a pale hand found and pinched a tan nipple, “Ahh…” The dobe’s tan neck was thrown back in what Sasuke took as an open invitation to attack. He licked and sucked and kissed and bit until the sound’s coming from Naruto were reduced to pleasure filled moans.


“Naruto… we need to stop.” Sasuke kissed a line down Naruto’s neck and across a tan collarbone. “Need. To. Stop… before I can’t.”


“Bastard,” Naruto whined, thrusting his hips harder against the lord’s, “then don’t.” Naruto nudged Sasuke’s head to the side and bit down on pale skin, earning a startled yelp from the dark haired man, followed by a feral growl as Sasuke pushed Naruto back onto the red blanket. They rocked against each other, hands everywhere, grasping hair, clothes and available skin. Naruto felt the pressure begin to build in his abdomen. He closed his eyes and listened to Sasuke’s sweet breaths coming out in quick pants against the side of his neck. The pressure built and built, like an incoming tide until finally, it crashed against the shore.


“SASUKE!” Naruto’s body arched into the lord above him, eyes snapping open as the moist heat spread outside of his body.


Sasuke’s arms tightened around his dobe, his own end near. He laid his head against Naruto’s shoulder, turning his pale lips toward the boy’s ear and as pleasure washed over him, he whispered, “Naruto.”


Holding each other as their breathing returned to normal, Sasuke felt Naruto tense up.


“S-Sasuke,” Watery blue eyes looked up into black while tan hands gently fisted Sasuke’s shirt, “That was okay, right?”


Sasuke pressed a gentle kiss on Naruto’s forehead and on each of his eyelids, “Yes, dobe. It was very, very okay. You are beautiful.” Another gentle kiss on moist pink lips. “Thank you.”


Naruto relaxed against Sasuke, forming himself against the strong chest of the lord. “That… never happened to me before.”


Sasuke smiled. He was the dobe’s ‘first’ in the only way that mattered. He had Naruto’s first want, lust, pleasure, need and god willing, love. “Did it feel good?”


“Ohhhh yes. It did.” The enthusiastic nodding and broad smile on his dobe’s face almost made Sasuke laugh out loud.


“I’m glad, dobe. It felt good for me too.” Sasuke nuzzled the blond’s golden spikes, taking in the golden boy’s scent. It had never been more tantalizing than when mixed so intimately with Sasuke’s own.


“Teme. Should it… will it always feel this way?”


“Hmmm… dobe, it should always feel good, even if it starts out uncomfortable or painful, you should be able to trust that I will make it better. When we do this again,” Naruto’s blue eyes widened and Sasuke gave a soft chuckle, “or something more, it will always end with you feeling this good or better. I swear that to you, okay?”


A lone tear slide down Naruto’s cheek, “Thank you, Sasuke.”


Leaning forward, the dark haired lord used his thumb to catch the tear, “Naruto,” Sky blue met midnight black, “I love you, dobe.”


Naruto’s eyes swirled with emotion. Sasuke watched Naruto’s golden lashes blink and when they opened, he felt his heart stop. Love had turned clear, blue eyes into sparkling sapphires.


“Sasuke, I l-love you too.”


Naruto and Sasuke sat wrapped together on a red blanket over looking a small garden pond and silently thanked all the deities listening for this moment and each other.


Baby Ryuu smiled sweetly in his sleep.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Tsunade walked into the main hall to see Naruto rocking a sleepy Ryuu while sitting in front of the large fireplace.


“Ah, brat, just the two men I wanted to see.”


“Hokage-sama.” Naruto nodded, smiling. “What can I do for you?”


“First, stop with the Hokage-sama. Tsunade will be just fine.” She sat in the chair next to the young man and his son.


“Of course.” Naruto smirked, “Granny Tsunade, what can I do for you?”


“Why you little brat!” Tsunade slapped the boy ‘gently’ on the back of the head.


“Hey!” Naruto quietly hissed, “I am holding a small, defenseless baby! You can’t just go around hitting me. I could drop him!”


“Well, your choices are to hold him tighter or not say things that make me hit you.”


“Point taken…” Naruto leaned down to kiss midnight locks, “Granny.”


“Brat…” Tsunade growled, but then saw the laughter in cerulean eyes. “Look, I was wondering if you could tell me more about what you did for Ryuu. If we understood it better, maybe we could help other babies… and I just can’t believe that it worked. Satisfy my curiosity.”


Tsunade sat back and looked at the boy she had thought was dead for so long. After Naruto and Shizune died, she never let another person close to her. After losing her little brother and Dan, she had sworn she was through, but then Jiraiya had led her into a chakra blasted field and handed her a crying, scared little boy. She had rocked him when he cried and held him when he hurt. She made visits to her student and the little boy as often as she could, just to be around the small boy that filled holes she had thought would never close.


And then she had lost him. She knew that both Jiraiya and herself had left something in the cottage that day to burn to the ground. A part of themselves. The part they had given to a blond haired demon carrier. It wasn’t until they had tried to live again that they realized how big a part it had been.


But, here he was, alive and just a brilliant as she had imagined he would be. She wanted to cry and laugh, but instead, she smiled and waited for her ‘son’, okay maybe ‘grandson’, to speak.


“I was present for Ryuu’s birth. After he was born, Sakura refused to stabilize him.” Naruto looked up to the one person who might understand how he had felt, “Granny, she wanted him dead! She tried to kill him before he was born and was going to sit by and watch his life slowly leave him. I had placed him on her chest and she shoved him off her. Had I not been there, he would have fallen to the cold, stone floor. Died there.” Naruto looked down at the four month old nestled against his chest. He tried to imagine a life where he never felt the boy’s warmth or heard the boy’s soft coos and taken in his sweet scent. He looked up startled when he felt Tsunade’s arms wrap around him.


“Naruto, he is lucky to have you. You did the right thing. You are amazing.” She whispered into his ear before pulling back.


“Thank you, but I think it is Ryuu who is the amazing one. Everyone spends so much time talking about what I did, but he was there too.” Naruto wiped away a stray tear and smiled up at the Hokage.


Tsunade looked down at the little Uchiha and gasped. Ryuu’s eyes were open, looking right at her and they were blue.


“What? Granny, what?!” Naruto looked down at the chibi, but nothing was wrong. At Naruto’s question, Tsunade looked up at Naruto, mouth opening to explain, but when she looked at the boy once more, his eyes were black.


Tsunade shook her head. Had she just imagined that? The baby was totally normal. She watched as Naruto held a finger out for the little boy to chew on.


“Oi! Granny! Are you okay?”


“Yes, brat. I thought I saw… but, no. I thought for a moment that Ryuu’s eyes were blue.”


“Huh… well, they aren’t now. Black, just like his handsome father’s. Yes, they are!” Naruto made a funny face at the wee chibi and received a giggle in return.


“Handsome?” Tsunade teased.


“Oh, well, yeah… Really, can anyone deny that?” Naruto stammered out, blush erupting on his cheeks.


“I suppose not.” Tsunade smiled at the flustered boy, “So, I’ve noticed you two seem close.”


“Y-yes, close.” Naruto shook his head at his behavior. What was he? A girl!


Looking up he smirked at the blonde haired woman, “Actually, we are very, very close. You wouldn’t believe some of the noises I find myself making around him… and the things he can do with his hands!”


“BRAT! That’s more than enough information!”


“No, Tsunade, that’s not nearly enough information. Tell me more, brat.”


Naruto turned to see Jiraiya walking in. Jumping up, he yelled, “Pervert!”


“Shouldn’t you watch your language around the baby, brat?” At Naruto’s horrified face, little Ryuu just clapped and laughed.


“Jiraiya, either sit and act like an adult or get out.” Tsunade said.


“Now, is that any way to treat your savior?” Jiraiya said, taking a sit across from the two blondes.


“Savior?! In what world?” Tsunade huffed.


Jiraiya produced a bottle of sake and a couple of glasses.


“Oh, Jiraiya!” Tsunade smiled and leaned forward taking the offered glass, “You ‘are’ my savior… at least in this moment.”


“Someday I would like someone to explain to me how it is possible that the two of you are a mighty knight and Hokage of Fire Country.” Naruto asked, bewilderment clear in his voice.


“So, brat, about Ryuu?”


“Oh right. Basically, I had to try something. Before you ask, Kyuubi told me it wouldn’t work. Yelled at me when I even considered trying. I remember closing my eyes, pulling chakra into my hands and then forcing it into the baby. In my mind I just wanted him to be okay. I remember begging him to accept the chakra, to accept me…” Naruto looked up, sad smile on his face, “I guess that sounds silly. At that point, I couldn’t remember anyone ever accepting me.”


“Naruto, you were more loved than you’ll ever know. By me and Jiraiya, Shizune too. But also by your mother and father… they loved you so much, try to remember that from now on, okay?”


Naruto nodded slowly to Tsunade’s plea.


“Did you use the demon’s chakra?” Jiraiya asked, throwing back another glass of sake.


“No. I did not. I knew it probably wouldn’t work, but I also didn’t want to use any of Kyuubi’s chakra and then have it actually work and have the little boy have side effects from it. I couldn’t condemn him to my life, even to save his.”


“Naruto, truth be told, we may never know why it worked between you and Ryuu. I guess some things just happen and we all should just be happy they did.” Tsunade said, looking into her sake cup.


“Actually, brat, now that we haven’t answered the baby enigma, let’s try to solve another mystery in your young life.” Jiraiya said and after Naruto nodded, continued, “Do you remember anything else about being taken from the cottage? I need… would like to know how the bastard created a convincing enough corpse to fool Tsunade and I.”


“Jiraiya…” Tsunade said, staring wide eyed at her friend. She did not want to think about this… ever again.


“Hokage-sama,” Jiraiya said formally, staring straight back at her, “You must know that this is important information for us, Naruto and Fire Country… yes?”


Tsunade muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘fucking manipulative toad loving bastard’, but nodded none the less.


“I remember being in the cottage. Kabuto grabbed me and Shizune attacked him, only to be attacked by the other knights in the cottage. Kabuto yanked me outside. I heard her screaming, crying and finally begging… for my life, to leave me, spare me.” Naruto cuddled the now sleeping baby closer. “Soon Orochimaru came out. He smirked at me. I was crying. He something, I didn’t hear or understand and then everything went dark. The next thing I remember is being locked in Orochimaru’s dungeon.”


Naruto looked up at the two pale Sannin. He knew Shizune had been their friend. It must be hard to hear about her death. Suddenly, Naruto felt a wave of dizziness and he was once again standing in front of Kyuubi’s cage.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


“This is becoming a little habit of yours, Kyuubi. I better not drop Ryuu.” Naruto said, hands in pockets.


“If you’re going to be twitty, kit, I won’t tell you that I can answer the old man’s question.” Kyuubi said, his tails lazily sweeping the floor of his cage.


“You know?”


“Yes, I do. And kit? You’re not going to like me much after you find out.”


“Ah… was this one of your failed ‘attempts’ at freedom? And I find it funny that you think I ‘like’ you that much now.”


“Don’t be mean… it doesn’t suit you.”


“Kyuubi, you did what you had to do. If it had been me or anyone else, we all would have tried anything as well. Just tell me.”


And Kyuubi did.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


“Jiraiya! What is wrong with him?” Tsunade asked, standing in front of the blank faced Naruto, holding a whimpering, but still sleeping Ryuu.


“How the hell should I know, Tsunade! Off the top of my head, I’d say he was talking to his furry friend.” Jiraiya said, standing up from where he had been kneeling next to Naruto’s chair.


“I used the term ‘furry parasite’. Kyuubi’s particularly fond of that one.”


Jiraiya and Tsunade looked down at a now perfectly normal looking Naruto.


“Kyuubi knows how Orochimaru did it and thought he’d share with the rest of us.” Naruto stood up taking the black haired baby back. The boy immediately turned his face into the blond’s chest and relaxed back into a restful sleep.


“Okay then brat, let’s hear it.” Tsunade said, “Oh wait. Do you think we’re going to need more of this?” She waved a nearly empty bottle of sake in the air.


“YOU will always need more of that.” Jiraiya said and pulled another bottle out of seemingly nowhere.


Before the two of them could really get started, Naruto sat down and began his story.


“After Orochimaru came outside, he performed a jutsu that allowed him to talk to Kyuubi.”


Two sets of eyes widen in shock.


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Kyuubi watched as the pale man strolled up to his cage as though he wasn’t walking through sewer sludge.


“Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” The black haired man hissed.


“Oh, wow… did you think about that line for a long time or did it just come to you, human?”


The man smirked at the demon, “My name is Orochimaru.”


“And?” Kyuubi sighed. He had been stuck in this cage with no interaction with anyone for five years. He supposed it was nice to talk to someone, even if it was a human.


“I’ve come to offer you a way out of this insufferable situation you have found yourself in.” Orochimaru said, looking at his nails.


Kyuubi seethed. Who was this ass who stood in front of him looking bored? Kyuubi lunged at the bars, “Now you listen to me, brat! I am the demon Kyuubi! If there was a way out of here I would have found it and been out five years ago!”


“I see. Well then, I guess I’ll just go then.” Orochimaru’s snake like eyes danced in the dim light.


Kyuubi hated this human more than any other human he had ever met, including the blond brat that put him here. His pride screamed at him to let the ass go. He couldn’t possibly know anything of consequence. But, dammit, to be free once more… and then, when that happened, the first thing on his list would be to devour the pale bastard standing in front of him.


“Tell me!” Kyuubi growled out. It sounded pained, even to him.


The bastard had the nerve to chuckle, “As I thought.”


The sound of Kyuubi’s nails scrapping wet cement was heard.


“I have a jutsu that will allow me to clone the boy perfectly. No one will be able to tell the difference. You would keep this body and his conscience and power will inhabit the clone. After the clone is created, I’ll kill it and you’ll be free to live as you wish.”


“Oh, that’s rich. So I’ll be human?! I’d rather live in this rotten cell than lower myself to your sniveling status.”


“I suppose that’s your choice. I just imagined that it would be easier for you to seek out a more permanent, satisfying solution having complete control of this body with no seal to hamper any of your power.”


“Why are you telling me this? Why don’t you just do it?” Kyuubi found himself missing the silence.


“The jutsu will require both of our chakra strengths.” Orochimaru said.


“Why do you want to boy dead?”


“Why don’t you, demon?” Was the pale mans monotone reply.


“Don’t question me!”


“Am I to understand you won’t be accommodating? My reasons for wanting the boy dead have nothing to do with you. Honestly, they have nothing to do with him. He is unfortunately precious to my enemies and therefore he is nothing but a tool which I will use to destroy them.” Orochimaru shrugged. Kyuubi couldn’t help smirking at how cold hearted the man was… how refreshing.


“You are an evil bastard. How interesting to find that in such a weak race of beings.”


It was Orochimaru’s turn to smirk, “Was that a compliment, demon?”


Kyuubi chose to ignore the snake, “What do we do?”


Orochimaru explained the jutsu and each of their rolls in the execution of it. Somewhere, Kyuubi though he heard a small boy crying. Turning, he saw the boy he was trapped in for the first time. He was curled up against Kyuubi’s red fur, shivering and moving toward his warmth. Kyuubi looked closer and say the boy had blond hair and six thin scars that resembled whiskers on his cheeks. He almost looked like a chibi fox, lying there curled up and whimpering. Something tugged inside the fire demon, but he immediately pushed it down, turning back to the snake. Vaguely, he heard a whispered plea.


“Don’t leave me.”


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Kyuubi threw all of his chakra into the jutsu. He felt the boy splitting, but even while it was happening, he knew it wasn’t going to work. Maybe, it wasn’t supposed to. Never trust a snake.


When the jutsu ended, Kyuubi still looked out through barred walls and the sleeping kit still held his fur as though it was the only thing he had. Nothing had change at all. Nothing.


And Kyuubi realized that maybe he was happy that way.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Kabuto looked at the slumped ‘clone’ on the ground. He was everything the young Naruto was. A living, breathing boy without a soul. Physically identical. Several identification jutsus proved that.


Orochimaru laughed and laughed. Several of his knights backed away. Their lord was to be feared… especially when he seemed happy.


“Kabuto.”


“Yes, my lord.”


“I’ll be upstairs ‘tucking’ my playmates’ toy in.” Shivers ran down the backs of his men, “Be ready to leave when I’m done.”


“Of course.” Kabuto said, pushing his glasses up and securing their newly kidnapped companion to his horse.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Jiraiya and Tsunade sat wide eyed at the end of Kyuubi’s tale. How had Orochimaru ever been considered their friend? When had he come to hate them so much?


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Later that night, during dinner, Naruto sat next to Sasuke with Tsunade and Jiraiya on his other side.


Sasuke was talking to Lee about the new and youthfully improved training schedule that Lee wanted to implement while covertly listening to Naruto’s conversation with the two Sannin.


“Naruto, we will be leaving at the end of the week. Unfortunately, I have responsibilities as Hokage that I can’t ignore any longer.”


“I have to go with her. I am her white knight, as it were.” Jiraiya said, dodging the fist that flew his way. “However, as soon as she is secure, I will head back.”


“Old man, you don’t have to do that. Orochimaru and Itachi are still at the castle and none of the knights they have sent out have made it more than half way here.” Naruto shrugged, picking absently at his food. He would be sad to see them go.


“Naruto,” Tsunade said, leaning in, “You could come with us you know. We would be happy to have you. Imagine what you could see and learn.”


Sasuke felt every muscle in his body tense. His hearing narrowed down until all he could here was Naruto’s breathing as he listened for the dobe’s response.


“Ah, well, I appreciate the offer and I would love to be with the both of you…”


“But, we aren’t your Uchiha?” Jiraiya supplied, fully aware of the eavesdropping lord.


Naruto’s smile was genuine, but slightly sad, “He’s not mine. But, yes, because of Sasuke. And let’s not forget Ryuu and all of my new friends here.”


“You’d be safer with us. They’d be safer if you were with us.”


“Maybe… maybe you’re right.” Naruto said, rubbing his palms against his knees, “but…”


“Just think about it, brat.”


“I will.” Naruto replied and then he attention was caught by Kiba who was sitting across from him.


Sasuke fought down the activation of his Sharingan. His heart beat so hard he actually brought a hand up to his chest to make sure it didn’t pop out onto the table. Sounds swirled around him and all he could think was, ‘No, not my dobe, not Naruto. He stays with me. He’s mine.’


As Lee’s voice pierced Sasuke’s internal panic, the last thought that run through the lord’s mind was ‘And I am his.’


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Later that night, Sasuke walked down the hall to the library where he knew Naruto and Ryuu would be reading before the baby’s bedtime. His heart still hurt and he felt like he might be sick if anyone tried to talk to him.


Naruto was just stupid enough to leave Sasuke and Ryuu behind if he thought it might protect them. It wouldn’t be because he liked Jiraiya or Tsunade more or because of the things he could learned, experiences he would have. No, the dobe would leave to protect Sasuke and Ryuu because he loved them. Naruto would sacrifice himself for them.


Sasuke shook his head. Well, too fucking bad. Sasuke was a selfish, possessive bastard and he wasn’t giving his sunshine up for any reason. He loved Naruto. What’s more, he had Naruto’s love. There was no life anymore for Sasuke without his dobe.


Quietly opening the doors, he looked in to see Naruto laying on the carpet, head and shoulders propped up on a large pillow. Ryuu lay with his back on the blond’s chest and Naruto read quietly from a book he held up so the boy could see the pictures.


This time the Sharingan flared to life. No one would take these moments away from him, his son or Naruto. They were a family. He would not see his family ripped apart again before his eyes.


Sasuke shut his eyes, mentally calming himself before walking into the room. Naruto looked over from his reading and smiled brightly at seeing the dark haired man.


“Look who’s here, little dragon.” Naruto whispered, never taking his eyes off of Sasuke as he crossed the room. The look on the lord’s face made Naruto’s heart speed up. He was so beautiful, powerful, charming when he wanted to be and he had Naruto’s whole heart in his hands. Instead of destroying it, he treated it like it was the most precious possession he had. And, if asked, Sasuke would say it was.


Sasuke fell gracefully to his knees next to the blond boy and reached out to lift his son. Kissing him on his forehead, Sasuke sat the black haired chibi against the pillow Naruto lay against. Turning his sights to the blond, Sasuke held out his hand.


Naruto took the strong hand and was pulled into a sitting position in front of the lord.


“Teme? Are you okay?” Naruto asked while he was slowly being pulled into pitch black pools of swirling emotion.


“Naruto,” Sasuke began, never releasing the slender tan hand, “I know that you haven’t been here very long and that maybe three months isn’t long enough for most people, but it is for us, dobe. I love you. I might have loved you from the moment you fainted in my courtyard, or maybe when you wondered into the nursery to retrieve my son and called me a bastard. Or maybe it was after that… god, maybe before. I don’t know and dammit, I can’t bring myself to care because the only thing that matters is that I love you now, then, always. Forever. I can’t imagine not seeing you, having you, being near you.”


Sasuke looked down, free hand running through his hair. “I can’t be without you. I won’t be… please, don’t make me try.”


“Sasuke…” Naruto attempted to interrupt. Hearing the words made Naruto feel loved, but hearing the proud lord ramble actually frightened him.


“No, shhh… dobe, just listen. I love you. My… our son loves you. The people of the castle and the village love you. Dobe, will you be mine? Live with my possessiveness? Live with my moodiness? Live knowing that you own my heart and that I will be yours as much as you are mine? Will you marry me, Naruto?”

Sasuke closed his eyes. Holy shit! What was wrong with him. Yes, he wanted Naruto to marry him more than anything, but what was that?! When had the great Sasuke Uchiha become a blithering idiot! Sasuke’s inner three year old covered his eyes, head shaking sadly back and forth, apparently mortified at the situation they found themselves in. Coming back to reality, Sasuke opened his eyes, realizing that Naruto had yet to answer. Naruto’s head was lowered, blond silk falling into his face.


“Naruto?” Sasuke whispered, his heart in his throat.


Naruto slowly lifted his head until blue eyes met black. Sasuke’s breathing stopped completely as he watched Naruto’s rose colored lips part to speak.


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