A Darker World

The ship creaked under Jiraiya’s weight as he walked along the deck and tried not to think about the other sounds he was pretty sure a ship shouldn't be making. Luck was definitely not on their side today. Getting Naruto and Konohamaru out of Inari’s house was easy enough. They had avoided the long goodbyes by the simple fact that they were coming back. Still, he had not expected the three to hug each other goodbye. They were apparently closer than he or Tsunami had thought.

Whatever problems they had been experiencing seemed to have been resolved when the three had cloistered themselves in Inari’s room yesterday. He had gone upstairs to check on them once, but when he heard them talking he had retreated, wanting to give them their privacy. When they had come down, well, they had not been all smiles, but they seemed more relaxed. They even seemed to be nicer to Ranmaru when he came back. Well, Konohamaru still seemed determined to keep his distance, but he and Inari had started a lot worse.

Things had returned back to normal, or at least normal given their histories. He wondered if anyone really mistook Konohamaru and Naruto for brothers. They didn't look like siblings, but Naruto could play the big brother role very well. At least that's how he thought others would see it. He wasn't sure if he was staring at friends or lovers at this point. Konohamaru was leaning over the ship's railing while Naruto's hand was on his back, rubbing in small circles.

“Here you go. This should make you feel better, Konohamaru.” The boy turned at the sound of his name, his face pale. Stepping down from the railing, Konohamaru took the offered bottle of water and waited as two pills were shaken from the bottle. “They're supposed to last twenty-four hours, but I'm not sure how long it will be until you start feeling their affect. So, you should probably lay down for a while.”

Konohamaru downed the pills and give him a weak smile as Naruto put an arm around the boy's shoulders. “We'll go do that.”

Jiraiya smiled. So it was ‘we’ now. He hesitated before bursting their bubble. “Actually Naruto, could I talk to you for a few minutes? It won't take long.”

Naruto looked at him curiously. “All right.” He looked down at Konohamaru, “I'll be right there.”

The boy, still looking pale, nodded slightly and took the three steps to the door. Naruto watched after him for a moment before Jiraiya coughed to draw his attention. “So, things seem to be better between you two.” He leaned against the railing and stared out at the storm in the distance, figuring this conversation would be easier if they didn't have to constantly look at each other.

“Yeah,” Naruto said, resting his chin on the railing.

Jiraiya sighed and reflected, his life had been so much easier before Naruto had entered it. He decided to dive right in. “Do you know what upset Konohamaru yesterday?”

Naruto was quiet for a moment, watching the distant lightning hit the water. “He saw a client.”

Jiraiya’s head snapped around. “What! Why didn't you tell me? This could blow our whole cover.”

“It was just a photo.” Naruto said, staring at him as if he had grown a second head.

The Sannin relaxed and said exasperated “Naruto, lead with that information next time.”

The blonde nodded before turning back to the storm. He was quiet for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Always.” Naruto took a long time to answer, but something told Jiraiya to wait and not prompt him, he realized this was exactly how he had recruited some of his sources in the past.

“I'm different now.” It was a statement but his tone had a question. “I'm stronger and faster. I didn't really think about it, but yesterday, when Inari told me about Konohamaru, I picked him up with one arm. I mean, I pick up Konohamaru and Inari weighs more than he does, but I did it with one arm.”

“Well, you have been training. It only makes sense that you can do things you couldn't before.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, looking down at his hands. “Still, the first time when Konohamaru was in trouble I was really angry. I broke through wooden bars, ran upstairs, broke down a door and I think I killed someone.”

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at that. “Why do you say that?”

Naruto shook his head to clear it. “Konohamaru's first client, we didn't know his name, but yesterday Inari recognized him as this guy named Gato. He was a gangster, and I'm not sure, but I think he died around the same time we escaped.”

Gato, Jiraiya thought. He was familiar with the name, but even knowing what he knew about him, the fact that he had gone to such a place surprised him. Then again the place did target the wealthy. There was a niggling of an idea in the back of his mind, but he put it aside for now as he looked down at Naruto. The boy was asking if he had possibly killed someone and he wasn't sure how to answer. There wasn't any way to confirm that right now and he supposed Naruto deserved the truth. “It's possible.”

“Good,” Naruto said, nodding to himself.

Jiraiya was about to say that taking a life shouldn't be something treated lightly, but he realized the foolishness of that statement before he said it. Presumably, Inari had shared his story and from Naruto's point of view the man was going to hurt Konohamaru. The man had not deserved mercy. “Is that what you wanted to ask?”

The blonde shook his head no. “I wanted to ask why I was that strong then, but right now I don't think I am that strong. Why?”

Jiraiya wanted to let out another sigh. This question he could answer. After all, he had been able to track Naruto because of the demonic chakra he had been using at the time. Telling him, though, he had the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within him seemed too cruel at the moment. “Sometimes, when someone we care about deeply is in trouble, we can find the strength to do things we didn't know we could.” There was more than enough truth in that statement to make him feel like he wasn't lying.

“I got it.” Naruto said with a smile.

Jiraiya gave him a pat on the back before realizing something. “What do you mean Konohamaru's first client? I thought...” he trailed off, unsure how to proceed.

“Konohamaru didn't see clients, or at least not the way I did.” Naruto said, filling in the silence. “He waited on tables and he did photo shoots, but he was off limits to the clients.”

The Sannin frowned. He had been under the impression no one was off-limits. Maybe it was it a remnant of Konohamaru status, but Hanabi had served and she was a year younger than him. “Did they ever say why he was off-limits?”

“I paid for it,” Naruto said with a shrug.

He was starting to get that sick feeling in his stomach again, even as he pressed on. “How?”

Naruto turned around and leaned against the railing to look up at him. “We got points for working. The more cash we had a client spend, the more points we got. You could trade in your points for stuff like candy bars or time off. So when Konohamaru was supposed to serve a client I would give him my points and he would buy free time. It took a lot of work, but I was able to do it every week for him.” The boy's expression darkened. “Gato shouldn't have been able to rent Konohamaru.”

Jiraiya stared at Naruto in disbelief. It took a lot to surprise him, but Naruto's self-sacrifice on Konohamaru's behalf left him speechless. Being brave in battle was really a simple thing. Adrenaline was rushing through your body and you never had time to reflect. This boy in front of him, though, had made a consistent effort to protect his friend for, well, years. That was a whole different type of bravery. “Naruto, I don't think I've ever been more impressed by one of my students.”

The blonde blushed and looked down. “You shouldn't be.”

“What? Why?” He couldn't keep the astonishment out of his voice.

The boy was silent for a second then he blurted out, “I broke one of your rules yesterday. I told Inari about the House. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I… I...”

Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder and then knelt down to be at Naruto’s eye level, turning the boy towards him. “Naruto, it's okay.” The boy's eyes met his, he looked on the verge of crying which only made Jiraiya want to reassure him. “Listen I was wrong. I was trying to ignore what happened there, pretend it didn't happen because I don't like thinking about it. I didn't think that maybe talking about it might be good for you. Inari's mom explained it to me. She knows too and I'm sorry for sharing that information without asking you. She's okay with it. She's okay if you tell Inari. He's had it hard too, just not in the same way you have.

“Kaiza,” was Naruto's one-word reply.

“Yeah,” Jiraiya confirmed. “So don't feel bad. I was the one who made the mistake. If you need to talk about it, talk about it. To me or to Inari or anyone you trust.” Naruto nodded as a slow smile spread across his face. Jiraiya thought it looked right on him.

“Thanks.”

There was a part of Jiraiya that wanted to hug Naruto right then, but he didn't, still worried the boy might misinterpret it. So, instead he said, “Remember, any time.”

They were quiet for a minute until Naruto hedged, “I want to go check on Konohamaru.”

Jiraiya smiled, “I'll pick you guys up for dinner.”

He watched Naruto walk away and was hit with one more realization. He had always dismissed Naruto's feelings for Konohamaru before. He didn't think they were mature enough to really understand love. Hell, he was nearly fifty and didn't understand it. Still, he was pretty sure Naruto was closer to understanding it than he was.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto closed the cabin door behind him and locked it before leaning against it. He looked over at Konohamaru who was sitting on the bed, his knees up to his chest and hugging a pillow. Still feeling oddly happy after having that conversation with Jiraiya, he smiled. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the dull throbbing from the engines, and that was more felt than heard. “Are you still feeling sick?”

“No, the pills helped,” Konohamaru muttered, partially hiding his face with the pillow.

“That's good,” Naruto responded as he dug his toe into the carpet. After a second, he looked up and asked, “You feeling up to doing anything?”

The boy lifted his head from the pillow, smiling. “I thought you'd never ask.”

He sat next to Konohamaru on the bed and kissed his forehead before grabbing the pillow he was holding, tossing it to the side. The boy started to giggle.

“What?” Naruto asked, smiling at the sound that was so familiar, it had been absent in the last few days.

“It’s nice,” Konohamaru said.

“Oh yeah? What about this?” Before the other boy realized what was happening, Naruto had pushed him onto his back and slipped his hands under the boy’s shirt. He knew where the younger boy was ticklish, and in a matter of seconds, Konohamaru was rolling back and forth as he attacked one of his sides and then the other.

“Stop.”

“Stop what?” Naruto asked, not even trying to sound innocent.

“Stop tickling me!” Konohamaru complained between his laughter.

“You'll have to kiss me.”

“Fine! Just stop.”

He did, and at the same time, he leaned down for his kiss. Naruto had intended it to be a quick peck, but before he could pull away, Konohamaru had grabbed his shirt. It wasn't a tight hold, but it was enough of a signal for him. Their lips meshed together, and as they broke apart for air their breath caressed the other.

Konohamaru was breathing heavily and had this stupid little grain plastered across his face. Of course, he probably didn't look any better, judging by how his cheeks were starting to hurt. He felt another tug on his shirt, but this time it was upwards. Taking the hint, he helped Konohamaru pull off his shirt as he sat back on his heels, straddling his partner.

Konohamaru tossed his shirt off to the side. Propping himself up on his elbows, he started to pull off his own shirt, but Naruto stopped him by grabbing his forearm. For a second, the boy looked up at him confused, but he smiled reassuringly and said, “Let me.”

Again, Naruto's hand slipped under his partner’s shirt, his finger sliding up his sides. Pulling his shirt over his head, he let it drop to the floor before unbuttoning and then unzipping his shorts. Apparently, the slow undressing was exciting Konohamaru as much as it was him. He could see his erection being held back by his boxers.

“Hurry up,” Konohamaru pleaded.

“Patience,” Naruto said, hopping off the bed and pulling Konohamaru’s shorts and boxers down to free his erection, which slapped against his belly with an audible sound. Wrapping his hand around it, he played with the head by rubbing it with his thumb.

His actions produced a small whimper before his hand was swatted away by Konohamaru, who twisted away from him. “You're wearing too much.”

Glancing down at himself, he saw he was still wearing shorts and his sandals which he had forgotten to take off when he stepped into the room. He was about to kick them off when Konohamaru rolled out of bed and pushed him down. Naruto glanced up at him only to see him smiling. “Let me.”

The younger boy dropped to the floor and tugged off one of his sandal, tossing it in the general direction of the door. It was quickly followed by its companion. When Konohamaru looked up at him from the carpeted floor, he smiled before standing and shoving Naruto back onto the bed. The naked boy hopped on top of him and kissed him before sliding back down to unbutton his shorts. Naruto had to lift his hips to help Konohamaru pull his shorts and boxers off together.

Putting his hands behind his head, he looked up at the ceiling, and for a brief second just enjoyed the sensation of being naked. That feeling didn't last long though as Konohamaru hopped back onto him. Their chests were touching and he was tempted to wrap his arms around him.

In fact, he would've done just that if Konohamaru hadn't rested his arms on his own when he went in to kiss him again. This time their tongues intertwined. and for a moment, they were locked together like that before Konohamaru broke it. He planted a kiss on his chin, his throat and as he moved down his chest Naruto closed his eyes, letting out a small moan knowing his final destination.

He could feel Konohamaru's stomach and chest brushing up against his member as he left butterfly kisses all the way down his chest. When he reached his belly button, his member was pushing right up against Konohamaru's chin, Naruto was sure the next thing he would feel would be his member being engulfed. So, when his four-inch member was skipped and his testicles were kissed instead he nearly jumped.

Looking down the length of his body, he could see his partner grinning back at him. He had grinned back as the boy leaned forward and began to lick up his shaft. Konohamaru’s right cheek rested on his stomach as he twisted around so his tongue was able to wrap halfway around the width of his member until he reached the tip, unhesitatingly slipping it into his mouth.

Even though he knew it was coming, he still bucked his hips upwards ever so slightly and then it happened. The last time he had an orgasm had been a few days before the incident in the tent and now there was no holding back. His climax caused his whole body to shutter, but was aware enough to notice that something was different this time. It felt like something had come out of him.

Konohamaru almost immediately pulled off of his wilting member and Naruto had to push through his orgasmic haze to sit up and ask, “You okay?”

The younger boy was sitting on his heels and slowly turned to look at him in astonishment. “You came.”

Naruto would've blushed if he wasn't already flushed. “Sorry, I-” he scratched the back of his head and looked away and stuttered out, “That I was doing that.”

“Its fine,” Konohamaru smiled a little. “I just wasn't expecting it.”

Naruto frowned, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. “You um… don't have to swallow, you know.”

The smaller boy looked away from him, but his neck was turning red which meant he was blushing. “Kind of like it. It's like a part of you is in me. Besides, I'm sure you've swallowed a lot.”

“I didn't really have a choice. Some of the clients liked it but I spit it out when I could. You can do that.” Naruto said.

“You're not a client,” Konohamaru said softly.

“No, I'm not.” Naruto said it more to himself than Konohamaru, but he felt reassured for some reason and jumped to his feet.

Naruto picked Konohamaru up off the floor by putting one arm under his knees and using the other to support his back and dropped him on the bed. The boy giggled as he bounced on the bed before Naruto joined him, pinning his legs between his thighs. He grinned at Konohamaru before copying the boy's actions from earlier.

For the first time in a long time he didn't feel guilty about doing stuff with Konohamaru. They were doing this because they wanted to and it was that simple. And Naruto knew how to make it last a lot longer than his partner did.

Sticking his tongue out, he licked Konohamaru from the base of the shaft to his tip. Then he did it again and again, changing his angle of attack ever so slightly each time. He didn’t ignore any part, and after a few minutes, the boy started to squirm. Naruto had to squeeze his legs together to hold the other boy still as he started to whimper for release. He kept going at it, though, swirling his tongue around on the organ until, with a yelp, it started to twitch as his partner had a dry orgasm.

Naruto rolled off of Konohamaru and rested next to him on the bed. Even as he stared at the ceiling, he could feel the other boy's heat next to him.

“I love you.”

Naruto tilted his head towards the other boy, only to see him grinning at him. “I love you too.”

The boy scooted towards him and rested his head on the larger chest. Naruto kissed the top of his head and couldn't think of a better place to be at that moment.