Night, Day and Sunrise

Chapter 19 - Under the Crimson Moon

Blinking in a vain attempt to clear his vision, he tried to remember where he was. This certainly wasn't Konoha - there wasn't enough green in the landscape - nor was it the sandstone and adobe of Suna. So where was he, and how had he gotten there?

The walls surrounding him were stone, cold and grey. That was hardly helpful, though. Sounds, he thought suddenly.

The quiet drip of water splashing in little droplets to the floor told him this was either a natural cave or a sewer. And judging from the lack of other noises, probably the former. Faintly, in the distance, he could hear rushing water.

Okay, so I'm near a river. In a cave. Wow, that's helpful. Realizing the futility of trying to surmise his location while hog-tied and gagged, lying in the dark, he turned his attention to the past, specifically how he'd gotten in this situation in the first place.

He remembered the fight. He'd been ambushed by some of the junior members of Akatsuki, but fighting them had been like taking candy from a baby. It had only delayed his progress by five, maybe ten minutes, even if he had blasted a crater the size of a couple city blocks in the middle of the forest. So he continued on his way.

It was only about thirty seconds later that he realized something was wrong. His chakra levels were lower than ever and he stopped dead in his tracks to figure out why.

That was when the big fish hit him. He hadn't stood a chance, preoccupied as he was. Looking back, he knew he was just lucky they weren't out to kill him. Not yet, anyway.

That next struggle was something of a blur. Seen in hindsight, he realized the lackeys must have drugged him at some point, giving their superiors a chance to take him down. The last thing he could recall was getting hauled off the ground and slung over someone's shoulder. As they walked away, he pulled a final kunai from his pouch. Before he could land a blow, however, he was seen and the weapon was taken away, though not without a struggle. They'd been forced to wrestle him to the ground and knock him unconscious in order to loosen his grip on the blade.

That must be where that gash on my leg came from, he surmised, prodding it slightly. Yeesh, Naruto, you really are an idiot. This is how many times you've cut yourself with your own kunai? You don't need enemies; you're doing just fine by yourself.

Sarcasm really doesn't help, he reminded himself, starting to wonder if he was going insane. He'd heard Sakura talking to herself sometimes, when she thought nobody was around, and she kind of weirded him out. It was almost like there were two Sakuras. Which would really explain the mood swings, he mused.

But that was Sakura. Talking to oneself was one thing. Talking back to oneself was another matter entirely. And what would you do if one of your selves pissed off another one? It's not like you could beat him up.

Although, in my case, I could, I guess. I'd just have to create a couple of Kage Bunshin and asign one personality to each. Then I'd let them fight it out, and the winner would be right. Unless that personality said something really bad. Then he'd only get one clone, and I'd get, like, a hundred others and beat his ass down, datteba yo!

His internal rant was interrupted by the sound of feet scuffing the rock, and he turned to see one of the Akatsuki members he'd fought in the forest, a man called Tobi.

"Uzumaki Naruto-dono," he said in a voice that was unreasonably cheerful, "you have been a hard person to find."

"Cry me a river," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes to disguise the fact that he was actually searching the man for weapons and ammunition. None were evident, but the jinchuriki knew how much could be hidden under those cloaks.

A dry chuckle echoed for a moment before Tobi spoke again. "You must be wondering why you're here."

"I've got a pretty good idea," he refused to play the game by Akatsuki's rules.

"Oh, really?" the normally adorable masked youth seemed condescending for a moment. "Please, enlighten me with your understanding."

"You want the Kyuubi, and I've got him. So you're going to try and take him from me."

"Try?" the red and black swirl moved side-to-side as she shook his head. "My dear boy, we never try. Either we take something or we do not. To try means there is a possibility of failure, and I assure you, we wouldn't be so foolish as to attempt something we could not achieve."

Naruto shrugged. "Fine, whatever. Your plan is to take the Kyuubi, just like the rest of the tailed beasts. It's actually a little offensive, knowing that it's not actually me that you're after, but you want to kill me anyway."

"Oh, but it is you we're after. Don't you know who you are?"

"Konoha's Number One Loudest Ninja," he replied without missing a beat.

Pushing off from where he leaned against the wall, Tobi moved closer, like he was inspecting his prey. "You really shouldn't be so flippant. It might provoke me into doing something... unpleasant."

"And spoil your precious plan?" he gasped. "Perish the thought!"

"Do you honestly think you can change what is going to occur? That you will somehow get free?" He was incredulous.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Ah," he nodded, "your friends. You think they will save you."

"They do have quite the track record, didn't you know?"

Silence greeted this for a moment as Tobi stared down at him, unmoving, as if he was weighing him against some form of measurement Naruto couldn't even begin to fathom.

At last, he spoke again. "It seems your absence is fit to cause an 'incident' between Konoha and Suna. They're looking quite avidly, even the Sandnin."

"What can I say?" the blonde shrugged. "Gaara and I are friends."

"Your teammates appear to be the driving force, though. They've been searching dawn-to-dusk and wearing the others ragged."

Naruto couldn't help the glimmer of hope that sprang to life upon hearing that. If anyone could find him, it was Team Kakashi.

"The girl seems almost desperate to find you, and I've never seen an Uchiha behave so passionately about a mere teammate. So tell me," he crouched down beside his prey, "what are they to you?"

"My nakama." As he said it, he looked forcefully into Tobi's one visible eye, only then seeing the red and black patterns in it's iris. "Wait, you're an..."

His words trailed off as the room seemed to spin. It felt like he was falling right out of reality, into a world that seemed like a black and white photo, only inverted so pale skin was dark as pitch and shadows glowed with an almost holy light. The only color he could see was the scarlet orb, floating like a perversion of the moon above his head.

He heard Tobi's words following him down into the recesses of his mind. "Nakama, eh? Let's see what you mean by that."

----*----

"I am going to kill that old bag when we get home!" he declared vehemently, punching at the wall, but his fist was stopped by his teammate's outstreatched hand.

"Putting a hole in the wall is hardly going to teach her, Dobe."

Naruto jerked his fist away angrily, pointing at the mission scroll. "Have you read this thing? We're suposed to be posing as..." he couldn't get the word out.

"Lovers?" Sasuke prompted, seemingly unconcerned. "So?"

"So, does she think we're gay? I mean, does she really think that you and I ever..."

"Well, we have, haven't we?"

"That's not the point!" he wailed, making Sasuke profoundly grateful for the sound-proofing jutsu he'd placed on the room before letting Naruto read the scroll. "The point is: no one's suposed to know about that, or even suspect. But if she's giving us orders like this, then she has to..."

"Naruto," he cut his partner off at last, "stop reacting for a moment and think like a ninja. Who else could she have sent? Kakashi and Gai are too old to pull this one off, and Gai's too weird besides. That nixes Lee, too, even if he, Neji and Tenten weren't on another mission. Chouji's too much of a fatass to be useful here, and Shikamaru's needed in the Cryptography Unit. Those holes for his bugs would scare anyone away from Shino at first sight, and Kiba's got Akamaru to hide in a village full of cats. Do the math. That leaves you, me, and Sai. Would you really rather she picked that heartless dick-lover?"

A brief shudder gave the blonde's answer, and he nodded glumly. "I guess you're right. It just seems so weird for us to be... you know? Especially on a mission."

"Maybe Tsunade-sama thought our rivalry would be more easily mistaken for sexual tension, though what she ever thought I'd see in your ugly face..."

Naruto's next swing was once again caught by Sasuke, but this time he pulled, releasing the sound-jutsu and throwing his partner up against the wall. He pressed up against him before the blonde realized the tables had been turned, and the game as well.

The kiss was forceful and raw. They'd been traveling for several days to reach the Water Country, and had been forbidden to read their mission scroll until they'd arrived. So they pressed hard, making record time to the border, and it had been some time since either of them had their needs met.

Knees melting, Naruto sank to the floor, pulling Sasuke down with him. Demanding capitulation, the Uchiha took charge, and in a short time had his teammate where he wanted him. Clothing was thrown in a heap on the other side of the room, and Sasuke reached into his pack for a special kit Tsunade had prepared for them, one full of things young men in their position would have on hand. His hand came out clutching a bottle of lube which he began to apply, ignoring Naruto's insinuations.

Then came the shock as Sasuke slowly stretched and then filled him from behind. The slight pain was accepted, even welcomed, but there was an underlying softness that connected them at a deeper level than that of their bodies. It was never a term Naruto thought he'd use in conjunction with his emotionally stunted teammate, but Sasuke was surprisingly gentle, even tender. Even after reaching his own climax, he reached down and worked his lover up to his own peak, only then relaxing in the post-coital glow.

----*----

Once again, Naruto felt like his head was spinning, or maybe everything around him spun, and he was holding still. Either way, the next thing he knew, he was staggering out of Tsunade's office, having just delivered the mission report he'd been clutching for the last two hours.

Normally he would be fine by now, but he'd spent most of his chakra in uncontrolled bursts of rage before he'd even managed to get his hands on his target, and then the rest to boost his speed on the journey home. His village needed that information as quickly as possible. So quickly, in fact, that the scroll was barely out of his hands before Tsunade started issuing orders. One of those orders had been for him to go see Sakura for treatment, which he would have done anyway, but it was nice to know the old hag still cared about him.

Fortunately for him, his teammate's office was near her mentor's. He hadn't even made it halfway before he slumped to the ground, blinking blurrily at a growing blotch of pink, peach, red, and black. She smelled like strawberries and sweat.

Sakura helped him to his feet and half-carried him to her office, laying him down on the exam table. He watched her through unfocused eyes as her glowing green hands began to work on him.

After a time - minutes or hours, Naruto couldn't tell his his brain-fogged state - Sakura paused in her ministrations to call one of the chuunin runners in and give him a message. He nodded - Naruto noted his vision was starting to improve - then dashed out again, after which he came back to continue where she'd left off.

Naruto fell asleep. He had vague, dream-like recollections of being visited by Tsunade and Kakashi both, but he couldn't remember what he'd said, let alone what they had. What finally pulled him out of his stupor was the smell.

The kyuubi didn't like being subject to human limitations. He felt it was too dangerous to exist without the vital knowledge any healthy fox could gather that aparently humans could not. So, amoung other things, he'd enhanced Naruto's sense of smell. Not all at once, of course, but subtly, over the years.

The smell was familiar - hearty, homey, a little spicy and... wet? His eyes fluttered open as he breathed in the heavenly scent of, "Ramen."

"Thought that might bring you around," Sakura said with a smile as she stood over him. "I had Genma run over to Ichiraku and tell the owner you were sick and needed a bowl."

"That was really nice."

"He sent ten."

Naruto's eyes misted up. He loved Konoha.

Setting the soup aside, Sakura helped Naruto sit up, propping him in place with pillows. He noticed that he'd been moved from Sakura's office to a private room. Only once the medic was satisfied with his arrangement did she hand over the chopsticks and bowl.

Carefully, Naruto attempted to eat his ramen, but his hands refused to hold the chopsticks properly. When he finally managed to catch some noodles on the end, the whole mess, chopsticks and all, clattered back into the bowl, nearly tipping it over.

He cried out, terrified of wasting even a single drop of that delicious soup that had been so lovingly made just for him, but a pale hand caught and steadied the ceramic container. Frustrated, Naruto looked to her for help.

Without a word, Sakura took the bowl and sat on the edge of the bed. She fed him with care, making sure every ounce of food made it's way safely into his stomach, though she went slower than Naruto would have liked.

She must have sensed his frustration, for she smiled and said, "I just healed a stomach wound on you, baka. If you eat too much, too fast, you'll just hurt yourself. Be patient."

So he was. Honestly, he had to admit that she was good at this - feeding someone else without making a mess was more art or science than most people could manage - and she was moving at a decent clip, only a little slower than she fed herself. Soon, all ten bowls stood empty, stacked neatly on the table beside his chart.

The soup revived him, replenishing his energy and giving his body a chance to start healing those things Sakura had merely bandaged, like his broken finger. But at the same time, the soup had completely filled his stomach, making him drowsy. He felt his eyelids starting to droop, but fought valiantly to stay awake.

A chuckle brought his attention back to his teammate, who smiled at him tenderly. "It's okay to sleep, Naruto. Your body needs to rest if you want to heal properly."

"I don't want to fall asleep yet," he grumbled. "I want to talk to you."

"You can talk to me when you wake up," she pointed out logically.

"I know," sighing, he tried to find the words to tell her what he really meant. "I just hate sleeping at the hospital. The room's so big and empty, it just makes you feel so... I don't know."

She dared to hazard a guess. "Alone?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Nodding, she smiled and patted his hand, thankfully the one without the broken finger. But she still insisted on removing some of the pillows behind him and helping him lie back down.

He looked her square in the eyes, which look seemed to say more than his words. "Stay with me a little longer, okay Sakura-chan?"

"I'll do you one better than that," she promised, her eyes reflecting the loneliness that had filled him for years. Then she went and locked the door before returning to the bed. "Scoot over."

Confused, he complied, and was beyond shocked as she climbed into the bed alongside him. Her arms surrounded him loosely, as if afraid of reopening his wounds, and her head was soon pillowed in the crook of his arm. "Goodnight, Naruto."

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan," the automatic response came from years of overnight missions.

They'd camped around fires together since they were twelve, had shared tents when the weather was foul. They'd even had to share blankets before, but never by choice. Or more accurately, never by her choice.

Now, however, she had willingly - more like willfully, he thought, amused - joined him for the night. It awakened him to the possibility that she might be starting to return his affections.

What about Sasuke? the little voice of doubt was impossible to silence. He knew they still cared for each other, and Sasuke had only been home for a short while, but he didn't see things changing there anytime soon. Sasuke was too absorbed with himself, as was Sakura. Absorbed with Sasuke, that is. To hear either of them talk, the long-missing member of Team 7 should have been sainted by every major religion upon birth.

Okay, he had to admit, it wasn't that bad. But Sasuke still treated Sakura like an annoying fangirl and she just took it. That bothered him.

He knew he had a slightly rose-colored view of Sakura, but he also knew - with every fiber of his being - that she deserved someone who thought the world of her. Someone who recognized how amazing she really was and wasn't afraid to remind her of the fact when she was down on herself. Someone who would treat her like the goddess she was.

Maybe Sasuke could someday be that person, but Naruto doubted that. Maybe the perfect person for Sakura was still out there, just waiting for her to meet him. But maybe, just maybe, he could be that person. And he'd give anything to find out.

It was almost torturous to share sleeping space with Sakura and not be able to do anything about his feelings for her, but he knew his body couldn't handle the exertion right now. And even if it could, likely she was only spending the night with him to seek comfort from a friend. She trusted him to be a gentleman about it, and he would never betray her trust.

But he desperately wanted to.

Tomorrow, he vowed. I'll talk to Sasuke and see just what his problem is.

And with that, he adjusted himself slightly, shifting her head to a more comfortable position on his shoulder and throwing an arm around her waist, took a deep breath scented lightly by her strawberry shampoo, and let himself start to drift off with a final thought.

Love you, Sakura-chan.

----*----

Other scenes spun through his head and he relived them all: his and Sakura's first kiss under the sakura tree, his and Sasuke's at the Academy, their first time together, the mission to capture a terribly dangerous escaped... housecat, the Great Naruto Bridge, coming home only to be enfolded in his lovers' arms. All this and dozens more flashed through his mind so quickly, Naruto barely recognized some scenes.

But what seemed like seconds to the jinchuriki were hours in the real world as his memories were scrutinized as if under a microscope. Everything that was important to him was torn from his mind, examined, analyzed, then carefully put back again.

Within that time, the man he called Tobi came to know Naruto better than the blond knew himself. And the Kyuubi's vessel could do nothing to stop it. He could only lie there and remember everything in strange, inverted colors and wonder why there was a blood-red moon in the sky.

When he was certain he had all the information necessary, Tobi released the jutsu and returned control of Naruto's faculties to their rightful owner. He then left to confer with his fellow Akatsuki members, leaving Naruto lying on the floor to recover from the effects of what was essentially a mind-rape.

After a time, the kidnapped young man blinked back to consciousness, only to find himself alone once again, with nothing to do but stare at the rough, gray stone walls and listen to the drip, drip, drip of water coursing through the cave.

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Yay, a new chapter! Sorry this one took so long to post, but it was a bitch to write. I've got a good amount of the story written beyond this point, but I felt that we'd gone long enough without our hero, and we definitely needed to check up on him. I mean, what's the point of third-person omniscient voice if the reader doesn't get to know more than the characters do?

I'm getting ready to post my new story. Look for it on the Het page! And thanks to all of you who voted. That really meant a lot to me. Perhaps you're asking which story it will be? Well, if you read the review page, you could check the votes for yourself. Or you can wait and see when it's posted (which will be within the hour, hopefully).

Well, I've stayed up way too late. I've got work in the morning; eep! Have a great day and good reading!

Crimson Iris