The Witch and the Warrior

A/N

Here's the second installment, and hopefully the last of this fic. I hate writing a supposed one-shot and having it turn into some epic fic. Blah, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Stupid plot bunnies, escaping under that electrified fence. Whoops, did I say that out loud. XD


XxX XxX

Five long years had passed, since Sasuke had been to the region where he'd nearly died. In those five years he'd grown, not just in body, but also in mind. He'd seen much, and experienced much more, and now he was back where everything had changed.

It had been an order from his superior officer, protect the small town on the outskirts of the Kingdom's reach. It had rare gems, and even rarer herbs. The land was worth a fortune to whoever discovered it's secrets, and it was the King's wish that no word get out, about the richness of the land on the borders of three enemy kingdoms.

Black eyes stared, taking in the town that had been a small village when he'd left it, fully healed five years ago on this very day. Somehow, Sasuke didn't think it was a coincidence. Fate had played around with his life when he'd left the blonde. He'd dreamt about Naruto every night since he'd left, and the dreams stopped suddenly on the very night he'd returned. It wasn't as if the brunette didn't believe in fate. It was simply that he thought men could control what happened in their lives, regardless of someone upstairs rolling the die on every move he made.

He hadn't been to that little hut on the edge of the village since he'd arrived three nights before, and he wasn't planning on returning. If 'fate' wanted them together so badly, it would find a way.

XxX XxX

Naruto knew the exact moment the brunette warrior was back in the village he called home. He had seen it through the other man's eyes in his dreams, and had woken irritable because of it. The blonde didn't trust himself with making potions in that mood, and had gone outside to tend to his garden. Pulling weeds always put him in a better mood.

The dreams he could put to rest with a strong enough potion, had come roaring back, and with them, all the visions of the mans life. He'd seen what he'd done in the past five years, seen what he would do, what would become of the both of them, and seen Sasuke's death. It had pained him deeply to know that no matter what he did, no matter how great his powers. Naruto could do nothing to alter Sasuke's path in life.

He could only hope the man stayed where he was on the other side of town. Life was already hard enough without adding this to it. Though from all of Naruto's experiences, life never worked how you wanted it to.

XxX XxX

“Help me, someone. ANYONE!!” The woman's screams were what first alerted Sasuke to the problem. His sword was half drawn before he was fully turned, she was staggering down the streets, a young boy in her arms.

“What seems to be the matter?” Suigetsu, his comrade at arms asked, sheathing his sword and taking the boy from the woman's arms. Tears were running down her face.

“I don't know. He was playing in the woods behind the house, and when he came in for breakfast he collapsed.” The woman was shaking, she straightened suddenly. “We, please, can we take him to...” Her voice lowered to barely a whisper, as if the next few words were illegal to say in public. “To...that man's house.”

Sasuke knew exactly who she was talking about. Of course the moron had gone and made himself feared in the last five years.

“What man? Where does he live? Who is he? What's going on?” Suigetsu asked in the same low voice the woman had used, Sasuke pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the headache growing deep inside his skull.

“I think I know the one.” The brunette turned, motioning for the others to follow him as he made his way to where the horses were stabled.

XxX XxX

That man was currently mulching leeches into a fine paste, not a fun task in any event. They kept trying to crawl out of the pestle and latch onto his skin. It seemed the will to live was in every living thing, large or small. The blonde usually bribed the village boys to do this task for him, though they had all gone off to hang around the soldiers. Sharp objects seemed to take precedence over magic.

A sharp banging on the door broke his concentration and his patience. Ripping the latest clinger off his index finger he flung it into the air, pointed and spoke. The unfortunate leech burst into flame, it's tiny body withering into ash as it hit the floor and disintegrating. Stomping across the floor he ripped open the door, blue eyes glaring death into the faces, both familiar and unknown standing outside his door. He took one look at the boy laying in Sasuke's arms and heaved a sigh, pulling back and allowing the troop of people to enter his home.

“What's that?” Suigetsu asked, wrinkling his nose and pointing at the mixture in the pestle. It seemed to be moving, like whatever was in there wasn't quite dead yet. The bluenette swallowed noisily.

“Leeches, don't touch anything.” Naruto was busy clearing off a space to lay the boy out. “What happened to him?” His attention was on the woman, eyes not even flickering to Sasuke who stood beside her. It unnerved the brunette a little, had the blonde simply forgotten about him?

“He was playing in the woods behind the house and when he came in for breakfast he collapsed.” The woman recited what she had told Sasuke, her voice was monotone and she refused to make eye contact with the blonde man. Naruto didn't seem bothered by it and Sasuke assumed it was a regular occurrence.

“Where do you live?” The woman stayed silent and the slight bit of patience Naruto had gained from flambeing the leech dissapeared. He raked his hands threw his hair, skewing the already blonde spikes. “For the love of everything holy. I'm not about to follow you home and cook your children.” Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the snarl, the woman beside him stiffened in apparent fear and/or loathing.

“The other side of town.” The woman's monotone voice held a slight shiver, the only emotion she would allow herself. It was common knowledge that if Naruto saw emotion he would steal your soul, keeping it for himself. It was how he got his magic.

The blonde gave another light snarl, as if he knew the exact thought running through the woman's mind. Poking at the boy gave him the knowledge that the lad had been running through poison ivy, from the bits of leaf and ivy vine on his pants. He must have had an allergic reaction to it, stronger then the normal itchy welts the plant normally left behind.

Rummaging through the bottles on his desk, he picked up one filled with a dark green liquid. Pulling out the stopper, he rubbed it on the boys arms and legs, then on his face. The lad opened his eyes, jerking back slightly as he looked up into the eyes of the man his parents were always warning him about.

“M-mom?” He stuttered, Naruto taking a step backwards and letting the woman rush in to comfort her son. The woman turned a few moments later after a hushed conversation to find the blonde back at his work table, grinding up leeches with a vengance. Sasuke held out the bottle to her and she took it, trying not to look in the blonde's direction, though Suigetsu was standing directly beside the man and asking all sorts of questions. Emotions ran rampant across his face and the woman from the village just knew that the blonde didn't want anyone to watch when he stole the blue haired man's soul.

“He says to rub this on your son's arms and legs the next time he passes out, and not to let him play in the poison ivy behind the house.” Sasuke placed the bottle in the womans hand as they headed out the door.

XxX XxX

He had no reason to be back here. Everything had been taken care of, and yet he felt a tug, as if someone was trying to keep him from leaving. Half way to town Sasuke had made up some bullshit story about needing to grab his knife that he'd forgotten in Naruto's house. From the look on Suigetsu's face, the bluenette seemed to wish that he'd made up the story first.

So here he was, Uchiha Sasuke, commander of the twenty men in the village. He'd killed men without blinking, with pity or remorse and he was sweating. His hand poised to knock on the solid oak door in front of him. Why couldn't he get the blonde out of his head.

After another few moments of losing an argument to himself to just knock, the door swung open. Blinking Sasuke stepped inside, eyes widening as Naruto waved his hand from across the room, the door swinging closed and latching behind the brunette.

After a few moments of awkward silence the blonde turned to view Sasuke through narrowed blue eyes. Sasuke swallowed, those eyes seemed to see him, all of him. Everything he'd ever done, and ever would do.

“Whatever happens from here, it's on you.” Naruto spoke softly, Sasuke opened his mouth to say something and Naruto lifted a finger to cut him off. “You could have stayed away, but instead you choose to come back. I don't want this future, but I can't stop it from happening anymore then you can.” The blonde closed his eyes, as if he'd seen a great hardship and was trying to regain composure.
After a moment Sasuke nodded, not quite knowing what Naruto meant by the future being on his shoulders, but willing to take the blame, if the universe would just stop shoving him towards the blonde. Naruto lifted his head, meeting Sasuke's eyes and they moved as one, meeting in the center of the room. Mouths hungrily seeking each other, hands reaching out to unfasten buttons and pull of baggy clothing from the other.

XxX XxX

Naruto arched, soft pants erupting from his mouth as he met Sasuke thrust for thrust. How had he lived without this, it was as if half his soul had been suddenly given back after. His nails dug into a pale shoulder as Sasuke gave a particularly harsh thrust.

The brunette was having similar thoughts whenever neurons had a chance to spark. If this was heaven, if this was what it was supposed to feel like, he'd repent. Fall to his knees and beg to be forgiven for every life he'd ever taken.

“Sa-sasuke.” Naruto bit his shoulder, half sobbing as he jerked and came. The brunette was a few strokes behind him, no names called from Sasuke, only a grit of his teeth and a bruising kiss.

After they were both cleaned up and re-dressed, Sasuke had simply turned and left. He didn't need to justify himself to Naruto, he had his own reasons for what he'd done. And besides, if he didn't get back to the village before dark Suigetsu would have things blown out of proportion.

“Just go. I don't need your pity, I don't need your worry, and I don't need your words.” The parting line from Naruto had hurt. Made him remember that this man could see what was going to happen, made him remember that he had resolved to only do this once. Who cared that Naruto was like a drug, and once you had him in your system you could never get him out.

XxX XxX

The door closed and Naruto shuddered at his work table. Hands cradling his face as the first and only tear trickled down his cheek. He rubbed it away and glared at the aloe that needed to be sliced up into tiny pieces.

He had seen how this would end, and he had seen that through it all he would survive.

XxX XxX

A/N.

I'm not apologizing for the lack of smut. The story doesn't call for it. So there. Xp

Also, there should be just one chapter left, that's gonna be the sad one. ;_;