The Foxy Artiest Chronicals

Warnings: Let's see some Sasuke Naruto interaction that will hopefully make you piss yourself laughing. Some Gaara Naruto interaction that will also hopefully do the same. Possible OOC but really this is taking place FIVE, I repeat FIVE years after the current whatever is going on in the manga/series. So the characters have evolved into what you see here in this story and The Beast & The Dog.

Um.... with out further ado here's the next chapter.

Chapter Two: Giving In

Naruto strolled into the room baggy orange pants hanging low on his hips revealing toned muscles and tanned skin, and flopped down on the couch propping his feet up on the coffee table as he vigorously dried his hair with the blue towel. He ignored the bastard sitting in the chair across from him reading the book in his lap. Just because he shared a living space with him for the time being didn’t mean his attention needed to be on the guy every moment of the fuckin’ day.

“Oy, bastard I have a question for you.”

“Oh goodie.” He dead panned flipping a page of his book not bothering to look up.

“Yeah fuck you too,” he replied. “You’re like friends with stick up his ass number two right?”

Sasuke sighed, looked at his page number, then closed his book with a quiet thwap. After discarding the book to the side of him he lifted his cheek from his fist he’d been resting it upon, to look at Naruto. The dark eyes regarded him closely for a long moment before he leaned back into the chair.

“I assume you mean Sai.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, “yeah, ass hole number two.”

“I thought you were friends with him too.” Sasuke stated more than asked.

Naruto huffed, and let the towel fall over his face as he leaned his head back against the couch, “kinda, but you guys go on missions and shit.”

“You’re also Hokage last I checked.”

So the bastard had already figured out that he was searching for answers that he didn’t just rightfully know. Naruto wondered how much Sasuke knew about Sai, and how much he should be willing to tell the asshole across from him. What if the bastard already knew about Sai’s special little power hiding scheme? He would have to wouldn’t he? They went on enough high level missions together that by now he must.

“Yeah well can’t order any of my minions to grovel at my feet and answer whatever their savior needs them too.” He finally answered.

Sasuke snorted, his way of laughing, “what the fuck do you want to know moron?”

“You really gonna answer me just like that?”

“No, but you should ask and find out what I’m willing to.”

“I fuckin’ hate you ya know that?”

“The feeling’s mutual I assure you idiot.” Sasuke replied amused.

“So Sai can hide shit loads of power eh?” He decided to start with.

“Hm,” Sasuke replied still sounding amused.

“How long have you known?”

“Since I went on a mission with him two years ago. The one where we were under cover for six months.”

“The first real mission after you got off probation, yeah I ‘member.” He mumbled into the fabric of the towel.

“That’s when.”

“Was it something you suspected?”

“No, and I decked him.”

Naruto laughed a moment before settling down again, “yeah he invokes that in people.”

“Why are you asking these things anyway?”

“Kyuubii.”

“Oh?” Naruto could hear the eyebrow raise in that syllable.

“Yeah he’s being a bitch and demanding shit, and I keep tellin’ him no. He ain’t listenin’.”

“That’s so unusual.” Sasuke commented sarcastically.

Naruto flipped him the bird, “anyway that’s why I’m asking you about him.”

“So, just to make sure things are all clear.” Sasuke said and paused before continuing, “the demon is interested in Sai, a recent development, and is demanding you what? Take him as a lover or something?”

Naruto groaned in frustration as the Kyuubii started in on him again, “or something. He keeps ranting about how he’s my mate Bastard.”

There was a long pregnant silence between them before Sasuke spoke again, “you’re mate.”

“Yeah, fuckin’ peachy right?”

“Wow, Kyuubii has horrible taste.”

“He would like me to inform you that it’s better than going after you.” Naruto replied.

“Well fuck him.” Sasuke retorted.

“Not on your life.”

Naruto got punched in the gut for that one, because Sasuke had un-doubtedly known that that particular comment had come from the both of them. Naruto coughed and held onto his stomach as he tried to bring air back into his body.

“Christ Bastard can’t take a joke?” He finally wheezed out.

“Hn,” was his reply.

Man Sasuke was like a woman on the rag sometimes, worse than Sakura even. Kyuubii agreed with his assessment adding a few derogatory words about the man in question himself. Finally breathing regularly again he sat back against the couch again and sent the Bastard a heated glare.

“Don’t bother moron,” Sasuke informed him, prick. “ As for Sai I suggest you make sure your willing to start shit with that guy.”

“Waddaya mean?”

“He’s into things that I thought only civilians were interested in to make their pitiful lives less boring.”

“Why the hell did ya become a ninja again?” Naruto asked at Sasuke’s obvious dislike for people.

“So I could legally kill people for money.” He dead panned and stared at him straight faced.

“Right,” Naruto replied “So what kinds of things?”

Sasuke simply glared at him.

“For real? You’re gonna just leave me hanging like that?”

The silent glare continued.

“Fuck man that’s like leaving my dick hard after almost bringin’ me to orgasm.” Naruto complained.

“You’re life must feel like that a lot then.” Sasuke replied, yet another way to call him a fuckin’ idiot.

“You know bastard I hope you die with your dick hard.”

“You kiss Iruka-sensei with that mouth?” Sasuke sneered.

“Does Hina-chan know you wank to fantasies of her naked?”

Sasuke glared, “maybe Sakura needs to know about a certain picture.”

Naruto smirked, “I bet Chouji would love to hear about that time between you and Ino.”

The room went silent as the two had a stand off of wills from across the room, neither of them even blinking. Finally the two settle on a truce, for the time being. Another time would more than surely rise between them, it always did. Naruto huffed and fell back against the couch lying down, his arms behind his head, one leg thrown over the back of the couch.

He listened to Sasuke click away in the kitchen as the man prepared some tea for the two of them. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon wafting over to him. Sasuke could make the best fuckin’ tea ever.

“So, Sai huh?”

“Yeah, life’s a bitch.”

“I will agree with you.”

“Should I be worried?”

Sasuke snorted, “probably.”

Naruto sighed, “well I never pick the easy way.”

He actually heard Sasuke chuckle from the kitchen, a rare thing indeed, “no, I guess you never could.”

“You seen that tat he has?”

“Yeah.”

“You know what that’s all about?”

“He’s been a ninja so under cover he’s forgotten who the hell he was. That tattoo helps remind him. Or that’s what he explained to me.”

“More than what he told me,” Naruto replied.

“Why, what he tell you?”

“He’d done a lot of things in his life.” Naruto answered giving a haunted tone to his voice.

Sasuke snorted, “that may be true but if that’s how he said it I’ve lost respect for him.”

“No, he said it with a kind of hollow darkness.” Naruto informed him.

“Hm.” Sasuke murmured. “Tea’s ready moron get over here.”

Naruto stood and walked over the hard wood floor to sit at the high table that came mid chest when he stood next to it and sat down on the black metal stools with the crème colored cushions. He liked the warmth of the place, something they had lacked when living individually. Naruto had had to much character and chaos, and Sasuke had had sparse coldness. Together though their tastes in things seemed to level out and mesh well together. Their separate rooms were still like that though reflecting who they were as separate beings.

Sakura had made fun of them, saying they were like some sort of married couple. She now let it be as it was, everyone did. Sasuke and Naruto would never be more than they currently were. To much and not enough between them, sure they’d tried but it had been overly awkward and after that Sasuke decided he wasn’t really gay.

Naruto wasn’t either for that matter, he took what he could get from where he could get it. Life taught him not to be choosy, so he wasn’t. He took in a long sniff inward and settled into his tea sipping it quietly. He could be quiet too, he just chose not to be, people needed someone to always be cheery and happy. The blond had decided to be that way, plus it tended to make the enemy think he was a fuckin’ push over.

“You know Sai doesn’t get involved with anyone for any reason.” Sasuke said after a nice comfortable silence fell over them.

“He tell you that?”

“In a way, what he said and I quote “I do not understand the proclivities of people and their need to attach themselves so deeply that when those things are gone it destroys them” end quote.” Sasuke repeated sounding very close to what Sai generally sounded like.

Naruto snorted, “he had this brother when he was training in ROOT. He knows about attachment.”

“Are you so sure?”

“He’s apart of this team isn’t he? You can’t be apart of team seven and not know about attachment.” Naruto countered.

Sasuke hmm’d into his cup as he took another sip, the raven haired man agreed with him. Sai was attached to them even if he didn’t want to admit it. Sasuke had always been tied to them even when he was off being a complete fuck wad, which was why in the end he’d returned home. Albeit a bit reluctantly, Kyuubii hissed in his head, yeah.. Okay they had to break a few bones to get him back, but back he was.

“What is your plan of action then?” Sasuke questioned.

Naruto shrugged, “fuck if I know.”

Sasuke placed the cup down again and looked at him seriously, “when he lost his brother it took away what was left of his humanity. He forgot who and what he was. Sai forgot his real name, though he knows it now but prefers Sai, and became the perfect nin for ROOT.”

Naruto blinked, Kyuubii was also stunned into silence.

“He’s a dick, and he’s brutally honest and I hate him for it, but he is apart of this team. You can’t go into this like you usually do with both arms swinging and expect to get what you want.”

“Sasuke?”

Sasuke frowned and looked away, it had to taste bitter in his mouth to have admitted all that. It wasn’t like him to show concern like he had, everyone who knew him knew he cared but he never showed it. Sai and Sasuke could be seen walking around town, when the two were not on missions, saying nothing but somehow sharing everything apparently. Occasionally the aloof Neji could be spotted with the two.

“I know shit, about his past because I’m a captain. Plus I was there when we took down ROOT, or rather remade it. I saw all the files, had to go over all of it, and it was a bit horrifying.”

Naruto looked down at his tea, it was safer than looking at Sasuke, “ ’Kay.”

“That Danzou guy was a sick fuck, regardless of his reasons behind it somethings should just not be done. Which is why Sai turned coat and started to do things for Tsunade. He is able to be whatever anyone needs him to be because he stays unattached beyond friendships, at least some anyway.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do then bastard?” Naruto growled.

“Watch out for land mines for one, moron. He has something of a twisted sense of humor, which is why I like him.”

Naruto snorted as did the Kyuubii.

“Once he realizes what you are after, he might toy with you.”

“Like that’s unusual,” he murmured darkly.

“But he does like you.” Sasuke added quietly before taking another sip and acting as he hadn’t said that.

“WHAT?!?” Naruto screeched slamming his hands down on the table top.

Sasuke just set cool but amused obsidian eyes on him saying nothing more. Sai and Sasuke should go jump off a fuckin’ cliff. Twisted sense of humor indeed. No wonder those two worked so well together and could still stand to hang out with one another outside of the mission. He would have to remember to so talk to the old bag about making Sasuke take some sort of piss ant kind of d rank. Maybe make him take a Team… with a bunch of pansy ass noobs. Then he’d see who had last laugh.

Kyuubii chuckled at his misery and he kicked the cage irritated with the demon. The fox only laughed more and he narrowed his eyes, Kyuubii would pay too. Fuckin’ ass holes every single one of them.

“Naruto, seriously be careful just because he ends up in your bed doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah alright.”

A knock at the front door had both of them pausing to see who it was. Naruto’s blond eyebrows lifted up as he felt Gaara on the other side. He hadn’t known the man was going to be visiting. Standing he walked towards the door and waited for Sasuke to slink away into his room. Sasuke did not like being in the presence of the other man. Not since Gaara had handed him his ass a second time while in one of his moods. Sasuke would never admit it but the redhead’s cruel amused smirk and apparent immunity to Uchiha eyes still gave him nightmares.

Throwing open the door he smiled at the redhead, “hola Gaara what a pleasant surprise.”

Kyuubii said a few unpleasant things about the “pleasant” surprise, Naruto ignored them. Gaara took in his state of undress and gave no indication he cared one way or another. The redhead was always hard to read, even when using his sense of smell. Unless he wanted to be anyway.

“Tsunade asked me to come for an impromptu meeting and so I did.” He explained though Naruto had never asked.

“Well good to see you.”

“May I come in?” He asked flatly but his eyes seemed slightly amused.

“Oh right, yeah come on in.” Naruto replied moving out of the way.

Gaara walked in, “I’m a bit surprised Uchiha chose to stay on the premise.”

That time Gaara was amused, he enjoyed making Sasuke twitch and Naruto enjoyed watching him do it. They both shared a grin that was more demon like than people like. Kyuubii may hate that Gaara couldn’t be topped, and was a mean “bitch” in bed, but the demon did like that in the redhead when it wasn’t directed at him.

“Yeah he’s becoming less chicken shit.”

“Hm, perhaps a reminder is in order.”

Naruto chuckled, “have a seat you want some tea? There’s still some left.”

“Not if you made it.”

“Man you’re cruel.”

“So I’ve been told.” Gaara replied taking a seat on one of the stools.

Naruto poured him a drink in a new cup he’d gone and retrieved.

“How’s the bitch?”

“Temari would not be pleased to hear you refer to her that way.” Gaara answered taking a drink of his tea.

Naruto choked on his drink before sending the redhead a glare, “I wasn’t talking about her and you know it.”

Gaara voice took on a lilt of surprise, “You didn’t?”

Naruto glared at the man because he didn’t believe it for one damn minuet, he could smell the amusement in the air. Gaara was purposefully baiting him so he took a breath and reeled in his anger at being an easy mark.

“So anyway, Shukaku how’s she doin’?” Naruto asked barely keeping the contempt out of his voice.

“The same as always, a pain in the ass.” Gaara replied. “How is Kyuubii? Tsunade expressed concerns.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, “granny is being ridiculous. It’s nothing she needs to be worried about.”

Gaara rose a brow at him, “but its something you need to be worried about.”

Naruto sighed, “yes.”

“Why is that?”

“Apparently the douche thinks it’s time to settle down and get all domesticated or some shit.” Naruto answered.

“The fox demon is now a woman’s cleansing appliance, and he wants to make babies? That is something to be concerned about.”

“You know I could hit you and throw you out.” Naruto added snidely.

“Hm, you could.” Gaara answered leaving out the ‘but you won’t’ part. “So who is it?”

“Huh?” Naruto blinked.

“If he is asking, well more likely demanding, he must have someone picked out.”

“Yeah, and that’s the bitch of it.”

“Oh? It can’t be a worse choice than the Uchiha.” Gaara answered.

Naruto laughed again before sobering, “well that depends on who’s opinion you want.”

Gaara looked at him waiting for the answer.

“It’s Sai.”

Both of Gaara’s brows rose on his forehead in surprise. When Naruto made no move to change the answer he took a moment to think it over and winced. The blond concurred, Kyuubii said they were both fucking idiots, and Naruto chose that moment to remind the damn thing that he had agreed with them until recently. For once the demon was quiet.

“Well,” he drawled pulling the last letter out. “There are worse choices. He is a competent shunobi, and loyal.”

“Yeah those are reasons to make something permanent with someone.” Naruto scoffed.

“I have found that some things when concerning the demons are unavoidable.” Gaara commented sounding sorry for him.

“Are you saying I should just give up and do as I’m told?”

“If you’re talking to me about it, then you already have.”

Damn, he was right Naruto pouted.

“Perhaps it is not as bad as all that.” Gaara offered.

Naruto snorted, “hey kill me will ya?”

“No. I enjoy the treaty between our villages I have worked to strengthen over these last few years.”

Naruto looked incredulous, “if it wasn’t for that you’d really do it? Our friendship means that little to you?”

Green orbs of amusement looked back at him.

“I pity the individual that decides to fall for you.”

“Well good thing that will never happen.” Gaara replied.

Yeah, no kidding. Now to worry about this Sai problem.

~TBC~