The Sound of Dreams

AN: /does the happy "I have 200 reviews and 10k+ hits dance! I know I always say it, but thanks so much for reading and the reviews!! It means a lot to me that people are enjoying this! You will have to pardon this chapter, it is necessary to move the story along, but I felt like I was writing a filler episode! Also, I hate to say but I think I am becoming a smut-aholic. I glanced over the next 10 chapters (including this one) and 5 of them have some kind of smut in them! /blush My beta says it makes up for having to wait 17 chapters in the first place. /grin Anyway, hope you enjoy!!


Chapter 20

Sasuke stifled the urge to yawn. He would not show Naruto how tired he was from the blonde's frequent trips to the bathroom throughout the night. Every time the other ninja had gotten out of the bed, the disturbance had awoken the dark-haired young man.

It was a half-conscious Uchiha clan member that brushed his teeth while pointedly ignoring the blonde that was staring intently at him the whole time.

He then slunk back to their room to shoulder the two packs that he normally carried, only to find one. He blinked up at Naruto as the blonde handed him a single scroll.

"I put them all into one pack and put the pack in here," he said as Sasuke took the scroll from him.

The raven-haired shinobi nodded and tucked the scroll away in the pouch around his waistband.

*****************
Kyoshiro watched the two ninjas leave the lair. He had been unable to capture either one. One had refused to eat or had eaten directly from the kitchen. The other had been drugged with enough sleeping poison to knock out quite literally a horse and it had merely made him drowsy and given him diarrhea.

Kyoshiro however had a back up plan. One, he would send messenger birds to all of the major lairs and inform the other that Uchiha Sasuke had defected from Sound and that he and especially his companion were to be taken alive. Two, he would allow them to get several hours away from his base and then he would send his own men after them.

He was loyal to Orchimaru-sama and he would do what he could to help the Sannin regain his power, or in this case, possession.

*****************
They were traveling through the treetops, heading towards Earth Country. Naruto personally couldn't wait until they were done chasing after scrolls and able to settle down into some serious training. If Sasuke was serious about the two of them hunting down his brother, then they needed to relearn how to fight together and not just with each other.

His gaze moved over to the swiftly flowing body next to him. He was impressed that, despite the bulky warm clothing and the weight of the lean muscled form, the dark-eyed shinobi barely disturbed the snow on the branches of the trees that they leapt between.

He felt a warm curling in his gut and knew that he wanted the other man again. He also knew that he would wait until he received some signal, whether consciously given or not, that Sasuke would be receptive to his advances. Until then, he tried to tuck the feeling away for a more appropriate time.

"There's someone following us," the older boy announced calmly.

Naruto immediately had to quell the urge to rubberneck. "Yeah... I knew that," he attempted to reply with the same blasé tone.

Sasuke snorted scoffingly. "Sure, dobe."

Naruto didn't quell the urge to stick his tongue out at the other. "So what do you want to do?" He had come to finally admit that advanced planning wasn't really his forte. Improvisation was the arena in which he shined.

"Leave them a few parting gifts."

"I can leave a Kage Bushin behind to find out who they are," Naruto offered.

"They are Sound-nin," Sasuke replied confidently.

"How do you know that?"

"They've been following us for some time now. Obviously you screwed up some how."

"Me?!"

"Who else would it be?" he asked dryly.

"Bastard," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke quickly started setting traps with some of the ninja wire, kunai and explosive tags that they had on hand. He waved Naruto away when the other offered to help and cautioned him not to set off anything. Looking extremely put out, the blonde ninja sat pouting on a branch until his companion was done.

"It's crude," Sasuke said while looking over his handiwork. "But it might slow them down some."

With a curt gesture, they started off again.

***********************
They continued on toward Earth with very few stops. They maintained their head start on the other ninjas both by setting a hard pace and by setting the occasional traps, forcing their pursuers to slow down to spot the impediments.

"We're getting close," Sasuke announced on the third day.

"Good, then we can get the hell out of this cold. I hate being wet and cold." Naruto was quickly getting over his enamored attitude with winter as the weather warmed just enough to turn things to slush but not warm enough to be a comfort.

Sasuke agreed to that statement though he wouldn't say so out loud.

They traveled for a few more hours when Sasuke felt the presence of others around him. He slowed to a stop and Naruto drew even with him. He could tell by the alert look on his friend's face that he was aware of the situation.

A voice called out through the icy air. "Uchiha Sasuke, you have been labeled a missing-nin of Sound. Lay down your weapons and we will be lenient."

"Yep, sure is my fault somehow," Naruto murmured "I'm sure it had nothing to do with you locked up in the snake's library, plundering his vault."

Sasuke shot him a look before shifting his now-red gaze over his surroundings. There were about a half dozen shinobi in the area with more not too far behind.

"Stay here, dobe," Sasuke commanded quietly.

Naruto's eyes widened incredulously as the dark-haired youth jumped down in the middle of a clearing. 'What the hell does he think he's doing exposing himself like that?'

The black draped stoic figure stood still for a brief moment before pulling his katana from its sheath. Another moment and he was leaping high into the air as the area he had just been occupying was suddenly filled with kunai and shuriken. His leap carried him into the trees and towards his first target as he heard the familiar words "Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu" behind him. He should have known that the dobe wouldn't sit out any fight.

He made the hand seals for "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu" one-handed as he had taught himself since learning swordsmanship from his late sensei. Having the weapon would be as much as a hindrance as a tool if he was forever having to drop it to use his ninjutsu.

Sasuke strafed the area with the multiple small fire balls, cutting off a readily available escape route for the Sound-nin. Forced through a curtain of flame, the ninja barely deflected the katana strike that was aimed at his neck. He was hard pressed to stay alive due to the sheer speed of Sasuke's attacks. Jumping back, he preformed a few quick hand seals and the ground under the fire-user's feet turned to mud, pulling the man down into it and immobilizing him. An electrical aura manifested around the body, pushing the earth jutsu back, both drying and cracking the mud.

Sasuke jumped out of the muck, still crackling with the Chidori Nagashi, and charged the other ninja, shuriken proceeding him. Quickly deflecting the throwing stars, the Sound-nin tried to block the oncoming sword. The now-glowing weapon sliced right through the steel of his kunai and descended toward his body. It was then when he saw the sword coming at him and he knew he had no moves left to protect himself that he felt the sudden blossoming pain in the back of his skull. The world quickly went dark around him and he never realized that an enemy had just saved his life.

Sasuke quickly checked his swing as Naruto straightened from the round house kick he had just delivered. Before he could demand to know what the dobe was doing, the blonde spoke.

"Let's get out of here while they are busy, before the others catch up."

Sasuke paused as he slowly admitted he was right. While he was irritated and annoyed that the other scrolls were now out of his reach, it would serve no real purpose continuing this fight. He glanced around to see the mass number of black and orange clad blondes and shook his head. "Just how many times can you divide your chakra and still have any left?"

Without waiting for an answer, he wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist and disappeared in a swirl of smoke. They did this several more times as what was left of Naruto's clones scattered to the four winds, leaving trails heading in several directions.

They traveled silently for several hours before Sasuke finally spoke again. "If they have me labeled as a missing-nin, we won't be able to just walk into any more of Sound's bases. We'll have to make do with the scrolls that we have and find some place to train."

Naruto thought for several moments before he looked at his friend with a smile. "I think I know the perfect place."

******************
Tsunade sighed wearily as she stared at her desk. The paperwork was close to overflowing the sides and she couldn't bring herself to care very much. The last few months have brought nothing but bad news after bad news. They had lost two very talented and loyal ninjas, first Naruto to Orochimaru and now Asuma to the Akatsuki.

There were so many rumors and so much speculation with what was happening in Sound amongst her spies. Some of the paperwork on her desk were reports which included interviews with survivors, overheard conversations in Rice Field Country as well as supposedly intercepted communications. Frankly, she didn't know what to believe any more. She wanted to hope. She so badly wanted to hope that Naruto had somehow found a way back from Orochimaru's jutsu, but if there was such a way she didn't know what it could be.

What she needed right now was solid evidence, real information. What the council needed was Naruto back in Konoha on a leash. What Naruto needed was a chance to prove himself and the support of people who believed in him. What Uchiha Sasuke needed was someone to knock some sense into him so that he could see that he had left behind the very thing that he needed most, his friends and his village. Well, everyone needed something and as Hokage she was supposed to provide those things that were needed most. To do that, she needed her information so that she could make the appropriate decisions.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door open or the person enter the office. Decision made, she raised her voice to call her assistant. "Shizune!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" a voice said right next to her desk.

Tsunade started slightly and gave the younger woman a glare. "Don't sneak up on me."

"But, Tsunade-sama, I am a ninja," Shizune pointed out with a small smirk.

Tsunade scowled but then gave a rueful snort. "Get Team 8 for me and Sai."

"Of course," she answered with a smile. "And while I am doing that, these reports need reviewed and stamped."

Tsunade gave a low grumble, but obediently started on the paperwork while waiting for the requested shinobi.

********************
Sai stood with his back to the wall waiting for the others to show up. The Hokage had said nothing to him except to invite him into the room. Now he lazed against the wall watching her do cursory glances over reports that were probably about as interesting as what was underneath her panties. No matter what her appearance, she was over fifty years old after all.

Although bored with waiting, he gave no physical indication of his emotional state. Danzou had been very strict during his training and any emotional display was dealt with harshly. Emotions were for the weak of mind and spirit, according to his late instructor. However, he had come to learn not long ago that those with emotions were sometimes much stronger than those around them. Thanks to Naruto he had relearned what it meant to feel something for someone. He wondered how the blonde was faring. It would be a shame if Orochimaru had really swallowed up his soul. Sai really didn't believe it however. The strength of the bond he shared with the Uchiha brat would be enough to lead the blonde back to himself.

An errant wish to have his sketch pad with him floated through his mind before he banished it to stillness once again. What was going to happen would happen in its own time and wishing otherwise would not change it. However annoying it was to wait. He entertained himself by wondering how long it would take Naruto to get into Uchiha's pants once the two of them actually got together. He just hoped for Naruto's sake that the Sharingan user was better endowed than the blonde had evidenced in the onsen.

A knock on the door interrupted his musings and Tsunade-sama called for entrance. The three chuunin members of Team 8 along with one large, white fuzzy four-legged member walked through the door and presented themselves before the Hokage's desk. They all murmured their greetings to their leader and waited for her to speak. Tsunade eyed the three of them and then shifted her eyes to Sai. She made a short motion and he stepped up to the desk next to the others. Three sets of eyes glanced at him curiously then shifted back to the Hokage as she began to speak.

"I need the four of you to do some information gathering for me. Three of you already have an idea of what is going on, but I need you as well, Kiba, because of your and Akamaru's keen senses. Right now most of Jounin and Anbu members are tied up with another project, so I am counting on you to do this right."

She paused to gather her thoughts. "You all were there for the encounter we had with Sound about seven, eight months ago. I have had people on the look out for Sasuke, Orochimaru, Kabuto and Naruto but I am getting conflicting and confusing reports."

Her honey colored eyes took them all in as if to impress on them how important what she had to say was. "I want you four to find Naruto. I want to know what has happened to him. I want to know if he is in control of his own faculties. I want him brought home so that we can help him and for Kami-sama's sake bring that Uchiha home as well so that baka won't run off after him again!"

She sighed and ran a tired hand through the pony-tails in her hair. "Mainly try to find out what is going on. If you can't bring him home, stay with him. The last place he was spotted was in Lightning Country." She unrolled a map and showed them the location. "That was a few weeks ago. Send me reports any time you move to a new location or find something, verified by the way not rumored, that has happened concerning any of those four. Do you understand your orders?"

Team 8 merely nodded, Kiba a little confusedly. Sai reiterated his orders so there wasn't any question. "Find Naruto. Make sure that Orochimaru is not controlling his body. Bring him and the Uchiha back, if that is impossible, stay near them. Observe and report." Kiba's eyes widened at the bluntly stated objectives, but a nudge from Hinata stopped any demands for information.

"You seem awfully sure that Naruto is with Sasuke," Tsunade observed shrewdly.

Sai gave her one of his trademark empty smiles. Smiling either made people feel at ease or threw them off track. "I am sure of it." He gave the Hokage a bow. "I will make sure to inform my team members what they need to know to ensure the success of our mission." That of course could be taken one of two ways. Either he would tell them everything or only enough to get them by. He wondered which the Hokage would assume it was. By the glare he was receiving it was the former. Which meant that she was a very perceptive shinobi and that paperwork hadn't dulled her mind like sitting behind the desk had widened her rear end.

"I don't have to tell any of you that anything you learn on this mission is classified. You will tell no one anything about what you learn except myself." Her look threatened death if her orders were not carried out.

Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru gulped at the look. Shino merely nodded like it was expected. Sai gave another happy grin and turned to leave the room. As the others fell into step behind him, Shino paused and looked back at Tsunade. "Who is in charge of the mission?"

Tsunade frowned like she was unhappy with her answer. "Sai has rank."

Shino nodded and followed the others from the room.

Sai was waiting for everyone to gather together in front of the Hokage's office. "We will be gone for an extended period of time, be aware of that when packing your gear. We will meet at the front gates in an hour. If you are not there by then, you will be left behind."

tbc