Embracing Dreams

Warnings: lots of dialogue, tiny hint of smut

Part 29

The sword was long, slender, unblemished. No hint of energy marred the surface, telling Sasuke that not only had it not been used on a mutant, it hadn't been touched by Kabuto, either. His energy was the sort to stick around. So his rogue must have been carrying it the entire time. For how long? And why? What reason could Kabuto have for wanting him armed with a sword?

Sasuke had never carried a weapon in Japan. Itachi had as much as 'trained' him to use his own body as the only weapon he needed. A focus of energy made a hand, an entire arm, as lethal as any blade. Naruto could attest to that. He hadn't even started carrying the knife until Kakashi had thrown it at him. Itachi had retrieved it from the alley, expecting him to return it to its rightful owner. Sasuke had never gotten around to that. As far as he knew, Kakashi didn't even realize the knife was the same one he'd clipped him with on their first meeting. It was useful having a concealed weapon that didn't require talents, and thus the sharingan, to use. So Sasuke had kept it as a last resort, nothing more. A sword, though...that was a very specific weapon and, in his eyes, a limited one.

He was experimenting with it when Pakkun joined him in the field. He hadn't seen the dog upon his return to the house. Kiba had caught up, grilling him futilely on mutants he didn't need to know anything about. Sasuke had ignored him for the most part. He'd been focused on trying to start the lawnmower. Kiba wouldn't answer his own questions about how to work the thing, so he'd seen no reason to answer Kiba's inquiries. Not that he would have, anyway, since the less Kiba knew about Kabuto the better off he'd be. Now, with Pakkun having poofed into existence a few yards from him, he wondered how Kiba's dog had summoned him earlier. If Pakkun could be called from a distance, he might actually be useful.

"How did you know to come, earlier?" asked Sasuke. His attention remained on the energy he was coaxing over the blade, but he heard Pakkun shift in the grass.

"The pup called me."

"How did you hear him? Because he's a dog? Him in particular? Or can anyone do that?"

"It's a dog thing," said Pakkun. "He's just louder than most when he gets upset. Probably 'cause of that boy he hangs out with. Rubs off on him. Little smarter than most, louder, kinda spoiled, come to think of it. I never expected him to drag me into a mess like that. What the hell was he doing there?"

"He followed me," Sasuke glowered. He sent a sidelong look at Pakkun. "Any reason he would think it was okay to follow me?" As he'd expected, Pakkun's eyes bugged and the grass-shuffling grew louder.

"Ah, well, I might have mentioned how fun you are to play with. Eh-hem." His hind leg rose to scritch at his neck and he gave a mumbled, "Oops."

"Nice way to get him killed."

"Oops," Pakkun repeated sheepishly.

Sasuke focused the sharingan intently on the blade of the sword. Something was odd about the metal. It reacted to his energy in a way his threads and knife never had. He didn't have any talents that could change the structure of objects. He manipulated the energy coating the surface of the blade, not the blade itself. He'd never fought a mutant who had that sort of talent. Or had he...?

"How do you know Kabuto?" Sasuke asked sharply. He turned to face the dog. "What did he mean when he called you a past experiment?"

Pakkun huffed, his head dropping soberly. "He wasn't talking about me."

"Fay? The one you called in to help Iruka and the others?"

"Yeah..."

"The one who made you what you are?"

Pakkun's head snapped up, "Don't spread that around."

"Explain."

"Fay did change me, but...before that..."

Sasuke set the sword aside. He crouched in front of the dog, everything in his demeanor sharp and demanding. "Just tell me how Kabuto is involved. Is Itachi involved as well?"

"No," Pakkun blurted. "I had no idea your brother was mixed up with them. I wasn't around when Fay was a kid. Only reason I knew about that guy - Kabuto's his name? - is 'cause I've seen him searching with those zombies of theirs. Usually, I see or smell him around and I know to switch out of the area fast. They've been looking for Fay since before I was born. All I knew about the white-haired guy was he worked for Him, and no way was I gonna be caught." He took a few steps until he was looking right up at Sasuke. "What have they got to do with you, is my question. Here I thought that brother of yours was a loner type. Don't tell me he's taking orders from Him?"

"The snake? Orochimaru?" asked Sasuke. He'd never been privy to the names of his attackers. Apparently Suigetsu had known most of them, but he'd never shared back then. From the wrinkled frown on Pakkun's face, the dog didn't recognize the name, either. "Long black hair, slit eyes, snake-talents."

"Hm," Pakkun rocked irritably, "I don't know. I've never seen Him up close. No telling what body he's in these days, or what he's going by. Last I heard, He was in a body that let him mark people. That's how he was controlling the zombies, marking 'em and then just hopping enough to live in 'em for a while instead of eating them up and staying there. Probably the same guy, though, if it's the one that Kabuto's working for. Hear tell he's partial to dark-haired hosts." And he wrinkled his face again. "I'm surprised he didn't hop into that brother of yours. If he looks anything like you, he'd be just his type, specially with all the talents he's got."

"If it's the same person," Sasuke murmured. The only talent he'd seen Orochimaru use was the snake one. That was how Suigetsu had referred to him as well, as the snake. "His talent is to switch bodies? At will?"

"When he was marking them it was. But he stopped doing that years back. Haven't seen any temp zombies since then. I figured he had to switch off again. When he's still getting used to a new body the only talents he has are the ones that host came with. Fay says it takes a while for him to adjust enough to use the talents from his old hosts. Some of em don't seem to transfer."

"And the experiments...?"

Pakkun looked away, shifting indecisively. "Didn't know if those were still going on. There was a pair of twins in that warehouse who'd definitely been...tampered with." His eyes flew up, angry, "But they weren't His type at all. Pale things. Gross rejects. Bad enough He's still making them without leaving them to get caught up in some lab. And they were still loyal to him." He growled. "Stupid kids..."

"The experiments," Sasuke pushed. He could hear Itachi's casual murmurs in the back of his head, failed experiments that had come before. With so many years of living day to day, he'd never had the luxury to wonder why Itachi had been so determined to make a mutant. He'd assumed that, like everything else Itachi did, it was simply because he could.

"Looking for better hosts," Pakkun grumbled. "They don't last long. All the energy He brings with him eats 'em up and there's nothing left. Makes him too easy to kill when he first jumps, and then later when the host starts cracking." He snorted in derision. "Not that it matters when he can keep jumping forever. Problem is, even with all the mutants popping up, only a few can hold him more than a year."

"So he's making them. And it never occured to you that I'd be connected to this? You knew I wasn't born a mutant."

"Yeah, but it just doesn't fit. What Kakashi told me about your brother, I just can't see him mixed up in this stuff. He's got that no bystanders rule, right? If this snake guy is who I think he is, the whole point is harvesting innocent bystanders."

"Itachi didn't always have that rule. He murdered a lot of...bystanders...to get to me." And was proclaimed a hero for saving his little brother from the unnatural blaze that consumed the evidence along with the building.

Pakkun hedged, not wanting to accept the obvious conclusion. "Still, you'd have known if He was involved. No way He'd have left you free to roam all over the place where any rogue could take you out and make all that effort a total waste. Your brother's nuts, yeah, but he doesn't keep you locked up. And you sure haven't been brainwashed to obedience. It just doesn't make sense that He'd invest so much into you only to sit back and let your brother take control."

"Either you overestimate this guy or you underestimate Itachi," said Sasuke.

"Maybe. The strongest mutant I know is terrified of Him. I know you're just as scared of your brother, but that's 'cause you've never seen him fight a mutant stronger than he is. Fay is much stronger than Him. I'm sure a lot of mutants are stronger than Him. Maybe your brother is stronger, too. It doesn't matter. The only way to get rid of Him is to kill every mutant in the world so there aren't any bodies left for him to jump into. I'm talking about a whole different kind of strength from what you know."

And Itachi had already killed him once. Kabuto's words made sense now. A lot of things made sense now. But what difference did it make? If what he suspected was true, it had been true all along. Finding out now wouldn't change anything.

"You okay?" asked Pakkun.

He didn't buy it. It was too neat. Nothing involving Itachi was ever neat.

"No," Sasuke said finally. "Go away."

He retrieved the sword from the tall grass. Pakkun was looking at him strangely when he turned back. Sasuke flicked a hand dismissively, "Talk to me later."

"What kind of attitude is that?" Pakkun huffed. He grew stiff a moment later, a swift look over his shoulder confirming things. Even when Naruto wasn't letting off foxy vibes, his energy was very noisy. Odd that Sasuke had noticed before him, though. Naruto was too far away to be audible as he trotted in their direction. Pakkun wrinkled his nose. "Should have smelled him coming. Sweaty humans. Eck. You really do have bad taste in men."

.-.

Iruka had taken the car to go shopping. While he supported public transportation, he had too much to get to carry himself and he wasn't about to have Kakashi along with him. The sheer normality of buying groceries and supplies was a balm to his nerves. He had flaked, for no good reason, and repairing the damage took a bit of private time.

He was better than this. Now that he had time to think about it, he realized the last time he'd come apart this badly was when he'd set out for Japan, with nothing to keep his sleep safe and no one to lean on. He'd survived that relatively intact. No, he hadn't just survived. He'd benefitted from it. Half his childhood had been spent latching on to whoever was handy to keep him grounded. It wasn't until he'd met Tenka that he realized it worked both ways. Having someone need him was as just as settling. When he'd gone to Japan, he'd found himself alone, no one needing him, no one to latch onto. He'd panicked and rushed to find someone to fill either role, it didn't matter which. Indiscriminate and stupid. That mistake had led him to psychiatry, and, eventually, to Naruto.

It had seemed selfish the way he'd latched onto Naruto. He'd put off adopting him for months, afraid he was just using the needy boy to fill his own need to be needed. That conflict had ended once he'd found out more about him and about his own past. They'd both lost their parents. The difference was Naruto's parents' entire existence had been erased, while his own had only been shrugged off and forgotten. Who'd done it? Well, that was a matter of speculation. In his case it might well have been nothing more than a simple robbery. He could have wandered off and been picked up by someone who just happened to be leaving the country. He had no memories of it and no amount of hypnosis had brought them back. The fact remained that he had disappeared and the only relatives he had to search for him were his grandparents, who'd never actually met him, anyway.

With Naruto, there was definitely something sickening at work, enough to make him glad Naruto didn't remember and Kyuubi wouldn't talk about it. A little boy with no past didn't just end up in the middle of a gangstyle stand off by chance. Especially not a little boy who just so happened to have a mutant personality capable of wiping out both sides of the confrontation in a matter of minutes. Someone had put him there to see what would happen. He was sure that if the violence hadn't attracted so much attention that same someone would have collected Naruto afterward to be used elsewhere. As if he were a weapon. And someone who'd do that to one mutant would do it to others. After realizing this, his personal motivations for adopting Naruto hadn't mattered. He'd been in the perfect position to help, so he had. And having done it once, he knew it could be done again and again. He might not be able to stop things like that from happening, but he could certainly help pick up the pieces when it did.

Iruka was a practical person. Despite his longing to save the world, as Naruto put it, he knew there were limits to what one person in his position could do. His background made it impossible for him to have any sort of political sway on people. He didn't have the offensive talents to rescue mutants the way Tenka did, and his healing talents were barely worth mentioning in a real crisis. What he had, and he'd been startled to learn this, was a tendency to attract people. Children liked him, adults respected him, and he'd studied enough psychiatry to understand the ones who didn't. The fact that he came across as being very normal, unthreatening, and nice, made it easy to stay under the radar of the sort of people and organizations that Tenka targeted. He wasn't building an army, he wasn't leading a revolt, and anyone who met him would scoff at the very idea of him doing such a thing.

He was just giving back a touch of normalcy to an orphanage of misfits. They'd benefit from it, the town liked the image it got from allowing it, and no one - should attention shift his way - would be able to complain about it. If his shelter also happened to put kids like Naruto out of reach, well, all the better. No one who met Naruto would see him as a threat and anyone attempting to paint him as such would be publically scorned. He'd see to it. They were much too visible in this town to be erased.

In the end it still came down to his insatiable need to be needed, to be useful, to have a purpose. He didn't mind. He wasn't worried about being overwhelmed, the way Kakashi had insinuated. It was difficult relating to the kids on an individual basis when so many were coming in a rush, but he'd catch up. The chances of Tenka leading him to another four at once were slim. Not to mention that most of them were old enough to take care of themselves if they found the house too chaotic to live in. There were other places in town they could go and still be in contact with their new friends. He doubted he'd ever have to deal with a house full of teenagers trying to tear each other apart. He liked order too much to allow that. He'd bend as well as he could, but he was fully prepared to put his foot down, even if it meant kicking out a teenager he'd been hoping to help. He thrived off helping others, but he wouldn't stand being walked on.

By the time he'd gotten to the pet section, realizing he had no idea what sort of food Akamaru would eat, he was feeling amused at his own behavior of late.

He'd been so caught up with the kids, considering himself pulled in too many directions at once, that he'd completely missed what was happening with Kakashi. He didn't want to fall back into the habit of leaning on someone. He was terrified of becoming dependent and then becoming indiscriminate in his rebound the second that person was taken away. Irrational, as silly as his fear of the open sky above his head when he walked across a parking lot. He wasn't about to become dependent on a drifter like Kakashi. Even with close friends like Hiko, he hated having to ask for favors, let alone feeling as if he needed the help. Besides, sexual intimacy did not equal automatic dependency. Kakashi's apparent promiscuity proved that quite nicely.

He'd overreacted and with everything else going on, he hadn't even noticed what he was doing. That was actually embarrassing. He was supposed to know himself better than that, or else what was the point of devoting all that time to studying psychiatry? He'd wanted to understand the way his mind worked, so he'd never have to rely on someone else digging around in there to explain his actions to him. Now that he considered it calmly he knew he'd reacted, overreacted, to a nonexistent threat. Kakashi had offered him a fling and he'd responded as if he were being threatened with a forced marriage.

Not that he was suddenly eager to take him up on his offer. He'd been celibate for years. His own reaction to Kakashi had shocked him mostly because he'd never thought twice about remaining celibate indefinitely. He didn't like romantic attachments, didn't want them, and he'd always considered his sex drive rather low. He had the occasional attractions, but no particular urge to act on them and suffer the complications that went with them. He supposed he'd responded to Kakashi for exactly the reason he'd claimed, potential stress relief. Kakashi was handy, more than willing, and if he were as good as he claimed to be, then it would probably be great. He could use him and then throw him away, and Kakashi wouldn't complain a bit. He might have a few weeks of Naruto looking reproachfully at him as a result, but it would blow over. There was no real harm in it because Kakashi wouldn't stick around to rub it in Naruto's face and exacerbate the resentment. That didn't change the fact that he'd only be doing it to relieve stress. He knew of far more interesting ways to do that.

He was debating over three brands of puppy food when he realized someone was hovering just behind him. His agoraphobia had never included fear of crowds or people, so he hadn't paid any attention to the other shoppers passing him in the aisle. He turned to the person, meaning to apologize for blocking the way for so long. The girl jumped back, her hand still raised. She'd been about to tap his shoulder.

"Hinata."

"I'm sorry!" the girl blurted. She blushed, an embarrassed smile faltering on her face. "You didn't notice me..."

He wondered how long she'd been standing behind him before mustering the nerve to try tapping his shoulder. "Sorry, I was distracted. You're not working today?"

Hinata glanced back to where she'd left her cart at the mouth of the aisle, "I took off early to pick up some things for Kurenai-san. For the dinner party...?" When she turned back, her voice was a mere whisper, "You never called to say if you were coming..."

There was a hint of reproach in her eyes that Iruka took as a victory. She still had trouble raising her voice with him, but she'd gotten better at meeting his gaze.

"I didn't know you were having a party," Iruka admitted. "I've missed quite a few messages. Is it soon?"

"Tonight." Hinata huffed, unconsciously mimicking Kurenai's pursed frown. "We were afraid you wouldn't be back in time. But Kurenai-san was hoping you'd come." She sent another quick look over her shoulder, as if afraid someone might overhear, before murmuring, "He's coming."

"Oh, really?" Iruka grinned at the girl's tone. "And Kurenai wanted me there to chaperone?"

"He bought her a bracelet," Hinata said solemnly. "Kurenai-san was very upset." And she dropped her head suddenly, hiding a smile behind her hand. "It has dangling pink and purple hearts on it..."

He laughed. He'd warned Kurenai this would happen. She was the one who insisted they keep their relationship a secret until they were certain it would be a permanent thing. As if Hinata minded whether the two were married or not. As if the school board would care that two of the staff were seeing each other on the side. Asuma had approached it as a game, courting her with all the subtlety of a schoolboy with a secret crush. Anonymous boxes on her desk, gaudy pink affairs that left her fuming and rumors running rampant. Flower petals spilling on her when she opened the door, and how Asuma had gotten a key to her house she still didn't know. Now the charm bracelet she couldn't dare wear in public. He wondered if she hadn't invited him because she was afraid Asuma would present her with an engagement ring out of a bubblegum machine if he caught her alone after dinner.

"I suppose I could stop by," said Iruka. "Though there are a few too many kids at my house right now to bring them with me."

"I met one," Hinata blurted. She shuffled her feet, "Sasuke..."

Iruka winced. "He's shy." Hinata shot a look at him and he amended, "He's difficult." And the worst possible one of the new kids for Hinata to have met right off. Especially now that he was involved with Naruto. Not that Iruka had held any hopes of Hinata and Naruto getting together. Her crush on him was more hero worship than anything romantic. She idolized the way he was himself no matter how his classmates treated him, that he didn't seem nervous of any adults, even strangers, and the fact that he took her shyness in stride. Even Iruka had trouble not talking down at her when she was so nervous she appeared half her age. Naruto treated her the same no matter how clumsy or withdrawn she got.

"There are two girls living with me now," said Iruka. "I was going to ask Kurenai if she'd mind taking them shopping this weekend. It would be nice if you could go with them."

"I could do that..."

He wondered if he should ask Ino to go easy on her. Naruto said that Kyuubi 'smelled blood and went in for the kill' where Hinata was concerned. Ino had the same air about her. But Sakura would be there to temper her, and Kurenai certainly wouldn't stand for any nastiness in her presence. Besides, he rather thought Ino was protective of those she viewed as weaker than herself. He'd let Kurenai handle it. She was bound to give him a full report if the girls gave her any trouble.

"I brought the car," Iruka said smartly. "Let me drive you home. I don't want to spoil the dinner later, but I do need to speak with Kurenai. If you're done shopping...?"

"I'm done." Hinata went to her cart and waited. "I just had to get fresh vegetables, mostly. Things that..." She bit her lip and for a moment her face was void of any expression. She didn't look up when Iruka sighed.

Iruka hadn't wanted to tell her here, not in the middle of careless shoppers who'd stare if she reacted strongly. "He said yes." He wasn't going to tell her the conditions. "I get him Monday. Do you want to come with me?"

"No!"

She flinched at how loudly she'd spoken, covering her mouth and dropping her eyes. Iruka looked away to keep himself from reaching out. This was where Naruto's attitude came in handy. He wouldn't have been tempted to smother her just because she was upset. Iruka could barely look at her without his stomach twisting. The silence dragged on awkwardly. He waited, knowing she wouldn't meet his eyes for the rest of evening if he spoke first. Kurenai and yes, even Naruto, were much better at this than he was.

"I'm sorry," Hinata murmured finally. "Thank you for asking. But, no, I couldn't do that. He won't want to see me."

"Alright," said Iruka. He didn't bother to lie and say she was wrong. He shouldn't have offered to bring her. "Let's get you home now. I'll have to drop my things off at the house afterward if I'm going to make it back in time for dinner. Maybe I'll bring someone along when I come back."

"Naruto?"

If only she didn't sound so hopeful. "Maybe, but he'll probably be busy with the new kids. They're all around the same age and you know how he likes to make new friends."

Hinata gave a wan smile, "He's very good at that..."

According to her he was. According to Naruto, he was awful at it. Iruka supposed it was a matter of opinion.

"I'll try to arrange something this weekend so you can meet them all," said Iruka. "I'd really like to have a picnic in the fields."

"I thought you wouldn't do that anymore, after the last one," Hinata remarked. She frowned, remembering the ants that had spoiled the entire outing. Iruka had been so angry he'd sworn that was the last picnic he'd attempt.

"Well," Iruka winced, "I might have overreacted. It was nice until I opened the basket and saw the food..."

"Ah..."

.-.

Naruto wasn't as sweaty as Pakkun had made out. He was flushed, though, and breathing heavy as if he'd been running quite a bit. He squatted and leaned on his knees for a moment before letting out a deep breath. "That's the last time I let you mow first," he muttered. "The thing died on me five times!"

Considering how many times it had died on him, Sasuke didn't think much of that number. "Your point?"

"You left the blade down," Naruto grimaced. "I couldn't raise it or else my half wouldn't have matched what you did. Why'd you do that? The grass was way too thick for that setting, you know."

"I didn't know the blade was adjustable."

"Oh." Naruto huffed, his face twisting into a frown. "That's too bad. I was gonna use that to pick a fight." He waved his hands when he caught Sasuke's expression, "Just as an excuse! Would have made things easier, is all."

"You want to fight me?" asked Sasuke. He could use a good fight at the moment. "I don't mind." He tossed the sword onto the grass and activated the sharingan.

Naruto recoiled, "Hold up! Not a real fight! Kyuubi's still sleeping, so I probably don't have the energy to give you a real fight. I just meant like a...little match real quick. You know, winner takes all? I want you to do something and there's no way you'll do it just because I asked, so I figured if we go without talents maybe I'll get a pin in and then you'll have to do it."

Sasuke wondered if Naruto realized pinning him in a match to get his way was the same as pushing him until he snapped and gave in. It all came down to the same thing. Not that there was any chance of Naruto winning at the moment. Even Kakashi would have had a hard time with him if they'd fought right now. He let the sharingan fade away. "What do you want me to do? Ask before you start thinking up ways to force me into it."

"You'll say no, so there's no point just asking. Like, if I asked where you got that sword, you wouldn't tell me, right? You wouldn't even tell me your last name when I asked. You got this whole secretive thing where-"

"Kyuubi."

Naruto blinked, looking awkward. "I told you he's sleeping-"

"You didn't tell me about him," said Sasuke. "I told you about my talents long before you told me about yours."

"Yeah, okay, but you're still more secretive than-"

Sasuke interrupted him again, "I got the sword from a man named Kabuto. His talent involves energy manipulation. He can heal, but only by severing and reconfiguring a person's energy. He can disable a mutant with one touch if you aren't on guard against him. He has white hair that he wears pulled back in a tail, glasses, pale eyes. He said he'd be staying at the hospital here, most likely posing as a doctor. If you see him, or another mutant with white hair and pale eyes, keep your distance. Tell me if you spot him anywhere near the house, or if he attempts to talk to you."

For a long minute, Naruto gaped. Then his mouth closed with a click. He sunk down to sit in the grass. "What's your last name?"

"Uchiha," Sasuke grimaced. "I didn't intend to go by that name here. The school required me to give one, otherwise I wouldn't use it. There's only one person who goes by that name and it isn't me."

"Your brother...?"

This time Sasuke was the one taken aback. He recovered more quickly, a scowl taking over his face. "Kakashi." It wasn't a question.

"He said to ask you about your brother," Naruto admitted.

"And you thought I wouldn't tell you if you asked? Why? Kakashi knows. Iruka knows. It makes no difference to me who knows. He looks like me but older, taller, longer hair. If you see him, run away."

"Huh?"

Sasuke crouched in front of him, his tone dead serious. "If you hear someone mention the name Itachi, note the person who said it and stay away from them in the future. If you see someone who resembles me, run away. Do it quietly, tell your fox to shield his energy. Don't attract his attention. If he notices you, looks at you, go into a crowd and stay there. If you're cornered, agree to anything he says."

"Sasuke...?"

"He's insane," Sasuke said sharply. "He has the same talent as me," he gestured to his eyes, "sharingan. You'll know him the second you see him. There's no reason he should pay attention to you, you're too young," and inexperienced, "but if you do catch his eye, agree to anything he says." Naruto wasn't like Suigetsu. Even if he agreed to attack him, he'd do it from the front and Sasuke was sure he could put up a convincing fight without either of them dying. "There's no predicting what he might do. At best, he'll only want to talk at me. He does that sometimes. If he comes here, it'll be to see me. You stay out of it. I'll take to the fields so no one in the house is caught in the mess. Just sit quiet and everything will be fine. I'll come back when it's over."

"Is he trying to kill you?" Naruto asked, his expression too blank to read. "Your own brother?"

"No. He doesn't want me dead. He's...training me." In his own warped way, that was true. "One of the talents he's copied is the ability to turn normal humans into mutants. He used it on me, gave me the sharingan with it, and now he's making sure I use it to copy other talents. He finds strong mutants and sends them after me so I can copy their talents. No one he sends will bother you. Just don't follow me if I suddenly leave the house." He could use the bubble to restrain Naruto if he had to, but only as a last resort. He certainly didn't want Naruto watching any of his fights. Whether he killed or lost they were always bloody. "I'll come back when it's over."

"How long?"

"What?"

Naruto leaned forward suddenly, his eyes flashing, "How long, Sasuke? Kakashi said long before he met you - how long is that? You're my age!"

"I was six when he gave me the eyes. It took two years before I could use them, then I ran."

"And you came here to get away from him-"

"No," Sasuke cut him off. "I came here because I was tired of running. It doesn't matter where I am. He sends someone or he comes himself. I win or I lose. Another month passes and it happens again. It's all the same." He rubbed a hand over his temple. He'd much rather have been fighting than talking right now. All of this was sounding far too normal. Even if he considered the possibility that Itachi had 'made' him as a body for someone to take over, that didn't stop the 'training' from sounding...repetitive and boring. Normal. He'd never thought of his life as normal. He supposed after enough years of the same pattern repeating itself anyone would get used to it. "I'm not old enough to do anything right now. I'm physically incapable of using the strongest talents I've copied. I won't have the energy until I'm an adult. So I'm waiting. Here." And not just because this was a quiet convenient place to nab a bit of what he considered normal life. "I like it here..."

"I'll help you fight him," Naruto said fervently.

Sasuke couldn't stop himself from groaning. "You weren't listening to a word I said."

"Yes I was! We was...were..." Naruto blinked and frowned and muttered, "When did you wake up...?"

"Your fox?" asked Sasuke. "I want to talk to him."

Naruto blinked dazedly, still wearing that distant expression of his. "He can hear you, you know," he murmured to Sasuke, and then he scowled to himself, hissing, "without taking over. I said no...!"

Although Sasuke was sure he'd get more out of the fox if he waited for one of those late night visits, this was too urgent to wait. "His earliest memory, the attack on you when you said he first 'woke up' and killed people. Did he see anyone watching him? Someone who didn't fight, someone standing back and just watching, white hair, glasses, a vague smile. In the shadows watching the entire thing?"

"The guy you got the sword from?" Naruto frowned. He stared at the weapon for a long moment, consulting with his fox. Then he shook his head, a sick look pulling his face. "He killed everyone who was there..."

"A black-haired man?" Sasuke prodded. "Snakes? Anyone who didn't seem upset by the thought of dying?" He still wasn't convinced that Pakkun's 'mutant creator' was Orochimaru. If he were, and he hadn't sent Kabuto to spy, maybe he'd gone himself. "Did he see anyone or anything suspicious?"

Naruto squinted, leaning away resentfully. "Why are you asking this stuff? He killed people. A bunch of people. All at once and with a lot of gore. He didn't pick out faces or attitudes, he slaughtered them. And he liked it! Fox in a henhouse." He folded his arms tightly and looked away. "Those are his words, not mine. Fox in a henhouse. They weren't people, just feathers waiting to fly. He woke up, he went wild, he went back to sleep. That's it."

"I've killed people," said Sasuke. Naruto shot him a strange look. "I don't feel guilty for it. If someone attacks me, I defend myself."

"That's different! If your brother's sending mutants after you, then-"

"Not just them," Sasuke stated. "I was an eight year old alone on the streets. People like to attack children. I defended myself. How old were you?"

Naruto dropped his eyes, hugging himself again, "He didn't have to enjoy it so much..."

"There are some people I'd enjoy killing." The voyeur's face immediately came to mind. He pushed it away. "I want you to stay close to me for the next few weeks. Don't go around town without me. If I leave the house for a while, stay inside until I get back."

"Huh?" Naruto started in confusion, paused, and then erupted, "No way! You better not be trying to protect me after you just got done saying I can't help you! That's bullshit!"

"You don't know who you're dealing with-"

"Your insane brother?" Naruto scowled. "And some old doctor?" A beat, and then, "And a snake?"

Sasuke's eye twitched. "First, Kabuto is only a few years older than me. White hair, but young. He won't approach you," he believed that Kabuto intended to stay away from the house, "so as long as you leave him alone, you won't have any trouble from him. Secondly, the 'snake' is not here. Kabuto is here on his behalf, looking for Itachi - my insane brother." He almost cringed at how carelessly Naruto referred to him. "Kabuto is here waiting for Itachi. Itachi, if he comes here, will be after me. None of this will involve you unless you attract attention to yourself."

"Right," scoffed Naruto. "Then why are you worried about me going out on my own?"

"Because there's a chance one of them will use you to get to me." Partially true. If Naruto were a 'failed experiment' then he'd be useless to Kabuto except as a way to get him, and thus Itachi. Itachi, on the other hand, might be interested in Naruto's talent in and of itself. Just because he couldn't copy Naruto didn't mean Itachi couldn't. And Itachi killed the mutants he copied. "I don't want to be responsible for your death."

Naruto glowered at him, probably consulting with his fox. Sasuke waited him out. When the blonde suddenly straightened, he steeled himself.

"What do you think your brother is going to ask me?" Naruto's eyes were wide, almost frightened. "You said to agree to anything he says. What do you think he'd say to me?"

Sasuke sighed. He should have known Kyuubi would catch that. The fox didn't miss much. "He might ask you to attack me. He'll kill you if you refuse. Agree to do it." He raised his voice to override Naruto's immediate refusal, "He won't ask you to kill me. He doesn't want me dead. If he asks, it's either because he wants me to learn something by fighting you seriously, or because he wants me to stop trusting you. As long as you don't attack me from behind it won't be any different from us fighting because we choose to. I'll know the moment you attack that you're doing it because he told you to. I won't hold it against you."

"I won't do it," Naruto sniffed.

"He'll kill you if you don't."

"He'll try."

"And he'll succeed," Sasuke spat. "Trust me."

Naruto's face went blank, then he let out an amused snort.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Tell your fox he does not want to meet my brother."

"Wha - how the hell did you know what he said?" Naruto gaped.

Sasuke snorted this time. "It was all over your face."

Naruto blinked and leaned toward him suspiciously, "Do you know what he said this time...?"

"Maybe," Sasuke sniffed. "Something about my brother looking like me?"

"Shit, that's freaky! How are you doing that?"

"I've been living with Kakashi," Sasuke reminded him.

"Yeah, well, Kyuubi's a lot worse than him." Naruto went quiet for a second and then blushed. "Do you know what he said-"

Sasuke cut him off, "I don't want to know what he just said."

"Probably not," Naruto grimaced.

"Do you still want to fight?" asked Sasuke.

"What? Oh! That's right! I've gotta pin you or you won't do what I want you to do!"

"I answered your questions."

Naruto nodded, "I know, but that wasn't what I was after. I want you to do something - it involves questions and getting secrets out in the open, but it's, well, you won't do it unless you have to."

"Try asking me," Sasuke glared.

"There's no point asking you because you'll say no-"

"Then I'm not talking to you." Sasuke rose and retrieved the sword. Kakashi might be able to teach him how to use it. If nothing else, he could ask that boy with the strange energy to spar with him. He made it six feet before Naruto grabbed his shoulder. He dropped and kicked his feet out from under him without hesitation. He paused with his hand inches from Naruto's forehead, "Are you going to ask me, or should I make this a pin and force you to ask me?"

"I want you to play truth or dare with me and the new kids!" Naruto blurted.

"What?" He leaned back so Naruto could sit up. "What's that?"

"A game," Naruto muttered. "I know, you're antisocial and you don't want to hang out with the new kids and you're not the type to play games, and that's why I didn't want to ask because it's a given you'll say no, but I think I have to tell them about Kyuubi and I figured if you were there, too, it wouldn't be so bad, since you already know and even if they all look at me like I'm crazy, you wouldn't look at me like that, so-"

"What kind of game is it?" Sasuke interrupted, leaning away from the rambling blonde. "Does it involve fighting?"

"Erm, no...no fighting..." Naruto shot him a weird look. "It's where you sit in a circle and take turns asking each other questions. You either tell the truth, or take a dare. I guess the dares could involve fighting, if someone dared you to beat someone up or something. But the idea is to share so everyone knows about each other - talents and stuff. Kyuubi says Iruka will have to make a...disclosure rule with so many mutants in the house. I figure it's better to share because we want to than because we have to. The game would make it less uncomfortable since everyone will be telling secrets."

"It sounds dumb."

"I knew you'd say that. That's why I was gonna pin you so you'd have to play. Because I knew you'd say that."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Do you want me to really pin you this time?"

"Like you could! I wasn't expecting it a minute ago. There's no way you could do it when I'm expecting it."

"Really." Sasuke eased closer, brushing a hand over Naruto's shoulder. He smirked when the blonde froze and eyed him warily. "Can I kiss you?"

"Huh? What - I thought - yes!" Naruto jolted forward to catch him in a sudden embrace. "You don't have to ask me! I thought you wanted to fight, but if you're in the mood to-"

Sasuke muffled him with a light kiss. Like flicking a switch. Naruto pulled him tight, devouring his mouth in a heady kiss as if they were back in the bedroom and Iruka had never knocked on the door. For a brief moment, Sasuke toyed with the idea of distracting Naruto until he forgot that dumb game of his. No one would interrupt them out here. He pressed into Naruto, letting him take his weight as they eased down into the grass. Not being forced to stop meant they wouldn't stop until they wanted to. He did toy with the idea. Until he remembered it was daytime. And that they might not stop at all. He balked. He pulled back, gave Naruto a moment to blink hungrily at him, and then leaned down to kiss his neck. A few inches more and he whispered into his ear, "You're on your back. I'm touching you. Should I count this as a pin?"

Naruto's arms jerked around him, from anger or surprise. Then the blonde leaned forward to growl in his ear, "That's low. That's really low."

"Should I?" Sasuke taunted.

"I could roll us over," Naruto threatened, tightening his arms. "Would only take a second."

"Then we'd be even, with one pin each, negating each other's terms."

"I could bite you."

"What would that accomplish?" asked Sasuke.

"It would make me feel better..."

Sasuke snorted. "I'll play your dumb game."

Naruto's arms loosened, "What, really?"

"In a few minutes," Sasuke clarified. He turned his head, resting his cheek against Naruto's neck. "Just be still for a while."

"You like this?"

The surprise was evident in his voice. Sasuke sniffed. "I would if you'd be quiet." Silence answered him, but he had an idea Naruto was grinning. Well, let him grin. He was the one who'd have grass stains on the back of his clothes when they went into the house.

.-.
TBC