Embracing Dreams

Warnings: dialogue, drama, Kyuubi-Naruto interaction

Part 34

It wasn't that Naruto didn't grasp the situation. A bunch of what Iruka referred to as 'first generation' and what Naruto dubbed 'old' mutants had gotten together and decided they could predict the future. So they recruited 'second generation' or 'teenage' mutants to go around spying on people and worrying or scaring them so they did exactly what they wanted, ensuring that the future ended up just the way they'd predicted. Simple. And stupid. He couldn't believe Iruka had taken it so seriously. Kyuubi felt the same way and said so to Iruka's face.

That had been awkward. Naruto hadn't even thought about the fact that everyone had seen Kyuubi take over except Iruka. Kyuubi said that was because he hadn't wanted to think about it. Having Kyuubi come out to talk to Iruka without him as a go-between made it real in a way him talking to the others hadn't. Iruka took it well, though, and Kyuubi was on his best behavior. Probably because Iruka talked to him in that patient pleasant tone Kyuubi had always liked listening to. When Iruka asked Kyuubi how it was, the fox vented, complaining about his limited senses, frustration, telling things Naruto was sure he'd had no intention of sharing with him. He realized how long it had been since he and Kyuubi had sat down for a heart-to-heart chat.

There wasn't time for one after Iruka finished with him. The girls left and he suddenly had his hands full with Lee. It turned out that Lee had never had a girl actually talk to him before. Not surprising. He didn't make a very good first impression. Apparently Lee felt his lack of interaction with the fairer sex contributed to his alienation from his peer group. Kyuubi had to explain to Naruto what Lee meant by that. Naruto immediately set about dumbing down Lee's language. There was nothing wrong with knowing the 'big' words, but using them casually like that attracted as much attention as his appearance.

Kyuubi lodged one disgusted protest before retreating to the back of his head. Naruto ignored him. He knew exactly what would happen if Lee used 'Iruka-level' words around the idiots he went to school with, not to mention some of the teachers. Besides, it was fun translating Lee's sentences into 'teenager' for him. They both ended up laughing and Naruto couldn't remember actually seeing Lee laugh before. The guy seriously needed to relax more.

By the time he'd finished getting lunch ready and they'd all taken to the fields, he was in a good mood. Kiba wasn't avoiding his gaze anymore, making him glad he'd cleared things up with him.

Kiba had admitted that he didn't understand how gay couples worked. Since they were both male, he'd assumed it would be like two predators fighting and the stronger topping the weaker. Implying he thought Naruto was the weaker one. He'd taken exception to that and to the flip side - the idea that he couldn't possibly top Sasuke unless he beat him up so badly he couldn't stop him. That was too close to violent 'Kyuubi-fantasy' territory for him. He ended up giving a big lecture about the separation between fighting and sex that left them both uncomfortable. The fact that he'd given the exact same lecture to Kyuubi more than once didn't make it easier. Finally they decided that Kiba was too straight to ever understand how two strong guys could function together on equal terms. And Naruto was too inexperienced to be sure what he said wasn't utter bullshit. He and Sasuke clashed constantly and they were barely into foreplay. There was at least some merit to Kiba's take on predator-predator interaction. All he had to do was recall Sasuke's expression when he'd fought Kyuubi. Definitely predatory.

The actual picnic was great. Everyone liked Hinata. He'd known they would. She was simply the sweetest person he'd ever met. The girls had adopted her by the time they came back, so Hinata didn't even drop her eyes when she was introduced to the rest. He prodded Lee to try out his language lessons on her, because she was the type of girl he should be talking to if he wanted to learn how to interact with girls as a whole. Just in case he ended up liking girls. Lee wasn't sure which sex he liked, if any, so Naruto figured this was a good time to find out. Kiba, on the other hand, he actively discouraged. He didn't think he wanted Mister 'I'm too chauvinistic to understand equal relationships' anywhere near his Hinata. The way she adored Akamaru at first sight made it harder for him. Still, Kiba's attempts to flirt were embarrassing and kinda sad to watch, so Naruto's protectiveness eased up after a while.

He didn't notice when Sasuke left. He'd figured Sasuke was avoiding him earlier because he was still steamed about Kyuubi healing him. So he ignored him, too. It wasn't like he could have conned him into socializing, anyway. And he wasn't about to risk Sasuke hurting Hinata's feelings right when she was opening up and enjoying herself.

Kyuubi was the one who noticed. He couldn't stomach the way Naruto fawned over that pathetic girl, so he'd set his sights on Sasuke the moment they left the house, once more enjoying an unlimited view of the world. What he saw infuriated him. Everything about Sasuke bled skittish, cornered, disconnected. He was bordering on fight or flight and no one was even looking at him. That couldn't be simple resentment at having been tricked and healed again.

Had something happened to him while he was napping earlier? Kyuubi hadn't been out very long, less than an hour or two while Naruto was busy making Lee sound as ignorant as him. Or was it a delayed reaction to the mutants last night? Iruka's ridiculous fortune-telling cult? Sasuke had dismissed their very existence the moment they'd left last night, as if he knew who they were and couldn't have cared less. That was the reason Kyuubi had cut Iruka off earlier. If they were as stupid as that, he'd thought he understood why Sasuke hadn't been interested in them. Now he regretted it. Iruka hadn't wanted to tell them anything, it was all over his face. By cutting him off, he'd ensured that Iruka wouldn't say another word about it.

When Sasuke left, Kyuubi almost tried to follow him. That was what Naruto had done, pushed away and forced - imagined? - a body there to catch him. Fear stopped him. He didn't know if he could duplicate what Naruto had done. He did know what would happen if he actually separated. At least, he thought he knew. How would Sasuke, or any of them, react if he did manage to manifest in his real form? Just one of his paws would be big enough to crush the entire blanket of babbling teens if he appeared right outside of Naruto. Even if he did manage to get clear of them, his mouth was designed for tearing, not for speaking. More to the point, he might not be able to get back. It wasn't just Naruto who'd be at risk then, but both of them. He seethed and coiled his tails and kept his thoughts to himself.

Sasuke hadn't run. What he'd done was worse. He'd walked away from Naruto, away from him, and found solace with someone else. Kyuubi tensed, watching them with blazing eyes. If that boy so much as touched him, he'd go out there and tear him to shreds, consequences be damned.

Everyone was fawning over a delighted Akamaru and picking on Kiba when Sakura spotted it. She leaned closer to Naruto and whispered in his ear, "Your eyes are flickering red and blue. Is something wrong?"

Naruto looked over in surprise. Then he looked back. He knew how much Kyuubi hated Hinata, so he'd assumed the fox was sleeping, or grouching sullenly in the back of his head. What he saw had him rushing into his mind without a second thought. The cage was on fire. He couldn't see Kyuubi inside, but he sensed him, barely. Furious flames were lashing out between the bars. He didn't get very close before the heat stopped him in his tracks. There was no response to his yells, so he did the only thing he could think of. He turned the sprinklers on.

The water doused the exterior of the cage, but he couldn't get it to reach inside, no matter how clearly he imagined it. He edged closer, feeling the water as if it weren't just something he'd imagined in his head. He could see him now, crouched motionless with his tails raging around him. Kyuubi was growling so hard he should have felt the tremors under his feet. Instead, he could barely hear him, as if Kyuubi were on the other side of sound-proofed glass. Naruto was shocked. How could Kyuubi have gotten so upset without him feeling a thing? The answer came as soon as he touched the door of the cage. Kyuubi had designed it so nothing outside could affect what was inside. He hadn't felt a thing because Kyuubi had locked himself inside, away from him.

'Why?'

Kyuubi made no pretense of 'speaking' to him the way he usually did. The response was pure thought, stabbing into his head like hot steel. 'You're to blame.'

Naruto didn't want to talk to him this way. Kyuubi hadn't communicated with him like this since he'd first woken in the hospital. It was unnatural to be 'thinking' at someone right in front of him, impersonal, alien even. But if that was what it took, he'd have to. He closed his mouth tightly. 'What did I do?'

'Look.'

Memories crashed into him, everything Kyuubi had seen, thought, felt since they'd left the house. Naruto was on his hands and knees by the time it finished, mouth dry, heart pounding in his ears. Was this how it was for Kyuubi when the fox looked at his own memories? He couldn't catch his breath. He didn't need to breathe to think, though. 'Why didn't you say something?'

'You didn't care.'

'I didn't know,' Naruto corrected him. This wasn't just about Sasuke. Kyuubi thought he didn't care about him, either. All because he'd been distracted for a little while? No. There was underlying vulnerability to all the memories. This went further back. What he'd glimpsed when Kyuubi was talking to Iruka was actually a deep festering wound. Kyuubi had nothing but what he kept. By letting Sasuke walk away, he'd turned his back on the one thing Kyuubi was trying to keep and that wound had ripped open. Now Kyuubi couldn't even stand to look at him. Naruto's eyes burned. 'I didn't know.'

'You didn't care.'

Wetness trickled down his cheeks. He sniffed, wiping it away furiously. What had he done to his fox? How could it have gotten this bad? His throat closed so tightly it hurt. 'Let me fix it.'

'Stop crying.'

He scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. 'Just let me fix it, okay? It's not broken.' A choked laugh forced his throat open. This time he spoke with his mouth. 'He's not going to pick Shikamaru over us. They're just both quiet and antisocial, that's all. I'll talk to him. I'll find out what's wrong. Or you can talk to him yourself. If you want to keep him you have to get used to this. He's high maintenance. And he gets just as jealous as we do. I bet anything that's half the reason he stormed off.'

Kyuubi looked at him finally, but refused to open his mouth. 'Because you were fawning over that girl.'

Naruto's eyes widened as it hit him. Kyuubi wasn't just jealous of Sasuke, he was jealous of him, too. He could feel his throat threatening to close up again. He'd been neglecting his fox. They really didn't share everything. Because Kyuubi would never understand, let alone share, his feelings toward Hinata. 'I don't know about children, but it's nice having a little brother and a little sister. I like having people to look out for. Not everyone has an all-powerful fox to lean on, you know.'

Kyuubi snorted. He couldn't hear Naruto's thoughts from inside the cage, but he had an idea what was going on in his head. Sappy idiocy, no doubt.

'Do you want to talk to Sasuke or do you want me to?'

'Neither.' Kyuubi let out a long sigh and dropped his head onto his paws. 'Teach me how to make a duplicate body when we get back to the house. Leave me alone till then.'

'What about Sasuke?'

'I'm the one keeping him. I'll deal with him.' The impulse for flight had vanished the moment he dropped to the grass. He wasn't going anywhere for now. When he did go, Kyuubi couldn't count on Naruto to notice. Naruto couldn't even keep him for one day. Too interested in his sweet little charity case. Well, if Naruto insisted on keeping that broken bitch despite him, he'd find a way to keep Sasuke despite him.

'Kyuubi. I want to keep him, too.' The fox snorted again. 'I do! But I can't pay attention to him every second of the day. I'd go crazy. He'd go crazy. We can have different friends and still be-'

'Do you think he's making friends out there?' snapped Kyuubi.

'Maybe. Why not? They might have more in common than we do. What? Are you going to get angry every time he talks to someone else? You know he probably shares more with Kakashi than he does with us. Are you going to go off on him, too?'

'He's more interested in Iruka,' Kyuubi spat. 'I can't have him, so it doesn't matter. That shadow kid is a threat. Don't you see that? Did you forget how he got here? What am I supposed to do if he takes him somewhere I can't follow? Sasuke wants to run and he's sitting next to the only person here who could get him away from whatever it is he wants to run from.'

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't made the connection. He knew someone had taken Iruka from the house and then brought him and the kids back. None of the other kids had mentioned having a talent like that. So if it wasn't Pakkun who'd transported them, the only person left was... 'Damn it, Kyuubi! Why didn't you just say that to start with? You cryptic emotionally-retarded fox!'

The others startled when he jumped up. "Be right back," he said, with a weak grin. He ran over to the sky-watchers. Sasuke tensed and shot him a sharp look. There was no response from Shikamaru. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Hey, Shikamaru, can I talk to you?" Dark eyes turned to him and an eyebrow quirked. Naruto's grin faltered for a second. "Can I talk to you over there?" he asked, pointing away from the picnic.

Shikamaru groaned and rose slowly. A hand scratched at his pony tail, loosening up the grass stuck there. It took them forever to get far enough away that no one would overhear. Naruto was so impatient by then he could barely keep his voice down.

"You brought everyone here, right? How'd you do that?"

Shikamaru sighed, dropping to sit on the grass. Naruto immediately crouched in front of him. "I just held on. That Bunchu guy took directions from Iruka and used them to guide me to the attic. When I picked him up, I just let the dog lead me, and Bunchu made sure I didn't drop Iruka on the way back. I'd never tried transporting people before. It takes a lot more than just moving myself does."

"So you couldn't take anyone anywhere without Bunchu helping, right?"

"Well, if it's some place I've been before, I could. Probably. I'd have to make sure it's night time there, though. I haven't recovered enough energy to wrap myself in shadows if it's as bright as it is here. Ask me again in a few days."

"Then you could take someone somewhere if you waited till night to do it?"

"Or if the room I'm going to is dark enough when I get there. If it's too bright, I'd get pushed right back. It's like teleporters with water talents. If there's no water where they're trying to go, then they have to bring it with them or they can't go all the way."

Naruto was momentarily distracted. "You've met mutants like that?"

"No."

"Oh," Naruto drooped. He shook himself. "Don't take Sasuke anywhere, okay? In fact, don't even mention that you could, okay?"

"Are you asking me to lie for you?" asked Shikamaru. He didn't look disturbed by the possibility.

"Yeah," Naruto blurted. "No! I mean, well, just don't bring it up." Sasuke hadn't talked to anyone, and probably wouldn't, so if he didn't tell him and Shikamaru didn't tell him...he'd never know. Problem solved.

"Lying takes more effort than telling the truth. I wouldn't bother without a good reason." He frowned and dug in his hair again, picking out a few more blades of grass. "Have you got a good reason?"

"I don't want him to take off. If he knew you could get him out of here that easily-"

"It's not easy," Shikamaru interrupted. "Just taking myself somewhere would set me back for days. I wouldn't do that without a good reason, either."

"So if he asks you-"

"He'll have to give me a good reason."

'He won't tell him,' said Kyuubi.

Naruto was surprised he'd come out of the cage. He tried to act as casual as possible. Kyuubi got touchy when he ascribed overly-human emotions to him. 'He told us and Iruka. He said he didn't care who knew.'

'He told about his past,' Kyuubi corrected. 'It's his future that has him set to run now.' It was his brother, the prospect of seeing him. That had to be it. He was afraid that what he hadn't been willing to talk about was going to happen again. And just as Kyuubi had accused, the thought of it had him terrified. 'He's damaged...'

'What do you mean by that?' Naruto demanded.

Kyuubi ignored him. He'd never have wanted someone broken, but the brat was damaged. Damage could be fixed. The question was how. He sighed in frustration. 'He is high maintenance.'

'I told you,' Naruto huffed. He quickly turned his attention back to Shikamaru. The guy was staring at him with the most bored expression he'd ever seen on a person's face. Naruto winced. "Sorry, just talking to the fox."

"You have a fox?"

He blushed, choked, and mentally slapped himself. He'd completely forgotten that Shikamaru didn't know. He'd gotten more comfortable with Kyuubi being 'out' to the other kids. Now he had to go through it all again. He cringed inside and began fidgeting outside.

Kyuubi shoved him out of the way. "I'm the 'fox,'" he said testily. "My name is Kyuubi. Iruka calls me a split personality, though it isn't accurate. We are fully aware of each other. I exist inside him at all times. I take part in everything he does. His talents rely on me. Without my assistance, he can do little more than heal and increase his strength. Our eyes turn red when I'm in control. I have no physical form of my own and taking over limits me. I spend most of my time in the back of his head watching him make an idiot of himself. He considers me a dirty secret and I consider him the demeaning price I pay in order to exist in this world."

Naruto jumped aside as Kyuubi stalked past him. The fox's fur was raised, his tails lashing. He was as moody and bitchy as the first time they'd spoken to each other. Naruto cringed again. Yeah, he'd definitely been neglecting his fox. He'd even talked Iruka out of making tuna sandwiches for the picnic. He felt like a total asshole. When he opened his eyes to find Shikamaru staring at him, he didn't even bother to bluster. "He's upset with me. Don't take it personally."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Is he what Sasuke wants to get away from?"

"No!" Naruto blinked in surprise. "Actually, he gets along better with Kyuubi than he does with me half the time." He crushed his jealousy the second it reared up. They didn't share Hinata, but they were sure as hell sharing Sasuke. "Sasuke's situation is...different. I just want a chance to help him with it. If he got you to drop him off somewhere, I might never find him again." A thought that scared him just as badly as it had Kyuubi.

"I don't think you have to worry," Shikamaru shrugged. "I could only take him somewhere I know. I doubt he'd want to go to any of the places I've been."

"What-"

"Someone else is talking to him," Shikamaru interrupted. "Shouldn't you be scaring him off, too?"

"I wasn't trying to scare you off," Naruto winced. "I was just-" He stopped and took a quick glance back. "Oh, shit, not Lee..."

Sasuke stared warily at the exuberant boy. "I don't fight with witnesses," he muttered. Everyone was looking over at him now, making him feel as uncomfortable and out of place as he had when no one had been. The way Lee had challenged him so loudly everyone heard didn't help matters any.

"It is not a fight I am pro- suggesting. Nor a spar, though I would not be ad- against - such a pro- suggestion." Lee faltered. Replacing words was not as easy as Naruto had made it seem. It would clearly require extensive practice to master. Naturally. Difficult lessons were the ones most worth learning. "I am suggesting a race. Kiba-kun has claimed Akamaru to be faster than anything on two legs. I have accepted his challenge, as has Sakura. It is my suggestion," though the word proposal really did seem more accurate, "that we extend this race to include any sure-footed person among us. Kakashi-san named you as the fastest person in his opinion, so I would like you to par- take part."

Sasuke turned a simmering glare on Kakashi. That explained why even the adults were staring. They were in on it.

"Lee! Hey! Hey, Lee?"

Naruto was running toward them. Sasuke watched as Lee promptly repeated his challenge, and the reason for it, to the out of breath blonde. He wasn't surprised when Naruto immediately pounced on the proposal. He was annoyed, though, when Naruto seconded Kakashi's opinion.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto nodded. "Sasuke's really fast. He runs circles around me."

"Kakashi's faster," Sasuke cut in.

"He is an adult," Lee said firmly. "His body has had time to fully mature, as have his talents. Akamaru is a young teen by human years. To race him against an adult would prove nothing."

"Exactly," Kakashi called. "Get up and race, Broody-Boy. I've got ten bucks riding on you."

Sasuke's eye twitched. If he did get up it wouldn't be to race. It would be to close that mouth of his permanently. A hand clapped down on his shoulder and he jumped at the contact. He was about to lash out when he realized it was Naruto rather than Lee.

"Come on, Sasuke," Naruto wheedled. "It'll be easy!"

"Not necessarily," Lee was compelled to admit. "Speed is one of my strongest attributes."

"Points," Naruto supplied automatically. "Talents. Maybe characteristics, but that's even longer. Skills or strong points sounds better. Always go for the one syllable word."

"I see," Lee nodded.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded.

"Fixing the way he talks," Naruto explained. "So he doesn't sound so formal."

So smart, he meant. Sasuke had never heard anything so ridiculous. His eyes narrowed. "There's nothing wrong with the way he talks. Except the volume."

"Ah, yes," Lee frowned, lowering his voice. "I am not on a stage and should not speak as if I were."

"I'm," Naruto said quickly. "And shouldn't. You've gotta use more contractions. You sound like a machine. From old black and white movies, even."

Sasuke shot to his feet. "Naruto." He waited till he had his undivided attention. "You'll race, too. Whether he beats me or not, when I beat you, you'll stop this- this..."

"Language lessons," Lee said helpfully. He nodded to Naruto, "Or talk tips, for a one syllable replacement."

"That," Sasuke grimaced.

"But I'm helping him! And we already know you're faster than me!"

Sasuke stared at him. "Don't make me pin you in front of everyone."

Naruto sent a wary glance around, noting all the eyes on them. "Like you could," he mumbled, faintly. Sasuke took one step toward him and he jumped back, hands up. "Okay! Fine! I'll race, too. But it's your fault if people make fun of him because of the way he talks."

Sasuke sniffed. "If they do, then they're not worth talking to."

Lee shook his head. "People cannot help but react to those who are different. I do-n't wish to stand out."

"Then you shouldn't be taking advice from someone who thinks orange is a normal color for clothing."

"Hey!" Naruto yelped. "Like black's any better, Goth-Boy!"

"Children," Kakashi called. "Are we going to see a race today or not?"

"Yeah, you'll see one," Naruto growled. He glowered at Sasuke. "Forget what I just said. I'm going to leave you in the dust. And when I beat you, you'll be wearing orange for the rest of the weekend!"

"I'd rather die."

"Oh, no," Lee exclaimed. "You should not even joke about such things!"

Even Naruto looked askance at him this time. Sasuke sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yeah," Naruto scoffed. "So Sasuke can get back to his brooding."

Sasuke didn't bother rising to the bait. It was true, after all.

.-.
TBC