Reise zu Reinkarnation

IV

It all happened so quickly that Hinata didn’t register the fact her life was in danger until she saw both Kakashi-sensei and Naruto-kun launch to their feet, the former wielding several kunai. Then she became aware of the steady pressure around her throat and the nails just shy of breaking the skin around her pulse. That in itself didn’t scare her as much as the ever changing looks in Sasuke’s eyes. One moment, they were warm and gentle, the eyes that belonged to the Sasuke she’d had following her around for the better part of three hours, and the next they were hard and cold and worst of all dead.

Sasuke’s lips parted. Hinata froze Kakashi in place with a gesture, but Naruto moved forward, eyes set in a decidedly deadly glare.

“Let her go,” Sasuke whispered. Hinata mustered all the emotion she could to her moonlight eyes and pleaded with Naruto to stay where he was. It occurred to her, when Naruto’s lips curled in a snarl, that neither he nor Kakashi had heard Sasuke speak.

“She’s weak,” Hinata heard Sasuke – no, not Sasuke. This low voice belonged to someone else – say, “We should just kill her and get it over with.”

“I won’t let you hurt her.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“Let. Her. Go.”

Abruptly, whatever power struggle was taking place ended and Sasuke’s right hand released its deadly grip from around Hinata’s throat. Hinata fell to her knees, soon followed down by the warm eyed Sasuke, who stared at her apologetically. Hinata only smiled and looked up at Naruto.

“I’m all right.”

“What the hell was that?” Naruto asked, watching Kakashi haul Sasuke to his feet.

“I could take him back to prison,” Kakashi informed the younger pair. To her horror, Hinata watched Naruto consider the action.

“No,” Hinata pleaded. “It wasn’t his fault! I startled him, that’s all.”

“He tried to kill you,” Naruto reminded her. Kakashi noted Sasuke was trembling, head down, face hidden by the curtain of his hair.

“He didn’t mean it,” Hinata insisted, getting to her feet, “He only reacted. I’m fine, see? No bruises.”

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Finally he turned to Kakashi and Sasuke, watching Sasuke’s eyes shiver with some emotion as he met the brunette’s gaze. Sasuke’s lips were moving. A prayer? No, Naruto realized, an apology. Prison had to have been hell and to be sent back there for a mistake… well, he’d catch hell from Neji but he didn’t want to lock Sasuke up if there really was no reason to. He gestured for Kakashi to let his brunette captive go and watched Kakashi’s fingers flex before he complied. Sasuke almost dropped to his knees, but somehow kept himself upright, staring at Naruto. The blonde said nothing and watched Sasuke mutely begin to pick up the clothes he had dropped. No one seemed to move until he was finished, standing there surrounded by three ninja who could – after receiving deadly wounds – bring him down. Sasuke winced and hugged his chosen apparel closer to his chest. Naruto heaved a silent sigh, and moved toward Sasuke, putting a hand on his shoulder. Already tense muscles became more so the moment his hand touched the brunette’s shoulders but Sasuke didn’t move. Almost shyly, he tore his gaze from the floor and looked up at Naruto from under his lashes, questioning. Naruto didn’t like that look. He didn’t like it because it made Sasuke seem so vulnerable and it did bad things to his non-existent sex drive. Finally, he squeezed the Uchiha’s shoulder and looked toward Hinata, then Kakashi.

“I’m going to take him home,” Naruto said.

“Is that a good idea?” Kakashi asked, eyeing Sasuke. Naruto shook his head a negative and then sighed.

“What choice do I have?”

“We could watch him,” Hinata offered. She watched Sasuke tense again, and only because she had two ‘X’ chromosomes was Hinata able to realize Sasuke felt safe with Naruto nearby. It probably wasn’t a mutual feeling, because Hinata figured Naruto was making a target of himself for the more violent side of this Sasuke for the sake of those in his care.

“Thanks, but no.” Naruto replied, though he offered a smile. “I think I can handle this.”

He ushered Sasuke from the office and turned back to give the two jounin some final instructions. Kakashi merely nodded his head at the man who’d once been his student, and vanished in a puff of smoke and burning ozone. Hinata tilted her head as she watched Naruto’s retreating back and touched her fingers to her throat. Sasuke could’ve easily killed her, but he’d stopped himself. The hold he’d had on his own wrist had been the only thing keeping his hand from crushing her trachea. She shivered. They had no idea what Sasuke was capable of, or if he was really even on their side. She spent an hour straightening Naruto’s office before she went home. On her way though, she couldn’t help feeling that someone was watching her.


Naruto watched Sasuke explore the apartments that the Hokage lived in. Each and every Hokage occupied these spacious rooms until the day they died or stepped down. Of course, things were changed around, new furniture, new pictures on the wall, fresh paint. The whole place got a makeover to suit the resident at the given time. Sasuke was prowling, Naruto noted with amusement. He was checking everything, eyes flicking to potential danger zones and scrutinizing before he was satisfied. He’d done much the same to his bedroom, a small room down the hall from the master bedroom Naruto chose as his personal sanctuary.

Sasuke had inspected that too.

The brunette was barefoot now, dressed in some of Naruto’s old sweatpants and the ANBU vest. The sweatpants had to be rolled up to come to Sasuke’s ankles, which gave Naruto an even better estimate as to how much taller than Sasuke he was. Ah, little victories. Sasuke’s hair was unbound, so it flowed free past his shoulders. When he turned and gave Naruto a profile to study, Naruto wondered if he was actually staring at Itachi instead of Sasuke. But then those wonderfully dark eyes turned to meet his and he knew this was Sasuke.

“Does it meet with your approval?” Naruto asked in a mild tone. Sasuke picked up on the sarcasticness of it anyway and narrowed his eyes a little.

“Your idea of traps sucks, Naruto.” Sasuke replied. “A child could see that chakra thread by the window.”

Naruto bit his cheek. He’d have to mention this to Iruka-sensei the next time he saw him. Sasuke had spotted in one sweep what Kakashi took hours in locating. Sasuke noted his amusement and an elegant eyebrow lifted. Naruto snorted out an aborted laugh and shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

“Sure,” Sasuke whispered in reply and turned away.

Now’s our chance, Orochimaru hissed.

Take him out, Uchiha echoed.

Sasuke shook his head. “No,” he whispered.

He wasn’t even sure if he was heard but now they were arguing again, and Sasuke’s head was beginning to ache. He sat down heavily on the couch and was aware of Naruto coming sit beside him. To spite his two parasites or because he just wanted to, Sasuke shifted to lay down and place his head against Naruto’s thigh. The blonde was tense, but when Naruto looked down to see Sasuke’s eyes closed, he relaxed. Stupid jounin paranoia. Sasuke’s hands were pinned under the opposite arm as they were wrapped around his middle, legs drawn up to an almost fetal position. Naruto let his fingers stroke Sasuke’s hair, marveling at the softness of it. He gently worked out snarls by finger-combing the brunette’s hair, realizing when Sasuke let out a deep sigh, he was asleep. Naruto studied the Uchiha now that he was asleep and less inclined to shy away. Sasuke’s skin was pale, paler than what was his norm, and that paleness made his lashes ashen against his face. He was pretty, sharing the beauty his brother had, bordering on feminine. There was an inner strength, though, Naruto knew, one that had kept Sasuke going even when things seemed bleak. Naruto hunched over Sasuke, watching his eyelids flutter in REM. He felt honoured, really, that Sasuke trusted him enough to sleep like this, to make himself vulnerable at the hands of a friend who’d become an enemy and still could bring about his death so easily. He stroked Sasuke’s cheek and felt Sasuke instinctively shy away from the touch before he relaxed again, rubbing his ear against his fleshy pillow in contentment.

Naruto smiled and leaned back, one arm around Sasuke’s shoulders, the other across the back of the couch. Perhaps he should get some work done. Oh, it could wait. The files and papers weren’t going to up and walk away. He should contact Tsunade, though. She’d probably kill him for interrupting her retirement, but the man sleeping so peacefully in his lap would be so worth the death.