The Sound of Dreams

AN: Hi there! Just a few quick lines to bring clarity to a few confusing items for people.

1. Sasuke was unconscious when Naruto told him that he loved him.
2. The little boy that they rescued is in town with the other children and the Fuuma clan is trying to find their parents.
3. As for the things that attacked at the bases, they were experiments of Orochimaru’s.

I’m glad that everyone liked the smut so much! I really tried to work a different kind of imagery in there since it involved the curse seal. Low and behold, the latest chapter of the manga supports an argument I have been having with my husband since the Valley of the End incident. The mark does have a psychological impact on the victim! Of course he hates Sasuke anyway, so anything I say won’t change his viewpoint, lol.

Kimra: I know how you feel about headaches. I get migraines regularly and they are a bitch! And sorry, last time I checked, I am an American female, not a Japanese male, nor do I own the copyright to anything, lol.

Animehead: Thank you very much, sweety!! /hugs and /cuddles (/sneaks in a grope)

Clarinetcandy: Reading can be fun and educational… as long as there is smut involved.

Hitomi: not sure where you are referencing the “design” instead of “desire.” I looked through the chapter and even used a search and didn’t see any miscued words. ??

Lonelylullaby: Naruto did enjoy it, he just doesn’t want to admit it yet. The reason he had tears was because it was so damn intense. Believe me, intense, overwhelming sex can make you cry. (Loves her husband.)

XYZ: Thank you for the wonderful review! And you are absolutely correct in that it will be hard to incorporate all those issues into the chapters that I have left in this story. And Naruto will be finding out that he has to find some middle ground for his beliefs. Those beliefs were easier to live by when he was a 12 year old genin and never had to kill someone. It will be harder to find his way through the tricky moral ground now that he is older and has to face the harsh reality of shinobi life.

Mydarkerside: Don’t worry, you will get to hear from Sakura before the story ends!

Thank you for everyone who reviewed and thanks for reading!! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

Last but not least: ALLYS drew me another beautiful fanart!!
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52834734/?q=by%3Aallys777&qh=sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps


Warning: Spoiler info (plus my little take on some things since Naruto wasn’t there for some of it in this story like he was in the manga.)

Chapter 46


Sasuke slowly woke up to the sensation of lips lightly brushing across his. He drew in a breath and immediately recognized the scent of his lover. He noticed that the skin was no longer winter chapped but softer and warmer and figured it was due to the coming of spring and the increase in temperatures.

The mouth moved to nibble along his jaw line and ghosted over the lobe of his ear before trekking its way northward to skim over his brow before dropping to give a peck onto the tip of his nose. As that wonderful mouth descended on his again, everything faded. He didn’t note that he was in a warm room on a soft bed and no longer outside in the forest. He didn’t note that he was naked under the warm covers because the heated skin of his lover wasn’t brushing up against his, but rather was on the outside of the blankets. He didn’t even note how his body ached because all of his sensory input came from his lips being kissed, licked and tenderly nipped.

Callused fingers gently brushed his jaw, causing his breath to hitch jerkily. The gentle touch was caring and loving. It was everything that he didn’t deserve after his actions of the night before. He didn’t deserve this man’s soft caresses after nearly raping him in his rage and madness.

But he would selfishly hold him and never let him go. Naruto was the other half of his soul, his conscience and the one person who kept him from being consumed by his own darkness. Without Naruto, there was no Sasuke. There was only the Avenger of the Uchiha Clan.

A warm tongue deftly lapped away the single drop of salty water that escaped from the corner of his eye and raced into the hairline at his temple. Comforting words were softly murmured into the shell of his ear before the mouth returned to his own.

He drew Naruto’s tongue into his mouth as he wished he could draw his lover’s body into his own. He needed to be a part of this warmth. He needed to feel the light and love that he knew was given to him even though they hadn’t exchanged the words. He needed to know that he was forgiven for his actions last night and was still wanted and needed in return.

Strong fingers slid through ebony locks as Naruto gently cradled his head in the palm of his hand. His hair wasn’t gripped in a demand for submission; he was tenderly held as if he were cherished. Sasuke lifted his arms up and wrapped them around strong, broad shoulders, finally noting that he was bare while his lover was not.

“Naruto,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. He hated feeling this way. He hated the vulnerability, the weakness and the dependency that this emotion made him have for the other male. But he loved it as well. He loved the warmth, the passion and the need to be with this man.

Naruto looked down into his eyes which were quite literally windows to his soul and smiled a gentle, genuine and loving smile. “Yeah, me, too,” he said, calm and almost peaceful in contrast to Sasuke’s own conflicting emotions.

The loud knocking on the door effectively shattered the moment. “Oi, you two love birds done in there?” Kiba’s voice could be heard through the thick wood. “Everyone’s waiting in the kitchen.”

Naruto smiled at Sasuke’s expression. “No, you can’t kill him. I told everyone to meet me in the kitchen while I went and woke you up.” His eyes took in his lover’s appearance with a carefully neutral expression. “Why don’t you get dressed while I try to beat it into their heads that we aren’t going with them?” He wanted to give Sasuke time to put himself back together and get his emotions under control once again.

While he loved being able to get under his skin and into his heart in such a manner, he didn’t want anyone else to know how fragile Sasuke could sometimes be. He didn’t know if it was because of whatever trauma the teen had suffered as a child, the shock of realizing his feelings for what they were or the after effects of having gone to the second level of the curse seal but for some reason Sasuke was off center and unstable at the moment. The night before had shown that quite clearly.

He didn’t hold the brunette’s actions against him. Indeed, he knew what it was like trying to deal with outside (or perhaps it should be inside) influences that were not his own. If he had to go through what he did last night to prevent Sasuke from leaving him again, he would do so in a heartbeat. He guessed that it didn’t say much about his own mental health if he would accept such actions on a regular basis from his lover. Of course, he shoved the fact that part of him hadn’t minded it at all deeper into the recesses of his psyche.

He gently kissed those cool lips once more before standing and moving to the door. “I’ll see you in a few,” he said with a quirk of his lips.

Sasuke nodded, but didn’t voice a response.

***********************
Naruto joined the others in the kitchen where they had seemed to take up residence. It was past lunch time and the area was empty of both workers and other shinobi. The blonde poured himself a cup of tea and hopped up on the counter, making himself comfortable.

“So, what are you guys going to do really?” he finally asked as the silence dragged on.

Sai spoke up when he saw Shino open his mouth to reply. “We’re going to stick around you and try to convince you to come home. Barring that, we are going to have to follow you around and be a general nuisance.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow. “You can’t follow us around everywhere,” he declared. “We have missions to do.”

Hinata smiled shyly at him. “Then I guess we will have to accompany you on your missions.”

“Yeah,” Kiba agreed. “The sooner you get done with whatever it is you are doing, the sooner you can come home. So,” he said while shooting a look at Shino, “I guess you could say it is our duty to help you out.”

Naruto grinned at his friends. “Just like old times, eh?”

Shino sighed and nodded. “It would appear so. If helping you finish this task hastens your return home, then I am willing to help.”

Naruto let out a laugh, understanding that his friends meant well and weren’t going to push the issue. He knew ultimately that he would have to make a decision, but for now, things would be alright. He slung and arm around Kiba and ruffled his hair good-naturedly.

It was amidst all this laughter and teasing that Sasuke walked into the doorway. His first reactions were panic, envy and derision. He was panicked that he would lose Naruto to them, envious of their easy closeness and yet sneered at it at the same time.

Naruto raised his head, his sixth sense seeming to alert him that Sasuke was present as it usually did. Naruto shot a smile in his direction and held out a hand to him, inviting him to join.

Sasuke let out his typical “Hn,” in response and leaned casually against the door frame. While he turned up his nose at the offer, the offer itself put to rest some of his concerns. Naruto was still there for him. Naruto wouldn’t leave him to return to Konoha. The blonde had already told him that he was Sasuke’s as long as Sasuke wanted him.

He had nothing to fear from the others.

At that moment, Sasame brushed by his shoulder as she entered the room, but not in a careless or challenging manner. Sasuke realized that many of his reactions to her had been based upon his paranoia of someone taking Naruto away from him. He would admit that the girl wasn’t too terribly annoying, especially when she wasn’t looking at Naruto with doe eyes.

Naruto flashed a welcoming smile over at the orange-haired girl and offered her a cup of tea.

She gladly took the refreshment and, after a sip, let out a breath that seemed to relax her. “I just got back from the village. Hanzaki wants to see you both. He says that there have been some new developments and we are needed to take action.”

“When does he want us there?” Naruto asked with a suddenly serious expression.

“Tomorrow,” she answered. “He knows you have been injured and said to take this day to heal up a little more.”

Naruto held up his bare arm. “I should be good for sure tomorrow. It feels a lot better.”

Naruto shot a questioning look over at Sasuke, but refrained from inquiring about his health. He knew that the other shinobi was sore, especially with all the fighting they did last night. His body warmed slightly as he remembered what else they had done.

“Tomorrow will be fine,” Sasuke said in response to Naruto’s look.

“Sweet! Finally, something exciting!” Kiba said with a pleased expression on his face.

Sasame gave Naruto a confused look.

“It seems like we have a few more ninjas to lend a helping hand,” he answered her unspoken question.

“Welcome aboard,” she said with a pleased smile.

*********************
They spent the rest of the day bringing the four Leaf-nins up to date on what was happening within Rice Field Country. At first Sasame was reluctant to impart information to foreign ninja, but she quickly became impressed with their insight and suggestions.

The conversation had been relaxed and easy going with the shinobi spread around the sitting area of Sasuke’s and Naruto’s bedroom for privacy. Naruto was sitting next to Sasuke with his back leaned into the other male who was idly playing with his hair. Sai, Shino and the two girls were sitting on the other furniture while Kiba was stretched out comfortably on the floor with Akamaru.

Naruto finally decided to stop avoiding the subject and asked, “What’s been happening in Konoha?”

There was an awkward moment of silence before Sai spoke up. “Asuma-sensei was killed by a member of the Akatsuki,” he said emotionlessly. “We almost lost a few others as well before the two members were taken out. Kakashi-sensei was in the hospital for a long time after using his new Sharingan.”

That immediately had Sasuke’s attention. “New Sharingan?” he demanded.

“Yep,” Sai nodded.

Sasuke waited with growing impatience, but the addition to team seven remained silent. “Well?!” Sasuke finally growled out. “What did it look like? What did it do? How did he get it?”

Sai gave a quirk of his lips as if he were enjoying Sasuke’s unusual display. After all, it wasn’t everyday that someone could shake the cold shinobi’s typical stoic appearance.

Sai slowly pulled out a scroll from his weapon’s pouch. He carefully retrieved a brush and his ink. He mixed the ink with cool precision, seeming to ignore the dark eyes that were boring into him. He mentally gave a gleeful chuckle as he circumspectly observed the Uchiha’s reactions. It was interesting that he finally found a way to crack the teen’s aloof mask.

He drew Kakashi’s eye in minute detail and tilted the scroll upwards ostensibly to blow on the ink, but also removing it from Sasuke’s view. It was only when Naruto winced from the fingers that had tightened out of frustration in his hair that Sai casually turned the scroll around to show to the boy.

Two onyx eyes widened incredulously.

“As for how he got it, I am not sure,” Sai stated calmly. “He used it in the fight against the Akatsuki. It is how they defeated Kakuzu.”

“What did it do?” Sasuke demanded. He felt Naruto prying at his fingers and released his grip on the blonde locks. He shot a very brief apologetic look at him before returning his gaze to Sai.

“It somehow sucked some of the shadow things that surrounded Kakuzu into some kind of dimensional vortex,” Sai said with a frown. He wasn’t really exactly sure what Kakashi had done, only that it removed several of Kakuzu’s “lives.”

Sasuke frowned. He knew that Itachi was able to suck a person’s mind into some kind of dimension, but he had never heard of it affecting a person physically except in as much as draining their strength and putting them into a coma.

Sai shrugged. “Sakura said the first time she saw it was when she, Naruto, Kakashi and some old lady went up against the Akatsuki members that had taken the Kazekage.”

Sasuke turned a disbelieving look on Naruto. “And you didn’t tell me about it?”

Naruto blinked under that accusing stare. “Well, it was a while back. And other things have happened since then. I.. I sort of forgot about it.”

“You forgot about it?” Sasuke asked incredulously.

“Yes, I forgot about it. I had other things on my mind like how I was going to break out of the fucking prison in … that Orochimaru had stuck me in,” he amended, forcing himself not to look in Sasame’s direction.

Sasuke forced himself to take a deep breath and continued in a more reasonable tone. “How did he get it? What was he doing when he used it?”

Naruto gave a shrug against the firm chest behind him. “He just had it. He lifted his headband and there it was. He used it to suck in an explosion to protect the rest of us.”

Sasuke frowned. He had to talk to Kakashi. He had to know how he had developed the Mangekyou. He thought he knew Kakashi well enough to know that the man hadn’t killed anyone that was close to him for it. Not after all the lectures he gave about teamwork and never leaving a teammate behind. If he knew something that hadn’t been recorded on the stone beneath the Uchiha family home, then Sasuke needed to find out about it.

Of course, the moment Sasuke showed his face in Konoha he would be arrested.

Also, he doubted that Kakashi would even tell him how he developed it since he would know that Sasuke would turn right around and leave again with the intent on hunting down his brother.

Lost in his own thoughts, Sasuke paid little attention as the others went back to discussing current events back in the Leaf. It wasn’t until he saw everyone standing to leave and gathering up dirty dishes that he realized that it was late and he had completely missed dinner.

As soon as the door shut a pair of lips found their way to his, bringing him fully into the present.

“You okay?” Naruto asked worriedly.

He gave a short nod. “Just confused, I guess. A bit shocked. If there was a way that Kakashi developed the Mangekyou, then there has to be a way that I can as well.”

“You mean without killing me?” Naruto couldn’t resist the sharp half-tease, half-serious jibe.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow at him, then abruptly reached up and clasped his hand to the back of Naruto’s neck. He yanked the younger man back down to him so he could take his lips in a deep kiss. After a moment, Naruto started to respond, pressing himself against his lover, wanting to feel every inch of him.

Sasuke broke away from the kiss. “I couldn’t do it back then and you are even more precious to me now,” he whispered.

“Sasuke,” Naruto said back just as quietly in a voice filled with emotion. He stood and drew the other boy up with him, his gaze full of love and longing. He hooked a finger under the leather collar with a wide grin and proceeded to lead his lover towards the bed.

**************
Kiba had finally settled in for the night on the comfortable futon that was in the room he shared with Sai and Shino. Akamaru was snuggled up against his side, radiating a familiar and comfortable warmth that let him know that he had his faithful friend watching his back.

Wham. Wham. Wham.

‘What the fuck?’

The sound of something metal slamming into stone resonated through the closed door from not far away.

Wham. Wham. Wham.

Accompanying each slam was a low noise like a moan or a groan of pain. A snicker came from the futon where Sai was supposed to be sleeping.

“What the hell is that?” Kiba demanded.

Wham.Wham.Wham.

The snicker became a snort of laughter. “You can’t tell?”

The deep toned moans became slightly louder as the tempo increased.

Whamwhamwham.

Kiba got up and walked over to the door, intent on finding out what the hell was going on.

“You might not want to do that,” Shino said quietly from the other side of Sai.

Incensed that he seemed to be the only clueless one in the room, Kiba opened the door. The noise was much louder out in the hall.

Whamwhamwham.

“Naruto!”

That sounded like Sasuke’s voice. It was a tone he had never heard coming from the dark-haired teen before and he wasn’t sure what it was.

“Harder!”

His face went slightly pale before becoming very red.

Whamwhamwhamwhamwhamwham.

“Oh god, yes!!”

Another sound joined the moans-turned-cries of pleasure. It wasn’t as low in timbre as Sasuke’s voice, but it made up for it in a growling, rumbling way.

That was when the scent of sexual arousal hit him full in the nose. Although he himself wasn’t interested in males, his body responded instinctually.

He quickly stepped back into the room and practically slammed the door shut, although he doubted anyone could hear it over the two in the other room.

“They…they’re…” he stuttered out.

“Having sex,” Shino replied in a bland tone.

“Snogging,” Sai supplied with what sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

“Fucking!” he finally finished his own sentence.

His sensitive ears picked up the staccato cries and his ninja training happily informed him for Sasuke to be making those sounds that Naruto must have been reaming him pretty damn hard and fast.

There was a brief moment of silence when only the sound of what Kiba remembered being a metal headboard was being rammed into the stone wall. The stillness was shattered by a deep, hoarse cry of release. It was quickly joined by an almost guttural roar that shot straight down to Kiba’s groin.

“Well, now I know who’s on top,” Sai chuckled.

Kiba swallowed with some difficulty. “I need to use the bathroom.” He quickly ducked out of the room before anyone could comment, leaving Akamaru behind. Thankfully, all of the noises had stopped but the heavy smell of cum and pheromones were still thick in the air.


Kiba lazily walked back to his room about a half an hour later, feeling much better. It was amazing what a good jerking off in the shower could do for your stress. He was able to ignore the lingering smell of sex in the air as he opened his door and silently slid inside. He crawled inside of his covers and Akamaru happily snuggled up against his back. The other two occupants seemed to have finally drifted off asleep.

He slowly relaxed and felt himself drifting off toward dreamland.

Wham. Wham. Wham.

His eyes shot open and he sat up in bed.

Wham. Wham. Wham.

“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me!”

His only reply was a muffled snickering from not far away.

TBC