Kitsune no Yomeiri

A/N: oh my god, what have i done? sasuke is sooooo OOC in this chapter that even naruto notices. which means that IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY. but have no fear, the prickly bastard we all adore will return next chapter, thanks to the effort of 'foot in mouth' naruto in this chapter.

special chapter 5 summary: when naruto is faced with a sasuke that isn't anything like the boy he remembers, what can he do to make things the way they should be? piss him off, of course.

reviewer responses:

Lemo: the title "kitsune no yomeiri" means "the fox's (or foxes') wedding" and is a japanese phrase for the weather phenomenon sunshower. the legend behind the phrase will be incorporated in the second to last or last chapter, i haven't decided. oh, and i don't know of any kitsune lord!naruto fics off hand, but if anyone else does, please leave the title and/or author in a comment!

Rasengan22: i'm sorry, but my "here's to the fox" muse is convalescing. i'm sure when i'm somewhere more comfortable than my dorm room, i'll crank out the rest of interlude iii for you.

as for the rest of you: thank you so much for your kind words. they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. and remember, reviews don't make me update faster, they make me write hotter lemons. ^.~

on with the story!


same tags apply


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Chapter 5: Wherefore art thou chang`ed?
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“You’re a kitsune?”

Naruto sat motionless, staring at Sasuke, the pain of those words ringing in his ears. He was vaguely aware of Jiraiya leaning over and whispering, “Now’s your chance.”

Naruto slid off his stool, the hem of his lavender kimono brushing the ground. He slid his arms into their opposite sleeves, holding them out and perpendicular to his body, and bowed low to the Uchiha. Not that Sasuke would know, but Naruto was gracing him with the highest regard someone of his status could bestow upon a lesser person.

“I am Lord Kazahaya no Kitsune, great lord of the hidden kitsune village. I am sorry for deceiving you.”

“So you lied about knowing Itachi?”

“No, I did not lie. I knew Itachi long ago.” His eyes slid to Jiraiya for a second. “Please, let us take this discussion someplace more private.”

Sasuke said nothing, but his lips thinned into a displeased line, and he turned from the restaurant’s entrance. Naruto turned to pay for his meal, only to find Jiraiya had taken care of it. With a small bow to the toad sage, Naruto left after the Uchiha.

He walked behind Sasuke, slightly amused that he’d throw away fifteen years of royal egotism just to watch that trim ass sway in those paint-on pants. But someone had obviously taught Sasuke how to act around royalty, because he slowed down after a minute to trail a polite and respectful distance behind Naruto, who refused to pout at the fact that Sasuke couldn’t return the favor with him wearing the damn kimono.

After a few more moments of walking, Sasuke made a sound behind him and with his arm, indicated that Naruto should enter into the Ninja Academy grounds. A wave of sadness flowed over him as he was led to his old swing.

“This was his swing.”

Taken by surprise, Naruto could only stare at Sasuke before he quickly asked, “What?”

“This swing, it was Naruto’s. This was where I first met him. He looked so lonely, so I came over and made him my first friend. How could I not? He was like physical sunshine, and there’s no way sunshine should ever be lonely.”

‘Who is this? What happened to my teme?’

“I feel I can talk to you about it, since you’re… like him.”

“A kitsune?” Sasuke nodded. “Tell me, how did you find out?”

“The Hokage sent for me. I am to be your guard during your stay here, so she told me you are a kitsune lord. When I heard that you were here to retrieve something, I thought you were here for Naruto, and I’d already told you he’s dead. Is he why you came?”

Naruto looked at Sasuke’s profile, the setting sun casting part of his face in shadow. He suddenly had a thought that maybe Sasuke had been hurting as much as he had for the past fifteen years. But he couldn’t tell him, not yet.

“No, I am not here for Naruto. To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard of a Naruto from the kitsune village.” And that was the truth, for only his vassal dared call him by his human name, and even then he’d had to beg her.

“No, I don’t suppose you would. He was born here. His mother was brought here for sanctuary and died. Only the elders and older ninja knew he was kitsune, though looking back, it was so obvious.”

“How so?”

“He had these whisker marks on his cheeks that, when he grinned, he looked like a fox. And when we’d play a little too roughly, his injuries were always healed the next day, though that could have easily been attributed to Kyuubi’s presence within him. It was just little things that were so easily overlooked that stand out clear as day now.

“Gods, he was my best friend! I wasn’t really good at the whole ‘being social’ thing, and I even called him a bunch of names, but he never deserted me. He’d just yell and call me names back, then laugh like nothing had happened. You know, when we were six, just before he was taken, we promised to marry each other.”

Naruto couldn’t hold back his gasp of surprise, and tears started to form in his eyes. ‘Teme… you remembered…’

“I know what you must be thinking, that we were stupid children, and moreover, guys.”

“Then you know nothing of the kitsune.”

Sasuke finally looked at him. “What?”

“My people give no regard to gender. It is mostly about producing strong heirs, and sometimes, it’s even about love. Kitsune males have the same ability to bear children as the females do, so it is possible, though not often, that a strong male will mate with another strong male if no female is up to par.”

“So Naruto really could…” He trailed off, and Naruto watched as thin, yet muscled arms came up to hug his shoulders, a barely traceable tremor shaking the Uchiha’s body. “Gods, no!” Naruto watched in utter shock as Sasuke fell to his knees.

“Uchiha, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Naruto kneeled down beside him, careless of the dirt and grass that would stain his kimono.

“He said he could produce heirs,” the pale man whispered. “He said we could get married because he could produce heirs. I thought… I thought he was joking, so I played along, but deep down I had hoped it was true.”

Naruto froze at that, and he threw up a wall of icy indifference to hide his hurt. “So your promise meant nothing to you?”

“No!” Frantic eyes met his, Sasuke’s confusion and stress causing them to swirl with the Sharingan. “I had hoped with everything I had that it could happen some day. Itachi would produce the main heirs to the Uchiha line, and it wouldn’t matter that I didn’t marry a woman. And then Naruto was taken from me, followed by Itachi taking everyone else. I was a broken child, and when I thought that I would be alright when I saw Naruto again, I found out he was never coming back.

“I resigned myself to hunting down my brother, to take my revenge and Naruto, only to learn my brother didn’t have him. That’s when I knew he was dead. If he wasn’t wouldn’t he have come back to me?”

Naruto looked into those frightened and sad eyes, unable to say anything. What could he say to that? The truth was, he hadn’t tried to come back. He’d been warned at first that any attempt to leave would be thwarted by any and all kitsune. Then he’d been overcome with excitement to be in a place where he was loved and respected and treated with kindness. Then his training to become great lord commenced, and before he knew it, fifteen years had gone by.

And even though not one night had gone by without him dreaming of his best friend, one morning that he hadn’t wondered how he could get to Konoha from the hidden village, he’d never tried to come back. So really, what claim did he have on the Uchiha now?

‘None. None whatsoever.’

“And now I have to marry Sakura, even though I can’t stand her touching me or even speaking to me at times. There is nothing left for me but my revenge and reviving my clan.”

“If you don’t like her, why did you ask her to marry you?”

“I didn’t,” he hissed. “I asked her to bear my children. But she refused to do so out of wedlock.”

‘Could this be my chance? I may not have claim to him, but that doesn’t mean I want to let him go.’ “Then don’t marry her.”

“Hn. She’s the strongest kunoichi here, as she’s inherited the Godaime’s freakish strength.”

“Who said anything about marrying a kunoichi?” ‘What the hell am I doing?’

“And who do you propose I marry?”

“Me. As great lord, I am in need of a strong mate to help me continue my bloodline. An Uchiha seed and my egg would create an heir who is unrivaled in power.” ‘Yep, give him the impression you’re only after power. Don’t tell him you love him, ‘cause that would be too close to the truth. Gods, I am such a dobe.’

As he looked, Sasuke’s wide and disbelieving eyes narrowed into small chunks of ice, glaring daggers at Naruto. He pushed Naruto violently away from him and stood, his dark body looming above the fallen demon lord.

“Who the hell do you think you are? I pour my heart out to you, gods only know why, and you play with my emotions like they have so little import!”

Naruto reached his feet quicker than Sasuke could follow and shoved the Uchiha against the tree from which the swing where their friendship had started hung. If Naruto played it right, it could be where their relationship would rekindle.

“Don’t be so quick to blow me off. Whether it be from your power, your beauty, or your uncanny ability to wrench my heart, I could easily come to treasure you more than anyone else in this existence! What I offer you is a chance at happiness. So think about it. Marry Sakura and stay in this village where no one trusts you anymore save one woman who is blinded by her childish dreams of the perfect husband, or be mine and have the respect and regard someone of your fire and graceful spirit deserves.”

He let go of Sasuke and stepped back, brushing invisible dirt from his shoulder as the Uchiha gazed at him warily.

“I shall see you first thing in the morning. I have no plans, so be prepared for anything.”

When Sasuke said nothing, he turned and walked away. Sasuke might not want to speak to him, but he was duty bound to guard Naruto, and he knew Sasuke was going to do it.

‘What the hell possessed you to do that? Jiraiya said to get to know him, not proposition him. How do you think he’ll feel if he accepts and then finds out that you are his long lost ‘Naruto’?’

‘I seriously think I have split personalities. Every time I know I shouldn’t say something, my ‘great lordness’ pops out of nowhere and rams a stick up my ass. I know everything I just did were the completely wrong things to do, but he scared me.’

‘Scared you?’

‘That’s not the Sasuke I remember; it’s not the Sasuke I love. My teme was a cold bastard that never showed that much turbulent emotion. It was… unsettling.’

‘How are you going to tell him you’re his ‘Naruto’?’

‘I have no freakin’ clue.’

‘So very eloquent.’

‘Bite me.’

‘If only I could, you little brat.’

‘Father! Not you too?’

‘Accusations pale in comparison to the truth.’

‘Ha, ha, very funny.’

‘You know the Uchiha is following you.’

‘Yeah, it’s his job. He’ll tail me to the tower, then let ANBU guard me until the morning. At least it means he’s not so pissed at me that he’ll leave me to be attacked. Not that I need protecting.’

‘I think I’m starting to see why he called you Naru-dobe.’

‘Goodnight, father.’

Naruto climbed the steps of Hokage Tower, and as the ANBU stationed there opened the doors, he turned back to the night that had fallen around the village and whispered, “Goodnight, teme.”

And the doors closed behind him, cutting off a certain Uchiha’s view of the lord of all kitsune, the demon lord of the Great Forest.


TBC


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oh, i'm so sorry if anyone is confused by naruto's actions, but keep in mind the dobe has no clue what he's doing either. but i do. ahahahahahahaha

and, oh! did the uchiha hear naruto's goodnight? is he wondering why this kitsune lord would call him the exact same thing naruto once did? no, he's not. but i love you all, so i'll tell you this: he will. *maniacal laughter*

one last thing: i'm leaving for home tomorrow, so if i update at all, it'll be tomorrow night. thank you all for reading!