Forced Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Forced Hand
By 11


Chapter 05


Hot puffs of breath escaped his lungs struggling to fill and then just as quickly empty and refill. Everywhere his body ached, and his clothes were starting to stick to his body because of the sweat.

Blue eyes slowly cracked open to look across the small clearing to the youth leaning against the tree opposite. Dark eyes studying the person before him, he hadn’t yet broken a sweat during these times. He’d never wound up breathing hard.

Naruto grit his teeth, struggling to control his breath, what was he doing wrong that that guy never got tired at all during these things?

Truthfully Naruto had been surprised that even after they left Konoha Sasuke still intended to teach him sword fighting. The touching wasn’t so bad anymore either, it wasn’t skin to skin and he only touched if Naruto did something wrong, and so the blonde had been sure to get it right as often as possible. If anything to keep those burning spades called hands away from his sides, arms, and wherever else the dark-haired boy could possibly correct posture, grip or step?

Sparring seemed to usually follow the regular exercises and technique training. Naruto liked that part, the work out itself was sparring and using the newly learned techniques against Sasuke. Of course he was still probably way more skilled than Naruto, but it still got on his nerves that he was the only one who after six sparring turns always was sweating like a dog while Sasuke seemed unconcerned and when waiting to continue just stood nearby watching him. The watching wasn’t so bad, it wasn’t like he smirked the entire time or something, but it was still odd somehow.

“We should stop here for today,” he said after a moment.

“No way, I haven’t beaten you yet,” Naruto protested starting to stand his hand easily griping the hilt of the sword he’d been using and drawing it back out of the ground where he’d planted it while he rested.

“I wouldn’t worry about that just yet. You are getting better,” Sasuke told him, “but you’re still a long ways off from even being able to compete with me.”

Naruto frowned, “Besides,” Sasuke started, “the others will wake up soon and we should head back before anyone realizes we’re gone along with a pair of swords.”

“No.” the blonde insisted, “I demand one more round.”

The dark-haired boy shook his head at him, but drew hit sword from the ground as well, the customary smirk of his again crossing his features, “this routine never changes does it?”

Naruto didn’t move to take notice of what the boy said. It was true though, after practice Sasuke would want to end it when Naruto was too tired to continue, but the blonde would make Sasuke fight him one last time, he had always lost so far, but one day he wouldn’t. One day he would be the one who won the battle.

Lunging in quick, Sasuke aimed for a upward strike to knock the other off balance, leaping away Naruto avoided the blow and whipping around he struck for the boy’s back, but Sasuke had already moved away, striking from above with a slanted strike down. Naruto didn’t have time to move and the sting of metal colored the air along with the horrible vibration of the strike riddling down the blonde’s arm, the limb quivering for a moment with the pressure before Sasuke pulled away striking again a second later.

Stepping just out of the blade’s path Naruto thrust forward aiming as a counter strike lashing up towards Sasuke’s now unshielded middle. The boy realized the blow and withdrew a moment later before being hit. Naruto growled slightly, he had been so close this time!

Then Sasuke came in with the same finishing blow he’d used in what must have been one hundred fights between them. His sword lashing at Naruto’s hands causing him to again release his blade, and send the metal spinning into the air. Sasuke caught it a moment later when it came down, and pointed both blades to the loser.

Blue eyes glared venomously at the boy; Naruto had tried to counter the move so many times before, but holding onto the sword wouldn’t work as Sasuke later told him before trying it, otherwise his hands would become completely useless.

Lunging for Sasuke while he was waiting for the sword to fall was useless as well, since he had great peripheral vision and didn’t let the idea get far enough for Naruto to get injured. No matter what he did, Sasuke was always somehow better. Of course it really wasn’t fair that he was trying to beat his teacher.

“It’s not fair.” He muttered finally glaring down at the ground.

“What is?” Sasuke asked.

“Everything I know, you know, because you taught it to me,” Naruto relented, “But not everything you know I know, because you choose what you teach me.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice whispered across the skin of the blonde’s neck. Since when did he get so close. He had discarded both swords nearby, and now leaned in close beside his own face. “In time you’ll know everything if not more.”

Naruto nodded and stepped back out of the dark-eyed boy’s nuzzling range. Dark eyes glanced up, it was the same reaction, always, always, always. It was true; almost nothing changed in this routine. One thing had, though Naruto never let on to it, and even refused to admit it to himself. The touches that used to bother him so much were less bothersome now, sometimes even comforting to him, but that was the scariest thought of all. The scariest thought he ever thought and denied he ever did think in the first place, simply because it was just too scary.

I have already vowed that one day I will defeat you Sasuke, Naruto reminded himself in his mind. One day… his thoughts echoed. How far would that one day be? It may not be terribly soon, but he promised himself he would get better than that jerk. Somehow, even if he had to train every day nonstop for seven straight days until his body bled and his organs imploded on themselves.

Taking up their swords again they both headed back through the forest towards their caravan’s campground. The flap to the door on one compartment came open, and the long blonde-haired girl stepped out with a yawn, before noticing the two.

“Oh, good morning, Princess Naruko. Prince Sasuke,” she acknowledged bowing slightly, as they stepped up to the compartment beside hers and tucked the weapons back into their usual place.

“Is anyone else up, Ino?” Naruko asked after tucking away the swords. The girl shook her head.

“I just got up, no one’s about doing much, if that’s what you mean,” she explained, “I think Neji’s awake though, he’s in his tent, everyone’s trying to work out a routing path for us to take. Do you want to come see, Princess, Prince?”

“Of course,” Naruko nodded, and Ino started off towards the Falconian area of the encampment. Ino padded lightly on the tent.

“Your Majesty? Princess Naruko and Prince Sasuke wish to enter to oversee the route plans.” Ino spoke loud enough to be heard inside.

“Yes, please come in,” Neji’s voice replied. Ino pulled away the flap to the tent allowing Naruko and Sasuke to enter before her before stepping just beyond the threshold the strip of clot falling back into it’s place as the tent’s door.

Hinata sat nearby to her brother and glanced up as they entered quickly ducking back away though after she saw Naruto. Both Hinata and Ino had worn their morning robes, before dressing, tightly pulled over their bodies so that they very modestly showed little to none of their skin.

Neji however, was a different case. Perhaps he was justified as he was a male, but it still felt odd walking into the tent and finding the youth’s robe dropping open in the front, the pale expanse of his chest more or less open to any and all viewers. As if that weren’t enough the rift opened so that below the chest the muscles in his torso could be seen, in fact the only area where the cloth actually started to cover him was around his hips. It wasn’t really so unusual, Jiraiya would also look that way sometimes in the morning when he just got up and came down to get a bite to eat before heading back to bed.

However for Naruto looking at Jiraiya as that had been simply lazy, with Neji… it somehow looked less sloppy. Naruto shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts of sudden unwanted images that were appearing. It wasn’t working too well. Why couldn’t he take his eyes off the youth’s pale smooth belly? Did he seriously have to remind himself that the chest just above did in fact not have two beautiful mounds of flesh? Unlike two other young beautiful GIRLS in the room? Or Sakura?

“Do you like what you see?” Hinata asked timidly after a moment. Naruko looked up at her surprised, dear gods, what was Hinata talking about! Both siblings knew he was a guy! And as such was most definitely NOT ATTRACTED to OTHER MEN!

“About the route,” Neji mentioned after a moment of Naruto and Hinata exchanging an odd stare. One in which Naruto fought to keep his blush from showing and Hinata’s cheeks had slightly pinkened. She had also blinked several times to try and avoid eye contact, while not directly doing so; that would rude.

“Oh yes,” Naruko mentioned looking down at the map the brother had mentioned. The path was outlined in red, a small black checkmark marking where their encampment was currently. There were border lines for the different regions and the forests of Konoha and Falcon colored in swirls of green, a few rivers outlines faintly in blue, darker where there were larger rivers. The route outlined in red wound along the side of the dividing mountains into a sandy colored region crossing the boundary of Falcon into the unknown kingdom before winding up around the mountains and into Somuhorm.

“Kodoku?” Naruko said quietly studying the name, she had heard of it vaguely a few times in her history and geography lessons. It was a barren and dry land of almost nothing but desert, some oasis’s spread out sporadically in the region with a few well known ones but over all it seemed odd. “Why are we going through the desert kingdom?”

“It would make more sense, to choose the shorter route and go through the mountains,” Sasuke agreed idly. Neji nodded, but proceeded to explain the reason behind his choosing of the particular route.

“I chose that path because it is safer,” he started.

“Safer? Kodoku is a kingdom allied with neither Konoha or Somuhorm, and I never heard of Kodoku allying itself with Falcon.” Sasuke’s calm voice stated.

“True. However Kodoku has never been particularly belligerent toward any of our three kingdoms. Falcon also has several trade agreements with Kodoku. It would not be in their best interest to attack our entourage.” Neji explained, “I avoided the mountains because the season has changed slightly in the mountains. I’m sure that you having traveled through them know they are riddled with demons. With a small group as you had on your way to Konoha, I’m sure you encountered little trouble. However with a caravan of this size, it would be better to take the longer route and not risk being attacked by demons. Your first attack by mere humans was unpleasant enough as far as I can tell. I don’t think anyone in this group would care for a repeat.”

“That makes perfect sense,” Naruko agreed. “When do we head out?”

“Probably as soon as everyone’s awake and ready to go,” Ino provided helpfully.

“So it’s all right then? This is the path we’ll be taking.” Neji asked, by way of a clarification.

“Yes. I approve.” Naruko nodded. Sasuke glared, not really stared, at the map and route a bit longer before nodding his head, though a bit stiffly.

“If you’ll all excuse me then, I need to get dressed, as do Hinata and Ino.” Neji nodded to the two girls, Hinata looked away and Ino only grinned.

“Come on then, Princess Naruko, Prince Sasuke,” Ino prompted helpfully holding the flap up on the way out before following herself.

“Oh so everyone’s up?” Tenten, asked, the girl appeared to have just dressed and come out of the compartment. Around camp guards and others were awake or on their way there as well.

“Yes, we’ll be leaving in a while, is Sakura already up?” Ino provided, chirping in the last question cheerfully.

“No, not yet, she was still asleep when I left.” The girl shook her head.

“Oh well, guess I better go get her up,” Ino shrugged, with an exaggerated sigh, “Excuse me, Princess, Prince. I’ll see you later Tenten.” Ino said bowing to the royal members and with a quick friendly grin to Tenten was off to the girl’s tent.

Entering her purple bag was as she left it, sprawled out on the floor with the blanket pulled up beside it. She would have to roll it up and put it away before they left. Tenten’s sleeping mattress and blanket was already folded up, and ready to be put aboard one of the carriages for travel once more. Sakura lay nearby, long pink hair spilled out onto the pillow some above her head.

Ino crept slowly over to the girl stopping beside her, a single hand reaching out to stroke along the girl’s cheek. Her skin was smooth, soft and warm. Leaning in closer, Ino whispered the girl’s name into her ear. Sakura stirred lightly but did not wake.

“Sakura…” Ino whispered again, stroking the girl’s cheek lightly. “Wake up Sakura… wake up…”

Slowly aqua eyes opened, to greet pale blue. “Ino…?” the girl asked groggily, before suddenly realization hit her face, and she thrust both arms up and out at the girl.

“Ino! What do you think you’re doing!” Sakura cried out, sitting up after the blonde had retreated from her hovering position over the girl. Ino seemed sad a moment before suddenly she started laughing, had Sakura imagined the hurt look? “What!” the girl demanded, still somewhat flustered from the manner she had been woken in. “What’s so funny!”

“You’re face!” Ino chuckled, “You should have seen it, you looked so weird! You looked so freaked out, it was just hilarious!” the blonde declared.

“You didn’t have to freak me up to get me up!” Sakura defended, “Of course I was startled, it looked like you were going to kiss me or something!”

“Oh would you have wanted me to?” Ino asked, a small smile on her face, the laughter momentarily ceased.

“What?! No!” the girl’s cheeks tinted lightly with color. “How could you suggest something like that!”

Ino only laughed more, “You make it too easy to tease you, you get so defensive about everything!” the blonde told her friend, when her laughter started to die out.

“So why did you wake me up? I was having a good dream.” Sakura half pouted, half glared at her friend. Ino’s eyes glinted lightly, oh she could tease the girl infinitely more on this topic, but she couldn’t sit here all morning seeing how many colors she could make the girl’s face.

“We’re heading out a little while, I figured you’d want to start packing up your things and get ready for the travel part.” Ino said going over to her own sleeping area and starting to roll up her things. Sakura stretched her arms a little before doing the same.

“Isn’t the only reason you came on this trip to be around Prince Sasuke?” Ino asked after a moment.

“What? Ino, how can you accuse me of such a thing?” the girl asked seriously. Ino looked over at her skeptically. The pink-haired girl sighed lightly turning back to her task. “Yes, mostly.”

“He’s not interested in you though. Besides, him and Naruko have been pretty tight lately,” Ino mentioned, she more felt than heard the other girl stiffen. “There is the matter of the engagement. It would be better if you didn’t try whatever you were thinking about when you came. You’ll only get yourself hurt.”

Finishing with her bag, Ino tied it up and grabbed Tenten’s as well on her way out to put them away. Sakura sat by herself in the tent, her hands shaking as she held them against the halfway rolled mattress. “What do you know Ino…” she whispered to the emptiness. What did the blonde know, about being hurt, about Sasuke, about her. She knew nothing. How dare she act like she did.

`

“Oh my good gods! It’s gorgeous!”

“Very beautiful.”

“Oh, can you imagine! All the way out here? It’s a sign! We have to stop!”

“Yes. It would enjoyable… I suppose…”

“Yes, yes! Can we stop then? Can we?”

“We barely got anywhere today and yet you want to stop this early in the day for this…” Sasuke paused glancing at the building, “This…” he was searching for the right word. “What is this again?”

“It’s an onsen!”

“Also known as a hot spring.”

“A spa! It’s wonderful! They’re good for men as well as women though, Sasuke!”

“If it is not too much trouble for our journey…”

“Sasuke, it’s mid afternoon, what do you mean, we got no where today? Besides a stop at a spa would be good for us all! Please! Please! Neji? Sasuke?”

“No.” Sasuke barked immediately.

“I suppose it would be all right.” Neji said after a moment of consideration and of course studying his sister for any sign as to her thoughts on the matter.

“Really!” Naruko asked, obviously overjoyed. “Yes! Thank you so much! You won’t regret it! Everyone can go! It’ll be fun!”

Sasuke groaned looking away from the mass of girls who were happy and ready to ditch the caravan for the beautiful rustic household. It had a bridge over a small pond of carp, that led to the door. Setting up ‘camp’ nearby Naruko, and the girls went inside followed by Neji and Sasuke, who went reluctantly, and rented out five rooms. Then got spa treatment for everyone in the caravan. Since the bath house was out by the road, they rarely got so much business and their prices were actually quite low. Apparently according to the people running it quite a few people commute from the nearby villages to their bath house, since they’re so cheap and yet have so many baths.

It was the best thing the girls could have asked for. Except for maybe a million floor floating mall in the sky and their own private castles with nothing but hot male servants to wait on them hand and foot all day long. But as far as humanly possible, and right at that moment? It was good.

Stepping into the bath that had been given to the girls, Naruto sat in the locker room, he couldn’t really take of the day’s clothes, or even take a bath. Not here, not with the girls anyway. It wouldn’t be all right. It had been a while since he’d had a bath too. Since they left on this journey, come to think of it, he realized that this was the longest he’d gone without a bath. He might be able to go longer, but if he did, he wouldn’t be able to keep up the female cleanliness. He frowned slightly, he’d have to sneak back and take a bath later.

“Sakura! You’re still wearing pink underwear!” Ino gasped out, it was a low voice, since it was just them talking, but Naruto sadly had very acute hearing. No, he would not turn around. It actually kind of seemed he didn’t want to… that was scary. Of course he wanted to! He… was just making himself not.

“Yeah so! You still wear blue!” the girl defended. Hmm… Sakura wears pink undies, and Ino wears blue? Naruto pondered lightly. Now he actually did want to clarify. If everyone was already in their underwear, he would probably want to leave really soon.

“So Tenten, I hear you’re engaged,” Ino started switching gears to the dark-haired girl. “To Lee… so how’d that happen? Are you happy with it? It’s not like you’ve said anything to anyone. I had to find out through listening to Kiba for crying out loud!”

“It’s not a big deal, like you make it out to be Ino. It was arranged between my parents and his,” Tenten stated calmly. “Our relationship is a matter of duty.”

A cold chill seemed to settle with that though. Naruto turned towards Ino and the brunette. No… the girl’s weren’t really all undressed yet. Tenten was already in her towel, Ino had on her underwear and her top, Naruto glanced over at Hinata, she too had changed into her towel already, but as she looked out at the bath she seemed hesitant to take off the towel and start the bathing process. Actually it surprised Naruto that Ino was acting with the other two like he too was just Naruko.

“Just can’t lighten up, can you?” Ino muttered inching away from the brunette and back towards her lighter-haired friend. “So, Sakura is your bra the same color?”

“What!?” Sakura cried, louder than before. Naruto looked over at the two girls, as did Tenten and Hinata. Sakura stood like Ino was with her top on and underwear only.

“Is it? Take off your shirt already! Is it?” Ino teased, tugging lightly at the other girl’s garment.

“Why do you care anyway! I don’t want you to tease me!” Sakura flushed as she stepped away, but the blonde was relentless.

“So it is pink? Is it frilly too?” she asked a whisper to the girl, one that Naruto couldn’t hear, but watching Ino’s mouth translated to something like, ‘for Sasuke?’. Naruto frowned. Of course… Sakura must have only come on this journey because she thought she could spend time with the boy. It didn’t seem fair. Correction, it wasn’t fair. Not at all. It wouldn’t’ work to stay here.

“Ah! Ino stop it!” Sakura cried running over to Naruko, grabbing onto her using her as a shield between herself and Ino. “Hey, Naruko, aren’t you going to get ready for the bath too?”

“Actually no…” Naruko shook her head stepped away from the girls.

“Yeah, you look kind of pale,” Ino agreed, “You okay?”

“Fine. Just an upset stomach,” she explained heading for the door, “I’ll take a bath later, I think I need a rest right now. See you all in a bit I suppose.”

Naruto turned and started out of the bathing area, a good bye from Ino and a bow from her and the other girls in respect, but Hinata came after him.

“Should I go with you, your majesty?” Hinata asked slowly, “To keep you company? Get you some medicine, or water?”

“No that’s all right Hinata, you’re so sweet, but I’ll be okay,” Naruko declined, then leaning into the girl’s ear. Hinata started slightly, a whisper drifting into her ear, “You should enjoy yourself, please do so, while I can not.”

The girl’s cheeks flushed with red slightly before her eyes averted to the floor. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, as if not trusting her own voice. She only nodded, and with a quick bow retreated quickly to the bath again. Naruto watched her go frowning slightly, did he tease her too much? With a shrug he turned and headed back to the room, hopefully the girl would be all right in any case.

Ino noted the blush on Hinata’s cheeks when she re-entered the bath, and smiled at the girl, Hinata smiled back weakly, her face still red. Ino grinned to herself and sighed aloud, though to anyone in the room watching it would appear she was simply enjoying the water.

Ah the complications I see around me… Ino thought whimsically. What a soap opera!

`

I should probably tell him about what happened… but I really don’t want to. He might decide to kill me… or worse…

Yes the red furred fox was currently faced with a terrible dillemma. The ‘right’ answer was obvious, however the safe and less likely to become awful would be the opposite. How do you decide between doing the right thing and making sure your skin doesn’t get mutilated? Inwardly the fox sighed. He would have to tell Naruto eventually, if he didn’t he’d find out like he did before, but this time the outcome might be worse than facing down some cold anger. If he waited. If he told him now, cold anger would probably be a relief...

“Kyuubi,” the fox started, he hadn’t heard the boy return to the room, he thought he went to take a bath with the, oh yeah right. He remembered.

“Haven’t seen you for a while, you’ve been skulking around so much, we haven’t even spoken since we left Falcon.” Naruto stated as he sat down on the bed with the furred beast, watching the creature for any reaction at all. The blonde noted the curled tale and the wary eyes.

“What? Did something happen? Something must have for you to be avoiding me again,” Naruto said, annoyance and irritation starting to show in his face.

The fox’s body enlarged and shifted into that of a red-eyed duplicate of the boy. Naruto blinked. “I have short hair now.”

“I know.” But I liked your long hair… the fox finished in his mind. Truthfully Naruto didn’t look bad with his hair short, but because it was so jagged he looked a lot like a guy. Which he was supposed to, but as a girl ‘she’ looked even more boyish than ‘she’ had before simply by having a flat chest and also most hips.

“So what happened.” The boy asked drawing the fox from his thoughts.

“Well I have been lying low for a reason…” the fox mumbled quietly. Naruto didn’t’ look angry yet, just a little worried, and probably rightly so.

“Are you going to tell me the reason?” he asked. Red eyes watched blue for a moment.

“Someone found out about us…” the fox relented. Naruto blinked, as if not understanding but then apparently he got it after a moment.

“Someone in Falcon?” Naruto asked. The fox answered with silence. Naruto sighed, so they were gonna play twenty questions.

“Someone found out during the time spent in Falcon?” Naruto rephrased the question. The fox was again silent, and Naruto was about to try another question when the fox did speak.

“Yes.” The fox answered in a low voice. Silence lasted a moment as Naruto pondered his next question briefly.

“Is it someone in the caravan?” Naruto asked. A muscle in the fox’s human arm twitched slightly at the question but he stayed silent.

“Who?” he asked, straightforward, the fox’s weariness seemed to deepen. “Who in our caravan knows about us?” the blonde persisted.

The fox glanced away his voice trailing off into some subject of no consequence. “So how was the bath? Since you did stay kind of long, did you see much?” he asked. Maybe telling Naruto wasn’t a good plan… this was too difficult, every moment he was feeling more and more guilty, which he really was but still, he couldn’t say it, if Naruto knew it… couldn’t be good.

“Kyuubi. Please.” Naruto said his hands resting on the fox’s human shoulders pulling him slightly closer in seriousness, studying the demon’s face for the answer to his questions, as if somehow if he looked into the red eyes long enough the answer would be written there. “I need to know who.”

“It was Sasuke…” Kyuubi breathed.

No reaction. Both males stayed completely still. Finally Naruto released his shoulders backing away again to where he had been seated before. Kyuubi watched the blonde, but blue eyes were focused on him. But his eyes and face were passive, no reflection of the human’s emotions anywhere in them. The calm before the storm perhaps?

“I wasn’t my fault.” The fox defended though his voice sounded hollow even to his own ears. “I got carried away with my role…” and Sasuke’s way too hot for his own good… the back of his mind added silently.

“How did he find out. Exactly.” Naruto asked, his voice robotic and calculated. There were still no signs of anger, or irritation, or laughter, just calm. Was this really not so much of a deal for him?

“I don’t know. It was that time when you ran off at Falcon and I was you for a while…” he started, “I was teasing him, sort of, and he just knew…” Kyuubi finished lamely.

“He just knew I wasn’t you. I don’t know how. But he did. Then he went racing off to find you.” The fox shook his head, looking back at Naruto for a reaction. There was a pause as silence filled the room once again. Finally the human looked down at the floor, taking a moment to process what he had just been told.

“I must admit I am very frustrated with you Kyuubi,” Naruto said after a moment. “All my life you have been so loyal a friend to me, and yet within the month you have delayed telling me two important pieces of information. It hasn’t been like you to keep these things from me.”

Actually I kept a lot from you. Kyuubi thought inwardly. It was just of no consequence the things I did. Like raiding the kitchen, and getting seconds, thirds and fourths of desserts. It didn’t matter I never told you… guess I shouldn’t have made it a habit. Not that I can tell you that.

But then why would you allow a demon like me to become a part of you to begin with? The fox wondered. You were such a child at the time, so naïve and innocent. I suppose you really are that same child that gave me half their life.

“But you know,” Naruto said looking up with a grin. “Sasuke hasn’t said anything to me. So he might have forgotten. It’s been a while anyway.”

The fox only nodded, allowing the human the moment of rest on the thought. However such a thing was highly unlikely. The boy, Sasuke, would more likely wait until the opportune moment to use the information to force Naruto’s hand. To force him into a corner where he has little to no options left, and might have to resort to desperate measures.

`

“I must be the only sane guy here!”

“Kiba could you be a little quieter, the girls are right next door you know,” Shino pointed out.

“Yeah, and we have their highnesses in the vicinity, how can you be so vulgar?” Lee asked, in a scandalized tone.

“I can’t believe you guys don’t want to just take a little look,” the youth huffed at the others. “Fine, maybe you’re all gay! But I’m not and I’m going to try and see what I can see.”

Lifting himself from the bath the brunette trudged over towards the dividing fence. All eyes following him, either with mild amusement, just for lack of something better to focus on, or with pure disgust for the act he was planning to commit.

“Troublesome,” Shikamaru muttered.

“I apologize for his distasteful habits my lords,” Lee apologized to the two princes, sitting far from each other and more or less the rest of their group of males.

“Kiba, was it?” Neji asked in a cold voice, clear eyed focusing on the brunette as he started toward the fence. “I suggest you get away from there this moment before I disembowel you.”

“Do as he says or I will personally oversee a painful death by mastication by worms.” Sasuke added with a dark glower.

“Huh?” Kiba asked suddenly confused.

“Idiot, Princess Hinata, his sister is over there.” Shino snorted at the other boy. “That and Princess Naruko is as well. Lee’s fiance as well. Do you really want those three to beat up on you? And the princes could really have your body torn apart on command.”

“That’s right…” subtley the brunette dared his luck and shot a glance over the fence, before looking back with a smirk at Lee, “Hey Lee! Tenten’s over here, and she’s got her towel off…” he teased.

“How dare you, you beast!” the boy said suddenly rising a rage and running over dragging the boy from the wall. “If you do that again I will remove your limbs!”

“Geez, did you just realize she was over there then?” Kiba asked sourly, edging away from the suddenly irate soldier, after all Lee hadn’t threatened him right away, unlike Neji and Sasuke.

“What’s the noise over here,” suddenly, Ino’s face peeked over the wall, followed semi-closely by Sakura. “Lee? Kiba?”

Sakura blushed and glanced away, her eyes resting on the brunette boy whose decency was still mostly covered by the bath water. Her blush darkened but she couldn’t seem able to remove her eyes from where they suddenly rooted on Sasuke’s bare upper body.

“Lee… kinda skinny ain’t ya?” Ino asked then asking back over her shoulder, “Hey Tenten, you wanna take a preview of what you’re getting before you’re married to this guy?”

“I would prefer if you did not indulge in whatever shaded part of you insists on making a humiliating situation all the more unbearable for people.” Tenten scowled at the girl.

Ino’s face clearly said, ‘oh right! I forgot!’ Lee’s face had reddened at the comment however and he had retreated to the safety of the hallways in proper modest attire. Glancing down at the still bare boy, Kiba, the youth only smirked up at her when he noticed her eyes. She smirked back lightly, he was hung like a dog, but she didn’t have time to go play with him, she was already after someone after all.

“Sorry to disturb you, and your highnesses,” Ino apologized quickly, before taking Sakura’s arm and jerking her and herself back from the wall.

“Based on the color of your face, you liked what you saw,” Ino said noting Sakura’s blushing face.

“What!” She asked taken aback for the moment.

“Sasuke, am I right? You weren’t even looking at Neji. Sad.” Ino noted, “He was kind of hot looking too.” Then glancing at his sister, “Hey, Hinata are you as hot as your brother under that towel?”

The girl flushed and looked up at the blonde.

“W-what?” she stammered quietly.

“I was just curious, I never did get a good look at you.” Ino noted as she slid back into the water, Sakura right beside her, still attempting to her get blush over seeing Sasuke half naked to flee from her face.

“U-um…” Hinata looked away at the water, sinking deeper into it, in an attempt to hide herself further from anyone’s view.

“You’re doing it again.” Tenten noted with distaste.

“Doing what?” Ino asked the brunette girl, genuinely surprised.

“Making people uncomfortable, even if you think you’re just teasing or whatever,” Tenten warned. “You do it too often really, you should try to get that habit under control. Is Hinata not the Princess of Falcon?”

“Oh yeah! I’m so sorry Hinata!” Ino ammended immediately, “It’s just so odd to think of you as anything but the cute little Hinata I shared a room with for so many years. Please forgive me?”

“Of course Ino…” Hinata nodded, “It’s all right.”

“Hah, Ino you will never make a true friend since you drive people away like that,” Sakura prodded.

“At least I’m honest and I say what’s on my mind!” the blonde defended herself.

“Yeah, but the truth can get you and others hurt sometimes, and some guys don’t like girls to speak their mind,” the other girl noted.

“Yeah, so what? Any guy that wants anything to do with me will have to put up with my sometimes obnoxious personality,” she stated. “If a guy doesn’t like me and won’t have anything to do with me for something so silly, then I didn’t need him in the first place now did I?”

Silence reigned for a moment. “Yeah well whatever.” Sakura finally said breaking the uneasy silence allowing the four girls to relax more into the bath and more or less disregard the conversation. Sakura’s ears perked up when she heard Sasuke say something on the other side of the fence. Rising from the water and going over to the fence she pressed her ear against it.

“Naruko? No she wasn’t over there.” Kiba answered.

“Oh? I wonder why that is,” Neji said thinking aloud perhaps.

“Hey I don’t know, she’s just not over there, maybe she finished early, or something,” Kiba seemed to shrug, and apparently re-entered the water. No more words from Sasuke, but based on the small part she heard she figured it was safe to assume that Sasuke had asked about Naruko… a bitter chord pulled tightly around her chest and aqua eyes glanced over at the relaxing Ino. What did she know? Sasuke may have just been asking about Naruko because it was the only girl he didn’t hear over there. As for the engagement…

Slowly she pulled away from the fence and instead of heading back to the water headed inside taking a bathrobe to wear back to her room. A cold feeling had settled over her, one that sadly would not go away with the washing of warm water.

She glanced in the mirror, what was the problem with her? According to everyone she knew, she was very pretty… but then she’d always heard that comment from girls. The boys who’d told her that were always the ones she thought of as family. So the way she looked now wasn’t considered beautiful at all.

Tenten’s marriage was arranged, maybe she’d have to do something like that, just in order to get someone… but that thought, made her absolutely sick. Ino’s statement came back to her.

Naruko’s marriage had also been arranged, but somehow Sasuke seemed to be concerned about her every time. Was how she was now really so attractive? With her hair so badly cut, so short and jagged in places. She never had any chest, Sakura had more but that wasn’t saying anything, Naruko had always barely had any chest at all. Even now, the blonde looked more like some sort of tomboy.

Sakura frowned and turning from the mirror started out into the hall. Sliding shut the door behind her, soft footsteps padded down the hall towards her warned her of the approach. Looking up she spotted Sasuke and Neji, apparently they retired early, no wonder having to be around such other more immature males.

“Oh Prince Sasuke!” Sakura said surprised as they approached her, “Did your highnesses, enjoy your bath?” she asked politely.

“The bath itself was enjoyable, sadly the company made it difficult to stay long,” Neji commented when Sasuke apparently would not.

“I couldn’t help overhearing, Kiba’s so loud, that you asked about Naruko,” Sakura brought up. A vague glance in her direction, so he showed some interest. Not much though, so that was good.

“What did happen with her? Was she just tired?” Neji asked when the girl didn’t elaborate.

“Oh, Naruko wasn’t feeling so well, must be the travel, I think she’s in her room resting, your majesty,” Sakura supplied. Neji nodded, offering polite thanks.

“You retired early yourself, Miss Haruno,” Sasuke noted. The girl’s attention at once again focused on her beautiful prince.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to, it’s just being around so many people is a little much for a while. And Ino can be very teasing,” Sakura elaborated at once. “Will you be retiring already? Perhaps you would prefer to go by the bar area, maybe get a drink with me?”

It was a forward request and she knew it. But it was worth a try, and she felt like she had to make it obvious or he might not pick up on it. Besides, if Naruko wasn’t interested and he knew that, and she was… maybe he’d choose her over the blonde.

“Yes. You should, Sasuke. Go ahead,” Neji encouraged gently. As if it all seemed very logical to him. “Since Naruko wasn’t feeling well, I’ll just go check on her. Please enjoy the bar and your conversation.” With a respectful nod he dismissed himself from the other two.

Sakura’s heart sped slightly, this was her chance after all. Sasuke turned to look back at her, beautiful dark eyes, hardly expresive but so deep and pensive she wondered what emotions would be teeming beneath the surface? If she actually knew she might not have been so happy with herself and thinking she had wonderful luck.

“Shall we go then, Prince Sasuke?” she asked sweetly. He nodded once and once she had turned and started off, he followed to a degree, only so he could glance back. Neji had already left the viewable area, but it irked him to no end that that guy was going to see Naruko and he was stuck getting a drink with Sakura. Truthfully the way she constantly looked at him was annoying. Their conversations might have actually been interesting if it weren’t for the fact she seemed too absorbed in making him think she was brilliant or cute or wonderful. Truly troublesome, he was starting to agree with Shikamaru… at certain times anyway. This was one of them.

`

The knock on the door was all the warning that Kyuubi received, and he groaned. He was already so comfortable. He was currently curled up against Naruto’s back and their shared warmth was just getting to that nice level of daziness, where he could just about drift off to sleep as Naruto had done.

The door slid open, and the fox felt Naruto stir in his arms, he shifted back silenty to the form of the furry red fox and turned over onto his other side so hid back was pressed lightly against the small of Naruto’s back. Figures Naruto would suddenly have company. The scent hit the fox easily, and he identified it, his ears perking up slightly. Neji.

Naruto turned and sat up, “Princess Naruko?” the brunette’s voice came.

“Neji?” Naruto asked, yawning away the last trace of sleepiness, flexing a shoulder muscle, “Come in.” The bedroom panel drew away and the brunette entered, sliding the door shut again behind him. “It doesn’t seem late, are the bath’s not that good?”

“No, that baths were fine. It’s difficult to enjoy a bath when among so many people however.”

“I can understand that, doing anything much around a ton of people can be difficult at times, when you’re trying to relax anyway,” Naruto nodded. “I left once all the girl’s perfumes started to get too smelly. Cause you know the humidity, it started to come off some.” He joked lightly.

“So you didn’t stay long.” Neji half stated, half asked.

“No, I’m not a weirdo! Not that I might have wanted to under different circumstances, but,” Naruto paused, “in this current situation it’s just awkward to do anything that involves losing clothing.”

Neji only nodded. “So you weren’t really sick.”

“No. But I needed some excuse to leave, you know,” Naruto chuckled, “wonder if Sakura would give me the time of day if she knew I was a guy. As a girl we’re just sort of friends, and friends just sort of.”

“You like Sakura Haruno?” Neji asked politely, something like concern seeming to pass for a moment before vanishing in the clear of the youth’s eyes, and the passive features.

“Yeah kinda. What about you?” Naruto asked.

“What about me?” Neji asked, his voice lilting slightly with an automatic defense. Wonder what that was for. Was Neji also keeping some sort of secret?

“Do you have someone you like?” Naruto asked. “Back in Falcon? Maybe some hot girl you knew from way back when? A neghboring kingdom’s princess?”

A single muscle near Neji’s eyes twitched. Barely noticeable but Naruto picked up on it. “So is she a brunette like you?” he teased.

“I never said-” Neji said suddenly in an attempt to cut off what he perceived as accusations.

“A redhead right?” Naruto asked, Neji’s words paused in his throat. Naruto grinned inwardly. Who knew, Neji did have some weaknesses, now to find a way to get him to explain. Or maybe he should go back to joking around. “You’re face, looks so weird right now.”

“What?” Neji seemed the choke out.

“You’re face, it’s just funny, you look like I just shoved a can of worms in your face or something,” Naruto chuckled lightly. Neji’s eyes focused somewhere on the wall behind him. Naruto inwardly chided himself; somehow he went too far with that.

“Hey, sorry about that, I wasn’t trying to offend you,” Naruto offered, waving at the boy briefly, “loosen up some, huh?”

“I imagine without other male’s treating you as such you only pick up jokes from Kiba’s armoire,” Neji said a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh dang, you caught me.” Naruto agreed, “Kiba is the most amusing person we have in Konoha sadly enough, maybe if I’d got out more I’d be able to entertain you more than right now.”

“Ow…?”

Naruto glanced down at his arm and realized that his pet had somehow sunk his teeth into his hand just above his wrist. Shouldn’t that hurt though? Oh wait… it did.

“OW! Kyuubi! WTF!!”

Delayed reaction. Sometimes it can last up to five minutes, other times just ten twenty seconds.

“What was that for you darn fox!” Naruto said ripping his hand away from the animal, glaring at it briefly before his eyes were drawn back up at Neji for the moment when his head turned away with a snort. Great now Neji was laughing at him. He was going to skin Kyuubi later, and then… wait Neji laughing?

No not laughing per say but a suppressed ‘laugh’, which is also known as a snort. It was a brief conversation but Neji was slightly less reticent now, and it had been nice. Naruto had to admit it was really cool to talk to another guy as a guy for a change.

He would have to grill the prince of Falcon about the girl he liked later, because earlier it had not offered a favorable reaction. Maybe later on it would. If he could get Neji to be even half as convivial as now he would have his new best friend.

“Actually I wanted to ask you something,” Neji said after a moment, and Naruto had removed the fox from his hand, and Neji had gained his poker face back. Darn that.

“Yeah?” the blonde prompted.

“I was just wondering what you were going to do once you reach Somuhorm and find yourself engaged to a man,” Neji speculated, his attention momentarily focusing on the red ball of fur trying to climb into his lap. “Won’t you be found out then, anyway?”

Naruto stayed silent a moment contemplating this. What was he going to do. He might be able to keep his secret till he reached Somuhorm but what then? What about on the ‘wedding night’? What was he supposed to do then? Why had no one else thought of this before? Tsunade and Jiraiya? Neither of them had this thought even cross their minds at the time had they?

Noticing the somber expression Neji frowned as well, “I hadn’t meant to upset you.” He stated, standing up, letting the red fox back onto Naruto’s bed. “It was only something to think about.” Naruto didn’t move, still watching the floor as if it might give him the answer he needed. “Well, good evening then.” Neji nodded. Naruto heard him move slowly and finally leave, the boy had been debating staying, but what more was there to say? Neji probably didn’t have a plan, there was no reason he should, it wasn’t really his problem. He was here for Hinata.

Naruto didn’t have an answer either.

The door slid open again, however the movement was different from how anyone else would enter the room, quick and concise. Purposeful footsteps taking the person directly to Naruto’s bedroom door and sliding it open in the same manner.

“You don’t seem sick to me.”

Naruto groaned inwardly. He didn’t need this now. He barely looked girlie right now. He liked that fact, but with Sasuke in the room…

“Well I am,” he said, not looking at the youth as he turned and got under the covers, this way Sasuke wouldn’t notice, and being hunched over as he sat maybe he hadn’t seen anything anyway. “Go away before you catch it.” His voice sounded bitter, even to his own ears, he didn’t bother hiding it either. He didn’t care much now anyway.

“I just came to check on you, Sakura said you were sick,” Sasuke said, a cross between a calm statement and an angry outburst. There might have been a tendril of worry in there somewhere but Naruto wasn’t interested in anything anyone had to say.

“She was right. I need to rest. Go away.” Naruto ordered. When he didn’t move, Naruto closed his eyes and waited maybe he’d leave on his own. It seemed to take a while, and after a while the door slid shut. Naruto breathed out, he didn’t check over his shoulder. Kyuubi changed back into human form as Sasuke exited, locking Naruto’s bedroom door shut and then listening for Sasuke to leave the chamber itself, before going out to lock the main door as well.

Why he had not thought of that before he took a nap the fox was not sure. But Neji had been nice, he had gentle hands, maybe as a fox he should go spend more time with the youth while traveling. Of course he would spend some time with Naruto to talk; but Neji was such a good handler… made the fox wonder what the youth’s touch would be like under different circumstances…

`

She wouldn’t even look at him.

That was what really got to him. When he went to see her, she didn’t even look at him, acknowledge he was there, and then her words had been so embittered towards him. What had he done? He had just managed to get away from Sakura and came to see her. Had Neji said something? If he had she hadn’t given any indication of the other youth being the cause for her attitude change.

She hadn’t been sick. Maybe she was just tired and irritated. But if she had seen Neji…

Sasuke threw off his covers in frustration. He couldn’t sleep anyway. It was bothersome, and Neji was right next door, and Naruko was down the hall. He’d only been restless a few nights since this journey began. The night after he first met the blonde and then the night after she ran away. Then a few other nameless nights that he had just been up.

With an irritated groan he sat up crossing his legs under him, glaring ahead into the shadows of the room. His eyes more or less adjusting to the dim lighting from natural forces outside. After listening closely in the dark it was quickly apparent that no one else was up. He smirked lightly, that was of course expected. Any normal person would be asleep at this hour, even her.

Standing he walked towards the door of his room, with the thought that maybe it would tire him out to walk around some. It was probably because of his previous ponderings that led him to the female side of the bathhouse before he knew it. Noting it though he was prepared to turn back and walk away, Naruko’s door was up ahead but he had no reason to go to the door of the girl who he knew would be sleeping.

It was probably because of this musing that he turned and was surprised to see a door slide open and a certain person exit their room and head toward the bath area. The identity of the person was reason enough for Sasuke to follow. Hinata now was the only one with short hair in the group, but the silhouette of the short and semi-jagged ends were now unique to Naruko.

Sasuke paused outside the changing room door, perhaps wondering if this whole instance was happening for the moment. The shower inside somewhere turned on, so she’d already undressed and was getting ready to bathe. Glancing up at the sign over the bath he blinked slightly, perhaps sleep had clouded his eyes, nope that was what the sign said. His mouth twitched upward, and he looked back down shaking his head slightly, silly. Silly Naruko.

The shower shut off somewhere and there was the soft scuffing of bare feet on the stone followed by the sound of water moving as the person within entered the hot bath. Sasuke entered. It was the fool’s own fault really… for not reading the sign.

“Your vision must seriously be impaired in the dark.”

The face whipped around and she sunk her body deeper into the bath. “Sa-sasuke! What do you think you’re doing in here! Get out now!”

“Actually, that’s my line,” Sasuke told her calmly. The clouds clearing slightly, and the full moon, illuminated her wary face. Maybe the moon was what kept him up, it was almost as bright as day without the cloud covering the silver orb. “You see, you entered the men’s baths.”

No reaction, blue eyes met dark evenly. “I must have mistook it in the dark,” she mumbled, after a moment turning away against the water. “That being beside the point. If you want me to leave, you have to get out first! Then I can go and you can take a bath and whatever!”

“But I don’t particularly feel like leaving,” the youth objected.

“It’s not my fault. It was dark…” she said moving towards the far end of the bath. He didn’t resist the slight grin that curled his lips, her face had ‘you weirdo!’ written all over it. Rather amusing actually.

Turning back to the changing room Sasuke started toward it, he imagined that Naruko must have been relieved when he walked away. She would be less so in a moment though. It probably wasn’t a good idea, and he’d never particularly indulged his sudden impulses before, but lately it seemed he didn’t’ have that same amount of control. Not when it came to offering the girl to fight, not when it came to teasing her, not when it came to finding her when she had run off, or right now.

Naruto looked up surprised when Sasuke re-entered the bath area, and went an immediate shade of dark red. He should have paled and should have turned away, but he didn’t. Just stared… as a very naked Sasuke exited, thankfully though the clouds had started to move over the moon again when the youth re-entered the changing area, and now hid most things from view…

The boy walked briefly over to the shower area, rinsing in a short amount of time that didn’t seem rushed as far as Sasuke seemed. Turning finally to look at the blond over his shoulder, that infuriating smirk appeared on his face. Naruto attempted to glare, hoping the redness would come off as extreme anger, or maybe it was dark enough now the other boy couldn’t see. “What do you think you are doing?” he ground out, mustering as much venom as he could into the voice.

Sasuke’s smirk didn’t fade, and after the too quick shower he started for, and entered the bath, as much as Naruto wished he wouldn’t. Why did this have to be happening… if he called for anyone… no that wouldn’t work, everyone was way tired, it was worth a shot but what if certain people showed up? If they did, there would definitely be an ordeal… maybe he could trick him into leaving, or wait until he had maneuvered himself around Sasuke and make a break for it with just his back showing, and hope he didn’t see that his hips were more boyish than girlie.

“Is this really so unnatural?” Sasuke’s voice all but purred against Naruto’s neck, the boy jerked, he hadn’t even realized when the other had gotten that close. “In any case, what did you think will be happening when we reach Somuhorm…?”

Naruto drew his hands up against his chest under the water, if Sasuke came much closer he might figure out that he didn’t have certain necessary anatomical parts.

How nice of you to remind me! Naruto growled in his mind, I had almost forgotten that this wasn’t some mostly pleasant vacation! Not that Neji didn’t remind me earlier too. I already know that once I get to Kodoku I absolutely have to find a way to escape, otherwise… bad things will happen anyway, only I may not be in my country to make sure I can try and live as a monarch for a couple hours!

Naruto turned his body and started towards the other end in a short quick motion but he was unable to defend himself with his hands against his chest when Sasuke’s arm blocked his path and his other arms wrapped around from the other side. The blonde’s muscles tensed all over as the back of his body was drawn close against Sasuke’s, he really couldn’t feel anything on Sasuke, which was good, besides his chest and arms. It was probably going to be… okay if Sasuke just stayed behind him like he was now, otherwise…

His heart was already hammering faster, it had been trying to do so since Sasuke entered the bath area, but he had been able to keep it relatively calm until now, and he was going to faint. He could barely breath, when did it get so difficult to just draw air?

Sasuke’s head dropped again by his neck, nuzzling lightly against it, warm skin against heated skin. Sasuke’s skin was slightly cooler than Naruto’s but the touch still felt like a scorching iron, an iron that wasn’t painful, in fact it sent a pleasing shot of pleasure all through his body. As much as he wanted to deny that that had even happened.

Warm and soft lips brushed against the skin along the vein, trailing upward slightly to Naruto’s ear sending a shiver down the blonde’s spine. Dropping back down Sasuke pressed a light kiss to the neck, trailing his lips back up the the ear and drawing the lobe into his mouth nibbling lightly on the end.

Naruto whimpered, and grit his teeth for allowing the sound past. This was so wrong! It wasn’t right, not at all… despite how good it felt, no, scratch that, it didn’t feel good and he sure as heck didn’t whimper!

Sasuke’s arms crossed over Naruto’s arms pulling him back closer against the dark-haired youth, his hands kneading slightly at the shoulders they reached. Dang Sasuke had a much more broad and tall build than he did, it wasn’t right, even Neji was taller than him.

His arms were shaking now, but not because he wanted to take them away and hold Sasuke’s mouth closer to his throat, or to throw them around Sasuke and let his mouth taste the one currently sensitizing his neck. He didn’t… he really didn’t… none of that was the reason…

It was almost a moan… but it wasn’t. It wasn’t a moan! Naruto would never moan simply because Sasuke’s lips were caressing against his neck and his hands were kneading his shoulders. That was why he let his body go lax against Sasuke’s, he was… just that good at shoulder massage, even from what might have been an awkard position if Sasuke wasn’t that much larger frame than him…

That was the only reason Naruto let his body fall lax against the other youth. His body was so warm too, the bath was still heated, but human body heat was different. One of Sasuke’s hands raised itself to Naruto’s cheek, tilting it slightly in a direction. Opening his eyes slightly, he hadn’t realized he’d closed them… and it was only so he didn’t have to look at the jerk’s hands holding him, not because he wanted to block out other senses and focus on Sasuke’s ministrations. It most certainly was not!

Sasuke’s face loomed over his slightly, his hand turning Naruto’s face toward him, his face was tilted down too. It took a moment before Naruto registered what he was doing, he turned away slightly, and Sasuke sighed in what was probably disappointment.

His arms shifted and Naruto’s shoulders began to turn, Sasuke was going to face him now. It was understandable really, if Naruto was actually a girl… but even if he was… it wasn’t right! They weren’t married yet anyway! There was no reason to endure this!

No Naruto wanted to. He really wanted to, and that was what was scariest of all. But Sasuke only cared because he thought Naruto was Naruko, a girl. He couldn’t find out, and it was wrong for this to be happening because he wasn’t a girl. He wasn’t going to allow it. He did have self-control darn it!

Naruto raised his arms and shoved himself away from Sasuke, using the youth’s chest as leverage. It worked, although Sasuke looked pretty confused, probably as much as Naruto felt. It was confusing but it also wasn’t he knew what was right and wrong… he knew this wasn’t right; so it was wrong.

The Kyuubi had been right, everything Sasuke did was to force him into a corner and force his hand. So far he’d been able to find other ways out that his trump. He really didn’t want to ever have to use it. “Don’t…” he started, trying to alleviate some of the confusion in the other’s eyes, a smirk, a scowl, anything that he’d done before he could deal with, but not this.

“Don’t Sasuke,” he tried again. But his voice sounded alien to him, it was hardly feminine at the moment but he didn’t care. It sounded foreign, darker, husky and breathy, it wasn’t how he would normally sound and it wasn’t how he was supposed to sound. “Don’t force my hand Sasuke…” don’t force me to use what I have.

The confusion was gone now, but something equally foreign entered his eyes, hurt. But Naruto didn’t stay long to prolong the confrontation. Turning so all the youth could see was his back he headed back out of the bath and into the changing area taking a robe with him as he went and heading back to his room locking the door again behind him.

About the Somuhorm thing though… he really had never discussed it with Tsunade and Jiraiya, what would happen after he was engaged? The night of the wedding or whatever it would be… how would that work?

He would be found out then, whether he wanted it or not. Yes, he had to get away from her, he wasn’t yet quite sure how, but somehow and someway, he had to get away and leave.

It actually wouldn’t be very wise to do that in the deserts of Kodoku but perhaps after they re-entered the foliage of the northern kingdoms… It might be difficult to get back to Konoha; but he had to.

`

He had been standing there for some time. The moon had not reappeared, so the darkness did not fade. It would maybe later, but Sasuke didn’t wait as he started toward the edge of the bath. Somehow everything seemed to move slowly though he didn’t think he was trying to be slow. He wanted to get back to his room, fairly quickly would be better in fact, he didn’t want the stale taste of this event lingering in his memory. But it still seemed far too sluggish, as if it was happening around him and he wasn’t apart of it. The outside was surreal but the inside was sharply real in contrast. Pain. If he was bleeding he wouldn’t have been surprised at the pain, but he wasn’t.

In retrospect on what he had done he knew he really wasn’t supposed to have done that, no Naruko. Entering his room it was as empty and stuffy as he had left it, instead of heading to the bed he headed to the shower flipping it on warm as far as it would go. Scalding water lashed don his back once the switch was turned and he felt cold that he couldn’t seem to feel it, or maybe he didn’t care right now.

He really wasn’t supposed to have done that to her. It wasn’t right and he knew it, but every time that he told himself he wouldn’t do something he wound up doing it anyway. Only lately though, which was actually more infuriating than it would have been otherwise.

What had he hoped to accomplish by doing that? Silence answered in his mind. He really had no idea what or why… But then… it really didn’t matter… not really…

---

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