The Little Things
folder
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
1,002
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
1,002
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 5 - this is war
Chapter 5 – this is war
They went on like this for a few days, coming across another girl, then two twin boys. All easily dispatched by their flawless teamwork. He was left sitting on the fringes of their battles, catching flickers. Training under Orochimaru had been hard, difficult, tiring because he never had a chance to rest, but he was sure that his speed in the last few days had improved. Nowhere near theirs, but it was an improvement, even as he fought through the pain in his calves. Walking was easy. But hopping from branch to branch took stamina they had bucket-loads of. He had only what he came with. It shocked him to think how much they had all grown. Well, how much Naruto had grown. Gaara still mainly used his sand techniques to overcome his enemy, not giving them a chance to get close and hurt him.
They had passed an empty village, devoid of all live. This one though did have some life left, but it was at the end of its tether. The roads were dusty from disuse, but they could hear voices in the centre. The place where all the food was stocked, a primitive granary, was doubling as a kind of salon for four old grizzled men. They looked happy, but didn’t fit into their surroundings. As if they should have been on the street, begging for money. Their dirty faces but clean clothes didn’t compliment each other. They were idly playing cards, pouring another bottle of liquor into tall glasses. It was clear that they were permanent drunkards. They still hadn’t noticed three young men at their front door, blocking the sunlight.
Sasuke stepped into the room, letting the heel of his foot resound firmly on the dark floorboards. Four sets of eyes stared blearily at them, too stunned to be intimidated. The air stank, heaving with the fumes of fermented grains.
“Where is the rest of this village?” The men looked at him, frowning a little.
“Who are you?”
“We are searching for a village. Where is everyone?” Sasuke ground out, wanting an answer as quickly as possible so they could move on. Gaara and Naruto lurked just out of sight.
“They left in a hurry. Villages further to the west been disappearing, as if sometin be smoking ‘em out.” One man flippantly gave out, eyeing his cards with casual disdain while studiously ignoring him. He was surprised the slur to their voices wasn’t more pronounced.
“Why are you still here then?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Boys want to share a drink with us?” Sasuke didn’t mind dirt, but drinking with it was something else again. And it was obvious to him, all of a sudden. They were old men, probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the others, and without any family to take care of them they had decided to stay put in the village and be rich for the last few months of their lives. Sasuke was about to turn down their offer when Naruto stepped into the room, going straight for the table. He let his tails twitch behind him, drawing their eyes immediately. Sasuke sighed. This was one thing better left to him. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the men had a heart attack, but to their credit they cowered in their seats. Naruto fixed them with a cold glare, pinning them down into their rickety chairs.
“What is making the villages leave.” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement demanding answers. This confused him because answers followed questions, but Naruto wasn’t one for logic so Sasuke supposed it didn’t apply to him. The table quietened, stilled even more than it had before.
“People…people talk…talk of demons and monsters killing whole villages. Since then, they been running.”
“How long have you been here.” Again, a non-question. Naruto was imperious and tall with his speech, surprising him.
“9 months, is it?” the man looked for reassurance amongst his friends. They all looked ready to beg for their lives. Sasuke had to applaud their common sense. Naruto frowned for a moment – the men looked stricken – turned around and headed for the door.
“We are staying the night. Do not bother us.” he remarked casually over his shoulder. As if four old men would bother them. And they hadn’t even seen Gaara’s blood hair and dark eyes, which would drive that notion out of any normal person.
They settled in a flat with a bed. It was the first bed he’d seen since they’d left Konoha a while back, but it still took him a moment to adjust to the sight of one. The mattress was old – the reason why it had been left – but sturdy. It gave in to their weight as they settled down to rest. Sleep took them easily while Gaara kept watch.
Eight hours later they were up again, well-rested. Gaara looked them over. Sasuke quickly left, no doubt packing up rations or checking the perimeter or doing something useful. Naruto stayed put, waiting for him to leave so that they could talk. He never imagined waiting for Sasuke to leave to have a conversation with Gaara, but it went to show how much life could change. The door closed with a gentle bang, shuddering in the door frame.
Gaara waited for a moment, sorting out his thoughts. But Naruto beat him to it.
“You want to find your village, am I right?”
“Yes. I need to make sure….” Gaara had no real attachment to his village, no strong bond of love other than the one Temari forced on him, but because he was human he wanted to protect it, because that is what they did. Once upon a time he wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if someone informed him his village was gone, but now the thought of it pained him. Too much time spent with Naruto, who was nodding slowly.
“…that they are there, I know, I understand.” He said. Gaara smiled, the hammering beat in his chest calming.
“It’s your entire fault.”
“I’ll take the blame.” Naruto was still nodding, but absently, figuring things out in his mind, working them over, checking for cracks. “I’ll miss you.” He concluded.
“If they are still there, I’ll be back, I promise. I mean, they are in a desert…most demons wouldn’t go out there willingly. You’d have to know where our village is if you wanted to stand a chance in reaching it.”
“What if it isn’t there?”
“Then I’ll have to find them. And once I’ve found them, I’ll find you.”
“If I find Konoha before you come back, I’ll find you.” Naruto said, fiercely, touched by Gaara’s promise. They were the closest of friends, acting in a heartbeat. A silence descended between them, pushing them to act. Thinking too much and not thinking at all he brought Gaara into his arms, hugging him tightly. The other had his arms around his waist, burying his nose in Naruto’s flak jacket. “Get hurt by one of those demon wannabe kiddies and I’ll kick your ass.” He warned menacingly. Gaara chocked back a laugh. He didn’t know why because laughter around Naruto was good and easy. He extracted himself from the tight embrace, losing the heat and warmth Naruto had offered. He would stay here forever with Naruto if he could, but his duties as a Sand shinobi called.
“Till later, Naruto.”
They went on like this for a few days, coming across another girl, then two twin boys. All easily dispatched by their flawless teamwork. He was left sitting on the fringes of their battles, catching flickers. Training under Orochimaru had been hard, difficult, tiring because he never had a chance to rest, but he was sure that his speed in the last few days had improved. Nowhere near theirs, but it was an improvement, even as he fought through the pain in his calves. Walking was easy. But hopping from branch to branch took stamina they had bucket-loads of. He had only what he came with. It shocked him to think how much they had all grown. Well, how much Naruto had grown. Gaara still mainly used his sand techniques to overcome his enemy, not giving them a chance to get close and hurt him.
They had passed an empty village, devoid of all live. This one though did have some life left, but it was at the end of its tether. The roads were dusty from disuse, but they could hear voices in the centre. The place where all the food was stocked, a primitive granary, was doubling as a kind of salon for four old grizzled men. They looked happy, but didn’t fit into their surroundings. As if they should have been on the street, begging for money. Their dirty faces but clean clothes didn’t compliment each other. They were idly playing cards, pouring another bottle of liquor into tall glasses. It was clear that they were permanent drunkards. They still hadn’t noticed three young men at their front door, blocking the sunlight.
Sasuke stepped into the room, letting the heel of his foot resound firmly on the dark floorboards. Four sets of eyes stared blearily at them, too stunned to be intimidated. The air stank, heaving with the fumes of fermented grains.
“Where is the rest of this village?” The men looked at him, frowning a little.
“Who are you?”
“We are searching for a village. Where is everyone?” Sasuke ground out, wanting an answer as quickly as possible so they could move on. Gaara and Naruto lurked just out of sight.
“They left in a hurry. Villages further to the west been disappearing, as if sometin be smoking ‘em out.” One man flippantly gave out, eyeing his cards with casual disdain while studiously ignoring him. He was surprised the slur to their voices wasn’t more pronounced.
“Why are you still here then?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Boys want to share a drink with us?” Sasuke didn’t mind dirt, but drinking with it was something else again. And it was obvious to him, all of a sudden. They were old men, probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the others, and without any family to take care of them they had decided to stay put in the village and be rich for the last few months of their lives. Sasuke was about to turn down their offer when Naruto stepped into the room, going straight for the table. He let his tails twitch behind him, drawing their eyes immediately. Sasuke sighed. This was one thing better left to him. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the men had a heart attack, but to their credit they cowered in their seats. Naruto fixed them with a cold glare, pinning them down into their rickety chairs.
“What is making the villages leave.” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement demanding answers. This confused him because answers followed questions, but Naruto wasn’t one for logic so Sasuke supposed it didn’t apply to him. The table quietened, stilled even more than it had before.
“People…people talk…talk of demons and monsters killing whole villages. Since then, they been running.”
“How long have you been here.” Again, a non-question. Naruto was imperious and tall with his speech, surprising him.
“9 months, is it?” the man looked for reassurance amongst his friends. They all looked ready to beg for their lives. Sasuke had to applaud their common sense. Naruto frowned for a moment – the men looked stricken – turned around and headed for the door.
“We are staying the night. Do not bother us.” he remarked casually over his shoulder. As if four old men would bother them. And they hadn’t even seen Gaara’s blood hair and dark eyes, which would drive that notion out of any normal person.
They settled in a flat with a bed. It was the first bed he’d seen since they’d left Konoha a while back, but it still took him a moment to adjust to the sight of one. The mattress was old – the reason why it had been left – but sturdy. It gave in to their weight as they settled down to rest. Sleep took them easily while Gaara kept watch.
Eight hours later they were up again, well-rested. Gaara looked them over. Sasuke quickly left, no doubt packing up rations or checking the perimeter or doing something useful. Naruto stayed put, waiting for him to leave so that they could talk. He never imagined waiting for Sasuke to leave to have a conversation with Gaara, but it went to show how much life could change. The door closed with a gentle bang, shuddering in the door frame.
Gaara waited for a moment, sorting out his thoughts. But Naruto beat him to it.
“You want to find your village, am I right?”
“Yes. I need to make sure….” Gaara had no real attachment to his village, no strong bond of love other than the one Temari forced on him, but because he was human he wanted to protect it, because that is what they did. Once upon a time he wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if someone informed him his village was gone, but now the thought of it pained him. Too much time spent with Naruto, who was nodding slowly.
“…that they are there, I know, I understand.” He said. Gaara smiled, the hammering beat in his chest calming.
“It’s your entire fault.”
“I’ll take the blame.” Naruto was still nodding, but absently, figuring things out in his mind, working them over, checking for cracks. “I’ll miss you.” He concluded.
“If they are still there, I’ll be back, I promise. I mean, they are in a desert…most demons wouldn’t go out there willingly. You’d have to know where our village is if you wanted to stand a chance in reaching it.”
“What if it isn’t there?”
“Then I’ll have to find them. And once I’ve found them, I’ll find you.”
“If I find Konoha before you come back, I’ll find you.” Naruto said, fiercely, touched by Gaara’s promise. They were the closest of friends, acting in a heartbeat. A silence descended between them, pushing them to act. Thinking too much and not thinking at all he brought Gaara into his arms, hugging him tightly. The other had his arms around his waist, burying his nose in Naruto’s flak jacket. “Get hurt by one of those demon wannabe kiddies and I’ll kick your ass.” He warned menacingly. Gaara chocked back a laugh. He didn’t know why because laughter around Naruto was good and easy. He extracted himself from the tight embrace, losing the heat and warmth Naruto had offered. He would stay here forever with Naruto if he could, but his duties as a Sand shinobi called.
“Till later, Naruto.”