Fading Scars

This is an Alternate Universe fic set perhaps a day or two after Orochimaru’s retreat from Konoha. A lot of liberties were taken from that point on in terms of time-line. This is also a very angsty (especially Naruto) and sexually graphic fic—just the way we like it!

This was written as a one-on-one RP, so the point of view of the story will change, usually with every paragraph. Scenes will also change abruptly and large periods of time will pass with little notice, though I’ll try to give some warning at the beginning of the chapter.

// = thoughts
* = emphasis

Warnings for some time-line stomping, but if you’re this far in I hope you not minding it too much. ^.^

Please read and enjoy!

Fading Scars
Chapter Seven:

Sasuke twisted around; he felt strangely lightheaded, though he could feel the heat spreading down his back. Neji.... When Naruto reached for the fallen boy his insides clenched. "Get away from him!" he bellowed, changing targets. "Keep your goddamned hands *off him!*"

Shikamaru, rubbing the back of his neck from the tree Sasuke had thrown him into, grimaced. "Naruto, back down!" he called. //He seriously looks out for blood.//

Naruto did so quickly, though he didn't go far. His fists clenched. //No wonder Hinata didn't want to do this. Neji...it almost looks like he could have died....//

Neji shuddered and coughed--he felt chilled all through, save the burning pulse between his temples. He could taste blood and bile, and the smell made his stomach lurch. //Fuck, she...really got me.// "Sas...."

Sasuke dropped to Neji's side, but...he still felt blurry, and tense. //Damnit, I need to help him. I need to think!//

With that determination, the curse slowly began to recede, allowing him to think more clearly. //The water--that's right.// "Stay still," he murmured, finding his canteen in the dirt. He tugged Neji away from the mess of vomit and used some of the water to clean his face.

Shikamaru sighed as he brushed himself off and dared a few steps closer. //Geez, is it over?// He formed his seal again, so that he'd be able to catch Sasuke if it looked like he was going to attack again. //Though it looks like he's ignoring us, now.//

Neji coughed again as some water got into his mouth, but then he managed to stay still. //Sasuke....//

Naruto watched the pair a long moment, frowning when Sasuke ran out of water. Ignoring the mess he came forward, crouching down in front of the two and offering his own canteen silently. //This isn't what we wanted.//

Sasuke glared at him, but after a moment he relented and accepted. He tugged the metal and fabric from Neji's forehead so he could pour a bit of the water over his yet gleaming seal. "We can't go back, Naruto," he said lowly, his hands and voice trembling with heated emotion as he offered some of the water for Neji to drink.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "We were sent to bring you back," he replied, just as quietly. "Well, you anyway." His fingers curled into tight fists. "They told us to kill Neji, but we're not going to. We already decided."

Sasuke's expression hardened. //They would have just killed him, like a dog.// "Not me?" He glared sharply at the boy at his side. "They would have had you kill him, but I'd get off with a talking to. Fucking hypocrites." He turned back to Neji, urging him to rest his head against his lap.

"Sasuke." Naruto glanced over his shoulder where Shikamaru, Kiba, and Hinata had gathered. //None of us really want to fight, and it would be a real pain to drag Sasuke all the way back, but....// "Look, if you swear you won't run, we wanna talk." He ignored the sound of protest from Kiba.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his hands tightening protectively in the front of Neji's jacket. "Fine," he snapped, leaning slightly over the prone teen. "But not until Neji's all right. You at least have to hear his story from his own mouth." He glanced at Naruto quickly. "And…bring some more water for him, okay?"

He nodded, pushing to his feet. "I'll get it." Naruto paused, looking down at the barely conscious Neji and feeling his stomach twist. "And I know about him," he added quietly before quickly turning away. Naruto approached the rest of his group, facing Shikamaru, voice lowered. "Is this okay?" he asked in a whisper.

Shikamaru sighed. "I guess...we might as well hear them out," he said. "It would suck dragging them all the way back home, anyway."

Hinata, pressed close against Kiba's side as she watched the scene unfold, sniffled quietly. "Is…" She lowered her head and swiped briefly at her eyes. "Is Neji-kun...all right?"

Naruto set a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be alright," he assured. "I'm gonna go get him some more water." He leapt into the trees, heading for the small river not far away.

Kiba gla dow down at Hinata, and after a moment gave her shoulders a quick hug. "I'll find us some food," he offered, slipping Akamaru from his hood and setting him in the girl's arms. "I'll be back soon."

Neji's eyes fluttered open at last, his senses slowly coming back to him. The first thing he recognized was that he was resting against something soft and warm, and it comforted him. "Sasuke...."

"Hey." Sasuke touched the side of his face lightly to reassure him. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Shikamaru was having Hinata help him build a fire. For a moment he worried that it might have been a signal, but the prospect of hot food helped him not care for a while. He turned back to Neji. "They're bringing more water," he told him quietly. "How do you feel?"

He groaned softly. "Awful." Neji lifted trembling fingers to brush at the edge of the seal, expression twisting. //Damn it.// His hand dropped to the ground as he turned his head towards Sasuke. //Am I really this weak? This helpless…?//

Sasuke's eyes thinned. "They want to talk," he murmured, not sure if Neji had heard that part or not. "Or at least, Naruto does. Troublemaker." He snorted softly. "I guess it can't hurt."

"Talk...." Neji shook his head slightly. "Who's here, anyway?" he asked in a whisper, not wanting to alert anyone. "I know Naruto and…and Hinata-sama...." //Damnit, Hinata-sama. You were the only one who might have understood.//

"Shikamaru and Kiba," Sasuke replied, hoping to keep Neji's mind off Hinata. "The new chuunin and a genin who likes dogs. I think they're the only ones." He frowned. "I guess we weren't all that important after all."

Neji opened his eyes again, falling still. "A rookie chuunin...and genins.... That's not right." He turned his head slightly, but he couldn't see anyone at the moment. "That's not right, Sasuke. If they knew we were going after Orochimaru...." A brief coughing fit made him pause and shudder.

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted quietly. "We'll figure it out." He smoothed a few loose strands of Neji's hair back. "Just take it easy. They promised to stay put until you recovered a little."

A tiny smirk pulled at his lips. "Didn't want to carry me, I guess," he muttered.

Naruto dropped out of the trees with a fresh canteen of water, kneeling down beside the pair again. "Got it." He offered it to Sasuke, figuring with the way he was hovering over Nejat hat he'd rather do it himself.

Sasuke accepted it, though the only thanks he offered was a small nod. He urged Neji up just enough to drink. "Where did Kiba go?"

"I saw him catching a few rabbits," he replied, watching the still pained expression on Neji's face. "From what I hear, he's a pretty good cook. We'll have a real breakfast." He glanced briefly over his shoulder to see how Hinata and Shikamaru were coming with the fire--there was a hint of smoke in the air. ust ust the thought of it made Sasuke's mouth start to water. //Though even if they do listen to us, it's not like they'll just let us go. We might have to fight again.// He tried not to think about it by instead watching over Neji. "Naruto. Did the Hokage send you?"

He shook his head. "Not me," he replied flatly. "The new Hokage assigned Shikamaru to lead a group, including Hinata, to go after you guys. Kiba's an amazing tracker, so he was picked to go to." Looking down, he met Neji's eyes briefly. "Hinata told me what was happening, and I decided to come on my own."

Neji wasn't sure how to take those words, so he only closed his eyes and shifted closer to Sasuke; he was still cold.

Sasuke set a hand against Neji's chest without realizing. //And they told Hinata to kill Neji…and Naruto talked them all out of it.// He wasn't all that surprised, and…at the moment he was having trouble expressing his gratitude. "I see." He snorted lightly. "Did they really think the four of you would be able to get us back?"

Naruto took a moment to consider his answer, but Kiba appeared then and did for him. "There was no one left," he replied, coming from behind them carrying four rabbits. "The jounin are either injured or gone, same with most of the chuunin that didn't have students." His eyes were narrowed as he knelt beside the fire, pulling out a kunai to start skinning the animals. "There wasn't anyone left who could have gone."

"Wasn't anyone...?" Sasuke scowled. "Is the new Hokage a damn fool?" //If they hadn't caught up with us, we might have made it to Orochimaru. We could have given him all Konoha's secrets--he would have come back. With no jounin left to protect the village?//

Kiba nodded shortly. "They're all out on missions. Something about keeping up the appearance that everything was under control. The Hokage was worried that, if it looked like we were weak, then other countries would attack." His expression twisted, forcefully not saying anything more.

"Ridiculous." Sasuke's hand tightened subtly against Neji's chest. //Konoha really is going to fall.//

"Hey," Shikamaru called from the fire he and Hinata had finished. He didn't really care what they were talking about--even as a chuunin it wasn't his responsibility to prevent that kind of talk--but it was a little unsettling. "Bring Neji over here," he offered. "Let him warm up."

Naruto shifted to Neji's side, across from Sasuke, and carefully took his arm. "I'll help," he said, meeting the other's eyes for only a moment. He didn't like all the talk going on, but....

With Naruto's help Sasuke led Neji to the fire, staying close so that he could lean upright against him. The warmth felt good after nights of travel and days of sleeping in wet clothes. //Did we go through all that for nothing?// Sasuke couldn't help but wonder as he settled. His gaze slid from Naruto, to Kiba and Shikamaru, and finally Hinata, who was doing her best not to look at anyone. //We came this far just to be caught anyway....//

Neji leaned against Sasuke's side while trying to look like he wasn't, but his body just wasn't working. He ached with every movement, biting his lips to keep from crying out again.

Naruto remained on Neji's other side, watching the two intently before turning his focus on Sasuke. "What are you going to do?" he asked bluntly. "With Orochimaru?"

"He promised me power," Sasuke replied simply. His eyes were caught by the fire, and didn't leave it as he continued to speak lowly. "Enough to kill my brother with. And…we were going to ask him if he could remove Neji's seal."

Hinata glanced up carefully, looking as if she might have spoken and thought better of it.

"He won't do it," Naruto replied immediately. "And even if he did, he'd make you work for him--he'd make you help him take over everything." His fingers curled into fists. "Even if you hate Konoha, you can't hate it that much."

"So?" Sasuke's eyelids drooped. He was still watching the fire; its flickering orange light helped him remember, kept his voice from trembling. "If I can kill him, the rest doesn't matter. That's all I care about."

Naruto glared angrily. "That's damn selfish," he growled. "You wouldn't care how many people you killed, so long as you got him? That's fucking selfish, Sasuke."

"Yeah, well if Hokage had given a shit about my whole goddamned family in the first place, I wouldn't need to be doing this now, would I?" Sasuke retorted, giving him a sudden glare. "I'm the only one that can kill him. If they won't help me I'll do whatever I can."

"You're not the only ninja whose ever lost family," Shikamaru spoke up suddenly, poking at the fire. "Y'know?"

"It wasn't just my parents," Sasuke shot back. He started to continue but his strength abruptly left him with the memories of his nightmares so close. He sagged a little against Neji and lowered his eyes. "No one helped us. Why should I care what happens to Konoha now?"

"Because it's our home!" Naruto replied sharply, feeling revived with Shikamaru on his side. "That's where we live, where were born and grew up! Maybe it wasn't always easy, and maybe things sucked sometimes, but it's still our home. Mine and Sakura-chan's, all yours', Lee-san and Konohamaru and Iruka-sensei. What will they do, if you destroy their home?" He was shaking slightly, shoulders hunched.

"It's not a home," Neji murmured, eyes still closed. "It's a cage."

Sasuke sighed; he suddenly didn't have the strength to argue with Naruto. "I'm sorry, Naruto," he murmured. "I know you don't understand. But even if Neji and I wanted to go home, it's too late, now." He closed his eyes as well. "They'll just kill him. And I can't stay there, waiting for...for Itachi to come back and finish me."

"Then we'll do something about it," Naruto said, his tone firm. "I already said I won't let them kill Neji, but I'm not gonna let you go do something stupid that might destroy the only thing I have left." He flinched--he hadn't meant to say that. //But...but damnit, it's the truth!//

//Naruto-kun....// Hinata glanced between them, and when it didn't look like anyone else was going to speak she licked her lips. "Um...." Her shoulders hunched. "Neji-kun...? I'm...I'm sorry." Shivering, she tightened her hands against her knees. "But...we're both heirs to our families, so...I can ask them not to hurt you anymore...."

Neji shook his head. "They won't listen," he replied, head still lowered. "If I go back, they might not kill me, but they'll be waiting for the chance." His hands curled in his lap. "I can't live there anymore, Hinata-sama," he went on in a low murmur. "I don't...want to."

Naruto pushed to his feet, turning away from the group. //They don't understand--none of them do.// He moved away to find his discarded jacket.

Shikamaru watched him go, frow to to himself. He sighed. "Man, you two are a pain," he muttered, leaning back on his hands. "It's not like we don't get it, all right? But that doesn't mean we can just let you go off with Orochimaru." His gaze slid to the rabbits Kiba was preparing. "There's more going on than what they've told you, I'm sure."

"I'm sure," Sasuke echoed with a bitter smirk. "But maybe we'll eat first."

Though Neji knew he should eat, the thought of it was already making his stomach twist. He watched as Kiba stuck the rabbits up on spits around the edge for the fire and winced. "I can't," he whispered, turning his head towards Sasuke's ear so only he would hear him.

"Then don't," Sasuke replied just as quietly. He set a hand lightly against Neji's back to help steady him. Hopefully Neji would change his mind in a while--he could use the food.

Shikamaru watched them a moment, a little taken aback by how...close the pair suddenly seemed. He didn't remember them being anything like that. It was almost embarrassing and he looked away--his gaze caught on Naruto, and with a frown he pushed to his feet. "Be right back," he murmured to Kiba as he moved after him.

Naruto found his jacket, but he didn't return to the fire just yet. He stood, staring out into the sunlit forest. Hearing the approach of another, he almost suspected it would be Hinata, and was surprised to find Shikamaru next to him. He blinked. "Something wrong?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" Shikamaru returned with a shrug. They were far enough away that he could talk normally without worry of being heard.

He lowered his head, fingers twisting in his coat. "They don't get it," he replied at last. "Why's it so hard to understand that...they're going to hurt people. People who care about them...love them...." //Not...like me....//

"Maybe that's just it," Shikamaru suggested. "If they don't give a shit about an but but themselves...I guess it wouldn't matter if anyone cared about them." He set a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "We might have to find a way to snap them out of it, as much of a pain as that is."

Naruto sighed, but ultimately nodded his agreement. "Yeah. We should." He straightened and stretched, taking a long, deep breath. "Stupid bastards."

//That's more like it.// Shikamaru turned back towards the fire. "Well I guess it's a good thing you came along," he said. "You did good taking care of those traps."

Smirking, Naruto turned to follow. "One thing goo good for--getting myself to blunder around." //Shikamaru.... He's not so bad.// Naruto slapped him on the shoulder playfully.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything as they returned to the fire. Soon enough the rabbits Kiba had caught were ready to be eaten, and Shikamaru was all too happy to help himself to breakfast. "Maybe we'll all feel better after a meal, eh?" he said as he helped Kiba pass the food around.

Sasuke burned his tongue on the first bite, but he didn't care--he was too hungry to mind as he gulped down his portion of meat. He glanced briefly to Neji. "Think you can handle some?" he offered.

Neji eyed the meat with distaste, but he knew it would probably be the last fresh food they might have for a while. He sighed but nodded, accepting a small leg piece to nibble at.

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