Forced Hand

WARNING!!
Ten page fight scene, may be boring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Forced Hand
By 11


Chapter 07


The steel glinted as it slid toward his hand, his grip loosening, dropping his weapon in effort to save his appendage. A growl in the back of his throat. That guy always got him with that move, didn’t he? Of course to use it this soon, must mean that he was getting better, that that guy didn’t want to prolong the fight so he ended it quickly with the one move that he knew would work.

“Are you ever going to teach me that? Or how to counter it?”

Dark eyes watched his, the entire time, but still he managed to catch the dropped weapon before it fell. “Maybe.” He smirked slightly. Naruto would’ve glared before, but not now. He was actually glad when Sasuke came to wake him up this morning telling him they were going to start practice, he had been afraid that the dark-haired youth had called the whole thing off since the hot springs incident, he was gladly mistaken.

“It’s the wrist, you have to lunge for it though.”

“Hm?” Naruto asked again, blinking slightly, drawing himself from his thoughts.

“That move, you lunge for it, and you go for the base of the blade. Then if you’re not close enough, which most of the time you won’t be, you have to flick your wrist, sort of.” Sasuke explained. “To counter it, you have to retreat quickly, but with your height it might be better to dive in under their strike and go for their open area. Because of their height most people can’t pull that off, I’ve only known a few guys who could effectively counter it that way.”

“Can I try it out?” Naruto asked. Sasuke flipped the blade so he held it’s tip and handed the hilt out to the blonde, he took it, and Sasuke stood by him allowing the blonde to copy the movement he gave him for the technique.

He practiced the movement for a while getting used to the feel, Sasuke correcting him when he didn’t use his wrist right or when he didn’t lunge straight. Naruto still had some trouble with veering to one side, but he was getting a lot better, he knew a lot more than he did.

“Let’s try it out in combat then,” he said stepping away to a few steps in front of him, sword drawn. The youth nodded and Naruto started with a diagonal slash, Sasuke parried and whipped around to his side, Naruto had to maneuver his body quickly to block the next blow. “Next time I attack, try it out,” Sasuke told him, the left out statement was that he wasn’t using his full strength right now. Of course the youth never did anyway.

Sasuke darted in striking forward, Naruto’s initial instinct was the block and he did so. Sasuke coaxed him to try again, this time trying out the theory of the attack. The next blow, Naruto lunged in, but he was still far off from the hand, but after twisting his wrist the blade almost collided against Sasuke’s hand, but the dark-haired boy drew back at the last instant.

“You have the right idea,” he nodded. Naruto smiled slightly, using real swords they had to be careful, and Sasuke would have had to get out of the way, letting him hit him might have resulted in a sore hand for a few days, Naruto knew the feeling.

“Are we taking a break already?” Naruto asked somewhat surprised when Sasuke had turned and started putting his sword away.

“It’s been an hour, look out the window, everyone will be getting up soon, and you need to go and change.” Sasuke explained. Looking at the window he noted that the sun was starting to come over the horizon, actually by this time they should have stopped sooner. He had to go get out of the training clothes fairly soon or someone might see, and get suspicious.

Looking back at Sasuke he had to wonder, through the whole lesson he hadn’t done one weird thing, and he hadn’t seen him yesterday since he disappeared with Gaara somewhere. Somehow it seemed to hurt, the redhead wasn’t here now, and he liked the guy, he was cool… but it still, yesterday didn’t seem right.

“So, I saw you and Gaara yesterday,” Naruto started, unsure of what he was trying to bring up exactly, as far as everyone was concerned he was a ‘girl’ after all. Sasuke only gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and so without any further comment from the boy Naruto continued albeit somewhat hesitantly. “So… what did you do?”

“We went somewhere.” Sasuke answered in short.

“Where? Or am I not allowed to know?” Naruto asked again, as he came over by the boy to slide his own weapon back into it’s place on the wall.

Dark eyes brushed over the blonde, “Are you… jealous?” he asked, and Naruto felt his muscles tense. No he wasn’t. Naruto already had this conversation in his mind; he would have discussed it with Kyuubi too but the fox hadn’t been around, probably playing with that raccoon somewhere.

“No! I was just curious!” Naruto said, maybe a bit too quickly, and probably a little too defensively… oh well couldn’t retract his words by this time.

He heard Sasuke chuckle, and he turned his face slightly toward the boy when he turned and moved in, his arms wrapping themselves easily around the blonde’s shoulders. Naruto turned his face slightly, a sound much like a squeak nearly escaping him but not, he managed to not let it out. Sasuke’s cheek brushed by his, his previous path thwarted he gladly compensated with the ear and part of the neck now exposed to him.

“Sasuke…” he hadn’t meant for it to come out like a soft moan. The word had been meant as a means of protest but it didn’t work that way. Not now that the other boy’s warm breath warmed the skin. The dark-eyed boy’s lips gently pressing against the skin, moving ever so slightly to caress the sensitive place.

He raised his arms to Sasuke’s shoulders, they had been placed there to push the other boy away, but as they were they seemed only to pull the boy closer. With a small inaudible sigh Naruto unconsciously allowed logic to momentarily flee his mind. As much as his mind would not have admitted, and his body all too readily stated, he had missed the other’s touch like this.

“Don’t worry about it. Gaara’s just a friend, I only want you,” he breathed against the other’s neck, a feeling of relief filling Naruto for a moment as he relaxed against the other. The darker tangible scent of the other boy all around him, his mouth playing patterns of pleasure over his skin, and his hands and arms holding the blonde close. Allowing his head to fall forward slightly, resting his head on Sasuke’s shoulder, he continued to allow the soft touches that were of course not the source of the slight shivering all over the surface of his skin now.

Turning his face to the side he faced the pale skin of the other’s throat, it was a fairly sensitive place on his own body, idly he wondered if Sasuke was sensitive there too. If he were to press his lips to it, or run his tongue along the vein found there if Sasuke would sigh and breath heavier as Naruto did. Curious, and with a haze of something abstract clouding his mind, he touched his mouth to the skin, moving them slightly. The warmth now radiating to them from the other’s skin he found a pleasant sensation.

A tremor ran through Sasuke briefly and Naruto felt it. The other’s hand rising to his now short hairline, stroking slightly in an encouraging motion, his teeth scraping lightly against his neck now. Naruto mimicked the movements and moaned against the skin when Sasuke sucked lightly on the vein, a small shiver going through his body from the slight vibration at his throat.

One of Sasuke’s hands had moved… one hand was still in his hair, but the other was touching on his bare stomach, his hand had gone up Naruto’s shirt sometime in that time. Warning bells were going off in the blonde’s head, but somehow he could barely hear them and at the same time he had a difficulty really worrying about them, although he really should have. First of all the situation was wrong and he knew that, second the moment that Sasuke found out that Naruko wasn’t a female he’d stop anyway, so what really was the purpose in ignoring the warning? Absolutely none, thankfully though the blue-eyed boy was saved from his own stupidity when the door to the training room opened.

It wasn’t really all that helpful though since though both heard it, Sasuke didn’t stop where he was for the moment, but Naruto did glance up, and that was good because otherwise a far more embarrassing situation that may have ensued from this incident.

“Gaara!” Naruto gasped pulling away, Sasuke released his hold for the moment it took to glance back at the door, he hadn’t really wanted to do so and it showed in his eyes when he looked at the redhead. “Good morning, Gaara, how are you, this morning?”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the boy said, it didn’t sound apologetic or anything but then Gaara never really sounded much of anything as far as tone went. Green eyes shifted from the flustered blonde to the slightly irritated dark-haired boy. It figured that they liked each other. He hadn’t thought the relationship might have been one sided and that Sasuke was more or less giving up on the girl based on yesterday. Of course they were supposed to be engaged or something weren’t they? Looking at them right now, Naruko didn’t really look like a girl, not that she hadn’t looked pretty boyish in dressed but in a loose shirt and pair of pants, if he hadn’t known who she was he might have thought she was in fact a boy.

Naruto tried to smile at Gaara, but his face felt so warm he knew he must have been blushing like crazy, but it was impossible not to, what had he thought he was doing just a moment ago? And then Gaara walking in… and actually that was probably a good thing since he probably wouldn’t have pushed Sasuke away without something like that happening but this was just so… embarrassing! It wasn’t right and he hadn’t changed so he must really look like a guy right now, and he liked that, but it wasn’t smart to let everyone see and try to arouse suspicions.

Actually Gaara had been debating on this subject all night, since he left Sasuke’s side, being around that darker life force for half the day had really gotten to him, he radiated power and darkness. And it had been infuriating for some reason, not that he hadn’t enjoyed just ‘talking’ with the boy, but Sasuke never said much and for an actual conversation Gaara would have gone out with Naruko instead. Two extremes of light and dark, it must have been what drew them to each other, but he wasn’t here to ponder metaphors of why in the six continents these tow liked each other when they were so different. No he was here with a set goal, one in particular that included Sasuke. The same Sasuke that since entering this room he now harbored an unnamed and cold emotion for.

“I actually came to see you, Sasuke,” dark eyes glanced up at him, “I want to fight you.”

Naruto blinked. That… came out of nowhere. Looking back at Sasuke, he just shrugged at the offer, “Here then?”

“No, outside at the dome at the end of the west wing,” Gaara told him. “I will meet you there in fifteen minutes.” Sasuke nodded and once that was confirmed Gaara started for the door.

“Naruko, I’ll see you later,” Sasuke said after Gaara left heading for the door as well. This didn’t feel right though. “I plan to resume this activity later.” And that wasn’t quite right either… but somehow the idea of the fight itself didn’t sit too well in Naruto’s mind.

He followed out the door after Sasuke was gone as well, if Kyuubi was around he would bring him, thankfully the fox was there in the room when he went to change. Then with the red furball in tow, he headed off to the west wing, sadly just the travel time took the whole of the fifteen minutes, so that by the time he got there both Gaara and Sasuke had just entered and were ready to start.

“Hey, made it in time,” Naruko said as she approach the side line, and Sasuke looked up at ‘her’ with a nod. The dark-haired youth had brought one of the sword with him, and oddly enough Gaara did not have a weapon but noticing the raccoon nearby Naruto frowned. If Gaara was going to use the demon… what was up with this?

“Hey, you two are friends now though right?” Naruko asked, the question directed at Gaara as well as Sasuke. But the redhead didn’t even look over at her.

“Yes. This is a friendly fight,” Gaara answered, “Nothing too serious, just an all out battle to see who’s the best.” Naruko felt goose bumps rise along her skin, Gaara’s life force was leaking out now, and there was such a dark taint to that power. It wasn’t right.

“And that’s nothing serious I guess…” Naruko muttered quietly glanced at the fox standing by her. Red eyes looked up at blue for a moment before glancing back at what was soon to be a battlefield. Watch and wait. That was the only thought the fox shared for the moment, and it was probably the best course of action for the time being.

Gaara had been attempting to place the cold feeling he had found in himself when he first saw Sasuke and Naruko in the training room that morning. He recognized the anger that seemed to swell in him now, but the coldness he had finally identified as bitterness. The raccoon suspected it was for Sasuke who was trying to use him before, surprisingly he had also found upon further contemplation that in addition to his anger and bitterness toward Sasuke some of it was also directed at Naruko.

It didn’t make sense, she hadn’t done anything to him. He knew before that the two of them were supposed to be engaged anyway, so in actuality, thinking logically, Sasuke as really the only one at fault. Naruko was his friend, sort of, for the moment. He knew he didn’t completely trust her, but she hadn’t given him any reason to distrust or even dislike her. But he really didn’t understand anything of what went on in his head anyway. All he knew was what he felt, and that was it.

“Naruko, hey, what’s going on over here?”

“Sakura!” Naruko smiled as the pink-haired girl approached, “What’re you doing here?”

“Not much, what’s going on here? That’s Gaara right? Is Sasuke going to fight him?” she asked curiously looking out into the arena.

“Yes, sort of,” Naruko nodded.

“Yeah! Go for it Sasuke!” Sakura chirped happily, taking a seat, and after a moment Naruko joined her sitting beside the girl, in the chair directly behind her.

“Sasuke will win.” Sakura stated mater-of-fact, then looking over at Naruko she couldn’t help a small sneer, “You look worried. That’s no good, if you’re engaged you have to be supportive and believe in your love. If you don’t love him you shouldn’t be here.”

Naruko didn’t answer, and after a moment Sakura lost interest in the girl and her eyes settled back on the arena. It wasn’t as easy as Sakura thought it to be. Gaara had a demon on his side after all, and the kingdom of Kodoku probably had a different fighting style than in Somuhorm. Naruto wished it were as simple as his friend thought, but with these circumstances there was always the possibility of something going badly…

The countdown was unheard, but it was there in everyone’s minds silently ticked backward; 3, 2, 1. Sasuke was fast, lunging in, a direct hit ready for contact. It never met, a shield of sand rising from the desert ground blocking the path of the sword. His first attempt thwarted, the sand rushed out from the wall toward him, a physical blow that he was not interested in allowing to contact.

So Gaara could control the sand?

Whipping around the side of the blow he aimed again at Gaara just beyond the torrent of dust, a blow that would have hit the shoulder. The sand was incredibly flexible as well as it reappeared to block the blow at the desert kingdom’s heir.

A frown, as he was tossed backward, reaching down he turned it to a skid in order to turn back around the strike the sand directly. Not too smart a plan admittedly but in that particular moment he may have thought it was possible to rip through the sand. If it was weakening since he was supposed to have been moving away. It didn’t.

The sand met and melded around the slice of steel crawling up the blade to the handle. Sasuke released the hilt as the sand swallowed the blade, grinding it to dust within. In a moment it was rushing forward at him again. He didn’t move and struck out with his hand. Surprisingly enough this time the sand dispersed at the blow.

Of course that time, he had channeled some of his life force into the blow. Since Gaara’s own life force was what controlled the sand then a similar powered life force could breach it. The steel had no life energy to it so it broke easily. This would have to be a hand to hand combat considering the style Gaara was using. Although it seemed Sasuke was adapting quite well to it.

As the sand fell away, momentarily dispelled, Sasuke rushed in to physically attack. Since Gaara was using the sand, which was proving to be a rather tricky substance to fight with, he had to try and end this battle quickly. Predictably, as he punched forward, a wall of sand formed before the redhead blocking the attack.

Gaara was not currently worried, Sasuke had yet to even find a way to breach his sand’s defense let alone his second layer. The anger from before the fight was still there, but for the moment he chose to brood over the past events trying to make sense of that anger. He missed it when Sasuke disappeared from behind the wall whipping around the other side. It was too late when he looked up and found the dark-haired youth’s fist in his face. He felt the second layer shatter with the blow, absorbed by the sand. Noting that Gaara was not yet down Sasuke withdrew before the sand could close in around and trap him there.

Green eyes opened after the slight sting subsided, and glared at the youth a ways away, a smirk now in place. He thought he knew all about his defenses now didn’t he? That first blow was all a fluke, it would not happen a second time.

“Yes! Go Sasuke!!” Sakura squealed in glee from the sidelines, after noting that Sasuke now seemingly had the upper hand. Watching in giddy surprise for the ‘inevitable’ defeat of Gaara by her dark knight.

Naruto’s eyes studied the ground critically. Ichibi still had yet to enter the fight, and Gaara’s ability to control sand was something that he had not first expected. Elemental manipulation was what it was called and it was a far different playing field than sword or even hand to hand, but Sasuke seemed to be faring all right so far. Not only could he use it as a shield and attack force but apparently a thin layer materialized itself around Gaara providing a second layer of defense all around his body. But if this was Gaara without Ichibi’s powers… he hated to think what might happen once the demon came into the fray.

A protective cloud of the yellow and orange dust rose from the ground shrouding Gaara. Keeping his eyes on the opening Sasuke followed it, rushing inside the rift hurrying to the center. He had to shatter that second defense layer before he could win the battle. Gaara looked up in slight surprise and shielded his face with his arms, the sand would not have had time by then to react. Sasuke’s blow was a kick to the gut, sending the redhead backward. Sasuke poised nearby as the sand died down slightly as Gaara drew in more to repair the damage done to his second defensive layer.

“I’ll tear down that armor of yours.” He told the other confidently. Green eyes narrowed at onyx, so he had discovered how to get around the first defense of the sand. It wasn’t as fast as it could be and he himself was aware of that, which was why he had the second layer.

“Yeah! Sasuke!!” Sakura said happily, rocking herself in her chair in pure happiness. Even Naruto had to admit that even without the sword he had gone in with Sasuke was a pretty good fighter. He may just win the fight… but then Gaara wasn’t using Ichibi yet… Gaara knew he would have to use a different tactic soon or he might lose. If he knew that then it may only be a matter of time before he used the demon.

Rushing at Gaara again Sasuke swerved to run in a circle, he was fast like before. The sand wouldn’t be able to catch him. But what the problem was now was that Sasuke was starting a huge dust cloud around Gaara. This way not even his opponent’s eyes could try and predict where a blow would come from and be able to block it.

That was fine by Gaara though. He was thinking of using a different technique anyway, and this just provided the opportunity. Summoning the sand it formed around him a protective shell. Ichibi ran forward through the cloud and entered the shell with Gaara as all the openings bean to close up. Sasuke saw that and diverted his circular path to dive in and try to strike through one of the openings left. He was too slow.

The shell was completely closed. Gaara would not be coming out, not for a while. This technique obviously took some time. What was Sasuke going to do now?

“Well this is good,” Sasuke said quietly to himself as he drew back from the shell, “Because this one attack… also takes a while to prepare.”

Sakura’s cries of encouragement died in her throat in a moment. “Naruko… is Sasuke’s… his eyes…?”

“They’re red.” The blonde confirmed, but it wasn’t just the eyes that were bothering her, Sasuke’s life force had suddenly increased and it was continuing to do so. As it did a blue light was starting to appear in Sasuke’s hand. A faint whispering crying sound now reached the two onlooker’s ears.

“A chidori…” Sakura breathed in amazement. Both watching as the sand on Gaara’s shell began to shift and as Sasuke moved his arm, the screaming light tearing up the ground as it moved.

In a single movement Sasuke had bolted forward at the shell. His arm driving forward as he went the blue light meeting the shell in a matter of seconds. The sand jutted out in places, as if a living thing that felt the pain of the blow, Sasuke’s arm was now swallowed by the sand.

So Sasuke had won? No. He hadn’t.

A scream erupted across the arena, and Sasuke wrenched his arm away from the sand, bloody welts covering every inch of the flesh that had been taken into the sand. Holding the arm close to his body Sasuke backed away quickly as the sand fell away. A dark wound in Gaara’s shoulder flowed blood into the tanned cloth he wore. The raccoon stood nearby, so they hadn’t merged; not yet.

It was Sasuke who had screamed the first time, but this second time the cry was from Gaara. A horrifying sound of rage that reverberated through the arena, and made Sakura’s blood feel slow, her head ringing with the sound her muscles falling limply so she slumped in her seat.

The fox at Naruto’s heel hissed menacingly. He didn’t need the demon’s thoughts in his mind to inform him of how bad this situation just got.

Gaara wasn’t Gaara anymore, he vaguely looked like the boy he had been before, but golden eyes open wide and glaring. Red hair sanding away at the edges, his mouth curled back in a snarl, veins protruding on his arms, legs, and his temple. Ichibi was no longer there, his energy had faded into Gaara’s as Gaara’s had faded into the demon’s. Instead of a scream of anguish like before an angry cry of anger let loose this time, one that called for blood.

The hairs on Naruto’s body stood away from the skin as a chill rushed through him. Did he and the Kyuubi look that inhuman when they merged as well?

Lunging forward now the beings speed, not Gaara and not Ichibi, was more than a match for Sasuke. He was on the defensive now straining to block blows and turning constantly to keep from being caught unaware or from behind. There was little to no reaction time.

He was… doing okay… but now that he knew what he was up against even he must have known that he would be reaching his limit soon if the creature didn’t let up. Attempting to lessen the blows and try to lead the creature into a more level field of battle Sasuke sped back towards the other side of the arena. But with the creature right at behind him he didn’t have much more time before he turned and a clawed hand lashed outward ripping through the chest area.

Sakura gasped as she watched Sasuke fall to the side. Another blow was aimed but he managed to spring back up moving away, but he was protecting his chest now. The blow had connected, and beneath the shredded cloth his chest would probably be weeping blood.

He was doing it for too long already the healthy time limit for a merge was almost up. But he wasn’t even close to dispelling the merge… slowly Sakura staggered to her feet, her eyes wide and she tripped forward on the railing. “Sasuke…” she breathed her body spilling over the other side tipping her body out into the arena.

“Sakura,” Naruto said reached forward to follow after her, but his hand missed her and she fell to the ground of the arena, her body was still shaking but she was moving starting to sit up… her lips forming the young man’s name once more.

“Sakura!” she looked up at the person, a warm hand on her shoulder. “You want to help him right?” hesitantly she nodded, that was what she wanted… that was why she was trying to make her body go forward when ever part of her was telling her to run as far away as she could.

“Okay.”

The sand struck again this time, Sasuke had managed to block with his arms but that did not stop him from being tossed onto the ground, the creature advanced again. He had been told that there was no way to use it a second time, he didn’t have the energy for that then… maybe it had changed, and even if it hadn’t, this just may have been his last gambit to try and walk away alive.

The light hissed into his hand, it was weak, and the being was planning to attack again, both with blows poised to connect. This was his last…

The light screeched high and long, the creature’s cry low and ferocious before they passed one another, a momentary ringing in his ears blocking any meaningful sound. Then he heard the creature howling again. Looking back, the blow had connected, but it hadn’t sent it to the ground. It was hurt and angry but it wasn’t by any means weakened, or even close to down.

Then the burn started, his muscles tightening and squeezing first through his neck then his arms and chest seizing up and unable to hardly move. The white hot fire liquid streaking from the covered place at his neck. Of all times, now, hadn’t he been granted immunity for the duration of this journey? This was not good… and if it wasn’t because of that… then he’d been using too much energy and now that energy was trying to take control of him. Not again… it had already happened too often for any good to have come of it.

He heard the thing wheel around and start for him again, it was going to kill him, and because of this stupid thing… he couldn’t stop it.

Then out of nowhere at all a gold tawny blur rushed at the demon a strong blow connected in the exposed stomach sending the creature careening backward. But it caught its balance a few meters away, gold eyes glaring across the arena at what was now three figures. Sasuke laying on the ground, the pink-haired girl running over to him and the blonde now crouching before the both of them. So then… this one was its new opponent?

“Sasuke? Sasuke are you okay?” the girl asked as she fell by the boy’s side, staring down at where his hand gripped against the skin she could only stare at the moving dark marks that flitted across his normally pale skin. “Naruko! Something’s seriously wrong with Sasuke right now!!”

“What happened to him, Gaara?” Naruto asked the creature a ways away, not looking back at Sakura and Sasuke where they were. The creature only grinned and it’s eyes fell from blue to the side. The moment that golden eyes locked on aqua, she froze. It wouldn’t have been hard to run away. That was what she should have done. She didn’t want to die…

With a snarl a hand extended toward her and from that congealed putty spout. It wrapped itself around her pinning her back against the concrete bowl side of the arena. The hit knocked the wind out of her instantly and with a whimper her head fell forward.

One thought was going through her head the instant before the darkness took her. One thought, of one person. It wasn’t the person she had expected.

“Sakura!! Sakura!” Naruto cried, but as he was he could not rush to her. The fox dove forward to her, his thoughts quickly informing his host of the situation. The conglomerate held fast, however, the substance was not completely still; it was tightening. It was going to kill her, it was slow enough but it was growing and it would swallow her. The mixture was a type of congealed sand putty and that thing, neither Gaara nor Ichibi; was controlling it.

“Gaara!” he spoke this time to the being, “Gaara, just stop it! You’ve won or whatever, right? So stop!”

The fox’s thoughts whispers of irritation stated again in Naruto’s mind that it wasn’t Gaara that he was speaking too, nor was it Ichibi. It probably wasn’t even listening at all. But he had to give it a try, regardless of merged or not, Gaara was in there somewhere, even if he was only the tiniest bit active.

Lunging forward his path was immediately blocked, apparently the thing had the bright idea that now that the sand congealed he could still use that as a shield. It worked.

Though it was difficult to get to a speed so that he could get past the barriers. Yet, the putty sand was slower than the sand Sasuke had had to find a break in.

It was probably a good thing to have some set backs while the rest of him seemed to have gotten so much stronger. In his pocket he had kept that thing since yesterday evening when he found those kegs. He could use this… it might not work but it was worth a shot.

Leaping forward the frontal attack was planned to be intercepted by the congealed sand and so as he had observed Sasuke done before he turned to the side swerving to the side of the blow and then under it. Darting in quickly toward the being in the center.

Another block and this time Naruto jumped high falling headlong over the being, he caught himself on his arm but the ground stung his palm as he skid. Letting his feet land behind him he lurched forward at the thing’s backside. Drawing the item from its hidden location Naruto jammed the pointed end of the thing tube upward into the being’s upper thigh.

It broke the skin, but the bleeding was light. Golden eyes shifted over it’s shoulder to glare back at the blonde before drawing the struck leg up and lashing backward. The blow contacted at Naruto’s chest sending him flying backward. As he fell, he could only grin, even if the thing had hit him he had accomplished his goal. “Kaboom…”

In that instant the tube still in the being’s thigh errupted into a cloud of fire and smoke a howl sounding from the being as the force of the blast knocked it forward onto the ground, it’s leg half torn up from the explosive. Naruto fell back against something warm and hard, “Ah, Sasuke! You’re still awake?”

“Idiot… what was that?” he grunted starting to sit up again after Naruto had knocked him down again.

“Actually I was very proud of that one,” Naruto grinned, “I found a ton of gun powder yesterday, inside the palace, so on a whim I put that together last night. Pretty nifty… not that really anyone besides me knew about it.”

Looking forward again the a hissing sound from the wound signified the healing process as the skin bubbled over reforming across the bloody expanse. Golden eyes locked in fury on the blonde, a sudden blast of the sand putty shooting straight at the both of them.

Grabbing Sasuke by the waist, huh he was kind of slender… not as much as him, but slender, Naruto pulled them both out of the immediate line of fire. Not that the creature was giving up on revenge for the explosive in it’s leg.

“If that was the only one you had I suggest you go and take Sakura out of here,” Sasuke told him, “I can probably keep him distracted time enough for you to get away.”

“What? No way!” Naruto told him incredulous that he would even suggest something like that. He wasn’t about to leave Sasuke, even if he was a jerk at times.

“If you don’t that thing might kill us all before it calms back down again,” Sasuke growled back, his mind was made up, but so was Naruto’s.
“Yeah… but you can barely move,” Naruto pointed out as he stood beside Sasuke who had just managed to get to his feet, and with a little nudge proved his point when the youth could barely keep his balance. A glare was received for his efforts.

With a yell the creature, released another round of the congealed sand, Naruto grabbed Sasuke off his feet as he dodged the blow yet again. He set Sasuke on the ground this time, the jerking movement had momentarily blurred Sasuke’s vision and at the moment he felt so sick… Naruto knew the youth may hate him later but he’d thank him later if this meant they all kept their lives.

“Sasuke you take a good rest.” Naruto told him, “Leave everything to me.”

With those words the dark youth’s whole world went mostly dark, fading in and out of consciousness. His body no longer had the strength to move.

“Hey!” Naruto called running away from where he had lain Sasuke to draw the creature’s attention, it worked. It lashed out again with the congealed sand. This time however, it was a larger amount and it caught him at the sides sending him careening off his chosen path and to the ground for a moment.

Dang that hurt, picking himself up off the ground he had to move quickly to dodge the next attack. Spiraling out and back he would have to change direction often to keep that thing from predicting his movements and trapping him in. This really was serious, Gaara didn’t even know who he was fighting anymore.

The blows were coming faster and harder, in greater amounts, but the being was using a great amount of energy, if Naruto paused for even a moment he would be gone. A close blow grazed across his arm tearing up the skin. Veering off to the side Naruto couldn’t help the hiss that escaped him for the pain of the blow.

Lunging forward again to escape the next blow he had to leap back just as soon before darting out to the side to avoid being caged in. Apparently he took the opposite turn he should have as a blow nearly stabbed him straight through the head to his legs from above he lurched back in time enough that his skin was barely grazed.

Golden eyes widened suddenly and Naruto paused as the blows didn’t come this time. Looking back at the creature he noted that for some reason this time the thing wasn’t rushing after him right away to attack him. There was a voice this time, and it drew raspy and old, vaguely like Gaara but so warped it could hardly be distinguished as human at all.

“You…! You are…” the creature straightened as it stared at it’s opponent. Naruto already knew his clothes were mostly shredded but thankfully he wasn’t dead yet. “You are a boy!!”

Naruto blinked once; did that mean that Gaara was somewhat conscious in there? “Gaara? Is that you?” he asked the creature drawing himself up from his ready stance as well. “Gaara you have to stop it, people are getting hurt, I don’t think you meant to kill anyone during this fight, so just stop!”

The face darkened and a single gold eye flickered to green as the red hair thickened back to Gaara’s normal tones, but the change was incomplete. Ichibi and Gaara were still merged to a point of sharing the same body. “You… liar!!”

Then he lunged straight at Naruto the creature aimed a blow of sand to pierce straight through him. Naruto dove to the side quickly to avoid it. “Yes, I lied!” he admitted readily as he flipped around the next blow, they weren’t coming as fast now he had to find openings now, “But I didn’t want to lie, there are reason why that are for the moment beyond my control! Just calm down and listen! We can talk this out!”

“I trusted you…” the creature snarled in a lot voice, eyes both green and gold glaring in both fury and pain. “I bared almost everything I had to you! I thought I trusted you!!”

With another blow of the congealed sand Naruto darted in through the opening provided. “Yes, and I’m sorry!! I lied about being a girl!!” A fist surrounded by life energy slammed into his stomach sending him back.

The creature paused on the ground before it started to get up and the sand rose once more. A hand raised to its cheek feeling the sore redness from the energy’s burn. The gold eye turning to glare at him out of the corner.

“It is… impossible that I lose to someone like this!!” with a snarl the being launched another attack of the sand. Naruto leapt upwards to avoid the blow, but it followed this time. Damn. And there was nothing up here to launch off of to change his line of path.

A strong arm gripped Naruto’s upper body dragging him back down to the ground, catching him at the same time before he contacted. The first person he thought of… Sasuke? “Kyuubi! Where were you!?” Naruto asked the red eyed boy.

“Sorry, I thought if I channeled enough energy I could get Sakura out of there, it didn’t work, needless to say, I’ve got her some more time though,” the fox told him.

“Right… while I’m over here almost killing myself?” Naruto was very tempted to ask, but didn’t. The demon must have known the danger and that was why he was here now. Who really cared, they’d argue later, for now they had to defeat this thing and live.

“He’s pretty angry right now, what’d you do?” the fox asked as it had to take Naruto again and dash out of the way of several oncoming blows.

“He found out I’m actually a guy, and Gaara knows, he’s in there, sort of, but he won’t listen to me,” Naruto explained. Kyuubi nodded.

“We’re going to have to merge for this, but it’ll take a lot more of our energy, cause we’ll have to stay merged slightly longer than normal,” Kyuubi said. A brushing thought warning that it was dangerous but also that they didn’t have that many options left.

“Let’s do it, I can’t let Gaara stay like that, if he’s going to be doing this.” Naruto agreed. His grip on the fox tightened as he focused on melding his body into the fox’s. Golden eyes narrowed and sent the sand toward them, while merging they both were completely defenseless, and in that instant the creature summoned the sand and sealed them both instantly in the desert coffin squeezing it in tighter around the two, demon and human.

The sand burst outward when the energy within multiplied and a creature of equal if not more ferocity stood in the sand red eyes with wild golden hair tinged with crimson, pupils slit and physically given both fangs and claws. Rushing forward in the moment of the other’s surprise they lunged straight through slashing at the stomach tearing at flesh and scraping by muscle and tendon. A howl of pain as the creature went with the blow and turned to avoid maximum damage.

Again the creature had changed, the thing not Gaara nor Ichibi, with tawny eyes and hair jutting out in thin near silver pikes, lengthened jaw and jagged teeth, a ferocious yell as he lunged back at it’s opponent. This was a different demon entirely… one that half of the newly merged being knew. Shikoku… the creature of the dark urn, a demon spirit specific to Kodoku’s kingdom. Naruto vaguely could remember Gaara mentioning that.

As their claws met in strain the creature screeched again, it’s eyes no longer showed a soul, it wasn’t even a demon anymore. It was dead, completely hollow and gone on the inside. In that moment of distraction the beast ducked it’s head in to clamp its fangs on the demon being’s shoulder.

A howl broke loose and a clawed hand seized the skull a knee jutting up into the gut continuously until the bull dog jaw grip was released, a satisfied shriek coming from the creature. Already the demon being’s time was running out for staying merged together. They couldn’t stay much longer in this form or they’d risk complete assimilation or worse…

Lunging forward in the beasts supposed moment of triumph they caught at it’s throat squeezing as they pinned it to the ground. It writhed wildly and screeched loudly over and over, but the grip did not lessen and the creature above it used its other arm to slam into the thing’s gut. If given enough pain maybe Shikoku would lose it’s grip or Gaara and Ichibi would fall out of their merged state, maybe.

Eventually the creature got it’s feet up under the creature and lashed at it kicking it away and the beast rose again, however where it once lay a tawny raccoon lay breathing heavily, the rise and fall of it’s small chest labored and heavy. How was Shikoku still in there?

The beast lunged forward with a scream and with a quick kick to the stomach they made it pause and back slightly before it screeched and tried again to attack. Meeting the beats halfway Kyuubi gave little warning before he slipped away from Naruto’s body and the fox fell to the ground behind. The human’s fist met the beasts jaw with a forceful crack sending both flying either way.

Naruto sat up after a moment of breath, his entire body ached and feeling his hand he was sure he’d broken a few knuckles. Sitting up he looked across at the beast, the mane had calmed to a vaguely reddish tinge, and as it turned green eyes looked out from darkened sockets, the jaw was still set a little too far forward and all over the physical aspects of Shikoku was still there.

“Gaara… are you awake now…?” he asked unsure, struggling to get his feet up under him. He didn’t feel like he could fight anymore, his energy was almost completely drained, however it wasn’t completely.

When the fox had fallen from their merged state he had left the rest of his strength, so while he still felt drained he had enough energy to try and defend himself for at least a short time more than he might have. They would have had to separate then or they both would have died anyway, but it had been dangerous for Kyuubi to transfer the last of his strength. Glancing back though the fox was breathing but like the raccoon not far away the fox’s breathing was weak and labored.

With a glare Gaara stood and Naruto did so too, darting forward the redhead struck his fist forward, Naruto had seen the blow coming but he just didn’t dodge it.

“You liar!” He growled, the darker undertone of something dark still there right beneath his words. “I had some time to think while Shikoku took control… I always really have been alone you know. Everyone has lied to me in one way or another, and I guess that’s always how it will be won’t it?”

“Wonder what I was expecting from you anyway,” Gaara almost laughed then, but there was no mirth. Looking up Naruto felt a thin trickle of blood at his mouth, it might have been there before. “You’re all liars. To think… I thought you were like me.”

“No! That’s not true!!” Naruto growled as he came to a stand, somehow the fatigue fading, Gaara reached forward though even as all traces of Shikoku faded from his body. Clenching his fist the sand rose around Naruto trapping his feet and surrounding him. He knew this attack, the desert coffin…

“Don’t lie…” the redhead growled as the rifts in the sand vanished, and he was alone in the dark with the sand quickly pressing in to kill him. His fists were clenched now, and he was bleeding in some places, but he was hardly aware of anything but the sting of those words in his ears and the heat in his blood.

Gaara started in surprise when the sand spouted outward to the ground and Naruto stood there as he was before. How did he break free from that? For some reason Naruto still had plenty of strength? But without the Kyuubi… even Gaara’s control of sand stemmed partly from his demon.

Of course… it was the blood bond. While he was forcible still drawing strength from his demon, the fox was allowing the energy transfer to Naruto.

“I didn’t lie. I promise, you will have a bright future Gaara,” Naruto stated with narrowed blue eyes at the other boy, “Even if I have to paint the pretty picture to the underside of your eyelids!!”

Lunging forward in that instant Naruto aimed a punch for Gaara’s face this time. The sand appeared and caught his hand, green eyes glaring. The corner of the redhead’s mouth twitched slightly as if he wanted to say something; but then he had nothing more to say to the dead.

Naruto struggled against the sand but it wasn’t enough to bring the blow forward and contact… Gaara’s victory was assured at this point. “Damn… it!!” For a moment he thought the blonde was recoiling in fear of the realization he’d lost when suddenly the head came forward and a pain resonated through his skull.

A harsh and ringing blow and he felt the skin break there as warm blood trickled down his forehead, Naruto’s was bleeding as well, but for the moment his own pain was enough to handle. The sand loosened and they both backed away from one another, Gaara took a moment to catch his breath and reign in control of his surprise.

Blue eyes weren’t glaring at him, but they were narrowed with obvious conviction. How dare he… Gaara’s teeth grit, his arms vaguely shaking but he stilled them. Whether it was from anger or what he wasn’t sure but he did know he had strength enough for one more blow, and from the looks of his opponent Naruto also had strenght for one last deciding blow.

Standing now both fists clenched and rushing at each other, their arms raised they let out a cry as they aimed for the other’s face. The same vague resonating pain in his skull knocked Gaara back and then he hit the ground. He was lying on his back now, his head throbbing painfully. His heart was still beating so fast from the fight and everything was too warm, too painful, and it hurt to breathe.

He vaguely heard the scratching of something on the ground, glancing over he noted that the blonde was now inching towards him, even though he too could barely move. “No! Don’t come any closer!” Gaara ordered, but somehow it came out fearful and his voice cracking slightly. Blue eyes looked up at him, tired and drained like his own, but there wasn’t anger, pity or really anything that Gaara recognized, it was that same warm look from before though.

The one that oddly wasn’t as mysterious to him as he once thought, it wasn’t a bad feeling he got from it. It was uneasy, but only because he didn’t understand it, he did know he didn’t mind it. But he should, he thought this person was his friend after all, and he had been proved wrong.

Naruto was still crawling closer, “I hated lying to you… Gaara… I hated…” he paused for breath as he paused in his journey along the ground. “I hated lying to you, and to everyone.”

“I am your friend Gaara,” Naruto told him as he started closer again, “I am. You’ve been alone for so long…” he paused as he trailed off, he was far closer now, not far at all, maybe a foot or so. “I won’t let you be alone any longer.”

Green eyes blinked at blue, before he turned toward the sky again eyes falling shut, the voice sounded sincere anyway, and somehow he wasn’t fading from consciousness with such a bad feeling as usual. Moments later the blonde’s world faded as well.

Across the arena dark eyes opened, and with some effort the body sat up, his arms were sore, and after looking over at the two bloody opponents he stood and walked to them, the two demons lying nearby. Kneeling by them, he noted the blonde’s face, it looked so peaceful now, it was almost odd. Looking back at the wall the sand that covered Sakura was gone, but she was still unconscious.

They would need some help getting all of them tended to.

`

When blue eyes finally opened it was to a cool sensation across his brow. Blinking slightly to adjust to the light-it was still day?-he turned to look around him. A kind face greeted him, “Good afternoon, you’re well rested then?”

“Neji?” Naruto asked groggily as he started to sit up. “Neji! Where’s Sasuke? And Gaara and Sakura? Are they all alright now?”

“Yes, Sasuke and Sakura are in the room over, Gaara woke an hour ago and he’s up now, he’s fine,” Neji assured him, “I believe Sakura is also awake, she’s waiting by Sasuke for him to wake up as well.”

“Oh,” Naruto said feeling a little dumb right then for worrying… if he was here chances were the other’s were in a similar state if not better. “That’s good.”

“Actually I’ve been trying to get a chance to speak with you about something,” Neji started, Naruto glanced over, curious. That was right though, Neji had probably tried to tell him that something twice by now. “I know that my sister withdrew the previous offer to cancel Somuhorm’s claim to Naruko. I suppose such an opposition as that would cause far more of an uproar, which is why I make this offer.”

“Another marriage contract again?” Naruto puzzled. Who could it be this time? Neji nodded before speaking.

The suggestion at one point might have been a joke worthy of applause considering this was Neji, but with the tone of seriousness used there was no way it could have been a joke. “To me.”

Naruto was still a moment just staring at Neji, waiting for him to do something else to prove he wasn’t being as ludicrous as he sounded. “Um… what?”

“If you were married to me there would be no big scandal of an early revelation of your true gender, and since I already know about it, it wouldn’t be a problem with me,” Neji explained logically.

“But wouldn’t that bother you?” Naruto asked, not to mention… no it might not bother him as much as it should but still! “I mean, that’s just so unfair to you!”

“It would be fine, and when you come of age you can go back to being the ruler of your own country isn’t that correct?” Neji reasoned.

“Well, yeah, but…” Naruto paused searching for another reason to object, but none came to mind.

`

Looking at him now while he was asleep it wasn’t bad at all. He wasn’t scowling or glaring like usual, it was nice to see, like getting the chance to watch a wolf while it wasn’t hunting. It was interesting how she always associated the youth with a wolf, but something in his eyes always too easily captured and reserved the title of predatory; perhaps that was why.

The brow knit together and she started slightly as dark eyes fluttered open. “Good afternoon Sasuke… are you feeling better now?” she asked sweetly though his eyes had only since focused on the ceiling, slowly they slid towards her.

“Is Naruko awake?”

She kept the wince from her face; “I don’t think so, not yet. Neji’s with her right now in the room next to us,” she answered. “Neji’s going to come and tell us once she’s awake.”

Sasuke sat up suddenly, the motion startling her, was he already that much recovered? “No! Don’t get up, you still need rest, don’t you?!” she asked, cold dark eyes flickering over in a slight glower at the pink-haired girl.

“I mean…” she started again, “I’m just worried about you, you know. I think… Gaara’s better now, he went to a meeting I think, you’ve been resting for some time…” she slowed a moment green eyes looking up to his, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” he quipped shaking off her hand preventing him to rise.

“Well that’s good, there’s a carnival tonight actually. I was worried that you might not have to go and I’d be stuck here with you,” she laughed off his coldness, “I don’t know if you’d want to go with me or anything but it could be fun, and everyone’s going!”

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” He asked the glower quickly becoming a glare.

“What? I was just asking it’s not like I want you hurting yourself,” she said putting as much sincerity into the reply as she could; though apparently it wasn’t quite enough.

“I’ll tell you what you’re doing,” Sasuke said as he swung his legs out over the side and stood to walk over towards the doorway. Sakura went with him. “You’re trying to make me like you. You think I’ll be impressed with you and then I might forget about my engagement and choose you over my fiance. You think you’re superior to her, at least as far as your womanly qualities go and so you think you can make me yours.”

Cold dark eyes fixed on hers. It hurt how he could reduce her actions and her motives for being near him to their essence and at the same time make them sound so wrong and disgusting. “I won’t deny that I want to be close to you Prince Sasuke…” she said truthfully, trying to salvage whatever warped image he had of her, because while he reduced her actions to their primal causes she wanted him to know the rest. If he only knew the negative parts of it then perhaps with the positive she could salvage both her own integrity and perhaps the prince’s respect.

“Princess Naruko is a good friend of mine, I never wanted to hurt her, that is not my intent. I only know that she does not seem to harbor any desire towards you,” a muscle near Sasuke’s temple seemed to twitch but then she was probably mistaken, “And in that light… ever since we met at the party… I’ve loved you Prince Sasuke. I love you, I really do.”

“Do you?” Sasuke asked, his voice wasn’t skeptical or intrigued, it wasn’t angry or disgusted either, even his face now lacked expression just as his tone held no emotion. Was there still a chance that she could…?

“Yes…” she answered, it was an honest answer, but then why did her throat want to swallow the word back down? He didn’t’ reply after that only turned and walked out the door. “Wait!” she cried, she had thought they were having a conversation! Her only reply was a glare through the doorway which he left open and so she followed after him as he opened the room next door.

The two occupants both looked up when Sasuke entered the room with Sakura at his heels. Icy onyx colored eyes focused on the brunette with a look of loathing. “I thought you were told to come and tell us when she woke up.” Sasuke stated noting that ‘Naruko’ was in fact awake.

“I was about to do so,” Neji answered in a dead pan tone to avoid being impolite, although Sasuke certainly didn’t go to any length for him, the brunette’s expression did darken though considerably since the youth entered the room. “And Princess Naruko woke just now, for your information.”

Sasuke’s eyes shifted quickly to Naruto, “Leave us.” That order of course referred to Neji and Sakura. The girl behind him stiffened slightly then her shoulders slumped slightly, they would have to discuss that later then. Neji only watched the youth with extreme disdain.

Suddenly a thought occurred to the blonde, “Neji!” he whispered hurriedly as the brunette laboriously started to rise. “Does… did anyone find out after the fight?”

“No, you had a shirt on at the time,” the heir of Falcon shook his head. Naruto stared a moment, but that wasn’t even possible, Gaara had ripped up the front of his clothes hadn’t he?

“If you would,” Sasuke started again as Neji finally stood fully, with a dark look the youth proceeded past him and out the door. At least they hadn’t been interrupted in enough time that he had told Naruto that idea, all he had to do now was wait and see if the blonde would take him up on it.

Naruto definitely remembered that Gaara ripped up his clothes, so then how did he get a shirt on? Did someone else come by then? It wouldn’t have been Sakura she was out cold… so then… Naruto looked up as the door shut behind Neji blue eyes focusing on Sasuke, he wasn’t regarding him any differently right now than he had previously, so was it even possible that Sasuke now knew…?

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, and you?” Naruko returned smiling slightly. Instead of answering he crossed the room, kneeling slightly onto the bed, taking the blonde’s wrist and letting his hands slide up the sleeve across the arm. “What are you doing?” Naruto started leaning away slightly from the abrupt touch.

“I’m checking you for bruises,” he answered matter-of-factly. Oh, so that was all. Naruto winced when Sasuke’s hands brushed by a sore spot, and the youth noted it before finishing with the shoulder and drawing back repeating the same process with the other arm.

Reaching up his hand brushed over the dark patch of skin on his forehead, “I uh… headbutted him…” Naruto offered sheepishly when Sasuke paused there studying the bruise, probably wondering how that happened. Moving on Sasuke pulled back the covers and sheet.

“What now?” Naruto asked, his tone easily intoning his misgivings of the current situation.

“Your legs,” he answered simply as he drew back the edge of the white robe. Naruto’s muscles stiffened, uh… was this legitimate, or could he complain like heck and get away with it? Sasuke’s touch wasn’t unpleasant, it was firm and constant as it slid up, the skin. The closer inward he got the more Naruto knew he should pull away, he was about to when Sasuke stopped and proceeded to do the same with the other leg, again stopping just before reaching any kind of odd anomaly a girl would never have.

Naruto was pretty much relieved of that, when Sasuke pulled away, but another part of him was disappointed and had liked the gentle prodding touches, if Sasuke had gone further… his body anyway seemed to think it would have been a good thing even though the mind knew better. Actually the reaction was going to become fairly prominent soon. To compensate Naruto pulled his legs up towards his chest so it wouldn’t be seen.

“You do have bruises all over, nothing too dangerous though,” Sasuke revealed as the diagnosis. Well no duh! Naruto thought a little miffed; I mean I was in the hospital area and treated just like you probably, think they didn’t do their job right? Ino’s my official doctor so she did it and she’s been really good so far.

“It is odd though,” Sasuke continued thoughtfully, “all your old scars from the sand rays attack a day ago have seemed to already be completely healed.”

Naruto tensed slightly, was he trying to get at something? “You have a remarkable talent it seems for fast healing and recovery,” Sasuke noted a small smirk crossing his face, “It must be an attribute of your bond with that fox, huh?”

“What…?” Naruto asked slowly, unsure of the youth’s motives for bringing that up. In fact, why bring it up now at all?

Sasuke chuckled slightly at the blonde’s expression leaning in brushing his lips lightly over the other’s own before withdrawing quickly. The shock momentarily pinned Naruto in place, but once he realized what happened he recoiled immediately, however this reaction was already too late to avoid the boy’s second stolen kiss, by the same person and another male no less. Thankfully he managed to resist the incoming blush from staining his cheeks.

“By the way,” Sasuke started again, standing just beside the blonde’s bedside, “there’s apparently a festival or carnical in town tonight, Sakura tells me everyone’s going…”

He paused a moment to study the other’s expression, “So we should go together.” He finished. Naruto didn’t say anything at first; he just stared. He really shouldn’t have been blushing then, there really was no reason. Sasuke had not even done anything to be considered embarrassing to him; and yet he was. Why was that?

`

“What!!?”

“That’s right! He hasn’t rejected me!” Sakura repeated happily to the long-haired blonde sitting across from her. “He hasn’t given me an answer yet, but this means I still have a chance!!”

“What do you mean that Prince Sasuke did not immediately reject you…?” Ino asked confusion still within her mind from the moment that Sakura collided with her in their room dragging her to the ground and then started gushing out the entire story. It still didn’t make sense. How would that have even happened? Did she read all the signs he and Naruto had wrong? There was the possibility…

She wouldn’t lose to that guy.

“And what about Princes Naruko?” Ino asked, hoping that somehow her friend would see that the idea was ludicrous and that if Sasuke was seriously considering her that he was probably a scumbag to fool around with her and then go around with Naruko too. “She’s your friend too right, what are you going to tell her?”

“Oh who cares!!” Sakura said lost in her own world waving all worries and reasonable objections aside, “After all if I can be with Sasuke!!”

She paused and looked back at Ino, the blonde’s expression suddenly darker as she watched her friend. “Hey Ino… you’re my best friend, shouldn’t you be rooting for me here? As my friend?”

Ino’s eyes lightened slightly as she spoke to her but darkened again as she spoke, turning quickly to a glare. “Whatever.” Ino said her tone remarkably cold before she shoved herself up off the floor and headed out the door slamming the wood shut behind her. Sakura winced at the harsh sound, her face crinkled up slightly in confusion and slight disdain. What got into her anyway?

`

“Temari!”

The blonde looked up at the clear-eyed girl standing a ways away, “I was looking for you yesterday, I didn’t go through with it! I told Naruto… I withdrew that offer… the one that Neji made…” Hinata told her pausing frequently as she searched to fill in the blanks in her garbled message.

Temari had been sitting there earlier to look out over a section of the city when Hinata came up behind her down the one way hall. Brown eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she smiled lightly, “That’s nice but, why would I want to know?” she asked, a lilt in her voice.

Hinata opened her mouth to answer but paused, not sure of her answer, why did she want to tell Temari that? Because she didn’t want her to think badly of her…?

“Uh… I just thought I should tell you.” Hinata answered, acutely aware of how lame her reason sounded, her eyes fell to the floor, suddenly feeling stupid for being here. The soft clack of Temari’s shoes on the floor as she stood and started towards the dark-haired girl. She was conscious of her body tensing up slightly, “huh?” she asked as the girl paused before her. She was grinning now and leaning in quickly her lips brushed lightly on Hinata’s left cheek. The Hyuuga girl’s face immediately turning red as she stumbled backward slightly in surprise.

“You’re so cute,” Temari told her still grinning in that disarming way, “Hinata…”

Hinata’s whole face burned, she wasn’t sure why but lowering her eyes she couldn’t help the heat in her face, so all she could do was hide it. But it was true, she did think Temari should know, she didn’t want the other girl to think badly of her, she was already weak enough in everyone’s eyes…

`

Sasuke would always be a problem for him, Neji could tell that much, but the way the boy seemed to go out of his way to be rude to him, you’d think he had a personal vendetta against him. He probably did over Naruko, but then the poor fool had no idea that Naruko was actually a male Naruto. It didn’t matter, Neji liked the blonde anyway, he had to wonder if the Somuhorm heir would as well. It did seem unlikely, but then one never really did know for sure.

A familiar presence drew him quickly in the direction until he entered the empty room. It was a guestroom and also a storage area for glass figurines. They were actually made of fulgurite, a type of gem formed when lightning strikes sand.

“How’d your meeting go?” Neji asked as he greeted the redhead sitting in a chair by one of the cases containing the gem carvings. Green eyes glanced over him before going back to the case.

“Both Naruko and Sasuke are all right now, they’re both awake,” Neji told him. Gaara only nodded. “You’ll be well enough to go to the carnival then, won’t you?”

“Not sure,” Gaara said his arms stiffening slightly. “I probably shouldn’t.”

“I know you feel bad about what you did, but it’s all right now and you won’t do something like that again, right?” Neji asked. Gaara didn’t answer but the confirmation was nonetheless there in green eyes rimmed with dark rings.

“I didn’t… I wasn’t thinking when I let it out. I just wanted to beat him,” Gaara said slowly, “I was angry and I wasn’t thinking clearly…”

“It’s all right now though,” Neji concurred, “So why don’t you come to carnival, at least with our group you know you won’t be scorned by other’s eyes, not by us in any case. Naruko and Sasuke know now, but I don’t think they’ll hate you for it. Naruko doesn’t seem the type, I’m not sure about Sasuke but until I see otherwise I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Gaara only nodded in acknowledgement. “So you’ll come to the carnival?” Neji asked with a smile sitting beside Gaara on the long seat beside the case of fulgurite pieces. The redhead did not answer to that.

“How many years has it been? Seven? Eight years?” the brunette mused aloud.

“Nine years, four months, one week, and three days,” Gaara answered, “… but then, who’s counting.”

Somehow that hurt, Gaara might not have meant it to, but somehow it did, not particularly sure why though. But then does it always hurt when you see a good friend after so long? “Why don’t you go with me to the carnival? It would give us some time to catch up,” Neji suggested, “we haven’t really had a chance to talk a lot since all those years ago.”

Gaara was silent. Neji sighed slightly, the boy had never been very talkative but he’d thought when he left that he had been better than this. But then maybe he was still brooding over the morning’s incident. Maybe he ought to give him some time alone. Neji was about to rise to go when Gaara finally answered. “Okay.”

`

“Took a while to track you down mutt.”

Kiba stabbed the training sword down into the ground, he had hoped he wouldn’t have to see that guy again since after running into him with a group of the guys they all ate dinner together. “Don’t call me a mutt, you face-paint freak!” Kiba growled at the other boy, course he wasn’t wearing the paint now but still.

Actually he didn’t look that bad without the big black hair and face paint… he didn’t know Kankuro was a blonde… just like his sis then huh? “Come to make fun of me some more? Find someone else to bug the shit out of!!” He snarled at him. Of course big talk was not going to scare this guy away. Unfortunately…

“But I like your shit the best,” Kankuro told him calmly leaning against the door frame, and why did it feel like he was talking down to him? “Of course that’s probably because you just can’t dish it.”

“Shove it! I said go somewhere else!” Kiba growled yanking the sword back up from the wood, sending a glare over his shoulder at the other boy.

“Aw… does the little puppy not like being teased,” Kankuro taunted, “be nice and I’ll give you a boner.”

Kiba would have twitched, except that he wasn’t an insane person who leaped at everything he ‘thought’ he heard, based on the context. Kankuro obvious said ‘give you a bone’ just another mocking ploy for his stupid beyond all reason dog jokes.

As if that weren’t enough, because of certain reasons Kiba was certainly on edge and so of course he’d hear weird words where there weren’t any. “Just get out! I’m in the middle of training!”

“Really? Couldn’t tell,” Kankuro mused, “and it’s not like the training room is reserved for any one at any given time. And this is my families kingdom.”

“Yeah, whatever!” Kiba said angrily as he practically stabbed the blade back into the rack as he started for the door past Kankuro, he had a heck of a time trying to turn back insults with the guy, and he gave up after dinner. Shikamaru had been cold to him too for it, calling him childish and stupid. But the guy, Kankuro, had an unhealthy amount of fun while making him angry! He could have sworn that much.

Shikamaru had mentioned that too, that he shouldn’t be so rude to the second heir of Kodoku considering they were IN Kodoku and needed their help and place to stay while here. But he’d be damned if he put up with this guy called him dog names and insulting him most every chance he got. It was difficult to not decide to take one of those practice swords and trying to cut him up for it, but then he’d probably use those puppets and get him beat anyway. Stupid and troublesome; that’s what Shikamaru had said.

“Leaving already? Thought you were training,” Kankuro said falling into step beside him as he started out. Kiba didn’t answer and instead tried to outwalk the other boy, he had one safe place at least, his room! Kankuro couldn’t technically follow him in there, and if he did he’d go to the bathroom, couldn’t mess with the bathroom, now could he!! Mwaha! A hand gripped his wrist almost tripping Kiba back backwards.

“What!” he asked annoyed as he tugged his arm away.

“What’s your problem anyway?” Kankuro asked. Oh sure, like he was allowed to look puzzled after all the fight’s he freaking picked with him!

“Besides you?” Kiba asked snidely. The other arched an eyebrow at that before smirking slightly.

“Really bother’s you huh, dog boy?” he asked. Kiba refrained from snapping back something sarcastic and biting. “Whatever.” He shrugged it off, “So, you want to go to the carnival with me?”

Kiba could only stare at him after that… a dubious look on his face, his brain attempting to sort out what just happened and whether Shino was wearing a tutu right now, after all that would never happen and this kind of also seemed unlikely, had he misheard him? No… didn’t seem like it. Well… that was completely out of the blue…

`

Dark eyes settled on a red fluffy form napping on a window seat. It actually hadn’t been that hard to track the fox down once he knew what to look for. Walking over he seated himself by the creature. The fox’s eyes opened and glanced up at the human.

“We need to talk.” Sasuke told him simply. Red eyes studied the boy a moment, he knew he couldn’t hide, not from this human anyway, he already knew. But it was puzzling as to why he was bringing it up right now. Why? Why this time was he choosing to reveal his knowledge of the demon? Or had the game play of the whole situation somehow changed?

`

Blue eyes glanced out the window watching as the barrels of gunpowder were taken out to town. The carnival, he hadn’t even heard of it really before now, he had wondered what those kegs had been for, they had been useful in that he’d made that bomb.

It was interesting to note that the carnival was what they were originally for. Fireworks, now he knew, and it was a fairly interesting little fact he supposed.

`

“Good evening everyone!!”

“Wow, Sakura, you look really good!” Hinata gasped slightly at the girl’s extravagant kimono done in pale pinks and whites with a design to imitate the flower she was named for, tied back with a red obi. Her hair was tied up with a few strands hanging loose around her face and shoulders.

“Why thank you Hinata!” Sakura smiled happily. Ino stood nearby watching her with some distaste, she knew why she was so excited and the idea slightly less than thrilled her. Ino wore a dark purple kimono with paler hues painting a unique pattern of stars ripples and bubbles all at once and tied back with a blue obi. Her hair was for once down from its customary pony tail, not half as extravagant as the other girl.

Hinata’s own robe was white with some pale blue and purples drawn in a pattern of small birds taking flight, and was tied back with a red and purple obi. There hadn’t been much to do with her hair anyway but she had threaded through a pale off-white colored ribbon through one of her side locks. Temari stood a little behind her in a pale yellow and gold kimono with some reds and greens in the design of leaves and tied back with a purple obi. Her hair was pulled back in her customary double pony-tails, apparently she wasn’t that concerned with changing her hair for the occasion.

Behind the girl stood her brother in a customary male yukuta colored a dark magenta, and Kiba stood by him in a red yukuta, albeit his sour expression clearly stated he had not intended to come. Lee and Tenten approached soon after from the brunette female’s chamber direction where her fiance had gone to pick her up for the carnival. Lee was also in a yukuta colored green and orange and Tenten wore a beige kimono with pale pinks and blues fading to the lighter.

“Hey Tenten you look great, you too Lee!” Sakura politely greeted the couple, both nodding politely to the girl and returning the compliment with their own.

“It seems not everyone’s here yet,” Neji noted as he and the redhead trailing behind him approached the group just inside the palace gates before departing to the carnival. Both heirs were in yukuta Neji’s a silver and while color while Gaara’s in brown white and gold.

“How troublesome.”

“Hey Shikamaru!” Ino greeted as the two other Konoha soldiers walked slowly towards the gathering, “Shino, didn’t know you were coming.”

The boy never took off those shades, and he didn’t really answer the girl so much as just shrug. “I thought if we arrived this fashionably late we’d be the last ones and could leave.” Shikamaru said with a sigh earning him a semi glare from both Sakura and Ino. Shikamaru’s yukuta was plain and dark green, Shino’s was the same but colored brown. “I hope the fireworks will be worth me staying up this late.”

“Sasuke!” Sakura cried happily as the final two members of their departure group arrived.

“You’re kind of late Princess Naruko, something wrong with your kimono? I could have helped you with it you know,” Ino told the short-haired ‘girl’. Naruko only grinned.

“What’s up with that kimono anyway, hardly feminine Naruko, what were you thinking?” Sakura asked after giving the girl’s garments a once over. The kimono was hardly a kimono really it could almost be called a male’s yukuta except for the sleeves and the small designs on the bottom, and not only was it not ornamental and not at all fit for a princess it was bright orange. There was some darker oranges and reds that blazed a pattern of flame just around the hem and was tied back with a blue obi.

“Well… I just liked this one,” he answered hoping Sakura wouldn’t press too much. Actually the reason he hadn’t been here first was because he had to go ripping through all the clothes he’d brought to find the plainest one he had so that he could allow is ego just a little leeway tonight. The only way to do that was by not being decked out in some pink flowery kimono or something of the like, not that Sakura’s didn’t look nice on her, but then she was an actual girl, so that made more sense.

Sakura only nodded deciding to let it drop, after all Sasuke probably already knew who had better and more feminine taste, who would choose a bright and ugly orange over the beautiful pink she had picked out. Sadly the orange was pulled off pretty well by Naruko, but she had confidence in her own looks, she knew she was at least far more feminine than the princess. If it was a choice, Sasuke would have to choose her.

Sasuke meanwhile, who had stood by silently for the time being, was dressed in a yukuta with dark blues and navy that faded to black in places; gee who saw that coming? The guy wore nothing but black and blue no matter what! “Why don’t we head out then, everyone’s here right?” Hinata suggested after the last two members of their party arrived.

Everyone nodded somewhat and so the group started out through the gates, and once outside the palace walls the lights from the carnival lights could be seen just a few streets down from the center square. Naruto, Ino and Hinata trailed ahead leaving Sakura in the back walking with Sasuke, Neji, Gaara; Shikamaru and Shino lagging behind even more with everyone else sort of meandering somewhere around the center as they walked down the road. It became more blocked, as they encountered the carnival grounds, with people walking around to different game areas and children rushing hurriedly from place to place.

Gold and dulled yellow lights accompanied brightly colored green and red floating papery kites carved into creatures into the air on the swift evening wind just brushing in from over the city walls. The smell of roasted meats and pork floated through the air with the scent of roasted vegetables covered in sweet and sour sauces from the food stands. Game booth instigators called from their stands encouraging the passersby to stop in and try their games with the lure of different prizes.

Naruto stared up into the sky layers with the beautiful multi-colored kites, they practically covered the square reflecting the lights back on the scene so it was almost like daytime while under the kites. “What will they do for the fireworks? Won’t the kites block the seeing way?” Naruto asked turning back towards the three Kodoku heirs curious.

“No, just before the fireworks they let them all go, and then they dim the carnival lights to allow better viewing, it’s still better if you leave the lighted area to view them though,” Temari told him. “Actually we probably should have started out a little earlier. We have about a couple hours before the fireworks but I’m not sure if that’s enough for everyone to do what they want to do.”

“What if we all split up into groups of two or more people?” Sasuke suggested, “It’d better the chances of doing more that an individual would like to do rather than following a huge group and not necessarily getting around to what the individual had wanted to do.”

“Yeah that’d probably work better,” Temari nodded, “and then at the end we can all meet back at the palace either later tonight or tomorrow morning depending on who goes to the sake bar or whatever.”

After that much was decided Sasuke stepped up to the front area taking a hold of Naruto’s wrist, leaning just close enough to whisper in his ear. Giving only enough warning so that the blonde’s legs would move when he continued walking on through the carnival, “So let’s go.” The immediate goal was first to get away from the group and then they could decide where they wanted to go.

“Sasuke, wait up!” Sakura said following after him when he cut through the group and took Naruto with him through and into the carnival. “Ino! Come on!”

Begrudgingly the blonde rolled her eyes but nonetheless follow the pink-haired girl through the crowd after the dark-eyed youth and the ‘princess’.

“Bet I can beat you at that, mutt,” Kankuro mused gesturing lightly at one game or another. Kiba turned to glare irritatedly at the other boy.

“Do not call me a mutt! And a game like that? I’d wipe you on the floor with it!!” Kiba announced haughtily enough as he headed over to it and took a seat. The challenge was there.

“I’ll enjoy making you eat your words,” Kankuro said with a sneer as he took a seat next to the short-haired brunette and handed the amount to the game clerk to start the game.

“Just try it!” Kiba sneered right back as the game began and both boys hunkered down each bent on defeating the other. Shikamaru noted the childishness of both boys, perhaps Kiba wouldn’t get in too much trouble for insulting the guy, but it never did hurt to be too careful, although the other boy seemed to have forgotten all his previous warnings.

“Would you like to also play a game, Temari?” Hinata asked the blonde girl sheepishly. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, you probably know what’s best since you’ve probabl attended one of these before, right?”

“Yeah actually and the best things are around the other end sadly, they have the carp pool over there and fish catching games, a couple shops too,” Temari said with a grin as she headed back around the road the paler girl following after her. She stopped by the palace wall where a small groove let in with a lock and key, taking a key from inside her kimono on a necklace she was wearing she unlocked the door and walked in. She drew off a plain brown covering and revealed a black and red metallic and smooth contraption.

“Is that… a motorbike…?” Hinata asked with a stunned gasp. Kodoku was perhaps the only kingdom that was known for it’s metal mining and as such had better materials to make higher class vehicles that could be used for travel. It would have been too much to ask for one for their group since they were here, but the item that the princess had was a beautiful work.

“You like?” Temari asked with a grin as she straddled across the seat and took off her necklace inserting the key into the ignition and starting the engine to life. She backed abruptly out of the driveway, Hinata closed the gate behind her as she stepped back out onto the street where Temari sat on her bike. “Get on.”

Hinata started toward the vehicle swinging one of her legs over as Temari had done. “Is this safe?” she asked when the blonde gunned the engine and in her fright she quickly gripped the other girl’s shoulders for support.

“It’s the safest thing you’ll ever have between your legs.” The girl told her laughingly as she started off on the engine, and Hinata almost lost her grip. Temari instructed her to wrap her arms around her waist so she wouldn’t fall off the end when she started it up again.

“Safest compared to what?” Hinata asked as Temari gunned the engine again.

“Oh I don’t know… me.” She whispered with a small smirk before the engine sounded and the bike tore off down the mostly abandoned street.

`

Back at the group just within the carnival boundaries both Lee and Tenten headed off toward some of the shopping areas that were less noisy than some of the other places. Shikamaru bet Shino fifty yen that Lee would come back having bought Tenten some jewelry. As the rest of the group seemed to disperse, as was Sasuke’s suggestion to split off into smaller groups of two or more, Gaara had slowly meandered back since the way he had come.

It was fine by him, he actually hadn’t first intended to come Ichibi was back at the palace too. He’d just head back there too and then Neji could follow after Naruko or whatever he wanted to do. Being with and talking to Gaara didn’t seem like a top priority anyway, and why would it be? He hated the carnival anyway everyone besides Neji would look at him with those cold eyes all over again. He always hated that, so the best thing for it was not to go near at all.

Neji however had noticed the movement of the redhead and followed after for lack of anything much better to do. He could have gone after Naruto and Sasuke he supposed, but then he’d be breaking his word. He had told Gaara earlier that he’d take him to the carnival so they could talk, so that was what he intended to do, he wasn’t exactly adverse to the idea either, if he was he wouldn’t have offered at all.

“Heading home so soon?” Neji asked after him, the green-eyed boy turning to glance at the brunette over his shoulder, “The night’s still young.”

“Oh, you didn’t follow Naruko?” Gaara asked slightly bemused.

“Why would I? I wanted to talk with you, I told you that earlier didn’t I?” Neji told him as he stepped in closer, the other turning to fully face him now as a gracious gesture rather than speaking from over his shoulder.

“You don’t have to feel bound by that, if you want to go somewhere you should go ahead,” Gaara told him, “You can do what you want.”

“Well I want to be here with you.” Neji stated simply with a small smile. “You will at least stay for the fireworks won’t you?”

Gaara’s eyes fell to the ground after a moment, “you were always like this, weren’t you?” he whispered in a low voice, Neji stepped closer. Gaara had probably not intended for him to hear but nonetheless he had.

“Like what?” he asked curiously.

“Turning everything with words until there is not even a reason to say no.” Gaara told him raising green eyes to clear as he spoke.

“Does it bother you?” he asked again.

“No.” Gaara answered. As they were right now it was as familiar as those years ago, his mind could only remember fuzzily replayed memories, but his body seemed to remember every part and right now he wanted the other to hold him as he had. But they weren’t like that anymore. The interest for each of them had been lost after all.

“Are you cold?” Neji asked after a moment, the small smile never fading.

“Not really. Why?” Gaara asked slightly puzzled by that.

“You’re shivering, just a bit,” Neji noted, and Gaara glanced down at his arms, the hairs stood out from the skin in goose bumps, it wasn’t the cold that caused them though. It was remembering.

“I’m fine,” he answered nodding.


‘Hold me.’

‘Okay.’

‘Will you stay with me one day? Or one day can I go with you, back to your kingdom?’

‘Do you have a preference.’

‘No… I just want to be near you. So will you?’

‘Yes, one day. But we’ll have to grow up first.’

‘Okay.’


Snuggling deep into Neji’s arms had kept him content for hours at one time. Even if those words held no meaning now he still had the memories where they had meant everything. A warm touch and firm body against his own drew him from his thoughts. Neji was holding him now, he was so warm, not like Naruto. Actually thinking on it, Neji’s warmth was slightly duller, instead of the heated burn of Naruto there was instead just the gentle touch that soothed away the cold and kept it away, it was comfortable.

“Are you feeling any better now?” Neji asked as he withdrew slightly. Gaara nodded slightly. “I am still your friend Gaara, you know that don’t you?”

“Yes, I know that Neji,” Gaara nodded allowing a the small twitch at the corners of his mouth, though it never had developed into a smile, not for nine years. He really did appreciate Neji, and at least he was still his friend, even if they were not lovers anymore.

`

“We’re alone now,” Shino noted looking back at his sole companion, “did you want to do anything?”

“Hmm… not really,” the brunette shook his head, “We should probably go find a nice place to view the fireworks, and then lounge there.”

“You seriously mean to do nothing until then?” Shino asked curiously a single eyebrow arching slightly behind his shades.

“Uh… let me think about that…” Shikamaru said staring at the other boy a moment with slanted eyes, “yes.” With that he started off in a particular direction that looked promising for lonely quiet places that would not be troublesome.

“Out of curiosity,” Shino started again as they were walking, “is everyone else running off in couples one of the reasons why you never want a relationship?”

“A relationship?” Shikamaru asked, not bothering to look back at Shino, “No. They’re just too troublesome, think about it. You have to run around working and buying stuff for some ‘special person’ all day long and then try to impress them hope they don’t go running off with someone else. Then there’s the fact that most of the time they can’t stand you, girls are just weird. Naruto’s an exception of course because of the obvious reason that only you and I know, since we’re the only intelligent people for miles around!” Shikamaru momentarily ranted.

“Then there’s the love issue and then there’s falling out of love, heart ache and whatever, all that major crap stuff. Then there’s the issue of there can only be one person and I can’t do this or that because of this or that, and you have to devote your entire life to a shrine for that person? It’s just stupid. This looks good!” While speaking Shikamaru had climbed up the side of one of the nearby buildings and found a nice flat place to lie down and look up, he took a seat on the roof and Shino climbed up after him. “That’s what’s nice about what we have.”

“It’s not permanent, but it’ll do for now,” Shikamaru said laying back on the stone roofing closing his eyes to rest against the reflected light from the kites still floating above. “We don’t have to do meaningless nothing stuff that’s really not worth our time, so we can waste our hours on whatever we decide is worth it. It’s just an understanding that we watch each other’s back and occasionally help each other out with our frustrations. I’ll never understand the junk that Ino and Sakura keep talking about where there has to be feeling involved or something.”

Serious who needed love when there was lust? What was wrong with lust? It was the best darned thing, love just got in the way and caused problems and complications also known as major trouble and stupidity, also pain but he preferred not to even think on that aspect. Pain was pain, you don’t like it so you stay away from things that cause it.

Shino nodded as he lay himself down beside Shikamaru. “It makes sense, if it’s troublesome or hurtful just don’t get involved and so no one can blame you and you never run into trouble or pain because you’ve already avoided it.” Shino noted absently. Shikamaru grinned slightly, that was what he liked about Shino the guy always understood him, they shared so many ideas. Though it was rare that Shino offered his own but whenever he did Shikamaru agreed with those too, he was quiet a lot but he was actually a really cool guy.

Shino always understood and always knew why Shikamaru did things even when everyone else called it strange, just like Shikamaru could sometimes tell the reasons behind even the other boy’s actions, it wasn’t often but some of the time he could figure him out. The boy went through great pains to not be open and readable, Shikamaru did the opposite but it was both to achieve the same ends, staying isolated.

Shino stayed closed up so no one would get close, Shikamaru made sure his personality was as such that anyone who wanted to get close would be gone within the next minute or so because he was either weird or boring or both. He was so glad he knew Shino.

`

The ringer at the top struck a high note before the bell came whirring back down, and the lady at the booth handed the youth a brown teddy bear. “Thank you very much miss,” Lee thanked the woman graciously before returning to his fiance standing just nearby to the game and offered the soft toy to the girl, “If you would like such a thing, it’s for you.”

Tenten smiled slightly and took the bear, “Thank you Lee, you’re very kind,” the girl told him kindly before they started off down the carnival walk again. He really was a sweet guy, she had only mentioned the bear as a cute prize and Lee had gone to the game three time to win the bear for her. It really was soft, she held it with one arm her other clasped again in the dark-haired boy’s.

“Lee, would you like to go eat something now?” she asked.

“Are you hungry? Would you like something from the stands around here?” he asked pausing to look at her when he spoke. “Or should we backtrack for something else, did you see anything in particular?”

“Here’s fine, why don’t we get some noodles?” she suggested glancing over at one such place serving soba-miso. Lee nodded and so they headed towards the stand.

Through their time since the sand ray’s attack they had had a chance to talk to each other more rather than during the journey where all the girls were together and the young men were all on duty outside. In such a short time she had easily decided that at the least she and Lee were good friends; he wasn’t so bad. She could probably even stand to live with such a person for the rest of her live as was arranged.

`

“No!!” Kiba yelped as again the ring named Kankuro the winner of the game, yet again. What was this the sixteenth? Eighteenth time the guy had won?

“You lost again puppy,” the boy smirked leaning in to Kiba’s glaring far for the last, practically brushing the words across the other’s lips. “Mongrels always lose to their masters.”

“Shut up! Best nineteen out of thirty eight!” Kiba declared for yet another time recoiling quickly from the other’s closeness, unconsciously licking his lips.

“Whatever mutt,” Kankuro shook his head as they readied for yet another game, at least the game keeper was happy, they’d been playing here since forever. It didn’t help that the stupid dog boy had a rather-too-large-for-his-head pride that would not allow him to accept even a little defeat and as such turned it into a big defeat.

“Gah!!” Kiba cried as once again the ring named his opponent the victor. Some god up there really hated the boy, didn’t they? It wasn’t fair!! “You’re cheating aren’t you.” Kiba more stated than asked when he finally decided to round on Kankuro once more.

“No, I’m not,” Kankuro told him pointedly, “But I can show you a game where it’s all to easy to cheat, you might even win at that one if you want to play it.”

“No thanks…” Kiba growled as he stood from the game stiffly walking away choosing not to show how much the many defeats had effected him. Also Kankuro had been way too familiar and the dog jokes seemed to have upped a notch, now not only was he calling Kiba a dog but he had also named himself his ‘master’ what was up with that? Stupid jerk!! So where had Shikamaru and Shino gone? Probably back to the castle and bed, lazy bums…

“Come on, let’s go eat, that game was dorky anyway,” Kankuro proclaimed as he started past Kiba toward some booth or another with a good smell, Kiba followed after. This one served dumplings with sweet sauce, smelled good.

“I’ll have one of those white ones with the sweet, Kiba what do you want?” Kankuro asked looking back over his shoulder at the short-haired brunette.

“The fluffy kind with the light brown sweet and sour sauce, non-pickled,” Kiba answered as he stepped over. The man nodded and got out the orders handing them to the boys.

“Nice nose, that how you order all your food?” he jokes lightly as he stuck one of the provided wooden picks into a dumpling before stuffing it in his mouth.

“Hey look idiot, my nose is way better than yours! You have no talent besides those cardboard dolls, and besides identifying one scent in a multitude like this is hard! So don’t go thinking it’s such a random and useless talent! That’s what they call your supposed talent!” Kiba proclaimed as he put one of his own dumplings in his mouth chewed quickly and swallowed. His sense of smell had saved his life on occasion, it was nothing to be laughed or snickered at, not in his opinion anyway. Actually despite the familiarity it was getting familiar to him as well, it was practically natural to be butting heads constantly, he barely knew the guy and still it felt like everyday was arguing with this person.

“Whatever you say mutt,” Kankuro shook his head, “I always figured your brain was the size of a Chihuahua. Thanks for giving me some solid proof.”

And what was with the dog names and references!? Stupid jerk!! Tch!

`

“So Sasuke what do you think of it?” she asked gesturing to the piece of art set up on the eisel for display during the carnival at the road side. The boy only grunted in response but Sakura knew that in that grunt he related more than a thousand beautiful thoughts on the piece, he was just that great.

“Ah! It’s so pretty!”

“Shh! Naruko, don’t be so loud,” Ino shushed the other blonde. Sasuke looked up and Sakura glared somewhat irritated at the pair not too far away. When she told Ino to try and get Naruko a fair distance from Sasuke she didn’t mean within hearing distance!

“What is it?” Sasuke asked as he approached them again and Sakura walked after, not bothering to hide the irritation on her face.

“It’s nothing really, but I just really like the forest scene, see the wolf and fox… it’s like one of those pictures you find in story books only better!” Naruko gushed happily as her eyes continued to scan the oil painted over several times. Sakura didn’t see what was so great about it. A wolf and a fox by a pool reflecting them with ripples, high trees overhead with light filtering in through the leaves and playing over the creature’s faces. It wasn’t half as pretty as some of the works she’d seen. There were so many far more beautiful pieces with fairies and sprites prancing on flowers and dewdrops. But then Naruko always had been really weird.

“Hey Ino,” Sakura hissed in the girl’s ear when she got close enough, “Could you please take Naruko somewhere so I can talk to Sasuke, alone for a minute? Please?!”

Ino’s eyes glared at her, and green eyed glared right back. Ino was her friend, how could she refuse her!! The girl glowered her last before she spoke kindly to Naruko suggesting they go and get some noodles. Naruko of course agreed and went with her. Sasuke was about to follow off with them but Sakura stalled him, she’d been practically aching to talk to him again since that morning but hadn’t had a chance until tonight. She had to speak to him now or she felt she was going to die.

“Sasuke, can I please talk to you for a moment, alone?” she asked seriously grasping his arm light as he passed. He looked annoyed and about to brush her off but she wouldn’t let him. She had waited too long.

Looking back from where Naruko and her were now ordering some noodles for everyone she noted that Sakura and Sasuke were now stepping away somewhat. A small sigh escaped her. Stupid Sakura. She was bitter sure, but in truth she was more angry than anything else. Her anger however instead of at Sasuke or Sakura was directed at herself, because she was the one that was allowing it to happen.

“Sasuke, please, I’ve told you I love you, can you at least tell me, so I can stop wondering,” she started, “that I have a chance? That we have a chance.”

“What are you talking about,” he said irritation returning all to easily to his face.

“We both know Naruko has no interest in you,” Sakura said refraining from her own personal thoughts, that Naruko was even ugly compared to her, that her personality was all wrong for him. “The relationship you have will take you no where and will ultimately make you both unhappy.”

Sasuke’s expression darkened, and she stopped waiting a moment. “Please Sasuke… I love you. I mean that, I have since I first met you,” she tried again, “tell me… that I at least have a chance.” Slowly the youth’s features smoothed from irritation and he just stared at her, as she waited for an answer.

“You…” Sasuke started, and Sakura held her breath, “really are annoying.”

Her heart plummeted her entire body felt cold. “What…?” she stuttered. “But… I love you… and …”

“I never gave you any indication that I appreciated your presence, not since you started this stupidity,” Sasuke said coldly, his voice sending ice spears through her chest as he spoke. “I have no interest in you.”

She couldn’t feel her legs; she couldn’t feel any part of her body at all. She watched herself fall to her knees as Sasuke brushed by her. It was like watching through the eyes of someone else, not herself, she couldn’t feel anything, but her heart… her heart felt cold, and she couldn’t move.

“Mind if I borrow Naruko for a while?” Sasuke asked as he came over to where Ino and Naruko had just finished getting noodles.

“But we have food?” Naruto said confused.

“It’s okay you can borrow her for a while, come back in a while though or the sauce might lose it’s flavor.” She told them with a smile, all to easily allowing the boy to take away the other blonde, “That or I’ll eat both your share.”

Sasuke and Naruto started off into a part of the crowd to speak alone, from the looks of things Sakura’s idea hadn’t gone well if Sasuke was with Naruto now. So then the girl would need comforting; though she wasn’t sure she was up to that after how cold she and Sakura had been to each other today. Setting the noodles on the walk’s raised stone way right beside it she approached Sakura who she found kneeling on the ground with her back to her.

“Hey, Sakura?” Ino asked as she stepped around to the front of the girl, and noted that she was crying, blank green eyes staring at the ground as if dead. At the sound of her voice though the life returned to Sakura’s eyes.

“Ino?” she asked her voice so small right now, she lurched forward and buried her face in Ino’s shoulder, sobbing. Ino’s eyes narrowed slightly and her hands went to the girl’s shoulders instinctively.

“I told you.” Ino said not bothering to hide the bitterness from her voice, she didn’t care if she hurt Sakura more, she probably needed something like this to wake up to when good things were sitting right before her and she chose to chase a person who would never return her feelings.

“There must be…” Sakura started as she drew back and stood slowly, staggering to her feet uneasily, Ino stood with her, “something wrong with me…”

Slowly Sakura raised her eyes to Ino’s again, “No one looks my way. Never!” she spoke, she was still crying. “Am I fat, Ino?”

“No.” Ino answered an edge of irritation in her voice. Geez, was she going to have some sort of mental breakdown now of all times?

“Then…” she paused thinking, “there must be something wrong with my face…” she murmured as she raised her hands to her cheeks, a horrified look crossing her features.

“There is nothing wrong with your face.” Ino told her pointedly.

“Then is it just my personality?” she asked looking up at the blonde, “Am I just not good enough?”

“Idiot!” Ino told her, anger in her tone now, “There are plenty of people who care about you!”

“Like who? Who, Ino? Who?” Sakura asked as she wiped away her tears trying to muster irritation into her voice to match the other girl’s but at the moment it just wasn’t working.

“You would be surprise how many looks you get just by walking down the street!” Ino said angrily, when did Sakura get so insecure? The only time she was ever like this was when they were kids, why was she choosing to regress now?

“Why are you being so weird Ino! I just got dumped! Yes you were right okay!! I feel bad about it, okay!” she shouted as her tears started again and she tried to brush them away all over again. It shouldn’t hurt so much to see that look of disappointment bitterness and anger on her best friends face, she expected it to hurt if she saw that, but right now she barely understood why. Ino was never mad at her, why? She looked so angry and at the same time… hurt… that was what made her feel bad most of all.

The tears didn’t stop falling at that time when the kites overhead were released floating upwards into the dark sky and the lights on the street way dimmed and everyone looked up. She had her eyes closed at that time but the tears still kept falling. Then a soft sensation brushed across her lips. It was an odd feeling, she hadn’t really ever been kissed before, and the feel of soft lips on her own was a definite reason to open her eyes despite the tears.

Ino? What…?

It didn’t matter, she didn’t care, and green eyes fell shut again. Somewhere in the distance she was vaguely aware of fireworks going off, but she could barely hear them, the pounding of her heart was beating too loudly in her ears.

`

He had finally told her. Now maybe she would stop looking at him all the time with those doe eyes like one of those love sick teenage girls that had plagued his years of early adolescence and still waited him back in his own kingdom.

“So what did you want to talk about.” Naruto asked once he had deemed that they were far away enough from he carnival noise and busy commerce going on. Sasuke turned then but Naruto was already looking up as the kites were released into the sky and the dark of the night could be seen clearly as the lights along the streets of carnival dimmed.

His body being thrust swiftly backward against a wall with either of Sasuke’s strong arms pinning him on either side caused blue eyes to shift back to onyx colored ones. “Sasuke… what?” he asked confused and trying to put some anger into his voice as well. “The fireworks are going to start soon!”

“I know,” Sasuke said stepping in closer. Naruto’s body stiffened, they were too close again, and he was cornered here, he couldn’t go anywhere. Where was Ino? Or Sakura? Wouldn’t they come looking soon?

“Yeah, so stop it, don’t you want to watch?” Naruto asked, his hand automatically going against Sasuke’s chest as he leaned further in, his hand provided no barrier as a soft pink tongue licked a line along the side of his neck before pressing his lips lightly to the skin. Naruto breathed out in an almost sigh, but not quite, it felt good but he had to stop this, whatever he was thinking wasn’t good. Ino had food waiting besides, Sasuke would want to go back for that, right?

“Ah!” Naruto gasped when Sasuke’s body suddenly pressed in against his own. There were enough layers in the yukuta and kimono to keep from anything being felt but still, this could get bad. The blonde was quickly forgetting about that though as Sasuke’s lips brushed along his neck and trailed for a moment to his collarbone, his teeth lightly grazing the skin there wringing a soft whimper from Naruto’s throat.

“I know all about you,” Sasuke said drawing back so his face was right in front of Naruto’s now. “Everything.”

“What…?” Naruto asked hazily. What was he talking about…?

`

Watching the fireworks from the palace roof was a common practice for the raccoon, he hadn’t done it alone for a while though, Gaara had usually been with him either awake or asleep it had never mattered really. But his mind wasn’t immediately focused on the bright and flashing kites as they rose from the market place up into the sky like a huge flock of colorful birds.

Shikoku had come out that morning, he had known that that demon had not died when he and Gaara had merged for the first time to drive it back. Instead by merging at that time they had in fact…

You had invited that dark creature into your very souls. The thought was finished by a familiar brushing consciousness and the raccoon turned to glare at the redheaded youth as he prowled across the roof towards him.

“What do you want now?!” Ichibi asked with a snarl in his voice. “Come to rub it in my face that your human beat my human?”

“Nope.” Kyuubi answered as he sat down beside the tanned demon leaning in close to flick his tongue out over a thin scratch mark across the other’s cheek.

“What do you think you’re going now?” the raccoon asked as he recoiled from the other glaring slightly with wary golden eyes. The fox had an uncharacteristically regretful and nostalgic expression on his face.

“Sorry,” the word caught the raccoon off guard when the fox said it. “I didn’t mean to scar either you or Gaara, not so badly that it wouldn’t have healed but this evening.”

“It’s a good thing we heal fast then,” the fox said then grinning.

“Yes.” Ichibi answered still somewhat wary of the other demon as he lay down on his back and stretched out to his full body length.

“I spoke to Sasuke earlier. You know who he is, right?” Kyuubi asked.

“Yeah.” Ichibi nodded.

“He found out about me and my host a while ago, but he hasn’t brought that whole thing up for a long time, and I’m wondering what changed that he wanted to bring it up right then.” The fox mused aloud, “I don’t suppose you have any idea why that is?”

The raccoon shook his head, still wary of the other. Why would the fox be sharing this with him?

“Apparently he knew something he really shouldn’t have known…” the fox was thinking aloud again, “it had slipped even my senses when he found out, he just chose to reveal it now, along with his knowledge of me. It does seem odd doesn’t it.”

The raccoon didn’t answer. Just what was he supposed to say to something like that? “Perhaps you’ve lost your touch.” Ichibi finally suggested after a moment.

“You’re trying to instigate, dead Ichibi,” the fox practically purred, “That’s not too smart.” But he didn’t rise after that he only smirks and continued to sit. The raccoon did not move back closer, he was still far too wary of his unexpected guest. But then when they weren’t fighting, like now, it was almost all right. But then there really was no guarantee that the fox wouldn’t turn all predatory and weird again just a moment later. But for this particular instant in time the raccoon decided to enjoy the peace. It had been a while after all since he just had company that wasn’t Gaara.

Truthfully as the fireworks began the raccoon had to admit, if only to himself, that he welcomed the other demon’s presence there just then… but then after this night the fox and all who came with him were leaving again.

`

Green and pale eyes both watched the exploding stars above for a moment when they had begun. No words were exchanged then, and up until the silence the topic of conversation had mostly been about their lives since nine years ago, the topic that was most delicate had yet to be addressed.

“Has a lot changed since then?” Neji asked after a moment.

“No…” Gaara answered truthfully. In truth he wondered the same thing, Neji’s warmth was much the same, was his skin the same? Did he have more scars? His hair was longer, was his taste still the same?

“Do you still think of me the same way we did before?” the brunette asked turning now to look at the redhead rather than the sky’s bursts of light and color.

“Do you…?” Gaara returned turning to face his head towards the other as well.

“Sometimes…” Neji answered in truth. “Naruko, you mentioned her. She is of some interest… but sadly, I’m not sure anymore if she’d be willing to take me just to get out of the engagement.”

“I do. I still think of you the same as before,” Gaara answered after a moment. “You were the closest person to me.” … ever.

“May I taste you again?” It surprised Gaara that Neji was the one that asked.

“Like before…” the redhead pondered, and the brunette nodded slightly, “yes.”

There was no hesitation but it wasn’t rough or hurried. Neji never was rough or in a hurry, the taste of clear mountain water and cool lakes filled his mouth again. Everything that Kodoku wasn’t, the riverways of Falcon, everything about him, his cool and calm personality perfectly matched with that taste as did the country of his origin.

Gaara’s taste was rough and rich with spice and flavor, an odd idea to accompany his personality, but then he was a spice he could burn he could sting and he could also be very flavorful when given the chance. The sands of kodoku a land of spices and teas where rare root plants could grow and minerals were rich in the plateaus a little further to the north and east. Neji had missed that taste in his mouth, just as Gaara similarly relearned the taste so well remembered by his tongue as it slid against Neji’s.

There was once a time when he had breathed, dreamt, and all but lived Neji… his taste, his feel, his sound. This youth had been his only friend, and at one point he had meant nothing less than everything to him. To some degree the Kodoku heir knew that he still was, and to have him back in his life so briefly was almost like a dream. He’d barely been here two days, and he would be leaving again tomorrow.

The kiss was broken from the lack of air, and the soft sounds of breathing were all that filled their ears next to the far off distant sound of the lights exploding in the air resounding and sending bright flashes of color through the dark skies. “I don’t want you to go…” Gaara whispered against the other’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to leave you…” Neji returned after a moment’s breath, “But then I’m going with my sister, I already told you when we arrived, Hinata came back. She’s going with Naruko, and I can’t afford to lose her again like I did.”

Gaara didn’t reply to that his mind pondering idly that if in the morning he should leave as well.

`

“What are you talking about Sasuke?”

“I told you, I know everything about you. Everything.” Sasuke repeated slightly slower.

“What?” Naruto said the haze in his mind slowly clearing, as he tried to force his brain to think about what it could possibly be that Sasuke was talking about.

“Naruto.”

His mind was working fine now, as blue eyes widened staring up into dark onyx colored orbs, the youth’s expression was entirely serious. But how could this have happened… what? Naruto felt his lungs seize in air in shock, his heart suddenly thudding louder against his ribcage… how could he know…?

And again as if to reafirm the blonde’s fears with no possible idea for escape, he repeated, “I know everything about you, Naruto.”

---

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