Broken Promises

Chapter 7 – The Flavor of Your Own Medicine
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LadyLuran: At first I had no idea what you were talking about so I combed the story searching for my mistake and realized I had changed what my note to loveusender saidbut left the “not” in SO sorry for the confusion. This WILL end with Sasuke/Naruto. They will not be together because of the mating; it’s just one more facet in their complicated relationship.
Loveusender: Gaara/Naruto is one of my favorites, he’s ok with Neji but who he wants is to me a far better fit. Sakura is being treated as an opportunist. She’d had feelings for Sasuke and never hidden the fact and some know those feelings never really went away. So a lot of the others do feel she took advantage of a situation that had she controlled herself wouldn’t have happened. Sasuke has been equally ostracized but he was never a social butterfly so it’s not hurting him as badly. Not having Naruto in his life is what is killing him.
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Dinner had been a tasteless and annoying adventure for Sasuke. Returning to his still empty bed had been painful and the next day had set his teeth on edge. As he was forced to stand by and watch Naruto with the two other men who seemed determined to keep the blond occupied. His mood only got darker as he watched Gaara of all people being demonstrative with his partner. Their hands would brush or shoulders would touch and occasionally Naruto would come up behind the slightly shorter boy to inspect the trinket Gaara was deciding on and the red head would shift his hips back to press into Naruto. Sasuke noticed every tiny contact and was more than once close to coming to blows with the tattooed little freak.
Then as if he knew what was about to happen the fucking Nara brat would throw an arm around Naruto flashing a grin at the Kazekage who would raise a brow and allow him to drag Naruto off. He would let his lips turn up as Naruto’s hand would fall to the small of his back leading Shikamaru through the market crowds. Insisting he wanted to know what spices were best to take home or what fruits he should try before leaving.

This trip was turning out to be the Uchiha’s own personal sticky hot hell. The intimacy displayed with the two men by his ball of sunshine was almost too much to stand. Had it not been for an incredible amount of self control the raven would have killed hours ago. The evening was fast approaching when he felt himself white out in fury.

“Hey are you two going to spar again? I’d love to watch… from a safe distance.” Sickamaru shot Gaara a glance.

Looking up at Naruto the red head asked, “Do you want to spar again?”

Eyes bright at the idea a wicked grin passed over Naruto’s face. “I never shy from a challenge.” He all but purred. “Kakshi-sensei would you like to watch? Perhaps you can see something I’m failing at, to help me with when we return to Konoha.” Then up to the roof tops and racing for the sparing grounds all three ninja flew not bothering to invite the other two people in their group.

“Shall we?” Kakashi asked, he was done leaving his team members out. “Three pair of eyes is better than one.” Sakura shook her head, using the excuse of wanting to shop more.

Sasuke thought about it weighing his options, there was every chance he would shed blood if he was forced to watch the same erotic display of violence he’d seen yesterday. On the other hand it would show Naruto he wasn’t going to disappear and he wouldn’t back down from a challenge either. Then he nodded, “I’ll join you.”

Kakashi had been shocked at Sasuke’s answer. He’d fully expected Sasuke to beg out for some reason. The silver haired jonine had a pang of pride in Sasuke’s determination. “We should go then, they’ll be starting already.” The two took to the rooftops and followed, landing in the sand next to Shikamaru who was seated with one knee bent watching the vicious ‘gentle’ start the two jinjuriki were taking to warm themselves up before their true fight began.

“Gaara has gotten better, more controlled.” Shikamaru cocked his head to the side. “He’s been practicing his taijutsu.”

Lips pressing together Kakashi nodded, but his focus was on Naruto. “Perhaps. I had hoped his time with Ero-Sanin would have helped in gaining more control. This was the fourth time he’d taken Naruto out for training.”

“Nothing can teach Naruto control. No one can or ever will.” He sighed smiling his pony tail shaking with his head. “Naruto is a force of nature all on his own. Only a fool would try to control him.”

Kakashi blinked in shock at the other man’s words. He’d never really thought of Naruto in those terms. “Is that why you use him on so many of your strategies?”

“I can account for almost every variable, every one that makes sense. It’s the stuff I can’t account for that I use Naruto for.” Shikamaru nodded. “He can take everything thrown at him. He’s loud, he’s unruly and he can often cause a lot of chaos but when I’m about to have my ass handed to me he’s the only person alive outside my own team I really trust to have my back.”

Swallowing Kakashi still felt the strike of pain as he was reminded of Asuma’s death. “I have known that since he was twelve.” The copy nin agreed as he winced watching as the battle truly got going.

The battle in the sand dunes continued fierce and unforgiving. Once more Naruto was stripped of his shirt, this time it wasn’t a personal choice but a blow from a fist of sand that shredded the garment. Naruto stood growling and his eyes flicked fox like. “That was my favorite shirt.”

“Guess you’ll have to get a new one.” Gaara dead panned. Then hissed as Naruto broke from underground eyes dancing, his clone puffed away as he hit the sand ninja square in the jaw.

“They don’t pull their punches.” The sensei in Kakashi felt he should intervene the anbu in him was evaluating the blond for something more. Two years ago he’d felt Naruto was still too loud and could not control himself enough to make ambu, but now he wondered if he was wrong. Like Iruka so many years ago arguing that his student’s, mostly Naruto, were not ready for the dangers of the chuunin exams. Had he been looking at Naruto through the eyes of a teacher and not through the eyes of a fellow ninja?

He’d recommended Sasuke but others weren’t ready to send him out when he yet until he had lead more missions without Naruto. To that end Tsunade had been sending Sasuke out as a team lead more frequently. While his success rate was high, 98% successful, it was glaringly obvious that Sasuke was in his element and worked seamlessly with Naruto and the same could be said of Naruto. The blond worked well no matter who he was teamed with, but put him with Sasuke and the result was always a win. Uzumaki and Uchiha were a force to be reckoned with. The current strife between them was starting to cause unrest in the rest of the village not just between the rookies. It had been the council’s fears that the Kyuubi vessel would defect to the Sand that forced Tsunade to send a team to drag him home, by force if necessary.

Shikamaru looked at the jonin with a frown. “They’d both be insulted if either of them did. There is nothing one could do to the other that they couldn’t handle.” He looked back smirking when Naruto was buried under a pile of sand and then shot out with a shout of furry, cursing and racing for Gaara.

Head cocked to the side his one eye examining the tactician curiously. “When did you gain such inside into the inner workings of Gaara no Sabaku?”

“Some people are just waiting for others to shut up and listen.” Shikamaru’s voice took on that slow lazy drawl he so commonly used. “I’m good at that.”

Kakashi just nodded watching the two jinjuki battle. The sun moved over them and the battle raged on rearranging the earth around them. Kankuro joined them this time, settling to the other side of Shikamaru.

“I missed all the good stuff. They’re winding down, but Gaara’s holding out longer.” He nodded proudly. “It’s harder for him to tap into Shikaku’s chakra but he’s learning.”

“It doesn’t lend itself naturally?” Nara turned looking at the eldest Sabaku in surprise.

“Nah, that’s special to Naruto. From what I’ve heard none of the others have the same abilities at least not to the strength Uzumaki does. Gaara thinks it’s the way it was sealed into him. You know caged in him slowly integrating.” The puppet master winced when the Naruto dodged the sand and his brother took a hit. This time his armor cracked from the force of it.

Frowning this time Kakashi spoke up. “But Gaara was merged with Shikaku in the womb. Shouldn’t he been able to do the same?”

Looking at the leaf shinobi he shrugged. “I thought so too, but Gaara says it’s not the same or it wasn’t. He had nothing helping control Shikaku, keeping him at bay. The seal has protected Naruto’s consciousness. While Gaara had to grow up and live with the one tail’s torture.”

This cause all three to frown and look back at the vastly different yet oddly similar ninja battling for supremacy in the sand pit. “Gaara doesn’t have the seemingly limitless chakra reserves. Sometimes it seems like Naruto wins just by wearing his opponents out. If he fights long enough he’ll win by wearing them down enough to get that fatal blow in.”

Sasuke snorted shaking his head. “He’s talented all on his own. He’s fucking CREATED his own damn ninjutsu. There are ninja, Jonin, ambu who never achieve that!” He turned angry at Konkuro’s words. “The fatal blow comes to the useless idiots who underestimate him.”

Smirking the black clad ninja shook his head. “Uchiha I heard you literally screwed up.” When Sasuke stiffened and looked back as the battle began to change tone. The dance had begun, it was no longer a battle of wills it was a well known dance. The next step was for the dance to turn into seduction. “I hope he makes you grovel for a long time before and after he forgives you.” Standing Konkuro shook his head. “This is the part where I take off. He’s still my baby brother and watching him seduce someone with violence is creepy as fuck even for me.”

Turning to Sasuke he waited until the red spinning eyes faced him. “I get you fucked up, I get you’re sorry and I don’t think any one shouldn’t get another chance ninja’s lives are too short to give up the things we truly love…but if… when he forgives you, remember that he will never forget what you did to him.” Then with his hands in his pockets he walked away.

Blinking at the painful reality in the other man’s words Sasuke swallowed down the bile that burned his throat. Kakashi and Shikamaru had winced at the honest but harsh words. Kakashi hated it but he strongly agreed with Gaara’s big brother. Shikamaru would never understand the way the puppeteer seemed to but he felt a sense of closure in the parting words.

Out on the battle field the sand settled and once more Gaara was pinned beneath a panting Naruto. “Tell me the truth,” Blue eyes bore down into green. “You and Shika are just fucking with Sasuke aren’t you?”

Tilting his head Gaara chose his words carefully. “Yes and no. We are having fun feeding him a small taste of his own medicine, but Naruto we’re both fiercely attracted to you and if either thought we stood a real chance of being to you what he is, we would take it without a second thought. Showing that affection while we can is freeing. We both know our limits.”

The Kazekage watched the play of emotion across Naruto’s face until he settled on acceptance and grinned. “It is very nice. Thank you for everything.” Then his smiled turned predatory. “I won, I think I want to play with the ropes today.” Gaara shuddered and gave a throaty moan. The three ninja stood and left before Gaara and Naruto were on their feet heading back to the large bedroom of the youngest of the sand siblings.