The Sound of Dreams

AN: I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter! Your reviews were so fantastic!! If I was the type to do giddy, then I would have been there!

I just wanted to clarify that while I don’t mind reading mpreg stories, this will NOT be an MPREG.

Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. It is mostly moving the plot and starting to tie up loose ends, sometimes dull but a necessary evil!

Chapter 70


The morning had been rather hectic for Tsunade so far. Besides the unending mounds of paperwork that never seemed to lessen no matter how much she worked on them, the council had decided to move up the meeting time to this evening when they wanted to see Naruto and Uchiha. It meant that she had to spend a moderate amount of time supervising the Hyuuga children this afternoon in an attempt to make Naruto more presentable and give the council less of a reason to be irrational.

If that hadn’t been enough, it seemed that Togimeishu Ryou had finally been recovered by the team that she had sent out sometime last week to Lightning Country and had been reunited with his father. The elder had been eternally grateful even though the boy had been a little bewildered as to what was going on and why he had been brought almost forcibly to Konoha. Once he finally realized where he was and why, he had been happy to see his father. Then he had almost immediately requested to see Naruto. His father was able to talk him out of that one, promising that he and Uzumaki could catch up after the blond had tended to “shinobi business.”

In a way she was happy for the boy’s arrival. It kept Togimeishu busy and almost certainly cemented his permanent residence within the village. Another medic-nin was always welcome.

She was about to breathe out a relaxing sigh before heading over towards the hospital when a knock sounded at her door. Before she could tell the person to enter, Shizune stuck her head into the room.

“Tsunade-sama, Fuuma Sasame is here to see you,” she stated in her no-nonsense fashion.

Tsunade would have groaned had she not been pleased with the news. Perhaps with a member of the Fuuma clan present, they could untangle Naruto in time for the council meeting.

“Send her in,” she ordered, keeping the eager tone out of her voice.

Shizune stepped out and a teenage girl with orange-red hair entered the room. The girl gave a respectful bow.

“Good day to you, Hokage-sama,” she stated with deference but still with confidence.

“Fuuma-san,” Tsunade returned with a polite nod. “I’m glad that you were able to make it so quickly.”

“The messenger bird arrived in a timely manner,” she allowed. “If I may ask where Ren-sama is?”

“He is currently resting in a room in the hospital. He hasn’t regained consciousness and we are unsure what is causing his condition. We were hoping you could shed some light on it.”

Sasame gave a small frown. “I will do what I can to help him recover, naturally,” she stated. However, she didn’t intend on giving away any of her clan secrets unless it related directly to Ren’s predicament.

“If you are unable to help us with Fuuma-san’s recovery, then I will need your further assistance in another matter,” Tsunade informed her calmly.

“Another matter?” she asked in slight confusion.

“Yes, it seems that Fuuma Ren was responsible for alterations concerning Uzumaki Naruto with your clan’s techniques. If we cannot get your elder to reverse whatever he had done, then you will do so,” the Hokage stated firmly.

“Naruto is here?” Sasame asked, trying to restrain her curiosity and eagerness. “Is he okay? What happened to him?”

“That’s what I am hoping you will be able to tell us,” Tsunade told her. “If you will follow me, we will see to your clansman.” The Hokage paused as another thought occurred to her. “There is also a small girl here from your village. Yuni I believe her name is.”

“I’m glad to hear that she survived,” Sasame said with genuine relief. The poor little girl had been through so much that it would have been an injustice if something had happened to her.

*********************
It was a short but silent walk to the hospital. Sasame couldn’t help but feel a little envious as she looked at the peaceful and prospering village around her. This was what she wanted for her own people. This is what she wanted to strive for; a haven for the shinobi of their country as well as their families and clans.

She didn’t expect to be able to rival the five major countries, but she wanted stability. She wanted her village to be able to stand proudly on its own two feet.

They entered the hospital and the Hokage led her swiftly to the room where her elder clansman lay, oblivious to the world. She ran her hand gently over his cool, weathered cheek before pulling up her chakra and scanning his body.

“It seems as if his chakra pathways have been damaged to some extent,” Tsunade informed the girl. “Especially around the area of the heart.”

Sasame frowned as she found traces of the chakra threads that her family used so competently. A gasp left her throat unbidden as she abruptly recognized what had been done.

“He tied his life force to someone else’s,” she said quietly. “It is something that we rarely do. If one person dies, the other does as well. For him to be in this state the other person would either be like this as well or dead. It would be a miracle for him to still be alive if the other person had died.”

“Is there anything that you can do to revive him?” Tsunade demanded.

Sasame shook her head. “This is beyond me. Only the most experienced of our people can even perform this jutsu. Right now the only one alive in our village who knows it is Ren-sama.” She looked up at the other woman. “I don’t know much about this technique. I’m sorry, but I can do nothing.”

“But his condition is caused by him being connected to someone else who perhaps died?” Tsunade asked to clarify the situation.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” she confirmed.

Tsunade nodded, intrigued by the medical puzzle before her. However after a moment she shook her head clear. She had other matters to worry about. Fuuma Ren was stable and not going anywhere; he could wait.

“Come with me. I will take you to Naruto and you will see what you can do to reverse whatever it was that he,” she gestured to the bed, “did to him.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”

*********************
Hiroki woke the next morning pressed up against a warm body feeling comfortable and safe. He opened his emerald green eyes to see the broad expanse of his chichi’s chest. He vaguely remembered being disturbed in the middle of the night as a large body rolled over before snuggling back up to it.

He lifted his head, messy light brown hair sticking up at all angles, to look over at the third occupant of the room. His nii-san had his face buried against Chichi’s neck, an arm draped over his stomach and a leg pulled up over his thigh. They were both still sleeping peacefully.

Hiroki stared at the two of them for a long moment, watching their bodies moving with their breaths. He knew that there had been a lot of things going on that he didn’t fully understand. He knew that this place where they now stayed was little better than a prison, but he trusted Sasuke’s words that they would soon leave this place and stay in one of their own.

He knew that both of them were strong, perhaps frighteningly so had he been a normal child. However, their strength just reassured him that not only could they protect him but themselves from him as well. He knew that he still didn’t have perfect control over the things that had been implanted in his body, but he was trying very hard. Especially now that he had an even more important reason to do so.

He was glad that they were here in this new village. He didn’t like the way that they had started to look at him in the other village, as if he were some kind of freak or monster that they might have to put down if it got out of control. Maybe in this new place they would like him. Already there were several of Chichi’s friends that treated him well.

He sat quietly even though his boredom was growing. He had been locked up in the labs for so long that he had forgotten how to get up and merely go find something interesting to do. A flicker of red caught his eye and he glanced down to the tip of a crimson-furred tail peeking out from under the edge of the sheet.

Curiosity suddenly engaged, he pushed the sheet down slightly, revealing the soft, silky-looking fur to his eyes. He reached a hesitant hand out and barely brushed it up against the appendage. When his chichi didn’t react, he grew bolder and gently stroked the tail.

He had never had a pet before, nor had he even had a chance to interact with any animals beyond what he had been instructed to kill. He stared in wonder at the density and texture of the thick, plush hair that slid around his fingers.

Maybe when they were in their own home, Chichi would let him have a pet. Something with fur, like a cat or a dog. Or maybe a really big cool tiger that could guard their house! But no… tigers needed a lot of food and might accidentally eat someone. Everybody that Hiroki might have fed to it was already dead so that kind of left that out.

He continued to tickle his fingers through the fur, but glanced down sharply when he felt the tail give a sudden twitch. Frowning slightly, he repeated the gesture and grinned when the tail once again gave a hard twitch. He glanced up at his chichi but saw that the teen was still fast asleep.

Smiling mischievously, he started to tickle his fingers lightly in the hair. A shudder rippled through the tail causing him to open his mouth in a giggle just as it gave a jerk, promptly hitting him in the face. His laughter turned into a surprised squawk and he wrenched his head away, spitting out hairs.

The deep chuckling made him look up at Naruto who was now looking at him with bright, dancing blue eyes. He had to admit that while Sasuke had looked pretty with blue eyes, he was glad that they had decided to trade back. He didn’t like the look on his chichi’s face when he had the red eyes. There had been something about it that had made him want to run to his nii-san, something that told him that he would have died had he gone up against him like that.

He had heard rumors of how his previous master could take over someone’s body and he had heard enough from everyone in the camp while they were looking for Naruto that he could guess that it had happened. However, he knew there was more to it. That didn’t explain the tails and the claws as well as the other changes.

But in a way Hiroki didn’t care.

He could see that his chichi was behind those blue eyes and that was all that mattered to him. He had seen people that were nice turned into monsters and people that were monsters that looked normal. As long as he knew it was his chichi then that was all that mattered to him.

“So what are you doing up already, brat?” Naruto said with a cheerful smile followed by a yawn.

Hiroki saw his nii-san stir before opening his dark, bleary eyes. Sasuke blinked a few times then brought fingers up to rub at his face. He glanced down at his fingers as if looking for something and seemed to relax slightly when he saw nothing.

“Nightmares?” Naruto asked softly in concern.

Sasuke shook his head negatively.

“See, I told you he makes them go away,” Hiroki said, proud that he had been right.

His chichi laughed as nii-san merely lifted an eyebrow. Naruto reached over and ruffled his hair as Sasuke slid out from under the covers and made his way over to the partitioned bathroom.

A moment later there was the distinct sound of something liquid hitting the water in the bowl of the commode. The other two males ignored it as Hiroki climbed up into Naruto’s lap. However, the sound didn’t stop after a few seconds and the two looked at each other with disbelief. A few more seconds went by before it finally stopped and the toilet flushed. The sink was turned on briefly and then Sasuke was walking back out of the curtained off area.

“Is there anything to drink around here?” he asked irritably. He frowned as the two occupants of the futon cracked up laughing. “What’s so amusing?” he growled.

“I think you had enough to drink, bastard,” Naruto gasped out between snickers. “And here I thought it was just camels that stored water.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto’s base sense of humor. “Moron.”

Hiroki noticed that even though Nii-san was saying something mean to Chichi that his dark eyes still held a look of affection in them. And the way that Chichi was grinning at Nii-san seemed to imply that he was used to their banter and that it was expected.

Happy that his family seemed to care for each other but feeling left out, he threw his arms around Naruto’s neck effectively pulling the attention to himself.

Naruto’s arms automatically tightened around the small body that was clinging onto him and raised a questioning eyebrow at Sasuke. Sasuke merely shrugged unknowingly and walked to the door, intent on getting some breakfast and something to drink.

Throwing a frown after Sasuke for his distinct lack of helpfulness, he placed a kiss on Hiroki’s head before peeling the kid back to sit in his lap.

“Chichi, can we get a pet when we get to go home?” the boy asked hopefully with large eyes shining up at Naruto.

“No,” Sasuke said from the doorway where he had just opened the door.

Hiroki shot a pout in his direction.

Sasuke looked singularly unimpressed.

Naruto bent down and whispered something in Hiroki’s ear.

The emerald eyes grew large and slightly moist as the bottom lip started to quiver slightly.

Black eyes rolled upwards in exasperation even as Sasuke looked away. “We’ll see,” he grumbled.

A little bundle of happiness threw itself at him, catching him around the waist as the small body collided with his.

Grunting, Sasuke automatically wrapped his arms around the boy to keep him from falling even as he scowled lightly down at him.

“Thank you, Nii-san!! What are we going to get?! I wanted a tiger but we don’t have anybody to feed to it so I thought maybe a dog or a cat! But if we get a dog then I want one like Akamaru so I can ride on his back because that was really cool!” Hiroki went on excitedly.

“Woah! What do we have here?” asked a kind voice from the hallway.

Both figures turned to look in the hallway where a darkly tanned figure was walking towards them, carrying a couple of bags.

“I smell ramen!” Naruto’s voice crowed behind them. He rushed up to the edge of the room, but stopped as he seemed to remember that he couldn’t cross the threshold.

Shikamaru was leaning against the wall, the epitome of boredom as he nodded to the two people walking towards him. “Iruka-sensei, Sakura,” he drawled in greeting.

“Auntie Sakura!” Hiroki chirped as he dashed out of the room and around the strange man, keeping one eye on him as he did so. He bounced around the pink-haired young woman excitedly. “Nii-san said we could get a pet when we go home!”

“Hiroki,” Sasuke growled half-heartedly from the doorway, “I said we would see. I didn’t say for sure yet.”

Naruto nudged him from behind as Hiroki’s face fell. “Give it up, bastard. You know you’ll say yes.” He chuckled as Hiroki immediately perked up again and started telling Sakura all about the dog and/or tiger that he wanted.

“Naruto,” said the warm voice with just the slightly hint of questioning in it.

Naruto grinned over at Iruka as he walked into the room hesitantly. He immediately went to hug the man but was pulled up short by a hand on his shoulder. He frowned back at Sasuke in confusion.

“Let him set the bags down first, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke grumbled.

“Let go, teme. I wasn’t going to make him spill the ramen,” Naruto protested.

He ignored the snort of derision as he watched Iruka set the bags down where they wouldn’t be in danger of being knocked over. Once the chuunin stood back up, he stepped over to him, intent of getting at least one good glomp in on the man. He paused as Iruka’s eyes traveled quickly over him. He was suddenly worried if his old sensei would find his appearance objectionable or not. He knew that Iruka’s parents had been killed by Kyuubi and he became swiftly aware of the tails currently hanging from his backside.

He should have known better, however. After a glance that took in the changes, Iruka stepped forward and embraced the nervous blond. Naruto relaxed into the hug and held the other man tightly.

He had missed Iruka during the many months of his absence from the Leaf. There had been many times where he had wished that he could have talked to the older man and asked for his advice. He didn’t think he did half bad on his own, but Iruka had a way of making things seem clearer without ever telling him which way to choose.

Iruka gave him one last pat on the back before holding him at arm’s length. “I brought some food as well as a few basic necessities. I didn’t know how long you would be here so I brought a few sets of clothes, toothbrushes, etcetera. Things that they are usually stingy with around here,” he said with a genuine smile.

Naruto nodded almost absently as his gaze riveted on one bag in particular. “Ramen, ramen, ramen! I smell ramen,” he chanted as he practically hopped from one foot to the other, his tails quivering excitedly behind him.

Iruka laughed. “Ok, ramen first.”

The older man snagged the bag and they made an impromptu picnic area where they could have breakfast. He had brought ramen for Naruto and Hiroki as well as onigiri for Sasuke.

Sasuke picked up the Styrofoam container with his rice balls in it and walked to where Sakura was subtly gesturing for him. Normally he would have either ignored her or waited until after they had eaten, but Naruto was engrossed with catching up with Iruka and Hiroki was watching their exchange with seeming fascination.

Almost reluctantly, he went to see what she wanted.

She smiled up at him a little nervously as he lowered himself down onto the floor, folding his legs underneath him.

“So, uh, how have you been?” she started, almost wincing at the lameness of the question. It was pretty damn obvious how he had been and she felt stupid for asking.

He silently gave her a look that she accurately translated as ‘How do you think?’

“Right, heh. Yeah,” she said, looking at her hands nervously. It almost felt as if the last few years had never happened and she was the same awkward twelve year old girl all over again.

“Sakura,” he said, a trace of impatience coloring his tone, “just say what you want to say.”

There were a hundred things she wanted to say. She wanted to ask what in the hell he had been thinking all those years ago when he had left. She wanted to ask if it had all been worth it in his eyes, all the hurt he caused everyone with his disappearance. She wanted to know if he was still after Itachi and what he planned to do about continuing his bloodline.

She wanted to ask him many things, but knew that there were certain boundaries that she couldn’t cross with him. There were certain things that he considered purely his own business and he wouldn’t answer questions about. However, the thing that she had to know, the one question that she couldn’t stop herself from asking, came out.

“Is he really what you want?” she asked quietly.

His neutral gaze turned ice cold as he glared at her for her audacity. His relationship with Naruto was no one’s business but his and Naruto’s. She had no place questioning it.

“Please, Sasuke, just answer the question. I’m asking both because I care for you and because I care for him. I don’t want him hurt and I want to know for certain,” she paused to swallow, “that this is what you truly want.”

Sasuke paused as he studied the young woman sitting in front of him, her green eyes looking at him earnestly, almost imploringly. He decided that he would humor her this time if for no other reason than to state unequivocally that she had no chance with him. He remembered how she had chased him when they were younger and didn’t know if that is what she had in mind now. But he didn’t want to have to deal with childhood crushes when there was so much else in the balance right now.

“This is what I want,” he stated with firm resolve, his dark eyes boring into hers.

There was a long moment of silence as he continued to coolly pick at his food, forcing himself to eat even though the conversation whittled at his appetite.

“He makes you happy?” she ventured.

Sasuke felt an eyebrow lift. Happy? He would be happy when Itachi was a pile of cinders blowing away in the breeze, when everything around him returned to as normal as it could be and when he could live with Naruto in peace without everyone trying to dictate their lives to them.

“Yes,” he said shortly.

Sakura waited a moment, but when nothing else was forthcoming she gave a little sigh of frustration. “Just don’t… just don’t do anything to hurt him again,” she finished in a whisper.

Hiroki glanced over towards his nii-san and Auntie Sakura. Every once in a while he would get a strange vibe coming from the pink-haired girl. It never lasted long but it made him confused. He was getting that sensation now as she stared at his nii-san with an expression that seemed to say she wanted attention from him.

He also seemed to realize on some level that this attention she wanted was in a form that should only come from his chichi. However, Sasuke seemed to be not willing to give her what she wanted, meaning everything was right with his family.

He watched as she said something very quietly to Nii-san causing Sasuke to stand abruptly and walk toward them. Hiroki scooted over making room in between him and Chichi.

Sasuke met his gaze and something passed between them. An acknowledgment that what Hiroki had thought had happened had, indeed, done so and that Sasuke viewed his place beside Naruto. As soon as Sasuke settled down, Hiroki was pushing himself into the older boy’s lap, wanting the close physical proximately to settle his doubts.

Sasuke said nothing as Hiroki made himself comfortable. Once done, he began sharing his rice balls with the child, watching in amusement as the boy inhaled them as fast as his father figure usually did. He could only wonder if it was a result of his confinement in the laboratories or the bad influence of Naruto in his life already making itself known.

Looking down at the four large, empty foam bowls scattered around the dobe, he could only assume the latter.

Out in the hallway, through the open door, Shikamaru’s voice was heard. “Good morning, Hokage-sama.”


TBC