Forced Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Forced Hand
By 11


Chapter 08


“What do you mean…? Naruto…?” His throat felt like sandpaper as it moved to push the words past his lips, he couldn’t even manage a small chuckle to try and throw him off.

“I know.” He repeated, and the certainty froze the blonde where he stood. He couldn’t make his eyes meet Sasuke’s dark ones anymore, his body was still against him pinning him, like this he had no chance of escape, at least not this way.

“What are you talking about Sasuke… that’s so silly,” he said managing a small smile this time, and using the softer Naruko voice. “You think I’m a boy or something? That’s just silly! Don’t you think Ino, Sakura, Hinata, or Tenten would have noticed that?”

“I never said you were a boy, I just said your name was Naruto.” Sasuke said a smirk easily sliding onto his face. Naruto felt his body stiffen once more. He had just spit out his biggest secret, how to recover?!

“But Naruto is a boy’s name, and mine’s NaruKO, it’s silly to think otherwise!” ‘Naruko’ laughed again her mind calling out to Kyuubi. But there was no answer, and Sasuke was still just standing there. Tthis was a losing battle wasn’t it?

“I’m not an idiot, dobe,” Sasuke told him levelly. A glance up into his eyes told Naruto easily enough that at this rate he wasn’t going to convince him. Blue eyes shifted toward the alleyway momentarily hoping that someone they knew might happen along and save him from this predicament so he could think of a better full proof way to definitely convince Sasuke otherwise. But that didn’t look like it was going to happen.

“How can you know…?” Naruto asked after a moment giving up on the possibility of being saved by someone. Though Sasuke wasn’t pulling away, did it really not bother him…?

“I’ve known for a while actually,” Sasuke conceded, and Naruto felt his hand at his side twitch slightly at the admission. “You never did hide it well.” He told him the smirk returning slightly, “guess most people around you are idiots then.”

“How dare you… if you knew…” Naruto paused again, his face quickly flushing both from embarrassment and anger at this one person. Embarrassment for being found out and now being made fun of, and anger for not having known that he knew, anger directed at both the dark-haired youth and himself. “When?”

“Since I first touched you.” He answered simply. Naruto’s face heated again and he grit his teeth angrily, what exactly did he mean by that?

“What?” Naruto asked not bothering to hide the irritated edge to his voice.

“You don’t remember?” Sasuke asked slight amusement entering his eyes. “The first time we met you were a boy.” What was he talking about? The forest? But he’d treated him like a girl then! Hadn’t he? Or just a kid…? “You have some feminine characteristics I admit, but you are distinctly male, even when you hide it.”

One of the hands on the wall drew back slightly to tug lightly at a short strand of blonde hair, as if to say; even more so since you lost the long locks. “IF you knew…” Naruto started in a slightly growl, “then what was up with all your weird behavior!?! At the party and up to now!?” the blue-eyed youth demanded, his cheeks still flushed with red color, “Why didn’t you tell anyone?! Why didn’t you -say- _ANYTHING_?!” Naruto asked, “Not even to me!”

“I didn’t need to.” Sasuke said that infuriatiing smirk returning with a vague sense of amusement somewhere on his face, as he leaned in closer. “I’d have thought you’d figured it out by now.”

Naruto leaned back at the dark-haired boy leaned in further, and quickly turned away when he didn’t stop even when the blonde’s head was pressed back against the stone wall.

Dark forelocks tickled lightly against his face as the dark-eyed boy nuzzled against his neck lightly, the warmth seeping to his skin. The wet muscle of Sasuke’s tongue pressing lightly over the flesh there leaving a cooling trail of skin, blue eyes slid shut a soft moan just managing to slip out. It was a small enough sound that neither boy really noticed. It didn’t matter that he liked it when Sasuke touched him, before it was fine somehow. But this time it was, not really different, but it seemed like he should at least be considering the whole thing weird, and that he should be worrying.

“Sasuke…?” Naruto started lightly as Sasuke just continued to nuzzle against his throat, a small humming answered him acknowledging the unspoken question. “Isn’t this… not right?”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Sasuke answered not drawing away although the contact they momentarily withdrew so he was hovering just near the skin. “You were the one who was so concerned over it. At first that whole idea was pretty amusing, but…”

He paused drawing back slightly to glance over Naruto’s face, no expression beyond slight embarrassment was betrayed on the blonde’s face. “Somewhere along the lines of knowing you I’m not sure that it would have mattered to me, even if you were a boy or a girl for sure. It didn’t matter then,” Sasuke relinquished, “It still doesn’t.”

“What…?” Naruto breathed confusion knitting his brows in bewilderment. Then suddenly incredulous, “How can you say these things so seriously?”

“Let me up for a minute,” he said glancing down at the ground, and pressing his body forward slightly in an attempt to let Sasuke know it was time to let him go. Sasuke frowned, not when he had just told him everything. He was not just going to run away for now and give some half-heart response in a week or two when they were already in Somuhorm. That wouldn’t work, not at all. He needed the answer now.

“Naruto, just tell me,” he started, pressing back against the blonde to keep him from prying himself loose.

“Tell you what?” he asked still not looking him in the eyes and trying this time with his arms to force the taller boy away.

“What about you? Does it matter to you?”

“Sasuke, stop being so weird. Just let me up for a -minute- okay?!” Naruto started when Sasuke’s hand closed on his wrist dragging it back to the wall, he was about to further protest and even start yelling again, but was not immediately given the opportunity as his mouth was suddenly covered with Sasuke’s own.

Taking advantage of the boy’s open mouth Sasuke easily enough allowed himself inside the other’s heated cavern, his muscle seeking out and sliding along the other’s; stirring it into action briefly. The timid muscle prodded indecisively and slid hesitantly against Sasuke’s. But he was responding, Sasuke felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards with that acknowledgement before sliding up under Naruto’s tongue along the sensitive tissue attaching it to the lower glands, wringing a soft whimper from the blonde he plundered.

Blue eyes widened slightly at the sound he himself made before turning his face to break their connection. Sasuke didn’t follow him, noting that his partner was still uneasy, noting that the hand still on his shoulder was shaking ever so slightly. “We still have an arrangement to be reached I suppose.” He said after a moment sighing slightly. Making out would have been difficult anyway with the kimono the other was wearing.

“Huh?” Naruto asked his eyes turning back to the other boy though his face had yet to follow. Looking at him now as he was, still flushed with one held hand by his against the wall, his body pinned there with his own.

“We’ll worry about that later though,” he muttered, leaning forwards again. The arrangement would have to be reached later; he could worry about it then. If the other didn’t want to answer now, he could at least come up with a way to get rid of his developing problem, preferably with the other’s help.

Naruto’s face turned to meet him as he descended their lips meeting once more; he went slightly slower now. Just barely nipping at the reddened lips. The blonde was still being fairly passive for the moment, his warm mouth moving timidly against Sasuke’s with a small sense of reciprocation. Naruto gave a small moan when Sasuke withdrew from his mouth the darker-haired boy’s lips moving against his neck. His blue-eyed partner titled his head to the side to give him better access to the slender throat where the warm caress focused.

Once more a warm wet muscle trailed lightly in the wake of the soft heated mouth to near his collar where the kimono would no longer give way. Like this Naruto could easily lose himself in the sensation of heat stimulated near his throat. From there it seemed to flow all through his body, forming a misty haze in his mind and centering fire all through his belly and pooling ultimately at his groin.

Naruto yelped, blue eyes opening wide, as a sharp pain momentarily brought his mind from its cloud of fog to realize that Sasuke had bit him. It wasn’t hard enough to draw blood, and he was licking lightly at the bruise now, but the action had still been enough to jar his mind into wakefulness.

Second thoughts of what was going on were certainly in order. After all, this was ludicrous, so now Sasuke knew he was a boy and was making out with him. He wasn’t doing anything for the moment and that was probably good, but he really needed to get away at this point.

Sasuke’s hips ground hard against his own; the pale youth’s rigid length could easily be felt through both cloths by Naruto’s own hardening organ. With a strangled moan from the blonde once more all coherent thought was lost as the body again focused in on the heat pooling through his body.

He didn’t feel it when Sasuke’s other hand wound around and loosened the obi of the kimono. Naruto, however, did notice when one of Sasuke’s hands reached under the now lax kimono and brushed over his length. A singular gasp and moan drew from his throat as Sasuke’s hand moved gently against the swelling member.

“So you are hard,” Sasuke grunted rocking his hips forward against Naruto’s, “I was hoping-” he broke a moment for breath; “otherwise-- my conscience-- might have gotten in the way.”

“Huh?” Naruto managed through the hazy gaping center of his inactive mind. Thoughts around the peripheral unable to cohere anything beyond, ‘so good’, ‘don’t stop’, and ‘Pleasure! Mine!’

“At least your body is attracted to me,” Sasuke noted.

“Shut up.” Naruto ordered thrusting his hips up from the wall into Sasuke’s lingering hand and to the firm hips previously just out of reach. Sensing the other’s frustration the hand moved, sliding along the shaft rubbing up the underside.

A groan came easily from the blonde as the dark-eyed boy’s hand worked over the stiff heated flesh cradled in his hand. Gripping along the length and releasing briefly to slide back down, all the while dark eyes focused on the face before him. His thumb flicked over the end, and a coil of pleasure rippled through Naruto as a moan slipped past his lips, his hips thrusting forward of their own accord. He was getting closer…

Dark eyes glanced over the flushed face, only inches away from his own. Eventually blue eyes opened to him, the boy’s cheeks darkening slightly with the knowledge that the other was watching him, and with the way his eyes looked now… it was truly threatening to swallow him completely into their depths.

Naruto gasped suddenly when two of Sasuke’s fingers strayed to prod at his sac, cradling the spheres gently for the boy’s response. He couldn’t even look away, his hips still moved of their own volition, his body’s temperature still rising steadily, he could feel the coils in his belly and groin tightening, winding closer and closer, and yet he couldn’t break eye contact with the boy before him.

It didn’t take long, and with a final stroke he felt the pressure release, his body relieving itself of the fluid, emptying itself over Sasuke’s hand. Dark eyes watching the other’s face contort slightly with the pleasure, the flush and thin sweat that had started somewhere around the neck and now on the upper lip gathering into a single drop above red panting lips.

The heat was slowly fading, even though Sasuke’s warmth was still near enough Naruto could feel it. His breathing was still erratic and he was sure he was still somewhat red in the face, but Sasuke had still only managed a faint tint to his normally pale cheeks. It was… frustrating really… he’d have to find a way to remedy that.

“Was…” Naruto paused, waiting for his breath to return, having to speak between gasps. “Was this… the ‘arrangement’… you were talking about…?”

“Partly.” He answered, and Naruto noted vaguely his voice was huskier than usual, even that soft purr he had, it was even deeper, heavier really; like he was somehow restraining himself. The other was obviously still aroused, pressing his hips forward against him, just to check, Naruto noted the solid stiffness through the dark-haired boy’s yukuta.

Sasuke groaned at the contact pressing back against the blonde.

It probably would have been simpler to do the boy as he was, it was what his body had all but been demanding the entire time he was stroking Naruto. But the alleyway was not the best place, and it was certainly not the place that Sasuke wanted to do this. It was so poorly equipped for such a purpose!!

The faint hum of people could be heard just beyond the alley’s threshold, and glancing over, the two noted the dispersing people meandering slowly down the streets. “It seems the fireworks have ended,” Naruto commented lightly.

Sasuke took only a moment to formulate a plan before he reluctantly pulled his body away from Naruto, reaching for the boy’s arm, and dragged him towards the road again. Naruto blindly followed, gripping onto the obi still clinging half around him to keep from losing his clothes, though a girl’s kimono it might have been.

If his mind had been in better working order Naruto might have asked Sasuke where they were going, but as of now no such idea occurred to him. He didn’t want anything in particular, just following Sasuke wherever he led was fine for now. His body stumbled along behind the dark-eyed boy; apparently it was still somewhat recovering from the encounter just a little while back at the alley.

From the shadows a pair of eyes followed the pair of boys through the crowd. Too dark to be seen and completely silent as the figure moved, blood red eyes trailed after the couple.

Amusement glinted for a moment in the crimson orbs, this was in fact an interesting development, not one he hadn’t predicted as a possibility, but nonetheless surprising.

Naruto vaguely heard Sasuke ask the innkeeper for a room. He paid and taking Naruto’s arm again they headed around to the specified room to which Sasuke was given the key. Entering the room he heard it as the door locked with a click behind them; and Naruto vaguely wondered if this was even really happening, it seemed ludicrous when he thought about it. But then thinking usually made his regret things, and made him realize how wrong everything was. If there was one age old saying he ever agreed with it was that ignorance was bliss.

He didn’t want to think anymore; this wish wasn’t long in being granted. Sasuke’s body suddenly pressed back against his, his hands pulling Naruto against him, for lack of a wall or other object to press him against. Naruto’s body’s response was instant, and with a short intake of breath he ground right back against Sasuke, his own member coming slowly into life to meet it’s desired partner. But with so much cloth in the way… it was quickly becoming frustrating on both ends.

With a slight growl Sasuke roughly pulled the obi, still vaguely clinging to the kimono, away. He pushed the covering over the blonde’s shoulders along with the undercover robe. But his partner’s hands were also taking this opportunity to undo the dark-eyed boy’s own clothing, so it wasn’t long before the boys stood without their clothes before each other.

Sasuke was the first to move forward again, to resume the previous contact, but a pair of strong arms caught him before he started and pressed him backwards against the wall. Wide dark eyes closed as a pair of warm lips covered his. Naruto wasn’t first sure of what he was doing in the moment that he kissed Sasuke, all he knew was he wasn’t going to be some sort of fish through this, and he didn’t really want to be… dominated.

Sasuke started and broke the kiss with a sharp intake when one of the hands that had pushed him back trailed down his body and slid into a grip around his heated member. Naruto couldn’t suppress a small smile/sneer hybrid that cross his features. The dark-haired boy’s face was flushed a near rose colored red across his pale skin, it seemed to spread as well, and his breathing was hurried, dark eyes glazed over with a semi-haze. It was somehow immensely satisfying to know he held this power.

He tightened his grip briefly sliding his hand back over the youth’s length. Sasuke responded with a small shudder and wound his arms around Naruto’s neck. Naruto slid his hand back over the shaft, listening intently at the mewl, that’s right it was a mewl, that came from the dark-haired boy.

He moaned again when Naruto’s hand started moving quicker, his hips bucking up against the wall into his hand, and his arms holding tightly around the blonde’s shoulders. Kneading at the thick appendage earned a series of whimpers and moans depending on just how hard he massaged his hand over the flesh. It was an odd thing, to have his opponent pinned against the wall. His body shivering slightly as it held tightly to him for support, his hips forsaking the safer angle of laying against the wall to balance his body in order to thrust against his hands. The same hand that wrung soft sounds from the other’s throat; said hand was also no doubt was half the cause of the dark flush across the pale boy’s face.

Such a thing was also empowering. Hesitating slightly Naruto leaned forward again, this time attacking the boy’s bared neck; his tongue sliding along the skin there, hmm it was salty. Licking along here though he noted a dark mark that spiraled around a small section of the boy’s body, just between the shoulder and neck, nearer to his back. His only free hand lifted to touch across the mark, it was bound by something, but what it was exactly he didn’t know.

An insistent cry from Sasuke drew him away from his pondering over the mark, as Sasuke shuddered and clutched at him. Some half-formed words jumbled together coming out as an unintelligible mess. It was clear however that the other was quickly becoming frustrated with the lack of control and relief for that matter. He hadn’t made Naruto wait this long damn it!

Naruto shushed him gently, kissing him as his hand renewed it’s efforts; though to Sasuke by now the touches, while firey, were not going hard or fast enough to give him what he wanted. What he needed right now from the blonde, or he would lose his mind he was sure. Even more than the faint burn of the scar at his neck.

When he opened his eyes to Naruto’s half-lidded blue, the blonde started slightly that the normally dark orbs were now crimson red with dark stretches across them. He didn’t have enough time to ponder this occurrence either though, as somehow Sasuke had shifted the control back into his hands. His hips suddenly ground forward against Naruto’s their bared members brushing each other lightly at first, drawing a hiss from either boy.

Sasuke’s hips ground hard up against him, the rigid lengths sliding along each other in a perfect synchronized pattern. Leaving the wall forgotten as they stumbled backwards slightly until Naruto started grinding back. The feel of the flesh sliding along each other bringing each closer to the pinnacle, that seemed to despairingly out of reach before, now just within reach.

The back of Naruto’s legs hit against the bed and he didn’t even realize at first until he had fallen on the soft cushion and Sasuke was again against him. The pounding of the blood all through his body made it hard to think anyway, and they were both so close. Naruto could feel that same coil of pleasure winding tighter and tighter, and he could feel Sasuke’s equal need, the mark on his neck and his eyes’ color change far from thought.

With a final thrust against each other, the boys cried out, both boys bodies’ arching with the sensation as they released their essence over each other’s stomachs and groin. The blood cooled slightly, though not completely as Sasuke collapsed to the side next to his partner, Naruto relaxing finally against the soft bed provided beneath him. He turned to the side, to face Sasuke a moment. The only sound now, besides the calming sound of their blood beating through them, was the boy’s labored breathing. Scooting closer Naruto rested nearer to the other boy, one of Sasuke’s arms tossing itself over his waist, Naruto did the same. It was too late, and both of the youth’s energy was spent.

A pity really, Sasuke mused as he closed his eyes along with Naruto and started to fall into sleep. If they could have stayed awake…

The thought died in his hazed over mind as darkness took him. While the shadows from outside watched with a pair of red eyes; musing over the two sleeping youths. A smirk drew across the pale shadow’s face red eyes lighting with amusement.

How interesting… Interesting indeed…

`

The light wasn’t bothering him; not really, he had been waking gradually. Like he was floating in a lake somewhere and at the very bottom where unconsciousness was, slowly drifting upward to the surface of consciousness. Just becoming aware of where he was and how he was lying. He was laying down on a soft bed, and there was a firm warmth he had draped himself over. It was lightly breathing too, well wasn’t that interesting. An arm was around his waist as well.

The smell hit him eve before he opened his eyes, a smell that terrified him worse than blood. Sex musk… oh that wasn’t going to bode well.

He still felt groggy, but hadn’t opened his eyes, now he was completely aware of what was there, he was on a guy’s chest… and the said guy had an arm around him. This couldn’t be good.

Slowly brown eyes slid open, they were in some bunkers or another from the looks of it, probably just outside the palace but within the gates. He remembered because he and some of the other soldiers had been in here after the sand ray attack. This one was slightly nicer than the others; it was made with both wood and stone, and looked fairly decent. But that smell…

Hesitantly he turned his head to look at who he was laying on exactly…

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Bolting upright he fell backwards off the bed still screaming as he backed away to the farthest wall, unintentionally dragging the blanket with him revealing that the youth on the bed was as naked as he was.

Slowly dark eyes open and turned to look at him in irritation the cry dying to a squeak in the brunette’s throat. “For gods sake Kiba, it’s only six in the morning.” Kankuro grumbled as he put his legs over the side of the bed and stood walking towards the brunette male.

Kiba yelped slightly when the blonde stood over him and reached down. Grabbed the blanket and yanked, pulling Kiba from it’s warm protection and stalking back towards the bed, laying down and proceeding to go back to sleep.

Kiba let out a breath, for a second there he wasn’t sure what the other was planning to do.

The thing is, he was naked… so was Kankuro… but the blonde was acting so normal! Even though he was completely freaking! They were both naked for crying out loud!! And were sleeping on each other!!! The room smelled like sex!!

“Don’t worry we’ll call someone up to clean up the mess after we leave, it’s fine.” Kankuro called groggily from the bed, as if this was a common place ritual. Kiba glared.

“What the fuck is going on here!!” is what he wanted to yell and demand an explanation but at the same time he figured he really didn’t want to know, especially since all evidence pointed to… something he really didn’t want to think about… at least not when engaged with another male in such an activity…

What did happen last night? He couldn’t really remember it all too well. He and Kankuro had gone to play some of the games, and then they got bored of that and went to get some drinks. Then he’d turned it into a contest; because he had thought if he couldn’t win against the puppeteer in games then he could win at drinking.

Then somewhere through the night, probably right after fireworks, they had stopped being laughing loud and obnoxious drunks, and had somehow stumbled back partly to the palace and meandered to these bunkers on the bottom floor.

A slow blush crept onto the brunette’s cheeks as jumbled bits and pieces of last night’s activities came back to him, namely Kankuro’s lips brushing over his own. Soft and smooth, then pressing and demanding, a hot tongue pressed past his barriers to ravage the inside leaving his lungs burning for lack of air.

His vision had been blurred then, when he’d pulled away, Kankuro may have been smirking but he couldn’t remember. The only thing he could recall was the other’s hips’ pressed against his, rolling harshly against one another so their lengths were pressed together through the fabric of their clothes.

Stumbling through the dark they had somehow found somewhere to lie down. There afterwards, while all the sensations came back all too easily and far too soon for Kiba, he refused to acknowledge anything more than the humiliating knowledge that they had proceeded to rut like wild animals.

Oh gods…

Kiba felt sick and embarrassed all at once; mortified. Standing up he glanced around for his clothes. Spotting them he made a beeline to pick them up and started to pull them on, heading at the same time for the door. He heard Kankuro turn over on the bed, perhaps he was still somewhat awake but he didn’t check.

Slumping back against the door he drew a shaking breath, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to look at that guy in the eyes again… or in the mirror for that matter. He hadn’t managed to make the blush leave his face, and was still trying to calm himself down. He felt sick and strangely warm at the same time, perhaps something akin to anger? That had to be it. Jerking his body back to a stand he focused on calming his breath the heat slowly fading from his face.

He didn’t even want to know why he felt so sore…

`

The sun’s brightness and the sound of birds was what woke Temari first, and dark eyes opened slightly looking out to her surroundings. Just over the top of dark hair, green grass and shadowed gray stone of a bridge could be seen. The barely audible sound of the stream just below them slowly came into the blonde’s hearing range as she continued to slowly waken herself.

Glancing down at the warmth wrapped close around her middle Temari couldn’t suppress the small smile that spread over her face. The girl’s pale features were completely relaxed a few dark tendrils fallen across her cheek, her pink lips slightly parted in her rest. Hinata was just so adorable asleep.

Craning her head upwards she noted that her bike was still parked by the side of the road, just above them. Carnival, obviously, was over by this time. They had fallen asleep here sometime during the fireworks, hadn’t they? Looking back at the girl in her arms the blonde sighed slightly. Hinata and their whole group were supposed to be leaving today, weren’t they? That was a sad thought… especially since she never got to do anything with the other girl!

But the whole time they had been together she had just been so innocent that she couldn’t really have tried anything. Everytime she did tried to make the mood drift to a direction where she could do something other than friend atmosphere… she couldn’t!

Hinata had been so cute and unsure most of the time even if she tried not to… it was just cute. In such a way it almost made her feel guilty for desiring the Falcon princess. Temari groaned lightly, she seemed to find the words Hinata and cute together a lot… maybe it just wasn’t meant to happen…

Oh well. Temari’s arm tightened lightly as she snuggled against the other girl. As long as she wasn’t awake there was no harm in her enjoying the siphoning of the others scent and body heat. Her scent… something to do with mountain lilies…

“Temari…?”

“Hm?” she opened her eyes and looked down to look at Hinata. Clear eyes just opening, and a pale blush coloring her cheeks that got slightly darker as she seemed to realize that they were clinging to each other. What was there to embarrased about though really? Sadly they hadn’t taken off their clothes or anything… maybe if they had something might have happened but it didn’t so…?

“Does this bother you?” Temari asked grinning slightly as she pressed slightly closer to the other girl. She hear Hinata squeak but she shook her head, her blush growing to a dark red as her eyes feel from the blonde’s face. “Awe… so cute in the morning. Hungry?”

Slowly Hinata nodded, though not yet meeting her eyes. Releasing the girl Temari stood up and started up the hill side to her bike. “We need to head back anyway, your brother is probably wondering if you’re still okay; being out all night long.”

Hinata sat up on the grass, an unexpected chill covering her body slightly. The sun was shining and it was the desert kingdom of Kodoku, but when Temari left her somehow it just wasn’t as warm, or ‘safe’ feeling without her. “Hinata?” she looked up when the girl called her name. Temari looked troubled, but perhaps she had imagined that face because then she was grinning. “Come on we’re riding back, right?”

“Yes.” Hinata agreed as she stood and walked back over to Temari and the bike, both girls mounting before gearing the engine and taking off. The morning streets were vacant, so they could easily cut through town in a much shorter path to the palace.

They found the front yard to be quite busy, despite how early it was. “Ah! Shino, Lee!!” Hinata called out to the two she recognized.

“Ah! Princess Hinata! Princess Temari!” Lee greeted waving the two girls over, “Did you both stay out after the carnival?”

“Yes, we lost track of time, I’m sorry for having caused so much trouble,” Hinata apologized, though both Lee and Shino waved such a grievance away. “We’re packing up so soon?”

“To make good time in the morning we need to leave as soon as possible before the afternoon sun. If we’re lucky we may be back in the cover of the forest by noon.” Lee explained. “If we wait too long we’d have to stay until evening and then leave.”

He chuckled afterwards to explain it as a joke, which Hinata politely allowed a giggle to humor the boy. In her own mind Temari wondered if that wasn’t a good plan, then she’d have another few hours to try and see if the dark-haired girl really only had a friend or sisterly affection for her, or if there may just possibly be more to it. It was so difficult to tell with the girl…

“Oh where are the others? Did you and Tenten come back after the carnival?” Hinata asked curiously.

“Tenten is still inside, I believe she’s getting ready to depart as well,” Lee nodded, “We’re still looking for their Highnesses Sasuke and Naruko, as well as Sakura and Ino; those four disappeared first last night.”

“I hope they didn’t run into any trouble,” Hinata said suddenly noting that those four had still not come back to the palace… where would they have gone otherwise?

“Hopefully not,” Shino agreed, “Hinata you should also go and get ready to leave.”

“I will,” she nodded, and then to Temari, “Um… I wanted to thank you, last night spending the carnival with you was greatly enjoyable. I hope we get the chance to do something like this again.”

Temari nodded and the girl went off to ready for the departure. She had ‘greatly enjoyed’ spending the carnival with her… at least she wasn’t being so sensitive about this morning, but then she hadn’t pressed anything either. She just didn’t know, and now it was too soon that she was going away.

Not right.

`

Aqua green eyes opened to the room. A slow resonating droning inside her skull kept her from immediately rising. Headaches in the morning usually intoned a stressful time the day before. It was somewhat stressful, and that, Sakura knew was a clear understatement of her current situation.

She finally got up the nerve to tell Prince Sasuke that she liked him, she had done everything she could to convince him of his own situation, his one sided feelings for Naruko. But then he had roped her into marrying him so who had she been trying to kid? He had rejected her. Not just rejected her, he had been downright cruel… not that she hadn’t been… she had played badly and gotten what she deserved. It still hurt but the pain had since dulled and now she was more worried about the person that she could now hear taking a shower in the bathroom of the rented inn room.

“Um… Ino?” Sakura called out as she sat up, groaning slightly as her head spun with the motion.

“I’ll be right out! Glad you’re awake!” she heard the blonde call back. Ino; her friend… or? Opening her eyes again to rest on the floor she raised a hand and brushed her fingers tentatively against her lips. Last night…

Sakura’s hand fell back and she sighed, leaning back on the mattress, supporting her body with her arms. Somehow, that kiss… a kiss, received from another girl, it didn’t feel as scary or as weird as she thought it would. But it was still odd. It didn’t feel wrong… but it didn’t’ feel right, or anything. It was soft and comforting, but there really had been nothing special that she felt in it. It was almost… out of place… all that night she had felt out of place though.

When Sasuke left she had felt so cold, she felt like she was going to disappear or scream or die… then with Ino’s kiss all those feelings left. Leaving her hollow and more or less empty the rest of the night before she fell asleep.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. None of it did. Getting to her feet she stood cucumber eyes falling on red.

Red eyes. Cold and with a shining darkness in them. No sooner did her eyes lock with those than her head suddenly felt strained, like it was being split apart. She opened her mouth to scream for the pain but her throat was stuck, she couldn’t run, her legs wouldn’t move. She was paralyzed and her eyes could not leave the blood red pair in the shadows.

Then as soon as it was there it was gone; both the pain and her paralysis were gone; her world was falling. A soft thud alerted her that it wasn’t her world but herself, her knees having just connected with wood.

She fell forward her arms finally obeying her came to catch herself before her face could come into contact with the wooden floor as well. She drew a raggedy breath and dared to look up a moment, the eyes were gone it was just the dimmer corner of the room.

What was that?

“What’s wrong? Sakura?” Ino asked as she entered the room, still toweling off her long hair. Sakura looked up at her confused, wondering who she was for a moment before the rest of everything came clicking back into place. She looked back at the corner and the other girl’s eyes followed hers. Confused she looked back at her friend. “What is it?”

Sakura looked back at the corner, but there was nothing there. She stood and looked back at the girl smiling, “Nothing.” She answered jovially. But she had to wonder who was she trying to convince, herself or Ino?

“Okay, so do you need to shower?” she asked as she walked past and started pulling on the robes they had worn before, they hadn’t brought a change, and Ino had put on the under cover robe while in the bathroom.

“No, I’m alright,” Sakura told her putting on her own kimono, she had worn the covering to bed as well it seemed. Nothing happened last night, Ino had brought them here after the fireworks and then they had just gone to sleep. Ino had payed last night and when they left the innkeeper only waved goodbye to them and told them to take care. They weren’t speaking now. But that was fine. There was no need for words now.

Furtively Ino kept glancing at Sakura from the corner of her eyes, the other girl looked so solemn now, and she wasn’t saying anything. Was last night okay? The blonde wondered, she had only kissed her, and then taken them to the inn, since Sakura had mostly just zoned out then. But right now, she was still so quiet.

“Hey, why are you so quiet?” Ino asked trying to put her smile into her voice, “Are you still feeling bad about last night? It’s okay, you don’t need to be so down on it, right?”

“No, sorry, it’s nothing,” Sakura shook her head to the first question.

“Is it because of what I did?” she asked after a moment.

“No Ino,” Sakura assured her, managing to give her friend a small smile to show her she was being truthful. She was actually still pondering over those red eyes. She was sure she hadn’t been her imagination but then it might’ve been possible. Her headache was better, but that pain was so unlike a headache… it hadn’t been apart of it, and it had hurt. Pain was never able to be imagined, that much she was sure, at least not for her.

She sighed to herself and shook her head, she probably shouldn’t think about it, it was only giving her another headache because she couldn’t sort it out. What a pain.

“Wow, busy in the morning,” Ino noted when they found the yard buzzing with the preparations of the different caravans for the rest of their journey. It was still early too.

“If everyone’s packing up we should do the same, I left some stuff in our room,” Sakura mused to herself as she set out for the inside, Ino following right after her. They would leave their kimonos’ too; their Kodoku hosts had provided them with the garments after all.

“Good morning, your highnesses, Neji, Gaara,” Sakura stopped and bowed lightly to the two lords as they approached, Ino just behind her doing the same.

“Oh you’re back, are Naruko and Sasuke here now as well?” Gaara asked as the pair stopped before the girls.

“Uh… sorry, but no, we got separated during the festival,” Ino answered in place of Sakura.
-
“We’ll have to send out a group to search for them, their probably at an inn, a few people wandered back after losing themselves in the excitement as well,” Neji nodded.

“Right.” Sakura agreed. The door just behind them down the hall opened and both Lee and Shino entered bowing their heads to the two heirs.

“We’ve finished most all of the preparations for departure.” Lee reported.

“Good. We’ll need to send out searchers for stragglers as well as their highnesses, Sasuke and Naruko,” Gaara ordered, the two bowed and Shino left to take care of the order. “Also I have an announcement, which may delay preparations but hopefully by a minimal amount the sooner I make it.”

“Oh and, with all due respect, what is that?” Lee asked curiously, but politely.

Green eyes glanced for a moment at colorless before back to the small group before them. “I wish to accompany this entourage for the rest of your journey,” Gaara stated simply.

“Sounds good to me,” Kankuro said approaching from the other end, Temari just behind him with Tenten and Hinata flanking her.

“I’m sure Naruko wouldn’t mind at all,” Neji nodded.

“Hey Lee, have you seen Shikamaru? Shino said he was in his room, have you checked back on him yet?” Kiba asked poking his head in the door. Kankuro’s eyes fell for a moment on the brunette, but the moment that the other saw him he refused to meet the other’s eyes, a slight discoloration across his cheeks a small but significant change.

“Yes, I believe Shikamaru is STILL resting. Also we’ll need to prepare a fifth carriage for the Kodoku siblings and whoever they bring with them as well.” Lee instructed. Kiba nodded and left again, something about him glad to get away again.

Critical blue and green eyes followed the brunette out the window before glancing at Kankuro a moment before turning away. Both pondered idly over what was between those two, but for the moment it held no meaning. Instead not even the Kodoku siblings idea to come along was the topic of thought, it was the question on most of the room’s occupants minds other than those of personal affairs.

Where were Sasuke and Naruko anyway…?

`

“Run away with me.”

It took him a moment to process that thought.

“I’m sorry… what?”

“It’ll be okay,” the raven-haired boy continued as if the other hadn’t said anything at all. “We’ll just disappear. No mess or anything.”

It was an interesting thought… one he’d had for a while during the whole scandal of I must avoid the ‘wedding’ thing. But the kind of running off Sasuke was talking about now… what about Kyuubi? Gaara, he’d just managed to make friends, sort of… and what about Neji, Hinata, Ino and Sakura…?

Sasuke paused and turned to look around at the blonde when he stopped and didn’t walk forward again, blue eyes focused intently on the ground. “I’ll give you some time to think about it,” He said stepping back toward Naruto brushing back the bangs on his forehead and resting his forehead against his briefly.

But above all, the only current thought was that neither he nor Naruto could go to Somuhorm.

They started walking again, and out of the shadows a person was walking beside them. Naruto wanted to turn, he could tell Sasuke felt the man there too. But for the moment he only slowed slightly to take Naruto’s hand and then picked up the pace. Was he going to try to out“walk” whoever was just behind them?

A velvet voice spoke then, and when they turned, Naruto couldn’t’ see Sasuke’s expression blue eyes now thoroughly trapped in the bloodiest color red he had ever seen.

“Hello little brother.”

What… was this?

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