Of Birds Who Fly Free

Chapter Nine_The End?

After a sated sleep, Naruto slowly drifted awake the next morning. His first thought process was instant recollection of the previous night’s events. Immediately, his senses were on alert, and he feigned sleep while trying to figure out the situation he’d woken up in.

He was still breathing, so that was definitely a good omen. And from what he could tell, all his extremities were still in tact down there. Another good sign. He didn’t feel any heavy weight or restrictions on his arms or legs, and his mouth had the usual morning flavor with remnants of a more sinful treat he’d tasted the previous night. There was no metallic tang or bitter bite to the flavors in his mouth, so he hadn’t been slipped any poison or medicine to inhibit his body’s reaction or kill him from the inside. Again, all very good signs.

Was it possible that he’d woken up before Sasuke? Naruto focused on what around him was touching his body. Sheets, blankets, and dried traces of bodily liquids were immediately recognizable. Then an even better sensation, the feel of a warm body next to him, pillowing his head while his arm was draped over a slowly breathing stomach.

Naruto did a mental dance of victory. He was awake, alive, and cuddled safely against a relaxed and probably still sleeping Sasuke. Thank god last nights activities were so energy consuming! He had an advantage over Sasuke in that department, far more used to this sort of ‘exercise’ then his friend.

A foxy grin spread over his face and he chuckled softly, opening his eyes and sitting up.

“Good morning, Uzumaki,” A very familiar voice cut through his mental cheering, freezing Naruto in the spot.

He hesitantly turned his head, realizing he’d made a critical mistake. Uchiha Sasuke was evil.

Sasuke stared calmly back at him, sitting up against the headboard with his arms crossed, an unreadable frown on his lips. He had that look, the one that told Naruto he’d done something but he wasn’t going to tell Naruto what it was he’d done because apparently he should know.

If this turn of events didn’t set Naruto on high panic mode, the large cobra that slithered out from under the bed and onto the sheets certainly did. It hissed and made its way about in the covers, around Sasuke’s waist, then rest its head in Naruto’s lap in dangerous proximity to three of his good friends.

Well, Sasuke definitely had his full and undivided attention.

“M-Morning…Sasuke…” Naruto stammered out and gave the other man his most cheerful, lovable smile. He’d approach this cautiously for several obvious reasons. No need to use nicknames or make any teasing remarks right now. Just use that winning smile of his and pray Sasuke didn’t use that cobra for more then just a threat.

“Don’t morning me, bastard,” Sasuke growled dangerously, narrowing his eyes at him. “You’re going to sit there and answer a few questions of mine. At which point, depending on your answers, I will decide whether you live or whether I have to hide a body today.”

“K…sounds like a brilliant idea. You’re very good at that,” Naruto attempted flattery.

Sasuke’s frown deepened, unimpressed by the other’s attempts. “Why? What possessed you to rape me?”

Naruto frowned and looked upset by that. “Teme! Don’t call it that! I’d never rape somebody! And don’t say you didn’t want it, because I’m not stupid! We’ve fought a dozen times, sometimes to the death, and I know for a good fact that if you really didn’t want me to touch you last night, you could have easily beat my ass into the ground!”

“You had a clone restraining me,” Sasuke pointed out, keeping his expression neutral.

“Bleh! That’s a poor ass excuse. You’re fast, strong, and you know of at least two or three non-restricted jutsu that requires only one-hand seals. Not to mention he wasn’t holding you that tightly,” Naruto accused, forgetting the cobra in his lap for the moment as he angst over Sasuke’s way of warping things. “Asshole, don’t make me the bad guy just to save your pride.”

Sasuke glared at him for a long moment and Naruto glared back, knowing the other had no comeback. Denying what Naruto had just pointed out would only prove Naruto’s point, which was not something Sasuke would do.

“Fine. But you still didn’t answer my question,” Sasuke scowled again. “Why the hell did you do what you did? The stupid posters, the chase around the whole bloody town, then…that….that last night.”

“Hey, I worked on those posters all night!” Naruto whined and pouted angrily, huffing in annoyance. “And the chase was your doing. If you’d just sat and took it, we could have avoided all of this drama.”

But then he wouldn’t have gotten to molest his best friend, a treacherous voice pointed out in the back of his head and Naruto proceeded to squash it.

“Naruto, I’d be better off watching a bad porno and reading that pervert sannin’s book then take a lesson from Konoha’s number one idiot,” Sasuke sighed and shook his head, then pinned the blonde with a glare. “And anyways, I never asked. Was this all because of that stupid question about ‘going to church’?”

“Huh…ah…not really…” Naruto murmured and looked down into scaly eyes, then hung his head. He’d forgotten about the damn snake, and now he wished he’d still forgotten. “Sasuke…is the snake necessary?”

“Yes, and if you don’t answer my damn question, I’ll make him bite,” Sasuke hissed out, getting angry and impatient.

“Fine, fine!” Naruto whined and crossed his arms, doing his best to look serious. “It was a promise.”

Sasuke stared at him for the longest moment, then shook his head quickly and scowled. “……what?”

Naruto blushed and scratched the back of his head, glancing away from Sasuke’s piercing gaze. “Well…ten years ago…on that day…Itachi kinda approached me. He…He asked me if I cared about you, and I said I did. He told me that soon, I’d be all you have left. He asked me to…give you the talk someday, when everything settles down. He trusted me to take care of you, Sasuke.

Naruto mentally said fuck it to the snake and leaned forward, pulling a shocked Uchiha into a tight hug. “He knew he would die, and he trusted me to save you because he wouldn’t be able to. It’s like he knew without asking that I’d never turn away or give up on you.”

Sasuke gasped slightly and closed his eyes, clenching the bed sheets and refusing to shed any tears on that painful subject. “N-Naruto…”

“You’ve always been family, Sasuke. So, I have to make sure my brother will be ok,” Naruto sighed and smiled, rubbing Sasuke’s back.

The two of them sat like that for a heavy moment of silence, before Sasuke grit his teeth in pure irritation and moved, kicking Naruto off the bed. “BASTARD! DON’T CALL SOMEONE YOU JUST FUCKED YOUR BROTHER, YOU DAMN PERVERT!”

“AAAACK!!” Naruto yelped as the foot collided with his face and he was kicked off the bed once again, slamming on his back on the ground. “OUCH! TEME!!!”

Sasuke scowled and got up out of the bed, making a rather royal exit out of the room and into the bathroom.

Naruto glared angrily and rubbed his sore head, before realization dawned on him. He shot to his feet and ran to the bathroom door, banging hard on it. “OI! Teme, don’t you dare hog the shower!! Hey! I’ve got to get clean too! Come on, you take hour long showers!!! HEY!? At least get rid of this damn snake!!! Sasuke? DAMNIT, TEME, STOP IGNORING ME!!!!!”


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Author's Note: No, this isn't really the end. There's still some more to go. =D