Labyrinth

A/N: Well, having forgot my username for AFF.Net, I couldn't log in to post the chapter. Damn, too. So I had to make a new account. I have part of the second chapter redone, too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Labyrinth, or most anything. I think that my idea is semi-original, but I could be wrong... I don't really read the stuff at FF.Net. I pretty much "borrow" the script, but there are quotes in there that I made up. Also , I make no money from writing this, I only receive reviews. And for receiving them, I'm happy.

Chapter 1: Wishes Can Be Bad

"Give me the child," a soft voice demanded. The voice belonged to one seventeen-year-old Uzumaki Naruto, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teen who was currently dressed in a large, baggy dark gray ruffled shirt that went down to his knees. Upon his head was a silver circlet. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Snake City to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great." A clap of thunder sounded, though Naruto's voice at the last sentence had become strong and confident.

Looking down, Naruto began to mutter. "For my will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great... Damn." Fumbling, Naruto took out a small, red leather-bound book and turned to a page. "Oh, I can never remember that line. 'You have no power over me'," Naruto said in a mocking voice. "Feh."

A sharp sound of laughter rang, followed by a strong of curses. "URUSAI, KUSO SASUKE-TEME!"

"Well, if you would remember that line, maybe I wouldn't have to laugh!" a dark-haired teen, the same age as Naruto, replied. The teen, Uchiha Sasuke, was best friends with Naruto. The Uchiha had blue-black hair and onyx eyes that contrasted with his alabaster skin. Standing several inches taller than the blonde, Sasuke and Naruto made an odd couple. "Try to memorize it better, dobe."

Another roll of thunder sounded and some more laughter before a clock began to chime. "Shimatta, Sasuke! I don't believe it! It's seven o'clock! Come on, come on!"

The two began to run, over the bridge that Naruto had been acting out by as it started to pour down rain. Naruto, picking up his overly long shirt, ran faster as the rain began to pelt down on him and Sasuke. Past the shops and down the roads, until the two ended up in front of a white house with dark green shutters and a black roof.

"Oh it's not fair!" cried Naruto, pouting as his stepfather, Kakashi, stood on the porch waiting for Naruto and Sasuke to return.

"Oh really," drawled the lazy, silver-haired jounin. Naruto's stepfather Hatake Kakashi was a well-known ninja in the village that Naruto and Sasuke lived in. Kakashi, a dark-eyed, lazy shinobi, had fell in love with Naruto's foster-father, Umino Iruka, and the two had gotten married three years before. Naruto did not like Kakashi that much, for the jounin was perverted, lazy, and late for nearly everything. Always making crude comments on the status of Naruto and Sasuke's relationship, Kakashi had earned himself a bad place in the blonde's mind. "Well, don't just stand there in the rain!"

"Fine," grumbled Naruto as he glared at Kakashi. The two teenage boys shuffled into the house, soaked.

"Naruto-kun, you and Sasuke are an hour late!" scolded Kakashi, glaring at the two teens from behind the blue mask he kept around his face at all times.

"I'm sorry!" snapped Naruto, glaring at his stepfather.

"Your father and I go out very rarely," Kakashi began.

"You go out every weekend!" shouted Naruto, pointing an accusing finger at his stepfather.

Continuing as if Naruto hadn't spoken, Kakashi said, "I ask you to baby-sit only if it wouldn't interfere with your plans. I even allowed to you have Sasuke over to spend the night!"

"You don't even ask me what my plans are anymore!" shouted Naruto, glaring at his stepfather from the landing of the steps. Snorting, Sasuke just continued up the stairs to Naruto's room to change.

"I assume if you had a date you'd tell me," Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "You should be having dates at your age. I'd like you to have dates, whether it be that Sakura girl or even your Sasuke."

Iruka, Naruto's 'real father', peeked out from the room right by the landing and the brunette man's eyes widened then shrank as relief filled him. Holding Konohamaru in one arm and feeding him with another, Iruka said, "Naruto-kun, we were worried about you!"

"I can't do anything right, can I?" screamed Naruto as he slammed the door to his room. Sasuke was pulling a T-shirt over his bare torso when Naruto stormed in, seething. Quickly spotting Sasuke without a shirt, Naruto blushed and turned around to his dresser, muttering angrily to himself. Pulling out a pair of bright orange cargo pants and a short-sleeved black shirt with a red swirl on the back, Naruto stripped quickly before tugging on the comfortable pants and lowering the T-shirt onto his upper body. Breathing in deeply before exhaling, Naruto turned around and flung himself onto the bed, right next to Sasuke. "Kami-sama, I'm always doing something wrong. I'll show them what Uzumaki Naruto can do!"

Sighing, Naruto sat down in front of the mirror, staring at himself while playing with the eyeliner tube. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered... I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Snake City... to take back the child you have stolen."

A knock was heard on the door and Iruka's voice came from behind the door. Naruto dropped the eyeliner and glared at the door through the mirror. "Naruto-kun? Could I talk to you?" Iruka's hesitantly questioned. Naruto snorted loud enough for Iruka to hear.

"There's nothing to talk about," denied Naruto, eye twitching in annoyance. "You better hurry or you'll be late." Sasuke and Naruto heard Iruka sigh from behind the wooden barrier.

"We've fed Konohamaru and put him to bed," stated Iruka, resignation in his voice as the older brunette accepted Naruto's irritation. "We'll be back around midnight, Naruto-kun."

Naruto turned and glared at the door when the retreating footsteps and front door closing could be heard. "You really wanted to talk to me, didn't you?" Naruto snapped, glaring at his white door. "Practically broke down the door!" Punching the wall next to the door, Naruto growled and then sighed, knowing that neither Iruka nor Kakashi would be able to hear his words. Flopping next to Sasuke again, Naruto tilted his head back to look at his best friend.

Sasuke was definitely not the warmest person ever. When the two first met, Sasuke had been cold and rejecting. Naruto and he had been rivals from grade school to half-way through junior high. After saving Sasuke from falling down a flight of stairs at school, Sasuke had acted nicer and more respectful towards Naruto and the two became fast friends after finding out that they had many things in common. Best friends now, Naruto and Sasuke spent a lot of their time together, playing sports and watching movies, and even acting in plays for drama class.

The latter class was the reason why Naruto had been in the park reciting lines from the newest play based off of the book, 'The Labyrinth'. Naruto received the lead of the western-turned-more-Japanese play as Haruyate Yokuto, a troubled boy that wished his younger sister away to the Snake King. Sasuke had received the second best role as the Snake King, Tsukame, and thus Naruto and Sasuke had even more time to spend with each other.

Sasuke was good-looking; Naruto could admit that much. Pale, unblemished skin, onyx-colored eyes, black-blue spiky hair and a lithe, fit body could make any girl (and sometimes guys) swoon. However, Sasuke's nature of pushing people away and being cold had left Naruto agitated and angry most of the time before they had become friends. Snapping out of his stupor as Naruto received a raised eyebrow from his scrutiny of Sasuke, Naruto looked up to his shelf only to find something missing. "Gama-chan!" growled Naruto, glaring at the spot that his precious stuffed animal was missing. "Someone's been in my room again! I hate that! I hate it!"

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, following Naruto out of the bright blue room, into the bleak gray halls with darker gray carpeting and into Iruka and Kakashi's room where Konohamaru's crib had been stationed. And there, on the deep blue carpet of the master bedroom right next to Konohamaru's crib was the stuffed toy, Gama-chan, laying face down. Naruto growled and snatched it up, hugging it to his chest. "I hate you, I hate you!" Naruto yelled at the crying baby.

Sasuke's eyebrows rose as Naruto began to yell. "Um, Naruto," Sasuke started out, trying to calm his friend down. "It really isn't Konohamaru's fault. Kakashi or Iruka would have taken Gama-chan to give to Konohamaru."

Naruto rolled his eyes, glaring at Sasuke. "I know that. But being mad at the baby is much more dramatic and has the whole 'teenage hormones' label written all over it." Stalking around the crib, Naruto's irritation flared as Konohamaru still cried. "What do you want? Do you want a story? Huh? Okay."

Naruto walked around the crib, glaring into the white sheets. "Once upon a time there was a handsome young boy who's stepfather always made her stay at home with the baby."

Sasuke yawned and sat on the floor, back leaned against the bed. His hands were partially under the bed and they touched a tube. Curiosity getting the better of him, Sasuke pulled it out and studied it before blushing so hard his face became as red as a strawberry. Fumbling with the tube of lubricant, Sasuke shoved it back under the bed, scared of the other things his hand had touched while shoving the little bottle back where he had found it. Metal, lace, leather? Sasuke shuddered. He did not want to think about what Umino-san and Hayate-san did in the bedroom. And were most likely doing at the hotel room they had rented; Sasuke saw the key and heard Hayate talking about it earlier, when Sasuke had been in the kitchen. Shuddering again, Sasuke snatched his hand out from under the bed. Old people having sex was a major squick to Sasuke, which was why he chose to stay away from school after hours since he had walked in on his creative writing teacher, Jiraiya-sensei, and the school nurse, Tsunade-sama, making out in the library. Eye twitching in irritated disgust, Sasuke snapped out of those thoughts and focused on Naruto again.

"And the baby was a spoiled child and he wanted everything for himself, and the young boy was practically a slave," snarled Naruto, glaring at the little brown-haired baby who was screaming even louder, red-faced. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Slave? Naruto was not a slave in the least bit. ‘But, then there wouldn't be spice without teenage angst,’ mused Sasuke as a small smirk tilted the side of his mouth. "But what no one knew was that the Snake king had become fascinated with the boy and gave him certain powers. So, one night, when the baby had been particularly mean to the boy, he asked the snakes for help, even though they were ugly and smelly and weird, and the boy would be punished by the evil stepfather if he ever found out what the boy had do-"

"Naruto, you're babbling," interrupted Sasuke, trying hard not to smile at Naruto's embarrassed blush. Usually Naruto only ranted when he was really pissed or upset over something. Cute, a voice in the back of Sasuke's mind whispered, making Sasuke shake his head and frown. 'How can I think of Naruto like that? He's my best friend...' The whole 'he's a guy, I'm a guy' wasn't an issue since both of Naruto's parents were men. Sasuke's legal guardian who happened to be his older brother, Itachi, also preferred the male gender. Sasuke had no other living family after a tsunami had hit the family reunion while Sasuke and Itachi were still in school, and Sasuke grew up from the age of four knowing that homosexual relationships were normal. Given that their friends Temari and Hinata were openly in love with each other, Sasuke did not mind Naruto being a guy.

What was wrong was that Naruto was his best friend. Sasuke wouldn't ruin their relationship just because he liked Naruto. A lot. Naruto never displayed any kind of affection besides friendship except playfully towards Temari, and Sasuke wasn't sure if Naruto liked THINGS in general in a sexual way. Jolting back to reality when he thought he heard a voice hiss 'Listen', Sasuke looked at Naruto, snarling at the baby in the crib. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke cleared his throat and Naruto snapped his head up, looking innocent as if he had not been yelling at a two-year-old just seconds before. "Maybe you should lay off him, Naruto?"

"Why? I'm sick of him causing Iruka to not pay attention to me!" Naruto snarled. "I was here first, and all that I get is the cold shoulder and a babysitting job when Kakashi and Iruka feel like going at it! I'm sick of Konohamaru and I'm sick of Kakashi, and I'm sick of my life! 'Say your right words, the snakes said,'" Naruto growled, continuing with his story in an oily, low, raspy voice to signify the snakes. "'And we'll take the baby to the Snake City, and you will be free.'"

Sasuke just sighed and shook his head. Naruto would not be able to convince right now. Dammit.

"But the boy new that the baby would be turned into a snake, so she suffered in silence. But, one night when he was tired from homework and hurt by the harsh words of his stepfather, he asked the snakes for help."

Sasuke heard a gasp from somewhere. His brows creased again. What *WAS* that?

Konohamaru's cry broke Sasuke's thoughts of who, or *WHAT*, had caused that sound. "Oh fine! Knock it off, will you? Stop it, Kono-chan. Stop it! I'll say the words... No, I mustn’t."

Sasuke looked at his best friend oddly. 'What the hell is he talking about?' Sasuke thought, watching his crush rock the baby with an evil gleam in his eye. "Err... Naru-"

"I wish... I wish..." Naruto continued, his eyes glazing a bit. Sasuke heard mumbling, and finally looked around, eyebrows furrowed in concentration to find the source of the noise. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke dove under the bed.

"I can bear it no longer!" Naruto exclaimed, holding up Konohamaru as if a sacrifice. "Snake king, snake king, wherever you may be! Take this gaki of mine far away from me!"

Sasuke heard the mumblings from under the bed, but they were more muffled than before. Good, he had a reason to get out of that kink-fest. Shuddering, Sasuke crawled out, wide-eyed and scared. "Naruto, remind me never to go under your parents' bed ever again."

"Sure, whatever Sasuke..." Naruto was distracted at the moment. 'Such is with a dobe like Naruto...' Sasuke thought fondly, watching Naruto from the doorway as he settled Konohamaru down for the night. Sasuke backed off as Naruto backed out of the room. Naruto walked away from the crying Konohamaru. "I wish the snakes *would* come and take you away." The blonde flipped off the light switch, speaking over the wailing baby. "Right now." Naruto stepped out and shut the door. Sasuke paused, looking back in wonder at the now silent room behind the white door. Naruto also hesitated, and with furrowed eyebrows, he walked back to the room. "Kono-chan, why aren't you crying? Little brother, what's wrong?"

Naruto and Sasuke entered the room. Sasuke tried flipping the light on, but it was no use. The rain pelted the window outside. The dreary seen was made even more haunting from the little giggles and chuckles from all around the room.

"What the hell?" Sasuke asked the room, mouth slightly open with a confused look on his face. "Naruto, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Sasuke," replied the blonde as he rushed over to check on Konohamaru. He lifted the blanket, expecting to see Konohamaru, but a black furry thing scuttled out, making Naruto jump back in surprise. As Sasuke and Naruto looked around the room, looking for the things that settled at the corner of their peripheral vision, the objects would hide, seemingly never there. It not only frightened Naruto, but Sasuke too, who was known for his bravery.(1)

The two friends turned to the large window as they heard a rapping. Naruto gasped as a medium sized barn owl was beating its wings and claws at the window. "What the fu-"

The window burst open, causing a torrent of wind, rain, and surprisingly, light to stream in. The Uchiha and the Uzumaki shielded their eyes. When they uncovered their eyes, both of them gasped as a man in tight gray pants, a medieval-style shirt of a cream-color that exposed the man's chest, leather suspenders, black leather gloves, and knee-high black boots stood in the doorway of the balcony. The man had an extremely pale complexion, much paler than Sasuke and was nearly white. The man had golden eyes surrounded by purple eye shadow, and golden earrings. Over his clothes, the man had a dark purple cloak that was open and pushed behind his shoulder, showing off all of his attire.

"You're him, aren't you?" Naruto asked in a small, awed voice. "You're the Snake king!"

The man looked at Naruto for a few moments, as if measuring him up. Sasuke looked back and forth between the two.

"Naruto, what did you do now?" Sasuke hissed, glaring daggers at the much older man. Unfortunately, the man turned his attention to Sasuke, and then immediately leered.

"Orochimaru, at your service," the man greeted, taking Sasuke hand and running an extremely unnaturally long tongue across the back of it. "And you are?"

"*MY* boyfriend," growled Naruto, pushing the man back, making Sasuke's hand fall from Orochimaru's grasp. "I want my brother back. What did you do to him?"

Orochimaru looked at Naruto as if he were a little boy. "Naruto, go back to your room. Play with your silly toys and read your silly books. Forget about the baby." Orochimaru was inching closer to Sasuke. This made Naruto growl.

"Don't you dare TOUCH him, you sicko," Naruto hissed, pulling Sasuke to him, feeling strangely possessive. His small crush on the Uchiha might have played a factor in the dislike of the Snake king. "And I can't forget about Konohamaru."

"I've brought you a present," Orochimaru murmured, looking at Naruto evenly, ignoring what Naruto had said about leaving Sasuke alone. Sasuke would be his, one way or another. Orochimaru formed a plan. "It's a crystal. Nothing more, unless you turn it this way... It will show you your dreams."

"Cut the crap! I want my brother back!" Naruto shouted, near tears. He wouldn't cry, not in front of Sasuke. "Where is he? Please! He must be scared."

"He's there, in my castle," Orochimaru replied, pointing out the window to a castle with an orange glow from the sun. "Do you still want your brother back? You can always turn back now." Orochimaru turned to Sasuke. "You may wait with me in the castle while he tries to solve the Labyrinth."

"No thank you," replied Sasuke, voice cold as ever. He looped an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "I'd rather stay with my boyfriend."

Naruto could feel a blush begin, but as Orochimaru scowled at him, the blush was held at bay. At least Sasuke was willing to pretend, even if he wasn't really interested. Orochimaru pointed to a clock hung on a nearby tree.

"You have thirteen hours to reach castle before your brother is mine," hissed Orochimaru, his long tongue sliding out to lick his smirking lips. "Forever... forever... forever...for-"

"You can go away now."

"Please stop saying forever."

"-Ever..." And with that said, Orochimaru faded into nothing, leaving Sasuke and Naruto at the beginning of the maze.

"Well, come on Sasuke," sighed Naruto, trying to be optimistic. "We won't get to the maze, let alone get through it, by just standing here."

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah. I really want to get to that snake-like bastard faster than we all ready are."

--.. End chapter 1 ..—

A/N: Was it good? Was it bad? I had to edit it myself since now I have Microsoft Word... Which is a good thing and a bad thing. But it's not the raw chapter I found in my 'Sent' box of my email account, thank goodness. Leave a review and if someone wants to volunteer as a beta, go right ahead!