Slow Reunion

A/N: Yay for team Hebi! I liked them loads better before they became team eagle or hawk or whatever.

Remember- reviews make me super motivated! thumbs up + ping!grin

Juugo has always expected that there’s more to Sasuke than he shows, but his suspicions aren’t confirmed until the blonde kid stumbles into their lives, messing it all to hell. It’s the very first instant that Juugo sees it, how Sasuke’s sharingan eyes flare and widen, how his head tilts back just so, until the motion becomes a unconscious statement as he shows his long, pale neck.

“Dobe.” He says, calm as ever, but in their travels together Juugo has never once heard him use such a derogatory comment, and considering the company…that’s saying a lot. But here they are, staring at each other, and the blonde blinks, whispers, “Teme.”

Sasuke doesn’t even flinch as a series of explosions rock the landscape behind them. Juugo can hear Suigetsu’s battle-cries, Karen’s gymnastic swearing, and worries, but Sasuke doesn’t move a muscle.

Tsukiyomi? But no, the kid drops his eyes to ground, swallows.

“Run.” He says, voice choked. “The rookie nine, they’re-”

Before Juugo can even breathe Sasuke has him with the other’s orange jumpsuit fisted tightly and they’re gone, nestled safely at the rendezvous just in time to see Karen materialize with what looks to be Suigetsu’s corpse in one arm.

“Shit.” The blonde steps forward to their injured, his leaf insignia gleaming brightly as he rips sheets into long, even bandages.

What do you do with an enemy that stems the blood of your own? Juugo looks up to Sasuke for guidance (it always seems the smartest thing to do) but Sasuke is lost, head cocked and staring blindly as if they’re back with Kabuto, unknown IV’s dripping steadily into their veins. He looks drugged.

Karen notices too, and she just flinches before helping the Leaf shinobi care for Suigetsu’s wounds, Suigetsu who is moaning in pain but still clutching his beloved katana. It’s like that, caught in indecision and worry that Juugo finally places Sasuke’s expression.

Sasuke looks down at the bowed back of their new companion and thinks, what the hell did I just do?

*****

Sasuke gives him a look (blank stare #3, raised eyebrow included) and the Leaf shinobi growls.

“Shut up, I can do it. Sakura showed me.” Before putting his hands over one of Suigetsu’s worst wounds and closing his oddly colored eyes to concentrate on gathering a caress of blue chakra around his hands. He slides it over the wound as Karen watches nervously, ready and obviously willing to kill the newcomer at the first sign of deception.

Suigetsu sighs and slips into sleep, his even breath a comforting addition to Karen’s little groans. The guy looks to her next, says, “You want me to-”

“Not if I were half a breath from dying.” She spits back, leaning against a wall of their ramshackle hotel room.

“Um…” He rubs a hand through his hair. “You almost are.”

“She’s fine, Naruto.” Sasuke murmurs. “Drop it.”

Naruto drops it, but not without one truly nasty glare tossed Sasuke’s way. A score to settle then, Juugo decides as he reads their body language. Even cross-legged on the ground, scratched and bruised, the kid named Naruto is like one of Orochimaru’s snakes. He’s coiled and ready, practically rattling his tail with every sharp glance.

Standing over, arms crossed, Sasuke just continues to stare. Naruto turns away, deflates. Juugo knows the sensation and feels a little sorry for him, sending his own reprimanding glance Sasuke’s way.

Mind your own business, Sasuke glares back.

Don’t be an asshole, Juugo returns, feeling only a little justified in Sasuke’s sudden softness, the crinkle between his dark eyes.

Face buried in the side of the mattress, Naruto clutches at a sheet and begins to cry, his shaking shoulders the only real indicator besides white knuckles and a few hitched breaths. Karen’s eyebrows raise, and she’s too busy staring that she misses it. For the very first time since they met Juugo watches something close to despair twist Sasuke’s porcelain face into the human hidden beneath.

Then the look is gone, wiped entirely clean, but when Sasuke leaves he slams the door behind him.

****

It’s difficult to comfort someone when they’re hiding under a bed, but Juugo does his very best.

“I’m fine.” Naruto’s voice is muffled, his curled body nearly concealed by shadow. “Leave me alone.”

Ninjas have knives, is all Juugo can think, and he really doesn’t want to clean up after Sasuke, especially if it involves blood. He doesn’t know why this Leaf shinobi might want to off himself, but Juugo’s seeing it as a definite possibility.

“Um, are you sure?” Juugo isn’t really cut out for crisis counseling. “Why don’t you-”

“Look. I’m great. Now go away.” Naruto’s fuzzy blonde head pops out from under the edge with a scowl. His eyes are a little red but he seems, essentially, fine. He’s a little dusty but whole.

“Would you like some tea?” Juugo offers in a last desperate attempt, but Naruto just rolls his eyes and retreats back into the dark.

Karen’s eyes still haven’t gone back to their normal size.

“I think maybe we should give him some space.” Karen says, her voice carefully even. “Some space to be crazy.”

“I can hear you.” Naruto calls back.

Then, in another rustle of movement, there’s a brief flash of blue eyes as Naruto pokes his head into the light. He stares at her for a few moments, biting his lip, but just as he seems poised to speak the bedroom door clicks back open and he’s gone again. Juugo is reminded slightly of a turtle and laughs.

“Is there something amusing?” Sasuke asks, his hand aloft with a tray of assorted foodstuffs.

Juugo just shrugs, a little happy with absolutely no idea why. Maybe the new ninja is good luck because Sasuke seems nearly about to smile back.

And then, glancing about the room, Sasuke frowns. “Where is Naruto?”

Karen looks away. Juugo points under the bed. Suigetsu mumbles something about a katana.

Sasuke crouches down, pulls a cup of steaming instant ramen off of the tray, and slides it under the bed. The room quiets, not unusual, but the air around Sasuke changes. His constant buzz of power shifts into something slower, lighter, before altering the quiet into something else entirely; an air of expectation, of comfort, of…hope? Karen registers the change and her brows furrow, confused, but as Sasuke slips in a pair of chopsticks, Juugo sees the action for what it is; an apology.

Sasuke would probably punch him if he knew what Juugo was thinking.

A few minutes and a lot of slurping later, Naruto pokes his head out. Sasuke is still crouching, tray suspended in the air, waiting for Naruto while the rest of their meals go cold. Naruto slides the empty cup of Ramen across the inches between them until it touches against Sasuke’s bare foot.

“Thanks.” Naruto snaps with his eyes averted, scowling. “Bastard.’’

Then he retreats again, but not before taking Sasuke’s proffered second cup of ramen. This is all done with curses, comments on Sasuke’s character and fashion sense, until even Juugo is feeling a little angry on Sasuke’s behalf. Sasuke doesn’t seem to hear it as he passes out the rest of their meals, perfectly composed and poised.

But in the barrage of abuse there’s something they all notice…

Naruto is no longer wearing his hitae-ate.

****

“Sakura is a med-nin now.” Sasuke murmurs, but the room is so crowded that Juugo can still hear their whispers in the dark.

“Yup.” Naruto is unmistakably proud, quiet but proud. “Trained by Tsunade-baba herself.”

Sasuke huffs in what could almost pass for a laugh.

“And you with Jiraya-sama makes three.” Sasuke says. “It seems that all the Sannin are clutching for some measure of immortality.”

A silence, and then, “It doesn’t even compare, Sasuke, and you know it.”

There’s a tension, but no chakra flares which is a comfort beyond measure. Juugo is starting to think that he may possibly know just who this Naruto kid actually is, and if Juugo is guessing right then he’s not the only one with something unpredictable hiding in his body.

“What did he mean when he said ‘I’d be sorry’?” A subject change if there ever was one. Naruto’s entire body stills before rolling over and away from the conversation.

“I’d hope that at least that’d still be obvious to you, Sasuke, you black-hearted bastard.” Naruto mutters through a mouthful of pillow. The sentence is so outrageous that Juugo nearly gives up the pretense of unconsciousness in favor of a laugh.

There’s so much not being said that the air is thick with it, stifling, and when Juugo glances over to Karen she seems a bit exposed, looking almost nervous without the shield of her glasses. They both stay relaxed on their bedrolls, limp and breathing slowly.

“That’s not what I meant.” Sasuke says, and if it wasn’t Sasuke, if it was, say, Karen or Suigetsu, Juugo would be sure that was a sulk in his voice, full-blown, snippy.

“Go to sleep, Sasuke.” Naruto sighs, voice barely muffled. “Or, whatever. Just shut it.”

****

It starts as a twitch deep in the back of his brain, a little tug, so small in fact, that Juugo usually manages to discount the touch of madness. It happens once or twice a week, three times if there hasn’t been any fighting, and Juugo’s just about to forget that he’s dangerous when it happens, the very moment he’s off guard.

The last thing Juugo remembers is this; how Sasuke watched Naruto sleeping in an awkward tangle of limbs and bed sheets, and smiled.

When he comes back to himself, out of the haze of the Other, it’s to wheels of red, spinning, spinning, and a comfort that almost makes the homicidal episodes worth the trauma. Coming out of the grip of Sasuke’s sharingan is like waking from a slow, peaceful dream.

“What the fuck was that?!” Waking to Naruto is another thing entirely.

“Shut it.” Karen hisses, but she’s got her hands over a gash on Naruto’s chest and doesn’t seem to mind that he’s pawing at her shoulder, panting and gasping as the blood runs free. Sasuke’s katana is embedded above their heads, deep in the wall like some gruesome exclamation point.

“Hush.” Is all Sasuke says while his friend bleeds out, and Juugo feels Sasuke’s hands taking careful note of bruises and chakra burns on his body before he fully processes the situation.

“I’ve done it again.” Juugo slurs, watching Naruto’s head tips back, his blue eyes dipping closed.

“Yes.” Sasuke sits back on his heels, spotless even in the chaos. “But you’re fine now.”

He looks over at his companion and says, “You’re fine now.”

****

The kid’s opened eyes are that milky blue of death, the screen of the final separation between reality and the soul. Naruto is blind to the living world, but Sasuke looks into his eyes anyway.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Karen whispers, adjusting her glasses. “I’ve never seen Sasuke-kun stare so long before.”

“I don’t know.” The words are heavy. Juugo looks down at this unsettling shinobi and sees a life unfulfilled, a man not yet done reaching for destiny.

“I have the strangest feeling.” Karen muses, scooting closer to look into Naruto’s face, “The strangest feeling that he was…giving up.”

She runs her finger against the long gash, and whispers, “Chakra. Two chakras pushing against each other. In and out of the wound. Odd.”

“He has blue chakra.” Juugo says, remembering the glimpse of a brief flare. Karen looks over, brows furrowed.

“I saw red.” She says, her fingers bloodied at the tips.

It’s like that, staring at each other in confusion, when said chakra bursts from Naruto’s body, twisting and writhing around his limbs.

The red chakra…it *hurts*.

Naruto’s first breath is desperate, like a man saved from drowning, gasping for air. His chest heaves, but most importantly those startling eyes return, disconcerting with their animal slant and an unnatural, vivid blue. They become more vibrant still as tears begin to well and then slide down his scarred cheeks. Naruto looks terrified and Juugo backs away near Suigetsu’s unconscious body, pulling Karen close.

What is he? What is he, really? And most importantly; how the hell did Sasuke manage to bring a man back from the dead?

“And now you know.” Naruto chokes, his hands slipping on the fabric of Sasuke’s shirt as he tries to push him away. He closes those eyes, “Are you happy now, you bastard?”

Sasuke just stays crouched, his face hidden by his hair. He barely even budges at Naruto’s weak assaults.

“Get off me.” Naruto’s voice would shake even Suigetsu, were he conscious. Juugo hurts for Naruto and he doesn’t know why. Turning his face away, even closed-down as it is, Naruto begins to weep as his arms finally fall limply onto own his chest.

He’s quiet and weak when he finally opens his eyes to two dark slits, and says-

“It would have been better if you’d killed me.” Naruto slumps entirely in the thrall of Sasuke’s gaze, eyes slipping as he murmurs, “The first time…second time…Sasuke…”

And then he falls to sleep, the favor of the doujutsu most likely.

“I think it would be best for you to go.” Sasuke whispers to them quietly, still braced over Naruto. “I will deal with this on my own.”

“Sasuke-kun.” Karen whispers, “Are you sure? He seems-”

Sasuke turns his head and that glare is ice cold even for the fiery shine on his sharingan eyes.

“I’m responsible.” He snaps. “I’ll fix it. Now leave.”

****

Karen adjusts her glasses, squints in the sunlight, and says, “Poor Sasuke-kun.”

She’s still covered neck to waist in Naruto’s blood.

“No wonder he left Leaf.” She continues with a sigh, letting Juugo pull her into the shadows of a nearby tree. “Who would want to stay with such weirdo friends?”

****

Sasuke said he’d fix it, but Naruto is quiet and blank-faced as he helps pack up their things. Suigetsu continues to scowl at him, hand twitching on the handle of his blade but the blonde doesn’t seem to notice-too busy ripping the various blood-soaked sheets to shreds.

“The maids will do that.” Karen pops a mouthful of bubblegum.

Naruto says nothing, just continues ripping until Sasuke walks out of the bathroom and hands him a towel. More ripping begins until Suigetsu finally loses interest and goes back to sleep against the wall.

He misses the show.

A few heaps of ruined cloth later and Sasuke looks down at Naruto and says, “That’s enough. You won’t be any use exhausted.”

Naruto looks up at him and snorts, a little bit of self sparking back into his eyes.

“I haven’t just been sitting on my thumb in Konoha, bastard.” Naruto stands and crosses his fingers. “You have no idea what I can or can’t handle. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.”

Juugo watches in amazement as the room fills with Naruto clones that suddenly become Hebi clones, injuries and all. Even as the rest of them break out into laughter and chatting, six Sasuke clones stand silently, faces blank. The Karens adjust glasses, the Suigetsus fiddle with their Katanas, and Juugo has the surreal experience of a getting a smile from what could be a perfect reflection of himself. The Narutos instantly begin quarreling, but one of the Sasukes starts snapping out orders and everyone calms down.

The original Sasuke looks down at a corner and smiles.

“So that’s the plan.” Karen whispers as they watch the clones pocket or wear the newly-made strips of fabric. Sasuke’s towel strips get wrapped around Sasuke’s wrist, Karen’s bits of ripped shirt are pinned in her hair, and Juugo watches as he helps Suigetsu tie a bloody strip around the strap of his Katana.

“Fuck.” Suigetsu says, finally popping back to reality.

“Is everyone ready?” Naruto asks, getting nods from all present. “Well then, what are you waiting for? Line up, shut up, and go!”

“Hey, you shut up.” One of the Naruto clones snaps. Its corresponding Sasuke reaches up calmly and flicks him it the ear.

“Stop causing trouble.” Is all it says when faced with its enraged partner.

“Sasuke-teme.” The Naruto-clone growls, baring teeth.

Bunshin-Sasuke rolls its eyes, and eventually they all file out in groups of five, and Suigetsu peers out the window to give the rest of them the heads up after all the clones have disappeared into the woods.

“Now what?” Karen asks.

“Food.” Is all Sasuke says, disappearing outside once again. Juugo takes a seat by the Suigetsu just in time to see Sasuke flip the hood of a cloak over his hair.

“How long will the clones last?” Karen asks Naruto, who despite his big promises does in fact look tired.

“Until they’re killed.” He shrugs, sitting down on the floor. He looks a little dull, a little worn out. Even that crazy hair seems to have lost its shine and his eyes manage to avoid them all in their cramped little room.

“Though they’re more likely to try to take prisoners.” Naruto murmurs, drawing his knees up to his chest, absolutely miserable. “Or maybe not now that they know I defected. Maybe they’ll just take their kunai’s and-”

“Shut up.” Suigetsu grimaces as he hobbles off to the bathroom. “You’re fucking depressing, man.”

“Up yours.” Naruto sighs, closing his eyes.

“Will they really try to kill you?” Karen really shouldn’t sound so excited, but she wouldn’t be Karen if she didn’t. Naruto lifts his head from his knees to squint at her wordlessly, looking entirely grim.

“Shinobi villages don’t like it when their own run off, Karen.” Suigetsu yells over the sound of a shower starting. “In fact, they have people specifically trained to find and kill missing nin in a lot of really painful and-”

“I’m going back under the bed.” Naruto announces over Suigetsu’s laugh. “Wake me up when the food gets here.”

Juugo leans over and holds up the dust ruffle as Naruto crawls back in, stopping with the tips of his toes still sticking out.

“Just remember we didn’t keep you here.” Karen yawns and stretches, “It’s not like you were invited or anything.”

Naruto responds but Karen doesn’t seem to hear, which is probably better for everyone.

****

Sasuke walks in, scans the room, and then rolls his eyes.

“This is starting to get pathetic even for you.” He says, closing the door. “Come out here and get your ramen.”

“What’s pathetic is your outfit.” Naruto grumbles, crawling out into the light. “That shirt’s going to get ripped to hell the first time someone sneezes at you…and that belt.”

Sasuke glares and shoves another bowl of ramen at him, chopsticks already set on the top. It’s a good ramen bowl, not one of the cheap types, and Juugo briefly wonders if they have that kind of cash in the budget. Naruto glares back, but immediately starts slurping away, little chipmunk cheeks under two narrowed eyes.

It’s adorable. How Sasuke can keep a straight face is either a testament to his skill as a shinobi or an early indicator of a sociopath. Again, the two stare at each other while the rest of the food goes cold, but even Karen’s wheedling pleas go unheeded as Sasuke shoves another bowl into Naruto’s softening expression.

The old sayings about hearts and stomachs really must be true, because Naruto is downright cheerful halfway through the second bowl. He smiles a little while picking treats out of the bowl with a few deft moves. Sasuke nods his head and turns his attention back to the group, ignoring complaints entirely, his eyes looking past them all and into some hidden memory.

He’s handing Juugo a few onigiri when Naruto gargles, “How long are we going to stay here?” through a mouthful of ramen.

“The clones will only distract them for a while…and it’s the rookie nine, with Kakashi-sensei, and this weirdo guy named Sai who attacked me and then said completely untrue things about my penis. We have to run away.”

Sasuke’s face twitches violently and Juugo leans away, hands up, food or no food. It is way too early to die.

“Pardon?” Sasuke says, monotone as ever, but Juugo can see the way his jaw clenches, how his fingers put cracks in the tray.

“I said. We. Have. To. Run.” Naruto repeats, rolling his eyes. “Even I know they’d beat us, and I don’t really feel like attacking my friends either, so-”

“No.” Sasuke murmurs quietly, standing straight and turning towards Naruto. “The part before that.”

Karen stuffs her mouth with rice and pinches Suigetsu, who looks about half a breath from making the conversation much more interesting. Naruto frowns and scratches behind his ear.

“About Sai.” Sasuke prompts, drawing out the S in an eerily familiar manner.

Naruto frowns. “Well, he’s weird.”

“And?” Sasuke’s hand clench goes unnoticed only by Naruto, whose expression seems to opposite Sasuke’s. Blank expectation and incredulous shock meet and a buzz of chakra flows through the room, making Karen choke a little on her rice.

“Hentai!” Naruto erupts, pointing a finger in Sasuke’s face. “What the hell are you trying to say!?”

Then Sasuke does something Juugo couldn’t have imagined in a million lifetimes. Sasuke looks at Naruto, his face wiped of all emotion, and says, casually calm, “I was just wondering why he was so interested in your penis. Does he want to fuck you?”

Naruto turns bright red, his mouth gaping while Sasuke just continues to stare.

“I hate you.” Naruto finally manages to yell, turning on his heel with an exiting call of, “Surrounded by fucking perverts!”

Sasuke just watches him go but Juugo flinches with the slamming door. Over in the corner Karen is nearly as red as Naruto, holding a hand over her mouth, and Suigetsu looks just a little pale...well, as pale as a person made out of water can possibly be. They all stare at Sasuke who stares at nothing.

Then he turns, frowns slightly, and asks, “What?”

“You’re fucking weird, is what.” Suigetsu says after a long silence.

Sasuke stares for a few more minutes, and then, backing up the statement entirely, rolls his eyes before turning and following Naruto.

****

“You know how much I like Sasuke-kun,” Karen whispers as she loads up her pack, “but he’s acting a little-”

“Crazy.” Suigetsu fills in as he cleans his katana and slurps his water. Loudly. “Bugfuck crazy. Both of them.”

Karen doesn’t respond, but she also doesn’t disagree.

“And this Naruto guy, a fucking Leaf shinobi. Why the hell is he even here?” Juugo’s not sure why she’s whispering. Sasuke left hours ago. “He’s a weirdo, that kage bunshin trick was clever, but that doesn’t make up for the-”

Her frantic arm movements are indecipherable, more frustration than anything else, but Juugo gets the gist of it and nods.

“They knew each other.” Juugo says uncomfortable under their stares. “They have history, but Sasuke brought him along so…”

Juugo shrugs.

“So what?” Karen stands over him, hands on her hips, scowling ferociously.

“He’s got to have some value if Sasuke wants to take responsibility,” It should be obvious. “And it seems as if Naruto-san left a lot of people behind when he decided to stay with us.”

Karen seems poised for another sharp remark, but Juugo holds a hand up and she miraculously pauses.

“And-.” Juugo makes sure to catch Suigetsu’s eye as well. “Do you really want to risk making Sasuke angry?”

That closes the conversation.

****

When they finally show up at the hotel, Naruto has a new pack, a matching cloak, and red, watery eyes. He looks down at the floor while Sasuke readies himself, shifting the katana under his traveling clothes and shouldering his supplies.

“Karen?” Is all he says.

“Yeeees, Sauske-kun?” She flutters closer as she always does, and gets shot down just as quickly when Sasuke just blinks.

“Itachi.” Naruto growls at a tatami mat. “Who the fuck else?”

Karen has the grace to look a little embarrassed before completing her jutsu.

“West.” She says. “He’s moving towards the west.”

“Wonderful.” Naruto snarks again, scowling fiercely at the back of Sasuke’s head. “Let’s go kill the clan-murdering bastard. I want this to be over.”

Juugo thinks that if Sasuke were ever to communicate like a normal human being he would probably say about the same thing. Instead he simply nods and heads out the door with Naruto following immediately, wordlessly, even as he bares his teeth in an angry grin. His canines are longer than they usually are, his fingernails a bit sharper, and his eyes have taken on an animal slant, beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

Juugo thinks he might be a little afraid of Naruto. He knows he’s afraid of what Sasuke and Naruto could be together. He hopes he’s not the only one. It would be nice if some of them made it out of the encroaching battle alive.


Preview: The rookie nine catch up...will Naruto choose a different side in the encroaching battle?