Chapter Text
According to the old adage, looks are often deceiving.
Azaleas, for example, are pleasant shrubs which bloom with colorful, often sweet-smelling flowers that are prized for their beauty. They are so toxic, however, that even the honey crafted from their nectar can be lethal when ingested. Indeed, presenting a bouquet of its flowers is a well-known death threat in certain parts of the world.
The Land of Fire was a little like these plants.
The nation had seen much good fortune since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, and on the surface its people seemed to live in a state of happy prosperity. Gone, it was said, were the days of bloodshed and famine. Of violence and cruelty. And at the center of the nation lay its crown jewel: Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Its power was unrivaled, with an elite shinobi force maintaining peace and an impenetrable wall encircling its perimeter. Among the most coveted of these shinobi were those of the Uchiha clan, with its young Itachi and Sasuke of particular note. The two brothers had garnered much attention from would-be admirers, and were considered the best and brightest the village had to offer. But despite this, and despite the elder’s devotion to the Leaf, Sasuke had little loyalty to the place. If his time as a shinobi had taught him anything, it was that the powerful were only powerful because they took advantage of the weak. And as such, Konoha was inherently untrustworthy. He had thus taken to spending as much time as he could outside the confines of its gates, exploring the lands around it and learning of the way people lived in other settlements. It was on his return from one such excursion that he decided to stop at a clear little stream about two clicks out the village.
He dropped his gear to the ground with a thud and made his way to the water, stretching languidly in the warmth of the sun. Then he knelt, dipped his feet, and watched the lazy movements of iridescent fish which swam under the surface. It was a peaceful spot, and he would have liked to have spent some time just resting there before braving the attention of home. But it soon became apparent that he was not alone, a tell-tale hum of chakra pulsing from the treeline behind him.
“Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude to spy?” he asked irritably.
“Once or twice.”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the familiar voice and gripped a kunai at his leg. Then he turned to face a long haired, pale figure with a smile like a snake.
“Orochimaru,” he scowled.
The man eyed the weapon with amusement. “Come now, Sasuke. You and I know each other, do we not? Surely there is no need for violence.”
“Oh I think there’s plenty of need for violence,” Sasuke bit back. “I already told you I wasn’t interested in going with you or working alongside your cronies. So get lost.”
“Such anger,” Orochimaru tsked. “I am within my rights to be here. And it might interest you to know that my purpose is not to proposition you.”
“It actually doesn’t interest me in the slightest,” Sasuke snarled. “Now get away from me. Or do I have to tell Itachi that you’re bothering me again?”
“Oh dear,” Orochimaru said, feigning hurt. “Has nobody told you yet?”
“Told me what?”
“Itachi is presumed dead. The mission he was assigned took a rather bad turn, and he bought time for his comrades by holding back the enemy by himself.” He lay a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder in what may have looked to be a comforting gesture. The boy, however, knew that it was anything but. “I suppose the news is rather fresh. It makes sense that you’ve not been informed yet.”
It is said that there are five stages of grief, headed by denial. Perhaps there is some truth in the thought, because Sasuke immediately clung to a rejection of Orochimaru’s words. There was no way Itachi could have been taken down, after all. He slapped away the hand on his shoulder, breathing hard.
“Don’t touch me!” he spat. “You’re nothing but a liar. And when Itachi gets back, you’re going to regret approaching me.”
He watched for the flicker of fear and irritation that his brother’s name usually invoked.
It did not come.
Instead, Orochimaru made a sympathetic noise, clicking his tongue. “Poor thing,” he said. “Well, if you need support, you can always come to me.” He leant forward, hair brushing the boy’s shoulder. “I could even help you hunt down the one responsible, should you wish.” He let out a dark chuckle. “For a price, of course.”
Then Sasuke did the only thing he could think of in the situation.
He turned tail and ran home.
Feet hit the ground in time with the beating of his heart.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk.
It was all Sasuke could focus on as he tore towards, and then through, Konoha. There was a numbness to his thoughts that spiraled in circles and blocked out the sound of children laughing. Music playing in the distance. The smell emanating from food stalls.
Eventually he made it to the Uchiha compound, and he made a bee-line for his family home, scaling steps in one great leap. He had intended to confront his parents, but one look at their faces when he slammed back the door confirmed his worst fears.
Itachi Uchiha was dead.
…
There are many different responses to loss. Some people, for example, fall into extended periods of sorrow or lethargy. Others run from their feelings and start their lives afresh in faraway places. Sasuke, however, was an Uchiha, and so handled things quite differently. Rather than shed tears and wallow, he immediately sought retribution for his brother. The very day he heard of Itachi’s death, he filled a small pack with weapons and necessities, wrote a brief note to his parents, and left the village.
Itachi had been a member of the Anbu Black Ops. His missions were thus secretive in nature, and exceptionally difficult in caliber. No one save his comrades and the village elders should have ever been privy to their details. But Sasuke was intrinsically invested in the goings on of his brother, and had a rebellious streak which had little care for the rules of the village. He was thus familiar with certain information regarding the nature of Itachi’s most recent mission thanks to a night tailing him. And he knew that it involved the tailed beast which had ravaged Konoha seventeen years earlier. The beast, a nine-tailed fox, had recently set itself up in a village at the edge of the Land of Fire and left its citizens scattered and displaced.
It was this village that Sasuke made for now, and the way was rugged from disuse. It passed through towering forests before giving way to a steep mountain pass and open fields. But he made good time, and reached the outskirts of the settlement just two days after setting out. It opened up before him like a flower in the springtime, and was an idyllic sort of place made up of traditional houses and elegant gardens. It was eerily quiet, though, the streets empty and buildings silent. Toys lay abandoned on porches, spiders lurked in corners, and dust coated everything in a thin film. Sasuke made his way cautiously, kunai drawn. No matter where he looked, however, there were no signs of anything indicating skirmish or even that the nine-tails had ever been here. How could something the size of a small mountain hide its tracks so completely? He found himself increasingly frustrated, and started to think that he might have to backtrack and question those outside the village to inform his next steps.
But then he turned a corner and noticed a lone boy sitting under the shelter of a blossoming cherry tree.
It was an unusual sight given the surroundings, and Sasuke was immediately on guard. The boy certainly didn’t look to be threatening, however, with his bright clothes and large blue eyes. He even seemed to be in some kind of distress, hugging his knees and muttering to himself as he yanked at a dazzlingly blond head of hair.
Sasuke decided to make himself known. “Hey, kid,” he drawled. “Don’t you know it’s not safe out here?”
The blond startled and scrambled backwards. Then he collected himself and pointed a finger at Sasuke brazenly. “I could say the same thing to you,” he declared. “And who are you calling a kid? We’re the same age!”
“Sure don’t act the same age,” Sasuke remarked, noting the other’s habit of flailing his arms as he talked.
“You always this rude?”
“Only when talking to idiots,” he bit back.
The boy made a noise of annoyance and crossed his arms sulkily. “Is there a reason you’re here, or are you just gonna stand there and be an ass all day?”
“Yes, actually,” Sasuke said curtly. “I’m going to slay the nine tailed fox, and have reason to believe that it can be found around these parts.”
“Yeah?” the blond queried. “What makes you think that you can take it down?”
“Simple,” Sasuke responded. “Because it killed my brother, and I can’t afford to lose.”
“Well you’re a bit misinformed, pretty boy,” he said, rising to his feet and stretching indulgently. “The nine-tailed fox doesn’t kill people. Not anymore, at least.” Then he turned his back, arms crossed behind his head. “You should go home before you get hurt, though.”
Many of the Leaf village considered Sasuke Uchiha to be a cold and emotionless individual, too proud of his heritage to be really affected by the words and actions of others. The truth, however, was quite the opposite. Everything the boy did was prompted by deep, turbulent emotions. He was so desperate for his father’s approval that he would often stay overnight at Konoha’s training grounds mastering jutsu. He was so loving of his brother that he had spent his whole life following in his shadow. And he was so steadfastly loyal to his friends that he would frequently put himself in harm’s way to protect them. It was no surprise, then, that he launched himself at the blond, knocking him to the ground and holding his kunai to his throat.
“Don’t. Patronise. Me.”
And the boy was suddenly serious, body still for the first time. “This isn’t going to go well for you,” he warned.
Sasuke increased the pressure of his weapon. “Things aren’t going to go well for you if you don’t tell me what you know. It’s obvious you have information on the fox. So talk.”
That was met with a grin. “Make me.”
“Fine by me.” And then Sasuke’s sharingan flared to life, pupils as red as the anger coiling in his stomach. He had every intention of dragging out what he needed from the blond using a little well-placed genjutsu.
What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the boy to stiffen beneath him and let out a guttural, unearthly growl at the sight of his eyes. A burning chakra coiled around the blond’s frame and forced Sasuke to leap back, skin stinging. The Uchiha regarded him from his new position warily and noticed the now crimson pupils, a blazing reflection of his own. Even as he watched, the malignant chakra circling the other’s body took the form of a tail, flicking testily.
The demon fox. No doubt about it.
“Uchiha!” the boy roared in a voice entirely too deep and entirely too ancient to be his.
“You know of the Uchiha?” Sasuke queried, schooling his words.
“How could I not?” the blond growled. “With that repugnant sharingan, you are the splitting image of that bastard Madara.”
Sasuke was never one for clan politics, and the name was completely unfamiliar. He was also hardly in the mood for a history lesson.
“Couldn’t care less about him,” he said disdainfully. Then, stepping forwards, he pooled chakra into his hand. Chidori raged at his fingertips. “What of Itachi? You know him too?”
The blond, more fox than boy now, seemed beyond words. Instead of answering the question, he let out a snarl full of teeth.
“Answer me!” Sasuke demanded, tearing forwards like an inferno.
The Uchiha were among Konoha’s fastest ninja, and Sasuke had honed his speed to a particularly startling degree with his lightening-style chakra. Even he, however, was no match for the unparalleled reaction time of a tailed beast.
The fox dodged the blow as if it were nothing but an ineffectual move from an academy-level student. It pushed out a seething wave of chakra, which slammed into the Uchiha and knocked him violently to the ground. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke at the impact.
Then the real Sasuke leapt out from behind the fox, weaving hand signs. “Fire style: Fire-ball jutsu!”
The move was perfectly executed, enough to make even his father Fugaku proud. It engulfed the fox in a roaring blaze that melted the foundations of nearby buildings and set grass alight. And for a moment, it looked like that might have done the trick.
But then the fox burst from the inferno and barreled towards Sasuke ferociously. The Uchiha had to use every ounce of his speed to get out of the way in time, and then was pushed back repeatedly in an effort to avoid an onslaught of attacks.
The prized ocular jutsu of the Uchiha clan known as the sharingan was a remarkable tool for analyzing the movements of an opponent and detecting weaknesses to exploit. Under these singular circumstances, however, it provided little edge at all. Sasuke’s eyes darted ceaselessly in an effort to read the fox’s movements, and just barely managed to keep up. It was incredibly frustrating, and he decided that genjutsu might be the best option to gain some sort of footing in the battle. He had long found the most convincing of illusions to be those which closely mirrored reality, so seldom bothered with the elaborate deceptions other members of his clan wasted their time one. Instead, he focused a little chakra in his eyes and projected a simple image of himself which moved off a few feet to the right in a series of evasive flips.
To his satisfaction, the fox fell for the trick hook line and sinker. It tore after the illusion with a snarl. Sasuke took the opportunity to charge up another chidori and positioned himself carefully in preparation for a finishing blow.
Then, with a steadying breath, he sprang forwards.
The hit was well aimed, slicing right through the cardiac muscle of his opponent as easily as if it were made of butter. Sasuke pulled back his arm then and watched numbly as the beast fell forwards into the dirt, its chakra receding inwards to leave a stark stillness in the air. He closed his eyes and sunk to his knees tiredly.
It was done.
He had expected to feel some sort of relief or satisfaction. Instead, he just felt empty.
But then he heard the distinct bubbling of chakra and snapped his eyes open to see that the fox’s wound had healed completely. It gave a roar of pure, unadulterated rage and sent out an explosion of red tendrils in all directions.
Sasuke wasn’t going to be able to avoid this one. So, it was all he could do to brace himself for a blow that could very well take him out permanently. He closed his eyes in preparation.
And then a few seconds ticked by in which nothing happened.
Now that was…odd.
Sasuke cracked open an eye to see what was going on, and found that a figure stood in front of him. A figure with long black hair and the Uchiha crest emblazoned upon his back.
“I- Itachi?”
“Sasuke,” the older Uchiha responded. “Just what do you think you’re doing here?”
Sasuke blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. “What are you doing here?” he deflected, a war of emotions raging in his chest.
“Protecting you at the moment,” Itachi replied calmly. “I had thought that was obvious.”
It was at that point that Sasuke registered his brother’s own sharingan trained on the fox. The fox, for its part, seemed unable to look away. It had stilled, tension coiled in its posture. “Are you…controlling that thing?”
“No. That would be beyond my power. I am simply calming it down.”
The fox broke through its stupor then to glare at the brothers with the heat of a thousand suns. “I wouldn’t have let you move so freely if I had known you would interfere with my business, boy.”
“My apologies,” Itachi said. “Given my little brother’s presence, I considered this my business also.”
A growl. “Get those eyes off me.”
“Of course.” Itachi’s eyes settled to their regular onyx, and he turned to pull Sasuke to his feet.
The younger Uchiha glanced between his sibling and the beast uncertainly. “What is going on here?” he asked.
Itachi hesitated, evidently considering how much he should reveal.
Nothing new there, Sasuke thought bitterly. He’s never once in his life told me the entire truth.
“Your older brother and his team of cowards were sent to kill me,” the fox snarled in Itachi’s stead. “And now he is paying recompense.”
“You’re keeping him here?!” Sasuke yelled.
“That is the gist of it.”
“Like hell,” he spat, reaching for another kunai at his holster. “What do you even get out of this?”
“I get to send a message,” the fox replied. “So that none shall trespass on my domain again.” Its chakra flared briefly before an uncharacteristically soft look crossed its face. “Besides. The kit gets lonely, and needs another human to keep him company.”
“Kit?” And then a moment of realization. “You mean the boy you’re wearing like a suit of clothes?”
“Sure. However you want to say it.”
Sasuke paused, weighing his options. His first instinct was to attack the damned creature and be done with it. But he had to grudgingly admit that it was well beyond both his and Itachi’s ability to kill. What little of its chakra he’d seen had been on a completely different level to anything he’d ever faced. And he was no stranger to the stories. This was the beast that had singlehandedly decimated Konoha. It looked as if the village it now occupied really had faced a similar fate too.
“Another human?” he eventually asked. “That’s all you need?”
“I don’t like to repeat myself, boy,” the fox replied testily.
“Fine. Then take me instead.”
Itachi rounded on his brother immediately, gripping his shoulders. “Absolutely not. Don’t be foolish, Sasuke.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, Itachi.” Sasuke knocked away his sibling’s hands and strode towards the fox. “Is that acceptable?”
The fox grinned its devilish grin. “What is this? Is there some affection in the shinobi world after all?”
The younger Uchiha didn’t deign that with a response. Just glared at the beast defiantly.
“So be it, brat,” the fox said after some time, seemingly amused.
With a curt nod, Sasuke turned back to his brother, arms crossed.
The life of a shinobi was a dangerous one, full of death and destruction. Given this, the Uchiha siblings had long honed a system of non-verbal communication so they could impart important information to one another without arousing the suspicion of others. They employed this now, and so managed to gain some use from a system which had so far been mostly used to badmouth their father behind his back.
“You’re making a mistake, little brother,” Itachi said. I had a plan here, he tapped on his arm, and you’re interfering with it.
“Well, I’ve never been accused of making good decisions.” Seems like you always have a plan. For once let me handle things. I have no intention of staying put here.
“Always so stubborn.” Itachi’s mouth was a thin, downturned line, and for a moment it looked as if he was going to fight Sasuke’s decision. But then he glanced between the boy and the fox, and a contemplative look crossed his face. After some time, his expression cleared and he gave a hesitant nod. “I’ve never been able to change your mind before.”
“No. You have not.”
Itachi sighed tiredly. “Fine.” I give you four weeks. Any longer than that, and I break you out myself. “So I guess this is goodbye.”
“I guess it is.”
And the elder closed the distance between them, raising a hand to jab at Sasuke’s forehead in his by now customary means of farewell. “Until next time.” Then he addressed the fox directly. “You won’t hurt him,” he said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. A vow of what would come to pass should Sasuke be harmed.
“Hmph,” the fox responded gruffly.
With little else to be said, Itachi then made to take his leave.
“Brother,” Sasuke called at his back. “I am glad you are not dead.”
The briefest of pauses was the only indication that the older Uchiha had heard anything. And then he was gone in a flash of movement, a billow of dust coiling where he once stood.
And so Sasuke was left alone with the fox for the first time. He appraised it haughtily. “So what now?” he asked. “Knitting circle?”
“Not exactly,” it answered.
And that was the last Sasuke knew of things, because a well-aimed blast of chakra knocked him swiftly into unconsciousness.
…
Sasuke awoke in a cell with cramp in his neck and back. He was no stranger to roughing it, as many of his missions required living in some pretty squalid locations, but being imprisoned apparently had its own particular brand of discomfort. The bedding seemed designed to impede sleep, and the coldness of the room was sharp against his skin. He heaved a breath, and found himself sorely missing the luxuries of home. Then he decided that his best option would be to examine the room carefully to find potential flaws that he could take advantage of in his inevitable escape. He had no doubt that the cell was marked with chakra inhibiting seals, but it was worth a try. Even the most impenetrable of places had a weak spot. He activated his sharingan, intending to buckle down and comb every last inch of the space. No matter how long it took, he-
Oh. The door was open.
He made his way over cautiously to investigate and nearly tripped over a blond headed figure lying outside.
Some of the movement must have been enough to wake his apparent captor, because the boy from yesterday blinked up at Sasuke sleepily. Then he sat with a sheepish look. “Uhm - G‘morning Sasuke.”
Sasuke stared.
The blond scratched his head. “I’m sorry. About everything.” He made a broad, flapping gesture with his hand. “I know this is weird, and I told Kurama that it’s all kinds of messed up. But he’s- really insistent.” Then he let out a huff. “He gets crazy about things like this. So I guess we’re stuck together for the time being?” At that he directed Sasuke’s attention to a tray which held a bowl of rice, some steaming miso soup, and a selection of grilled fish and sides. “I made you breakfast. I didn’t know what you would like, so I just sort of tried a bit of everything. If you want something else, I can – hey, where are you going?”
Sasuke had stepped over the boy, and made for a set of stairs. Evidently, they were in a sort of underground dungeon. The blond called out something which he studiously ignored. What a ridiculous situation. After the effort he had gone through to get here, he wasn’t even being taken seriously. He made it all the way to the top of the steps and took in a breath of fresh air before a tendril of red chakra slammed him to the ground.
“Still here, brat,” the fox said from behind him. “Don’t think you can get far.”
Sasuke let out a grunt of discomfort and pushed himself to his knees. He looked up to see a mortified pair of now-blue eyes.
“Kurama!” the blond complained to himself. “You can’t just do that!”
“Some mood swings you have,” Sasuke muttered.
“Yeah, that happens when you’ve got a bastard lodging in your head rent-free,” the blond replied pointedly. He tilted his head as if listening to half a conversation. “Yes you are,” he insisted at no-one in particular. “Oh, don’t bring that up! What about the time at the fish-market?” He carried on like that for a good long while, arguing incessantly with himself and completely ignoring Sasuke’s presence.
For some reason, that bothered Sasuke more than being knocked around. He glared at the boy and turned on his heel, marching straight back down the stairs and into his cell before slamming the door shut behind him.
The blond, who had evidently rushed to follow him, knocked insistently at it. “Look, I get why you’re mad. But can’t we just make the best of this? What’s your favorite food? I’ll cook it for you.”
Stony silence.
“Sasuke?”
Nada.
“Ugh. Fine. Be that way.”
But despite his words, he continued to hang around the door like a lost puppy. He was relentless, in fact, and prepared increasingly intricate dishes in an effort to coax Sasuke out. But he never once intruded on the clearly defined bubble the Uchiha had constructed, refusing to set foot into the room itself.
“Please eat something,” the blond pleaded on the third day of Sasuke rejecting food.
As always, it fell on deaf ears. And after that, he stopped asking. Meals were left outside Sasuke’s cell without fail, but there were no further attempts at contact.
And at first Sasuke felt glad for the peace. But that soon turned sour.
He was being ignored.
He could go a long time without eating. It wasn’t even a concern, really, given his training as a shinobi. But if he was going to be a prisoner here, he was at least going to be acknowledged. He stomped out of his room and up the stairs to find the blond sitting at the top with his head in his hands. Sasuke kicked at his leg impatiently.
“Oh!” the blond startled. “You’re out. That’s – good.”
Sasuke took the opportunity to appraise him, and noticed a melancholy to his eyes. He bit back his annoyance. He was a prisoner here, and the blond was upset?
“Wipe that look off your face,” he demanded.
The boy made an indignant noise. “Six days without a word from you, and that’s what you start with?”
“What did you expect?”
“Something less douche-y.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint.”
He leant back, squinting at Sasuke like he was a particularly perplexing puzzle he was trying to work out. “You really are a stubborn bastard, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Hm. Any other personality traits you feel like sharing?”
“Not particularly.”
“Right. Uncooperative. Got it. Anything else?”
“I have an exceptionally cheerful demeanor,” Sasuke deadpanned.
The blond held up a finger like he was counting off items on a list. “Sarcastic asshole. Noted.”
“You’re a fine one to talk, nine-tails.”
At that the boy gave a grimace. “Don’t lump me in with Kurama,” he said. And then he seemed to be hit by a moment of realization. “Oh, you probably don’t know my name, huh? I never said.”
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
“It’s Naruto,” he stated. “Naruto Uzumaki.”
“Your name’s Naruto? Like the fish cake they put in ramen? What, did your parents hate you or something?”
“Maybe they did,” Uzumaki replied with a smile. “Not many parents would think of putting a demon in their child, now would they?”
Sasuke’s mouth snapped shut.
“Tell me. You ever been alone, Sasuke? Really alone?”
Sasuke thought of his family. Of his seemingly endless supply of cousins and the often-crowded state of his household. Of Itachi’s near constant shadow.
No, he couldn’t really say he’d been alone at all.
Naruto seemed to read his mind, because he nodded thoughtfully and pulled his knees to his chest. “Good. That’s- good. I’ve never had that. Just Kurama.” Then he chuckled humorlessly. “Not many people want a tailed beast around, can you believe?”
And this was getting far too familiar for Sasuke’s liking. He stood tensely. “Not many people like being held prisoner, either.”
“Yeah,” Naruto nodded. “I’m working on that.”
Sasuke turned, not willing to engage in this conversation any further. But before descending the stairs again, he paused. “My favourite food’s tomato,” he said over his shoulder. And with that, he was gone.
And if dinner that night happened to be tomato sukiyaki, well, he wasn’t going to mention it.
…
Sasuke was finally eating regularly, and Naruto couldn’t have been more relieved. He stood at the door of the Uchiha’s cell, which now sat wide open, and made a disbelieving sound at the dishes scattered around the space. “Man,” he said, moving to gather them in his arms. “You can pack things away when you want to, huh?”
Sasuke gave a pointed look at the blond’s own ample dishes outside, and Naruto grinned sheepishly.
Then the blond scuffed at the floor self-consciously. “So, um. Not to criticize your space or anything, but this cell sucks.” He avoided the Uchiha’s eyes. “There’s a whole town up above that you can crash in. If you want.”
“Glad to have your permission.”
“Asshole,” Naruto complained. “I’m just trying to make you comfortable.”
“Yes. I can tell by the way you’re holding me captive.”
Naruto made a noise of protest, but had to cede the point. Then, because the topic made his stomach churn guiltily: “Your clothes also stink.” He ducked out the door to retrieve a piece of apparel folded neatly. “Here.”
Sasuke accepted it with a raised eyebrow. “How generous. A piece of clothing stolen from the village you took over.” He unfolded it as the blond spluttered out some excuse, and discovered that it was an elegant kimono made of a silky blue fabric emblazoned with intricate leaf detailing. A little flashy for his taste, but nice none-the-less. It would’ve cost a fortune in ordinary circumstances.
“Interesting choice,” he noted. “You trying to dress me up?”
Naruto flushed red. “Don’t wear it if you don’t like it.”
“I never said that.” Then, with a shrug, he yanked at the shirt he was wearing and pulled it over his head.
Naruto’s flush deepened. “What are you doing?”
“Dressing,” Sasuke replied mildly. “Wasn’t that the point of the kimono?”
Naruto spun on his heel, face now resembling the shade of a tomato. “Yes. Right! Good. I’m- I’m just going to be outside. Um.”
Sasuke smirked. Now that was an intriguing reaction. Maybe it was something he could take advantage of later.
Once the Uchiha was done, he strode out of the cell and up the stairs. The air felt nice on his skin after so long, and he closed his eyes just soaking it in. He found Naruto lounging in the grass and cleared his throat for attention.
The blond gazed at Sasuke for a little longer than was strictly necessary before snapping blue eyes up to meet his dark ones. “Ah.” He licked his lips. “It fits. The kimono.” Then he coughed and changed the subject hastily. “I thought – there’s a really nice house just ‘round the corner. It’d be better than staying in a cell, so…” At that he fidgeted, trying to gauge Sasuke’s reaction.
The Uchiha made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. “Well, are you going to show it to me or what?”
That drew out a surprised laugh. “Man, you are such an ass. Right this way, your highness.”
It took little time to reach the place Naruto had mentioned. And he hadn’t been lying when he said it was nice. It was immaculate. A traditional engawa hugged the outside of the building and overlooked a serene koi pond that was encircled by gravel and lush gardens. The house itself was massive. It contained wide, open tatami floors and sliding panels that let light filter through pleasantly. Intricately carved ranma panels were set on the walls, and a bath-house put the Uchiha household’s to shame.
Naruto watched Sasuke expectantly after showing him around.
“It will suffice,” the Uchiha said. He tried not to think of the family that must have once lived here.
Naruto lit up like a candle.
…
Over the following days, Sasuke attempted to gain as much information as he could about the nine-tails. He had just under three weeks before Itachi would attempt to “save” him, and he certainly wasn’t going to wait around idly for that to happen. He would get out on his own, thank you very much, and he was going to do it with something to say for his time. And it wasn’t even particularly difficult. Naruto had a mouth that seemed to run of its own accord. He would chatter about anything that came to his mind, and seemed to take joy out of the most inconsequential of things. The way a plant was growing. The taste of freshly picked fruit. Finding a frog. Under any other circumstances, it would have been endlessly annoying, but Sasuke just felt perplexed. Intrigued. How could one hold two such varied personalities in the same body without going insane? Then again, maybe Naruto was insane. He certainly dressed like it. Who in their right mind would choose to wear obnoxiously orange clothes every day?
Eventually, though, the confines of his situation began to get to Sasuke. His already short temper became shorter, his responses a little more barbed. And he carried a tension in his posture which Naruto caught on to unnervingly quickly. The blond evidently felt like it was his responsibility to remedy the issue, because he set about distracting Sasuke with a constant barrage of inane activities. He dragged him to the village’s library. Showed him sights around the area. Took him fishing.
And it was fine. Good. Sasuke found, to his surprise, that he didn’t mind being around Naruto half as much as he thought he would. But it soon became clear that the Uchiha’s bad mood required a more hands-on remedy.
Naruto appraised him thoughtfully one day and chewed his lip. “Wanna spar?” he asked.
God yes, Sasuke thought. But outwardly he schooled his features. “Whatever,” he shrugged. “Just don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
And so they made their way to a little clearing at the outskirts of the village, bordered with trees and a pleasant stream bubbling with clear water.
Naruto turned to face the Uchiha eagerly. “Rules?” he asked, falling into a fighting stance.
“No cheating,” Sasuke responded. “That means no help from the nine-tails.”
“That’s not cheating, but okay.” And then: “That also means no magic eyes.”
Sasuke smirked. “I won’t need them anyway.”
And then they were at it. Naruto fought like he did everything else: ferally, but with a lot of heart. His hits were devastating in their power and rapid in their delivery, but in the end, he was appallingly untrained. So he was never going to be able to take down an Uchiha who had had a lifetime of careful tutorage from his clan and a good many years’ experience as a Leaf shinobi under his belt. Sasuke quickly took him out with a well-timed round-house kick to the stomach.
“Ngh,” Naruto gasped from his new position on the ground. “Bastard.” He glared up at the smug look on Sasuke’s face. “Don’t get cocky.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“…Show me how you did that.”
And so they spent the rest of the day like that, exchanging fists and kicks in a complex dance until they were both too exhausted to continue. Afterwards, they lay on the grass in pained heaps, just taking an opportunity to recuperate in the warmth of the sun. Though no words were said, there seemed to be a mutual acknowledgement of each other and a quiet surprise at how well they meshed. Light filtered softly through the trees, and a gentle breeze had the grass swaying serenely. After some time, the peacefulness of the place lulled Naruto to sleep. He snored softly, and Sasuke chuckled at the sound. Because of course the blond would be a snorer.
The Uchiha then took a moment to consider Naruto privately, and noticed that the fabric of his shirt had ridden up. His eyes were drawn to the skin there. And he wasn’t intending to stare, it’s just that Naruto had an exceptionally toned midriff, and it was glaring at him right in the face. The blond even had a tattoo which spiraled elegantly around his bellybutton. Sasuke peered at it a little closer, admiring the handiwork. And then he noticed its strangeness. It seemed to move of its own accord and was etched with a substance that at first glance might have passed for ink. Unlike ink, however, it appeared to absorb light. Looking at it felt like looking into an abyss, and set Sasuke’s nerves on edge. Almost unconsciously, he reached out to touch it. But before he could make contact, his wrist was entrapped by a clawed hand. He looked up into crimson eyes, which blinked to blue as Naruto came to himself.
“Please don’t touch that,” the blond said.
Sasuke swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “Is that a seal? The one keeping the nine-tails in place?”
Naruto nodded tiredly. “Had it since the day I was born.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Not exactly. It itches sometimes, though. When Kurama comes out or gets agitated.”
“Ever tried anything to get rid of it?”
Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why would I do that? I don’t want to get rid of Kurama.”
“Things might be easier if you did,” Sasuke shrugged.
“Lonelier, too,” Naruto said. “He might be an asshole sometimes, but he’s always been there for me. Which is more than can be said for Konoha.”
Now that was a revelation. Sasuke blinked in surprise. “You’re from Konoha?”
Naruto gave a bemused smile. “Uh-huh. We were actually in the same class for a while at the academy.”
Sasuke thought back, wracking his brain. And yes, there had been an annoying, blond prankster in his year, hadn’t there? He had even played with him a few times before his father had pulled him aside and said: “We cannot afford to be associated with that boy at the moment, Sasuke.”
Curiosity got the better of the dark-haired teen. “What happened?” he asked. “Why’d you leave?”
Naruto was a ball of energy, bright and incorrigible. But sometimes, every now and then, a darkness would peek through his ever-pleasant demeanor and seem to cast a shadow on all that was around him. It did so now, and Sasuke had to fight back against a feeling of deep unease. “You remember when that high-ranking Leaf shinobi was assassinated a while back?” the blond asked. “Like, nine-years ago?”
“Danzō,” Sasuke confirmed, cautiously.
“Yeah. And then there were all those riots from his supporters?”
Oh, Sasuke remembered alright. The Uchiha clan had been run off its feet for months. Itachi and Fugaku, who had before then refused to speak to one another, were suddenly by each other’s side constantly. They were called to meetings with the village elders almost every day for a long time. Sasuke had his suspicions that Itachi was responsible for what happened to Danzō, and that the fallout was still being smoothed over with the higher-ups to this day.
“Well,” Naruto said, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts, “a few people took the opportunity amidst all the chaos to settle vendettas.” He pulled at the grass beneath him distractedly. “Um, a group of shinobi - cornered me. I didn’t know what was going on. Thought it was the usual treatment. But then one pulled out a kunai and knocked me to the ground. The others laughed.” And he was wound-up, breathing hard and digging his fingers into the soil. “Uh,” he swallowed, “it was - violent. I nearly didn’t get away. But Kurama took over, and we ran. Ran for a long time. I hadn’t even known about him before then. And I knew I couldn’t go back home, so I didn’t. I just sort of wandered. Doing odd jobs to get by, you know? And then one day I made it here, and thought I would just visit the market to fill up on supplies. But I was recognized.” He lay on his back now, staring up at the clouds with his mouth set in a grim line. “They tried to capture me. Said that I was a dangerous loose cannon, and that a jinchuuriki shouldn’t be allowed to just go about freely. I was backed into a corner. And I tried to talk to them. I did. But they attacked, and Kurama was just done. He took control again, burst free, and everyone ran. Every last one of them.” He gestured broadly around him at the village. “And so we’re all caught up. I stayed here, Itachi was sent to kill me, and you came to save him.”
“…Oh,” Sasuke said. It was a woefully inadequate response, but then, how do you react to a story like that?
“Oh,” Naruto agreed.
Then, because it seemed as though something further needed to be said: “Konoha has done a lot of shitty things.”
“Yup.”
Sasuke felt a twang of discomfort. Naruto was as much a prisoner as he was, and that made things…complicated. More complicated than he had been willing to consider. Because how was he supposed to take information on him back to the Leaf now?
“I’m glad, though,” Naruto began with a smile, “that something good came of everything.” He nudged Sasuke’s shoulder. “That I got to meet you.”
And Sasuke didn’t have a response to that. He clenched his jaw and drummed his fingers irritably.
This was going to be a problem.