Fox Magic Chapter 19: Self-Control (Part 2/2)

[akaitsume]

F o x M a g i c

by akaitsume

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Genre: AU(ish)/Drama/Action/Adventure/Romance/Mystery
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru
Rating: R (for the moment)
Warnings: Fantasy-esque, Zoomorphism, AU, a liberal dose of Japanese mythology, violence, strong language, references to abuse/torture in later chapters, and (eventually) limes and lemons.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns with the characters, but I think I'm having more fun with them at this point than he is. No profit is made from tinkering with them.

Summary: A decision made in the heat of the moment leaves Sasuke questioning his past, his future, and his convictions, all while dealing with an ancient, all-powerful fox demon whose grudge transcends both time and space. NaruSasuNaru, canonish AU

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Part 1

After watching Gaara leave, Naruto turned to Sasuke and raised his eyebrows. “Sasuke, what the fuck is going on here? Why did you use my chakra against Shukaku?”

Sasuke straightened his yukata, a small smirk curling his lips. He couldn’t tell Naruto that his little comrade had attempted to kick his ass, but the fact that he’d held his own made his smirk grow into a grin. He’d fucking measured up against a demon. Just let Itachi try and take him on now. Sasuke was un-fucking-stoppable.

“We had an interesting discussion,” he replied dryly. Naruto stared at him.

“Did you two fight?”

Sasuke hesitated. How could he rework this situation into something believable? After a moment, he shrugged.

“I wanted to see how I might stand up against someone of his power level, and god knows that fighting you has been established as a bad idea. He obliged me.”

Naruto looked at him like there was something growing out of his forehead, and whatever it was had decided to make faces at him. “You, um. You don’t look hurt.”

He doesn’t have to know that Gaara healed me. And besides, that was after I sent him running. “I managed to keep up.”

There was a pause. “You fought Shukaku and held your own against him?”

Instead of replying, Sasuke simply let his smug smile grow. Naruto swallowed hard.

“Using, um. Using my chakra, no less.”

Sasuke began to feel slightly wary. After all of Naruto’s fussing, was he going to be angry about Sasuke using his chakra? Granted, Sasuke had used it against his long-time best friend, but it was necessary. Naruto’s face contorted strangely, his cheeks turning faintly red.

Sasuke took a hesitant step forward. “Naruto-”

“That might be the hottest thing I’ve ever heard,” the demon choked out. Sasuke blinked, pierced by Naruto’s suddenly red gaze. “What did you do? How did the fight go down?”

Sasuke stared at him. “You’re a horny bastard, you know that? You’re actually getting off on the fact that I was fighting your friend?”

“Shukaku is a very strong warrior. And you weren’t losing.” Naruto’s lips gradually curled up into a predatory grin. “Yes, Sasuke. That’s fucking hot.”

The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, but internally, he felt a little thrill that mixed with his self-satisfaction. He loved proving himself, dammit, and Naruto’s reaction was pushing the right buttons. Maybe someday he should challenge Gaara to a real fight. At this rate, if he managed to win, Naruto would probably tear off his clothes and humiliate himself in public. The very idea made Sasuke smother a chuckle.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke replied, “Down, boy. This isn’t the time or the place.” Despite himself, he smiled at Naruto. “If you just came to rescue me, though, you might as well go back to the room. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

To his surprise, the grin faded from Naruto’s cheeks, and a troubled expression replaced it.

“Actually, there’s something I have to talk to you about. We have a slight problem.”

Sasuke frowned. He still felt disgusting from before, and now he had bits of sand clinging to him in uncomfortable places. Tipping his head, he gestured towards the door.

“Tell me in the baths, then.” When Naruto opened his mouth, Sasuke quickly added, “And behave yourself.”

The fox demon pouted. “Fine. Spoilsport.” For some reason, he looked uncomfortable again, but he didn’t comment on whatever it was. “After you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and made his way into the hallway and headed back to the baths, Naruto on his heels. Once they ducked through the hanging flaps that segregated the public men’s bath from the women’s, they found the changing room to be deserted. Shooting Naruto a significant look, Sasuke perfunctorily disrobed, unwrapped his hands, grabbed a small bucket, and entered the steamy bath area. A tremendous stone-lined pool took up most of the monstrous room, and several rows of showering stations were squeezed in on the far left. Arching windows rimmed with blue tiles showed the desolate desert and stark mountains in the distance. The bath was empty.

The brunet sat on one of the low stools in front of a shower station, unsurprised when Naruto quickly materialized next to him. Despite himself, Sasuke took a surreptitious glance at the other man through the corner of his eye. The last time he’d had a chance to look, he’d been a little distracted and a lot in denial, so he hadn’t really absorbed any details. Naruto really was an attractive man, with his broad, well-muscled body, and his large hands, and his high cheekbones, and- Shaking his head to cut off that train of thought, Sasuke tore his eyes away before his body could start to respond and started the timed showerhead. He frowned as he doused himself under the lukewarm spray.

I’m starting to act like Naruto. Not good. He reached for the body soap and squirted some into his hands. Without looking, he questioned Naruto.

“You made sure that no one else would come in here, right?”

“…Hm?”

His eyebrows furrowed, but he refused to look over. He continued lathering himself and replied with a mildly irate, “You made sure that no one will hear what you’re about to tell me, right? No one will come in, and there aren’t any surveillance systems going?”

“…Huh?”

Dammit, Naruto. With a suppressed sigh, Sasuke reached up and removed the showerhead from its holder. In one swift movement, he cranked it up to full blast, set the temperature as low as it could go, and pointed it at Naruto’s lap.

“AAAAAAAHHH!” Naruto’s pained cry reverberated in the large room. When Sasuke finally turned to look at him, Naruto was curled protectively over his groin and desperately trying to shield himself from the freezing water. He glared at Sasuke through the spray. “You son of a bitch, that’s fucking unnecessary!”

The showerhead turned itself off automatically, and Sasuke replaced it into its holder. He raised an imperious eyebrow at the fox demon.

“Maybe now you’ll actually listen to me. Did you secure this room or not?”

Naruto was still wincing, and he reached for his own showerhead. He set the temperature high and aimed the nozzle at his abused privates, sighing with relief. Lips pursed, he shot Sasuke an affronted glance.

“Yes, you bastard, I did. No one will interrupt us, and nobody can hear us. Fuck, that hurt.”

Sasuke’s lips twitched with amusement. “Good. Now tell me, what’s this issue of ours?”

Naruto sobered in a hurry. “Well… The thing is…” He sighed, running a wet hand through his hair. “Somebody managed to break into my shrine, and they took something of mine. I felt it in the Fire Country, and it’s heading our way.”

What the fuck? Sasuke stared at him. “How the hell did someone manage to break in? Nobody even knows what you are!”

Naruto shook his head. “I know. I don’t think anyone suspected anything when we left, so I didn’t… It didn’t even cross my mind that I should shore up the defenses on my shrine before we left. I mean, I’ve never even had to worry about it before, since before you came along I was always confined to either the house or my shrine anyway.” He sighed. “I don’t even know who it was or what they took.”

Sasuke’s mind was racing. “Why weren’t your defenses powerful in the first place?”

The demon gave him an uncomfortable look, then dropped his gaze. “You remember that I was locked away in there for a long time, right?”

“Yes…”

“Well, I did something…very bad to deserve it. Very, very bad.” Naruto’s eyes took on a distant, dark glint for a moment. He shook his head. “The entire time I was in there, I was being slowly stripped of power. It was bleeding out of me, and since the shrine is kind of a reflection of me, it was losing power, too. By the time you came along, there wasn’t a whole lot of me left.”

Sasuke frowned, thinking back to the day he’d released Kyuubi. That incredible presence, that heat, that fury…

“How could that have been just a little bit of you? You nearly killed me!” he declared incredulously.

Naruto glanced at him, lips curling up into a wry smile. “Ever heard of a burst of adrenaline? I was more than a little desperate at the time. And if you’ll recall, my fox form was awfully small back then. I mean, you’ve seen my real size before.”

The demon tapped his own forehead. Sasuke grimaced.

“Point taken. So your shrine didn’t retain much of your chakra either?”

Naruto shook his head. “Bled right out. To be honest, if you hadn’t come along when you did…” He trailed off, hesitating. With a sigh, he finished, “I might not have been there to be released.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened, and his blood ran cold. “The ring would’ve killed you?”

Naruto stared at the ground for a long, tense moment before nodding. Sasuke grit his teeth, tamping down on his sudden burst of anger. That son of a bitch Tsukuyomi. He nearly killed Naruto, and for what? To teach him a lesson? He took a long, deep breath. Thank god he won’t have to put up with that bullshit again.

“Well,” Sasuke began stiffly, “your shrine’s defenses weren’t the only thing an intruder would have to deal with. My home has plenty of defenses of its own, and the only person who would know how to disable those-” Abruptly, his eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline, then furrowed over his rapidly darkening expression. “-Is also the only other person who knows what you are.”

Naruto finally raised his head, gazing at Sasuke in surprise. “You mean Itachi?”

Fists clenched, Sasuke scowled and nodded. “Of course it was him. Who else would have any motive to take something of yours? He must have some sort of plan.” His fingernails bit into his palms. That bastard is always a step ahead of me. Now he’s got something of Naruto’s, and he’s on his way here? His scowl deepened. “It must be something that could influence your Choice. Can you figure out what he took?”

Naruto frowned. “I think so, if I meditate on it.”

Despite his dark mood, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Are you capable of meditating?”

“Oh, shut up.” Naruto partially stood, moved the little stool aside, and sat on the floor with his legs folded beneath him. He closed his eyes and folded his hands in his lap. As his breathing slowed, Sasuke grudgingly turned away from him and finished washing himself. A quick shampoo and rinse later, Naruto was still deep in his trance. Frowning, Sasuke got up and sank into the hot waters of the large pool. The demon continued to sit quietly.

Sasuke tipped his head back and closed his eyes, his frustration too strong to fully relax. What the fuck was Itachi after this time? Why would he take something of Naruto’s? What could possibly influence Naruto’s decision after how close the two of them had become? He resisted the urge to slam his fist into the rim of the pool. And why the fuck does everyone know more about this than I do??

“You know nothing of why he is the way he is.”

Sasuke opened his eyes and turned to look at the meditating demon. He frowned. He knew that Naruto was an eternal optimist with a strong taste for bad TV shows. He knew that despite being treated like shit for a thousand years, Naruto still managed to be upbeat and have faith in people. He knew that the man had a terrible, mischievous sense of humor and a horrible temper, and that he had a tendency towards romance and affection that he couldn’t seem to repress despite his best efforts. He knew that the demon could get awkward and embarrassed one moment and be utterly confident the next.

But he didn’t know why.

Sasuke had no idea what had shaped the man that he knew. And if he did manage to defeat Itachi and avenge his clan, and he had to let him go, shouldn’t he know that much, at least? He shifted with discomfort.

And what exactly will I be asked to sacrifice to free him? Something equal to our bond… A headache began to bloom at his temple. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. I’ll worry about that later. First and foremost, I have to figure out what the fuck Itachi is up to-

At that moment, Naruto opened his eyes with a gasp. He looked around for a second before turning around and spotting Sasuke in the pool. He looked extremely troubled.

“Sasuke, he took my ball,” Naruto nearly whispered.

Sasuke frowned. “Your ‘ball’? Why don’t you just take it back?”

Naruto shook his head in despair. “It’s my Hoshi no Tama. My foxfire. I can’t take it back. I have to bargain for it.”

“Your-” Sasuke cut himself off. He vaguely remembered those old fox legends he’d heard growing up. Fox demons would carry around a small bit of their power in the shape of a white orb. And if someone else got their hands on it, they could demand damn near anything in exchange for it. Why the fuck would Naruto not take something like that with him?

At his infuriated glare, Naruto grimaced. “Look, I haven’t needed that damn thing in a long time. It’s like…it’s like having a spare battery when I’m using a thousand pairs of rechargables that never run dry. I practically forgot I even had it.” He frowned pensively. “In fact, I’m so far along now that I’m not even sure I need to get it back. I might be able to let Itachi keep it.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” Sasuke snapped. “What if he uses it as leverage to get you to choose him over me?”

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, winced, and shook his head. “I…I don’t think that would work…”

“But you’re not sure, are you?” Sasuke rose from the pool and stormed over to him. “How could you not make sure something like that was properly defended?”

Naruto scowled and rose to his feet as well. “Hey, we agreed that there was no fucking way I could’ve expected somebody to break in. Excuse me for being a bit distracted at the fact that I was going to leave Konoha for the first time in a fucking millennium! You try having something be a complete non-issue for that long and see if you remember to bring your lock-box’s defenses up from ‘Definite Maim’ to ‘Outright Fucking Death’!”

Sasuke wanted to argue, but he felt his ire deflating. Naruto was certainly at fault, but…it was hard to blame him under these circumstances. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Alright, alright. Let’s just focus on what we should do now. If Itachi made it here with your foxfire, what could he do to you with it?”

Naruto frowned. “Honestly, not much. All he can do is withhold it from me, and I’ve managed to go on for this long without it. It’s connected to my chakra, but it’d take an extraordinary amount of power to manipulate it without my consent. There’s no way he can pull that off.”

“Even though you share a small bond with him?” Sasuke pressed. The demon shook his head.

“At this point, it’s miniscule. I deliberately avoid touching that thing.” When Sasuke looked askance, he added, “Any time I concentrate on or access my bonds, I share my chakra. Between Itachi hating my guts, my ignoring him, and his being so far away, my bond with him has withered to practically nothing. And if he tried to access my chakra now, I’d resist him tooth and nail. Unless I went and opened the door for him, he’d need something incredible to power himself up enough to access it.”  He eyed Sasuke worriedly. “Even with my foxfire, if Itachi shows up and challenges me, he’s probably going to lose.”

Sasuke hummed thoughtfully. Could this be the last act of a desperate man? Does he know that the foxfire won’t guarantee him victory? He placed a finger against his lips. And why would he ensure that I released Kyuubi if he wanted control of him all along? It just doesn’t make sense. What’s his game plan?

Sasuke pinned Naruto with a firm glare. “You’re positive that he can’t influence you through it?”

The fox demon shook his head. “Unless he managed to spontaneously turn himself into an upper-level demon, the worst he can do is try to bargain with me over it. Even then, he’d have trouble considering how much power I’ve tapped into. And if we make sure that you get a chance to kick his ass before then, I can just take it back once he’s dead.”

Startled, Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “You’re that convinced that I’ll win?”

Naruto looked at him in disbelief. “You managed to tangle with Shukaku without breaking a sweat. Yes, I’m pretty damn sure you’ll win.”

Warmth unfurled in Sasuke’s stomach, and to his horror, he felt his cheeks begin to heat up. Uncomfortable with Naruto’s confidence in him, he glanced away and cleared his throat.

“Yes, well. You’ll know it when Itachi crosses the border with it?”

Naruto nodded. “I should feel it.” He frowned. “It’s amazing, though. He made really good time from where I sent him.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and he waved a hand dismissively. “Itachi’s a slippery bastard. I’m sure he has his ways.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Nothing we can do about it right now, then. Unless you can slow him down somehow?”

Naruto raised his eyebrows. “Well, I could send a bunshin out to him, but I doubt he’d bargain with it.” He frowned. “And it’s possible that it might trigger the Choice.”

“Mm. Best not to risk it, then.” Sasuke still felt uneasy about the whole thing, but there wasn’t much they could do but wait. If Naruto was right, it would seem that Itachi had made his first big mistake. If Naruto was wrong… He frowned. We’ll just have to deal with that as it comes.

Shaking his head, he turned towards the changing room. “Let’s just go. We’ll have plenty of warning before Itachi shows his ugly face, and we can figure something out.”

Naruto nodded, following the younger man. “Hey, Sasuke… What if it was someone else who took my ball?”

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Who else would be interested in it? As far as everyone in Konoha is concerned, you’re just my cousin.”

The demon still looked troubled. “True.”

“And if they did, they certainly couldn’t do any more damage than Itachi. Why would anyone be trying to confront you?”

“Maybe they thought I was dangerous? Or wanted to manipulate me, not knowing that I’m bound to you?” Naruto speculated.

Sasuke entered the changing room and snagged a towel, drying himself quickly. He shook his head. “Who would have that kind of death wish if they knew what you are? The only person who would concern me in that case is Tsunade, and she’s the one who sent you with me.”

“Tsunade?” Naruto snorted. “That woman loves me. Nudging her to let you take me was child’s play.”

“She thinks you’re a pain in the ass.”

“That means she loves me.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, usuratonkachi. At any rate, I think it’s highly unlikely that anyone from Konoha is after you. Everyone seemed to like you.”

Naruto preened at that, steam rising from his body as the water dried. “It’s a gift. I’m overwhelmingly likeable.”

Sasuke sighed once more. “Naruto. Just shut up.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Indomitable Uchiha Sasuke, sir,” the fox demon teased. With a snap of his fingers, he was dressed and leaning against a low counter. “So what did you have planned for our day off?”

Well, he couldn’t be seen training if he was pretending to be injured, he mused as he shrugged on his yukata and tied the belt. Can’t do anything about our mission tomorrow, and I can’t do anything about Itachi now. In that case…

Sasuke attempted a nonchalant tone as he replied, “I’m sure I can think of something for us to do in the city, if you didn’t get enough of that yesterday.”

Naruto grinned. “Works for me. We haven’t had a nice, relaxing day together since we were in Konoha.”

Sasuke nodded shortly. If he couldn’t solve any of his other problems today, perhaps he could at least research one. When he reached for the fake bandages, Naruto slipped in front of him, gave him a quick smile, and picked up the wrappings himself. The heat of his hands seeped into Sasuke’s skin as he deftly re-wrapped the gauze. He briefly locked eyes with the demon, pursing his lips at the warmth that rose in his chest again. After a quick flex of his fingers and a nod of thanks, he tipped his head towards the entry, following Naruto as the demon obligingly moved towards it. His eyes dropped speculatively to his hands, and he slowly rubbed his fingers.

Maybe I can figure out what makes him tick.

*    *    *

The black chakra rushing through him made Orochimaru’s strides far longer than they should be. The forests were screaming by him, shadows seeming to twist towards him as he passed. His lips tightened as he ran.

In his head, his “siblings” seemed to be enjoying themselves. They hissed with excitement and impatience, pushing ever more power into his limbs. Only his years of practice kept him from wincing as his skin began to pull and strain under the influence of the demonic chakra. Soon, he mused, I’ll have a body that won’t even flinch under the onslaught of power.

The thought made him smile.

Reacting to his cooperative mood, the other heads cried out with dark glee. -Faster! Faster!-

-This is taking too long!-

-We want it NOW!-

Orochimaru’s eyebrows furrowed as he felt the other personalities drawing upon their power. The black chakra rose up around him, covering him in a thick, swirling mist. It billowed into his nose, making him choke, and stung his eyes. It was-they were smothering him!

Alarmed, Orochimaru tried to claw his way through, but he felt the darkness growing deeper. The laughter of his siblings grew louder, ringing in his ears. Through the haze, he could hear some strange voice cackling madly with his mouth, and his body seemed to stretch impossibly high up into the heavens. The chakra tornado around him crackled and roared.

In a heartbeat, he was gone.

*    *    *

Kakashi fell back behind the Anbu travelling with him, his eyebrows knitting with unease. For some reason, the hair on the back on his neck was rising. Deciding to trust his intuition, he came to a sudden stop upon a thick tree branch and opened his mouth to call out to the others.

The world exploded. Something dark lashed out at the Anbu, and one long tendril of something arched towards him. Time seemed to slow down as Kakashi managed to throw his weight backwards. The tendril, glowing crazily to his Sharingan, just barely missed his head. With a gasp, Kakashi threw his chakra into his hands, concentrated it, and slashed out at the tentacle with a pair of Raikiri. To his shock, the stuff dissolved at his touch, reformed around his arms, and thrust forward.

His chest erupted with agonizing pain. Mouth working silently, he fell back against the tree trunk and placed a palm upon his wound. The black thing swirled closer to him, shrouding the area in darkness. In the split second that he had to decide between life and a second attack, he used his remaining energy to staunch the flow of blood around his wound. The next moment, that thing was upon him.

The world went dark to the tune of crazed laughter and a pair of glowing eyes.