for: rahvin68
From: treur
Title: Brands
Rating: R
Summary: Two men deal with the labels that they were born with.
Warnings: Violence, unhappiness
A/N: D: I tried to include as many of your kinks as possible. I hope you like this!
Mod note: Reminder for the author/artist of this submission, please do not reply to comments signed in, if you want to reply anon commenting is enabled.
The blonde struggled against the steely chains that kept him rooted to the same spot. The rusty metal cut into his wrists and ankles, leaving nasty red marks. It was useless for him to try; the bonds were too strong.
“Dammit,” he swore as a particularly rough jerk of his arms caused the metal to cut into his skin. Blood trickled from the wound on his right wrist. While the injury was minimal, it was enough to keep the man still from that moment on.
Time passed questionably, if not at all, and he just stood there, sagging into the bondages. His legs screamed for release; something that the man himself refused to do.
***
“You know something,” he snarled as he shoved the blonde into the wall, “Tell me.”
Breathing in shakily, all the blonde could do was shake his head, almost apologetically.
With a hiss of frustration, the brunette punched the brick wall behind the blonde, apparently unperturbed by the blood that appeared from the resulting scratches. Then again, with clothes that were stained with dirt and blood, he didn’t seem like the type to care.
“Why,” he breathed, just under his breath, “Why won’t you tell me.” The man looked up, rotating his dark gaze from the floor to the blond’s blue, blue eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.” For a moment, an uncharacteristic vulnerability glinted in his eyes, but it was so brief that the blonde wasn’t even sure if it was real.
“I can take it, bastard,” came the blonde’s reply, a grin brightening his face. It was strange to see such a winning smile on the face of a man that looked so defeated.
“Naruto,” the other man whispered, pained. Honesty lit his words as he groaned, “I don’t know if I can.”
Naruto extended his left arm, straining so that his hand could brush the other man’s face. “Sasuke…”
“Why you… why did it have to be you?” Sasuke’s voice cracked, exhaustion dulling the blade of his words. Unconsciously, he gripped his right shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”
“‘I’m sorry’s not enough,’ Naruto.”
“I know.”
“Tell me. Please.”
“... I can’t.”
“We can’t go on like this forever.”
“I know.”
“I… don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’ve said.”
“Why are you doing this to us? To me?”
“I’m sorry.”
At some point in the conversation, Naruto had closed his eyes. He opened them now, searching for Sasuke’s face. But he was gone. Only the receding footsteps proved that the taller man had been there.
***
“It’s you,” Naruto said dully, still-bright eyes latching onto the familiar figure. If life hadn’t tossed him so many surprises recently, he probably would have been shocked. Now, it only seemed fitting that it was Kakashi standing before him today.
Some of his wounds had healed, but whenever he forgot about the sharp metal that bound his limbs, new ones were formed. Along Naruto’s forearms were numerous cuts, both healing and healed. His legs weren’t much better. It didn’t hurt, however, not anymore.
“Yup, it’s me,” the gray-haired man said, a bit too cheerily.
“Where’s Sasuke?”
Kakashi shrugged, choosing instead to walk closer to Naruto. He pushed the blond into the wall that knew his body so well by now. “Do we have to do this the hard way?”
Catching the stubborn glow on Naruto’s face, Kakashi released a sigh. “I see,” he said, tone subtly disappointed. “Sasuke’s been going easy on you,” he observed off-handedly. The only thing that Naruto could remember about what happened next was the sharp, sharp edge of Kakashi’s knife.
***
It was Sasuke again. Naruto stared at the older man, surprised by his change of clothes. For as long as he could remember, Sasuke had been coming down in unkempt clothing that was no better than the rags that currently adorned his own figure. Today, he was wearing fresh clothes: a white shirt that was a stark contrast to the dingy surroundings and dark blue pants, sleek and classy. Sasuke’s expression, however, was the same.
“You can stop this,” he all but begged, dark gaze boring into clear, clear blue.
“I can’t.”
“Don’t lie, Naruto. Not to me.”
“I want to stop this.”
“Then stop it.”
“You know I can’t.”
“No. No, I don’t know you can’t.”
“Sasuke…”
“You promised.” The sudden accusing note in Sasuke’s voice tore Naruto apart.
“Sasuke…”
“You’re a liar, Naruto. A liar.”
“Sasuke… please…”
Sasuke looked at his right shoulder, and then reached into the hidden folds of his pants, pulling out a knife even sharper than Kakashi’s.
“Naruto, I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
***
It was the same. Everyday, it was the same. Soon enough to Naruto, even Sasuke’s visits seemed to blur into one another.
“Sasuke,” the blonde greeted with a false sort of cheer, eyeing the blade the brunette held warily on a seemingly random day.
“Naruto.” Sasuke’s voice was tired, too tired.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t, bastard. Stop letting your fucking father run your life!”
Sasuke flinched and slammed the blade into Naruto’s arm. Pain was now insignificant to Naruto though. He babbled on, an impossible, impossible fire still driving his words.
“Sasuke, you can stop this. You can, you can, you can! Bastard, I believe in you. Please believe in me.”
Sasuke pulled the knife out, seeing redredred, and jammed it into Naruto’s other arm. “Shut up.”
“I won’t, Sasuke, I won’t. You know I’m right? Why won’t you admit it?”
“Why can’t you just tell me” Sasuke snarled, abandoning the knife in Naruto’s arm so that he could lunge forwards. His face was right in front of Naruto’s.
“… I really really really wish I could.”
“How dare you tell me that I can do something about this when you still fucking refuse to tell me anything?!”
“You can trust me.”
“I can’t. Not anymore.”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed.”
“No. It’ll only change if you let it change.”
“I can’t stop change!” Sasuke shouted, voice livid with frustration, “What the fuck do you expect me to do?!”
“Sasuke…”
“Fuck, I hate this. I hate you.”
“Sasuke…”
“SHUT UP. Just… shut up.”
“BASTARD, I just want to say-“
“WHAT PART OF ‘SHUT UP’ DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?”
“I’m sorry.”
Sasuke exploded, ramming his fist into Naruto’s stomach. The blonde flinched, his body going through the movements of vomiting, but there was nothing to release.
“You idiot,” Sasuke growled, trembling as he suddenly leaned against Naruto.
“Your idiot,” Naruto corrected with a sad smile.
“Fuck this.” The brunette slammed his mouth against Naruto’s, hands that had been so violent these past days/weeks/time(?) slipping into the shorter man’s tangled hair. Their lips worked violently against one another, tongues two wrestling snakes.
A low moan was released from Naruto’s mouth and his tanned hand brushed over Sasuke’s right shoulder. That startled Sasuke, and immediately he backed off. Naruto’s blood stained his formerly perfect clothes. Breathing violently, he gave the blonde a look that caused something in him to shatter and then fled.
***
“Mommy mommy mommy,” insisted a short, five-year-old boy, tugging the dark hem of his mother’s dress, “Why are the other kids ignoring that boy?”
Mikoto gaze followed the trail that young Sasuke’s pointing fingers created. “Don’t point,” she chastised automatically, pushing her son’s hands down, blatantly ignoring his question.
Sasuke, with his hands hanging obediently at his sides, tried again, this time gesturing with his nose. “Mommyyyyyy, who is he?”
“He’s nobody,” the woman reluctantly stated, sorrow tainting her beautiful face.
“Nobody?” Sasuke echoed doubtfully. A frown flickered onto his face as he tried to process what his mother had said. But it didn’t make sense to him. How could the other boy be a nobody when he was right there! He had to be a somebody.
He kept on staring at the boy even when his mother started walking away, ushering him along. Suddenly, the other boy turned, and Sasuke’s heart stopped when his dark gaze struck bright, bright blue. He felt like he was drowning.
That was the first time that Sasuke met Naruto.
~~~
The next time he met Naruto, they were seven and had just finished their first school day.
Sasuke had come out of the Uchiha-crested mansion, a smug smile on his face. He had, after all, just aced all of his preliminary exams. And finished them early, too. That was why he was sitting outside of the large academic building, using his foot to kick a pebble around.
“Oh hey! I’ve seen you before!”
The energetic shout made the younger Uchiha heir turn around. His navy eyes soon latched onto a familiar blue. Instinctively, he walked towards the fence. The cerulean-eyed boy was on the other side.
“What are you doing there?” Sasuke asked doubtfully, “Aren’t you in school?”
“No, I just got kicked out,” the smiley boy said with a proud grin on his tanned face. The other boy pointed to the considerably less decorated building behind him, “I go to school there.”
Sasuke frowned, not understanding why the other boy was going to another school. There was only one, The Uchiha School. All of the kids that he knew went to it. “Why don’t you go to school here?” he asked, naïve.
The blonde boy laughed, “I can’t go there, that’s for the Uchihas, like you. I’m Naruto, by the way. Naruto Uzumaki! Don’t you forget it!”
The little brunette’s frown deepened as he thought about the segregated schools. Still, he reluctantly spoke, “I’m Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha.”
“Let’s be friends!” Naruto explained gleefully.
“O-kay,” Sasuke said. Their friendship would become the first secret that he kept from Fugaku and Mikoto.
~~~
Since that meeting, the two boys were nearly inseparable. After school days, they would meet up together to show each other the cool moves that they learned:
“Rasengen!” Naruto shouted as he sent the blaring blue ball sailing through the air, a large grin on his face.
“Hnnn. That’s nothing,” Sasuke said, quickly forming the hand seals for a fire jutsu, “Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!” A stream of fire flared out of the boy’s mouth, illuminating the field with orange.
~~~
As they grew older, it became harder and harder for the two boys to maintain their friendship. They tried anyways:
“Since your brother defected, you have become the Uchiha Village’s sole heir. You must begin to take the responsibilities that your useless traitor brother had. You will not disappoint me.” Fugaku’s words and eyes were stern.
Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, feeling fidgety, as he knew that he was going to be late. Fugaku noticed Sasuke’s restlessness, and with a sigh, said, “We’ll continue this talk later.”
By the time Sasuke had disguised himself and gone into the main village, he was already an hour late. He saw the pouting blonde immediately, and quickly ran to him. “Naruto, I’m s-“
Naruto punched Sasuke in the stomach, his normally happy face angled with angry lines. “Shit man, I’m not your girlfriend. I’m not going to wait around for you every time, you know?”
Sasuke staggered, glaring at his friend, “You know I can’t do anything about it. It’s my responsibility.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You shouldn’t let your family name define you. You’re your own person.”
“I am my own person,” Sasuke snapped, “I am a son. A good one.”
“I know you are,” Naruto said seriously, and then more quietly added, “But you’re Sasuke, too. You aren’t the same as your parents.”
Sasuke snarled, “My parents built this village.”
Sadly, Naruto nodded, “Yes they did.”
~~~
And then it got complicated:
It was just a day like any other, it seemed. Sasuke had just finished some of his Uchiha responsibilities and Naruto had just finished… well, Sasuke never knew what it was exactly that Naruto did, but either way, they met at midnight as usual, in the city, as usual.
It had started out normally, with the two of them just talking. But then it escalated into fighting (about nothing at all), and in all honesty, that wasn’t too strange either. But then things changed.
“BASTARD,” Naruto growled, shoving his fist into Sasuke’s abdomen.
“Idiot,” Sasuke hissed, trying to stay balanced as he sent punch in Naruto’s face’s way.
They kept on exchanging punches, and suddenly their fists weren’t the only things that were connecting. No, their lips were too. Neither of them initiated it. It was a mutual thing. Suddenly, both of them had stopped and they were suddenly kissing, kissing like it was the end of the world.
Sasuke had spent the whole day listening to about how “the rebels” like Naruto were nobodies and that they should be quashed before they got the chance to overthrow the Uchihas. Sasuke had vehemently defended “the rebels,” logically proclaiming that without followers, the Uchiha kingdom would be nothing. In the end, all his arguments were ignored, and instead Sasuke’s father had told him to leave the meeting hall. Afterwards he had gotten a lecture from his father, where Fugaku had talked about the disposability of anyone who wasn’t Uchiha and that if Sasuke didn’t understand that, he was disposable as well.
Seeing Naruto, well, it had reminded him of everything that he was afraid to be. He loved how Naruto was always so true to himself and how he was always so true to Sasuke and suddenly he had wanted nothing more to kiss him. Or perhaps it was just the hormones talking.. even though both men had passed puberty ages ago.
They were kissing and kissing and then suddenly clothes were being tears off, and both men awkwardly stumbled into an abandoned alley. Off went Sasuke’s disguise and his Uchiha hair and Uchiha eyes were suddenly so obvious but Naruto didn’t care because Sasuke was an Uchiha but Sasuke was his and all he wanted was Sasuke.
They had torn at each other ravenously, hand violently running over muscular chests and slipping down to grab at hardened erections. They grinded each other violently, and before they knew it, they were both naked. Naruto was pressed against the hard alley wall, his chest grazing the rough exterior. Sasuke was poised behind him, breathing heavily into the blonde’s ear. His cock was coated thickly with Naruto’s saliva, their replacement for lube.
Sasuke pressed his erection forwards, and when Naruto bucked his hips backwards, the man began thrusting. What began as gentle grew violent, and soon both of their moans and the distinct slapping of skin filled the air.
Sasuke didn’t get home till late that night, but when he did, all he could feel was a strange happiness, not exhaustion. He fell asleep, hand resting on his shoulder.
~~~
Things went downhill from there. The Uchihas began to demand more from the normal villagers and the villagers began to get restless. It became harder and harder for the two men to meet up. Eventually, it became impossible.
For a few years, all Sasuke could do was to warily look at all the prisoners that came in, hoping that his blonde would never be caught. He handled the political part of the quiet Uchiha empire expansion, as his father didn’t trust him to be cold enough to fight on the front lines.
But then one day, Naruto came in. Sasuke didn’t know it was him at first. Some of the Uchiha guards had gone into the prison, gripping an unconscious figure. “We caught the leader,” one of them said cockily. Fugaku came seemingly out of nowhere, and with a pleased smile, directed his men to put the prisoner in the highest security prison.
He had to go listen to an interrogation one day, and had been shocked to see it was Naruto. Naruto, his beautiful blonde with the beautiful blue eyes… caught. Sasuke had only watched through shocked eyes as they tortured his former lover. He rubbed his right shoulder uncomfortably. Eventually, he had thrown up and left.
***
“Little brother, you haven’t changed.”
“Shut up,” Sasuke growled. He didn’t know why it had taken his so long to visit his brother. Itachi had been locked up for years. But today, he had woken up with the goal of seeing his brother in mind.
“Why?” Sasuke asked, after a moment of silence, a tight frown straining his porcelain face.
“Sometimes you have to look beyond what you know, beyond what you were told. Look carefully around you, little brother.”
Sasuke scowled.
“I tried to kill Mother and Father because of what they were doing to the village.”
There was a moment of terse silence, and then: “I know.” Sasuke collapsed onto the floor, exhausted, “I know.” While growing up, he had eventually begun to see that perhaps what Fugaku and Mikoto were doing wasn’t the best… and yet they were his parents and he loved them… and he didn’t want to think of them that way. Lately it was getting harder and harder.
Itachi had a sad smile on his face. He understood. “I’m sorry, little brother.”
“You’re strong, Nii-san,” Sasuke said, “You’ll get through this.”
“You too, Sasuke. It’s not too late, you know?”
Sasuke nodded grimly. No, it wasn’t too late. He would make sure it’s not too late.
Itachi nodded, eyes resting on Sasuke’s right shoulder.
***
It didn’t take him long to assemble a team. More people resented his parents than he knew, even among the Uchihas. When the time came it was almost too easily. Sasuke had ran into the prison along with five other ninjas. With Katon! Jutsus, they quickly disarmed most of the prison guards and let the villagers free. Itachi was freed. Naruto, too.
Sasuke and Naruto’s first reunion beyond the bars was brief. Naruto flashed Sasuke a weak smile, but by then the alarm began to sound, and Fugaku’s forces flooded into the prison. Then all hell broke loose and Sasuke lost all sight of his former lover.
He fought with all his might, even using some of the jutsus that Iruka, Naruto’s teacher, had taught him. It was easy for the man, and he tosses opponents aside like they were no more bothersome than flies. He was desperate to get to Naruto, He knew that Naruto and the other prisoners would be weak, deprived of both food and fighting practice. Sasuke and the rest of his Uchiha rebels were well fed and trained for battle.
“Fugaku.” Itachi’s low hiss made Sasuke turn around. He stared in horror as his brother took a blade and sliced it through his father’s chest. Instinct almost made him go forth to protect Fugaku, but he hesitated. It was for the best. Itachi turned around to meet Sasuke’s eyes, nodded, and then left, continuing his fighting spree. For a moment, the younger Uchiha could only stare at his father’s dead figure. It was hard to believe that such a powerful man… a man who had directed most of his life… was so weak.
As Fugaku’s followers began to notice that Fugaku was dead, they fled. Soon enough, all that was left were Sasuke and his rebel group. They stared at each other past the bodies, and suddenly all he could remember was Naruto.
“Naruto,” he shouted, stumbling through the corpses that littered the prison floor, “Naruto!”
“Sas…” Sasuke ran towards the weak whisper, staring as he found his blonde lover, bleeding on the floor. He held his hand.
“Naruto, it’s okay, it’s okay, we won.”
“You won,” Naruto corrected with a small smile. His body then convulsed and blood dribbled out of his mouth.
“Shit,” Sasuke hissed, “Don’t go, Naruto. Shit you’ve been there for me through all this time. I need you to be here with me. Please.”
Naruto shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Sasuke snarled, punching the floor beside’s Naruto, “I’M SORRY?! THAT’S STILL ALL YOU CAN SAY?!” He stormed off, heart beating and breathing quickening and he didn’t know how to deal with this and he didn’t want to be there when Naruto…
Naruto could only stare after his lover, still smiling, even as the rest of his life ebbed away from him.
~~~
There was day when they were no more than seventeen when Sasuke had confided to Naruto that he didn’t always like being an Uchiha.
“I hate being branded,” Sasuke had said, frowning.
“You’re not branded by anyone by yourself,” Naruto had said, not understanding his friend’s problem.
“I’m an Uchiha. I have to be an Uchiha.”
“You can be whatever you want, bastard.”
“Idiot. I was born an Uchiha. Just like you were born a nobody.”
At that Naruto had glared, but soon after that, the look had softened. “Look, Sasuke, you can create your own label. Come on, I’ll show you!”
As the blonde went bouncing off, Sasuke had no choice but to follow him to… a tattoo parlor?
“No.”
“Come onnnnn!”
“No.”
“I’ll do you know what~”
The two men had tumbled out of the tattoo parlor, one with a frown and one with a stunning grin. “I told you this was a good idea!” Naruto exclaimed, proudly showing off his tomato tattoo to Sasuke.
“Hnn,” Sasuke said.
***
The inauguration of the new Hokage was an amazing affair. Sasuke strode out of the Hokage’s tower, a small smile on his face as he stared out into the mass of cheering villagers. He looked backwards and caught his brother’s approving nod. With grim determination, he went out to face the crowd. His crowd. He was the crowd’s leader now. He was Konoha’s.
“The former government has been overthrown and starting from now on, I will make sure that everyone is noticed. There will be no nobodies in Konoha anymore.”
A cheer ripped through the air, and Sasuke closed his eyes, imagining blonde hair and blue eyes. Yes, he was Konoha’s, but first and foremost, he would be Naruto’s. He would always be Naruto’s.
Finally, Sasuke sent a genuine smile out to the crowd and he unconsciously rubbed his right shoulder, where a small ramen tattoo was, concealed beneath his Hokage robes.
“We will no longer be branded since birth. Change has come.”
Title: Brands
Rating: R
Summary: Two men deal with the labels that they were born with.
Warnings: Violence, unhappiness
A/N: D: I tried to include as many of your kinks as possible. I hope you like this!
Mod note: Reminder for the author/artist of this submission, please do not reply to comments signed in, if you want to reply anon commenting is enabled.
The blonde struggled against the steely chains that kept him rooted to the same spot. The rusty metal cut into his wrists and ankles, leaving nasty red marks. It was useless for him to try; the bonds were too strong.
“Dammit,” he swore as a particularly rough jerk of his arms caused the metal to cut into his skin. Blood trickled from the wound on his right wrist. While the injury was minimal, it was enough to keep the man still from that moment on.
Time passed questionably, if not at all, and he just stood there, sagging into the bondages. His legs screamed for release; something that the man himself refused to do.
***
“You know something,” he snarled as he shoved the blonde into the wall, “Tell me.”
Breathing in shakily, all the blonde could do was shake his head, almost apologetically.
With a hiss of frustration, the brunette punched the brick wall behind the blonde, apparently unperturbed by the blood that appeared from the resulting scratches. Then again, with clothes that were stained with dirt and blood, he didn’t seem like the type to care.
“Why,” he breathed, just under his breath, “Why won’t you tell me.” The man looked up, rotating his dark gaze from the floor to the blond’s blue, blue eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.” For a moment, an uncharacteristic vulnerability glinted in his eyes, but it was so brief that the blonde wasn’t even sure if it was real.
“I can take it, bastard,” came the blonde’s reply, a grin brightening his face. It was strange to see such a winning smile on the face of a man that looked so defeated.
“Naruto,” the other man whispered, pained. Honesty lit his words as he groaned, “I don’t know if I can.”
Naruto extended his left arm, straining so that his hand could brush the other man’s face. “Sasuke…”
“Why you… why did it have to be you?” Sasuke’s voice cracked, exhaustion dulling the blade of his words. Unconsciously, he gripped his right shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”
“‘I’m sorry’s not enough,’ Naruto.”
“I know.”
“Tell me. Please.”
“... I can’t.”
“We can’t go on like this forever.”
“I know.”
“I… don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’ve said.”
“Why are you doing this to us? To me?”
“I’m sorry.”
At some point in the conversation, Naruto had closed his eyes. He opened them now, searching for Sasuke’s face. But he was gone. Only the receding footsteps proved that the taller man had been there.
***
“It’s you,” Naruto said dully, still-bright eyes latching onto the familiar figure. If life hadn’t tossed him so many surprises recently, he probably would have been shocked. Now, it only seemed fitting that it was Kakashi standing before him today.
Some of his wounds had healed, but whenever he forgot about the sharp metal that bound his limbs, new ones were formed. Along Naruto’s forearms were numerous cuts, both healing and healed. His legs weren’t much better. It didn’t hurt, however, not anymore.
“Yup, it’s me,” the gray-haired man said, a bit too cheerily.
“Where’s Sasuke?”
Kakashi shrugged, choosing instead to walk closer to Naruto. He pushed the blond into the wall that knew his body so well by now. “Do we have to do this the hard way?”
Catching the stubborn glow on Naruto’s face, Kakashi released a sigh. “I see,” he said, tone subtly disappointed. “Sasuke’s been going easy on you,” he observed off-handedly. The only thing that Naruto could remember about what happened next was the sharp, sharp edge of Kakashi’s knife.
***
It was Sasuke again. Naruto stared at the older man, surprised by his change of clothes. For as long as he could remember, Sasuke had been coming down in unkempt clothing that was no better than the rags that currently adorned his own figure. Today, he was wearing fresh clothes: a white shirt that was a stark contrast to the dingy surroundings and dark blue pants, sleek and classy. Sasuke’s expression, however, was the same.
“You can stop this,” he all but begged, dark gaze boring into clear, clear blue.
“I can’t.”
“Don’t lie, Naruto. Not to me.”
“I want to stop this.”
“Then stop it.”
“You know I can’t.”
“No. No, I don’t know you can’t.”
“Sasuke…”
“You promised.” The sudden accusing note in Sasuke’s voice tore Naruto apart.
“Sasuke…”
“You’re a liar, Naruto. A liar.”
“Sasuke… please…”
Sasuke looked at his right shoulder, and then reached into the hidden folds of his pants, pulling out a knife even sharper than Kakashi’s.
“Naruto, I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
***
It was the same. Everyday, it was the same. Soon enough to Naruto, even Sasuke’s visits seemed to blur into one another.
“Sasuke,” the blonde greeted with a false sort of cheer, eyeing the blade the brunette held warily on a seemingly random day.
“Naruto.” Sasuke’s voice was tired, too tired.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t, bastard. Stop letting your fucking father run your life!”
Sasuke flinched and slammed the blade into Naruto’s arm. Pain was now insignificant to Naruto though. He babbled on, an impossible, impossible fire still driving his words.
“Sasuke, you can stop this. You can, you can, you can! Bastard, I believe in you. Please believe in me.”
Sasuke pulled the knife out, seeing redredred, and jammed it into Naruto’s other arm. “Shut up.”
“I won’t, Sasuke, I won’t. You know I’m right? Why won’t you admit it?”
“Why can’t you just tell me” Sasuke snarled, abandoning the knife in Naruto’s arm so that he could lunge forwards. His face was right in front of Naruto’s.
“… I really really really wish I could.”
“How dare you tell me that I can do something about this when you still fucking refuse to tell me anything?!”
“You can trust me.”
“I can’t. Not anymore.”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed.”
“No. It’ll only change if you let it change.”
“I can’t stop change!” Sasuke shouted, voice livid with frustration, “What the fuck do you expect me to do?!”
“Sasuke…”
“Fuck, I hate this. I hate you.”
“Sasuke…”
“SHUT UP. Just… shut up.”
“BASTARD, I just want to say-“
“WHAT PART OF ‘SHUT UP’ DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?”
“I’m sorry.”
Sasuke exploded, ramming his fist into Naruto’s stomach. The blonde flinched, his body going through the movements of vomiting, but there was nothing to release.
“You idiot,” Sasuke growled, trembling as he suddenly leaned against Naruto.
“Your idiot,” Naruto corrected with a sad smile.
“Fuck this.” The brunette slammed his mouth against Naruto’s, hands that had been so violent these past days/weeks/time(?) slipping into the shorter man’s tangled hair. Their lips worked violently against one another, tongues two wrestling snakes.
A low moan was released from Naruto’s mouth and his tanned hand brushed over Sasuke’s right shoulder. That startled Sasuke, and immediately he backed off. Naruto’s blood stained his formerly perfect clothes. Breathing violently, he gave the blonde a look that caused something in him to shatter and then fled.
***
“Mommy mommy mommy,” insisted a short, five-year-old boy, tugging the dark hem of his mother’s dress, “Why are the other kids ignoring that boy?”
Mikoto gaze followed the trail that young Sasuke’s pointing fingers created. “Don’t point,” she chastised automatically, pushing her son’s hands down, blatantly ignoring his question.
Sasuke, with his hands hanging obediently at his sides, tried again, this time gesturing with his nose. “Mommyyyyyy, who is he?”
“He’s nobody,” the woman reluctantly stated, sorrow tainting her beautiful face.
“Nobody?” Sasuke echoed doubtfully. A frown flickered onto his face as he tried to process what his mother had said. But it didn’t make sense to him. How could the other boy be a nobody when he was right there! He had to be a somebody.
He kept on staring at the boy even when his mother started walking away, ushering him along. Suddenly, the other boy turned, and Sasuke’s heart stopped when his dark gaze struck bright, bright blue. He felt like he was drowning.
That was the first time that Sasuke met Naruto.
~~~
The next time he met Naruto, they were seven and had just finished their first school day.
Sasuke had come out of the Uchiha-crested mansion, a smug smile on his face. He had, after all, just aced all of his preliminary exams. And finished them early, too. That was why he was sitting outside of the large academic building, using his foot to kick a pebble around.
“Oh hey! I’ve seen you before!”
The energetic shout made the younger Uchiha heir turn around. His navy eyes soon latched onto a familiar blue. Instinctively, he walked towards the fence. The cerulean-eyed boy was on the other side.
“What are you doing there?” Sasuke asked doubtfully, “Aren’t you in school?”
“No, I just got kicked out,” the smiley boy said with a proud grin on his tanned face. The other boy pointed to the considerably less decorated building behind him, “I go to school there.”
Sasuke frowned, not understanding why the other boy was going to another school. There was only one, The Uchiha School. All of the kids that he knew went to it. “Why don’t you go to school here?” he asked, naïve.
The blonde boy laughed, “I can’t go there, that’s for the Uchihas, like you. I’m Naruto, by the way. Naruto Uzumaki! Don’t you forget it!”
The little brunette’s frown deepened as he thought about the segregated schools. Still, he reluctantly spoke, “I’m Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha.”
“Let’s be friends!” Naruto explained gleefully.
“O-kay,” Sasuke said. Their friendship would become the first secret that he kept from Fugaku and Mikoto.
~~~
Since that meeting, the two boys were nearly inseparable. After school days, they would meet up together to show each other the cool moves that they learned:
“Rasengen!” Naruto shouted as he sent the blaring blue ball sailing through the air, a large grin on his face.
“Hnnn. That’s nothing,” Sasuke said, quickly forming the hand seals for a fire jutsu, “Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!” A stream of fire flared out of the boy’s mouth, illuminating the field with orange.
~~~
As they grew older, it became harder and harder for the two boys to maintain their friendship. They tried anyways:
“Since your brother defected, you have become the Uchiha Village’s sole heir. You must begin to take the responsibilities that your useless traitor brother had. You will not disappoint me.” Fugaku’s words and eyes were stern.
Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, feeling fidgety, as he knew that he was going to be late. Fugaku noticed Sasuke’s restlessness, and with a sigh, said, “We’ll continue this talk later.”
By the time Sasuke had disguised himself and gone into the main village, he was already an hour late. He saw the pouting blonde immediately, and quickly ran to him. “Naruto, I’m s-“
Naruto punched Sasuke in the stomach, his normally happy face angled with angry lines. “Shit man, I’m not your girlfriend. I’m not going to wait around for you every time, you know?”
Sasuke staggered, glaring at his friend, “You know I can’t do anything about it. It’s my responsibility.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You shouldn’t let your family name define you. You’re your own person.”
“I am my own person,” Sasuke snapped, “I am a son. A good one.”
“I know you are,” Naruto said seriously, and then more quietly added, “But you’re Sasuke, too. You aren’t the same as your parents.”
Sasuke snarled, “My parents built this village.”
Sadly, Naruto nodded, “Yes they did.”
~~~
And then it got complicated:
It was just a day like any other, it seemed. Sasuke had just finished some of his Uchiha responsibilities and Naruto had just finished… well, Sasuke never knew what it was exactly that Naruto did, but either way, they met at midnight as usual, in the city, as usual.
It had started out normally, with the two of them just talking. But then it escalated into fighting (about nothing at all), and in all honesty, that wasn’t too strange either. But then things changed.
“BASTARD,” Naruto growled, shoving his fist into Sasuke’s abdomen.
“Idiot,” Sasuke hissed, trying to stay balanced as he sent punch in Naruto’s face’s way.
They kept on exchanging punches, and suddenly their fists weren’t the only things that were connecting. No, their lips were too. Neither of them initiated it. It was a mutual thing. Suddenly, both of them had stopped and they were suddenly kissing, kissing like it was the end of the world.
Sasuke had spent the whole day listening to about how “the rebels” like Naruto were nobodies and that they should be quashed before they got the chance to overthrow the Uchihas. Sasuke had vehemently defended “the rebels,” logically proclaiming that without followers, the Uchiha kingdom would be nothing. In the end, all his arguments were ignored, and instead Sasuke’s father had told him to leave the meeting hall. Afterwards he had gotten a lecture from his father, where Fugaku had talked about the disposability of anyone who wasn’t Uchiha and that if Sasuke didn’t understand that, he was disposable as well.
Seeing Naruto, well, it had reminded him of everything that he was afraid to be. He loved how Naruto was always so true to himself and how he was always so true to Sasuke and suddenly he had wanted nothing more to kiss him. Or perhaps it was just the hormones talking.. even though both men had passed puberty ages ago.
They were kissing and kissing and then suddenly clothes were being tears off, and both men awkwardly stumbled into an abandoned alley. Off went Sasuke’s disguise and his Uchiha hair and Uchiha eyes were suddenly so obvious but Naruto didn’t care because Sasuke was an Uchiha but Sasuke was his and all he wanted was Sasuke.
They had torn at each other ravenously, hand violently running over muscular chests and slipping down to grab at hardened erections. They grinded each other violently, and before they knew it, they were both naked. Naruto was pressed against the hard alley wall, his chest grazing the rough exterior. Sasuke was poised behind him, breathing heavily into the blonde’s ear. His cock was coated thickly with Naruto’s saliva, their replacement for lube.
Sasuke pressed his erection forwards, and when Naruto bucked his hips backwards, the man began thrusting. What began as gentle grew violent, and soon both of their moans and the distinct slapping of skin filled the air.
Sasuke didn’t get home till late that night, but when he did, all he could feel was a strange happiness, not exhaustion. He fell asleep, hand resting on his shoulder.
~~~
Things went downhill from there. The Uchihas began to demand more from the normal villagers and the villagers began to get restless. It became harder and harder for the two men to meet up. Eventually, it became impossible.
For a few years, all Sasuke could do was to warily look at all the prisoners that came in, hoping that his blonde would never be caught. He handled the political part of the quiet Uchiha empire expansion, as his father didn’t trust him to be cold enough to fight on the front lines.
But then one day, Naruto came in. Sasuke didn’t know it was him at first. Some of the Uchiha guards had gone into the prison, gripping an unconscious figure. “We caught the leader,” one of them said cockily. Fugaku came seemingly out of nowhere, and with a pleased smile, directed his men to put the prisoner in the highest security prison.
He had to go listen to an interrogation one day, and had been shocked to see it was Naruto. Naruto, his beautiful blonde with the beautiful blue eyes… caught. Sasuke had only watched through shocked eyes as they tortured his former lover. He rubbed his right shoulder uncomfortably. Eventually, he had thrown up and left.
***
“Little brother, you haven’t changed.”
“Shut up,” Sasuke growled. He didn’t know why it had taken his so long to visit his brother. Itachi had been locked up for years. But today, he had woken up with the goal of seeing his brother in mind.
“Why?” Sasuke asked, after a moment of silence, a tight frown straining his porcelain face.
“Sometimes you have to look beyond what you know, beyond what you were told. Look carefully around you, little brother.”
Sasuke scowled.
“I tried to kill Mother and Father because of what they were doing to the village.”
There was a moment of terse silence, and then: “I know.” Sasuke collapsed onto the floor, exhausted, “I know.” While growing up, he had eventually begun to see that perhaps what Fugaku and Mikoto were doing wasn’t the best… and yet they were his parents and he loved them… and he didn’t want to think of them that way. Lately it was getting harder and harder.
Itachi had a sad smile on his face. He understood. “I’m sorry, little brother.”
“You’re strong, Nii-san,” Sasuke said, “You’ll get through this.”
“You too, Sasuke. It’s not too late, you know?”
Sasuke nodded grimly. No, it wasn’t too late. He would make sure it’s not too late.
Itachi nodded, eyes resting on Sasuke’s right shoulder.
***
It didn’t take him long to assemble a team. More people resented his parents than he knew, even among the Uchihas. When the time came it was almost too easily. Sasuke had ran into the prison along with five other ninjas. With Katon! Jutsus, they quickly disarmed most of the prison guards and let the villagers free. Itachi was freed. Naruto, too.
Sasuke and Naruto’s first reunion beyond the bars was brief. Naruto flashed Sasuke a weak smile, but by then the alarm began to sound, and Fugaku’s forces flooded into the prison. Then all hell broke loose and Sasuke lost all sight of his former lover.
He fought with all his might, even using some of the jutsus that Iruka, Naruto’s teacher, had taught him. It was easy for the man, and he tosses opponents aside like they were no more bothersome than flies. He was desperate to get to Naruto, He knew that Naruto and the other prisoners would be weak, deprived of both food and fighting practice. Sasuke and the rest of his Uchiha rebels were well fed and trained for battle.
“Fugaku.” Itachi’s low hiss made Sasuke turn around. He stared in horror as his brother took a blade and sliced it through his father’s chest. Instinct almost made him go forth to protect Fugaku, but he hesitated. It was for the best. Itachi turned around to meet Sasuke’s eyes, nodded, and then left, continuing his fighting spree. For a moment, the younger Uchiha could only stare at his father’s dead figure. It was hard to believe that such a powerful man… a man who had directed most of his life… was so weak.
As Fugaku’s followers began to notice that Fugaku was dead, they fled. Soon enough, all that was left were Sasuke and his rebel group. They stared at each other past the bodies, and suddenly all he could remember was Naruto.
“Naruto,” he shouted, stumbling through the corpses that littered the prison floor, “Naruto!”
“Sas…” Sasuke ran towards the weak whisper, staring as he found his blonde lover, bleeding on the floor. He held his hand.
“Naruto, it’s okay, it’s okay, we won.”
“You won,” Naruto corrected with a small smile. His body then convulsed and blood dribbled out of his mouth.
“Shit,” Sasuke hissed, “Don’t go, Naruto. Shit you’ve been there for me through all this time. I need you to be here with me. Please.”
Naruto shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Sasuke snarled, punching the floor beside’s Naruto, “I’M SORRY?! THAT’S STILL ALL YOU CAN SAY?!” He stormed off, heart beating and breathing quickening and he didn’t know how to deal with this and he didn’t want to be there when Naruto…
Naruto could only stare after his lover, still smiling, even as the rest of his life ebbed away from him.
~~~
There was day when they were no more than seventeen when Sasuke had confided to Naruto that he didn’t always like being an Uchiha.
“I hate being branded,” Sasuke had said, frowning.
“You’re not branded by anyone by yourself,” Naruto had said, not understanding his friend’s problem.
“I’m an Uchiha. I have to be an Uchiha.”
“You can be whatever you want, bastard.”
“Idiot. I was born an Uchiha. Just like you were born a nobody.”
At that Naruto had glared, but soon after that, the look had softened. “Look, Sasuke, you can create your own label. Come on, I’ll show you!”
As the blonde went bouncing off, Sasuke had no choice but to follow him to… a tattoo parlor?
“No.”
“Come onnnnn!”
“No.”
“I’ll do you know what~”
The two men had tumbled out of the tattoo parlor, one with a frown and one with a stunning grin. “I told you this was a good idea!” Naruto exclaimed, proudly showing off his tomato tattoo to Sasuke.
“Hnn,” Sasuke said.
***
The inauguration of the new Hokage was an amazing affair. Sasuke strode out of the Hokage’s tower, a small smile on his face as he stared out into the mass of cheering villagers. He looked backwards and caught his brother’s approving nod. With grim determination, he went out to face the crowd. His crowd. He was the crowd’s leader now. He was Konoha’s.
“The former government has been overthrown and starting from now on, I will make sure that everyone is noticed. There will be no nobodies in Konoha anymore.”
A cheer ripped through the air, and Sasuke closed his eyes, imagining blonde hair and blue eyes. Yes, he was Konoha’s, but first and foremost, he would be Naruto’s. He would always be Naruto’s.
Finally, Sasuke sent a genuine smile out to the crowd and he unconsciously rubbed his right shoulder, where a small ramen tattoo was, concealed beneath his Hokage robes.
“We will no longer be branded since birth. Change has come.”