Washed Away [OPEN]

[guillotineofgod]

Characters: Anybody washed into the desert by the flood, a shitload of Kishin Eggs.
Location: The desert and ruins surrounding Death City.
Rating: R, in anticipation of swearing in terror.
Time: Sept 14 and onwards, for the duration of the monsoon.
Format: Action or Prose
Description: Whether by accident or in the interest of having fun, more than a few

Comments

[Naruto & Sasuke] [CLOSED]

[blindingrevenge]

The impact forced the breath from Sasuke's lungs, and he gasped, wet for the downpour of rain and the splash that surged up from beneath him. Somehow, though, the landing wasn't as harsh as he'd expected it would be. One black eye cracked open, just in time to hear Naruto gasp a breath against his ear. It was only then that Sasuke realized just what had happened when he fell. He'd slipped going towards the boy, that surge of water had been too much for his legs to handle. It never would have been a problem in his own world, but here it had been too much. Naruto had jumped after him, caught him in the air.

And somehow reversed their positions, to take the brunt of the fall.

He shifted, pushing up from his position flush against Naruto's chest, and already scuffed hands turned slick with mud and wet sand as his palms sank into the ground next to the blond's head. Dark eyes blinked passed water slicing over his forehead and cheeks to find Naruto's whiskered face. This was all too eerily familiar, and instead of getting up from where he was half braced over Naruto's hips and chest, Sasuke froze. The Valley of the End, when Naruto had passed out after everything was said and done. When they'd clashed and the world had imploded for a few seconds, and Sasuke had collapsed with fatigue to look down at his quiet, unconscious face.

This wasn't quite the same, but it still left that rise in his gut that clenched uncomfortably in his chest.

[ninetailedderp]

He wasn't thinking.

It was an easy conclusion to draw with Naruto, and more often than not it was spot on. It simply wasn't in his nature to be the type to stop- consider, reconsider, debate and then chose a course of action. He was a tangle of movement at all times, impulsive and intuitive and maybe, he figured- maybe there wasn't anything wrong with that. Because if he hadn't been, then Sasuke probably would have- Well. He wouldn't have had nearly as nice of a landing.

Pleasantries aside, it simply hadn't been something to question. They were both pushing their limits by the time the rain had started, and more than exhausted when the storm became unbearable. It'd been stupid to stay out there. It'd been stupid to fight as hard as they had. And, in the seconds of utter weightlessness as they fell, Naruto figured that this, this was probably stupid too. But like everything else that precipitated his actions, it was instinct to jump after him, and it had been equally instinctive to latch onto the other ninja. Naruto could remember taking far worse beatings than anything some cliff could offer, after all, and maybe he didn't have the fox around to help his body recover- but how bad could it be anyway?

As it turned out?
This was pretty bad.

He didn't remember the impact, or even much of the fall- but somewhere after his jump, and Sasuke's shirt clenched in his fingers, there was a ringing. It echoed sharply in his ears, became a low hum, and at last began throbbing- a heavy thudthudthud that- that he realized was more than just in his ears. It was his head, his chest, his arms, his legs, his body and it took every ounce of strength in him to force his mouth open and suck in a wet, shuddering breath. Only to release it with a strangled, choking exhale.

[blindingrevenge]

Naruto's fingers were still curled into the fabric of his shirt at his waist, vice like in their grip, and though Sasuke could feel the drumming of his own heart in his ears from adrenalin, from the encounter with the ground, he knew it could have been worse. It would have been worse, though maybe not abnormal for him. He'd taken a beating, fallen from great heights before. But Naruto wasn't moving, and for one heart stopping moment Sasuke's mind reeled from the memory of when he thought he'd killed his friend. Before the emotion could rise into something more pervasive, though, Naruto's mouth opened and he sucked in a wet lungful of air.

Sasuke expected to see that shit eating smile, maybe a little battered around the edges, seconds later. Maybe a laugh, a jibe at him because he'd been the idiot to fall over the side of what was a building, a cliff, he wasn't sure. But instead he was gasping for air, pain etched across his face-- and it was only then that the thought struck the young ninja.

Naruto didn't have that enormous chakra here. He didn't have that annoying regenerative power he'd had back in Konoha. So he was feeling everything the way any of the rest of them might, with the added effect of still acting like the heedless shinobi that leaped before he looked. Hell, it would have hurt just falling on his own- but with Sasuke's added body weight... The tight feeling in Sasuke's chest exploded into fury, fingers curling into half clenched fists in the ground next to muddy blond hair.

"Idiot!" He had to shout over the wind, even with how close he was braced over the other boy's prone body. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!?"

[ninetailedderp]

There were words coming out of Sasuke's mouth. He couldn't make them out and while Naruto could discern the blurry shape of his friend's lips, the movement and what was probably a scowl on his features- he just couldn't hear the sound. There was nothing. Nothing against the overwhelming, indescribable scraping pain against his skull. And then the shaking began.

Naruto's vision swam.
Eyes squeezed shut just to keep from rolling back in his head and the angry sky behind Sasuke's equally angry expression, were eclipsed by nothingness. The ground, thats what he could think of. The ground was hard, and cold- like the rain that kept pelting his face, skin too long numb to even register the chill. The worst of it, however, wasn't any of that, wasn't even Sasuke's weight bearing down mercilessly on broken ribs and lungs that shuddered whenever they wouldn't heave.

The worst of it was- Naruto couldn't bring himself to move.

[blindingrevenge]

Seconds ticked by and even with his shout all but in Naruto's face, there was no discernible reaction. That agonized crease on the boy's face didn't change, and then he started trembling. Dark eyes widened, and alongside that swell of anger he felt a surge that made his stomach twist nauseously. This idiot could handle almost anything. Hell, he'd fought against Gaara and still dragged himself across the dirt without hands. It meant there was something seriously wrong, and that was a pain in the ass. His gaze searched Naruto's face before lowering. They'd learned this in their classes, assessing the damage. Sasuke was no healer, but at least he could get a gist of what he would be dealing with while dragging this idiot's body back up to the city.

He rose back, relieving any pressure his body might have been presenting to the ninja's body, knees sinking into sand next to Naruto's thighs. He cursed under his breath, tugging the wet fabric of Naruto's jacket until he could push his hand underneath it, palm working up against his ribs. It took a lot to critically harm Naruto, or himself even. Neither of them broke easily, and Sasuke had witnessed it first hand in their battle. But he had to constantly remind himself that things were different here. With Naruto, with Itachi.

Jaw clenching, he glared down at the boy, feeling the swelling already starting along the curve of his torso against his fingers. "Damn you, Naruto, we don't have time for this." The storm only seemed to be getting worse, and they'd have to find shelter if nothing else. His gaze darted up, looking for the nearest place they might be able to take cover.

[ninetailedderp]

It happened without warning- the sudden displacement of the weight on his chest, and as soon as Sasuke had moved, his body violently recoiled. A half arch at the base of his spine as air filled his burning lungs and it left him in a wet cough. Weight pivoted forward, at least as much as he was able to, and the pain that spiked through his senses was forgotten for the unstoppable wracking in his chest. The hand that had lifted to his mouth on reflex, returned to the dirt flecked with blood.

The world around him however, was slowly starting to piece itself back together- though Naruto still couldn't decide whether that was a blessing or a curse. With each passing moment the pain intensified, sharpened and thudded and every inch of his body seemed to respond- but, but his vision was also clearing. He could breathe more steadily, and sound- sound was slowly coming into focus. At first the hush of rain, then it became a drumming, Sasuke's face profiled against the storm and words that took only a few, foggy moments to sink in. "You-" He began, voice a low, strangled wheeze before he started again. A little more firm. "You should've thought of that- before you decided to fall- teme."

[blindingrevenge]

"You're the one who jumped," Sasuke snapped back, waspishly but in some way relieved he was at least moving, hand sliding off of Naruto's damp chest and out of his jacket. His gaze turned back to what looked like a waterfall coming down off the the city, and he scoffed softly. How were they ever going to get back up there? They'd have to find a place that was relatively dry, and then there was the added complication of what state Naruto's body was in. Their best bet would be just to find shelter and wait for the storm to lessen. Something of this strength surely couldn't last too long. He hoped.

Still, sitting here wasn't going to get anything done, and it looked like there were some broken buildings not far off. Decided, Sasuke shifted his weight, sandals pushing into mud as he started climbing off of Naruto's lap. "Get up," He ordered, leaning in as he said it and forcing his way under Naruto's arm, supporting him around his back. A gesture all too familiar as he struggled against wet sand and Naruto's injured weight to stand up against the onslaught of rain.

[ninetailedderp]

"I didn't jump-" Another cough, clenched fist wiping at the edge of his mouth. "I saved your ass'ttebayo." The usual declaration, in all it's indignant glory, instead left him as little more than a coughed mutter. His movements were slowed, and while Sasuke was already planning where they could go and charting a course of action, the weight in his bones was all Naruto could think about. He'd fallen off of plenty of things before and had his ass kicked more times than he could count- even in Shibusen, and when his hands shook, lodged themselves in the mud as he forced his body to it's feet- Naruto couldn't say he didn't see this coming.

But with Sasuke pushing in to bear his weight, Naruto still felt like his arm was going to fall off. His chin lifted, gaze narrowed in an attempt to squint against the sheets of rain overhead until he spotted the vague shape of what were probably buildings a short way off. "There-" his head bobbed, a nod in the direction Sasuke already intended to take them, an affirmation of the plan.

[blindingrevenge]

"I would've been fine," Sasuke growled back, hoisting Naruto closer to his side before half limping towards the dark shapes not so far off. Better than Naruto landing hard on his back with the extra weight of another person. It might have been hypocritical of Sasuke to get upset about it, hell he'd probably have done the same thing in one situation or another, but some of Naruto's movements had been sluggish enough during their fight. Nothing any normal person would have noticed, but nobody knew how the Uzumaki fought better than his rival.

His lashes were sticking together and he blinked rapidly against the bright flash of lightning and the rain creeping through his hair and over his face. The rain was so heavy that it almost looked like fog, and Sasuke frowned as he saw movement at the ruins ahead of them. That's right, he doubted they were the only ones who had been washed out here. With how many people were in the city, they couldn't have been the only ones out. Not to mention whomever lived in the lower parts of the city. He shook his head, muscles straining as he struggled against the shifting ground and Naruto half stumbling next to him.

"You can't do shit like that here," He shouted over the rain, resolutely not looking at Naruto but unable to stop running his mouth for his anger. "We don't have our jutsu- you don't have that red chakra that's going to make you heal like that anymore!" He hefted Naruto's weight, jaw gritting as the building became more clear. It wouldn't be so bad if they at least had a real healer in this damn desert. "You're not even better from before, dobe," It came out as an accusation.

[ninetailedderp]

It wasn't the first time they'd relied on each other like this, or that one of them would need to rest the near entirety of their weight on their partner. He might have expected less than this, or at the very least a hint of confusion between them, for how long it had been since they'd last functioned as some semblance of the team they'd once been. But there wasn't. Just simple acceptance and on both their parts, and effortless execution.

Effortless, but not harmonious.

No sooner had Sasuke's voice picked up however, than Naruto whirled on him. There plenty of things he could tolerate, and plenty of things he'd allowed to be thrown on him, but Naruto refused to be misunderstood and like hell he was going to let some stupid fall keep him from making that clear. It just added insult to injury. "I know I don't have my chakra!" He bellowed, arm sliding back from the other's shoulders to stand on his own two feet and he trembling that started then- was anger, not pain. Rain be damned, he wasn't yelling to be heard over the storm, he was yelling to get through Sasuke's thick head. "I know I won't heal right away I know I can die! I followed you to protect you and I won't regret it!"

[blindingrevenge]

The vehemence in his tone, not his pulling away, was what made Sasuke stop and really look at Naruto. It was easy to hear him, with the decibel of his voice, over the rain- and even if he hadn't, he probably could have understood just from the look on his face, the shake in his fists that Sasuke had become all too familiar with. Not pain, but determination. He'd heard a speech similar to this once before, something about being friends and how regardless of what bonds Naruto did or did not understand, Sasuke was still important to him.

But here he was again, all but saying he was willing to die for him. And maybe Naruto would throw his life away to protect a lot of people, but this tenacity-

Sasuke frowned, and maybe there was a hint of melancholy in it as he stared at the boy who tried so hard to be his friend, despite everything Sasuke had done to him. Despite his fighting him with the intent to kill. It made his chest turn uncomfortably. He really didn't deserve this forgiveness. Probably in the same way he wasn't sure Itachi deserved forgiveness, even if his reasons for killing everyone weren't as they'd appeared. Naruto was so damn selfless, so willing to take him back and move passed it, that Sasuke wasn't sure what to do with it.Sasuke breathed in. Could he say he would do the same? Would he have been there if Naruto had been destroyed in the way Sasuke had been by Seimei after he'd been betrayed so violently?

"Can't you calm down?" He finally bit out in return, that quiet frown still on his face as he stepped closer and reached out to grab Naruto's wrist. But whatever he might have been trying to say was stilted, and his attention was diverted as he once again caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

[ninetailedderp]

His mouth open, rebuttal at the ready. In truth he'd maybe only half processed the words that finally came out of Sasuke's mouth, head already full of a dozen replies he was more than able to imagine. To anticipate. He was used to being made light of, and really, Naruto couldn't say he'd been expecting anything to follow his declaration. His friend... His friend had done far worse than leave him empty handed, if it were going to come down to it, and even with the expressions that flickered briefly across the other's face, Naruto still didn't ask the boy for anything in return.

His leg was killing him, and his shoulder was torn up for the hundredth time since he'd arrived in Shibusen and not healing right away was a really big pain in the ass. But- even with the rain pouring down around them, and Sasuke glaring steadily- Even if he kept insisting that he would never be his friend again-

That was worth it. That was worth it a hundred times more.

And then the words sunk in. And confusion ran rampant over Naruto's features, a single syllable hitting the air- until his gaze followed Sasuke's- and the boy promptly decided that- well. They really had much better things to get worked up about. "S- shit."

[blindingrevenge]

Cold fingers unwrapped from Naruto's wrist, and while their conversation- if you could call it that- wasn't wholly forgotten, Sasuke's attention was fully on what had to be a kishin. They picked the worst times to come out, didn't they? And while it made sense, considering just what they were, it was still a giant pain in the ass. Neither of them were in any shape to be fighting.

But, really, they'd done it before. They could do it again. Sasuke's hands curled into fists and he took a step forward, just in front of Naruto. He didn't say anything, but he was fully prepared to take this thing on by himself if Naruto's body was in too rough of shape. Of course, he also knew Naruto would never let that happen, whether it be pride or his tendency towards martyrdom.

They didn't have much time to think, though, because it had spotted them as soon as they had spotted it, and reflexively Sasuke's left arm morphed into the long black fabric of his blindfold. "Don't get cocky," He growled at the creature.

[ninetailedderp]

Of course they were going to be attacked. Why wouldn't they be? He felt Sasuke moving to stand between him and the witch very nearly before he saw him- and instead of adamantly recoiling- of insisting that the other move out of the way, Naruto stayed put. He was headstrong and that was for certain, intent on throwing himself into the fight just as much as he imagined Sasuke would, but Naruto knew it was important to stay exactly where he was. Not for the sake of protection, and not out of weakness- but because doing so meant an acceptance of their partnership, however temporary it might be.

His own fingers curled into fists at his sides, stance widening a fraction, even as Sasuke's arm collapsed into black fabric. "Hey," he began, voice low and gaze narrowed- focused on the creature ahead of them. "You won't be as strong like that."

[blindingrevenge]

"Last time we tried that it didn't work," Sasuke snapped back through the hiss of the rain, more annoyed than anything else. If they couldn't resonate then how the hell would they get out of this? Kishin were stupidly persistent. Gritting his teeth he cracked the fabric, drawing the attention of the beast before leaping sideways, out of the way of it's beserker swing, effectively separating from Naruto- forcing it to be torn between two targets to buy himself time.

They needed to figure something out, and quick-- but really, there wasn't not much he could do on his own. Restrain it, sure, but kill it? No. And Naruto couldn't do it on his own. So he looked up, passed the kishin turning towards him slowly with some kind of unholy growl, and met Naruto's blue eyes through the fall of the rain.

Failed resonation or not, there was really only one thing they could do.

[ninetailedderp]

As far as Naruto was concerned, the memory of their last attempt- if it could even be called that, was all but forgotten with their present circumstances. It wouldn't be the first time that he'd somehow managed to figure things out in the middle of a serious battle, and it probably wouldn't be the last. His gaze cut to Sasuke, even as he moved, and the intention was clear on his face. Maybe they hadn't really tried resonating before, and maybe the last time they'd touched it had backlashed drastically but- Naruto had no intention of dying here.

He ran forward, barreling in the kishin's direction. Maybe he'd like to think things were a little different now. Or that maybe because there was no other option, they'd figure it out. Maybe he understood just a little bit more- maybe they both did.

Without so much as a sideways glance Naruto's arm reached out, and he felt the fabric respond immediately. Almost as immediately as the fire that lanced up his arm.

Or, maybe they were totally screwed.