Fox Magic : Chapter 9 (History) Part I
F o x M a g i c
By
akaitsume
~~~------------------------------------------~~~
Genre: AU-ish/Drama/Romance/Mystery
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru
Rating: R (for now)
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
Warnings: Fantasy-esque, Zoomorphism, a liberal dose of Japanese Mythology, violence, mentions of abuse/torture in later chapters, strong language, and---in later chapters---limes and lemons.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto, but I make them do things they'd never do in the manga.
Archived: Fanfiction.net; Livejournal; Crimson Claws
A/N: I'm back! I had trouble deciding how far to advance the plot in this chapter, hence the wait. I'm pretty excited about where it went, though, so let me know what you think. Short reviews are enjoyed, but I never, ever have a problem with long reviews. I like getting to read people's thoughts. Concrit and guesses welcome.
Enjoy.
Early morning light speared Sasuke’s eyes, drawing a low groan from the surly man. The air in the room was chilled as it settled about his vulnerable face, and unthinkingly, Sasuke burrowed into the incredible source of heat beside him. He’d nearly fallen back into the realm of sleep when his makeshift teddy bear snorted and shifted sleepily in his grasp. Yawning, Sasuke peeled his eyes open.
Blinking heavily, the Uchiha heir gazed down in resignation and bemusement at the red fox curled up against him. Over the last few days, during which they’d had innumerable meetings with the Hokage regarding the strange Sound conflict, Sasuke and Kyuubi had fallen into a bit of a routine. Regardless of how much they sniped at each other during the day, Naruto always returned to his fox form and crawled into his bed at night. Every time, Sasuke thought of protesting, but some unknown reasoning caused him to stay his tongue.
Maybe it was simply that Sasuke’s room was always freezing, and Kyuubi was always warm.
Or maybe Sasuke was just a sap, as he’d long suspected that, deep down, he might very well be.
No wonder Father had never let him get a dog.
Reaching up to rub his bleary eyes with the back of his hand, Sasuke finally noticed something different about this morning, as opposed to the ones that had preceded it. Normally, Kyuubi was long gone by the time Sasuke awoke and could be heard making a mess in his kitchen. Today, for the first time, Sasuke had woken first.
Suddenly, Sasuke was rather awake.
Kyuubi, unaware that he was suddenly being perused intently, slept on, his sides expanding and contracting with each breath. In the quiet morning, the fox’s breathing was just barely audible, rasping just enough to be considered a snore, if Sasuke wanted to call it that. Unbidden, Sasuke smiled. Kyuubi was always such a pain in the ass while awake that Sasuke was usually too irritated to pay the fox any close attention. At times, he wondered if Kyuubi had planned it that way, but he’d already given up on trying to untangle the demon’s obviously warped thought patterns. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why anyone would deliberately antagonize the person who literally held their life in his hands.
Maybe all that solitary confinement had messed Kyuubi up a little.
Or maybe Kyuubi had always been a piece of work.
The fox shifted against his side, breaking Sasuke out of his ruminations. Heat filtered directly from Kyuubi’s back into Sasuke’s chest, relaxing him automatically. Judging by the slowness of Kyuubi’s deep breaths, the fox was far from waking. Biting his lip, Sasuke found himself fighting temptation. Kyuubi was asleep, giving Sasuke the full advantage for the first time since they’d met. If Sasuke did it gently, the fox would never know, and he wouldn’t be able to tease Sasuke mercilessly for it later on. Sasuke shifted uncertainly. Did he dare go for it?
He lifted a hand tentatively, letting it hover in the air above the fox’s side. Sasuke could just hear his father scolding him for his thoughts, claiming that it was unbefitting an Uchiha. Shameful. Weak. When Kyuubi was awake and being a moron, Sasuke found it easy to adhere to those beliefs. A bead of sweat formed on his brow. If he did it right, Kyuubi would never know. He’d sleep right through it. It would be just like it had never happened.
Slowly, his hand descended.
It wasn’t Sasuke’s fault that he wanted this. He’d been deprived as a child.
His fingers paused hesitantly, a mere breath away from Kyuubi’s fur.
Father should have gotten him a dog.
Unable to hold out any longer, Sasuke ran his fingers lightly over Kyuubi’s fur. The breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding ghosted out over his lips at the contact. Gently, as gently as he could manage, he stroked the fox’s side until he reached the multitude of tails, and then raised his hand to do it again. He was petting him.
Sasuke’s eyes lowered to half mast, and once again a content smile found its way onto his face. Kyuubi’s fur was soft against his fingers, and so warm that his fingertips began to tingle. It was like petting a warm cloud. Sighing lightly, Sasuke resettled next to the demon, running his fingers through that thick red fur. Kyuubi didn’t seem to notice aside from a soft huff every now and then, tails twitching upwards involuntarily when Sasuke’s hand neared. Several minutes passed in silence as Sasuke fulfilled his guiltiest fantasy.
Sasuke grew so caught up in what he was doing, in fact, that he barely noticed when Kyuubi began to shift in response to his attentions, lifting his shoulders and stretching his back to maximize rubbing space. The Uchiha heir’s smile grew a little more, and he brought his second hand into play, scratching lightly behind Kyuubi’s ears. The fox made a low, happy noise in response.
Then, slowly, those blue eyes peeled open.
Sasuke’s hand froze on Kyuubi’s side, but Kyuubi simply gazed at him with mostly slitted eyes. After a moment, the fox huffed and rolled onto his feet, stretching lazily. Sasuke had stopped breathing. Any moment now, the abuse would start. Kyuubi would lash into him for his “fur fetish” and would threaten to tell anyone who listened that Sasuke molested foxes in their sleep. Or something equally horrible. A scowl darkening his face, Sasuke felt his hackles rising in defense.
Instead of saying a word, however, Kyuubi simply pressed a paw into Sasuke’s chest, pushing until the confused man obligingly lay on his back. A sleepy look in his eyes, Kyuubi gingerly pressed a paw atop Sasuke’s chest, tapped it twice…and leapt up onto him. Yawning mightily, Kyuubi curled up on the startled Uchiha’s chest and, by all impressions, seemed to go straight back to sleep.
Frozen, Sasuke stared incredulously at the fox on his chest. Kyuubi, I’m-going-to-make-Sasuke’s-life-as-miserable-as-possible Kyuubi, had decided to forgo a golden opportunity to tease his master in favor of…of…snuggling?
Hesitantly, Sasuke lifted his hands and resumed petting the demon. Kyuubi’s lips turned up in a sleepy smile, and the demon hummed lightly at the attention. Still uncertain, Sasuke grew a little bolder with his petting, stroking the fox’s tails and rubbing the top of his head. Kyuubi’s humming grew louder. Slowly, Sasuke’s smile returned, though this time it came in the shape of a smirk. His hands wandered, caressing the soft pads under Kyuubi’s remarkably hand-like front paws, the short, thin fur under Kyuubi’s chin, and even the fur just above the heavy golden ring at the base of his center tail. Kyuubi subjected himself sleepily, yet eagerly, to everything Sasuke could come up with. Sasuke’s smirk grew into a grin.
Abruptly, Kyuubi lifted his head and stared at Sasuke with heavy eyes, his lips unsmiling. Sasuke had a brief moment of doubt curl in his belly-after all, he’d already seen the rows of sharp teeth in Kyuubi’s mouth, and in his apparent half-asleep state, Sasuke might lose his nose. His hands clenched on the fox’s sides, and he contemplated tossing the demon off him before Kyuubi could get any ideas.
Kyuubi leaned forward and licked him. On the cheek.
Sasuke blinked.
Apparently unsatisfied, Kyuubi licked him again. And again. And kept licking him.
Startled, Sasuke burst into laughter. “K-Kyuubi! What the hell!” The fox ignored him, scooting forward until he could lave Sasuke’s entire face with his tongue. Sputtering, Sasuke vainly tried to bat him away. “Stop it!”
Kyuubi made another happy noise, butting Sasuke’s hand in an attempt to receive more petting even as he continued to slobber all over Sasuke’s face. Turning red with embarrassment, Sasuke lifted a hand and smacked Kyuubi, hard, on the head.
“I said stop!”
Kyuubi stopped.
The fox blinked down at him with startled blue eyes, having been shocked awake by the blow to the head. As Sasuke watched, those cerulean eyes grew wider, and the fox’s mouth dropped open, emitting a choked off sound.
And before Sasuke could move, Kyuubi had flown off him, jumped off the bed, and run out the bedroom door.
Sasuke stared after him for a moment before reluctantly detangling himself from the bedclothes and climbing to his feet. He followed along the still quiet hallway, coming to a stop at the entryway to the kitchen.
Naruto sat at the table, his face buried in his folded arms. His ears were red.
Clearing his throat, Sasuke folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “So, Naruto. Care to tell me what that was about?”
The blond’s back tensed. “ ‘S all your damn fault,” he muttered.
Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. “My fault? How is it my fault?”
What little Sasuke could see of Naruto’s face was burning a deep cherry red. “If you hadn’t been touching me like that, I wouldn’t have…” With a strange noise, Naruto cut himself off.
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?” he asked challengingly. “You’re telling me that just because I rubbed your back, you had to slobber all over me??”
Even the roots of Naruto’s hair were turning red.
“I just…you shouldn’t… Gyaaaah!” Abruptly, Naruto raised his tomato-red face, scowling furiously at the Uchiha heir. “It made me feel affectionate, all right?? I was half asleep, and your petting…felt…nice,” he ground out. “I forgot myself! That’s all!”
Despite himself, Sasuke’s lips began to twitch. “Affectionate, is it? You’re not going to start calling me pet names now, are you?”
Growling, Naruto rose to his feet. “No, apparently you are, since you felt the need to get so fresh with me in the first place. Care to explain that, Sasuke?”
The smile that had been threatening to appear on Sasuke’s face disappeared immediately. He grew a scowl to match Naruto’s.
“That…that’s none of your business.”
Naruto barked out a short laugh. “None of my business? Hello? I’m the one who was being molested here. Should I start worrying about my virtue when I climb into bed with you?” His blush began to fade, starting with his hair and traveling down. “If you can learn to control yourself, we won’t have any more of these little mishaps.”
“Maybe you should just stop sleeping in my bed! Don’t animals belong on the floor anyway?” Sasuke shot back. Naruto’s eyes flashed red, narrowing.
“Hmm.” The demon eyed him, an unsettling glint entering his eyes. Sasuke resisted the urge to shift nervously. After a moment, Naruto smiled deviously, his eyes returning to their normal blue. “Oh ho!”
Sasuke’s scowl deepened. “ ‘Oh ho’ what?”
“I get what’s happening now.” Wearing a shit-eating grin, Naruto strode into Sasuke’s personal space and folded his arms over his chest. “You’re growing fond of me, aren’t you?”
“What?!” Sasuke sputtered, taking a firm step away. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a pain in my ass, and you know it.”
If anything, Naruto’s grin grew. “Perhaps. But I’m starting to think you like it, Sasuke-kun.”
Oh god no. Not the “kun” treatment. “Naruto, I swear, if you start flirting with me, I’ll kill you.” Sasuke took another pointed step away for good measure, eyes flipping into the Sharingan. Naruto simply laughed and waved a hand at him.
“Relax. I told you before, I’m not really into Uchihas. You guys are way too uptight for me.” He eyed Sasuke again in a way that distinctly made the Uchiha want to hit him. “Though I suppose you’re not too bad.”
“Naruto…” Sasuke growled warningly. The blond simply laughed again, finally turning away. Sasuke slowly relaxed his tense posture as Naruto made his way towards the living room, an irritating swagger in his hips. The blond paused at the connecting wall, glancing over his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
“Does that mean you won’t mind if I give Neji a go? He’s gorgeous, after all.”
“WHAT?”
Laughing heartily, Naruto scampered out of the kitchen. Seconds later, the TV came blaring to life. Muttering under his breath, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and stormed over to the cabinets over the sink. He threw them open with a vengeance, noting that it was way too fucking early in the morning to be dealing with the monster in his house…and he was out of coffee. Cursing, he slammed the cabinet door shut.
Turning, he yanked a chair out from the table and sat heavily, closing his eyes. I wish I had some coffee.
Plonk.
Opening his eyes at the heavy sound, Sasuke found himself looking down at a steaming cup of coffee. It sat innocently on the table, tempting him with its heady aroma. Cautiously, he picked up the mug, blew over the top, and took a small sip.
It had just a dash of milk (not cream) and no sugar. Exactly the way Sasuke liked it.
Scowling, Sasuke rose to his feet and stormed into the living room, where Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the couch. The blond tilted his head in Sasuke’s direction, but his eyes never left the TV screen.
“What’s up, oh great, wise and molesting master?”
Sasuke ground his teeth and shoved the offending mug of coffee forward, brandishing it at the fox demon. “What the hell is this?”
“What’s what?” Naruto’s brow furrowed, but his eyes remained glued to the screen. Snarling, Sasuke stepped between the couch and the television, effectively blocking Naruto’s view. “Hey!”
Sasuke pushed the cup directly under Naruto’s nose. “What. The hell. Is this?”
Naruto blinked down at it. “A cup of coffee?”
“I know that. I’m asking where it came from.”
The blond frowned at the cup, then at Sasuke. “What, is this supposed to be a hint or something? You had to make your own breakfast for once, and you’re pissed?” He rolled his blue eyes. “If you wanted breakfast, all you had to do was-”
“I didn’t make it! This cup just appeared on the table, and I didn’t wish for it.” Sasuke frowned down at him. “I thought you said you couldn’t read my thoughts.”
“I…” Naruto blinked in surprise and confusion. “I can’t. I didn’t.”
The coffee hovered innocuously.
“Naruto, I didn’t wish for this aloud. How did you do it?” Unsettled, Sasuke softened his voice. Naruto’s face grew pale as he stared at the cup.
“Sasuke…I honestly don’t know.”
Gaara sat stoically in his chair in the Kazekage’s office, listening to the man’s rants with unrelenting boredom. His master, Temari, sat nervously beside him, trying valiantly to look composed in front of her father as he spoke of conquest and war. Personally, Gaara couldn’t care less what the man’s issues or desires were, and officially, they were none of his concern, as the Kazekage was not Gaara’s master.
At least the buffoon hadn’t tried to rename Gaara when he bound the tanuki to his daughter. One cold glare had been enough to make the man reconsider his contrived slave name of Suna, “sand,” which was so unoriginal that Gaara had nearly murdered him on the spot. At least “Gaara” involved some creativity when it was first given to him, even if “one who loves himself” was merely pointing fun at the character for love on his forehead. The tattoo throbbed gently at the thought.
He still remembered the day he created it, the single act of devotion he had been allowed to make. Kyuubi-sama had been embarrassed by it.
“Ah, Shukaku!” Kyuubi-sama smiled warmly at him, dressed as always in his shimmering body armor. His mess of blond and red hair spilled wildly over his shoulders, shifting as he reached up to clasp a comradely hand upon the tanuki demon’s shoulder. “I was wondering what kept you.”
Shukaku smirked, bringing a hand up to clasp his leader’s arm in turn. “You know that nothing would deter me for long, Kyuubi-sama. I plan to be right by your side when you lead us into battle.”
Kyuubi-sama’s grin grew slightly abashed. “I know. And I appreciate it, more than I can say. But, Shukaku…” His violet eyes flickered up to the tanuki’s forehead. “What did you do to your head?”
His twitching lips betraying his slight nervousness-Kyuubi-sama was not known for attacking his followers, but he was known to occasionally lose his head when caught off guard-Shukaku lifted his hands to the makeshift bandage over his forehead. He unwound the coarse cloth, revealing his work to his leader. Kyuubi-sama’s eyes widened.
“You… Shukaku, did you do this to yourself?” With uncommon hesitancy, Kyuubi-sama ghosted his fingers over the tattoo. Shukaku shivered.
“Yes. I wanted you to be the first to see it.” Wrapping his hand about Kyuubi-sama’s fingers, he brought the fox demon’s hand down and gazed into the owner’s eyes. “You should know, before we go into battle, the strength of my devotion. My strength is your strength. Your will my will.”
Contrary to his expectations, Kyuubi-sama actually looked embarrassed. “Shukaku, I…” He tried off, violet eyes searching Shukaku’s golden ones questioningly. After a moment, he gave the tanuki a quirky smile.
“Thank you.”
The two demons fell into silence, looking out over the rolling hills. Mt. Fuji rumbled in the distance, steam rising from its mouth. Several lesser demons littered the grounds between their vantage point and the great mountain, restless before the battle to come. The sun was quickly dipping towards the horizon, and the moon, drenched in blood, shone brighter than ever.
“Gaara! Are you listening to me?”
The Kazekage’s irate voice snapped Gaara back to the present. His instincts had sand rushing towards the imbecile at the shock, and Gaara glowered as he restrained it. The sand nearly cried out in disappointment as it marched back into the gourd on his back. Gritting his teeth, he glared at the Kazekage.
“What?” he bit out grudgingly.
The Kazekage eyed him with distaste. “I told you that I needed Sound to press a full attack against Konoha by now. Konoha’s strong enough to fight a one-front war, but not two. Why hasn’t Sound come forward?”
“Human minds are fickle things,” Gaara replied dryly. “I can’t force two nations to go to war. I can merely suggest it as an option.”
“You controlled that Sound unit long enough to get them to attack!” the Kazekage stated accusingly. Gaara fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“I didn’t make the rules, Kazekage…sama. I can control one being, perhaps two, through a wish. But while I can incite war, I cannot force it.”
Gaara lost interest as the man began to splutter once more, gazing out the window and reaching up to fiddle idly with the silver band on his right middle finger. The Kazekage turned to his daughter, pointing a bejeweled finger at the tanuki.
“Temari! Order him to comply with my wishes!”
His daughter frowned at him, glancing uncertainly at the quiet demon beside her. “I’ve tried, Father. He can’t carry them out.”
“Impossible! The old scrolls clearly state that-”
“I am not to blame if your ancestors did not record the rules of servitude accurately,” Gaara cut in, slanting an icy gaze at the Kazekage. The man took a step back, involuntarily. “If you want to go to war, you should declare war. Leave me out of it.”
“And waste such a valuable tool? Never!” The Kazekage scowled. “Konoha would never be able to stand up against us if we had your full power behind us.”
Slowly, Gaara allowed himself to smirk. “Yet you have not figured out how to unleash my full power. Do you wonder why that is?”
At the cool, dangerous tone of Gaara’s voice, the Kazekage took another step back, then braced himself. “I’ll have you remember that you’re speaking to the highest ranking member of the Wind Country. You have no right to-”
“I am speaking to a man who was too cowardly to bind himself to a demon of unknown power, and chose to sacrifice his only son and daughter instead. You now have only one surviving child.” With that, Gaara rose to his feet and leveled an arctic glare on the man. “I only acknowledge my betters.”
Ignoring the Kazekage’s splutters, Gaara left the room and let the door bang shut behind him.
Continue to Part II
Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
Chapter 2: Useless
Chapter 3: Adjustments
Chapter 4: What's In A Name
Chapter 5: Pain
Chapter 6: Idiocy
Chapter 7: The Spotless Mind
Chapter 8: Interference
By
akaitsume
~~~------------------------------------------~~~
Genre: AU-ish/Drama/Romance/Mystery
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru
Rating: R (for now)
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
Warnings: Fantasy-esque, Zoomorphism, a liberal dose of Japanese Mythology, violence, mentions of abuse/torture in later chapters, strong language, and---in later chapters---limes and lemons.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto, but I make them do things they'd never do in the manga.
Archived: Fanfiction.net; Livejournal; Crimson Claws
A/N: I'm back! I had trouble deciding how far to advance the plot in this chapter, hence the wait. I'm pretty excited about where it went, though, so let me know what you think. Short reviews are enjoyed, but I never, ever have a problem with long reviews. I like getting to read people's thoughts. Concrit and guesses welcome.
Enjoy.
Early morning light speared Sasuke’s eyes, drawing a low groan from the surly man. The air in the room was chilled as it settled about his vulnerable face, and unthinkingly, Sasuke burrowed into the incredible source of heat beside him. He’d nearly fallen back into the realm of sleep when his makeshift teddy bear snorted and shifted sleepily in his grasp. Yawning, Sasuke peeled his eyes open.
Blinking heavily, the Uchiha heir gazed down in resignation and bemusement at the red fox curled up against him. Over the last few days, during which they’d had innumerable meetings with the Hokage regarding the strange Sound conflict, Sasuke and Kyuubi had fallen into a bit of a routine. Regardless of how much they sniped at each other during the day, Naruto always returned to his fox form and crawled into his bed at night. Every time, Sasuke thought of protesting, but some unknown reasoning caused him to stay his tongue.
Maybe it was simply that Sasuke’s room was always freezing, and Kyuubi was always warm.
Or maybe Sasuke was just a sap, as he’d long suspected that, deep down, he might very well be.
No wonder Father had never let him get a dog.
Reaching up to rub his bleary eyes with the back of his hand, Sasuke finally noticed something different about this morning, as opposed to the ones that had preceded it. Normally, Kyuubi was long gone by the time Sasuke awoke and could be heard making a mess in his kitchen. Today, for the first time, Sasuke had woken first.
Suddenly, Sasuke was rather awake.
Kyuubi, unaware that he was suddenly being perused intently, slept on, his sides expanding and contracting with each breath. In the quiet morning, the fox’s breathing was just barely audible, rasping just enough to be considered a snore, if Sasuke wanted to call it that. Unbidden, Sasuke smiled. Kyuubi was always such a pain in the ass while awake that Sasuke was usually too irritated to pay the fox any close attention. At times, he wondered if Kyuubi had planned it that way, but he’d already given up on trying to untangle the demon’s obviously warped thought patterns. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why anyone would deliberately antagonize the person who literally held their life in his hands.
Maybe all that solitary confinement had messed Kyuubi up a little.
Or maybe Kyuubi had always been a piece of work.
The fox shifted against his side, breaking Sasuke out of his ruminations. Heat filtered directly from Kyuubi’s back into Sasuke’s chest, relaxing him automatically. Judging by the slowness of Kyuubi’s deep breaths, the fox was far from waking. Biting his lip, Sasuke found himself fighting temptation. Kyuubi was asleep, giving Sasuke the full advantage for the first time since they’d met. If Sasuke did it gently, the fox would never know, and he wouldn’t be able to tease Sasuke mercilessly for it later on. Sasuke shifted uncertainly. Did he dare go for it?
He lifted a hand tentatively, letting it hover in the air above the fox’s side. Sasuke could just hear his father scolding him for his thoughts, claiming that it was unbefitting an Uchiha. Shameful. Weak. When Kyuubi was awake and being a moron, Sasuke found it easy to adhere to those beliefs. A bead of sweat formed on his brow. If he did it right, Kyuubi would never know. He’d sleep right through it. It would be just like it had never happened.
Slowly, his hand descended.
It wasn’t Sasuke’s fault that he wanted this. He’d been deprived as a child.
His fingers paused hesitantly, a mere breath away from Kyuubi’s fur.
Father should have gotten him a dog.
Unable to hold out any longer, Sasuke ran his fingers lightly over Kyuubi’s fur. The breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding ghosted out over his lips at the contact. Gently, as gently as he could manage, he stroked the fox’s side until he reached the multitude of tails, and then raised his hand to do it again. He was petting him.
Sasuke’s eyes lowered to half mast, and once again a content smile found its way onto his face. Kyuubi’s fur was soft against his fingers, and so warm that his fingertips began to tingle. It was like petting a warm cloud. Sighing lightly, Sasuke resettled next to the demon, running his fingers through that thick red fur. Kyuubi didn’t seem to notice aside from a soft huff every now and then, tails twitching upwards involuntarily when Sasuke’s hand neared. Several minutes passed in silence as Sasuke fulfilled his guiltiest fantasy.
Sasuke grew so caught up in what he was doing, in fact, that he barely noticed when Kyuubi began to shift in response to his attentions, lifting his shoulders and stretching his back to maximize rubbing space. The Uchiha heir’s smile grew a little more, and he brought his second hand into play, scratching lightly behind Kyuubi’s ears. The fox made a low, happy noise in response.
Then, slowly, those blue eyes peeled open.
Sasuke’s hand froze on Kyuubi’s side, but Kyuubi simply gazed at him with mostly slitted eyes. After a moment, the fox huffed and rolled onto his feet, stretching lazily. Sasuke had stopped breathing. Any moment now, the abuse would start. Kyuubi would lash into him for his “fur fetish” and would threaten to tell anyone who listened that Sasuke molested foxes in their sleep. Or something equally horrible. A scowl darkening his face, Sasuke felt his hackles rising in defense.
Instead of saying a word, however, Kyuubi simply pressed a paw into Sasuke’s chest, pushing until the confused man obligingly lay on his back. A sleepy look in his eyes, Kyuubi gingerly pressed a paw atop Sasuke’s chest, tapped it twice…and leapt up onto him. Yawning mightily, Kyuubi curled up on the startled Uchiha’s chest and, by all impressions, seemed to go straight back to sleep.
Frozen, Sasuke stared incredulously at the fox on his chest. Kyuubi, I’m-going-to-make-Sasuke’s-life-as-miserable-as-possible Kyuubi, had decided to forgo a golden opportunity to tease his master in favor of…of…snuggling?
Hesitantly, Sasuke lifted his hands and resumed petting the demon. Kyuubi’s lips turned up in a sleepy smile, and the demon hummed lightly at the attention. Still uncertain, Sasuke grew a little bolder with his petting, stroking the fox’s tails and rubbing the top of his head. Kyuubi’s humming grew louder. Slowly, Sasuke’s smile returned, though this time it came in the shape of a smirk. His hands wandered, caressing the soft pads under Kyuubi’s remarkably hand-like front paws, the short, thin fur under Kyuubi’s chin, and even the fur just above the heavy golden ring at the base of his center tail. Kyuubi subjected himself sleepily, yet eagerly, to everything Sasuke could come up with. Sasuke’s smirk grew into a grin.
Abruptly, Kyuubi lifted his head and stared at Sasuke with heavy eyes, his lips unsmiling. Sasuke had a brief moment of doubt curl in his belly-after all, he’d already seen the rows of sharp teeth in Kyuubi’s mouth, and in his apparent half-asleep state, Sasuke might lose his nose. His hands clenched on the fox’s sides, and he contemplated tossing the demon off him before Kyuubi could get any ideas.
Kyuubi leaned forward and licked him. On the cheek.
Sasuke blinked.
Apparently unsatisfied, Kyuubi licked him again. And again. And kept licking him.
Startled, Sasuke burst into laughter. “K-Kyuubi! What the hell!” The fox ignored him, scooting forward until he could lave Sasuke’s entire face with his tongue. Sputtering, Sasuke vainly tried to bat him away. “Stop it!”
Kyuubi made another happy noise, butting Sasuke’s hand in an attempt to receive more petting even as he continued to slobber all over Sasuke’s face. Turning red with embarrassment, Sasuke lifted a hand and smacked Kyuubi, hard, on the head.
“I said stop!”
Kyuubi stopped.
The fox blinked down at him with startled blue eyes, having been shocked awake by the blow to the head. As Sasuke watched, those cerulean eyes grew wider, and the fox’s mouth dropped open, emitting a choked off sound.
And before Sasuke could move, Kyuubi had flown off him, jumped off the bed, and run out the bedroom door.
Sasuke stared after him for a moment before reluctantly detangling himself from the bedclothes and climbing to his feet. He followed along the still quiet hallway, coming to a stop at the entryway to the kitchen.
Naruto sat at the table, his face buried in his folded arms. His ears were red.
Clearing his throat, Sasuke folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “So, Naruto. Care to tell me what that was about?”
The blond’s back tensed. “ ‘S all your damn fault,” he muttered.
Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. “My fault? How is it my fault?”
What little Sasuke could see of Naruto’s face was burning a deep cherry red. “If you hadn’t been touching me like that, I wouldn’t have…” With a strange noise, Naruto cut himself off.
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?” he asked challengingly. “You’re telling me that just because I rubbed your back, you had to slobber all over me??”
Even the roots of Naruto’s hair were turning red.
“I just…you shouldn’t… Gyaaaah!” Abruptly, Naruto raised his tomato-red face, scowling furiously at the Uchiha heir. “It made me feel affectionate, all right?? I was half asleep, and your petting…felt…nice,” he ground out. “I forgot myself! That’s all!”
Despite himself, Sasuke’s lips began to twitch. “Affectionate, is it? You’re not going to start calling me pet names now, are you?”
Growling, Naruto rose to his feet. “No, apparently you are, since you felt the need to get so fresh with me in the first place. Care to explain that, Sasuke?”
The smile that had been threatening to appear on Sasuke’s face disappeared immediately. He grew a scowl to match Naruto’s.
“That…that’s none of your business.”
Naruto barked out a short laugh. “None of my business? Hello? I’m the one who was being molested here. Should I start worrying about my virtue when I climb into bed with you?” His blush began to fade, starting with his hair and traveling down. “If you can learn to control yourself, we won’t have any more of these little mishaps.”
“Maybe you should just stop sleeping in my bed! Don’t animals belong on the floor anyway?” Sasuke shot back. Naruto’s eyes flashed red, narrowing.
“Hmm.” The demon eyed him, an unsettling glint entering his eyes. Sasuke resisted the urge to shift nervously. After a moment, Naruto smiled deviously, his eyes returning to their normal blue. “Oh ho!”
Sasuke’s scowl deepened. “ ‘Oh ho’ what?”
“I get what’s happening now.” Wearing a shit-eating grin, Naruto strode into Sasuke’s personal space and folded his arms over his chest. “You’re growing fond of me, aren’t you?”
“What?!” Sasuke sputtered, taking a firm step away. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a pain in my ass, and you know it.”
If anything, Naruto’s grin grew. “Perhaps. But I’m starting to think you like it, Sasuke-kun.”
Oh god no. Not the “kun” treatment. “Naruto, I swear, if you start flirting with me, I’ll kill you.” Sasuke took another pointed step away for good measure, eyes flipping into the Sharingan. Naruto simply laughed and waved a hand at him.
“Relax. I told you before, I’m not really into Uchihas. You guys are way too uptight for me.” He eyed Sasuke again in a way that distinctly made the Uchiha want to hit him. “Though I suppose you’re not too bad.”
“Naruto…” Sasuke growled warningly. The blond simply laughed again, finally turning away. Sasuke slowly relaxed his tense posture as Naruto made his way towards the living room, an irritating swagger in his hips. The blond paused at the connecting wall, glancing over his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
“Does that mean you won’t mind if I give Neji a go? He’s gorgeous, after all.”
“WHAT?”
Laughing heartily, Naruto scampered out of the kitchen. Seconds later, the TV came blaring to life. Muttering under his breath, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and stormed over to the cabinets over the sink. He threw them open with a vengeance, noting that it was way too fucking early in the morning to be dealing with the monster in his house…and he was out of coffee. Cursing, he slammed the cabinet door shut.
Turning, he yanked a chair out from the table and sat heavily, closing his eyes. I wish I had some coffee.
Plonk.
Opening his eyes at the heavy sound, Sasuke found himself looking down at a steaming cup of coffee. It sat innocently on the table, tempting him with its heady aroma. Cautiously, he picked up the mug, blew over the top, and took a small sip.
It had just a dash of milk (not cream) and no sugar. Exactly the way Sasuke liked it.
Scowling, Sasuke rose to his feet and stormed into the living room, where Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the couch. The blond tilted his head in Sasuke’s direction, but his eyes never left the TV screen.
“What’s up, oh great, wise and molesting master?”
Sasuke ground his teeth and shoved the offending mug of coffee forward, brandishing it at the fox demon. “What the hell is this?”
“What’s what?” Naruto’s brow furrowed, but his eyes remained glued to the screen. Snarling, Sasuke stepped between the couch and the television, effectively blocking Naruto’s view. “Hey!”
Sasuke pushed the cup directly under Naruto’s nose. “What. The hell. Is this?”
Naruto blinked down at it. “A cup of coffee?”
“I know that. I’m asking where it came from.”
The blond frowned at the cup, then at Sasuke. “What, is this supposed to be a hint or something? You had to make your own breakfast for once, and you’re pissed?” He rolled his blue eyes. “If you wanted breakfast, all you had to do was-”
“I didn’t make it! This cup just appeared on the table, and I didn’t wish for it.” Sasuke frowned down at him. “I thought you said you couldn’t read my thoughts.”
“I…” Naruto blinked in surprise and confusion. “I can’t. I didn’t.”
The coffee hovered innocuously.
“Naruto, I didn’t wish for this aloud. How did you do it?” Unsettled, Sasuke softened his voice. Naruto’s face grew pale as he stared at the cup.
“Sasuke…I honestly don’t know.”
Gaara sat stoically in his chair in the Kazekage’s office, listening to the man’s rants with unrelenting boredom. His master, Temari, sat nervously beside him, trying valiantly to look composed in front of her father as he spoke of conquest and war. Personally, Gaara couldn’t care less what the man’s issues or desires were, and officially, they were none of his concern, as the Kazekage was not Gaara’s master.
At least the buffoon hadn’t tried to rename Gaara when he bound the tanuki to his daughter. One cold glare had been enough to make the man reconsider his contrived slave name of Suna, “sand,” which was so unoriginal that Gaara had nearly murdered him on the spot. At least “Gaara” involved some creativity when it was first given to him, even if “one who loves himself” was merely pointing fun at the character for love on his forehead. The tattoo throbbed gently at the thought.
He still remembered the day he created it, the single act of devotion he had been allowed to make. Kyuubi-sama had been embarrassed by it.
“Ah, Shukaku!” Kyuubi-sama smiled warmly at him, dressed as always in his shimmering body armor. His mess of blond and red hair spilled wildly over his shoulders, shifting as he reached up to clasp a comradely hand upon the tanuki demon’s shoulder. “I was wondering what kept you.”
Shukaku smirked, bringing a hand up to clasp his leader’s arm in turn. “You know that nothing would deter me for long, Kyuubi-sama. I plan to be right by your side when you lead us into battle.”
Kyuubi-sama’s grin grew slightly abashed. “I know. And I appreciate it, more than I can say. But, Shukaku…” His violet eyes flickered up to the tanuki’s forehead. “What did you do to your head?”
His twitching lips betraying his slight nervousness-Kyuubi-sama was not known for attacking his followers, but he was known to occasionally lose his head when caught off guard-Shukaku lifted his hands to the makeshift bandage over his forehead. He unwound the coarse cloth, revealing his work to his leader. Kyuubi-sama’s eyes widened.
“You… Shukaku, did you do this to yourself?” With uncommon hesitancy, Kyuubi-sama ghosted his fingers over the tattoo. Shukaku shivered.
“Yes. I wanted you to be the first to see it.” Wrapping his hand about Kyuubi-sama’s fingers, he brought the fox demon’s hand down and gazed into the owner’s eyes. “You should know, before we go into battle, the strength of my devotion. My strength is your strength. Your will my will.”
Contrary to his expectations, Kyuubi-sama actually looked embarrassed. “Shukaku, I…” He tried off, violet eyes searching Shukaku’s golden ones questioningly. After a moment, he gave the tanuki a quirky smile.
“Thank you.”
The two demons fell into silence, looking out over the rolling hills. Mt. Fuji rumbled in the distance, steam rising from its mouth. Several lesser demons littered the grounds between their vantage point and the great mountain, restless before the battle to come. The sun was quickly dipping towards the horizon, and the moon, drenched in blood, shone brighter than ever.
“Gaara! Are you listening to me?”
The Kazekage’s irate voice snapped Gaara back to the present. His instincts had sand rushing towards the imbecile at the shock, and Gaara glowered as he restrained it. The sand nearly cried out in disappointment as it marched back into the gourd on his back. Gritting his teeth, he glared at the Kazekage.
“What?” he bit out grudgingly.
The Kazekage eyed him with distaste. “I told you that I needed Sound to press a full attack against Konoha by now. Konoha’s strong enough to fight a one-front war, but not two. Why hasn’t Sound come forward?”
“Human minds are fickle things,” Gaara replied dryly. “I can’t force two nations to go to war. I can merely suggest it as an option.”
“You controlled that Sound unit long enough to get them to attack!” the Kazekage stated accusingly. Gaara fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“I didn’t make the rules, Kazekage…sama. I can control one being, perhaps two, through a wish. But while I can incite war, I cannot force it.”
Gaara lost interest as the man began to splutter once more, gazing out the window and reaching up to fiddle idly with the silver band on his right middle finger. The Kazekage turned to his daughter, pointing a bejeweled finger at the tanuki.
“Temari! Order him to comply with my wishes!”
His daughter frowned at him, glancing uncertainly at the quiet demon beside her. “I’ve tried, Father. He can’t carry them out.”
“Impossible! The old scrolls clearly state that-”
“I am not to blame if your ancestors did not record the rules of servitude accurately,” Gaara cut in, slanting an icy gaze at the Kazekage. The man took a step back, involuntarily. “If you want to go to war, you should declare war. Leave me out of it.”
“And waste such a valuable tool? Never!” The Kazekage scowled. “Konoha would never be able to stand up against us if we had your full power behind us.”
Slowly, Gaara allowed himself to smirk. “Yet you have not figured out how to unleash my full power. Do you wonder why that is?”
At the cool, dangerous tone of Gaara’s voice, the Kazekage took another step back, then braced himself. “I’ll have you remember that you’re speaking to the highest ranking member of the Wind Country. You have no right to-”
“I am speaking to a man who was too cowardly to bind himself to a demon of unknown power, and chose to sacrifice his only son and daughter instead. You now have only one surviving child.” With that, Gaara rose to his feet and leveled an arctic glare on the man. “I only acknowledge my betters.”
Ignoring the Kazekage’s splutters, Gaara left the room and let the door bang shut behind him.
Continue to Part II
Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
Chapter 2: Useless
Chapter 3: Adjustments
Chapter 4: What's In A Name
Chapter 5: Pain
Chapter 6: Idiocy
Chapter 7: The Spotless Mind
Chapter 8: Interference