I deeply apologize for the delay in posting chapter 48, these past few months have really been unbelievably busy. Itās all been good (mostly), there has just been a lot to do and Iām old and tired :(
Also, the chapter is kicking my ass. But to be fair to you all, who kindly wait, despite my tardiness, hereās the first 8th of the chapter. I hope you enjoy it :)
The Trust Exercise, part 2
It was late when Sasuke heard the familiar sound of Narutoās feet sliding on the tiles above his window - ungraceful as ever. A familial snort rolled in the back of this throat as he sat up, letting the book that he wasnāt reading slide into his lap. He never worried that it might be someone else approaching - someone that meant him harm - for that person would at least aim for stealth and silence. Naruto just tried to be quiet and failed, impressively.
Ā āWindowās open,ā Sasuke said to the curtains, watching his visitor circumnavigate the drapes and the window frame, slip on the thin coating of ice that Sasuke may have encouraged to develop on the outer stool and end up a rather surprised heap on the floor in amongst a healthy pile of blankets and pillows. Naruto blinked.
Ā āWhatās all this?ā
Ā āItās too cold to sleep on the roof,ā Sasuke told him, blithely. āThereās a pillow, I think; a few blankets. Even a futon - apparently Tsunade borrowed it off a friend or a cousin or something - I donāt know,ā he waved a hand absently toward the pile, trying to downplay the fact that he did know. āJustā¦ do what you want with it.ā
Ā āBlankets?ā Naruto studied the array of bed linen before him as the realization slowly dawned. āWait, you mean..? Youāre gonna let-ā
Ā āIf you snore, youāre going back home and staying there.ā
Ā āI donāt snore.ā Naruto said quickly. āPromise.ā
Ā āAnd you canāt wear that dumb hat-ā
Ā āHavenāt worn Mr Toothy since I was twelve.ā Naruto grinned. If by ātwelveā he meant āyesterdayā, Sasuke wouldnāt have been surprised. āSoā¦ so youāre saying I can stay? Here? Inside? Inside with you?ā
Ā āMikoto wakes at five am.ā Sasuke continued. āSometimes she wants a bottle at two or three. She might be disrupted for the first couple of nights since-ā
Ā āIāll be super quiet.ā Naruto whispered as though to demonstrate. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
Ā āDonāt make promises you canāt keep. Now keep an eye on her, Iāll be back in a second.ā
Ā āSure, sure.ā Naruto bounced his feet, eagerly, before his smile dropped. āWait, look after her? Where are you going? What if-ā
Ā āIām going to the bathroom. You have, literally, two minutes to fuck anything up.ā
Ā With that thinly veiled threat, Sasuke walked out of the room. He tried not to notice how his heart was racing as he made his way to the toilet and, while he did have to relieve himself, he tried to be as quiet as possible, listening out for any sense of discomfort from Mikoto, or stupidness on Narutoās behalf. It was another trust exercise, something that would go on to greater bridges Sasuke knew they would one day have to cross. Heād planned to count to ten before he walked back into the room, but nerves intervened and Sasuke found himself walking in on the blond as he was attempting to undress as quietly as he could while hawkishly monitoring the crib.
Ā āIām watching her,ā he confirmed hoarsely as he tugged his jeans over his ankles. Heād already set out his bed on the floor and was standing on the comforter as he fought with his outfit. āUmā¦ Is boxers and a shirt ok? Donāt have pajamas..ā
Ā āWhatever,ā Sasuke said, observing with masked appreciation, the pinstriped boxers and the plain, fitted white tee that seemed to laminate itself across Narutoās abdomen. Whatever, indeed. He could stand there like that all night if he wanted to. āYou donāt need to whisper; sheās asleep.ā
Ā āYeah but,ā Naruto grunted, finally freeing himself, āIām loud.ā
Ā āTell me something I donāt know.ā Sasuke shrugged. āAnyway, sheāll let you know if youāre too loud. Then Iāll hit you and Tsunade will kill you and youāll know not to do it again.ā
Ā Naruto sniffed. āSounds fair.ā
Ā āPretty much.ā
Ā Sasuke rubbed his stomach, caught in an odd dichotomy of anxious and satisfied. The tension bothering him earlier had finally dissipated after his talk with Tsunade and the long, hearty dinner that had begun with dumplings and graduated to a three-course meal had helped. He hadnāt eaten so much since the time he and his brother had been home alone and Itachi hadnāt known how much to feed a six year old, or the times he and Naruto used to gorge themselves before training until they dropped, but he had to admit it felt good to be full. Then Naruto had turned up and even though he expected him; even though he had planned for the other to stay, he was still half-convinced he should just turf the jinchuuriki outside and deal with him in the morning. He wanted the worry to leave him, he wanted to feel safe around Naruto - he needed to. It was just hard being frightened in a space heād finally settled in as his own. He needed to be safe, but at the same time, he needed Naruto to be there as well. Easing into bed, Sasuke watched Naruto glance toward the cot one last time, stretch, turn around three times before he settled under the sheets. Sasuke frowned.
Ā āIs that a-ā
Ā āFox thing? Yeah.ā Naruto said, then grinned. āNah, joking. I just jump on in like everyone else. Got you though!ā
Ā āWeāve camped together plenty of times. I know how you sleep, idiot.ā
Ā āJust a jokeā¦ Yāknow, to lighten the mood.ā Naruto chuckled. Suddenly he paused, frowned, then: āKurama wants it noted that he thinks my jokes are stupid.ā
Ā āKurama is right,ā Sasuke raised a brow.
Ā āEveryoneās a critic.ā
Ā āHn,ā Sasuke fought the urge to smirk as Naruto picked at the comforter, despondently. āIs he always listening? The Biju?ā
Ā āKurama? Nah, heās asleep a lot of the time. Or meditating. Itās kinda muffled in there and he canāt hear so well if Iām not talking to him directly.ā Naruto shrugged. āSometimes he pays attention when Iām nervous, but he doesnāt listen in if thatās what youāre worried about.ā
Ā āIām not worried.ā Sasuke negated, briskly. āAnd thatās pretty weird, having him justā¦ there.ā
Ā āYeah,ā Naruto rolled on his side and propped his head up on the heel of his hand. āBut weāve kinda figured out our privacy issues.ā
Ā āI donāt want to know.ā
Ā āWell what about you?ā Naruto pointed at Sasukeās middle, hidden mostly by blankets. āDoes the baby tell you anything? Or, yāknow, communicate sorta?ā
Ā Sasuke looked down and pursed his lips thoughtfully. He hadnāt thought about it much, but now that he did he could certainly recount times when the kid became extra wiggly when he was anxious. And how heād often receive a punt to the kidneys when his voice rose. Mikoto had despised some of the herbs the Kakkou put in their food and told him as much by pummeling his bladder.
Ā āSort of. Guess itās to do with how much I move about or the rate of my heartbeat or something,ā he mused. āIf I had chakra, he might respond to that as well, but I donāt know. I donāt even know if he has chakra himself.ā
Ā āHe does,ā Naruto said. āLots. So does Mikoto. Theyāre really strong, you donāt need to worry about that.ā
Ā Sasuke knew this, of course. He knew that Mikoto practically oozed the stuff (along with everything else that came out of her) and that his boy had the fruit of his pedigree coursing through his veins. He knew that his chakra was low and strongly suspected that the Kakkou may have crippled his ability to gain more even after he gave birth. But hearing the truth from Narutoās mouth only served to steep the otherwise joyful information in a well of jealousy. Naruto could sense something about his children that he couldnāt. Naruto knew something about his own flesh and blood that he didnāt. It wasnāt fair. And yet, as maddening a thought as it was, Sasuke let it slide. Naruto could best him at a lot of things right now, it didnāt matter if there was one more to add to the list. His children had power. They could be taught to protect themselves. That was all he should care about.
Ā āI donāt,ā Sasuke said at length. Naruto shrugged again, nonplussed.
Ā āYeah. Wellā¦ Iām sure weāll get your chakra back too, Sasuke. Just have to figure it out, right? Then youāll be back to the way you were in no time.ā
Ā āThe way I wasā¦ā Sasuke thought about that for a moment. He knew what Naruto meant and if he were honest with himself, he was champing at the bit to get his own form back and feel even the smallest spark of power coursing through his veins again. Heād even be happy even if all he could summon were a couple of Narutoās half-formed henge attempts from his pre-genin days - the ones that could only pass as human if they were seen under very thin moonlight, during a hailstorm by someone in a very late stage of drunkenness. That would be something at least. But-
Ā āIām not worried about that right now,ā he concluded. The dream of his former self was best left locked away until he had a spare thought to deal with it.
Ā āGuess you canāt really, huh.ā Naruto said, almost as ruefully. āSo how much longer until the babyās done?ā
Ā āHeās not a cake.ā Sasuke grunted. āAnd three months. Round about.ā He punched a nearby pillow a few times to revitalize the stuffing, then shoved it under the blanket to prop up his knee - an trick Nuja had taught him to sleep more comfortably. It worked wonders on his damaged ligaments as well. Ā
āLook,ā he said as he lay down. āI get the feeling you havenāt thought all this through, Dobe.ā
Ā āThought what through?ā
Ā āYou know that being associated with me looks bad. Especially since our past is soā¦ā
Ā āInvolved? Complicated?ā
Ā āPublic.ā Sasuke brushed a few dangling pieces of hair out of his eyes. āWith me out of the picture, youāre a hero. When Iām in itā¦ Use your head, idiot, you canāt expect to retain the same type of support from the village when youāre speaking out for someone like me. Iām still referred to as a criminal.ā
Ā āWe all said it before, Sasuke; we know what weāre doing. You just gotta let us do it.ā
Ā āDo what?ā Sasuke hissed. āHelp meā¦ what? Fight against the system? Criticize the work of four generations of beloved leaders? There could be serious repercussions for you all! Itās bound to affect your shot at becoming Hokage. Some of those guys could be disowned for choosing the wrong side! You donāt know what clans are like, you were never part of one.ā
Ā āAnd you were only part of one,ā Naruto replied, coolly. āPretty sure not everyone hated the Uchiha. And same the other way.ā
Ā āItās not that simple.ā
Ā āMaybe it is? Maybe thatās why having you let Miss Naoko publish that story is so important. Maybe everyone is so busy looking through the eyes of their own clan, they donāt realize whatās going on either. So if they did, they might change their mind. Might even want to help. When Iām Hokage, Iām gonna make sure everyone knows the truth too, so that everyone can make their own decisions. I think itāll make our village stronger.ā
Ā āStronger?ā Sasuke sighed. āBut if you become Hokage through some horrific lapse in judgment-ā
Ā āHey!ā
Ā ā- what happens if youāre pushed into reinstating the same system we have now? I canāt support you if that happens, Naruto. I wonāt.ā
Ā It was then that Naruto suddenly became very aware of a wrinkle in the sheet by his elbow. He batted at it, trying to knock it smooth. āIt doesnāt matter. Anyway, who said I would?ā He muttered. āIād change it. Iād make it better. Iām not a liar, Sasuke. I can be Hokage and change things too.ā
Ā āTry saying that with the damn hat on your head.ā
Ā āI say it now, I say it always. Hat or no. Why wouldnāt I? I said I loved you, dummy. I said Iād stand for you. You know that when I say things, I mean them.ā
Ā Sasuke glanced at his fingers, studying his nails. Heād said things too, once. Heād meant them. He still meant them, only-
Ā āSometimes things change.ā
Ā āI know.ā Naruto said, pulling his blankets up over his shoulder as he rolled to face the wall. āAnd some things stay the same.ā There was a pause. Heavy. Contemplative. When Naruto spoke again, his voice had lost its humor. It had dropped low, deep and resolute and his words hung in the air, too large to be considered in one conversation, but too poignant to remain unsaid. āSome things must always be the same, Sasuke. Even if they die. Even if the stars burn out and the world crumbles away. There are some things that can never be anything else.ā
Ā Naruto could fall asleep at the drop of a hat and could remain unconscious through anything from fire alarms to major cataclysms, but Sasuke wondered, after a comment as emotionally convicted as that, whether sleep would be on the cards for either of them. He wondered how often Naruto thought about the tsukiyomi - the life that heād fabricated for the both of them. His lie. His trap. Did he wake at night, convinced heād watched his lover dying in his arms, unable to be saved through any of his many, many talents and means? Was he sickened by the memory of his rampage; the lives he took, the earth he scorched as he sought to throw the world into a level of despair that could only match his own.
Ā Could he still look at Sasuke, knowing that the man he said he loved had forced him to destroy everything he ever stood for. The man who drove him past sense and meaning. Sasuke, who was the only one to turn Naruto into the beast heād spent his life rejecting. As much as Naruto said he loved him, Sasuke wondered how much of that might have been pure or simply worn down obligation.
@moonfox22 and I will be co-hosting a SNS Summer Week from June 18th-June 24th.Ā
Each day will present two different prompts. The first prompt for each day is a SFW option and the second prompt is a NSFW option. You can, of course, still choose either option and rate it however you are most comfortable. The prompts will be:Ā
Day 1- June 18th: Ā Post 699: Canon Divergence Ā Ā || Ā Teeth
Day 2- June 19th: Ā Just Friends Ā || Ā An Agreement Ā
Day 3- June 20th: Ā Mission Ā Ā || Ā Skin Ā
Day 4- June 21st: Ā Hokage Ā Ā || Ā Last KissĀ
Day 5-June 22nd: Ā Family Ā || Ā Tremble Ā
Day 6-June 23rd: Ā Ā Genderbend Ā || Ā Oiroke no Jutsu Ā āā>>> Rating can vary on your choice for either option. Both prompts could apply to either character or both characters. The only thing we ask is that they remain as true to the canon characterization as possible!
Day 7-June 24th: Ā Ā Souls Ā || Ā Kage Bunshin no Jutsu
Everyone is welcome to contribute, whether it be fanfiction, fan art, head cannons and etc. It will just be a fun week about our boys with the best bond. The more people who can participate, the more fun it will be!Ā
June 18th- June 24th is currently the week weāve decided on; however, we would like to hear everyoneās thoughts on which week would actually be best. We will wait about a week or so to hear from you! Late submissions will be welcome and accepted, no matter which week is chosen. Just remember to tag your contributions as āSNS Summer Week 2017ā³ so that they can easily be found.Ā Ā Weāre trying not to clash with another ships week, so please let us know. You can message either of us, drop an ask, or simply reblog with what you think.
This can be really fun, yaāll! Weāre already excited!Ā
Naruto grown up so manly and handsome, and Sasuke now even more gorgeous(ultimate beauty), but SP style and designs ruined it too. Kishimoto messy quick sketches looks a lot better than movie itself, so I couldnt resist to color it and edit a little ^___^
That eye, whiter than new bone, seemed to glow and the smile that cut through the Ā young manās face in a way Shisui never could have managed, grew wider.
A little doodle to take a break from writing. I draw Shisui more than I draw any other character in this story, hahaha! I like his Malibu Barbie hair...
Sorry guys - just busy being overseas at the moment. Editing and writing where I can :)
Iād post a preview, but the chapter is very bad guy heavy at the moment and I donāt want to spoil anything. Iāll be sure to add in some cute Naruto/Sasuke/Mikoto time too :)
I donāt really want to cut the chapter in half... but it would still make sense if I did. Considering itās a monster nearly 40 pages long in its unfinished state, I think that might be a wise idea. I preferred the flow of keeping it as a whole... but what do you guys think? Post or Wait?
Plooooooodding through this chapter, but itās been a busy few weeks and itās now falling into convention season over here, so there is much artwork to finish and stuff to organize. But Iām still going. Iām always still going. Thereās just a lot of talking and I always make Sasuke talk too much before I have to edit out half of it. That and there are so MANY little important moments in this chapter, itās kind of tough to give them enough attention without bogging down the flow.Ā
Not that Iām good at trimming the fat. Not gonna lie, Iām flowery as all hell. Oh well, maybe one day Iāll be able to edit properly or find another beta or something. Til then, weāll have to make do with husky chapters.
Anyhoo, letās go get the nine on Sasukeās side. Iām looking forward to theĀ āoh captain, my captain momentā
Feels. Aw.
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