Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Slow dancing in a burning room ❯ Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews!!

 

 

{February 11, 2008}

 

Chapter 4:

 

 

Over Seven Years Ago…

 

`Tsunade-baachan is going to kill me. It's not my fault the villagers decided to throw a thank you party in my honor. Well, at least Gamakichi can put her worries to rest.'

 

It was springtime, though one could not tell here in Snow Country. Springtime made one think of flower fields, animals coming out, and sunny weather. For him, it simply meant…mating season. Every year, since he was thirteen, he would be sealed under a barrier for a week in some cave, to `wait out' the initial part of the season. It was like some catalyst entered his body bringing his hormone levels to boiling. It was just the first week that was the hardest. He had a little trouble controlling the kitsune and his natural instinct to fuck anything that moved.

 

Jaraiya was the one to place him in the barrier his first two times when he was in heat. Now, at fifteen and back in Konoha, he was supposed to go to Tsunade for a barrier. The plan was for him to hide out in the tunnels of the Hokage Mountain for a week under several barriers. Naruto would transform a little—red eyes, elongated fangs and claws, and prominent whisker marks. The demon being a kitsune, meant that Naruto was very sly or temperamental. He could be charming and seductive with his words or he could rip you to shreds. Just one week of decreased control on the demon fox.

 

`Damn kitsune.'

 

Naruto was currently in a cave on some random mountain in Snow Country, and it was snowing. Six days have already passed.

 

Six days of torture, of unbearable pain and restlessness.

 

Six days of unsatisfaction.

 

Six days of loneliness.

 

The fox vessel was sitting in the middle of the cave. Eyes closed, he angrily thought about his predicament and how unfair life was to him.

 

`A fifteen-year old in fucking heat! Grrr! How humiliating!'

 

[What is humiliating is you hiding out in the middle of nowhere with an erection that will not subside anytime soon.] growled the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

 

`Grr! Shut. Up.'

 

Naruto was extra irritable during this time as well. He looked around at his makeshift camp. There was a circle of stones around a collection of unlit branches. His pack was next to it.

 

`I need to go hunting.'

 

With that thought, he reluctantly rose from his sitting position stifling his desire to brood. He crossed his arms under his cloak as he approached the bitingly cold wind near the mouth of the cave. The snow was ankle deep and the forest was covered in it. It was a beautiful view to behold. The almost bare trees stuck out from a river of white as they supported the weight of it on its branches. The mountains could barely be seen in the distance amid the fog and clouds.

 

Naruto lifted his chin and sniffed the air. His eyes closed in concentration. His sense of smell spanned nearly five miles.

 

After a few moments, he began to walk east. The forest was empty, at least of humans. One of the few animals in the vicinity will serve as his meal for the next two days. Naruto walked for half an hour before quietly settling behind a tree. His Kyuubi-enhanced senses were perfect for hunting, especially combined with his swiftness and level of grace present only when under the influence of the demon fox.

 

His red eyes spotted the lone rabbit some feet ahead, but his nose told him another story. There were two of them. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area. A predatory smirk slowly emerged on his face showing a gleaming canine in the muted light.

 

`There she is. Her mate is covering for her. How sweet.' His thoughts came in a falsely sweet voice. He thought over his options and the chances of success for both. `I could go after the female, and if her mate runs, I'll chase him. He looks fast, not faster than me, but enough to enjoy the chase. Or I could go after the male. The female will be hesitantly slow in her indecision. Run in hopes of escape or hide in fear. Hmmm. The latter sounds good to me.'

 

He mentally sneered. Crouching on all fours, he focused on the male who stiffened in alert.

 

`He probably senses his demise.'

 

The snow rabbit immediately fled with Naruto hot on his tail. He caught up to the rabbit in no time at all. The prey, noting the proximity of the predator, changed tactics and movements. It hoped to lose its predator with quick directional changes. Kyuubi laughed humorlessly at that. Foxes were excellent hunters. Lithe, agile, and able to change direction like the rabbit, aided in their victory, including this one. Naruto broke its neck and quickly ran through the forest for its mate.

 

Stopping a few feet from the same bush the female was originally in, he slowly circled to the back of the bush, finding a break in the foliage.

 

The female directed her petrified gaze upward. Two rows of sharp teeth were exposed as hungry blood-red eyes looked down at its dinner. `You should have run. It would have been fun.' He rudely dangled her mate in the air.

 

As if she heard his thoughts, the female made a pathetic attempt to flee. The predator hesitated, actually hesitated, before chasing the female. `I should reunite you with your mate; so he will not be lonely.'

He quickly caught the female. She did not even put up much of a fight in the end, sensing the inevitable. He quickly `cleaned' his meal, not wanting to do the messy work in the cave. `Naruto would not be happy.'

 

Kyuubi made a few strips of the meat using his claws and disposed of the unnecessary parts. He wrapped the meal and headed back towards the cave. He could smell a blizzard approaching a few hours away. He walked in the direction of the frozen lake, wondering if he should go fishing, just in case. The wind had picked up and flurries of snow already swirled in the air.

 

That was when he sensed the presence of another. He recognized the chakra signature. At that moment, when the connection of chakra to name was made, Naruto assumed control of his body. He immediately followed the chakra signature in hopes of intercepting the person.

 

`What is HE doing here?'

 

He spotted the raven-haired male waiting patiently against a tree, arms crossed, head down, and a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. Naruto stopped a few feet in front of the Uchiha, panting in anxiousness.

 

“I don't have time to play with you today, Naruto.” Ebony eyes glared at the fox vessel.

 

“Grr! I won't let you go back. Not to him.”

 

An elegant brow rose in doubt.

 

“If I have to break your arms and legs, I will,” vowed the blond teen.

 

“Hn. I've heard that one before, usuratonkachi.” He moved off of the tree. Naruto tensed, prepared to counter any moves from his friend. Violet eyes focused on Sasuke's calm expression. Suddenly he was gone, reappearing behind Naruto.

 

“Run home, dobe,” he whispered in the fox-teen's ear.

 

Naruto turned to hit Sasuke, a move blocked with raised forearms.

 

“Tch. Well, a new sparring partner would not hurt. I'm curious as to how strong you've become. There's no one here to interrupt our fight.”

 

A pale hand beckoned for Naruto to attack. “Come.”

 

The fight was on. Naruto charged swiftly, still under the influence of Kyuubi's volatile chakra. An hour filled with swift taijutsu, attempted chidoris and rasengans, and snide comments past. The battle which started as a sort of elegant dance understood only by the participants, quickly shifted to a more desperate and improvised battle.

 

The exhausted pair was currently facing each other on the frozen lake. It would have been difficult to see, for the signs of a nasty snowstorm were presenting itself; but the pair was blessed with enhanced vision.

 

Sasuke was still, poised for attack/defense. Raven hair wildly whipped in the wind, sharingan eyes studying the opponent. His breathing was labored from the force of their attacks and the use of his kekkei genkai, a dojutsu. His cloak lifted in the fierce wind revealing the clothing style typical of oto-nins with a few changes made for colder weather. A long sleeve shirt shielded his chest from view. A smirk crossed the pale face.

 

“Is that the best you can do, Uzumaki? I'm disappointed,” taunted the Uchiha.

 

Violet eyes narrowed while tan fists clenched, causing his claws to puncture the skin of his palms. An obvious growl could be heard despite the sounds of the snowstorm.

 

The Uchiha laughed cruelly, before just barely deflecting the kick from behind. He realized his mistake when Naruto briefly disappeared from view only to reappear above with a leg extended for attack. Sasuke raised his arms to lessen the impact of the attack, so Naruto faked him out. Landing next to him, he kicked at the avenger sending the teen flying to the opposite side, hitting a protruding branch before crashing to the ice. Naruto smirked.

 

`Still disappointed, Uchiha?'

 

Subtle cracking sounds, followed by a couple of large ones echoed in the air. Dread bubbled inside of the fox-teen before fear replaced it. Fear due to the overturn of the ice in which the apparently unconscious Uchiha was laying upon.

 

“Sasukeee…” cried the blond as he ran towards the spot where he last spotted his best friend/rival. A fair amount of snow had already collected on the ice, hindering his search. Naruto slid on the ice trying not to upset it further, as he brushed the snow in sweeping motions.

 

`Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Where are you, teme?' His heart raced and his lungs struggled to take in even breaths. He kept moving in wide circles to cover more ground, or ice, before catching a glimpse of black.

 

Channeling chakra to his fist, he punched through the ice causing it to break under the strain. Naruto went under.

 

[Smart move] came the sarcastic reply.

 

Ignoring the voice, he frantically searched for his friend.

 

`Fuck its cold!'

 

It hurt too. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his skin. It felt heavy and thick in a way. But Naruto realized his movements were slowing. His lungs burned with the effort of holding his breath. His eyeballs hurt and struggled to stay open in the freezing water, as well. All he saw was blue as he turned in all directions frantically.

 

[Calm down, gaki]

 

His first instinct was to ignore the voice of reason just to be obstinate, but he stilled his erratic movements nonetheless. He calmly searched for his friend, praying he was close. It seemed he did a 360°, but then he spotted him. He was unconscious and idly drifting. He looked like a sleeping angel. His raven locks undulated in the water over a serene face.

 

Relief washed through the fox vessel, but he suppressed it in favor of urgent alertness. He swam toward the Uchiha realizing that the longer they stayed under the more perilous it was. As Naruto got closer to the Uchiha, guilt started to kick in for the current state that his friend was in.

 

`Losing Sasuke is not an option.'

 

He wrapped an arm protectively over the dark-haired teen and once again channeled chakra for another powerful punch. Breaking a sizeable opening, he climbed out first with one hand clutching the arm of his teammate. He planted his feet and heaved the other teen out of the water. Not waiting for the ice to break under their combined weight, he immediately started to drag the Uchiha by the arms across the frozen lake.

 

The snowstorm was in full force and the wind eagerly bit at their soaked clothes. When the whiskered teen was sure that they were on solid ground (due to the presence of trees and foliage), he set the Uchiha down on the ground to check for his pulse.

 

`Four minutes under…not good.' He instantly started to panic when he did not feel a pulse. He put his ear to the teen's chest trying not to give in to panic. The Uchiha's lips were blue and his skin had a too-pale, almost blue tint to it. The fox-teen preceded to lean over the Uchiha and open his mouth. Left hand on the lower jaw of the teen while his right hand pinched his nose, Naruto placed his mouth on the Uchicha's and blew.

 

`Calm down, Uzumaki,' thought the blond, for his first gust of breath was shaky and weak. He took a deep breath and blew again. And again. He alternated between pushing on his chest to forcing his breath into Sasuke's lungs a couple of times. Water spilled out the sides of the pale teen's mouth as the still unconscious teen weakly breathed on his own.

 

Relief, like Naruto had never felt before, shook him to his very core.

 

“He's alive…he's alive,” wheezed the fox-teen. He angrily swiped at the hot tears clouding his vision.

 

[Get back to the cave, kit]

 

`Right.' Naruto shakily stood up before grabbing the Uchiha and placing him on his back. He pulled on the pale arms and wrapped the Uchiha's legs around his waist. Spotting the discarded pack of rabbit meat a few feet away, as well as Sasuke's pack and sword, Naruto walked toward the items to bring along. Securing the items on Sasuke's back, he continued to head towards the safety of the cave from the elements.

 

Half an hour later, the blond reached the mouth of the cave. It was narrow so he had to slide the teen off and pull him inside. He dragged the Uchiha further in towards the larger, more open space where his belongings were.

 

`I have to get him warm before pneumonia takes him.' Sasuke was always pale, but the blue shade to his skin was not a good sign. He only lit a fire to cook his meal because a fire in a cave that size was not practical. The smoke only had one way out, but not before if clogged your breathing space.

 

The whiskered teen proceeded to unzip his sleeping bag and was about to place Sasuke in it, before deciding against it.

 

`You'll never get warm if you soak the sleeping bag.'

 

“We have to get those clothes off of you first, teme,” informed the blond conversationally. He discarded the teen's drenched cloak before removing his own cloak and jacket, to relieve the burden of their weight. Returning to the task of undressing the Uchiha was a bit of a challenge. Wrought with guilt, he was trying to be as gentle and considerate as possible as if to make up for his earlier actions. He held the Uchiha, who was sitting, up with his left hand and pulled away his clothes with his right hand. He threw the purple rope that served as a belt behind him, which was soon joined by a white hakama, black long sleeve shirt, and a pair of arm guards.

 

He gently laid the upper half of the unconscious teen's body on the cold sleeping bag to reach the rest of his clothes. He removed the shoes and shin guards before briefly hesitating over the black pants. Pulling those off, he noted the pale legs and black boxers that were sticking to his skin. A blush crossed his cheeks as Naruto reached a tan hand to the waistband of the boxers. Naruto flinched and looked up at the Uchiha, prepared to be hit or yelled at. The pale face was still relaxed though.

 

Naruto decided to lift the Uchiha bridal style onto the sleeping bag and pulled the material over for cover. `A little modesty is warranted.' The teen ignored the snort from the kitsune and placed his hands under the top flap of the sleeping bag. He had ignored, until now, the feel of the cold skin. Shaking hands reached the waistband and gently tugged it off the freezing form.

 

Tossing the boxers away somewhere, the fox-teen proceeded to zip the sleeping bag.

 

“Okay. You concentrate on warming up. I have to get outta these clothes.”

 

Naruto quickly changed out of his clothes, replacing them with his only spare outfit from his pack.

 

`That's better. Hopefully Sasuke-teme brought another set of clothes or he'll have to run naked.'

He opened his friend's pack and removed the extra set of clothes, water, and a pack of fish.

 

`So the teme went fishing earlier. Hmm…'

 

He set the food items by the firepot next to his own food supplies. He brought Sasuke's clothes over to him.

Kneeling down he said, “Umm. You'll probably feel more comfortable in these.” He tentatively looked over the still form of the Uchiha.

 

“He's still blue,” mumbled the blond with concern. `Hmm…what did Iruka-sensei say in survival training at the academy?' His brows furrowed in thought. `Something about body heat. Oh yeah…ohh.' Whiskered cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Indecision hindered the young teen. A look at Sasuke's deathly pale skin forced him to make a decision.

 

Naruto gently set down the spare set of clothes and unzipped Sasuke's sleeping bag. He pulled his black shirt over his head. Cerulean eyes directed on the ground as he pulled off his hitaiate and folded it. He unzipped his pants and took a deep breath. Hooking his thumbs in his boxers, he pulled both boxers and pants off of him. Shivering in the cold, he quickly folded his pants and set it down before climbing in the sleeping bag. He settled on top of Sasuke and shifted to zip up the sleeping bag.

 

Steeling his resolve with a hint of a blush across his nose, the blond laid upon the Uchiha, flinching at the chilled skin. His legs encased the Uchiha's while his hands braced the slim shoulders so that he could lean over Sasuke, faces a foot apart. He searched his friend's face for any responsive signs. A few seconds of silence passed so Naruto turned his head in guilt.

 

“How could I have been so stupid? I've spent the past three years training to be stronger; strong enough so that I could save you. And yet, when that opportunity comes, I almost kill you.” Blunt nails pressed unknowingly into the cold skin as Naruto scolded himself.

 

“(sigh)…I can't lose you.” He tucked his nose into Sasuke's neck breathing in his familiar scent, before succumbing to sleep.

 

 

 

…several hours later…

 

 

 

`Hmm…it's so warm.' The blond youth snuggled into his source of comfort further. In an attempt to gather his thoughts and ascertain where he was, the fox teen expanded his senses keeping his eyes close. The fierce sound of the whistling wind at the mouth of the cave could be heard. Next was his sense of smell. A sense that kitsunes relied upon above all others. The strongest scent, due to proximity, was a familiar and welcoming one. The masculine scent was cool, crisp, and it hinted at power. It immediately brought to mind his genin days as a member of Team Seven. Camaraderie, teamwork, friendship, and security were a few words associated with those happy times.

 

The smell of the icy wind brought the smell of the packed rabbit meat and fish. Naruto's mouth watered at the thought of food. What he could feel was a little more of a mystery. He could feel, as well as hear, the gentle beating of a heart not his own. `Huh?' His whole body seemed to be on a not-so-hard surface. It was warm and if Naruto was honest about it—comfortable. `What is this?'

 

Determined not to answer his question with the mere act of opening his eyes, Naruto expanded his senses further. His left hand was clutching a soft warm…thing. `A person…maybe.'

 

[Idiot]

 

Ignoring the rude comment, the fox vessel flexed his right hand. It was tangled in what felt like hair. It was cold and wet. Tucking his head, more specifically his nose, into the mystery on which he lay, a strong scent from a familiar Uchiha invaded his nose.

 

“Sasuke?!” Cerulean eyes widened as he lifted his head to confirm what all his senses hinted at.

 

The pale avenger slept soundly unmindful of the interruption or the weight of his rival's body. Naruto noticed that Sasuke's lips were no longer blue, but a healthy pink color. He was still pale, but without the blue tint.

 

`He's okay. Thank the gods.'

 

Relief spread throughout his body calming his nerves at the thought of Sasuke not dying. His left hand gave a brief squeeze to the slim shoulder while his right hand gently ran his fingers through the messy clumped strands of raven hair.

 

A frown crossed his face as panic and feelings of loss consumed him.

 

`I could have lost you.' He shoved his face, cheek to cheek, to Sasuke and gave a hug to the sleeping form.

 

[Calm down, kit. He is alive.]

 

`No thanks to me.'

 

[Feel his heart beating? Take comfort in that.]

 

Tears clouded his vision but Naruto weakly smiled when he saw the subtle rising and falling of the Uchiha's chest.

 

`Yeah. He's okay. Look at him. I'm a mess and he's…just laying there.'

 

Cerulean eyes scanned the unresponsive face drifting down to his bare chest as it took in oxygen. It was at that moment that Naruto realized how things really were. Sliding his right hand out of Sasuke's hair, the whiskered teen braced his hands on the sleeping bag on either side of the Uchiha's shoulders. He slowly lifted his upper body as his blue eyes drifted lower down the slim form. When his eyes took in the soft ivory skin with soft black curls, Naruto immediately looked away. He raised himself on shaky knees but froze when he felt the pressure of two hands on his hips. He reluctantly returned his gaze to his rival, afraid of what he might see. He was surprised to see a small frown and a slightly confused/irritated look.

 

`W-what Sasuke-teme?'

 

[He cannot hear your thoughts, fool]

 

`Huh…oh, right.'

 

[If you leave, you take warmth and everything associated with that away.]

 

`B-but he's naked!! I'm naked!!'

 

[Hmm…still a cub I see]

 

`Grr. I am not.'

 

[Have you forgotten the reason why you two are in this situation?]

 

`…no. It had to be done.'

 

[Remember how you felt when you thought that you had lost him?]

 

“Yeah. I remember,” whispered the fox-vessel guiltily, as he slowly returned to his laying position on his best friends/rival. Sasuke's countenance immediately relaxed.

 

Naruto rolled his eyes. `Teme. You're more trouble than you're worth.' His right hand returned to the job of stroking the midnight-black tresses. Naruto laid his chin on the shoulder beneath him, looking out at his surroundings. The blizzard was still in full force, if the sound was any indication. His gaze fell upon their items—food, water, clothes, and weapons.

 

“I'm bored,” huffed the blond.

 

[Sleep]

 

`Not sleepy. I've already slept for kami knows how long.' A cute pout formed before the teen's gaze drifted back to his companion.

 

“Don't you think it's time to wake up. That whole beauty sleep thing is highly overrated,” joked the blond youth. He raised his head. “I could be studying some ancient scrolls back home, but now all I have to study is you. And you're boring.”

 

[On the contrary, I find that to be an interesting course of action.]Naruto could feel the demon fox's leer.

 

`Grr. Horny fox!'

 

Settling down again, the loud-mouthed nin decided to mentally run through his options on how to bring Sasuke back. Half an hour later saw an irritated blond.

 

`Each option is more unlikely than the rest. He has already countered all of my reasonable excuses. They were good ones too. If it wasn't fucking crazy out there, I would restrain him and carry his unconscious ass back home.'

 

He raised himself up to look down directly at the Uchiha.

 

“Thinking about you gives me a headache.” He realized he was sill stroking the dark locks. Focusing on the serene face before him, the fox-teen laughed half-heartedly. “Sakura and half the female population of Konoha would kill to be in my place right now.” A mischievous laugh echoed in the cave.

 

“What does she see in you? Why is she so obsessed?” came the serious question. “Why am I?” His brows furrowed in thought, a frown on his face.

 

His right hand slid out of the dark locks to caress a pale cheek.

 

“I don't think I have ever seen you so relaxed, so…content.”

 

His eyes took in the closed eyes under long, dark lashes. There was a bit of a purple hue under the eyes. Naruto stroked his thumb there feeling the soft texture.

 

“Someone's not eating his green vegetables,” joked the Uzumaki, though it came out in a serious voice. Naruto took in the relaxed elegant brows. `For once, they aren't arched to imply my inferiority.' His fingers traced the dark hair before sliding down the pale nose to feel the slightly chapped lips. They were forming a neutral look instead of the frown or sneer that usually adorned his refined features. His hand traced the jaw line, noting how sharp angles have replaced the child-like softness, matching his arrogant attitude. His gaze wandered to the strong, pale neck, his tan hand contrasting with the ivory skin. His eyes followed the path his fingers took, down the Uchiha's left arm, smoothing over the toned biceps. His fingers paused at the bend in the arm at the inner elbows, tracing the bluish veins as they led to a slim wrist.

 

“How could someone so soft hold so much power?” wondered the whiskered teen aloud. He shifted back above the Uchiha's face, expecting an answer that would not come.

 

Cerulean eyes lowered in disappointment, before spying the vulnerable, enticing neck. Lowering his head, the teen caressed the soft flesh of the neck with his nose, inhaling the alluring scent. He nuzzled just beneath the jaw, a gentle purr rumbling in his chest. Without conscious thought, his tongue slipped out to taste the skin before it. He lapped at the juncture between neck and shoulder while sliding his right hand back into the unruly locks. Purring in contentment, he missed the movement of alert eyes under closed lids, before they parted for sight.

 

 

 

TBC

 

 

 

Sorry, I needed a stopping point before the actual smut chapter (this was 17 pages long). The next chapter is something that I have had mapped out since I uploaded the first chapter to this story. I hope I can translate it well from what I see in my head to the paper.

 

Feel free to review the chapter. Again, I can only satisfy from your comments...

 

Well, see ya!!!