#*shakes you vigorously before naruto running out of the room*

[the-way-astray]

breaking my silence to say: T4T ALDELLA

[azurelyy]

incoming thirsttt, 'cause i'm needy: i just can't stop thinking about college au naruto struggling with his grades, and reader keeps tutoring him and gives him bjs whenever he does particularly well on a subject she helped him out with.

like i just know that man would turn into einstein all of sudden just to get his dick sucked as many times as possible, byeeee. he is a really determined type of personality after all; so manz is practically hopping to the next exam. calculator ready in hand, pencil sharpened bahah 😭

Ooooof, girl. Yes! I swear, you have the best ideas, how do you do it!?

I'm making him frat!Naruto, because he has been on my mind lately... Also I've never actually taken thirsts so I made this into a drabble, I hope that's okay?

NSFW beneath the cut. Minors - DNI!

Warnings: NSFW, fingering, oral sex (m!receiving), modern AU, frat!Naruto

"Oh yeah, sweetheart," Naruto moans, shoving you further down his cock. "Feels so good."

Through blurred vision, as mascara tears streak down your face, you shove him further down your throat, licking the rim of his head gently with the back of your tongue. You swallow him as best you can, using your hand to stroke down the length of him you can't fit into your mouth.

His finger nails dig into your scalp as he throws his head back, his raspy moan encouraging you to continue your assault on his girth. You have no care for the lack of air in your lungs, or the way his precum burns down your throat - all you can focus on is the way he sounds, his greedy hands that push you past the point of no return.

Waves of hot pleasure rush between your thighs. Only Naruto had the ability to get you this wet just from sucking him off. You imagine yourself from his view: messy makeup, knees digging into the plush carpet of his frat room, damp hair falling around your face, hallowed cheeks, and you can tell he's close from the way he needily thrusts his hips up, gagging you.

"S-Sorry, baby," he husks, grabbing a fistful of your hair. "Gonna come in that pretty throat of yours."

"S'okay, Naruto," you murmur, "Do it again."

Naruto freezes. "What - choke you?"

You reply by shoving the tip of your tongue into his slit, more salty liquid dripping onto your tongue, and you moan a small 'mhmmm'. You lock your gaze on his deep blue eyes, hazy with lust and adoration as he watches you, unblinking.

His lower lip is sucked in-between his teeth, his hands shaking against your head. You enjoy the way you can destroy him with only your mouth, the way his demeanor completely shifts and changes the moment he receives an 'A' on an exam you helped him with.

He tries to act nonchalant. He tells you when you're out with his frat friends, in public, casually.

"Yup," he said, clasping his hands behind the back of his head casually. "Another A. Thanks for your help again, by the way." The way he says your name is playful, a tone that wouldn't stand out to anyone else. But you know the truth, could feel the tension between the vowels.

When he says your name, everything stops. The world is still. In a room full of people, it's suddenly just him and you, and as you stare him down, you see the shift. His shoulders relax, his lips twitch upwards, his eyes sparkle with that proactive hint of deep navy. There is an invisible thread between the two of you that is pulled so taut, you think it might snap.

"No problem," you replied simply, shrugging him off. "I am always happy to help relieve your... tension."

Naruto let slip a choked whine as you pulled up and licked round his length. His eyes were tightly shut now, his breath almost nonexistent.

"Gag me." That was all you said, as you once again shove him down your throat with vigor.

Naruto didn't even warn you - he didn't have time - his cock spurted hot liquid down your throat in quick bursts, and all he could say was "fuck-c-coming-fuckfuck". You swallowed all that you could before pulling back and allowing the rest to run out past your lips and down Naruto's shaft, dripping onto the floor.

Your small hand worked his cock quickly, finishing him off even as you gasped and the last bit of white liquid splattered onto your lips and chin. You smiled up at him while you licked the thin film of arousal off your lips. Naruto whined - actually whined - as you rubbed the last bit of his high out of him and rested your soft cheek against his cock.

"Fuck, baby," Naruto's breathing was shaky as you raised from your knees, sliding your coated palms up his abs. "Always so good to me.”

His feral smile turned tender, curtaining you in a warm, golden hue. Naruto wraps his arms around your waist and lifts you into his lap, his tongue curling around your earlobe as his teeth graze against your sensitive skin. His strong hand rubs down your stomach as a deft finger gently swirls over your clit and he sinks his teeth into the skin of your ear.

“But you know, I’ve been studying more than just classroom stuff. Like I know now that when I press right... here...” 

He applies pressure to your clit, flicking it swiftly to the left as your vision goes black and you arch your back into him, moaning his name out aggressively. 

His mouth trails to the skin of your shoulder and he smirks against you as he continues rolling his finger over your clit, sweet and sticky arousal dripping from you with each swipe.

“Shhh,” he coos, sucking the skin where your shoulder meets your neck into his mouth,��“Don’t want the whole frat house to hear you now, do we?”

But judging from the way he bites your neck, the way he adjusts his hand to allow his thick fingers to push into your drenched walls as his thumb rubs languid circles against your clit, the way his cock is already hard again and pressing aggressively into the small of your back...

You are pretty sure the whole frat house heard you come. All four times.

[despressolattes]

PROMISES OF A BETTER TOMORROW ❋❀ sasuke uchiha ❋❀ CHAPTER ONE

ONE ❋❀ WE'RE GENIN NOW

MASTERLIST

•─────────°❋❀°─────────•

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sasuke grumbled, chopsticks in his mouth.

Asami Higurashi sat next to him. The two were sitting out in the forest eating their bentos. Her long brown hair was flowing with the light breeze, and she looked at Sasuke Uchiha with confusion.

"Like what?" she questioned, moving the rich around in her bento with her chopstick.

Sasuke gave her a raised eyebrow, and she put her bento down in between them. She leaned back, letting her arms fall to the ground on each side of her, holding her weight up so she wasn't laying down as she looked up at the sky.

"We're genin now," she stated. "On our paths to being shinobi."

"Hn," he nodded, acknowledging what she was saying.

"Do you think we'll be on the same squad?" she asked him, looking away from the sky and at him again.

"I don't know," he said. "I just hope I'm not paired with a loser like Naruto."

"Or any of your fangirls," she giggled, earning a glare from the Uchiha boy.

"Shut up," he told her, focusing back on his food. "You're annoying."

She just giggled in response, letting her body lay down fully as she looked to the sky. She let her head turn back towards Sasuke, staring at him like she had been when he caught her. She couldn't help but feel bittersweet about everything.

She and Sasuke always wanted to become ninja, but other time, their goal had changed. It was no longer him wanting to be apart of the Hidden Leaf Police Force and her wanting to become the Hokage's advisor—just their advisor, she didn't want the responsibilities of Hokage. Now they had a different goal, one that ached in their chests from time to time thinking about it. An agony Sasuke pretended to not feel and covered with a cloak of indifference, so Asami felt intensely on the outside enough for the both of them.

She glanced back to the sky, a small frown on her face as she thought about that night.

°❋❀°

Sasuke was tugging on Asami's wrist, lugging her behind him as they ran through the Uchiha compound. They were so late.

He stopped abruptly, looking around.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Asami asked from behind him.

"The lights..." he said. "It's too early for everyone to be going to bed."

She looked around cautiously, noticing his realization. He turned to look at her, the two of them nodding before continuing to run.

They slowed down once again after turning a corner, horrified looks on their faces. Bodies laid adorned on the floor, blood everywhere.

"What... what is this?" Sasuke said, his voice trembling.

Asami inched towards him, grabbing onto the fabric of his shirt as she shook in fear. He grabbed onto her hand again, beginning to run.

"Auntie... Uncle!" Sasuke said, tears in his voice when they came to the bodies of his extended family, two people who had greeted them that same morning on their way to school.

A tear fell down Asami's face as Sasuki lugged her towards their house.

"Mother? Father?" Sasuke called out as they went inside, taking their shoes off and walking cautiously through the dark home.

"Mikoto? Fugaku...?" Asami called out with him, still clinging to his shirt as they walked.

They heard a sound from another room, taking off in a ran. They halted at the door though, Sasuke shaking with fear at the thought of the murderer being in that room with his parents.

Finally, he opened the door and ventured inside, but without Asami.

A hand went over her mouth, pulling her behind the corner of the house. She struggled against the hand until she heard them shush her, relaxing as she realized the sound of the voice.

"Izumi nee-chan... what... what's going on? Everyone's... they're all dead!" whispered Asami, and afterwards, Izumi let her go.

Asami stumbled forward, looking at her older sister, at the katana in her hand. Blood.

"Nee-chan... did you... did you and Itachi nii-san get them?" she asked, assuming the blood was of the murderer.

There was something off about Izumi, a dark expression on her face that Asami had never seen before. Izumi, normally radiant and smiling, had a frown on her face so intense that it scared her sister.

"Oh, little sister..." Izumi spoke, her voice cold. Asami's eyes trailed to the blood dripping from the katana, her eyes widening as if she understood what was going on just based on those three little words itself.

"B-but why?!" Asami shouted, clenching her fists. "Fugaku and Mikoto have done nothing but take care of us! Mikoto feeds us and loves us! Their the only parents I know!"

"The only parents you knew," responded Izumi, Asami's eyes widening more as she trembled. "They are dead."

Asami's heart dropped.

"But why?! How could you do this?!" Asami asked at the same time she heard thuds from the room Sasuke just walked into. She took a step towards it, "Sasuke-kun!"

The katana was raised between the two sisters, Izumi blocking her way.

"Do not get involved with Itachi's business with his brother," Izumi told her.

Asami gritted her teeth, running at her sister with fool force only for Izumi to disappear. She stopped running, and her sister appeared behind her.

"You'll understand when you're older, Asami. There's no point in killing someone as weak as you. You'll have to be stronger to be worth my time," Izumi told her sister, and that was the last thing Asami remembered before collapsing in her big sister's arms.

°❋❀°

"Hm?" Sasuke grunted, looking down at Asami.

With her bento still half full, she laid there with her eyes closed, having drifted off to slumber. There were tears running down her face though, and the Uchiha frowned. He nudged her a few times, each harder than the other until the young kunoichi woke up.

"Hm?" she said groggily, sitting up and rubbing her face. Her cheeks went red when she felt the tears, wiping them away vigorously and choosing to ignore them when Sasuke gave her his usual questionable expression. "I-it's nothing."

She waved her hands in front of her, trying to convince him it was no big deal.

"Hn," he shrugged, picking up her bento and holding it out for her. "Eat."

"Gee, love these talks we have, Sasuke-kun," she grumbled back, a small smile on her face. She knew affection and concern was something he found a hard time expressing ever since then, and honestly? She couldn't blame him.

She was probably perceived the same way by anyone other than him. They both opted not to get too close to other people, finding it easier to cope with their losses alone.

In the back of her mind was a promise she made to him when the Third Hokage moved them into an apartment together.

"I can't promise you that everything will be okay soon, but I can promise you we'll have a better tomorrow."

I will do everything in my power to help us reach our goal! And one day, I will help to restore our clans, I promise.

Even if one promise was out loud, and the other was in her head.

[theunrealinsomniac]

NaruSaku Week 2018 Day 2 - Change

Naruto huffed as he looked through the meagre contents of his wallet.

After rent, buying the supposedly better and ‘healthier’ food both Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei insisted he eat more of, and restocking on ninja gear ... Naruto was literally down to his last bits of change.

And he was meant to be taking Sakura out for dinner as a celebration of another completed mission. 

But as they had another couple days before their payment for the relatively tame C class escort mission Team 7 had taken - Sasuke still had to be accompanied on any and all missions that had him leaving the village - he was going to have to take a rain check on dinner.

Something he really didn’t want to do after the nights they’d had during the mission, once Sasuke had gone to bed. 

Thank Kami the client had insisted on staying in hotels and motels. Sakura would never have been able to sneak into Naruto’s tent as easily as she had his room. 

They couldn’t be outright blatant about it of course, they were trying to keep it a secret to see how it worked just the two of them ... but they’d been fooling around for about a month or two now. And Naruto couldn’t shake the feeling that if he crapped out on a ‘not quite a date’ date, it might screw up the thing him and Sakura were currently enjoying.

And by Kami were they enjoying it.

At least, he definitely was. And he hadn’t done anything to mess it up yet so he had hopes that meant Sakura was enjoying herself too.

She did tend to wrap her legs around him quite tightly when they fu-

‘Naruto!’ A shout broke him loose from his thoughts as Naruto felt his face heat up as he looked around to find Lee jogging towards him. As energetic as ever.

‘Hiya Lee,’ Naruto said easily. ‘You in the middle of your evening run?’

‘Yosh!’ The bowl cut wearing taijutsu master shouted. ‘I am actually a little ahead of my usual time! Gai-sensei will be most impressed. Would you care to join me on the rest of my run?’

Hm, a run with Lee or admitting to Sakura-chan he was too poor to take her out for a nice meal ... he wasn’t sure which sounded worse. 

‘Gonna have to pass Lee,’ Naruto said apologetically. ‘I just got back from a mission out of the village I’m meeting Sakura for dinner.’ Panic ran through him. He wasn’t supposed to say that! ‘You know, to celebrate another successful mission!’ 

Why did he shout the last bit? Lee would have taken it as normal if he hadn’t try to cover himself with the just as friends bit! Kami Sakura was going to kill him.

However to his immense relief, Lee just shrugged. ‘Of course Naruto, you and Sakura should celebrate your youthful adventures together! We can run together another time! Have a good night!’

And with that Lee was gone. His chanting of youthful vigor or whatever becoming quieter and quieter as he got further away. 

Though Naruto did have to wonder what Lee had meant by youthful adventures together. Did Lee suspect? 

No. No, Lee was as oblivious as Naruto had been before Sakura had literally thrown herself at him that first time. Lee was just being his usual eccentric self.

But with that distraction gone Naruto continued the long trudge towards Sakura’s parents’ house. To tell her he couldn’t take her out for dinner. Because he was poor.

And because he didn’t deserve her. That he wasn’t good for anything more substantial than the occasional - okay nightly - tumble in the sheets.

Definitely not serious boyfriend material.

Kami this was gonna suck. Especially as he seemed to have found his way to the front door much sooner than expected.

The Haruno residence was a very nice two-storey home. Not overtly fancy but perfectly welcoming and just about what you’d expect from a family who weren’t a highly placed clan in a ninja village.

Naruto glanced up at the window at the front of the house and smiled slightly.

He wondered if he’d ever be allowed to sneak in through that window again. He hoped so.

Deciding not to prolong the inevitable, Naruto knocked on the door.

It opened immediately, revealing Sakura, who was smiling already. ‘Hi Naruto!’

He smiled back instinctively, but it wasn’t the beaming smile Sakura was clearly expecting because she immediately pulled the door to and stepped out to meet him. ‘Hi Sakura-chan.’

Her beautiful face was drawn down in a frown as she studied him carefully. Her pretty pink hair pulled back into a long wave that fell to the middle of her shoulders. Sakura been growing it out again over the last year.

Her usual headband was missing as she stood there, in a light green, v-neck sweater that showed the hint of cleavage and form fitting black jeans. A light touch of makeup to her face, making her green eyes pop along with the jade pendant of her necklace resting between her collarbones.

Sakura was dressed for a secret date. Casual enough to be excused as her dressing up a little because she wanted to, but nice enough that Naruto’s eyes were definitely meant to be drawn to certain places.

‘You look amazing,’ he said in a whispered tone.

Fuck.

Sakura smiled at the compliment, her eyes never leaving his face though. Not even to take in the fact that he wasn’t wearing similarly nice clothes. Just a black t-shirt and the blue jeans she’d made him buy the last time they’d gone shopping. They apparently were very nice.

‘What’s wrong Naruto?’ Sakura asked, her hand coming out to rest on his forearm. ‘Has something happened?’

Naruto sighed deeply. He couldn’t lie to her. Besides it was pointless. He hung his head and decided to just say it. ‘Sakura-chan, I’m so so sorry and I’ll understand if you want to end things between us for this but I don’t have enough money to take you out for a nice dinner.’

There was a long pause and then a muffled kind of noise coming from above him. Naruto’s curiosity finally got the better of him and he glanced up at the woman before him.

Who was holding her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

‘Sakura-chan!’ he shouted. ‘Why are you laughing?! I just ruined our date because I’m too poor! Why aren’t you mad?’

‘Oh Naruto,’ she sighed as she finally managed to stifle her laugh to a tight lipped smile. ‘You’re such a moron, I don’t care if you don’t have enough money. I’ll pay.’

Naruto just stared at her in bemusement,

‘Now come on,’ Sakura pulled the door shut and looped her arm around his elbow, leading him in the direction of the village centre. ‘Let’s go eat before anyone else overhears you breaking our secret.’

‘Oh shit,’ Naruto gasped, his hand going to his mouth. ‘Sorry Sakura-chan, I’m a moron.’

‘It’s fine,’ Sakura said, squeezing his bicep. ‘You’re a cute moron. Now come on, I already know the best restaurant to take you too. I’ve wanted to go with you for ages.’

‘Where?’ the blond asked, his mood lifting considerably now he wasn’t getting dumped.

You’ll see.’ Sakura leant against him, tugging his arm around her shoulders. ‘Then you can walk me home. My parents are visiting family out of the village and they’d feel much more comfortable knowing my strapping, handsome teammate was here to look after me.’

Naruto grinned. ‘Well we wouldn’t want to worry your parents.’

Sakura squeezed his arm against herself. ‘No, we wouldn’t.

[raendown]

Pairing: none Word count: 3420 Summary: Travelling through time was a complete accident. So was passing on the idea to someone much more dangerous.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Forward And Back (And Leave It There)

Madara squinted his eyes and leaned closed, finger poised at the ready. A quiet voice told him it was a bad idea but there was little that could stop a curious Uchiha and so Madara felt no shame for ignoring the idiot behind him and poking the object which held his fascination. He regretted doing so immediately when he felt the tip of his finger come in to contact with something incredibly hot. Only then did his brain catch up with what he was seeing and rationalize it; whatever advanced jutsu they were using had contained fire itself in to this pale orb so of course it would burn.

“Please stop poking at my lightbulbs,” the same voice asked him tiredly. Madara turned to glare over one shoulder.

“Tell me what jutsu does this,” he demanded.

“It’s not a jutsu, it’s electricity.”

“Brother’s been using that word a lot lately,” Hashirama piped up from where he was excitedly inspecting a funny looking stove across the room. “Is that what it does? And this, does this use elek-i-ticity too?”

Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, their accidental host sighed. “Yes.”

“Madara, do you think elek-i-ticity is why we time traveled?”

“Of course not! Obviously it was your insane brother’s fault! Who knows what kind of madness he’s messed around with this time? If he can raise the dead then I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to have been the one behind all of this kerfuffle.”

Still rubbing his nose, although now more slightly more vigor, their host grit his teeth. “I’ve already told you, the time travel was an accident. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of my Mangekyo–”

“And that’s another thing! How dare you! What member of my clan did you steal that from? Don’t look at me like that, young man, it’s obvious just by looking at you that you aren’t an Uchiha. My clan’s bloodlines run strong.”

“Is he always like this, Shodaime-sama?” When Madara squawked in offense the young man turned back to him with a roll of his one visible eye. “I didn’t steal the eye; it was a gift from a friend. And I’m still trying to get the hang of everything – by myself, since no one in your oh-so-auspicious clan is willing to help me learn.” Despite the youth of his body there was an exhaustion in his voice that spoke of more years of pain than he should have experienced. It made Madara wonder if he’d been born with that gray hair or if stress had drained all the color away as parents the world over claimed.

There was something about that exhaustion which gave him pause. Years ago, when he and Hashirama were just young kids dreaming beside a lazy river, the first concept of their dreams for peace had been in honor of their fallen siblings. Together they had dreamed of a place where children would be safe and the adults would stop asking the younger generations to fight their battles for them.

How old, he wondered, had this child been when he saw his first battlefield? At present he could hardly be more than mid-adolescence and yet already the light in his eye was dim.

Madara crossed his arms and looked away with a stubborn expression on his face.

“I still say Tobirama must have had something to do with this,” he insisted. “This isn’t anything I’ve ever heard of the Sharingan being able to accomplish.”

“Cold! Cold!” Hashirama’s voice drew both of their attentions over to where he’d opened the top door of what looked like an upright storage chest only to find the inside coated in ice. Their host dropped his face in to one palm and shook his head.

Unable to resist, Madara sidled across the room to help his old friend inspect the latest marvel. The future was full of such amazing things. Back in his own time he’d heard of the daimyo’s latest expensive luxury purchase called an icebox and he wondered how similar it was to the small frozen cupboard he was shoving his face in to at the moment. Several frozen fish stared back at him from between brightly colored boxes labelled with food items he’d never heard of before. What on earth was a pudding pop?

When Hashirama shoved him out of the way to make a closer inspection for himself, Madara opened the lower door of this strange cupboard. Although it was larger, the lower portion was noticeably less cold. Nothing inside was frozen but rather kept at a delightfully chill temperature that one might expect to find in the evenings of late autumn. Fascinated, he rummaged around and breathed a sigh of relief that he recognized at least most of the foods inside this area. He knew the fruits and the vegetables, the milk and the butter, and although he definitely recognized the teriyaki chicken cutlets near the bottom, he couldn’t say what that thin clear sheet wrapped around the top was. What was the point of cooking the chicken if it wasn’t going to be eaten?

“This is amazing,” he heard Hashirama mutter from above him. Madara was inclined to agree.

“Can you guys close the fridge please? You’ll let all the food spoil and it wastes power to leave the doors open like that, you know? Well, actually, I guess you don’t know.”

“Power?” Madara frowned in confusion.

“Electricity.”

“Why did you call it power if it is called…that?” He certainly wasn’t going to make a fool of himself as Hashirama kept doing by taking a chance on mispronouncing it.

“It means the same thing. Just a slang word. Could you close the door?”

With a shrug Madara stood up and deigned to do so. Hashirama popped the top door shut on the ice cupboard but as soon as he’d let go of that he was back over at the fancy looking stove, poking at buttons.

“Hey! Hey Madara! Let’s light this! Do you think the fire goes in here?”

“Don’t!” The adolescent came flying across the room and shoved himself in between the stove and his two visitors. “It doesn’t need fire. Just – please go sit down in the living room before I have a heart attack or something.”

“My apologies if we’ve touched something we shouldn’t,” Hashirama told him. Instead of answering, the youth only narrowed his eyes and insistently pointed the way to the living room.

Within five minutes it became obvious that it was just as dangerous for them to be in here as both Madara and Hashirama attempted to figure out how the ‘tiny people’ had gotten trapped inside the wooden box against one wall.

“It’s just my television,” their host moaned in despair. He claimed it would take much too long to explain to them how the device worked but without a satisfactory explanation Madara was still much too curious to back off. He continued to bend left and right in an effort to peer at all sides of the box so he could find the hole where the little people entered through. Maybe a door or some kind? There were a lot of weird ropes – apparently called wires although it didn’t look like any wire he’d ever seen – but he didn’t see anything that could be considered an entrance. How the people got shrunk was more important anyway. What a jutsu that would be! Defeating his enemies would be so much easier if he could make them pocket sized and hold them down with the flat of one palm.

“How are these bound?” Hashirama asked from where he now stood next to a squat wooden bookcase. “I can’t even see the stitching.”

“Please put those down, Shodaime-sama!”

“But they’re so pretty! Such a beautiful orange color and the women on the front look very happy.”

“Gah!”

Flushed red from hairline to the top of his half-mask, the adolescent lunged across the room to extract his seemingly precious tome from Hashirama’s grasp. They must have been worth quite a lot if he was unwilling to let someone as auspicious as the God of Shinobi handle them. With a sheepish expression, Hashirama apologized for touching something of such value, slipping both hands behind his back and wandering away to inspect the pictures hung upon the wall.

Abandoning the ‘television’ for a moment, Madara joined the idiot’s inspection. Whoever painted these photographs was a master artist, able to create incredible detail in their work – it was as though they had simply captured a moment in time and hung it upon the wall somehow! The figures depicted in the painting appeared to be staring straight out of the image in to his own eyes. Most of them were smiling but for the young boy to one side who resembled a younger version of their host; he was scowling and turning his head to glare at another young boy on the other side of the painting.

“My word,” Hashirama murmured under his breath. One of his hands came up to stroke the glass covering which protected the amazing art. Probably it was meant to guard it from people like him who failed to smother their urge to fondle things which didn’t belong to them. Entirely ignoring the fact that he also fell in to that category of person at the moment, Madara returned to his perusal of this ‘television’ object, now looking for any seals which might have been powering it.

From the corner of one eye he could see their host bring his hands together and forming seals. Madara’s body tensed automatically until he recognized the summoning jutsu and he relaxed again when the boy placed his hand on the floor and a small pug appeared in a puff of smoke wearing a cute little vest.

“What’s up boss?”

“Can you just…just watch them for a minute, okay? Make sure they don’t break anything or – or leave, kami forbid.”

“Sure thing.” The puff hopped up on to a the arm of a dilapidated looking couch and sat at attention for all of three seconds before his back leg came up to scratch his ear.

With a shake of his head their host popped back in to the kitchen area, where he could be heard rummaging through doors and cupboards. Quiet grumbling drifted out in to the living room as he muttered to himself under his breath.

Madara had only just given up on locating any seals on the surface of the ‘television’ and plopped down in front of it to attempt communication with the people trapped inside when their host came back. He was holding what looked like a small pellet in his hand, dark and round, but before either of them had a chance to ask about it he popped it in to his mouth and crunched down.

“Is that a good idea, boss?” the pug asked gruffly. “Your chakra levels have been wacky enough lately without you taking boosters every time you get a little tired.”

“Trust me, it’s necessary this time. I promise when it happens next I’ll just sleep it off, alright? But I need to replenish my chakra stores if I’m going to get these two back to where they belong; they can’t stay here!”

“Alright, alright.”

“Oh, we can’t stay?” Hashirama turned away from his perusal of more amazing portraits. “I had hoped to have a look around the village that we built.”

The boy gave him a flat look. “It’s very village-like,” he said shortly. Hashirama wilted.

“Oh. Well, ah, thank you. I suppose that covers that.”

“Right. Were either of you doing anything of note just before you were pulling forward in time?”

“Nothing more out of the ordinary than me showing this oaf his own ass,” Madara replied, a suspicious grimace falling over his features as his mind went back to the battle they had been pulled out of. “But kami only knows what that fool Tobirama was up to. I’ve no doubt that whatever dangerous idiocy he was up to this time could have affected us as far away as the other side of the battlefield.”

Groaning, the host rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he had been doing before. “How many times–? It was my–! Never mind. Whatever. Can you both just stand together in the middle of the room so I can try to replicate what I was doing? Hopefully this should send you back to whenever it is that you came from.”

Like the giant puppy he was, Hashirama hopped to immediately. Madara followed with a heavy dose of reluctance and much less speed. Just because they were friends once didn’t mean he had to be excited to stand next to the man. Once they were both standing together in the center of the room as they’d been asked to their host lifted his slanted headband to reveal a transplanted Sharingan. With a spark of chakra Madara activated his own, memorizing the sight before him and recording the proceedings for later consideration. If one of his own clan members could unlock similar abilities it would be his duty to care for their safety as they learned how to wield them; any information at all would be helpful and a practical demonstration even more so.

The boy’s eye melted in to Mangekyo formation, whereupon its ceased spinning as all did when they reached that stage, and he brought his hands together in an ancient seal designed to gather chakra in preparation for a big release.

“Kamui!”

The world melted. It was the only way Madara could think of to describe it. Or perhaps he might have said that reality itself was reduced to the eye of a hurricane. Either way, the room around them disappeared in a spiral of black and Hashirama’s fingers clutched at the sleeve of Madara’s robes, keeping a good grip on him in case they were somehow separated in this emptiness between worlds. Stupid, really, to worry for someone he should have seen as his enemy. For a moment there was a sensation – almost an instinctual feeling – as though they were somewhere other and Madara had the fleeting thought that the two most powerful men to have ever existed had put their full trust in the hands of a boy whose name they never even bothered to learn.

Yet the moment passed quickly and they traveled seamlessly from one reality to the next, appearing back in a half decimated forest clearing as though they’d never left. The two men looked at each other in silence before turning to watch the fighting going on around them, wondering if anyone had even noticed their little trip. It became obvious that at least some people had when they noticed the relieved looks both of them were receiving. Their clan mates were happy to see them back after disappearing so suddenly, though unwilling to disengage from defending themselves just to come over and say so.

Both of their brothers, on the other hand, had no problem rushing over with matching expressions of suspicion. Madara allowed Izuna to lay a hand on his arm for a moment in greeting before he peeled back his lips and snarled at Tobirama, now standing protectively in front of his own older brother like some rabid guard dog.

“You!”

Tobirama narrowed his eyes cocked his head to one side at Madara’s angry shout.

“Can I help you, Uchiha?” he asked.

“I still say this was all your fault somehow! What have you done? What unholy jutsu were you messing with now that sent us through time itself?”

“Sent you through time?” Put off balance by such an unexpected answer, he turned his head to stare his sibling down with a look of vicious intensity. “What is he talking about? Give me details.”

Madara scowled at him and crossed his arms petulantly. “Oh as if you don’t know! Whatever it was that you did sent us in to the future – which, by the way, is incredibly stupid and confusing. Cupboards full of ice and tiny people trapped in boxes and fire contained in tiny glass orbs. And it’s all your fault!”

“Time travel. Hmm.”

“See? Brother didn’t have anything to do with it,” Hashirama chipped in. “Just as that boy said. It was an accident!

“Indeed, time travel is not something that I had previously considered as an area of experimentation. What a fascinating idea. To know that such a thing is possible – I know just where to begin my research!” He seemed to have already forgotten about the bloody sword still held fast in one hand, the other one already curling as though aching for a pen to fit between his fingers.

“Uh, what?” Although it was Hashirama whom he always met in battle and had gotten to know well when they were friends all those years ago, no familiarity was needed to recognize certain warning signs when it came to Tobirama. Worry settled over Madara as he noticed several of them now.

Tobirama refocused on his enemy just to grace him with a dangerous smile. “I must thank you, Uchiha, though it pains me a little to do so. What a fascinating concept you’ve given me. Time travel. Excellent. And it’s all thanks to you.” With that he turned and marched away, either forgetting they were still technically in the middle of battle or dismissing it as unimportant in the face of something more interesting.

“No! Senju get back here! I said no! Are you listening to me!?”

Once his hair had settled in the wake of a harried looking Madara rushing past him, Izuna following after, Hashirama stared blankly in to space for a while, simply allowing his mind a moment to process everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. Their trip to the future had only lasted a little over an hour yet he felt as though his entire perception of life had been altered. Although they hadn’t been able to explore or ask questions, they had still learned a few invaluable secrets which he knew he would keep close to his heart for the rest of his life.

His village, his precious lifelong dream, would someday become a true reality. Not only that but it would thrive and prosper many years after he was gone. Even long in to the future the village he built would stand as a beacon of safety and community, a place for those of different clans to live together in peace with each other. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, feeling as though he’d been granted a boon by the gods themselves; surely no man but him could have such certainty in their own dreams.

Then he turned and hurried after the other three men, if only to prevent Madara and Izuna from following a distracted Tobirama all the back to the Senju compound.

-

(Blinking tiredly at the now-empty space in his living room, Kakashi sighed and wondered if he should report what had just happened to the Third Hokage. He wondered if there were any official records which should have warned them that this would even occur someday. Although, he reasoned, if there were then they would probably have encouraged someone more important to be present than a scrawny teenager who was too young to have been in ANBU for this many years already.

Some day when he was older Kakashi would meet a man who would call himself Uchiha Madara and threaten the shinobi system as a whole. When that day came Kakashi would be among those inclined to believe that the man might just be who he claimed to be for he would have a knowledge that others did not.

He had met Uchiha Madara, had pulled the man through time himself. Who was he to say that such a thing had not extended that monster’s life somehow? Time was something no human could control and yet the full abilities of Uchiha Madara had never been recorded. It wasn’t impossible.

For now Kakashi remained blissfully unaware of the future which awaited him. His thoughts were on the present day and how his life existed only as a future for those long gone. Deep thoughts indeed for a boy who only came home to escape a certain loud mouthed friend and would have performed a number of underhanded tasks just to get a quick nap. That was how he preferred to spend his time.)

[theclosetpoet7]

Fluffy Fluffy Fuwa Fuwa

Disclaimer: Naruto isn’t mine.

Notes on chapter: In which Sakura gets a surprise.

Rating: T, with mild swearing.

“What?”

The blonde kunoichi nods her head, a teasing smile on her face as she observes her friend.

“You can’t be serious.”

Said friend in question proceeds to negate her claim.

“Oh, but I am Forehead.”

Her smile evolves into an evil grin while the person across her continues to shake her head.

“I don’t believe you. You must be mistaken.”

“I saw it with my own two gorgeous eyes.”

Uchiha Sakura stares at Yamanaka Ino for a moment and finally inwardly admits that her best friend may be telling her the truth and not just teasing her.

“There’s nothing special about today though.”

“What? Really?” the Jounin widens her eyes in surprise.

“Not that I know of.”

Sakura tilts her head to the side and raises one of her perfectly trimmed eye brows.

“You’re right, your anniversary isn’t ‘til three months from now.”

“Yeah…”

“First date then?”

“No.”

“When he became your boyfriend?”

“We never defined what we were before he proposed.”

“Seriously? He proposed before you guys were official?”

“Well, we kinda were after he returned from his personal journey.”

“But you never called yourselves boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“We didn’t need those titles.”

“Ugh! You guys make me sick with your hearts are connected this and that, blah blah. I get it, you both have a really deep connection. It always seems like no one else is in the world with you two. I don’t know how Naruto can deal with it.”

Sakura leers at her.

“Jealous Ino-pig?”

“As if! Sai-honey and I are so smitten that we can’t barely keep our hands off each other.”

“That’s too much information.”

Even now, Sakura can’t seem to place the current Sai with the robotic Anbu she met for the first time. She is extremely happy for both her friends.

“Anyway…first fuck?”

“So crass Ino! And… No.”

“Oho, so you do remember.”

“Sasuke-kun and I remember because…”

“Ieee! I don’t want to know! Maybe the day you conceived Sarada?”

Sakura begins to count the days and swiftly stops.

“Nope, if i can’t answer that question, he probably doesn’t know either.”

“Then why?!”

“Are you really sure of what you saw?”

“Come on forehead! Think about it. Uchiha Sasuke, walking around the village, holding a bouquet of pink roses! I can’t make this shit up!”

Sakura twirls around in her office chair and slumps on her table. Ino, who is currently sitting on the desk with her legs crossed continues to scrutinize her.

“I don’t know what those are for!”

“Wow, I can’t believe it.”

The head medic runs a hand through her hair and sighs.

“I’m terrible aren’t I?”

“Your handsome husband buys you roses and you have no idea what you’re celebrating. Yeah. You’re downright heartless.”

The Uchiha matriarch playfully glares at Ino, partly for calling her heartless but mostly for saying her darling was handsome, a bit of residual feelings of rivalry still simmering in her person, though only a speck of it.

“He knows my favorite are daffodils though. We kinda have a whole symbolic thing going on with it.”

“Pink roses, they mean love, gratitude and appreciation, one that someone gives to their loved one or a suitable mate.”

“I know.”

“Hold on. Forehead. Do you think…? No. It can’t be!”

“What Pig?”

“Do you think Sasuke-kun wants to tell you he wants to make a baby again?”

“Eeeeeeh?”

“It makes sense! Love, he loves you so much that he wants to make another human being to show it! Gratitude, he’s grateful for how you’ve been raising Sarada-chan all these years and for you waiting for him. Appreciation, we all know how much he appreciated you when you were carrying his first-born. Not that he doesn’t appreciate you now but he will appreciate it if you carry his child again. That’s it!”

“I think you’re overthinking it Ino.”

“Then whyyyy? I’m so curious.”

Ino bites on the edge of her thumb as she grinds her teeth to solve the mystery that is Sasuke buying pink roses on a day Sakura doesn’t recall is special. After all, she is privy to all things that involve the Uchiha couple.

“Aaah!” She grabs her head and ruffles her hair vigorously, a sign of frustration and impatience. Then she grips Sakura’s shoulder and looks at her pleadingly.

“Then go home will you? And find out! I can’t take this suspense!”

“But I’m not done with my shift yet.”

Sakura stares at her quizzically and lets out a nervous laugh.

“Go home.”

“I still have to do rounds in the surgical department.”

“Go home now.”

“It will only take two more hours, surely it can wait.”

“I said now.”

“Ino…”

“Fine! I’ll finish this shift for you.”

The pinkette raises her eyebrows.

“I don’t think it works that way.”

“If you don’t go home now Sakura, I swear I’ll go there myself and see what Sasuke’s up to!”

“What?”

“And you don’t want me ruining whatever surprise he has for you right?”

“That’s mean Ino-chan!”

“Oh and he’ll be embarrassed too.”

“I know you’re not seriously considering this.”

“I am and I will. If you don’t go home now.”

They stare each other down for a moment, an electric fizz connecting emerald green with sky blue. Then, both women let out a boisterous laugh as the hilarity of the situation sinks in.

“Okay, I’ll try to meet you halfway, if you make the rounds with me and look over the patients that are about to be discharged then I think I can be home in an hour. Some of them are your patients anyway.”

Ino smiles excitedly.

“You got yourself a deal.”

__________________________________

Uchiha Sakura comes home to a nervous, slightly embarrassed and glaring daughter.

Her eyes zero in on the mass of pink flowers in Sarada’s arms.

“What’s going on?”

The young girl fumbles with the bouquet and pouts.

“Papa is acting weird.”

“How so?”

“He… gave me flowers.”

Sakura comically twitches and sweat-drops, a bit of disappointment falling over her features.

So the roses weren’t for her but for Sarada.

Still though, this is incredibly sweet and cute that she couldn’t help but smile at her daughter. She decides to tease her for a bit.

“You look happy though.”

Sarada smiles lightly.

(Her daughter is such a tsundere)

“They look pretty.”

“And?”

“Papa is so… Shannaro.”

The young mother giggles softly.

“I’ll get you a vase for that.”

“Thank you, Mama.”

She walks into the kitchen and notices her darling husband, who is acting a bit weird today and widens her eyes when she realizes that he had already prepared dinner.

“Welcome back.”

“Anata?” She glances longingly at the bountiful spread before her, a hot pot, sushi, a bottle of sake and cake. Sakura blinks and looks up to see Sasuke taking his apron off.

She blushes when he walks towards her and plants a soft kiss on her forehead.

Her emerald green eyes catch the blurred form of their daughter in her periphery and inwardly chuckles when Sarada nearly breaks the vase full of pretty pink roses upon stumbling in on their moment.

“What was that for?” she breathes out when the blur of red can no longer be seen.

Uchiha Sasuke straightens up and smiles at her, right hand lingering on her waist.

“It’s a special day.”

“It’s not our anniversary.”

“I know.”

“Neither is it my birthday.”

“Of course not.”

“And we never set a date on when we became official.”

Her husband looks a bit puzzled.

“Well, if there was a date, it probably would be when I first got back from travelling.”

Sakura blushes.

“Really?”

“Aa.”

“That early?”

Sasuke nods his head.

“But that’s not what we’re celebrating.”

She puts her hands on her waist and tilts her form again.

“Then what are we celebrating?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Gomen Sasuke-kun, but I don’t.”

He pulls away and turns beet red. He shakes his head shyly and scratches his right cheek with the tip of his index finger. Then he regards her form with an air of cuteness that Sakura rarely sees on him.

“It’s the day I came back with you and Sarada.”

She stares at him, still a bit confused.

He clears his throat.

“The day after we beat Shin Uchiha.”

Her eyes clear with understanding.

And then her heart beats unbelievably fast. Her brain conjuring up an old memory and mixing it with this new, amazingly adorable one.

She pulls him by the collar of his shirt and smashes her lips to his, passionately conveying all she is feeling.

Because it isn’t fair.

How often she falls a little bit more in love with her husband everyday.

________________________

Later on that night.

“Ah! I’m so full! Thank you for the dinner, Anata!”

She opens the door connected to their room, steam coming out after and blinks at the darkness that greets her.

“Sasuke-kun?”

Her hands explore the wall, reaching for the switch.

“Wait. Don’t turn the light on yet.”

“Huh?”

“Just, a few seconds.”

Sakura hears the rustle of sheets.

“Okay.”

Their room is filled with brightness. The moment her eyes fall on her spouse’s form, all Uchiha Sakura can feel is unbearable warmth.

Because,

There was her husband, laying on his side facing her. Naked. An elbow propped on their comforter while his hand supported his head. Naked. His splendid glory out for her to see. Naked. With his dark eyes piercing into her soul, tugging it. Naked. And.

A daffodil held between his lips.

Naked.

She blinks.

“So, this…”

She gestures to his seductive pose.

“…is Naruto’s idea isn’t it?”

Sasuke stiffens and turns completely pink.

“Perhaps.“

But he holds his position.

"It’s cute.”

“You better not be referring to my…”

“Oh, we both know 'cute’ isn’t the right word for it Anata.”

He smirks.

“Come here.”

“I don’t know…Do you remember that night a year ago?”

“Yeah.“

"It was so hard…trying to hide my screams.”

“Sakura.”

“You had been craving me for so long. Kami, it had been years since we last made love that time.”

He meets her eyes again, and there is something there, something so strong that she couldn’t help but feel it tug at her soul again.

“Come to bed.”

She throws the towel off her and pads toward her sexy husband, briefly noting the glass of three daffodils on their night stand.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

______________________

A.N.: I’m so busy studying for exams but had to take a short break. This little idea came out when I was chilling and imagined a scenario between Sakura and Ino starting with the line “You can’t be serious.”

R&R

[eleanor-devil]

Naruto Fanfic - Boruto: Sacrifices - Chap.22, A Brother’s Love

IMPORTANT: It would be very very appreciated if you reblogged it and left a comment. We get lots of likes/favs but almost no comments, so please everyone, leave a comment, it encourages us to continue.

Written by my friend @mirage-05

Cover by @eleanor-devil

prologue, chap.1, chap.2, chap.3, chap.4, chap.5, chap.6, chap.7, chap.8, chap.9, chap.10, chap.11, chap.12, chap.13, chap.14, chap.15, chap.16, chap.17, chap.18, chap.19, chap.20, chap.21, chap.22, chap.23

For more Sacrifices stuff, click on this link

Chapter 22 - A Brother’s Love

She never really liked the hospitals. True, she had medical training on Mei's prompting but she was a free spirit (a very stubborn free spirit, her foster mother always commented) - she would much rather go be part of the action rather than staying behind. Not that she ever underestimated the importance - it was only that she was more of an action person. She tended to avoid hospitals because, well... they never brought her any good memories. Izumi sighed and closed her eyes, trying to focus her mind not on that fateful night twenty-seven years ago and on the injured child in front of her, keeping her prayer's here... Lost in thoughts, she didn't even hear the door sliding open. "What are you doing here?" Hearing the intimidating voice... the redhead tried her best not to flinch too hard as she slowly turned back to face the newcomer... or, in this case, the father of this boy.

He was as fearsome as she first met him - though she would never admit it to his face. Those golden eyes looked cold - colder than ever, and although his posture was nowhere near threatening, just his presence and aura was enough to create a sense of foreboding. She straightened herself a little before answering. "I was visiting him." "On what terms?" "As his friend, as you know well." "He doesn't have a friend in you," the sannin's tone was cold, not relenting as he passed her to stand next to his son's bed. "Nor does he need a friend." She probably shouldn't have pushed it... but by that time, Izumi wasn't able to stop herself. "You are wrong. He needs his friends more than ever right now." "His friends are the reason he is in this condition right now." Without completely turning, Orochimaru moved his eyes towards her. "And he definitely doesn't need strangers to keep him company." That was harsh... and she could've said something, but it wasn't appropriate and she didn't want to keep nagging him while he was worrying over his son... So, biting the inside of her cheek, the redhead moved out of the room, slowly closing the door behind her. She turned back to look at Mitsuki one more time before she walked away. "Come back soon, Mitsuki... You know I can't get along with your father when you aren't around..." [Flashback] "LET ME OUT OF HERE! DO YOU HEAR ME?! HEY! I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR BOSS!!" Izumi sighed as she banged her fist on the prison bars. In any other case, she could've melted those with her acid technique, but that... Hozuki bastard made absolutely sure they were acid-resistant when they brought her down to these dungeons. And come to think of it, dungeons?! What kind of an old minded freak had dungeons like these in this time?! "OI!! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!" she yelled once again, just about to lose it. And this mission was supposed to be an easy one to her! She was to only spy on and gather intellect on Hozuki Suigetsu's sword, a weapon that rightfully belonged to Kiri, which was pretty much confiscated by him. The Mizukage didn't think she would need back-up on this mission, and frankly, neither did she, but all it took was one tiny second of distraction, and they had ambushed her... She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the sound of the supply door opening until she saw a small hand appear under it, pushing in a tray with a food bowl and a glass of water in it. It was such an unusual sight that she gasped. At that sound, she saw that the little hand immediately withdrew. Izumi tried to see behind the bars, but whoever it was, was hiding skillfully in the shadows. "Wait, please don't go..." she said, her voice coming out more concerned than urgent now. "Who are you...?" There was silence for a long moment, so much so that the Kiri ninja began thinking that the person was gone. "Come on..." she mumbled. "I'm no one to be afraid of, I promise you that..." The person didn't... feel threatening, if anything, the redhead was willing to bet it was just a child... The hand was definitely not an adult hand. The other party still wasn't saying anything... But then someone walked into the light, locking eyes with her reluctantly. Izumi gasped. The boy didn't look older than nine. "Hello," she said once again, trying to keep her tone pleasant and not alarmed. Who was this child...? She had heard stories about this place, about countless children who were brought here... "My name is Akiyama Izumi. Nice to meet you." she continued with a smile, putting her hand through the bars so the child could take it. The boy looked down at her hand, but made no move to acknowledge the gesture... and he actually took a step back. "Okay..." the young woman pulled her hand back slowly, this had been awkward... "What are you doing here? I don't think I've seen you before..." The boy didn't say anything, but... made no more moves to get away, either. The redhead took this as an encouraging sign. "Is it okay if I ask you yes or no questions? You can just nod or shake your head." The young blue haired boy seemed to think about it for a moment. Then, as unsure as he looked, he nodded. "Are you being held here against your will?" Before she could stop herself, the burning question slipped out of her mouth. She had to know... if there are more pressing matters other than the illegal possession of one of their legendary swords. But to her surprise, the boy shook his head - vigorously at that. That was unexpected. A small frown made its way to the woman's features. "Are you... related to someone here then?" A nod this time - although it didn't go amiss by her that the child took a quick peek around before nodding. "Huh... interesting, never thought a child could be raised here..." she mused, and when she caught him staring at herself, she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry... maybe it was better not to say it out loud." The kid was silent for a moment. And then... "Why do you keep screaming so loud for my dad?" The redhead was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do now that she finally got him to speak. The big, curious golden eyes kept gazing intently, obviously waiting for an answer. "Um... because it's not appropriate that I'm being kept here, and I want to talk to the person in charge for a reasonable negotiation." Apparently, her choice of long words were confusing the boy... way to go, talking with children, she inwardly scolded herself. "I don't really understand what you mean..." he said. "But I heard from Suigetsu that you were trying to steal something..." "The nerve of that bas- master!" Izumi rushed in to correct herself. At which, the boy started laughing. It was more of a giggle, actually, but the jounin could tell that the invisible barrier between them had just cracked. "You know," she said non-chalantly. "You still didn't tell me your name." The blue haired boy offered her a smile. "It's Mitsuki." "What a beautiful name. You said you were the son of...?" "Yup, my dad runs here," Mitsuki said brightly. "He is a great scientist. But..." his face fell a little then. "I don't have many friends here..." "You are the only child here then?" "Yup." The kunoichi smiled a little herself when she heard that, at least that was some kind of a relief. "Well... I can be your friend if you want." And the smile widened a little. "I would love that." Before any of them could say anything more, there were footsteps and they heard a voice. "That's enough, Mitsuki." Mitsuki immediately tensed at hearing the voice, something that pulled at Izumi in all the wrong ways. Was that the kid's father then, the person in charge here? The redhead gulped, not having difficulty in guessing who that could be. And indeed, a tall man with long black hair stepped out of the shadows. The first thing the kunoichi immediately noticed was that he had the same eyes with Mitsuki. "Go to your room. Now." the man said in a calm but cold tone to the young boy. Mitsuki gulped, gave a quick nod and then hurried away, without another glance at her. Despite having heard about the countless stories centering around this man, this was the first time Izumi met the infamous ninja - one of the three legendary sannins of Konoha. He was indeed an intimidating sight, especially with the calculating and chilling look in his snake-like golden eyes... but she was determined not to show how she was so unnerved by the mere sight of him. Instead, in an attempt to look braver than she felt... she spoke. "So what, couldn't handle your son making a new friend? Seems like the poor child needs it." "Do not forget the position you are in." With that, Orochimaru put a hand on the bars and leaned forward, and it became even harder for her to keep her composure when their eyes locked. God, how could he have such an effect on her...? "You are on no grounds to make friends here." "Then give me back the sword that belongs to Kiri, and I'll go my way." Izumi gallantly spoke, still trying to cover her fear. "You will not get anything from here. If you do not let go of your claim... be my guest to stay here forever." The threat was nothing light. With that, the sannin turned on his heels and started walking away. The kunoichi just gaped after him for a while, unbelievable, but then she hit the bars with all she had, frustrated. "COME BACK! LET ME OUT!!" [Flashback] Orochimaru sighed inaudibly as he looked at the sleeping form of his son. This was becoming harder than he expected. He had watched his son sleeping countless times before, had he not? This time should not be different. But he wasn't able to come up with any words. Standing there for a couple more minutes, he finally took the few steps, going to the window. Staring out of it, he started speaking. "Tonight, I am going to finish the job I started. Tonight, there will be one less vermin walking this earth." Admitting to that fact seemed to give him the motivation he was looking for. "I will let you know that I never expected to have you." He didn't know where those words were coming from... which wasn't something that ever happened to him. "I did create Log merely to serve my own purposes. And he did well, he was disrespectful to say the least, but never disobedient. I did not imagine needing a second ch-" he stopped himself there, thinking the word over. "-soldier." he concluded. "But then you came to me... when I least expected, you came to me. And I did not know what to do with you. For the first time in my life, the things I experienced treaded an unknown path, a path that I did not intend to choose." Maybe it was best not to bring it up that if it was not for his brother... he wouldn't be here... "But you were an interesting creature... even from your birth, you were one of a kind." He folded his arms, his gaze turning distant, remembering... "You intrigued me, made me wish to learn all I can from you, about you... Little by little, you made me realize that... it might not actually be bad to... have a child..." Finally, he turned to face Mitsuki again, not knowing what else to say, already feeling like... he most likely said too much. But also feeling like he should come up with a finale... "Tonight's victory is only going to be complete... when you wake up... for I have the feeling that I still have quite a few to learn from you." He walked forward, getting closer and closer to the bed. "And I know you will come back." He put his hand, gently, on Mitsuki's forehead. "...because you are my son." ... The cemetery of Konohagakure was quiet today. It wasn't like the young boy was complaining about it, though, no. He liked to be alone next to his parents, away from the loud brats who wouldn't understand what the gravestones or death meant, or those who would wail so loudly that it felt like his ears were bleeding. No, it was best that he would be left alone in his own thoughts. Honestly...? Right now, he needed it. Ichiro sighed as he reached forward and put a hand on the soil, caressing it a bit. "I wonder what you guys would've told me if you could see me now... I guess I'm... quite the disappointment..." Another sigh... this talk wasn't going to be smooth, he knew it, but still... "I... just don't know what to do..." he admitted, the look in his eyes distant. "For all my life, after you left... grandpa became my only anchor... He raised me, I never even thought to question his moralities... It was 'Ichiro, do this,' and whatever it was... it would be done, no hesitation. Because... grandpa couldn't do anything wrong, right?" A long pause followed his words as the teen hung his head, his face hidden by the curls framing it. "I... did something very... very wrong..." he mumbled at last, not looking up. "And not just me, I dragged others into it..." His free hand clasped on the trinkets on his wristband... a memoir from his mother. Ichiro closed his eyes tight as the images of his parents flashed before his eyes, as clear as he remembered them... smiling encouragingly, congratulating him for the graduation from the academy - with flying colors, too. How he wished he could take these memories back... "Please forgive me..." he whispered, his hold tightened even more now. "I wasn't the son you wanted me to be..." He wasn't honest, he wasn't fair, he wasn't helpful and understanding to the less fortunate... all the things his father praised to be the treats of a true member of the Sarutobi. If nothing, the crushing fact that he had let his father down weighed upon him as he stood there. "Show me a sign..." he said, his voice low. "Show me a way to become better than what I am, better than what grandpa made out of me... To at least make up a little..." A cool breeze rushed past the trees, picking up some snowflakes from the ground and swirling them around. The teen allowed himself to just... not think for a moment, to just get lost in the nothingness... "Ichiro?" That voice had caught him off-guard. His eyes snapped open and he immediately looked back, although of course, he had long recognized who it belonged to. Which wasn't a big surprise, really. He knew that the third lord's grave wasn't too far away. "What do you want? Or am I not free from my training even here?" his tone was coated with sarcasm as he turned away to look at his parents' graves again. How much of it did he hear...? Konohamaru raised an eyebrow - he hadn't much time to speak with Ichiro after lord seventh's interview, the teen had been on a mission the next day and he had his own duties... hardly pressing as a sensei, he would say. "I just thought I would say hi." "Well, now you said it." The jounin sighed, looking on the ground, honestly feeling a little... exasperated. How was he even going to connect to this boy when he didn't know how to approach him...? All his attempts seemed to fail. "Look, Ichiro..." he finally said, raising his head to look at the back of the boy. "I know we had a rocky start and I know it's hard for you to accept the situation and come to terms with my current position..." The teen honestly couldn't help but think how he was very much off the mark. "But as long as you want that too, I'm willing to overlook that." Konohamaru paused, measuring his next words carefully, so as not to multiply the distance he was trying to close. "I want to offer you a fresh start, as if nothing happened previously. What do you say to that?" And once again, the teen was silent as he looked at the two graves. 'Seriously? THIS is supposed to be the sign?' A new resolution being shaped in his mind, Ichiro turned to the jounin and for once, his look wasn't hostile or hateful... it held the accepting that took too long to build. "Yes, I would like that." ... They had no idea the afternoon would come with a surprise. Team Konohamaru was called for another mission - one that didn't require a third man to join their cell. They were back in the grade school, supervising children for one period. It had been a little harder than they originally thought. The first thing the kids asked was where Mitsuki was - of course, the food team wasn't complete without him. It had been hard for both Boruto and Sarada to explain their friend's absence, they ended up just loosely answering that he was recovering after he got hurt protecting the village - pretty much what Boruto told his sister. The kids had been a little grumpy after that, but all in all, it was a quiet period in which they mostly did reading. All things aside, the Uzumaki could easily say that he was glad when the bell rang. "Onii-chan! Sarada nee-chan!" Startled out of his thoughts, the blond turned at the same time with his friend to see Himawari approaching them with a big smile, tailed by a female sensei who had mid-length brown hair and a very tiny figure. Hima seemed excited as they came to a stop in front of them. "Hi, Himawari." Boruto said, just seeing his little sister lightening him up. Then he looked at the woman. "And you must be...?" "Aburame Anzu, I'm your sister's homeroom teacher." she replied pleasantly. "Aburame?" Sarada joined in the conversation. "You are Shino-sensei's wife, right?" "Indeed, I am." she offered them a smile. "Himawari here had quite the idea to motivate the students to do something collective." A shadow passed over her face. "I have heard about your friend... I'm sorry-" "But anyway," the younger sibling cut in immediately. "Anzu-sensei told us about that myth where you write get-well wishes on some paper... animals, and if we get enough of them... our wish will be granted!" "Well, it's more like what she said, really... a myth. But in any case, I think this is a great opportunity to let the children to emphatize." "So? What do you think?" Hima practically chirped in excitement, looking really proud of herself. Boruto and Sarada looked at each other. "Well, count me in." the black haired girl said at last, with a warm smile. "I will make one of those paper animals myself." ... "Yeah, we will eliminate that low-life tonight... any idea how we're gonna get him out first?" Log was losing his patience with Orochimaru - and that was putting it lightly. It was easy saying they would kill Takeru - of which he sounded so damn sure - but they weren't informed of any sort of plan. It was either he didn't make one, or for some reason, his creator was playing it close to the vest. Either way, he was successful at pissing him off. "If you have any ideas yourself, feel free to share." the sannin snapped back, almost equally annoyed. "That place is a stronghold - unless you are planning to set off a bomb or something, I can't see anything working out. Sure, we can get in disguised as another prison guard, but we need a distraction to get him out of the prison first and out of the village second - which he is not gonna be quiet about anyway. It can backfire on us in the blink of an eye!" "Bah, I don't think anyone in this village will mourn the loss of him anyway," Suigetsu said matter-of-factly. "Holding their reputation is important. Letting a prisoner be kidnapped is one way to tarnish it." "I'm pretty sure they can cover it, Log." Juugo put in. Just when Log opened his mouth to yet again say something, there was a knock on the door, quick and curt. Everyone present in the room looked at one another, startled. The white haired man was closer to the door. After a look of confirmation from Orochimaru, his hand on the hilt of his sword and partially hiding inside the door, he pulled it open. The person didn't even wait for an invitation. Izumi fixed her fiery gaze on the sannin as she came to a stop in the middle of the room, causing everyone to look at her unbelievably. "I'm going to help you in your revenge plan." ... "What the actual fuck?!" "There is no need for such a reaction." the redheaded kunoichi was frowning slightly, almost unapprovingly at Log. "And who the hell are you to determine that?" "Excuse me but can I second that statement? What the actual fuck?" This came from Suigetsu... naturally. "We are supposed to trust this Kiri woman out of everyone?!" "No one said such a thing." the sannin was losing his patience - which was to say something, with everything that was going on this day. He thought he had made his point very clear back in his son's room - this woman was not welcome in any of their lives. "You are not involved in this plan and you will never be. Leave. now." Izumi straightened her back, looking squarely in his eyes. "I have a plan to get that guy out of the prison without him suspecting anything. I can at least do that much, can't I?" "Bullshit." The older clone was clearly beyond this by now. "So how is your planning going?" The Kiri kunoichi, on the other hand, was not fazed at all, more like completely ignoring him. "None of your damn business." "It is my damn business if it involves Mitsuki." "Orochimaru-sama..." Karin's voice was just a little hesitant as she interjected. "Maybe we should hear her out first before readily dismissing the idea?" "You gotta be kidding me!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "I second Karin on this one," Juugo put in. "Orochimaru-sama, we keep drawing blanks. It might be good to get a second opinion." The sannin didn't say anything as he kept glaring at those blue eyes, which shone with determination and stubbornness... ... "Hey! At least bring me some coffee once in a while!" Takeru called out to whichever guardian that could hear him - not that they would respond, to be honest, but he was getting damn bored and these people were so easy to annoy, just like that Hiraku wimp from Kumo. Being a rogue nin and talking about morals... Yeah, right. What a joke. They didn't even have a choice. After the downfall of Orochimaru, that despicable man who built Otogakure as a research lab, they were attacked and ruined on a non-existent excuse. The clans had to stick together and so they did - for decades now. All with the hope that one day they will have enough funds to build their own - real - village. And just when they were given the funds and promise to achieve their dream... Only with the condition of murdering Uzumaki Naruto... it had to come all crashing down. All because of one worthless brat... A sudden sound caught his attention and the Shiin's head immediately snapped up, catching a shadow move just in time. "Who is that?" he immediately asked, and hated the fact that his voice sounded at least a little panicky. What was this, was he still afraid of the sannin came knocking on his door? After more than a week? "You better have brought that coffee of mine." he sneered. Yes, he was still afraid. And then... a woman walked out of the shadows, and Takeru's jaw literally dropped to the floor. She... she was goddamn beautiful. Her hair held the fire from the torches in an enchanting way, and even when she didn't really meet his eyes,  what he saw was breathtaking. "Hot damn," Takeru muttered with a low whistle. "Alright, now, this is ten times better than a coffee." A smirk was formed on his lips as the woman stepped in front of his cell bars. "Were you sent here to entertain me, hot stuff?" "You'll find out you have no time for that." the stranger said with a cool and indifferent tone, looking straight into his eyes. "Master Nobukazu sent me here to retrieve you. I have news from the Sound." Takeru's eyes flew open when he heard that. Shiin Nobukazu, the leader of their clan... If he, out of all people, went into trouble to send a spy to Konoha out of all the villages... this should be something really big. Wait for a moment though... "Anyone can know the name of my clan's leader," he said, frowning slightly. "How exactly should I trust you to be sent directly from him?" "I'm a free merchant," the woman shrugged. Then her gaze turned serious. "-who happened to come upon what's left of your clans two days ago." This last part made everything come to a stop as the brunet gaped at the woman. "What... the hell are you talking about?!" "Oh. So you haven't heard." She got closer to the bars, and instinctively, he was drawn closer too. "Konoha ninjas went there more or less a week ago and burnt the whole place down in retribution." "That's a lie!" Takeru hit the bars, hard, with his hand, but the woman stood her ground. "We aren't weak, we got stronger, we would stand up against them!" It couldn't happen, not again... "Only about fifty people survived from the four clans. They are planning a counter-attack, but master Nobukazu asked me to retrieve you too. He said you would play an important role." "God damnit!" A laugh escaped from the man's mouth, almost hysteric. "And what does he think I can do from here?! Does it look like I can get out of here anytime soon?!" "That's why I'm sent." The redhead put a finger on the bars and traced it over, almost seductively. "If you trust me, just for a little bit... I can get you out of here." "Hell yeah I can trust you." was the first thing to come out of his mouth and he didn't bother to stop himself now, it's not like such a beautiful woman wouldn't fall for his charm and lie to him... "Alright sweet cheeks... get me out of here." He wondered for a moment whether the smile she gave him was indeed a cold one... but in the next, he disregarded it as a trick of the light. A sickly green, dense liquid began forming on the woman's fingertips and as the metal started to sizzle, Takeru stood back, gaping in wonder. "Acid release...?" The redhead's smile only grew sly. "That's why I was sent." ... It had struck him weird how easily they seemed to slip out of the facility - like none of the guards were on watch. Which couldn't possibly be true - guardians were on their necks even in the free period. "Hey, I'm not sure..." "...of what?" the myseterious woman turned to gaze at him in the dark. And once again, he didn't know what to say for a moment. "Ugh... I don't even know your name...?" It should've been the least of his worries and in a way it was... only he was trying not to sound too suspicious. "Akiyama Izumi. Do you feel better now?" "Maybe." A smirk accompanied his tone. "And maybe I will feel even better to have you in my bed after we get our revenge." "I guess that all depends on whether or not you will survive it." "Hah, don't underestimate me hot stuff. I'm pretty strong, that was the reason I was chosen for the Konoha mission." "For all your big talk, you still seem timid around me. Why?" "Hey, anyone with half a brain would be..." timid wasn't the right word here. "...cautious. Why isn't there anyone around anyway?" "It's because we're about to reach the meeting point." They walked in silence for a little more, and the forest surrounding them grew thicker and thicker... until he began to see a clearing up ahead. And saw a shadow moving, fast, in the clearing. "Whoa, wait-" "Just a little more." the woman goaded. And as soon as they stepped into the clearing... he came face to face with the man he most feared in the world. Gasping, Takeru turned back... only to meet the now icy gaze of the woman who brought him here. Jerking her hand away from him in one quick motion, Izumi pushed him forward, right at the feet of Orochimaru. Scrambling up to his feet again, he turned back... the woman was gone, and in her place was a huge, fierce looking man with orange hair. He turned again... this time to bump into a white haired man with a huge, cleaver like sword... just looking at it made his blood run cold... He had nowhere else to run to, they had closed in. Scared witless as he was of him, Takeru still directed his words to the sannin. "I guess you're gonna do the same thing you did to Goro. Rip me apart and be over with it." "I'm not the one who will determine your fate." One look from the sannin to his subordinates, and Takeru saw no more. ... When he opened his eyes... for a moment, he thought he lost his mind. This... couldn't be, it just couldn't be, this was insane. Yeah, he knew that brat somehow managed to survive, but to be up on his feet, right in front of him, like some kind of... "Demon...!" the word he thought sprung to his lips as he reeled back in horror. A cold, dangerous smirk made its way on that pale face. "Funny you should say that. Because I'm about to turn this place into your hell." And that was when he started noticing other things. The boy... well, it wasn't a boy, more like a young adult - so much so that he wondered how come he didn't notice it before. His eyes were sharper, with a long slash mark on his right chin, directly under his eye. The man blew a puff of smoke right in his face. "I take it that you noticed the similarities?" he said almost non-chalantly, but his voice still sent shivers down the brunet's spine. "You didn't figure the boy you almost killed would have family, did you?" He didn't have time to react. The hard kick that was delivered to his chest made him fly away and bump into a tree, knocking the wind out of him. Short of breath, he glanced up at the young man, who had taken a pack of cigars from his pocket and was looking in it. "I have five of them left and I'm a slow one. Which would give you about forty minutes to entertain me." He looked at him with some kind of greed, no, lust... lust for blood in his eyes. "Because I am not gonna kill you until I finish all of them." He leaned forward in an attack position, golden eyes glinting poisinously in the dark. Turning away, the only thing Takeru could do was run. ... Before he completely succumbed to the mind of the predator, Log remembered feeling thankful to Orochimaru for giving him this chance. Well, it wouldn't matter. He had started preparations even before he learned about his creator's plan. Whether the sannin liked it or not, he was going to fight this man himself. If anything, he owed his little brother that much. He couldn't protect him, at least he could avenge him. He could cease the existence of those who tried to put out the one light in his life. His eyes, adjusted to darkness from creation, had no trouble tracking the low-life. His prey breathing heavily wasn't much of a help to the guy either. For all his big talk, he was an amateur; if anything, he was making his job easier. In the middle of his flight, the Oto ninja suddenly turned and threw a barrage of kunais at him. Taking his sword out in one quick motion, the older clone made a long slash with it - knocking the kunais in midair and sending a gust of wind towards his opponent. Takeru dodged, put a hand on a tree trunk and twirled around, putting his other hand on earth in the process. Suddenly, the earth became mud under his feet. Not losing his composure, Log let the sensation completely engulf him, more and more... until he became the snake. The beast slid into the ground, along with the sliding earth, finding its way easily through the soil. His smell had enhanced in this stage, he had no trouble pinpointing the exact location. The brunet yelped in panic and jumped back as a huge snake sprung from the depths of the earth, baring its fangs at him and snapping them close just inches away from his face. He barely had time to avoid the next attack - his eyes widened as the beast turned into the vicious young man, who now swung his sword at a much closer distance. Takeru instinctively held his arm up, and felt the sharp pain of the cut. In the next moment... he was howling in searing agony. Hearing that, the older clone smirked with delight. That was an added bonus to his sword for this day only. He had dipped it into a salty substance, made sure that the crystalline material stuck enough to the blade. Oh no, he wasn't going to give this bastard an easy way out. Dodging another barrage of kunais, he jumped on a tree, noticing then that he had just finished his first cigarette. Damn, he was getting ahead of himself. He threw the butt away and lit another cigarette, then lunged forward. Recovering a little, the Oto ninja wasn't unprepared this time. Paper bombs went off all around them, lighting up the area. Being trained as good as he was, the blue haired man was caught by the last echo of the blast, but he quickly got up to his feet, only with a faint stinging feeling on the back of his hand. He charged forward... He was faster - naturally. Once, twice, three times... they were shallow cuts and nowhere near where they could cause real damage, but he had delivered a series of twenty-five cuts when his second cigarette went off. As he contently lit up the third one, the man's screaming sounded like music to his ears. Several shurikens attached to tiny strings flew towards him, wrapping themselves around a tree just behind him. Before he knew it, high pitched ringing sounds deafened his ears, and Log had to cover them as it created a splitting headache. And in that moment, his opponent counter-attacked. Well, as long as his distraction worked, he was quite fast. Log barely had time to raise his sword, and he felt a cut on his arm. Their weapons clashed, and in the next opening he had, he slashed at Takeru. With a poof sound, a stump stood in the place of the man. Substitution technique. "Now I'm seriously pissed," he mumbled to himself, looking at the cigarette butt that lied sliced in half on the ground. "You made me waste my smoke." He lit another one and looked around... the man was nowhere to be seen. At first a frantic thought crossed his mind - what if the man had escaped? These weren't really attack maneuvers - they were more evasive measures. It would be wiser to hightail it out of here rather than facing an opponent he can't beat... But thinking more clearly... he calmed down. Yeah, he didn't deliver a mortal blow, but with those cuts, that lowlife couldn't go too far. It was more likely that he was buying himself time. Taking a breath out of his cigarette, he let it out in one long blow and closed his eyes, listening... If he couldn't trust his sight, he still had his hearing. After listening intently for a moment, he had found his prey. The Oto ninja didn't even understand what happened next, it was so fast and he was so out of it. Log delivered another series of quick blows, twenty-five precise cuts. By the end of it, Takeru didn't even have the strength to scream anymore. As the blue haired man dropped in front of him, gazing at him with intense disgust... the brunet instinctively did something he never thought he would do in his life... covered in his own blood, in unimaginable pain... "Please... kill me..." In the process of lighting his last cigarette, Log paused and lifted an eyebrow. This... man... was honestly begging for mercy...? He was looking in the golden eyes hopefully... Just one quick thrust of that sword and it would be over... one quick blow... That hopeful look turned to relaxation as the young man raised his sword, high. After looking at him for a minute, the blue haired man brought it down, hard... the Oto ninja closed his eyes, waiting for the salvation... "No. You're not worth it." His eyes snapping open, the brunet watched in horror as the predator turned away and started walking in the opposite direction. "Wait!" Ears deaf to his cries and pleas, Log took out a paper bomb and placed it on a tree - not too near Takeru as if it would blow him to pieces, but not too far either, so that the flames could reach him quickly enough. Taking one last breath from the final cigarette in his pack, he dropped it near the bomb and jumped towards the trees, listening closely as the bomb went off and loud screams mixed into the crackling fire in a matter of seconds.        

[raendown]

I finally got around to writing Part 3 of The Autocorrect Series!

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 3136 Summary:  A discovery is made but not by them.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Reasonable and Adult™

When they left her place Mito had already seemed reluctant to take part in this, although Hashirama couldn’t see why. He had called Tobirama’s phone several times and for each call there had been no answer, which was extremely odd for his brother. If Tobirama were already in bed he would have turned his phone off like usual and the calls would have gone straight to voicemail. The situation was just strange enough that Hashirama had worried himself in to going home in the middle of the night.

“I don’t understand how you can be so calm!” he insisted as they sped along the road he had lived on since he was young. Beside him, Mito’s head turned as she watched something pass them by outside.

“Something tells me Tobirama is just fine and will not appreciate you bursting in to check on him like a little child left alone for the first time.” His girlfriend arched one shapely eyebrow at him but Hashirama shook his head vigorously.

“He could be hurt! He could have hit his head!” They flew in to the driveway, slamming the brakes and jerking to a violent stop. “He could be lying on the floor bleeding and unable to reach his phone as we speak!”

Mito only shook her head again as she followed him out of the car. Hashirama just didn’t get why she seemed even more relaxed now than she had when they left her apartment.

The front door was locked, which was a good sign. At least that put all theories of burglary out of his mind. All the lights were off on the lower floor and Hashirama fumbled a little as his fingers searched for the switch next to the door. Once he had flicked it he poked his head in to both the living room and the kitchen. There were no signs of life in either room so he headed for the stairs. Behind him, the shuffling of Mito’s feet veered off towards the kitchen. He paused on the first step to look back at her and wave her onwards.

“I already checked in there,” he called as quietly as he could.

“You can go check upstairs on your own,” she replied at regular volume, her voice extra loud in the stillness of the night. “I believe we’re all going to need some strong tea after this.”

Baffled but unwilling to waste any more time, Hashirama left her to it. His girlfriend was strange sometimes but he loved her and trusted her judgement. If Mito thought tea would help solve whatever was wrong then he would let her make tea and forge on ahead by himself.

Instead of calming him, the sight of no lights on upstairs caused worry to grip his heart like a vice. Tobirama never slept with the light on but that didn’t mean that something still couldn’t have happened. Maybe he’d suffocated in his sleep! Maybe he’d had a bad dream and rolled over only to hit his head on the bedside table! Hashirama had never liked that bedside table anyway. What purpose did it really serve other than to hold the alarm clock that hadn’t even been used since Tobirama had been a teenager and got his first smart phone?

Moving forward on his tiptoes, Hashirama hurried as quickly as he could while still staying silent. The door to his brother’s room was still ajar, which was another thing that caught his attention. Tobirama was very big on privacy and he always slept with his door fully closed so that Hashirama wouldn’t peek in on him when he got up to pee in the middle of the night. The fact that it was closed now could only mean one thing. Obviously the house had been broken in to – through the back door!

The need for silence was thrown out the window in his rush to save his precious sibling. Hashirama threw himself through the door to his brother’s room and smacked the light switch with one hand, his other hand held out at the ready in case he needed to leap in to further action. The sight that met his eyes was not the sight he expected.

Tangled in the sheets on the bed and very obviously naked, both Madara and Tobirama groaned, scrunching their eyes closed against the sudden bright light where moments ago there had been the sweet peace of darkness. Madara curled himself up more tightly and turned his face farther in to his bedmate’s chest. Tobirama raised one of the arms he’d had wrapped around the older man and draped it across his eyes, mumbling nonsensically as he fought his way back to consciousness.

Hashirama saw red.

“WHAT THE FUCK MADARA!?”

What the light hadn’t done, the screaming did. Both men in the bed shot upright, instantly wide awake and staring wildly around themselves for the source of the noise. Somehow Tobirama managed to keep one arm around Madara’s waist until they both spotted the enraged animal standing in the doorway, slowly turning more and more red by the moment.

“You should probably run,” the younger Senju suggested lightly in his sleep-laden voice.

“BETRAYED! BY MY OWN BEST FRIEND!” Hashirama launched himself at Madara, who scrambled out of reach with an embarrassing shriek of fear. The slight jiggling of his bottom as he fled along the wall wasn’t exactly graceful but it was fascinating to at least one of the two who could see it.

“Get away from me!”

“My baby brother! Defiled! You’re not a friend, you’re a fiend! How could you!?”

Still tangled in his blankets, Tobirama heaved what was possibly the most exasperated sigh in his entire life. Considering who he was related to, that said something. It was just all so annoying. He’d gone to all the trouble of finally getting Madara here and now Hashirama was ruining it all. Not to mention that his sleep had been interrupted and he already got so little of it; he didn’t appreciate the few hours he did manage to sneak in being ruined like this.

Lazily standing up and not bothering to cover his nudity, Tobirama announced in as loud a voice as he could without resorting to a yell, “Technically it was me who defiled him.”

That certainly stopped Hashirama dead in his tracks, giving the one he’d been chasing around the room time to scramble for cover behind Tobirama’s back. When he did manage to shake off the stupor as well as the mental image, his next attack was foiled by the sight of his sibling’s naked form. Giving a low cry, Hashirama covered his eyes with both hands.

“Put something on!” he shouted.

“Not until you agree to sit and talk about this like reasonable adults,” Tobirama replied calmly. “If you cannot manage either ‘reasonable’ or ‘adult’ then you are welcome to leave us be as I do believe that this is my room and therefore my privacy which you have invaded.”

“Just wait until I get my hands on you, Madara!”

From his position hidden behind his younger lover, Madara stuck his tongue out at Hashirama even though he couldn’t see it at the moment. “No thanks, I’d rather have your brother’s hands on me.”

“Not helping!” Tobirama chided him tiredly as Hashirama gave vent to a sound reminiscent of an angry pterodactyl.

It took a lot more yelling and even more repetitive pleas for everyone to calm the hell down before finally Hashirama turned his back to allow the both of them to get dressed. He refused to leave them alone in the room in case they got ‘up to some sort of hanky-panky’, to which both of the other men snorted loudly.

Madara and Tobirama dressed themselves in silence, each glancing at the other when they thought they wouldn’t be seen. There hadn’t been much time for conversation the night before and with company that wasn’t likely to leave them alone there probably wouldn’t be any opportunity for a private talk about where exactly they were going from here. Obviously they were both attracted to each other and had been for some time now but neither of them had mentioned anything about dates or lasting relationships.

As was typical of him, Hashirama failed to pick up on the slightly awkward atmosphere when he finally turned around again to eye the two of them suspiciously, grumbling that they might have been kissing while he had his back turned. When all they did was roll their eyes and sweep past him out in to the hallway, he followed behind them and nattered on like an irritated squirrel. Threats and pleas and overly dramatic declarations of betrayal filled the air while the three of them trudged through the darkness, filling it up the empty hallway with their drama as they marched downstairs to the kitchen.

Mito greeted them with three large mugs of tea, the genius woman.

“Good evening boys.” The look on her face could not possibly have been more blasé.

“You don’t seem the least bit surprised to see me here,” Madara noted. She looked at him through a curl of steam and arched one perfectly plucked brow.

“Of course not, dear. Your car was parked on the road two doors down; rather hard to miss.”

Beside her Hashirama gasped and clutched at his chest. “You knew?” he demanded. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“And involve myself in something that is clearly none of my business? I think not. These two will likely thank you to butt your nose out of their business as well. It really isn’t your place to have a say in their relationship, don’t you think?

“Of course it is! The one who I thought was my best friend has clearly violated my poor baby brother’s innocence behind my back! Unforgivable!”

“Innocence?” Tobirama snorted in to his tea. “Surely you don’t still think I’m a virgin?”

Poor Hashirama’s brain appeared to stop for a few seconds, his face twisting in to some very interesting shapes before settling on devastation. “WHAT!?”

The other three looked back at him in disbelief.

“Noooooooo!” Trailing out his childish whine, Hashirama made as though to step around the table and engulf his sibling in a protective embrace. Tobirama fended him off with one foot while sipping his tea and gave him an irritated look.

“I’ve been a legal adult for years now and had several relationships since then. You cannot possibly have thought I never slept with any of them.” He rolled his eyes when Hashirama whimpered. The older Senju turned to his friend with one finger held out and a serious expression.

“You’d better have plans to make an honest man out of my brother! What are your intentions?”

“Oh for the love of God…” It was hard to tell who said it first since all three of the others murmured the same words under their breath.

Scowling as that accusing finger drew too close to his face, Madara batted it away as he snapped, “That’s none of your business! None of this is any of your business!”

“Well I’m making it my business! So? I never took you for the dishonest type to bed a man and leave him the next morning, friend. Do you plan to date my brother? Hmm?”

“Hashirama stop. Now.” Tobirama was having a little difficulty decided whether to sit straight enough to stand up against his sibling or shrink down to try and disappear in to his seat. “You’re making a fool of yourself so just put it down.”

Ignoring him, Hashirama continued to stare expectantly at Madara, who looked at the man next to him uncomfortably, unsure what to say. Right in front of two other people certainly wasn’t the place he had wanted to have this conversation. More privacy would have been appreciated, as well as more time to settle his thoughts than the ten or so minutes since he had been so rudely awakened.

Sitting entirely too still in the chair beside him, Tobirama was going though the same inner turmoil. Even knowing there was a potential for it to be extremely uncomfortable he had hoped they would have this conversation once they woke up in the morning. Ideally the conversation would have happened before they fell in to bed together but he was a man that preferred to grasp the opportunities that life dangled before his eyes. His accidental typo in their text conversation had opened a door he’d been struggling to figure out how to open for quite some time now.

Eventually the lack of any answer began to bother Hashirama and he narrowed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath in obvious preparation to begin yet another round of unnecessary yelling. Tobirama cut him off before he could start.

“Brother, enough. This is between Madara and myself; despite your attachment to me as a sibling this situation has absolutely nothing to do with you. Madara is in no way obligated to declare any intentions – or to have any for that matter. Shut up. Sit down. Drink your damn tea.”

“But…I…hmph.” Chastised, the man in question sank down in the only chair left and huddled in on himself with an air of dejected offence. He turned his body towards Mito and tucked his chin down in a way they all recognized as his signature pout. No one paid him any mind.

Madara was too busy peeking sideways at Tobirama, a reluctant yet anxious expression on his face.

“You really think I have no…intentions?” he asked. “Even after, ah, all that?” Tobirama shifted in his chair but did not lift his eyes from the cup of tea before him and therefore did not see the way Hashirama’s head snapped back up with vivid interest, wide eyes shamelessly fixated on the both of them. Even Mito was watching them attentively in her peripheral vision.

“I’m hardly naïve enough to think that just because you find me attractive you must also be madly in love with me. Are we actually doing this right now? Can this not wait for a little privacy?”

“Fine. Come on.” Madara was up out of his seat and pulling on the back of Tobirama’s shirt – which he only just now realized was actually his own shirt – before he could second guess himself. The way the younger man had chosen to word his sentence gave him a lot of hope for a positive end to this conversation and made him braver than he might have been.

Unfortunately for both of them, Hashirama wasn’t having any of that. He too was up out of his chair in a flash, barring the way out of the room with both arms held wide open and a forbidding expression on his face. Mito sighed, the only one left at the table, and sipped her tea while trying not to look too interested in the proceedings.

“Whoa, whoa, where do you think you’re going?”

“To talk about it,” Madara growled, “like you so obviously want us to. So get out of the way.”

“No! You’re just gonna go get frisky or something as soon as you’re alone! I won’t allow it, not when I still don’t know if your intentions towards my brother aren’t just to get in to his pants!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!”

Running on very little sleep and already absolutely done with this, Madara gave up. When he whipped around to face Tobirama the younger man jerked in surprise but had little time to do anything else as the next moment Madara had snuck a hand around the back of his neck and yanked him down in to a fiery kiss. Tobirama moaned. Mito only just barely caught herself from dropping her teacup. Hashirama screeched.

They pulled apart, both equally breathless, and Madara cleared his throat. “Uh…dinner?”

“Was that you asking me out on a date or were you just informing you of the last meal that you missed?”

“Do you always have to be such a pompous prat?”

“Yes.”

“I know,” Madara grinned. “I’m rather fond of it.”

“Dinner would be…nice.”

Before the moment could get too sappy Hashirama ruined it, as he was wont to do, with a sobbing wail that sounded something like a dying giraffe. He gave neither of his victims any time to escape as he threw himself forward and wrapped them both in a bone-crushing hug.

“My best friend and my baby brother!” he shouted in their ears. “I’m so happy for you two!”

“Funny, not the impression I was getting before,” Madara growled as he struggled to loosen the hold trapping him in this demented three-way embrace. Hashirama squeezed them tighter.

“Promise me that I can be the best man at your wedding!”

“Wedding!?” Madara screeched.

At the same time Tobirama asked blithely, “For which one of us?”

Hashirama froze; apparently it hadn’t occurred to him yet that he couldn’t best man for both of them. It took a few seconds for him to work through that idea and then suddenly he was wailing again.

“I can’t decide! How am I supposed to choose!?”

Finally deciding it was time for her to step in, Mito arose from her seat at the table and serenely peeled her boyfriend away from the other two to guide him in to her own arms. Hashirama sobbed against her shoulder – whether from happiness or sadness was anyone’s guess – and Mito calmly patted him on the back with one hand, making a discreet shooing motion with the other.

Neither Madara nor Tobirama were in any mood to look a gift horse in the mouth. They took her invitation in an instant, spinning around to tiptoe out of the room and head back upstairs. The sounds of Hashirama’s weeping followed them all the way up until they had closed themselves back in to Tobirama’s bedroom.

“So…are we…dating then?” Madara asked after a few seconds of hesitant quiet.

“Yes.” The decisiveness of Tobirama’s voice was a pleasant comfort after the incredible awkwardness of the scene below.

“And…are we going back to bed now?”

“Gods yes.”

Chuckling, Madara watched his newly acquired boyfriend collapse down on to the bed, turning off the light and moving to follow him quickly. Knowing that Hashirama might not stay distracted forever and come searching for them again, neither one of them bothered to remove their clothing before crawling under the blankets – but they also didn’t let the threat of that stop them from cuddling back in to the same position they had been sleeping in before.

With his head pillowed on Tobirama’s chest, which was wearing his own shirt, Madara closed his eyes and allowed himself to smile in contentment. He could hardly believe the gift he’d been given all because of a simple texting mistake.