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Chapter 7 (Changes to observe)

The first thing that came to Naruto's mind was that he felt incredibly sore, like a stampede of bulls had recently trampled all over him without mercy. He wasn't exactly surprised he had no recollection of the events to cause such a sorry state to his body. The chuunin guessed he had retreated into the depths of his mind to the fox demon's cage to escape experiencing the pain first hand.

His eyelids seemed to have turned into weights and refused to open, not as if Naruto minded too much. Just the thought of trying to move any body part drained what little energy the teen had recovered. The darkness should have worried him or at least draw from him some sort of reaction. As a shinobi it should have been the rush of adrenaline; as a fox, excitement for the hours of the night.

Currently though, Naruto could not bring himself to care. All he wanted was to go back to the oblivion of sleep and wait out the lingering aches there. He did not know how long it was since becoming unconscious the first time but surely Kyuubi's chakra would have healed his body by the time he woke up again.

Sadly, even the fogginess clouding Naruto's brain refused to allow him slumber. The throbbing of his limbs was a constant on his awareness. Since Naruto was at a state termed half-conscious, fragments of information and memory began manifesting.

Fortunately or unfortunately something cool began wandering against his flushed body. Pain laced up his flank and Naruto mentally winced, he'd forgotten about that injury. His muscles incessantly throbbed.

A bit of coherence noted that the something were actually fingers, which were now gently lifting only his midsection into the air. There was a little jostling but it did not initiate any more discomfort. A cold wetness was slapped against the area radiating heat to the rest of his limbs. He flinched. Naruto concentrated solely on the soft fingers to try and phase out the pain currently shooting through multiple nerves.

*

Naruto blinked reluctant lids, irises adjusting quickly to the dimness. Wait, he could see. The fox-shinobi struggled to raise his orange head. It took some effort but luckily once up it was easier to move from side to side. He had no recollection of falling asleep but the memory of those heavenly fingers gave him a somewhat content feeling.

Speaking of which, Naruto carefully eyed the area he had been brought to but the place was devoid of life besides him. To tell the truth the cave looked to be a semi-permanent residence. A few outcroppings of rock had been smoothed and turned into small shelves while the dirt floor was worn down into paths depicting familiar routines. The stones around the campfire hadn't been moved there recently if the ash stains were any indication. Lastly Naruto took in the neatly made sleeping mat and the few packs stacked against the earthen wall.

He couldn't see any distinguishing marks to indicate clan, village or country but from the way things were laid out, Naruto bet this person knew all the basics for survival in Rice Field's wilderness. Well they certainly had some sort of medical knowledge by the clean job of the young shinobi's injury. His furred head leaned closer to the bed roll and he breathed deep to catch the scent infused in the material. Sometimes he could sense what other people are like by the smells everyone carried with them.

Navy eyes widened then twitched as he sorted through the scents he was taking in. Naruto wasn't truly surprised by the combination held by this person, since he'd been exposed to various similar ones; no now he was just very, very curious. The easiest scent to pick up though faint, was the familiarity of the forests surrounding Konoha; either his saviour - Naruto did not just think that - had travelled those trees recently or had been born in Fire Country. The next one was the lingering of iron, which usually meant they spent a lot of time near blood; quite understandable if this person was a medic.

What was entirely strange was the human's personal scent. Naruto was bewildered at the gut instinct that he'd met the man before, and yes the boy-turned-fox knew his saviour was a male despite not recalling the events before passing out. The chuunin laid motionless and unseeing, head cocked crookedly, then sunk down to the floor while he contemplated the possible answers to the amazing puzzle called 'Name that person by scent'.

Naruto was either utterly lost in thought or extremely distracted as he couldn't help but react when something heavy came down on his shoulders. His head shot up and if that sudden weight hadn't still been there Naruto swore he would have jumped a metre high. As it was, his heart was pounding erratically.

The teen cursed for being caught unaware, he was shinobi damnit. He calmed a tad knowing it must be the person he'd been waiting to meet since waking up coherent. The guy must have noticed the rapid change of states in the fox and removed that oddly calming and warm hand from Naruto's pelt.

Now that he was released the disguised blonde scrambled around on woozy legs to face his carer. Eagerness as well as basic wariness bubbled up from being in the proximity of the source of that strange scent. All thoughts were wiped as Naruto fell back onto his furry rump, stunned.

*

The dark haired nuke-nin slowly slid his chokutō back into its sheath, which he retrieved from the ground where he had dropped it earlier. A light frown marred his pale lips and creased his brow. The reason behind it was confusing rather than displeasing and had been bugging him all through his sword kata. After a few of hours of making excuses - not that Uchihas used them - Sasuke still had no idea why he had decided to help the black speckled, orange furred fox.

The teen gathered up the items he had brought out with him for his little afternoon training. He grimaced at the memory that the dedicated shinobi had missed a whole morning session. Sasuke was never the one to oversleep - unless he was severely injured of course - but it was encroaching on noon before his bodily functions finally decided enough was enough. The youngest Uchiha could only presume that too much of the Gokan Doku antidote must have seeped into his skin the night before, because one of its ingredients was a powerful sedative to knock the person out until the body recovered from the toxin's effects. Not to mention the point of chakra exhaustion he had pushed his body to the day before.

It was normal for him to stay underground during the middle of day so Sasuke took that time to reapply the solution and rewrap his current charge's wound. Handling a very limp animal had been awkward at first but as with anything, the teen managed to accomplish the job without further injuring the creature. After a quick meal of supplemented trail rations made by Kabuto especially for Orochimaru's next vessel, Sasuke left the secret semi-residence to train.

Sunlight blared pass the forest canopy to temporarily blind the sharingan-wielder as he stood up from a crouch. The onyx-eyed teen rapidly blinked away the white spots while calculating the time. It was somewhere between late afternoon and dusk. Sasuke double checked there were several kunai into the hip pouch he wore whenever he was in practice garb and slipped quietly into the surrounding forest to hunt.

The fauna seemed rather scarce for this area but the Uchiha didn't wonder the reason. They had probably fled to safer shelter when the Sound-nin set up camp. Flashes of brown and grey streaked into the bushes beneath the hunting shinobi's tree perch and with a soft rustle of leaves Sasuke followed his targets. Those rabbits never stood a chance.

Llight had started to fade into inky black by the time the dark haired teen had skinned and prepared the small mammals. He detoured back to his training glen to pick up the stashed equipment then the brunette returned to the underground hideout.

All was quiet and nothing had changed since Sasuke had left that afternoon, not that he had expected any different. It was just that the unexpected events and behaviour of yesterday threw him off a little. The Uchiha exhaled heavily. Really how could a severely injured kitsune - who was probably still out cold right now - make him think otherwise.

Sasuke entered the hidden hole in the cliff-face as night descended on the world. The short tunnel and forward area of the cave were easy to navigate without some sort of light after being memorised and travelled so often. Weapon bags were deposited carefully inside the chamber before the brunette felt for the small rock shelf about chest high on the left wall. With the ties of the bound carcasses held securely Sasuke lit the large candle using the flint he kept there.

The flame flickered to life and illuminated half of the abode in an orange glow. The nuke-nin glanced around and immediately spotted the dusky furred occupant who had shifted from lying on its side to its stomach. It was facing away from the entrance so Sasuke couldn't tell whether it was unconscious or awake but to drugged up to notice the human's presence.

He gave a nonchalant shrug. With rabbits and an oiled cloth he used to store meat in hand Sasuke stepped over to the long dead fire and put their dinner down. He glanced back at his unwanted company.

Deep in the pit of his stomach the teen imagined the uncurling of a feeling Sasu-kun hadn't released in a very long time. Of course a hardened Sasuke would deny ever having a mischievous side until such time he could relent from vengeance. Quite surprisingly along side the teasing attitude, trailed the sadistic tendency that Uchiha-sama cultivated for show around Orochimaru.

Sasuke was not a sadist. He considered the thoughts and feelings it induced incredibly pointless. The only reason Uchiha-sama had this front was to keep the lowly and weak ninja away from his presence, which in turn invoked varying forms of respect and fear from other shinobi.

A small smirk flitted across the pale features as the Uchiha crept upon the earthen floor. He deduced the fox's hearing hadn't been restored yet and the laxity of the muscles told of the sedative still running through its system. Sasuke gracelessly dropped a heavy hand onto the creature's back just below the neck. The suddenness startled it and he felt the jerk and tensing underneath calloused fingers. Charcoal irises sparked and silent mirth creased the corners of his eyes. He let the poor thing go with a lingering brush of the coarse pelt.

It was quite amusing to watch the small fox try moving only to fall over, until the dark shinobi caught the creature's startled gaze. Sasuke blinked once, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things but only navy coloured orbs stared helplessly back. He was certain they had flashed light blue for a second.

His earlier thoughts about the kitsune came back to haunt the Uchiha and his wary ninja side became paranoid from his lack of thorough possibilities. The nuke-nin cursed inwardly. In his weakened state he'd forgotten to consider a transformed shinobi. The Sharingan instinct flared instantly.

Sasuke's entire body remained rigid as he worked over the immobile kitsune with his blood limit. He could see minute quaking besieging the defenceless animal, either from fear or the intensity of the infamous Sharingan solely directed at it. A flicker of abnormal chakra caught the Uchiha's attention as he searched near the off-white and orange throat, but other than that nothing about the fox could be said to be abnormal.

A tentative sigh escaped his lips. It would have annoyed him to heal something then have to incapacitate it because of what it knew. That was just an extreme waste of his time and the teen preferred not to do something as unnecessary as killing. Chakra receded from his irises to leave them black and hiding fatigue.

With an imperceptible shrug Sasuke turned from his voluntary charge – missing the emotion-filled gaze following his every move – now that impish impulse had drained away. He reawakened the cold fire and went about cooking the game he had caught.

*

Naruto continued to stare in astonishment. He had never in his wildest imagination – which was outrageously creative – have believed what was happening to him. Here, in his bastardly glory, was Uchiha Sasuke and that he had once again saved the blonde, though he didn't know it.

Passing that short yet fierce session with the nuke-nin's kakei genkai was up with the most nerve-wracking moments of Uzumaki's life. Naruto was almost certain Sasuke would break past the effects of the Hitoku henge. He hadn't realised he had practically stopped breathing or was shaking until the disguised blonde could no longer feel that penetrating stare on his form.

His sharp vision let Naruto pick out details in the poorly lit chamber, observing his ex-team mate while he laboured. Three years had matured the facial features of the pale teenager and the same styled blue-black hair was longer. Long gone were the white shorts and blue Uchiha shirt, replaced by long navy pants tucked into calf high sandals and a normal collared black shirt. The chuunin was surprised the other's family crest wasn't boldly emblazoned on his back but instead as a small, white embroidered outline on the right sleeve.

Sasuke turned from the blazing fire to gather a pack closer and pull out a few items. The shifty movement of his eyes towards the stiff fox indicated that he was still wary of his now conscious companion.

The smell of cooking meat entered Naruto's sensitive nose, making his mouth water and stomach protest its emptiness. A black tipped ear twitched and the chuunin noticed the lack of proper hearing for the first time. Naruto wasn't completely deaf. It was more like the sounds were on low volume or very far away. He felt rather than heard his hungry belly growl.

The Uchiha must have picked up the sounds coming from the blonde for he looked over. A lean arm stretched out beckoning Naruto to sit near the flames. The tanned teen passed a wary gaze between Sasuke's impassive expression, hand and the cooking meat. Naruto ignored the faint tension in the air to cautiously approach the nuke-nin. The other boy remained motionless so not to scare the fox.

How in the world Sasuke could be harmless yet intimidating at the same was lost to the blonde. This was the person who nearly killed him and ranked S-class under Sannin tutelage yet he seemed so innocuous right now that Naruto really wish he was himself rather than in a fox disguise. He just wanted to talk to the boy but under the current circumstances he knew he couldn't.

Naruto mentally sighed and let his attention be trapped by Sasuke's activities. There was a bowl of meat before his legs while a couple of thin steaks roasted over the fire on skewers. The Uchiha observed the eager gaze the fox was giving the rations. He offered a small raw chunk from the bowl to it. The human-turned-fox gawked at the open palm; remembering the first time Sasuke presented him with food while incapacitated, during Kakashi's bell test.

He sniffed it to check for contaminants and then abruptly turned his nose up at it. Naruto might currently be in animal form but that does not mean he'd willingly eat meat raw when the rest of it was getting cooked. He discreetly eyed the Uchiha for his reactions. Damn, still expressionless, though the chuunin thought he detected a trace of emotion in those black orbs.

Sasuke must have gotten the hint for the raw chunk returned to the bowl and he retrieved a ready skewer. Naruto's mouth watered at the sight and smell while the Uchiha wielded a kunai to cut the meat into manageable strips. Sasuke nonchalantly proffered a piece between his fingertips to the fox and this time Naruto happily accepted the warm food. The muted form of a soft snort from the other had the blonde internally grinning with nostalgia.

Naruto ate heartily from the pale boy's hands, dissipating the feeling of the famished. Three steaks later the disguised chuunin licked his chops and settle to drink from the container Sasuke had gotten for him at sometime during the meal. A small smirk caught the nuke-teen's lips as he observed the animal quite sloppily lap at the liquid.

The orange-black fox sent a questioning gaze after Sasuke's retreating back but was soon appeased when the boy only grabbed a couple of bags he hadn't before noticed from the entrance then took up a spot on his sleeping roll.

Naruto flinched when the Uchiha retrieved several edged weapons from the neck of the sack. He half expected the whistle of air passing by those blades as they sought to end his life because the Sharingan-user knew his masquerade. Instead Sasuke went about the harmless motions of cleaning the equipment and sharpening the ones that did not glint with a razor edge. Naruto let the scraping of metal fade into background noise as he did the only thing he could do at the moment.

He really didn't know what to think of the person in front of his eyes. The one person he had called best friend and brother, the main source of his motivation. Naruto had heard what the Sound-nin said about what Uchiha Sasuke had become when he had eavesdropped at the hotel.

Disrespectful while apathetic.

Cunning.

Callous.

Dangerous with a deadly intent.

Walking the line between monster and human.

Uchiha-sama, a shinobi to be feared.

Nevertheless, the blonde continued to have trouble reconciling that description to the pale boy who had taken in and was healing a worthless, injured fox. Sasuke had never been easy to figure out and Naruto hadn't wanted to know while they were young.

But the defection of the Uchiha at the same age of his eldest brother managed to instil a hidden introspection into Naruto. Uzumaki endeavoured to find maturity in his training with Jiraiya; for there was no way that the strong-minded nuke-nin would bother fighting with a childish ninja. That didn't mean Naruto lost his optimistic view on life, it was just veiled with better wisdom than his twelve-year-old self had.

"Why don't we come out more often Sasuke? It's stifling in Sound."

The pale teen shrugged a shoulder at the unseen mutterer's question, the smooth track of the waterstone against the weapon's edge remaining in constant motion. It was as if they had had this conversation before and the voice knew the answer.

Extreme shock passed over the fox-boy's eyes and tension grabbed his body. Wasn't this the real Sasuke? The concept of experiments crossed into his vague thoughts. Naruto immediately expected the hardened Avenger fully dressed in Sound getup complete with purple ass-bow to step out from the shadows. A few minutes ticked by and still no third party.

Naruto minutely relaxed his muscles one by one with the realisation that they were going to remain alone. Either Sasuke's going crazy or, or Orochimaru... The chuunin really didn't want to finish that sentence and went with the former. Sasuke referring to himself in third person was simpler to accept even as foreign as it was, than something to do with the manipulative snake Sannin.

The Uchiha losing his mind brought a hollow sensation to his stomach. Naruto wouldn't be able to have any of those satisfying verbal fights with his once rival or feel the overloading rush of adrenaline that only combat with Sasuke could bring. His heart squeezed a little painfully in his chest over the blonde's musings.

Movement on the behalf of the Uchiha pulled Naruto from his introspection and into human-watching. Sasuke was now in a sitting position with ankles crossed, the sharpened weapons no where in sight. From the way his hands were placed the blonde knew the other boy was settling into a period of meditation.

The fox gingerly got to his feet and padded cautiously over to the dark haired nuke-nin. He laid down parallel to the pale legs, breath a little short from being so close the Uchiha. Naruto still wasn't sure of this Sasuke's attitude and what he was capable of. Nevertheless the blonde felt encouraged by the lack of protest and chanced a peek at Sasuke's ebony-framed face and if he could, he would have frowned with curiosity.

The quirk of a dark brow was the only indication of the pale teen's thoughts before all expression was wiped into an indifferent state, clearly reminiscent from their genin days. Those deadly hands slowly formed five seals and then returned to their place on bent knees. Naruto watched as Sasuke's obsidian eyes closed and his breathing regulated.

The disguised Uzumaki leant the back of his head against a shin, wanting to be near to his ex-team mate's warmth. The soft exhalations coming from above lulled Naruto into contentment and he slipped into slumber until Sasuke finished his meditation.


. . . T B C . . .

Chokutō - the type of Sasuke's sword
A waterstone is Japanese sharpening stone

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