1st fan

[fantheflame]

[Action: Awakening ((Closed))]

[Sasuke is not enjoying getting used to being unsure of things. But he is - unsure - and finds that while the things he is unsure of are troubling, the state of unsurety isn't as terrifying as it used to be.]

[Right now, there are two very important things he's unsure of: whether he's alive or dead, and, if the second, whether this is heaven or hell.]

[The last thing he remembers? His deranged excuse for a... cousin of sorts? Taking on the ten-tails as its container. And now he's here - wherever here is - standing in a stranger's bedroom, holding a photograph of his brother with (presumably) that stranger. He awoke nearly naked with a pair of wings sprouted from his own back, and now he's somewhere with evidence of one of the dead. What else could have happened?]

We lost, huh...?

[Something like guilt makes a feeble case for life in his chest, but it's hard to feel guilty when you don't remember an ending. Instead he's just... staring at this photograph. One thumb swipes idly across the cool glass, over Itachi's face, half-expecting it to vanish once obstructed. It doesn't.]

[He's not sure whether to feel a sense of final relief - he's here, and, it seems, so is Itachi - or sick doom - who the hell is this complete stranger who's gotten to share in his brother's... something. Not life, maybe, but...]

[The Itachi in the picture is almost smiling, and his eyes look more alive than Sasuke remembers since they were very small.]


[Action: Examination ((Sometime Later; Open))]

[Sasuke is - a little bit of everywhere. He doesn't exactly believe... most of this. Half thinks this is some sadistic side-plot in Obito's (Madara's?) ridiculous Moon's Eye genjutsu (keeps having to remind himself he wouldn't know that exists if that were the case). So he's exploring - barracks, apartments, the shrine, the forest - here one moment, maybe lingering to examine (Sharingan blazing red the entire time) - and then gone in a flicker, off to the next place. He's not taking particular care to remain hidden (really, he doesn't care who sees him in what may be a fake or an illusion or a dream), but he's not being loud about his presence either.]


[Follow-Up Action: Drained ((Closed to Sakura))]

[One thing Sasuke should maybe have done was paid attention to the tidbits he's heard about halved powers, weakened chakra, difficulty... being, as a shinobi.]

[Because now, feeling more physically real than he has the entire time he's been here - how could he be this bone-tired in a dream? - he's slumped on hands and knees on the riverbank just to the north of town, eyes fading back and forth between blazing red and dim grey-black, breath harsh in and out of his lungs. How did he run so quickly out of chakra? How did Sharingan run him so quickly out of chakra?]

[His eyes fade back to dull black and stay there at last, and he lifts a hand to brush sweaty bangs out of his eyes, feeling at once overheated and clammy. Maybe he's had his question answered, finally, and this is hell.]


[Voice: Greeting ((Sometime Later; Open))]

--believe this thing - hm.

[It's a voice some will recognize.]

If paper can really record - whatever. I'm told I've been here before. I don't think I believe that. I certainly don't remember it.

Some of you know me. That's fine. Some of you would rather you didn't, and that's fine too.

I don't know what you know and I don't know what kind of bullshit this jutsu or hell or whatever it is is pulling, and I don't entirely care.

You should know I'm no longer an enemy of Konoha.

Believe me or don't, but I don't intend to fight you.

[There's a shift, and a few long seconds of tape-recorder not-quite-silence, followed by a muffled shuffle of movement over paper before the recording ends.]

Comments

[fantheflame]

Because I don't want to see you right now, get that through your thick skull!

[believeit]

Why not??

[You said you weren't an enemy anymore so WHY NOT.]

[fantheflame]

Because I don't want to see anyone right now, dobe! Fuck, let me choose when I do and don't want to be alone.

[believeit]

Argh, why have you gotta be so difficult, teme! [He can't help but fall back into the old insults. Odd, that someone can be so happy yet completely frustrated at the same time.]

Fine! But you're coming over later! [That's not even a choice, stupid Sasuke, you're doing it.]

[fantheflame]

I'm not the one being difficult, usuratonkachi. [Speaking of easily falling into old insults, y'know.]

Whatever. Just later, not now.

[believeit]

[SASUKE. JUST...]

You're gonna come to my house, after dinner, else I'm gonna come find ya.

[fantheflame]

No. I'll see you tomorrow.

[It's going to take Sasuke well past dinner to recover all the chakra he's spent as fast as he's spent it.]

[believeit]

[Tomorrow..

There's a loud, long sigh. Naruto is being impatient and tomorrow is not soon enough, but he knows he doesn't really have much of a choice save for searching the entire village for Sasuke. Which, he decides, he will do if he doesn't show tomorrow.]

..In the morning?

[fantheflame]

Fuck.

[Holy shit Naruto you are too annoying for words.]

Noon. Gods. No earlier.

[believeit]

Fine, noon then. You'd better not be late! [Holy shit Sasuke you are too annoying for words.]

I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE also [action]

[fantheflame]

[Noon the next day sees a very annoyed (and still sort of sore) Sasuke approaching the door of Naruto's house, all his senses on alert for traps or wayward blond morons hanging out of windows with buckets of water or any other random bullshit that might be waiting for him. Like being greeted at the door won't be bad enough.]

[But after a moment making a most unpleasant face, he sighs a low ugh to himself and knocks on the door. This is going to be stupid.]

GOOD I wondered if you would also [action]

[believeit]

[It's a good job that he's on guard then because instead of the door, it's the window above that instantly opens. No throwing water out of it though, it's open just long enough for Naruto to lean out and see that it's Sasuke before it gets slammed shut again, and the usual 'thump thump thump' is heard as he leaps down the stairs.]

[He may or may not have spent the past hour waiting for Sasuke to show up. Or three hours. But the fact that he actually has, well that in itself makes him happy. Aaaand there goes the door, swinging open.]

Sasuke! You actually came. Hey.

[action forever]

[fantheflame]

[Oh for fuck's sake this is going to be a mistake. Naruto is as noisy as ever, and Sasuke doesn't really expect that to change.]

[He's at least not still making that face when the door opens, but he's sure as hell on edge.]

You'd have hunted me down with Kakashi's dogs if I didn't.

[At least this way he gets a choice, sort of.]

[believeit]

..No I wouldn't.

[Because he hadn't even thought about that, he would've just sent out some clones instead to go search but HEY. Thanks for the great idea Sasuke.]

[He moves out of the way anyway, leaving Sasuke plenty of room to step inside the house.]

Uh.. I dunno where everyone else is. [Meaning: his parents.] I guess they're in the garden or something?

[fantheflame]

Tch.

[Maybe Naruto wouldn't have at first, but he'd have gotten to the idea one way or another, Sasuke is sure of that. Naruto's too stubborn.]

[He... hesitates a beat, before stepping past the other into the house. This is weird. He doesn't know if it will ever not be weird. Acting like anything is any kind of normal, when it's not. Probably won't ever be.]

It's not like I came over to meet your family.

[Oh yeah, he knows how that sounds. He's somewhere between doesn't care and hopes Naruto will splutter.]

touches ur face

[believeit]

I thought you did?

[Wait what? What do you mean you aren't here to meet the family?]

How am I supposed to tell them we're getting married if you don't meet them first?

[Come on bby deal with it.]

sets fire to the rain

[fantheflame]

(because lbr the Sharingan can probably do that)

Heh.

[Gee Naruto he didn't realize you were such a romantic.]

You didn't plan to elope?

how romantic

[believeit]

Of course not!

[Are you kidding? His mother would kill him.

Plus he planned the whole thing out ok ok.]

It'll be okay. They'll accept us for who we are. [What a great Son in law u will make Sas]

the most romantic ever

[fantheflame]

Your mother won't have a fit that you won't be giving her grandkids?

[She seems like the type okay.]

Or is a son-in-law a good enough addition?

le swoon

[believeit]

Remember the Luceti Valley stuff? Ikki's sort of her grand daughter already.

[Never mind Tenten being the ex wife haha lets not even go there oh my fucking god.]

They'll be happy enough with a son-in-law anyway. I know my parents. [They love him NO MATTER WHAT retarded stunt he pulls ok they will just be happy that he is IN LOVE.]

guess i will tag this for real :c

[believeit]

It's not-- [There's a spluttering noise because what he didn't invite Sasuke over for that. He knows the implications.]

Shut up, teme! [Screw you, Sasuke. With a huff, he sort of stomps his way to the kitchen.] Are you coming or what?!

i'm not stopping the other thread can't stop won't stop

[fantheflame]

[Sasuke doesn't respond to most of that splutter. Not with more than an amused upturn at the edges of his mouth, before he closes the door behind him and toes off his shoes. Heh. Always an easy mark.]

Whatever, dobe. [But he'll follow all the same, Sharingan taking in the layout of the house. Always on alert.]

me neither

[believeit]

[The house's plan is fairly simple. The front room, nearest the door, is closed- it was mostly used for Minato to do whatever it is he is getting done. Luceti Hokage stuff. The living room with sofas and a coffee table is passed next and then comes the kitchen, worksurfaces and appliances one side while a small dining table sits on the other, just next to a door which opens up into the garden.]

Yo, you want anything? [It's shouted out, though by that time Sasuke is probably already in the room. Naruto's busy with his head stuck in the fridge before he stands up again. Soda, Shikamaru should never have introduced him Mountain Dew.]

ok good

[fantheflame]

[Sasuke takes in every detail - easily enough with his eyes spinning - and is well prepared for the shout, even from a few feet to Naruto's side. It's sort of comical.]

[It's a sort of black comedy from the outside, though, when you consider that Sasuke's been invited into the home of the person least likely in the world to do anything to him, and he's still fiercely armed with the jutsu equivalent of radar and armor.]

I'm fine.

[It's not quite subdued, but it isn't a snap, either. He's also not looking Naruto's way - his gaze is out the kitchen window, taking in the garden and its many colorful plants. As much as the dance of color screams Uzumaki, the very presence of a garden out through the back of a family home whispers traditional in a way that pangs something low in Sasuke's chest. He doesn't say anything.]

[believeit]

[If he doesn't want anything, then that's fine. The door to the refrigerator is let go and slams shut as the soda clan hisses open.

Enjoy the view and sound of nothing but Naruto stood there in the middle of the kitchen, gulping down soda for a good fifteen seconds, Sasuke. And then burping.]

So are you gonna tell me now?

[You know. Er. Everything?]