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[beachlass]

For lykomancer, because everyone needs a treat when they have to go to the dentist

Naruto: timeskip spoilers
Naruto does not belong to me, feedback most welcome

From the clifftop Sasuke looked at Naruto, and remembered the night, months before, in the smoky little inn. Before he recognized his own intent, in a flash he was pressed against Naruto, one arm around him, this time whispering all too precise threats, not barely coherent encouragements.

 

***

 

After months of working with molding chakra, Sasuke had  found that he could use it to modify a henge jutsu so that it fixed firmly against him, and became, by all accounts almost impossible to disperse or detect. He tried it out in Sound at first, Kabuto trying to surprise him out of it, or sense a chakra disturbance that would give it away. Then he tried it out in non-hostile environments, slowly building a few persona: a girl with blue hair and watchful gaze; a young man who slouched and smirked and leered in a way Sasuke never would in his own skin, a few others, some he hid from his allies.

 

After the third argument with Orochimaru about the modified henge being good enough to use for spying in places people would recognize a glowering Uchiha, Sasuke lost patience and took matters into his own hands. He started sneaking in and around the compound in one of his disguises he was certain neither Orochimaru or Kabuto had seen him practice. After two months of spying, and leaving just enough of a trail to raise suspicion that someone might be spying, he allowed himself to be glimpsed. Another month after that, he allowed himself to be caught.

 

The dungeons were familiar to Sasuke, but he was unpleasantly surprised to recognize that he felt unsettled as he was led down slick stone steps. He was stripped and searched for weapons, the damp air steadily chilling him to the point where he finally gave in and let his body shiver for warmth.

 

He wasn’t certain how long it was before he heard Kabuto’s footsteps whisper towards him. He listened for the hush of a scalpel being drawn out, but was still startled when he felt the first cut against his shoulder “Stupid girl” Kabuto whispered, and drew the blade in a thin line across Sasuke’s chest. The henge held, as blood started to drip down. After an hour, Sasuke was still able to concentrate on his breathing rather than the pain.

 

Kabuto didn’t even start to ask question until the second hour. Sasuke finally lost concentration and whispered “Fuck you” when Kabuto started removing his nails while asking who would be so stupid as to send a pretty girl  into Sound to spy. But the henge still held.  After three hours, Kabuto threw a bucket of cold, foul smelling water on Sasuke, and left him shivering on the stone floor. After enough time that even Sasuke’s stubbornness was beginning to fray, Kabuto returned, looking even colder and carrying a case that Sasuke associated with the sound of distant screams.  He decided his point had been made and released the henge with an audible *pop* of chakra.

 

He smirked up at Kabuto’s shock through his bangs, and that feeling of smug self satisfaction mingled with pain that he too often mistook for happiness coiled through him. His satisfaction grew as he watched Kabuto come to terms with the notion that he had just spent the afternoon torturing Sasuke for information, noting the expected sideways fearful glance when shackles were released and retaliation was more easily possible, and the fleeting and wryly regretful look as he cleaned and tidied his tools. That confirmed Sasuke’s suspicion that Kabuto would be all too happy to knowingly inflict pain on him.

 

After an unimpressed Orochimaru inspected the damage Sasuke was cleared for espionage on his own, using his modified henge personas. It was an increasingly informative year before he encountered Naruto and Jiraiya in a smoky country inn.

 

His first impulse was to turn and leave. He stayed, though, telling himself that information about Jiraiya would be valued enough by Orochimaru to gain him even more favour, and ways to translate that favour into power. However, even Sasuke’s self control was tested by Jiraiya’s lewd comments, and he was glad he was out spying as a young man. He spent the evening keeping Naruto company, until the two of them were sprawled together on a bench by the fire. He had given up trying to get any useful information out of Naruto (idiot couldn’t even tell him where they’d been traveling, unless a catalogue of food was supposed to be informative).

 

It was strangely comfortable to spend an evening in Naruto’s presence, to see him healthy and relaxed: two things he had no business being in Sasuke’s presence. But Sasuke-while-spying wasn’t as reserved, he had learned to draw people out, to make them laugh and want to tell him things. As the evening wore on, the young men leaned in closer together, and until Sasuke could, and did, brush Naruto’s bare ankle with his fingers. Naruto looked surprised only for a moment and then returned the touch. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, and then firmly buried the memory of their last fight, as he reached out, lightly brushed his hand against Naruto’s chest and then gently grasped his shoulder. Naruto gave a lazy, lopsided grin, and responded to the sudden burst of affection in the face of the young man beside him.

 

The shift of cloth beneath his fingers, the hard muscle underneath, the openness in Naruto’s eyes all conspired to shut down Sasuke’s brain… and when he stopped thinking and planning and analyzing; his instincts kicked in, and he did what the person he was pretending to be would have done: he leaned in and pressed his lips against Naruto’s. Sasuke’s lips were dry and trembling against Naruto’s mouth. Naruto gave a welcoming chuckle, and moved, sliding to rest his hand on Sasuke’s hip. They had spent the rest of the evening in the dark corner, tangled up kissing until each was breathless. Sasuke was disappointed and relieved that Naruto’s trusting nature did not extend to spending time along with attractive strangers, and as he had lain awake that night, Sasuke thought that holding the henge through that evening made holding it under torture seem easy.

 

 

***

 

Sasuke remembered the warmth of Naruto against his skin as he held him and drew his sword. He suppressed a shudder of regret, and it disappeared in the following fight. The next time he was running espionage, disguised  and looking at Sakura across a noisy room he felt it again: regret and  it mixed with pain and satisfaction as she didn’t recognize him. He smiled, caught her eye, and eventually drew her to a quiet corner.

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