Sasuke stood out by the water, looking ahead through the mist, and straining his vision to understand the mission that was laid out ahead. The morning was...eventful to say the least. Sakura had woken up not even twenty minutes after him and Naruto had calmed down from their...
Sasuke couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the thought of their morning. However, he quickly covered it up, careful not to reveal any sort of emotions when someone could be watching.
He was thankful that Sakura didn't get overly emotional at his arrival to the camp. She actually seemed relieved. He was unsure why, but he assumed it had something to do with balancing out the rash decision making of Naruto's. She had taken quite the lead in terms of planning out their infiltration and rescuing Hinata, while also keep Shikamaru and herself safe from any ambush.
So, after she explained the plan, Sasuke put his Rinnegan to the test, opening up another dimension—one that seemed calm, with lots of water— that allowed Sakura and Shikamaru to stay hidden and focus on healing, while Naruto and Sasuke could move to Hinata and not worry about the rest of their team. Also, thanks to Sasuke's training, he was able to return to dimensions he'd seen before. So, it wasn't risky to send his two comrades away, now that he could find them again whenever he needed to.
Needless to say, Naruto and Sakura were impressed with his new precision in dimension traveling. Of course they would be though, he wasn't lazying about for the month he'd been trapped inside of Konoha's mountains. He had a power that could be unstoppable in the wrong hands. And this all posed Sasuke as a tricky foe for the enemies they now had on their plate.
Sasuke didn't sense a barrier barring their entry or notifying Takahashi's men of their unwelcome arrival, which was good; It made getting to the island a lot easier.
Sasuke heard the crunching of leaves approach him from behind. Naruto had stayed at the camp site to wrap up anything that was theirs and destroy everything else so as they could eliminate their presence completely. While Kakashi was most definitely sending Sai and the extra back up, the current team felt it best to hide any information and to infiltrate immediately. Losing time wasn't an option now... More than one life was on the line.
Naruto lingered behind Sasuke, staring off in the same direction as he was. Sasuke could feel his heat close to him and, while the mist was cool, the heat of his blood rushing through him kept him warm. He wished this mission could be paused, since Naruto and his morning had been cut off too quick. He wasn't going to let Naruto get reckless and cause his own premature death. Not when there was so much left for them, together. He knew Naruto was focused right now though, not letting anything distract him from his goal. Which...unfortunately...was Hinata.
Sasuke felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He wasn't saving Hinata because of...it didn't even matter. Sasuke didn't know why he was still thinking about these trivial things. He knew Naruto was only seeing him right now, and the feelings were mutual in that. And so, Naruto was not going to trade his life for Hinata's.
I won't let that happen.
"Ready?" Sasuke turned his head ever so slightly so he could see Naruto from the corner of his eyes. He looked ready all right.
"This won't take long." Naruto's voice was lower than usual and it had such control. Sasuke felt a shiver creep up his spine as he turned around to look towards the island again.
I hope not...
"Should we run, y'know?" Naruto finally glanced at Sasuke, still serious in tone and eagerly anticipating his response.
"Yeah." Sasuke responded. He could feel Naruto's heart thump louder as the excitement poured into his bloodstream. Sasuke couldn't even get another word in before Naruto was off into the misty distance. Naruto was—and he'd admit it—faster than him. And so, Sasuke set off to catch up to his blonde friend. Naruto's scent lingered in a straight line, leading to where he was running. Even if Sasuke lost sight of him, the strong smell could be his guide. However, Sasuke wasn't going to lose sight of Naruto. Not only was he going to aid him on this mission, he told himself that he was going to save him—protect him—at all costs. Naruto and him weren't alone anymore. They only had each other and they couldn't let that disappear prematurely.
They were running at full speed for almost an hour, during which the mist turned into a light rain and the waters became slightly choppy, causing them to drift a bit further than expected when heading to their destination.
The moment they reached the sand of the island, Sasuke felt his legs turn to jelly, but he tried to stay standing. Naruto didn't look affected by the long distance at all though, which figured. Sasuke leaned over, breathing heavily, as the two of them looked and what this island had to offer. Its appearance seemed almost tropical. The sand, even when damp, was a bright beige, it was practically white and blinding them. They looked up, following the lines of trees, which were all made of iron and steel. It was a literal concrete jungle. No sense of life lingered anywhere, making it hard for the two of them to gauge which direction to head off towards.
"What do you think, Sasuke?" Naruto broke their soundtrack of heavy panting.
Sasuke didn't have an answer though. He was unsure of where they should go. This entire location was man made...meaning...
"Is there a chance they expected our arrival?"
Naruto thought, making an obviously pensive expression. He lifted his arms to cross them in front of his chest, staring off into the distance. Sasuke couldn't help but just watch him as the gears in his head processed the entire mission up to that point. Even though his childish tendencies still were present, he'd always held himself with such confidence. Sasuke felt the edges of his lips tip up towards a smile. And as Naruto tilted his head back down to look at Sasuke, he caught a slight glimpse of it.
"What?" Naruto said, defensively, as his face flushed of color.
"Nothing." Sasuke stood up straight, remembering that they were on a mission and success was key. He started to walk forward, cautiously. He couldn't feel any heat or any vibrations. He looked behind him at Naruto sitting on the ground, eyes closed, meditating.
Sasuke nodded to himself. If he was unable to sense anything, maybe in his sage mode, they'd find some answers.
Naruto opened his eyes, his baby blue's now a piercing golden. He stood up again, walking up to Sasuke.
The island was eerily quiet, with only the rhythmic crashing of the water on the sand acting as background noise. Naruto took a moment to get a sense of his surroundings and then looked towards the left. In the distance, the sand turned to larger rocks, with the same steal tree's lining the area.
"I'm getting something from that way." Naruto nodded in that direction, and Sasuke took a step towards it, but immediately, Naruto ran past him.
"Ay, Naruto!" But, of course, Naruto didn't respond. He was zoning in on a large boulder fixed beyond the trees. It seemed mildly out of place, and could possibly be an entrance to an underground layer.
Sasuke started running to catch up with Naruto. He'd told himself that he was going to control the reckless nature of his teammate, but it wasn't working out too well. Sasuke exhaled heavily. He might just have to cover for the recklessness, or pray that it doesn't end up sending the mission south.
They paused in front of the large boulder and Naruto reached out to touch it.
"Under here."
And channeling all of his sage power, he—quite easily—lifted the boulder enough to move it from the pristine staircase that lay beneath, beckoning them to come inside.
Naruto and Sasuke stared down the stairs, that were dimly lit by electric candles, and headed deep into the darkness.
"Let's go." Naruto said, not waiting for Sasuke's approval before heading down the stairs. Sasuke still couldn't sense any life beyond the staircase, but he trusted Naruto's sage mode to not lead them astray.
However, as they walked down the stairs, the air became colder, making it more difficult to breath, and the candles became fewer and farther in between, causing them to slow their pace in order to not fall down the stairs.
They'd been walking down into the depths of the Earth—or hell frozen over—for what felt like hours now, and yet they hadn't found anything to clue them in on where Hinata or Takahashi were. Sasuke, normally a patient man, was growing weary.
"Naruto."
Naruto didn't stop walking, but didn't ignore his comrade. He slowed his pace to be closer to Sasuke.
"I know." Naruto mumbled. The hot breath from his mouth turned visible in the chilly air below the Earth's surface.
"We need to find out where this is taking us."
"I know." Naruto repeated.
"Meaning we should stop for a moment and gather our thoughts."
"I know, y'know." Except Sasuke didn't think Naruto did know, nor was he understanding the severity of them continuing their mission down a hole that was making it hard for them to breathe. And so, chaotic as he is, Naruto continued down the stairs, but Sasuke didn't let him get far.
"Are you listening to me?" Sasuke barked at him, reaching to grab his forearm. Naruto paused. Sasuke felt the heat of their touch warm his body just a hair. That subtle amount of exchanged body hate felt like a breath of fresh air. He knew Naruto felt it too, which is why he stopped walking and let the touch linger.
"We need to find Hinata. What if she's down there?"
If she's down there, she's dead.
"She's not. No one can survive this cold for long periods of time." Sasuke said instead. Naruto seemed less convinced though, even ticked, like he read Sasuke's mind.
"So, we just leave this area unchecked?"
Sasuke didn't have an answer, but he also didn't have any proof that anyone was down there.
"Do you know that someone is down there?" Sasuke pulled on Naruto's arm, bringing him closer towards him, so they were able to see the other more clearly. Since their eyes had now adjusted to the darkness, the closer they were, the better their vision of the other.
Naruto paused, but then nodded slowly. Sasuke didn't doubt what he'd sensed...
"And it was Hinata's chakra signature?" Sasuke carefully said in a hushed voice. He didn't know where they were or who was listening. He needed to stay focused on the mission and not let this insane situation get the better of him.
"Yeah." With Naruto's answer, Sasuke lowered his head. His hand was still gripping Naruto's arm, as they transferred body heat to the other, thawing their limbs. Sasuke sighed. He didn't know how much farther this trail of stairs was going to go, but it could be a test. Perhaps this was a jail cell of sorts...it could also be something worse though.
"Let me lead." Sasuke pushed past Naruto, letting go of his arm.
"Hey, what for?" Naruto reached to grab Sasuke, but he successfully evaded.
"Let's go." Sasuke kept walking down the stairs, wrapping himself in his cloak, which was still wet from the rain outside. It was making his tread slowed, but he wasn't trying to rush himself. In any unknown situation, you must be cautious, which is what he was being. Besides that...
If Hinata was down there...and she was dead...
I can't let Naruto see.
If Naruto sensed her chakra, she was still alive. So, there was hope.
The two of them continued down, getting colder and colder, so much so, that Sasuke began visibly shivering. He was afraid that his fingers and lips might've turned blue. He could feel that his heart beat was even slower now, struggling to pump him with blood and continue his labored breathing. Even Naruto had slowed down and wasn't complaining about Sasuke's pace any longer.
Sasuke paused for a moment, covering his hand over his mouth in attempt to warm himself. Naruto stopped behind him, mirroring his action.
"This is getting unbearable." Sasuke was almost whining. It felt honest though and he was sure he wasn't alone in feeling that way.
"Yeah." Naruto agreed. He moved in closer to Sasuke, in hopes of exchanging body heat again. Naruto moved his hands from his mouth and leaned into Sasuke's back, molding his arms around his small waist and pressing his chest into him, gently. Sasuke looked down at Naruto's hands interlaced around his front.
"This will help." Naruto mumbled, his breath warming up the frozen skin on Sasuke's neck. It was such a jarring sensation, that Sasuke felt the goosebumps rise all along where Naruto's breath hit him. He leaned his head back, a bit, touching the edge of Naruto's shoulder and then placed his arm overtop on of the blonde's. They breathed in slowly, even though it was painful and felt like needles being shoved down their throat.
"One more minute." Sasuke begged. He wasn't lying about how cold he was and for the first time in a long while, he felt afraid for his life...and Naruto's. Sasuke couldn't even use his fire jutsu's because his limbs were almost frozen, unable to form hand signs. Sasuke was about to move, but...
"Not yet." Naruto's voice was barely audible. He was holding onto Sasuke for dear life.
"If we stay like this any longer, we could lose mobility in our legs." Sasuke responded, upset he had to tear them apart. "This ends somewhere. We both know that." Sasuke looked back at Naruto, once they'd released the other, in time to see Naruto nod slightly.
Sasuke let the way again and they kept walking, in close proximity too. Occasionally, Naruto would hold onto Sasuke's arm, or shoulder. He claimed it was to make sure they didn't lose the other, but the body heat they exchanged with those simple touches was more convincingly true for Sasuke.
"There." Sasuke stopped moved and whispered.
At the end, finally, they see a large cube, decorated with a multitude of fake candles and inside that cube...
"Hinata..." Naruto's voice was electric. Sasuke looked beside him, watching as Naruto released his hold on Sasuke's arm, ran past him, as if the cold had never affected him in the first place. He rushed straight for the light, leaving Sasuke in the cold, damp, shadows. Sasuke didn't run like Naruto, but struggled to catch up to him with a faster walk. The closer they got to the giant, see through cube, the more clear the image became.
Hinata was laying on the ground and attached to many wires that all led from her head, face and eyes, to a series of bulky computers. There was no entrance to the cube, and so Naruto pounded the glass a few times, attempting to wake Hinata up.
"Hinata!" Naruto's voice broke as he continually yelled her name. The strong emotion he attached to it was terrifying. Sasuke felt uneasy approaching him in his heightened state, but he didn't want him to go overboard. Sasuke reached out a hand to touch Naruto's back, but Naruto shied away from him, pounding his fist on the glass again, this time hard enough that he flinched away in pain.
"Naruto!"
Naruto shook away the pain and looked up at Sasuke, tears pooling in his eyes.
"She's not dead." Sasuke reminded him. "I feel her presence. She's...alive enough."
"Enough?" Naruto questioned him. "What does that mean?"
"It means she alive." Naruto scoffed at his response and walked back up to the cube again. In all of his power, which was lacking immensely at the moment, Sasuke watched as Naruto's entire being turned into liquid, fiery gold. His chakra, was still more powerful than anyone could imagine, even after the torture of that stairway. He geared up, first formed, and yelled loud enough Sasuke had to cover his ears. He smashed the glass with such passion that, even if Naruto wasn't stronger than it technically, it completely shattered to bits. Naruto's frozen and bloody hand wouldn't release the fist it had formed.
Sasuke watched him hold it close and wait for the rain storm of glass to settle. As the silence returned, the two of them could hear the beeps coming from the computers, monitoring her heartbeat. It was slow...very slow. Sasuke was surprised she was alive. However, the fact that she was connected to all of these wires had to mean she was turned into some sort of lab rat.
Naruto fell onto his knees beside her face and leaned over, still clutching his broken hand to his chest.
Sasuke could hear him mumble something to her, but he wasn't sure what. He watched as the emotion poured out of him and landed on her. He wanted to look away, out of respect, but also out of disgust. He didn't necessarily enjoy Naruto becoming emotional for others. While it was in his nature to be emotionally driven, Sasuke felt possessive over Naruto's emotional range. He didn't want to see him crying for another...especially if that other pined over him constantly.
Still, Sasuke watched. Naruto started to remove the wires from her face, in hopes that that would wake her up somehow. It didn't.
But as the last wire was removed, the beeping stopped. Sasuke looked over to the computers and saw, on their screens, a list of information that analyzed to prowess of the Byakugan.
"They're trying to steal it..." Sasuke mumbled to himself, as he walked over to try and understand how they were properly extracting the information. It was confusing... He read over some of it, but it was either coded or...a different language?
"We need to get her out of here." Naruto was looking at Sasuke, sternly. Sasuke could see the trail of tears marked on his face. Naruto didn't want to waste time in this frozen tundra any longer, and Sasuke could sense his growing impatience.
"The mission is to capture Takahashi."
"The mission changed when we lost Hinata and Shikamaru, y'know."
"We can be successful at both."
"We need to get her somewhere safe first."
Naruto wasn't going to budge, but Sasuke didn't have the energy to walk back up the stairs. He looked past Naruto at the darkness behind him and sighed deeply, then looking down.
"What is it? We need to go."
Sasuke focused himself and all of his energy. He internalized his vision and built up his chakra around it. He could hear Naruto trying to talk to him, but he drowned out the persistence of the blonde. He needed all of his energy and training to bring him success in this moment. He felt a heat rush through his veins and ringing disturb his ear drums. His heart starting increasing its speed and spread that lively feeling throughout. When he felt the power touching his fingertips, he opened his Rinnegan and the portal to the dimension Sakura and Shikamaru were in, opened up. Immediately, Naruto shut up.
"It won't last long, go." Naruto nodded at Sasuke's words and jumped in, still carrying Hinata. Sasuke soon followed suit, just as the dimension portal began decreasing its size.
Sasuke, upon entering this new realm, collapsed on the ground. He could feel the humidity in the air completely melt his being. His vision went blurry momentarily as he tried to stabilize himself on all fours. He looked up, seeing Naruto standing still, holding Hinata in his arms. She was so close to him, being cradled by him, while he was on the ground, digging his nails in the dirt.
"Sakura and Shikamaru..." Sasuke nods behind Naruto, who spins around and sees the pink haired girl still extracting poison from his friend. He rushes over to them, leaving Sasuke alone, yet again.
Sasuke tries to calm himself down, but that display of affection Naruto threw for Hinata was lingering in his mind. It caught him off guard how much it became bothersome.
Sasuke stood up, his legs wobbling, and approached the group. By the time he arrived, Sakura was treating Hinata... She was removing the same poison from Hinata as Shikamaru.
"They've both been hit by this weird poison..." Sakura looked up at Sasuke. "I'm going to need to treat Hinata now. I've thankfully gotten a lot out of Shikamaru." She looks to a jar of floating black liquid.
"He moved his fingers a while ago. I think he's slowly regaining consciousness." Sakura's voice was full of hope. She didn't have to just tread through below freezing temperatures and it showed.
Sasuke looked down at Naruto's hand, which he was hiding behind his back, obviously trying not to worry Sakura with getting him healed. He had the nine tails, his healing was pristine, but his hand was shattered, just like the glass from that cube.
"Sakura." Sasuke's voice was deep and it shook Sakura to her core. For some reason, whenever he said her name, she shuddered. It always took her by surprise that he even remembered what her name was.
"Sasuke-kun...?"
Naruto looked up at him from the corner of his eye, practically glaring, but Sasuke wasn't going to let him return to that island with a hand that couldn't form hand signals.
"Naruto's hand is shattered." Sasuke said in a threatening tone. As Naruto's eyes left Sasuke's, an emptiness fell over the area. Sasuke didn't like going against Naruto like this, but he had to do what was best for the mission. Even if it meant abandoning Hinata's healing for a moment.
Sakura's eyes darted from Sasuke's to Naruto's, who was looking down, avoiding the contact. Sasuke turned away from the group and tried to build up his energy and chakra again. He knew they'd have to go back to that island and actually get Takahashi, otherwise... This situation could happen again and again, maybe not to them, but to others. Yet, if that man's interest in Naruto was strong enough, the hunt for him would never stop. It was better to successfully complete what they came here to do. Sasuke wasn't going to let Naruto forget that.
He could hear his two comrades bickering in the background, and he shut his eyes to focus himself. He looked down at his hands, which had finally returned to their normal pale color. He felt the feeling return and moved them a bit, even though it struck pain through him each time. He looked around and yawned. A wave of exhaustion hit Sasuke like a ton of bricks. He spun around to look at Naruto, who was becoming more blurry and distant. Sasuke shook his head, but it made things worse. He felt like he was falling asleep, but why? Was it because of the use of his Rinnegan?
No...
That never happened during his training. He became unstable in his stance and could see through the blurred vision, Naruto turn around to look at him and then rush over to him with Sakura behind. Sasuke fell to his knees, his hooded eyes drooping over his deep pupils.
"Naruto?" He was so tired all of the sudden and he couldn't keep his eyes open a second longer.
Naruto finally reached him and grabbed onto him, holding him close. He could feel the warmth radiating off of him as his tight grip cradled him. He listened to Naruto's heartbeat act like a lullaby, singing him to sleep. He felt so comfortable, like he was in bed, at "home." He sighed into it, falling deeper and deeper into his unconscious state.
"Naruto..." He managed to let out on a final exhale.
Was this how Hinata felt?
He felt jealous even more that, now Hinata, had felt this comfort and passionate hold. But at least he knew—he exhaled slowly again—that his jealousy was justified. Sasuke should be the only one Naruto held like this.
Just. Sasuke.
And with that, Sasuke passed out in Naruto's arms.