A Name's Worth

Author: pratz

Disclaimer: these guys belong to Kamijyo Akamine. I only have my musing of locking Yukimura inside my demented mind...

Notes: kind of a sequel to Shadow. Still, no beta; therefore, please excuse my mistakes onward because we all believe that Yukimura is always drool-worthy. Do enjoy and breathe me reviews.

Set: manga vol. 10-11.

Warning: characters' OOC-ness and a-thing-you-know-what. For God's sake, they have quarter a century gap of age!

"You are the present Sarutobi Sasuke."

The boy sighed softly. From the branch he was sitting at, he could saw a glimpse of his half-drunken master below. Why the man loved sake so much he didn't know. Sake tasted awful—he disliked it almost like he disliked carrot. Kendama was much better than sake. But he noticed that most of all powerful men loved sake. Onime no Kyo, for clear example, next was Date Masamune, next was, of course, his master.

He wondered if he should begin to take a liking toward sake now.

Time ticked and one by one his fellows drifted off as sleep claimed them. Even Onime no Kyo had fallen asleep, though he knew the red-eyed man's sense of alertness wasn't asleep, too. Sarutobi Sasuke sighed once again and turned his body over so that his back was facing his fellows—

—only to get his smiling master face to face with him.

"Yu—" he couldn't help but feel shocked. "What are you doing? You know I can kill you!"

"Temper, temper," Sanada Saemonnosuke Yukimura laughed a bit. "Didn't you realize I was climbing just ago? Are you thinking of something?"

"No!"

"Ne, Sasuke, do you mind to keep me a company for a while?"

"What for?"

"Taking a bath," Yukimura patted his charge's head. "I don't want to smell awful when morning comes."

Not-so-noticeable reddish tinges tinted Sasuke's cheek. "Hand off," he swatted his master's hand. "You smell of sake."

The man smiled. "Is that bad?"

The corner of Sasuke's lips twitched, but only that. Half-cursing, he jumped down from the tree. Yukimura followed after him. They walked to the hot spring Yuya and Okuni had once occupied it. Once again Sasuke recalled the time when, at the same place, Benitora said a certain sentence he couldn't forget.

"You are the present Sarutobi Sasuke."

I know, he mused. I am Sarutobi Sasuke.

"Sasuke?"

"Wha—" his words cut abruptly as his eyes caught the sight of Yukimura's bare back. Thank God—or not—the lower part of his master was hidden by hot water. If only he was a pervert like Benitora, he would have had a nosebleed at once. "Y-Yu-Yukimura!"

"Hmm?" his master turned around, facing him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in mocking expression and half in desperation. God, he really didn't know whether he should thank the water or not.

"You don't want to get in?" Laughing, Yukimura splashed handful of water to the boy. "Come on. It's comfortable here."

"Dream on!"

"Sasuke," Yukimura's tone was getting firmer by now—a tone he usually used when he wanted something to be done. "Should I make you do it?"

Sasuke almost regretted about how well he knew his master. Albeit his master sounded serious, he still could notice the playful tone beneath.

"Damn you," he muttered—hoping that Yukimura wouldn't see his flushing face.

"That's better," Yukimura grinned as Sasuke stripped himself and got in the water. "Ah, we're more than lucky to find a hot spring in the middle of a jungle like this. Come closer, Sasuke. Don't distance yourself from me."

"Don't distance yourself from me."

It sounded as if his master was talking about his restlessness—or might he was.

Without him realizing it, Yukimura was standing near to him. He had just realized when a hand ran through his hair.

"Yukimura!" he snapped, his hand caught his master's wrist.

"You've been sighing so much later," his master didn't pull his hand back. Twirling some strands of the boy's hair, another hand gently took a hold of the small hand on his own. "Relax." A small shiver ran through the boy's body and Yukimura noticed it. He smiled knowingly. "I won't do anything you don't like."

Silence a while. "Have you—" Sasuke wasn't sure to continue for a while, then, "—ever thought why?"

"About?"

"The name. Me. The one before me."

It's Yukimura's turn to sigh now. "Did it bother you?"

"No." Yes.

Yukimura affectionately nuzzled the boy's baby hair on his nape. "You know," he began, "I have my own reason to fight. I have my own gundan and I choose them based on some conditions. I choose you because you are what you are." He blew warm breath onto Sasuke's neck, hands traveled on the boy's tensed shoulders. "I believe you have understood, Sasuke."

"Sasuke."

How could this idiot, happy-go-round, enigmatic man say that syllable so damn perfect as if there's no name as good as his?

His name. His.

"Say it again," closing his eyes, the boy whispered. Leaning into his master's touch, he let go of the hand he'd hold. The warm presence behind him felt too good to let go, though. "My name."

Yukimura's smile widened a bit. Running his hand on his charge's back, he noted every single knotted muscle beneath the smooth skin. Not even a word was said by the boy except some low sighs, but Yukimura knew how to respond. "Sasuke," pressing knuckles or the heels of his palms, Yukimura was glad when finally the boy began to get relax. "Sasuke..." he whispered lowly near the boy's ear.

All so sudden, Sasuke's eyes snapped open widely. He almost jumped at the warm breath tickling the side of his face.

"Easy," Yukimura tightened his hold on the boy's shoulders.

"D-don't come any closer! You... you smell of sake!"

Smiling, Yukimura rested his chin on the crook of Sasuke's neck. "Back to that again, Sasuke? Anyway, you haven't answered me before. Is that bad?"

He knew that his master would never smell bad, even when he was covered by blood and dirt. Somehow, his master always had that richest smell of a man he'd ever known in his life. Yukimura had his own unique scent; gallant, sweet, and passionate.

What do I think? He cursed himself. Passionate? As if you really know him, Sasuke.

"No," he answered half-heartily. "Not really."

"It's good then."

"Tell him your problems. Nothing will change if you don't talk."

I know, Tora. I'm not that idiot. Sasuke opened his mouth, ready to speak, yet nothing came out, so he closed it again. He sighed in defeat. Damn.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Sighing. It makes you sound older."

"What if I say that I'm tired of being a child?"

Yukimura shrugged a little, chin still on Sasuke's neck. "I don't consider you as a kid. You will reach your genpuku age soon. You're mature enough."

"You don't have to cheer me up, damn it."

"Ne, Sasuke," Yukimura wound his arms around the boy's waist so that Sasuke's back met his chests. "You, all the Sanada Juuyuushi, are my closest friends. History will always remember the name of Sarutobi Sasuke, Kirigakure Saizo, Anayama Kousuke, Miyoshi Sekai, Miyoshi Isa, Unno Rokuro, Kakei Juzou, Nezu Jinpachi, Mochizuki Rokuro, and Yuri Kamanosuke beside my name. Definitely will."

"If not?"

"I'll make sure of it."

Sasuke let out a small laugh. "Idiot."

"An idiot you have to guard time to time."

Snickering softly, Sasuke leaned aback closer to his master, his head on the man's shoulder. Closing his eyes, an image of Shindara's black form flashed through his mind. He detested—a strong word here—Shindara, the man who once bore the name of 'Sarutobi Sasuke', the man who was once Yukimura's most trustful fellow, and also the man who was stronger than he himself. He hated the so-called immortal man not only because he had to share the same name, but also because of... something he couldn't describe yet.

"Yukimura?"

"Hmm?"

"What does sake taste like?"

Yukimura raised his head. "Why so sudden?"

"Just because." Because you're strong and you drink sake and I want to be stronger—much stronger than I am now. Trying to hide his face, Sasuke bowed his head in shame of thinking childishly. "Never mind it."

Sasuke felt his chin being cupped and his face was tilted up and—

He couldn't breathe. He just couldn't.

Yukimura pulled away few seconds later. A small smile presented on his moist lips. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "So? How's it?"

Sasuke raised a finger to trace his lips. It felt as if they were burnt. The taste of sake still clung on his lower lip. The tip of his finger wiped the moisture there and he brought the very tip of his tongue out. It tasted sweet on his tongue. He asked himself which one that tasted sweet—his master or the sake—and he was unsure whether he knew the answer.

"Sasuke?"

The voice brought him back to reality. Always that voice, that gentle tone calling his name, could reassure him of who he was.

"Can I tell you something, Yukimura?" he snuggled closer and leaned back to the body behind him again.

Yukimura placed his soft lips on Sasuke's temple. He took it as a 'yes'. His master's body language told him to go on if he wanted or to stop if he refused to speak. He loved the man's way to approach him; always ready to listen yet never forcing.

"I want to be stronger," he stated, firmly and confidently. "I'll be stronger for you. I'll be much stronger so you won't lose 'Sarutobi Sasuke' for the second time."

I'll be stronger so I don't have to watch you fight in my place, so you don't have to put yourself in danger again, so I don't have to search for any new master in the future.

Yukimura's gaze softened as a small arm rose to wind itself on his neck.

I won't leave, Yukimura. You won't be abandoned.

Not because of Shindara. Not because of Saizo or the others. Not just because of his own reason. The very reason why he shouldered the name 'Sarutobi Sasuke' by now was standing here, before him, with his usual smile. His master was smiling to him, for him.

The boy smiled back.

I am the present Sarutobi Sasuke.

Notes:

Genpuku: in feudal Japan, genpuku is performed when a boy reached the age of fifteen or so. The boy has to cut his hair and he also gets the right to change his name. For example, Okita Soujiro became Okita Souji. At that time, a samurai's son would most likely get a genpuku present, usually a sword. Now, I wonder what Sasuke's genpuku present will be...

Sanada Yukimura Sanada Saemonnosuke Yukimura a.k.a. Toyotomi Nobushige died at the age of 48. Some says he committed a suicide in 1615 after wounded Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Osaka War, but some also says that he was killed while resting in the middle of the war. It seemed that Sarutobi Sasuke if he's real, of course, 'coz some notes says that he's only a fictitious figure of literature died in 1616, also at Osaka War.