Title: "Lunar, Solar"

Author: Shaitanah

Rating: R (overall)

Timeline: 1 month after the Itachi/Sasuke fight

Summary: "…because Sasuke would be the moon, Naruto would be the sun, and during an eclipse..." It feels weird to Naruto to be with Sasuke again. But his motives are unclear and things get even more complicated when the boys strike an unusual bargain. [Sasuke/Naruto Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Story title from Pablo Neruda's Drunk With Pines. Lyrics from Cold (But I'm Still Here) by Evans Blue.

A/N: This will probably become AU as soon as Kishi completes the fight. Maybe it has already become. On a brighter note, thank you for your reviews! I can't believe I got so many! I love you all, guys!

Chapter 2

Bargain

So fall into my eyes and fall into my lies

But don't you forget:

The more you turn away, the more I want you to stay…

Sasuke opened his eyes abruptly and stared at the small ikebana on the nightstand. For a moment it was all he could see in the dark room. The flowers seemed to glow with soft pearly light. Sasuke blinked. Dream. It was a dream. Just like always.

The bed sagged beneath somebody's weight. Sasuke pulled a kunai from beneath his pillow in a blink of an eye and threw up his hand.

"It's me," Naruto uttered in a whisper. As if it explained everything. Sasuke rolled his eyes and was glad the darkness concealed that sign of weakness.

"I know. What do you want?"

"I thought I heard something."

Sasuke put the weapon back and rolled to his side, his back to Naruto. "Yeah, like what?"

"Like screaming."

"No one was screaming, Naruto," Sasuke said icily. "Go back to bed."

He waited for an outburst, but it didn't come. Sasuke lay motionless, his forehead sleek with sweat, and waited, prayed he would leave. When at last he heard the door shut, he pulled his knees up to his chin, curled into a foetal position and hid his face in the soft, sweet-smelling creases of the blanket. He wanted Naruto dead. Only then could his heart beat evenly again.

There were three of them: a grinning youth, probably a few years older than Naruto, with an overlong fang biting at the corner of his mouth; a red-headed woman with a scowling face; and a tall muscular guy who didn't even seem to have noticed reinforcements in the team. They were Team Hebi, Sasuke's team that had replaced Team Seven by his side.

Naruto studied them openly despite the woman's undisguised hostility. He could feel the sharp-toothed guy watch him back. His gaze was bold, daring, and Naruto thought he might challenge him one day. Out of the three members of Team Hebi he seemed to be the friendliest, but it was exactly the attitude Naruto knew he should be wary of.

The tall guy spared Naruto a single glance and looked away. The woman adjusted the glasses on her nosebridge and stared directly at the blond. Sasuke had told him nothing about them and obviously he had told them nothing about him. Both sides felt awkward, not knowing what to expect from each other.

Finally Sasuke emerged from the room. The ninjas were up on their feet in an instant. Naruto heard the redhead mutter something under her breath, but chose not to pay attention.

"Not really friendly, are they?" he teased when they left the inn.

"No, they're not," Sasuke cut him off. "Lucky for you."

The dusty yellowish roads that surrounded Konoha soon ended, blending into emerald green fields. Tall grass heaved all around them. They covered the fields as quickly as they could and sped up in the dark forest that continued on the other side of the valley.

Naruto watched the change of colours with indifference. The events of the previous day were so surreal that he couldn't shake off the feeling he was still fast asleep. He drilled Sasuke's back with a hard gaze, as if afraid that the mirage might disappear.

Slowly, gently a fuller picture began to emerge. Waking up from his dream, Naruto let the realization wash over him in a huge tidal wave: it was Sasuke, he was here, and it didn't matter that in a few weeks, maybe even days, he'd be gone again. Right now Sasuke was with him and in need of his assistance. Naruto fought a triumphant grin that threatened to break his thoughtful countenance.

"Hey," he called out to Sasuke, keeping step with him carefully. "How about you tell me what's so important about this mission that you can't deal without me? Or have you finally got it that I'm irreplaceable?"

Sasuke snorted. Naruto took some time to examine him, marveling at how much he had changed, yet still seemed so close. His pale face stood out against the black of his garment. Dark spiky hair grew a little longer since their meeting at Orochimaru's and the fringe hung in loose strands, a bit tousled from the wind. Obsidian eyes shone with strange feverish gleam, skimming through the area. Everything about him gave away the aura of cautiousness, obstinacy – and extreme weariness. At times he seemed like he was about to collapse, but he would soon get back to normal and act like nothing had happened. Naruto recalled Granny Tsunade's theory that Sasuke had used drugs during the training with Orochimaru. It made him clench his fists with anger.

"His name is Uchiha Madara," Sasuke spoke suddenly. Naruto blinked in surprise at the name. "He was the one who helped my brother slaughter the clan. He is the last Sharingan user besides me and the last of the Uchiha. And I want him dead. This is the final act of my revenge."

His voice sounded dull and very matter-of-fact. Naruto became awkwardly aware of the fact he was gaping at him and shut his mouth loudly. So many other questions demanded to be asked; yet he kept quiet, waiting for Sasuke to add something else.

He could feel the others observe the two of them on the quiet. He turned round and glowered at them suspiciously.

"Why not come back then?" he whispered. "You could ask the village for help."

"First of all, it's no less personal than my affairs with Itachi. And do you honestly believe they would help me? I asked you to come because I knew you would."

Naruto came to a halt, anger boiling within him like a suffocating whirlwind.

"But why me? You said you needed me!"

Now that the howling of the wind died down, everything seemed filled with cotton wool. Through the thickness Sasuke's voice reached him with painful slowness.

"Not you. I need what you can do."

Dumb-struck, Naruto simply stared at him. Standing a few metres away from him, Sasuke looked like a statue in the sparse sunlight.

"So that's what I am to you? An extra weapon?"

"Don't take it so personal, Naruto," Uchiha sighed. "Think of it as a job. Like I hired you."

Naruto's breath became ragged with laughter. "You hired me? All right, but where's the payment?"

Sasuke's jaw hardened. He reached for small pouch attached to his belt. Taking a few resolute steps towards him, Naruto held up his hand.

"I won't take money from you."

"By all standards this is a high-rank mission. What kind of payment do you want?"

Naruto looked past him, feeling the familiar heat of the alien chakra scorch his insides. He felt so angry, so disappointed, and the creature inside him craved release. Sasuke frowned at the desperate look on his face.

"Last time I checked you were really good at taming my beastie with those awesome eyes of yours. I want you to teach me."

Sasuke blinked. He must have misheard. He should have. The idea was so insane that it tore a sharp, darkly humorous sound out of his throat. A moment later he realized he was laughing.

"Not in a lifetime. Forget it."

"Laugh all you like!" Naruto growled. "If you're using me, I'm using you. If not, then I'm leaving."

Sasuke grasped Naruto's elbow and pulled him up roughly. The blond bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl. They stared at each other, blood thudding in their ears. Power fountained between them. Blackness flowed smoothly over Sasuke's skin; Naruto's eyes blazed red, and a low growl escaped his throat.

Hebi watched. Spirals of red chakra stormed around the two opponents. It crashed down, leaving deep furrows on the ground. The air became dry and stridulous. The lively sound of a thousand birds chirping rolled over the valley.

"Hey, sweetheart," Suigetsu said, giving Karin a mellow smile. "Wanna take a bet on who wins?"

"It's obvious to anyone with half a brain," the woman scoffed. "Sasuke went up alone against one of the Akatsuki and he killed one of the Sannin."

"Oh, I dunno. That Naruto guy looks pretty good to me. It might be tough even for Sasuke."

Karin spun around to face him and glared at him contemptuously. Suigetsu took out a couple of coins and tossed them up with the most innocent look his could manage. She grudgingly drew out her own money.

"What do you think?" she asked Juugo. He cocked his head, squinted and answered in a neutral voice:

"They are equal."

Karin snorted. Let them fool themselves; no one could defeat Sasuke.

Not even this…

Karin stared. Suigetsu shifted, stepping a bit closer to the ruined valley. The dust accumulated; they could see the fighters opposing each other amidst the furrowed ground. Dead, dusty ribbons of grass ruled the brownish ground. Sasuke clenched his fingers around Naruto's fist, prepared for the blow. They panted, eyes wandering into each other's in blind rage that was beginning to fade.

"I'll teach you," Sasuke breathed heavily.

Naruto grinned smugly. "Yay! So what are we waiting for? Let's go kick this guy's butt!"

Karin narrowed her eyes. Was that a smile on Sasuke's lips? It was brief, barely alive, but owing to it he suddenly looked young and vulnerable. They were already far ahead when Juugo loomed over his teammates and collected the lost money with a vague "thank you". If Karin hadn't known him, she'd have thought he was being sarcastic. She wanted to protest that he hadn't bet officially, but somehow the loss of money no longer mattered. What mattered, was that warm, boyish half-smile that traveled upon Sasuke's lips and vanished into the nothing.

Sometimes he removes the mask standing in front of the mirror and reveals the unfamiliar face laced with thick scar tissue. One eye is missing, there's nothing but darkness in the empty socket. No expression. The other eye flares deep scarlet. He brushes his hand through his spiky black hair. It's his hair, and his face, and his eye – yet everything seems unfamiliar and somewhat frightening.

He opens the black-and-red cloak and pushes his shirt up. Braces pierce his torso, keeping all the ruined flesh and bones together. There must have been a really grave accident if he still has to wear them after all this time. The entire right side of his body is crushed. The scars are years old, but they still stand out clearly. The skin seems to have been ripped off in places, melted and frozen in some different, twisted pattern.

It hurts. Not physically. It hurts to look at all that and not understand what lies beneath the scars and the mask.

He's pretty sure his name is Tobi. At least that's the only thing he knows. Other things remain uncertain; something Zetsu-san might have told him, something Deidara-senpai might have yelled in his artistic rage. Something Tobi has seen or heard in the company of the other members of the group. But this name, he's known it before he met Zetsu-san. He's almost certain he's the one who's told everyone to call him Tobi.

At other times it seems he's an entirely different person. His voice is soft, slightly muffled by the impenetrable mask; yet there are times when it acquires a powerful ring to it which makes him stand straighter and taller and gives him a commanding air. His perception is marred by the strange haze that veils his mind from time to time. He looks at himself and he sees someone else. When he comes to, it frightens him.

Naruto's sleep became heavier over the past few months. He rarely woke up with a grin anymore, having basked in the glory of his desired title all night or eaten a bowl of delicious ramen half his height. These days he dreamt of darkness and fire, the cold of loneliness and the constant chase.

Tonight, however, was a bit different. He ran after Sasuke, but the chase didn't take him to the Valley of the End or Orochimaru's lair. He ended up on the outskirts of Konoha, lying amidst the soft grass. Smoke flowed over the plain. Naruto lifted his head and covered his mouth with his hand to avoid the suffocating stench. Damaged bodies lay sprawled everywhere like rag dolls. Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes.

He saw a huge toad with a tiny figure standing atop its head. For a moment bright blue eyes advanced on him even though their owner was still riding his grotesque transport across the plain. The beast inside him roared in powerless fury. Torn between the two sensations, Naruto opened his mouth to scream, but the voice that came out wasn't his. A plaintive baby whine rang in his ears. The Monster Fox bellowed.

Naruto woke up in cold sweat. Rosy dawn broke abruptly, streaks of pink and yellow trickling over the pale sky like splashes of wet paint on canvas. The youth rolled on his back and spied Sasuke standing over him. Uchiha raised his foot and gave Naruto's side a light push.

"Morning," he said harshly. "Get up, we don't have all day."

"Eh?"

Sasuke pursed his lips and looked away. Naruto knew that expression; it seldom appeared whenever Sasuke felt embarrassed about something. When the youth turned back, all expression on his face vanished.

"The training, remember?"

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't believed that half-hearted promise. Not one iota, damn it! Yet Sasuke was here, ready to train him. Something might even work out, Naruto thought.

He was up in no time. Shaking off the moody remains of the dream, he put on his forehead protector and stood in front of Sasuke, waiting for him to do something. The grove where Team Hebi had stopped for the night was unnaturally quiet.

"Uhm… where's everyone?" Naruto wondered briefly.

"I told them we'd catch up with them later. We don't need any spectators."

Naruto shuddered as he felt drops of sweat trickling down his spine. The situation was becoming more and more uncomfortable. Sasuke coughed quietly.

"So… I take it we need to wake it up first before we put it back to sleep."

"It usually wakes up to help when I've used up all my chakra and have to draw on the red one," Naruto explained readily. "Or if I… well, get really angry. Like yesterday."

"We have neither time nor means to make you really angry," Sasuke replied thoughtfully. "We'll have to go with the current then. Is that how Jiraiya trained you?"

"How do you–? Well, yes, but…"

Naruto broke off. He didn't want to tell Sasuke that the Fox might not wake up by command. The truth was, Naruto had got so bad at controlling it that it invade his dreams and tried to break through each time someone said anything that annoyed him – but it was never there when he needed it. In fact, Naruto supposed, he had to endanger his life to make it come out.

He looked up resolutely, recalling all the training he had gone through with Ero-sennin. He produced a few dozens of clones and set to work on the most exhausting basics he had recollected. He knew Sasuke was watching him, all of him, wandering seemingly aimless amidst the cheerful, blue-eyed and yellow-haired copies. His eyes would blaze red occasionally as he detected the changes in Naruto's chakra. A few hours later the sun was already high above the horizon. No progress was made.

"It's not working," Sasuke mused. "Seems like you withheld something important. I think we need to create a potentiallydangerous situation that may result in lethal injuries."

The clones vanished with a quiet 'pop'. Naruto lowered himself on the ground, breathing deeply. "Huh?"

"Your death," Sasuke said listlessly.

Naruto attempted to get up. Fatigue engulfed him all of a sudden. He felt hungry and sleepy, bouncing on the verge of the condition when the Fox might have woken up. He opened his mouth to tell Sasuke about it and barely had enough time to jump aside as Sasuke's katana came down on him. He wanted to protest that the Fox wouldn't believe Sasuke's intentions after he had made it known he needed its strength, but Uchiha swung his weapon again, rushing into another ferocious attack.

Naruto staggered. Sasuke held his gaze, black tomoe spinning wildly, or so it seemed to Naruto. He felt dizzy, a fountain of fire raging inside him.

"I need a break," he breathed. The damn Demon was not going to act, he knew that. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. He was pretty sure he had never felt so tired before.

"No breaks!" Sasuke cut him off.

The blade plunged into his chest and turned, and the pain spread like radiation through his body. He screamed, choking on the final loud moan. 'It's not real!' his mind shrieked. Naruto bit heavily on his lip, splitting it apart, tasting the metallic flavour of blood on his tongue.

Sunlight crushed down on him. He blinked his eyes. He had almost forgotten it was there.

Rage boiled within him. Power soared up, hitting all the tenketsu at once, and the red chakra was released. Naruto felt the walls of the inner prison shake violently. He fell on his knees in the water and the stream flung him fiercely against the bars. The Fox laughed harshly.

"Rise, weakling!" he heard its throaty voice. "Show this impudent boy what we can do!"

Naruto moaned weakly. Anger burned in his throat like a miniature explosion. A hand clutched at the front of his jacket, forcing him up on his feet. Naruto drew forth, pressing himself hard against Sasuke, feeling the warmth of an other human body. Sasuke pushed him back against the bars, running his hand along Naruto's forearm and locking the other one over his throat.

"Hold on," he whispered. "Just hold on."