Territory

Sasuke ran invisibly towards his destination. It was still hard for him to disguise himself as a human even though he was 1600 years old. Fortunately, he was only teased about that by his brother and older cousin. That and the fact that only just this year his mother assigned him a territory of his own.

His father had assigned his older brother a territory when Itachi was only 800.

It did not go well. At all.

While Sasuke may be a demon and evil to the core, even HE was willing to admit that seven volcanoes going off at once is not a good thing.

And that was why his mother hung his father's head in the Great Hall.

Sasuke did wish that his mother had thought to sew the male's lips shut before she hung the head on the wall. He promised himself that the next time he was in the hall and Fugaku started talking shit, he was going spit a Lava Ball at the head.

Sasuke arrived at his destination and released the spell of invisibility, secure in the knowledge that no one was going to see him on the steep cliff that overlooked one of the villages in his territory. The inhabitants called it Leave or Leaf…something stupid he thought with a sniff. His home's name, Volcano of Bloody Eyes, was much better.

He looked down and realized that there was something wrong.

The atmosphere surrounding the village seemed...lighter…happy.

Sasuke scowled. They couldn't possibly be happy after what he did to the crops on his last visit. What the Heaven happened?

He looked closer and saw a new building was being erected. He stared at it for a moment then realized that he recognized that shape. He had been shown a drawing of one about a fortnight ago.

A church!

Sasuke's thin whip-like tail lashed angrily.

His territory had been invaded!

By priests!

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Sasuke settled down on his haunches and began to watch.

It was easy to identify the priest. He was the only stranger in the village. Not to mention he was the only blond male in the place and he…bounced…everywhere he went. The man never seemed to walk normally.

And he went everywhere! There didn't seem to be a single building that he didn't enter. Sasuke thought it was rather strange that the villagers seemed to have no problem letting him in. After all, in these trouble times, you never knew what someone might do…even if they were a priest.

But he was welcomed. Usually with a smile and something to eat.

As Sasuke watched, he brooded. This was a complication that he simply did not need. He knew the Elders were watching him closely. Even though his brother had been banned from having a territory again, he was still being considered for the next Clan Head. Sasuke was also being considered, not for Clan Head, but for becoming an Elder and to advise his brother.

If he screwed this up…none of that was going to happen.

Sasuke gave a sharp decisive nod.

The Priest had to go.

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Sasuke made sure that he was completely invisible when he crept into the village. He was also careful to make sure that he stayed out of people's way as they walked. He was glad that the population wasn't as large as some of the other villages he had.

The blond head bobbed cheerfully as it wandered down the main street of the village then past the outskirts and into the trees. Sasuke noticed that the priest was also being followed by two of the village girls. He couldn't remember their names but recalled that the pink-haired one and the blonde one where usually attached at the hip.

He followed quietly behind and watched as the priest came upon a pond and began to strip. The two girls made muffled squeals that Sasuke's sensitive ears could hear but the priest was oblivious as he dove into the water and swam around.

The priest was golden all over.

Sasuke…wanted…

He wanted. He yearned. He lusted. He wanted the priest on his back and on his knees. He wanted to gouge out the blue eyes so that he could never look at another.

Sasuke trembled with his need…and he was going to take what he wanted.

He watched as the priest climbed out of the water and used his hands to scrape off the excess water. He barely noticed the two girls shushing each other as they drooled over Sasuke's property.

The priest looked in Sasuke's direction…and smiled.

Sasuke froze. Did the priest see him? How could a mere human see him?

His mind raced as the priest dressed and walked back to the village.

As the two girls followed, Sasuke came up behind them and casually broke their backs then ripped out their tongues so he wouldn't have to listen to them scream. As he fed off their blood, his mind raced as to how he could make the priest his.

He had been told that it was difficult for demons to enter the buildings known as churches. But this one wasn't finished, so perhaps he'd be able to enter. If he could then…

"I hope you aren't going to just leave them there."

Startled Sasuke looked up and there was the priest staring at him.

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The priest tsked lightly. "You're a messy eater. Or are you too young to be away from your clan?"

Stung, Sasuke replied hotly. "I'm 1600 years old!"

"Is that all?"

Sasuke snorted. "As if you can claim being older, human."

"Not human."

Sasuke stared. Then blinked. "What?"

"Not. Human." The priest grinned and Sasuke could now see the elongated canines. "And I'm 2400 years old."

Sasuke rose to his feet, spit out a fireball that consumed the two bodies. He ignored the ash that drifted away in the breeze to concentrate on the being in front of him. "So what. Anyway, this is my territory. You don't belong here!"

"Your territory? I've been here for 30 human days and I haven't seen any markers."

Sasuke froze…he hadn't laid any. He didn't think that there was any need to…

The golden being laughed. "You didn't place any did you?!" He laughed at the stricken look on Sasuke's face. "I wasn't so careless."

Sasuke activated his Othersight and he could see the other's markers. A leaf on top of a tight spiral. And they were everywhere. The cliff, the buildings…even trees.

"Who are you?" Sasuke began preparing himself for battle.

"Naruto of the Uzumaki Clan."

Sasuke blinked. The name was familiar. Then it came to him. The Uzumaki were fox demons and they were expanding their territory according to family rumor.

"I was here first."

"I marked it first."

Sasuke spit a fireball at the other demon who used wind to slap it aside.

The two demons battled through the forest and into the village which was quickly laid to waste. Sasuke began to feel tired, he so grabbed a frightened villager from the rubble of his house and drained him of blood then threw the body at the golden one. The other grinned and sank his fangs into body's neck. Sasuke realized that he was removing the soul.

"You're a demon! Why would you make these cattle happy?" Sasuke bit the word out with loathing.

The other demon threw his head back and laughed, blue eyes twinkling. "If you knew anything, you would know that souls taste the best and have the most strength when they've been happy then plunged into deep despair…like now."

Sasuke realized that he'd screwed up by allowing the other to have a soul. It was quite probable he was now more powerful than Sasuke. Sasuke realized that he had one chance to kill the other or else he'd lose everything he'd been working for so he prepared his ultimate attack…and used it.

The explosion was massive.

Sasuke sank to his knees, exhausted and watched as the dust began to blow away.

"Missed me." Came a voice from behind him. Sasuke tried to move but before he could, he was slammed into the ground. He tried to regain his feet but realized that he was chained flat.

"You aren't going anywhere, Sasuke of the Uchiha from the Volcano of Bloody Eyes."

"You know who I am?"

There was a snort from behind him. "You don't think that we don't study who we might come up against?"

"Let me go!" Sasuke snarled and yanked at the chains but couldn't get them to give.

"I may only have five tails, but you aren't getting free anytime soon."

"What are you going to do?"

There was a laugh then Sasuke felt a tongue run up his spine. A soft voice murmured in his ear. "Why, some the same things you were thinking about doing to me back at the pond. And since we're going to get to know each other so…intimately…my name is Naruto."

Naruto pulled Sasuke up by his hair just enough to be able to lay a hand on his chest just below his neck. Sasuke tried not to flinch at the burning sensation. "What are you doing?!"

"Marking my property." Came the casual reply.

"I'm not your property!"

Sasuke could feel the other demon shrug against his back. "My mate then."

"I'm male!" Sasuke snapped.

Sasuke felt the other demon prepare a spell then release it into Sasuke's body. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Naruto's laughter.

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Mikoto laid the scroll aside and sighed.

"Who's that from, Mother?"

She looked at her only son. "From the Uzumaki Clan. To inform us that the Clan Heir defeated Sasuke in battle, claimed his territory and claimed Sasuke as his mate."

Itachi blinked. "Sasuke is male."

Mikoto's mouth twitched slightly into what could be called a smile…if they weren't Uchiha demons. "It's been long rumored that if a member of the Uzumaki Clan defeats someone in battle and decides to claim that person as a mate, they can forcibly change the defeated into the necessary gender." Mikoto paused, "Sasuko is two months into gestation."

Itachi leaned back in his chair and roared with laughter. "Foolish little sister!"