A/N: Super sorry for the late updates! I've currently been struck with a bit of inspiration. If you read Magilus, you'll understand that my muse comes and goes. Hopefully the chapter length (1,400) will make up a little bit for my absence:)
Please enjoy!
Onyx Feloric
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.Naruto slid a hand along Sasuke's back, just underneath his shoulder blades where the wings tore through skin, and hooked the other under his knees, gently lifting the ninja from the couch. The added wings were heavy, heavier than he had imagined. The black-haired ninja had wielded them as if they weighed nothing, maneuvering them as if they were just another part of him. He would have to ask when Sasuke woke up…If he was in a better mood.
His cheek still throbbed. The bruise had probably faded, but it still ached at the force. Sasuke's hit had come from nowhere. Even his eyes, enhanced as they were, hadn't seen it coming. If it weren't for the fox inside him, he might have been killed. Naruto glanced down at Sasuke's unconscious face. They needed to talk.
Neji watched the onyx-haired ninja warily. Though he was unconscious, the incredible chakra he'd wielded left a taste in the air…Left something dark and violent. Oh, he knew the Uchiha had something of a violent nature. Everyone did. Then again, their Hokage played host to the nine-tailed demon fox. "What do you need me to do, Hokage?" His voice came out higher than he wanted.
Naruto pushed chakra into his body, augmenting his strength. Sasuke was no princess. "Check the hallways. I'll take him to my quarters for the night. I don't know when the wings will revert and we don't need any witnesses, least of all the council." Naruto's face darkened. "I get enough trouble from them without this on top of it."
Neji nodded. The council had been against Naruto since Lady Tsunade had announced him to be her successor. Even once it showed that the blonde ninja was capable of protecting them, they balked at every decision, especially the one where Sasuke Uchiha became the General Anbu Captain. If they saw this, nothing would stop the council from locking him away. "Give me a minute." He disappeared in a silent cloud of smoke.
No, Naruto thought. It wouldn't due for any of the council to see Sasuke like this. Those black, feathered wings were soft to the touch, almost like silk and just like the hair on his head. Paired with pale skin and all that smooth muscle, the ninja made a picture. Elegance and death, combined in one breathtaking package. If only-
"It is done." Neji's voice startled him out of his head and he drew blue eyes with his friend and Anbu. "If we move quickly, Shikamaru has sealed the hallway." Neji was glad the mask hid his face. He'd seen the look on Naruto's face.
Naruto shifted the ninja in his arms, holding his body close to his chest, hoping to keep Sasuke's head stable and still. "Let's go."
Neji nodded and opened the door, leaning out and nodding at Shikamaru's lazy wave. Though his motions were relaxed and normal to the outside eye, Neji saw the lines of tension. Shikamaru understood the delicate situation they found themselves in. On word, one witness could end Sasuke's life.
Despite his cold attitude, he was the perfect commander and general. Sasuke Uchiha understood the responsibility his position asked of him and performed each with his all. His power trumped them all and they knew he could protect the village. Sasuke would willingly use all his power to defend any one of them. From the smallest child to the eldest in the village, he would kill for them.
As they walked down the hallway, Neji leading the way, he thought of what it would mean to lose Sasuke Uchiha. Would Naruto, one of the most beloved Hokages the village had ever had, let the council destroy him? Neji glanced back. He already knew the answer.
No. Naruto wouldn't let the council take him. He would fight and tear the village apart. Few understood the bond between Uchiha and Uzumaki. They went beyond friends. At one point, Neji thought it to be brotherhood that bound them, but, seeing that look on Naruto's face…Something more bubbled beneath the surface. There was a softness to his gaze that he'd noticed when the black-haired ninja had lain asleep in the hospital bed. Neji smirked under his mask. It would be an interesting development.
They came upon the door to Naruto's private quarters. Neji went to touch the door but a low whistle had him halting just before touching the handle. He looked back.
"Don't touch the door." He nudged him out of the way. "Wouldn't want that pretty hair of yours burned off."
Neji stood back, opening his Byakugan at the first sensation of Naruto's wild chakra. With his powerful eyes, he could see the flame-like manifestation of his Hokage's chakra. If he'd been facing forward, no doubt, Naruto's eyes would have gone that feral red and the marks on his cheeks darkened, but he only saw a sliver of that chakra touch the door. "Go ahead, Neji."
Neji went around him and opened the door, letting Naruto inside first and shutting the door behind him. A part, a very small, immature part, of him was eager. Few had seen the inside of Naruto's quarters and this was his first glimpse.
He half expected everything to be orange and was only mildly disappointed that it wasn't.
The walls were a light grey with no windows, but the room felt light and airy. One entire wall was covered with a floor to ceiling book shelf. Each row held books of many sizes and colors along with scrolls and weapons. A desk and chair sat close by the book wall and many half-opened documents lay over its surface. One wall seemed dedicated to weapons, one which Ten-Ten would have a fit over. In the very center of the room, Naruto laid Sasuke down on a large, canopy bed. The fabric was made of a glistening black silk that looked the very picture of elegance; something Neji would never have picture of Naruto.
The blonde ninja ignored Neji and rested Sasuke's head against one of the silver pillows. He then started to maneuver the heavy wings, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. "Hey, Neji. Stop gawking and help me."
Neji, had he not been the trained ninja that he was, would have jumped, but he merely went to the bedside. "What do you need?"
"Help me move the wings. I want him to be as comfortable as possible. Slide that one over." He pointed to Sasuke's left wing.
Neji pulled his mask down and secured it to his hip before hesitantly starting to pull. The feathers were soft to the touch, but felt warm and strong under his grip. Though the bones felt strong, he still moved them delicately, careful not to pull to tight. It wouldn't be good if he woke up the ninja by tugging a little too hard.
Finally, once Naruto felt that Sasuke was as comfortable as he could be, he nodded. "There. I think that should suffice for now. When the bastard decides to grace us with his presence again, he can do whatever he wants."
Neji nodded and pulled his mask back on. "What excuse shall I make?"
"Say I took an early night. I doubt anyone would think it strange." Naruto grabbed a chair from the desk and pulled it towards the bed. "I've got some paperwork I can do. Although, if any of my dinner is salvageable, you could bring in back." His voice raised at the end.
A vein throbbed on his temple. "I thought I said I was done running your errands for you."
Naruto widened his baby blue eyes. "Last time, I promise."
Neji gave him an inappropriate salute and walked to the door, mumbling under his breath all the way.
"What was that, Anbu Captain?" Naruto sang behind him.
"I said, I'll get your fucking dinner, Hokage-sama. Make sure the door's open so I don't lose my 'pretty hair'." He wanted to slam the door behind him, but wouldn't risk the wrath of accidentally waking the Uchiha up. Oh well, he'd do what asked. Surely he could blackmail Naruto with the color of his sheets. A wicked smirk lit up his features. Oh, yes.
Black mail would do quite well.
A/N: Hopefully, this will tide my faithful reviewers (so few of you) and followers. Next chapter we'll see just how pissed off our dear Sasuke is and see just what Naruto is intending to do with his growing attraction to his studly General Anbu Captain.
As always, reviews are welcome.