Forever imprisoned by the night
Konohagakure 1843
Sasuke sat back in his chair, trying unsuccessfully to mask his disgust as he watched old lady Chiyo attempt to auction off the eldest of five orphans from the orphanage she managed.
Head down, hands limp at his sides, the blond boy stood mute, like a beast bound for slaughter. His hair, a dull dirty blond, was thick and messy but hid his face as effectively as the shapeless ragged shirt and trousers hid the body beneath.
“See here Sasuke,” Hyuuga complained. “Can’t we have a little more light?”
Sasuke shook his head. The room was dark, and he liked it that way—dark wood paneled the walls, a dark green carpet covered the floor, matching draperies hung at the windows, the lamps were turned low, as always. Anyone who shared the back room of Shushu-ya Tavern with him knew he avoided bright light. It was one of his many quirks, one the rich young men of the town endured for the sake of being in his rather questionable company.
"Well, if we can't turn up the lamps, then have the merchandise disrobe," a man called from the back of the room. "I refuse to bid on a pig in a poke."
"Aye," another voice agreed. "Tell that beauty to peel off those rags so we can see what we're buying."
The call was taken up around the room. The old woman hesitated, her eyes looking about the room then whispered something to the blond boy. Head still bowed, the blond began to unlace the ties of his shirt and trousers.
Sasuke watched through narrowed eyes, noticing the way the boy's hands trembled as he unfastened the ties on his shabby shirt. Though he could not see the blond’s face, he knew his cheeks were most likely flushed with embarrassment, knew that his heart was pounding like that of a fawn caught in the jaws of a wolf.
"Enough." Just one word, softly spoken, but it carried throughout the room.
"See here, Sasuke," one man protested. "I think ..."
Sasuke silenced him with a quelling glance.
"The boy is mine," he declared, having decided, in that moment, to buy him, though he still had not seen the blond’s face.
"Seeking a new toy?" Lord Hyuuga inquired.
"No."
"A stable boy, perhaps?"
Sasuke met Hyuuga's gaze. Neji Nyuuga was a tall, good looking man, almost as wealthy as Sasuke himself. Of all the men Sasuke gambled with, Hyuuga came closest to being a friend.
Ignoring the viscount's question, Sasuke waved to the old woman. "Bring him here."
"Aye, milord." Hastily, Chiyo grabbed the blond by the arm and dragged him across the room. "You won't be disappointed, milord. He'll serve you well."
"Yes," Sasuke murmured. "He will, indeed." Reaching into his pocket, Sasuke brought out a handful of bank notes and thrust them at the old woman. "Has he a name?"
"Of course, milord. It's Naruto, but he'll answer to anything you wish to call him."
"You know where I live?"
"Aye, sir."
Everyone knew of Sasuke's castle. Located at the top of Fire Mountain, it stood like a sentinel over the town, tall, dark, and mysterious, like its master.
"Take him there. My man will look after him."
"Aye, milord."
Sasuke waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. Turning back to the game, he picked up his cards. "You lose again, Hyuuga," he drawled softly, and spread his hand on the table.
Neji Hyuuga tossed his cards into the pot. "Seems to be your lucky night," he remarked good naturedly.
Sasuke grunted softly. "Perhaps you're right," he mused as he watched the blond boy follow old lady Chiyo out the door. "Perhaps you're right."
Naruto huddled on the narrow wagon seat beside Chiyo, unable to control his body's trembling, or to accept the fact that Chiyo had sold him to a man like Lord Sasuke, a man who was rumored to have many strange and unusual habits.
The spires of Castle Uchiha loomed in the distance, a dark shape rising out of the smoky gray mist that shrouded Fire Mountain both summer and winter.
With each passing mile, Naruto’s trepidation increased. He thought briefly of jumping out of the wagon and taking his chances with the wild animals that lurked in the woods.
He was gathering his courage, deciding death would be preferable to a life of servitude to the mysterious Lord Sasuke, when he felt Chiyo's hand close around his arm.
"Sasuke paid me a handsome sum for ye”, Chiyo said, her mild tone at odds with her strong grip. "Ye'll stay with him so long as he wants ye, and do whatever he asks without question. Do ye ken my meaning?"
"Aye, aunty."
Chiyo nodded. A short time later, she parked the wagon in front of the castle. "Go on boy." Naruto slid a glance at the old woman, trying not to hate her for what she was doing, trying to feel some sense of satisfaction in knowing that the money she received would buy food for the younger children still at the orphanage.
"There was no other way," Chiyo whispered in an apology.
Naruto nodded. Most likely, he would never see Chiyo or the other children again. He had lived in Konohagakure all his life. He was not ignorant of the tales told of Castle Uchiha's dark lord.
"Goodbye aunty."
"Goodbye boy." Chiyo met his gaze briefly, then looked away. She felt guilt for having to sell the boy, but she knew that Naruto would be better off with Sasuke. At least he would have enough to eat. "Ye've always made me proud, Naruto," she said huskily. "Go on with ye now."
Blinking back tears, Naruto alighted from the wagon. Squaring his shoulders, he walked up the narrow stone steps to the wide double doors, took a deep breath, and lifted the heavy brass knocker.
Moments later, the door creaked open, and Naruto found himself staring into a pair of hooded brown eyes.
"Naruto Uzumaki, I presume."
"Y... yes," he stammered, startled that the stranger knew his name, and that he had been expecting him. How had he known he was coming?
"I am Iruka."
The man stepped back, gesturing for the blond to enter. He was a tall man, with dark brown hair tied up into a ponytail, a rather sharp nose, and thin lips. He wore a pair of tan trousers, a white shirt, and a dark tweed jacket. Iruka didn’t appear that old, but Naruto could then see several gray hairs intertwined with his brown hair.
Feeling abandoned and very much alone, Naruto stepped over the threshold. The entryway was cold and dark. He shivered as Iruka closed the heavy door behind him.
"I have a bath prepared for you, young master."
"Thank you."
"This way."
Pulse racing with apprehension, Naruto followed Iruka down a long narrow hallway, up a steep flight of stairs, into a large room that was lit by a single fat white candle.
"You will find the tub in there," Iruka said, pointing to a door across the room. "Please leave your clothes out here, on the floor. I have been instructed to burn them."
"Burn them! But they're all I have."
"No doubt Lord Sasuke will provide you with suitable attire, young master. There are clean sheets on the bed. The bell pull is there, should you have need of me during the night."
Too stunned to speak, Naruto all but nodded.
"Good night, young master. Sleep well."
Naruto waited until Iruka left the room, then went to the door and closed it. Undressing, he dropped his clothes on the floor, then went into the other room. The light from a dozen candles revealed a large tub of hot water, a bar of scented soap, and a length of heavy toweling.
He stared at the steaming water. Never in all his life had he had a bath drawn for him and him alone. At home, baths were infrequent. In the summer, he bathed in the river. Only in the winter did they bathe indoors, and then he had to wait his turn. Usually, by the time he got in, the water was cool. And dirty.
He stepped carefully into the tub and sat down, a contented sigh escaping his lips as the blissfully hot water closed around him. Perhaps living here would not be so bad. The two rooms he had been given were larger than the hut he shared with Chiyo and the other younger kids.
He washed his hair three times, his body twice, and still he sat in the water, basking in its warmth, until the water grew cool.
Stepping out of the tub, he dried off, then wrapped himself in the towel and went into the bedroom. The first thing he noticed was that his clothes were gone. And then he saw the night shirt. The garment laid on the bed like a splash of white paint against the blue coverlet. Unable to resist, he ran his hand over the material. Dropping the towel, he quickly slid into the night shirt, sighing with pleasure as the garment was soft and comfortable against his bare skin. He glanced around the room, hoping to find a mirror, curious to see how he looked in such an expensive night shirt, but to no avail.
Crossing the floor, he drew the heavy draperies away from the window and peered at his reflection in the glass. The material clung to him like a second skin, falling smoothly down his chest, hips to his ankles.
"Silk," he murmured, running one hand over the gown in disbelief. "It feels like silk."
"And so it is."
Releasing the curtains, Naruto whirled around, his arms pulled up to his chest in a protective gesture. "My lord, I didn't hear you come in."
"Do you like the night shirt?"
"Y–yes," he stammered. "V–very much." Sasuke regarded the blond through narrowed eyes. Cleaned up, with his hair damp and controlled, his skin glowing from the heat of the bath, he was quite the loveliest thing he had ever seen.
He took a step forward, his hand reaching to touch a smooth, tanned colored cheek.
With a little cry, Naruto backed against the wall.
Immediately, Sasuke lowered his hand. "I will not hurt you," he said quietly.
Naruto swallowed hard, mesmerized by his voice. It was deep and soft, yet strangely compelling, as were his eyes. Fathomless black eyes that looked old beyond their years. Eyes that seemed able to look into him and through him at the same time.
Moving slowly, Sasuke closed the distance between them, stopping when he was only a breath away.
Naruto had not realized how tall Sasuke was. He loomed over him, his black hair framing his face like a dark cloud. He was dressed all in black save for his shirt and a blood red cravat loosely knotted at his throat. There was some white thin scarring on the left side of his neck. His nose was straight and aristocratic, his lips full and sensual. Naruto guessed Sasuke to be in his early thirties.
Like a mouse mesmerized by a snake, Naruto watched Sasuke’s hand move toward him, felt his fingertips stroke his cheek. The skin on his fingers was smooth and cool.
"How old are you?"
“Seventeen my lord.”
Sasuke swore under his breath. He knew many this age were already married and had borne children. Still, he had not thought the blond quite so young. Not that it mattered. He had no designs upon his flesh, soft and smooth though it might be.
"Shall I ... shall I get into bed, my lord?"
"If you wish." He watched a blush stain tanned cheeks as blue eyes slid a glance at the bed.
"Should I..." He gulped, the blush in those cheeks spreading down his neck. "Should I disrobe?"
Sasuke raised one brow, then shook his head. "I've no intention of bedding you."
"No?"
The relief in Naruto’s voice caused a sharp pain in the nether regions of a heart he had thought long past feeling. "No."
"Then why…” Tanned cheeks grew even more redder. "I thought…”
"I bought you for reasons of my own Naruto," he replied, his voice as smooth as the night attire he wore.
"Might I ask what those reasons are?"
"No." He turned away from the blond, his hands clenching at his sides. "You may have the run of the castle, save for the rooms in the east tower. You are never to go there."
“Yes my lord.” Naruto nodded and bit his bottom lip.
"Iruka will supply anything you wish. You have only to ask him.”
"Anything?" he asked, eyes widening in surprise.
"Anything. If you desire to paint, he will provide canvas and brushes. If you wish to play the piano, he will instruct you. If you wish to spend your days reading, I have a rather extensive library.”
"I don't know how to paint or play the piano or read, my lord." Naruto lowered his gaze. "I don't know how to do anything."
Sasuke swung around to face the blond boy, a curious light in his eyes. “Would you like to learn?”
“Yes my lord,” he responded eagerly. “Very much."
"Iruka will teach you whatever you wish."
"Thank you, my lord."
Sasuke stared down at the boy. His eyes were blue, like a summer sky, like the lake in the village where he had spent his youth. Deep blue eyes, filled with excitement. And fear.
The boy was afraid of him. The thought cut deep, though he could not fault him for it.
"Iruka will take you shopping tomorrow. Buy whatever you need."
"You are most generous, my lord."
"Not at all, Naruto, for the price will be dear."
Blue eyes widened at the veiled threat in Sasuke’s voice. He clasped his hands together, hands that trembled violently.
"You have nothing to fear from me," he said. "After tonight, you will not see me again."
The fear in blue eyes turned to bewilderment. "My lord?"
"Go to bed boy."
Naruto scrambled into bed, his heart pounding wildly as he drew the covers up to his chin.
He stared up at Sasuke, frightened and confused, yet fascinated by him at the same time. What a strange man he was. Naruto had the oddest feeling that Sasuke had bought him simply to save him the embarrassment of disrobing before a roomful of half drunken men. Sasuke was soft spoken and well mannered, yet Naruto sensed a hint of carefully controlled violence lurking beneath the smooth facade, and beneath that smoldered an emotion more dangerous, more deadly, something he could not define. It was that which frightened him the most.
"Rest well, Naruto," Sasuke murmured.
He blew out the candle, and then he was gone.