Unexpectedly
It was rumored that the battle that transpired in the Ninja Tournament was devastating yet extraordinary. But Uchiha Sasuke, the great Grandmaster who is strong and capable enough to ascend as top two in the ranks of the Land of Fire’s top five masters is said to be defeated by the demons Akatsuki.
He died.
Itachi the new head of the Uchiha clan declared the death of his brother. He returned with a devastated form a day after Sasuke’s disappearance claiming that he searched for his brother but what he only found was the sword that Sasuke definitely owned and next to it was the torn piece of Sasuke’s robe.
Common people are now afraid because this only means that the demon clan will come again to destroy the peace created by Great Sage five hundred years ago. It was actually the great sage who held the top spot in the ranks but after his fight with the progenitor of chakra that practiced demon arts who is also the First leader of Akatsuki—Kaguya—the Great Sage just vanished.
He left the ninja world and until now there is no trace of him.
And now with the certainty of Sasuke’s death, ninja’s are determined to train harder in order to protect the peace that was handed to them by the Great Sage. The other top master’s also emerged from their respective seclusion.
In other words, the world is in great danger.
xxx
The blond man is sitting on the window sill of Sasuke’s room, languidly sipping his orange tea. The air sent ripple to his blond hair and blew warmth to Sasuke’s sleeping form. It has been two months since the battle yet the Uchiha seemed to be enjoying his sleep too much.
A little too much for the blond’s liking.
He needed the little grandmaster to wake up as soon as possible so he could watch him crumble when he break the news to him. He imagined what would he feel then and the thought of Sasuke breaking his heart and mind because of his own powerlessness made him feel exhilarated. If Sasuke had died, the man won’t be able to find another amusement like the Uchiha.
He released a little—airy laugh. A great person such Sasuke will definitely give him the amusement he need in his solitary life.
“This…”
He finished his tea and impassively glanced towards the bed where the voice came from, “You’re finally awake,” he said looking at Sasuke with a smirk.
The grandmaster only gave him a sluggish blink, his eyelashes fluttered slowly. When he finally opened his eyes steadily, the blond can’t help but to go near Sasuke and caress his cheeks.
“Sit up,” he put down the tea cup he’d been holding on the bed side table to his left.
Sasuke sat up, surprisingly he felt light and free of any injuries. He abruptly looked up to the man beside him.
“W-who are you?” he asked and stuttered because of the sudden use of his voice.
The man ignored his question in favor of saying, “Wrist.”
The grandmaster frowned in confusion but then he understood what the man had implied. He must’ve want to check his gate of life through his wrist to check whether he is healed or still tethering in between ice and fire. So, Sasuke complied and held his wrist obediently. The man poke Sasuke’s wrist and a few seconds later he chuckled while caressing the pale skin with his thumb but other than that, he didn’t say anything to Sasuke.
“Excuse me, but...”
Sasuke wasn’t able to finish his statement when the man exited the room without care. He tried to remove his body from the bed but he underestimated himself. His bones crackled and Sasuke can’t help but to release a groan.
He scanned his surroundings and noted the abundance of the color orange. Even the quilt he was bundled with was orange, the sheet was thankfully black but the curtain was burnt orange, the pillow sheet, the wall paint, the ceiling—everything was basically orange yet honestly, it feels cozy enough.
Tired of admiring the room and was left with no one to talk to, Sasuke tried to rationalize everything that happened so far. He wracked his brain for information and his blank face quickly become agitated.
Itachi…
Itachi really lost his marbles and dared to betray him?
Tears started to pour out of his dazzling onyx eyes. He tried to control his sobs but the pain was so immense he spiraled to a crying mess. If someone would witness the grandmaster right now, it would immediately be wrote down as the cutest crying fit in the history of the Land of Fire. He was wailing uncontrollably and his tears sparkled as they rolled down his chin.
After a while, Sasuke finally wiped his face with the back of his left hand when his tears subsided. Hiccuping, he consoled himself by patting his own head with his two pale and slender hands.
It was a habit he develop when he was still a child.
The door suddenly opened and the man who was sitting at the window sill returned with a big plate on his hands.
“Woah, that was adorable,” he commented when he caught Sasuke, mid-action.
Sasuke gasped but not dramatically. He quickly stuffed his hands inside the quilt and clutched the inside of it. Laughter took over the man’s impassive face as he walked closer to the table near the bed.
“Come here,” he called. “Eat.”
Sasuke turned his gaze at the table, he scrunched his eyebrows, “Beef kebab?”
The man mirrored Sasuke’s expression, “Don’t like it?” he asked.
The food looked appetizing alright but Sasuke rarely eat such kind of dish and he doesn’t even know if it was cooked clean. Who knows where the beef came from? Sasuke only eat top quality meat, those produced from Uchiha ranch at that.
“No but, is that even healthy?”
“Of course.”
“Really?”
He expected a full length explanation about the food but imagine his exasperation when the man grabbed one kebab and munched it obnoxiously infront of Sasuke. The smell spread all over the room and when it invaded the nose of the grandmaster, his stomach begins to rumble.
The man snorted and Sasuke’s face turned red.
“I-I guess I’ll just try then. I trust that you won’t poison me right?”
No reply.
Sasuke sighed. He reached out for the kebab and ate silently. Surprisingly, it tasted so good.
The man went back to the window sill and watched him with curious eyes.
“Do you feel any discomfort?” he asked when Sasuke finished the whole plate with a small burp.
“Well, there’s no discomfort but I..,” he answered and looked up to the man, “ can’t feel my chakra.”
The man raised his eyebrow. He shrugged his shoulders and said with a dispassionate voice,“That’s because your chakra meridians are fucked to the core.”
Sasuke stared at him for a very long time. The birds chirping, the wind’s soft howl, and the cicadas sound was the only noise that permitted the atmosphere. He then, lowered his eyes when the man didn’t broke the eye contact before saying, “Oh.” and he smiled, gently.
He expected just as much. With those multiple jutsus he did that almost drained his life force and the nasty fall he experienced, he even thought that death was the only rational thing that could happen to him but alas he’s ali—
—suddenly the blonde appeared on the right side of the bed and he gripped Sasuke’s jaw tightly.
A harsh growl was heard.
“Is that it? You’re not gonna cry? You don’t feel like throwing a fit and cursing the one who did this to you?” he asked viciously, his eyes darkening.
Taken a back, Sasuke tried to smack the hand away from his jaw but the grip was too strong.
Resigned, he calmed down.
“What good will it bring me?” Sasuke stared back at the man, his face tranquil as the water of the Hachou Lake and his voice smooth yet sharp like his blade kusanagi.
The hand that was gripping his jaw slackened and the man leaned closer to Sasuke’s face. His expression wasn’t dark anymore but it was full of curiosity and amusement, like a fox looking at his food, he narrowed his eyes and Sasuke squirmed under his gaze and the close proximity but the man didn’t even notice the discomfort.
“Hmm,” he probed. “I was hoping you would cry and break in front of me,” he said and sniffed Sasuke’s cheek.
“Alas, you shattered my hopes,” he said but his voice wasn’t even disappointed, if not, it was more on the exhilarated side.
Sasuke blanched from the sudden sniff and he pushed the man away.
“What…what?” he was completely incredulous.
The man laughed and started to pat Sasuke’s head, “Do you want to be my disciple?” he asked.
“Hah? Disciple? What are you—” Sasuke shook his head and stood up from the bed. He pointed at the man, “—who are you?” he finally asked.
“Me?” the man pointed to himself. “I’m just a nobody who happened to save your sorry ass from dying. Be grateful,” he remarked and smiled smugly.
“Wow,” Sasuke uttered incredulously. He met a lot of people and dealt with them easily, but this time he is completely stupefied. This man’s way beyond his social scope.
Sasuke sighed and sat down to his bed again. He can’t believe the luck he has.
He was saved, thankfully but is stuck with a nutcase of a man who apparently likes orange, has no boundaries or respect for privacy, and enjoys observing people’s misery like a total whacko. Sasuke tried to rationalize his situation. The man might be a maniac, but the reality of him, saving Sasuke from death could lead to the conclusion that he might not be your average simpleton.
That’s it.
This man is dangerous.
He looked at him for ninth time and gulped. For now, with his broken chakra meridians and strength that even an average man can ultimately kill him without so much as five moves, Sasuke settled his plan of befriending the man and go along with his whims.
He sighed again and said, “Then I guess I will just call you Kiiro.”
He was about to lie down when Kiiro suddenly scooped Sasuke from the bed and carried him into his arms.Sasuke yelped and glared at the man.
“Kiiro?” he asked, his gaze burning. “Why? Because of the color of my hair? That’s cute Sasuke.”
“Well, you won’t tell me your name— put me down,” Sasuke squirmed, trying to escape the strong arms that’s hugging his body carefully.
But of course, he absolutely can’t. He has no choice but to stop squirming and just study Kiiro’s face.
Kiiro is a handsome man with blond hair and eyebrow. His eyes is captivating blue and his nose’s tall and pointed, his red lips are shaped perfectly, and his left and right cheeks has scars that looked like whiskers. From what Sasuke was able to observe, Kiiro’s height is approximately 1.9 meters. He’s so tall that Sasuke can only reach up to the other man’s armpit. He’s also bulky yet lean, Sasuke can’t describe it properly but Kiiro’s shoulders are way too broad than his.
Sasuke stared at the chest peeking from the robe infront of him. He raised his index finger and poked it.
“Hard,” he complained.
Kiiro chuckled and catches Sasuke’s index finger. He leaned down to level their gaze. Black meets blue.
“You need to clean up and sleep. Tomorrow, you will come to Konoha with me,” he said as he put down Sasuke.
Sasuke frowned and stepped back once he was put down.
“I will not go back,” he said sharply.
“Why not?” Kiiro snapped back.
“To them, I’m probably dead. My presence is no longer needed and my chakra’s not restored. I need to heal first before I go back to Konoha,”Sasuke explained, his voice determined.
Kiiro clicked his tongue and grabbed Sasuke’s right hand and dragged him near the window. If Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched in irritation, he won’t admit it.
“Look, the clouds’ turning purple.” Kiiro smirked when he saw how Sasuke’s eyes suddenly turned wide then dimmed.
He continues, “The demons are about to wreak havoc to this world again. You have no option but to go, Grandmaster Uchiha Sasuke.”
Sasuke bit his lips and closed his eyes. He opened them again and looked up to Kiiro, “How long I have been unconscious?”
“Two months.”
“Tsk, you need to fill me in about everything that happened so far. We’ll go to Konoha next week,” he stated, no room for discussion and flicked his robe as he turned his back from the window.
Kiiro followed Sasuke’s movement until he laid down to the bed and closed his eyes.
He didn’t say anything other than his meaningful glance.