You Had Your Chance Ch.43 (Patreon)

I slowly descended into the pool, the hot water enveloping my battered body as I took a seat on the smooth underwater stone step. A long, involuntary sigh of pure relief escaped my lips as I felt every single muscle instantly relax, the accumulated tension melting away all the way up to my neck.

After that sudden fight with Deidara, this was a necessary break. The sneaky bastard had gotten a few lucky hits. The burns still stung with every movement, and I could feel deep bruises forming across my ribs and back, even after receiving some medical treatment from Jiraiya's toads.

I found myself missing the sheer convenience of Karin's chakra. One bite and I would have been good as new. Now I had to recover the old-fashioned way.

My expression darkened as my thoughts drifted to Deidara's sudden appearance and those White Zetsus. I still couldn't make complete sense of these coordinated attacks beyond them being probing strikes. Either way, I'd successfully repelled them both, but it was regrettable that I couldn't kill Deidara for good. He'd live to be a persistent problem another day, though at least he was down an arm, again. Still, he was pathetically easy to provoke into making mistakes.

But I wouldn't dwell on it or wallow in pointless what-ifs. Slowly rising from the water, I repositioned myself on the cooler stone step at the pool, then reached for the cold glass bottle of sweetened milk I'd brought with me. Taking a long, refreshing sip, I was mildly surprised by how well the sweet coldness contrasted with the steamy environment.

The private hot spring was built in traditional style—smooth river stones lining the pool's interior, aged wood making up the walls and ceiling, with decorative bamboo accents in the corners. Steam rose in lazy curls, carrying the faint mineral scent of the natural spring water. A small wooden bucket and ladle sat near the edge for the traditional cleansing ritual, and carefully maintained bonsai trees decorated the corners, adding an aesthetic touch of nature.

Yugakure deserved its title.

Settling back comfortably against the smooth stones, I closed my eyes to catch a brief nap in the soothing heat.

But…

That peace lasted all of the thirty seconds before the wooden door slid open with a quiet scrape.

I frowned deeply without bothering to open my eyes or turn around. "My time isn't up yet. Get lost, or I'll make you leave."

Yeah, an entire private hot spring pool all to myself. The wonders of having money.

The door closed, but I immediately picked up the distinct wet sound of bare feet on damp tile. And I knew who was approaching before they even spoke.

"You know there's a female side, right?" I said flatly, still keeping my eyes closed.

No verbal response came, just the sound of the wet footsteps getting progressively closer. Tayuya casually stepped into the hot spring pool and sat down directly beside me with zero hesitation, releasing a long sigh of pure satisfaction that nearly mirrored my own earlier.

Only then did she deliberately splash hot water directly at my face.

"Did you forget who the fuck we're traveling with, princess?" she said with clear annoyance. "You think I want a bunch of wrinklies staring at my injuries and asking stupid questions? 'Oh dear, what happened to you?' 'Are you alright, young lady?'" She mimicked in a mocking high-pitched voice. "Or better yet, do you want that perverted bastard spying on me? Because you know damn well he would. Even if I beat his ass bloody afterward, he still would have gotten another eyeful."

I finally opened my eyes to look at her properly. She took a shower, her hair fully down. She didn't have any new permanent injuries, but fresh bruises were scattered all over her exposed skin. But I wouldn’t have minded if she had scars.

"Besides," Tayuya continued after a contemplative moment, her tone shifting to something almost playful. "I didn't want to share space with a bunch of nosy hags when I could annoy you instead." She traced a single finger slowly across my chest before slowly tracing downwards, making me sigh.

"I'd rather not tempt fate," I commented dryly, catching her wandering wrist firmly without looking directly at her. "Jiraiya is here, somewhere, probably already peeping through some hole. By the way, fuck you if you are listening as well."

She scowled deeply, jerking her hand back. "Yeah, thanks for that mental image. That completely fucking killed the mood, didn't it? Perverted old bastard."

He'd already watched us fucking, and the shameless bastard had actually taken pride in that.

We both settled into companionable silence, staring at the beautifully crafted wooden walls with their subtle grain patterns and simply enjoying the therapeutic hot water. The quiet was actually comfortable and natural for once, neither of us feeling the need to fill it with meaningless conversation.

Or at least, that was the plan.

The wooden door slid open AGAIN with an even louder scrape.

"Oi, Sasuke! I heard you got a full private room for yourself and—"

Both Tayuya and I turned around simultaneously to find Naruto standing frozen in the doorway. He had a fluffy white towel folded on top of his head and another wrapped securely around his waist. His blue eyes went wide the moment he saw us.

He immediately looked away, face reddening. 

Why tho? He literally had a jutsu that turned him into a busty grown woman and definitely was around naked women due Jiraiya vices. 

Yet that doesn't stop for the awkward silence stretched for a couple of painful seconds before he took a visible deep breath. "Am I... interrupting something?"

Yes. 

I groaned, dragging my hand slowly down my face in pure exasperation. "No. Not anymore, apparently. I don't even care at this point. Just get in here, idiot."

"Sweet! Thanks, Sasuke!" Naruto's entire demeanor brightened. He moved quickly, practically throwing himself into the pool in what was basically a cannonball. The resulting massive splash hit both me and Tayuya with a miniature tidal wave of hot water.

"Hey shithead!" Tayuya sputtered, wiping water from her face and eyes while I just blink and let the water flow naturally.

Naruto emerged from underwater shaking his head vigorously, almost like a dog, discarding the towel on his head, whipping water droplets everywhere in a wide radius before sighing with exaggerated contentment. "Man, that feels amazing! The other pools were packed with people. So when I heard you got a private one all to yourself..." He settled into the water across from us, though I noticed his eyes kept darting between me and Tayuya.

Couldn’t he be more subtle at least?

"Whatever, dumbass," Tayuya muttered, settling back with her arms crossed defensively across her chest.

But that scowl didn’t last as that shit-eating grin of hers replaced it and turned to me. "So, princess, finally getting some quality bonding time with your old buddy… Should I leave you two fags alone to your—"

I didn't let her finish that sentence. My hand that was under water moved quickly to pinch her clit…hard.

"Eeek! You ba—!" She yelped loudly and jumped reflexively, the sudden movement causing her to completely lose balance and fall backward into the water with a graceless splash.

I merely smirked and took another slow, leisurely sip of my sweetened milk.

Meanwhile, Naruto giggled, quickly covering his mouth.

Odd.

Seconds later, Tayuya burst back above the surface, gasping dramatically for air. "FUCKING ASSHOLE!" she screamed, pointing accusingly at me while water streamed down her furious face. "I'm gonna kill you! I swear to god!"

But that promise holds no real weight when she is blushing.

I just continued drinking my cold drink, completely unbothered by her empty threat. If she tries I will just bend her over the bed and give her a thorough spanking so her ass would be as red as her hair.

Naruto finally let out a laugh, though there was something strange about it. He saw the idiot smile way too much to not notice that difference.

"You two are weird," Naruto commented. "Like, really weird together. But... it's kind of nice? Seeing Sasuke have fun." 

What?

"Shut it, blondie," Tayuya shot back, though without real heat. "Princess here needs someone to keep his brooding ass in check."

"I don't brood," I stated flatly.

Anymore, at least. I meditate now.

Both of them immediately turned to look at me with identical expressions of disbelief.

"You literally brood… professionally," Tayuya deadpanned.

"It's like your… thing, since the academy," Naruto added. “Every day, all alone at the edge of the class, with that forever frown. Or under a tree when it was recess. Or in the playground.”

I chose not to dignify that with a response, instead taking another sip of milk. Damn, I should have brought more with me.

Tayuya glared at both of us before grudgingly settling back into the water with an annoyed huff, though I caught the tiniest hint of a genuine smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She quickled moved closer to me.

Well, this isn't actually that bad now that I think about it, even Naruto's presence wasn't as irritating as I thought it might be. 

For now, though, I could relax a little.

"So…" 

Too much of a wish, I guess.

"That fight with Deidara! Did you cut his other arm off? Is he now armless?" Naruto broke the short-lived silence.

"Back to one arm again," I said flatly, taking another sip of drink. "He was looking to erase an entire forest with me in it."

"Modest as always, princess," Tayuya smirked, leaning her head back against the smooth stones. "You forgot to mention the part where you made him run away like a little bitch with his tail between his legs."

"Perhaps."

"He fucking ran," Tayuya insisted with a savage grin. 

Naruto laughed. "Still, taking on an Akatsuki member again... that's pretty cool, Sasuke. Believe it!"

"You sound surprised," I raised an eyebrow at him. 

"What? No! I just—" Naruto sputtered, waving his hands defensively and causing water to splash everywhere. "I mean, of course you won! I can beat them too! But I just worry sometimes, you know? Those guys are really dangerous."

"Aw, how sweet," Tayuya's grin turned wicked. "The little fox is worried about our princess here. Should I leave you two alone so you can have a heart-to-heart?"

I pinched her side this time, earning another indignant yelp.

"Stop doing that, you asshole!" She swatted at my hand, but didn't actually move away.

"Then stop running your mouth," I replied calmly.

"You guys fight like an old married couple or something." Naruto commented.

The silence that followed was… awkward.

Tayuya's face flushed red. "The fuck did you just say, shithead?!"

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Naruto backtracked quickly, his own face reddening. "I just meant like… Like, uh, good friends! Yeah!"

Where did that come from?

"We're not married, idiot." I stated flatly, wondering why this conversation was even happening.

"Obviously not, dumbass," Tayuya snapped, but her hand found mine beneath the water and gave it a subtle squeeze that she probably thought I wouldn't notice. "Princess here is way too emotionally constipated for that."

I looked at her with mild surprise. "Emotionally constipated?"

"You literally have the emotional range of a rock," she shot back. "A very pretty rock, but still a stupid rock."

"Did you just call Sasuke pretty?" Naruto asked, looking rather surprised.

"Have you seen him?" Tayuya gestured at me with her free hand. "The bastard's a natural and he doesn't even fucking try. It's infuriating."

I rolled my eyes. "That was stupid."

"Aw, is the princess embarrassed?" Tayuya's grin was predatory now. "What's wrong? Not used to compliments?"

"I'm used to you being a bitch." I muttered.

Naruto laughed again. "She's got a point though, Sasuke. Remember when all the girls in the village used to follow you around?"

"Used to?" 

Civilian girls turned their heads whenever I passed or fawned over me.

"Well, you've been gone for a while," Naruto said, his voice quieter. "But I'm sure they still do."

"Yeah, well, they can fucking look all they want," she declared. "Doesn't mean they get to touch."

I turned to stare at her. "Excuse me?"

“What?”

"What?"

"Nothing." Tayuya quickly replied.

Naruto had gone silent, gazing at the water. Seriously, that comment was way off.

"You alright, dumbass?" Tayuya asked, surprisingly observant despite her crude demeanor.

"Yeah! Totally fine!" Naruto's smile was back instantly. "Just thinking about training and stuff. Pervy-sage has been working me pretty hard."

"The pervert's actually a decent teacher when he's not being disgusting twat," Tayuya admitted grudgingly. "Even if his methods are fucking weird."

"He made you train inside a toad, didn't he?" I asked.

"Among other things," she grimaced. "Do you know how fucking creepy it is to have a giant toad trying to teach? They just stare at you with those enormous eyes… You can somehow feel them pulsing and making those wet noises, bleeeeegh."

"At least they don't explode, or try to eat you for real." I pointed out. The snakes will vore you.

"Fair point, princess."

Naruto perked up slightly. "What was your training like, Sasuke? I mean, besides the whole... Orochimaru thing." 

I considered how much to actually share. "Intense. Painful. Effective."

And it involved a lot of killing that neither of them needed to hear about.

"That's the most Uchiha answer ever," Tayuya snorted derisively. "Zero details, maximum brooding condensed into three fucking words."

"This again?"

"You're literally brooding right now," she countered, pointing accusingly at my face with a dripping finger.

"I'm being concise."

"You're being boring as hell."

"Whatever."

"See? Brooding!"

"That's not—"

"Totally brooding," Naruto chimed in.

I rolled my eyes and sank deeper into the water.

The banter continued for a while—Tayuya making increasingly crude jokes, Naruto laughing perhaps a bit too loudly at some of them, and me providing dry commentary that only seemed to fuel their combined assault on my person. 

Despite the underlying tensions, there was something almost comfortable about it. The hot water worked its magic on our tired bodies, and for a brief window of time, we could almost forget about Akatsuki and the constant threat of death.

Eventually, Tayuya stood up with a theatrical groan, water cascading down her body. "Alright, I'm turning into a fucking prune. Plus, this mess on my head needs actual attention before it becomes permanent." She gestured at her singed, tangled red hair with obvious distaste.

"Don't let us keep you," I said.

"Oh, I won't, princess." She grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself before pausing at the door. With a wicked grin, she flipped us both off. "Try not to start making out the second I leave you two. Or at least film it so I know who tops and I can blackmail you later!"

"Get out." 

She cackled as she slid the door shut behind her; the sound echoing even through the wooden walls.

Silence descended on the private bath once more.

Naruto shifted position, moving to a different spot in the pool. His fingers traced patterns on the water's surface, creating small ripples that distorted the steam rising from the pool. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again before finally speaking.

"So... you and Tayuya..." He paused, his usual energetic tone noticeably absent. "Are you two... together? Like, in a relationship?"

Wasn’t that obvious with her being in my bed?

Although…

I thought about it for a moment, my mind drifting back to that conversation we'd had back in Kumo. Tayuya breaking down, me holding her. The strange understanding that had developed between us since then—not quite romantic, not quite platonic, something undefined that existed in the messy space between.

I sighed, running a hand through my wet hair. "No. It's... complicated. Not really a relationship in the conventional sense."

"Complicated how?" Naruto pressed.

"Just complicated," I repeated, not wanting to betray Tayuya's trust by sharing what she'd confided in me. "We understand each other in certain ways. That's all."

"Since when?" The question came out quieter than his previous ones.

I turned to look at him with a frown. "Why do you care?"

Naruto's eyes widened and looked away. But he recovered quickly as a smile reasserted itself. "I-It's just shocking to see that from you, you know? You were always so focused on your revenge, or training, or getting stronger. Especially since, well..." He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "You never even looked at Sakura-chan that way, and she was so obvious about it."

I felt my expression harden slightly at the mention of her name. "I already told you I talked with Sakura. She finally understood that whatever thing she thought she wanted was just a confused idea she developed as a little girl who didn't know any better."

That conversation had been quite honest and mature much to my surprise. Sakura never cried and she listened. She'd told me her truths, gotten everything off her chest, and we'd both walked away with what I believe is a closure.

"I know, I know. She told me about it," Naruto said quickly. "She seemed... lighter afterward. Like she could finally breathe properly." There was a pause. "I'm glad you were honest with her, even if it hurt."

"Lying would have hurt more in the long run," I stated simply.

Another stretch of silence.

Naruto bit his lower lip. His hands gripped the edge of the pool. "Sasuke... do you remember much? From when you were really young, I mean. Before... well, everything."

I frowned, genuinely confused by the sudden shift in topic. "Not really much. My childhood was pretty fucked up, in case you forgot. And Itachi's genjutsu didn't exactly help preserve happy memories. Why?"

"No, no, I mean from before that," the blonde said quickly, almost… desperately? "Like when you were really little. Six, maybe seven years old?"

My frown deepened as I tried to recall anything concrete from that age. Mostly I remembered the Uchiha compound, training with my father, Itachi's shadow looming over everything. But specific details, specific moments? They were fragmented at best… Did the Tsukuyomi seriously do this much damage to my head?

"Not particularly," I admitted. "Why are you asking?"

"It's just..." Naruto's voice wavered slightly, "I thought maybe... Do you remember playing near the river? Or the old swing by the Academy? Or the po—" She cut herself off abruptly.

"Naruto, what are you getting at?" I asked directly, my Sharingan activated much to my surprise, so I quickly turned it off.

"Nothing! It's nothing, just..." He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Forget it. Stupid question."

"You don't ask stupid questions about childhood memories for no reason," I countered, sitting up straighter and giving him my full attention. "What's going on?"

He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for a moment I saw something different in those blue eyes.

"Do you..." He started, then stopped, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Do you remember a girl? Small, with blonde hair and... and other details? Someone you played with sometimes?"

Ino? 

I searched my fragmented memories, trying to pull something concrete from the haze. There were vague impressions—children playing, the Academy yard, but nothing specific about a blonde girl. I remember Ino but she was just hanging around Sakura.

"I don't... I'm sorry, but no. I don't remember." The words felt inadequate somehow, like I was failing some test I didn't know I was taking.

Something in Naruto's expression crumbled just slightly before he reconstructed it. "Yeah. Yeah, of course not. It was a long time ago, and you went through a lot. Makes sense." 

"No seriously, what are you trying to achieve here?"

"It's fine! Really!" He stood up abruptly, water cascading off him as the jinchuuriki reached for his towel. "I should probably get going too. Don't want the pervy-sage to come looking and get the wrong idea, you know?" The laugh that followed was louder than necessary.

I watched him wrap the towel around himself with quick movements. Something was clearly wrong, but I did not know what. This went beyond simple curiosity about my past.

"Sit-" I started.

"Nope! All good! Just being nostalgic and weird. You know me!" He was already moving toward the door. "See you at dinner, Sasuke!"

And then he was gone, the door sliding shut that left me alone with the steam and my increasingly troubled thoughts.

What the hell was that about?

I sank back into the water, but the relaxation from before was completely gone, replaced by a nagging sense that I'd just missed something important. 

My hand unconsciously moved to my temple, as if I could somehow massage the memories back into existence. But there was nothing—just fragments and gaps where Itachi's Tsukuyomi had carved away pieces of my childhood.

Damn it.

------------------------------------------

-Later-

I couldn't stop thinking about Naruto's reaction at the hot springs; his questions, his eccentricity or strange behavior. It had gnawed at me the rest of the day, ruining what should have been a rare moment of peace.

Why was I so hung up on memories of my childhood? And why was he so interested in me trying to remember something?

Then there was that incident in Kumo. That crude amulet he'd shown me, the one that triggered that splitting headache that caused me to run away and even get a panic attack.

Night had already fallen, and I was done waiting. I needed answers, whether that idiot wanted to give them or not.

I stood outside Naruto's room in the inn. Everyone had their own room, which made this easier.

I approached the door silently. While Naruto had never been skilled in stealth, I wasn't about to get careless since Jiraiya was right next door. Even if the old pervert was dead drunk after getting caught spying at the hot springs and subsequently beaten by the women there, I couldn't risk him noticing. Also Tayuya but that wasn’t much of a problem.

My ear caught something unexpected.

Was that… crying?

I pressed closer to the door. It was unmistakable; Naruto was crying in there, muffled because he was clearly crying in his pillow. But why? It couldn't just be about what happened at the hot springs, could it?

Again, why?

Thinking back to Suigetsu's comments, Naruto had also reacted way too much when he learned about me and Karin.

Was he actually gay? Not as a joke anymore, but seriously. It would explain those past reactions because all of those indicated heartbreak.

Well, as awkward as that would be, I'd turn him down and let this matter rest. Yet this wasn't the right time for a confrontation, better to let him vent and wait until he had a clearer mind.

I backed away and found a shadowed alcove to wait comfortably, giving him time to compose himself.

It took longer than I expected, but eventually the crying stopped. After a while, the door opened, and Naruto stepped out, dressed in his usual orange and black outfit, carefully checking his surroundings before heading outside. Only then he leaped onto the rooftops.

That was odd. Especially knowing Akatsuki could be lurking anywhere, getting away from Jiraiya was incredibly stupid. 

I followed carefully, keeping to the shadows as we crossed rooftop after rooftop. Which already told me that Naruto hasn’t really developed methods to detect people tailing him or at least sharpened his senses.

Especially that I wasn’t THAT far from him.

We traveled for quite some time before reaching the village outskirts. Activity had died down here, only a few scattered lights still burned in the windows.

We entered the forest, jumping between branches until the environment changed. The air grew warmer and thicker, some of that air sticking to my face. Fog began rolling in, and I quickly recognized the signs of a natural hot spring.

Why would Naruto come to a natural hot spring when we'd just been at one earlier? Maybe there was something hidden.

My Sharingan activated instinctively, scanning the area. The hot spring was saturated with chakra and not normal chakra either, but something else entirely. Nature chakra, perhaps?

Yes, it had to be.

Maybe this idiot wanted to train his senjutsu. I considered leaving but curiosity rooted me in place, hidden between the trees.

Then Naruto stopped at the edge of the spring. He glanced around one final time, scanning the treeline, before forming a single hand seal.

Smoke instantly erupted around him in a familiar puff of transformation jutsu.

That was odd, why would he use that?

When the smoke cleared, I felt my heart skip a beat and my breath caught in my throat.

A beautiful blonde woman stood where Naruto had been. Long hair fell in twin pigtails past her shoulders. But that wasn't what caught my full attention.

A pair of long yellowish orange fox ears twitched atop her head, each one moving as if tracking its surroundings. Then two tails swayed lazily behind her, gentle in their movement.

SHE began removing her clothes, the orange jacket first, then the mesh undershirt. Each piece was folded carefully and set aside on a nearby rock, as if this was a routine she'd performed many times.

I blinked once.

Then twice.

My eyes never peeling away from the sight as my mind refused to process what I was seeing. This wasn't a transformation jutsu, even my sharingan confirmed this. That meant that this was the real? But no, it couldn’t be like that because I was with Naruto for years, even in our time as Team 7 I would have noticed something like this, especially when we fought, my sharingan couldn’t be fooled…

Until now.

Kakashi knew?

She stepped into the steaming water while her arms covering her private parts, completely at ease, letting out a content sigh as the heat enveloped her body.

Who else knew that…

Naruto.

Was a girl?!

AN: A fox girl actually.