Author's Note: -waves- Hello! Still remember me? Yes, I'm the idiot author who left you guys without an update for 4 months! You know, I'm not even going to hiding from your hostility, because I know I deserve it. Rotten fruit? Sharpened pitchforks? Bring it on!!!

Warning: YAOI, some swearing, suggestive content, LEMON (Yes, people, finally! Oh mother, I now not only officially read gay porn, but I also write it. Forgive me!)

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' or any of the characters from the anime/manga.

Bold and Italics = flashbacks

The Art of Fabrication (cont.)

("TAoF" – JD01)

By: Nine1991

Chapter 14: Decisions

*Twelve years earlier*

His young ears picked the echo of footsteps – two people, perhaps three – approaching steadily closer, and blue eyes turned to the heavy, steel door as the footsteps came to a stop and the soft, clinking sound of keys drifted from the other side. The door handle jiggled, then three loud clicks – metal bolts sliding smoothly out of their brackets – before the door was swung wide open to allow the entry of two men.

Both were dressed in dark, flowing garbs; the material billowing behind them as they walked. The first man possessed a face so severely stained with the signs of age that the myriad of grooves and wrinkles on his face seemed purposeful, as if they had been placed there solely to enhance the cool, dispassionate expression on his face. The second followed loyally not two steps behind, head bowed slightly, clipboard and pen in hand.

His eyes flickered to the open doorway, catching the briefest glimpse of grey, stone wall before the door clicked firmly shut.

Stone. He must be underground then. A dungeon perhaps. He wondered how far down…?

They had always blindfolded him when they took him above ground. As a safety measure, they said. A precaution. To protect him, they insisted, although he wasn't sure what exactly he was being protected from. And by the time he was allowed to see again, he'd be out in the open, amongst the trees and the grass and the delightfully refreshing air.

And then he'd catch the scent of copper, brought along by the breeze. And then there'd be people. So many people. People with mean expressions on their faces and shiny metal objects in their hands that glinted menacingly. And then…

…nothing.

He'd wake up and find himself back in his room, and would have doubted any of it had happened at all if it weren't for that same smell of nauseating copper that clung to him like a second skin.

The boy stood up from his bed as the first man stopped in front of him, his little face angled slightly downwards in an empty display of respect that had long since been ingrained.

"Off." The man's voice was curt, short. It was a voice that expected immediate obedience. The boy slipped his shirt off over his head without the slightest hint of hesitation. He stood there, the upper half of his skinny body bare, unable to stop his back from hunching slightly in an instinctual urge to cover himself. The man circled him slowly, cold, assessing eyes running up and down his form. Every now and then a bony hand would reach out to poke and prod, to measure the width of his arms and legs, fingers applying clinical pressure over his ribs and tummy. He couldn't stop himself from flinching when a cold hand was placed on either side of his face and his eyelids were pulled back so the man could look into his bright blue eyes.

It was a while before the man was finally satisfied with his examination and stepped back. He turned to the second man, who had stood back by the wall, his voice low as he said, "More calcium. More protein." The second man nodded before bending down to scribble something onto the clipboard in his hand.

"Put your shirt on."

The boy hurriedly grabbed the piece of clothing from where it had been thrown on the bed, fumbling as he slipped it over his head, unable to hide the look of relief on his face as the material hid his body once more.

"How long did it take with Kumogakure?" he heard the first man ask the second, and there was the soft rustling of paper before the reply.

"One hour, twenty-four minutes, thirty-three seconds. Body count, two hundred and forty-one."

He had no idea what those funny numbers meant. Were they about him?

"It will get better."

"Yes, sir. I believe so."

There was the sliding sound of wood against wood, and the boy glanced up to see that the first man had seated himself on the only chair in the room, a hand on each knee, both eyes aimed straight at him. The boy jumped, surprised, eyes averting back to the floor.

"Youko."

"Hai." He knew better than to not reply.

"You know why you are here."

Was he supposed to answer? Was that a question? "Hai."

"You know that we saved you, raised you, gave you food and shelter and a place to call home."

"Hai." He knew, of course he knew.

"You know how much you owe the village. You know what is expected of you."

"Hai."

"Tell me."

The boy took a deep breath, his little heart racing. He could picture the words in his mind, embroidered in gold as they were on the large plaque embedded in the wall behind him. It served as the only ornament in the room, and he had spent many a day staring at it for lack of anything better to do. It didn't matter that he couldn't see it now. He could recite it backwards with his eyes closed.

"I must obey all orders issued by the council and the Hokage."

He lifted his chin, both eyes raising resolutely.

"I must not harm any citizens of Konoha, unless stated otherwise by the council or the Hokage.

His voice strengthened, leveling until there wasn't a single hint of wavering.

"I must protect the Hokage and the members of the council, even at the cost of death."

Back straight, shoulders down.

"I must place the village's safety before my own, even at the cost of death."

Hands unclenching. Relaxing.

"I must protect all citizens of Konoha, even at the cost of death."

The man's eyes narrowed, focusing on those young, determined ones as if analyzing. Scrutinizing. Then, as if satisfied with what he saw, he nodded curtly. "Again. Louder."

The boy took another deep breath, opened his mouth, and continued to recite.

-LineBreak-

*Present Day*

Hot. It was all so very hot. He felt his lips heat up, felt them burn, and for a split second he was reminded of when he was young and foolish and learning his first fire jutsu. He remembered how his small hands had flown confidently through the hand signs, so proud that he could perfectly replicate the pattern after only having seen it once, only to be disappointed when all he could produce was an ephemeral wisp of smoke. He had persevered though, tried and tried again until the skin around his lips had blistered painfully from the scalding heat.

Blistering like they were now.

They were, right? It all felt so hot, so they must be.

He was staggering. His head had ached so badly, like his brain was being pierced by a thousand kunais, over and over again. And the only thing that had registered were Naruto's words – echoing, taunting, bouncing off the walls of his skull until they reached one deafening crescendo. A crescendo that hurt. He felt like tearing open his own skull, wanted the pain to go away even if he had to physically wrench it out himself. And the voices, oh god, so many voices. He couldn't hear himself think. Couldn't. Not over Naruto's voice. Not over his own voice. His own voices.

Was he going insane?

And then he had looked up at Naruto, at the person who was causing him all this pain, and it had all…stopped. No more sounds. No more voices. Blissful, blissful silence. His other senses thrown into such sharp clarity that he felt a sudden surge of wonderment at all the things he'd missed just from listening too much. Like the bright sunshine yellow of Naruto's hair, so soft-looking. And the heated intensity of Naruto's eyes, like angry, blue flames (Angry? Why was he angry?). The soft curve of his nose and the flushed hue of his cheeks. The gentle curve of pink lips that were stretched harshly, running a mile a minute.

And then Naruto was moving – why was he moving? – and Sasuke was greeted by smooth bronze skin, couldn't help it as his eyes traced the lean expanse of muscle and sinew, faintly noting the intricate markings on the blond's abdomen – ignoring the nagging voice in his mind that said it was important. Why was it important? – and only thinking that it looked good there, that it suited him.

And then his eyes were drawn back up – up and up – inexplicably to those lips again. They were still moving. Why?

He didn't want that.

And so, before he knew it, he was the one moving. Bodily. Across the space that separated them. Barely taking in the surprised widening of Naruto's eyes as he pressed his lips against Naruto's own, stopping the flow of words mid-sentence, cobalt blue locked against onyx black in a tense impasse.

Neither moved. Lips simply pressed tightly against the other. Their faces so close that Sasuke could count the short, fair lashes framing those wide, blue eyes laced with confusion. And that was when clarity shattered. All of a sudden he was bombarded by noise, and nothing was louder than the quickening of their breaths and the thunderous roaring of his own heart as it fought to make its way out of his chest.

What the hell was he doing?

So he pulled away, or at least tried to, only to find his retreat obstructed by two hands fisting his shirt before he found himself being pulled roughly forwards. Lips crashed and reason disappeared.

And here he was now, his lips burning, a rapid heat building low in the pit of his stomach as his hands buried themselves deep within Naruto's hair.

He was right. They were soft.

He gave a firm yank as he angled the blond's face slightly, enabling him to get closer, deeper. He was encouraged by a soft groan from his partner, his efforts fueled as he pushed harder against the parted lips connected to his. Tongues clashed and fought; a fierce battle for dominance as Naruto showed that he could give as good as he got and more. Sasuke reveled in the surge of power he felt as he pushed his way in and plundered the open and willing orifice, taking satisfaction in the breathless moan he received signaling Naruto's temporary submission.

Want…so much want…

Those lips began to pull away from his exploration, and he would have protested violently if they hadn't immediately veered to lay short, brief kisses along his chin and down the soft, vulnerable skin of his neck. A hand traveled down his side before slipping underneath the fabric of his standard-issue shirt, warm fingers acquainting themselves with the firm muscles of his abdomen as another hand tugged on his collar to reveal his pale collarbone. A moist kiss was placed on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, before hot lips enclosed around the spot and sucked.

Sasuke growled, a fresh wave of carnal desire flooding his senses as sparks of pleasure tingled down his spine. His hands moved to encase Naruto's slim waist, his grip tight enough to leave bruises as he maneuvered them both in the direction of the dining table. Naruto grunted as his hip collided against something hard, removing his mouth from Sasuke's neck as he looked around dazedly at their new position. With a sweep of his arm, Sasuke managed to clear the once occupied surface, scrolls and papers falling to the floor unnoticed. Before Naruto knew it, he was being picked up and settled on the table.

They looked at each other. Sasuke noticed how Naruto's eyes, normally a bright cobalt blue, had darkened to a deep sapphire, pupils so widely dilated that they almost eclipsed the irises. He took in their mutual ragged breathing, his own pounding heart, and for a moment he fancied that he even heard the faint thumping of Naruto's own rapid rhythm.

Rapid like his. The same.

He couldn't help himself as he pushed forward to reclaim those lips, the kiss deepening substantially as Naruto eagerly responded. It was anything but gentle, the impact harsh enough to bruise the tender skin, but the pain only seemed to act as a stimulant, goading them on. To push further. To delve deeper. Hands were trailing up his body, pushing up his shirt in blatant request.

More. Please.

He tore himself away from that eager mouth, panting like he'd been running a marathon. Gathering his breath, his eyes ran up and down the body in front of him, taking in the lust-glazed eyes, the bruised and swollen lips, the quick rise and fall of his partner's chest. He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, silently appreciating the contrast in their skin tones, before firmly pressing the blond back onto the table so that all that smooth golden-bronze skin was splayed out for him to see.

Like an offering. He will partake.

Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he pulled it swiftly over his head. But apparently it wasn't swift enough as tan hands once more found their way to his body, picking up on their curious exploration of the planes of his abdomen, the defined muscles of his pectorals, up to brush across the gentle rise of his nipples. Sasuke hissed, yanking off the shirt and throwing it to the side. He grabbed Naruto's wrists, one in each hand, noticing the confusion in those dark blue eyes as he forcefully pressed the blond back down until he was once again lying on the table. Sasuke pulled himself back, hands moving to quickly divest himself of his pants and underwear, only to have his breath hitch in his throat as twin hands snaked around his neck and a soft kiss was placed on his temple. He took a deep, shuddering breath, pushing down his pants and underwear off his hips and kicking them away before turning to his impatient lover.

He untangled the arms from around his neck, placing a hand on the blond's chest and roughly shoved him down, this time pinning him to the table. Naruto struggled against the firm hold and glared up at him, blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Then they suddenly softened, his heated gaze never leaving Sasuke's as he took hold of the pale hand pinning him down and brought it slowly up to his lips. Sasuke was entranced as he watched the blond place a soft kiss on his fingers, before taking one and then two into his mouth and sucking gently. The sight hit him like a punch to the gut, making his breath come in uneven gasps. A flare of triumph flashed in those blue orbs, and Sasuke couldn't hold himself back any longer as he pulled his fingers away from those delectable lips and aligned his naked hips with Naruto's clothed ones, grinding downas he sought and claimed the kiss-bruised lips in front of him, muffling the blond's surprised cry at his sudden actions.

They moved together, bodies pressed so tightly that what little air lay between them heated to a suffocating degree, their skins slick with sweat, allowing them to glide against each other, easing their mutual movements. Lips pressed together brutally in harsh, biting kisses that robbed them both of their breaths, leaving them gasping. One of Naruto's hands was buried in the dark mop that was Sasuke's hair, pulling him down closer, while the other smoothed over the muscled planes of Sasuke's back, occasionally drawing angry, pink nail marks across the pale skin every time Sasuke pushed down in a particularly rough grind. Legs encased in standard Jounin pants drew themselves up to wrap tightly around pale hips, helping them press yet even closer, and Sasuke grunted into their connected lips as he felt the increased friction on his swollen arousal.

A fierce heat was coiling in the pit of his stomach, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more. Needed more. But even through his muddled consciousness he was aware that he couldn't go further on this table. He needed a surface that was…softer…

He forced himself to pull back, receiving a sharp nip to his bottom lip in mild reproach. Wrapping his arms underneath Naruto's warm back, he pulled the blond up and off the table, the legs around his hips locking firmly behind him, and Naruto redirected his attention to the side of Sasuke's neck, biting and sucking until deep purple bruises blossomed on the fair skin. Moving away from the table with Naruto in his arms, Sasuke crossed the room on shaky legs, barely reaching his makeshift bed before releasing the blond and allowing him to fall onto the mattress. Naruto propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Sasuke with lust-glazed eyes, tongue peeking out to swipe across dry lips caused by his heavy breathing. Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on the action, subconsciously doing the same.

His hands fell to undo the pants sitting on narrow, tanned hips, fumbling with the buttons and just barely stopping himself from ripping apart the fabric all together.

"Sasuke…" A breathy sigh.

His hands faltered for the shortest of seconds. He didn't dare look up, didn't dare to meet the blue eyes that he knew saw deep into his very soul.

He didn't want reason to return.

Hands picked up speed, finally giving up on the buttons as he grabbed and tore. There was the gentle ping of a flying button and Naruto bucked a little as his pants, along with his underwear, was yanked forcibly off his legs, the clothing thrown to side, landing heaven-knows-where. Sasuke took a shuddering breath, his eyes hungrily taking in the sight before him – the lust-hazed eyes, the pink parted lips, down the smooth plane of taut bronze skin to the tightly muscled thighs lying on either side of him and the jutting arousal situated in between. Sasuke felt the almost unbearable ache in his loins as he noticed its angry-red colour, the pearlescent liquid beading at the tip.

Want. He had never wanted something so much in his life.

"Sasuke?" A hand reaching out to him. Questioning.

He took that hand into his own, pushing it down into the soft surface above Naruto's golden hair as he claimed those lips in another fierce, drugging kiss, his other hand trailing down the smooth, muscled body to wrap eager fingers around the throbbing organ underneath him. He pumped once, twice, drinking in his partner's delightful moans before moving lower until his fingers brushed across a promising pucker. He knew very little about the act that was sexual intercourse between men, and only had his instincts to guide him. But even what little instincts he had knew that it was too tight, much too tight for what he wanted to do.

He slipped a finger inside, wareful of the slight hitch in his partner's breathing and the way he squirmed at the intrusion. Too turned on for patience, he slipped in another, his lust spiking higher at the tight constriction around his fingers. He gritted his teeth as he worked at loosening the entrance. He was so hard that it hurt.

"…suke…just…just do…" A shuddering groan.

Reaching his wit's end, Sasuke withdrew the fingers, aligning himself before placing his hands on either side of Naruto's head and pushing in. The blond let out a strangled gasp at the searing pain that raced up and down his spine, biting his lip harshly to muffle any further sounds. It was too soon, much too soon, but neither could wait any longer. Sasuke was panting, the heat and pressure and unbearable friction around his cock so overwhelming that he couldn't help himself as he pulled back and buried himself even deeper inside his partner.

Naruto's back arched at the violent intrusion into his body, the pain so intense that it robbed him of his breath and bathed his vision in white. And yet he wanted more. Needed more.

Sasuke wasted no time in driving himself inside the constricting passage over and over, reaching deeper with every plunge into the warm, writhing body underneath his until one particularly hard thrust drew a lusty cry from Naruto's open lips. Encouraged, he seeked that very same angle, his own pleasure heightened as the action wrenched choked gasps from his partner, blue eyes watery with desire as they stared dazedly up at him. Sasuke grunted, his dark eyes glinting with feral lust as he grabbed those tanned legs and coaxed them higher up around his waist. They tightened instinctively, locking behind him and pulling him closer as he pushed his hips forward, spreading those thighs wide open even as he slammed inside that addictive warmth. Naruto screamed, his eyes clenched tight at the painful pleasure that surged up his spine and spread, like wild fire, throughout his entire body.

Sasuke's hands fell to either side of Naruto's head, caging him as he pushed in deep. Claiming. Plundering. Taking in the sweet, sweet moans and whimpers issued from those pink lips as they gasped for breath and the way tan hands clenched and fisted the white bed covers with every thrust, the grip so tight that the fabric bridged on tearing. The blond's hard, dripping arousal rubbed between their bodies, smearing precum over tan and pale skin alike, but neither seemed to care. All that mattered was prolonging that addictive friction.

Naruto felt the pressure inside him build, felt the knot in the pit of his stomach tighten until his body started to spasm, his head thrown back in a silent scream as hot liquid spilled between their heated bodies. Sasuke grunted at the sudden almost painful constriction around his cock, hiking the still-trembling thighs up onto his shoulders as he forced himself forward, deeper, thrusting a few more times before burying his face into the crook of Naruto's neck, muffling his groan as he released the products of his desire into the shivering body beneath him.

They lay there, gathering their breaths as their heartbeats slowly calmed, tan legs falling bonelessly onto the bed from their original perch on pale shoulders. Sasuke pressed his face into the soft, tender skin of his partner's neck, breathing in the blond's scent.

"Sasuke…"

He lifted his head, looking down into the intense blue eyes that stared back at him, a tan hand reaching up to run gentle fingers across his brows, nose, lips and chin before tenderly cupping the side of his face.

"Sasuke…"

And for just a moment, he thought he saw a glimpse of sadness in those eyes.

He lowered his face, pressing a slow, drugging kiss to those lips that uttered his name. A familiar heat began to coil in his loins once more, and he diverted his attention to the soft skin of his lover's neck, inhaling the young man's scent, allowing it to draw his attention away from the ever present reality and the things that were to come. Away from sense. Away from logic. Away from responsibilities.

Naru…Naruto…

Their bodies began to move a second time, continuing their sensuous dance.

The soft creaking of a bed and their mutual sounds of pleasure rang through most of the night.

-LineBreak-

The village was dark, and yet the loud call of a rooster signaled the approaching of dawn. The thin sliver of light upon the horizon pushed the dark figure to double his speed, jumping from roof to window ledge, window ledge to roof. Always within the safe cover of shadows.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the village, he paused, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of approaching guards on their daily rounds. Confident that all was clear, he took off at a run, using the momentum to scale the high wall surrounding the village with ease, landing in a silent crouch on the other side. He stilled, listening for any sounds that would signal that he had been spotted. When none came, he hurried onwards, taking to the trees, jumping from branch to branch in the direction that would lead to his destination.

It didn't take long for him to reach the clearing. As he stepped forward into the open space, a form silently materialized from the shadows of the trees opposite. A tall form. With long, dark hair and a ghastly complexion. With yellow eyes reminiscent of a snake's.

"You're late." The voice, more a hiss than anything, seemed to ooze poison from every word.

A second form appeared not far behind the first, moonlight glinting off rounded spectacles. The person made no attempt at sound or movement, merely observing the scene before him with an amiable expression on his face.

"I'm here, aren't I?" The dark figure lowered his hood, taking another step forward. "Your turn."

Orochimaru's lips stretched into something akin to a smile. "Why, of course." He glanced over his shoulder, nodding to the person standing respectfully behind him. Kabuto moved forward, reaching into the folds of his cloak. Withdrawing a small, glass vial, he tossed it in the direction of the newcomer. Agile hands swiped the object from the air. A flash of blood, a loud croak, before the gentle poof of smoke and the vial was no longer in sight.

"Well then, shall we?" Orochimaru asked, gesturing a paper-white hand towards the dark shadows of the forest beyond the clearing. Towards a direction that lead away from Konoha.

The dark figure hoisted his hood back over his head. "Might as well get this over with." He strode forward resolutely, eyes never once straying from the dimly lit path before him. His ears picked the sounds as the two followed behind him.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun? You seem to be limping."

Brilliant blue eyes closed for the briefest of moments before opening once more.

"None of your fucking business."

-TBC-

-LineBreak-

Hmm…how was it? I'm a little nervous, considering how I haven't written in a very long while and I'm just a bit scared that my writing skills have gotten a little rusty. Please bare with me. And yes, I know that you probably all want to kill me for updating so late. No apology of mine can make up for so long a delay. But please forgive me anyway. Heh heh…note that if you kill me, you won't get the rest of the story. –sheepish laugh–

Please do tell me what you thought of my first time writing a lemon. You have no idea how long I agonized over it. Seriously, the first thing I did in preparation for it was go lemon shopping, and I'm not talking about round yellow fruit. I actually went browsing through all the sasunaru lemons I could find – from sweet, sappy ones, to teary, emotional ones, and even to the hardcore PWP – hoping that I could find some inspiration for the type of lemon I wanted to write for my story. Because it had to actually fit with the mood and everything and –throws hands in the air- I'm not even going to talk about it.

Please review, my beautiful, beautiful readers! I always love to hear what you have to say. Constructive criticism welcomed, as well as any annoying misspelt words I might have missed. It also helps me know if I haven't lost all my readers due to my delayed updates…

Thank you to everyone who reviewed in the previous chapter. No words can express the amount of gratitude I feel for my readers taking the time to write a little feedback.

- Nine1991 -