Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. I'll try to update soon.

Chapter 18, "The appeal"

Neji splashed his hands, shocking and gaging. He had been a decent swimmer as a child; after all he was one of Kakashi's pupil. Yet, years of torture and bondage must have had dwelling effects on his weakening muscles. Plus, the Nile water in this particular area was especially muddy and thick, and the fresh water was no help, sinking him instead of making him float. Not to mention, in a state of panic, whatever any whirling creature would stroke his feet, he would loose focus and gulp down another mouthful on water. It was hard to breathe, especially not knowing were he was going.

All the sadness ruptured all of a sudden, at its least needed moment. The grief he had bottled up inside, now newly erupted, was hard to subdue. All he could think about was 'my life is crap'. A simple four-word sentence, yet devastating. He lost his vision defending a man who tortured him for years. The idea of having Sasuke shelter him forever was consoling when he first saw void but now… Lets admit, the Pharaoh couldn't have been a worse friend. Was he even a friend? A love? On that note, Neji tried to count his friends. None, right? Well, maybe Naruto. But the thought of the man who stole Sasuke as the only person who was willing to stand up for him was even more paining than having no friend.

Now, sinking into water like a tossed peace of gravel, he realized he was doing it all over. He was running away from a maniac who will probably kill him if found, that if he could actually survive until then, for a sake of a man who drove him to attempt taking his life a while back. It was all messed up in a sick way.

"Is he crazy?!" He heard jagged voices yell words he couldn't bring his head to recognize. Suddenly, his head bumped into wood, and instantly, he started to black out. He then felt arms wrap around him, but it was too late…

When Neji came to it, he saw a bunch of Egyptian fishers and agrarians crowding around him, as he slept on what he assumed was an old rag of linen to cover the soil.

"What were you doing swimming in the middle of the river like that, son?" An old voice asked. It had been a while since anyone had called him that, or even spoken warmly to him.

Neji then heard a man explain to another in whispers, "Look at his eyes. He can't see. How could anyone let him be on his own like this? Doesn't he have a family?"

"Did you lose your way?" The people asked.

Neji nodded, thinking over if he should tell them the entire story. But then again, they might turn him in to Itachi for a fee. "Do you know if the Pharaoh is visiting the village?"

The chatter suddenly came to a halt. A single voice whispered in sorrow, "The Pharaoh is dead. We just heard; the capital was taken down."

He heard the men thwack there hands each in set threes, a gesture in Egypt that signaled disappointment. "The country is gone," one spoke. "They say a cult that worship blood is now in control."

"All kings love blood," another commented. "All are tyrants. The one that was just killed, and the ones who will come."

The men spoke, but Neji had zoned out after hearing the first line of news. It wasn't possible. At least… Why was he feeling empty? He wasn't grieving Sasuke? No. Impossible. Regardless of how much the other had disappointed him, his heart would still stop the minute Sasuke's did. Even if they were kilometers apart.

"It's not possible," he whispered, and then said it louder. "It couldn't be. The Pharaoh wasn't at Memphis."

"Rumors. Rumors," the men commented.

"No, I'm sure about. Can you take me to anyone of authority here?"

XXXXXXX

The pharaoh who was already dead according to rumors, waiting in front of the governor's champers somewhat concerned about the formalities. The situation was direr than busing his mind with who should stand and who should bow. Yet, When a man was in the presence of a governor, he should take a knee before being allowed to speak. Did that rule apply to him? He was the pharaoh after all. But then again, the governor didn't know that for sure yet.

Sasuke stared at the side of Naruto's face, wondering if he should ask. Naruto wouldn't be much help when it comes to etiquette, but who else was there.

"Naruto…" he leaned to whisper in the other's ear. "Should I bow?"

The blond glared at him, looking almost Sasuke-ish. "How the fuck does it matter?" He whispered, when he noticed some people glare at him for what he had just said, "think about how to convince him instead."

"Ambiance is part of it," Sasuke mumbled a little humiliated by Naruto's response, especially that some people had heard.

Sasuke waited for a few moments before whispering again, "I'm starting to think this is a bad idea. The man who visited our cell earlier said that if I was really the Pharaoh, they will transfer me out of the city so no one would follow me here and cause problems."

Naruto sighed, "Well, its better than doing nothing."

"If an army was strong enough to take down Kakashi's, I don't think Thebes army can stand up to it. Kakashi's army is the best trained in the country. That's why I made sure to always keep it-"

"Maybe Kakashi used the army to help citizens flee instead of protecting the shell of the city. He's smart and he's not the regular blast in kind of guy, so we don't know what he was thinking. Now, please relax and start acting like yourself again. I don't believe I'm saying this, but can you act a little smug like usual?"

"I'm never smug. How dare you talk to me like that?"

"I wish you could hear yourself; 'I don't have a God complex, but you better worship me or I'm cutting your balls off'."

"This is a painful idea. I would never do that to a man."

"You did it in three public executions before! God, you were a horrible Pharaoh. You shouldn't have reminded me of that before I'm about to make your case in front of he governor," Naruto frowned before mumbling to himself, "It's for my friends sake. It's for their sake. Sai, Kiba, Iru…"

"Once this is over, I'm tearing your ass apart," Sasuke smacked the other on the ass, before glaring at him.

"I'll consider this a sexual comment. Because unless you meant it in a sexual way…"

After almost two hours of draining anticipation, it was the men's turn to plead their case. Once they were in the hall, Sasuke scanned the vicinity in attempts to locate the governor, since he couldn't possibly be the ancient dozing man with the snot bubble and the thunderous snoring.

"S-Sasuke, is that him?" Naruto whispered.

The raven rolled his eyes. Obviously, it was him. He didn't want to believe it though. The fact was, he hadn't changed the governors since the start of his rule, and the same applied for his father. Basically, it had been almost 30 years since any new governor was appointed. Great, now how was he supposed to convince a man who already looked half dead to enter a war? He hissed.

"Plead your case."

Naruto almost shuddered at the sound. He looked around because unless a ventriloquist was hiding underneath the old man, it was probably a ghost talking.

"I'm here," the voice said again, and a boy who couldn't be older than twelve walked into view.

The blond stuttered, trying to figure out if it was a hoax. "You're his majesty's son?"

"Actually, I'm his great grand son. I'll be the one to-"

"It's a matter of life and death," Sasuke interrupted, noticing how serious the boy looked. As if he was a sixty year old in the body of a child. "How can I trust a child-"

"How can man who has no manners say he is the pharaoh?" The boy spoke, implying how Sasuke had cut him off earlier.

Sasuke frowned, looking away. Naruto quickly entered the conversation, "Most of our friends and family are probably dead, and we've been roaming the desert without food for God knows how long. We apologize if we seem a little rude. That's just the sense of urgency pouring out." Naruto attempted to be poetic, unlike his usual self. He had wanted to look as sophisticated as possible, sophisticated enough to be a pharaoh's right hand man.

"So I should trust your sanity, why?" The boy managed to twist their words yet again.

"Because if you don't, your city will be the next after Memphis," Sasuke stated firmly.

"Why should I care who rules Egypt? It's one tyrant or another. They want power, and not blood."

"Can you remember what happened when the Uchiha dynasty took over the throne?"

The boy ogled at Sasuke for a second before sighing, "Well, my father was still in my grandfather's balls then, so no. But I assume you're talking about eliminating whoever remained from the previous government."

"Did he just say-" Naruto's eyebrows rose.

"As long as anyone lives, there is a chance someone will try to revolt. I don't think the aggressors will do any differently this time. Your father and you are probably on the top of their list."

"The army of our city is hardly self sufficient. They usually work in bakeries and in farms rather than dual. Half of them never held a sword. And if it is my family's life for theirs…"

"Its everyone's life for their country," Naruto spoke. "Letting someone take Egypt over is just like letting another man rape your wife without uttering a word. You might keep your life, but is it worth living after witnessing-"

"They are Egyptian. It's not a foreign enemy; it's one of our own. A cult."

Naruto froze. A cult… Where did he hear about a cult before? Suddenly, it clicked. Iruka had told him that Sasuke's father wanted Itachi dead because he had joined a cult.

"What do you know about it?" Sasuke asked, eyes almost bulging out of his eyes as his blood pressure jolted up. Naruto could see clearly that Sasuke had just realized the same thing.

"It's called the Akatsuki."

"That's it?"

The boy nodded, before signaling for everyone else in the room to go out. "How do I know you're really the pharaoh?"

- To be continued-

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