Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings: See first few chapters. If there were something to warn you of, I would warn you. Small lime, language, fluff, etc.
A/N: Well, ya'll wanted it, so here is the epilogue. Think of it as a very late Christmas/New Years present. Thank Akiru who sent me the email demanding this chapter and the little naughty scene that goes with it, and for beta-ing this for me.
Naruto's eyes glanced down the long table and let out a soft sigh. This was not how things were supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a nice dinner celebrating Sasuke's first eventing success, but instead it had turned into something much more awkward. His eyes shifted to the male sitting next to him who had the decency to look at least a little guilty.
After all, it was his fault.
Stupid Uchiha's and their damn horniness.
(Two Months Prior)
"You lazy bum, you did nothing while I was gone!" Naruto exclaimed as he watched Sasuke and Dark Angel circle the ring again.
Sasuke pulled the gelding up next to him, "I was a little busy with other things to train everyday." He stated.
Naruto's lips curled up into a sly smirk, "Like looking for me."
The raven turned his head away to hide the faint pink dusting his cheeks, "No."
"Forget it Sasuke, Itachi told me everything."
Silence stretched between them for a second before the raven responded again, "I was just frustrated with you, that is all."
Laughter sounded from behind Naruto where Sai was standing, "More like sexually frustrated. We all heard you two that first night you came back."
The blond flushed, "Moving on…" He turned to face Sasuke again, "Regardless of what you've done for the past two months or so, your heals keep coming up when you go over the jumps. Try again."
Sasuke nodded and pushed the horse into a smooth canter before directing him towards the first jump. They moved over it effortlessly and bounded away towards the next one. Naruto trained his eyes on the two bodies as they moved over the next jump, looking for anything that would cause them to lose points. Although it was not Sasuke's jumping that had Naruto worried so much; it was his dressage.
The event was judged on precision, grace and detail, where the rider needed to be merely an extension of the horse, and the horse needed to move with elasticity in every step. Dark Angel had the skills to do so, but he would only do them if Sasuke cued him correctly.
After finishing the course cleanly, Naruto gestured for him to bring the horse over to the gate that led to the dressage ring. They passed through and Naruto pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is the list of moves that the beginner novice, such as yourself, will be expected to complete. This level requires that you complete all three gaits and some circles."
"Dark Angel isn't at a novice level."
"True," Naruto answered, "But this is an open class, meaning, the points he's acquired won't count at this competition. The next time you compete, Sanis should be ready to ride and you'll be able to accumulate points with her. This competition is just to get you back into the feel of things."
Sasuke nodded, "After this I move up, right?"
"If I think you're doing well, we'll try entering you at a higher level. But I think that for now, this level will suffice; no matter how degrading you may think it is."
"What level are you?"
Naruto looked away, "You don't want to know that Sasuke."
"Why?"
"It'll make you depressed."
"He's a CCI 3-Star." (1) A voice said behind them.
Naruto spun around at the voice, "What are you doing here?"
"I've decided that I can't replace you at work and I'm taking you back."
The blond felt his jaw drop, "Wh-what?" He felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly and he glanced back to see Sasuke glaring daggers at his father.
"You let him go of your own free will; he's mine now."
Minato arched an eyebrow at Sasuke's comment, "Your what?"
"He's joking," Naruto said quickly as he broke free from Sasuke's grip, and eyed his father, "Why are you really here?"
"I came to make sure that you were alright, and to see that new filly that Iruka told me about."
"Ah. Iruka is up in the house right now, he can show you the new filly, and I'm doing fine. I'm just working with Sasuke on some drills and he's helping me through the nights."
Sasuke smirked behind Naruto, knowing exactly how he was keeping the blond sleeping soundlessly through the night; but Minato didn't need to know that little detail. He watched as the Naruto sent his father up the hill to the house and was glad that they were working on their relationship. Speaking of that, he still needed to tell his dad about his up coming event.
Naruto turned his attention back to the raven, "Okay, let's run through the test. Start at A with a working trot."
A gentle breeze blew across the paddock, sending the leaves dancing around the chestnut's hooves. She let out a squeal and pranced away from them before trotting back to sniff at them in curiosity.
Naruto smiled as he watched her play. He was perched on the top railing, enjoying the evening breeze and silence that came with the night. He hadn't had a good chance to just sit and watch the filly play since he had returned home, and he wanted to spend some time with her now that he had the chance. After watching Kushina prance around the pasture another time, he slid off the railing and into the enclosure with her.
She trotted over to him and nudged his pocket for a treat, making the blond laugh. She was so much like her father and he was excited to have this second chance to work with her. He rubbed her ears softly and looked her over. Her body was built for racing with a wide chest and long legs, and her eyes shown with intelligence and mischief.
The filly pushed her head into his chest and he gently pushed back, trying to encourage a game of tag as he once had with Kyuubi.
"Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, this is something I need to do alone."
"Okay, I'll be back here when you're done."
"Thanks Sasuke." He answered and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dropping to the ground.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sunlight was streaming in through the trees, casting shadows across the trunks. Ahead of him, one tree trunk was cast in shadows and the ground was still turned up from the recent dig. Fresh green grass was growing around the spot and Iruka had placed a small group of flowers next to the trunk, adding some color to the area.
He stared at the patch of brown dirt before his eyes traveled up to the stone carving that leaned against the trunk. The words 'Kyuubi' were etched elegantly into the marble along with a few select words. Everyone else had paid their respects; it was time for him to give his.
"Hey Kyuubi," he said softly.
Naruto watched in amusement as Sasuke rocked back and forth on his heals nervously. Brown eyes rolled back to glance at them and the horse let out an unhappy snort. It was a week until the event and Sasuke was getting Dark Angel ready. They had already brushed and clipped his tail to meet the regulations and they were now getting ready to work on the hardest part.
Or at least Sasuke was; Naruto was just going to sit back and watch.
"You better start now, he hates having his mane pulled."
Sasuke gave him an annoyed look, "He's a show horse, shouldn't he be used to this?"
The blond shrugged, "I'm sure he is, but that doesn't mean he likes it. Be thankful that I kept his mane in good condition."
"I still think you should do this, he's your horse."
The sound of gentle laughter made Sasuke tense and grip the brush tighter, "Shut up Itachi."
Itachi smirked, "I just like to see you sweat a bit, little brother."
Sasuke sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before approaching the dark horse. Ears went back and teeth bared, making Sasuke jump back while Naruto howled with laughter.
In the end, it took Sasuke three long hours to pull a fourth of the geldings' mane, while it only took Naruto an hour to finish the job.
The previous afternoon had Naruto loading Dark Angel up, while Sasuke checked over the supplies in the trailer. Naruto had suggested that they bring a trailer that had a small living quarter in the front to save money and driving time.
They had decided to go a day early to get the gelding settled and to get Sasuke away from Uchiha Estates. Naruto could already tell that he was getting nervous about telling his father and leaving early would help clear his mind. So, Itachi had told Sasuke that he would smooth everything out with their father and they would see him on Friday; too bad he lied about that.
Still, despite everything, Sasuke was still jittery about his first event and Naruto had to calm him down last night. Who knew that he could make Sasuke beg like that? Although, he was sure that Sasuke wasn't about to forgive him after that and he was certain that he would get his punishment for it, but he pushed the thought from his mind for the moment.
He walked through the crowded stable with a cup of coffee in his hand and found his way to the stall. Because Sasuke was entered at the lower level, he would be competing first each day. His eyes raked over the black gelding as Sasuke ran a soft cloth over the horses' body, making the coat shine.
"You don't compete for another two hours, so you still have time to shower and change." Naruto stated, handing Sasuke the coffee cup, "How'd he feel this morning?"
"He moved fine through all his paces." The raven answered as he dropped the rag into a bucket, "He just finished eating, so he should be ready to go."
Naruto nodded, "Go get ready then, Sakura will be here in fifteen minutes or so to watch him, then I can help you get ready."
Sasuke grunted and headed back to the trailer while Naruto leaned against the wall, looking for familiar faces in the crowd. He knew that Itachi hadn't told the eldest Uchiha about Sasuke, instead, he was opting to bring the man here and have him watch Sasuke. They had both hoped that showing him would have a bigger impact than just telling him.
The blond grunted; this was going to turn out to be an interesting day.
An hour and a half later, Sasuke sat in Dark Angel's saddle while Sakura made sure that the geldings' coat was shining and Naruto made sure that the tack and Sasuke's attire were perfect. After they both deemed him perfect, Naruto led him to the gate where two other riders waited. He reached up and gave Sasuke's hand a quick squeeze.
"Don't be nervous, relax out there and it'll all come naturally to you."
"But what about -"
Naruto cut him off, "Don't think about that. Just think about what you need to do. You've been training for this for months now, you're ready." Ahead of them, the second rider entered the ring and Naruto brought Sasuke's hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss over the gloved knuckles, "I'll be waiting for you back here, good luck." He murmured.
He released the hand as Sasuke's number was called to the gate, and the raven tapped the horse forward gently. A minute later, the previous rider exited the ring and Sasuke collected his reins as he sucked in a deep breath. He started to panic when he realized that he didn't remember the first pass and he closed his eyes, trying to remember the paper he had practiced this morning.
"Number 801, Sasuke Uchiha, riding Dark Angel." The voice called over the intercom and Sasuke's eyes widened. He saw the worker open the gate for him and ahead, the flat dirt stretched out in front of him. His body relaxed slightly as the familiarity rushed over him and everything came back again.
'Start A, enter working trot.'
He lightly tapped the horses' sides, sending him into the ring at a smooth working trot until they reached X, where he stopped and saluted, before continuing with a trot. The gelding moved easily beneath him as he asked him to move to the left at a trot. His body sat relaxed in the saddle and his hands barely moved when he gave the signal to move into a circle.
Once they moved out of the circle, he nudged the horse into a canter until they reached the marker B, where they started another left circle. His heart was in his throat as Dark Angel glided across the dirt surface and it felt like they were dancing. Even though they had practiced this hundreds of times, he had never felt this in tune with the gelding and as he brought the horse to a stop in front of the judge and gave him the final salute, excitement raced through his body.
They left the arena at an easy walk and the corners of Sasuke's lips twitched in enthusiasm as he saw Naruto waiting for him, but the blonds' mouth was set in a grim line as they neared and he knew that something wasn't right. Naruto reached for the reins as Sasuke slid off and eyed him carefully.
"Well?"
"You froze up."
"At first, but then it all came back and I relaxed." He stated, "I thought I did everything correctly."
Naruto's face broke out into a large grin, "You did; I'm just messing with you."
Sasuke huffed in annoyance at the antics, but quickly forgave him when he felt soft lips brush against his. He supposed that for now, he could forgive the blond. They led the horse back to the trailer where a small crowd was waiting for them, and Sasuke slowed down as he saw his father at the side of the group. He didn't look pleased.
Before his father had a chance to say anything though, his mother pressed through the crowd and threw her arms around him, "You look so much cuter in this outfit than your jockey silks." She said with a smile and behind her, Itachi snickered.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the mass of people. He pointedly ignored his father's stare and instead focused on his mother who was telling Itachi that he needed to try eventing as well so he could look cute. Itachi blanched and Naruto snorted with laughter.
"What, don't you think Itachi and Sasuke would look cute together in matching riding clothes, honey?" Mikoto questioned.
Everyone fell silent and all eyes turned towards Fugaku, (except Naruto who was doubled over in silent laughter at the mere thought of the two Uchiha brothers in matching outfits). Fugaku's eyebrows went up and his gaze swept over his two sons before he let out a sigh. "I draw the line at that Mikoto. I'm fine with Sasuke competing, but I won't stand for the two to play dress up."
Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and then snapped his head up as his father's comment sunk in, "But you didn't want me to compete when I was younger. You were always telling me how great Itachi was and how amazing the track was."
Fugaku shrugged, "It was your choice to quit and start racing. I would have let you continue to compete in eventing, but you stopped of your own free will."
"You're serious?" His father nodded and Sasuke groaned.
"You know mother," Itachi's calm voice stated, "If you're so intent in having matching outfits with Sasuke, I'm sure Naruto wouldn't mind dressing up for you."
Naruto's head shot up, "Huh?"
It was the second day of the event and Sasuke tugged at his protective vest as they walked the cross-country course. They had walked it yesterday as well, but Naruto wanted to see the course one last time in the morning, stating that the lighting and footing changed during the day. The course only had 14 jumps set up, with plenty of space to gallop between them.
They walked through the course and Naruto had Sasuke explain his strategy to him as they went. It was important that Sasuke made sure he knew where the best points to jump were and where in the course he needed to gallop. If he went over the allotted time, he would be given penalty points that could set him back.
Once they finished the course, they headed back to the trailer where Sasuke started saddling Dark Angel. He was supposed to ride sixth today and didn't need to rush on getting ready. The biggest thing to focus on right now was making sure that his equipment met the safety standards and Naruto was already checking over the buckles and straps.
When he declared him ready to go, he grabbed the reins and led the horse away. He wasn't nervous like he was yesterday; dressage was the only aspect in which he didn't have the best control. Any form of jumping thrilled him to no end and the aspect of racing cross-country had always excited him. The gelding pranced in place and pulled at the reins, anxious to get on the field as Sasuke brought him to a stop.
Three riders could be on course at one time and his group was getting ready to enter the starting box. A whistle sounded through the air as another rider entered the course and Sasuke collected his reins as the judge let him in the gate. Sitting on top of the horse, he could see most of the course and the pathway he needed to take. Judges were stationed at each jump, looking for refusals and knockdowns from the horse, and small pockets of spectators were crowded around the numerous jumps.
"Ready Sasuke?"
Sasuke glanced down at the speaker and was surprised to see Hinata standing next to the gate. He shook the shock away and nodded briefly to her. "I'm here for the vet inspection; making sure he looks stable and such." She told him after seeing the questioning look in his eyes. Sasuke grunted in response and turned his attention back to the field while his eyes followed the path of the horse in front of him.
"Good luck." She told him just before the whistle was blown and the gate opened. She watched him gallop out of the gate in a collected stride and let a small smile cross her face before she turned to the next rider.
On the field, Sasuke blocked the crowd from his mind. It was the same as when he raced; they were nothing more than distractions. The first few jumps were relatively easy to help settle both rider and horse, but they were starting to come up on some harder jumps soon. He watched the gelding prick his ears as he signaled for the upcoming jump, which would send them into a shallow bed of water. The jump itself was small compared to what it could be jumped at, but it still required concentration.
He counted out the strides needed and moved his hands up on the neck as the gelding soared over the jump, splashing water as they landed. It was an easy five strides until they reached the other side of the bank before they jumped out and over the last part of the combination. He let out a sigh and moved the gelding into a gallop to keep on track.
As they neared the next jump, he slowed Dark Angel into an easy canter and then set him up for the jump. It was a simple brush fence and they cleared it with room to spare. They circled around a tight corner and to his right; he could see the ending line where larger crowds of people were waiting.
Five fences later, he found himself galloping down the finish line. He pulled the horse to a stop once he crossed under the line and quickly dismounted to let Naruto come up and start pulling tack off. He handed the tack off to Sakura and Sasuke fell in step with Naruto as they walked the horse out. Sasuke knew he was lucky on the second to last jump when the gelding had almost refused the jump, and he knew the blond was going to ask him about it.
Black eyes darted to the side where his lover was silent as they continued to cool out the horse. The silence was unnerving and he wished Naruto would say something to break the silence. In the distance, a whistle sounded as the next set of riders entered the course and Sasuke finally snapped, "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Naruto shook his head, "Nope." He grinned, "You know what you did wrong and we work to fix it. Now tell me what you did wrong."
"Rider number 801, Sasuke Uchiha and Dark Angel."
Sasuke peeked through the orange perked ears and entered the ring at an easy canter. He would have preferred blue ear covers for the horse, but Naruto had firmly stuck the orange ones on and declared that they stayed on. The sounding bell rang, giving him less than fifteen seconds to approach the first jump, and he angled the gelding towards the first obstacle.
There were ten jumps total set at a height of 2 feet, 7 inches and lower; but he didn't dwell on the height. Instead, he kept his mind focused on each of the upcoming jumps and making sure that his seat and hands moved in the correct position. Too many riders had been upset already by bad positioning and he wanted to complete a clean run.
He circled a jump and signaled the gelding to change leads as they approached the fifth jump. He counted the strides and at the third stride, set the horse up. Ears perked up at the upcoming jump, muscles bunched in preparing for the flight and at the given signal, they exploded. It was the euphoric feeling as they flew over the jump that made Sasuke heart soar and they bounded away towards the next jump.
A smile flickered across his face as they landed after the last jump and dropped into a trot. They had jumped clean and within the allotted time as well, now the only thing left to do was wait and see which others went clean as well. He stopped the gelding next to Naruto who was waiting outside the ring and slid to the ground.
The blond was watching the current rider negotiate the fences and only turned away when a rail was knocked down. "You did well Sasuke. If no one else jumps clean, you'll take second. If the last rider jumps clean, you two will have a jump off."
Sasuke joined him at the rail and looked at the last rider who was waiting by the gate. He was currently the leader, having scored higher in the dressage compared to the raven. The rider looked confident as he signaled the mare to canter and Sasuke found himself wishing that he would knock a rail down. His wish was ignored though as the rider exited the ring with a smug look on his face.
"We have a jump off between riders number 801 and 963. Riders please stand by for confirmation."
Naruto turned to face Sasuke again, "They'll probably take away a few jumps and raise the height. You need to get the fastest time and the cleanest round to win." He looked at the other rider who was talking to his coach, "His horse is experienced as well and can take the higher jumps, so I'm going to give you your first lesson in advantage."
Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke watched as the other rider finished the course clean. He knew the time he had to beat and look anxiously at Naruto who simply shrugged and said, "You have nothing else to lose."
The gate was opened and he entered at a walk, eyeing the changes that were made to the course. They had taken away two of the jumps, leaving eight for him to negotiate. The whistle blew and he pushed Dark Angel into a canter. His heart beat hard against his chest as they moved through the course quickly and carefully and passed the first six clear.
The final two fences had his stomach in knots. Naruto had assured him it was possible and admitted that he did it once or twice himself when the circumstances were there, but he wasn't Naruto. He angled the gelding towards the second to last jump, focusing on the other side of it where his final goal waited. The horse pricked his ears and gathered himself before launching into the air, soaring over the fence.
It wasn't until they landed that Sasuke decided to go through with Naruto's idea. He pressed his leg against the geldings' side, making him turn sharply and set him up for another jump. The gelding eyed the jump and surged forward, knowing what his rider wanted. In the stands, the crowd erupted into a frenzy as Sasuke and Dark Angel jumped over the scenery and cantered towards the last jump.
Sasuke ignored the crowd as he slowed the horse down so they could take the jump better. He silently counted the strides and rose in his seat as the black gelding soared over the oxer, touching down cleanly on the other side.
The gelding cantered a few more strides until Sasuke dropped him down into a walk. A smirk threatened to over take his face as he moved over to the open gate, where he could see a grinning Naruto waiting for him. He jumped to the ground and felt his body get pushed backwards as Naruto glomped him.
"That was brilliant." He paused for a second, "Did you ever doubt me?"
Sasuke scoffed, "Don't get cocky."
They made their way back to the trailer where Sakura was waiting to take the gelding off their hands. She flashed Sasuke a smile, "You did well Sasuke." She peeked past Sasuke and looked at Naruto, "You still have some equipment in the stall where this guy was staying, can you go pick it up for me?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I suppose I can do that."
She rolled her eyes at him and they walked off towards the barn while Sakura started to untack the gelding, while muttering under her breath about annoying blondes.
Naruto and Sasuke moved down the aisle way in silence until they reached the stall and Naruto entered the enclosure. He frowned as he looked over the buckets that needed to be brought back. He went to reach for the first bucket when the sound of the bolt shutting turned his attention back to the stable door.
His head turned towards the sound and he cocked an eyebrow at Sasuke. "What's with the look?"
"I've been waiting all weekend for a chance like this." The raven answered and slowly backed Naruto into a corner, "I never got to thank you for that other night."
Naruto laughed nervously, "You still remember that?"
Sasuke smirked as he pushed him up against the wall, "I do, and I need to make sure that you don't tell anyone about it." He pressed his lips against the blonds soft ones, while his hand slid up the tanned chest. The pale hand found a dusty nipple and teased it while his mouth attacked Naruto's neck.
Underneath him, Naruto let out a mew and Sasuke smirked against the skin His hand drifted down and started to play with the button on the blonds jeans as Naruto panted under him. "Sasuke, we ca-can't do this here."
The button came undone allowing Sasuke to slip his hand down the blonds' pants. Naruto's breath hitched as Sasuke firmly grasped his length and started to stroke it. Sasuke brought his mouth to the tan ear, "Don't hold back Naruto, I'm going to make you scream."
"Sakura, where is Naruto?"
Sakura looked up from loading the trailer and cocked her head at Minato and Fugaku, "Naruto's with Sasuke. They were in the barn picking up some buckets. They should still be in there if you want to go met them." She told them.
"Thank you Sakura." Minato answered.
"Oh," she poked her head back out of the trailer, "We're having a dinner tonight to celebrate Sasuke's success; you two should come. It would probably mean a lot to them if you were there."
Fugaku nodded his thanks to the groom and the two males headed towards the barn.
"Fu-fuck Sasuke." Naruto gasped as the raven ran his tongue over his length before engulfing it. His hands found anchor in Sasuke's hair as the raven started to suck and another hand came down to fondle his balls.
Sasuke smirked as he listened to his lover moaningand panting his name. His own arousal was straining against his breeches, but he would take care of that problem soon. He moved his hand to hold down Naruto's hip as they gave a small buck, but continued his ministrations.
The blond let out a broken cry of Sasuke's name that echoed throughout the empty barn and Sasuke started to search for the bucket of water in the corner. He wanted to be buried in that tight heat now. He grinned when his fingers found the bucket of water but his excitement was cut short at the sound of a strangled cry.
Both males glanced up at their fathers who stared down at them, and it was only then that Sasuke took in their position; Naruto, who was on the ground with his cock still in Sasuke's mouth. Mouths opened to comment, but no sound came out of either father as they continued to stare in disbelief. Naruto's eyes were wide and he was trying to control his harsh breathing and failing miserably, while Sasuke's mind still wasn't working and his sane self screamed at him to do something.
Pale hands appeared behind both fathers and covered their eyes as a smooth voice filtered through the stall, "Listen to the sound of my voice. You are only seeing things, this never happened, now slowly back up." The two males took a step back away from the stall door, and the hands continued to cover their eyes, as the person turned them to the left. "Keep on walking, nothing happened here."
"But Itachi, they were," Fugaku started.
Itachi cut him off, "Keep on walking, pretend it didn't happen and everything will be fine." He leaned back enough so he could see Sasuke and Naruto and mouthed to them; 'finish up quickly'. He turned his attention back to the stunned men and continuing to lead them out.
It was only after their fathers had vanished from the barn that the realization hit them, and Sasuke finally let Naruto's cock fall from his mouth, as Naruto slammed his head against the barn wall. They both muttered one word;
"Fuck."
(Present time)
So now, here they sat; an awkward silence settling over the table as both Naruto and Sasuke avoided making eye contact with their fathers. Itachi sat across from the two riders and smirked at the predicament they had put themselves in while he studied the two elder men.
They were sitting stiffly in their chairs and staring straight ahead, just as determined not to look at their sons. He was pretty sure that they had convinced themselves that if they didn't think about it, it never happened.
But in a single moment, it was all ruined.
Kakashi looked down the table at the two elder males as they sipped at their water, "You know, this is supposed to be a celebration but you guys are acting like you just saw Sasuke and Naruto having sex."
Both men spit out the drinks they were drinking and Kakashi blinked, "Did I hit the nail on the head?"
Itachi chuckled, "Emphasis on head."
Further down the table, Mikoto grinned; after all, every girl is a yaoi fan deep down.
Sasuke smirked while Naruto let out a groan and slammed his head on the table. The raven leaned over closer to Naruto, "I'm guessing that now would be a bad time to tell them that we've already-"
"No!' Minato shouted, "We don't want to know. Keep it to yourselves and let us live in our own little world where we think you're doing something else."
"So you don't want to know the real reason why Naruto was limping last week?" Sai asked.
Everyone watched in shock as Minato's body tensed up, before tipping over limply onto Fugaku's shoulder.
Three years later
Naruto let out a sigh and glanced up at the bright blue sky; it was the perfect day for a race.
The past three years had been the best years in his life, not just in his racing career but in other aspects as well. Sasuke's training of Sanis had finally paid off and he was now riding her in events, slowly gathering points to move up in level. The raven had decided not to give up on his track days, choosing only to race when the farm needed him, allowing them to train together in the early mornings. And when Naruto wasn't helping train Sanis or other horses, he was working with Kushina's Honor.
The filly was a joy to work with, but there was only one thing keeping him from letting her race when she came of age. However, a month after he raced on the track again, he had received the news that he had been dying to hear.
They had caught Orochimaru.
Jiraiya had used the information that Minato had given them and tracked the owner to India where he was collecting snakes for a collection. The call had come in at two-thirty in the morning and Naruto had almost been tempted to throw the phone out the window, but answered it last moment.
His yell was heard by Iruka in the house over and made Sasuke fall out of bed.
Only after Gaara had kicked the door open thinking he was being murdered and Iruka came bursting into the bunkhouse, did he realize how loud he had yelled. He apologized profusely and explained the situation to his bunkmates, and they spent the rest of the night celebrating.
Orochimaru arrived in the States a few days later where Kentucky police took him into custody, charging him for the drugs as well as the bump at the Belmont. Last they had heard of him, he was moved to a Federal Prison for other charges; something about human experiments and little boys.
And with Orochimaru locked up in jail, nothing was going to stop Naruto from racing the filly.
Azure eyes scanned the crowd once more as they waited for the call and he finally saw a head of raven hair leading a blond man over to the tunnel. Sasuke smirked at him as he emerged from the crowd and placed a quick kiss on his forehead before his father appeared from the mass of people.
"Are you nervous?"
Naruto shook his head, "More excited than nervous." He hesitated slightly, "But I'm glad that you're here."
Minato huffed and ran his eyes over the horse, who pranced excitedly in place. "I didn't want to miss her first run."
The call for riders up echoed over the loud speakers cutting Naruto's response short. Iruka shuffled Minato towards a better spot while Sasuke gave Naruto a leg up. He waited until Naruto had situated himself in the saddle before grabbing his hand. Blue eyes locked with coal ones and the raven gave his hand a squeeze
"I'll see you in the Winner's Circle."
Naruto flashed him a smile before the pony rider grabbed the bridle and led them out onto the track. He could hear the announcer calling out the horses and their positions, but he tuned the noise out until it was just a murmur in the background. Underneath him, his mount danced across the field and ears pricked as they neared the chute.
Once they entered the chute, silence descended over his world and his hand dropped onto a red shoulder. "Are you ready Kushina?" He asked.
The filly snorted in response and she focused out onto the vast track in front of them, shifting slightly. Naruto's eyes flickered to the dirt track that lay before them and his voice dropped to a whisper as he threaded his fingers through Kushina's mane.
"He's waiting for you, Kushina. He's ready for you to make your own legend."
The sounding bell was loud in their silent world and muscles sprung into action as horse and rider erupted from the starting gate and onto the dirt track. In that instant, nothing else mattered but the track beneath the hooves and the stretch of land that was theirs for the taking.
It was the sense of freedom as the wind whipped through their hair, the feeling of adrenaline that rushed through their veins, and it was the love of all the other indescribable emotions that rushed over them.
Because sometimes, there are simply no words that can describe the sensation of flying, only feelings.
1. A CCI (Concours Complet International), are International three-day events. There are up to four stars, with the one star being the lowest level (normally an introduction to an international three day event), and a four star at the highest, (these include Olympic Level).
Okay, this is the last chapter (for real this time). Many thanks to my readers and reviewers for sticking with me for this whole thing. I hope you enjoyed it. : )