Chapter Text
At just eighteen years old, Sasuke Uchiha was already set for life. As the youngest son of the esteemed Uchiha Cruises Ltd. – which he was to inherit once his father entered his retirement and relinquished his claim to the business – Sasuke was on the road to a life of endless possibilities and a secure financial status. Having graduated from his high school the top of his grade, Sasuke was guaranteed acceptance to any college or university of his choice. Scholarships were flying his way left, right and centre, and it seemed everyone wanted a piece of the young man who would soon to be the heir of the most lucrative business in Konoha.
Add to that his astonishing good looks and how women trailed after him like lost puppies and one would call him the luckiest man on earth. All the women wanted him, all the men wanted to be him. Adults respected him before he even had to open his mouth, and the elderly people adored him and would agree with all that he said. Many would claim Sasuke as utterly perfect, devoid of any faults.
But nobody was perfect. Not even Sasuke Uchiha. Even he had something that marred him, tainted him, and dirtied him in the eyes of an always judgemental society.
And the fact he preferred a man chasing him over a woman was his fatal flaw.
Yet he was not ashamed of it. Not one bit. It was no secret that he detested the company of women. In his younger years he had merely assumed he was a late bloomer, that this lack of attraction to girls was the result of stunted sexual development. But he had soon realised that his distaste of the female population was not temporary, simultaneously his growing desires for the male populace was becoming more prevalent with each passing day. It was upon his first impulsive watching of gay pornography, completely out of the blue and random, that he realised why he had not had much of a sexual life up until that point. He was focusing his attentions on the wrong gender.
To say he was shocked would be an overstatement. Instead he felt a sense of acceptance fill his entity and he surprised himself with how easily he grasped the concept. Sasuke had had no difficulties with self-acceptance before, his reactions with people on a day-to-day basis was indicative of that. So why should he compromise himself now because of a change in his sexuality?
The answer: he shouldn’t. And he didn’t.
Not to say he went around with a siren and bullhorn announcing to every passer-by his love of the male gender. It was as if things continued on normally, in fact. Girls approached him, he rejected them. The difference was he knew what he was interested in now, and all he had to was find willing participants.
Upon his acceptance to the local university (“It would be good for you to stay in Konoha, Sasuke dear. That way you can be close if your father and I ever need help with the company,” His mother had smiled sweetly at him, pushing the Konoha University form towards him) Sasuke found an entirely new name for himself and his identity. A name none but he himself could take away from him. Sasuke relished the thought.
His first kiss had been during his first year of university, and he had just turned nineteen. He had been in the university’s library, helping one of his fellow classmates study and revise for the upcoming midterm. They weren’t close enough to be called friends, but Sasuke did find his company rather pleasurable. It had happened suddenly, the two of them were leaning against each other as Sasuke explained one of the topics, and then they were kissing. Surprised, it had taken Sasuke a moment to respond. But once he realised that he was being kissed by a man for the first time in his life, desire he hadn't ever felt before sprung forth from within him. Clasping onto his shirt collar, Sasuke pressed his lips against the other’s firmly, trying as best he could and quickly learning the ropes. Once his tongue entered his mouth, he felt something change inside him. This was the first step of truly accepting who he was, and allowing another to share that with him made his heart warm.
Of course it hadn’t lasted. Two or three dates later, Sasuke had found he had no genuine feelings for this man. He was very understanding about it all, for which Sasuke was grateful. It was brief, but their relationship truly changed things for Sasuke. It opened the door to bigger and better things, a world full of promises and experiences that he had yet to fully explore. And because of his self-acceptance, he found making friends was less of a chore than he had first thought.
“Hey you’re Sasuke Uchiha right?”
Stopping in his tracks in the middle of the corridor, Sasuke turned around and saw a guy behind him. He had bleached-blonde hair and a shark-like grin on his face. Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke shifted the strap of his satchel to a more comfortable position on his shoulder, his face the picture of perfect boredom.
“What do you want Suigetsu?” He remembered seeing the guy in his classes, he seemed rough around the edges and a bit of a ladies man.
Suigetsu’s face lit up and then a cocky grin slid into place, accentuating his rather sharp teeth. He stepped up to stand by Sasuke’s side, and the two started walking again down the corridor.
“Ah so you do know me! I don’t know if I should feel honoured or frightened by that.”
Quirking an eyebrow at him, Sasuke would admit he was amused. It wasn’t often people approached him of their own free will, just for the sake of talking. He was used to receiving offers and proposals. Deciding not to brush off Suigetsu yet, Sauske instead made an attempt at actual conversation – a new personal best where he was concerned.
“Hn, I guess it depends on whether you’re tolerable or not.” As he rounded a corner Suigetsu continued to walk straight, until he caught on Sasuke was no longer with him and swivelled around. He caught up to Sasuke without a worry.
“Well you’re looking at the most tolerable guy on the whole campus. I mean dude, seriously, the ladies love me. And all the guys look up to me.” Looking up proudly, Suigetsu gave a wink to a pair of girls that had passed them by. Their eyes had been entirely focused on Sasuke however–of course.
“I don’t.” Sasuke said bluntly, and Suigetsu’s mouth dropped open.
But he collects himself swiftly, “That’s ‘cause you’re you right? I can’t imagine you looking up to anybody. You’re your own role model, aren’t ya?” He grinned over at Sasuke, who spared him a bland look before looking forward again.
“What do you want, Suigetsu?” Sasuke asked, repeating his earlier question.
“Well, I couldn’t help but notice you don’t have many pals ‘round here. And so I got to thinking how mentally retarded everybody is," Suigetsu commented, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, almost amused at the callous statement, "I mean, who wouldn't wanna be your friend? You're Sasuke fucking Uchiha. So I got a proposition, wanna hear it?”
Furrowing his eyebrows together, Sasuke stopped walking and looked at Suigetsu face to face. He was smirking, way too over-confident and clearly not a fan of proper language. And yet, from only two minutes talking with the guy, Sasuke found he didn’t detest him. His company was rather entertaining and light-hearted, not that Sasuke needed anything like that. But, it unexpectedly drew him in. And he unpredictably found himself agreeing.
“What is it?”
Suigetsu seemed shocked Sasuke had actually been pliant enough to illicit an agreeable response from. But he got over it quickly, swinging an arm around Sasuke’s shoulders and they started walking again.
“You hang out with us from now on. It’s a win-win deal. We get to hang around with a big shot, and you get yourself a group of weirdos you can call friends.”
"Who's 'us'?" Sasuke asked, and didn't have to wait long for an answer.
Suigetsu had guided Sasuke without his knowledge to a large tree where a red-haired woman with glasses and a tall guy with orange (did this group have some sort of hair dye obsession?) who was talking with a bird was sitting. He knew the other two as well.
“Suigetsu! Where the hell have yo–OH HI SASUKE!” Karin yelled his name at an ear-splitting volume it caused him to squint. She was one of the girls who followed him around, but she was strange about it. When Sasuke would catch her she would act all pissed off at him and pretend she hated him. Karin had even thrown a rock at him once, which he had thankfully dodged.
“Karin, shut the hell up or you’ll scare him off.” Suigetsu admonished bitterly, dumping his bag down in her lap without a care. Outraged, she pelted it almost five metres away and glared at him.
Suigetsu looked as if he had been mortally wounded, “HEY! My laptop's in there!”
“Serves you right for being a jerk!” She stuck her tongue out at him, which he returned with a single, middle finger salute. Karin then turned her gaze back to Sasuke, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling at him.
“Don’t mind him, Sasuke. He’s an idiot.”
“Hey! I heard that! Fucking hag.” Suigetsu’s voice was faint from the distance as he had gone to retrieve his bag.
“Hey, Sasuke.” Juugo gave him a friendly smile and Sasuke nodded at him. Juugo was in some of his classes as well, though he tended not to stick out as much as Suigetsu, even though they were friends. Juugo was a quiet soul, one that Sasuke partly envied for having such peace with the world. He was someone Sasuke didn’t tire of being around as well.
“Are they always like that?” Sasuke had set his own bag down and was sitting next to Juugo, who was still stroking the feathers of a bird perched on his shoulder.
“Yeah, pretty much. But it’s only because they like each other so much.” Juugo said the words simply, as if Karin had not been sitting three steps away from him, still yelling at and teasing Suigetsu from a distance.
“Makes sense.” Sasuke nodded, because he had to agree. All that fighting was rather pointless at times. There had to be more to it than they let show. But Sasuke wouldn’t pry, because he knew what it was like to be uncertain about your romantic life.
“So Sasuke, what do you say? Do you accept our proposal?” Looking up he saw Suigetsu standing above him, having laid his bag down next to Juugo-all while giving Karin the evil eye.
Looking at the three of them, Sasuke was almost certain he was sitting with the oddest people in the whole of Konoha University. But that said enough in itself, because usually he’d be sitting alone. And he had had enough of sitting alone.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat something.” And with that he stood up and they all understood, gathering their things and they all walked off together as new and very unlikely friends.
*
Though Sasuke did indulge himself in his newfound sexuality, he had yet to have sex with any man. He would never admit that it actually meant more to him than he ever let on. He acted like he didn't care, and that was sometimes true. But matters of his heart, he was more sensitive about than anyone would ever predict. Especially since Sasuke was sure what he wanted, now. His first time with a man was something he wanted to look back on and remember as a true time of love and liberation. If he ever were to fall in love, that was.
Inside the Uchiha household however, Sasuke was the same person he was when he left high school: assumedly straight and waiting for the right woman to come along and catch his eye. His parents didn’t have the slightest inkling into what his true feelings regarding females were, and he planned to keep it that way. Not for the fear of rejection, Sasuke was more than ready to accept his parents may not feel as positive about this as he was. Rather, it was more out of consideration for them. If he was careful and did things just in the right way, he could ease them into it. It was a big shock after all, and he wanted to make sure when he came out it was on his terms, not on anyone else’s.
That was, until one Friday afternoon when Sasuke had thought his parents would be out of the house until eleven and had invited over one of the guys from his class. Sasuke had had his eye on him for a while, and vice versa-apparently. What a shock it was to Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha to arrive home early and discover their youngest son making out and grinding up against a complete stranger. A stranger who was not the desired gender his parents may have approved of. After the awkward and hasty departure of his fellow classmate, Sasuke cleaned himself up, sat his parents down, and told them the truth.
“I’m attracted to men. Father, mother: I'm gay.”
It was not exactly the coming out speech he had imagined himself saying, but it wasn’t like he could take back the act of making out with a guy on his bed. He refused the whole concept of “confusion” and “experimenting”. Sasuke knew he who he was, and he was proud of whom he was. There was no doubt in his mind that this was who he was supposed to be. And he wasn’t about to deny that for the sake of his parents, despite his deep love for them.
His mother cried. She sat in the seat across from Sasuke and balled into her hands, covering her face and smearing her daily application of make-up. Every sob was like a stab wound to his heart, and Sasuke had to find the self-resolve within him to refuse comfort to her. It wasn’t as if she was crying over the death of a friend, or a bad TV soap opera. This was his sexuality, this was something he couldn't change about himself. And he didn't want to.
“Where did I go wrong? My beautiful boy, what have we done to you?” Mascara ran down her cheeks guided by her tears, her eyes red and puffy. The same dark, deep onyx orbs that Sasuke’s were.
Whilst his mother was a wreck, his father sat, silent and unmoving. A face like smooth marble, so hard, so cold, and so very strong stared at Sasuke. An occasional blink and that was it. Large hands were clasped together in front of him, his fingers linked together. Not a word was spoken. None were needed to convey what he truly felt. Sasuke could see it all plainly in his eyes. Disappointment. Frustration. Shame. It was as if Sasuke was an employee who had committed a grievous wrong, having failed to his job properly, and his boss was staring him down just before he fired him and demanded his exit immediately.
Only one other family member was missing, the one Sasuke would have counted on if he were here. But Itachi had more important matters to attend to than family issues. He had abandoned that life long ago, and he hadn’t looked back. Though Sasuke was the only one Itachi bothered keeping in contact with, he hadn’t heard from his older brother in a month. Itachi wasn’t there to save him this time. He was fighting his own battles now. He had to be his own saviour.
Things went on normally for a week after the outing. Of course, there was a distinct tenseness in the air that surrounded the Uchiha family, with each of them hardly making conversation and talking only when necessary. But the Uchihas were people of few words regardless, so it wasn’t that different. Sasuke could feel it though. He could feel their stares burning through his back whenever he would leave to go out, the judgement and disapproval oozing out of them unashamedly. No more did Sasuke bring anyone back home, the underlying message it was not to happen again crystal clear. Which was fair enough, since it was their house after all. So instead Sasuke went out to them, which his parents couldn’t do a thing about. Even though he was undoubtedly their loyal son, they couldn’t control him anymore than they could control fire. He was unpredictable and irrepressible, following the blaze wherever it took him.
*
Sometimes things happen for a reason, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they’re purely coincidental or expectantly accidental. Signing a piece of paper was a well-known routine Sasuke had well practised at this point in his life, so when his parents sat him down and explained they needed a form signed with the entire family’s signature as soon as was humanly possible, he signed the form without hesitation. And also without proper perusal of its contents, something any young person would do. This very careless action is what led to his current situation of displacement, as he now sat in a padded room. With eyes swarming all over him, taking in every inch of his body as if he was diseased.
It had been an ordinary day. Sasuke had caught the bus to the university around midday, as that was when his Wednesday classes started. He had attended those classes, studied for an hour with Juugo in the library, then got back home at around five o’clock. But his parents weren’t waiting for him, strange men dressed in white were. He was told he was to come with them and to do so without complaint. Of course, that was impossible for Sasuke, and he demanded to know the whereabouts of his parents.
“We cannot disclose that information to you as of yet. Please just come along with us without force and make things easier for yourself.” One of the two extremely muscled and very tall men answered him.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and shrugged off their arms as they tried to take a hold of him, “Let go of me! Where is my father? And my mother? What have you done with them!? Just what is going on here–!”
A rag was shoved over his face and arms grabbed around his waist holding him still. Sasuke struggled against the men, using all the strength he had to try and escape their clutches. But soon enough, drowsiness swept over him and his eyelids grew heavy. Eventually, they slipped closed and he felt like he was floating, eventually losing his consciousness. When he next awoke he was lying on a bed in a bedroom. It was almost like a hospital room, but it was a touch less homely, much more sterile. His eyes fell first though to his parents, his mother sitting on the end of his bed and his father a distant presence in the doorway.
Immediately he questioned them, told them of the mysterious men, and was shushed by his mother as she began to explain. It seemed that his mother and father had taken it upon themselves to decide what was best for Sasuke, and the answer to that lay in his sexuality. He was to undergo "special treatment", treatment that would make him feel better and possibly even cure him of this "disease" he had.
“We’re doing this for your own good, Sasuke.” His father made sure to add in his two cents worth, stern gaze fixed on Sasuke with enough power to will a lion to sleep.
“One day you’ll thank us for this sweetheart. I promise.” His mother combed her fingers through his hair, tears in her eyes as she smiled sadly at him.
Sasuke hadn’t said a word more after their confession. He just stared down at his bedspread numbly, and when they had to leave he did not bid them goodbye. That night no sessions were held, it was too late. So Sasuke was confined to his room, where in his utter solitude he unashamedly cried. But he also made a vow. He would not give in to this man and whatever sick techniques he had in mind for him. He would not give up who he was, not for anyone. Not when he had just finally figured it out.
His fire blazed inside him, and wasn’t going out anytime soon.
*
A man named Kabuto arrived at his room the next morning, a fake smile on his face as he offered to escort Sasuke down to meet the man who would "save" him. Orochimaru was a disgusting man. From the first moment he laid eyes on him Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine and his insides clenched defensively, on the alert for any attack.
“Good afternoon, Sasuke. Shall we begin?”
He was seated in front of a large screen TV, where his forehead was strapped to the headrest and his arms were strapped down to the arms of the chair. Images of two men kissing passionately, clothes and on a bed together then flickered to life, filling the screen before his eyes. Their lips collided together. Pushing, sucking, smacking. Their bodies rubbed against each other so heatedly and erratically it looked as if they were fighting. Arousal gripped Sasuke quickly, his hardness starting to make his pants uncomfortable. Orochimaru chuckled in the background. Sasuke didn't need to look at him to sense the sinister smirk tilting his lips in a warped sense of pleasure.
“No, my boy. You mustn’t get excited. This should cool you off.”
Before he could blink he felt his arm being harshly grabbed and a needle was then plunged into the soft, pale skin of his forearm. Biting down on his lip, he swallowed down the scream that so desperately wanted to escape. As much as he tried to resist, a violent shudder took hold of his body, hands curling into fists as the liquid continued flowing straight into his veins. All he felt was pain, mind-numbing and excruciating.
And then it stopped, and his body slumped lower in relief. A pungent sense of nausea began to well up inside him, his body jerking forward in dry wretches as the image of the two men kissing stayed plastered on the big screen. He tried his best not to look at them, but it was difficult while being fastened to the seat. His head hung low as Kabuto rushed in and began to clean up the wound, providing pain killers while the image of a man and woman kissing appeared on the screen. Their hands were everywhere, all over each other. It looked as if they were trying to eat each other’s faces, actually.
He wouldn’t give in. He wouldn’t give up.
His fire was still burning brightly.
*
Orochimaru was cruel, crueller than all the other doctors were put together. They both knew that, and yet Sasuke didn’t say a thing about it. Because admitting that would mean he was admitting Orochimaru was getting to him, and he wasn’t. He wouldn’t let Orochimaru win this game. Sasuke would hold on until the very end, never yielding right up to the moment where he held triumph in his hand. A white-walled room surrounded him, the black security cameras stark in contrast and drawing in more attention than was needed. He sat in a chair opposite Orochimaru, the old snake leering at him. It countered Sasuke’s calm visage, face blank and eyes staring unblinkingly ahead.
“I’m going to show you some pictures. You tell me ‘yes’ for the ones you like, and ‘no’ for the ones you don’t. Do you understand?” That mocking voice gave out the commands as if there was a second option. Sasuke was not fooled. A nod was his only answer, and Orochimaru practically emanated excitement as he shuffled and reshuffled the pictures in his hands, more out of eagerness than a nervous tick. As if Orochimaru could ever be anxious.
“Okay, let’s begin.”
A picture was then laid in front of him across the table. It showed a young woman, wild ginger hair pooling around her shoulders, a sultry expression on her face and a lustful look in her eyes that stared straight at him. She wore a strapless white silk negligée, accentuating her breasts and flowing out underneath her to stop at the top of her thighs. A pool table stood beneath her, which she so shamelessly splayed herself upon. Her legs were wrapped around a cue stick, her body leaning into it in a provocative manner that clearly stated 'all are welcome'.
“No.”
He swore he heard Orochimaru snicker, “I’m sorry, but it looks like you’re wrong Sasuke.”
Raising a hand, Orochimaru left it in mid-air for exactly five seconds before bringing it down and then an electric shock shot through Sasuke’s groin, and persisted for one minute. Clenched hands shook violently on the white table, his body twisting and writhing, searching for a position in which he would find some sort of relief. Even if it was only for a second it would be enough. But there was nothing, only pain.
And then it stopped, and Sasuke inhaled deeply through his nose so as not to let out any verbal sounds of appreciation of the release.
“Let’s move on to next one, shall we?”
Only after getting his breathing under control did Sasuke grace Orochimaru with an answer in the affirmative. This of course pleased the filthy snake, whose yellow eyes glinted with keenness and hunger. Another picture was placed in front of him, this time it was a male. He was standing in front of a shower, seemingly having just gotten out of it. Water droplets were rolling down his toned, muscled body. Brown hair was tousled and wet, yet looking unintentionally amatory stuck to his forehead, his fringe falling over his eyes which he glanced up through. A hand was in the midst of sweeping through it, elbow bent and fingers weaving though brunette locks. He stared at Sasuke, lips drawn together but just begging to be kissed. His chest was bare and well-built, rivulets of water dripping down it. A towel clung to his hips, which tapered down to strong, solid legs.
“Yes.”
A click of the tongue greeted his answer, and he had great trouble from rolling his eyes or making an expression. He kept his face expressionless, unable to be deciphered by anyone. Well, perhaps one person. But Itachi was not here. He was alone. And he would not be beaten.
“Oh, how unfortunate. Incorrect again.”
Orochimaru gave the signal once more and mind-splitting pain racked his body, as once again his lower regions were shocked aggressively. His eyes squeezed shut and he gritted his teeth, pleading with his mind to focus on something else. To try and trick himself into thinking this was not real. But the sheer unadulterated pain flooded his senses, making him unable to ignore it.
His was still burning, but perhaps not as brightly or brilliantly as it once had.
*
Feelings of loneliness encapsulated Sasuke constantly. He wasn’t allowed to go back home after a day of sessions, as he was to stay at the treatment centre all the time. Though he was allowed to walk freely around the centre when he wasn’t being treated, Sasuke still felt a distinct sense of isolation he hadn’t ever felt before. On the weekends the centre allowed parents to come and visit their children, and have a signed slip permitting them an exit from the place for a few hours to visit home. But that was what it was strictly limited to. No out-of-town trips. No shopping in the local mall. Not even going over to a friend’s house. However, Sasuke's parents only visited him inside the centre. They didn’t choose or ask to take Sasuke home once. And Sasuke didn’t bring it up. If they didn’t want him around then that was their choice, and as much as he resented it he would respect it. They came and went irregularly, sometimes they would come three weekends in a row, and then they wouldn’t come back for another two. It bothered Sasuke more than he’d like to admit. Like they weren't toying with his mind enough already.
Sometimes, Sasuke would come across other patients in the centre. Some would merely look at him and continue walking, or go back to eating, or staring into space. Others were livelier, attempting constant escape runs from the centre and screaming for their freedom and their rights. Those ones were always caught. Shot with a tranquiliser and put to rest in their room, locked up for a day. That was why it was less hassle to just not do anything. To do nothing but sit and wait for the day they would all be released from this hell.
In the beginning, Sasuke had tried countless times to escape. He would stay awake all night devising plans to leave this place. Each one he enacted, each one he failed. No matter what alterations or precautions he made in his plans, all were foiled. Each time he was dragged back to his cell and locked up for a day. Eventually the plans began to stop, and Sasuke started to use the nights to sleep again. Because he was so, so exhausted.
Sasuke had currently been there for two months and seventeen days. He wondered how much longer he’d have to keep marking off the days, and changing the month of his calendar. It was endless, and never-ending.
His fire was flickering, the flames licking around the sides of his mind, struggling to keep on burning.
*
Another day, and another session. Sasuke was strapped into a chair facing the big television once again. There were restraints around his ankles, his knees, his wrists and his forearms. As well as the regular one around his forehead. They were familiar with Sasuke's vicious escape attempts at this point, and had learnt to take appropriate precautions during one of his sessions. Orochimaru hadn’t said much, the routine well established by now. Sasuke sat in the chair silently, and Orochimaru went off into the small room accompanied by Kabuto.
A video then started playing on the big screen in front of him. Heavy breathing and grunting were heard as the camera slowed panned from blackness to a bedroom, a shot of a bed and two men together on it. One of them was on his knees, head hung low and ass pointing straight up into the air.
"Ohhhh…hhnnngh…p-please…" his voice dripped with raw desire and need, thighs quivering with the anticipation.
"Fuck, you look so good right now. All spread out and open, just waiting for my cock." The man kneeling behind the first one pressed every inch of his body up against the other male, causing the both of them to let out guttural moans. Despite how much he tried to remain unaffected, Sasuke grew aroused.
All of a sudden a foul stench filled the air, and Sasuke tried to raise a hand to cover his nose. The harsh restraints quickly made themselves known again however, and Sasuke let out a breath of frustration. The smell was disgusting, something horrid enough to make one want to vomit. It was as if someone had sprayed urine all over the walls of the room and left it to linger for days and days on end. Combined with a stench like rotten eggs, and raw meat, the odour was all consuming. Sasuke felt like he couldn’t breathe, every breath he drew in seemed to make the stink stronger, and on and on it lingered in the room. He couldn’t hold back the dry wretches jerking his body forward, his throat constricting and stomach tightening as if preparing for the vomit to empty itself onto the floor. It had happened before.
And then the scene changed. A woman and a man lay entwined together on a bed, the man looming over her while pounding her into the mattress. Wanton screams ripped from her mouth, as she rolled her hips and searched for more contact, hands scraping down his back leaving red marks in their wake.
“Fuck yeah, girl. You’re so friggin’ tight.” The man growled out, angling his hips for a better angle and thrusting in hard and fast.
“Unngghhh…yes...! Ohhh…” Throwing her head back, the woman wrapped her legs even tighter around the man, sweat glistening on her body giving it a shiny appearance.
The smell was gone, eradicated completely. Inhaling deeply, Sasuke relished in the pure air entering his nostrils. He attempted to keep his eyes closed, but for some reason they couldn’t keep from flickering open and being faced again with the footage still playing on the big screen. His head fell back as he got his breathing under control.
And then it began all over again. Another piece of footage played depicting two males; one standing and the other on his knees. A feeling of dread welled up inside Sasuke, slight panic at the thought the horrid smell would return again. He didn’t want to not be able to breathe again. His heart pounded against his ribcage and he desperately tried not to let his growing arousal show. But once he saw his lower regions begin to stir, his chest tightened in dread. Orochimaru would see it. He always saw everything, never missing any action Sasuke’s body decided to take.
Soon the noxious odour began to fragrance the room once more, and Sasuke shut his eyes tightly. But it didn’t stop the spread of the smell, and all too soon it overwhelmed him again. He needed to control his bodily impulses. He needed to be able to breathe.
His fire was nearly extinguished, only a few sparks left that continued to soldier on.
*
The day began. Sasuke got out of bed, got dressed and ate a light breakfast. He was then escorted down to his session with Orochimaru by Kabuto. Sasuke sat down in the white-walled room, and Orochimaru played the picture game with him.
A woman with lustrous ebony hair that flowed all the way down to her hips smiled seductively up at him. She had her thumb caught between her teeth, biting down on it while her brown eyes gleamed up at him. She wore a very revealing brassiere that left not much to the imagination. Her form was slender and soft, and looked smooth.
“Yes.” Sasuke answered immediately, eye fixated on the image until Orochimaru took it away.
Then a picture of a man was put in front of him. His head was completely shaved, but it suited him better than actual hair would. He wore a dirty t-shirt covered by even dirtier overalls, one strap pulled down and his t-shirt ripped to expose a muscled chest. He held a screwdriver in his hands, and was bent over a car and seemingly checking it’s oil levels. But his gaze was directed straight at Sasuke, smouldering and zealous.
“No.” Sasuke said immediately and without hesitation.
Orochimaru smiled.
The electroconvulsive therapy was never used on Sasuke again.
A week later he went to the room where the big screen television was. He sat down in his usual seat, his usual restraints all secured into place. Footage of two guys having sex was played on the screen before him. The entire time Sasuke kept a stoic countenance, as if he was bored by the entire situation.
Then, new footage showed up on the screen, this time of a man and a woman. The woman rode on the man’s cock, hair falling about her shoulders messily as she bobbed up and down, gasps and moans emitting from her constantly. The man gripped her hips with such ferocity that bruising could already be seen starting to form. His thighs trapped her delicate form between his legs, leaving no escape even if she wanted to. Sasuke felt his arousal begin to stir, and soon the footage flicked off.
No foul-smelling odour filled the room this time.
The same session was carried out three days later, this time with a tray of needles lying on a table beside Sasuke as he sat and watched. And yet again, they were untouched and not needed once. At the end of the session Sasuke was led back to his room, where he stayed until he was called for dinner.
His fire had finally gone out.
*
After five months of intensive therapy, Sasuke was finally allowed to stop his sessions with Orochimaru.
Upon his release his mother embraced him, arms encircling around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder, the tears soaking into his shirt, "I’m so happy to see you, Sasuke. I missed you so much.”
His own arms raised and wrapped around her body, holding her close as he inhaled the familiar and nostalgic smell that was his mother. He tried to tell her with his body how he too had missed her, how he had thought of her so much, longed for one of her hugs or even just a smile. But she seemed to understand, because she gave a watery laugh into his shoulder as he hugged her tighter and pulled back a little, smiling up at her son.
“I know, sweetie, I know.”
He gave her a small smile and let her go, stepping back to look over at his father. He was standing tall and proud, as always. His face never lost it hardness and blankness, concealing away all traces of subjective emotion. No, it was in his eyes that Sasuke and his father communicated. At this moment, his father was looking at him with an emotion Sasuke only saw on the rarest occasions. Pride.
“Sasuke, we’re glad to have you back son.” Stepping forward his father did the most unexpected and hugged Sasuke. It was not like a hug from his mother. It was not warm, or soft, or even all that long. But it was comforting, and made Sasuke feel a strength inside himself he hadn’t felt from his father for a long time. He hugged back, and when they pulled away gave his father a curt nod, which was returned to him.
Orochimaru and Kabuto appeared at the doorway as well, to collect the last fee for Sasuke’s treatment in cash. Reaching into his pocket, Fugaku pulled out a fine leather wallet and extricated 80,000 Yen precisely, the cost for a daily session with Orochimaru. Extending a pale hand, Orochimaru claimed the money and counted it right then and there, as if he expected to be cheated right at the last. Although he was apparently satisfied since he handed the money to Kabuto, instructing him to deposit it straight away.
“Your son has responded well to the treatment. Though he was incredibly resilient, perhaps the most difficult client I have had. However, I was able to eliminate the illness completely. Sasuke is completely healthy now, in both mind and body.” Smiling at Fugaku and Mikoto, Orochimaru then slid his eyes to Sasuke, who was looking out at the garden with interest. The outside world had been limited to him for such a long time. Still, it was a sacrifice that paid off in the end. At last, Sasuke was back on the right path again.
Sasuke Uchiha was undeniably and irrefutably straight. The person he thought he was was only an illusion, something conjured up by his mentally ill mind to ruin and destroy his life. All his previous encounters with men were disgusting and wrong, a tragic by-product of his illness that had been completely and utterly eradicated. He couldn’t believe he actually allowed himself to commit such repulsive acts in the comfort of his own home.
“A shame about his muteness though. It is very unfortunate side effect.” Orochimaru murmured, and three pairs of eyes looked to Sasuke. He didn’t even notice, too distracted with the feeling of warm sun on his skin and clouds in the sky.
For some reason he had lost the ability to speak. Orochimaru had told him that the effect of the drugs they had administered on Sasuke may have caused this inability to speak. Sasuke couldn’t remember why he could no longer speak, he just knew he couldn’t. So now he was a mute. However not even that could hold him back. Sasuke was going to go back to university and gain his degree. He would probably need an extra year due to his long leave of absence, but that was inconsequential. He would graduate at the top of his class, and then officially begin to work for his father. Serving under the Uchiha name with pride. And he would do it all with his muteness, because a mere disability would never be enough to discourage him from achieving his goals.
“Come, Sasuke. We’re leaving now.” Turning his head at his father’s voice, he looked into the faces of his parents, then back at the treatment centre. His mother stepped closer and tucked one of her arms around his, gently pulling him forward.
“Let’s go home, sweetheart.” She smiled at him. His father stopped just a few steps away looking back at them. Finally, Sasuke looked back to Orochimaru and Kabuto, who were both smiling and waving goodbye. Sasuke did nothing, and turned back around, allowing his mother to lead him off to the car.
Now, he was truly heading towards the life of his dreams.