Summary: It is easy to forget the truth; if you play along. SasuNaru/NaruSasu Warning: DEATH

Rosemary mint.

The clean scent was found everywhere in the abounded building and as Sasuke dropped his bag carelessly on the dusty ground, he noticed that even the dust cloud that floated harmless up from the floor smelt of rosemary and mint.

He snorted, crossing his arms tautly across his chest. Glancing and practically hovering through the small but open space, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a slight need to stop the future invasion.

However, he kept going... this scent... reminded him of something.

Or was it someone?

The Uchiha shook his head, forcing himself to remember his self-assigned mission. Cautiously he opened the door at the left end of the supposed hallway. Immediately he grimaced, pulled his hand over his nose and his eyes squinted shut.

The bedroom was small; the only furniture in the room was the full size bed and the ceiling fan. But hanging upside on any and every inch of the ceiling were clusters of rosemary and mint leaves bound together with twine.

Sasuke coughed, the scent was strong, overpoweringly calming. Blinking his eyes a few times to clear his thoughts, he peered into the room.

Cold, lifeless sapphire stared blankly back. Dry cheeks, tear stained, barely moved upwards as Sasuke slowly stepped in front of the motionless Naruto. Clothed in nothing but a thin sheet and an odor stained cotton shirt, the man sat stiffly on the bed, leaning against the off-white walls. The raven haired man held his coughs in his stomach as he gently sat on the edge of the bed. The bed creaked and the paled, ill blond shifted with the movement of the mattress; his eyes never moving from Sasuke.

The last Uchiha placed his rough, cold hand softly on to Naruto's frigid cheek; their eyes not daring to move from one another.

Sasuke waited and Naruto didn't move.

The silence only went on for a short time though; knowing his time was short, Sasuke whispered, "Hey, Naruto... what's wrong?" After a brief pause, he added, "Why are you in this old place?"

A crack in the ice, the blond's lips parted barely in less than a smile. Sasuke lightly grinned, before pushing his forehead against Naruto's. He sighed quietly, the grin still in place as he whispered again, "Naruto? Why here, Naruto?"

The cold eyes shut; Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, pushing back with his own forehead. "I..." His voice creaked before choking. Eventually with a small grunt, Naruto pulled away from the Uchiha's forehead, laying his head down on his shoulder instead.

Sasuke frowned, the crack was closing again. "Hey. N-"

A nearly silent content sigh stopped Sasuke. Naruto snuggled closer, his stiff fingers gently brushing through Sasuke's raven hair. The sigh was soon followed by a slightly more audible, "Stay... as long as you can... Sasuke."

Sasuke froze at hearing the dry voice. Then he moved his hand away from the warming cheek and curled his arms loosely around Naruto's waist, not wanting to find how much skin, muscle, and fat had been lost from the boy. "I... can't stay long." The words tumbled out quietly.

Naruto's eyes tightly squinted and nodded slowly. However, his grip stayed firm.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke laid his head on top of Naruto's and rubbed his cheek into the boy's dull blond hair. Remembering that he was short on time, the youngest Uchiha asked, "Have they been feeding you?"

The fox container didn't move, his voice whispering, "I get food." His arms clutched tensely around Sasuke's neck; as if they could never hold him close enough.

Sasuke continued to rub his cheek against the coarse hair. "Good. Not too many…" He trailed off, not wanting to think about the exactly situation.

Naruto nodded solidly.

Sasuke's arms seemed to loosen.

Naruto squeezed his eyes tighter. "H-how's Itachi?" He managed to hiccup out.

Cold fingers danced down Naruto's back, the room grew silent, and Sasuke's voice sounded ghostly, "Happy."

Naruto choked back a sob as he fell forward on to the white sheets; his crossed arms catching his face. Immediately Naruto's voice echoed off the walls as loud heart wrenching sobs tore from his throat.

Cold rubber hands grabbed his shoulders and tried to yank him back into a sitting position; Naruto struggled. His sobs grew to screams as multiple pairs of gloved hands heaved him on to his back. Leather tightly pinned him down, cutting into his biceps and calves, while a pinch on his arm resulted in cold liquid running through his body like wildfire. In seconds Naruto could feel his eye lids grow heavy. "No…" He muttered, still trying to struggle free.

A warm hand touched his cheek lightly. Naruto glanced in the direction of the hand and barely could focus on the pink hair floating in front of his face. "Naruto, it's okay. It's just you and me."

Naruto moaned in an attempt to make her see, "No…" He wanted to shake his head; he wanted her to see him too. "Sasuke. Sasu-"

"Oh, Naruto." The hand patted his cheek gently. "Sasuke… Sasuke can't come back."

Naruto wanted to scream, but his eyes closed. Sakura's hand moved away from his cheek and began to straighten the sheets covering the boy. His mind curled in the back of his head, begging for anyone to listen. Only there was no one there who could hear him.

Sakura continued to straighten the covers and then kissed Naruto's cheek. Without a word she left, closing and locking the door behind her.

Cold fingers drawing lazy lines through his hair woke Naruto up. The leather straps hung off of the edge of the bed, gently touching the floor. And Sasuke sat in a chair beside the bed with his eyes closed and his fingers drawing designs in Naruto's hair.

"Teme." Naruto greeted hoarsely.

A twitch of the Uchiha's upper lip was followed by a slightly playful, "Dobe." Sasuke's eyes opened and the black orbs seemed to hold Naruto's glance. "They drugged you, didn't they?"

Naruto nodded lightly. His hand reached out and grabbed Sasuke's free hand; entangling their fingers together. Cold flesh squeezed tightly around cool indifference. "Teme. I want to go with you."

Immediately Sasuke pulled away, his face scrunched in anger. "No, Naruto."

Naruto shot up and reached for Sasuke, "I want to be with you!"

"No!" Sasuke stood from his chair and walked towards the door, "You must stay here. This is your home."

"This is no longer my home." Naruto drone desperately.

Sasuke's hand froze on the door knob.

Staring at the youngest Uchiha's back, Naruto whispered, "Even Sakura thinks I have lost my mind. No one believes me."

"What do you expect?" Sasuke growled out, still facing the door. "When you talk to everyone about me?"

Naruto bowed his head, his arms wrapping around his body. "If I died, would you take me?"

At this Sasuke's head did turn, staring at the blond. "Why would you do that?" His voice started to sound ghostly again.

Naruto looked up and watched as Sasuke began to disappear in front of him. "To be with you." He said with a gentle smile.

Sasuke face turned away and he walked through the door.

Bending down, he picked up the bag that lay covered in the dust of rosemary and mint. Sasuke didn't bother to look at Naruto's door that was closing behind him. Instead, he began to walk down the hallway, walking pass people sitting against the cool concrete walls and others walking to their own destinations. Reaching the arch that separated the building from what Sasuke was considering the city, someone began stepping beside him.

Without looking towards the other man, Sasuke grunted lightly, "What?"

"How long do you plan to play ghost?" Itachi's lips barely moved, nevertheless the words fell heavy on Sasuke's ears.

Sasuke glanced expressionlessly at his bother before continuing to move towards where he belonged. Wrapped up in his own thoughts, Sasuke didn't realized, that somewhere along the way, Itachi disappeared.

Opening the door to Naruto's room seemed easier than normal and the feeling that he was invading the room was gone. Sasuke become tense as he stepped towards the bed in which Naruto laid. He stopped short from Naruto's bed and whispered quietly, "Dobe?"

Slowly Naruto's eyes opened and he sat up. An ugly bruise brightly shining around his thin neck. "Teme." He smiled, greeting Sasuke happily.

Sasuke's eyes stared at the bruise before he bowed his head, not daring to look up where the ceiling fan hung. "Oh, Naruto…"

The blond's smile fell and he pulled his knees to his chest. Wrapping his arms around his knees he buried his face into his legs. "I just," he reasoned peacefully, "wanted to be with you."

Cold fingers entangled themselves with Naruto's growing cold hands. Looking up, Naruto locked his stare with Sasuke's and immediately smiled. Sasuke grinned lightly back, "You idiot, I could have waited." Sasuke lugged Naruto off of his bed and to his feet; dragging the boy through the portal and out of the locked room.

Naruto, with a smile, pulled the door shut behind him.

The door opened shortly after, Sakura holding a tray with ramen. "Naruto." She said gently as she looked up from the tray, "I brou-"
relief

She her body solidify and chills went down her back as she found herself eye-leveled with dangling feet. The tray crashed to the ground, ramen splashing around her ankles as she screamed in agony.

-End-

Word length: 1,581
Date: 02/1/20/11