Inspired somehow by the song "Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: It was pointed out to me by Narlithe, that this story bears frightening similarities to the doujinshi, "Shikisokuzeku 2." This story was not based on the doujinshi because I was unaware of it, but it is eerily similar so I wanted people to be aware that someone else had a very similar idea before I did. (Although the doujinshi is far less hardcore… Sasuke has no piercings and isn't a sex slave.) Link, remove spaces and *: h*t*t*p :/ www. fakku. n*e*t /doujinshi/shikisokuzeku-2-english

…

Anyway, I have MOVED this story COMPLETELY to another site. You can find this STORY and all its subsequent UPDATES here, just remove the spaces and asterisks (*): h*t*t*p :/ archiveofourown. o*r*g /works/1198764

I have the same penname there as I do here: ParadiseAvenger

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News of Uchiha Itachi's death came like a gust of wind. It was violent for all its suddenness—demolishing everything in its wake with hurricane force, sweeping aside any and all thoughts like dry leaves, shattering the calm peace of summer in the sudden storm. But then, like any gust of wind, it passed on and over. Stillness fell in behind it and in the wake of that stillness, there was only relief.

Uchiha Itachi was dead. The threat of his existence had been nullified. There was no more fear that he would return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and take more from them. There was no fear for his secrets or his techniques. He was gone. There was only relief and then rebuilding, just as many were apt to do after a sudden and violent gale of wind.

After the trees were righted and the fallen electricity was restored in the wake of the squall that was Uchiha Itachi's death, only one thing became clear.

"He's not coming back, is he?"

Uzumaki Naruto turned to look at the young woman who had spoken. Haruno Sakura stood at his elbow, her arms folded around her middle as if in pain. Her rosy tresses were scraped back in a bun and her emerald eyes were like jewels. She was thin, having lost weight between worrying and waiting for him to return.

Naruto held out his hand to her and she stepped beside him, moving into his arms as easily as a bird taking flight. She leaned back against his chest, her small body belying the strength that hid within her. He sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head as he continued to stare out over the village.

Though she did not voice her question again, Naruto answered softly, "I don't know."

"I've been waiting," she said quietly, as if he didn't know and hadn't been waiting as well.

To anyone watching, it would appear as if the two of them were taking turns watching the gates for any sign of his return home. They were like twin statues, twin shadows, up waiting at all hours of the night and day with their eyes focused on the horizon.

"I know," Naruto murmured. "Me too."

"Will you go after him?" Sakura asked. "Will you look for him?"

Even though he knew that question had been coming, it still felt like a blow. How long had it been since he had promised to bring him home? How long had that promise hovered like a storm cloud, heavy and unfulfilled? She wasn't blaming him, but he could still blame himself.

"I don't know," Naruto confessed. "I don't know if I should."

She closed her thin fingers over his wrists, holding him against her back with the closeness only they shared. "Why shouldn't you?" she asked. "Is there a reason?"

"What if he's…?" He couldn't say it—couldn't give power to the horrible words by admitting them aloud.

She shook her head slightly, a few loose tendrils of petal-soft hair brushing her cheeks. "Then we'll bury him… It can't be any harder than this…" Her words hung in the air like thin spider webs.

Would it be better to know the truth—to know if he was dead already? Would it be better to live forever thinking he was still alive, watching the gates for his return? Would it be easier to bury the friend that they both loved in different ways than to continue to wait and feel this painful hope?

"Naruto?" Sakura whispered when he didn't answer for a long time.

The wind howled between then as if imbued with the memory of Uchiha Itachi's death. A few stray papers blew by and there the distant cry of some poor civilian as they lost their homework. The leaves rustled in the trees, branches knocking as softly as death wishing to be let inside. Then, the sudden breeze went still and quiet.

"I'll go," he said finally.

A little shiver went through Sakura's thin body. Her lips parted and he knew she would offer to go with him, to be part of his team, to share the burden that they both had carried for so long, but he didn't want her to say those words. He put his hand gently over her mouth and felt her lips tremble as she swallowed the lexis. Instead, she leaned back against him, letting him hold her up as much as she held him from the brink.

On the horizon, the sun was setting and the wind blew softly.

…

After eating ramen with Sakura, Naruto left that night, departing like a leaf on a stiff breeze—unstoppable and uncontained. He moved through the dark forest for what felt like an eternity, traveling to the distant place where Uchiha Itachi had lost his life. He barely slept or ate and soon he would be as thin as Sakura, even if it made him no less strong.

The wind followed at his heels like a living thing, howling and blowing.

It took two days to travel to the location where Uchiha Itachi's body had been found and the area was unremarkable save for the amount of damage that was spread out like a cancer. There was no mistaking this destructive power. It was too much hate, too much rage, too much… sorrow.

Yes, it had to be him.

No one else could have killed Itachi.

Naruto searched the ruined area. He was unable to find his voice and did not call out his name. In fact, he barely dared to breathe. This place felt desolate and also sacred, like a graveyard, and yet that person couldn't be dead. If he was… someone would have found him. There would have been news of his body, just like Uchiha Itachi. Naruto didn't know what he had hoped to gain by coming here, but there was nothing. The ruin was vast and there were no clues. This place was Itachi's grave, no more and no less.

Followed by the breeze, Naruto moved on. It felt so hopeless to be out here, searching for him like this, but he couldn't bear to go back to Konoha yet. He couldn't see that look on Sakura's face and tell her that there had been nothing. No, he would continue until the bottoms of his shoes were worn to nothing. He followed his feet, aimlessly wandering from town to village to tiny tea shop. Sometimes, he asked if people had seen someone fitting the description of his lost friend.

The answers were always different and yet still the same. "Oh, what a handsome young man… I might have seen someone like that… No, I haven't seen anyone…"

Naruto walked aimlessly through the thick woods, following his feet as if they knew something he didn't. So far, they hadn't brought him anywhere remarkable, but then again he didn't have a better plan. He didn't know where to look. He had no leads, no clues, nothing.

It was as if… he really might have died…

He trailed his fingers over the rough bark of a nearby maple, walking through the canopy of green. The breeze played here, light and soft. He was so tired and the sun was warm on his back. He could just imagine Sakura's voice, scolding him, telling him to rest. He smiled lightly to himself as he sat down at the base of the tree. He sighed, leaning back against the trunk and studying the sprawl of branches overhead. The leaves rustled in the soft breeze and they sounded almost like they were speaking.

"Yeah," Naruto said to no one. "It's a beautiful day."

The wind did not answer in any language he could understand.

Naruto closed his eyes and made himself comfortable against the support of the tree. The sun was warm, the air was scented with distant flowers, and there was nothing else that could be done. Tomorrow, Naruto would begin heading home to Konoha. He wouldn't stay away long enough for Sakura to fear she had lost another friend. For now, though, he would rest and maybe… just a little… maybe…

A single tear slid down his cheek, followed by another, and then another.

…

Naruto wasn't sure what woke him. It wasn't the feeling of someone adjusting his traveling cloak over his body a little better. He was plenty used to Sakura doing that and no longer woke when she did so. It took a moment for his sleep-addled brain to realize that he had taken this trip by himself and that Sakura was all the way back in Konoha. He was alone out here.

With a jolt, Naruto lurched upright, his blue eyes flying open like the wings of a startled bird. It was late in the day, growing cooler, but not yet sunset. How long had he been asleep? But he quickly pushed that thought away. It didn't matter anyway.

He scanned the surroundings quickly and spotted a long row of footprints in the springy grass. They were fresh because the grass was too healthy and thick to remain pressed down for long, but it was rare for a shinobi to leave behind footprints. Had it been a passing civilian or maybe a shinobi who wanted to be found?

Naruto's heart skipped a beat at the thought and he flew to his feet.

He took off after the footprints, following them through the dense forest, hoping against hope. Then, the thick forest cleared, giving way to a sheer cliff-side. The footprints were gone, but it was too late to give up now. Naruto had to know—he had to know for certain! Even if it wasn't… even if it was just a passerby…

He quickly scaled the cliff, scrambling up the jagged rocks with more skill than he had ever possessed. His heart was pounding in his chest, beating against his ribcage with an eagerness that wasn't befitting how he really felt. A tiny sapling had taken root in the middle of the rocky face, growing towards the heavens, and that was how Naruto felt. So many things were counting against this one moment.

It wasn't possible. It was foolish to hope. And yet…

Naruto heaved himself over the rim of the cliff and jumped to his feet gracelessly. Panting, he looked around the plateau and there, in the distance, was a single figure. It was moving away at an unhurried pace, too far to make out accurately.

Naruto took off running, barely able to breathe with his heart in his throat. He drew closer, tiny details rushing through his mind like minnows through dark water. A pale shirt, even paler skin, dark pants and bandages, a crop of wild dark hair, the glint of handsome features, the mark of a red and white fan on his back…

Naruto threw his arms around the figure from behind, the force of his body tackling them both to the dirt. He hung on tightly, fearing he'd be thrown off immediately or the person would disappear into a puff of smoke. Neither of these things happened. There was no fight and the body remained—warm and strong—beneath Naruto's hands. In fact, he only lay there on the ground, inky hair spread out in a fan around his head, dark eyes turned to the side.

For a moment, Naruto couldn't speak. He couldn't believe his luck and happiness took up root in his chest, stronger than any budding sapling on a cliff.

"What are you doing? Let go," came his voice. "Aren't I your enemy?"

Naruto froze, his arms still wrapped tightly around his missing friend.

"Let go," he said again. "I won't run away." His voice was small and there was weakness in it.

Naruto drew back, looking into his face, trying to decide what would make his voice sound like that. Those dark eyes were still looking to the side, as if there was something very interesting in the grass beside his head. But no… it was more than just that. He wouldn't even look at Naruto.

"Sasuke."

His eyes didn't move, still fixed on something in the distance, and it was profoundly disturbing for Naruto. Sasuke had always looked at him, stared right into his eyes as they fought or struggled. Even when Sasuke had sworn never to return to Konoha, he had always looked at Naruto, but now…

"Look at me," Naruto murmured, pressing his hand to Sasuke's face and turning his head so that he would look up at him. Sasuke allowed his head to be turned, but he still didn't move his eyes. "Sasuke?"

"Let go," Sasuke said again. "Or could it be… that you're planning to rape me?"

Naruto released his face as if burned, jolted back, and stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "What?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He continued to lie beneath Naruto, the halves of his white shirt parted to expose his pale chest. Even though it had always been like that, the bared skin suddenly looked lewd and Naruto looked sharply back to Sasuke's face and distant eyes.

"What did you say?" Naruto demanded.

"It's alright," Sasuke said softly. "Go ahead. Rape me… then kill me."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but anything he was thinking was abruptly wiped from his mind when Sasuke's hand ran over the crotch of his orange pants. Despite everything, Naruto's body twitched with interest. It had been a long time since he had—

"Don't!" Naruto protested, grabbing Sasuke's wrist and pulling it sharply away. He tried not to think about how brittle the bones felt under his hand or how easily Sasuke allowed his hand to be pulled aside and pinned to the ground. "Sasuke…?" he whispered.

"You want me, don't you?" Sasuke continued quietly. "It's okay. Take me right here… Rape me and then kill me…"

Something was wrong.

Something was incredibly hideously wrong!

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed out. "What is it? What's happening?"

Sasuke's eyes remained focused on some distant point and Naruto turned his head to look, but they were alone on the plateau. There wasn't even a breeze. The air was so still, so quiet. Naruto looked quickly back into Sasuke's face, but nothing had changed.

"Sasuke?"

"Go ahead," he said again. "You want to so it's fine. Do it."

Naruto had never been delicate. Maybe, if Sakura was with him, she would have had some kind of delicate way to bring Sasuke back to his old self and make him stop spouting this nonsense. But Sakura was not with him. Naruto was alone with Sasuke, his pants getting tighter the longer he looked down at his friend. Uncertain of what else to do, he drew back his fist and punched Sasuke solidly in the face.

The reverberation of the brutal blow hung in the air between them before the wind blew it away. In the wake of the painful strike, Sasuke curled onto his side, pressing his hand lightly over the horrible welt that was developing on his pale face. The sound that escaped Sasuke's lips was like nothing Naruto had ever heard before. It was nearly a sob, almost a whimper, and completely heartbreaking.

"S-Sasuke?" he whispered.

Worried, he reached out to gingerly brush Sasuke's dark hair away so he could see the injury easier, but Sasuke flinched painfully, that sound escaping his lips again. Though he did nothing to stop Naruto's advancement at all, Naruto still stopped dead. His fingers were mere inches from Sasuke's face and then he drew them back.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto whispered again, hesitating.

Sasuke drew his hands away from his face, the hideous welt standing out painfully on such pale skin. "It's nothing," he murmured. "It's alright. Do what you want to me…"

"Why do you keep saying that?"

Sasuke reached for him and Naruto didn't pull away even when Sasuke's fingers folded over the crotch of his pants again. Instead, he held back his feelings of arousal, forcing himself to remain focused on the injury on Sasuke's face and how his voice was so small and how his dark eyes still wouldn't meet Naruto's. For a moment, Sasuke worked his fingers and hands against Naruto, trying to arouse him, but Naruto managed to keep himself in check and soon Sasuke's hands fell.

"You wanted me before," Sasuke murmured.

Naruto gently took Sasuke's shoulders in his hands and held him lightly. "Sasuke, please, tell me what happened. Why are you like this?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Let me go."

"No," Naruto said gently. "It's time for you to come back with me, back to Konoha."

Sasuke flinched, trying to pull away, but Naruto didn't let him. "No," he said. "I can't go back. I can never go back."

"You can," Naruto tried to console him. "Itachi is dead now. You killed him, didn't you?"

Sasuke nodded weakly.

"Then you have no reason to stay away anymore. Tsunade is the Hokage now. She'll do everything she can to pardon you," Naruto tried to explain. "You can come back and become part of Team Seven again. Kakashi misses you. Sakura misses you." He halted, hesitating, but Sasuke still wouldn't look at him. Gingerly, Naruto slid his fingers under Sasuke's chin and tried to get his teammate to meet his eyes. "Sasuke, I miss you."

Sasuke flinched sharply, pulling his head from Naruto's grasp. "You can't miss me… not after everything I've done… not after everything I've become…"

"Become?" Naruto breathed out.

The wind whispered through the silence between them. Sasuke didn't make a sound. Instead, he merely pulled the two halves of his white shirt further apart, letting the material slide halfway down his shoulders. His bare skin was pale and beautiful, smooth and unmarked, and Naruto looked away. Already, the arousal he had tried so hard to keep in check was returning just at the sight of Sasuke's bare flesh.

"Look," Sasuke whispered.

(Nearly 5,000 words of mature content and plot removed. Read on Archive of Our Own.)

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Please read this story in its intended content on the new site, Archive of Our Own.

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