No sound may pass these walls
by splica
Summary: It takes the strongest ANBU to protect Konoha's most dangerous prisoner. And it'll take that same ANBU to get him to really live again. NaruSasu.
Disclaimer: ::Coughs:: I asked, but didn't receive. I also didn't get any money, so please don't sue me?
Rating: PG-13
Author's note: this is my take on what may happen when everything is over.
"Do you know what you're asking of me?"
"Yes, and I won't ask you for anything again as long as you can grant me this."
"You'll have to watch him every moment for the rest of you life."
"I know."
"Things will be different. He might not even recognise you."
"I don't care. I just want to be with him."
Silence.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I've never been surer of anything." He said, donning his mask. "It's the only thing I can do for him now after all..."
Sound was the only thing that reached him here. The soft, gentle swish of the wind as it passed through the wooden beams, the dappled patter of the rain as it fell in ever increasing speed from the sky. The faint sound as it met with the small pond outside.
The sound was his only company. He could hear their footprints, the muted sound of their covered feet as they passed overhead, walking on the rooftop, never passing through the wall. They always stayed on the other side, outside of his confinement area, never entering his prison.
He could still hear them though. The subtle sound of their breath escaping from their lungs and the faint sounds of air rushing back in; the tap of soft flesh against harsh metal, and the scuffling of their shoes as they patrolled outside in the garden.
He'd only ever been in the garden once but he could remember every detail of it. A small pond sat in the middle with a miniature bridge arching across it, flowers spread out around it in an ever increasing spiral. It was a riot of colour in spring, a wonderful sight when the light cascaded over the top of the house to fall onto the miraculous sight.
It made him ache to think he would never see it again.
It made him hurt all the more to think he would never see anything again.
And it made him angry to think that they had done this to him.
"Why did you do it? Why take his sight away?"
"We had to."
"He wasn't going to run away!"
"How could you know that? He's been gone a long time. This was a necessary precaution, for the good of Konoha."
"For the good of Konoha...really?"
He wasn't any different from the others. His feet made the same noise, his breath made the same gentle exhale when he breathed out, he would clamber onto the roof and then stay there for hours at a time before coming back down and sitting just on the other side of the door.
That was the different.
He was so close. There was an obstacle in the way, a solid thing separating the two of them but they could sit so close that he could almost feel the other's heat. Something that he craved so much his fingernails scratched against the wall in desperation, blood running down his hands as the wood bit back at his ferocious attack.
There was a sound, a quiet murmur and then the other was gone and he was alone once more.
It was different, this encounter. He was different and he clung to the hope that the other would come back again. He didn't know why but he craved the other like a drug, like a need that had to be satiated.
He curled up on the cold floor, eyelids falling over useless white eyes and then all was quiet and dark once more.
"Why does he have to stay there?"
"He is a danger to our country." The calm voice replied.
"He can't even see anything!" He yelled, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. "How would he attack? He's...he's..."
"He is a dangerous criminal who must be kept under control. He can have no contact with the outside world. You knew this when you became his Keeper. ANBU, you must uphold the vow you made to Konoha and keep it safe from this monster."
"I will keep him and Konoha safe." He promised; turning and leaving the bright hall.
The room was a small one, in the first few days of being brought there he had managed to feel out around him and uncovered where each of the four walls lay. He was at once both glad that the room spanned only a few feet in each direction, and angry that this one room now made up his entire world. Sometimes, in the dark of night, he would acknowledge only to himself that the room also made him impossibly sad that he would no longer go beyond these walls. His hands had mapped the entirety of the room, feeling out the bundle of cloths that made up his bedding and the low table in the corner. They alone made up the furniture in his room, made all the more sparse by the memories of rooms he had once had before.
Back when he'd been a child there had been toys in abundance, littering the floor, in his wardrobe, sitting against the wall on their own little shelves. He'd had dinosaurs and dragons and robots and...that had been before everything.
After that there'd been books, scrolls and old diaries left behind by his ancestors. His quest for knowledge, his thirst for more, just more and more had driven him beyond obsession and his house had been filled to the brim with the written word. And he'd still craved more.
As he'd grown older he'd added kunai and shuriken and swords, he'd bought weapons from foreign lands and he'd trained in all of them. He'd been a genius, able to create and destroy at such a young age.
He'd grown and grown and then he'd lost the ability to create. He'd become only one capable of destruction. And he had relished in it.
And now...now this room was his penance.
"I don't understand it at all. He just...sits there." His voice was lost and he looked at his ramen with an uninterested look.
"Well he's not going to be all happy is he? He's a prisoner, you have to remember that. He's a criminal and he's dangerous."
"He's not dangerous! He's my friend! And he was yours too, once."
"Yes, but I've accepted the truth." Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of hurting him. Her words still cut when they came. "He's not our friend anymore."
"He is," he replied, his voice shaking. "He always will be."
He hated feeling so weak. His body had grown thin since his time in confinement, his hair was longer and limp against his neck, lifeless like the rest of him.
He never moved much; he simply folded himself down onto the pile of cloths and stayed there, listening. He could pick out the smallest sound in the distance now. He even believed sometimes that he could hear the sound of the villagers, the childish shrieks and the rumblings of many people talking at once. He could hear it and feel it underneath him, vibrating against the wood beneath him. He hoped that what he heard was the truth.
Sometimes, when that person came, he would gather all of his energy and pull himself over to the wall. He'd collapse against it, closing his empty eyes and just feeling the vibrations as the other man moved about in an attempt to get comfortable. The other always seemed to be moving, he could hear the movement of his clothes, the almost silent rustle of cloth brushing against cloth. Then the crinkle of plastic would follow, accompanied by the soft sound of relief.
He always knew then that the ANBU had taken off his mask.
It was forbidden, especially around criminals but the ANBU would do it anyway and he always knew that the other did it for him, to let him know that he wasn't alone. That he had company.
It was strange but just the knowledge that the other was giving that bit of himself...it made everything less lonely. And that meant the world to him in his little room.
"He's stick-thin, and he won't eat. I don't get why he won't eat! He's such a stubborn bastard."
"You need patience," the other chided him. "You need to let him know that it's okay to eat."
"Oh God," he swallowed. "Do you think...do you think he thinks it's poisoned?"
A shrug. "There may be a simpler reason as well."
"Oh yeah, like what?"
"Well, he can't see. I'm sure that makes it harder for him to eat."
"Damn it," a hand came down hard onto the table, making the dishes clash together. "Why does he never ask for help?"
"Because he doesn't know he'll receive it. You have to show him first, show him and then...he'll know."
It was the first time anyone had touched him since...since he'd been captured. Since he'd been bought back to this place in chains by the one person he had ever opened up to.
It felt like he'd been struck by lightening, the touch sent tiny shock waves through him and he jerked his hand away in response, gaining a small gasp for his efforts. He could feel where the food had splashed him, the hot soup soaking through his shirt and burning where it touched the bare flesh of his chest. He held back the wince.
He'd come in when the rain had started, sitting just inside the room with his back to the door for a while to allow for his presence to be recognised. He'd just barely held back from snapping at the other that he could feel his chakra coiling around him but he'd kept silent, waiting to see what the ANBU would do.
They'd stayed like that for a while, him sitting on his pile of clothes and the other man with his back resting against the closed door. The ANBU had moved slowly after a while, and he'd heard the soft clink of porcelain against wood, followed by the clatter of something metallic being dropped onto the table.
A hand had touched his shoulder, feather-light and unimposing, just resting there before moving away. He'd followed the hand, using his own to feel his way over to the small table.
Food had always been brought to the door before, a hand sneaking in to leave the boiling pots by the door before reaching in to snatch it away after again. They always gave a while before coming back but he'd long since lost the ability to track passing time. He'd lost it the same day he'd lost his ability to see the direction of the sun.
Now he listened for the changing weather, the harsh whistle of the wind, the gentle pitter-patter of soft rain or the hard crashing of a downpour, the sudden sound of lightening breaking out in the sky.
He was roused from his thoughts when the hand reached out again, separating his finger out and using it to tap the side of the bowl on the table, and then opening his hand and placing the metal spoon against his palm. His fingers had instinctively clenched around it and he could almost feel the smile the other gave him in response.
The spoon had felt awkward in his hand for a while; it took him a few seconds to get used to the now-unfamiliar feel of it. Another hand had curled around his own, gently guiding it down into the bowl in front of him before bringing it up again. The spoon had never even made it to his mouth before he'd panicked.
He overcame his own fumbling though and was soon after eating with relish. The hand that had patiently been guiding his to the bowl and then to his mouth had long-since dropped away, leaving him to continue on his own.
That night he ate more than he had the whole time he'd been kept in confinement. By the time he was full the food had long-gone cold and his fingers were numb from the tight hold he had on his spoon. The other had remained by his side the entire time, just sitting there quietly, a silent guard ready to step in if needed but trusting him to finish on his own.
It felt...good. And then the other had collected his empty plates and left.
Everything became a lot quieter with his absence.
"He needs new clothes."
"The criminal has already been clothed; he received them upon his return to Konoha. Why do you ask for more?"
"It's been three months since he returned!"
"He did not return."
"He did!" He insisted, "You all just refuse to see it. He's returned and he deserves some better clothes! His are covered in food and...It's just disgusting how you can leave him like that."
"He made his will clear when he stated his intention to destroy our village."
"He...he never..."
"You know all to well what he would have done if he hadn't been stopped."
"I told him I'd take all of his hate and I will; including all of the hate aimed at him. You will give him new clothes or I'll tell everyone what really happened to the Uchiha."
"We...we will think about it."
"Thank you."
The rustle of cloth was what woke him up from a dreamless slumber. He opened his eyes to his sightless world, feeling disorientated for a moment until his instincts kicked in and he felt around with his senses.
He recognised what had woken him, the small tap on the back of his hand indicating his ANBU guard was trying to get his attention. He let his hand be taken in the other's strong one, allowing it to be pulled forward slightly before something was pressed into it.
The cool silken cloth was like water in his hands, hard to grasp and so soft to his fingers. He couldn't tell quite what they were but they felt wonderful and he let the cloth slide over his hands before it was gently taken away again. The feeling of loss was soon replaced by the feeling of confusion as insistent hands began tugging on his clothes, pulling slightly on his sleeve in a determined way.
There was a slight displacement of air and then the other was gone.
He remained in place for a while before bringing his hands up to his top, feeling for the buttons and slowly beginning to slide them through the holes one-by-one. He shrugged and the top fell to the floor in a pile of coarse wool. He bent slightly, tucking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants before pulling them down too, feeling a slight moment of satisfaction when he heard the small sound of the clothes landing on another. Good riddance.
He stood there, shivering in the cold, naked except for his underwear. His thin body could not keep his temperature up and he feared for a moment that he had been left in this state, a strange feeling of despair filling him at his vulnerable position. He took a step back, his hand reaching downwards to locate his clothes when a soft touch on his arm stopped him.
A hand batted his aside gently before moving to his head and tipping it up slightly. The ANBU, for it had to be him, no other had touched him and he would recognise the other's touch, so different yet so strangely familiar.
A delicate touch on his arm and then water was running down his body. He jerked at the sudden feeling but the other soothed him, softly passing a sponge across his body, lathering him up in soap before pouring the warm water over him again. The other tended to him so patiently, not leaving one piece of his skin unclean. When he'd finished the air around him warmed until he was once again dry. He was sure it was chakra, a jutsu that caused the air to waft over him with a gentle heat, taking the wet droplets away from his skin. The air died down and then the cold came back again.
Hands moved his arms until they hung in the air, out to his side. Silken cloth slid over his skin, pulled over his arms before being smoothed out again. Arms curled around his waist, pulling the sides together and tying them together at the front.
The coolness followed by the fierce heat of another's body made his own ache in response and he could feel the light shivers building up until he was shaking in the other's hold.
There was stillness and then the shivers finally ceased as the heat of the other finally reached his core. It was so lovely that he wanted time to stop for a moment; he wanted to savour this feeling. The feeling of another human being, one so close that they were almost touching skin-to-skin, only separated by the thinnest of materials.
The body moved away after a while, and the next he felt was a hand nudging at his foot. He lifted it and felt the silken cloth move up his leg. Another nudge and he placed his first foot to the ground and lifted the other, the cloth moving up his legs until it sat low on his hips.
The other stood and hands went around his waist, tying the drawstring together until the cloth rested comfortably against his hips. He made no move to help, just stood as still as possible, allowing the other to move his body as he wished. He was a marionette, turned this way and that until the clothes sat against his skin in a silken shroud. They felt so decadent when compared to the scratchy wool he had been given before. So smooth against his skin, but the material was so thin that the cold already began to seep through him, cooling his blood.
Something heavy fell across his shoulders then and his hands went out instinctively to grasp it, pulling it across his body and falling into the warmth it brought.
He was clean, he was clothed and he was warm. It was more than he had had in a while and he felt the gratitude welling up inside him to the other man. He turned, reaching out to touch the other but all he felt was empty air. The other had gone.
"I don't know what else I can do."
"He's your comrade isn't he? Your friend? Are you really going to give up so soon?"
"No! I'll never give up on him!"
"Then you'll just have to think of other ways you can do something. Be creative, you always were good at doing that. I know you can do this, I know you can get through to him."
"What if...what if I can't? I couldn't bear it if he stayed like that. He doesn't do anything...he doesn't smile, or laugh or even give me that damned smirk of his. He just...he just sits there and his eyes..." A hand struck his face, twisting it around and he lifted a hand to his stinging skin.
"Don't you dare give up on your hope. You're the only one left and he needs you."
"I...I promised him. I'll never give up on him."
"Good...now go get me some more ramen."
There was silence. Everything was still and he sat within it, missing something that he couldn't quite work out. The other had been gone for a while now; he hadn't felt his presence in days. There was still the scuttling of the other ANBU as they crossed over the walls, the rustle of their footsteps as they walked through the grass outside, the muted plop when they got bored and began to throw stones into the small pool.
He would have given up on this existence ages ago if he'd had the will to. He could have easily stopped himself from breathing, or wrapped a rope around his throat, or even just stepped outside the walls and allowed the ANBU to do it for him.
He'd done none of those things because it would have pleased them to see his broken body. He was broken now but he would keep going out of spite if he had to. The hatred he felt for them coiled around him, pulsing in time with his breath and filling his small space with more darkness. The only ray of light that entered came when the ANBU, that special ANBU, came into his room and disturbed his hatred. He was a distraction, but he was a distraction that he couldn't help but want.
He hadn't come back though, and he could feel the hatred eating away at him, the despair spiralling away from his control until he was falling into the pit of darkness and he could no longer see the light. Maybe he didn't deserve light anymore.
Maybe all the existed for him now was darkness.
"How dare you send me on that mission! I was away for three weeks; you said a day or two at most!"
"Now, now, calm down a little."
"How can I? He...they told me he hasn't been eating much and...he could've died you bastards!"
"This is for the good of Konoha."
"Do you want him to die? Is that it? Well screw you, I'm going to make him live! I'm going to save him!"
"As long as you do not forget your mission to Konoha comes first."
A bitter laugh, "How could I forget that? I love Konoha, it's my home, it's where my friends are, but...but I love him too and if you force me to choose between them I'll never forgive you."
"Your feelings for the prisoner are a concern."
"Well you can't do a damned thing about that! And...neither can I..."
He knew it as soon as the other returned. He could feel it like small vibrations running across his skin alerting him to the other's presence. He sent out his senses, letting them run over that familiar chakra and feeling a rush of emotions run through him.
Anger, despair, hate, affection, care, hope...
The other came through the door silently, his soft footsteps making no sound as he crossed the threshold and came over to his side.
He felt the other with all of his being, standing next to him, a hand came to lay gently his shoulder and it squeezed just slightly. The ANBU didn't even have to do anything; he forgave him the moment he entered the darkness.
There was a rustle of clothing as the other moved to kneel behind him. The hand reached out again, this time resting in his head for a moment before moving again, pulling slightly on the tangles in his hair. There was a soft sigh of apology before the other picked up a long inky black strand.
He sat there as still as he could manage whilst gentle fingers wove through his hair, teasing apart each stubborn stand, separating the tangles before gliding a brush through it. They were soothing motions, the soft bristles massaging his scalp, the small tugs as his hair was gently parted then patted down.
They remained like that for a while, following through the same motions of separating the strands before slowly passing the brush through it and then smoothing it down with the palm of his hand.
When it was all over he heard the small clip as the brush was placed on the floor. The next thing to come to his ears was a snip and then some of the weight on his head was gone.
Another snip and the weight decreased more. The other would finger a stand of hair before gently lifting it away from his head and cutting it away.
He wasn't sure how much his hair had grown. He had no way of seeing his own reflection but he could feel it resting just past his shoulders. With no brush it had been an effort each morning to detangle the strands and so he had left it, glad for once that he couldn't see what he had turned into.
A strange warmth filled him at the idea that his ANBU cared so much to go through the effort of cutting his hair for him. It spread through his body, slowly reaching his heart and driving away some of the darkness.
He basked in it, the attention; the ray of light that rested on him as the other finally put down his scissors and used his fingers to massage his head. He'd never felt so loved before and it gave him the strength to do something he hadn't done since his confinement. It made him brave enough to risk even the punishment such an action might bring. He spoke.
"Why...why do you go so far?" His voice was stiff, and rusty from disuse. Just those few words caused his throat to seize up and he coughed afterwards, not stopping until cool, soothing water began to trickle down his throat.
There was no reply. The other just squeezed his shoulder gently again before leaving.
For some reason, even when the other's presence faded from his senses, he still didn't feel quite so alone. A hand reached up and patted his own head, feeling out where his hair ended, relishing the soft, clean feeling. He felt so light, like he could fly away from all this.
It was...incredible.
"You won't believe it but he spoke! He actually spoke to me!"
"Doesn't that break his confinement rules?"
"I don't care, I just...he spoke to me! Can you believe it? It was...amazing."
"Is that all you came here to say?"
"No, I need your help. I want you make this for me," he brought out the drawing and placed it before the other man.
A raised eyebrow before the other reluctantly nodded. "Ah, how bothersome."
There was no long wait this time. The time still passed, moving forward in a sluggish motion but he knew that it could have only been a few days. Rain had come and gone and this morning he'd felt the warmth from the sun creeping through the slits, stealing across the room and falling across his bedding. He'd moved; crawling across the room and folding himself down next to the wall, letting it seep into him.
He'd been in that strange realm of almost-sleep, his eyelids closed and his body simply resting when he felt the first small touch.
He stayed still, feeling the touch retreat before it came back, just as softly. A finger reaching out to trace down his cheek, following the course down to his lips; it paused there, just resting against his bottom lip. He opened sightless eyes and the touch quickly fell away.
Something was thrust into his hand and he instinctively grasped it, feeling the smooth coolness of it, bringing up his other hand he ghosted it across the object, feeling out the length. It was long, spanning at least three feet, maybe just a little closer to four. He placed his other hand on it and held it in front of him, feeling the weight of it before he turned it around so the tip of it rested against the floor.
Using it for leverage he pulled himself up to standing.
"You...got me a walking stick?"
There was slight movement next to him and the other reached out, taking a hold of the stick, grabbing it just under his hands. The ANBU pulled it away from the floor and held it just above the ground for a moment before bringing it down softly to touch the floor.
Quickly grasping what the other meant he reached out with the object, tapping the floor in front of him and listening to the sound it made, feeling out the vibrations in the wood where the object touched.
"It's a cane?"
Another motion, this time he was sure that the ANBU had nodded his head; he could just feel the bristles of the other's hair brushing against his chin before the other straightened up and stood slightly away from him.
He felt no small amount of wonder build up inside of him as he reached out with the cane, using sweeping motions to negotiate across the room. He made it safely to the other side without tripping over anything, able to use the cane to search out any obstacles. He knew the room like the back of his own hand now but the cane gave him a strange feeling of freedom.
A hand on his arm, this time guiding him towards the door, they stopped just beside it and he roughly shook the other person off, starting backwards only to be stopped when the other grabbed onto his wrist.
A gentle but insistent tug but he shook his head, "I can't...I'm not allowed pass these walls."
The tugging kept on and he sighed before taking a cautious step forward, and then another until he was level with the door again. The ANBU took his hand away, placing it on the door instead and he could hear the low creaking as the door was slowly pushed outwards.
The other went first, he could feel the gentle touch of his clothing as it brushed against him before it was gone and he was left just standing in the doorway. He couldn't explain why but his body was frozen. He'd gone instantly motionless as soon as the door had parted and he'd felt the light fall on him.
He hadn't felt it in so long, the sun caressing his tired skin, chasing away the lingering cold. It was an amazing feeling, the dappled sunlight falling on him, like a lover's touch, gently and softly soothing away his pains. He couldn't have moved even if he had wanted to.
He stayed like that until the ANBU returned, standing beside him impatiently. He could almost touch it, the other's energy, like a wound up spring just waiting to be released. The hand came back, tugging on his sleeve, urging him away from the door until he was standing outside for the first time in...so long.
The memories of being in the sun had been shunted away while he'd been in confinement. The embrace of warmth he felt now had long since been forgotten, shoved aside so the feeling wouldn't torment him with its elusiveness.
He could feel it now though, the heat, the wonderful heat that touched deep inside of him. He never thought that he would appreciate the sun's light so much. He couldn't see it but the feel of it was amazing.
Reaching out with his stick he tapped the ground in front of him, feeling the dirt under his bare feet. His toes clenched before relaxing again and he reached out one foot, placing it down again before following with the other. It took him a while but he gradually got used to the feel of reaching out with the cane, moving it in front of him before walking forward when he encountered nothing.
He continued like this until he stood on the miniature bridge, just standing there and holding onto the rail, letting the wind tousle his hair. He listened to the sound of birds singing and the clear sound of the water moving beneath him, driven by the wind.
He stood like that until he was joined by the ANBU. "Why did you do all this for me Naruto?"
"Because you're my friend."
His features twisted for a moment before setting into an all-too familiar smirk. "You wouldn't go this far for a friend dobe."
The other laughed, "Haven't heard that name for a while. Fine I'll tell you something if you tell me something. How did you know it was me?"
Another smirk, this one more pronounced. His hand left the railing and reached out, poking the other's cheek, letting it trail down until it dropped away. "I've always known it was you. Your chakra, the way you move, I've known it was you right from that first day you came to patrol outside."
"Guess I'm not as good as I thought," the ANBU replied and he could almost see the other rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"I couldn't do anything for you Sasuke. When they took you away and locked you in there I couldn't stop them. I hated seeing you in there, just sitting there. I wanted...I wanted to help you."
"So you broke the rules and came inside." He said, letting the words rest in the air between them before he continued. "Why?" The simply question was answered with a sigh and he could almost see the other frowning in response.
"I couldn't stop myself. I...I just might love you Sasuke."
The other gave a small laugh and the sound of it, so rusty and broken yet so achingly beautiful for a moment filled the air around him. "You always were an idiot."
"Yeah well, takes one to know one."
The other nodded his head slowly, his hair obscuring his features for a moment before he brought his face up to the sun, taking in its rays before turning to his companion once more. "Yes I guess."
"So...what should we do now?"
"I guess...this..." He reached out, feeing the other's features before softly cupping his chin. They leaned in at the same time, lips meeting in the middle in a moment that was so sweet he thought it would be a good time to just let everything escape and fly away. He tasted like sunshine, like warmth, like home and he was drowning but he didn't care.
They stayed like that as the sun slowly sank, the air cooling, warmed only by the closeness of their bodies.
Finally the other moved away. "One day Sasuke, I promise. The others will realise that you're still you and they'll let you go."
Another smirk, "You always were too optimistic idiot. Besides, I don't need to be free."
"What? Why? Don't you want to be free?"
He reached out again, threading his hand into hair he knew would be spun gold, bright as the sun and just as warm. "I don't need to be free dobe. I've got all I want here."
They stayed in that embrace, watching as the sun finally disappeared, waiting for the future. Together. And that was how things should be.
the end.