Wrong Side of Normal

Author: Ladelle

Rating: M, for swearing and future...stuff.

Comments: Thank you for the overwhelming response to the first chapter which was uh...very unexpected! I was pretty sure I was going to be chewed to bits by AIYH fans but the fact that so many of you have ralliedfor this new version makes me a very happy and excited author!

I apologize for not having the time to do review responses, but I do read all of them and I will do my best to answer important questions in the future. A few people asked about why Sasuke chose not to stay and protect his parents, and that will be revealed later, and I also had some comments asking if all of the characters will still be around. The answer to that is definitely YES.

Okay, I think that's it.

Thank you again!!

Chapter 2:

Hinata ducked in her seat as Kiba floored the gas, an action that sent Sasuke violently against the seat behind him. He heard his luggage tumble from the trunk and tore his vision up to the driver, prepared to reprimand him for such a hasty decision. Instead he glanced back to where they had left, more concerned about the officer that had thrown himself off the vehicle and who was now rushing to his own.

"What the hell?" Sasuke managed, and from the front seat, Kiba was still cursing. Hinata was crouched over in her seat as the car sped down the gravel lane to the highway, jumping and jittering under the stress of a hasty acceleration. Sasuke watched as Kiba bit his lip, looking determined to get away from whoever it was that had pulled them over, and he whipped his vision back around to the cop cars.

"You're not going fast enough," Sasuke said, still unsure of the situation. But blinding red and blue lights were flashing behind them, growing closer and closer no matter how fast Kiba urged their car to go. Steady sirens wailed through the silent country-like territory, sending bursts of night crows and other birds into the sky.

A sleek black car shot forward beside them, paying no attention to the fact the road was only wide enough for one vehicle. Kiba struggled to keep the steering wheel straight as the cop car tapped his bumper threateningly, only to thrust against it harder when the brunet made no signs of slowing down.

"Fuck," Kiba gripped the steering wheel and sent the car off the main road and down a grassy knoll that was completely unlit. The bumping got worse and Sasuke cursed, grabbing the seat beside him to steady himself, even though the seatbelt was doing an exceptional job. It bit against his skin through his clothes as it struggled to fight the internal shaking of the sedan as the car tumbled down the hill, popping up into the air as it hit a decaying log.

"Kiba…!" Hinata was holding her head in her hands, obviously intimidated by the situation. The car had bucked up too wildly on her end and she had plastered a hand to the door beside her, and Kiba merely grunted and swerved the car into a narrow thicket that was soon to turn into a heavily forested area.

Only one sleek official car stayed perched on the main road while the other two ripped down the small slope after them, and Sasuke watched out of the back window as they chaotically tumbled down, effectively following the hashed out trail that Kiba had just created. Their lights lit up the area, a place Sasuke used to hang out in middle school—a dangerous and wild little patch of wilderness that his parents had hated.

His stomach was clenching in his gut and his head was spinning, too confused and hazy with adrenaline to focus. He turned his head back to see where Kiba was headed, and wasn't sure if he was grateful or completely anxious about the fact it looked as though the brunet intended on dodging straight into the looming trees ahead.

The car was stuttering forward and Sasuke heard bushes and rocks tear at the sides, releasing sharp hisses and groans he never imagined metal could make. The sedan jerked upwards again and Sasuke's head rolled against the window, and he could feel a trickle of blood weaving its way down his cheek.

"You can't drive into there!" he shouted over the dull roar of prairie grass and wild sage thrashing against the hood of the vehicle. From the driver's seat Kiba growled.

"Shut up!"

The driver fumbled in his seat, doing his best to yank the gear lever into anything but where it was at. It was then that Sasuke realized that even if they wanted to—they couldn't stop. The car was stuck revving forward, probably due to something ripping or tearing from the undercarriage.

"Fuck!" Kiba pushed his weight against the steering wheel and his face fell into a panicked rush, and from beside him, Hinata glanced up. Sasuke felt his own insides begin to tremble, his skin becoming clammy as his breaths became shallower.

It wasn't the first time he had experienced a car accident, but he couldn't think about that. Instead he took a deep breath and glanced backwards, noticing how the police vehicles were slowing. He didn't blame them—driving head first into the cluster of foliage in front of them wasn't smart at all.

He hastily wiped the blood from his cheek and unsnapped his seatbelt, climbing forward to do what he could. Kiba was panicking and Hinata was completely pale, mentally preparing for a collision.

"Pull it into neutral," Sasuke growled against Kiba as he jammed himself between the two front seats. Kiba's eyes were wide as he realized Sasuke wasn't strapped in and as if reality suddenly snapped back to him he grabbed for the gear and his knuckles went white as he tried to get it to move.

"It's stuck," he said impatiently, and Sasuke batted the tanned hand away as he struggled to force the lever as well. The wall of trees was getting closer, and Hinata was glancing around anxiously.

"Hurry…" she was saying to them, her voice nervous and quiet, and also calculating as her eyes stayed glued on the growing horizon.

Sasuke turned his head up to glance out the front window, barely able to see the outcrop of forested area in front of them through the cracks and mars that had formed on the glass. He cursed.

"I'm putting my seatbelt on. When I yell, pull the emergency brake," he demanded and he forced himself back into his seat and fumbled to find his seatbelt and its latch. He struggled to connect the two in the darkness, and every wild bump sent his head against the ceiling, making him grumble impatiently. After the smooth metal click sounded from beneath him, he shouted.

"Now!"

Kiba's hand darted out to the lever and he yanked it upward. The car screamed as it tore into the shorter hedges of the forested area, spinning wildly as it miraculously weaved between a few large oak trees and grinded against the cluttered forest floor.

Loose items in the car toppled about—empty bottles of water and pens—and the tires whistled as they slid across a rock bed, Hinata's side of the car barely crushing into a tree as the car finally jerked to an uncomfortable halt. It lifted slightly on Kiba and Sasuke's side before it crashed back down to the earth below, and the hood fizzed as steam and smoke wafted from the overworked engine.

There was a long period of silence where they all took a moment to breathe, before Kiba yanked off his seatbelt and whipped his attention to Hinata, his eyes wide.

"Hinata, babe, are you okay?" He reached over to her and she nodded, looking very focused. She glanced back towards Sasuke, but it took a minute for him to realize that she was looking past him.

"They're coming," she said, and Kiba and Sasuke both followed her line of sight. Sure enough, eerie shadows were ghosting through the wreckage behind them.

"Shit," Kiba said, and he glanced over to Sasuke.

"Are you good?" he asked quickly, and Sasuke wiped away another trail of blood that had begun to pool at his temple, aware that his entire body felt perfectly able. He could feel everything and he was still thinking clearly, which meant no concussion. Just a cut. He nodded.

Footsteps were close to them as Kiba tried to force his door open, and from the opposite side of the vehicle, Hinata was yanking at her own seatbelt.

"I'm stuck," she said lightly, and she pushed and pulled at the buckle in an attempt to let it release her. Kiba yanked his attention back to her and Sasuke leaned forward too, noticing how tight the seatbelt was constricted against her.

"We've got to get her out," Sasuke stated and he pulled the belt off her chest so that she could try to maneuver beneath it. Kiba was throwing nervous glances towards the approaching officers behind the car, flashlights shaky and diluted in the dust they had upturned. His face was still panicked as he swiveled around to Hinata and Sasuke who were both still struggling with the jammed mechanism.

"Shit," he tugged at the metal release and Hinata bit her lip as she attempted to squeeze herself out from underneath the strap Sasuke was trying to edge off. "Where the fuck is Naruto when you need him?"

Kiba forced a thumb against the trigger hastily and Hinata gasped as the device suddenly clicked and freed her. He grabbed her wrist and scooted out of his door, leaning back across his seat to guide her over the middle compartment dividing the car. She fumbled over it and Sasuke anxiously forced his door open, coughing when an explosion of dust clouded his vision and invaded his throat.

He glanced over to Kiba who was struggling to pull Hinata from the vehicle, and then to a blinding light that assaulted him from head on. He pulled his arm over his eyes and frowned as Kiba and Hinata finally whirled towards him.

"Come on, we have to—"

"If I were you, I wouldn't do anything to make this situation worse," a cold voice echoed through the settling fog, and a few more beams of light came from both their left and right sides. Sasuke didn't know what was happening, but he felt his heart race at the fact they were being cornered.

There was a crack and a muted click, and it took Sasuke only a moment to realize that the officers had guns drawn towards them, cocked and ready to fire. Kiba was standing defensively in front of Hinata and from beside them Sasuke felt a mixture of anxiety and irritation, wondering how and why this situation had come to be.

Aside from that, his head was beginning to hurt. Maybe he had a concussion after all.

"Don't be stupid," the same officer that had spoken to them earlier said, and he waved his gun, motioning for them to come forward. When Kiba didn't say anything Sasuke glanced over to him, surprised to see the brunet standing rigidly still, eyes clenched closed with his lips moving as though he was speaking to someone. Hinata was holding the back of his jacket with one fisted hand, looking more defiant than afraid.

"I told you not to do anything stupid," the officer said, and he came forward, prepared to slam the butt of his gun against Kiba's skull. Sasuke jumped forward and grabbed the officer's hand before it landed, a quick and smooth motion that seemed to take no effort on his part. The cop gave him a cool glance and Kiba's eyes shot open, as if whatever he had been doing had been concluded.

Shaking his hand free of Sasuke's grip the officer returned the favor, yanking Sasuke out of the clearing while the other officials crept forward to capture Kiba and Hinata. Seeing the other two go quietly, Sasuke didn't fight or resist, or even make an effort to see if he recognized any of the people arresting them.

"Sasuke, where are they taking us?" Kiba asked him, and the black-haired student raised an eyebrow before turning slightly to stare at the brunet.

"How should I know?" The officers glanced between them wearily as they dragged them back through the clearing and up the muddy hill, sloppy and squishy because of the heavy rain.

"Stop talking," one of them said, but Kiba didn't heed the advice.

"Sasuke, where are they taking us?" Kiba's voice sounded more urgent, and Hinata seemed to be the only person aware of Sasuke's confusion. Inside his head, Sasuke was startled to hear that unnatural inner-voice of Hinata that seemed to prove she had a telepathic nature.

Can't you see it?

Sasuke glowered at them. "Of course I can't!"

While it had been obvious that they knew he had visions, they apparently had been misinformed when someone had told them he could do it on demand. He frowned when Kiba looked completely surprised and then angry.

"You can't control it?" he asked, and Sasuke only glared, not feeling the slightest bit remorseful that they had somehow misjudged him. As if he had intended to answer, the officer behind him yanked Sasuke forward, his thick fingers digging into Sasuke's arm and making him bite his lips in pain.

"Both of you, shut up."

Kiba barked out a groan as the cop manhandling him shoved him up the hill and directed him towards Sasuke, preparing to shove them both into the backseat of the shiny black car perched at the top. Another car had pulled behind it, one of the two that had chased them through the thicket, and Kiba struggled as the third cop pulled Hinata towards the separate vehicle.

"Hinata…" he said, but she gave the two boys a glance that made them feel more comfortable at the fact. Kiba grudgingly nodded his head as the man behind him lowered him into the car and Sasuke followed in suit, frowning as he and Kiba ended up tangled in the back seat.

The door slammed closed and Sasuke felt his nerves tingle, wondering where they were being taken. As soon as he managed to straighten himself on the seat, he frowned.

"Tell me what's going on," he demanded and glanced around the seats, noticing that they were completely separated from the front. A large divider made their conversation seem more private, even if that wasn't necessarily the case.

"The government," Kiba said softly, and he turned his head to the side to glance out of the window. Sasuke leaned his head back against the seat-rest as he felt his temples begin to pound. Being jostled up the hill hadn't helped his growing headache, and when Kiba glanced over to him his hazel eyes were low and concerned.

"Man, are you alright?"

Sasuke jolted a bit when the car's engine finally started and the slow rhythm of tires treading on smooth pavement began to make him feel sleepy. He cursed.

"I think—" he started, but Kiba cut him off after running a coarse finger over a the cut behind his temple.

"Dude, I think you may have a concussion," Kiba said, and he looked around the car, as if by magic something useful in that situation would appear. Sasuke ran a hand over the injury, noting how it was beginning to form a bruised bump and took in a deep breath.

"Obviously," he finally stated, and he tried to focus on not giving in to the sleepy feeling that was trying to overwhelm him. Kiba looked slightly panicked and his features contorted into an awkward sort of concern before Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Tell me more," he directed, hoping that Kiba talking would give him something to concentrate on. Kiba stared for a moment before he nodded, looking pensive about what exactly to say.

"You've heard of the lists, right?" he asked, and Sasuke noticed that his demeanor went completely numb. Warm and arrogant hazel eyes settled into a serious stare, and Sasuke shook his head. He was fairly sure he hadn't heard of anything relating to lists.

"You're Itachi's brother and you haven't heard of them?" Kiba raised an eyebrow and Sasuke didn't bother answering. A light rain started outside of the window, hissing peacefully as cool droplets snaked down the glass and bubbled at the base.

Kiba shook his head, obviously surprised at the fact. He seemed eager not to dwell on the fact Sasuke wasn't aware of anything involving the psychic world hidden from humanity, and so he continued without question.

"The lists were something created by the government—a way to keep track of people with powers. People with… big powers. Hinata's cousin is one of them… and so was your brother."

Sasuke had known that his brother had been powerful. He had childhood memories that had ingrained that fact into his head, and his brother had an incarceration record to prove it—but the idea of the government keeping tabs on his brother made him snort, which drew the attention of the brunet beside him.

"That's why psychics go to schools, like ours," he said, as if trying to be smug about the fact Sasuke hadn't. "Because it's safer."

Sasuke rolled his head to the side and glared at Kiba before running a slender finger of his own over the aching bulge on the side of his skull. "This is what you call safe?"

The brunet sat back in his seat and shook his head. "This wouldn't have happened if Kakashi were here," he said, and Sasuke only continued to glare. Even though his father had said that this man, this Kakashi Hatake, was a friend, he didn't trust it. He barely trusted the boy beside him after all of the trouble they had gone through. Especially because they were still in a bad situation.

Kiba noticed his silence and continued, and Sasuke couldn't help but feel like he had opened a can of worms. Kiba was slowly proving that he was naturally talkative, and ten times over when he was nervous about something. Settling on the fact he stood a chance of staying awake because of it, Sasuke decided not to get irritated.

"You'll like Kakashi," Kiba said flatly, "he's a lot like you. He doesn't talk a lot and is too serious," and Sasuke wasn't sure how to take that, and decidedly didn't care. "But since we're out of our territory, it makes us free game." He finished as though it explained the entire situation.

Sasuke frowned and closed his eyes, willing the tension building in his temples to ease. Above having a potential concussion, all of this information—it was too much. He knew that psychic people existed in the world because he was one of them. But he had never imagined that they had a sort of unity, and a threat like the government to look out for.

He wasn't sure what Kiba had meant by 'territory' but he decided to let the question slide for one that seemed more relevant. He tipped his head to the side and forced open his eyes, licking the dry taste of dust and sweat from his lips.

"Are you on the list?" Sasuke asked, wondering why the government would go to so much effort if they weren't. Kiba shook his head and let out a nervous chuckle.

"No, and neither is Hinata—it's her cousin. He's been rogue for a while, and Kakashi had a feeling they'd target her to find him," he explained, and Sasuke frowned. He had assumed that the whole ordeal had been related to him, or even Itachi. But the fact it was over someone he didn't even know…

"This is all because of her cousin?"

Kiba glanced over to him, his eyebrow skeptical. "I don't think you know how powerful psychics can be," he said, as if Sasuke didn't have the ability to judge. The comment made him agitated—of course he did; Itachi Uchiha was his brother.

"He's like Hinata, only ten times worse," Kiba kept going, his anxiety taking the form of conversation. "He's not just telepathic, he can control people—make them do things…" his voice faded off and Sasuke felt his gut tense a little, not really expecting an answer so intimidating.

"Hinata's not even friends with the guy, so this is a waste of time on the government's part," Kiba ranted on, "but of course—when we say we don't know where he is, they won't believe us, and the government is…" Kiba's eyes seemed to glaze over, and he looked weary. "They have ways of making people talk. Making people like us talk."

Sasuke felt his head spin a little at the thought, feeling bitter because he wasn't even involved in any of this. He was naturally calm by nature, but the fact they were being taken somewhere to be interrogated made him feel even more dizzy and unstable.

He closed his eyes for a second, and realized his mistake.

Darkness took over, and mentally he cursed at himself for falling victim to his aching head. Kiba's voice was becoming softer as he slipped away, and he couldn't feel the dull vibrations of the car beneath him. His muscles felt relaxed and his breathing slowed, and the darkness in his mind began to speckle, slowly bleeding into a dark image blotted out in red and orange.

Am I dreaming?

He thought to himself, but he couldn't get his lips to move in order to form words. He felt light, airy, and wondered if he was slipping into a coma. It was the only explanation he could manage, but still, he couldn't force himself to wake up.

It was almost like he was awake though. That familiar haunting feeling that taunted him with images he couldn't see with his eyes—images he could only see with his mind.

Water made his feet feel numb in the giant darkened room he seemed to be standing in, and the colors were beginning to pool together into shapes that made more sense: thick gold-iron bars, tall and intimidating, stretching as far as his peripheral vision could see. The setting was eerie and quiet, only the sound of dripping water from far away invaded his senses.

"Sasuke…"

He whipped around, water sloshing at his feet, trying to find the source of the voice. It wasn't someone he knew, but it sounded… worried?

He returned his concentration to the giant looming bars before him, this time, taking more of them in. It was like a prison—a giant gold-plated prison with pools of black and blue water that swirled and gurgled under the gravity of the cell.

The hair on either side of Sasuke's face moved with a slight breeze; back and forth, and back and forth—like something was breathing behind that gate, trying to pull him closer with every inhalation.

"…Sasuke…" It was that voice again, and it sounded so close. It sounded nervous and tense, and dependent.

Sasuke heard the water move behind the gate and the sound grabbed his attention, tearing it away from the voice that was calling to him. He frowned as he heard something snarl, a low purr—like the sound of cable wires when lightening strikes too close.

"Uchiha."

A new voice, a darker one—so deep and unyielding that it made Sasuke stumble backwards. If it weren't for the magnitude of the voice, darkness probably wouldn't have swirled around Sasuke, wiping the image of the barred enclosure from his mind. And if it hadn't disappeared so quickly, Sasuke would have sworn that he saw a giant red eye glaring at him through the shimmering gold bars.

"…No!" Sasuke jerked forward and panted, grabbing his head as it shot spasms of irritation through his nerves. An arm steadied him from the side and he whipped his vision towards the source, completely surprised to find that he was still in the car, and that Kiba looked more worried than before.

"You had another vision," he said, and Sasuke bit back the urge to reply with sarcasm. If his head didn't feel like it had a jackhammer inside of it, he probably wouldn't have.

Kiba licked his lips. "Your eyes glazed over while I was talking… "

Sasuke focused on breathing and waited for the nerves in his brain to calm before he finally glared upward, and Kiba raised an eyebrow.

"What did you see?" he asked, and Sasuke closed his eyes, replaying the image in his head. It didn't make any sense—and it couldn't have been a vision. Unless there was a paranormal zoo somewhere he didn't know about.

"It was… nothing," he said, and while Kiba looked disbelieving, Sasuke only let out a deep breath. "It was nothing that could have been real," he added coldly, and Kiba nodded, but only after an indecisive stare.

"Something's happening outside," Kiba said suddenly, and it caught Sasuke off guard. The brunet twisted to stare out the window and Sasuke lethargically repeated the action, though he didn't know what the brunet was talking about.

"The car in front of us stopped," Kiba said, and Sasuke crinkled his eyebrows. They couldn't hear anything from inside the vehicle and rain was still tenderly brushing the windows, blocking any decent visual.

"How can you tell?" Sasuke sounded skeptical.

Kiba glanced over to him. "He told me," he said, and he pointed out the window, which was cracked open a bit, to a large dragonfly that was hovering by the emanating warmth escaping from the break. Sasuke shook his head and didn't answer, still convinced that talking to animals was as ridiculous as any made-for-television movie.

Sure enough, the moment he looked away from his hazel-eyed companion, their car jerked forward, groaned and slid to a halt. The action wasn't placid or smooth, and Sasuke hissed when he toppled over onto Kiba, slamming his injured temple against the other boy's elbow.

"Damnit," he grumbled and he wrapped his hand around the injury, feeling more blood pour from the cut on his skin. Kiba struggled to help him up, though his attention was focused more on what was happening outside.

"They're here already," he seemed surprised, and Sasuke felt as though all of the confidence Kiba had lost due to nerves was revitalized ten-fold with the realization.

A screech of metal and the smell of burning tires was all Sasuke could focus on, and as he tried to peek out of his window to see what was happening, the hinges groaned as they unwound themselves. Sasuke shuffled back, completely caught off guard, eyes wide at the sight.

It was as if the door was working to detach itself, creaking under some unknown weight, the mechanisms inside the door cricking and winding before the lock finally popped up and the door fell in an undignified heap onto the soggy tar road outside. Sasuke only sat and stared, and from behind him, Kiba tapped his shoulder.

"…are you gonna get out?" he asked, and Sasuke spun his head around, glaring intently. Any normal person wouldn't be so calm after seeing something so unnatural, but when Kiba looked comfortable with the fact a door had just ripped itself off its hinges, he decided to trust the situation. As he shuffled forward a hand descended into the vehicle, one helpful and welcoming.

Sasuke hesitated from accepting the help at first but cringed when another round of pulsing throbs agitated his temples. He took the hand that was extended towards him and was surprised when the grip was warm and firm, and hoisted him forward with hardly any effort at all. He stumbled onto the pavement, using his free hand to grip the bruised side of his head, flinching as harsh droplets of rain began to soak through his shirt and drizzle down his neck.

"You're not Kiba," the voice joked, and Sasuke stared at the figure as he straightened himself out, frowning when it was yet another person he didn't know. The rain was coming down in curtains, but through it he could make out the defining features of a boy his age in an orange hoodie, bright blue eyes burning holes into him with some sort of energy Sasuke couldn't place.

They were stuck staring at each other for a minute before Kiba pushed him from behind, trying to make room to get out of the car himself.

"I wasn't expecting you guys to get here that quickly," he said, and the blue-eyed boy shrugged before glancing right, where the car bearing Hinata was calm and still. The officers were shouting things to two other people Sasuke didn't know or recognize, and there was a strange tension in the air.

"What are you talking about, Kiba," the boy was grinning when he glanced back, his eyes glossy even under the murky skies. "I could feel you freaking out miles away," he finished, and from beside Sasuke, Kiba rolled his eyes.

"You were probably picking up on this guy's vision," he snorted, and before Sasuke had a chance to defend himself with an irritated glare, those cerulean jewels were reading him like a book, drawing an attraction from him in a way that agitated him.

"So you're the one, huh?" he said casually and a gunshot fired from where the officers were standing. If the new acquaintance had intended on introducing himself he had neglected the idea in favor of motioning Sasuke and Kiba to stay put, even though the action was less than twenty feet away.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, and Kiba frowned and yanked him forward, closer to the scene. The blue-eyed boy was walking somewhat defensively in front of them, and as they got closer Sasuke could make out Hinata's drenched form standing placidly behind a tall grey-haired man. Beside them was an Asian boy, a little older than the rest of the group, and he was holding his hand out towards the cars threateningly.

"You don't have the jurisdiction to kidnap minors," the grey-haired man said coolly, and one of the officers—hunched down on his knees, stared up with dangerous eyes and a temper to match.

"You don't have the authority to get away with stopping us, Hatake," he bit out, and the grey-haired man held the gun up to the sky before letting of another round. The fire was sickeningly loud and made Sasuke groan when the pain in his skull made his vision go numb for a second.

"Hey, hey…" Kiba grabbed his arm and Sasuke didn't have the energy to salvage his pride and fight for independence. He leaned against the other boy as he felt a wave of nausea overwhelm him, obviously having worked too strenuously for the injury he had obtained.

"Are you alright?" Another arm came to steady him and Sasuke felt a hand cover his own, urging it to move away from the pounding wound above his ear. Sasuke slapped the hand away, hating to be babied, and irritated as that warm hand seemed soothing against his forehead.

"Damn Kiba," the boy wearing orange said, "Did you have to try and kill him?"

Kiba grumbled but didn't say anything, and that warm hand left Sasuke's when another voice—assumably from the older Asian boy, was dark and confident against the pounding rain.

"If you don't tell your partner to get out of the vehicle, I'll crush him in it," he said, and Sasuke's eyes snapped open at this, trying to take in the scenario. From beside him, Kiba gaped.

"Sai, don't do something stu—"

"Kiba." The grey-haired man's voice drowned out the comment, and as if to show his ability, the boy named Sai curled his fingers inwards and was rewarded with the unhealthy scream the car released as its doors began to collapse in on themselves. The windshield cracked into a spider web design, and all at once, a rush of things happened.

The officer that had been driving Kiba and Sasuke's car rushed forward, a gun tight in his hand, aimed defensively towards the boy named Sai. The cop crumpled on the ground shouted for the car to be left alone and for his partner to be spared, and the grey-haired man yelled something that implied he could no longer help in the situation.

It was the sudden disappearance of a drenched orange hoodie that caught Sasuke's attention, and he watched as the blue-eyed boy dodged forward, reaching for the gun that was being waved wildly in the air. He managed to throw himself against the officer, flinching as a gunshot shouted from the automatic weapon, and Sasuke felt his stomach curl as they battled for the trigger.

"Naruto—!" The grey-haired man was on his toes, racing forward towards the scene, and it was obvious that the cop was much bigger than the orange clad teenager. But surprisingly enough the boy twisted the cops arm sideways, effectively loosening the gun from his hand and claiming it for himself.

And as the orange hood fell back due to the brawl, Sasuke inhaled sharply as dangerous features raided his mind—smooth contours of a sloping neck, and the sharp angles of a defined face, rounded and faded with golden hair that seemed to glow under the steady trickle of rain.

A tan hand emerged from the orange fabric to grip the gun and the officer fell to the ground, glaring upwards with pure anger and embarrassment flaring in his eyes.

"Go ahead, shoot," he snorted, holding his chest out as if to welcome it. "Prove you are what you are—a monster," he added, and for some reason, Sasuke felt something in the charismatic aura of the boy named Naruto change. His features tensed and his expression dimmed, and his fingers tightened around the trigger, as if tempted to follow the man's advice.

"Naruto," The grey haired man warned, but the officer continued talking.

"You know it's only a matter of time before we find him," he ranted, "and before people like you are all locked away…"

Sasuke saw the rotating chamber twirl and the heard the gun cock, still not fired. His stomach was in knots, his skin was clammy, and the thought of seeing someone shot in front of him made his teeth chatter despite himself. Kiba's grip on his arm tightened and it made him feel as though he had reason to panic.

"Naruto," the grey-haired man repeated, and the blond still didn't make an effort to listen. Instead he spoke over his name being called.

"Keep talking," he said smoothly, "and we'll see which one of us ends up in hell," the words made Sasuke narrow his eyes, defensive and aware. He wasn't frightened—but the person in front of him had an aura that made him become anxious and serious all at once.

"Uzumaki, put down the gun," the Asian boy growled out, and even Kiba opened his mouth to say something as the barrel rounded. The blond was just spinning the capsule, as if enjoying the banter between himself and the man crouched below.

"It…It won't be m-me," the officer finally said, but this time, his voice was shaky and uncertain. As if he hadn't expected a shot to be fired, but that there was something happening in the blond's eyes that scared him to the point of being nervous and antsy, despite his earlier confidence.

Naruto cocked the gun and aimed, and the grey haired man jumped forward prepared to stop the blow. "Naru—!"

"Bang," Naruto said and the gun remained still in his hand. Hinata whimpered a little and covered her eyes with her hands, and even Kiba jumped before releasing a long-held breath. The grey-haired man named Hatake slowed in his steps, a look of pure unadulterated relief washing over his features at the scare.

Sasuke felt himself let out a few awkward breaths, especially when the blond held the gun into the air and fired the remaining shots. When he tossed the gun onto the ground beneath him he looked pale, and the grey-haired man smacked him on the back of the head.

"Get everyone back to the car," he ordered, anger clear in his tone, and Naruto pursed his lips before motioning Sai and Hinata towards a minivan parked not too far down the street.

Kiba nudged Sasuke forward but he couldn't help but stay still, intimidated and offset by the blur of orange that was now looking completely serious while helping Hinata towards the vehicle.

"His name is Naruto Uzumaki," Kiba explained. He was quiet for a minute before he continued. "Don't get worked up, he's an A-rank empath, so he can't help it," he finished, his voice sounding distilled.

Sasuke snorted, still uneasy to move. "I don't know what that means," he said

Kiba glanced down at him, and then over to the older man to their side who was looking impatient while he attempted to tie up the remaining conscious officers. "Get going," he said sternly, and Kiba nodded and spoke as he helped Sasuke to the car.

"Did you feel anxious when the driver rushed out with that gun?" he asked, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering where the question had come from. He thought back, remembering how his heart had jumped and his mind had blanked, and how only the fear of someone getting shot had rushed through his head.

"Yes," he answered truthfully.

"Take that feeling and multiply it by one-hundred," Kiba stated, "and you'll know exactly how he felt."

Lightening crackled in the sky and the rain continued to pour, and Sasuke felt his mind go numb again. This time he couldn't resist falling into the encroaching darkness.

a/n: Okay, so much more serious, right? But it's a good thing! Action and adventure means a faster-paced story, and Sasuke and Naruto already have an awkward sort of chemistry going. A lot happened in this chapter and I'm sure that some of you are confused but hey--the good thing about THIS story is that I know exactly what I'm doing! Hahahaha. I crack myself up.

Everything involving their powers and ranks will be explained in the next chapter, so don't worry about being confused about that, mmk? It's supposed to be a bit of a catch-up game, or else there's isn't any fun in suspense.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! You all make me want to write a book or something! :laughs: