He Knows

It had been two hours since Naruto dropped him off. Itachi had sent a message informing that he would work late shift and not return home until the next morning.

So, here Sasuke sat, on the couch at 10:15 PM, reading a book on murder mysteries, oddly enough.

The Uchiha was peacefully reading and peacefully thinking about Naruto Uzumaki. How the detective was a pure sweetheart and how he was growing all too fast on Sasuke.

His weary thoughts were interrupted by the sound of calm feet walking in the kitchen. It wasn't Itachi because the doctor was at the hospital and Sasuke knew no one else, so it had to be the dead.

Sasuke sighed and put his book down. "Come see me." When the feet continued to move, but moved no closer, Sasuke stood on his own feet. An uncertain ghost, then, he thought.

Obsidian eyes scanned the kitchen carefully. No one was there. In fact, when the Uchiha scanned the rooms recent emotions, there were no forms of life. And because of such, the 18 year old hissed out a "Damnit."

"If you want to play, I won't help." He spoke to the empty house. "Reveal yourself now."

A loud stomp echoed around the home. It came from above the raven. Right above the kitchen's light. When Sasuke glanced up, the object shattered and his face was protected too late.

The glass nicked his cheek and left eye. "Ow" Now he couldn't see from that stinging eye. "Christ." Crouching down, Sasuke began to feel for the shards on the glass.

"That's one" He told no one in particular as a glass shard was received. He felt more, Moving his hands in different places, and the froze.

Feet. Cold Wet feet. Clenching the glass, his head jerked up, but saw no one above him, standing over him. "Itachi?" He called out. It was too dark. The feet moved away.

Nothing. Sasuke stood slowly. This situation was a tragedy waiting to commence; He could only see from his right eye; someone or something was terrorizing him; he had squeezed the glass shard in his hand, making his palm bleed.

"Itachi" Nothing again. Another stomp shook the house. "Ouch!" The impact had made him fall back onto the glass, cutting his arms and hands.

"This isn't funny" He whispered. The stomps began again and tears leaked from his eyes. Finally standing, Sasuke moved to the stairs, using his outstretched arms to guide him.

Walking ever so slowly, he finally made it up to the live closet. It sounded like rattling bones behind the door.

Rasping, staggered breathing from ill-formed lungs.

The stench of putrid rot, the foul air of refuse and sewage burned his nostrils.

"You're here" Sasuke hissed as he opened the door. Nothing. He wiped his bloody palm on his shorts. Something was playing with his mind. A loud crash sounded from below.

The Uchiha turned around and froze. He hadn't left yet, and he sure as hell locked it when Naruto dropped him off. But, the front door was wide open, revealing the night. He could swear he didn't leave it open.

Anything that walked through could harm him. "Itachi" He called for the third time. It was clear to say his brother hadn't come home. Someone was trying to harm him.

Riiiinnnngggg

He jumped and hesitantly reached into his back pocket. "Itachi, if you're playing-"

"I'm not your brother." A deep voice hissed on. "Far from it actually." Sasuke's breathing increased. "You never got a chance to thank me, Sasuke. My murders are helping you, but it makes me angry. Because you didn't say thank you." The line went dead.

Sasuke said nothing, just kept staring at the front door. It slammed shut and every living light in the house blew out.

The raven ran to his older brother's room. His finger shook as he searched a top drawer. The object of his sudden desires gleamed with the moon; Itachi's pistol. Another crash and Sasuke crouched, pointing the pistol right at the door.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

He wouldn't answer; he knew who it was. After five sharp intakes, the pale man realized something wasn't right. While his breathing was rapid and lit his heart on fire, something was deeper….slower...to the right of him. Itachi's sheet rose up. "Did he kill you too?" A question around the whole house. The sheet wasn't even the shape of a body. It was something far more sinister. Far more surreal.

When the stomping returned, blood splattered onto the sheet. Intelligence finally reached Sasuke, and the man reached for his phone, quickly dialing a number.

"Detective Uzumaki" Came a groggy voice.

"Naruto" He sobbed out.

"Sasuke? What is it? What's wrong?"

The Uchiha sobbed even more. "The snake killer. He wants to kill me. Someone's in the house and Itachi is gone. I'm scared."

"I'm on my way. Stay on the phone with me" He could hear rustling and then the slam of a door and car door, followed by sirens. "I need backup at the Uchiha' residence, stat. You with me?"

"Yeah"

Sasuke looked away from the door to the sheet on the bed. The blood and figure still remained, the sheet glaring at his pale face. "Naruto, there's something on the bed. It's not moving."

"Put me on speaker, love." If he weren't so afraid for his life, he would have blushed as he complied. "Just listen to the sound of my voice. I'm there with you." The sheet fell flat on the bed.

However, the stomping continued. His phone sounded for a text. The"Naruto" he whispered.

"I'm around the corner. Just don't hang u-" The line went dead.

Creak. He wouldn't look. He wouldn't. Please no. Naruto, please. Just as someone touched his shoulder, the sirens became louder, a sign that the police had just arrived. Every light came on again and the stomping ceased.

"Sasuke!" He heard Naruto call. "Search everywhere. I want this block cut off and I want to know how seven calls of disturbances were blocked from the station."

The Uchiha dropped his gun as Naruto ran in, gun fully loaded. "Naruto" He clung to the blond for dear life.

"Shh. I'm here now. I'll never leave you again. I swear it."

"I don't want to stay here." Sasuke sobbed out.

The detective held him tighter. "You won't."

And Sasuke let out a breath he sure as hell knew he was holding.

NSNS

"Hold still, love."

The raven watched as Naruto poured rubbing alcohol onto a cloth. Grabbing the pale wounded hand, he dabbed its bloody cut. "Ow" He whispered.

"Sorry." The blond mumbled. "Tomorrow, when your eye and hand is healed, I'm going to teach you how to properly use a pistol."

Sasuke grimaced. "Are you saying I'm incapable of handling a gun?"

"No,no" The blond smirked, and Sasuke thought it could be the best way to make him feel...good. "I'm not. You're just capable of taking everyone's heads off."

The Uchiha's mouth twitched as the other man turned to retrieve a needle and thread kit. "Really, baka? At a time like this? Some psychotic killer wants me as a victim because I didn't thank him for something and you want to joke?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

It was hard to shake his head in a disapproving manner since Naruto was busy stitching the cut above his left eyelid. So he settled with a "You're unbelievable."

"I'm lightening the mood and joking because I want you to know just how safe you are with me. I'll protect you with me life. We can joke because we don't have to worry. When you're with me, even the devil won't step to you."

His pale lips twitched. There he goes again, Sasuke thought; making his heart speed up, his hands clammy, and heat rise to his pale neck. That damn poison.

Naruto moved back and began to wrap a bandage around the small man's head. "What poison?" He asked in confusion.

Sasuke blushed. "Nothing."

"Oh, okay. Now that you're all patched up, we should get some sleep. Big day ahead of us tomorrow." He easily grabbed Sasuke's waist and lifted him from the bathroom sink.

"Where will I be sleeping?" Please not alone.

The blond gave him a crazy look. "Are you nuts, Sasuke? Tonight was hectic, so with me of course."

"Oh."

NSNS

The 18 year old couldn't sleep. Not because of the prior event at his home and not even because he was being targeted. No, his thoughts were on Naruto. And not the way the older man made him feel.

It had to do with the ghosts that he recently encountered. The man at the club felt intimidated by the blond and when Naruto told him to move away, he did. When Naruto was put on speaker phone, whatever was under Itachi's sheet had disappeared.

Did Naruto have a connection to the dead? That was Sasuke's main concern.

"Don't think so hard." Someone spoke behind him.

Without turning around, the teen spoke. "You could feel it?"

"Yeah. Why're you up thinking anyway?"

"Can you….can you see them too, Naruto?"

By then, the other man sat up and yawned. "See who?"

Sasuke pointed to the corner. "Them." He couldn't see them, but he saw their shadows. They watched from afar, staying as far away from the two men as possible.

Naruto sighed. "No. But, I can feel them…..I'm similar to you, Sas. I don't see ghosts, but I feel their presence. It's just a slight shift of the rooms atmosphere."

"Are you an angel?"

"No. What makes you think that?"

Sasuke turned then, because when Naruto had spoken, the people in the corner left the dematerialized. "Because every time, you're around, ghosts look at you as if you're a threat. They vanish as if they were never there."

The blond, instead of answering immediately, laid down and patted the spot next to him. "C'mere" Sasuke moved closer, hiding his face and blush in the tan man's chest.

"I don't know why they leave. But, it's been like that for as long as I can remember. I guess that's why I don't scare easily."

"Oh….you could have told me that." The blond's chest rumbled with his laughter. Sasuke smiled, feeling utterly content and safe when Naruto wrapped his arms around him.

"I didn't think it was that important. My asset is solving case. Yours is seeing things. We make a good team. I also like ramen."

"Okay. Now you're just talking out of sleepiness. Go to sleep."

"As long as you do too." The blond mumbled and pushed even closer to Sasuke.

NSNS

The Next Morning

Naruto watched the paler man sleep. He had just gotten off the phone with a hysterical Itachi, whom knew nothing about the events until four in the morning. He would be by later to pick Sasuke up.

"Why are you watching my face?" Sasuke mumbled and if Naruto weren't so tired, he would have caught the blush.

"I wasn't. I was just seeing if you're eye was okay."

Sasuke opened both eyes and stared at Naruto. "And your conclusion."

"Everything looks so damn….beautiful."

Sasuke found himself stifling the stirrings of a smile, watching the odd man who had chosen to just pop into his life. In a flash, he held his finger on Naruto's forehead. "Thank you for getting me out of the house. I'm glad you saved me."

"Don't mention it. But, why poke me on the forehead?"

Sasuke blushed, memories flooding back to him.

"Sweet dreams, Otouto." A 10 year old Itachi poked his younger brother's forehead.

The younger of the two pursed his lips together. "Aniki, why do you poke my forehead so much? Sometimes it hurts."

Itachi chuckled. "It shows you that I love you very much. It's a way I express my love."

"I love you too." Sasuke smiled and snuggled under his covers.

"You can do it to, Sasuke. To anyone you love very much. Anyone you care for, even romantically."

The five year old cocked his head to the side. "Roman-ti-cal-ly-ly? What's that?"

"Like mother and father."

"Oh. Will I do that too?"

"One day when you're married and in love."

"Will you be happy when I get married, big brother?"

"Very. You'll find a nice pretty gir-"

"But, I don't wanna marry a girl."

"-...oh. Okay. When you marry whoever you want, I'll be very happy."

"And then I can poke them in the head and make it hurt."

Itachi laughed again. "The harder the poke, the more you love them. Now get some sleep."

"Why I poked your forehead?" Sasuke repeated.

Naruto nodded. "I have no problem with it. I've just never seen something like that. So, why?"

A blush so intense burned his stomach and cheeks, sending ripples through every vein and muscle.

"No reason" he whispered.

Whispering was his thing. A response he was well accustomed to when this sort of insecurity and fear arised.

"Alright then. Itachi will be over later to get you and make sure you're okay. He went crazy over the phone until I told him you were safe with me. Woke me up at four this morning, hyperventilating."

"I'm sorry….he's often worried about me."

"No need to apologize. Kakashi has always been like that with me. Do you know that this is my first case alone? He wouldn't leave me alone. I figured this time, I knew how to take care of myself….and you."

Sasuke rested on his elbows. "Something's wrong with you, Naruto. You want to take care of me, but I see ghosts, victims of society. I'm not normal. It's like you're attracted to odd things."

It was a dumb statement. He knew if when he let it out, but Naruto made it clear when his face resembled mock-shock. "What? Me attracted to odd people? No way!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

"We really don't need to go anywhere. We just need to head to the station and scan the plate, see who it's issued to and find something. Other than th-"

"Hey, Naruto! You up, loser? Your dad and brother are here, so get the fuck-ow-sorry, Jiraiya." Someone called from downstairs as soon as the door was opened.

It was Naruto's turn to roll his eyes. "Kiba" He got out of bed, Sasuke following suit. "He's my best friend and also my best pain in the ass. Come on."

The two man walked downstairs to the kitchen. There was a white haired man sitting at the table, reading...was that a porn magazine? Kakashi was reading an orange book. And a man he could only assume was Kiba walking up to them.

"Naruto, where the hell have you been? I haven-oh...Sasuke Uchiha, the kid of all dead things." Sasuke frowned and he was sure there was a hint of disappointment in the brunet's voice and face.

"Shut up, Kiba." Naruto growled dangerously. "Dad, this is Sasuke Uchiha, my partner for the case and a good friend. Sasuke, this is my father, Jiraiya."

The white haired man looked up from his magazine and smiled. "It's good to meet you, Sasuke-chan. It's about time I met you."

Naruto then noticed the magazine in Jiraiya's hands. To Sasuke, he said. "He's a pervert, but he cares a lot, trust me."

Kakashi then looked up. "Good morning, Otouto."

"Morning, Aniki. Did you guys find anything concerning whoever was calling Sasuke's phone?"

"No" Sasuke sighed. He had been expecting that. "But, someone was definitely in that house. That's why I had Itachi stay at my place."

Time froze. Sasuke and Naruto stared at the silver haired man in utter shock. "What?" He asked almost too innocently.

There it was. Itachi and Kakashi had se- he couldn't think about it or say it. He held a searing urge to vomit and discomfort shook his body.

"Nothing." Naruto said all too quickly. "Anyway. Thanks to Sasuke, we got a really big lead. We got an identified vehicle and its plate number. All we need to do is find out it's owner and we'll have our first suspect."

"I have equipment in the living room, why don't you just try it here?" Naruto smiled and thanked his brother.

"That's cool. I wasn't trying to leave so early, anyway. Come on, Sasuke. We're finally going to end this."

The blond motioned for the Uchiha to follow him to the living room and sat at a large computer. "All right what was the license plate number again?"

"Uh...EJ347A."

"M'kay. We'll find out who this fucker is." The Uzumaki mumbled.

From the kitchen, Jiraiya yelled 'Language!"

The 23 year old snickered. "Sorry, tou-san….hm..scanning...scanning...we got something."

Both men were so engrossed in the appearing file, they had missed the phone ringing and Kakashi's curses.

"It says here, that a man named Orochimaru purchased this truck seven years ago…."

Sasuke smiled and jumped a little. "That's great. We got our suspect."

"...The only problem is….Orochimaru died three years ago." The smile faltered.

Kakashi poked his head in. "Naruto, bad news."

"What is it?"

"Enforcement found another body. It's only hours old. It happened last night."

"Shit" Naruto hissed and Jiraiya didn't even correct him. They were all stressed. Kiba put his head in between his hands to show that.

"That isn't it."

"What else could be as bad?"

"It was an elderly woman. She was our leading witness. She had seen the killer's face when he ran from the scene yesterday. He saw her too, apparently."

Sasuke flinched when Naruto's tan fist punched the glass table, shattering it just like their lives and happiness because of the case.

And there is Chapter three. I hope you all liked it. Thank you for the reviews. Also, I hope you all understand that this should be the craziest fic ever; horror from ghosts, crime from the murders and it's case, mystery from the serial killer, romance from Narusasu, and humor from Naruto.

Please feed me motivation by reviewing. It make me happy and cheery. I love reviews. Just give me them and nobody get's hurt.

Tell me how you feel about the case and oh shit Sasuke's a potential victim. And there's something more with his parents….if you catch my drift. I'll update soon.