"You said you have something to discuss?" Orochimaru said.

Sasuke had seated himself on the sofa, eyes taking in everything in the room. There were posters about the brain and words of inspiration written on the walls. Vases of flowers sat on a wooden desk, and Sasuke thought it was a nice addition so long as the patients didn't get their hands on the vase.

Orochimaru, as the head psychologist, took on a majority of patients. Naruto being one of them. Sasuke had known Orochimaru from his time underground, and to this day didn't know how he'd managed to get this job with such a horrid criminal record. But little details didn't matter. Orochimaru was qualified. That much Sasuke knew. Back in Sasuke's teenage years, Orochimaru had been able to dissect every brain that came his way, both literally and figuratively, and when Orochimaru wanted to use a persons vulnerabilities, he manipulated them like they were a puppet and he the strings.

Sasuke had no doubt that Orochimaru could reverse his method of manipulation and actually help people rather than hurt them.

And that was why, despite knowing everything Orochimaru had done in the past, he trusted him enough to help Naruto.

"Naruto mentioned something about a kidnapping." Sasuke said. "I was hoping to get a little more detail on what it meant."

Orochimaru leaned back in his chair. He didn't seem surprised by Sasuke's words, as if hearing that Naruto talked of kidnapping was one of the most known facts, and it made him feel like a fool for knowing so little.

But he'd been here only a couple of hours. The most he had to go on was a file and one conversation. Of course he didn't know anything worthwhile yet.

"Ah, yes. Kidnapping. Naruto does love to use that word." Orochimaru said.

Sasuke raised a brow, once again jotting it down in his notebook. It was probably a chronic delusion, then. For him to talk about it often meant it would be impossible for it to be the only time he'd believed himself kidnapped. But the way Orochimaru worded it was strange. Patients, especially the psychotic one's, never loved to talk about their delusions. They were almost always received with disbelief, and if anything, Naruto would believe it was real.

A kidnapped victim wouldn't love taking about how they were kidnapped.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke said.

It could be Orochimaru simply commenting on how often Naruro talked about having been kidnapped. It could be Orochimaru messing with him. But Orochimaru was a man who said what he meant and did what he said. To say Naruto loved using that word must have meant that he genuinely did love using that word.

But it made no sense. If Naruto truly had that kind of delusion, he would talk about it with the hopes of being believed. He'd be panicked, not calm. A delusion of that sort never left a patient with a sense of security.

"I think." Orochimaru said, "that he's trying to tell us something, but does not want to say it outright."

"Is he being paranoid?"

"Perhaps."

Sasuke tapped his foot on the ground. He came here for answers, not unhelpful words and phrases. To best help Naruto, he needed information. He could gather it from witnessing one of Naruto's delusions himself, but he had no idea when the next one would be, and in that time, he'd be too busy trying to calm Naruto to take notes. So his best bet was Orochimaru. But he was as useless as a mouse in a cage, and Sasuke found himself more frustrated than ever.

"Do you have to be vague?" He said.

Orochimaru smirked. "You are aware of how he came into this hospital?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I was in the trial. How could I not know?"

"And he never showed any signs of illness before the trial?"

"He never mentioned anything if that's what you mean."

"Schizophrenia isn't the most easiest disorders to hide, Sasuke. You're smart. Did you see anything off before he got institutionalized?"

Sasuke thought back to his genin days. Naruto had missed the chuunin exams due to his hospitalization, but before the day he'd disappeared, Naruto had picked fights. Primarily with Sasuke. And although they fought often back then, the fights Naruto picked were more violent than usual, and there were times Sasuke was sure Naruto was trying to kill him.

"He was picking fights. More than usual."

But besides that, there was nothing. Naruto did have the occasional sprout of paranoia, but nothing more than what the typical Shinobi experienced.

Orochimaru hummed, leaning back in his seat. "Really now…" He said.

His tone was filled with disbelief, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. There was something Orochimaru wasn't telling him, and Sasuke already knew that he wasn't going to find out what it was this session.

No matter. He'd figure it out sooner or later.

"What is it?" Sasuke said despite knowing the answer wouldn't come. At most, he'd get a hint of what Orochimaru was hiding.

"In all his time here, he's never gotten into a fight."

Sasuke blinked. That was surprising. Naruto had become known for being hot tempered, and he'd gotten in trouble often for it. At one point, the Hokage had almost put Naruto on probation, but days before he could, Naruto had wound up in a hospital and had his status as a ninja dropped.

"But he was alwayspicking fights." Sasuke said.

And the idea of a nonviolent Naruto was rather soothing. As much as Sasuke loved fighting him, Naruto did have a tendency to lose control and get a little too violent. To hear that there had been no problems since his hospitalization was more a relief than anything. It meant Naruto had made progress, and progress meant there was still a chance for him.

"I find it strange." Orochimaru said. "The moment Naruto walked through these doors, he stopped fighting. No one goes through a drastic change like that overnight. But he refuses to talk about anything from when he was violent, so I've never managed to learn why he changed so suddenly."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "That—Maybe I can talk to him. He might be more open to it since I knew him back then."

Orochimaru folded his arms, tapping a pen against his chin as he closed his eyes in thought. Sasuke hoped Naruto would let Sasuke help him. All he wanted was to ensure Naruto was safe, and to someday, hopefully, get him healthy enough for the doctors to let him out of the institution.

But that would never happen if Naruto didn't trust him. He'd never get out if he continued staying silent about everything.

"Perhaps. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Orochimaru said.

Sasuke perked his head up. Yes. There was something else, and it was one of the main reasons he came to talk to Orochimaru. It had slipped his mind beforehand, as he was preoccupied with what Naruto had said.

But now that Orochimaru was asking…

"Why did you diagnose him with psychopathy?"

Orochimaru blinked, surprised, before leaning back in his desk. He closed his eyes once more, and Sasuke was beginning to think that would be a regular occurrence.

"There was a time when I believed he was doing better. So much so that I was ready to initiate a parole hearing in the hopes of discharging him. But the Hokage was still angry at his defiance against her, and wouldn't allow him to leave. I doubt she meant for him to be here this long.

"Naruto has been getting steadily worse ever since, and we can't let him out now. Most doctors believe the only reason Naruto got better was because he was faking it. Manipulating us. And they would have fired me as his psychologist had I not diagnosed him with psychopathy."

Sasuke blinked. "You… purposely misdiagnosed him?"

Nausea rose to his stomach, and the burn of acidic bile pricked his throat. Sasuke pressed his hand to his mouth, leaving the other one of rest against his stomach. Orochimaru had only made Naruto's prognoses ten times harder with that diagnosis, and even if it was a misdiagnosis, there was little chance of anyone ever believing him.

After all, once someone was convinced you were crazy, it was near impossible to convince them otherwise.

Even if you had been sane in the first place.

Orochimaru heaved a deep breath, raking a hand through his hair. "I made it so the only person who believed he was not a psychopath was the one delivering his prognosis. In many ways, it has benefitted him more than—"

"He'll never get out with that diagnosis."

"Every other doctor would have treated him as a psychopath and he would be far worse off for it."

Sasuke shook his head. It wasn't right. Naruto shouldn't have to suffer with a label that didn't belong to him. The diagnosis of psychopathy couldn't be good for him, and the prognosis must have been even harder to deal with.

"So, if everyone thinks he's a psychopath, why is he still being treated for schizophrenia?" Sasuke said.

Orochimaru blinked. "The act of feigning illness brought him to the diagnoses of psychopathy. But pretending to be healthy doesn't mean he isn't schizophrenic."

Sasuke scoffed. Figures. They assumed he was faking illness except in the case of voices talking in his head.

Damn doctors.

Sasuke rose from the couch, giving Orochimaru one last glare before storming off.

He was getting Naruto out of here if it was the last thing he did.