A/N: In chapter 4, when Naruto introduces himself to Sasuke, I changed it so Naruto used Uzumaki instead of Namikaze. This'll be cleared up as to why in a future chapter. As of right now, I wanted to let those who read it before the change that Sasuke now knows Naruto by his mother's maiden name and now his birth name.
Also warning, drunk person in this chapter.
Chapter 7
Naruto drummed his fingers. The room was bathed in a yellow light and the mid-afternoon sun was helping fill it with a comforting warmth. Itachi sat across from him, in one of the many blue chairs that lined the long conference table.
Itachi had asked for him to come down to the police station, for questioning about what he knew about the Acid Attacker. He had Kakashi take Sasuke back to the hospital where he'd certainly not be able to break him out again. It was moments like these that Naruto was happy he was an only child. Older brothers could be a real stick in the mud.
Shuffling of papers stopped. Naruto stilled his fingers.
"About three years ago," Itachi started, laying a police report out on the table in front of him, "you were one of the victims of the Acid Attacker. I have a source who told me the exact words you said while in the hospital." Itachi pulled a sticky note off the report and read what it said aloud, "'I won't show weakness. They want us to be afraid and squirm. I'm going back out there and I'm going to bring those bastards down.'"
Itachi pressed the sticky note back onto the report and looked straight at him.
Naruto felt his shoulders tense up and he turned away, toward the window. "I don't see how that's a bad thing? I was mad. I was ready to kick some ass."
"No need to be defensive, Naruto. This isn't an interrogation." Itachi leaned back in his chair and weaved his fingers together, "This is pertinent because I know you personally. In all my years dealing with your punk attitude, you never got in trouble for attacking someone for your own sake. If you had been the true target, you would've taken it and done the best with the hand you'd been dealt. For you to make threats like that means you were protecting someone. You were not the original target of the attack.
"So tell me, who was?"
Was… he really that predictable?
Naruto frowned at Itachi, "You're one smart bastard, y'know?"
"I've been told." He said it so modestly. Damn this guy, not a single proud bone in his body.
Naruto rubbed his chin as he watched Itachi's hawk-like gaze following him with an intensity that he, every once in a while, saw in Sasuke. He gave him a cocked smile, "Hinata Hyuga."
He watched Itachi's eyebrow raise with curiosity. Itachi pulled a pen from the front of his blue shirt and scribbled something on the report. "Miss Hyuga is now your girlfriend, correct?"
"Yeah…. Something like that," he wasn't about to tell Itachi that he was having silly doubts after she had gone to take care of her family, "Asked her out after I took the splash for her. She couldn't say no."
"Does she know she was the intended target?"
Naruto drummed his fingernails once more. "I'm not too sure of that myself," he replied. And it was the truth. He wasn't sure if Hinata realized or not, "She was walking away from the guy who wanted to splash her. I stepped in between them at the right time, made sure my arms caught most of the blow." He raised his bandaged arm up slightly, "If she knows, she hadn't said anything about it. I haven't told her."
"So it wasn't all a hoax to get your father sympathy votes in the polls," Itachi joked with a completely straight expression. Ah, the rare Uchiha humor Naruto had heard about.
He rolled his eyes, "Conspiracy theories. Bah. I stopped a very beautiful face from being tarnished that day. That was all."
Itachi raised the pen up, wagging it back and forth in his fingers as he processed this new information. "So, my question is how did you know Hinata would be a target? It seems too unlikely for you to just have been in the right place and the right time, with reflexes fast enough to jump and take the blow."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, "You of all people will remember the gang I rolled with back in high school. Misunderstood kids. Ones who didn't have the best home life. Well, I kept in contact with a few. They said there were whispers about another attack and on a girl named Hinata Hyuga.
"I knew Hinata. Both our families were high profile, in the spot light. Her clan supported my father's run for Hokage. I guess someone felt the need to attack an innocent girl, to make a statement." He exhaled and pressed his eyes closed before reopening them, "We had a lot of classes together. I followed her around everywhere she went. I didn't know if the whispers were true or not, but I wanted to keep her safe. Finally, after about a week of trying not to look like a stalker… she was walking to class and I was not too far behind. I saw the guy pull out a jar and the rest in history."
Naruto stared down at his bandages and flexed his fingers. "I didn't see his face. He got away since he did it with only a few people around. They said he ran off into the forest. I didn't hear anything more about someone hurting Hinata again."
There was a silence between the two of them. Naruto wasn't aware of what Itachi was doing, he just kept his eyes on his arm. That was the truth. He had distanced himself from that group and gone off to college. Hinata was a beautiful girl with a shy disposition that she was still working on getting over. He had grown fond of her over the course of their classes. There was no way he'd let her get hurt.
"Naruto."
He looked up. Itachi had his finger tips pressed together, his expression stern but thoughtful, "First, that was very brave of you to sacrifice yourself for Miss Hyuga. Though, I do wonder why you didn't come to us. This could have all been prevented."
"If you had believed me, Hinata wouldn't have been able to keep going to school and live a normal life. You'd have kept her under lock and key to keep her safe, right?"
"Strict supervision, more likely."
"Her father would've made her stay home instead." Naruto snorted and let his cheek fall against his closed fist.
Itachi raised his hand, signaling for Naruto to be quiet, though Naruto hadn't had anything else to say. "Naruto, I believe these attacks are not just merely against any random politician and their family. From all the evidence I have gathered, I am theorizing that everything up until this point has been to try and sabotage Namikaze. Almost every attack three years ago was against political figures that supported your father's campaign. When they didn't work, they waited for the right time to take out Minato, but they failed. Instead of assassinating him, he fell into a coma."
If it were possible for his insides to turn into stone, it had to have been happening to him at that very second.
"I feel like… I was getting close. But then the convention bombs went off. My own father put me on leave instead of letting me continue on my investigation." Itachi's eyes hardened. He was no longer watching him, instead, he glared at the paperwork in front of him, "If it weren't for that, who knows? I might have caught the Acid Attacker before Homura Mitokado was murdered."
"Well, if ruining my father's life was the goal, it sure seems like these people won."
Itachi shook his head, "Namikaze has a lot of support still. Homura Mitokado was one of his most vocal council members and pulled a lot of weight in the city. Once word gets out that he is gone there will be unrest within the civilians. If the Acid Attacker keeps going after Namikaze's most loyal, people will stop supporting him in fear.
"I need your help, Naruto. To keep the country safe, to keep your father safe. Any names that you know would be helpful."
Naruto leaned across the table, laying his arm across the wood to support himself. He stared Itachi dead in the eye, "I tell you this, you've got to promise he's protected. He's got nothing to do with any of this terrorism."
"As long as he's not involved nothing will happen to him," Itachi replied, meeting Naruto's gaze with his own determined glare, "I promise that."
Naruto straightened his back, not breaking eye contact with the man in front of him. If this would really help them catch the Acid Attacker, then he could at least give Itachi one name. He felt the muscle under his eye twitch as he spoke, "Kiba Inuzuka."
ooooo
The gear shift clicked as he parked his jeep. It had been about a week since he chatted with Itachi in that conference room. Sasuke had been released from the hospital and he tried to visit him as much as he could… But Naruto couldn't always make it across the city when he was still obligated to take his mother back and forth to see his old man.
With the passage of time came with a new chill in the air; one he'd become familiar with over the twenty years of living in Konoha but also another, far more sinister sensation. The still green leaves shuffled around in the trees as he sat and observed the street he was parked on. It wasn't as well taken care of as downtown was. It was a side street where you'd only go if you had a drug problem and needed a fix. Naruto was proud to say that he didn't find himself in the middle of the shady street for drugs… though was probably just as dangerous.
He cut the power to his engine and pocketed his keys. As he stepped from his car, he pulled up the hood of his black sweatshirt.
This was no different than meeting with a friend. He glared at the alley across the road from him. You'd typically be happy to meet up with a friend, though. As he walked, he couldn't fight back the dread that filled his stomach.
Naruto arrived outside a metal door and knocked. He couldn't turn back, not when he knew the man inside could help him. Squinting one eye against the setting sun, he waited.
The rusty door creaked a little. It opened just enough for someone to peer through the crack before they realized who was waiting for them and they closed it again. Metal against metal scrapped as someone removed a door chain and, finally, threw the door wide open.
"Naruto!" An excited man with tattoos in the shape of fangs across his cheeks held out his arms. He ushered for him to come in, "Never thought you'd call. Almost thought you'd forgotten about me."
So Itachi hadn't sought Kiba out yet. He doubted that Kiba would be so enthusiastic to see him if Itachi had.
Naruto stepped over the threshold and into the trashy studio apartment. The first thing Naruto noticed aside the junk and clutter was a woman lying on the bed that was pushed carelessly against the opposite wall. She was fast asleep with long hair spread across the pillow. How could Kiba let her live like this? Maybe it was a good thing his mother had kicked his ass into gear and got him on a path away from bad influences.
"Unfortunately, Kiba, I'm not here for a personal visit." Naruto pulled down his hood.
"I figured as much. I've been hearing things. The Acid Attacker is back." Kiba secured his door once more and reached into the pocket on the front of his jacket, "You smoke yet?"
Naruto just shook his head, "You remember how my mother is like. Besides—" he looked back at the girl— "I have someone now. I can't disappoint her."
Kiba simply shrugged his shoulders as he lit up a cigarette. He leaned against the wall, eying Naruto up and down. "Gotcher self a girl? She cute?"
"More beautiful than any other woman," Naruto said with a nod of confidence. He watched as Kiba shrugged and took a long drag of his cigarette, "You'll remember her name. Hinata. You tipped me off to an attack on her."
"Right, right. You were pretty stubborn about keeping her safe," he replied on the exhale, making sure to point the smoke away from Naruto.
"I could use your help again."
Kiba glanced up at him, "I don't know what I could do, man. You're not the only one who's trying to get away from that life." His friend's black eyes flickered toward the bed, "She's making me want to change for the better."
Naruto felt his head duck involuntarily. So maybe his old friend wasn't far from the light, after all. But he still needed help… "I understand that, probably more than anyone else. But lives are at risk here. One man is already dead and it's a matter of time before he kills again."
He took another deep inhale of the cigarette, held his breath for a moment, and then let the smoke go. Kiba frowned, his forehead creasing and the skin around his eyes crinkling, "Alright, alright." He motioned Naruto to follow him toward the only other door in the worn-out apartment, not far from where he'd entered. The chipped down opened with a moan and they were met with the sight of a stained toilet.
Kiba flipped the toilet seat down and stepped up onto it, catching himself as it wobbled under his weight. "Alright, I have this—" he elbowed a ceiling tile, making it pop open— "burner phone. Hid it a while back when Tamaki asked me to get rid of it." He pulled an old, flip-phone from its hiding spot. He turned to Naruto, still standing on the toilet, "There's old messages and contacts on it. I suggest not calling any of them unless you really need to. I don't know how much'll help, but it's all I got now." Kiba tossed the phone toward him and Naruto caught it out of the air.
He jammed his thumb against the crease and flipped it open. The phone was dead which was to be expected with having been up in the ceiling for who knows how long, but it was a start.
"Unfortunately, Tamaki tossed out the charger for it and it needs an old, funky one." Kiba hopped down from his porcelain throne and placed a hand on his hip, "You'll need to find one and I'm not sure how easy it'll be."
"Still good to have," Naruto said as he slipped it into the hidden pocket in his jacket. He paused and looked his old friend up and down, "You need to know that I gave your name to Itachi Uchiha. He may swing by, asking for info. Answer him truthfully and make sure to keep your nose clean."
"You ratted me out to a cop?" Kiba's lip raised, he looked annoyed, "That's uncool."
"Not ratted. I just told him that you had information that could help him. He's on the case for the police."
Kiba simply rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Naruto."
Naruto turned to leave and grabbed ahold of the chain. He had just slid it unlocked when Kiba's voice piped up once more, "Naruto." He looked over his shoulder. Kiba was lounging against the doorframe of his bathroom, putting the cigarette out against a tray that must have been sitting on the small bathroom counter. He stared Naruto down, "Give them hell, Naruto."
He smirked back at Kiba with a nod, "Yeah."
Naruto put his hood back up and stepped out into the alley way.
ooooo
"Hey good morning 3 How's the fam?" Sent at 7:54 AM.
"Good morning love-bug. They're doing fine. Hanabi has been wonderful. Neji has been out of the hospital for two weeks now? His leg isn't doing much better and he's been acting a bit like a toddler if you ask me" Received at 8:32 AM.
"Some reason that doesnt really surprise me :P how bout ur father?" Sent at 8:45 AM.
"My father has been absent for most days" Received at 9:15 AM.
"Figures. I miss u" Sent at 9:21 AM.
"I miss you too love-bug" Received at 9:42 AM.
"What are you up to today? :)" Received at 3:03 PM.
Naruto didn't know what to tell her. He sat in his jeep, in the parking garage of Sasuke's apartment building. He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her he was diving back into the past that he alluded to but didn't really talk about. She didn't need to know that he was searching high and low for an old charger to power the burner phone he had acquired from Kiba.
He didn't have to tell her everything, though.
"Took care of mom and I'm heading up to Sasuke's apartment to check on him." He tapped out the reply and sent it. It wasn't a lie. He had dropped his mother off at the hospital and made sure she was alright before he had left to run his errands. Now he was going up to his friend's apartment, unannounced as was a tradition at this point. She didn't need to know everything.
He slipped out of his jeep and headed for the elevator. Sasuke's apartment was on the twelfth floor, room twelve. How convenient was that? It was great for him, easy to remember so he didn't have to keep texting Sasuke for his floor and room number. Being on the twelfth floor also gave him time to open another tech website in search of the correct charging cable for the phone. It'd be a miracle if he could even find a used and beaten up cable. Maybe this was the lucky website.
It turned out it was. The part was used but boasted that it was good condition. He pressed on the order button just as he reached door twelve. Perfect. He'd have it shipped to his and Hinata's apartment with the fastest shipping available. Two days. He'd go grab it in two days.
Nodding to himself with a satisfied smile down at his phone, he turned and knocked on the door. "Hey, Sasuke! Open up, it's your best friend!"
Silence met him. Naruto raised his fist once more and knocked again, louder this time, "Sasuke! I know you're in there, let me in!"
There was a shattering of glass against the other side of the door. The impact was loud and startling, making Naruto step back in surprise. He shook it off and grabbed ahold of the doorknob. He had expected it to be locked, so as he pushed against the door he tumbled forward. Naruto caught himself on the shoe rack, just before he fell into the pile of a shattered wine bottle on the white carpet. "That… would've been bad."
He pushed himself up and stepped carefully over the glass before sweeping his eyes over the room. It was nothing like Kiba's studio apartment. This was large, with two bedrooms off somewhere behind the walls. It was decorated with very traditional art pieces and the Uchiha clan's signature crest everywhere. The furniture was all made of leather. And Sasuke… he was slumped in the nearest couch, sitting in the dark. Another bottle of alcohol was already in his useable hand.
"Oi, Sasuke, you shouldn't be drinking so much." Naruto kicked the door close and stepped further into the apartment.
"I can… do whatever… I want…" Even completely sloshed, Sasuke's speech was nearly flawless. Maybe it was because he had to think a little harder to get the words out, but he pronounced each word almost too perfectly. The "T"s were too harsh and the "C"s were so clearly spoken it was unnerving.
Naruto strode forward and crossed his arms, staring Sasuke down.
"What are you… looking… at."
He sighed and then flopped down in the seat next to Sasuke. He let his eyes slip shut and listened to the sound of Sasuke chugging more wine. He needed to get that bottle away from him, but how?
"I got a lead," he started, opening his eyes again.
Sasuke didn't answer. Typical. Naruto looked around at his friend who was just sitting there, staring off at the blank wall in front of him. He could probably snatch that bottle away from him now, but he didn't need Sasuke blowing up on him. It the short amount of time they knew each other, it was obvious Sasuke had a terrible temper. He didn't need to alight that anger.
"An old friend of mine, his name is Kiba. Gave me an old burner phone that has contact details of his old sources."
Sasuke lifted the bottle to his lips again but before he tipped his head back, he stopped and just held it there. He squinted his eyes and then turned to look directly at Naruto. His expression was strained as he tried to form the words in his head before speaking in his too perfect syllables, "You… think… you're like me… You're not."
Naruto snorted, "You're right, cause I'm not a stinking drunk."
"No… you're nothing… like me."
Sasuke stumbled to his feet and dangerously swayed in the spot he stood. Naruto instantly jumped up, just in case he needed to catch his friend. Sasuke waved him away, or at least tried to, as he tripped his way to the bar that separated the kitchen and living room. He held onto it as he dropped the mostly empty bottle onto the dark surface. It hit with a loud clink! before it rolled off the bar, staining the white carpet a deep crimson.
Naruto dived forward and picked up the bottle before too much could ruin any more of the carpet. He looked around, ready to reprimand his friend. But Sasuke was no longer standing at the bar. Instead, he was swaying his way to one of the two bedrooms. Naruto frowned, placed the bottle properly on the surface, and followed.
The second bedroom was being used as a streaming station. The computer was sitting on a white, L-shaped desk and was blinking blue with life. Miscellaneous decorations including plants and gifts from brand deals were placed strategically around the walls, especially in view of the webcam he had above one of the monitors. Sasuke stood behind the gaming chair, his hand clamped onto it like a vice. Naruto couldn't see his eyes, but he could feel the menacing aura radiating from his friend.
"This junk…" Sasuke's fingers were turning a sickly white against the black leather of the chair. "Useless… garbage."
"Doesn't look useless to me," Naruto said as he stepped into the room, gingerly walking around Sasuke until he could get a better look at the PC, "Looks like it's waiting for you to get better so you can use it again."
Naruto had seen Sasuke mad before, but it was different this time. The way Sasuke's neck craned toward him, with the look of pure rage in his eyes, reminded Naruto almost of a serial killer in a horror movie. The worse part? All that frightening fury was being directed straight at him. Sasuke's fingers pried themselves from the seat.
"Ah, Sasuke, no need to act rashly. I know things aren't going well but—"
A pale hand shot down toward the desk. Sasuke ripped the mouse from where it sat with an unhappy ripping noise where it was plugged into the PC. It happened in almost a blur. Sasuke threw the mouse straight at Naruto's face.
Naruto dodged to the side and landed in a crouch. The mouse collided with the wall behind him with a sickening crack. His heart raced. Sasuke had just thrown his mouse. He had just thrown it at his head. Naruto blinked, trying to reset his thoughts. Alright, Sasuke was outraged and his target was Naruto.
He looked around to see Sasuke trying to control his breath, still standing next to his chair. Sasuke leaned his forehead against the headrest.
Slowly, Naruto stood up but kept his stance ready to move if he needed to. "Sasuke, I think you need to drink some water."
The chair clattered against the floor as Sasuke shoved it over. His hand shot out for the keyboard, but Naruto saw him move just in time. Naruto darted forward and grabbed ahold on his wrist. He stilled his friend's arm and he saw Sasuke's jaw tighten in the corner of his eye. "Don't ruin what's waiting for you."
Sasuke's shoulder collided with his chest. Naruto flinched, releasing his hold on his wrist. With its new freedom, his hand balled into a fist. This time, Naruto didn't dodge in time. The cartilage in his nose collapsed under Sasuke's knuckles. A gush of blood began pouring out from his nostrils.
Naruto stumbled back, clutching his nose.
"Nothing… like me."
Sasuke dove forward, unbalanced by his drunken state. Thinking quickly, Naruto dropped his hand and ducked. As Sasuke swung his fist, Naruto leaped forward and tackled his friend around the waist. They tumbled onto the ground, Sasuke landing hard onto his back. Naruto was sure that would hurt in the morning, with his ribs still healing and all.
Through the struggle, Naruto managed to press his knee into Sasuke's sternum. Sasuke swung once more, but Naruto captured his arm.
"Oi, I think it's time you sobered up." Naruto gripped hard onto Sasuke's wrist, seeing the drunk version of him flinch with pain. Naruto narrowed his eyes, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Sasuke's lips pulled back in a snarl. Behind him, he felt his legs swing upward and Sasuke's knee collided with his back. Naruto just let him hit him, but he had his answer now.
"Alright. Remember you asked for it."
Naruto didn't hesitate as he pulled back his own fist and decked Sasuke across the face.
A stillness took hold of them both. Sasuke stopped struggled, Naruto stopped breathing. He watched his friend's face and eyes that were glossed over from the abrupt impact. After a heartbeat, Sasuke let out of groan. A sign that he'd be alright. Naruto breathed and, as he did, realized blood was still dripping over his nose. He clambered off Sasuke and hoisted his limp body up.
"You're really dumb," Naruto said as he dragged Sasuke out of the stream room and to the door across the way. Once in the new room, he dropped his friend on the bed, "Guess I have no choice but to make sure you don't go killing yourself tonight. I'll get some ice for that black eye that'll be forming… and try not to stain your carpet any more than it is."
Naruto held a dish rag to his nose as he filled a bag with ice. Damned Sasuke. He knew he had a temper, but to be a violent drunk on top of it… He pitied the poor fool who tried to take on Sasuke without being prepared.
He stopped and lay the ice bag aside. From his pocket, he retrieved his phone. Across the lock screen, which featured a picture of Hinata smiling, a new text notification had appeared. He tapped it, opening it with the simple movements.
"Oh good. How is he doing?"
Naruto had told her so much about the boy he'd found, after all, he told her everything. Well, almost everything.
He'd told her about the short visits in his hospital room. About escaping that hospital room and experiencing first hand the effects of his PTSD. He'd told her about the stupid things he tried to make that jerk smile, all with no avail.
Sasuke was difficult and dumb. He was a hard one to crack. Maybe he was someone that Naruto should not have even bothered trying to help at all. He didn't seem to even want help, with how much Sasuke fought him. Could it be that Naruto was just wasting his time trying to save Sasuke from himself? From becoming a statistic?
Naruto pulled the blood-soaked cloth from his nose and stared off toward the shadowed door he had left Sasuke behind.
There was no way… absolutely no way he was going to leave Sasuke behind. He'd save him, even if it was the last thing he'd do.
