Eight,

Part II

Flames,

They licked the walls.
Tenderly, they turned to dust,

All that I adore.

— Things We Lost in the Fire,

Bastille.

A.

Naruto watches, heart sinking to the depths of nothing as Sasuke disappears behind a ball of fire. He springs forward instantly, arms outstretched, fingers gripping at nothing while his mind roars like a beast in the night.

He doesn't care if he has to leap into the large, gaping hole in the floor. So what if it looks like a portal to hell? So what if he's putting himself in danger? Sasuke fell, and he has to catch him.

That's what he does, right? He catches him when he falls.

Shikamaru grabs him around the waist before he can take the dive, dragging him backward. Naruto instantly struggles, throwing his elbows and kicking his feet in what feels like a tantrum while his friend yells at him to calm down.

"Let me go!" He roars, scratching at the steel arms that keep him from moving.

"Fucking stop it, Naruto!" Shikamaru yells back, frustrated from the kicks he's taking to his shins. "I'm not letting you go down there! You'll kill yourself!"

He has to. He has to! He can't leave Sasuke to die. Not after everything. Not after they finally —

But he knows that Shikamaru's right. He could crack his head open, or fall right into the flames. He can't see anything below, too blinded by the smoke and fire and his own hot, angry tears.

His mind is an ugly jumble, variables and possibilities passing through it at startling speeds. He tries to rationalize, regroup, analyze because he's so used to things going to shit and he's the one expected to provide the next move and the best answer. But he can't. He's devastated, sinking like a rock into the inky blackness that threatens to overtake him.

The fight leaves him, all at once, and without his struggling Shikamaru has to bear all his weight, causing them to fall to the floor in a tragic heap. He hears Shikamaru's shaky sigh behind him and he rests his pounding head on the other man's shoulder, staring up at the hazy ceiling without really seeing it.

"He isn't dead." Shikamaru says resolutely. "He's just not. He's too stubborn to die from that."

Yeah, that sounds right to Naruto's ears. Sasuke is strong, tough, resilient. They aren't made of paper and, while a bone or two might have fallen out of place, he has to be alive.

But if he fell all the way down to the first floor? That far of a fall is still a bit of stretch. He could have hit something on the way down, or landed wrong.

"This is my fault." Naruto hears himself saying. Shikamaru sucks in a breath, arms still around him but now they've softened into something gentle.

Something they never are with each other, anymore.

"I'm getting you all killed. I did this, pushed for this when I knew—"

"Shut up." Shikamaru says angrily, squeezing tighter. He never was one to let Naruto doubt himself, to fall into despair so easily. "We're not doing this. You're not going to break down right now. We all agreed to this, so stand the fuck up and see this through."

Ah.

Okay. He's right. If he's going to beat himself up over it more than he already has—day after day after day—he can at least have the decency to do it once the dust has settled.

It takes longer than it should to get his legs to work, but then he's standing and holding a hand out to help Shikamaru stand as well. They dust themselves off, no doubt going to pretend the last few minutes didn't happen.

They are not the touchy-feely sort, not anymore, so they'll pretend like the road Naruto was about to traverse never existed in the first place. A minor blessing, to be so broken that nothing fazes the other. They've seen it all and it's easily ignored.

For how much longer, though, when the weight they carry threatens to topple nations?

"It should have been you, instead of me." Naruto says quietly after a while. He doesn't have to explain. He's sure Shikamaru knows what he means with perfect clarity.

His friend sighs, shaking his head this way and that. When he looks at Naruto, his eyes are sad and sincere. "No," He chuckles humorlessly, "It really shouldn't."

He doesn't get the chance to say anything more because there's an urgent pounding on the door that leads to the old stairwell.

They were so close to it, Naruto thinks. If they had just a few more seconds the three of them could have made it. But it's too late for that now and he jumps at the sudden knocking.

"What the hell?" Shikamaru exclaims, but he's already bounding over to throw the door open.

Suigetsu, Karin, and...The Other One spill into the hall, breathing heavily. What did Sasuke call him again? Taka. That's right. The sight of Sasuke's clone nearly sends him into a fit, thinking that he's the real thing until their eyes meet. Naruto can't help but take a shuddering step back, unnerved and upset.

"Fuck." Suigetsu drawls, good hand gripping the doorknob for dear life. Karin collapses on the ground beside him, rattled, while Taka tries to disguise his hurt at Naruto's knee-jerk reaction to the sight of him.

He fails.

"What happened?" Naruto demands, snapping out of his haze. He has to take control once more and figure out what's happening. The other two seem to take notice of him standing there and straighten themselves, rubbing weary hands over their faces.

"The stairs collapsed." Karin says like she's in a rush. "They started folding like dominos so we ran up here as fast as we could."

"Shit." Shikamaru swears, pushing past them to look out in the stairwell. Sure enough, the stairs are but a memory, leaving behind the winding railing and a few jutting pieces of wood on the lower floors.

"Where's the other one? Juugo?" Naruto asks. "Wasn't he on the same floor as you?" He directs his question to Karin. She nods, turning to look back into the blackness.

Suigetsu answers quicker, pointing downward. "He went down. Some of yours were hurt so he climbed the railing to get to them."

Naruto feels his heart beat quicker but tramples down a panicked outburst at the news. "Who?" He asks evenly.

The fake Sasuke speaks up next, like the three of them are taking turns with the explanations on purpose. It irritates him but he doesn't speak on it. "Sai hit his head pretty hard but Juugo said he was breathing. Kiba got roughed up in the blast, too, but he should pull through. Ino, Temari, and TenTen helped him take them to the rendezvous point."

Naruto's unspeakably relieved at this, silently counting off in his head who's accounted for and who's not. He doubts that these three have news on Gaara and Kankuro and they didn't mention Sora or Kimimaro, so he'll still have to venture downstairs to find them as well as Sasuke.

"Where's Sasuke?" Taka asks, scanning their surroundings like he's read Naruto's mind. It's a bit eerie.

Naruto's tongue turns to lead in his mouth. He swallows, not able to form the words. Shikamaru handles it for him, mirroring Suigetsu's action from earlier. He points downward with his ring finger, saying: "The floor opened up and he fell."

Three pairs of eyes widen in alarm. "What!" Suigetsu spits around a vicious curse. "What are we just standing here for, then? We need to fucking—"

"Calm down." Karin says levely, pressing down her own worry. She grabs his arm lightning fast to keep him from springing forward. Naruto sees the same wild want in his eyes—the urge to run to where Sasuke is. To help, to save— knows that his own reflect the same. Sees the qualities in Karin that Shikamaru has and, all at once, he understands.

He gets why he didn't like them so much, in this moment. Why their existence rubbed him the wrong way for so long. He licks his dry lips and shakes the thought out of himself.

"We still have the mission." She says, squeezing harder when Suigetsu tries to free himself from her hold. "And there's somebody other than us making a mess of things down there so we can't just run around calling his name."

"Fuck that," Suigetsu says, grunting. "We already had to leave him once so I'll be damned if I do it again!"

Touching, but Naruto doesn't care about their feelings on the matter. Karin is right; they need to think of an escape. The stairwell is still an option, but as ruined as it is it'll take a while to get down from here. By no means does he plan to abandon Sasuke or any of the others, but they don't know what's happening or why there was an attack in the first place so they need to stay focused and make a plan.

"We don't all need to go to find the others." Taka says lowly. They turn to look at him where he standing next to the smoldering hole in the floor. "It's too dangerous and we still need to take the data they collected to safety. It's what we came for, after all." Suigetsu scoffs, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Oh yeah? So what do you suggest, dipshit?" He asks angrily. Naruto can relate to his frustration but he's at least willing to listen without biting remarks. He absently wonders how Sasuke was ever able to get along with the man, crude as he is.

Ha. He knows the answer to that, doesn't he?

Still, Suigetsu seem to deeply care about Sasuke's wellbeing so maybe he judged him too harshly before. It wouldn't be the first time he's done that, so whatever.

"Two of us should take the bags outside and meet the others while the other three round up everyone still inside. Maybe we find out what's happening, maybe we don't. As long as we get out of here that's all that really matters."

Naruto finds himself nodding, thinking something similar. He hates that, refusing to think of him as Sasuke. It's the real Sasuke he shares a mind with, not this one. He's being petty and downright petulant, he knows, but Taka's existence make him very uncomfortable and he can't pretend like it doesn't.

Taka notices the discord on his face, frowning softly and avoiding eye contact. Naruto feels a quick stab of guilt but he pushes past it. Things to address later, when the building isn't threatening to come down around them.

"That sounds good." Shikamaru confirms. They share a look—speaking fluently without having to utter a word—and then Shikamaru's nodding to him and taking the bag that Naruto holds out to him.

"I'll take it." He says. Karin steps forward, eyes determined and hard. "I'll go, too." She states, taking shouldering the sack offered to her.

"We'll go look for the others." Taka mutters.

"Let's go, then!" Suigetsu says, impatient. He backs up, jogging backwards, much to the confusion of everyone else. In one decisive move he jumps clear of the crumbling hole on the floor, landing on the other side with dramatic flourish. He turns to stare at them with a grin, beckoning them forward.

"Since the stairs back there are shot to shit we can take the main ones. C'mon, while the coast is clear." He disappears around the corner without another word.

Shikamaru shakes his head while Karin sighs. Naruto blinks before turning to address the two of them.

"Do you plan on climbing the railing down?" He asks. Shikamaru nods, staring into darkness.

"Yeah. Seems easier that way." He looks at Naruto then, eyes soft and unsure. "Don't die on me." He says quietly after a few beats. Naruto doesn't hesitate to step into him, throwing his arm around in a quick, hard embrace. Shikamaru immediately returns it, but they don't linger.

"I won't. I won't say goodbye, either." He grins, even as the dread pools in his chest like a flash flood. "I'm getting real sick of doing that, you know?"

Shikamaru's smile is just as empty as his. "You and me both." He says, and then they're off.

Naruto doesn't wait until they get to the bottom even though he wants to. He readies himself to clear the hole as well but Taka's grabbing his arm at the last moment, forcing him to attention.

He tries not to flinch.

"What is it?" He asks, irritation bubbling from being stopped.

Taka hesitates, probably startled by Naruto's sudden anger. Or, that's not it. He's hesitating because in the next moment he's pulling something from behind his back.

It's small, silver, almost shaped like a simple handgun but Naruto immediately knows that it's not.

"Why the fuck do you have that?" Naruto demands, pissed that such a weapon has been thrown into the mix when things have already degraded so quickly.

Taka doesn't blink at his outburst, still carefully holding the veritable black hole in his hands like it burns to have it touch his skin. "Sasuke entrusted it to me, when we met earlier. I wanted to give it to you, just in case…"

"In case what?" Naruto questions. He doesn't like this, not one bit, and when he finds Sasuke he's going to give him hell for not burying that thing as far underground as he could before they left the farm.

"I don't know. In case anything. If we can't figure a way out of this it should be your choice how we end it."

He says it too calmly, like he's already accepted the worst. Naruto refuses to be caught up in the implications, fighting to keep hope even though the day seems lost. Hell, this whole thing was already hopeless and far-fetched. What's a little more misplaced belief?

"Keep it." Naruto mutters, gearing himself up for the jump again. "No one's using that thing today."

"Hopefully. You never know." Taka mumbles lowly behind him. Naruto looks at him dryly, to which Taka just shrugs. Cloning seems to have made this Other-Sasuke more cryptic and Naruto quickly decides that he's not a fan.

Whatever. He doesn't have time to argue at a time like this. He braces himself and leaps, Taka following immediately after him. They round the corner and hug the wall near the main stairs, checking to make sure no one is milling about. There's no sound from below but that doesn't put him at ease. It seems the other force targeted the lower floors anyway so they won't encounter much until then.

Suigetsu's long gone, which Naruto expected. He feels a budding headache at having to deal with the two of them and their annoying antics.

"Is he always like this?" Naruto asks. Taka smirks, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Worse, usually."

Naruto snorts, drawing his gun. "Cute."

He sees Taka raise an eyebrow and roll his eyes, taking out his own weapon.

"If that's what you want to call it."

B.

Sasuke skids to a stop on the third floor, taking in his surroundings. More dead, seemingly killed in the blast. A few show wounds that don't align with that conclusion; bullets painting them burgundy against the stark-white floor. He thinks this is where it started, near the meeting area. There's a large conference room on this floor and they were using it for the summit.

Now that he has some time to think, he wonders if all the leaders of the colonies are dead. If the blast started in the conference room they most likely are. If not, then some may have at least survived. He wonders what their deaths would spell for their plans. It would certainly throw a wrench in it, since the colonies would be thrown into chaos from the news and their message might be lost to the swelling tides of widespread panic.

It doesn't matter to him. They've come this far, so they'll make the people listen.

—Even if the herd

He grazed the pastures with,

Is starting to grow thin.

He goes to turn the corner, not looking like he should, and runs straight into someone else who's stalking these halls.

Sasuke curses, unprepared and off-guard, but he isn't rewarded with a bullet to the face for his negligence, so that's a start.

Genma stares down at him, brow furrowed and lips tight. He's covered in blood but it doesn't seem like his own. Sasuke hadn't thought he'd be here, but of course he'd have to follow where his charges were sent off to.

Sasuke hasn't seen him since that night with Kidomaru, all those months ago. It's like a dream now. Distant and hazy like it happened in another life. Like he watched those events in passing instead of living it.

He was right to assume that Genma would be fine, since he's standing here instead of rotting like Mitsuki. There is no feeling that comes with that revelation, no joy or grief, since they've never managed to say two words to each other that weren't hateful. He does not think they will break that streak at the present moment.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Genma demands, grabbing Sasuke by the arm and getting in his face. "You were supposed to be on guard! It's a fucking massacre but of course you idiots run off when—"

He paused mid-rant, head cocking like he's missing something. Sasuke stares him dead in the eye, waiting. Watching. He's not sure what for. Genma sees what he's looking for though, because he's stepping back with a curse and hackles raised in suspicion.

"Fuck." He says, eyes wide and pale. "You're the real one?"

Oh. He figured it out. That took less time than Sasuke would have thought. If he honest, he didn't think he'd figure it out at all.

Sasuke chooses not to answer, tugging his arm out captivity and roughly pushing the handler to the side.

"Move." He grunts. "I really don't have time for this."

Genma's not going to let him go. Of course he's not. Not that easily. Sasuke forgot for a moment that the man isn't used to this side of him. The Sasuke that Genma's familiar with is obedient, quiet, submissive. A disgusting groveling pushover. He does not know the Sasuke that blistered under his skin until it boiled him alive.

Sasuke died that day, at the fringes of that rusty old fishing town. He finally left Earth and lost himself amongst the stars. He will not stand for anchors, how big or how small, that wish to tie him to an existence that he tirelessly buried once and for all.

"You finally grow some balls?" Genma asks, incredulous. He smirks, ugly and predatory. "Adorable. I always knew you were faking it, you know. You could hide behind that mask of yours but your eyes didn't lie."

Genma pulls a knife from his belt, twisting it this way and that. Sasuke stiffens, reaching for one of his own. He hates the way the other man is looking at him, like he's found a shiny new toy that promises endless amusement.

Well, if he wants a fight, a fight he shall have.

Sasuke did come here for fun. He came to get shit done. Enough with avoiding blood and violence. He's been in the deep end for a long while, floating on his back in the dark waters, quite willing to sink.

He decides in the moment to go limp, to let the waves usher him under.

He takes a deep breath and let's go.

"Oh yeah? And what did my eyes say?" He asks, shifting his legs apart. Genma watches him, grin sliding wider and wider.

"That you could kill us all without breaking a sweat. And that you always had better places to be." Genma says, chuckling. "I guess you did, huh?"

Sasuke nods, narrowing his eyes and adjusting his grip. "And what do they say now?" He asks dangerously. He sees Genma stiffen, eyelids twitching in surprise. He collects himself, smirk slipping only slightly before he's lunging forward to try and embed his knife in Sasuke's lung.

Sasuke dodges effortlessly, pivoting his ankle and using the momentum to perform a perfect jab. Genma barely contorts his body in enough time to escape it; he takes a knick to his flank that leaves him hissing.

Sasuke feels him lips twitch in a small smile. It infuriates Genma, even more so when Sasuke's proudly announcing: "First blood." In an overly satisfied tone.

That spurs him on, swinging in wide arches that Sasuke can see coming from a mile away. He can hear Genma gritting his teeth, frustrating building at Sasuke's artful dodging. He rushes forward, aiming for the neck, but Sasuke sweeps his legs from beneath him and presses the knife into his shoulder in the same instant.

Genma grunts, but uses Sasuke's distraction from a successful hit to his advantage, faking left as Sasuke goes right, peeling the fabric of his suit off of his arm and soaking it with blood.

Sasuke barely feels any pain from the swipe, jumping backwards to avoid getting cut again. He tests it with two fingers, tapping the wound to make sure it isn't deep. It's not, but it emboldened Genma all the same. He grins, licking the blood off his knife in a gross, self-satisfied way.

"Tell me something, freak," He says, cocking his head inquisitively. "Did you set this up? Get with some guys to take out the kings?"

"No." Sasuke replies, narrowing his eyes. He hates bleeding, hates when someone else makes him bleed even more. He's always been one to pay it back ten-fold. "I had nothing to do with that. I'm here for something else."

"And what would that be?" Genma asks. He looks genuinely curious. Sasuke doesn't care and he doesn't have to explain himself. Certainly not to someone who's about to die.

"Well, I'd say that you'd find out soon enough but you won't."

Genma's grin is blinding. All teeth, eyes hidden behind the folds of his skin. "You gonna kill me, skinjob? Huh? You think so?"

Sasuke shrugs, feeling wild and loose and for once, totally like himself.

"Yeah." He grins back. "I really, really do."

Genma rushes him again. It's sloppier and less coordinated in his excitement. There's barely any grace in his thrusts, twisting this way and that just to miss by a hair's breadth. They're unaligned; Sasuke's dancing a dignified waltz instead of the fiery tango. Genma does not care for the steps, rushing through them as if the lights on the stage are growing dim and hecklers shout from the crowd. The lack of refinement is what ultimately decides the winner.

Sasuke purposely comes in slowly. He expects Genma to try to catch his arm and he does not disappoint. He sees the light shine in the human's eyes, thinking this will be the decisive blow. It will be.

For one of them.

Sasuke bodily throws himself into Genma. He's heavy, weighed down by his existence, by his sins, by the truths he found about himself and his people. It's far too much for an ignorant fuck like Genma to carry so he drops like a lead weight.

Sasuke straddles him, knocking the knife out of his hand and he grabs his hair to bash his head against the ground. Genma still has some fight in him, so Sasuke simply breaks one of his wrists when he tries to struggle. Genma cries out in pain and Sasuke blinks, sense coming back to himself like a slap over the head. He shouldn't have. The noise could attract attention if anyone is still around to hear. But he's done playing around and the time for this grows ever shorter.

"You fucker!" Genma cries through gritted teeth. There's shadows of fear in his eyes now, like he's just now realizing what is happening. A small part of Sasuke hates himself for relishing in it. The other, larger parts scoffs at his pain and places at hand around the human's neck.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? I could kill you without breaking a sweat. Do you want it quick and painless, or should I make you suffer like you did so many others?"

For Genma's sin was not just watching. Watching the abuses the Synths had to go through and turning a blind eye. No, sometimes he embodied them, turning into a monster in the dark for the pretty little charges he could command.

Sometimes they disappeared after missions only reappear quiet and shaking and mistrustful of any male hands. Sometimes he looked at Karin like that—leering and licking his lips when he thinks no one's around to see—but he feared her station and bite. She was favored and wouldn't stand for his hot gaze and wandering touch.

Such reminders rob him of choice, since so few had it with him, so Sasuke makes up his mind for him.

Genma grunts. He must see the decision in Sasuke's eyes without him having to say it.

"If you didn't do this," He asks, eyes darting around as they try to focus on something besides the pain. "Who did?"

He's not sure why that'd be the last thing he wanted to say but Sasuke"s not one to judge. He's got a good answer for him anyway, so he leans in close and looks him squarely in the eye, grinning at Genma's wide, fearful eyes.

"I have no fucking idea." He whispers, and there's no time for Genma to react before Sasuke's snapping his neck with a loud crack.

He feels no joy from it, but maybe a bit of justice. He cannot right all the wrongs with death, but it is a good start.

He rises quickly. Sasuke isn't sure why but he feels like he's on a time limit; the deadline is close and he's sure he doesn't want to find out what that means.

He moves for a while until he rounds another corner, ready this time with his knife out and his defenses raised. He hopes he will not run into any hostiles again, wary of the cut on his arm and the slight dizziness that still follows him from the fall. He wasn't in top-form in that fight and he dreads the thought of meeting someone who could possibly be his match.

Luck is not on his side today, since a man he doesn't recognize comes waltzing out of the miscellaneous rooms in the hall at that exact moment, whistling to himself as carrying a severed head.

—What the fuck?

Sasuke's so thrown by the sight that he freezes, catching the other man's attention by being the only other living thing in the area.

The tall man grins, tilting his head in a friendly way. Sasuke's confused, unsure as to what's happening, until he sees something small and black hurtling towards him.

Shit!

Something heavy smashes into his side. Solid and warm. It takes too long to realize that it's Suigetsu who's tackled him, splayed across him in a heap.

The grenade ravages the hall behind them, sending hot gusts of air to swirl around in a tizzy. The already hazy hall gets too dense to see through for moment, stuffy and hot as all the air flees the area. Sasuke catches a gasp, for he surely would have died if that thing hit him. From his place on the ground he sees two more bodies ducked beside him. A longer look reveals that it's Kankuro and Gaara.

Suigetsu springs up almost immediately, firing off shot after shot at the mystery attacker, swearing colorfully. The assailant goes down with a choked cry and doesn't get up again.

"Fuck man," Suigetsu says as they all watch the body for signs of life. There are none, not after that full clip. "You gotta be quicker than that. We almost could have matched." The metal arm thrust in his face is a stark reminder.

"Thanks." He says, accepting Suigetsu's offered aid to help him up. "Who the hell was that?"

"No clue." Suigetsu shrugs. "That's a first. Everyone else I've come across was dead except these two."

He juts a finger in the brothers' direction. Kankuro nods in greeting while Gaara scans the area for any other signs of life.

Despite their usual animosity it's nice to see that the other man is alright in the face of what's happened. Sasuke should voice this in meaningful way, but he's too caught up in his own questions and confusion.

"You got all the way down here without any problems?" Sasuke asks Suigetsu. He remembers that the white haired man was on the seventh floor. He passed through three floors and there wasn't a single soul stirring? That's worrisome.

How skilled is the other group that attacked? Have they killed all the human soldiers and workers inside and out? There were twice as many soldiers here today and he's seen none of them. Come to think of it, he hasn't heard any gunshots in a while and the matter of the man carrying a bloody head is far too disturbing to ignore.

"Yeah. I was looking for you when we ran into each other. Nearly blew each other's brains out before we realized who's who."

He raises an eyebrow, almost surprised that Suigetsu openly admitted to searching for him. Usually in situations like these, he'd say he "happened" upon him rather than actively seeking him out. But this isn't their usual beat so he has no choice but to cut to the chase.

Gaara butts in, garnering Sasuke's attention. "Naruto's on his way down with your clone. Shikamaru has already left, apparently." He informs. Sasuke can't help the way his body sags in relief at that, overjoyed at the news. His heart threatens to beat out of his chest, glad nothing happened in his absence. The look on Naruto's face as he fell is etched into his brain and he'll do anything to erase it.

"And the others? What of them?" Sasuke asks.

"Most of them have already escaped. We can only hope they made it to the meeting point safely." Kankuro says. "The only ones we don't know of are Kimimaro and Sora."

Sasuke freezes, swallowing thickly. Gaara sees his stricken look and mirrors it, crossing his arms and letting out a string of muffled curses.

"Both of them?" He questions lowly, not looking at him.

"Just Sora." Sasuke confirms gravely. "He was hurt badly in the initial blast. There was nothing that could be done."

"Shit." Suigetsu mutters, kicking absently at a loose piece of rubble. "Just a fucking kid."

"What?" Another voice says behind them. They all turn quickly, raising their weapons to defend themselves, but it's only Naruto and Taka.

Naruto's eyes are wide, no doubt from hearing what was just said. Sasuke's heart sinks; he didn't want him to find out like that, hoping to share the unfortunate news gently. But when have they ever gotten the chance for that?

"Sora's dead?" He asks, swinging his head to look at the lot of them. Gaara doesn't meet his eyes but Sasuke has to. He can't flinch away from this but can't help the ugly churning in his gut when Naruto's face contorts in grief.

"I'm sorry." He says immediately, even though it's meaningless. "He told me to tell you he's sorry, but he's going first."

He as good as slapped him with those final words, because Naruto nearly chokes and has to shut his eyes, willing away the devastation that rocks him in that moment.

When he opens them, there's no trace of the storm that raged on his face mere seconds before. Sasuke feels something fleeting like fear towards him, awed in the face of his careful control.

"Okay." Is all he says. "Then that's that. Everyone is accounted for. We need to go."

Sasuke nods, ready to move, but Kankuro protests with a shake of his dead.

"Wait, you don't want to figure out what's happening? We don't know who these people are or what they want."

"That doesn't have anything to do with us," Gaara argues. "We got what we came for. Whatever befalls this place isn't on our shoulders."

"I agree." Sasuke hears himself saying. He sees Gaara's brow raise but ignores him. Not everything about them has to be contrary, especially in matters of life and death. "These people are clearly dangerous and have high powered explosives. We shouldn't fight them since we're probably outnumbered and maybe even outmatched."

"Yeah, I'm good on that." Suigetsu chimes in. "We really don't have a reason to go after them, unless you want revenge or something." He addresses Naruto, looking at him carefully as he waits for his answer.

"No." Naruto says evenly. He doesn't take any time to think it over, immediately coming to a decision. "We're hurt and disoriented and desperately need to regroup. We'll just go."

"Alright." Kankuro agrees, but the shadows of uncertainty remain like a dark cloud.

"Now we only have to—" Suigetsu starts, waving his arm in a wide arch. He gets cut off by another voice joining the fray, something deep and angry from the other end of the hall.

"What a mess." The voice says, snapping them all to attention, they turn, weapons ready. Sasuke moves his body unconsciously so that he stands in front of Naruto.

Two dead eyes stare back at them, unimpressed and uninterested. He's tall, with a shock of silver hair and a long robe he hasn't bothered to close, scarred chest on display. Sasuke's on edge because his mind screams DANGER at the very sight of him. He's reminded of the time he met Kakashi, when he knew something was very wrong at first glance. He cannot figure out what's so off about him, but he isn't too keen on finding out.

"Ah. You guys aren't human." The man says matter-of-factly, cocking his head to the side. "That makes sense. Probably wouldn't have made it this long if you were."

They need to leave. They need to get away. Sasuke senses this from the depths of his soul and he doesn't understand why. His mouth won't move but he wants to scream for everyone to scatter. Flee! His roaring mind yells, While you still can!

"Who are you?" Kankuro asks, aiming his gun squarely at the man's heart.

There's a switch in the figure's features for a split second — something evil and sinister that rattles Sasuke's bones— so quickly it rises and falls that he's almost certain he imagined it, until he hears Naruto's sharp intake of breath and a muffled curse from Suigetsu. He isn't looking at either one but knows that their hackles are raised.

Too quick. He barely sees it. Barely sees the flick of the wrist and the knife is being thrown with frightening accuracy. It flies past Sasuke's face with a woosh and a thud, embedding itself in its mark like it was cutting through paper.

Sasuke feels the color drain from his face, the air escape from his lungs. A cut blossoms on his cheek; a small line of blood curving under his chin. His body twitches in shock; He wills his head to move, for his eyes to look, catching sight of the bright red blood flowing out from Kankuro's neck.

No movement.

Just shock, disbelief, surprise. Naruto's ashen gray, Taka curses and Suigetsu's jaw hits the floor. Gaara's lips part but no sound emerges.

Kankuro stumbles back, hands feebly reaching for the knife stuck in his neck. He misses once, twice, a third time, before he's finally touches it. A flood erupts from his lips, spilling over them as he coughs violently.

Gaara reaches out weakly with a shaking hand. He can do nothing. Sasuke sees this immediately: it's already over. It does not stop him from reaching out when Kankuro falls since Gaara cannot move fast enough, his knees locked and head swimming.

Sasuke catches him and slides down to the floor, propping up his back and supporting his head. Kankuro chokes, eyes darting quickly but not focused on anything. His lips part to say something but it's too garbled, throat too ravaged to utter a sound. He's shaking, more and more blood flowing out from its hiding place and his eyes begin to roll.

He tries to focus on Sasuke, tries to speak again. Sasuke looks deep into his eyes and nods desperately, gripping his hand tightly. His own breath shudders and threatens to cease.

Too quick. It's only been minutes—seconds maybe, but it feels like eons. Sasuke feels Kankuro twitch one last time and then he's limp. Too quick. Just like that, he's gone.

"Don't interrupt me." The man says casually, staring down at Kankuro's still form angrily. Sasuke drags his eyes away from the dead to look up at him, wordless rage gripping his chest.

Gaara roars, charging forward. Naruto does the same, face contorted in agony. They are caricatures of themselves, wild and angry and unreachable.

Sasuke gently lets Kankuro ease from his arms, placing him lightly on the floor and closing his eyes. Suigetsu's staring down at the body, eyes wide, still frozen from shock. The two of them make eye contact and Sasuke isn't surprised to see tendrils of fear swirling in Suigetsu's gaze.

He feels the same. They are some of the best marksmen the government had to offer, yet they couldn't anticipate that move. Didn't see until it was too late. That's a level they aren't familiar with, a level they can't come near. And that's frightening.

He's not paying attention, too caught up in in his own swirling thoughts when Taka shouts in alarm. Sasuke jerks his head to the side so hard he hears it crack, heart seizing in his chest when he sees that in such a short time the man has made Gaara's left arm useless, dangling limply at his side. Broken from the looks of it.

He has Naruto on the ground, grinding a boot into his chest while the blond man struggles.

Fuck! He thinks, panicking. Who is this man and why is he so strong?

He will not be enough to stop this. Not armed with a knife and nothing else. Sasuke recognizes this immediately; he's always the first to be aware of his own limitations. He is watching with eyes blown wide, fearful that the others are to be killed, since it seems that is what the mysterious figure intends.

It's Taka who moves faster than all of them, brandishing the weapon Sasuke gave him earlier for safe keeping. What a fool he was, since his Other is glaring with a crazed look and a finger poised entirely too close to the trigger.

"Let him up." Taka says calmly, like a vein isn't threatening to burst forth through his forehead and like his knees aren't asking to be let in. "You know what this is, don't you?"

The figure looks up, raising an eyebrow. He flinches when he sees what Taka's holding, blinking rapidly in poorly disguised surprise. Then he snorts, waving his hand around in a mocking way.

"Do you?" He asks slowly, like he's talking to a child. "Because if you do, why threaten me with such a thing? You'll all disappear too if you fire it, you know."

How does this man know what that is? Who is he, to have come across one before?

"I know." Taka says casually, topping it off with a shrug. Suigetsu's looking at him like he's grown a second head and Sasuke sure he's making the same face. He himself is notthat insane so maybe they do truly differ after all.

Gaara watches in uneasy silence, panting as he presses himself against the wall, steady himself and holding his arm. Naruto's face is unreadable from his place on the ground. He doesn't look worried in the slightest, somehow, and Sasuke doesn't know what to make of that.

"I also know that you don't want to die here. You have more to do, don't you?" Taka asks. The other man's eyes grown sharp like he's been caught somehow. The prideful type then, or someone who wants to bask in the glory instead of being the martyr. The glory of what, though? What have they done here beside the murder of many?

"We just want to leave. Let us go and we won't cause you any trouble." Taka finishes, adding a quiet, near desperate: "Please." At the end of it.

The man considers, foot still firmly pressed on Naruto's sternum. Sasuke knows he's holding his breath, unsure if he should hold absolutely still or not at the risk of provoking the strange figure.

He knows the others are, too, and he hates the tense atmosphere that's swirling around them, hates even more that—for all his power and experience—he's useless here, at the mercy of some crazed fiend who potentially holds their lives in his hands.

Slowly his leg raises from Naruto's form. He takes a step back, raising his hands in mock surrender. Naruto rolls on his side, coughing, and then he's springing up and away from the offender, watching him with cold eyes. He gets a cruel grin in return of his efforts, the man puffing his chest out like he's won something.

"Alright." He agrees. "You'll never get out of here, anyway, but let's see how this plays out."

"What does that mean?" Gaara grunts, standing back to his full height. The man regards him smugly, shrugging.

"It means the rest of my team will be here soon to "clean up" and if you can't handle me you certainly can't handle them." He says around a mocking chuckle.

"Besides, the front of this place is still crawling with soldiers. Their orders are to shoot on sight, so we're all trapped inside because they have this place surrounded. At least, until my backup comes, that is."

Well isn't that just great, Sasuke thinks. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"But I'll let you go. Like you said: I have more to do. Run along now." He says, waving them off like it's nothing.

Sasuke sees the other struggle to stamp down their emotions, to not lash out at his nonchalance. He struggles with the same, wanting desperately to put a bullet between his eyes for what he's done. But he doesn't and he won't, since he knows a Hail Mary when he sees one.

No one moves, unsure if he really means it. They wait for a surprise attack that doesn't come. He only watches and waits for them to collect themselves and disappear from his sight, hand on his hip and tapping his foot. Sasuke's so upset, so confused, somewhat afraid, but he's the first to force his legs to move and he makes his way to Gaara to support his weight.

Gaara takes his aid freely, saying nothing. Naruto doesn't take his eyes off the fiend, sneering, but he doesn't make a move to attack. He's smarter than that. The man stares back, grinning.

"I know you, don't I?" He asks Naruto, who only blinks in response.

"No, I don't think we've met." Naruto grits out, desperately trying to keep his anger under control. The look the man gives him is knowing and strange, but Naruto looks genuinely confused and Sasuke's convinced that he really doesn't know who he is.

"Not you." He tuts with a shake of his head. "The other one." He then points to Sasuke, who can't help flinch in surprise. He has no idea to the man's identity and he would surely remember coming across such a figure before, wouldn't he? Distinctive as he is.

"I've never seen you before in my life." Sasuke says since it's the truth. Gaara's brow furrows in confusion, as do the others. No one is sure what he's on about and the tension in the hall ratchets up ten-fold.

Then man shrugs again, still smiling a knowing smile. "You're probably right and I'm probably mistaken. Oh well. Take care of yourselves, okay?"

He laughs at their reactions, waving himself away as he disappears around the corner.

They don't move for a long while, feet rooted to the spot like they're made of cement. Naruto stares in the direction the man went, brow low and pensive. His fists are clenched hard enough to draw blood.

Taka is still holding the anti-matter gun, albeit loosely down by his side. He finally relaxes, bravado fleeing from his body as quickly as it came. Suigetsu titters uncomfortably, looking at everyone one by one to gauge their state of mind. He fails, since his own is just as jumbled.

Gaara doesn't speak, throat croaking from grief as he tries. He leans heavily into Sasuke's side, desperate for comfort regardless of who it's from. Sasuke pulls him closer to try and give him that. He can tell that Gaara appreciates it from his hard swallow and weak nod. He cannot look at his brother so Sasuke gently faces him away.

"We should go." Sasuke announces quietly, taking charge since no one else seems to be in the state to do so. That spurs the others into action, blinking away whatever thoughts arrested them so.

Naruto walks over to Kankuro's body, leaning down on one knee. He pets his hair absently for a moment, pressing a kiss to his brow in a final goodbye. He doesn't move, body stiff and shaking. But when he rises he is blank. Shoulders squared and eyes hard.

"Yeah. Let's go." He says, marching ahead to take the lead.

Taka silently follows, sending a look over his shoulder to Sasuke.

He adjusts Gaara's weight on him to better suit their movement before setting off.

Suigetsu's the last to move, surveying the smoldering, destroyed hall and the field of bodies, whispering a small: "Fuck." To himself before he jogs to catch up.

Fuck indeed.

C.

They're getting shot at, the soldiers that spotted them aiming for their heads as they run for their lives. The man was right: the fortress was surrounded, reinforcements spilling in from every direction, attracted to the billowing flames that climb high into the sky like a beacon.

They managed to sneak past most of them through one of the other stairways that remained intact. They spilled out near the front entrance and were almost in the clear, but a perceptive eye and loud shout alerts the rest of the soldiers to their presence.

"Goddammit!" Suigetsu yells, shooting back. He downs two of them but that does barely anything to thin the herd. There's way too many for them to handle right now, with Gaara hurt and their distinct lack of long-range weapons.

No matter how Sasuke looks at it, no matter how many simulations he runs or ideas he comes up with, each bullet they dodge and hydra they fell spells out one thing. They're wholly and truly —

—trapped.

They see an opportunity in the form of a spiky wooden barricade—a museum-like relic in this age of metal and ash—driving behind it as fast as they can.

A throwback to a bygone age, like most of the commodities here. Pointless in theory with the weaponry they have now that guns and bombs could completely obliterate it, but it's a small reprieve all the same—much needed since he can barely keep up while trying to carry someone else.

"I hate to say this," Suigetsu says, catching his breath. "But we're kinda fucked."

"It isn't looking good, no." Taka concurs, flinching when a bullet ingrains itself into the wood behind his head with a loud thud.

Naruto says nothing, staring forward. A small forest of trees is just beyond them, so close yet so far. The meeting point not too far off from there. With time, they could make itand lose themselves within the woods, far from the bullets and the trouble. They don't have that time, not with the rapidly advancing soldiers and the threat of another unseen force licking at their heels.

The rest of that violent man's team must not have arrived yet based on the amount of soldiers that are aiming for their lives. Sasuke's convinced from that small glance at that man's power that, if they had already made an appearance, all would be quiet on this western front.

But they are no saviors. If they were here, his little team would bite the dust as well. Something has to give, before this situation grows worse and worse.

Naruto turns to look at him, eyes hooded and wavering. "I don't know what to do." He admits, just above a whisper, and Sasuke's heart sinks.

He doesn't know, either.

Another time, another place similar to this one plays in his head. He closes his eyes against his own sense of defeat, of its finality. There will be no one to save them. Not this time. No one to call out to them as they cower amidst the smoke and the blood. No one to usher them to safety when they thought all hope was lost.

Gaara grunts, attempting to sit up further on his own. He waves away Sasuke's move to help him, shaking his head.

"Leave me." He says, gritting his teeth. "I'm slowing you down. I'll distract them and give you time to escape."

"No," Taka replies before Naruto or Sasuke can voice their displeasure and protest. He gives Sasuke a resigned look that he hates. "I'll go. I'm the spare, anyway."

"Taka—" Sasuke chides sharply. He refuses to accept that. He has a right to his own existence too, not reduced to cannon fodder even if the situation calls for it.

Naruto's face is hard and determined, so much so that Sasuke snakes his hand out to grab his arm, anticipating his next move even though Naruto hasn't uttered a word.

"Absolutely not." Sasuke hisses. Naruto flinches mutely, caught before he could offer himself. "It'll be me, before you."

Naruto narrows his eyes and wrenches his arm away out from Sasuke's grip. "As if I'll allow that."

He thinks that all of their bonds are good, since they can argue over who should be the one to die at a time like this.

Somehow that's calming, setting his ruined thoughts at ease.

Taka makes a noise of alarm, flailing as he's pushed to the side. Three heads whip around, taking in the sight of Suigetsu pressing a button on his suit as he goes to stand.

Sasuke panics, grabbing desperately at Suigestu's arm before he can get too far.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demands, heart rising to his throat, beating wildly. "Are you insane?!"

He pressed the self-destruct. A failsafe built in for moments like this, so if they are captured or tortured they won't give away any information to the enemy. Sasuke can't believe Suigetsu would go that far or that he managed to beat Sasuke to it, since he fully planned to use his own.

It's the whole reason he repaired his suit anyway.

Just in case.

Suigetsu grins. It's more reckless than his usual one, loose and unhinged, and it makes goose bumps erupt violently on Sasuke's skin.

"You know damn well I am." He jokes. But then, quieter, more serious: "Let me do this, okay?"

He doesn't know what to say. Why? Why would he throw his life away for them? He's always looked out for himself, never caring about anyone else. What changed?

"I hate confessions." He says, looking at Sasuke almost sheepishly. "But I guess I should say that Karin wasn't the only one with a crush since I probably won't get the chance again."

—Oh.

Oh.

He guesses that he should have seen it ages ago, should have understood when Suigetsu's eyes were always on him. He thought it meant something else, all that history and anger because of Sasuke's inattention. Since he ignored the three of them most of the time, rejected their branches offered in friendship. But he didn't and he feels like a right fool to have been blind to it so long.

"I—" He starts, eyes wide. He's floundering, unable to find the words. He feels the eyes on him from every direction, blinking in various states of surprise. He ignores them and buttons his lips when Suigetsu holds up his hand.

"It's fine. You don't have to say anything. I knew you were holding a torch for someone else anyway, even though you didn't say." He sees Naruto square his shoulders out of the corner of his eyes, like he's being challenged. Suigetsu chuckles at the sight, shaking his head softly.

"Part of me knew it would always end up like this, saving your dumb ass. So, let me do this. You guys go change the world and shit. I'll cover you."

"Suigetsu —" He doesn't deserve this, doesn't want to watch him throw himself to the wolves. Not for Sasuke, not after how cruelly he treated him over the years. Not when they're so close and maybe they can all make it.

He knows they can't, knows this may be the only chance to make their escape. But fuck, he doesn't want him to die.

Something about Suigetsu is invincible. A staple in his life, outfitted with a witty one-liner and a grin. Someone so full of life doesn't deserve to go out like this. Or, maybe this is his version of a blaze of glory. It could be very fitting but Sasuke's too overcome with emotion to decide if that's the case.

"Sorry, dude," Suigetsu says, throwing a playful look to Naruto. He tugs Sasuke by the back of his head and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. Sasuke's caught too off guard to do much of anything, the other mouth upon his muffling a surprised squawk. He hears Naruto snort behind him.

Sasuke blinks up at him and Suigetsu laughs in his face, throwing his head back at the look Sasuke sports, wiping away an imaginary tear.

He sobers, smile turning sad. Sasuke feel something inside him cracking. His heartbeat rabbits up, threatening to stop beating all together. Too much today, too much loss and grief. He's not sure how much more he can take.

"Let's get along better in the next life, alright?" Suigetsu says. "Hell, maybe I'll even meet you first."

"Okay." Sasuke agrees. He can do little else.

Suigetsu grins again, eyes disappearing from how hard he smiles. The mid-afternoon sun catches the corner of his teeth and the glint of his metal arm. It nearly blinds him. He almost raises his arm to shield his eyes from the sight of it.

Standing under the rays, he almost has a halo.

Sasuke swears to remember him just like that. Just like this moment, where he's sunny and shining.

"See ya." He says, laughing wildly as he springs from their hiding place, raising his arms up in fake surrender.

Sasuke grabs Gaara as fast as he can, pushing away from the wood to take off. Naruto and Taka follow, ducking low as they run for the cover of trees.

He cannot help but turn and look at the last moment, honored by the sight. Suigetsu deserves to be witnessed in his sacrifice and he will do that just.

Sasuke sees him give up his ruse to run towards the advancing shoulders as they try to shoot him down. He leaps forward, wild and free, before —

He ignites, red hot. So suddenly, a spectrum of colors flying across the field and obscuring his vision. Bright Blue, like Saint Elmo's fire. The color he was always marred with finally overtook him. Sasuke, through his tears, swears he sees him dancing in the flames.

Something else explodes at the same moment, sending debris flying everywhere. Sasuke cannot tell where the other blast comes from, too distracted by the shrapnel that cuts into his skin and sends them all flying forward. Sasuke cannot catch himself as he's flung like a ragdoll. He loses his hold on Gaara and cries out in alarm, flinging his arms desperately to pull him back.

White blinds them, bathing them in light. He looks at Naruto in one slow, horrifying moment—his tanned hand reaching out to Sasuke fruitlessly. He cannot form words, cannot spill his tales of love like he wants to, for the moment passes too quickly.

He holds his gaze until the white light overtakes them, then he's smashing into the ground and losing consciousness for the second time today.

Too quick. It's all over too quickly. Black ash smolders the field where Suigetsu once stood, surrounded by a sea of soldiers. Nothing remains, saved for melted guns and the crackling flames on charred bodies.

Quiet.

Everything is—

—Quiet.