A/N: So I am aware that many people don't read author's notes. Why, I have no idea since we go through the trouble of actually trying to talk to our readers, letting them get to know us a little bit. I mean, I can't make people read them if they don't want to but I usually give heads up and stuff like that, always pertaining to my stories, that are important for the story itself. But, whichever. Anyway, I was SCARED to post this. Seriously, I don't want you all to hate me but you must understand what happens in this chapter is part of the plot, it has been since I started working on this story and I'm not going to apologize for it. I'm sure I'm going to get reviews filled with outrage and things like, "how can you do that?". It's part of the plot. I need it as a plot device. So, your concerns will be duly noted but I'm not changing it. With that said, I hope you all at least enjoy this chapter. I have made up, I think, for the more disturbing parts with a lot more Sasunaru.

PLEASE READ THIS WARNING! This chapter contains disturbing images, violence and RAPE. If you can't handle this, PLEASE DON'T READ IT! I can't make you read the author's note but please heed this warning! Also, I apologize for any mistakes. They are there. I have no beta. Thank you.


"Soul Meets Body"- by Death Cab for Cutie

I want to live where soul meets body/And let the sun wrap its arms around me/And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing/And feel, feel what its like to be new/Cause in my head there's a greyhound station/Where I send my thoughts too far off destinations/So they may have a chance of finding a place/where they're far more suited than here/And I cannot guess what we'll discover/When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels/But I know our filthy hands can wash one another's/And not one speck will remain

And I do believe it's true/That there are roads left in both of our shoes/But if the silence takes you/Then I hope it takes me too/So brown eyes I hold you near/Cause you're the only song I want to hear/A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere…


Chapter 9: The Simplicity of Breaking…

The letter lay in his lap the entire day-long trip back to his palace, its edges crinkled from his own angry fingers twisting and pulling at it and a tear ran halfway up the bottom of the page. He didn't need to be looking at the neat, swirling words to know what they said. He had already memorized them. Aoshi looked out the window of his carriage, face blanked out by clean, white silk but he kept his features as smooth as ice underneath anyway. Only his eyes gave away the frenzy of emotions swirling in his chest.

They burned.

My Lord,

I know this is abrupt and I apologize if I am interrupting any important business of state but I thought it would be prudent to tell you that all is not well here. Or at least, not well for you.

I had no reason to suspect your little pet singer when I went to his rooms last night; he hadn't shown up for dinner and I was concerned he might not be feeling well. So in the sense of hospitality, I thought he might appreciate having someone checking up on him to see if he needed anything. Only, when I got there, it seemed he was not alone. Believe me when I say that I was surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha entering his rooms without knocking. This puzzled me to say the least and, I will admit, I don't like mysteries. So I asked one of my personal servants to keep an eye on the room, just in case.

I sincerely apologize, my Lord, but Sasuke did not leave until the next morning. Such a betrayal is unforgivable and I am regretful that I was the one to be the bearer of bad tidings but I could not, in good conscience, let you go on believing what is obviously a lie. It is made clear that Daisuke had set his sights elsewhere and you do not deserve to continue thinking you can love someone such as that. He is less than worthless if he can break your heart like this.

Please, do not come home until your wrath is under control; I know you and I do not want you to do anything you might regret. Just know that you still have someone on your side.

Faithfully, Lady Arisa.


Kakashi placed the report back on his desk and rubbed his temples with his fingertips in an attempt to chase away the ache that had settled there to no avail.

It was getting worse.

He just wanted the day to be over so he could slip away and snatch Iruka to cuddle with him on their couch, or bed or wherever. He didn't even care anymore. This had been the fourth report this week, their numbers increasing as time when on; reports of conflicts, infighting, or strange occurrences in one country that looked as if they had been perpetrated by another. At first it seemed as if they were just ordinary tensions that where natural between different nations. But now he was not so sure.

For a whole year, ever since the five great shinobi nations banded together to defeat Madara and brought an end to the third Great War, people were eager to breathe in the clearer air that peace brought with it. The memories were still too new yet for that to have changed but with each new tale that came in, the Hokage grew more and more wary. It seemed natural enough on the surface. All of the conflicts were silly things, brought on by man's base need for conflict but there was more to it than that, he was sure of it. And Kakashi had learned at a very young age to trust his instincts.

So far, Konoha had been lucky. The conflicts had remained mostly between the lesser shinobi nations, such as Rain and Grass. Earth had participated as well, but that nation had always been a little more aggressive than the rest. It was only twice and with two different other countries but they seemed the most prone to it right now. He frowned behind his mask and dropped his hands to the desk, turning his chair so he could stare out at his village below. At any cost, he wished to spare Konoha from another conflict. They had only just recovered from the last bout of violence and though the buildings had been put back to rights and the businesses reestablished, the fear of such a thing happening again hung over the village like a invisible cloud. It was better than it was and nothing like the disaster created by the Kyuubi but it was still there.

And now the latest report...

That Grass and Rain were on the verge of war was disturbing to say the least. Though they were smaller countries, they sat between Fire and Earth and the tensions would only exacerbate the uneasy relations the two great shinobi countries had with one another. And it wasn't just relations between the shinobi villages, either. Trade and civil relations were strained as well. That, though, was only the first part of the report. The second part made his stomach clench.

There had been a skirmish close to the boarder of Fire that had involved some of his own ANBU and one of them had been killed.

Kakashi sighed and took in the sight of his home, the sky darkening overhead, throwing odd shadows across the streets that bustled with activity even this close to dinner time and turned the stone faces across from his window that jutted out from the mountain side into stark planes and angles. All the countries that shared boarders were being slowly dragged into this downward spiral; all of them except one. It was odd that River was almost unnaturally silent. No one had come in or out of there for nearly three weeks now and they were the only ones that seemed to be exempt from this slowly escalating struggle. Not only that but Naruto was there and Kakashi had gotten not one message from him. It was worrying and the blonde's friends were beginning to ask questions he couldn't answer. Just what, he wondered, was going on over there that Naruto couldn't even send him an update?

The Hokage turned pressed his fingertips to a seal that would summon his private guard. He didn't even need to wait before there was a man kneeling before him, dark head bowed and face covered by a grinning leopard mask.

"Yes, Lord Hokage?" his voice was deep and Kakashi recognized Hoshi by his absolute stillness. The masks were used to conceal identity but he knew everyone's name and could tell who they were by both the mask and their body language. The silver haired man lifted two scrolls and tossed them to the ANBU, who caught them with graceful ease. Dark eyes watched him from behind porcelain cut-out eyes.

"I need those sent to the Kazekage and Tsuchikage. See that it is done immediately," the leopard bowed low once more before disappearing as suddenly as he had come. Kakashi watched with a frown. It was time for a more proactive approach, something he had learned from the last time but it would only work if everyone involved was willing to work together. He slipped from the comfortable chair and leaned against the cool glass, absently watching as shadows flitted through the rooftops and children ran, screeching, through the streets below.

Now, of only Naruto would contact me…


Waking had been slow and blissful, like he was rising from a warm, thick mist, dreams shredding before his eyes as they fluttered open. Floating as if on transparent clouds, he had no sense of awareness but in that moment, it didn't seem to matter. He just gathered his consciousness around himself, blinking once, then again as if that would clear the last of the strange dreamlike state that clung to him.

Then he realized his dreams had not been dreams at all.

Early morning light spilled in through the open windows and doors, still chilled and damp with dew. It was rich and pale as it tumbled across his large bed, picking up all the individual colors and threads of the blankets and pillows that surrounded him. Chatter from the birds in the garden reminded him of simpler days when he could stay in bed all morning while trying to figure out just what they had to say to each other that was so important. Yet all of that paled in comparison to the sleeping face across from his own, so familiar and so unguarded that it made his heart ache to see. So it had been true that Sasuke had come into his rooms last night and had lain down next to him.

Emotion that he had tried to suppress last night welled up around him, filling his chest with a delightful kind of liquid warmth, making him feel restlessly giddy and, at the same time, like he could lay there forever, just staring at the other man. Naruto barely dared to breathe as he took those long, beautiful moments to study Sasuke as he slept, wondering if he would ever be given a chance to do so again. The thought that said not likely in a small voice at the back of his mind was ruthlessly crushed. Like this, the Uchiha looked so young, his normal icy mask that gave the appearance of maturity and a greater number of years than he actually possessed melted in his unconsciousness. His eyelashes were not long but were so thick and dark, they looked like slashes of ink against his skin. Lips that were usually pinched tight in annoyance or anger, or flat with apathy softened now, parted ever so slightly so that the blond could make out a white tooth or two. Ebony strands of hair swirled upon the pillow they shared, mixing with his own, golden hair, shining almost a deep, rich blue in the light. It fell into the sharp features like a gauzy veil, casting shadows against skin that shone like ivory.

Everything about Sasuke was contrasted, so many facets to him that the blond was sure he would never get a chance to see them all. In some places he blazed like the moon, stark and removed and unbearably cold where in others he was like the night, intense and dark, threatening to swallow everyone that got too close. And then sometimes, like now, he was like the early morning light or the richer, dying light of twilight; there was something in him that was so undeniably human that it struck Naruto breathless. There would never be anything soft about the Uchiha, even as peaceful and unaware as he was now. But then he thought about the man's capacity for love, put together with everything else that he was, and he was the most stunning person the blond had ever met. Sure, Sasuke had a way of twisting his reality but anyone who went to the lengths that the dark haired man did to get revenge for his family, for his brother, as wrong as it was, couldn't be anything else but beautiful.

It was that potential that shone from his face now, so quiet and still Naruto wouldn't have seen it if he wasn't looking for it. When Sasuke chose to love someone, he did it so completely and so totally that he broke when it was lost. When the blond had come to this conclusion, more than two years ago, he was sure that the Uchiha would never let anyone close enough to allow something like what happened with Itachi to occur again. But here he was anyway, trusting Naruto in a way that he would never have with anyone else and added to the look he had shared with the blond the night before, he couldn't help the bubble of pure, contented joy that fluttered through him. It felt as if he had been dipped in a vat of sunlight and any moment the golden light would begin to seep from his pores.

What surprised Naruto the most was that neither of them seemed to have moved while they slept, both still on their sides, facing one another with their hands clasped tightly in the space between them. That Sasuke had not pulled away, had not left only to deny the entire encounter later told him more than words could. He remembered, from when they were younger, that the dark haired boy hated to be touched. He had never liked when Sakura would hug him shyly or when Kakashi ruffled his hair when they both thought no one was watching. Yet he was permitting this now and Naruto knew it meant more than it would have if it was anyone but Sasuke. He could feel, too, how their bent knees pressed together and the soft breaths of air puffing over his cheek as Sasuke breathed quietly. Yet it was the simplicity of their palms holding each other and their fingers tangled together that felt the most intimate. He marveled at the feel of it, as he had the night before. The Uchiha's grip was lax in sleep but there was still incredible strength radiating from his curled fingers, which were amazingly long and slim.

Naruto looked at them for a moment before moving his arm a bit so that he might bring their joined hands closer to his face. He wanted to be able to memorize the way his own dark golden skin looked like pressed against the other man's moon-pale hand. The movement seemed to break the status they were in, though, for when he glanced at the other's face again, the black eyes were sharp with awareness as they watched him.

The blond sucked in a startled breath, caught in a swirling, intense look but he bit back whatever words crowded upon his tongue. He half expected Sasuke to blink and then come back to his senses, realize their position and the closeness of it and tear himself away; just like he had done ever since they were young. But as time dragged on, the air heavy and sharp, he made no move to get up. He just blinked slowly a few times before dropping his gaze to their hands. Naruto was afraid to say anything lest he remind the dark haired ninja how much of a moron he thought the blond was. Surely then he would pull away and Naruto wasn't quite ready for this to end. It was the first time he had seen something from this man other than cold indifference and burning rage in too many years.

Then Sasuke's hand tightened on his own and his eyes slipped shut for just a moment, as if he too was marveling over the feel of the blonde's hand curled around his own. It made Naruto's breath catch in his chest, that bubbly, sun-warm hope leaping around and knocking against his sternum. The pale eyelids flickered, as if the dark haired man was searching for something before he raised his gaze to the wide, cobalt one watching him carefully.

"You're different," the words were simple and to the point but they drove straight to Naruto's heart for he could hear the disappointment and confusion in the deep voice that Sasuke probably didn't even realize had just exposed him so much. The blond shifted restlessly for a moment, fingers tightening as if the dark haired man thought to pull away. But the deep, black gaze remained steady, demanding answers he wasn't sure he could give.

"I'm still Naruto," he whispered in return, afraid that if he lifted his voice, this peaceful stillness they had found themselves cocooned in would shatter like flawed glass, "I haven't changed so much that I'm a different person," Sasuke went absolutely still, his eyes wider than the blond had ever seen them before he let out a slow breath between gracefully parted lips. His face looked so strange without its normal icy mask that Naruto found himself wishing he could trace every last curve with his fingertips and his tongue so he would never forget what the Uchiha looked like at this very moment.

"I know that but sometimes it's hard to tell," the dark haired man finally admitted, a frown pulling at the corner of his lips. It wasn't like his usual annoyed expressions though. Instead in conveyed frustration and a dislike for the situation they had found themselves in, "When you are around other people here…when you are Daisuke, I can see nothing of the real you at all," Naruto watched him struggled with it, no doubt feeling so exposed as he admitted so much. The other man had never been very good about acknowledging a weakness such as not being absolutely sure about something but that he was now made the blond realize that he wasn't the only one that had changed. Slowly, he untangled his hand from Sasuke's earning himself a puzzled look but he only clasped the strong wrist in his other hand, pressing the pale palm to the center of his chest where his heartbeat pulsed strong and steady. The dark haired man's eyes widened again, this time making him look vulnerable in his wonder before he closed his eyes. Naruto then moved his free hand to Sasuke's chest, feeling the dull, even thud of his heart. Their bond blazed between them like solid light, twining around their fingers and wrists and hearts like shining red ribbon. He thought that if he only strained his eyes just a little, he would be able to see it.

"Does it bother you, if I act a little different?" the blonde's voice remained low but even he could hear the intensity in it. Sasuke looked like he wanted to sneer, to snap, to make a sharp movement that would throw off the blonde's touch but he held still, that frown deepening in true anger this time. He had never known that such dark eyes could seem so bright until that moment as they burned into him with the same intensity that he had used in his own voice.

"Doesn't it bother you? You used to be so focused on that one ridiculous goal of yours that even a war couldn't get in your way and now, suddenly, you here…like…this," his voice wobbled for a moment, something that Naruto had never heard before unless the man was talking about his slaughtered clan before he took a deep breath to steady himself, "What happened to that Naruto? Did you give up finally?" yet even though the words were sharp as blades, Sasuke's voice remained quiet, cutting the blond with their strength rather than their volume. His own blue eyes flashed but he didn't move his hand away, steadying himself against the gentle rhythm of the Uchiha's pulse.

"I didn't give up; I never give up. I didn't give up on that and I haven't given up on you and I won't give up on this either," he kept himself from snapping only just. He didn't want this to escalate into a full blown fight but he had forgotten just how Sasuke could pierce him deeply with only a few choice words. Perhaps that came from knowing a person so well, though Naruto couldn't say he knew this man very well at all, "I was the only one who could do it; who had the strength to get out if I needed to and Kakashi knew I wouldn't back down if it got a little tough," he searched Sasuke's face again but could only make out careful fury.

"And that meant you had to sleep with someone to get what you wanted?" the words did what they were meant to do; they stung but Naruto didn't look away. He met the Uchiha's gaze unflinchingly, even lifting his chin a little in defiance. What difference did it make to Sasuke who he had sex with and why?

"I told you why I did that," he all but growled, "I needed information and Aoshi was the quickest way to it. I don't see you having any more success," there were other things he wanted to say but he stilled his words. He wasn't ready for Sasuke to walk out just yet. Even if they were arguing, his warm, solid presence was like a balm to Naruto's battered heart, healing him and giving him a boost so that he knew he would be able to continue on once the Feudal Lord returned. The dark haired man did sneer this time, a smug twitch of his lips pulled into an expression that the blond had always hated. It stirred up old feelings of inadequacy and rivalry that he couldn't help but want to challenge.

"Actually, I did," he blinked, then curled his fingers into the other man's shirt, signaling him to continue, "While you have been busy letting him fuck you, I have earned his trust as a shinobi," Naruto made a low protesting noise in his throat but the dark gaze narrowed at him, "Just listen. He called me to him before he left and dropped a hint about who he was going to meet. It seems the rouge ninja were just the beginning. I think he is trying to get one of the Kages in on his scheme," Naruto felt his eyes widen almost comically wide, his breath caught in his chest. Surely that couldn't be the case. If a Great Nation leant their aid, it could mean a full scale war. He bit his lip, an action that he didn't realize was being carefully watched by Sasuke's dark eyes, rubbing the inside of the other man's wrist absently which he still had pressed to his chest.

"It's not Kakashi or Garaa and I'm positive it isn't the Raikage either," he mused aloud and Sasuke nodded, stating that he agreed with the blonde's words. He gnawed a bit more on his lip until the dark haired man winced and lifted his hand, tugging the abused flesh free with a gentle thumb. The action struck the blond dumb for long moments and he stared at the Uchiha, confused, his heart once more hammering away at his chest cavity. Finally Sasuke looked away and a small, very faint stain of pale, rosy pink stained his cheeks. It stole Naruto's breath away to see the dark haired ninja blush. Shit, he was blushing. The blond had to swallow hard before he could trust his voice, "W-why did you do that?" it was a low rasp but he knew that the Uchiha had heard it. The incredible blush deepened and he had the urge to brush his hands over it. Sasuke's eyes were so dark he nearly fell into them when they met his own again.

"You haven't…you don't…feel anything for Aoshi, do you?" there was no inflection in his voice at all when he spoke but the uncertainty and hesitations twisted Naruto's heart and made him feel like he could fly all at once. It mattered. It mattered to Sasuke that he was sleeping with the man he was trying to get information from. All the anger, the things he said about this not being Naruto, it was all because it mattered. He didn't know in what capacity or the true emotions behind the questions but that hardly made a difference. Softly, he laughed, filled with such bright, happy emotion that he thought it would have come spilling forth from his mouth like honey when he opened it. Then he caught both of Sasuke's hands, made a little awkward since they were on their sides and could only really move one arm freely, shifting closer to the other man as his eyes shone like jewels.

"He is not the cruel, icy picture that you painted him; he is kind and warm when he wants to be…but…" he paused, watching how Sasuke was holding his breath, face intent and his hands gripping Naruto's like he was an anchor, "but he isn't what I want. This is a mission; it began as one and it will end as one. He isn't what I want," he isn't you but he didn't really need to say those words. Sasuke's eyes had fluttered shut, as if he needed to mask the relief that was flickering across his face.

"O—okay…" he whispered then and it was all the blond could do not to leap out of his skin at the surrender. Instead of shouting or crying, he breached the last of the distance between them and pressed his body into Sasuke's, their foreheads touching as he wrapped his arms around the dark haired man. Then he had to close his eyes against the leaping, shouting, ecstatic, blinding joy that threatened to blow a hole right through his chest.

Because Sasuke had accepted it.

He hadn't pulled away, hadn't run. He had just sighed softly into the small space left between their lips and curled his fingers into the front of Naruto's shirt as if he was afraid to let go. It was a minimal gesture but it spoke volumes about the meaning behind Sasuke's single word. This was theirs, their bond, their tie to one another. It had once been of friendship, of rivalry, of hurt, of betrayal but now it held the tenuous promise for something that transcended all of those things.

Naruto didn't know when he fell asleep, curled into Sasuke's warmth and his touch that was no longer reluctant but willing and the peace that came with finally being able to be this close to his friend, his love. Yet even when he opened his eyes to find the Uchiha's spot beside him empty later on, the feeling of burning warmth didn't go away and he lay there for a few moments longer, reveling in the knowledge that it hadn't been a dream. After all, he only needed to press his face into the place where Sasuke had lain and he could breathe in his scent. It was like lightening at the edge of a storm, sharp yet so alive, getting ready to sweep in and cleanse the world.

And then Naruto smiled and sat up so that he could reach out and lift the single, sweet-smelling flower that had been left upon the pillow to his nose. It was silly and completely unlike Sasuke but he could read the promise in the gesture and he knew that now, no matter what happened, they were together in this. Whatever they had no longer needed a title. It was there and it blazed with such strength he wondered how other people couldn't see where it connected them.

Something between them had changed permanently and it was the first time that it was something good. It was the first time in a long time that Naruto thought anything could happen and it didn't matter because he would never stop being happy.

That is, until Aoshi came back a few days later and it all came crashing down around him.


He'd been betrayed.

Again.

It had happened once before and he had promised himself never to let it happen again but his admiration for Daisuke had been too strong for him to ignore. So he had fallen into the trap and now he was stuck there to wallow in his own humiliation and grief. The palace would come into view in a moment and all he felt was a cold flutter of anguish in his chest. How long since he had loved another person? How long since he had given his heart away only to have it trampled on by uncaring feet? He resented Arisa for sending that letter; he knew there had been more behind it than just concern for her Lord but he couldn't bring himself to care. The resentment for Daisuke was stronger, festering in his chest like a great, gaping wound.

Most of all, though, was his rage. Sasuke had touched what was his and Daisuke had gone along with it willingly. What other reason could there be for them to be sharing a room all night than disloyalty? And that was not something that he could allow to pass.

Aoshi swept into his palace with cold grace while the aching, gnawing fire of heartache burned through his veins.

He was going to hurt them both for this; not kill them, no. His weak heart still loved Daisuke but he would make them feel what he did because that was only fair. It was, after all, their own doing. Nobles and servants alike bowed at his passing but he barely saw them. New resolve gleamed in his eyes like steel and this time, nothing would deter him or slow him down.

When the blond greeted him with a bright smile and a warm, welcoming kiss, he felt nothing but cold, steely detachment. No longer could he look into the wide, blue eyes and think that the color was as pure and as guileless as the clear, summer sky. No longer could he trust that the emotion he found there was real. Daisuke seemed happy to see him but he wondered, now, just how good of a liar he really was. How foolish he had been, not to suspect. After all, when had anyone ever loved him, except to turn away from him? What hurt even more as he slipped his hands into the soft, golden hair and swallowed the painful lump in his throat as he kissed the taller man back, was that he was still hopelessly in love with Daisuke.

A new resolve swelled up within him then with the force of a tsunami. He would make Daisuke his so that he could never escape his side and then he would make the world his, just like he had promised to do so many years ago.


It might have been in the tea or even in the delicious bowl of light pear soup that had a perfect hint of cinnamon and nutmeg in it served for lunch. He had consumed both with gusto, Daisuke's excitement over the return of the Feudal Lord having made him hungry. Not that he would have noticed which one it had been anyway because he was concentrating on his faked smile and he couldn't think why the green eyes seemed just a little bit colder than he remembered.

However it had been administered, though, Naruto knew he had been drugged.

That is, in his more lucid moments he did. Mostly it just seemed like he was looking at everything through a haze, the rest of the world feeling distant and out of reach. Thoughts floated across his consciousness like wispy clouds borne on a high, fast breeze, not lingering long enough for him to recognize their content. It was hard to react to anything and words, unless they were spoken directly to him and so that he could see the speaker talking, meant nothing more than his wayward thoughts did. Even his body felt weak, his limbs too heavy to lift unless he put a great deal of effort into moving them. Worst of all was that he could no longer feel any of his chakra. It was there but it slipped away when he clumsily tried to reach for it. This should have alarmed him, but he didn't know why anymore.

So when light but unbreakable chains of decorative steel where fixed around his ankles and a voice in his ear that he thought he recognized whispered that he was never going to stray ever again, he didn't even have the presence of mind to struggle. Something had gone wrong but he didn't know what and he didn't know the depths of the circumstances. He just floated along in his haze, watching the outside world and trying to make sense of it.

All the while, he sat on the cold ground at someone's feet and watched as a dark haired man whose name he thought he should know but couldn't remember was bound and was forced to bow and scrape on the floor.

I can't remember my name either…and he wondered at the strange thought that he was sure he had two.

The dark haired man bled before him and he could not find his voice to ask why those black eyes looked so pleading and sad.

He could not think why his heart felt like it was breaking…


Cold metal bit into his wrists, arms, hips and ankles. It wound tight and unforgiving, the links biting into his clothing and pinching the pale flesh underneath. Normally such a thing would be barely an obstacle for a ninja, even one who was not as strong as he was but these were no ordinary chains. As they hung about his body, ensuring he couldn't move, they also created a barrier within him so that his chakra was completely inaccessible. There were seals on the locks and some kind of jutsu worked into the chains themselves which meant they were made specifically to hold a shinobi so that they couldn't even entertain thoughts of escape. Even his hands were kept apart by thick, metal rods so he couldn't even hope to pick the locks manually. All Sasuke could do was kneel on the cold, polished wooden floor in the impressive throne room and glare at the man before him.

The green eyes stared back with steady coldness that he didn't think even he could master. He didn't understand what was going on since he had been told nothing before he had been dragged here and dumped unceremoniously to the ground but he would be damned if he would be the first one to speak. Even so, his heart pounded rapidly in his chest, fear coursing through his veins. It wouldn't do to look at the blond man chained to the large, wooden chair but he longed to call out Naruto's name and force those unfocused eyes to fix on him. Something was wrong with the blond and it was scaring Sasuke more than his own chains or Aoshi's impressive gaze ever could.

He couldn't remember how he had ended up bound like this, only that he had somehow fallen asleep while he was in the middle of his daily exercise routine and woke up face down and chained upon the damp floor of his favorite balcony. There was no reason for this, nothing for Aoshi to have suspected him of; he had not changed his behavior the entire time he was here. Yet there was Naruto, his face blank and his shoulders rounded as he stared off into space, looking like some wild pet the Feudal Lord had tamed and drugged so he could place his prized trophy at his feet. It was all he could do not to snarl and rattle his chains in rage.

"You do, of course, know why you are here," the Feudal Lord's voice was heavy and full of shadowy anger that made Sasuke feel like he had been filled with ice. He sat very still, making sure his mask of fury didn't slip while his mind raced with possible ways of escape. If only he could call upon his chakra or even move his hands an inch. Instead the chains seemed to mock him and the distant look on Naruto's face distracted him. What the fuck had been done to him that his entire personality seemed to have been wiped out and his eyes were nearly transparent as they tried to focus on the floor and couldn't?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he snarled, pulling at his bindings even though he knew it wouldn't do any good. The dull rage had banked within him until it was a steep, roiling inferno, flashing within the depths of his eyes which would have been blood red and trying to burn the noble to a crisp if he could just reach his chakra. Aoshi sat upon his chair, chin resting on his hand looking completely unimpressed. What was even more strange was that his face was bare as if he wanted to give his frozen expression more weight. A single slender eyebrow arched high on the pale forehead, nearly obscured by chestnut curls and there was disbelief in the expression.

"Really," he murmured before flicking his gaze to the blond kneeling at his feet. There was possessiveness in that look that made the Uchiha's throat ache and burn with jealousy even as his own eyes followed. The blonde's hair fell across his face and was coming free of its bright yellow ribbon that matched the rich yukata he wore with a pair of gold hakama. Sasuke was used to seeing him in warm, bright colors but for some reason, his expensive, fancy clothing mixed with the blank look on his face made him look vulnerable, exposed. It made him look like someone had cored his very soul and left him a shell dressed prettily enough to deter searching gazes. His heart, soul, very being blazed to see Naruto, his Naruto, the strongest person he had ever known and the only one who could have captured Sasuke, reduced to such a state that he couldn't even lift his head and look around him.

Aoshi must have noticed his stare because he suddenly leaned over, brilliant, icy green gaze never once wavering from the Uchiha's face and curled his hand possessively under the blonde's chin. Naruto barely responded to it, just titling his head a little bit to the side but his eyes remained blank and far away. Then the Feudal Lord traced a line with his tongue up one of the blonde's cheeks and Sasuke saw red. He tried to jerk to his feet, face twisted in a snarl but only managed to stagger before falling back to his knees again. The urge to rip the man's tongue out of his head nearly choked the dark haired man. Unfortunately, it gave him away and the older man sat back in his chair again with a look of grim satisfaction.

"As I thought," the deep voice was quiet but it might as well have been bellowed in his ear for all the effect it had on him. Sasuke went very still and he stared at the arm of the chair the noble occupied, trying to keep his breathing calm. Every muscle had tensed as if he could charge the throne-like chair and rip Aoshi apart with his teeth. He was almost angry enough to try it, "You have touched something that does not belong to you as you have betrayed my trust of you," he almost sneered, teeth clenched together so tightly his jaw was aching. And as he stared at the man with the pretty face and the wide green eyes, the truth came swirling up the back of his throat, flooding his tongue with bitterness.

"You think he's yours?" he rasped, ducking his head as he affected a laugh that was entirely without mirth. Sasuke was shaking and he knew it would show his weakness off all the more but he couldn't seem to stop, "He was never yours. He doesn't belong to anyone but himself," he didn't really believe that because Naruto would always belong to him whether the blond wanted to or not, "Even so, I have not touched him," and the admission hurt more than he thought possible. If he wasn't so afraid of what would be done to the blond if he didn't deny it, he wouldn't have bothered but there was a hint of steely resolve in the blazing emerald gaze that spoke of an anger that was possible of doing anything. Of course, it didn't matter if Aoshi wasn't going to believe him.

"Is that so?" still he spoke in that soft, gentle way, as if he was doing nothing more than settling a dispute between two of his subjects. It set Sasuke's teeth in edge, "Imagine my surprise when I got a letter stating how you let yourself into his rooms and stayed there the whole night. If you had nothing to hide, then you wouldn't have waited until I was gone. What else, then, am I to believe if you weren't fucking him behind my back?" the crude words made the back of his mouth taste sour and he felt his lips curl in an ugly sneer. Hate beat frantic black wings at the corners of his vision.

"What the fuck did you do to him?" Sasuke asked instead of bothering to answer the other man's question. After all, it was clear Aoshi wouldn't hear anything that was said to him anyway. Involuntarily, his dark gaze flickered to where Naruto knelt again and he wanted to scream. All the light in the deep blue eyes had diffused, the color turned dark and cloudy. It was clear that he was in there, somewhere, but whatever the drug did that he had been given tore away all of his personality. The Feudal Lord shifted restlessly upon his chair, the first sign of his agitation and the Uchiha bent a glare upon him that would have sent any lesser man scurrying.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt him," there was a sneer in his voice that made the dark haired man's skin crawl but he wouldn't let his gaze waver, "It merely scatters the will and makes it difficult to concentrate. It also has a lovely side affect," the grin these words were spoken with was sharper than steel. The chestnut head twisted and Aoshi looked down at the blond kneeling upon the floor, "Daisuke, come here," he held out one slender hand in command and the blond, his motions broken and choppy, lifted himself to his feet and slipped onto the noble's lap. Sickening acid filled Sasuke's stomach, made worse with the knowledge that Naruto had no choice, no chance to fight. Aoshi chuckled though, running his fingers over the blonde's cheek, "It makes for a very obedient little pet, don't you think?" Sasuke chains clinked and dug violently into his skin as he once more tried to launch himself at the man. Once again, he was unsuccessful.

"So that's your answer then?" he growled, pulling and yanking at the chains as frustration and rage nearly clogged his lungs. He should have known that nothing good could have come from this whole thing; after all, didn't everyone fall in love with Naruto? Of course Aoshi would view a spied upon meeting as betrayal; that would mean his possession over something was incomplete, "You drug him against his will because you think he as cheated your own? How very noble of you, especially since you did not even bother to ask him the truth before you did it," the words were mocking and bitingly calm but the hateful swirl of emotion still held him in its talons, only stoked hotter and brighter when he stole another look at the blond man sitting demurely upon the Feudal Lord's lap. Surprisingly enough, Aoshi didn't give into anger. He just tipped his head to the side and pondered the Uchiha bound and practically helpless before him.

"Did you realize that for such a betrayal, I could have you killed? As the person who accepted my courtship, Daisuke is as good as betrothed to me. It would be within my rights, as the Lord of this land, to punish you how I see fit," he regarded the dark haired man as if he was just dirt upon the bottom of his shoes. Once, that might have battered Sasuke's pride but now he couldn't take his eyes away from Naruto's blank face, his helplessness cutting the Uchiha like a knife. For someone so strong to be brought down like this, to the point he no longer even had a free will had him struggling to reach for his chakra so that he could tear Aoshi apart. But just like the other times he tried, it shredded away like thin cloth under hook claws. A slender hand buried itself in the blonde's long hair and forced him to lay his head upon one of the noble's shoulders. He did without a protest or a flicker of life in his gaze, "But I think I'll keep you alive. That way you will be forced to remember that he never belonged to you and he never will. You'll have to think about me touching him, instead, and if he is even thinking about you while you rot away somewhere to be forgotten," There was a heavy victory in Aoshi voice. Yet instead of yielding, Sasuke lifted his chin in a show of defiance, a laughing sneer caught in his throat.

"You are deluding yourself. You don't even know who he is. How could he belong to you?" it was just truth, the sharpest kind, the only weapon he had left but he couldn't stop laughing because he was afraid if he did, he would start calling Naruto's name. His real one. If there was anything he could do now, it was to make sure the blond stayed safe. Aoshi's face was immobile ice as he glared down at Sasuke before he lifted his free hand and gestured to the guards that were expertly hidden in the shadows behind his chair. Their faces were expressionless too as two of them stepped into the light, ignoring Sasuke as if he was another inlaid decoration upon the wooden floor.

"Yes, my Lord?" one of them asked as they willingly knelt down, fists pressed to their hearts and heads bowed. The Uchiha struggled against his frustration and the first niggling of fear. He had not been this helpless since he was a Genin and he still had no luck reaching his chakra or finding a way free of his chains.

"Take him to the Cliff Holdings," it seemed Aoshi was done talking with Sasuke and he merely turned away, looking at Naruto instead as the two men in the green guard uniform hauled Sasuke to his feet. A whirlwind of fury filled him then, blazing along under his skin like bright, consuming fire. He was being discarded and Naruto had been turned into a mindless drone. A single mission that should have been so simple and straightforward destroyed by a misunderstanding. He held himself limp as the two guards pulled him roughly by his elbows, making it seem like he had given up the fight. But as they were about to maneuver him away, he bent his knees, getting both feet underneath himself so he could push off of them, launching out of the guards' rough arms and towards he chair where Aoshi sat. There was a loud exclamation behind him and the green eyes jerked to him, widening as they realized the Uchiha was a lot closer than before. He had gotten a good distance out of the single spring and he managed to catch himself against the arm of the chair with his hip and knee so that he was looming threateningly over the smaller man. Naruto still stared out into some far away landscape, oblivious to the struggle going on around him.

"If you hurt him," Sasuke's voice was a deep growl as the wide, emerald gaze bore into his own, "I will rip you apart limb from limb and then feed them to you," venom and promise dripped through the air between them and he had a moment to make sure his threat made an impact upon the man. Then he was being hauled away by strong, unforgiving hands, not even bothering to wince when he got a fist in his side. It was nothing to the sharp throb that was stabbing over and over at his battered heart.

As he was dragged from the room, he didn't look back over his shoulder for a glimpse of Naruto. If he did that, the pain would twist and bite so deep he was sure it would kill him. How could this have happened? He wanted to fight, to rage, to rip into his captor's flesh with metal and teeth, the only weapons he had left and then dash back into that room to snatch Naruto away. This had become more than an infiltration, a spying game or any mission had a right to be. This had become deadly and the stakes were much higher than he had realized. Bile rose at the back of his throat and he swallowed it thickly, hiding his face with his bangs so that the people they passed as he was marched from the palace and along paths he had never realized existed wouldn't see the anguish written upon his features.

The triumph in Aoshi eyes in the last moments when they had stared into Sasuke's cut him deepest of all.

They were the eyes of a man who knew he had won a major victory and didn't care who got hurt in the process. He might be in love with Daisuke but he had stopped seeing the blond as the person he valued and loved. Naruto had been claimed as a possession, as a prize. In Aoshi's eyes, he had seen that in hurting the blond, he would only be exercising his right as owner.

Despair rolled over him so thick, he could taste it.

In the deep, clear green of that unforgiving gaze, there had been a promise. Naruto was Aoshi's.

And he was going to hurt him to own him.

Helpless and chained, Sasuke's heart screamed and battered at its broken prison walls. Naruto was going to be in pain and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.


The three days that Aoshi was gone after that morning Naruto had woken with Sasuke in his bed were the most peaceful he'd had since he had arrived here. He still sang at night for the Court but other than that, there was absolutely no demands on his time. There was no concern over whether he was putting on a convincing enough show for Aoshi or if he was paying the noble enough attention. It had been a balancing act, putting on his best show for the older man and trying to keep his heart buried enough that it couldn't be wounded in the process. He still hung out with the ninja in the lower court and Sumie kept up his lessons but there was a freedom to his movements and his thoughts that he didn't realize had been restricted until he didn't need to wear Daisuke's mask all hours of the day.

But more than that was Sasuke's presence.

After coming to their understanding, the Uchiha made a point of finding the blond during some point of the day, usually staying until the moon had set in the early morning sky and then he would slip unobtrusively back to his own rooms. It had surprised Naruto at first, how willing the dark haired man seemed to be, keeping the blond company. They were careful about it, of course. It wouldn't do to be seen in each other's company but the other shinobi would materialize into the garden as the blond sat beneath one of the many full, shady trees, his guitar or a book on his lap. It was almost as if now that they had seen the strength of the connection they had with one another, they couldn't bear to be apart. And Naruto loved when the Uchiha stepped around the large trunk, his hands in his pockets and his eyes as dark as midnight. He would never smile in greeting but there was this gentle expression on his face that Naruto would end up grinning enough for the both of them.

Sometimes they talked, their voices rising and falling in low, measured tones. They were safe from prying eyes in the garden since it was the one place Aoshi wouldn't allow servants while it was occupied so he let himself listen to the way their voices twined together so perfectly, it was like a seamless dance. The sounds contrasted amazingly well, Naruto's a rough, strong tenor that always sounded as if it was ready to break into clear, bubbling laugher while Sasuke's was a deep baritone, smooth and dark like his eyes. It was more solemn than the blonde's but there was always some hint of emotion within it. Like that they would talk about anything that came to mind and if Naruto found that he had to carry more of the conversation than Sasuke did, he knew it was more than the Uchiha had ever given anyone else.

It was the last night, though, that he would forever remember with a striking clarity like a crystal bell tapped with a diamond hammer. Perhaps because it was the last moments of gentleness he would see once Aoshi returned or maybe it was the conversation that hung about him like a promising dream. Sasuke had been sitting on the ground beside him, arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the stars glittering in the darkening sky while Naruto hummed along with the soft notes he plucked out upon his guitar.

"When did you learn how to sing?" the dark haired man asked abruptly, his voice cutting through the easy silence that had settled between them and the blond glanced over to study the shadowed profile. Sasuke hadn't moved but his face was pensive, the sharp angles of his nose and cheekbones softened by starlight. The blond hummed a few more notes before he answered.

"Well, I guess I've always kinda known how," he didn't stop plucking gently upon the steel strings, now moving his fingers in a familiar pattern of one of the prettiest songs Sumie had taught him, the gentle melody done in a melancholy minor key, "I needed some kind of selling point of sorts and this was the best we could come up with on such short notice. Singing is fun, though. It used to help me relax, I think," he chuckled softly as he remembered how flustered he had been when he realized his team had heard him one night as he was gathering firewood. Even though their teasing had been kind, it had never occurred to him until he met Genma that it was a trait to be proud of. The dark haired man made a soft noise in the back of his throat before dropping his forehead to his knees, turning his head so he could regard the blond. It was the most relaxed and calm Naruto had seen the Uchiha.

"You had training for this then. You weren't just sent in and told to use your instincts," it wasn't a question but it made the blond laugh softly, bending his head over the guitar for a moment when his fingers stumbled. When he picked up the melody again, he lifted his head to smile at Sasuke.

"Of course. I mean, if Kakashi had wanted that, he would have sent me with a team and I would have just flailed around before seeing what really needed to be done. This needed delicacy and strength. So yeah, I had training," the dark haired man was quiet for long moments and they listened to the low, mellow song spiral to the canopy of leaves above their heads. Then he breathed a soft sigh and leaned back against the tree trunk again.

"Interesting kind of training, if it can turn you into a completely different person," the words were bitter and Naruto shot him a quick look. But he couldn't tell what the real emotion was behind the shadowed eyes. He bit his lip before making a spit decision.

"I thought it would be horrible," his voice was soft and he finally gave up pulling another song from the instrument in his lap, setting it beside him on the grass. He could feel Sasuke looking at him intently but he couldn't look at the other man as he spoke as if he was afraid of what he might find on the pale features, "I learned all kinds of things that would turn me into someone I was not. I learned how to act, how to write formally, how to say one thing and mean something entirely different. I was taught manners and how to wield senbon," the dark eyebrows when up at that and Naruto flicked his wrist so that a thin, metal needle gleamed between his fingers. It was gone, back into the seam of his sleeve a second later and Sasuke was now watching him thoughtfully, "I also learned that I liked to learn. I mean, more than just Justus and techniques to make me stronger. There are other ways to be strong other than just physically," his companion made a soft noise and he looked at the dark haired man to find him wide eyed and incredulous.

"Are you sure you're Naruto?" he asked, voice breathless and the blond couldn't figure out why that would be. Instead he grinned and nudged Sasuke's shoulder with his own.

"Very funny. I'm not that different. And anyway, how come everyone else is allowed to grow and mature and it's a shock for everyone when I do?" he received a flat look at that and he knew he was about to get a sarcastic remark. He didn't really mind though; they had lost their sting a long time ago.

"Because you were always a bumbling idiot that spouted the same ideals over and over again," This time Naruto managed to get a sharp punch in on the Uchiha's ribs, making the dark haired man growl and glower at him. The blond just glared back. It meant nothing, though, because a moment later Sasuke's face softened and he looked back up at the stars, black bangs brushing over the collar of his shirt. Without thought, Naruto reached out and brushed away a stray strand or two, "I didn't say the change was a bad thing. I know it's still you," the admission warmed the blonde's heart like a blazing fire and he turned his face away so that the other man could not see his ridiculous grin, "Were you…taught anything else?" the question was hesitant and quiet but it wiped the smile off the blonde's face anyway. He plucked at his soft blue hakama before sighing.

"The whole point in learning how to be a courtesan is about seduction. I learned that too," just like that, their air between them became flat and stale. He winced and snuck a glance at Sasuke again to see him frowning deeply. The blond swallowed and then leaned forward, pressing his arm against the dark haired man's shoulder, "Sasuke—" he started but the intense black gaze jerked up to meet his own, cutting off whatever reassurances he was about to say. He didn't know why he was; they hadn't defined what their bond was slowly evolving into and neither had brought up the subject of sex except when the Uchiha voiced his displeasure with Naruto lingering in Aoshi's bed.

"What does that mean? How much were you taught?" his voice was sharp but, for some reason, it made that warm bubble within the blonde's chest only seem to expand. Sasuke sounded angry and he was beginning to think that his reasons behind his protests weren't as innocent as he made them out to be. Still Naruto blushed furiously as he thought of his answer.

"E-everything, I guess," he whispered now twisting the silk of his pants in his hands, a nervous gesture he didn't make as Daisuke, "You know, how to make someone take notice of me, how to make them want me…sex," he cleared his throat before speaking again, "Everything about sex. With a man, anyway," Sasuke was very still, like he had been carved from marble and onyx and Naruto began to wonder if he had said too much. But before he could open his mouth to say anything more, the deep, black eyes were boring into his own and they flashed with a determined fire that stole his breath.

"So how many people have actually touched you?" the possessive question caught him off guard and he blinked for a minute, wondering again if Sasuke really cared how many people he'd had sex with. He was beginning to think he did.

"Just my teachers, Genma and Raido, and Aoshi," he answered quietly, dropping his gaze as he blushed again. He didn't have to tell Sasuke the names of his teachers but for some reason he felt like he owed the other man that much. Maybe it was the way the shadows had arranged themselves upon the Uchiha's face, making him look like a jealous angel or the dangerous gleam in his eyes. Though Naruto knew all the dark haired man had to do was ask and he could deny him nothing. Then his hand was caught in a strong grip, the pale fingers holding so tight he felt the small bones creaking in protest and Sasuke was turned so that he faced the blond completely. The air hung about them in heavy drapes, making it suddenly hard to breathe and he could feel the heat racing up his arm from the touch.

"I've stayed out of this as much as I could because I understand the importance of your mission, as much as I detest to see you with that man but that's it. No more. You can't touch anyone after this is done and you can't let anyone else touch you," his voice was a low snarl, rough with emotion and Naruto stared at him, caught between annoyance and pure, ecstatic joy. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyes wide but the words seemed to be caught in the back of his throat. The other man seemed to take his silence as a negative because a moment later he was bearing the blond to the ground. The dark gaze seemed to have swallowed all of the stars and they were peering back at him in a blaze of determination and raging jealously. Naruto didn't even get a chance to protest, just staring up at the Uchiha who straddled his waist and was leaning so close he could see his individual eyelashes even in the dim light.

Then he drew the blonde's hand between them and pressed it to the side of his face. It was a tender gesture, made even more potent when Sasuke turned his head and pressed a kiss to Naruto's calloused palm. The message in the action was clear and backed with a burning strength that it stole his breath. In that moment, as the feeling of the warm, soft lips pressing into his skin tingled through his blood and the insinuation of Sasuke's words pounded furiously like a final note of a song, he was caught in the dark, dark gaze, knowing that he had just been caught forever. Finally, as his motor functions came back to him, he rubbed his thumb along the pearly skin of the Uchiha's cheek and nodded.

"I promise," he breathe because what else could he say? He would have promised the sun and earth and everything between if Sasuke asked. There was a flash of relief that flooded the pale features, as if the dark haired man had been afraid of the blonde's refusal, his mouth curled in the most beautiful, sincere smile Naruto had ever seen the man make.

And then, before he could move or react, Sasuke was slamming his lips to Naruto's in a painful kiss like the sealing of a vow. It wasn't a good kiss and their teeth cut into their lips at the hard impact but that didn't matter. It was the best kiss he'd ever had in his life.

The Uchiha was gone before the blond could even wrap his mind around what had happened, the kiss so quick, the only proof that it had happened was the pain of his swollen lips. When he finally managed to worked through his shock, he let out a loud bark of laughter before draping his arm over his eyes. It didn't matter that his tears were staining the rich, delicate fabric because Sasuke had kissed him after making him promise not to touch anyone else again. There must be a name for the buzz of boiling emotion he felt then but he couldn't think of it. All he could think of was the way the dark eyes had looked and the words that lingered in his ears long after the dark haired man had departed.

"You're mine…Naruto…"


Daisuke sat on his knees upon the hard, unforgiving floor, his hands folded in his lap and his eyes fixed on the far wall. He had been like that for a good half hour, not moving and barely even breathing. The drug he had been given was an extract from foxglove mixed with the diluted venom from a small spider whose bite paralyzed prey but didn't kill them. It was a potent mix and affected the person's will as much as their body so that they were absolutely helpless and couldn't free themselves from the trap of their own mind.

Absolute possession in a form of poison and Aoshi had felt that it was only poetic justice when he had given it to the blond.

Even with the vacant look on his face and the knowledge that he couldn't smile at the Feudal Lord nor laugh at something that was said, he was still strikingly beautiful. He looked like a mote of sunlight molded into the form of a person, his yellow hair bright and his skin glowing gold. Rich silk nearly as formal as Aoshi's own robes flowed about him like a soft, rippling sea, the deep yellows and gold of the fabric enhancing his feverish flush that was a side effect of the drug. But no matter how stunning he might have been, his eyes were still lifeless and the rich blue hue was flat and nearly gray. The sight of it nearly choked the brunette and filled him with a cold, guilty rage that left him momentarily blind.

It didn't have to be this way. It shouldn't have turned out this way. There had been happiness and the warmth of trust and affection in their relationship, all emotions he had been sure Daisuke had felt too. He didn't want to make the blond his just because he was beautiful and willing; he'd wanted it because underneath the stunning exterior, there was a heart made of even purer gold and the capacity for love so strong and hot, it poured forth like floes of lava. Aoshi had wanted Daisuke because he had, against his better judgment, fallen in love with him. Even though he had made a promise not to allow himself to feel like that again, even though he had tried to make himself steel and ice, he had been captured by bright blue eyes and the warmest smile he had ever seen on anyone's lips. Of course it was only natural to want to keep that for himself.

So why had it played out this way? It was so similar to what happened the first time that he felt the old wounds that he'd thought healed over and neatly scarred ripping open until he was bleeding out, chest filling with his life's blood. Because he had been betrayed. Because he had been convinced Daisuke loved him back, or was at least getting there, and had learned the blond was no better than anyone else.

Sasuke's taunts and the memory of his black eyes filled with rage still cut and beat at the inside of his skull until he had to grit his teeth and dig his fingernails deep into his palms to keep from screaming. He had denied anything happening between himself and Daisuke but the way he had looked at the blond and the way he had blazed even though he was bound had told the truth. There had been conviction in his gaze, a confidence that said the singer belonged to him instead of Aoshi, so strong that it had nearly rendered the brunette speechless. What right did the Uchiha have to look that way when the blond had been with the Feudal Lord longer? It had been all he could do not to run the bastard through with his sword, though the urge had been so strong at one point, he had practically vibrated with it. Even so, he would not break his promise not to kill the man; the one thing Aoshi didn't want to be was a murderer.

Still, Sasuke's parting warning had incensed him so much, he had been sitting here ever since, staring at his captive and unfaithful lover, trying to get his rage under control. It wasn't working. The more he looked at the handsome yet blank face, the more he wanted to mar it, to put his own mark upon it that would make the man that much more his. Thinking about the Uchiha touching that, claiming it, watching Daisuke come undone with his cold, black eyes made him sick with fury. So strong was the emotion that he sat forward with a sharp motion and snatched the strong chin, forcing the blond to turn his face to the noble while making sure his fingers dug into the tawny skin. He wanted to leave bruises.

"Why did you do it?" he snarled, green eyes flashing with anger and hurt, "Why did you let him touch you? Did he fuck you? Is that what you wanted?" his teeth ached with the force of his agony and he shook the blonde's head, nearly howling when the flat, blue gaze wavered as if the blond was trying to break free of the chains around his mind, "I could have done that, if you wanted that. All you had to do was ask; I would have giving you everything! Why did you turn to that bastard?" the full lips parted, expelling a breath but the words never came, just as Aoshi knew they wouldn't. The man trembled ever so slightly but he could not acknowledge the brunette. For some reason, it only made him angrier.

Aoshi let go of the blond with a jerk, causing him to sprawl upon the floor and he stood from his chair as gracefully as he could manage. He was going to erase every last trace of that Uchiha from the blonde's skin, placing his own mark there as he claimed the man completely. No one was going to leave him ever again. With quick, jerky movements, he freed the end of the chain that bound Daisuke's feet and gave it a sharp tug.

"Get up," for a moment the noble thought the taller man hadn't heard him, that the drug gripped him too strongly and he would have to be carried to Aoshi's rooms but he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and then climbed laboriously to his feet where he swayed, as vacant as ever. The older man snarled at the sight and turned away, unable to face it. He just pulled the chain again like it was a leash and began to lead the blond from the room, "Come with me," The drug gave Daisuke no other choice but to obey.

Oh, yes, he would make the blond his and he would make sure Daisuke would never, ever forget it.


The haze that veiled his thoughts moved like it was caught in a soft breeze, giving him flashes of clarity that were gone too fast for him to take advantage of. It was like he was divided into two parts; his inner self that knew there was something wrong and he needed to wake up now and the rest of him that had no will of his own. It was like chains besides the physical ones around his ankles were attached to his limbs, obeying someone else's orders. Aoshi's orders.

It wasn't like he couldn't see the outside world. He was aware of what was going on. The meeting between Sasuke and the Feudal Lord in which the Uchiha had been carted away in heavy, sealed chains had made his heart squeeze horribly on his chest. He had thought for a moment that their true mission had been discovered but Aoshi still called him by a name he knew was not his own and had a look of dark rage about his features that spoke of a more personal betrayal. But Naruto had no voice in which to defend himself or Sasuke and he could do nothing but sit there like he had been commanded to, trying to batter down the walls that held him captive. If he couldn't escape Aoshi's wrath then he wished to be lucid when he was forced to face it. Unfortunately, no matter how he pushed and clawed at the haze the drug had put him in, he was completely and utterly trapped. All he could hope for was that wherever Sasuke had been taken, he wouldn't be hurt.

And then he was faced with the Feudal Lord's blazing rage and he realized he should be afraid for himself. The grip he had put on the blonde's chin dug so hard into his skin that he could feel the man's fingertips against his bone, no doubt leaving little round marks. His questions, flung at the helpless blond were filled with contempt and heartache, demanding to know if Sasuke had fucked him. How could he answer when the words refused to form on his tongue? He tried to anyway, he really did. He even thought he managed to open his mouth but he couldn't dispute the stinging words. The green eyes were so dark with emotion that he was almost glad he was drugged.

What he didn't expect, though, was for Aoshi to do what he did next.

As he followed the man through lesser known corridors that hazed together until they all looked the same and the turns lead to nowhere, he took a little comfort in the fact that Aoshi, though angry and feeling as if he had been betrayed, still loved Daisuke. That much was clear by the simple fact that he had not bound the blond like he had Sasuke and shipped them both off to god knows where. By evidence of the thin, decorative chain and the way he still spoke to the taller man, he wasn't willing to give him up. Even after everything, Naruto knew the brunette had a good heart underneath it all. He might never get over this and he would probably never trust Daisuke again even if the blond was to stay with him for years, but he could feel love and affection and protectiveness towards another person.

If only the drug didn't also suppress his chakra. If only he could reach the clasp that held the gold band on his arm closed so he could free the Kyuubi and let the fox's chakra burn away the poison from his mind. If only he had realized that there was more to Aoshi that he didn't know and it was bent on breaking him.

If only he had never let himself become Naruto, even once, during his stay here.

It didn't really make a difference now and his mind realized it as soon as Aoshi shoved him into his bedroom and locked the door behind him. Danger flared like red fire across his cranium but he could not move, could not flee, could only look through dead eyes at the icy fury that was threatening to consume him. There was no way for him to escape and he cursed his stupidity. The reason why he had been sent was because of things like this happening. He was supposed to be the one able to take care of himself but he retracted that thought a moment later. He could protect himself against physical violence but the drug slipped into his food had been tasteless. There was no way to know it had been there.

And now he was trapped.

"I should have known it was too good to be true," Aoshi's voice hissed like a snake slithering through dry grass and he advanced upon the blond like he was a hunter, about to tear into his prey. Naruto supposed that the analogy wasn't all that far from the truth. There was a hand at his elbow, gripping his arm hard and he wondered if his wince showed upon his face, "I should have known you were going to turn away as soon as you had the chance. Was it the power you envisioned that you could get from me or was it something else?" the older man twisted his arm back, scoring his nails down Naruto's skin, forcing the blond to bend over or have his shoulder dislocated, "Was what I could give you not enough that you had to go looking somewhere else?" hot breath poured like boiling liquid into his ear and that hurt nearly as much as the wrenching pain now tingling through his arm and up his shoulder. Aoshi was a lot stronger than he looked. The blond was slammed mercilessly in the back of his knees a moment later, sending him sprawling to the floor and he had to twist, forcing his body to obey because the older man hadn't let go of his arm. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear himself screaming as fire tore at his shoulder.

The shorter man loomed over him, eyes like black pits set into his skull and his hair waving about him like fire and Naruto struggled to make his gaze focus on that terrible wrath. Pain screeched through his shoulder joint and he could feel blood slowly oozing down his arm from where the older man had scratched him but when he beheld the force of such towering rage, he knew that those hurts were small compared to what was yet to come. And he still couldn't make his body obey him, leaving him lying helplessly upon the floor to await Aoshi's judgment.

Time seemed to warp then, pulling at his vision almost as if something had swirled around him too fast for him to comprehend. The feeling made his stomach lurch uncomfortably and he blinked past the confusion that his awareness had become. Pain scrabbled at his scalp and then he was sitting up and trying to focus on Aoshi's face. The green eyes flashed dangerously and he held Naruto's head up by a fistful of his blond hair, pulling so that he had to arch his back and lean forward or risk having his hair yanked out by its roots. It was what his other hand was doing, however, that sent a flash of fear through the blond. The slender fingers were calmly undoing the fastening for his cloths, baring the lower half of his body with an unmistakable intent. Naruto battered against the drug's hold again, this time in fear and disgust but it didn't help any more than it had the first time he tried. Then he heard a deep voice, so low that he almost missed it, hissing angrily, its defiance burning even brighter than his own.

You idiot! He's going to rape you! Wake up! And he recognized the voice in a flash of clarity. But Kyuubi was trapped too, reduced to nothing more than a shadow and an enraged voice behind the bars of a seal and a golden band. His words, though, sent another bolt of fear through him and he fought with everything he had. It was no good and Kyuubi retreated with howling curses. He could feel something hot and wet dripping down his face from his eyes but still his limbs and voice refused to listen to him.

"I'm going to obliterate him from your memory," Aoshi was snarling as he freed himself from his pants, reaching out to snag Naruto's chin again. He might have made a whimper as he was dragged forward but he wasn't sure because his mind was a frenzy of panic. The noble could have hurt him or scorned him with hurtful words but to force himself upon the blond? He would have said he didn't think the man capable of that but that notion was cracked down the middle and crushed to dust when the slick head of the man's cock was forcefully pressed into his lips. Green blazed and shifted like an angry ocean and the blond shut his eyes, unable to look. He didn't want to see the older man take him like this with such hate twisting his face.

Fingernails dug deep into the skin of his jaw, drawing blood and he cried out in his mind even as he opened his mouth against his will. A final, desperate command was sent to his hands to push the other man away, to his legs to push up from the ground and end this before it got out of hand but the only thing he managed was to get his knees underneath him and his hands remained open and unresponsive on the ground next to him. And by then it was too late anyway.

Aoshi obviously didn't care whether the blond could breathe or not. He just jerked the bigger man forward and slammed his cock deep into Naruto's mouth, not stopping until the salty tip pressed painfully against the back of his throat. It was a good thing the drug was still poisoning his system and keeping his muscles mostly relaxed or he would have probably thrown up. Tears still burned down his cheeks and choked off whatever air he was able to reach, making black spots dance across his vision. He tried sucking it in through his nose but it only got pushed back out when the older man ground his hips into the blonde's face.

The worst thing about it, though, was that he actually liked sucking a lover off and he was rather skilled at it, something the Feudal Lord was well aware of. But this wasn't about pleasure. This was about pain and domination. He didn't even think Aoshi was hard because it felt good. He was too angry for that. It was more like an afterthought because there was nothing in the green eyes when Naruto managed to open his own and look that suggested the older man was enjoying this. Fingers drew blood from the sensitive underside of the blonde's chin and his hair was pulled so hard it was a wonder it hadn't ripped free and he was given no chance to move his tongue or even swallow. Aoshi just fucked his face with hard, unforgiving thrusts, slamming against the back of the blonde's throat again and again until blood mingled with pre-cum as it dribbled down his esophagus.

The man's climax was completely unexpected and the warm fluid filling his mouth suffocated him while an expression of vengeful triumph filled the older man's features. This time Naruto did gag, unable to swallow it all and that only seemed to anger Aoshi even more because the next thing he knew, he was once more laying on the ground, his ears ringing from an open-palmed slap that had taken him across his face while bitter cum dripped from his mouth and stung the cuts on his chin and throat.

"We are far from done," the words were a promise as they slid and snapped along his awareness that wavered in and out, his vision once again hazy and far away. Strong hands yanked at his clothing, pulling it from his body with quick, efficient movements and the sound of ripping cloth filled the room for long moments. This time he did hear his protesting whimper but that was all he could manage and the tiny sound was easily ignored. Aoshi sneered down at him, face a twisted mask and lifted the end of the chain that still bound Naruto's ankles. It shimmered and glinted in the light and he knew he flinched as it cut through the air.

The cold metal bit into his chest and side, raising hot, wide welts against his golden skin and he whimpered again, wondering if he would run out of his horrified tears before this was done. They soaked his hair that was already damp with sweat and made his vision waver and blur even more. Thankfully it seemed Aoshi was not interested in beating him. He dropped the chain after the first blow and for a moment a flash of remorse flickered through his blazing eyes but a second later he lifted his chin and lifted a foot so that he could press his heal into the blonde's groin. Pain flashed through him and he heard himself make a small noise, shadows beating at the corners of his eyes. He could see the older man through them, looking down at him critically as his eyes rakes unkindly over Naruto's naked form, still hard even after his orgasm. When he opened his mouth to speak, the blond heard nothing but twisted, unintelligible hissing that tangled around his mind and made him wish for unconsciousness.

That was not to be, though. He knew he was going to suffer through this entirely aware of what was going on and unable to do a thing about it.

Though he would not beat Naruto, Aoshi didn't seem to have a problem with hurting him in other ways. He descended upon the bigger man with teeth and nails, raking and digging them deep into his body until crimson blood decorated nearly every last inch of his skin. Bites riddled his chest and the insides of his arms and legs, a particularly deep one throbbing on his neck. Red smeared over Aoshi's pretty face that was nearly blank in his violence. He worried both of the blonde's nipples painfully and then dipped to suck hard on his flaccid cock, not bothering to sheathe his teeth. That caused him to arch his back again, flaring mixtures of pain and unwanted pleasure rippling through him that until a harsh, startled sound ripped from his unwilling throat. He didn't want any of this to feel good; he felt that he could separate it in his mind if there was only pain but when the older man growled and jerked back is foreskin to nip at the head, he nearly went blind with the white rush. When he sobbed aloud, the brunette pushed himself up and bit down hard on the blonde's ear before snarling into it.

"I told you I'm going to make you forget him and that means you're going to enjoy this whether you want to or not," thick tears, salty and stagnant leaked from his eyes and he forced himself to focus again, gathering as much energy to himself to fight the weakness permeating his mind. When he licked his lips, he tasted more blood.

"Won't…forget him…never…" the effort exhausted him but it made the older man jerk back as if he had been stung, staring down at the panting blond with eyes so dark they looked like a storm that threatened to tear the very sky down. Then he slapped Naruto again, so hard he felt a couple teeth loosen and stars burst before his eyes. Even so, he felt a strange sense of peace. With his defiance put into words, he felt like he could bear anything and when he looked back at the other man more blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, he could almost feel pity for him. Then Aoshi grabbed his leg and twisted it, forcing Naruto onto his stomach where his wounds ground painfully into the floor.

"I'm going to make you forget," the darkness of the anger wrapped around them and swallowed them whole. All he could do was rest his cheek against the cold wood, tears and blood and cooling cum smearing under him like an ugly painting of pain and grief. Long, unforgiving fingers dug into the soft flesh of his inner thighs, already marred with bruises and scratches, forcing his legs open and then they moved to his buttocks, spreading and exposing him to the mercy of Aoshi's jealousy. Naruto did a peculiar thing then, something he had never done in the entire seventeen years of his existence.

He stopped fighting.

There was no use anyway. The drug was slowly wearing off but he was still incredibly weak and his mind remained draped behind the cloudy veil. Sasuke had been chained and taken away, no doubt unable to reach his chakra just like Naruto and therefore unable to come to his rescue. And who else here could he count on as a friend who could reach him here? So he gave in, gave up and curled up in the back of his consciousness, trying to distance himself from reality. His hands relaxed in their positions beside his shoulders and he didn't resist when Aoshi rose above him like a vengeful god, covered in the blonde's blood and anger burning so bright within him it scorched him where he touched Naruto's skin. He could feel himself shaking, though with fear or pain he couldn't tell and he was glad the man had left off trying to make him feel pleasure. He didn't want to be hard when the brunette took him like this. The worst part, the part he hated himself for was that he couldn't even hate the Feudal Lord. There was no emotion in his heart but acceptance and hurt.

Once, he had thought that being penetrated by Aoshi would be nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure. It could have been, too, if he'd had any kind of preparation. Pain blossomed so bright that he did scream, his voice harsh and filled with agony as he was torn in half.

And through the pain, he heard the words Aoshi was speaking as if from very far away, the deep voice so cold it only added to the tearing agony as he was thrust into again and again.

"This world is going to be mine, Daisuke. The conflicts that I have engineered between the other countries will escalate and war will decimate them until they are just husks of their former glory. Then I will rise from the ashes and become more powerful than they ever were…and you will be by my side because I'm never going to let you go…"


When he came back to his senses and saw Daisuke lying there, broken upon the floor, Aoshi realized with a rush of torturous clarity what he had done.

It was like a knife to the gut, seeing the evidence of his own anger sprawled out before him. He had only wanted to make his mark upon the blond and then he was going to make sure he was soaring so high on the pleasure that he would forget all about the pain. But those words Daisuke had spoken through the heavy influence of the dug still circulating in his system in that quiet, defiant way had sent the noble into such a rage that he hadn't even been aware of what he was doing.

But now…

Crippling guilt and blinding remorse pulled at his insides so sharply that he collapsed back onto his heels with a soft sob, anguish welling up within him in the form of tears and bitter bile. The blonde's beautiful body was littered with bloody wounds made by Aoshi, and he laid still, tears and blood glittering on the floor because of Aoshi and he was in pain because of Aoshi. The self loathing ate away at his intestines, bitter and dark and he forced himself to take in the way the deep wound was still oozing upon the blonde's neck and the way crimson mixed with cum as it trickled from his abused entrance. Aoshi breathed deeply and the air cut at his lungs. It wasn't supposed to be this way.

With an effort, he pushed away his own roiling emotions so he could roll the bigger man over, feeling another painful wrench when he realized the blond had passed out. Another sob worked its way up his throat when he saw the raised welt made by linked metal, only vaguely remembering bringing the chain down violently upon the other man. Eyes stinging and throat tight, he reached for the ice and the indifference he used when he was on the verge of being crushed so that he could at least function. As gently and as methodically as he could, he lifted the bigger man and carried him over to the wide bed, laying him down as carefully as he could. Then he padded softly into the outer sitting room and called a servant for warm water, towels, healing salve and bandages. The young woman didn't even bat an eyelash but he knew there would be talk.

It was only after Daisuke's wounds were cleaned and dressed and he was tucked into the warm blankets did he let the ice protecting him melt away and the knowledge of what he did wash over him again in gut wrenching waves. He had to turn away and almost didn't make it to the bathroom before he started to throw up. The bile burned his throat and sobs wracked his chest until he couldn't breathe. When his stomach finally stopped wringing itself dry, he stumbled back to huddle on the cold floor, unable to stop sobbing. And as he buried his face in his knees, hating himself, he couldn't stop the words as they chanted over and over in his mind or from his lips.

"What have I done?"


Naruto lay silently one bed for a long time, watching the day turn to night, not thinking about anything and feeling the drug finally fading from his body. He had felt Aoshi cleaning him up, hands gentle as they could have possibly have been but all he felt was this aching numbness that filled his chest like a dark void. After the violence the older man had shown him, he wanted to hate him, wanted to hurt him like he had been hurt but how could he when the brunette hated himself enough for them both? He listened as the man fled the room, getting violently ill before sobbing brokenly in the bathroom and he felt cold. There was something in him that wanted to get up and comfort the older man but it was a very small part because wasn't he the one that should be comforted?

Even so, he dragged himself from the soft, warm blankets sometime much later, trying to ignore the blaze of pain in his back side and the way his wounds pulled and ached as he padded to the bathroom door. It was dark for none of the lights had been turned on but he could still see the brunette, curled up on the cold floor, looking miserable and so small. Tears still glittered on his face that had been hastily cleaned of the blonde's blood but he was soundly asleep, mouth pulled down in a bitter frown. Naruto just looked at him a moment, wondering why he couldn't hate him, why he couldn't despise the man that had chained Sasuke and sent him away and then raped the blond in a fit of anger. He wanted to, desperately but he just couldn't. Not like this, when Aoshi just looked so pitiful lying upon the floor, his spirit more broken than Naruto's body had been.

With a deep sigh, he walked into the room and carefully levered the man into his arms, bringing him back to the bed and laying him down. Aoshi stirred long enough to utter a pathetic, nearly inaudible, "so sorry," but Naruto recoiled when the man reached for him. Even if he couldn't hate him, he didn't think he could willingly allow that touch so soon. The older man just pressed his face into the pillow and went still again but he didn't miss how more tears leaked from under the dark eyelashes to drip on the soft silk.

Slowly, he made his way over to the garden deck, not caring that he was still naked while examining the careful bandaging Aoshi had done on his wounds. They would have healed within an hour if Kyuubi wasn't suppressed but he didn't think overly much on it. It was what it was and he couldn't change what happened. Thankfully, judging by the Feudal Lord's reaction, he wouldn't hurt the blond again. Not like that at least but the need to flee was strong. Why should he stay any longer here? He had gotten what he came for; the words the older man had uttered in his ear as he forced himself into the blonde's prone body over and over still rang clearly within his mind and all he had to do was slip off the gold band and get out of this place forever. But then he thought of Sasuke, locked up in some forsaken cell somewhere to be forgotten and he swallowed the impulse to run. He needed to find out where his former teammate was being held before he disappeared.

However, there was still something he could do in regards to the foolish confession Aoshi had given him. Calling up his chakra that had abandoned him when he needed it most, he slipped his thumb under the bandages of one of the deeper cuts and quickly made the familiar hand signs. There was a puff of smoke and then a huge red toad sat in the garden, looking rather disgruntled.

"What the heck! You better have a good reason for Summoning me while I was in the middle of a nap because if you don't—Naruto! What happened to you!" the blond winced and smiled crookedly as he pressed a finger to his lips. When he turned around, though, Aoshi was still a motionless lump upon the bed.

"Not so loud, Gamakichi," he kept his voice low but the toad was eyeing him warily, disapproval and worry clear in his stance, "I'm sorry for disturbing you," the creature waved his hand dismissively at the apology. It had always amused him how the toads never cared about human clothing or the lack there of. He had known it wouldn't be remarked upon because they tended not to notice that kind of thing but he appreciated that he didn't have to explain himself. The thought of putting clothes on over the bruises and cuts that had been left open made him cringe inwardly.

"That doesn't matter. Why are you all beat up? I heard the mission you were on was supposed to be peaceful," the blond rubbed the back of his neck, unwilling to tell the toad the real reasons for his injuries. Instead he shrugged, keeping his lopsided smile with some difficulty and with a good deal of discomfort for the inside of his mouth felt as cut up as the rest of him. His friend would only get defensive if he learned the truth.

"I'll be fine, really. There's a favor I need to ask from you, though," the big toad nodded solemnly and Naruto felt a flood of relief. It was good to see a familiar face again, even if it was a toad; he hadn't realized how homesick he was until that moment, "I need to get a message to the Hokage and it needs to get there fast. Will you wait as I write it out?" he found the words with difficulty, wrestling with his sudden overwhelming desire to just go home and the painful remembrance of what had just been done to him.

"Of course, Naruto. I'll wait," Gamakichi still sounded as if he wanted to tear someone apart in the blonde's defense and he was strangely comforted by the gesture. With a nod, he slipped back into the room and made his way to Aoshi's private study so he could scrawl his message onto a scroll. The words seemed so ordinary and harmless there on paper, their clear, black edges so clean and innocent without the cold tone in which they had been spoken behind them. He wrote as legibly as he could before rolling it back up and slipping silently back outside where the giant toad waited for him. He handed it off silently and with a feeling of strange, detached accomplishment. The mission was essentially over; all he needed to do was to await Kakashi's decision but there was a heaviness pressing on his chest even now, as if he was afraid of the consequences that his message might bring about. But he couldn't think about that now and he shook those thoughts away with a jerk of his head. The most important thing was finding Sasuke before something happened to him.

"Thanks, Gamakichi," he whispered, the plea that would take him back to Konoha on the tip of his tongue but he batted it away. Just because he had given up once didn't mean the battle was lost. The toad secured the scroll in a pouch he had slung over his back then eyed the blond with some skepticism.

"If you need my help again, don't hesitate to call me. I don't know what happened here but I can feel darkness festering in this land. Please be careful," he turned away, preparing to deliver the scroll but he looked back at the young man in the doorway and his frown deepened, "I'm telling Kakashi about your condition," and before Naruto could protest, he was gone. He cursed softly to himself, knowing that if Iruka found out, there would be hell to pay but he found himself hoping it would bring help faster.

Naruto remained on the balcony for the rest of the night, sitting carefully on the hard wood while trying not to shift around too much as that would bring a bloom of pain that he didn't want to contemplate, staring out into the night sky. It had gotten cold as night progressed but he had no desire to go back into Aoshi's rooms. Sitting naked and shivering outside was better than that. As he did, he allowed his moment of weakness, giving into the terror that had come from being overpowered and then violated. He would have given himself willingly to maintain the illusions but the older man had not asked and had given him no choice. It was that which hurt the most, humiliation and helplessness nearly crushing him with their weight. And no matter how he tried, there was no hate in his heart to be found. Salty tears trickled down his cheeks and chilled his skin but he couldn't seem to make them stop.

Then he thought of Sasuke and everything else disappeared into the background. His Sasuke, who wanted him, who had kissed him, who had tried to stand up for him even though he too had been helpless and bound. His Sasuke, who had once again saved him from the darkness of his own heart.

I'm going to find you and then we can escape this hell together

That's when he realized that the homesickness he had been feeling was his desire to be with Sasuke. Naruto buried his head in his knees and sobbed.

Hurry…I can't take much more of this…


A small chime tinkled in the soft breeze above his head from the overhang that shaded the few benches outside the road-side tea shop. It was rounded, like a tiny, upside down bowl, the glass a pale red in color and the tag that hung from it tapped a small, silver ball against the hollow sides. Soh watched the tag waver and spin as he calmly ate the last of his dango, licking the sweet glaze from his fingers. The day was peaceful enough, though he was still a little frustrated at how fruitless his trip had been. Following the path of Daisuke that the blond had taken into the Land of Rivers had been strange and lacking. It was as if the singer had not taken the road through the Fire Country at all. Oh, there had been a trail but it had mysteriously ended sometime during the third day, close to the village of Konohagakure and after that, no one seemed to recall a tall, blond singer by the name Daisuke.

Soh sighed silently as he sipped from a warm, earthen-ware cup, keeping the thoughtful frown he wanted to slip into off his face. He had never failed to find the true identity of a person; that was his job as a spy and he was very good at it. He collected information of people, most of it things said people didn't want to become common knowledge. Daisuke, however, was proving to be a virtual ghost.

The tea shop wasn't crowded as it was nearing evening and travelers were off looking for more permanent lodgings for the night. There was, however, a young group of shinobi across the shady shop, their demeanor relaxed and their laughter floating gently through the air. Of course they were Konoha ninja, all wearing the mark of the Leaf and he had been listening to them banter since they had sat down. So far they had said nothing of interest, talking about the mission they had just completed and chiding each other in familiar tones that suggested they were all friends. Though they spoke of insignificant things, he kept one ear trained on them almost out of habit. Sometimes people said the most interesting things when they thought no one was listening.

He had already marked their appearances, like he always did, filing them away among the hundreds of other faces he had memorized. One was a shaggy haired man with an abnormally sharp smile and red triangles tattooed on his cheeks. He had a bark of a laugh and Soh assumed it was his familiar that lay outside in the shade of a tree, the huge dog sleeping with his ears perked and white coat gleaming. The second man was the complete opposite, his manners refined and cool as his dark hair fell around his face like a smooth waterfall and his eyes shone like opals. It was the eyes Soh recognized, marking the man as a member of the Hyuuga clan. The third was a woman who had a ready smile and an even readier fist when the more rambunctious of the men got a little too excited. She reminded him a little of beautiful Sumie except her hair was a soft hue of pink. Like everyone whose lives he peeked into, he wondered about them, about the other people they knew and what it was they would do when he left their presence. Though he was a quiet and subdued person, Soh had always liked finding out about people. They fascinated him.

When the hour began to run late, he was about to give up on the hope that they would say anything interesting when the shaggy haired man said a name that caught his interest. Soh bent his attention on them then, wondering why he knew the name that had just been spoken.

"…about Naruto?" the girl was asking, her voice a little strained and Soh bent his head as he took a small sip from his cup. Where had he heard it? It sounded so familiar that recognition tasted sweet in the back of his throat but he could not fathom why.

"I haven't seen him around in a while. Did he get a mission or something?" the Hyuuga shifted in his seat, looking strangely uncomfortable.

"He has been gone for more than a month," the man said quietly, worry coloring his voice, "I heard even Lord Hatake is beginning to get worried. Do you know anything about it, Sakura?" they turned to the bright haired woman who looked upset. Naruto. It rang in the back of his mind and he knew he should recognize it. Frustration bubbled in his chest as he wracked his brain. Obviously this person they were talking about was a ninja, just like them and Soh wondered if he was well known because that was the only explanation for this annoying and evasive feeling of familiarity.

"They didn't tell me all that much, either, even though I've been nagging them about it," the shaggy haired man snorted at this, which earned him a good natured punch that sent him right over the end of the bench. The other two didn't even pay mind to his snarling curses as he picked himself up off the floor, rubbing his arm, "Whatever it is, I think it has something to do with the conflicts that had been popping up all over the place. I just hate that they sent him alone," she said this last part with venom and the dark haired man nodded solemnly, agreeing with her. The tattooed one had sobered by then even as Soh frowned at the mention of the conflicts which he was well aware had been orchestrated by Aoshi himself. As a matter of fact, he had been part of one of them, at the boarder of Earth.

"Well, whatever he's doing, he's the strongest out of everyone in the village. If anyone can do it, Naruto Uzumaki can," it was the last name that did it, triggering the recognition so sharply, Soh could have sworn he heard it click. Naruto Uzumaki, the man that had forcefully brought peace to the world a year ago by disposing of the Akatsuki threat even while refusing to kill a single person. No wonder he had been sure he knew that name; this entire side of the world knew that name.

And just like that, all the pieces fell into place. Naruto had been gone for more than a month, around the time Daisuke had shown up in River. Daisuke had no evidence of a past, which would only make sense if he wasn't actually a singer from the mountains in Lightning who had wanted nothing more than to sing in River's Court. Tales of Naruto on the battle field had been about his bravery and his blazing golden hair and gleaming blue eyes, the very image of a perfect hero. The description matched that of Daisuke, down to the way everyone seemed to fall in love with him. The singer, he knew, was a hard person to dislike.

As he came to his revelation, he only allowed a slow, deep inhale, as if he was merely taking a deep breath. But he was really trying to still the impulse to leap to his feet and start running. Daisuke was Naruto, a shinobi from Konoha and he had tricked them all so well, Soh was almost in awe of him.

Still, it was something that could destroy all of Aoshi's plans and he could not let that happen. Soh got to his feet calmly, not even drawing the gazes from the three shinobi on the other side of the shop who were still engaged in their soft conversation. No doubt this Naruto was their friend but Aoshi was his master. He knew that if he made it on time, their friend would never make it home. He paid for his food, still with his relaxed manner and didn't start running until he was well out of sight from the small building. His breath came in frantic puffs and he took to the trees, his fingers crossed tightly.

It would take him three days to get back to the palace, two and a half if he really hurried and he just hoped Aoshi didn't do anything stupid before then.

...To be continued


So, do we all still like Aoshi? Hate him? Fell bad for him? I think I made it impossible to completely hate him *laughs evilly* but I'd like to hear what you all think!