A/N: Lalala, new chapter! Yay! I'm in such a good mood b/c I just found out I'm going to anime Next tomorrow at the NJ Meadowlands. WOOOOT! It should be SOO much fun, even if I'm not dressing up and I have absolutely no money for anything but the entry ticket. Who cares about eating, anyway when there are anime conventions? Seriously. Yeah, so sorry for the absurdly long wait. I'm really really sorry! This is what happens when there is an attack of the plot bunnies. I'm telling you guys, they are EVIL. -whips out shotgun- AWAY, YOU EVIL BEASTS...-ahem- sorry. They are still staring at me with their creepy eyes...Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and a huge, crushing bear hug to you all! I do apologize for the inexcusable wait. LOVE YOU ALL! Anywhooo, enjoy this new chapter! (Not beta'd)
"I am the king of indecision,
just sitting on my throne,
and if you ask me my opinion,
I'll tell you I don't know.
Bring the knights in to entertain me,
send the jester out to fight,
have the lamb cook me some supper,
ah, the chef sounds good tonight.
Nothing is complete,
nothing is concrete,
nothing is for certain,
as far as I can see"
"Concrete" by The Features
Chapter 10: Shattered Pieces…
Metal dug into his wrists and ankles, chafing his skin.
Chains wrapped around his limbs and torso, pinching when he moved in them and clinking softly in the empty jail.
Water dripped from the cold, slimy stone ceiling, soaking through his clothes and chilling his skin.
And behind the thick walls was the ever present roar of the waterfall as it shook the cliff-side.
Sasuke leaned back against the stone, not even feeling the cold as more dampness soaked through his clothes, head titled as his eyes stared unseeingly at the shadowed ceiling. Lighting was odd here since the cascade of water distorted the daylight on the other side of the tiny, barred window high above his head. He knew when it was night obviously, since the entire jail went pitch black but for the flickering of torches at the guard's stations at the end of the row but once the light started to filter through, he couldn't make out what time of day it might be until everything began to darken again. Even meals, when they did come, weren't regular so he couldn't even rely on that to help him. All he could do was sit there on the cold floor and wait, though for what, he didn't know.
The chains that bound him were linked through a heavy anchor in the wall, not even budging when he put his considerable strength behind it. These too suppressed his chakra so that it felt like a far away echo he had to strain himself to even hear. The ones around his wrists were lighter but still strong, the chains not quite long enough to let him lay down comfortably and the bottom ones on his ankles were so short, he couldn't take a full step or even move two inches away from the wall. His movement had been so limited, he couldn't even reach the middle of the cell and was lucky he had been placed so that he didn't have to use the floor for the bathroom. Yet it also meant that sometimes he couldn't reach the food that was carelessly tossed in through the bars. The first time that had happened, the morning of the second day, he had been grateful because it resembled little more than slop and he wasn't hungry enough to brave it. Yet as the hours wore on and the fact that he had not eaten in more than a day began to gnaw at him, he would find himself watching the beat up metal bowl more and more, suddenly not finding it so repulsive.
The second day, the day after he had been tossed in there, was torture because no one came to check on him until long after the place had plunged into darkness, the ever present rumble reverberating through his bones. He hadn't cared this time that the food he had been served smelled like something they were serve to swine. As soon as the guard who had thrown it in was gone, Sasuke practically feel on it, forced to use his teeth to pull it closer and then tip the bowl before his mouth because he had been given no utensils. They wouldn't have, of course, because he would have made a rather useful weapon out of even just a deformed spoon but it was better than nothing to have something in his stomach.
That night he had dreamed of loneliness and ice that seeped into his skin and could not be thawed and the foul taste of pain filled his mouth. In his dreams, a blond man with blue eyes cried out his name but he could not answer around the bitterness.
When he awoke in what he thought were the small hours of the morning, he let the darkness hide his tears and so the third day of his imprisonment began…
The sandy flatlands that stretched out like a belt around the main part of the desert were molten and bright, heat rising from the ground in wavy, shimmery forms that disappeared when one got too close. The sun hung heavy and swollen in the sky, making everything look bleached out and warming the air until it was almost too hot to breathe. Kakashi swiped his hand through his hair that fell into his eyes and scowled behind his mask, feeling sweat already beginning to drip down his back. He had never been overly fond of hot weather and the dryness of the desert where he would be meeting the Tsuchikage and the Kazekage was uncomfortable. This meeting, however, was one he had called himself and it was imperative that a decision be made when they were finished. In his hand he clutched the scroll Naruto had sent him, its paper already crinkled from being read multiple times.
Truthfully, he was more worried about his former student than he was about the contents of the message the blond had sent to him. If what Gamakichi said was true, something had happened to make the mission take a dangerous turn and he wanted to get Naruto out of there as soon as he could. What he had written about the Feudal Lord of the River country was indeed troubling but Kakashi couldn't care less about that, not if his former student had been harmed. Guilt flooded over him like a storm, making his chest constrict and he tried not to think about how familiar of a sensation that was becoming. The blond had been a comrade and a friend over the years, starting out as a member of his team and becoming something like family. He couldn't help but think if Naruto had not gone in there alone or if he had sent someone else, nothing like this would have happened but it was too late to do anything about that now. Outwardly, he could remain professional and act like the Hokage but now his main priority had become getting to his former student before something worse could happen.
As soon as he had gotten the blonde's missive, he had immediately sent a message to Earth and Wind, requesting to meet with both Kages because he needed their back up should conflict break out once his shinobi breached the border into River. It was too confidential information to just send by messenger, especially with more conflicts breaking out as the days moved on. The scroll he had hidden carefully away in his vest pocket and its weight felt like a pile of stone upon his chest yet as devastating as this situation with River had the potential to become, it was not the words on the scroll that scared him…
The soft pop of a reverse Summons outside his bedroom window drew him from his sound sleep instantly, his trained senses on alert as soon as his eyes snapped open and he could feel the presence of someone's chakra coming from outside. It felt somewhat familiar and he had thought at first it was one of the ANBU with a report that couldn't wait until morning. With the conflicts ever growing at the boarders of so many countries, being awaken in the middle of the night like this was becoming more common than he would have liked. The Hokage had slipped from the embrace of his Chunin lover, surprised that the other man hadn't been jarred awake, pulling on a pair of pants and his mask as adrenaline dissipated from his veins and fatigue started to take over. Yet as he opened the back door to his apartment that lead out onto the balcony, it was not a person standing in the small yard at all but a towering frog.
The relief that flooded him then struck him so strongly, his knees felt weak and under his mask was a smile. If Gamakichi was here, that meant Naruto had sent him word. The building worry in his gut eased just a bit as he greeted the frog, trying not to let the fact that he was practically ecstatic to see the creature even if it was the small hours of the morning show in his voice. Because of this, he missed at first how the red amphibian was not returning his enthusiasm.
"I just saw Naruto," Gamakichi started without preamble, his normally polite tone somewhat subdued, handing the silver haired man a fancy scroll over the banister of the balcony, "He asked me to give that to you without delay," Kakashi fairly ripped into the scroll, unwinding it with such lack of grace he nearly ripped the thick, rich paper twice. He hoped that the value of the scroll meant that the blond had been somewhat successful in his mission, smiling lopsidedly at the sight of the familiar, sprawling handwriting. Though the younger man had gotten lessons from Genma, his normal penmanship was still a bit lacking. Still, he was so grateful the blond had sent him word that he couldn't even bring himself to mind.
The air was cool that night, crisp autumn breezes brushing along his bare chest and rising goose flesh along his skin. He will always remember that it was cold the night he read Naruto's missive, the words looking so normal and bland upon the creamy paper that at first he didn't even resister it. But as he read, the smile slowly slid off his face, replaced with dread. There had been no greeting or any kind of reassurance that the blond was fine. Not even excuses for his tardiness had been included. Just cool, stark fact, as if his former student had dictated it to someone else so that they could write it down, even if the penmanship was all Naruto.
Lord Hokage, it read and for a moment he thought the kid was being smart until he read the rest of the message, I was fortunate enough to win over the affections of the very Feudal Lord I was sent here to check on. The suspicions about him were correct; he wishes to draw the rest of the world into such chaos that the structure of it would completely collapse while he kept his country out of it, safe behind his borders. Only when there was no one left to dispute him, using his collected ninja, he would rise up and seize control, becoming the one the rest of the world turned to because River would be the only stable government left. Should you doubt this, it was he himself who told me. The news left him stunned for he had not realized the depth in which the Feudal Lord's plans had run and he realized if the conflicts could not be ended, their entire way of life once again was threatened with upheaval and war. The message said nothing about why the man was doing it or what was driving him but it was enough information to allow Kakashi to take decisive action. Yet he frowned over the salutation the blond had used and the formal way he had written, almost as if he claimed no familiarity with the Hokage at all. It was this he was pondering, wondering why Naruto had not even bothered to mention how he was doing when Iruka stepped out onto the balcony, his hair loose and wearing only a shirt that reached down to his knees.
"Kakashi, what's going on?" the younger man looked delightfully tousled and drowsy but even that couldn't distract him this time. Foreboding gnawed at the silver haired man's gut, similar to the kind of intuition he felt during battle that told him something was coming his way. But this time he didn't know what kind of blow it would be when it came and he had no hopes of blocking or avoiding it. Silently he handed his lover the scroll, meeting the brunette's eyes. Iruka wrinkled his nose slightly as he accepted it, eyes flickering to the silent frog still waiting silently upon the grass, "Is this from Naruto?" and his smile was shaky and hopeful. Guilt bludgeoned him then because he knew the Chunin had been waiting just as anxiously to hear from the blond as he had and Kakashi had to turn away, unable to face his lover's hopeful, shining face as he lowered his eyes to read. Instead he looked at Gamakichi, wondering if there was more to this than he realized.
"You must have seen him," he finally said, voice low and rough, wincing a little when the brunette gasped softly behind him. The frog looked at him, stirring nervously where he crouched as if he really did need to say something but wasn't sure if he should. Iruka seemed to decide it for him. He had wrapped one strong hand around Kakashi's wrist, the pressure painful and had started to ask him something with the scroll clutched in his free hand and desperate questions burning in his eyes when Gamachiki cleared his throat. Both men looked at him, tension snapping through the air that suddenly seemed so much colder than before.
"Naruto is my friend and I respect him. He didn't tell me what happened to him but he didn't tell me not to tell you what I saw and I think you should know," he paused then and Kakashi practically stood on his toes, willing the amphibian to continue. The younger man's grip on his arm had become painful and he shot his lover a look, noting the deep brown eyes were wide and his nose pinched, which meant he was holding himself in check. Putting a hand on the brunette's arm, he faced the messenger, almost afraid of what he was about to be told.
"Know what, Gamakichi?" he asked and the air misted before his lips, floating up towards the sky. The frog shuffled his feet and then looked straight at them, his eyes wide and luminescent in the darkness.
"I will tell you only because I know that you will get him out of there. When he called me to him, I thought he had been in a fight but he wasn't…there were bruises all over him and what looked like bite marks. And he was acting strange, as if he didn't even realize he looked like he had been beaten within an inch of his life. I know the kid doesn't think much about that kind of pain but…It also looked as if someone had tried to patch him up but I've never seen him look so…so beaten before," Dread rose within him as soon as the frog began talking but it wasn't until he mentioned the bite marks did Kakashi realize what had happened. Bite marks were not typical of a simple fight and he didn't think the blond would be acting strange if he simply had an overzealous lover. Sickness roiled in his stomach and his throat felt like it was about to close, the guilt rising up from his gut and nearly crushing him in black, violent waves. Beside him, he could practically feel his lover's fury and terrified concern.
"Did he say anything else to you?" though the younger man's voice was strong and clipped with emotion, the Hokage could hear how he was trying not to lose it and start yelling. It might be successful now but Kakashi knew that as soon as they were alone, Iruka wouldn't be able to keep himself in check. He almost hoped that the younger man would blame him for this because it was no more than he deserved. After all, it had been he that had sent the boy on such a mission. If he had known something like this could have happened to the bright, shining blond, he would have gone himself. The fact that his former student had been successful in his assignment mattered so little in the light of what he had been forced to suffer through in getting the information.
"No, nothing, except to assure me that he was fine," the big eyes were hard because even though the large frog didn't seem to understand the truth of what had happened to Naruto, he knew that the blond had been hurt, no matter how it had happened, "I told him, though, that there is something wrong with that place. It reeks of darkness, like the kind that festers and starts calamities. I don't know why he can't leave but something dangerous will happen in that place if it is left unchecked," Gamakichi paused and twisted his head in a strange manner that reminded the silver haired ninja of a bird trying to figure out something and the wide eyes stared steadily at him, indefinable in their lack of humanity, "You must get him out of there," and with a puff of smoke, he was gone, leaving the yard looking huge without his towering presence to fill it.
The frog's parting words hung in the heavy silence that surrounded them and Kakashi stared at the spot the tall amphibian had been sitting for a long moment, his mind already made up. It wasn't until Iruka brushed a slightly unsteady hand across his shoulders did he look away, finding the familiar gaze dark and filled with anxiety. Again he wondered at the wisdom of sending the blond, even if the mission had been completed successfully.
"Kakashi," the younger man breathed, all traces of anger gone in his fear for the boy that had been like a younger brother to him, "Naruto…he…" the younger man swallowed as if the news they had been given had dried his throat. Kakashi pulled his mask down before wrapping his arms around the brunette, drawing him close and taking comfort from the familiar, solid line of his body as Iruka pressed his nose against the older man's chest. His lover didn't lift his arms to hug him back but he leaned against the Hokage, his breaths warm against Kakashi's pale skin, "Why is he staying there? Why didn't he come back?" and the silver haired man tightened his arms around his lover, eyes looking across the yard to the blank faces of the building behind his.
"I don't know but something must have happened. I'm going to get him back, if I have to go myself," conviction was like steel in his voice and a moment later Iruka pulled back enough so that the older man might see his face by the weak moonlight. It was still the early hours of the morning but he knew that neither of them would be getting any more sleep. The brown eyes blazed with determination and steady strength and it was a look that made his heart flutter in his chest.
"I'm coming with you," and it was a statement, not a request. For a moment he thought about protesting, especially since Iruka didn't go into the field much but under such burning resolve, he stamped down on his refusal and just ducked his head, pressing a soft kiss to the scar that ran across his lover's face. It was this display of strength that was like unbending iron that he had first fallen in love with. Though the man was kind and his heart was large, he had a sharp temper and an even sharper will.
"I know," was all he had said, pressing one lass kiss to the younger man's lips before turning to make his preparations...
The tents had already been set up, looming large and bright against the dull sands and he picked up the pace, aware that they had already wasted too much time. Anything could have happened to his former student between the time he had sent the scroll and now and the more time that passed, the more anxious he became. If not for the fact that he could not act without the approval from the Kazekage and the Tsuchikage, he would have already burst through River's borders and taken the blond back. Should he do that, whoever, he would be short on man power because he couldn't leave the village unprotected, especially in these times, and the other shinobi nations might have taken his advance into another country as grounds to declare war. He needed the approval of the two great nations that would be most affected by it and he hoped with the news that he was bringing, they would agree to help.
Iruka's face was grim when he glanced back at the younger man, brown eyes hard and he looked away a moment later, hating the fact that he only had himself to blame for this. He had only sent Naruto because he had been sure the blond would be able to handle any obstacle that could possibly be handed to him and that would only be if his disguise was broken. Something had happened, though, and now…Kakashi felt a wave of dizziness just as they reached the colorful tents set up by Suna shinobi and had to close his eyes for a moment. He hadn't been unable to think about it before, almost glad for the flurry of preparations he had to make, readying his ninja for possible battle but he couldn't keep hiding from it. Naruto had been abused, probably by the Feudal Lord himself and the very thought of someone hurting the sunny, bright young man in such a way made him feel ill.
He would get Naruto back if he had to tear the country apart with his bare hands.
Garaa was already there with his escort team and a few shinobi for security as was the escort of Onoki, the Tsuchikage. They looked stiff and formal, though the younger man's face was as cool as ever and they had been talking among themselves as their teams mingled together, shifting uneasily under the shade of the tents. Iruka remained at his side and for once he didn't bother protesting while Sakura and Neji hung behind, making up the other half of his team. Though he had not told them the details because he was almost afraid the two would take it upon themselves to rescue their friend, they still knew enough that they remained silent and solemn most of the trip. Attention centered on them as soon as they stepped into the tent and Garaa greeted him with as much of a smile as he ever saw on the red head's face.
"Hello, Hokage-sama," his formal robes had been discarded in favor of his fighting attire, for which Kakashi was grateful of. He didn't know how long it would take for them to mobilize enough teams but he planned on starting out as soon as possible having made sure he had his own shinobi in place. They wouldn't move unless he sent the message but they were ready to move at a moment's notice. The Tsuchikage frowned and grumbled, his bears fluffing out in annoyance.
"Kakashi! What is all this about, that you had to send messages to us in the middle of the night and then ask to meet in this god-forsaken place?" his voice was low and deep, though not loud but several of the shinobi from Wind stiffened at the unintended slight anyway. He took a breath of hot, dry air and pulled the scroll from his pocket. All that needed to be said was written there in Naruto's hand. The only thing that would need determining was if Suna and Earth were willing to back him. He tossed the scroll to the Kazekage, who caught it with a flicker of interest in his eyes.
"Read that and you will understand," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest as if that would contain the feeling of desperation clawing at his chest. He anticipated their answers to be positive because both men liked Naruto and the conflicts were affecting their countries just as much.
But none of that would matter if they got to the blonde's side too late…
His world had been narrowed down in the space of a single day until there was nothing left but the shackles around his ankles, the sprawling set of rooms he had been given upon his arrival and the spinning, dreamlike quality of his awareness. Something nagged at the back of his mind, something he knew was extremely important but most of the time he couldn't really form a clear image of it in his head and it was too much of an effort to try. It wasn't that he had lost his memory because that was still intact but it was like the things that made up who he was were being kept just out of reach behind a gauzy veil that obscured his view every time he tried to focus. What he could piece together didn't really make much sense but in the long hours of the day when his body ached too much to let him sleep he watched the sky from one of his many generous windows and he traveled through the drugged confines of his mind.
The name he called himself by was Daisuke but that was not his real name and he was in this place because of a man with curly hair and blazing green eyes that was in love with him but his true self was in love with another. There were words printed upon a scroll that he knew he wrote and they were ominous yet he wasn't sure of their exact content. When he was more lucid, during the times right before meals he would get this indescribable feeling that he needed to flee this place, that he could because the reason why he was there no longer existed. Yet when he peered at the chains wrapped around his legs, elegant and strong, his heart ached and he knew there was someone he had to save before he could leave. Not that he could, anyway. Until the drug was completely eradicated from his blood, he could not reach his charka and use it to escape.
Most if the time, however, he sat on the edge of his bed or curled in the corner of one of the rooms and watched the sky changing colors outside the closest window. He couldn't bear to look in the mirror for it showed him dark purple bruises littered over his skin and bite marks that had bled. When he saw them, he would recall flashes of pain and fear, of being dominated without his consent and he would feel sick, like heavy stones had rolled into his stomach and settled there. The welt had gone down after the first day and most of his open wounds, especially the deep one upon his neck were kept clean and covered. Despite the care he was shown, however, the damage had been done and even the guise of another name and personality couldn't keep the helpless despair away. During those times, when he thought he might lose himself to the deep well of darkness roiling in his gut, he called upon the image of a beloved face of the man who his heart belonged and he knew that just for a few more moments, he would be okay.
There was a pouch that he had hidden within the folds of his clothing in his closest that he sometimes wondered if he should get out but even if he were to use the senbon and pick the locks in his shackles, he was still too weak to make it out of the palace alone. The drug that was being administered somehow through his food sapped the strength from his body, making him more helpless than he could ever remember being. He had thought about just refusing to eat altogether but that would only make Aoshi suspicious and the lack of nutrition would leave him shaky and slow. And even if he could, that still left the man with the dark hair and pale skin with no way to escape. The blond knew that under normal circumstances neither of them would have been caught like this but it appeared their regard for one another had blinded them to the danger surrounding them and both had fallen into the trap. All that he knew to do was sit back and look for an opening, whether it be in the form of a friend or in the lack of diligence from his keepers. He didn't like the feeling of needing to be rescued but most of those concerns were small and fleeting. No matter how he tried, he couldn't fight off the drugs and he couldn't free himself from the chains so he sat in his room and waited while the world drifted by.
Yet for all of that, his worry for Sasuke never went away.
In his isolation, he was not allowed any visitors. The only people he saw was a single servant, a young man with dark brown eyes and slender hands who was unfailingly kind to him and Aoshi. The servant didn't speak very much but his touch when he dressed the blonde's wounds in the morning and at night was gentle and his eyes were compassionate, filled with warmth. There were times when he wished to speak with the man, ask him about what was going on outside his room when he had the presence of mind to care or to ask if he had heard anything about a ninja named Sasuke who had been thrown in jail. But even when he went to speak, the brunette would look him in the eye and shake his head, causing Naruto to fall silent once more.
Only once, on what he thought was the second day after he had been brought back to his rooms did he think that the servant might speak. The brunette was rubbing salve to the blonde's cheek that touched upon the corner of his mouth, his long fingers so gentle the small bit of pressure was barely even there and their eyes met almost by accident. The other man paused for a moment, his face still like glass then he slowly traced the plump line of the blonde's lower lip with his thumb. It had been in one of those moments where the drug was slowly releasing his mind but he had just eaten dinner and he knew that before long he would be back to swirling around in numb circles within his mind. The servant's lips parted and he could practically see the words lingering behind his teeth, waiting to slip free. But then the man dropped his hand and looked away, giving his head a small, sad shake.
Only seconds later the familiar dullness spread through his limbs and he gave into it, knowing by now not to fight it. That was why when a warm hand pressed against his shoulder for a fleeting moment and a soft voice whispered into his ear, he couldn't think of what to say in response or even if he needed to give one.
"Don't give in, Naruto, you still have so much of your story left to write," and when he swam back into awareness, night had seeped into his room, leaving it in shadow and the brown haired servant was long gone.
For a long time after that, he pondered the words he thought he had heard, unable to determine for sure if they had really been spoken to him or if it had simply been his imagination speaking to him again.
Sometimes, it was difficult to tell the difference.
Most of the time, the feeling of being abandoned ached fiercely in his chest, as if a sharp, bitter wind was battering at his defenses but there was one time during the day, right as lucidity was beginning to return and before dinner was brought to him, announcing the return to his hazy world when he wished he had been completely forgotten about. It was getting colder now that summer was reached its end and the windows were only left open during the day. Most of the time he sat beside one, staring out into the garden, feeling removed from the silk and rich trappings that surrounded him but even through the slowly ebbing drug he could sense when someone entered the room. It was the only defense mechanism he had left and he figured that even if he couldn't fight back, he at least had warning so that he might retreat back into himself should something occur.
Aoshi didn't enter the room he occupied on the first day, the day after he had abused the blond. Though no words were spoken and he had not turned around to look at the older man, the memories of helplessness and pain bombarded him, leaving him hunched in on himself as if that would protect him should the man fall into another rage. He knew intellectually that Aoshi wouldn't hurt him again; not like that. The way the man had reacted when he realized what he had done should have been enough to assuage his fear but no matter how he tried to rationalize it, the fact remained that Aoshi had lost control and raped him. It was something of himself that he would never be able to get back and the very thought of being alone with the man sent icy chills down his spine. Though he didn't hate the brunette, he didn't think he could stand having the Feudal Lord touch him.
That day nothing had been said and eventually the older man slipped away, the sound of his swishing steps nearly silent. Only when the outer door whispered shut did he breathe a soft sigh and allow himself relax, ignoring the way his nails had dug little bloody crescents into his palms. Surely he would go mad if the older man decided he wanted to try to go back to what he had thought they'd had before he had been fed the lie that Sasuke had slept with the blond but it seemed Aoshi could not bear to face what he had done as much as Naruto could. For that much he was grateful. Despite everything, the older man seemed to love Daisuke enough that he was loath to push the blond away even more than he already had. It made him wonder, if he was stuck here for a long time to come, would he be able to accept the brunette's touch once more? Naruto breathed a soft, breathless laugh and leaned his head upon the windowsill, his hair loose and spilling over the wood casing.
No.
No matter how much time passed and no matter what happened to him, he would never be able to think about Aoshi without the shadows of fear and hurt.
The Feudal Lord came the second day as well, around the same time and he stood at the doorway as the blond pretended to be reading, though the words slid past his eyes like bleary, senseless markings. At first he thought the older man would do the same had he had the day before and walk away so he merely waited, the brunette's presence prickling at the back of his neck. Yet the minutes ticked by and still the man did not leave, making him more and more nervous. He wasn't as drugged as he had been two nights ago but the smaller man was stronger than he looked and Naruto did not want to have to fight him off. It wasn't until he heard the older man approaching, though, did he freeze, his breath caught in his throat. The chains linking his ankles were too short for him to stretch legs enough to run but he contemplated doing just that, the need to flee getting stronger as Aoshi continued to walk towards him.
But the older man didn't touch him. In fact, he didn't even look at the blond and he remained a good seven feet away from him, keeping his brilliant gaze fixed steadily out the window before which the younger man sat. Naruto watched him carefully, muscles tensed but he should have known he needn't have worried. Aoshi simply ducked his head, abundant curls falling about his face in a wave of chestnut softness, hiding his expression from the other man. When he spoke, his voice was cracked and filled with the same grief and self loathing he had heard two nights ago when the man had finally returned to his senses.
"I can't expect you to forgive me and I know that things can never be the same but…" he paused, his slender hands nearly white where they clutched the edge of the window and the blond felt a wave of pity override his fear for a brief moment. In spite of everything, this man's heart was good underneath the darkness and whatever it was in his past that made him prone to so much anger, it took over his awareness so completely, he wasn't even aware of what he was doing. Of a surety that was what it was; he had seen it enough times in his life to recognize it. That didn't mean it excused the older man from what he had done. Then the older man had turned his head, one single green eye visible in the silver light drifting into the room, "I need to tell you that…" he swallowed and looked away again, posture as stiff as Naruto had ever seen it, " I…love you, Daisuke. I'm not going to ask for you to love me back. I have already destroyed any hope for that, I think and I would not expect you to want me after what I…but…" in that moment the world went very still and the blond felt his stomach clench painfully.
It was not supposed to be like this. Bad guys were supposed to be cold hearted bastards, people that were easy to dislike, though he had come to understand that not everything was as it might seem at first. But he wanted Aoshi to be evil. He wanted to be able to hate him, to be able to say that the darkness had eaten away at the man's heart until there was no humanity left but he could not. Not after meeting truly evil people and then after seeing that this Feudal Lord was simply angry and confused. It wasn't possible for him to hate the older man. The feeling was too strong and too complicated for that. He pitied him and feared him and wanted to never see him again and yet at the same time, he wanted to see the man smile, like he had before he went on that trip and came back changed. It would almost have been preferable to have the older man find out the truth of his identity than this. That way the break between them would have been clean but Aoshi still loved a man named Daisuke that wore Naruto's face and the blond had been so affected by the brunette that he would never be able to forget what had happened here.
What had once started out as a simple mission had turned into something that he could not identify but which wrenched at his heart and had changed him as surely as his training with Genma had. And if he was honest with himself, he knew the exact moment that the entire thing had been doomed to failure.
It was the very moment he laid eyes on Sasuke Uchiha again.
"Would you still sing for me, Daisuke?" and when he asked in that voice, sounding so soft and broken, the blond had no grounds on which to refuse. Even without the inclination of the drug making him more complacent, he would have done as the older man asked. Sitting in the gray light of the fading day, he opened his mouth and sang a song about death and how it conquered over everything except love. He didn't know why he had chosen that one; he had learned it two years ago while he had still been actively chasing his dark haired teammate in a small village outside of Suna and even then it had struck a chord deep within him. Its tune was in a minor key, making it mellow and almost melancholy and the lyrics told a story about a young girl who had been left behind by her family and then abandoned by her village. She had wandered for long years until finally coming to the sea where she met a wandering swordsman. He was the first person to offer her a smile and she fell in love with him, traveling with him and learning from him how to wield a sword. Though she could never hope to be as good as he was, she still strove to do her best because she did not want to have to be protected at every turn.
There was another man, the enemy of the swordsman whom had become her lover that wished him dead and they met in the dead of winter to do battle, the sound of their swords ringing like the clear bell to summon death through the frozen air. Both men were evenly matched but her lover took a wrong step in the snow and his enemy's sword did not hesitate to take the killing blow. One that surely would have cleaved her lover in two, if she had not stepped in front of it.
Naruto recalled how he had cried the first time he had heard the ending to that song but now he felt absolutely nothing as the gentle rise and fall of his voice filled the room and floated through the window. He had wondered sometimes if he would ever get the chance to do such a thing for the man he loved and then if Sasuke would follow in death just like the girl's lover in the song did. Now he knew the world never worked so perfectly and he doubted he could ever be moved by the song again. Aoshi was silent for long moments after he let the last note die away, the rich, tumbling mass of his hair caught in the cool current blowing in from the open window. Once the blond might have wondered what the older man was thinking, if he was merely hiding his emotion or if he was simply thinking of something else and would turn away when he had finished running through his thoughts. Now, though, Naruto sat silently with his hands folded in his lap, his mind feeling clearer than it had since he had first been given the drug, simply waiting and not thinking about anything at all.
Finally Aoshi turned and looked at him, his eyes dark and heavy with what looked like guilt. The blond didn't lift his head or his eyes and he didn't meet the man's gaze like he normally would have. The only thing he wanted to say to him was to ask what had been done to Sasuke but he feared the consequences for such an inquiry and so decided it was probably better not to open his mouth at all. It felt like a wall had been built between them, slippery and impossible to be scaled and he preferred it that way. Behind it, he could protect himself and did not have to feel the confused rage of emotion the older man still forced upon him. The brunette took a step closer then and it had been all Naruto could do not to stiffen and dart out of his seat. But Aoshi merely looked at him, his pained gaze standing out starkly against the paleness of his skin before turning on his heel and walking from the room.
If Naruto wasn't mistaken, he heard the older man utter a broken apology as he reached the doorway but there were so many things he could have been saying that for, the blond ignored it with ease. If he started thinking about contemplating forgiveness, he knew he would drive himself mad. He had been unable to forgive Sasuke for leaving or Madara for starting a war or Pain for killing Jiraiya and he did not think he could forgive Aoshi for this. Maybe he could understand why they had done what they did and perhaps he could even remove himself from the damage left behind but it never disappeared and he could not forget it. Of course Sasuke did not fit in the same category as the others but the pain his betrayal left behind was damaging all the same. The difference was that his former teammate had hurt himself just as much in the process and underneath all the anger and need for revenge, he was just a lonely boy with a wounded heart. A heart that Naruto wanted to be the one to mend.
Not for the first time, he thought how much easier this mission might have been if he had let himself trust the dark haired ninja enough to find out the true reason for his presence within River. If he had done that, they could have worked together from the very beginning and none of this would have happened. Whether they would have become lovers or not didn't matter but the blond would not have become Aoshi's possession and the Uchiha would not have been thrown into some god-forsaken jail to rot. Though he believed the Feudal Lord's promise not to kill Sasuke, it didn't mean that he was being treated even remotely well. All Naruto could hope for was that they were at least feeding him.
Aoshi came back the next day and the blond sang again, his voice rich and full but lacking all the strength and conviction he'd had a few days ago. Sometimes the words would slip away from his mind but that didn't matter. The song itself only died when he was finished and then the older man would leave, always apologizing in a soft voice at the door. The green eyes remained shadowed and almost dull, as if in hurting Daisuke, he had broken his own heart in the process and again Naruto would find himself nearly drowning in empathy and pity. He didn't want to feel bad for the man; he wanted to think of him as a bastard and the worst kind of tyrant but he couldn't even do that. The only thing he could feel was remote resistance that even he couldn't really understand.
Several days passed like that, with him floating in a haze and having to endure Aoshi's company long enough to sing him a song and endure the tortured sound of his apology. How many exactly he couldn't be sure and he wondered if his message had ever reached Kakashi but he had already resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to be rescued so he sat and watched and sang and forgot what hope felt like.
Then one day, notable for the weak sunshine trying to burn its way through the gray clouds, Aoshi didn't leave right after he finished singing but remained in the room, his face wan and eyes looking like large pits of glittering emerald. The chains clinked softly when Naruto shifted slightly on the large, comfortable chair he was seated in, the sound drawing the older man's attention and he watched as remorse swept over the Feudal Lord's beautiful features. In that moment clarity struck him so sharply he was nearly left gasping and he met the wide green gaze with his own, making the other man blink.
"Why?" he whispered, voice feeling oddly raw even though he had only sung two songs. He had not thought he would be addressing the older man again on even terms but he could not stop the question from tumbling past his lips, "You said that you love me but why would you do this?" and he moved his legs again to rattle the strong, decorative chains. That was not the entirety of his question, of course, but the thing to which he referred had been hanging over both of their heads so the brunette knew exactly why he asked it. Aoshi swallowed and clenched his hands at his sides and for a moment he thought the man wasn't going to answer him. But when he finally opened his mouth to speak, his rich, deep voice was just as rough and full as the blonde's had been.
"I could not…I could not bear to be betrayed for a second time. Back then I didn't…I couldn't and the same thing was happening again and…I don't understand why," the older man covered his face with one of his hands, the rings adorning his fingers glittering brightly and Naruto watched his struggle with growing understanding. He didn't think he would ever be able to completely grasp the reasons why Aoshi had done what he did but it witnessing such a broken confession eased something in his mind, making the world seem a little less barren, "What is it about me that no one can love me? I did everything, would have done anything but in the end it is never enough. It was the same when…" and he stopped there, voice thick. The blond had caught his breath and when the brunette looked up, tears glittered in his eyes.
And in that moment, he knew.
With great effort, he lifted his hand and held it out, registering the older man's surprise and trepidation before he took the invitation and stepped closer. The blond took a deep breath, fighting the last of the drug with all of his willpower in an effort to find the right words that would show the Feudal Lord how alike they really were without giving himself away. He could tell the truth without telling everything and he did not think the older man could handle another betrayal. Pushing down his instinctive fear, he picked up one of the brunette's lovely hands and brushed his own fingers over the palm.
"I can't tell you it all now but you will understand in time," he looked into the green eyes and dredged up his truth, hoping that it would be enough, "Even in the very beginning, my heart belonged to someone else. But if such an obstacle did not exist and I had met you under different circumstances, I know that I could have loved you," he saw confusion flicker through the commanding gaze before he spoke the last few words and then the older man's tears spilled over, running down his cheeks to spatter warmly into the blonde's upturned face. Aoshi cupped Naruto's face with his free hand, his fingers unsteady against the tawny skin.
"I don't know when this got so fucked up," he whispered, before closing his eyes, shutting away the emotion trapped there, "Your real name is not Daisuke, is it?" and his voice was so broken that the blond couldn't tell him any more lies. It was lies that had gotten them where they were and uttering more would only serve to break them both. Slowly, wondering what he was doing giving himself away like this, he shook his head and met the emerald gaze awash in hurt and misery when the older man opened his eyes again. They stared at one another for a long moment before an elegant thumb ran over his bottom lip, the action so familiar that he nearly cried, "I will not ask who you really are. It doesn't really matter but you have shown me something that I did not think was possible," and then he leaned down so swiftly that Naruto didn't even have time to react before his lips were caught in a warm, salty kiss. It was gentle and lingering and if he had any doubts that Aoshi loved him, they would have been banished then.
It wasn't until the older man pulled away, his hands retreating from the younger man's spill of golden hair did the blond realize he had closed his eyes and given back in kind. When their gazes met once more, the older man's tears were gone but he offered a small smile, the expression still just as stunning now as it had been the first time Naruto had seen it.
"Tomorrow I will set you free," Aoshi whispered as his eyes darted over the blonde's face as if trying to memorize his features and his fingers gently following the line of his strong jaw, "You and Sasuke," and when Naruto opened his mouth to say something, astonishment written all over his face, fingers against his lips stilled his words though it did nothing for the wild, excited pounding of his heart, "Don't say it. I may not ever understand it but I'm not stupid. Whatever is between the two of you I should have known never to step in between," and he smiled that beautiful, crooked smile that looked so wonderfully out of place on his face and still made the blonde's breath catch even now. The emerald eyes studied him a moment longer before the hands fell away from his face and the older man stepped back, his face full of regret, "Would it be alright if I still called you Daisuke, even if it is not your name?" Naruto knew he shouldn't encourage the older man but he simply nodded. Aoshi bowed formally and when he straightened again, his eyes were once again indefinable and looking like the deep green of an ocean.
He didn't speak again before he was sweeping from the room, his formal robes hissing after him and his hair gleaming like copper against the pale material. So beautiful he was and Naruto wondered for a moment what it would have been like if he had not been in love with Sasuke and had met Aoshi in a different time and a different place. Truly, he thought, he could have returned the man's feelings. Yet that was not to be and he could not bring himself to regret it. Still, forgiveness was soothing and sweet in the back of his throat and he sat back in his chair, staring sightlessly into the back garden as the clouds finally closed in around the sun and night began to take over the world once more.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he had said and it rang like a promise in his mind and Naruto couldn't help but smile fleetingly. The expression faded a moment later, though as he pressed his fingers to his lips, remembering the older man's kiss.
Why was it that it felt like Aoshi had been saying goodbye?
Ryouta hadn't been worried at first.
He didn't know why, he just wasn't. That Daisuke had not come to visit them in the past few days didn't seem to register right away. Something was stirring among the group of ninja and he couldn't quite grasp the depth of it. Nothing had changed; they still gathered in the Lower courts or in the training fields beside the barracks, watching each other and waiting but now it felt like there was something specific they waited for. Like the stillness before a storm, the feeling spread like slow shadows through the rouge shinobi, the far off thunder almost audible. As he looked around into the tense features of all the different ninja, Ryouta wondered how many of them knew what it was they waited for.
Several different groups had formed among them, certain individuals gravitating towards one of the four unofficial leaders that had sprung up as a result. The biggest was a faction of sword wielders who had big heads and looked down upon the rest as if the weapon they chose to carry somehow made them more superior than the rest. They had tried to draw Ryouta into their group as well for the short sword he wore strapped to his back but they were arrogant and most talked better than they fought and he had no interest in those sorts of politics. The man that they all tended to refer to was named Yuri, the tall ninja that had held his own against the Uchiha boy when he had been coming down to test their strength. He was still quiet, the only one of his group that kept to himself but he did nothing to keep the rest in check, which tended to pick fights and draw their swords at a moment's notice. The second was headed by an obnoxious brat who called himself Waotaka, a younger man with light hair and cold eyes that didn't see friends but opportunities. His pretty face and underhanded scheming drew to him more of the simple shinobi who offered more protection than companionship. The only one who was not drawn to him that would offer him some sort of protection was the red head that had also been one of the first to face Sasuke.
They weren't a dangerous group as long as one stayed out of their way but Ryouta was shocked when Masahiro started spending time with them. If anything, he thought the brothers would have gravitated towards one of the stronger, more unified groups but that did not seem to be the case. It seemed the blue haired ninja was swayed by that young brunette and after that Eisaku, his brother, would shoot furious glares in their direction but never moved to follow. Ryouta was secretly pleased about this and had a feeling that was why the pale haired brother just stayed away from the forming groups all together. Ever since the two tall shinobi had joined him on the road, they had seemed inseparable but then again, Masahiro had always been the weaker one and it shouldn't have been all that of a surprise when he allowed himself to be swayed by a pair of pretty eyes.
The third group wasn't so much a group as five vaguely similar men and one woman who everyone naturally gave a wide berth to. Though all of the ninja gathered in the Lower courts were all hardened warriors, to one extent or another, most did not exude a bloodlust that hung about them like a cloud. These five did, in their dull, hungry eyes and the way they moved, like hunting cats that thirsted for the taste of blood. He stayed as far from them as possible, their stares making him feel cold. No one really "led" this group since they were only really drawn together because of that deadly edge they carried and he found himself grateful for this. They didn't need someone channeling that need for violence and honing it. Those that offended any one of them learned rather quickly and finally not to make that mistake again. That is, if they were still breathing.
Sometimes Ryouta hung out with the fourth group that had formed, if only to listen to Omezu tell his stories. The big black man oozed confidence and a charisma that was unique and pleasant. He was sure the man hadn't set out to draw the remaining shinobi to him, forming a loose band that stood up for each other when bullied or singled out by any of the others. It was by far the least intimidating one to have chosen and Eisaku had taken a liking to the dark skinned ninja. Perhaps Ryouta liked Omezu because he didn't try to lord himself over the others that hung around him, even though he was clearly the strongest of their group. He just smiled and told his stories and didn't demand anything from anyone. Still, even he seemed to know something that only a few of the other's did, evident in the calculating gleam in his dark eyes when he thought no one was looking. It was frustrating and beginning to worry Ryouta that there was something going on and the weaker shinobi seemed to have no idea.
His one saving grace was Jin.
The man was a gentle soul and why he had chosen the life of a shinobi Ryouta sometimes couldn't figure out. It was merely chance that they had started talking one day and he found himself quickly falling after that. The dark haired man, despite his quiet nature and kind heart was deadly with a shuriken and it was only during the days they sparred together that he saw a powerful ferociousness in the dark gaze. They could talk to each other with ease, speaking of all kinds of things that he would never have told anyone else and had slipped from the roles of friends to lovers with surprising swiftness. Wherever he went, Jin wasn't far behind and it was the same the other way around. He had loved someone once but it had never been like this; then it had been a wild, blazing fire but now it was a strong and steady flame that didn't look as if it would burn itself out for a long while.
So between the rising political factions that were splitting the ninjas into rivaling groups and his love affair with Jin, it was understandable that he had missed Daisuke's absence. After all, he merely assumed he was busy with that Feudal Lord of his. If Aoshi was anything like what the blond blushingly described him as, he wouldn't really want to leave the man's side either. He had liked the boy but there had been secrets boiling underneath the surface of his smile and he knew it was better that he had realized Daisuke's heart was not his own even when they had first met. Why he had taken up with the Feudal Lord Ryouta couldn't fathom but that was none of his concern. He was wise enough to keep his suspicions to himself, especially regarding the younger man's true identity and the condition of his heart. Still, he had found himself caring about the blond. So when Sumie came up to him one day and pulled him to the side, her dark features set, he was forcefully reminded of the tall singer with the bright smile and the lingering secrets.
"Sumei," his voice was surprised because he had not seen her for several days, which was strange because she only went to the palace to give Daisuke his lessons and to sleep, "I haven't seen you around in a while. Where have you been?" the question wasn't hurried, merely curious but when the woman glanced around and drew her eyebrows sharply over her eyes, he realized with a little jolt that something wasn't right. When she looked at him again, taking a quick note of Jin waiting a few paces away, face questioning, he saw how frantic she really was.
"I've been up at the palace," her hand tightened on his wrist where she was still clutching it and her eyes turned luminescent with worry, "Ryouta, something's happened to Daisuke," she hissed and he felt his heart constrict. In that moment he realized how little he had given thought to the blonde's absence and wished he had realized something was amiss. He took the dark haired woman's arm and moved deeper into the shadows so as not to be disturbed. He didn't know which of the ninja here were truly loyal to Aoshi and who weren't but he didn't want to find out the hard way.
"What's happened?" he asked, voice just as hushed and when he caught Jin's eye, he waved the other man over, knowing it would be better to have him hear this himself then repeat it and risk being overheard. The other man walked calmly over but his face belied his tension.
"I'm not sure," Sumie was saying, and the words were strained, "Everything seemed to be fine just a few days ago but…I don't know!" she pulled away and tugged at her hair, a gesture she only did when she was really upset and Jin leaned against Ryouta's side, gaze still a little questioning.
"What's going on?" he asked gently and Ryouta only needed to say one name before the dark haired man's face shadowed. Jin, like every other person who had met the blond, had liked Daisuke, going as far as admitting he'd like to be friends with the boy if the chance ever arose. Whatever may happen, he was glad that he didn't have to doubt Jin and if they needed to, could trust the man to remain with them rather than turning away.
"He's just disappeared!" the dark skinned woman looked as if she would start pacing but the uneasy movement would only attract notice so she simply clenched her hands at her sides and bounced slightly on her toes, "When he first didn't show up for our usual lesson or dinner I just figured he wasn't feeling well but it's been five days! Five days and nothing!" she took a deep breath, realizing she had been close to yelling and lowered her voice when she continued, "I've asked around, even going to the Feudal Lord himself and singling out some of his private servants but all they will tell me is that he is 'indisposed'," she made a frustrated noise and Jin chewed on his bottom lip, dark eyes cloudy with concern. Ryouta crossed his arms.
"You think something happened to him? Maybe he's just sick," he doubted it, even when the words came out of his mouth but it needed to be said. Sumie shook her head almost violently then looked away, eyes troubled as she peered out the window they stood beside and looked up at the palace that sprawled among the cliffs.
"I don't think so. The strangest part about this is that someone else has gone missing and no one seemed to be willing to ask any questions. It's like they both just stopped existing!" he frowned at that, wondering what she meant by another person going missing. Though they didn't get much news on what was going on in the palace, they got enough to give them the gist of things. Wouldn't such a thing have been remarked upon?
"Who has gone missing?" he asked quietly, the three of them leaning towards one another as the mystery became more serious. Though he was worried for Daisuke and his sudden strange disposition, he wondered if it had anything to do with someone else's disappearance. Sumie clenched her hands again and looked back at the room of ninja who had so far paid no mind to the three conversing quietly in the shadows.
"Remember the Uchiha boy that came down here sometimes?" he nodded in response and she gave him a tight nod in return, "Him," Ryouta blinked then leaned back, staring at the far wall as he thought. It could just be a coincidence for all they knew. He had suspected when he saw Sasuke and heard his reputation that the young man would not be pinned to one place easily and the dark haired Uchiha could have finally gotten fed up and left. And yet…what were the chances of that happening at the same time the blond singer was all but locked away, no one divulging so much as a peep of his whereabouts. It was very strange yet no matter how he turned the pieces in his mind, they just wouldn't fit.
"But what does Uchiha have to do with Daisuke?" Jin murmured, face pensive and they all agreed with their silence. Even so, his worry only grew the more he thought on it and he realized that they couldn't leave the blond up there to his own devices any longer…
Perhaps it was because of the man's promise to him earlier that day or the fact that they had come to a sort of understanding but for whatever reason, Aoshi had not had Daisuke drugged that night. The food and drink he had been served had been without the substance that had kept him swimming in a haze for the past five days and as the hours ticked on, the clearer his mind became. The veil lifted from his eyes and his thoughts could connect with such ease he was almost shocked that he had been able to think at all under the drug's influence. And when the servant had whispered soft words of encouragement into his ear, he had been able to glance at the man and smile when one dark eye winked.
He didn't know who he was but nor would he ask. Apparently he wasn't the only one under disguise here and though he doubted the man was from Konoha, he was on Naruto's side all the same. He might have caught the voluminous sleeve once and asked for the servant's name, demanding to know how he knew who the blond was but that didn't matter. If he had not been given away, he wasn't going to be and there was already too much worrying him that he let the dark haired servant slip back out of the room without giving voice to his curiosity.
Right then, all he could dwell upon was the promise he had been given. Tomorrow. Tomorrow freedom would be given to Sasuke and him and they could flee this country, never to look back. He didn't care what happened after that. The only thing that mattered to him now was that he would be free and his former teammate would be alive and they could work everything out once they were outside of River's borders. He had sent the message to Kakashi and he knew he could trust the Hokage to handle the rest. Naruto had done his part and he was more than ready to go home.
Once the drug ebbed from his system, his chakra came roaring back, filling his body with heavy warmth and he lifted his hands, ready to break himself free of the chains that had been left clinging to his ankles but he stopped at the last minute. He wanted to so badly but the fact remained that he still didn't know where Sasuke was being kept and it would take him probably a good portion of the night to find him, if he even managed it. Besides, Aoshi had given his word that he would free them both and Naruto found himself trusting the older man. After all, it wasn't dishonesty that had broken the trust between them and he knew that the brunette would free him like he said he would. Love did strange things to people, made them jealous, made them angry but in the end, it always rang true. The Feudal Lord had broken his own heart when he had hurt the blond and in seeking atonement, was willing to give the younger man what he wanted instead of catering to his own selfishness. Even though Naruto could not forgive being raped, he knew that he could think of Aoshi kindly someday. Hadn't it been himself that had drawn the man to him and made him fall in love with him and though it was not true he had slept with Sasuke, it might as well have been, since his in his heart he could never forget the Uchiha.
There could only have been room for one man and that would never have been Aoshi, no matter what had happened.
That night he could not sleep and he gazed at the softly lit garden for a long time while sitting perched upon his bed, wrapped in a warm blanket to keep the chill away that spilled in through the open door. The bruises on his body had mostly faded to a sickly greenish yellow and most of the wounds scabbed over enough that he didn't need to keep them covered anymore but the one on his neck kept breaking open no matter how much salve was applied. He knew that should he take the metal band around his arm off it would be gone in the matter of an hour and he would never need to worry about it scarring but the fact that it refused to heal made him slightly ill. It was like a brand, a reminder of what had been done to him and he hated the very presence of it. Most of the time he didn't have to think about it but tonight it was throbbing dully, making him feel restless and irritable.
Soon, he promised himself, soon he could take the band off and let the Kyuubi's chakra burn away all of the cuts and the scars even if it could not take away the blemish upon his soul. Maybe, just maybe, when he and Sasuke escaped this place, the touch of the dark haired man could wipe away the ache and the wretchedness that Aoshi had left behind.
Naruto was leaning his head against the bed post, hair falling into his eyes as he stared out into the gardens and daydreamed about kissing Sasuke when there was a soft scraping sound outside the door. Immediately he was on alert, sitting up and scooting towards his pillow where he had hidden his pouch of senbon. The shackles would hinder movement but with a weapon that he could throw he wouldn't be at as much of a disadvantage as he would have been without them. He didn't think it could have been a ninja because no ninja worth their salt would have made a noise while trying to sneak into someplace but he was ready for anything.
A moment later he relaxed when Ryouta slipped into his room, blade bare and held in front of him, followed by an anxious looking Jin and a grim Sumie. The three seemed to have been just as on guard as the blond was and he smiled when they caught sight of him watching their entrance from the bed. It was surprisingly good to see their faces again, the few friends he had made while he was here and a flood of warmth filled him, bolstering the hope that had been growing steadily within his chest.
"Hey guys," he greeted them with a soft voice, noting how relief flickered over their features, "What are you doing here?" Ryouta opened his mouth to respond but Sumie beat him to it, leaping onto the blond with a muffled cry and knocking them both back onto the bed. Her arms were like iron vices around his shoulders but he let her cling, taking comfort in the warmth and obvious concern in her embrace. It was nice to be touched in a way that didn't make him feel like a possession or like he needed to hid away from it. This was simply a hug from a friend and he held her back with simple joy.
"Daisuke! What happened to you! I was so worried and when I asked, no one would tell me why you had suddenly disappeared!" the dark haired woman leaned over him, eyes bright and he had to smile, patting her waist where he had hugged her. He realized then what an awkward position they were in and was grateful when Ryouta cleared his throat, sounding amused. With a blush, Sumie let him sit up but she merely plopped herself next to him and refused to relinquish her hold on his hand but Naruto didn't really mind, not when he was so glad to see the three of them again.
"No, they wouldn't have I suppose," he scratched his neck with his free hand and looking a bit rueful but the gesture drew their attention to the bandage on his neck. He winced when the dark skinned woman gasped and Ryouta took a step forward as if he would get a closer look but the blond waved them off, determined not to let what had happened step foot in their conversation, "I'm fine, really," he said, waving a hand dismissively at Sumie when she opened her mouth to object, "There was just a…misunderstanding," surprisingly, it was Jin who stepped forward and flipped his collar back, reveling another uncovered bite. He covered it again quickly but the others had already seen.
"Tell us what happened, Daisuke," Ryouta's voice was commanding as he came to stand beside his lover, both of their eyes hard but he knew such an intense look was not for him. He turned his gaze away, towards where his fingers were connected with smaller, darker ones and bit the inside of his lip.
"I can't. Not all of it. Not yet," his voice was quiet and a little broken but he gathered himself up and looked at Ryouta again then Sumie who had pressed her shoulder into his as if for comfort, "There was a misunderstanding and things just kind of…got out of hand. I don't really wish to talk about it," and he didn't, not really. He couldn't explain how a man who was capable of such hurt was a good person deep down or how the only one that could make everything better was locked away somewhere Naruto couldn't reach. The older man's face was dark and flickering with enraged shadows when he spoke again.
"He hurt you, didn't he? Hurt you then locked you away," his voice sounded like the snarling of a wolf and his hazel eyes snapped, reminding the blond of the moments before the Feudal Lord had struck him the first time. Jin must have seen the fear that had bubbled up within him because he had laid a hand on his lover's arm, the touch acting like an extinguisher. Naruto remained silent for a long moment, pondering the choices that presented themselves to him like glowing beacons in his mind. One was the dangerous path, the thing he had feared since he had stepped foot in this country and could have dire consequences but the other was a fake smile and another reassurance that he did not feel within his heart. When he finally looked up at the three pairs of expectant eyes, the truth perched at the tip of his tongue and he set it free.
"My name is not Daisuke Arai," he said softly, so softly the others had to lean in to hear him and he wrinkled his nose at the open astonishment on Sumie and Jin's faces. Only Ryouta eyed him evenly for he had already guessed as much, though he looked a little wary because he probably wasn't sure why Naruto was divulging this now, "I'm not a singer, though it would appear I'm good at it and I'm not from the mountains in Lightning and before I came here, I had friends and a home and a life," there was no bitterness in his voice, which was void of inflection and emotion and he was glad for the soft gasp to his right so that he could look at Sumie's blank shock instead of dwelling on the sudden, striking homesickness.
"Who are you, then?" she whispered softly and he felt a pang of regret for lying to them. She hadn't pulled away from him, though and there was no judgment in her gaze. There wasn't any in Jin's either, who had leaned a knee against the edge of the bed, just curiosity and confusion. He couldn't look at Ryouta because he knew the man's face wouldn't have changed.
"My name…" he hesitated then took a deep breath, encouraged by the gentle squeeze Sumie gave his hand, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I am a shinobi from Konoha sent by the Hokage to find out why so many rouge ninja were piling into River…" he ducked his head, unable to face the slack jawed stares he was now getting from all three, "I never wanted to lie to you," there was a tiny pause, filled with loud, heavy silence before Ryouta's hand fell onto his shoulder, making him look up into the older man's astonished gaze.
"You're the Jinchuriki for the nine-tails?" he hissed and Naruto blinked, shocked at being recognized like that. He pulled away with a sideways look at the older man, noting the way Jin's face shone and the way Sumie was practically bouncing with ill-contained excitement. He didn't understand their reactions and why they would know of him.
"Y-yeah, that's me. How do you know about that?" they stared at him incredulously for a moment before the dark haired woman fairly exploded, throwing her hands into the air and her eyes shining with a strange light.
"Are you kidding?" she practically yelped, quieting down when her two companions hissed at her, "Naruto, the boy that stopped Madara Uchiha from using the combined powers of the nine demons to tear the world apart. Of course we know about you! Everyone knows about you! You're a legend!" he blinked, shocked. He knew that he was still popular back home and the one trip to Suna showed him that they knew his name as well but he had always assumed that was because he was friends with the Kazekage and his own village was grateful to him for saving them from Pain. But to be a legend? A fierce blush stained his cheeks even a grin curled at his lips, uncertainty slowly being replaced with that fuzzy warmth he got when people accepted him instead of turned away from him like they always used to do.
"Are you really Naruto?" Jin asked him then and he laughed, the first one he could remember that had not been faked or hiding other, more complicated emotions in a long while. It felt good to tell them the truth even if there was a risk he was running in doing so. He doubted that they would betray him but it was still a risk. So he nodded, grinning and patting Sumie's hair when she hugged him fiercely again.
"Why did they send you, though? Wasn't there a possibility of being recognized?" Ryouta's voice sobered them pretty quickly and the blond shrugged, reaching up to finger the golden band on his arm through his sleeve.
"I was trained for that so it wasn't that big of a concern and I was the one most able to get myself out of a sticky situation should something go wrong," then he wrinkled his nose again in a grimace, "Well, most anyway. But someone did recognize me," and the corner of his mouth lifted when understanding flickering in Ryouta's hazel eyes. If they knew the story of his hand in Madara's defeat, they knew the other Uchiha had been involved in that. It was no secret his and Sasuke's relationship and he knew it was a critical part of the story.
"Sasuke," the older man murmured and Jin's eyes changed, turning dark and sad. He understood, then, at least to an extent what Naruto had done in order to fulfill his mission and protect their peace.
"Yes, Sasuke. No one knew he would be here but he was and that was probably why everything went to hell the way it did," there was another heavy silence and then Ryouta was crouched next to the bed, looking up at him with serious eyes.
"That's why we came here tonight," he started, voice low and serious and the blond was glad the fuss over who he was had died down. After all, he had done what he needed to do and if that meant his name was wide spread that was fine. He just didn't think he would ever get used to the awe that some people placed on his shoulders and he was infinitely glad these three did not do that, "Because you haven't shown up for a few days, Sumie was worried and came to get us and I'm glad she did. You need to get out of here; you can't remain chained in a place where you have been abused. There are heavy guards around this section of the palace but we can get you through easily enough I think. Especially since you could probably follow easily enough. Once we get back to—" Naruto shook his head with a small, wistful smile, the idea of freedom so sweet he was sure he could taste it on the back of his tongue but he knew that he could not leave. Not yet.
"Thank you but no," he held up his hand when the other man started to argue, his own gaze wide and steady, "I know what you will say and I agree. But he has Sasuke locked up somewhere and has promised to let us both go. I just have to wait until tomorrow. Besides, I know you won't believe me but Aoshi is not a bad person," Ryouta's eyebrows rose incredulously and Sumie growled but he remained firm, once again glad the drug's effects had all but worn off, "He understands the gravity of what he did and…and he loves me. I know I can trust his words," the hazel gaze was hard again and the older man stood, his face set in lines of uneasiness.
"I don't like it," he finally snapped, arms crossed, "I don't like leaving you here, Dai—Naruto. We can find the place where Sasuke is being held if…" but again the blond cut him off with a shake of his head, his own stubbornness gleaming in his blue eyes.
"And what if I am found missing before we can get to him and Aoshi kills him in recompense? He said tomorrow so I must wait until tomorrow," the room fairly crackled as their two wills butted against each other until the older man visibly sagged, eyes shifting away. Naruto was silently relieved because he didn't want to have to explain the trust that had been formed between him and the Feudal Lord with this action.
"Fine," Ryouta growled but he pinned the younger man with a hard look a moment later, mouth pressed into a firm line, "But if I don't see you by noon tomorrow, I'm hauling your ass out of here, no questions asked. Got it?" Naruto had to smile at how protective the older man had gotten and he sat back on the bed, wishing he could ask them to come with him when he left.
"That's fine, but you have to promise me something," and he waited until they all had nodded, their eyes once again serious and bright, "Promise to get Sasuke to safety if something should happen," They all promised and he breathed out the last of his fear, knowing that with such people on his side, everything might just be alright.
When they left a few minutes later, slipping out the door they came in, he settled into the soft bed, suddenly feeling weary and certain that with the promises they had given him, he could at least sleep now, wondering if his dreams would be sweet and calm for the first time in months...
The palace was quiet and dark as he stole through the halls, his footfalls barely the softest of whispers to tell of his passing. Not that he was trying to be stealthy; he was in too much of a hurry for that. Though he had expected to return in only three days, something had delayed him and now he was two days later than he had planned. The unintentional postponement had made him anxious and his skin felt too tight knowing that anything could have happened while he was gone. Something had already taken place here, something that could possibly bring an end to all the carefully laid plans and years of scheming, causing them to tumble down around their heads in one foul swoop. He could feel it like oil upon his skin and it made him shiver. Though not everything his Lord did he agreed with, he had been with Aoshi for far longer than most within the palace and wanted to see his dreams unfold. Soh didn't stay around because he was bound to River's Feudal Lord in any way except that he wanted the man to be happy after everything else he'd had to live through.
Aoshi's life hadn't been all rich foods and fine clothing. He had spent his childhood in near poverty because his birth had been illegitimate and he was not recognized by his father until the man's death when the boy was thirteen. The only reason that had occurred, too, was because the preceding Feudal Lord had sired no children besides Aoshi and a young girl who had only yet been a year old then. There had been another in line to take his place, of course, just in case but with Aoshi legitimized, the man had a son who would carry his name on while remaining in power.
The problems had not stopped there. Soh remembered the time when the youth who had been thrown into a position of power after knowing nothing but filth and poverty had struggled to keep his head above the dangerous waters of politics that had kept threatening to pull him under and drown him. There had been a faction among the High Councilors who had been determined to run the boy from his throne and hand the title back to the person who had been the next in line and they had been willing to do just about anything to see the job done. That had been about the time Soh had come to the small country of River, bloody from having just fought off bounty hunters that were determined to drag him back to his home in the Hidden Mist village and seeking a place to stay. Aoshi had taken one look at him, his eyes wide and solemn and promised to give Soh a home if he protected the boy from the attempts on his life.
At first he had been wary of the boy. Clearly there was a sharp mind behind those brilliant green eyes, something the other nobles and councilors seemed to take for granted; perhaps because Aoshi had come from such a poor background or because he had been an illegitimate son most of his life. But slowly Soh came to admire how the boy never bent to their wishes and always in his eyes shone a steely strength that he had not seen in anyone before. He didn't truly respect the young man, though, until he happened to spy one of Aoshi's lessons with the sword.
The man was a natural, even then, blending with the long weapon so perfectly it was like he was born to wield it. The green eyes were ablaze with icy determination and he could see as the thirteen year old boy swung the gleaming sword in wide, graceful arcs and perfect, complicated blocks that he had the potential to be great. He had understood that this one boy could have the power to bring the world to its knees and for the first time in Soh's life, he wanted to fight for something instead of against it.
Aoshi went on to beat back all of his opposition with the determination that Soh had seen burning within the boy and had taken control of his country in scant less than a year. It was breathtaking and incredible and soon everyone had come to admire the young boy with the riot of chestnut curls and the bright green eyes.
And then had come along Taikan Inaba, the man that Aoshi would fall hopelessly in love with…
Soh slowed his steps as he came to the Feudal Lord's rooms, frowning as the sensation of something "wrong" that he had first noticed when he arrived only grew stronger. Though he didn't really rely much on intuition since his position as a spy demanded a different set of skills that he needed to employ sometimes, if his instincts were screaming at him like they were now, he took heed of them. No reason to be foolish.
Cautiously, he slipped into the man's rooms only to find them dark and empty. For a moment he frowned. Usually Aoshi was in his rooms at this time of the night unless he was away from the palace altogether so why they would be abandoned now he wasn't sure. Maybe he had decided to visit Daisuke's rooms but as far as Soh knew, they had both been occupying the Feudal Lord's chambers when he had left. Neither was there now, though and it didn't look as if Aoshi had been back here at all today. He frowned pensively but turned, knowing that sometimes the brunette sometimes sat in the main hall where his held his audiences, brooding upon his chair, though he couldn't remember a time the man was there this late.
It happened as he moved from one room to the next, the flickering of shadows his only warning before a heavy length of chain fell around his shoulders, effectively immobilizing the use of his upper body. He worked better in stealth rather than in conflict and had not been expecting anyone hostile to be in the Feudal Lord's rooms, which were heavily guarded with both ward seals and trained guards. Still, he tried to fight the sudden restriction, using one of the many techniques to get out of bindings only to have someone step out of the shadows in front of him. Soh blinked then drew in a breath, eyes going wide, forgetting all about fighting because this was the last person he would have expected and she was smirking at him with her arms crossed over her chest as if she had won a huge victory. For all he knew, she might have.
"You!" he hissed, struggling as he leaned forward, outrage blazing in his gaze, "What are you doing in here?" Lady Arisa had never been the one for plots and subterfuge, at least as far as he understood, sleeping around with a new man every week and seemingly unconcerned with anything that was not fashionable or expensive. Soh had never really given her much thought before but not he realized he probably should have.
Especially since she was the one that was supposed to take the title of Feudal Lord before Aoshi was chosen in her stead.
Now the dark haired woman smiled at him, a deadly, secretive smile and he wished he had paid more attention to the people that occupied the court rather than those from the outside. It was too late now, though, because he was semi-immobilized and he could sense at least two presences on either side of him and another man, young with bright red hair and a sharp, pretty face had come to stand behind the noble woman. How could he not have noticed this seemingly non ambitious woman soliciting aid from the rouge ninja right under all of their noses? He knew why a moment later. When Aoshi had been chosen over her all those years ago, she had stepped aside without a fuss, proclaiming that since there was nothing she could do about it, there was no use putting up a fight. Besides, she had said, it was too much work to run a country. Soh knew better now but everything was always clearer upon hindsight.
"I have to say," she started, her clear voice bland and luke-warm, "You were a lot easier to pin down than I had anticipated," the violet eyes that were black with shadows roamed over him before she sneered with disgust, "Though I'm glad it is only in the figurative sense," he felt his face heat as the air around him was filled momentarily with hissing snickers of his captors. Still, he refused to take the bait and he shifted his stance, testing to see if he could use his legs to get away. The two shadows at his sides moved with him and he gritted his teeth, knowing he would only be caught before he could take another step.
"What do you want with me, then?" he growled, concern for Aoshi growing by the minute. He didn't think Arisa would have moved against the Feudal Lord, not yet. There were too many people who had his support and adoration and most of the ninja gathered in the Lower courts would only be directed by him. Even so, danger fluttered around his awareness and he realized that by getting caught like this, he was at her mercy until she didn't need him anymore. He dreaded to think of what would happen afterwards. Now she was tapping a perfectly shaped fingernail against her bottom lip, face cold.
"Here's what we're going to do. There is something I want to know and you are going to tell me or that little dark skinned girl will be attached to a lead weight and dropped over the falls," horror washed through him and he stared back at the noble woman, eyes wide. Her smile was cruel when she bent it on him and the young ninja behind her moved restlessly, reeking anticipation, "Oh, yes, I know about that. I know about your ruse in following a group into the country like you were just another rouge ninja seeking asylum and how you fancied her. Do you think I don't have connections of my own? Unlike my dear Lord Aoshi, however, I make sure mine can never be connected back to me," he shivered against the assault of her words then bowed his head, heart heavy and feeling bruised. Sumie's bright smile and clear black eyes swam before the back of his vision and he swallowed against a dry throat, wondering if he could betray Aoshi in order to save her life. No, not if it meant the Feudal Lord's life in exchange but he didn't think it did.
"I will not betray my Lord," he said and hoped his voice sounded stronger than he felt. There was a concession in his voice, though, that said he would be willing to play her game up to a point. After all, if the information could not hurt Aoshi then he would give it in order to preserve Sumie's life. He had a feeling that even if he had refused, she had ways of extracting what she wanted to know out of him. Her smile became even sharper, cutting at him and he had to look away, furious at himself that he had been caught like this.
"I am not asking you to do such a thing. However, I understand that you were sent to learn all about that beautiful little singer of his," a splash of violet shone where her eyes were for a moment before they went back to deep shadows that he couldn't read, "Tell me what you know about him," the command deepened her voice and he shivered again, throat feeling thick. He didn't know what Arisa could do with the information on Daisuke that would hurt Aoshi but he bit his lip, knowing her main target was the Feudal Lord. If anything, she would probably be delighted that there was someone else working to bring the man down and he had even slipped into Aoshi's bed to do it. They had an enemy in common. When he remained silent for longer than she liked, a clawed hand gripped his chin, forcing his face up while nails dug painfully into his skin, "Who is he?" she hissed, her beauty washed out in the deep darkness that filled the room.
"Why is that so important?" he responded instead only to wince when the chains around him tightened. Her eyes flashed again and he felt her nails drawing blood before she let him go with a jerk that made his neck crack.
"Will you refuse?" she asked, voice dangerous and when he was silent, she made a gesture with her hand which had his bindings squeeze so tight he couldn't draw a full breath. He understood, now, the true extent of his situation and how helpless he really was. True, he didn't know how she could use the information against Aoshi but the possibility was there and he had sworn to protect his Lord over all else. Gritting his teeth, he turned his head away, a silent refusal to give her what she wanted. There was a long moment of utter silence where he could hear his own labored breathing before she backed away and crossed her arms.
The chains tightened again, though he had not seen her make a gesture but still he remained silent.
"Very well. I did not wish to do it this way but I find I have no other choice," there was false resignation in her voice, masking what he knew was disappointment and annoyance but he could hardly concentrate for his vision was starting to go hazy as his lungs were being slowly wrung dry of their air supply, "I was merely going to tell Aoshi the truth of his lover's identity because I know for a fact that boy is not a mere singer like he wants everyone to believe. That would have crushed him nicely but since I can't do it the nice way thanks to your refusal to help me out, it will just have to get messy," he swallowed hard and panted for breath, wondering when his knees would give out given how weak they felt. Arisa had turned to the young man behind her who had a dangerous gleam in his eye that would have worried Soh if he hadn't been fighting for air, "Chojiro here is very good with seals and chakra manipulation. Even normal people have chakra, which is nothing more than a life force that can be molded and bent to ones will," she bent close to Soh's face, her sweet scent curling around him and stealing away the last of his air. He fell heavily to his knees, the blackness now spotting his vision until he could almost not see past it, "With the right seal, he can draw someone's chakra out of them until there is none left. You know what happens then, of course,"
Her words were dark and cold and they were the last things he heard as one of the chains snaked around his neck and choked the last of his life away. All he could hope as the light faded from behind his eyes was that Aoshi could find someone else to keep him safe because Soh had failed…
She stared down at the still body upon the floor dispassionately, long past the point of feeling like dirt was crawling over her body whenever she watched someone's life slip away before turning and starting out of the room.
"Toss his body into the river," she commanded, not looking back because she knew her orders would be carried out. Chojiro followed, his footsteps uncannily silent and she glanced at him over her shoulder. He was a pretty young man, his features flawless but the one she really wanted was out of her reach and this red head would only go the way of all her other lovers when she was done with him. Now she shot him an alluring smile, knowing that it would make his knees weak because it did that to all the men and drew a finger down the side of his face, "Are you ready, darling? You're up next," his grin was eager and much too adoring for her tastes but it would make due.
"Yes, of course, My Lady," his answer was immediate and without hesitation and she nearly laughed. Instead she looked away and quelled her leaping excitement by biting the inside of her lip. Tonight her revenge began and no one would stop her until Aoshi was begging for mercy or for death. Either one would do and she was excited to see which one the man would pick. To make it even better, she would be settling a personal vendetta with the Uchiha boy that was behind held deep in the cliffs, behind the waterfall. The seal they would be putting upon the blond singer wouldn't kill him, not right away but he would slowly waste away and Sasuke would have to watch, unable to do a thing about it. A delighted laugh burned the back of her throat but she held it back. There would be time for gloating later.
"Good," was all she said and led the way to Daisuke's rooms…
Something pulled him out of his dreams, a slight tug on his awareness but for some reason, he couldn't seem to open his eyes. There was someone in the room with him, more than one and he knew he should be alarmed but he was just so tried. Actually, he couldn't remember being so tired in his life. There was a strange fuzziness weighing him down and he couldn't bring himself to wake up, no matter how hard he tried. There was movement around him and someone was picking at the band around his arm. Terror bolted through him but it was made distant and insignificant by whatever was holding him under the choppy waves of sleep. If they took that band off, there was no way he could hide who he was, though perhaps Kyuubi's chakra would burn away this haze that was dragging him deeper and deeper away from his consciousness.
"…this for? There is already a seal on it…" he didn't recognize the voice as he fought for coherence as it floated through the bog of his mind and he wanted to shout, to fight, to push these intruders away that were threatening to reveal him. But his limbs were made out of lead and he could not move them no matter how hard he tried. There was an impatient hiss and something touched his wrists, as if they were being bound together.
"…doesn't matter…" darkness dragged at him but he fought, wondering if Aoshi had changed his mind after all. He didn't think that was the case, though. Why would the man have taken him off the drugs he'd been on for the past few days only to sedate him in the middle of the night and bind him even further? The brunette was trying to show how sorry he was for what he had done to the blond; there was no way he would hurt Naruto even more. Besides, he could sense that there was more than one person in the room with him and he knew for a fact that Aoshi had no interest in humiliating him or dragging more people into it.
"…fine. I can modify the seal that is already here and…" then the darkness grabbed him and pulled him down. The last thing that he was aware of before the sedatives twisting like poisonous snakes through his blood took full effect was the familiar voice of the demon within him snarling and rattling against his prison.
Wake up, you fool! Boy! Wake—
They came into the jail in the middle of the night when the hours meant absolutely nothing to him, waking him from his light slumber where he was slouched uncomfortably against the slimy wall. The days had been long and tedious but he had not yet figured out a way out of this mess and he was getting more and more complacent with his predicament. If there was no way he could fight it, it was just as easy to give in to it. No one was coming to get him. No one even knew he was here, how could they rescue him? And Naruto was…
He killed that thought before it went any farther, watching with eyes that were used to the cold darkness of the damp jail behind the water fall as one of the guards that was on duty led two tall men carrying what looked like the bound and unconscious body of a third person between them, followed by a cloaked form that looked female in its size. The torch the guard carried with him threw flickering, haphazard shadows around on the damp stone walls that made him think of shifting forms of demons like the kind he had been afraid of when he was young. The sound of rattling keys made him wince, loud and echoing even over the rumbling sound of the falls and the guard stopped at the cell directly across from the one Sasuke occupied, opening the door with a loud, protesting squeal.
"You can put him in here," he said in a gruff voice and the Uchiha shifted quietly despite himself, curious as to whom they were tossing unceremoniously into the cell. He caught the sight of bright blond hair spread out on the cold floor and his stomach dropped before his view was cut off by the guard who closed and locked the door behind them. Sasuke leaned forward as much as he could, peering through the bars with all pretense of sleep gone, trying in vain to see if it was really Naruto they had put in there.
The woman said a few words in a soft voice, handing something to the guard that clinked and shone in the dancing torchlight. Disgust curled through him, warring with worry for the other man occupying the next cell but before he could call out, the woman was moving towards his cell, her face visible behind the raised cowl.
"One guess who that might be in the next cell," Arisa's voice was tight with giddy triumph, making the dark haired man's stomach churn sickeningly but he gritted his teeth and said nothing. He had never understood this woman's dislike for him and it seemed she was getting great pleasure in making him suffer so he refused to give her the satisfaction of reacting, "A pity, though, that you only have a limited time left; from what I understand, the seal that has been put on him will have drained his chakra and his life by noon tomorrow. At least you get to say goodbye, though, before he's gone," she straightened from where she had been bending over as if having her face on the same level of his would give her words more effect. Then she tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully with one polished nail before adding in a sharp tone, "That is, if he wakes up from the tranquilizers we gave him first," and her cold, high laugh followed her out of the jail as Sasuke's eyes went wide and he began to struggle against the shackles as if that would help, the light of the torch following her out.
Then it was only him and Naruto who lay unconscious in the next cell, his life slowly draining away.
And though he began to fight and struggle in earnest, his voice loud and desperate as he called out his former teammate's name, he was helpless to stop it…
...To be continued
-Flails around and blubbers like an idiot- I killed one of my characters! I can't believe I did that! NOOOEEESSS! I DON'T WANT TO BE J.! -runs into a wall-...ouch