He decided to give it seven days. He arrived at Yellowstone and waited in the RV park for four days before an enormous Winnegabo appeared. It wasn't the only RV to arrive, but it was the newest and far and away the biggest. He smiled and settled in to do a little reconnaissance.

He wasn't kept waiting for long. The blonde man, Cameron, emerged from the RV with a tall friend in tow. This second man looked Cameron's age, with shaggy brown hair and a slightly feral look. He frowned. Did he always have someone with him other than Sasuke? No one mentioned others. Not that it mattered. The final surprise came when they all came down out of the RV and there was a woman with them.

Sasuke emerged last, looking mostly recovered. Yes, there were bruises discoloring the left side of his pretty face. They were faded to the point of mostly healed, and Kakashi's keen eyes noticed a scabbed gash below the boy's eye and the healed lip. He looked like he'd been the victim of intentional and methodical violence. It was nice to have his suspicions confirmed.

So there are three of them in on this . . . intervention. Kakashi didn't try to follow them as they headed for the gift shop and tourist center. Instead he closed his eyes and dredged up Uchiha Fugaku in his mind's eye. The man had obviously been quite distraught over the loss of his son. He'd looked pale, eyes hollow and shadowed. Learning his son's whereabouts had breathed a little life into him, though.

Shaking his head to clear it of erroneous thoughts, Kakashi focused on the man's appearance. His 'eyes' traveled down the man's arms to his hands. There, the last confirmation he needed, split and bruised knuckles. Dark brown eyes opened. It was him. He was the one who hurt the boy. How interesting. I have no doubt then, that Itachi knows who has his brother and that he was in on this from the beginning.

So who was Cameron, really? Itachi had the money and influence to give a person a fake identity. Even the motel's credit card records showed the name Cameron Reid. I could trace the line of credit, but I doubt it would lead anywhere. Perhaps back to Itachi, if nothing else. While that might prove Itachi was complicit, it wouldn't shed any light on 'Cameron's' true identity.

The best course of action, for now, seemed to be to carefully follow this little party around and determine their identities with listening. If he went about it the right way, he was certain he could 'encounter' Sasuke and start up a pleasant conversation with the boy. According to Fugaku, Sasuke was a quiet, self-possessed boy of great maturity. He wouldn't shy away from a polite stranger. Kakashi smiled to himself. As long as he didn't seem creepy or too interested in the boy.

Which, thanks to Kakashi's growing curiosity, wouldn't exactly be easy. Sasuke had called his father. Perhaps he'd been 'removed' from home against his will. Maybe I can convince him to come with me of his own volition. That would be far easier than trying to haul around a drugged and unresponsive sixteen-year-old. He smiled to himself. Maybe if I talk to him I'll have an attack of conscience and decide against taking him back to an abusive father. The smile grew. Then again, it was a large sum of money.

o0o

Morning of their first full day in Yellowstone dawned cool but clear. Naruto planned to leave pretty early, and Sakura dragged Kiba with her to see about renting bicycles. It would give him a day with Sasuke, feel him out and see if he could accomplish something. He woke the boy and pushed him into the bathroom to shower and get ready to go. He packed water and a lunch, fitting everything neatly (and not too heavily) into one pack. Sasuke emerged and easily accepted the idea of going off alone with the blonde.

Making sure he had both the binoculars and his digital camera, Naruto got them out of the RV. Sakura had her key, so he locked up and steered Sasuke away. The RV park was right by Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake, providing a beautiful backdrop.

For a time, Sasuke chattered about wolves and their reintroduction into Yellowstone. He was unusually talkative, and Naruto was loath to make him stop. He found himself asking whatever random question popped into his head just to keep the kid going. He obviously loved wolves, and it was such a pleasant sound, his passion. They stopped many times, Sasuke peering around with the powerful binoculars, hoping to spy one of the elusive predators.

After lunch, they spent a time in companionable silence before Sasuke ended it.

"You can't keep me forever, you know," he said in a soft - and sad? - tone.

It caught Naruto off guard, but he was nothing if not flexible. For the moment, he opted to go for humor rather than seriousness. "Why not? I like having you follow me around like a puppy."

The words seemed to hit a nerve. Sasuke stopped walking, feet planted apart and arms folded. He looked damn stubborn and cute. And ready for a fight. "Is that what you think of me?"

Naruto grinned, reaching out and tapping a finger against Sasuke's nose before the kid could jerk out of reach. "Maybe a hissing kitten," he amended.

Black eyes flashed, but this time Naruto couldn't tell what with. The kid turned on his heel and stalked in the opposite direction. "I guess I had the wrong idea about you."

Again, not what he'd been expecting. Sasuke was hardly running, so Naruto trotted to catch up and fell in beside him. "What idea did you have?"

Sasuke flashed him a sideways glare. "Maybe that you were an adult?"

Naruto chuckled, perfectly willing to take the barbs. "I dunno where you got that impression. I thought you liked my boyish charm. Why so pissy?"

"Maybe because I don't want my fate in the hands of an immature baka," Sasuke snapped, stopping so suddenly Naruto almost tripped over him. He thumped his fist against Naruto's chest, hard enough to hurt a little. "Maybe because I don't want to be treated like some little kid?"

There was too much in those two sentences to address all at once, and it sounded like disappointment in the kid's voice. Naruto couldn't help relenting. He put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "I don't think of you as a little kid. I think we both know the exact day that stopped."

Sasuke jerked back, slapping viciously at Naruto's hands and connecting with a hot sting. "Don't say what you think I want to hear! You think you can just placate me and do whatever you want?"

"Of course not," Naruto said, not trying to touch him again. "What's wrong? Just earlier you were so peaceful."

"Maybe I was just pretending," Sasuke sneered. "Maybe I don't want to be here. Maybe I hate you and want you to fucking take me home already!"

His use of the word 'maybe' felt significant. Even as his mouth replied, his mind scrambled for an explanation. "And what if I did?" he asked quietly. "What then? Things would just go back to the way they were? Your father beating the shit out of you every time he has a bad day? Every second of that life you were waiting for someone to save you. Why so hostile now? It's a little late, don't you think?"

Sasuke's lip curled back in a snarl. "Don't talk about it like you have any clue what it was like! And I sure as hell don't need you to save me."

Naruto snorted without a hint of mirth. "Oh, you need it so much I don't even know where to begin," he disagreed. "And I know what a grieving father is like. My mother died too, remember?"

"My mother was taken from us," Sasuke snapped, an ugly sneer on his face. "Your mother killed herself."

For several moments while Naruto's vision swam red, he didn't notice the way Sasuke was holding himself. The impulse to slap the little shit right across the face was too strong. Then, while he berated himself for even thinking he wanted to hit the kid, he realized Sasuke had braced himself. Satisfaction, fear, and anticipation swirled in his eyes. The anger dissipated like smoke, and Naruto lowered his head. He's not just expecting me to hit him. I think he actually wants me to. Maybe not consciously, but it's . . . what he knows. He probably can't remember how to live in a world where someone's not hurting him.

"God damn it, butterfly," he whispered, practically lunging for the boy.

Every muscle in Sasuke's body went rigid, but he let out a muffled sound of surprise when Naruto enfolded him in a crushing embrace. I'm not gonna cry. He's had enough of people breaking down on him. The thought was enough to stop the tears threatening, and he rested his cheek on top of Sasuke's head.

"Don't you dare say such a cruel thing again," he murmured, running his hand over Sasuke's shoulders and cupping the back of his neck. "The way she died didn't make it any less painful for me."

The tense body in his arms abruptly melted, and Naruto had to catch him from collapsing limply to the ground. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto," Sasuke gasped, sounding like he was choking. "I don't know why I said that."

"I do," Naruto said gently, pushing Sasuke back to arm's length. "It's when you're better that your father starts in on you again, isn't it? That's what you're waiting for."

Wrenching free with a sound Naruto could only describe as tormented, Sasuke paced away from him and hid his face in his hands. "I hate this. You lied to me."

Blink. "When?" Naruto asked, following and once more putting his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. He couldn't let go of the boy. He somehow knew if he didn't hold onto him, he would run.

"You said there was nothing wrong with me," Sasuke replied in a small voice. "If I really am waiting for you to hurt me, that isn't normal."

No, but that's not your fault. He sighed softly. "Why are you blaming yourself?" A purely rhetorical question, because Naruto already knew the answer. But he wanted to know if Sasuke did, too.

A barely-perceptible tremor started up in the boy's body as he looked up at Naruto. "I . . ."

He looked so confused, so hopeless, so lost. Naruto slowly turned the boy back to face him, shaking him gently. "It isn't you. That's the bastard's voice in your head."

Those black eyes just peered up at him with a plea to understand.

"Itachi told me once," Naruto said, "that the bastard blamed his abuse on you. For looking like your mother, and because she left him behind."

"She . . . she did," Sasuke whimpered.

He looked so close to breaking. Naruto ached with the necessity. Glass that was cracked beyond repair could only be shattered and made anew. "She died, Sasuke. She's dead, and you'll never see her again. She's gone."

Tears gathered behind Sasuke's eyes, but he blinked and they were gone. The pain was swept away by anger. He hit at Naruto's hands, trying to free himself. "Let me go, asshole! No one knows that better than me!"

This time, Naruto didn't let him go. He squeezed the boy to his chest, pinning his arms between them. By sweeping his leg beneath both Sasuke's feet, he unbalanced the boy and took away his leverage to escape. It didn't stop him squirming, though.

"It must have been so painful," he said softly, pressing his lips to Sasuke's forehead. "You were just a little boy. There were probably so many times you wanted to ask her questions, or run to her for comfort, or hear her laugh, or lick the spoon when she was baking, or help her do the housework, or just lay with your head on her lap when you were sick. But she's gone. You couldn't do any of those things, and you never will again."

He sounded like he was choking again. "S-stop . . . shut up . . ."

"She was such a great person," Naruto continued, relentless. "I really liked her. She was a good cook, and she was pretty and sweet. She just took charge of her husband and her house, and everything always looked perfect. You know, I loved it when she hugged me. She had a soft and firm body that felt so comforting. I really loved making her laugh. It was a surprisingly deep sound for such a petite thing. You look just like her, right down to this skinny frame." He let out a quiet chuckle. "She was a little taller, though."

No words of protest this time, just that muffled sound.

"Bet if it had been your father who died, she never would've raised a hand to you," Naruto finished, little more than a whisper.

Sasuke stiffened. "Of course not! She was gentle and kind and she loved me and never got mad at me or yelled at me or hurt me or . . ."

And finally, finally, it happened. Sasuke's spine seemed to turn to water, and with a deep shuddering breath the tears started to fall. Naruto let Sasuke's dead weight take them to the ground, sitting so the boy was on his lap and completely wrapped up in his arms.

High overhead, the cry of a hawk made him look up. The bird spiraled lazily for some time, occasionally beating its wings. It abruptly folded them in close to its body and dove down. As Naruto watched, it shifted to stretch out its talons and snatch up some hapless fodder on the ground. It looked like a fat gopher or something. He heard it let out a shriek, then it was over. The hawk bent its head down to examine its kill, then it took to wing once more with the rodent gripped in its talons.

Naruto rested his cheek against the black hair, sifting his fingers through silken strands. When he felt Sasuke's body start tensing and his breathing hitch as if to stop himself from crying, he squeezed a little tighter. "It's all right, butterfly," he murmured. "Get it all out. I'm the only one here, and I've got you."

How long? How long did they sit there on the slightly cold ground, surrounded only by the wild and the animals who didn't care? A herd of buffalo (bison, he reminded himself with a small grin) off in the distance grazed a little closer all the time, but Naruto didn't feel any alarm. They seemed completely uninterested. He could see some young ones, much smaller than their massive parents.

Eventually he realized the only thing he could hear was the wind and the sound of his own voice whispering soothing nothings. The tears had stopped, and Sasuke was curled against his chest with eyes closed. He might have looked peaceful were it not for the tear tracks. Naruto thought he might be asleep, but when he stopped talking dark lashes lifted off pale cheeks. Sasuke didn't look up at him, but neither did he try to move away.

The tears seemed to have dried up for now, but Naruto could tell his butterfly was far from over the grief.

"That first week was like a nightmare," Sasuke mumbled after a time. "It didn't seem real. I kept expecting to wake up and find out it was just a bad dream. Then there was her funeral, and after that . . . I don't think I ever really cried. Her death ruined everything, and I barely noticed. I was too busy trying to . . ."

"Stay alive?" Naruto suggested.

"He said it was all my fault," the boy whispered. "I believed him. I still do. I don't know how . . . not to."

"Here's what I propose," Naruto said with only a slight pause. "Listen to me. It's not your fault. There, problem solved."

Sasuke tipped his head back to look up at Naruto. Then, to his shock, the boy broke into an impossibly sweet little grin. It reminded Naruto of when he was nine, lighting up an entire room just by entering it. "Hn. Baka." And he tucked his head beneath Naruto's chin.

Naruto smiled. "That's right. Your idiot."

A long, deep silence fell. It was a comfortable one, so Naruto felt no need to break it. Eventually Sasuke stirred, and he expelled a slow breath on a soft sigh.

"I love you."

It was barely audible, and for a second Naruto thought Sasuke hadn't meant for him to hear. But stealing a glance down showed color rising in the boy's cheeks. His mind raced, trying to interpret that. As well as how he should respond. Well, truth was best after all.

"Love you too, butterfly." Even if it was only as a little brother, that statement was true.

"Excuse me, you boys don't happen to know the park better than me, do you?"

Naruto had seen the man coming, but to be approached by him managed to startle him a little. He looked up into a bland face with a bad mop of brown hair. His smile was benign, eyes slightly vacant as if he wasn't very bright. Naruto encouraged Sasuke up to his feet and faced the tourist. His English was good, but Naruto recognized the accent of true English speakers. This fellow probably wasn't American.

"Probably not," he said with an easy smile. "Unless you're looking for something specific? I did look at the park map before we headed out for our walk."

The man brightened. "I'm looking for Old Faithful," he said. "I know it's what all tourists do, but I can't help it. I want to see one of the world's most famous geysers!"

Naruto chuckled. "Don't worry about it, man. My friends and I are planning to go out there tomorrow. You're on the right track. Just kind of circle around the lake and keep going that way. It's probably a dozen miles? Maybe twenty? Not real sure, but not too far." He eyed the man. "A bit far to make it on foot, though. You walking?"

"Guess not," the man said, sounding chagrined. "Even if I wanted to I'd never make it before nightfall."

"And then you'd probably get 'et by wolves," Naruto agreed.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "As if wolves would want to eat a stupid human."

Naruto chuckled, ruffling his hair. "He's not trying to be mean, I promise. It's just his way. I'm Cameron, by the way." He held out a hand.

The man shook it, and though his hands were clammy his grip was firm. Maybe a little too firm. "Pleasure. I'm Pierre."

"French, eh? You're quite a long way from home!"

Pierre shook his head. "I'm from France, but I haven't been there in a long time. I've spent most of my life in Spain, actually."

"Really?" Sasuke piped up. "I've never been to Europe." He gave Naruto a sideways glance. "We'll have to go."

Said with both a hint of demand and plea. Naruto grinned. "Sure will."

"You two brothers?" Pierre asked.

Strange thing to ask, given that they didn't look anything alike. With the age difference, however, being lovers wouldn't be appropriate. No matter how he looked at it, Sasuke looked too young for Naruto. "Yeah," he confirmed. "Step brothers. This is Eiji. Hey, you want to go with us to the geyser tomorrow? That's quite a sight to be seeing by yourself."

Pierre smiled. "You're very kind, but surely you don't want some middle-aged man tagging along? You two boys should enjoy yourselves."

"We will, don't worry about that," Naruto reassured. "C'mon, it'll be fun. Afterward we can go back to the lodge and have a nice dinner. Sound good, Eiji?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Whatever. I don't care."

"It's settled then. You camping, or staying at the lodge?"

"The lodge," Pierre replied. "You?"

"The RV park. Meet you at the lodge at nine tomorrow morning. We'll get a nice early start of it. Don't be late!" Grabbing Sasuke's arm, he started walking back. Pierre didn't follow, heading instead toward the lake.

When they were far enough off, Sasuke leveled Naruto with quite a glare. "What the hell was that? Why would you invite a total stranger?"

Naruto gave him a cheeky grin. "The more the merrier! He was a nice guy."

The answer obviously did little to satisfy the kid, but Naruto kept his reasons to himself. I don't trust that guy. No one with such empty eyes has a grip like that. He's hiding something, and I'm gonna find out what.