Chapter 14: Darkness and Light

Hey! I'm so sorry about the tremendously long wait. I joined rowing and started college and got a job and I've just been too stressed and busy to really even shower. JK…I found a few minutes to shower. Just so you know, I replaced Kyuubi's name with Kuruma, because that really is his name and now that we know it, I'm gonna use it. But anyway! Here you go!

Warning: not much, just a bit of fluff. Even if there was more than fluff, I think we are well past the point of needing a warning now.

Disclaimer: Wish I owned Naruto, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't.

"And who is gonna save you when I'm gone, and who'll watch over you when I'm gone?"

~Alter Bridge

Itachi sat there, staring out of the window of the plane into the vast darkness. He had to do it for his brother, even if it took a bullet in his ear, he would push forward into the unknown. He knew what it was to love somebody. He loved somebody, and his brother finally found somebody he could love with his everything. Itachi couldn't stop thinking about how he could have prevented this. If he had just questioned what the loud banging was, he could have prevented all of what happened. Sasuke wouldn't have nearly died of blood loss, lost in a two-week long coma because of it, and Naruto wouldn't be lost somewhere in America, halfway across the world. If only he hadn't gone back to sleep. No matter what, he would get back for Sasuke. He would fix what was so messed up.

Even if he had to kill.

"Sir, anything to drink?" an attendant asked from the aisle of the plane.

Itachi looked up, staring solemnly at the woman.

"No thank you." Itachi said, being as polite as he believed he could.

"Okay. Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." The woman said, slipping him a piece of paper and winking.

When the woman turned to attend to another passenger, Itachi rolled his eyes and stuffed the number into a random pocket. Itachi turned his eyes back out of the plane, glaring at the transparent reflection of himself. Little twinkling lights dotted his face. He may never forgive himself because of this. Not only was Sasuke dying from this, Kuruma had cracked under the pain.

Itachi knew that the only thing holding Kuruma together was their promise to one another. Itachi would bring Naruto back to Sasuke as long as Kuruma made sure there was a Sasuke for Naruto to return to.

Itachi would do anything to finally make his family happy.

Anything.

Sasuke stared at the wall. He was just holding Kitsune as tightly as he could. He trusted his brother when he said he would bring Naruto back to him, but he just couldn't shake the blackened despair that just kept filling his heart. It was as if every moment brought him closer to the greatest pain he had ever felt. It was stronger than getting shot or losing his family.

Kuruma just stood outside of the room, staring at the closed door. He was just running over the thought that this was really all of his fault. He should have been the one lost to the foster care system, not Naruto. Naruto was kind, and thoughtful, and he never deserved this life. Of course, Kuruma never wished a life like this on anybody. Naruto couldn't go anywhere or do anything to ease the memory of his past, except the love of his life.

Naruto was so lucky to have found his love so early in life, yet Kuruma thought he was the same as well. Both had found love and serenity in the Uchiha family. Strange as it might be, it was true. Yet unlike Itachi and Kuruma, Sasuke and Naruto were star-crossed lovers. It seemed as if every corner held a new challenge, threatening to rip them apart. Destiny wanted them together, but fate seemed to hate the idea.

"Kuruma" somebody said from behind the red-head.

Kuruma turned and saw another red-head, significantly shorter than himself. Kuruma stepped aside, letting the shorter male pass. "He's all yours." Kuruma said, before making his way to his own room.

The red-head opened the door and looked around the room before his eyes landed on Sasuke laying in Naruto's bed holding his stuffed fox. The red-head sighed before walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge.

"Sasuke." The red-head said. Sasuke lifted his head, showing his deep purple dark circles under his eyes.

"Gaara." Sasuke said, placing his head back into the chest of the stuffed fox.

"Sasuke, you have to get out of this room. It's not helping you at all." Gaara said, placing his hand on Sasuke's ankle. "You're gonna get yourself sick, or you're gonna infect your wounds. The doctor said you need to get up and move around."

Sasuke just buried his head into the fox more, shaking off Gaara's hand.

Gaara sighed. "Have you even cried yet Sasuke? You know how unhealthy that it."

"You don't think I've tried." Sasuke snapped. "The tears just won't fall. I've tried so hard to cry, but I just can't. Okay?"

Gaara looked down at the raven. He moved his hands to the fox, ripping it out of Sasuke's tight grasp. Sasuke was about to yell at the red-head, but he was yanked into a sitting position and was suddenly in a hug. Gaara was hugging him. As strange as it was, Sasuke couldn't take the opportunity. His arms just lay limp at his sides and he just listened to Gaara's quickened breathing. "You know I love you like a brother Sasuke. More so than my own family. It hurts me to see you in this much pain and it hurts more knowing that I can't do anything about it. But the whole purpose of being this close is for times like this. Being able to just break down, tears or not, and ask for the other to be there. Sasuke, I hope you know." Gaara pulled back and just held Sasuke so he would look at him. "Naruto has the ability to show others the light. To show them the way out of the darkness. I guess Naruto makes it possible for all of us to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I get that for you, Naruto is the light at the end of the tunnel, but that doesn't mean you can't have a flashlight or two as you're going."

Gaara looked at Sasuke, waiting for a response. Sasuke nodded and moved back to Kitsune. Gaara sighed. He knew that he got his point across, but it didn't ease the pain he felt because of what his best friend was going through right now. He knew Sasuke was lost in his own memory right now. His memory: his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Gaara stood, letting his eyes look one last time at Sasuke. Secretly, he could love the raven with everything he had, but he wasn't going to ruin their close friendship or Naruto to do so. He just couldn't bring himself to do something like that to the raven and the blond. Truthfully, he didn't believe Sasuke would be able to love him like he loved Sasuke. He had accepted that the second he saw Sasuke look at Naruto and Naruto look at Sasuke. He had accepted it and began his long journey to move on. He may never fully move on, because he truly loved Sasuke, and feelings like that never go away, even once you're old and dying with somebody else.

Gaara turned his eyes from the raven and snuck softly outside the room. He gently closed the door and leaned on it, trying his best to hold his breathes even. He turned, and walked toward his room, only making it about half-way.

His legs gave out and he crumpled to the ground. He glared at his knees, trying to get up, and they just wouldn't have it.

"Damn it." He said, struggling to stand back up. He looked down between his knees and saw a droplet of water sitting there, and then another one fell right beside it, a few inches away. Gaara looked at the water curiously and then looked up. It wouldn't make sense for water to leak because it wasn't raining.

"Hey Gaara!" a voice said from beside him. Gaara turned to look and saw Lee, probably the most hyperactive and optimistic person that even went to their school. "What's wrong?" Lee said, looking a bit concerned.

"Nothing Lee. I'm fine, just a bit exhausted."

"You're not exhausted Gaara, you're in pain. You're heart is in pain."

"I promise, I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

Gaara snapped his head to look at Lee. "I'm not crying."

Lee smiled softly and bent down to Gaara's level. "Then what is this?" Lee said, brushing the back of his fingers over Gaara's cheek and showing them to the red-head.

"I must be sweating." Gaara said, and Lee chuckled a bit.

"Sweat doesn't fall like that. Sweat is from the hard work of your body, these are tears, a result of the hard work of your heart. I know you think that you are invincible Gaara, but you not. Nobody is."

Gaara looked at the dark-haired person in front of him. He could still feel his eyes dripping, and nothing he could do would make them stop. Suddenly, Lee was embracing him. It seemed as if Lee held onto Gaara for dear life, and unlike Sasuke had done, Gaara eventually moved his arms around Lee and gripped onto the dark green jacket. He buried his face into the crook of Lee's neck and shoulder and just began to silently cry, violent sobs wreaking his body, yet not a sound making its way past his lips.

Lee smiled a bit to himself, and weaved his arm underneath Gaara's leg and scooped the red-head into his arms. The way Gaara was acting was as if he didn't even notice. Lee stood and began the short trek to his room, opening the door with his foot and walking in. He closed the door with his butt and walked to his bed, setting Gaara down on his bed. Lee tried to pull away for a moment, but Gaara wouldn't let go. So instead, Lee just pulled the covers over them after Lee slid in beside him, and they just lay there. Gaara whimpering every now and then from his crying and Lee just rubbing Gaara's back, until they both fell asleep.

Itachi stood once the seatbelt sign turned off and got his backpack. He was lucky he had even managed to get a backpack to take (Kuruma made sure he got it.) He snuck his phone out of his pocket and dialed his love's number quickly. It rang a few times before it stopped and he heard a solemn 'Hello' on the line.

"Hello love. I just landed in America. I just wanted to let you know. How are you?" Itachi said, his spirits lifting the smallest bit at the sound of Kuruma's voice.

"Fine. I just…I can't do this for too long 'tachi. Seeing them like this. Hurting. Crying. I can't walk past a room without hearing sobbing and I can't cry, but honey, I need too. I need you, but you need to make Sasuke happy, and I just need you."

"I know baby. I know. I'll be back as soon as I can and I promise when I'm back, I'll hold you for as long as you want me too. I'll hold you, and kiss you, and love you until you just can't take it anymore. I promise I'll bring Naruto back to you and Sasuke, and I promise I'll be back. And if I can't get him back, I promise I'll be back for you. I can't leave you baby. I love you."

"I love you too. Go get Naruto back for your brother so I can love you back."

Itachi chuckled. "Okay. Babe. I love you."

"I love you more."

"I love you the most."

"Not possible." Kuruma sung softly. "Bye bye sweetie."

"Bye Bye love."

Itachi waited until he heard the click of the phone signaling that Kuruma hung up before he clicked the end call button. He sighed and walked toward the front of the plane, everybody else having already exited. The attendants were just waiting for him.

"Sir, you forgot this." The same attendant who flirted with him said, bringing him the magazine he was playing Sudoku in. She got closer than she needed to, her lips hovering by Itachi's neck.

"Miss. Let's get one thing strait." He said pushing her and the magazine away. "I'm not." He said, turning away from her and her shocked face to walk out of the plane.

Naruto looked up at the ceiling. His wrists were tied to each bedpost and his ankles had the same fate. He kept his breathing as light and as quiet as he could. He kept still. Even the smallest squeak of the bed would put him in a world of hurt. John was temperamental, and the only thing that kept him from even killing Naruto was the fact that he could use Naruto any way that he pleased. Night or day, weekday or weekend, Naruto would always be strapped to the bedposts to live out the fantasies of John Lucas. Fantasies he could never live out with anybody else.

Naruto let his eyes wander the room. He had woken up in the bed, and he knew it felt the same as his bed before. He was in a room that was right out of a bdsm website, and he didn't like it in the least. John would always just get off hurting Naruto, and Naruto's own sensations were not his priority in the least.

There were bars and kranks and flogs machines and different things to help strap him down. Naruto just hated the idea. Maybe if he grew up normal, he would like the idea of bdsm, but it just reminds him too much of his past. He thought of Sasuke. When Naruto first started to like Sasuke, he didn't think it would go anywhere. Naruto would always be too afraid to show anybody his scars. To make love to anybody. But Sasuke was different. Much different than anybody Naruto had ever met. Sasuke's love for the blond transcends any type of description, and the same goes to Naruto. Naruto believed that he could give his all to the raven, because the raven believed that Naruto still had something to give.

Sasuke had told Naruto once that the blond was still a virgin. Naruto refused to accept the thought, but Sasuke insisted. He said that with his situation, with all the sex he's ever had being rape, Naruto never had his virginity stolen. Sasuke said that it doesn't change the fact that he wants to slit the throat of anybody who's ever touched and hurt Naruto, but that Naruto still gets the opportunity to give his virginity up to somebody of his choice. Although Naruto didn't let it show, he appreciated those words more than anything. Sasuke may never understand how much those words mean to him, but he would show Sasuke how much the raven meant to the blond. Naruto made up his mind just before John came for him that he would give his all to the raven.

If he ever made it back to his love, he would do just that.

"Naruto" John whispered sickly. Naruto flinched, and looked at the man to his right. "I guess I have to re-teach you how to behave." He said.

"Go fuck yourself bastard." Naruto said.

"How about I just fuck you instead?" The man started to get closer, and Naruto mustered all of his might and spat at the man's face. "Oh, I'll be having some fun with you."

Itachi looked around. He was sitting in a taxi, going to the New York police station to request their help. This man, John Lucas, took Naruto after Jariaya had legally adopted him, which is the crime kidnapping. They should be able to help and get Naruto back where he belonged. In the arms of his friends, family, and Sasuke.

The taxi was currently stopped in traffic (surprise) and the man honking and yelling at other people (Itachi told him he'd get a hundred dollar tip if he got Itachi to the police station in under 10 minutes).

It was stressful to say the least. Itachi could feel the weight of everybody's happiness on his shoulders. He didn't even know if the blond was still alive, and if he was, he probably didn't even think Sasuke was still alive. It was a sorrowful situation, and something needed to be done. Itachi needed to make Sasuke finally happy.

"Sasuke." A younger version of Itachi said. A young Sasuke sat in the middle of the center garden, the only place that hadn't been touched with blood. He sat there, staring at the stars, and not saying a single word.

It had been a month since the 'Uchiha Massacre' as the news and papers called it, and the two brothers had finally been let back into their home. It was creepy, to see where young children ran but no longer set foot. It was like the house itself was a ghost, only staying because there were just a few still living. It was strange.

"Sasuke, you have to talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Sasuke looked at his brother and then back at the stars. "I'll tell you what happened nii-san. I had my happiness taken, and I probably won't ever get it back." Sasuke said before getting up and leaving the center garden, making his way very carefully to his room. Every now and then, he would take a big step, as if there was still blood everywhere even though there wasn't even a light stain. Itachi made sure of it.

Itachi sighed. "Sasuke." He mumbled, knowing full and well the younger raven was out of ear-shot. "You're happiness will be returned to you, even if I go to the grave to make it so."

Itachi knew now that his death wouldn't allow Sasuke to feel any happiness Itachi had worked so hard to get him, but he had always had good intentions. It wasn't until Naruto that Sasuke started to open up, and it wasn't till Kuruma that Itachi began to think of himself and his happiness.

And Itachi could finally focus on pursuing his happiness and making Kuruma happy once Sasuke and Naruto were reunited.

The taxi finally reached the police station, and Itachi tipped the man accordingly. The cab drove off with another passenger and Itachi turned to the station. He walked inside and was greeted by a woman behind some glass.

"Hello sir, how may I help you today."

"I'm from Japan, so my English is not good." Itachi said, nearly fluently.

"That's okay sir. What can I do?"

"A man named John Lucas kidnapped a boy who lives in my house and attends school in Japan. The man lives here. He adopted the boy when the boy was twelve and the boy ran away at thirteen. Another man from Japan adopted him. Lucas found him, kidnapped him, and I'm sure brought him here. I know for a fact that he's been physically and sexually abusing the boy."

"Okay sir, I have typed up the report. I just need the boy's name and then we can start to look for him."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Age and physical appearance?"

"I have a picture and he's 16, almost 17. Here" Itachi handed over a picture of the blond.

"Okay Mr…"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Okay, Mr. Uchiha. I will give this report to the captain and then send out an amber alert to the state. What is your place of residence for the time being?"

"I don't have one yet." Itachi said, gritting his teeth.

"Okay, here is the number," the woman said, sliding a business card under the glass "Just give us a call when you have the location. Are you his legal guardian?"

"No, but I am his dorm-father."

"Okay. If you can have his legal guardian fax us his permission for you to pick him up, we can have him with you as soon as we have located him."

"Thank you." Itachi said. He turned and walked from the building. This was all he could do right now, and if this didn't go well, he'd have to hire an investigator to find Naruto. One thing for sure, he would never give up his search till Naruto was in eye-sight.

Okay! That's it for this chapter! I hoped you liked it! New chapter very, very, very soon! Like maybe even today! This chapter was 3,667 words! Not the longest chapter ever, but still lengthy! ( Please don't hate me for my Gaalee...) Please Rate and Review! ^_^