Ōmo

by Uzumakiflame

"We talked. That's what lovers do." Sasuke inhaled. "And in the background, I could hear someone screaming as if they were being tortured. H-he told me to hold on and I guess he covered the phone because his voice got really muffled. And he said 'shut him up.'" His eyes teared up. "And all of a sudden there was this popping sound...And I couldn't hear the screams anymore." Narusasu

21. Scrabble

Scrabble

I know you all must be really angry with me. And I should have told you beforehand that the upcoming three weeks would be busy. I'm taking evening STNA classes at a nursing home and I want to do well so that I can actually become a nursing assistant there. My classes are from 2PM-11PM all the way until September 14. That's why I've been AWOL. However, I finished all my homework for the class in advance so that I can focus on nothing but new chapters. I'm really sorry about this. But when I become an STNA and you guys are getting some good ass Omo, we'll all be satisfied.

The reviews last chapter…. I can't... the reviews last chapter were so wonderful. How do you guys even find the time to say all these sweet things about the characters? How do you guys even find the time to analyze these characters? Gah! You guys are so awesome… I should thank my peeps for this.

HeartSNS: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Shika is freaking awesome. In most of my stories, I can't NOT write him being close to Naruto or being badass and smart. Sasuke's adorable. Naruto's adorable. Everyone's adorable. About Sasuke killing Azrail….no one else could fit that role. I went over who should kill him and although Naruto and Azrail were the obvious enemies, Sasuke just felt right for the job. Thank you for the muse and sorry about being so late.

Nameless Libertad: The badass woman of the story is definitely Sha. I want to show everyone that women can be badass too. Women can be bosses and everything that I show is in Sha. The woman had a bullet lodged in the back of her head and didn't even know, for Christ's sake. She's sweet and gorgeous, but you know she doesn't fuck around. Especially when she called herself an unforgiving wild ass dog. And you found Sasuke dealing with the assassin creepy? :) Sasuke's just crazy. He's off his rocks most of the time and there's plenty more crazy stuff from him to come. TATTOOS! TATTOOS! Pay attention because these are important.

Naruto: Naruto has 2 tattoos. And can you guess what it is? It's a name. A tribute to his late mother/grandmother. Betsy's name is surrounded by sunflowers. His second tattoo is a small one on his wrist and it's an Uchiha symbol for Sasuke. :)

Sasuke: Sasuke has no tattoos at all. HOWEVER, Sasuke does a weird birthmark on his right hand that is shaped like the map of Italy. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for later chapters.

Sha: Sha has about 4 tattoos. But those are a total surprise and you won't learn about them until her backstory is revealed. Sorry. :(

Shikamaru: Shika has one tattoo. On the inside of his wrist is the name "Naruto" in cursive. Most people think it's just his loyalty to the cartel leader, but….now we know why. He's had that tattoo since he was 14.

Bolade has 2 tattoos and they're all homage to Sha. Sha's name is on the back of his neck. There is a naked woman on his arm. Her private area covered by a cloth. That woman is Sha. And the words on the cloth say, "The best curve about her...is her smile."

And that's about it.

Franbunny: Sex between Naruto and Sasuke is always sexy. :) and Sasuke definitely deserved to kill him. For Lee, you know? Thanks for reviewing.

Mama Minato: Hi! :) Welcome. Welcome. Please have a seat and enjoy the ride. And about the ending, it's probably going to be one of those bittersweet endings. You know the sad ones that make you cry, but you're fulfilled. Or I may completely surprise you. It's my specialty. I'm planning for Omo to be 90+ chapters. We've got a long way to go. Thanks for reviewing.

Hotpotata: Reo Yamaguchi is too good for this world. And I didn't expect for him to be your favorite character, but aww. You give Reo so much love. And yes, Sha is the embodiment of Boss Woman in this story. Despite her lack of appearances, Karin's role in this story is SO BIG. and it's going to surprise you. And Azrail's death? We're just getting started. We haven't even hit a climax yet. Shikamaru is God of multitasking. There is nothing he can't do and that's why he's the right-hand man of Naruto Namikaze. And about Bolade. We'll have to see. He's going through a lot right now. And I can't wait for you guys to react to his past. It has been indeed harsher than anyone's in this story. And that's something.

Blackstar0017: It's an honor. Thank you so much. Ugh. I'm gushing. I'm blushing. I'm fainting. Why is everyone so nice? About the children. That's why this story will be long. Because we don't just elaborate on the lives of Sasuke and Naruto. Everyone is a main character here. And we're definitely going to see the children grow. Thanks so much! :)

The Unapologetic: You're perfect. Can I just say that? Because there's nothing more to say. How do you guys find the time to analyze the story and review the things you liked. You're just so perfect. Thank you so much. If you keep this up, my head will get big and then I'm going to end up asking if I could be a scriptwriter for Power.

---

Namikaze Mansion

Tokyo, Japan

January 17, 2027

"So you went to jail again, huh?" Ito asked softly. When Sasuke nodded, Ito couldn't help but smile. He knew it was wrong to actually admire the life of the man closest to Ōmo, but he couldn't help himself.

The newspaper company he worked for had given him standard precautions when he assigned himself to Sasuke Namikaze. Learning about the things that Naruto did would be dangerous. Before he came into this house, inside this house, and when he left, men like Shikamaru Nara were still around to stop Ito from ever making it home...or worse, letting the story get out there. And then there was the sudden fact that Ōmo wasn't the only bad guy, but everyone with him was. Shikamaru Nara was responsible for more than 400 deaths. Bolade "Killer B" Mohammed for almost 4000. Naruto Namikaze more than 7000 deaths in the span of his career. And the man before him, Sasuke "Felony" Namikaze, had gotten countless murder charges against him dropped.

But the man was charming. And he had been hurt too. He was human. Ōmo was human. After the assassination attempts of '05 the world vaguely knew of, Ito knew they weren't invincible. Having heard the story from Sasuke himself, it made the reporter wonder.

"At least you weren't pregnant, though." Sasuke smiled at him too and the man visibly blushed.

"Damn right. Saku and Suzuki were at home and safe. And I had fun in prison. I was a fucking God. Still am. But, listen here." Sasuke smirked and leaned closer to the reporter. "These next stories I'm about to tell you. Are going to be wonderful."

These stories that I have written. Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.

---

Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital

Myokencho, Showa Ward, Nagoya

Aichi Prefecture, Japan

July 24, 2005

"But because Azrail is now known, we can deal with him soon." Sasuke smiled at his husband. "We look up what prison he's in and I have the perfect plan."

The Uchiha blushed subtly when Naruto raised an amused brow and a smirk all at once, but he pulled himself together and cleared his throat. "I go to prison."

The sound of silence was always calm, but when Sasuke said this it had become eerie. Shikamaru's head had shot up from where it rested on the wall and he stared as if Sasuke had shot him. Sha too, stood quietly, her fingers drumming against both her crossed arms. The only one who gave a real reaction to the declaration was Naruto, who had leaned up in both bewilderment and bitterness. "Don't," he hissed. "Whatever the hell you're thinking about, drop it."

Sasuke laughed softly, unaffected by his husband's anger. "Just hear me out, Naruto."

"Sasuke, a prison is no joke. Especially not Fuchū prison. Azrail won't be your only enemy there. By now, he could run the prison, sprouting lies about what's happening in the outside world. Telling others that he's taken us down, giving them something to look forward to."

At this remark, Bolade spoke solemnly into the phone. "He's right, Sasuke. All prisons are soft until you run into the wrong one. It's not only the people, but security could be loose, intoxicants could be all around, and owing something to someone is a crime. It's hard to survive in a prison without help, but it's even worse when someone helps you out. Once they help you, it's like you're a slave and there's nothing you can do about it."

Sasuke didn't like B's tone; the fear and reminisce in his voice as if Bolade had lived through such things before. Had he? He'd ask his friend another time, away from the ears of others. Now, they needed to gather a plan together and execute it. So he crossed his arms, now offended. "So you think I can't do it, huh?"

"I'm not saying that. But, you have to trust me, a prison is no place for someone like you. You may be smart, but you're not…" he trailed to find better words but winced when there were none. "You're not me, Sasuke. I don't mean it harshly. But, you didn't grow up the way we all did. And the way we grew up is the embodiment of a prison, Sasuke. There's no justice."

"I still think I can do it. I may not be as tough as everyone else, but I'm still tough."

Naruto sighed, exasperated. "Sasuke, you're not hearing wh-"

"Let him do it, N." Bolade's voice came out differently than all the times he'd ever spoken. Usually, his voice was full of power, but it's sympathy now. And Sasuke can't thank the world for a better friend at this time. Naruto stopped and stared bewildered at the phone as if Bolade would see it. "What'd I tell you when you hired Chouji, huh? People are different. I'm here to do what you can't do and you're here to do what I can't. It's the same for everyone in this cartel."

"That's a lie," Naruto said, but it came out more desperate than angry as if he were trying to convince himself. "What if you're wrong, B? What if he gets hurts? Then it's on us." He sighed. He didn't want to push Sasuke aside like he wasn't a part of the team, but there was no way in hell his husband was going to get hurt. He was the leader. And despite reasoning, he was going to make the call. "Sore wa watashi no yobidashidesu. I'm sending someone else in. Anyone can infiltrate a prison and take down one man."

It's Sasuke, not Bolade, who smirks at his husband. Without fault, Sasuke knows his strength and weaknesses. And Sasuke has the power to walk into prison as warden, order the execution of ten men, and disappear. Not because of brute strength and power, but because he's smart. "Not like I can, that's for sure." And Naruto shakes his head in fondness because that's true.

"It's too wisky too send someone else in," Sha murmured. "We still don't know who tha twaitor is. And I think Sasuke can do this."

Shikamaru nodded in determination. "Me too. I think he has the brains to pull it off and I think we should listen to his plan."

Naruto shakes his head. It's easy for them to agree. They've never been in prison before. Not like he and Bolade have. They don't know the grit, grime, injustice, and pain. They don't know what it's like to starve beyond poverty or be tortured like one of Naruto's own victims.

"It's easy for you two to agree since you've never been to prison," Bolade mutters, "but I still think Sasuke can pull this off. He belongs here, just like the rest of us. And it's no coincidence that he got that bounty. He's one of the top fighters in this cartel."

Everyone turned to Naruto then and he glowers. He doesn't want to, but Sasuke is so confident in his plan that he has yet to unfold and the others are rooting for him. Naruto can do nothing, but glare at his husband before saying. "I don't like this and the thought of you going in there is sickening, but if you want this to happen, I'll let it happen."

Sasuke smiled, and Naruto's stomach flipped a bit. "If anyone can pull this off, it's me. I'm a genius like Shikamaru, but I'm ruthless like you. I'll rule that prison in the first hours I'm there."

Naruto shook his head. "You still need to tell me how you're going to pull this off. I want to hear it and I want it to make sense...or you're staying here."

Instead of doing what everyone expected, Sasuke goofily stuck his tongue out at his husband. "Aah," he mocked. "Make me."

"Sasuke," the blond sighed, but he laughed softly. "I swear you should have bumped into me with a warning. May include psychosis and unruly behavior."

"Anyway, before anything, I should teach the ways of the law to you criminals," Sasuke smirked and leaned back against his bed.

Shikamaru's head tilted to the side and his face shown confusion. His brows creased downward and his mouth holding a frown of concentration. "What's 'the law?'"

"Neva ha'd of it," Sha muttered.

"Me neither. It's probably an exotic food."

Bolade laughed on the other end of the phone. "No, it isn't, Naruto. It's obviously a form of duck hair."

Sasuke sneered at the phone and he could see B's smirk even from Africa. He had told Bolade about his younger hairstyle in confidence and this is how the man repaid him. "It's not duck hair! It was a phase!"

The silence was funny after that. It came in a did a few comedic dances to get the raven's stomach flipping. After staring awkwardly at the perplexed faces of Naruto, Sha, and Shikamaru, he settled with a sigh and a soft laugh. And that soft laugh turned into full-on laughter when Bolade snorted into the silence. "I hate you so much," Sasuke laughed.

He liked this. He liked that they could still find a better mood even when they had almost all just died. Even after Rock Lee's death, the c-section, and the assassination attempts, they still managed to get up and fight. The still were strong and they always would be. If this Azrail piece of shit really thought he could come in and tear them down, he didn't know the Namikaze cartel. He didn't know who or what he was going against.

He huffed when Naruto laughed boisterously, going on and on about a picture of Sasuke when he was around 15. "Anyway, I have to commit a felony to go to prison." That shut the blond up and he smirked. "Hn. There are different degrees of felonies, 1st degree being the most vile and 5th being the most minor. I'm going to commit a 5th degree. A small crime, but a crime no less."

"Can you explain how they wo'k. I don't unda'stand how any felony can be mino'."

"Sure. A first-degree felony has a sentence range of 3 to 11 years in prison. Those are major crimes when it comes to rape, voluntary manslaughter, and kidnapping. Second degree sentencing ranges from 2 to 8 years in prison. The crimes are smaller like illegally manufacturing or processing explosives, soliciting prostitution after a positive HIV test, or even abduction."

"You sure do know a lot about this."

"I'm a lawyer. Third degree felony: 9 months to 5 years. Even smaller. Reckless homicide, robbery, theft of anhydrous ammonia. Fourth degree: 6 to 18 months. Crimes include unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, grand theft of a motor vehicle, vehicular assault. And finally, 5th degree. A sentence of 6 to 12 months and crimes like compelling acceptance of objectionable materials, breaking and entering, and gambling. Me myself, I'll be breaking and entering."

There was no reason to ask Sasuke why he chose such a crime because he was good at that. He was smart and cunning and all the more sneaky. Shikamaru frowned. "Yes, but where?"

He looked to smirk at Naruto. "A place I know all too well. A place where the owner isn't going to press heavy charges on me."

Naruto's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No way. Do you know how bad that's going to look if you break into the arcade and I press charges on my own husband?"

"Let Chouji take ownership for a moment. Just until I'm convicted. He's far behind the scenes. No one knows he's connected to the cartel, but us." Naruto couldn't deny that it was smart, but he couldn't help but feel that Sasuke had an ulterior motive. And his eyes narrowed in jealousy. "I know why you want to go to Nagasaki."

Sasuke sighed. "I'm not going to Neji's graduation anymore. There's just too much going on and he'll understand everything that's happened. And if he doesn't, it won't matter. It's not going to ruin our friendship. So, no, not going for him. I'm going because I want revenge."

"On what?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hn. I'm going to get revenge for my damn tooth years ago. I'm going to break into the arcade and fuck that snow cone machine up with a bat."

Naruto gaped, but he couldn't help the nostalgia that passed when he remembered Sasuke breaking his tooth on the snowcone he ate. He sighed contently. Their first date. It was Sasuke's worst date ever, he told him once. And it was his best. And still, the blond couldn't help but saying "If you break my machine, I'm going to break your ass."

He didn't realize what he said until Sasuke blushed deeply, trying to hide behind the hospital blanket, and Bolade laughed boisterously. Shikamaru even blushed at his lack of thinking before speaking. Sha stared at Sasuke with a small smile as the Uchiha tried to hide under his cover. Naruto blinked before laughing sheepishly. "Uh. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to actually...I didn't mean it that way."

"Sasuke, please continue befo'e he passes out."

"Alright. If I break into the arcade and Chouji presses minimal charges, they'll give me about two months. Because my residence is in Tokyo, they'll extradite me back, giving me no choice but to serve in Fuchū."

"That's actually extremely observant. But how are you going to get to him?"

"Come on. Do you honestly think the most dangerous man in the prison is going to have a cellmate? And you make cash, don't you?" Sasuke smiled and his husband smirked cockily.

"I make a few billion. Nothing big."

"Exactly. Money is the root of all evil. And your money is going to help me room with Azrail and kill him. All you have to do is pay the prison. Let me room with him and I'll have him done before they put me in the records."

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke Uchiha. This is why I married you. You're as cunning as the devil and twice as pretty."

Sasuke smiled softly and crossed his arms. "I know."

"But if you don't do this right, they're going to eat you the fuck alive."

"Not if I get the first plate."

---

Two hours after they went over the plan again and thought of the excessive factors, the room was cleared out. Sha had gone to check the perimeter of the hospital and after she resided to a nearby hotel. Shikamaru took Naruto to another hospital room so that Sai could check his burns and properly heal them. And Bolade had told everyone that he needed rest for the next morning so that he could establish his presence back in Nigeria. Sasuke wished his friend well, knowing more than anything that it would be hard.

The Uchiha sighed. After hearing how tragic B's past was, it was easy to worry about him. It was easy to pray that he would be fine and worry about him more than oneself. What if things went wrong in Abuja? What if B wasn't as strong as he hoped? What if he went in and what he thought would happen didn't work out? Sasuke brought his knees to his chest, his worries for his friend deepening. What if he died? What then? How would they cope? Especially Naruto who had been taught by Bolade to be stronger?

He heard the soft patter of his grandfather's footsteps before the man even spoke. Reo was light on his feet as he had been since a young child. Just as light on his feet as Bolade was. Tiptoeing away from the very very bad aspects of life. "What's wrong?"

When Sasuke looked up, Reo didn't expect to see his grandson's lips quivering and his eyes growing larger as the water flood them. "What if he dies, Oji? What if Bolade dies there?"

His look of confusion was expected. He didn't know. Didn't understand the monster that had waited so long for Bolade to return. Reo was clueless and he could not reassure him. The only one that could was Naruto, but the blond had, evidently, his own problems to deal with. "Sasuke-"

"I mean. There are things there that can kill someone, no matter how strong you are. Bolade can die and we'd never know about it. He could hurt himself once he sees everything. Once he recounts everything. What if he-" Sasuke cut himself off with a sharp gasp. Bolade had sounded so calm and happy on the phone. But what if it was all just a facade? What if he was trying to appear stronger when really he was being torn apart? "I have to call him." With as much ease as a shaking wind, Sasuke stood to make his way to the hospital room's phone. He blinked as he slumped in a chair, dialing for an international call.

There was a heavy grunt after three minutes. One filled with sleepiness and a pidge of anxiety. One that scared Sasuke to the ends of the earth. How could he? How could he not notice the facade that Bolade had been putting up? "You do realize I'm tired as hell, right?"

Sasuke sighed. "It's only seven in Abuja. You trying to tell me you haven't been sleeping?"

At his voice, Bolade sighed on the other end. Sasuke could hear his mattress creak, giving away the impression that the man had calmed down and slumped back into lying down. "That's exactly what I'm saying. You alright? Did something happen?"

"Nah." Reo placed Sasuke's restless son on the floor and the baby sat there for a moment looking around. It was 4 in the morning; why the hell Saku already asleep was a mystery to everyone. Maybe he was afraid for everyone and couldn't sleep knowing what had happened. "We're all good in Japan. We really want to know what's going on with our friend in Africa."

He watched Saku take notice of a toy boat across the room and after a moment of deciding whether he wanted it, the baby adjusted to his knees to crawl for it. Reo himself sat on the bed, watching Sasuke with a soft smile. "You know I'm fine, Sasuke."

"Just fine? Not fantastic? Not great."

A soft sigh. "Yeah. Just fine. Nothing more and nothing less. And that's alright, right?"

"Of course it is."

And B sighed again as if it were the only thing he could actually do tonight. "I want to come home so much. Since I've landed, I haven't actually been anywhere near my old house. I just booked a room. But, I know I have to do this if I want to be better. And I know it's alright to be afraid. Should I come home?"

Sasuke wanted to say yes. To just tell B to come home before something terrible happened. But that would be wrong. Whether Bolade Mohammed came home now or in a year, he would be unhappy. He would be hurt and lost. But healing how wounds a year from now would be a lot easier. And there was nothing more to say, but "so you're being a wuss?"

"So it is a duck's ass? Your hair, I mean."

"Fuck you."

And it got a chuckle out of Bolade's chest at least. It was low and if you didn't know him well enough, it would sound like a drum, but it was indeed a laugh.

When Sasuke looked back over at Saku, the baby was eyeing something on the floor from where he was playing. It was a small toy banana he'd forgotten before. It helped when his gums were hurting, but now the baby couldn't put that in his mouth. It had been contaminated. Saku knew it was wrong. The moment he stole a peek at Sasuke and then Reo told the raven it was wrong. Trying to be as subtle as possible proved it to be wrong.

Using his tiny thumb and index finger, Saku grabbed for the banana. Onced it over, squeezed it and then tried to stuff it, along with his whole fist, into his mouth.

And Sasuke snapped his own fingers to get the boy's attention. "Ah ah," He called disapprovingly. "Don't touch that." Saku looked up at him and pouted. Whatever the reason, Sasuke wouldn't waver. "Put it down."

When Saku wanted his way, he figured that being nice was his greatest asset, despite his temper. When he was being told not to do something, he would cutely request a kiss by puckering his lips and humming the M consonant. This trick always seemed to get everyone. But not Sasuke or Naruto. They would kiss him like he wanted and still tell him to stop what he was doing. Sasuke poked out his lips too. "Mmmm-mou." He finished. Saku sat there a moment surprised by the 'mou' added to the end of his mother's kiss. Attention undivided, the baby dropped the banana and began to crawl toward his mother, a smile on his face.

On the phone, B sighed. "If you start singing to him, I'm gonna throw up." Sasuke laughed softly but said nothing in return.

When Saku reached him, the boy used his knee to stand on his two legs. He smiled up at Sasuke. "Maaaa-ma. Ma ma."

Sasuke smiled and B muttered, "Did he just say….?"

"Mhm. Mommy." Sasuke put the phone down and went to grab for the child, setting him on his lap. "Mommy. Say 'mommy'."

"It's official, I'm disgusted," Bolade joked.

Sasuke laughed, bouncing his son on his knee. "Shut up, Mohammed. You're being jealous that you aren't here to get some Saku loving. Isn't that right, Saku? Tell him he's only missing you."

He took the moment to put the phone up to his son's ear at the same time Bolade muttered "Jesus Christ, Sasuke." Saku's brows furrowed in bewilderment and he yanked his head away, staring at the phone as if he'd seen a ghost. Saku knew consonants well, so it was easy to distinguish B's name from anyone's. And he knew B well and liked him a lot, his deep voice recognized.

Sasuke laughed and the boy looked up, asking a soft and quiet "B?" When he nodded, Saku smiled and grabbed hold of the phone. "Bbbbbbbb."

"Five seconds on the phone and you're already being annoying, kid."

And Saku giggled as if it were the reaction he hoped for. "BB…" and then "hi!"

"Hey, Saku. How ya doing?"

"Abababa. Ooooo. Bababa."

"That's right. I'm not actually in the phone. I'm all the way in the continent I grew up in. It's called Africa. A very beautiful place and I promise to take you, your mom, and your dad here whenever you want."

"Abaa." Saku had yelled it into the phone, his brows furrowed in anger. But Sasuke laughed softly because it seemed like the boy was telling B to come home. He must have missed seeing the black man. And after the events that made him so restless, Saku could only be hoping that B too was safe.

B chuckled. "I want to come home. Believe me, it's one of the things I'm willing to pray for. But I have to be strong. And show your mom the only wuss in our circle is the one she's raising."

Saku giggled despite the insult and put his lips on the phone's receiver, making his mother grimace. Children put their lips on anything. "Mmmm," he hummed and quickly put the phone back to his ear.

"Don't even joke like that. I'm not going to do that disgustingly sweet thing your parents do."

Saku frowned and repeated his actions, waiting for the response he wanted.

"No, kid."

"Mmmm…"

"Fine. Mmmm-mou."

Saku smiled and giggled, catching Sasuke's eye at the moment, and smiling even bigger, something that seemed impossible.

"Alright alright," Bolade mumbled. "And that's the only thing your getting from me tonight. Now, I have to go to sleep now. I have a really big day tomorrow. Okay?"

Sasuke frowned softly. He had thought that talking to B and making him feel a bit more confident would ease his nerves too. But now he was just as afraid of hanging up as he was when he called. Maybe even more. In spite of those obvious signs, Sasuke sighed. There was nothing he could do now. Bolade's mind was set. He wouldn't come home until the year was up.

"Can you say 'bye bye' to B, Saku? Say 'bye bye'."

Saku leaned into his mother with a soft yawn. "B. Bye bye." Sasuke laughed softly and grabbed hold of the phone, putting it to his ear. "Now, can you say bye to uncle Sasuke, B?" He could already feel the sneer that leaked through the phone.

"You can't be serious even if it kills you."

"Of course I can. I got through college as a top student right?"

"Speaking of college and getting through, have you spoken to Neji about not being able to attend? Does he even know that Naruto and Reo left because of what happened?"

Saku shifted so that his head feel low on his mother's abdomen and Sasuke began to run circles in the boy's hair. "Neji doesn't know yet. I was going to tell him tomorrow. Give him details of what happened. Tell him why I can't attend and now why Naruto can't."

"Will he understand? Because if he doesn't, I can give him a talk for you."

"So you can give him the intimidating father talk where you squeeze his shoulder as you say nice innocent things?"

"No, you idiot. That's the mother talk."

Sasuke laughed softly. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll understand how tough it can be right now. And then he'll hit on me."

"Hit on you?"

"There are a lot of messages of Neji professing his love, trying to persuade me to leave Naruto, and the reasons why he and I would look good together."

On the other side of the room, Reo sneered softly, obviously angry that Neji had no respect for Ōmo's and Sasuke's marriage. Bolade, however, laughed loud enough to stir Saku, signaling for Reo to come over and pick him up. "Can you please send me those? I'm bored and a good laugh won't kill me."

"So you're just going to laugh at my pain, you dick face?" Reo gave him a pointed look to which he apologetically smiled.

"Oh please. I bet you're using them for entertainment too. Scare Naruto a bit even though you won't ever leave him?"

"How did you know?"

"I just do. Anyway, I'm gonna go now. Send me the messages in the next five minutes, alright?"

"M'kay. Bye."

"Bye, Sas."

Immediately after hanging up, Sasuke stood and went over to the hospital dresser, grabbing his personal phone and going to messages. In Neji's and his conversations, there were various messages scattered that stuck out.

I always want you to be safe Sasuke, and that's why my love sticks out.

Naruto is only going to hurt you in the end.

Have you seen how much Saku likes me? He may like me more than his own father.

Sasuke snorted at the last message. Saku loves Naruto so much that it had become common law in the cartel that the boy was to be treated like a prince. After taking after Naruto, the boy wanted to be around him all the time. And he didn't really enjoy Neji's company because of taking after Naruto.

With a sigh, he texted Bolade quickly. Ready for these screenshots?

A few minutes later, B replied. Okay...go.

Sasuke sent about forty messages in a span of 10 photos. He knew that B would have a good laugh about that in the morning, but before he put his phone down, he couldn't help but feel empty.

He picked back up his phone and texted, his heart pouring every ounce of genuine into every word he typed. Goodnight, Bolade. Please be safe and careful. And always call me if you're feeling down.

He didn't wait for the reply as he yawned, but he knew B would get it so he wasn't so worried.

He just hoped everyone would be okay. Physically for Sha and Naruto, but mentally for Bolade. The black man was a skilled Hitman, the true definition of it. He had killed his own perpetrator by stabbing each of her pressure points, giving her a painless and confusing death. He was strong in that area. But Sasuke prayed that whatever awaited him in Nigeria, he hoped B would be okay.

---

"Could you lift your arms for me?"

Naruto complied wincing as the burn scabs were stretched and further heated. However, the pain was at it's slightest now that Sai had cleaned them properly and placed ointment on them. They didn't hurt as much as before.

He couldn't help but to watch Sai as he wrapped the bandages around his torso now could he ignore that stupid sad face Shikamaru was trying to hide. "How do they look, Saitama? The burn scars, I mean." It made Sai tense a bit, almost dropping the bandages and it made Shikamaru pout. "Give me honest answers too. I don't care."

"There are various small scabs on your back. They look like craters. Dents going into your skin to the white meat of your muscle. Around the so-called craters, the scabs have a black barrier, where the skin is still burned. it won't look like that for long. But the scars will never go away. They'll become pink leathery parts of your back."

Naruto grimaced, but Sasuke's stupid words had come to mind. You're still really hot. Really. And I bet you look even hotter with a few scars. And it made him smile slightly. "Thank you, Saitama. I'm sure you're really sleepy and that's all I need really."

Sai grabbed his bag with a soft smile. "Alright. I'll be back tomorrow morning, er...later with some prescribed pain medication that you'll need to take daily. Bye. Bye, Shikamaru. It was good seeing you again despite the circumstances."

Naruto waved happily. His doctor was so wonderful and friendly. Shikamaru waved quietly, a soft smile of his own. Once he was gone, Naruto did his best to turn to Shikamaru without disturbing his bandages. "So...now that we're here. You want to listen to Jay-Z's the Black Album."

Shikamaru sighed in exasperation. Of all things, he wanted to listen to his favorite musical artist. What about discussing what happened? What about almost dying?

"I hope you know that you insulted Jay-Z's entire life with that sigh. There were so many hits on that album."

"Yes. I know. I've heard all of them. You play them so much. Over and over."

"Of course. Why buy an album if you aren't going to listen to the songs over and over?"

"I prefer classical music. Like Happy End."

Naruto laughed. "Of course. I'll never forget about your obsession with the Japanese Beatles."

"They are their own folk rock band with a touch of traditional Japan music. How much can you fucking hate?"

Naruto smiled softly at his friend's exasperation, giving Shikamaru some time to calm down and once him over. They were quiet for a moment, both men thinking about the future and the present as if thinking would make it less scary.

Shikamaru sighed softly. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

The blond looked up in confusion. "Of course I am," he answered; hostile and offended.

And Shikamaru put his knees up to his chin to comfort himself. He always did that. Even when they were kids with their worries so small, Shikamaru always comforted himself in a physical way. Whether he had seen a fight in school or had even lost something so important to him, he would comfort himself. As they got older, his worries became more Naruto-oriented. And maybe, what had happened wasn't good on his health.

Naruto frowned softly, the guilt seeping into him like poison. "Of course I am," he repeated this time softer. Shikamaru nodded, his bottom lip going in between his teeth and his eyes never leaving the floor. And timidly, Naruto could only ask "are you okay?"

"It's just...what if you weren't? What if you were closer to that suicide bomber and it wasn't just your back?" And then he looks up in a frightened way, his eyes hueing onto red before the tears even come. "What if you died? What if Sha died?"

"Shik," he murmured, confused by the onslaught of emotions. He didn't know what to say to comfort his friend. He never did know what to say. Not even if this had happened before.

"I just get scared you know. I mean, you have these burns marks on your back...and Sha had a fucking bullet in the back of her head. What if they weren't all attempts?"

Naruto sighed. Standing, he walked over to his friend's seat and pulled him onto his feet. Putting both hands on Shikamaru's shoulders, they stared at one another for a few minutes, one saddened and the other angry. "Shut up, Nara."

"What?"

"I said shut up. I'm not going to die. I'm a fucking God, you hear? And Sha's not going to die either. You don't have to worry. As long as I have a wussy friend like you who needs protecting from nuns, I'm not going to die. Despite getting beat up badly, Sha's going to live and do whatever the fuck it is that Michael Myers does. And with my new third degree wounds, I'm going to become a burnt serial killer who uses a glove armed with razors to kill my victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the real world too."

He had thought that the speech would only make Shikamaru laugh, but it came out choked and struggled. Some tears were falling, but that wise smirk was still on his face. "I fucking hate you."

"Lies. All lies. Shikamaru Nara, hating his best friend? No way. You love me."

And Shikamaru smiles softer now, more resigned as if he's keeping a secret not even his God should know. "Yeah. I do love you."

"See what happens when we're honest with each other?" Naruto smirked.

"No." Shikamaru shook his head, looking up with a tint to his cheeks. "I mean I love you. Like really love you."

The moment of silence that follows is uncertain. It comes from Naruto who is unsure of what exactly is being said. And his own denial of knowing it was coming and not properly preparing for the moment. It comes from Shikamaru, who is hesitant in his crossed arms, hands and lips. Shikamaru, who is so afraid of rejection, he'll hold an emotion in for a decade of his life.

And the moment of silence becomes so uncertain, that it steps out of the hospital room awkwardly, encouraging the moment of silence that is brave.

"It's not on purpose at all. It just happened over time. Growing up, I thought it was just because best friends always wanted to be around each other, but when I got to comparing Karin and Ino to you, I knew something was...odd. It's hard to forget you because you've never forgotten me. And you know that. You understand that. Because we both know...I just hate being forgotten. And no matter how many people came into our lives, you never forgot about me. You made me a priority. You cared."

And Shikamaru doesn't know what to feel about the small smile that Naruto gives. As if he can't believe that a monster like him can actually make someone feel so secure. As if it warms his icy heart.

"And it might sound so fucked up and crazy, but when I met you, it was like I knew we were going to be close. You saw that I was quiet and a little antisocial, but you still got close. You still tried to keep me safe. And I think I'm always going to love you. Always. You can't get over your first love and I know it. I'm smart. I'm going to choose you for the rest of myself. And that's odd. Over Sasuke, over Hidan, over myself, I'm going to choose you." Shikamaru smiled softly. "And now you're married, so I know whatever I say won't matter-"

"It matters," Naruto whispers as if to comfort him. But the odd thing is that Shikamaru is okay. He feels like he's been holding onto this pretty flower for so long and it feels good to plant it in the dirt.

"But, I always thought that if I ever did have the courage to tell you beforehand. You'd love me back. Maybe. I don't know." He crosses his arms and looks down as if there's dirt to kick there for comfort. There isn't.

"It's not crazy shit," Shikamaru whispers. "It's not how Neji loves Sasuke. I don't want to be with you or anything. I don't want to break you apart. And it doesn't hurt that you're with Sasuke." And his eyes tear up as he thinks of his next words. Because never would any words be truer than they. "Because Sasuke's soul is so beautiful. So fucking beautiful and just right for you. I know that. So I would never want to go back and wish to tell you sooner. I like things the way they are. Even if I do love you. Even if I ever fall in love with Hidan, I'm going to always love you. But, I'm okay with that. Because it doesn't hurt."

He inhales after, visibly. And Naruto, who has been listening with a small smile, finally speaks. He stares at Shikamaru with a smile that isn't pity, but just admiration. Not admiration of love, but pride. And he does that stupid thing where he hugs Shikamaru abruptly when the raven is down. He hugs him like when they were kids in that stupid picture. The one hanging up in the first car he bought.

In the picture, they were five. And Naruto had hugged Shikamaru so abruptly, he had nearly knocked him over.

"Why are you crying?" Is the first thing he asks.

And Shikamaru laughed. "Because it's like... You know the longer you keep duct tape on your skin, the worse it stings when you take it off. It's like that."

"I do love you, Shik. You're irreplaceable, you know that? You're my brother and I can't have you back if I lose you. When you got shot, I didn't care what was happening. I dropped everything and came to you. Because I thought you would die. And I was scared. I love Sasuke. So much that it scares me, but don't ever think that I'd ever just leave you behind."

"I never thought that. And I think that's why I'm okay." Shikamaru smiled and wiped his face. "I know it's not the best tim after all that's happening, but I was scared. I still am. I don't like seeing you hurt even when I know you're capable of doing things on your own."

Naruto nods and gently leans forward, planting his lips on his friend's forehead. Not romantically, but for comfort. "If I weren't already with Sas, I would have loved you back. I would have cherished you like a king. But I can't do that now. So I make sure Hidan is doing it. If he doesn't, I'm going to fucking hurt him."

At the mention of Shikamaru's darling orthodox, the raven laughed softly. "He's a little hesitant around you. And Hidan's such a sinner that being hesitant isn't in his blood. Did you….?"

"I may or may not have told him that I would murder him alive if he hurt you in any way."

"Murder him alive?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly, squeezing Shikamaru tighter. "It's a new skill I'm working on. It probably wouldn't interest you and B since you two tend to eliminate so quickly. But Sasuke would definitely enjoy learning it. Putting people in pain is kind of his thing."

"I really hate to break up this best friend thing you two have going on," Naruto unconsciously shielded his friend from the door as Nagato stood smiling sheepishly. "But, Yahiko was so worried about uncle Naruto that he demanded we come immediately after Reo called."

Naruto smiled softly at the sleeping boy on his older cousin's back and then at the obvious sunken eyes of Nagato. "Did he realize that he'd be asleep when he arrived?"

Nagato shrugged. "Kids, right?" And then his face split into concern when Naruto actually took the time to stand closely observe the sleeping Yahiko. His back wasn't exposed at all, meaning that the entire area must be covered in burns.

Naruto smirked poked Yahiko's nose, making the boy squirm softly and open his eyes. "Uncle Naruto?"

"Ōmo" the blond corrected, eating a soft jab from the boy.

Yahiko smiled. "How come uncle Naruto is always a target?"

"That's because uncle Naruto is a very disliked man," Nagato murmured.

Yahiko gaped gently against his father's shirt. "B-but, I like uncle Naruto." And the sentiment is so innocent that Naruto can't help but smile softly. Yahiko is soft and like Naruto, he won't understand how cruel the world really is until he's 11. But that's okay. He has five years of doing what he wants.

---

The air is as cold as death; chilling, dry and stale. It bruises his face when it blows, telling Sasuke he is not welcome in this dark field where bad things have happened.

The man stops, the crunch the leaves beneath his feet stopping with him, and looks up at the sky. The sun is there; he knows it. He can feel it. But he can't see even though there are no clouds in the sky. The sun is there, but it's covered by the dark.

"Naruto!" At the sudden cry of his husband's name, Sasuke falls back. It's so dry, the scream. So dry and full of pain that Sasuke's eyes soak instantly with his own tears. He doesn't know why he's crying, but it hurts. The scream is so painful. "Naruto!"

The raven covers his ears. He doesn't want to hear it. He doesn't want to be here.

The leaves shuffle although there is now wind and Sasuke hasn't moved yet. Someone is near him. "Naruto!"

Sasuke looks up to the distressed being. Its eyes are large and frantic; afraid of being alone. Its hair is shaggy, and in a full bowl cut around his head, dark and shiny. He's small and even in death, he doesn't belong in this place.

Lee is falling over thin air and screaming in the forest. And his tears mimic Sasuke's. "Naruto!" He screams again.

"Stop" Sasuke has the courage to hiss. And like his last dream, Lee looks directly at him. His big eyes widen even more. "Sasuke," he whispers.

"That's not fair!" He points at the thing shakily. "Stop. You don't get to look like him. Stop! That's not fair!"

Lee shakes his head. "Sasuke. I know." And then he drops to his knees and bows so that his head is on the surface. Sasuke can't tell if he's praying or desperate. "It's not fair, Sasuke. I just. I just want to go home." He cries thereafter and Sasuke cries too.

"Home? Lee? Where is home?" He asks, trying to make the raven feel better.

Lee's fist ball up a dry leaf and he looks like he's in pain when he looks at Sasuke desperate. "It's not fair! Being held hurts more than dying."

---

Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital

Myokencho, Showa Ward, Nagoya

Aichi Prefecture, Japan

July 24, 2005

11:00 AM

Sasuke blinked rapidly as he arose. He blinked away the sleep rapidly and he felt so tired. As if the sleep he had wasn't adequate.

He could hear Naruto talking somewhere in the room as well as Saku's soft murmurs of confirmation. Looking to his left, he sighed in relief when there were no dry leaves littering the floor. And he could see the sun shining through the window.

Naruto was on the floor, his shirt still off and bandages covering his torso and arms. Saku was sitting between his legs babbling about everything, his Straw Hat nearly covering his eyes. Before them, both was a shape sorter toy. And currently, Saku was trying to stuff his cylinder into the square shaped hole.

Naruto was watching him, his eyes half-lidded in adoration of his son's obvious struggle. Saku huffed softly and moved the cylinder away from the square hole. He looked at each hole for a long moment, his soft dark eyes stopping on the circle before stuffing it in there. When it for perfectly, Saku expectantly looked back.

Naruto clapped softly. "Yay." He cheered, smiling when Saku repeated him. "Good job, Sūpaman." Saku smiled and went back to look at his toy, picking up the star-shaped object next.

"Anata wa warui yume o mimashita ka?" Sasuke didn't know his husband was addressing him until Naruto actually looked at him. The blond was smiling softly at him and he smiled too.

"I wouldn't say bad. At least not this time. Just….wierd. Lee was there and he kept calling you." Sasuke could hardly remember the rest of the dream. But he felt like he knew what Lee wanted. Maybe… "I think I haven't let him go yet. I'm not letting him rest."

Naruto turned his head in concern. "What makes you say that?"

Sasuke sat up as Saku fit the star object in its designated hole. He looked back at Naruto although the blond was looking away. He huffed loudly and grabbed Naruto's chin. "Dadadadadada."

Naruto looked back at his son and clapped when he looked at the finished hole. He clapped and to make up for not paying attention, he placed a sloppy kiss on his son's forehead, letting a loud smacking noise out. Saku giggled and pushed away.

"Kare wa sore o itta." Sasuke whispered back. "He was crying. He said being held was worse than dying. So maybe I have to let him go so he can move on."

Naruto wasn't so much a spiritual person, so maybe that was hard to see in his eyes. "I understand how you must feel, Sas, but it was a dream. So just don't stress yourself about it."

Sasuke nodded although he was still in thought. Trying to get his mind off the subject, for now, Sasuke realized that Saku was with them but not Oji. "Where's Oji?"

He noticed Naruto's hot smile and bit his lip at it. "He took Joō and Koshaku for a walk."

"Queen and Duke?" Sasuke questioned. "How did they get all the way here? I thought they were with-"

Naruto nodded his head to Sasuke's right. And sure enough, Minato, the man in charge of the dogs, was asleep on the small sofa bed, Yahiko's small body over his stomach. Minato was snoring loudly and Sasuke didn't even realize it. Laughing softly, he shook his head. "You act just like your father."

Naruto smirked at him. "Going through a phase right now. I'm still trying to figure out if that's a bad or good thing."

Sasuke observed how safe Yahiko looked curled against his granduncle. How there was no fear in his sleepy eyes. As if Minato would protect him from anything. "Definitely a good thing."

---

Aichi Prefecture, Japan

July 24, 2005

12:00 PM

Joō's eye was healing slower than usual, but Reo was happy that everyone was supporting her. Since the accident, Sasuke had moved furniture around in the house that suite her needs, so it wasn't odd to find everything in the living room or kitchen on its right side so that she could see it. Naruto was taking Joō to rehabilitation classes that focused on her other relying senses as well as trauma. It was baby steps for her and it would be that way until the next year maybe. It was like Joō was learning how to walk again since she was so afraid to hurt herself again. And they all put Joō around Saku and Koshaku as much as possible. For Koshaku and Saku together were rowdy and to have Joō feel like she wasn't a burden was to have her get rowdy too. Naruto didn't want her to feel like they were stepping on their toes around her. She may be a dog, but in Joō's mind, she was Ōmo's dog.

When Ino had attacked Sasuke while he was pregnant, they had also put Koshaku through minimal rehabilitation for his leg. Ino had scratched it to the bone. And Duke may act silly often, but as Naruto often put it, "The honorable Duke got through that like a motherfucking G." Duke ran with a limp for months and always stood on high alert. He had gotten Ino the most when he and his twin ate her alive. The dogs were strong. And they'd get through this better than anyone could.

Reo liked walked them, even when he was tired and the chemotherapy they had him on tried to ruin his life. He enjoyed being around his family. Turning onto a street, he watched as Queen stopped curiously. The Doberman stood high like a horse, her nose sniffing the air like a bloodhound. Her brother was trying to eat some patch of dirt until she knocked shoulders with him as if to say 'stop goofing off.' Koshaku grumbled at her, but when he stood too, the dog tensed up.

Immediately, he tried to get away from the leash and run down the street. Reo grunted as he tried to keep him close. But Duke continued to thrash away from the leash. Finally, the dog managed to stand on his back two legs while the leash held him up by his throat. His bear-like paws were in the air and he snarled loudly down the street. His shark eyes never left the grey car down the eery street and never once could Reo not see his dagger-like incisors. The only reason for Koshaku's sudden change in mood would be only if someone was in danger. Someone he cared about. Joo looked back up at him, her brown eyes sad as she tried to make him turn around. Away from the street. Reo took one look down the street.

Squinted at the grey car that was now hastily trying to pull away and turned around. Tugging on Koshaku's leash roughly, the old man tried making his way to back to the hospital with a peculiar thought in his mind.

Was that Neji? And if so, what was he doing in Nagoya?

When Reo made it back to the hospital, his chest hurt tremendously. The man sat down on a seat in the main lobby of the building, and bend down to cover up the fact that he was holding it. Joo licked his face and Koshaku whimpered, almost apologizing for acting the way he did. The man smiled and pat both their heads. "It's alright." He hated the chemotherapy. It took away most things he used to be able to do. And the radiation was so built up in his system from the bombing, it was hard to get through life some days. There were some days in his life worth both life and death.

The man sighed when the pain faded into another day. Standing, he sighed and made his way to the room of Sasuke's. It was nearly crowded. Yahiko and Naruto were on the floor with Saku, reading to him. And Minato was sitting on Sasuke's bed. The two were discussing….Reo sighed...marijuana. He loved his grandson dearly, but he often wondered why Sasuke smoked to cope. Even so, he was happy the cigarette use had been deduced. He was happy that Sasuke wasn't smoking radiation anymore.

Minato sighed in concern and rubbed his son in law's arm. "Well, how did it look? because you may have smoked the Sativa marijuana. It's more energetic than Indica. If you want something that's more relaxing, I can head out to Columbia for you."

"It was light and the leaves were skinnier. And you have a farm in Columbia?"

Naruto grunted in amusement by them. But Yahiko looked up. "What's marijuana?" he asked. The blond's mood changed instantly, and he glared daggers at his father and husband.

"Out there," he hissed. "Not in here." And then he turned to Yahiko. "It's nothing. Just a poison that makes you see a monster before you die." And he secretly smiled when Yahiko childishly gasped and covered his ears.

Reo made his presence known. He cleared his throat and wiped the sweat from his eyes and the fear from his heart. Naruto was here. He would be safe. "I think someone just tried to hurt me."

The room grew quiet then. Minato looked up with sharp eyes as if he couldn't believe that someone would try to hurt Reo, soft soft Reo, of all people. Naruto glared down at the floor, making his father nod determinedly and stand. He grabbed hold of Yahiko's hand and Saku too, nodding at the man concerned when he stepped out. When they were gone, Reo came in to sit on the bed with a heavy sigh, letting go of Joo and Kohaku's leashes in the process. "I think someone just tried to kill me. And if it weren't for Duke and Queen, I think it would have happened."

Sasuke gaped and put his hand over his mouth. He tried blinking as fast as he could. But it was to no avail. And it broke Reo's heart. He didn't want to be the reason behind Sasuke's fears. Not at all. Not when he was already one of them. Not when Sasuke was afraid that his grandfather would die any day now.

"I didn't see who it was." He wanted to say Neji. He swore he saw him, but maybe he was out of it. He's an old man with a mind still back in 1945 Nagasaki. It could have been all in his head. "There was a grey car that sped off before I could get any information. But, I know someone was trying to kill me." Neji. Neji. Neji. "I don't know who it was."

It was one thing to try and kill Shikamaru, who was the right-hand man of Naruto Namikaze. Or Killer B, who was responsible for putting people to death as easy as the judge put them in jail. Or Sha, who was the body of the streets. If Sha died, so did the soldiers and the Falcons. Or Sasuke, who had taken down an entire cartel through manipulation and deceit. Naruto, the head honcho. Hell, it was one thing to try and kill Karin, or Nagato, Madoka, or even Chouji. But it was personal when it was Reo. That meant that Azrail wasn't only trying to hurt them physically, but mentally too. Just like with Lee. Reo didn't deserve to be put into this mess. Not at all.

Naruto sneered at the ground. "I can't tolerate him in the world any longer." he was referring to Azrail. "I need him dead. Trying to take us out is one thing, but Oji? I need him out of here. I want to murder him."

Sasuke nodded, determined despite the tears in his eyes. "We will. We're going to hurt him so badly for trying to get Oji and hurting Lee. We're going to kill him. We're going to murder him alive."

---

Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital

Myokencho, Showa Ward, Nagoya

Aichi Prefecture, Japan

September 1, 2005

"She's so cute," Sasuke gushed quietly to himself. No matter what was going on in the world, Sasuke couldn't ignore the cuteness of his children. Already, Saku showed signs of growing up to be a handsome young man and Suzuki was so pretty. Her eyes were like he brother's big and wide and dark. And her smile was so pretty. And she was so strong. Suzuki had grown so much since she was born, surprising even Sai. She was breathing on her own and moving around in her tube more. She didn't belong in Neonatal care anymore.

Sasuke lifted his Camcorder toward the two babies on the hospital bed. Suzuki was tucked protectively like a mummy inside her green blanket. As they found out, she was a more energetic child like Sasuke once was, who had rolled out of bed so much as a child that eventually a soft mattress on the floor waited on him. Suzuki was just like that, trying to roll somewhere, go places she had yet to see. Saku, on the other hand, was much calmer, a quiet boy like his father, more independent and trustworthy not to roll so much. He was out of his blanket, kicking softly in the air, but never straying East or West. Both children's gazes went from Sasuke to the ceiling, but never to their sides. Suzuki was too young to actually notice her surroundings, much less her colors. While Saku was like Naruto. He saw one thing, and no matter what, he'd focus on that forever.

"Saku," Sasuke called softly. "Look at the Camcorder."

At the call of his mother, the boy's eyes wavered to him. Sasuke must have been staring expectantly because the boy murmured a broken 'mommy' and tried handing him the straw hat as if he knew Sasuke wanted it all along.

Sasuke raised the Camcorder. "Say hi to the camera."

"Hiii." Saku giggled, the words tickling his tongue apparently. Beside him, his sister had begun to blink at Sasuke abruptly as if he made such a sound.

"Look next to you, my babies. Look next to you." He encouraged. But Saku just smiled at him toothless and Suzuki yawned. He sighed. They wouldn't understand unless they were extremely interested.

Looking around the room, the man stared into Saku's crib, spotting the yellow rattle toy that was so loud and so annoying. But it would surely get their attention. Fuck, but it's so annoying, his mind argued. Still, the man unconsciously moved over to the crib and as he made his way back to his babies, Saku had mischievously shifted an inch closer to the edge, he rattled the toy.

And it was a delight really that both his babies, with the same eyes and pout, looked up at once to the loud sound. Saku, despite it being his toy, almost looked like he was wincing. Like if he wanted to sit up and throw the toy he would. Oftentimes, Sasuke knew his son wasn't shaking the thing for amusement, but rather as a discipline.

But in his mind, his mommy had laid him here, so he wasn't going to show his independence so much. Suzuki looked up first in shock and then curiosity. Her dark eyes tried to zero in on where it was really coming from, her two-month-old brain working wonders.

Sasuke smirked and still shaking the annoying thing, he slowly laid it between them, their dark eyes following slowly. When it was between them, Saku did not roll over to grab and throw the damn thing. And Suzuki didn't try to roll even though it would be impossible. Because the two had just found out that another human lay beside them. Sasuke gushed and lifted the Camcorder.

"Holy crap. You have a brother! And you have a sister!"

Saku stared at the child with eyes like his own. Suzuki was doing the same. And Sasuke knows that with or without this Camcorder, he'll never forget what comes next. He's going to remember how instantly, in the same moment of the same universe, Saku and Suzuki smiled big at one another, their gums all around and shiny. As if they knew that they were connected in some way. And Sasuke can't do anything, but murmur an "aww." Because fuck, why are kids so cute and innocent and how could he ever make kids so innocent.

He often wondered if he was a good parent to them. Moments when Saku would cry at night as a child and Sasuke would be grumpy. Or days when Saku was grumpy and Sasuke had to scold him more than once. When Saku was being pushy for something and Sasuke wouldn't give it to him and he cried more than usual. Smoking….Fucking smoking with his baby in him. Saku could have died. Suzuki could have died. And what was he doing during both those pregnancies? Stressing over himself. Over Naruto. Over Neji. He remembers handing off Saku many nights to Oji because he was young and stupid and impatient. He remembers ignoring his son on some nights until he just couldn't anymore. And now what was he doing? Sasuke was heading to prison voluntarily the same month his premature child was released from Neonatal care. God. Sometimes, he just wished he could have done better.

"Stop it." Naruto's voice called in the room and Sasuke turned away from the two smiling children to find the blond giving him a look, standing in the doorway with a scold that he'd seen before. "Whatever you're trying to believe, stop." He came into the room fully and stood behind Sasuke, wrapping his arms around his husband's waist. He said nothing for a while, just watched the kids who wouldn't stop smiling at each other. Saku had rolled skillfully toward his sister and had put his tiny chubby hand on her forehead.

"To everyone you know, you're the greatest mother they've seen. To me, Karin, and Nagato you're so much like Betsy that it hurts. To Shik, who was raised by a single father, nothing compares to you. Sha was raised by her grandmother in Nigeria, and she was more of a foster guardian than a mother. You're the reason Sha's willing to try having a kid again. And no one can convince B that you're not the best mother anyone can have. Every time the subject comes up, he'll go on for hours about how great you are with them. And after being with Beatrice for years and having such a negative connotation, that's something. Because of your motherhood, B was willing to go back to Nigeria and give his own a second chance. So shut up. You're fucking perfect."

Sasuke smiled softly and turned the camera off. With Naruto, the world would move on. No matter what happened, the man would always bring Sasuke back to the place he belonged. He couldn't dream of being in a world without him and he often wondered how he got through life before he met his soulmate. There are vague memories of hating who he was once, but then Naruto comes in and everything is so much better. So much better. Naruto makes him remember that Saku likes to get Sasuke's attention by crying obnoxiously or doing something mischievous. He knows that his first word was indeed mommy. And he remembers that Saku will cry because Sasuke yelled at him and then reach up for the same man to pick him up and hold him close to his chest, whimpering mommy over and over like a mantra to keep him safe. And he knows that he's going to be wonderful with Suzuki. He's going to cherish her and make sure she's never alone in the world.

Soon, they'll leave to Nagasaki tonight and Sasuke will commit the crime. And then he's going to go to prison for a few months and kill Azrail. But when he returns, everything will be the same. Suzuki is probably going to be whining or squirming trying to find a place in the world. Oji is going to be hiding meds that he needs to take in order to survive and then he'll get scolded by Naruto, Naruto of all people, Naruto who doesn't care about the lives of others, about how important it is to be alive. Saku will be watching One Piece and then whining about his mother. And Naruto will be the same too. The married couple is going to bicker a little because it's become a traditional game to bicker. And Sasuke is going to like the way Naruto stares when he knows the Uchiha is being a complete smartass. Like he can't decide on bitter or amused.

"You ready to go?" Naruto whispers in his ear.

"I'll follow you anywhere," Sasuke whispers back and it's true. He's going to follow Naruto to hell if he has to.

---

Hyuga Household

Nagasaki, Japan

Nagasaki Prefecture

September 1, 2005

Naruto's car is brighter than he actually recalls. The inside of the luxury vehicle was stained in expensive beige leather, but tonight it looked more orange. "Stop staring at my car like that." He hears Naruto grumble, but the demand is softer than his intoxicating voice that makes Sasuke want to lay down beneath him and go wild. Really soft. And he can't tell if it's because Naruto isn't a normal user of marijuana or if it's just his own ears drawing everything out like honey pouring from a spoon.

He turns to look at his husband, which is a bad idea because Naruto's eye are so bloodshot and the man is leaning back in his seat exhausted like they just got done having sex. He giggles hyperactively and the sudden sound makes Naruto laugh too. "Why do I even listen to you? I don't even like weed."

He hasn't smoked as much as Sasuke since his high is going down. But it's still enough to get the job done. Naruto's way of relaxing is sex. Sasuke's is smoking. And because the blond cherishes the car too much, he chooses Sasuke's way. A beautiful car and a beautiful man like Sasuke just won't mix. Omo laughs a little with a sudden thought that Sasuke and the car would be jealous of one another.

Sasuke ignores him and lays his head on the door. "I have to go in and see Neji."

"Just calm down a little. You're going to offend him if you go in high."

"How do I get it to go down?" Sasuke groans. Naruto watches the man's legs shake together, causing friction in his jeans. "Jesus fuck, I don't know if I'm pregnant again or just horny." He breathes heavy and it comes out more like a moan and Naruto blinks astonished at the nature of his husband. If this is Sasuke at his highest, He doesn't mind smoking weed with his husband every night. "Jesus fuck. Ngh. Naruto. I love you."

Naruto chuckles and reaches into the cupholder to hand Sasuke a water. "Here, drink this." He offers goofily. And then sombers when he realizes exactly what Sasuke just said. Even when his brain is under the influence, Sasuke managed to point out how much he loved Naruto. "I love you too," He mumbles, his cheeks red. Fuck that, Ōmo doesn't blush.

Sasuke grabs hold of the water and takes about five sips, each a second apart, before saying "this is fucking disgusting."

Naruto raises a brow and asks out loud. "What does water taste like?"

It grows quiet. The two look at one other before they burst out laughing. "Neji's going to call the police on us," Sasuke says between laughs. "Why didn't we smoke after we left here?"

"Because," Naruto laughs. "We don't want the police to charge you extra for being under the influence of an illegal drug."

They laugh until the laughs turn into soft chuckles. Naruto leans over and kisses Sasuke on the mouth when it grows quiet. Sasuke laughs, but it's more aware now. Not only because the high is fading, but because anything that Naruto does makes him aware. "What was that for?"

And he curls into himself when Naruto just sends a dashing smile his way. Not even a smirk, but his teeth are showing a little and Sasuke knows the blond can smile bigger than that. And still, it's enough. "Just because."

"Oh….You love me." He says as if he can't believe they met in 2002 and Naruto's been loving him since then. Like he's just realizing that.

"Hell yeah," Naruto whispers without hesitation and he doesn't care if he's being all lovey-dovey. This man is his and he can be whatever the fuck he wants with him.

The high blows down in the next thirty minutes and Sasuke skillfully sprays some blunt effect around the car and on himself. He drinks water and gives the rest to Naruto. "I know you're absolutely parched."

"How is it that your British accent is so horrible that I love it?"

Sasuke opens the door and steps out with a smirk. "I'm perfect remember? I'll be right back, okay?" With a nod from the blond, Sasuke closes the car door and struts up to Neji's front door. He remembers that this house is actually in Naruto's name since he bought it. But after Saku, Sasuke had moved to Tokyo and Naruto just left the house to Neji.

He inhales slowly and knocks. Neji would be up. He always is. Even when he's done with school, he'll be up and about doing something. It takes a moment, but Neji opens the door very confused. He stares surprised. "Sasuke? Is that really you?"

Sasuke smiles cautiously. "Can I come in? I want to talk."

Neji doesn't say a thing for a moment. He only stares at Sasuke with a soft disbelief as if he can't believe he's here. And then something so unexpected happens. Neji drops to the floor. He doesn't fate. A fainting man doesn't land on his knees or bow thereafter.

"I'm sorry!" Neji sobs. And it takes a moment for Sasuke to realize that Neji is bowing in forgiveness. "I don't deserve to be your friend. I was rushing you, Sasuke. I wanted you to worry about me and not your family. I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me, Naruto wouldn't have been hurt in that bombing. Sasuke, please forgive me. I understand now. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to hurt you either."

The sentiment is sweet to Sasuke. He helps Neji off the ground and gives Naruto a small smile before they disappear into the house.

Naruto spends his time cleaning the few sparkles of weed here and there within his car. Fucking pussy, he thinks of Neji. Never in his fucking life would he bow to another man. Sasuke is a sap for guys like that because he's got a soft heart like Mikoto, Itachi, and Reo. The sap for men like Naruto, no doubt, Reo says, comes from Fugaku. And that's a man that Naruto would respect like his own father. When he's wiping the dashboard where Sasuke was rolling up, he tenses slightly as a thought passes through his head.

They never contacted Neji after the explosion. Sasuke didn't even call like he said he would, opting instead to see the man for himself. They never told Neji about the suicide bomber in the mall. That's the thought that makes him tense up.

No one ever told Neji about the bombing.

And the thought passes and fades as fast and as abrupt as it had come. Just like Reo's thoughts earlier last month. And it's something both men would regret for a long time in the future. Something they'd regret so fucking much.

---

Nagasaki Arcade

Nagasaki, Japan

September 1, 2005

10:15 PM

"You scared?" Naruto asked the man sitting on the hood of his car.

"Hell no," Sasuke muttered, staring up at the arcade that he loved a lot. "Why would I be afraid to go in and bust up that snow machine."

Naruto sneered. "I told you. If you break my fucking snow machine, I'm going to break your ass."

Sasuke looked toward the very dark sky and then around the area. The Namikaze arcade was nearly out of town, with no other stores nearby. They were completely in the dark besides the faint glare of the sign that lit up all night. But other than that, Sasuke felt secure in the dark. So innocently, he spread his legs on the hood of the car. "You're all talk, Namikaze."

Naruto stared at him before repeating his motions. First looking at the dark sky, then the area, and finally the lights. Sasuke was sporting some sandals, pants and a kimono. And the blond couldn't resist. Unfastening the top button of his vest, he smirked. "You know I gotta put you in your place sometimes."

Sasuke wanted it to be slow, but hot rather than sensual. There was no way he was going in without having Naruto love on him. Sliding down from the hood of the car, Sasuke slid down to his knees when Naruto got close.

He looked up at the blond and licked his lips lasciviously. And Naruto's knuckles were white as he grabbed the edge of the hood, holding his breath. Sasuke unzipped his pants, reached into his boxer briefs and wrapped his hand around the tan cock. Despite seeing it for years now, he still studied it for a few moments, noting its thickness and slight leftward bend.

"Do I pass inspection?" Naruto smirked.

"I'm gonna have to test it first, I'm afraid," Sasuke whispers as he licked the underside of his cock from balls to crown. And Naruto gasped. Naruto never really gasped. It wasn't his thing.

"Well, feel free to take it for a test drive," he managed to get out.

Leaning forward, Sasuke extends his tongue and licks the very tip of the tan cock with the point of his tongue, wiggling it around the tiny hole at the end. Then Sasuke moves down, using the flat part of his tongue to lap up the length of Naruto's thick shaft. In his mouth, Sasuke can feel Naruto's cock growing as he slides his tongue over the blond's sensitive skin.

He moves up again and closes his lips around Naruto's cockhead, sucking delicately. He swirls his tongue in circles, feeling Naruto's hands moving up to run through his dark hair, gently urging him forward. And Sasuke complies. He leans closer, sucking eagerly as more of Naruto's cock slides into his hot, wet mouth. His tongue flicks back and forth, moving down the underside of his husband's cock until he feels the end hit the back of his throat. Naruto thrusts his hips forward, his cock ramming against the back of my throat, making Sasuke moan, his drool dripping down Naruto's whole shaft – now fully erect.

Naruto holds Sasuke's head steady with his hands and begins thrusting. Sasuke sucks desperately, his cheeks hollowed as his tongue dances over the skin. Each time Naruto pushes forward, the head of his cock jabs the back of Sasuke's throat. And he inhales sharper than ever.

Moving faster, pumping harder, Naruto fucks, the ever-increasing suction from Sasuke's wet lips and mouth building pressure within Ōmo. Sasuke massages his man's swelling balls, feeling their heavyweight.

Naruto groans softly, "What a nasty man you are … you love sucking me off, don't you, babe?" With previous lovers, Sasuke would stop there. Flick off an asshole and leave him to jack off. But Naruto says the same things. But his eyes are filled with so much adoration that it makes Sasuke wonder if he's just putting on a show. Sasuke moans tremulously, sending tiny vibrations down the length of Naruto's dick.

Suddenly pulling out of his mouth, and helping him abruptly to his feet, Naruto bends his lover over the car hood, pushing him forward, my chest flattened against the metal. Leaning against the hood, Sasuke just pushes his ass back at Naruto, his legs parted invitingly. And for a moment, Naruto does nothing but stand there dumbly.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispers.

The blond snaps back into place and pulls down Sasuke's pants. He examines his husband for a moment before coming forward. He rubs his engorged cockhead slowly up and down the length of the slit of Sasuke's cheeks. Sasuke pushes his hips back towards him, small gasps escaping from his mouth in rapid succession, his ass aching in anticipation. Naruto pushes forward a tiny bit, just barely inside.

Without moving into Sasuke, Naruto leans over the pale man enough so that he's rested against Sasuke's back, his lips on the man's neck. "I wanna hear you say it, love." He moves his hips just barely, his cock teasing Sasuke unbearably. The raven tries to push back, wanting – needing – more of his cock. But Naruto's compensates, pulling back fractionally, his throbbing cockhead still nudging right at the entrance to his lover's red-hot, pulsing hole. And his hands rest on Sasuke's hips, not letting him try to capture him again.

"Ōmo. Please fuck me, Ōmo."

Hearing those inciting words, Naruto slams his hips forward, driving his huge cock into Sasuke's steamy, tight ass, pulling his hips back forcefully to meet Naruto's. A cry is wrenched from Sasuke's throat, my greedy ass gripping Naruto's immense shaft snugly like a second skin.

And the blond exhales on Sasuke's neck and grates out between clenched teeth, "Is this what you wanted, beautiful?"

Sasuke moans, a lascivious "Yeess … " hissing from him. Naruto starts to pump in and out, his ass folds clinging to Naruto.

His hips move back to meet Naruto's every plunge as the blond pounds him. His cock hits against the prostate on each inward push, making it sore. Sasuke's upper body is pressed down against the smooth, hot metal of the car, his fingers splayed on the hood. Naruto fucks him faster and harder, his cock hammering in and out mercilessly, making Sasuke gasp for air.

Naruto moans as the fingertips of his right hand slide under Sasuke's body, grazing down his post pregnant stomach, brushing against his smooth skin, traveling down to my sopping wet dick. He starts to pleasure Sasuke even more.

Craving Naruto's searing cum inside him, Sasuke convulses, clenching and unclenching quickly, cumming into Naruto's hands.

Sasuke growls, his needy ass tightening around his husband's rigid shaft, pulling his cum from the bursting balls. With his cock exploding deep inside, shooting his hot cream inside, Sasuke cries out in climactic ecstasy. He writhes uncontrollably as Naruto continues to piston in and out of him, pumping white-hot spurts of cum.

The waves of his orgasm start to slow as Sasuke clenches his muscles, pulling the last drops of cum from his throbbing cock. When Naruto is soft again, he pulls out of Sasuke but continues to rest against his back. "You're so perfect," he murmurs and Sasuke believes him.

Naruto takes the time to wipe them both down with a towel from the trunk. And then he lifts Sasuke onto the hood fully and they sit there and watch the stars until Sasuke feels like breaking into the arcade.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Hm."

"We'll be okay, right?"

Sasuke is already laying on Naruto's arm so the blond only flexes the joint to kiss his forehead when the Uchiha gets close enough. "Always."

---

Naruto has the keys to the arcade, but Sasuke has fun breaking into the first-floor window next to Cosmic Chasm. Once he's in, Naruto heads out away from the arcade so that he can call the police on an anonymous protected line. Apparently, someone's breaking into the children arcade down the road.

Sasuke laughed softly and walked around the arcade, looking for games Naruto often said the children who came in hated. The games they didn't play. With the bat that Naruto gave him, the man eyed one of the unwanted games. It was a classic knockoff of Pacman and Sasuke sneered psychotically at it. "You're first."

And then he pointed to an old racing game that had yet to upgrade to multiplayer. "You're next, bitch."

It was fun. Breaking the things that no one really wanted. He smashed the toys with vigor and happiness, laughing all throughout the ordeal. He wasn't crazy. Naruto liked to call him crazy. No. That wasn't right. Everyone called him crazy. B and his hubby the most. Sometimes when Minato comes over to watch Saku, Sasuke will say or do something that reminds Minato of himself when he was younger. He'll tell Sasuke he's a psycho, but he looks with pride, like he misses when Naruto was a scrawny outsider screaming about how he was going to rule the world one day.

When Neji tells him he's crazy, it's when Sasuke tells him about a guy he needed to take care of. Or the fight he almost lost a limb over. Or when he jokes about talking to the bodies Naruto keeps. Neji says it in disbelief, and sometimes Sasuke doesn't know if it's alright to be crazy.

Because Neji is a dick and Sha has her own shit to deal with, Sasuke likes to think that Bolade Mohammed is his best friend. But he doesn't admit it out loud to Neji or Sha or even Bolade. But that's because B already knows. B knows a lot more about him than Neji and Sha, and Sasuke knows the fears that B is afraid to tell even Naruto about. And Sasuke knows he gave this one time. Neji was the only kid that would talk to a kid related to a Hibakusha. He befriended Sha so quickly because she was, still is, lovely.

But Sasuke had time to learn and observe with B. And when he found that the two had so much in common, they began to hang out a lot after Shikamaru was hurt. And Sasuke had accepted him. There's never a dull moment between them and they grew to care for one another. It's not odd for Sasuke to do crazy shit. B will only smile and say "you're fucking crazy." And he'll keep smiling because he's waiting for Sasuke to say smugly "You know God's way. Us sociopaths gotta stick together."

The man made it to the kitchen and sighed. The snow cone machine. Sitting shiny in all it's glory on the countertop. He scowled at the machine and grabbed hold of the filler connected to his chipped tooth.

"I've been waiting for this since 2002." He tells the machine. And he can't stand to look at it. Because all it does is remind him of Naruto.

Naruto loves it. He loves Sasuke's crazy side. He loves the praise he gets. And he likes when Sasuke tells everyone that his man's been in and out of jail.

When Sasuke does something so exotic to his rich boy nature, Naruto does nothing but kiss him, tell him he's perfect, murmur the word psycho like he's finally caught sight of a rare diamond.

Sasuke sighs heavily, constricted.

---

Nagasaki Arcade

Nagasaki, Japan

Nagasaki Prefecture

2002

"There. Does it feel better?" The man questioned, moving away as Sasuke smiled. The raven didn't want to say anything, really. There was still pain and the tooth was still fucked up, but he wanted to leave this place. He wanted to run off with Naruto and be alone with him because he was bored.

So he smiled and nodded. And he was off.

As they walked to the car, Sasuke put a hand to his mouth and smiled, his eyes closed. "Naruto?" The man stopped by the car door and looked at him, curious.

Sasuke giggled, trying to compose himself because really, this couldn't be happening to him of all people. "Naruto...he was so drunk...he fixed the wrong tooth."

And the laughter could not be held. Naruto and Sasuke looked at one and they burst out laughing.

Naruto was doubled over, clutching his stomach. His laughter had bubbled up in him like a feather. And when it broke free into the night, it was loud and throating. It was so boisterous and unnecessary, but to Sasuke, he was so handsome. And for a moment, Naruto Namikaze had shown Sasuke and the searing lights of the dentistry that he was more than a cartel leader.

Sasuke himself was doubled over. To Naruto, he laughed delicately, like the flow of a river on a sunny day, with no wind or breeze to conquer it. And his smile. Kami, his smile. It was beautiful, even more pretty than he.

Naruto shook his head, him being the first to calm down. "I've got to get you home. This has been the most eventful night ever."

Sasuke nodded because he agreed. He had only eaten bread, split his tooth on a snow cone, and was out at 1 AM with an undeniably dangerous man.

Without doubt, this was the worst date he had ever had.

And still, somehow, it became his favorite.

NSNS

Sasuke felt anxious as Naruto walked him to his dorm door. "Even though it ended oddly, I had a good time tonight, Naruto." He muttered. Naruto smiled.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I'm really sorry about the snow cone. And your tooth. And I'll pay in full your bills when you get it fixed by a sober person. No arguments."

They stopped before the door and both got really quiet.

"Next time…" Naruto began, his voice hinting.

Sasuke smiled. "How do you know there will even be a next time?"

Naruto leaned closer, hovering over him. "I've already told you that I have to make up for the food, and now the tooth."

Sasuke giggled quietly. Gently, he moved in. Naruto inhaled and Sasuke realized that the blond never let out a breath. So he kissed him gently even if his tooth still did hurt. And when he kissed him, the world fell apart and ceased to exist. It was just them, floating on the edges of the universe. The kiss was slow and soft, comforting in a way that words could not be.

Sasuke smiled when he moved back. "Thank you." He whispered.

---

Sasuke shook his head with a soft smile. He had chipped his tooth, and the drunk dentist had fixed the wrong tooth. But Sasuke liked Naruto so much then that he still managed to kiss him. The man sighed and pointed accusingly at the machine. "You're lucky….for now."

And just as the machine's life had been saved, red and blue lights flared through the windows. And a long-wailing scream pierces the stillness of night. It's the sirens and the policeman. Naruto did his job.

Chouji would press charges.

Bolade would pay the prison.

Shikamaru would hack the system and place Sasuke Namikaze in a holding cell with Azrail Yamanaka.

And Sasuke had the easy job. All he has to do is kill Azrail.

---

Fuchū Prison

Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Metropolis

September 14, 2005

The prison guard watched Sasuke rub the tips of his fingers together several times before finally meeting the eyes of the infamous man. Sasuke can tell that the man is really nervous to even make eye contact with him. And he really can't tell if it's because he's so fucking gorgeous or because he's here to brutally murder someone. He doesn't know. Probably never will. But the nervous part. That makes two of them. The Uchiha's hands go to his pockets for the fifteenth time during their walk. He wants to make sure the knife is still there. When he rubs the tips of his fingers together and bites his lip, the guard looks at him once again. This time, they make eye contact. And Sasuke can't help himself. He really can't. It's the way he is.

He raises his hands in the air as if to surrender between the five guards transporting him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he let out, but his tone is borderline sarcastic and psychotic. "I'm just so nervous." The guards catch one another's eyes. "I mean.," Sasuke smirked at the guard that managed to meet his eyes. "What if Azrail doesn't like me? I hear in here your cellmate is like your best friend." And he can barely keep a straight face as he laughs. The guard blushes and Sasuke shakes his head. So he can't make eye contact because Sasuke is so hot, not because he's evil.

He turns back to smirk at the man following them only to receive a middle finger and an eye roll.

"We're here," one of the guards mutter in a hushed whisper.

Sasuke eyes him. "Don't you punk out on me. This knife is only sharp enough for one person. If it gets dull, you die slower. That shit is painful. I would know." And he laughs again.

The man nods sharply and opens his mouth the yell "Yamanaka! New cellmate!"

Sasuke twirls the knife in his hand as the bars open painfully slow. For Lee, he tells himself. For Lee, who did not know he would die so soon. Before he comes in, he can see Azrail smirk. Azrail, who does not know he will die so soon. Sasuke smirks as he walks in.

Azrail's eyes widen slightly when a more devilish grin mocks his own. And he stares at Sasuke in disbelief until his disgusting Yamanaka eyes trail down his body. To the knife. Wait, Sasuke. Wait until he stands. You want him to tremble, don't you? Sasuke nods and Azrail stands as if he were asking permission that the raven gave.

"What's going on?" he asks, And Sasuke nods in professional approval when the guards turn away. It's better that way. No one wants to see it.

Azrail is actually the size of Sasuke. He's not like Naruto, which the man anticipated. Azrail would never be like Naruto. And since he's so much smaller, it's easier for Sasuke to rush him and jab the knife in his stomach. He bites his lips hard enough to bruise when Lee's killer is knocked against the wall. And he twists the knife only once in his abdomen. He counted each time he took the knife out and smashed it back in around the same area. Twenty. Twenty stab wounds on Azrail. For the twenty years of life Lee had.

The Yamanaka collapsed, but Sasuke held him up. Sasuke smiled at him and then leaned in close. Never would anyone be greater than them. Never would an enemy triumph over them. No matter how rough it got, they won. He put his lips on Azrail's ear. "For the Namikaze," he whispered.

Azrail dropped onto the floor when Sasuke moved back. He put a thumb into his mouth and wiped his teeth. "Aww, gross. His blood got on my teeth." Sighing, he slumped on Azrail's bed and rested his arms behind head. And then he peeked at the prison guards that were still staring at him. "What? You let me." He defended himself. And then he looked around the room. There was a lot of blood in here. He smiled sheepishly. "Oh. You're worried about the blood?"

Standing, the raven pulled Azrail's cover off his bed and covered the man's body. He smiled softly. "There. All clean." And then he slumped back on the bed. "Alright. One day in prison down. Forty more to go."

Lee was sitting in the corner and although he was dead, Sasuke could imagine him trying to dodge every ounce of Azrail's blood. 'Thank god,' he would have said. 'It took you so long to kill him. But you killed him. So that's good.'

There was still shuffling outside and the raven peeked an eye open to see his new cellmate shuffling in. Naruto Namikaze looked over the room with a grimace and Sasuke had to contain himself. That orange looked good on him. The blond sighed. "You could have at least let me get a jab at him."

"Well, you should have been walking faster."

Naruto looked down at his own cuffs and then he glared at the guards that were watching them still. "Why the fuck am I in cuffs and he's not?" And they flinch back. Not needing to say a word because there's the answer.

Sasuke laughs. "Oh, Ruto. Do you really think they're going to let someone as pretty as I bruise my wrists and let Ōmo free?"

Naruto sneers because Sasuke is right. "Fuck you."

---

By dinner in Fuchū prison, Azrail's body was taken to the morgue and Naruto had their entire cell sterilized and disinfected. They got a few looks when dinner came around because Naruto had requested better silverware and food. Sasuke, on the other hand, was fine with what he got. And although his husband had offered the metal fork and the fresh cooked salmon to him, the raven declined, settling on the prison food and the spork they were given. He liked to believe that he was actually in the prison. Naruto, on the other hand, liked the luxury life he lived in regardless of where he was. For him, nothing worth having came easy.

He ate carefully, very aware of the looks he was getting. Beside him at the table, one of the foreign prisoners turned to him. "Ain't you dead?"

Sasuke tensed up. It was one thing for him to kill someone, but Sasuke wasn't his husband. When Sasuke killed someone, he had made jokes to lighten the mood. When Naruto killed someone, it was precise, professional and all the more disturbing. He watched Naruto's chewing get slower and slower in his mouth until he was chewing air and his teeth snapped against one another on occasion.

Sasuke sighed. Why did the man have to even speak to him? Did he know who Naruto was?

"You deaf or something? I asked ain't you dead. Azrail killed you didn't he?"

Sasuke's mouth opened in disbelief. What level of stupidity…..

Naruto licked his lips, staring down at his plate of food. Never once did his eyes waver to the western man. But he did put down his fork for a moment. And then he removed his clothing protector and put it over his food. "Do you know me? I want you to think twice about what you're saying and doing in front of my husband."

The man sneered. "You're that guy the Angel of Death was supposed to kill. Fuck you. He was supposed to help me out of here."

Naruto began to tremor. It was all in his face. His face reddened and his head shook from side to side as he gripped the fork in his hand. Sasuke frowned. Oh god, he thought.

Abruptly, Naruto lifted the fork his in the air. Sasuke winced. However, when he brought the fork back down it didn't stick the man in the head. Instead, Naruto had driven the fork's handle into the other's tray right in front of him. When he let go, the fork was standing upright, it's metal glaring at everyone there. Naruto twisted enough so that he firmly grasped the back of the other's head, his brown hair held tightly in his hands. And then he slammed it in the tray. Sasuke winced when he watched the fork go into the man's head, precisely between his brow bones.

Naruto lifted the dead man's head from the tray and then slammed it back down again. And again. And again. And no one said or did anything. When he was done, when there was blood everywhere, he finally dropped his head on the tray. Sighing, the blond lifted his clothing protector from his own food and used it to cover the face of the dead man beside him. And then he picked up a new fork and began to eat.

"What good is there being king when no one knows? That's the problem we're going to have in here until we leave, Sas. Because Azrail made these people believe he was stronger than us. He was here saying that he was killing people. But I really fucking do it. You see, I wanna enjoy myself as much as possible. I want peace in here. And the purpose of war…..is peace."

Naruto lifted a finger and one of the guards rushed over. "Have the morgue clean out Azrail's body, but I want him brought back here."

By the next week, Naruto had gotten the entire facility shook. There in the dining hall, on display, was the body of Azrail Yamanaka, nearly mummified besides his face. Naruto had him nailed up above the tray line. It was a crucifixion on Naruto's part. The blond wasn't a religious man, but he made sure Azrail didn't die for a cause. The tattoo of the Namikaze symbol engraved on his forehead told everyone. Sasuke shuddered in sheer excitement every time he saw it. Because Naruto was such a monster that it beguiled him.

Despite Naruto's threats, many brave men still tried to defile them. And true to form, when the pen failed...the blond was ready with the sword.

---

Fuchū Prison

Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Metropolis

October 10, 2005

It's Naruto's birthday when they have two more weeks before they're released. For a man that can die at any given moment, Naruto cherishes his birthdate because it's astounding that he made it here. So each year on October 10 he makes a toast.

To Linda for falling in love with Maso. And Betsy for giving Maso the will to live on and raise his triplets. He thanks Minato for loving prostitutes and a woman named Kushina for walking out on him. Then he thanks Shikamaru and B for saving his life when the going got rough. And Sasuke, Saku, and Suzuki for giving him a chance. And after he thanks all the people who tried and failed to kill him, he damns them to hell with his good friend Lucifer.

Right now, Sasuke was laying atop his husband in the cot of the bottom bunk and the two were speaking. Sometimes they spoke about nothing. Sometimes they spoke about everything. Sasuke just liked being close to him. Rubbing circles on his arms and chest and listening to Naruto's rocky heartbeat, like heavy tides crashing against rocks.

It's also Naruto's 22nd Birthday when they leave the prison early. Because of an error. Because of a mistake on Naruto's end. They're talking about getting out when Sasuke expresses that he's glad it's over. That everyone played their part well. And when he says that, Naruto grows this funny look on his face.

"Speaking of that, Sas...I've been meaning to tell you….B never paid the prison. I mean, he never got around to it." Sasuke wants his husband to elaborate because he doesn't understand. Because how the fuck did this all happen without B paying the prison? "I couldn't get a hold of him. Sha tried. Shikamaru tried. Sha knows more about Nigeria than we do. But when she looked at the records of all the tourists in the country, B wasn't on the list. He hadn't been for weeks."

The silence in so unbearable that Sasuke doesn't to breathe. How rude it would be of him to interrupt the quiet and bring the noise of his own existence.

Sensing his obvious discomfort, Naruto sits up, bringing his husband with him. "I think he came back….here I mean. And I think he didn't want to tell us because he was afraid of what we'd think."

Sasuke's mouth was open and his forehead and brows were crinkled. He shook his head. "I don't understand. Have you spoken to him? How do you know that for sure?"

"I don't. I'm hoping."

The void is what scares him. The void that comes next. It's inside him, squirming around like a parasite. And Sasuke wonders if God had waited until Sasuke knew all for something terrible to happen. He can't know what it is. And he isn't sure that it's happening to Bolade. He just knows that something terrible is happening. Because that void, that never-ending dark void consumes everything, so he's left feeling nothing. Empty. Naruto shakes his shoulder. "Sasuke? Sasuke, why are you crying?"

It's happened before. First with feeling Betsy's soul and then with dreaming of Rock Lee. He's a spiritual person. It'll always happen. Sasuke turns to his husband, who now feels miles away from the raven because when Sasuke's likes this, no one can get through to him. It's hard for Sasuke to distinguish what's real and what isn't when these things occur. "Oh, Naruto. Something terrible just happened." Nothing. Nothing was okay.

Sasuke feels something in his gut that's been gnawing at him since the topic of Bolade arised from the shadows. Naruto shakes his head in confusion. He can't put out words to ask or say because it's just them in this room. How would Sasuke know that something terrible has happened?

"We have to-we have to go Naruto." He hisses it between lips that have gone dry. It's distress in his tongue and the fear is seeping out through his teeth. Naruto can see that Sasuke has a hard time forming the words, but he manages to get them out nonetheless because he's desperate and afraid. "We have to. We can't...can't stay here. Not in here when he's….we gotta go!"

Naruto grabs his husband face in both hands and he stares at him for a long moment. "Breathe, Sasuke. Take a deep breath." Sasuke inhales sharply and even though it's not what he wanted, Naruto is satisfied that he's breathing again. "Tell me why we have to go, baby. Really slow."

And Sasuke lets out a high sob. His hand comes up to clutch the arm of the hand on his face. He holds tight enough that his pale knuckles grow cyanotic and Naruto's growing a bruise. Tight, as if he's falling down while sitting. "Oh, Naruto. B. B is dying."

---

Sapporo city

Hokkaido Island

Japan

October 10, 2005

"You're nothing," He hisses to the man before him. "You don't deserve to live. You've never deserved to live!"

There's nothing behind the scream, just pain. The mirror doesn't fight him back. He doesn't tell him he's worth it and B screams, his fist shattering the glass into pieces. Why didn't he tell him? Why didn't he fight back? The man lets out a heavy sob and nearly topples to the floor where the ground feels stable.

He's hungry. He's been hungry for days now. But he doesn't want to eat. He doesn't at all. He wants to die faster.

He was in pain. Endless pain. Sometimes, he woke up and realized he was dead. Buried and forgotten by everyone that ever hated him. The man growled at his own thoughts and opened the smashed cabinet.

Lexapro. Antidepressants. Warning signs of blurred vision, seeing halos around lights, racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness; headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, and feeling like you might pass out. And worse, hallucinations.

B stared menacingly at the pill bottle before yanking it toward him. The man poured a glass of water and slumped onto the bathroom floor, not caring that some of the water spilled over him. He stared at the pill bottle before nonchalantly pouring some into his hand. Seven. Not enough. Ten. enough. It was strange. How hollow he felt. How empty.

B dumped the Lexapro tablets into his mouth before using the water to help swallow them. Throwing the glass cup and watching it shatter, the man pulled his knees up to his chest. And now, he would wait for the emptiness of death.

He sighed and rested his head against the wall. Nothing happened for the first five minutes. And then his head began to hurt. B grabbed hold of his temple as a harsh tremor coursed through his veins. He inhaled and clenched his teeth together. If dying felt like this, it was okay. This was the least amount of pain he'd ever felt. He sighed when he slumped a little, shifting because no longer could he hold himself against the wall. Dying felt so much better than living.

"What are you doing?"

The man opened his eyes to the sound of Sasuke's voice. He glared. "Saaaaasuke." It was hard. So hard to say words. "What aarre yooouuuuu….."

Sasuke crouched down on the floor, his eyes full of concern. "I know, B. I know you hurt."

B shook his head and looked away. "Geeet out, Sasuke," he hummed and laid his head down. He was so sleepy. So tired.

"I see you. I do. I see pain in those eyes."

"Ssssss," he hissed out. Putting his hand on the ground for support, Bolade tried lifting himself up. If Sasuke wouldn't leave, he'd fight him and make him leave. "Get the fuck out, Sasuke."

"No." The raven shook his head sadly. "I'm not leaving. You're not dying here."

"Get out!" Bolade screamed. Couldn't he see he didn't want him there? "I don't want you here. You can't make me!"

"I'm going to bring you home, B. Just hold on a little bit longer. It's not your time to die."

"I don't want you here!" B stood up fully, but when Sasuke stood too, he toppled back over, his forehead now on the floor. The man shook slightly and gagged up air.

"You're not going-"

B looked up harshly and the illusion of Sasuke stumbled back a little. "Get out!" He screamed again. "I don't want you here! Didn't you hear me?"

Out of complete silence, the cry arose. Out of complete reverence, the things of the world stilled to listen. Like a budding flower it started. Slow and gentle but it rose to a wail that tore at his own heart; tens of thousands of voices crying out together in total sorrow. To the ends of the world, the cry traveled. Over lands and seas, through forests and valleys. Every ear in the universe stilled to listen, every heart broke, so heavy so miserable was Bolade's song.

When it hit Sasuke's ears as he lay in Fuchu prison, the Uchiha had fallen. He felt a weight of sorrow press him down. And his mind clouded with pain, his heart grew cold and numb with pent-up emotion. He felt clogged with pain, hurt, and fear. All he could do was join B in his cry.

And far away in different places, the friends screamed.

"B is dying!"

"Didn't you hear me? I just want to die!"

---

Japanese Words Used Here:

Sore wa watashi no yobidashidesu means "That's my call."

Anata wa warui yume o mimashita ka? means "did you have a bad dream?"

Kare wa sore o itta translates to "he said that."

The title of this chapter is Scrabble. Scrabble is a term used for smokable crack cocaine and it describes the how powdered cocaine can be cooked into rocks of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Hence the word Scrabble. In many cases, people enjoy powdered cocaine a lot more than they do crack cocaine. In Omo's case, as this is a continuation from the last chapter, the cartel is better together than it is derived. When the cartel is scratched apart, bad things happen. From the last chapter, everyone was scattered across our map. Sha was isolated in her hotel, Shikamaru with Hidan in Tokyo, Naruto and Sasuke were in Nagoya, and B was in Nigeria. All of them were nearly assassinated. In this chapter, we dig our way through everyone's pains and fears. Sasuke fearing for B's life, Shikamaru confessions and worrying about Naruto, Reo almost getting killed, Suspicion of Neji rising in both my readers and Naruto. And finally, Scrabble can also mean to scratch out in order to find something. Well, B went to Nigeria to try and forgive his mother, and this happened. Attempted overdose. Keep the fact that he saw Sasuke in his head in mind *Snicker*.

Also, can we just talk about how odd Sasuke is? I think I've brought it up before. He's so in touch with his spiritual side that he can almost feel a life on the other side. It's weird, but it'll definitely be elaborated. I just love his worrying side. I love writing it.

Other than that, I'm sorry again for being so late. I can't wait to finish this class so that I don't have to be at the nursing home for most of the day. And thanks for sticking with me here. It means more than enough.

Next Chapter: We finally get to see the life of Bolade Mohammed.