Warning: I HAVE NOT FINISHED THE SERIES. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT IS FINISHED. If there are any spoilers, I guarantee you they are all accidental and I highly doubt anything in here is right. Anything in this chapter is purely from my (very, very confused) imagination and – well, for starters, Sharingan Protection doesn't even exist in Naruto and neither does Shisui. I'm pretty sure you're safe.

But in case someone goes off at me for going completely off track and mixing everything up from the original Naruto storyline (which I very vaguely took stuff from-- you'll be able to tell what), I don't actually know anything. Just go with it, 'kay? It makes sense within the story. I hope. Aeigh.

I probably didn't need to explain that, but just so we're clear... In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter in which EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER HAVE HOPED FOR HAPPENS (or maybe that's been happening these last few chapters, or maybe this chapter just fails), and do be so kind as to review. Thank you all ^^

Aaaaaaand again, because this will never get old, KL Lover is sheer wonder for getting these beta'd for me. -throws flowers- AND THE CHAPTER TITLE! -cackles- win. (And I am aware in the drop down thing this chapter is shortened somewhat horribly, but it wouldn't fit, damnit!! DX)

Previous disclaimers apply.


25. GET ON YOUR DANCING SHOES, IT'S TIME TO BOOGIE

"We were thinking of playing with the Uchiha, too," Deidara continued, the dull sound of footsteps floating up to us with the words. "But we decided that his brother gives him enough torture as it is that it's a wonder they're not both psychos."

"And this is much more interesting than any pathetic children. This will be very fun to watch. So please, do carry on."

---

The silence stretched out for a painfully long time. We all held our breath, waiting for what seemed like an eternity before Orochimaru finally spoke.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Now, now, no need to act so hostile. We just came to enjoy the show," Deidara answered.

"You'll go with them," Jiraiya growled out and he must have done something to Orochimaru again because a pained gasp that couldn't be anyone else's drifted through the open window.

"Go where? To jail?" Sasori scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. We've avoided them for years – do you really think they can stop us now?"

"And how long, exactly, were you planning on running?"

My head snapped up and my eyes widened. That was Shisui. No doubt about it. That was my cousin, down there in the car park. With them. And I didn't know if he was alone or not. Everyone was looking at me, but I couldn't meet their eyes, and I found myself infinitely glad that Itachi was safe inside because otherwise no one could stop me going out there. Not even Shikamaru and his damn condescending looks.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sasori said and the footsteps I could only assume were my cousin's stopped sharp.

"I'll give you three guesses."

A short silence only filled by another of Orochimaru's gasps.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Deidara said. "You're one of those interfering bastards."

I had to see this. I couldn't just listen to my cousin down there and not see what was happening. I looked to the side to give Neji a look, nodding my head to the lights as he stood up. He understood what I was asking and slowly moved away from Gaara to flick the light switch by the door.

No one said a thing as the room was plunged into darkness, and I didn't bother to offer an explanation when I walked over to the window, opening the blinds the tiniest bit so I could see down below. I couldn't see Shisui, but I could see Jiraiya and Orochimaru directly beneath us and if Sasori and Deidara were to take a step to my right I would be able to see them completely as well.

"I rather thought it was the other way around, as far as interfering goes."

"Oh yeah? And how do you figure that?"

I heard Shisui begin to walk as he spoke and sure enough, he soon came into view, standing between Jiraiya and Sasori. "We could've left you alone to do whatever you wanted if you hadn't decided you liked my cousin."

"But that was this one," Jiraiya bit out spitefully, pressing Orochimaru into the wall harder with the arms at his chest. "This sick bastard likes to rope everyone in, doesn't he? He had to have both of them."

"Oh, of course," Deidara agreed. "He's quite partial to the young pretty ones. We don't like that. By all means, get rid of him for us. It would save us all a mountain of trouble."

Shisui moved over to Jiraiya fast as lightning and rested a hand on his shoulder. "No. He's not our only concern."

Sasori stepped closer, finally, and I could see the top of his red head clearly in the glow of the security lights around the car park. "Oh? And who are your other... 'concerns'?"

Suddenly two more figures stepped into the ring of light and I felt two arms wrap around my waist. I didn't need to look behind me to know it was Naruto as he rested his chin on my shoulder, arms gripping tightly. He was shaking a little bit. I could hear Sakura breathing heavily behind me and the rustle of fabric as Shikamaru no doubt tried to soothe her.

"We are, Sasori. What we stand for, our goals, our beliefs – us."

It was the taller figure that had spoken, but I couldn't get a clear enough view of him except for a head of bright orange hair in the dim light. Naruto's arms tightened uncomfortably so and he whispered, "I know that voice..." shakily into my ear.

I just pulled one of his hands away from my body and linked his fingers with my own.

"And our business doesn't solely lie with Orochimaru," said the second figure, the both of them step into the light finally. I tilted my head as I felt Naruto do the same behind me.

"He's sort of... shiny, isn't he?" Gaara scoffed to himself as he peered out the window and down below, eyes straining a little in the dark. Neji came up on his other side and poked him in the side as some form of admonishment.

I would've told him off myself but Naruto was tapping my shoulder and pointing down below and Shisui was doing that thing where he moved freakishly fast. He was right up in one of the newcomer's faces, the one with a mask of some sort, it looked like, and his fist came out of nowhere. With a sharp crack the mask split, falling away in slow motion to reveal the face hidden beneath it.

My first thought was that at least this one wasn't 'shiny' (as in sporting an entire tackle box on his face) and the second was that he looked so young. Even from this far away I could see he looked young, too young, just like Sasori. Unnatural.

"You bastard!" Shisui cried, his voice surprisingly loud in the silence that darkness always seemed to bring with it. No one moved a muscle, not even the man with all the piercings standing right next to him. Orochimaru stopped fighting against Jiraiya while Sasori and Deidara turned to stare. Suddenly everyone was holding their breath.

"You did it, didn't you? It was you."

I was only allowed half a second to wonder at the sudden, drastic change from the calm and controlled cousin I knew to this, before the one who had previously been wearing the mask spoke in a perfectly controlled, monotone voice.

"They were power hungry and he was going exactly the same way. Just like you. I did him a favour."

Well I'm glad someone knew what Shisui was talking about, because I sure as hell didn't.

"A favour? You? You drove him insane and threw him in with your deranged art freaks – don't think we're ignorant. Don't think we've spent all these years hunting you down for nothing. How could you possibly have helped him? All you did was take him away, turn him against us – you took away my best friend and everything he believed in. You changed him for the worse and turned him into one of you."

Something dropped in my stomach. It was that sick, empty feeling again, the nerves clawing at my stomach and up through my throat. I couldn't think. I knew who he was talking about. It wasn't hard to figure out.

"And so what if I did?"

Naruto took away the other arm that was around my waist and rubbed my back in a way I'm sure was meant to be soothing. It just made me agitated. Who was this guy and what in the hell did he do to my brother?

"So what? So what? I'll tell you what – I'm going to fucking kill -"

"Shisui!"

Every one of us drew in a sharp breath at once, eyes widening, as did my cousin. Naruto's hand stilled on my back and clenched in the fabric of my jacket. Gaara swore under his breath as Neji stiffened. I heard Sakura give a tiny cry behind me and Shikamaru clear his throat nervously.

We all knew that voice.

Suddenly there were two more presences behind me and I immediately reached out a hand to rest on Sakura's shoulder while Naruto looped one around her waist sideways. She leaned into us as she breathed fast and shallow, looking down at the scene below through the tiny cracks in the blinds.

We all watched with a mixture of emotions too complicated to explain as a whole new group of people walked out of the shadows. Three wore masks, one had pink hair, and the other had hair that reminded us strongly of Shikamaru. I knew them all except one who wore a mask, but judging by who he was standing next to, I could take a guess.

Silence fell upon everyone. All of our eyes fell upon the man with the piercings as he put a hand on the other man's shoulder, the one Shisui had confronted, seemingly calming him down.

None of us dared to breathe, suddenly feeling this irrational fear that they would hear us. The new group to arrive kept walking forwards and I heard my friends make painfully quiet sounds of surprise as they realised who they were. I thought Sakura was going to faint.

The ones in the masks were unmistakably Kakashi, most likely Haku, and who I assumed to be Zabuza. Because Haku would never stand that close to anyone else. Iruka was the other one everyone else knew, but the last... the last one was Tayuya and boy did she look livid.

And for some reason, seeing my classmate down there didn't faze me in the slightest. In a way, I'd been expecting it. He couldn't know what he did and just be a bystander.

But I didn't get why they were all here – and there were more. There were more in the shadows that were just waiting, and while I didn't know whose side they were on, I found it didn't really matter. People were people and these people could fight. This was going to be messy, whether anyone wanted it to be or not.

Jiraiya... he was obviously here to settle whatever he and his family had with Orochimaru. Kakashi and Iruka were here because they had a past no one knew of and I didn't like what my imagination was coming up with – they would've had a reason that wasn't simply because Shisui asked them. Haku and Zabuza were here because of Kakashi and Iruka, just like Tayuya was here for Shisui as extra arms and legs. They played no part other than to do as they were told and I couldn't help but think how it must have hurt Tayuya to go against the man who'd looked after her for countless years. But she was smart. She knew what was wrong and how far someone could go before they had to be stopped.

But... no. This wasn't right. Everything was happening at once. These were my teachers, my friends, and my family. Why in hell was this happening? Why were yet more people getting tangled up in this? I thought we were the only unnecessary ones, but how could I ever have thought that when there was an entire body of assassins and hit men at my father's disposal? And I couldn't bet on my confidence for Iruka and Kakashi, despite whatever they were hiding from us all, because the Akatsuki was full of people who managed to piss off my father and that meant they were insanely dangerous.

Finally the silence was broken and I could focus on something other than my stress.

"Oh this is going to be fun," Deidara said, the glee evident in his voice.

Sasori's chuckle drifted through the open window, followed by his amused, "Well if we can't play with the children then we might as well play with you. I do hope you're more fun than you look. What do you think, Tobi?" He looked from the shorter man to the pierced one. "Pein? Shall we find us some new recruits or just have a plain old good time?"

"You don't decide these things, Sasori," Pein growled. "Don't forget how close you are to becoming one of your puppets."

Sasori just shrugged as Deidara giggled to himself. "But look at them all. They'd be so pretty... Just think of what we could do..."

"If we had the Uchiha and the Hyuuga it would be a perfect haul."

Out of nowhere there was an ear-piercing cry, followed by Jiraiya's shout of pain as Orochimaru pulled some shifty move on him and broke away, appearing in front of Sasori and grabbing a fistful of his jacket, screeching in his face like he'd done to us so many times. Jiraiya tried to make a lunge for him but Shisui was at his side and restraining him immediately, murmuring things we couldn't hear this far away.

But we could hear Orochimaru, all right. Loud and clear.

"If you saw it my way then why would you go with them? You know as well as I do that the boy has talent, his whiny boyfriend as well-" Tayuya joined Shisui as Jiraiya cursed loudly, struggling anew, "- and you know that he's smart. He has the beauty we need – everything. Do you know what we could have done? Do you know what he could have done for us? But you wouldn't listen. None of you would listen! Have I ever been wrong before? Ever?!"

The man I now know as Pein's arm moved faster than we could have seen and I didn't have time to have a reaction to Orochimaru's words as a hand closed around his throat.

Everyone on our side took a tense step forwards.

"You have gone wrong too many times, Orochimaru, and you know that fact well." His voice was low and threatening, and I realised I may have found a sixth person to add to my list. "You've tried to take matters into your own hands for far too long, and that is not how we operate. You have involved people who did not need to be involved. This was a simple case of Akatsuki versus Sharingan until you got carried away. You should keep that in mind when you're lying on your death bed in some rotten cell for the rest of your life, and I couldn't care less whether it was with us or with Sharingan, though Sharingan might be nicer."

The words sent a chill down all our spines, I was sure of it, and Sakura had taken hold of my hand so tightly that she had to have been cutting off the circulation. Even Shikamaru's breathing had sped up and that was something to be concerned about.

But I had to think that it was amusing in a way, really.

Orochimaru was at the centre of the entire situation and he brought everything on himself.

He messed around with Naruto one too many times and happened to take too much of a liking to me, so I naturally got curious. He was what began it from our side, and while he certainly wasn't the entire picture, he was a large part of why we were even here in this room, nerves running higher than I think they ever had before in any of our lives.

For my cousin and my father, it was Orochimaru who took Itachi and caused the Akatsuki to fall into ill favour with our company. But no, that wasn't right anymore. Now it was this other guy who had openly admitted to turning my brother into the person he was now. That didn't mean that it was believed to be Orochimaru who had started it, though, so essentially he was the beginning of my father's vendetta against the group.

From the Akatsuki's side, he was the shit-stirrer, as such. He started the rivalry by involving my brother and he started the inter-group rivalry by getting a big head and believing he was the only one who could lead the Akatsuki and bring it back from where it had fallen. He indirectly opposed the leaders, who I assumed were Tobi and Pein, by jeopardising the company or organisation or whatever it was and now he had to pay in true underground fashion because no one got away with that.

"I 'went wrong' because of you. You and your failure to see the bigger picture. All you cared about were the jobs we had, what we really did, covering our arses, and staying underground, yet he was the one who said we should go after the son, and he was the one who lead us into this mess. And you all. Blame. Me."

"Because you can't keep your hands to yourself and you do not know when to stop!"

"I'd had enough of your bullshit about art and secrets and all your goddamn rules! You had no real goal in mind, did you? At least I had a plan. I had ideas and you had nothing."

There was a short silence then Tobi stepped forwards. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shisui raise his palm by his waist, telling the others to stay where they were. I inwardly nodded understanding this as an information opportunity that they seemed to have no issues in sharing.

"You don't learn, do you?"

Pein's hands must have tightened, and while we couldn't see it, the way Orochimaru's hand came to his throat was an obvious indication at just how tight that hand really was.

"You don't see it our way. You've never seen it our way. While Sasori and Deidara may have made a few mistakes, you have undermined our very authority. You tried to turn our members against us, but did you not stop to think that maybe there was something a little off with how they were treating you? How everyone else was treating you? Sasori and Deidara were never on your side, Orochimaru. We have disagreed with your ways for a very long time, and thanks to your mistakes we now know that you are at the epicentre of everything that has gone wrong these last few years. If you can't fix what you broke then you know what happens."

"You wouldn't dare," he snarled.

"Oh wouldn't we?"

"You're not the only one with that talent," Pein continued after Tobi. "You're not the only one with the knowledge and it won't take long to build the others up to your skill level. You know this, yet you still abuse your privileges. You are easily replaced. You are not the director of our movements as much as you like to think you are. You are not going to bring Akatsuki back to its former glory. You are not going to get Sharingan Protection off our back. All you are going to do is make more mistakes, work behind our backs, involve children - and that is something we cannot allow."

Orochimaru somehow managed to laugh despite his current position. "Not going soft are we, Pein?"

The fingers tightened. Orochimaru struggled, both hands now at his neck, trying to pry away the death grip.

"I don't know the meaning of the word 'soft' and you know it. These children know too much and are getting in the way. Their heads have grown far too big and they like talking a little too much. You are fully aware of your mistakes. How do you plan on fixing them?"

"I – I can... If you let me... go..."

The fingers loosened briefly. I was a little disappointed.

"You don't understand what that boy can give us, do you?"

"If you mean Itachi's brother then no, no we don't, and if that's your plan then we'll pass you over to this lot now and let them do what they wish with you. I'm sure Fugaku will be overjoyed to see you."

"Especially if you mean Itachi's brother, my cousin, and his son," Shisui said, voice low and menacing.

"And what if I don't mean him? What if I mean the blonde one – the feisty one?"

"Then you'll have me to answer to," Jiraiya growled. "He has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh but he has everything to do with it. If he hadn't opened his big mouth and told that boyfriend of his then none of this would have happened. Don't you see, Jiraiya?" Orochimaru wrenched Pein's hand away from his throat and turned to Naruto's still-restrained uncle. "Everything was going perfect. Sharingan didn't know where we were, I was safe in the bubble of blackmail I created and I had plans. Then he just had to ruin it, didn't he? He had to tell your spineless, murdering, wife and start this whole mess. He got himself involved! He told the Uchiha, Tsunade grew some balls and forced you to do the same, and then everything fell apart because of him. This is all. His. Fault."

A disbelieving silence followed during which everyone stared at Naruto except me. I could feel his blunt nails digging in as he gripped my shoulder tightly, biting in harder with every word that came out of Orochimaru's filthy mouth. I could hear him whispering under his breath, pleading Jiraiya not to react, to just accept it as lies.

He really was a sly snake, wasn't he? He slithered between everyone, making false friends with his false smiles, denying anything that could taint his name and stabbing people in the back left, right, and centre, blaming anyone on hand for his own shortcomings.

But he was right about one thing: Naruto.

Naruto was a mistake he hadn't counted on becoming a mistake. He thought he could do what he liked because he was safe, thanks to blackmailing Tsunade. He thought he could wrangle his way to the top of Akatsuki by using me in some twisted way and he probably hadn't thought for a second that Naruto would tell me and I would take it this far. The fact that it had been an accident was completely beside the point.

So if Orochimaru was what set things moving downhill for the Akatsuki, then Naruto was the one who tipped it against Orochimaru. And that meant that whichever way it panned out, whatever in hell happened down there – no one was happy with him. Which was a comforting thought.

"I swear," Gaara growled under his breath, "If no one does anything in the next thirty seconds, I'll –"

"Stay right where you are," Neji finished for him, his voice gentle but still full of warning.

And I'm sure Gaara would've had a lot to say about that if Tayuya hadn't finally decided to have her say.

"I think it's high time you stopped blaming everyone else, you bastard. It will only get you so far up shit creek before you sink."

Someone snorted their amusement despite the overbearingly heavy atmosphere and I couldn't tell if it was in the room or from down below.

"Who are you?" Sasori spat.

I didn't need it to be broad daylight to know that a dangerous smirk was plastered across her face as she said, "Me? I've been working for this arsehole for years. Call us a... 'backup group', if you like, in case a situation like this arises. We were sent to New Zealand to create a new branch, somewhere for him to run to when the Akatsuki Company went under." She tilted her head, and the fact that her arm was currently wrapped around Jiraiya's neck in a headlock and hand covering his mouth to keep him quiet meant she looked much more threatening than usual. "Oh? You didn't know about us? Well, you left him in charge of a few too many things, didn't you, metal head?"

Then several things happened at once and Sakura let out a tiny, petrified squeak as I realised I would have perfect finger-shaped bruises on my shoulder from Naruto's hand.

Pein was pinning Orochimaru's arms behind his back as Tobi was in front, the glint of a shiny dagger reflecting the security lights and spitting, "You will learn your place."

I only just heard it over the sound of light footsteps, everyone changing positions at once. Kakashi and Iruka were crouched at the ready, Kakashi behind Tobi and Iruka behind Pein. If my two teachers were at the north and south of the Akatsuki members, then Haku and Zabuza were at the east and west, surrounding them in a perfect square. My eyes couldn't miss the glint of silver in Haku's hands. But Sasori and Deidara moved as well, followed by Shisui, Tayuya and Jiraiya, and it became like a ripple of water in a pond, everyone surrounding the three in the middle in their own circle as more people stepped out of the shadows.

Half of them were in black and red coats identical to those Tobi and Pein were wearing, shrouded in shadows while the other half of them were dressed entirely in black to become the shadows themselves. I didn't even need to think to know who was who.

In half a second the entire situation had changed. In half a second I found myself wondering how many people were going to survive this. In half a second everything came crashing down.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that. We want him alive."

It was a voice I didn't recognise and so far I'd only been able to go on recognition because there was no way I could see people's mouths moving, so there was only one person it could be; the man in the baggy tan pants, tight white top, and mask, hand resting almost innocently on a sizeable weapon strapped to his back that had Gaara leaning forward with interest: Zabuza.

"We don't."

"We don't care what you want." That was Kakashi, no doubt about it. A very serious Kakashi, which was something we weren't exactly used to, but Kakashi all the same.

"What if we said that we want Sasori to make you all part of his 'collection'?"

"We'd say good luck with that," Haku said in a smartarse voice that somehow managed to make him sound cold, angry, twice his age, and twice as dangerous.

"Oh would you now?"

Something glinted in Iruka's palm as his hand moved slowly from something at his waist to out in front. "Yes, we would. Now let him go."

Pein laughed a hollow, disturbing laugh and Sakura took a step backwards. "I think you should tell them, Sasori."

Sasori folded his arms and could barely see his shoulders shake as he no doubt chuckled to himself. Sakura took another step back, letting go of my hand. "Do you really think so?"

Tobi nodded and Orochimaru made a sound of distress. "Oh, I think so."

The redhead began to walk towards Haku, who was the closest to him, and said in the most bone-chilling voice I had ever heard, "First, I tear out the organs."

Something thudded behind us, but I couldn't take my eyes away, not even as Gaara began to growl low in his throat.

"Once I've washed it clean, I drain all of the blood."

Naruto made a small sound in the back of his throat. Gaara's growling grew louder. I saw Neji put a hand to his mouth and heard Shikamaru's footsteps behind me.

"After I've made sure it won't decay, I fill it with weapons, traps – whatever I choose, whatever we need – and make its addition official." (1)

In the stunned silence that followed, I heard Sakura's shaky whisper, "That's what he said. That's exactly what he said to me. He – oh God. Oh God. He's... he's going to..."

None of us spoke as she drifted off. We couldn't. From down below, I heard Deidara mutter a "Beautiful..." that was only audible because the silence was one of those dead ones where not even then wind dared interrupt. It was almost like we were being given time for it to sink in. Much like when Shisui had explained everything to me – it didn't.

"Are we done with all the theatrics, then?" my cousin said in an offhand, bored voice.

Jiraiya snorted and it made me wonder if he was the one who'd done it before as well. "They're the Akatsuki Performing Arts Company. They're never done with the theatrics."

As if on cue, everyone wearing a black and red coat in the shadows tensed, glints of silver reflecting in their hands or on their backs. And it was somewhat like a typical gang war movie that we'd been thrown into unwillingly, this 'watching from the sidelines' business. Everyone was just a little too far up to be centre, but at least they were visible, and it just made it seem like a play. This was the real entertainment for the night and our performances had just been an entrée of sorts.

I didn't even know Sakura wasn't behind me anymore until there was an ear-piercing scream from the opposite side of the room and a heart-stopping crunch as something connected with a very solid object. Thankful my eyes had adjusted to the dark by now, I snapped my head to the left and saw her standing by the hard wood desk in the corner, chest heaving as she dragged air into her lungs, her eyes wide and wild, glowing in the faint light shining up from the car park below.

"Why is this happening? Why? What did we do? Why do we have to sit here and listen to this when they're right down there? What's going to happen once they've settled all their scores or whatever else they were whinging about? We shouldn't be here!"

Naruto was beside her in half a second and in the silence that followed as we all stared, I chanced a glance down through the window and saw Sasori and Deidara grinning disturbingly. Directly at us.

"Looks like we have some eavesdroppers," Sasori smirked.

Sakura was hyperventilating, but I knew she was far angrier than scared. She was a controlling person by nature – we all were except Naruto and Shikamaru – and she didn't like having her feet ripped out from under her and be forced to sit, wait, listen, and watch everything happen but be unable to take part and get her own revenge for her experiences. She was over being scared. I think we all were. We were over it all; this whole, messed up, ridiculously dangerous, and unbelievable situation.

My eyes were frozen as Sasori and Deidara slowly began to step backwards out of the circle, staring up at our window the entire time. Orochimaru was released with a harsh push and, by the sound of his grunt of pain, probably a kick to the neck from Tobi.

Pein let him go at the same time and Orochimaru was shoved to the side with a mocking, "Time for you three to fix your mistakes, I think."

Tobi chuckled. "And anyone that came along with them."

My stomach dropped.

There was a thud and a crack simultaneously from somewhere close by.

Shisui, Jiraiya and Kakashi moved too fast and the people in the surrounding circles stepped closer, too many weapons now visible to count. Shisui was shouting something, I couldn't hear properly above the scuffle of feet and the blood pounding in my ears. I couldn't see what was happening because everyone was moving too fast but the sounds alone told me enough and I realised that in a way I didn't want to see it, but at the same time I had to.

Naruto was forcing me to turn around and Neji did the same to Gaara. Sakura was standing by the wall with her fist pressed to it, several cracks splintering outwards as she growled in the most determined, angry, and threatening voice I'd ever heard her use, "They come within ten feet of me and they die. I don't care what they do to other people; they're not doing it to me."

Shikamaru was in the middle of the room, fingertips pressed together, scowling at the carpet, and on the way past I gripped his arm tightly and told him that in situations like these you didn't think, you just did. One of us pulled the door open with more force than was necessary and the slam it made when it connected with the adjacent wall made us all flinch. We were all breathing heavily. We'd all shed our masks of calm indifference that we were trying desperately to hold on to before, and were left raw and terrified. We didn't know which way to go. We didn't know what to do. It was exactly how I'd described it to Haku: we were left on our arses in the middle of the road with no idea how we got there and no idea where to go.

We stared at each other, completely blank, and Naruto's grip on my hand grew painfully tight. I realised absently that I was probably doing exactly the same to Shikamaru's arm. But it was jerked out of my grip and I looked into fierce eyes as he scowled at us all.

"We're not moving."

A short, stunned, and confused silence.

"Shika," Sakura said lowly, "we have to. They're –"

"No," he interrupted, completely resolute.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I sort of like living so I'm opting for the let's run idea. Now."

Shikamaru's fist hit the wall and Gaara put the foot he'd lifted back to the ground, every one of us staring with wide eyes at the normally disinterested kid. "We will stay here because we were told to. If we run and they find us, there's no way anyone is going to know where we are. They've probably thought about this. They couldn't have guaranteed we were going to be quiet as the dead, pardon the analogy, and would have accounted for every possible situation. So we stay here; we wait."

I blinked, kicking myself mentally for being so stupid as to not think of it myself. It was obvious. It was what everyone was taught from their very early childhood. If you get lost, stay where you are. While we weren't lost, we had been told to stay, and if we moved we were as good as dead. Gaara didn't seem to see it that way, but Neji shut him up with a stern look and a low growl in the back of his throat.

Naruto nodded, for once catching on fast enough, and said, "Then we stay in the room. I'm not staying in the hall. There's only one way they can get into that room unless they can fly, and while I'm not totally ruling it out, I highly doubt they can."

Everyone nodded and Neji dragged Gaara inside after us, but before we could close the door a hand appeared in between the frame and the door and Sakura screamed before Naruto could slam a hand over her mouth.

"Sasuke? Sasuke! Was that you?"

I could have fainted in relief, but covered it with a quick scowl and wrenched the door open. "Hell no that wasn't me, and –"

"What the fuck is happening?"

Gaara had pounced as soon as he'd seen my brother, someone he recognised and deemed safe enough to abuse, and his hands gripped the front of Itachi's jacket as he got right up into his face.

"You all know what's happening," Itachi said in his calm, blank voice. The voice he used when he was either about to sna, or he was being normal for once. I prayed to everything up there in every religion that it was the latter.

"Where are –"

"And it would be much appreciated if you were to remove your hands. I don't like confrontation."

I lifted an eyebrow at that, but then there were heavy footsteps from down the hall and Kisame and some tall, thin man with faded blue-ish hair came barrelling around the corner. My brother grabbed me and Gaara by the backs of our collars with a grunt and began half dragging, half leading us around corners and down hallways and through backrooms until we were outside. I did my best to keep up, wildly reached out a hand behind me as I heard Naruto's distressed heavy breathing not far away, and relaxed a scary amount when I felt his hand clasp onto mine desperately, both running together.

There were loud voices coming from the main theatre and Tsunade's loud voice booming out something I couldn't remember. We passed Shizune at some point and she nodded to us as we ran out the door and into the car park at the opposite side of the building.

It all happened too fast. One second we were in the room on the second floor and the next we were being separated, and thrown none too gently into someone's car with the doors slammed shut behind us. Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji were in the other man's car, while Gaara, Sakura and I were in Kisame's. And saying that made me uncomfortable was the understatement of the century.

My mind was racing the whole way home, but it never managed to get far from Naruto before it was reeled back in and I was fidgeting uncomfortably in the back seat while Itachi gushed nonsense in the front seat, Gaara racked off a very long list of profanities under his breath, and Sakura was sandwiched between us with her knees brought up to her chest, all the fierceness from before long gone.

But Itachi was sane Itachi and he wasn't gushing but ranting. He was angry and that just made me more uncomfortable, because by the sound of things he knew exactly what happened in Akatsuki, and all he was pissed off about was that I had nearly been roped into it. All he was concerned about was me and what Orochimaru did. And he was livid. I heard Shisui's name dropped a few times but I couldn't tell if he was angry or not, my mind too full to pay attention to anything other than the nervous energy clawing at my stomach.

It was the night Shisui had spilled everything to me all over again. I couldn't think in full sentences and nothing made sense, but this time, instead of hating myself for not being able to do anything, I was hating myself because I didn't do anything.

Every part of me screamed that there was nothing I possibly could have done short of going down there and getting the shit kicked out of me or quite likely killed, and that would've just made things messier than they already were.

And what was happening back there? What did Kakashi, Shisui and Jiraiya do when they suddenly flipped out? Were Sasori, Deidara, and Orochimaru looking for us? Was Orochimaru still around? What would they do with him?

"Stop it."

My eyes snapped over to Sakura and I narrowed them in question as she laid a delicate hand on my knee.

"Stop thinking. Thinking won't work. Nothing will work. It's not about us anymore – it never really was. We just spurred it into action and now it's an old rivalry. Thinking won't get anyone anywhere."

"But doing will," Gaara scowled, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"There's nothing we can do!"

"Shut up. All of you just shut up. You don't have a say in anything that happens anymore so just shut your mouths and get over it. It's between us, Sharingan and Orochimaru's mistakes, not you, not your petty little grudges, and if you try and make it about you, I'll personally see to it that you don't get in the way anymore."

Itachi said nothing, just squared his shoulders like he agreed with his boyfriend's words. Definitely sane Itachi, then. Sane and cold. Sane and angry. Sane and rational. But then I saw a hand appear alongside the passenger door and reach around behind, and I took it in my own, our pale skin matching. For some reason my heart calmed a little and nothing seemed as frantic.

The ride home was shorter than I'd remembered and we were dumped unceremoniously, all of us at mine and Itachi's house. Itachi spared me a glance and a squeeze of the hand before Gaara slammed the door closed and they were gone and Naruto was in my arms and squeezing the life out of me as his body shook.

"Did you have any idea?" he whispered as the others let themselves inside after I threw the key to Shikamaru.

I shook my head and replied, "No..." into his hair.

"Would you still have done it?"

I set my jaw and forced out the absolute truth. "Yes."

His arms tightened.

---

I didn't know how late it was when we finally stumbled into bed. Sakura had decided she didn't want to be on her own so she took our spare room almost the second we walked in the door, giving us all a subdued 'goodnight', and slamming the door in Naruto's face. I didn't think Shisui would be coming home tonight anyway.

I sat outside her door for a while, not willing to try and make conversation with the others like Naruto was doing. I couldn't get my mind off my cousin and my brother. Especially my brother. He was back there, back at that theatre, and I had no way of knowing what was happening. I'd been hoping against hope that Itachi would stay in that confused, childish mood, because once he joined in, where did that leave Shisui? Did Shisui overlook Itachi or treat him as just another Akatsuki member? But Itachi was the one that had been taken from Sharingan, so which side was he even on?

My father had gone after the Akatsuki because they'd stolen his son and turned him inside out and back to front – so what did that make him? He was still an Uchiha, insane or not, and he was a part of our family despite how much our parents denied it and that Itachi didn't remember it. But he had gone back to the battlefield, if you will, and that made me nervous.

Same appeared out of the shadows at the hallway's end and slowly stalked up to me with wide, curious eyes. He sat down a couple of feet away, not quite close enough to pet, and the curious look turned to accusation as his tail swished angrily behind him.

I sighed. "I don't know where he is either, cat."

I looked up as I heard the front door close and footsteps pad quietly up to me, seeing Naruto looking exhausted out of his mind but trying to hide it with an empty, lop-sided smile.

"Tem just picked up Shikamaru and the other two lovebirds have gone back to Neji's," he said quietly as he sat down, leaning against the wall next to me.

I just nodded, thankful for his presence as Same turned his back on me and retreated into the shadows again like the freaky cat he was.

Naruto bent his knees halfway and slung his arms over them, nodding his head behind me at Sakura's door and murmuring, "Is she asleep?"

I paused, listening for a moment before answering. "No, not yet."

He nodded with a grim smile and a thoughtful silence stretched out between us. It got too unbearable too quickly – I'd had too much silence from Naruto for too long – and before I could stop myself I was resting my head on his shoulder and whispering, "Sorry..." in exhaustion.

His hand found mine. "It doesn't matter. It's over now anyway."

I shook my head with a hard frown. "It's not over until they all come home."

I could hear Naruto's heartbeat speed up as he answered in a no-room-for-argument voice, "They will."

I wanted to believe him, but I'd never been one for optimism. I'd seen what kind of people they were, and while I felt relatively confident about Shisui because he knew, Itachi would probably have a timely breakdown, forget it all right in the middle of it, and get himself killed by cosying up to someone who didn't know who he was. Or he would just go crazy eyes and I would fear for everyone else's lives. Especially Shisui's.

But maybe he would come out of this alive, maybe he would be fine – but then what? Tobi and Pein had sent Orochimaru, Deidara, and Sasori after us to 'fix their mistakes', yet my brother, Kisame, and some random guy, who were part of the Akatsuki, let us go. I couldn't imagine them taking kindly to that, unless there was something I didn't understand.

And Naruto had his aunt and uncle, a woman kinder than his aunt was, and a man who was practically his father, who were all involved. What I felt was only a small portion of what he must've been feeling.

But somehow he managed to gently lift my head up and smile at me and tell me we would disturb Sakura so let's go to bed. Somehow he managed to convince me that brushing my teeth and getting changed mattered. Somehow he managed to make me take my stage make-up off and get concerned over the faint bruise below my eye. Somehow he managed to ignore the two very large and very packed bags at the foot of my bed.

I couldn't.

This 'love' business is all very corny, isn't it?

"Sasuke..." he murmured as he curled up to me, head on my chest and arm thrown around my waist.

"Mm?"

"I... I missed you, y'know."

I blinked, tightening the arm I had around his shoulders.

"And I mean it, too. I really... I really do love you."

I frowned. He said it like he didn't believe me. I narrowed my eyes. I did not go all sappy and romantic on him in the middle of all that and in front of an entire theatre for him to just not believe me.

I gently tugged on his shoulder until he was on his back and I was hovering above him, propped up on my elbow. I let my other hand rest against his hipbone, thumb caressing the skin that his t-shirt had revealed when it rode up. I said with my eyes that I missed him too, because somehow it felt wrong to voice something so trivial in the midst of what was happening around us, and whispered "I love you too," against his lips, like if I said it too loud then someone would come and scold me for being selfish when there was a high possibility my brother wasn't coming home tonight.

But when I felt his hot breath whisper, "I know," and when our lips met for the first time in too long, I found I really couldn't have cared less about what anyone else said. Because Naruto was mine again and I'd been craving this.

Kissing him at the play had been nice, but this was something else entirely. This was what I'd been missing. This was the touch I wanted. This was what we both needed. His breath was hot against my lips and his hands at my waist, bunched in my oversized shirt. His lips were just as curious as before, but this time a little more demanding, like he was a bit pissed off with me. His skin was smooth under my palms as I pressed them to his sides and I felt the shiver as my tongue traced his lips, instantly allowed in. It was slow and it was amazing and it was Naruto. Finally.

But when one of his fingers traced up my side and lead the rest to grip my hair tightly, I knew that something wasn't right.

I pushed against his hand and pulled my head back to look at him with narrowed eyes, and saw that his were narrowed in a look that I was at a loss to describe. He wasn't happy, that was for sure, but he wasn't angry either. He seemed torn between the two, confused and frustrated – lost, almost.

"Naruto...?" I didn't know what to make of it.

He pursed his lips and I withdrew my hand enough so that it was back to resting innocently on his hip. Our legs were tangled, but I liked the warmth and I knew he did to, so I didn't move them.

"I want you to promise me something."

I felt a flicker of... something, and I found myself pleading that he wouldn't ask me to stay because I knew I wouldn't have been able to refuse him. Tense, I nodded my head.

"Don't do that again."

"...Sorry?"

"Don't keep me out of things that I'm directly involved in, even if you think it's for my own good or you're just being selfish or whatever – just don't." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I know... I know that you couldn't have known trying to get Orochimaru back would turn into that insane mess, but it still started out with you and me and that's how it should have stayed. I took a big risk telling you my secret and I appreciate you returning the favour, but it didn't have to stop there." His eyes opened again and I could tell he was restraining from getting too mad at me. "You know what? I don't even know what I'm saying. But, just... it hurts not to know, okay? Especially when it's not just... when it's us, you know?"

I sighed, my heart twisting painfully in my chest as I nodded slowly. I knew how it felt to be shut out and left behind like that.

"Only if you promise to not tell me to stop, whatever the circumstances, because I won't. I'm not saying that same thing is going to happen because if Shisui and my father have anything to say about it then it definitely won't, but... I don't know what's going to happen later on. Wherever I'll be."

He gave me a half-smile, clearly understanding what I was getting at, and suddenly pulled my arm out from under me and causing me to fall with a surprised 'oof' onto the mattress. He pulled me close in a sudden change of heart and pressed his head into the crook of my neck.

"I promise to let you be as much of a macho man as you want and I won't interfere when you take after your cousin and throw yourself in with people like Orochimaru and whoever else they were and nearly get killed because you're a stubborn bastard and wouldn't listen to me anyway."

I nodded, "Thank you," and chuckled through my nose as he snorted.

The silence lengthened, a hundred times more comfortable than the last few we'd been forced to sit through tonight, and to my surprise, his breath began to grow heavier with sleep. My mind was still frantic, my ears sharp for any sounds that would clue me in to either Shisui's or Itachi's arrival home, my heart rate picking up speed as I realised that this would be yet another long night full of staring at the cracks in the ceiling and trying not to claw my eyes out.

But Naruto put a hand on my chest and whispered, "Teme, don't stress. We're all safe and it's up to them now. I promise you'll see them tomorrow."

I tilted my head at an awkward angle to look at him and asked, "What about you?"

He shrugged and yawned. "I'll go back home tomorrow and see them. They're tough, they'll be fine."

And he said it with such confidence, absolutely no doubt in his words, that I momentarily wished that I could have a little of his resolute faith in people. Sometimes I thought my family's superiority complex had rubbed off on me because I always had this idea in my head that if I couldn't do it then no one else could. I had to keep reminding myself that every single person out there was more than capable and try to ignore the fact that Itachi was insane and had a habit of forgetting where he was.

I stroked Naruto lightly on the top of his head, stiffening when he murmured something that sounded distinctly like a sleep-laced, "Stay here," into my chest.

Suddenly the back of my head began to ache and I knew that I definitely wouldn't be sleeping tonight. But eventually the sun came peeking through the gaps between the curtains in all its pathetic paleness and I got too restless to lie there any longer as my thoughts came in full circle for at least the thousandth time.

Carefully, I eased my arm out from where Naruto had confiscated it during the night and moved off the bed as slowly as I could without it being painful. I rearranged the spare blanket around Naruto's shoulders because, being the geniuses we were, we slept on top of the doona, and made my way silently out of the room.

I turned to walk towards the far end of the hall before heading to the kitchen, where I'd originally planned to go, and stopped outside Sakura's door to make sure she'd managed to fall asleep eventually. Satisfied with the deep breathing I could hear, I very hazily made my way back down the hall and into the kitchen, pushing my palms against the edge of the sink and leaning forwards heavily.

Itachi's room had been silent. He hadn't come home yet.

And I sincerely hoped I really could tack that 'yet' onto the end of that sentence.

I got myself a glass of water almost mechanically, staring out the window at the dull grey sky with only the first beginnings of sunlight hitting the trees in pale, faded patches.

I hated sunrises.

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears and my thought crashing around in my head because nothing got up early in winter. There were no birds and no animals. It was dead.

And when the silence was broken by the click of the front door I jumped a mile, sprinting out of the kitchen and dropping the glass with a loud smash in the process. I stopped thinking properly the instant Itachi gave me a blank look as he closed the door behind him, and didn't think at all when I ran the small distance and practically launched myself at him in a way that would've been mortifying if anyone had seen and reminded me of when I was six. Luckily Sakura and Naruto slept like the dead and I wrapped my arms around my brother tightly as he awkwardly returned the gesture.

"You arsehole," I growled, pulling back and punching him solidly in the arm. "You had me worried sick. What did you think you were doing, going back there? And with no explanation! You could've fucking died and I wouldn't have any idea what you were doing or why or anything."

He just looked at me with that blank stare, eyes completely empty.

My eyes darted between each of his, searching for a response and a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. "Itachi...? What happened?"

He winced, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and leaned back against the door. "I don't know, Sasuke. I don't... Too much... I don't understand why – why he..."

I put a hand on the arm I'd punched. "Why…?"

Itachi squeezed his eyes shut tighter before opening them and giving me a look that sent child down my spine.

"Sasori's dead."

And in the shocked but not surprised silence, he punched the door behind him as he pushed himself off it, making his way to the bathroom with heavy steps and slamming the door.

And all I could think was 'I wonder what Sakura will say'.

(1) - Quote taken directly (well, that last line altered slightly) from Naruto episode 240. I couldn't tell you what Shippuuden episode number it is, but both seasons combined its episode 240. Just saving my arse, here... KL Lover says it's episode 20 of Shippuden. Listen to her.

I'm really insanely sorry if that was devastatingly anticlimactic... there was nothing else I could think of doing that wouldn't involve more chapters and it getting more ridiculous than it already is.

D'aaw, and check out the brotherly love, yo. Isn't it beautiful? –shot-

But guess what? Next chapter is the last one!! ZOMGIKNOWWHUT?!HOSHIT!

Well, then the epilogue, so I guess it's two but still --!! Wow. It's sorta... strange to think about... Well it's been a freakin' long time coming, that's for sure. Anyway, I'll say it all after the epilogue so~.... until next week! Hope you can hold on! Mwahaha.

Reviews loved and devoured and cherished and pinned up on my wall. Well okay, maybe not pinned up on my wall, but it's the thought that counts, right? I love you?

XD

~WY