Misery Business

Author: Ladelle

Rating: M

Comments: I will chat with you all at the bottom, today!

Thanks again to Akaru-chan, my beta. I promise I will have another chapter to you this week...even if it kills me!

Chapter 25: Broken Promises

Naruto twisted underneath a gathering of thick cloth, letting the smooth fabric slide over his bandaged torso He mumbledto himself as a heavy weight settled over his forehead. It lingered for only a moment before relieving itself and Naruto felt his head turn towards the abandoning heat, breathing deeply as he settled flat onto his back. His hand drifted to his eyes and rested on the bridge of his nose, blocking a light he assumed to be the sun. It was much tooquiet, and histhroat felthoarse. His body felt light, despite the weight of the blankets covering him. Only a dull soreness gripped his abdomen: a stark change from the burning agitation he had grown accustomed to. He felt his long lashes brush the peak of his cheekbones as he dismissed the lazy pull of sleep and he coughed.

"I brought tea today. I figured you would be sick of water."

Naruto turned towards the familiar voice, wiping away a thin run of drool that had collected at the corner of his mouth. He blinked quickly to adjust to the bright light and took a deep breath as his eyes found those of his visitor.

"I feel like shit."

He heard a clinking sound and saw a small kettle and glass settle beside him.There was a long moment of silence and Naruto felt the bed tilt, suddenly aware that his visitor had taken a seat next to him. His bright blue eyes made their final adjustments to the blinding light of day before meeting familiar onyx eyes.

"Your fever's gone." Sasuke's voice was calm, but the blonde sensed an undertone of relief. He realized momentarily that he didn't feel as ill as he did sore, and in a passing thought he discovered that his head no longer pounded with the inclination of a concussion. He felt a more natural smile tug at his lips and he made and effort to pull himself into a sitting position.

"How long have I been out?" Naruto yawned and stretched his arms high above his head, grimacing slightly as he felt stress over his ribs.

"Not even a day and you're nearly healed." The Uchiha's voice was strangely heavy and with an emotion that Naruto didn't recognize. He leaned over and lifted a glass of tea from the bedside table and sipped it, the cooling sensation of liquid trickling down his throat and rippling through his body like caffeine. It seemed to remind him that he was awake and his figure immediately started, the familiar energy of daily life coursing his veins. He frowned.

"I take back my earlier comment. I feel surprisingly…good."

He was slightly confused. He had been terribly injured and close to hospitalization. It wasn't normal for someone to be energetic and active a mere three days after a traumatic experience, even less following a concussion and internal injury. Naruto eyed his hands carefully, noting that the scars he had received from shuffling around in the alleyway had completely vanished. He allowed his eyebrows to furrow before glancing up towards Sasuke. The raven was eyeing him with a narrow expression.

"This is weird." Naruto stated, and wasn't entirely sure if he was referring to his lack of injury or Sasuke's silence. However, the latter was broken.

"Fascinating." Sasuke replied and Naruto shook his head, now knowing that the vacant expression on his partner's face was a reflection of his fast healing progress.

"It's probably another after effect of the preservation process." Naruto's mind plundered through the well of knowledge he had gathered on cryo-preservation and he tilted his head upwards in thought. He examined his hand and peeled back the bandages across his waist with interest, admiring the smooth and unblemished surface of his tanned skin. Even the gruesome purple welt the appendix machine had left on his stomach had vanished and Naruto had a vague notion that his quick-to-gain health wasn't normal.

"To be honest, it has to be a result of a miscalculation. Too much cryocooler maybe?" Now he was just thinking to himself. "Actually, that would explain a lot…"

It was only a moment before he realized that he was rambling, and he met Sasuke's eyes with an embarrassed sort of flush. He shook his head.

"Never mind all of that."

Sasuke knelt forward and rested his chin on his hand. He looked intrigued.

"No, explain." His voice was cold, and Naruto wondered if the mogul was still upset with him for running away in a drunken stupor. Naruto knelt backwards against the headboard and nodded slowly, curious as to why Sasuke was interested in his train of thought.

"Well, in theory…Cryocooler is a helium substitute. You probably already know that though. It's a coolant—and an expander. So if it was used in a cryochamber, it would not only freeze the organs using natural processes, but it would also inflate them, leaving less chance for damage. If someone put too much in with me…well, it may have reversed the cell ionization, causing…is this making any sense?"

Sasuke was still staring intently, his expression slightly more intent. His eyes had narrowed and his lips had pursed.

"Anyhow, if it had reversed cell ionization, it would have made, in theory, some of my cells…immortal? It sounds crazy but I'm positive that's what would happen…And not only that, but it would explain my acrophobia."

There was a slight pause. Sasuke spoke. "And how's that?"

Naruto glanced over towards the boy and knocked on his own blonde head.

"There's helium in here."

The idea was foreign because Naruto had never thought of it before. Using a coolant to de-mortalize cells? It seemed impossible. But under the right conditions anything could be made feasible.

"It definitely wasn't intentional." Naruto added quickly "I'm positive whoever stuck me in there didn't intend on me waking up."

There was another long pause and Naruto turned to Sasuke before licking his lips and drawing out a sigh. "That's the first time I've really thought hard about cryo-technology since I've been here."

The raven sat backwards and frowned. He looked in a thought of deep contemplation.

"You know a lot." Sasuke sounded somewhat surprised.

"I told you that I did."

"Yes. But not soon after you got trashed and decided to pick a street fight."

Naruto frowned and knelt forward slightly. "I told you that it was an accident."

Sasuke didn't respond and Naruto could tell that he was doing his best to not argue. The blonde sighed.

"Look, I know that you've done a lot for me. Because of that, I don't like it when we're…this way."

He wasn't entirely sure why his comment had emerged sounding so intimate, but the tone didn't seem to effect Sasuke so he continued.

"We haven't had a chance to talk about that night."

Sasuke peered up at this comment and blinked slowly, making Naruto breath hard. Sometimes the Uchiha looked like a porcelain doll, and though Naruto knew he was incredibly resilient, there were times when Sasuke seemed almost vulnerable.

"So talk." Was his answer.

Naruto stumbled through his sentence, not entirely prepared with what to say. "Okay, well…um…I got drunk…"

"Brilliant deduction."

Naruto glared and spoke louder and with more assertion. "Look, I don't think you understand what's going on in my head. There's a hit man out for me…and it's most likely from one of my closest friends…and I'm in the future. Meaning I have little means of retaliating. And if it is either Kiba or Sakura, I can't go back to the past…because there's nothing there for me…" His voice was getting slower as he felt his mind coming to a conclusion to his thoughts, and he felt his voice grow low.

"And aside from that…I don't even think I want to go back. It doesn't even make any sense, I mean—my closest friends consist of a cop who's ready to arrest me, a college student who's obsessed with the past, a moonlighting bartender…and you. You—a guy that for some reason completely beyond me I'd rather be dodging kisses around rather than arguing with. How fucked up is that?"

Naruto ran both of his hands over his scalp, massaging his temples as he did so. After a moment, the extent of his comment hit him and he glared upward at the other man.

"And that doesn't mean that I want you to kiss me, by the way. It's just that, well, you're kind of my best friend and it feels like crap to disappoint people you admire."

There was a pause and Naruto decided that he had said too much. He rubbed his eyes.

"I'm not disappointed in you."

Naruto peeked out from behind his palms and rolled his eyes. "Right."

"I'm angry. You made a promise to me, and you're going to break it."

Naruto glared. "What?"

"Idiot."

The raven stood up and dusted off a straight-faced suit, obviously prepared for office work. He looked ready to depart and Naruto struggled to the side of the bed.

"Wait—don't just leave." His tone was irritated. "You mean about your brother, right?"

Sasuke glared at him.

Naruto shook his head. "Look, I don't want you to leave angry at me. I told you I was an idiot…and that it wouldn't happen again. What else can I do to prove it to you?"

Sasuke looked down at him and spoke, his face cool and direct.

"Stay with me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Sasuke turned so that he was facing Naruto more clearly. He spoke again, this time redefining his statement.

"Sign as co-owner to Uchiha Industries. It means no games, and no stunts. It also means that you can't go back to your time, even if you discover a way."

Naruto struggled forward, his brain chewing away at the proposition.

"Wha-? But why?"

Sasuke turned towards the door. "I'm late for a meeting. I would like an answer before tomorrow."

Naruto let his eyebrows narrow as the door closed behind the raven-haired man and he bit his lip in irritation. He may have been knocked out for less than a day, but something had obviously happened. He saw an icon next to his bed and picked it up. Whatever it was, he was sure to find out.

Sasuke approached the cement rigging with an air of irritation, turning his head slightly to watch a personal driver disappear with his vehicle into a rounded bend of parking structures. It was rare that he made the arduous journey to the main Uchiha Facility and he felt an annoying tug at the base of his skull as he debated whether or not he truly wanted to enter. It was meaningful whenever he did choose to visit, mainly because this particular building had been set aside specifically for private use. And when the word private was used, it was common knowledge that whatever happenings occurred inside would never leave, even at the risk of illegal actions. Sasuke had tried hard to deviate from this selective path and so far had been doing amazingly well. After all, the facility had been under his brother's control at one point, and though he respected his brother dearly, some of his methods had pulled Sasuke off guard.

He twisted around a thin corner of concrete walls, stepping carefully over a bundle of wires that were gathered at the base of the building's lower window lodgings. He grimaced as the lower trim of his pleated trousers paled with the spray of loose and dry dirt, and decided to ignore the downgrade of his appearance. It was impossible to enter the facility unscathed no matter who you were, and if all he had to show for it was dirt, he could remain satisfied.

A peak of sunlight brushed between the two warehouse buildings Sasuke was weaving between, and he felt his eyes constrict at the sudden rush of vivid light. He balanced himself against the right sidelong wall and emerged from the small alleyway in which he crept, not surprised to see a familiar figure standing almost predictably before him, outstretched in a lazy stance before a dried fountain sculpture. Sasuke lifted his vision and approached the man, his lips curling upward in comment.

"It's been a while, Kakashi."

The man lifted his head, revealing a rather bored expression.Stark gray hair drifted over pale features and Sasuke recognized a familiar eye patch, covering a wound he knew all too well about. As he stepped forward, the older man clicked his tongue.

"It's a little early for you to be wandering around alone, don't you think?"

Sasuke neared the man and walked forward down a cobblestone courtyard path, allowing Kakashi to follow. The thick and crackling brush of feet echoed in the small arena, and Sasuke answered.

"I can handle myself. It's you that I came to see anyway."

Kakashi chuckled and pulled a hand over his heart. "I'm touched."

Sasuke turned his head backwards and took in his friend, suddenly aware of how long it had been since they had spoken. The raven was vaguely aware that the encounter had been recent to Sakura's promotion to his fiancée and he shook his head slowly. So much time had passed and he was breathing deeply as he collected his thoughts. It was unlike him to be anxious and he straightened the hem of his wrinkled collared shirt before turning a corner to a small brick and mortar office building.

"Is this a safe place for us to talk?" he ventured and Kakashi nodded before walking in front of the younger Uchiha and pullingopen a heavy glass door. Sasuke nodded and allowed himself inside a small, organized room and sat quietly as Kakashi closed and bolted the door.

"I haven't seen you this serious in a while," Kakashi seated himself next to Sasuke and finished his thought. "And that's saying something."

The Uchiha shrugged noncommittally and raised his eyes in a devious motion.

"I know that we haven't spoken for a while, but I have a favor to ask."

The older man snorted and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. "Aside from babysitting your fiancée?"

There was a moment of silence and Sasuke glared defiantly at his friend. Kakashi laughed out loud and settled even further into his chair, crossing his legs in a distracting way. Black leather pants clung to the narrow angles his legs created and Sasuke felt his eyes drift upward towards the athletic build of his senior, taking in the smooth crest of paling flesh beneath a black polyester tunic. Hatake Kakashi had always been an attractive man, and like all subjects that were kind to the eye, he was equally as deadly. Sasuke knew this piece of information as a fact.

"Yes. In fact, after this favor she may need to be watched even closer."

Kakashi leaned forward, a brilliant run of light causing his eyes to shimmer. Sasuke felt the man's curiosity peak, and wondered how long it had been since his former mentor had received any exciting assignments.

"I need you to find Jiraiya." Sasuke's voice was low and fluid.

There was a moment of silence until the gray haired man spoke, his tone slightly irked.

"That's nearly impossible."

Sasuke snorted. "For a normal person, yes. For you, hardly."

Kakashi stood up and ran a hand over his chest, an action that was smooth and diverting. Sasuke watched as he paced, prepared to do anything to have his friend accept his proposal.

"Do you have any leads?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded. "He's got to be somewhere in state. He isn't one to stray far from what he desires."

"And that would be…?" Kakashi questioned. After a mere second, the gray haired man nodded to himself. "Your little blonde friend, I'm betting. Naruto Uzumaki, correct?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the sudden rush of knowledge. "You know a lot for a retired hit man."

Kakashi laughed jovially. "I prefer to be called a con artist."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that this request will be directly in line with your newest wannabe. Subaku Gaara's on Uzumaki."

This seemed to halt the older man in his tracks and he whistled lightly. His eye had widened somewhat and Sasuke could tell that he had perked his senior's interest, especially when a delicious smile curled over the pale man's features.

"What's my time limit?" Kakashi questioned and the Uchiha felt a satisfied smirk take over his lips. He cleared his throat.

"No more than two days. And while you're out, someone needs to be on Sakura. I think she's been getting messages out to people."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"How else would Uzumaki have been discovered so easily?" It was more of a statement than a question and older man nodded in agreement.

"Right. I'll put Iruka on it. Anything else?"

Sasuke ran a hand over his chin and contemplated for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. Not for now at least."

Kakashi turned to the door to leave and glanced back accordingly. "I'll leave first. And kiddo, don't get in over your head. Even I wouldn't want to chance Subaku, no matter how good I am at the old slice-and-dice."

The Uchiha frowned faintly and as the man left. After all, at this point in time, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice.

A/N--> Thanks for all of your review! Makes me happy.

Alright guys...::sigh::...I tried SO hard to write at least one chapter and I only got seven pages in...so for the next two weeks I'm only going to update once. So, next sunday and then the sunday after that...and hopefully by that time I will have the entire thing written and I will switch back. Thank you for your patience--I appreciate it and I can guarentee that it will pay off.

I've been getting a lot of the same questions from different people through my review and I decided to shed a little light on them.

1. How did Naruto wake up (in the future)? Ah, the mystery. Well, if any of you missed it, when he met Sakura, she did say something like, "I...I thought you were dead." And after this chapter, he even states that whoever put him in didn't intend on him surviving. So, I can assure you all that the true answer to this question will be revealed in chapter 33 which I am writing right now.

2. How far ahead are you on the story? I am finishing chapter 33 right now and I'm guessing that there will be about 40-45 chapters in the story. They are progressively getting longer so there isn't a need for quantity.

3. Why do you call him 'Subaku' and not 'Sabaku'? Good question. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about it until you guys commented on it...but for the sake of consistency, I'm just going to leave is as Subaku. I'll fix it in my next fic though.

4. It is Kiba and Sakura, right? Hmmm. I wouldn't be a good author if I gave all that away, now would I?

Okay, and now on another note, I have finally watched a few episodes of Kyou Kara Maou. It is ridiculously funny. Thank you for all of your helpful advice. Ha.

NARUTO (SPOILERS)

OMG! This chapter was the best one EVER! I knew the fourth was his father--I knew it! But then, why did he take his mother's last name? And I really want to know what Itachi told him now...And I have a feeling that something is up with he and Sasuke's upcoming battle. Is it just me or does it seem just a little out-of-the-blue?

::squeals:: Go Naruto! Your dad was a genius and so are you. Hurrah!