Chapter 30: Tempus Fugit pt2
Pairings: Naru/Sasu
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, full stop...(but Kishi...if you want to sign it over to me, you wouldn't regret it...promise.)
Summary: Remember that summer camp you went to: that quaint place out in the woods, by a lake, sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories and eating s'mores? Well this summer school sure as HELL isn't that. Three months, Sasuke, teenage delinquents, illegal alcohol, prescription drugs, annoying shrinks, escape plans, a shitzu from hell and new relationships...welcome to camp.
A word to all my readers;
Tried as I might, I couldn't retrieve the fully, complete, ready-to-post chapter that had so many details that I know I've forgotten. I couldn't believe what a complete idiot I was. #sigh. (Could've beaten myself). Well, I hope this rewrite lives up to the first one. Sorry for the wait guys, you have been so patient.
***Uchiha Itachi's Apartment Complex***
His eyes hurt.
Itachi raised a hand with slender pianist fingers to futilely rub the weariness out of his red orbs before getting back to staring blankly at the indecipherable message his brother had not-so-subtly pressed into his hand at visitation.
"I am fine. Tell your boss that you need some time off; you're working too hard. And please take the time out to Care for the Howling Insects.
(#) 2255 6463 663 663 836.3687 (.5)
66 6267 5263
08/31".
Itachi had tried everything to decipher the thing; he twisted the note, bent it, put in on a light table and, even after precisely copying the note out word for word, he then squeezed lemon juice on the sheet to see if somehow Sasuke had managed to write something in invisible ink.
It was a long shot, but then again this was Sasuke he was dealing with.
Nada.
Nothing.
Bupkiss.
His head slipped into his arms, eyes closed. A second later he felt a familiar presence behind him and strong hands on his tense shoulders.
"The Anderson complex plans, again?"
Itachi shifted his head to the side, allowing tendrils of inky hair to slip over his pale face and sighed. "I wish...even though those are a serious pain I have something way more trying to deal with..." he pushed the note over to Kisame. "...the message that Sasuke gave me...it's more mysterious that what exactly happened at the Kennedy assassination."
The deep chuckle that he enticed from Kisame made him smile slightly. The large dreadlocks man, while still chuckling, pulled up the adjacent seat. "Let me take a crack at it."
Itachi reared up and stretched his shoulder while mumbling, "Be my guest, but be warned...Sasuke isn't...predictable."
"You're preaching to the choir, the congregation and the pulpit baby...my brother is worse." Grabbing a plain sheet of paper and Itachi's discarded pen, Kisame scanned the note twice and whistled lowly. "Damn Itachi...your bother ...he's good."
Pale neck snapped around, "W...what?"
Silently Kisame jotted down, 'I.T.A.C.H.I.' and slid the paper over to him. "It's your name 'Tachi...he's getting your attention."
"How did I miss that?" the older Uchiha mumbled to himself astounded.
"Simple." The engineer said softly while getting up and making his way to the kitchen, "You've been exhausted lately. Still want the cocoa?"
"Yes, extra milk, please." Itachi said unfocusedly while picking up the original paper and squinting at the line of numbers at the bottom.
(#) 2255 6463 663 663 836.3687 (.5)
66 6267 5263
08/31".
A cup of steaming hot cocoa was placed before him. Palming the aromatic beverage he took sip, moaned and closed his eyes for a moment while and revelling in the sweet warmth spreading through his body.
"Don't do that." Kisame chided, "You're going to make me think things."
Itachi spluttered, "L...like w-what?"
"If you really want to know, there is a convenient place called a bedroom..." he trailed off, the deep husk of his voice resounding in Itachi's ear.
A thrill ran through the older Uchiha's body. "Tempting...but I need to figure out the rest of this message..." Itachi leaned back on the stomach of the body behind him, "...time...just give me some time...I'll figure it out."
***flashback***
The sound of shuffling feet alerted him to the blond entering the room and sitting at the edge of his bed, a fold of cream paper in his hands and a completely spaced out look on his face.
Sasuke couldn't help it. "You've just inhaled some helium balloons, haven't you?"
Blue eyes looked up and blankly met black. Sasuke, getting progressively concerned got up and moved to sit beside the older teen. "What's wrong?"
Silently Naruto flipped the sheet of paper around to meet his eyes. Sasuke took in the bold seal and the headline blaring; "Hyuuga and Hyuuga," and went static.
"Dobe..." he asked carefully, "...what is that?"
The blond then whispered in a hallowed and disbelieving tone; "It's from Hinata...she's getting her lawyers to review my case."
***present***
Every scenario flashed through Sasuke's mind in that moment, both good and bad. The good was that Naruto could be cleared...the bad was that if found guilty he would be shipped off to hard-core prison.
He breathed.
"Let me see that letter." He proposed and was silently handed over the sheet of stiff, bonded cream paper.
The attorneys of Hyuuga and Hyuuga hereby give formal notice that under the patronage of Hyuuga Hinata, heiress and major shareholder, will be commencing a compressive review of the case brought to our attention regarding the following:
The accused: Uzumaki Naruto.
Age: 18
Status: Military Dependant and Navy Seal Expectant
Charges: Attempted Murder, Pre-mediated Murder, Aggravated Assault and Grand Larceny.
Case File: MI#3445890: Arrested under report of attempted murder against present guardian name: Avilov Kyuubi, native of the Russia federation and naturalized Japanese citizen, with Liquid Mercury and Arsenic.
Please be advised that this review is completely pro- bono, and there will be no addition charges for our services.
Also please be aware Uzumaki-san, that according to the case files presented to us, this is your last appeal, and the consequences of failing this appeal will result in sentencing to maximum prison or executions under the law.
Be assured though that we will be doing everything in our power to assure your freedom.
Regards;
Higurashi Kato. Senior Attorney-At-Law,
Sasuke went quiet for a moment, fingers imperceptibly clenching and unclenching on the piece of paper.
A beat.
"Sasuke?"
Hair shadowing his eyes he pushed up from the bed and mumbled, "Excuse me for a minute."
"Something wrong, teme?"
Pushing the door open to the cold night he mumbled, "Yeah...something is."
While picking at his supper Sasuke's mind was eons away, turning, contorting and summarily discarding every plan to get Orochimaru to trip himself up. He knew, without a doubt that even if he did testify against the mob king the only thing it would bring was more problems from him and the people he worked with.
Then something sprung into his mind; something so simple he didn't really consider it. Make no mistake, he didn't really have any particular love for his father's advice but one solid line stood out in his mind, his father would always say, "The dullest ink is better that the sharpest memory."
Ink...ink...in-
His chopsticks met the table, eyes wide. INK!
He needed ink...as in the verbal kind. He needed Orochimaru to slay himself with his own words. The man was due to show up soon and he was going to need irrefutable evidence to clear himself and to condemn the pit snake.
He needed a tape recorder... and there was only one place to get that.
He grimaced. "Kakashi...I'm so sorry.'
His left foot was agitatedly bouncing up and down, his arms stiff at his side while his right hand was clenching the key to Kakashi's office so hard it was a miracle his palm wasn't torn and bleeding. Another furtive glance to the watch on his hand, it read eight thirty-three.
He had ten minutes to get into the office, get the recorder and get out before curfew. Naruto conveniently was absent, out at the last basketball game with Kiba. Sasuke had debated long and hard to ask Naruto to accompany him, but then he remembered; the Uzumaki was on the verge of getting vindicated or condemned, if caught and expelled he would be shipped off to prison, no questions asked.
He couldn't risk the man's freedom. He needed to do this by himself.
Pushing up from the bed he grabbed his black hoodie and flipping the cowl over his head left the dorm, teeth grit with determination.
Silently, like a prowling panther, Sasuke slid along the corridors, hugging every shadow possible until he reached the Admin Complex, ducked under a hanging eave and slipped into the hallway leading to Kakashi's office.
Ten feet away from the locked door his attuned ears heard footsteps. A surge of adrenaline shot through him as he frantically glanced around from some place to hide.
About twenty or thirty seconds to either hide or get discovered.
Swiftly tuning the corner he then glanced up. There was grail lattice nailed to the wall, the space across the hallway, wall to wall, was slightly narrow but with double beams of wood connecting both walls and a slight gap between them. There was no time to think this through complete, it was this or get caught.
"People hardly look up." He mumbled to himself while hooking his fingers through the grail and swiftly climbing up. At the summit he secured his feet and with a calculated assessment stretched his body across the slender beams, flattening himself against the wood while distributing his body weight evenly and with both hands bracing himself. It was an awkward position, his elbows were bent unnaturally and he was starting to sweat. His breathing was shallow and irregular.
The footsteps neared; by the sound of their voices it was three men, one he immediately identified as Ibiki and the woman, Kurenai. The others he had no idea. Flattening himself even further on the beam he agitatedly waited for them to pass on.
No such luck.
The paused, right under his hiding place to chat.
'Murphy's friggin' law.' He thought acerbically.
"...I'm telling you," the rough voice of Ibiki growled, "that Neji kid, though good fighter, is the most pompous, conceited kid on the face of the earth."
Against himself Sasuke snorted softly in agreement.
Wrong move.
Ibiki stopped in his tracks, "Did any of you hear that?"
"Yeah." Hayate this time sounding exasperated, "Your paranoia; let it go Morino."
"Ha ha ha, laugh it up fools," Ibiki snarled, "My paranoia is the reason I'm living this long."
Sasuke went dead still; even his breathing stopped as Ibiki glanced around the hallway and took a searching glance upwards into the darkness.
Five of the longest, tensest seconds of Sasuke's life passed. Sweat was beading down his nose. Ibiki took one more look around and shrugged.
"Let's go. I have screw-ups to torture in the morning."
The moment he stepped off, a bead sweat slipped from the bridge of his nose and landed squarely on Ibiki's shoulder.
Fuck.
Luckily the group moved on without a hitch. Sasuke waited another five minutes to make sure they were gone before dropping, unceremoniously, down from his perch. He arms were numb. Rubbing feeling back into his arms he glanced at the watch.
Seven minutes.
Reaching Kakashi's door he swiftly opened the door and slipped inside. The air was dim but not that dark that he couldn't find the cabinet that he knew Kakashi stored the recorders. Opening the cabinet he removed a small silver digital recorder and secured it in his hoodie pocket.
Three minutes.
Sticking his head through the door he glanced to make sure the way was clear and after carefully and silently closing and locking the door he left. The adrenaline from ten minutes ago was still pounding through his veins.
Thankfully, the way back to his dorm was clear and he reached his room without incident.
"You're going to get caught, you know."
He jumped, a hand flying to his heaving chest. What happened next seemed like it was straight from some corny scene from the matrix; complete with lamp light snapping on and Naruto half shadowed looking like Morpheus.
"Don't fucking do that!" he snapped.
"What did you do?"
There was no harm in telling him, was there? Frustrated Sasuke snapped, "I just broke into Kakashi's office."
"Are you fucking crazy?" Naruto snarled shoving off the chair and invaded his space.
"According to the majority, yes; I am." Sasuke returned hotly, shrugging off the damp hoodie. "Don't judge me...I needed something he had and I got it...there was no other way."
"Why?"
Sasuke snapped, reeling around to face Naruto. "To save us all, idiot! I just risked my life to make sure that you and everyone in this thing wouldn't have to suffer after we do this. I'm trying to make a literal get-out-of-jail card for everybody!"
The blond calmed down slightly. "And why didn't you ask me to help you?"
Sasuke couldn't believe this. "You have one more appeal, Naruto. ONE MORE! If you got caught you'd be shipped off to prison for twenty five years or beheaded. I'm trying to save you from that hell!"
Naruto was three inches from his face now, his unnatural blue eyes cutting into black one. "Why?"
"BECAUSE I LOVE Y-" Sasuke slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with what had just escaped from his subconscious. Blue eyes flew open with shock.
Nononononononono!
FUCK!
Pushing the other boy off him he turned tail and ran through the door into the darkness.
Itachi pushed away the empty plate that previously had sumptuous French toast and shifted his gaze to the notepad beside him. Glaring up at him in bold black ink was;
(#) 2255 6463 663 663 836.3687 (.5)
66 6267 5263
08/31".
The older Uchiha leaned back sighing, after a moment got up, went into his bedroom for a moment then emerged with an old, bonded photo-album he kept under lock and key. The album had pictures of their parents, some dull and scorched after being rescued from the wreckage that had destroyed their home but it also had photos of himself and Sasuke growing up.
Sasuke at ten, when he finally agreed to do Karate, Sasuke at thirteen when he solidly trounced a seasoned eighteen year old at the national debate finals, Sasuke at fifteen, looking like he was facing Hades in the face while at his junior prom with some giddy girl dressed in neon green.
His phone rang.
"Moshi Moshi."
"Uchiha-san, excellent." The voice of an under-secretary named Juugo, "Just a reminder, the finalization for the Anderson complex plans are at ten this morning. The president and the board will be in attendance, so bring your 'A' game...oh and the rumour is that he, the president I mean, is giving away a vacation to the French Alps for the be-"
Itachi amusedly rolled his eyes and cut in. "Thank you Juugo, I'll be there."
A small snort. "Be sure."
After the call cut off Itachi scrolled over to his agenda and set an alarm for two hours before the meeting and then, for some reason, was captivated staring at the phone's dialling pad, the digital pad complete with grey numbers and the corresponding English letters.
Then it hit.
Like a bullet to the brain. Itachi started so hard he nearly dropped off his chair.
"KISAME!" He shouted still reeling from the revelation. A shuffle and the large engineer appeared at the door, tightening his robe.
"Tachi, what's wrong?"
"Letters..." he said to the man behind him, "They're not numbers, they're letters."
Using the dialling pad as a key he set out to decipher the message.
((#) 2255) CALL (6463) NINE (663) ONE (663) ONE 836. (TEN) 3687 (FOUR) (.5)
(66) NO (6267) MAN (5263) LAND
08/31".
"Call nine one-one at ten-forty five...No man land...the thirty-first of the eighth...that's three days from now...when the program ends."
"No Man's Land," Kisame offered while sitting beside him, "is a stretch of desert land beside the camp... it leads to the forest.
Itachi massaged his throbbing temples, "Sasuke...brother...what kind of trouble are you in now?"
"Uchiha!" Came the knock on the door, "Visitor."
He grinned, right on time. Good thing he was prepared. Glancing up he swiftly met Naruto's eye over the edge of the comic book he was reading and swallowed.
The blond hadn't said anything to him about the...incident...but Sasuke would be lying to himself if he didn't sporadically catch looks alternating between stone hard piercing and feathery soft.
He himself still didn't fully understand what in hell had made him blurt out that word... couldn't even think it.
Pushing off the bed he put on his shoes and with another quick look to the other side of the room, left.
"Sssasuke." Was the first thing that Sasuke heard when he entered the room and it made him shiver from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.
"Orochimaru-san." He stepped into the room, hand shoved deep into his pockets. "What can I do for you?"
"You can assure me that everything will be going as planned."
That was easy. "He's been found and yes, everything will be going as planned." His eyes narrowed, "But I'll require the same thing from you though, so please assure me that our agreement is still in place...you know about having a place in your gang, the new identity, fortune."
For a second a swift suspicious look shot through the elder's man's eyes. "Sasuke, no offence child, but please remove your hands from your pockets."
Sasuke grinned internally, "Why... don't you trust me?"
The man just arched an eyebrow. Sasuke snorted and removed his hands from his pockets and even turned out his pocket linings for good measure. "Satisfied."
"Immensely." Orochimaru said, facing him. "I will answer your concerns; first off all, please do not term my organisation as a 'gang' that is a crass, unsightly word. Yes, in reality we do things the majority of society would term illegal, but the reality is, crime actually helps the country. I'm basically doing my civil duty to this country."
"And making a profit off it, right?" Sasuke prodded.
The man grinned, "The revenues from the various subdivisions I have are profitable, yes."
Sasuke nodded, "Tell me again...what part of your organization would I be fit for?"
"Extortion and embezzling." The hazel eyed man replied instantly. "You might even be adequate for my escort services."
Sasuke went still, wait...what? "Escort... services?"
A serpentine smile crossed the man's face, "Not that kind of escort...even though you would be a beautiful asset for paid entertainment...but no...I meant security escort."
"So ...organized murder."
"Again...crass."
Sasuke sighed and turned to leave, "Potato, potato. Nevertheless, you will get Pein, make sure to be at No Man's Land, at the thirty first at eleven pm... and bring transportation."
"Already done."
At the doorway Sasuke paused, "Sir...when you knew my father...did he mention anything to you about any living relatives of ours?"
A confused look crossed the proctor's face. "No, I don't think he mentioned anything like that...why do ask?"
"Just curiosity." He answered pushing the door open, "Since you were so close."
In the safety of his dorm room, Sasuke carefully removed the recorder from the inside of his left shoe and hit the replay button. Every word said in the meeting came out crystal clear.
"Just screwed yourself, asshole."
"Shikamaru." Sasuke said softly, "Is there any way you can make copies of a recording I can give you?"
The Nara yawned, "Sure Uchiha...just need a computer, a hard drive, some cloud space and fifteen minutes of free time...oh and I forgot...I'm not allowed to go under fifty feet from a computer."
Shit.
"What if I could get you to one?"
Hazel eyes showed disbelief, "Well that would be smashing Uchiha. Just tell me the time, place and what exactly I'm copying."
"What you will be copying is a gateway to your freedom." Sasuke assured him. "Pein has already assured me that everybody will have their records expunged."
Shikamaru heaved himself up from the patch of grass he was on. "All right then...no problem."
Sasuke nodded and left.
(*)(*)(*)
"You were playing with me...weren't you?"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks, after breathing for a moment he turned to face a blank faced Haruno Sakura.
"Saku-"
"Just shut up." She replied, face still devoid of any emotion as she stepped into his face. "Do you know how much I wanted to believe you were interested in me, me, the fat ugly nerd girl with the huge forehead and pink hair?"
He tried again, "Saku-"
Her sharp green glare made him shut his mouth so hard his teeth clicked.
"DO YOU KNOW how much of my room I destroyed, how much walls I punched, how many vases I broke, how much I screamed. How much I wanted to hurt you, how many names I called you, how much I cursed you..."
Her eyes by this time were glistening with tears. "How much you hurt me? You destroyed something in me Sasuke...you made me realize that I'm never goin-"
Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, the guilt was killing him; he needed her to stop, so he did one thing he could've sworn to never do. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his lips to her forehead and held it for about ten seconds.
She went still.
"Stop it Sakura." He whispered, "You're not ugly, or unattractive. You need to stop listening to Ino and focus on yourself."
Her head met his chest, "Why didn't you just tell me?"
"I didn't want to hurt you."
She pushed away and snorted, "Well, that's a load of bullshit, isn't it."
He looked her in the eyes, pressing his remorse into every look, "I'm sorry."
She sighed and looked away for a minute, "So...Naruto huh?"
Sasuke's head snapped around to meet her mischievous smile, "I-I'm s-sorry...what?"
She punched in the arm with a force that made the patch of skin numb. "This is a small community, Uchiha...people talk."
Rubbing the numbness away he grimaced, "Are you mad?"
She snorted, "Just give me a picture of you two kissing, and we'll call it even."
He paused at the implications of her words, "You're a fangirl...aren't you?"
Turning away Sakura called over her shoulder, "You don't know the half of it."
He shuddered.
"We need to talk."
This was the very situation Sasuke was dreading. He slowly met Naruto's cobalt eyes and didn't break his gaze.
"About?"
Blue eyes met his, "You know what I'm talking about...did you mean it...when you said it...that you...loved me?"
Sasuke swallowed and opened his mouth, "Naruto...I-"
(*)(*)(*)
Disgusting cliffie, right. Sorry guys, I had to end it there or my muses would nag me for days straight...I mean it. Well,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE. I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, FUN AND A IRIE TIME.