Chapter 16

Kankuro took a deep breath, and knocked hesitantly at his brother's door. There was no answer, and the young businessman let out a low sigh. Kankuro decided to do the brave thing- enter anyway. His younger brother rarely answered.

"Gaara."

"What?" The red head snapped. His back was to the door, and his head was ducked.

"I need to ask you about this…new step you've had us take." Kankuro saw Gaara's shoulders tightened, and the older man swallowed hard.

"What about it?" There was a harshness to Gaara's voice that made Kankuro hesitate. It was that tone again. Lately, Gaara had been using it more and more often. The same voice he had had the day he told their father he was through. The voice that hinted at the madness that only Kankuro and Temari had ever seen…well, them and their father.

The madness that they instinctively knew never to speak of.

"I…I want to ask if this is the best choice…for the company." Kankuro ventured carefully, wishing he could see the other man's face.

"Best choice for the company?" Gaara echoed in a voice that held a hint of warning to it.

"It's just…Personal feelings shouldn't interfere with business. I think you're letting emotions….get in the way of what is best for the success of the company." Kankuro almost took a step back when Gaara's shoulders tightened and he leaned back against his chair.

"Personal feelings?" Gaara hissed, slowing rising to his feet. His body was trembling slightly, and when he turned his face was shadowy and dark. "You think I'm being distracted by….personal feelings?" It took all that Kankuro had not to pull back sharply and hiss. Gaara's voice was positively venomous.

"Gaara, I…" Kankuro yelped when weight slammed into him, effectively ending his sentence. Gaara, who was short and thinner than Kankuro, had the older man pinned against the wall in a movement so fast Kankuro had never seen it coming. Gods, how had he gotten around his desk that fast?

"Do not lecture me about the impersonality of business, brother. I am fully aware of the amount of…detachment necessary to build an empire." Gaara's eyes glittered dangerously, and his fist twisted at Kankuro's jacket.

"I didn't mean to offend you." Kankuro murmured, keeping his voice gentle, hoping to lull the red head's sudden rage. There was no rationalizing to Gaara. Not when he was like this, eyes flashing and body strung tight. "I simply care about this company, that's all." Gaara let out a rumble of bitter laughter.

"This company. This company. It can rot in hell." Gaara hissed, releasing Kankuro and placing his hands on the wall on either side of his older brother in order to steady himself. He was uncontrollably hot, and his heart wouldn't stop racing. He wanted to rip it out. "It's his company. His creation. It may as well have his blood coursing through the walls…" Gaara's voice had grown raspy, and his fingers dug into the brick behind Kankuro, as if expecting it to bleed.

"It's your company now. It's your duty to protect it, and manage it." Kankuro said sternly, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was.

"You can do that. You are his son after all." Gaara grumbled, his arms dropping to his sides and head dropping. He seemed ready to collapse. The way he said 'his' made it sound like an insult. "I just need it. I need it to…" After that his voice trailed off, and he seemed confused.

"Gaara, I can't let you risk the company like this anymore. If you try something like this again….I'll stop you. Too many people have put too much work in for you to be selfish that way." Kankuro's voice was shockingly steady, and he found it was easier to face the fiery that was Gaara Sabaku when he knew what he was fighting for.

"You'll stop me? I won't let you. I'll crush you, too, if you get in my way." Gaara hissed, turning his back to Kankuro and placing his palms on the top of his desk. "He must be destroyed. I must destroy him. I can't…not until….nothing can be right until I destroy him." Gaara's voice had petered off now, becoming a hoarse whisper. Kankuro could only hear bits of what he was saying.

"The Uchiha is a dangerous enemy, Gaara. Does it have to be him?" Kankuro asked softly.

"Yes." Gaara hissed, pupils dilated and breath raspy. "It must be him."

Deep blue eyes, an unknowing smile, a naïve heart. As long as the Uchiha was around, those were in danger.

Men like the Uchiha existed to destroy all that was light in the world. It was up to Gaara to protect it….

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Naruto was all nerves for the rest of the day, despite how painfully normal it was. Sakura cornered him and had him do all the paperwork he'd been skiving on, Kiba had snagged him for lunch at the Chinese restaurant with the cute waitress he wanted to bag, and Hinata introduced him to a few of the new employees for the advertising departments. He saw very little of Sasuke since the board meeting, and for once it wasn't because anyone was avoiding anyone else. The Uchiha had spent all afternoon getting his work in order to pass on to Naruto for the rest of the merger.

It was driving him crazy. Naruto knew that- Sasuke hated this new plan. He had never not been in the middle of everything when it came to his business. This whole thing was killing him. Naruto felt guilty in spite of himself- what did he have to be guilty about? He hadn't asked Gaara to do this. He had no control over any of it.

Naruto was also curious as to why this had happened in the first place. What could Gaara possibly gain from placing Naruto in charge? If he thought he could get more from the merger without Sasuke around, he had another thing coming. Naruto wouldn't let him walk over Konoha corp. like that. If that was his reason…

Naruto sighed and gathered up his things from Sakura's desk where he had ended up working from pretty much all day, since she had his work so very nicely stacked there for him. He had only gotten through a little over half the work, but it was almost nine and he was tired. Glancing up, he caught Sasuke a glimpse of Sasuke through the glass panels beside his door. Usually the Uchiha, who was private by nature, had the blinds pulled. Naruto felt a blush cross his nose when he thought that they might have been up when Naruto and Sasuke had…had…uh…in his office, they…

Sasuke was on the phone now, brow scrunched and fingers drumming on the desk. He looked unusually tired, his shoulders weighted and face looking older than usual. The Uchiha looked stressed- painfully so. Naruto felt a dull ache in his chest.

How much Sasuke feel right now? How must it feel for him to have to hand over the only thing he had left of his parents? How must he feel…angry? Desperate?

Useless? Naruto shuddered, and unconsciously reached up to touch his chest. The ache bit painfully at the thought. Naruto knew how it felt to be useless. It was how he had felt all his life…before he met Sasuke.

Did Sasuke feel useless now?

The thought left a hollow sadness in Naruto's bones and the blond found himself trying to trace every curve of Sasuke face through the slants in the blinds. He didn't want anyone to feel useless, let alone Sasuke. But what could he do?

Unless…Unless he spoke to Gaara.

The thought had a lot of dread to it. Their last couple of conversations had been…strange, to say the least. The idea of being alone with the red head again was a disturbing thought. Another part of him, a tiny, miniscule part that made Naruto want to use Sakura's industrial stapler on his own hand, shivered with curiosity. This made Naruto feel guilty. Why, he wasn't entirely sure, but he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Sasuke, Sasuke's couch, and Sasuke's tongue. Naruto shivered again.

Sasuke was arguing, that much was obvious. He was standing now, yelling into the mouthpiece of the phone. Naruto could only hear pieces of what he was saying, words like 'bastard' and 'stupid games' and 'disgrace'. It wasn't hard, considering their earlier talk with Gaara…or to be honest, with Kankuro….to piece together who he was talking to.

Naruto didn't know what Itachi said, but it made Sasuke deflate horrible and the dark haired man sank miserably down into his chair, looking ill. Naruto's throat burned. Why did Sasuke have to look like that, anyway? It wasn't the end of the world. Damn that Uchiha. Naruto didn't like this guilty, achy feeling at all.

I have to talk to Gaara. He thought desperately. It hurts too much. Gaara and I…I think we understand each other. Maybe…maybe I can convince him…

As discreetly as possible, Naruto tossed his things in his briefcase and headed for the elevator. He doubted Sasuke had noticed- when Naruto had stood he'd had his face in his heads. No doubt talking to Itachi was more frustrating that Sasuke was ready to deal with at the moment.

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Naruto pushed through the revolving glass doors and let out a whistle of appreciation when he entered Iru Springs. The building really was beautiful. All waterfalls and chandeliers and all that fancy, unnecessary crap that made the tourists swoon. Naruto smiled with amusement when he noticed a group of young American….mm, possibly British…teens trying to catch the fish from the koi ponds with their hands.

He walked up to the desk, and stared at the receptionist patiently. She didn't look up. After a while, he cleared his throat. She still didn't look up.

"Uh…hello, I was wondering if you could page Sabaku Gaara for me?" Naruto ventured slowly.

"Sabaku-san has asked not to be disturbed." The woman returned coolly, her eyes never leaving her computer screen. Naruto was beginning to get annoyed.

"It's important. I need to speak to him."
"I'm sorry but we can't just let people bother our guests." The woman snapped, voice gaining an edge. Naruto scowled.

"I'm sorry. I simply thought that as Gaara's future partner, it wouldn't be a problem." Well, this got her attention. Her head snapped up, and her face went pale. She recognized him immediately.

"U-uzumaki-san. Welcome to Iru Springs." She stammered, looking suddenly ill. She had just been impossibly rude to one of the richest men in Japan. Naruto gave her a cool, apathetic glare that he'd learned from many years of watching Sasuke.

"Yeah, whatever. Page him?" Naruto snapped, trying to sound as pissed as possible. This lady needed to squirm a bit, after being such an unforgiving bitch.

"O-of course, sir. Just a moment." She reached for the phone, hands shaking. Naruto turned his back to the woman and leaned against the counter casually. He didn't want her to see the wicked grin on his face. Sometimes it was fun to rile people.

His eyes began to skim over the crowd, taking in the people curiously. It was always fun to people watch. There was a young woman sitting by the waterfall- Latin American, by the looks of it- giving her children coins to throw into the water for good luck. Near the door, a young male- undoubtedly American, because his tee-shirt had a rather large flag on it with the words 'You know you love us' written across it- was flirting with one of the hotel girls…

Naruto froze. A strange feeling crept up his spine. The elevator door had just opened, and out stepped an attractive blond woman dressed in a classy grey skirt-suit.

Temari Mizuki was leaving Gaara Sabaku's building.

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Authors notes (please refrain from throwing fruit at me.)

Ah, a short chapter, no smut, and it took me forever. PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!!!

I have been accosted with the most dreaded of afflictions- writers block. CURSE YOU, CRUEL FATE!!!!!

This chapter was my attempt at 'pushing through it'. It's not much, but it's something, and there's this funny rumor going around that something is better than nothing.

Hopefully, writing the next chapter will not be like ripping my own nails out with tweezers.

It also doesn't help that I'm going through this weird Harry-Potter smut phase. I would kill for a Good Remus/Sirius right now….

Though a nice Draco/Harry wouldn't be so bad, either….

It's messing with my head, I tell you.

Hope to have you hear from me soon!

AthenaAlpha