Gaara no Sabaku, Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand, turned away from the long viewing window that stretched across the eastern side of his office with a frown. The dust storm outside made him restless, but so too did the faint stirrings inside him where Shukaku had once been.
Something was terribly wrong with Naruto Uzumaki, probably dealing with the contract he had with Kyuubi. He could tell; all demon vessels had an intricate link to each other, probably from the fact they both bore the burden of unnatural chakra. He always knew where Naruto was and if he was in danger, and he assumed Naruto knew the same about him. The sand whirled about his feet, sensing his agitation, but he calmed it with a mental touch, sitting back down in his chair, picking up a pen, and staring at the dune of paperwork on his desk.
After reading the same sentence five times over and making no progress in comprehending it, he frowned. This… irritated him, almost as much as his wish to see Naruto again, if only to repay the life-debt. If only to see the one who had made him… feel. 'I'm sick of paperwork.'
The sand flowed under the door in response to his wishes, searching. Gaara set down his pen and steepled his hands in front of his mouth, waiting. The door finally clicked open, admitting Kankuro and Temari, both looking confused and slightly hesitant. He tamped down the flash of hurt at the wary and fearful look in their eyes, reminded all over again of why he had been hated.
"Temari, Kankuro." They jumped at his words like chastised children, than settled, glancing guiltily at each other. "I am leaving for Konoha on a… personal mission. Choose one of you to be Kazekage in my absence. Send messenger birds only if absolutely needed. That is all."
"Gaa-"
He didn't know which one spoke; he had already disappeared in a plume of sand.
"I found him in the shower. I think he tried to… burn himself clean," Iruka said, standing in the doorway with Kakashi. The jounin nodded, gazing at the fragile spectacle before him. Naruto had burrowed into an armchair, and someone- Iruka?- had cocooned him in blankets, only his head peeking over the top of the nest, glazed blue eyes staring into nothing, looking so small and tired, almost childlike. Kakashi winced; he could imagine how painful the burns he could see on the vessel's face were. He moved over to the younger man, crouching down.
"Naruto?" The blue eyes blinked, then focused on him. Kakashi was captured for a moment by the utter blueness of them, wondering why he had never taken the time to properly appreciate the depths in them. Dimly, he realized that he recognized that shade of blue, but filed that information away to look over later.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto rasped, looking utterly astounded. "What're you doing here?"
"Can't I worry about my students?" He feigned hurt, only to have it become real when Naruto said slowly, "Well, yeah, but… you never have before. You were always with Sasuke-teme or Sakura." Kakashi blinked. 'He's… right? He's right!' For a moment he remembered how Naruto would always come rushing up to him, babbling about something-or-other, and he would ignore him in favor of training the other two, and how that was repeated over and over until Naruto finally just stopped talking to him altogether.
For a moment he struggled to think of something to say, but was saved by Iruka coming in with a cup of tea, pushing it into the surprisingly small hands that emerged from the white blankets. Naruto took a sip, wincing at the pain. Kakashi got up and turned away, staring at the patterns on the wallpaper, turning back only when he heard Iruka sit down, leaning forward and staring solemnly at Naruto.
"I'd like to ask you some questions about what happened in the forest," he said. Naruto gazed at him over the rim of the cup, then set it down on the side table. "Okay, go for it."
"How long has that been going on?" Naruto shifted uncomfortably, mumbling something. "Can you repeat that?" Naruto looked up, blushing from shame, as he ground out, "Since I was thirteen." Kakashi closed his eye in sorrow. Seven years… seven years of quiet, stoically borne suffering, and no one, least of all him, had noticed. He felt Iruka's chakra spike in rage, but the chuunin controlled himself and continued.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
"Tsunade knows I made a contract with Kyuubi, but she doesn't know the terms. Gaara-"
"Gaara, the other vessel?" Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah. He knows everything." He picked up the cup and took another sip of tea. Iruka rubbed at his forehead, sighing. "Okay. You mentioned a contract?" Naruto grinned, a hint of his old exuberance shining through.
"Yup! I conned Kyuubi into signing a contract giving me access to his chakra at all times after the Valley of the End."
"What were the terms?" The smile flickered and dimmed. Naruto shrugged, curling tighter around himself. "If he gave me constant access, he got to have me." He slumped forward. "At first, it was only once a month. Then around the time I turned sixteen, it started to be once a week. 'Cause of the seal weakening, you know?" Iruka's voice was soft.
"How often is it now?" Naruto looked up, his eyes old, wise, and tired. "It's been every night for the past three months. That's why I can't sleep," he gestured to the rings around his eyes, "since if Kyuubi wants to bad enough, he can force my body out to the forest anyway, and that-" something flickered in his gaze, "really hurts."
"Why didn't you tell anyone!" Iruka finally exploded, springing up from his chair and pacing back and forth. "Did you think no one would believe you? Did you think we would laugh at you?" Iruka froze as something occurred to him, then he was across the room and staring at Naruto desperately, quivering. "My god, don't tell me you thought we wouldn't care?" Naruto stared up at him, eyes wide. Iruka swallowed, trembling. "I- I think I need to go lie down," he said faintly, turning away and heading to his bedroom.
Kakashi pushed off the wall, fiddling for a moment with the book in his pocket. "Is there anything I can get you?" Naruto glanced at him. "Oh. Yeah, can you get the old hag? My burns aren't healing, and I'd really like to not end up too scarred." Kakashi turned away, only to whirl around, shuriken in hand, as sand flared in the corner.
He watched, silent, as the sand died down, exposing the Kazekage, the younger man's light green eyes focusing immediately on Naruto, who sat up, grinning, and extended a hand to him. The sand trickled back into the gourd as Gaara crossed the room to take Naruto's hand, grasping it lightly. For a moment the two vessels stared at each other, messages flying back and forth faster then thought, as if they possessed their own wavelength.
Kakashi, watching, suddenly understood the crushing isolation that imprisoned them both; Naruto, hated since birth, unsure of welcome or caring, so much so that he couldn't tell anyone he was being raped but the other vessel; Gaara, born to be a killing machine, betrayed by his family. He turned away and walked out of Iruka's house, then teleported to the Hokage residence, tripped over the pig, and stumbled up to Tsunade's bedroom door, guarded by two ANBU.
"Ah, Sasuke, so nice to see you," he said cheerfully. His former student rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Kakashi-sensei. Go on in; she's probably awake from Tonton's clatter, anyway."
"Appreciated." Kakashi nodded to the Hyuuga- Neji- and entered the room, bowing to the rumpled Hokage, her blonde hair sticking out everywhere, who stared at him with a sort of irritated bewilderment.
"Is it Akatsuki? Is it a Sound attack? Is it Orochimaru?" At Kakashi's head-shake, she growled. "Then don't wake me up! I've got to have my beauty sleep, you know-"
"It's Naruto," Kakashi interjected, counting on her affection for the boy. Tsunade blinked. "Naruto? What'd that little shit do now?" Kakashi grinned underneath his mask at Tsunade's bluntness, than sobered. "He didn't do anything, Hokage-sama. He's badly injured, and specifically requested you to see to him." However tired the Hokage looked before, she shook it off and became a whirlwind of energy, bustling about the room and collecting her medical kit, slinging it over her shoulder. "Okay, let's go. Where is he?"
"He's at Iruka's house with the Kazekage right now." Kakashi held the door open, then followed her. "Gaara? What's he doing here?" Tsunade turned around as the two ANBU made an attempt to follow, snapping, "I have to attend to a very important patient right now, so you two are going to stay here and guard the door, got it?"
"Hokage-sama, our orders are to watch you at all times," Sasuke explained slowly, as if to a petulant child. "Hang the orders! Naruto's not going to-"
"Naruto?" Surprisingly, it was Neji who spoke. Sasuke said nothing, but the stubborn gleam in his eyes was enough. Tsunade growled. "Ugh, fine! Kakashi, teleport us over there, would you?"
"Right away, Hokage-sama." Kakashi sighed internally. 'Forgive me, Naruto.' With a few quick seals, they were standing in Iruka's front yard, the street quiet under the rising sun. Tsunade hitched her bag up and climbed up the steps, opening the door. Kakashi followed, the two ANBU silent behind him. They all paused at the spectacle when they turned the corner into the living room, shocked into stillness.
Gaara of the Sand sat on the couch with Naruto's head resting in his lap, the pale, long-fingered hands- an artist's hands- sifting through blond hair, an almost peaceful picture. Kakashi squashed the twinge of jealousy in his gut. Gaara looked up, his gaze cold and poisonous, than spoke in his slow, quietly threatening way, "He's resting." Naruto rolled over, opening eyes dark with exhaustion and focusing on Tsunade. "Hi, old hag." He caught sight of the two ANBU, his eyes narrowing. "Kakashi-sensei, can you make them leave the room?"
"Sure." Sasuke and Neji left quickly under Tsunade's threatening glare, Kakashi noticed. "Remove your shirt, please, Naruto," Tsunade said briskly, settling down by the couch, "and tell me what exactly the problem is." Naruto flinched, but sat up and worked his shirt off over his head, the scores on his back breaking open and bleeding afresh. Gaara stared at the trickle of blood impassively, took Naruto's shirt, and made a thin layer of sand cover Iruka's cushions- to keep the blood from soaking in, probably.
Tsunade made an odd clicking low in her throat when she saw Naruto's dangerously thin torso, his ribs thrusting out from the razor-sharp line of his spine. As she reached over to trail a finger over one of the scrapes, he shuddered under her hand, biting down on his lip in an attempt to stay quiet. "Okay, Naruto, just hold still. How come you didn't use Kyuubi's chakra to heal like you always do?"
"Well…" Naruto fidgeted, jumping when Tsunade flicked him on the nose. "Okay, okay! You know the contract I made with Kyuubi?" At her nod, he continued, "Well, the contract says that in return for getting access to his chakra, he gets time in a body made of chakra outside me. Tonight was one of his nights, so he drained all of it to make his body. Stupid bastard fox…" 'Stop lying, Naruto,' Kakashi thought, twitching when Gaara's frightening gaze locked on him.
Tsunade made a non-committal noise, then took her hands away, exposing a pale back free of scars. "All done there. Turn your face this way…" As she healed Naruto, Kakashi continued his staring match with Gaara. The Kazekage had striking features- one could say he was beautiful, in a lean and dangerous way- but Kakashi didn't really have time to linger on that, not when Gaara's eyes were clearly expressing 'hurt him and you die.'
Tsunade stood up, dusting her hands off. "You're too thin, Naruto! How do you eat all that ramen crap and not get fat! What's your secret?" Naruto grinned. "Lots and lots of training, of course!"
"Sure, brat. Don't tear down the village with the Kazekage, okay? I've got way too much paperwork to deal with as it is!" She turned away and picked up her bag, passing by Kakashi on the way to the foyer. Kakashi followed her, laid a hand on her shoulder, and directed her into the kitchen, ignoring the ANBU slouching against the porch railing.
"Hokage-sama, Naruto wasn't telling you the whole truth-"
"Don't you think I know that?" Tsunade closed her eyes, pressing the heel of her hand into her forehead. "He looks so awful! I should've noticed how thin he is; I have access to records of ANBU uniform check-outs, I should have realized how many small ones he was taking out."
"Didn't you notice any of the other scarring?" Tsunade looked up. "There wasn't anything in his torso, Kakashi, and I didn't check his lower body. What kind of scarring do you mean?" Kakashi wanted to read Icha Icha Paradise desperately, he could feel the pages calling to him, offering a convenient escape; explaining the sexual abuse of his student for seven years wasn't his cup of tea.
"The, uh… rectal scarring," he temporized. Tsunade stared at him blankly, repeating, "Rectal…?" He could see the moment the truth hit her, when she paled and put a hand to her mouth, looking nauseous. She swallowed once, twice, then lowered her hand, fire in her eyes. "Who-did-this?" Her voice shook with fury.
"Hokage-sama-"
"Who?" Kakashi gazed directly into her eyes as he replied, "The Kyuubi, Hokage-sama. The contract Naruto signed with him allowed the Kyuubi access to his body, and since the seal has been weakened, the rapes have been happening more and more often." Tsunade began to tremble, bringing her hands up to her mouth, eyes wide with horror and pain. "He- he-" A low moan escaped her.
"He didn't have to do this for us!" Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" Inwardly, he was seething. 'So help me if I find out you had a role in this, your power will not be enough to save you.' Tsunade reached out, gripped Iruka's table, splintering it in the process, and said hollowly,
"The only reason I allowed him to make a contract with the Kyuubi is that he did it to protect the village. He told me that he had been given a gift to protect those he cared about, and that if he had constant access, he could protect Sasuke, Sakura-" the word 'you' was left unspoken, and Kakashi was grateful.
"And you didn't ask him what were the terms!"
"No. No, I didn't. I thought that if he was strong enough to beat the Uchiha prodigy in a one-on-one fight, he was strong enough to handle anything. I guess… I didn't want to know." She swallowed, steeling herself, then stood up straighter, taking control. "Who knows about this?"
"Gaara, Iruka, and myself."
"Okay. This knowledge is going to be kept confidential. If anyone asks where Naruto is, say he was injured on a secret mission and is recuperating at Iruka's house. Stress that he is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. If Naruto decides to tell anyone of what's happened to him, that's his decision to make. As of now, he's off active duty until I think him fit to return. If you need me, you can send one of your nin-dogs, right?" At Kakashi's nod, she sighed.
"That stupid, noble little shit. All he ever does is deny himself for the sake of others, for the village that's scorned and hated him since birth. He'd die if he thought it'd make Konoha safer, you know?" Her mouth firmed into a thin, hard line. "Well, now it's our chance to do something for him. Would you mind guarding him until he's back on his feet?" Kakashi smiled.
"I doubt Gaara's going to let much get to Naruto, either, but sure. I'd be happy to." Tsunade released the table and picked up her bag. "Okay. I'm heading to the Tower, so keep watch over him. I'll expect a report on his health soon!" Kakashi saluted mockingly as she left the house, the door swinging shut behind her.
Neji Hyuuga deactivated the Byakugan, thankful for his ANBU mask to hide the use of his bloodline ability. 'Naruto… why must you keep doing this for us? Has Fate ordained that you must suffer for our sins, to protect those who hate you?' He sighed, ignoring Uchiha's searching gaze. He did not need to know.
'Naruto Uzumaki… I do not envy you your destiny.'