A/N Err…in this fic, apparently Konoha has a dungeon. Just…deal with that :) Oh, and another reason for the M rating – language. Sasuke's a dirty boy. Heh. Despite the fact that I still don't own Naruto, enjoy please!

"Take him to the dungeons! Now! He's a danger to himself and others; the chakra chains won't hold him for long. Hurry!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama! At once, Tsunade-sama! Come now, Sasuke-kun, please--"

I could hear Shizune's pleading voice respond to Tsunade's frantic shouts, and Hinata whimpering behind me as she clutched onto my sleeve. And then I heard his voice.

"Get the fuck off me, bitch. I said, get off me! Why won't you idiots just let me go back and fight him?! I can win, I swear I can, but now he's going to get away and the next time you see him, he'll be licking the blood off of someone's dead body!"

Maybe it was just the distortion through the walls, since we weren't in the room yet, but Sasuke's voice was rougher now. Harsher, as if he was furious with everything. A little tremor ran through me. It was also unbelievably attractive.

Once I got over the shock, though, my mind processed the words that were being said and my eyes widened.

"What does she mean, a danger to himself and others? Why is he being taken to the dungeon?" I called to Hinata as we bounded through the corridors.

"S-Sasuke-kun was c-c-captured by K-K-Kakashi-sama and Tsunade-sama this m-morning. He was f-fighting one of the A-Akatsuki m-members, and l-losing. Badly. B-Basically, they s-saved his l-life, b-but he was s-so upset th-that he hasn't k-killed his brother yet, t-that he lashed out and is t-trying to escape."

Her stuttering was starting to irritate me, but I tuned it out – I couldn't believe what she was saying. He lashed out at Kakashi and Tsunade? It couldn't be!

But then we reached the door and flew into the room and I saw him. Kakashi was pinning his arms to the desk with Jiraiya's and Shizune's help while Tsunade firmly tightened ropes that I recognized to be special chains that stifled chakra around all of his limbs.

"Sasuke?" I breathed. For a moment, the room went silent. Sasuke stopped struggling and looked up at me, the angry fire fading from his eyes. His mouth parted in slight surprise, and oh God those lips brought back memories. His hair had gotten longer and his skin had gotten paler, despite the furious flush that currently tinted his cheeks. And his face…had he gotten even more beautiful? I can't be sure, but I feel like his features narrowed and tuned themselves into perfect proportions, so they accentuated his porcelain skin. He was wearing some sort of robe, open to the waist, which exposed his flawless chest. I missed that chest…I miss the feel of it under my fingertips….The robe was held in place by what looked like a large purple rope, which seemed (to both my worry and slight excitement) to be coming undone.

"Naruto…"

That voice. Even though it was deeper and slightly out of breath, it reminded me of those stolen moments from what feels like a lifetime ago. He stared at me and I stared at him and –

"Good! We've got him, okay. Take him downstairs, Shizune, Kakashi, Jiraiya!"

Clearly I had just distracted him long enough for Tsunade to secure the chakra cords. Now he was fighting again, but the cords suppressed his chakra and he couldn't struggle very much. Kakashi and Jiraiya each held one of his arms and half-walked, half-carried him out of the room while Shizune followed worriedly. I made to follow behind her, but Tsunade put a hand on my shoulder.

"Why can't I go with them, Tsunade-sama?"

Hinata whimpered slightly and tightened her grip on my arm, but I didn't care, I want to see him. To talk to him.

"He might kill you, Naruto," she responded point-blank. Her face may have seemed emotionless to most people, but after knowing her for so many years, I could see the tell-tale glisten in her eye that told me the situation was not making her happy.

"He wouldn't do that!" I protested. "Not Sasuke. Not to me!"

Tsunade went to sit down at her desk, apparently satisfied that I wasn't going to follow Sasuke and his captors to the dungeons. Hinata was still fiddling with my sleeve, but I wasn't paying her much attention.

"I don't think you can be sure of that," she said sadly. "He came very close to killing two of our best Anbu, and the lack of restraint he displayed while battling Kakashi makes me worry that the Sasuke who used to exist no longer does."

"That can't be right." I smiled a little as I said it; I was so sure of myself. "It must have been a mistake or something. Sasuke can't just have disappeared!" But as I looked at her hooded, worried eyes and I felt Hinata start to cry softly into my shoulder, my confidence ebbed away and was replaced by the slightest hint of fear. "R-right?"

Tsunade sighed and leaned over to take my hand.

"Sometimes people change, Naruto-kun. It's been a long time since we last saw Sasuke, and he's been through a lot. He didn't want to get rescued today, I think." Here she took a deep, shuddering breath. "I think he realized that maybe he can't defeat his brother, at least not alone. I think – and this is just my speculation; I could be wrong – that he sought out the Akatsuki on purpose. He sought them out with the mindset, either they die or I do, and Naruto – it came very close to the latter. And if that's so, if he's beyond the point of no return…there is not much we can do for him."

I was shaking.

"No."

"Naruto-kun…"

"He won't. He can't. He didn't. I'm going to go talk to him and he won't hurt me--"

"Of course he won't," Tsunade broke in, "the dungeons are completely chakra-proof, he won't be able to do much. But I still don't want you talking to him until he's calmed down."

"Tsunade-sama, you don't understand!" I was rambling now, I couldn't help it, I didn't care. "Sasuke would never hurt me. He promised he wouldn't, he never did before, he never used to hurt me. He said he wouldn't, he said it! He told me he'd never leave me!" Shit. I think I divulged too much.

Tsunade studied me for a few minutes as I bit my lip and hoped that I hadn't given anything away…and then his voice rang through my head as I remembered what he used to say…

"We have to keep this a secret, Naruto-kun, okay?"

"But – oh!" I let out a little gasp as he played with the waistband of my jeans. Today was Saturday, and we were out in the remote corner of a different training field, lying in the grass, watching the clouds together. "But why?"

"I already told you, dobe. Guys aren't supposed to be…together like this. It's against the law, the one that was passed during the time of the First because almost everyone in Konoha voted for it," Sasuke whispered.

"But Shikamaru locks his door when his friend from Sunagakure comes over, Temari, and that's not against any laws, right?" I turned on my side to look at him, honestly not understanding the difference. "How come this is?"

Sasuke's forehead creased and he shook his head.

"I guess I really don't know," he said. "But I know we'll get in big trouble if we get caught, and they won't let us see each other anymore. You don't want that, right?"

"No!"

"Then keep this a secret, okay?"

"Okay."

Shitshitshit.

"Naruto?" Tsunade finally spoke, bringing me back to present-day. I held my breath. Please don't make me have broken my promise…please don't stop me from seeing him again… "Naruto, listen to me. When Shizune comes back and confirms that Sasuke is well-secured, you are going to go down to him. I am going to give you this." She handed me a key. "This is one of the master keys to the dungeons. I trust you, Naruto. If you see fit, let Sasuke out, take him to your house, and you can talk to him there, outside of the restraints of the chakra chains. Then come tell me tomorrow about what the two of you decide about Sasuke's next move. But if you go down there and you can tell he's not the same…come back upstairs and give me the key back. You don't have to say anything. Oh, and Hinata-chan – thank you. You can go home now."

"Y-Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Hinata fled the room as I just kept staring from Tsunade to the key in my hand.

"I'm not going to ask you what your relationship was with Sasuke in the past, Naruto-kun," she continued sternly. "Because if I heard from you what I'm suspecting, I'd have to arrest you thanks to that idiotic law the First didn't even want to pass. So please…just take the key and don't tell me anything."

I didn't know what to say. Wordlessly I took the key and walked to the door.

"Thank you," I said, with so much emotion it almost hurt.

She smiled at me.

"Just go, Naruto-kun."

I went.

"Oh, and one more thing!" she called out. I poked my head back into the room.

"Yes?" My heart was pounding…

"Good luck."

Sorry about these cliffhangers…