Kishimoto-sama wouldn't give me the right to own Naruto because he knew I'd abuse them – and Kakashi. So, still don't own.

How to preface this chapter…hmm…well, the lemon (I honestly despise that term, but it's tamer than saying, like, sex) is coming soon (no pun intended xx;;), but this chapter does involve a chained Sasuke. And some pretty lemon-ish stuff. Please let me know if I write that stuff terribly, so I know to work on it for the next chapter…

Enjoy!

Step. Step. Step. Trudge. Trudge. Trudge.

Every footstep towards the dungeons took an eternity. I want to see him so badly that it literally hurt inside my chest with every heartbeat, but at the same time…I'm scared. If what Tsunade said was true, the corner of my mind that's been reserved for Sasuke all these years means nothing; everything we went through meant nothing; everything I had wanted means nothing.

The lighting got dimmer as I made my way into the dungeons, which were in the floor below the basement, a level I had never been to before. I had almost reached them when—

"I don't know what she's going to do with him, Kakashi, but I'd keep him in there for a while. Partly for his own good, and partly for the good of Konoha."

Dammit! Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shizune were making their way back up to Tsunade's office! I slipped myself into a niche in the stone walls and hoped they wouldn't see me, momentarily forgetting that I could perform ninjutsu. Thankfully, they were too preoccupied in their conversation.

"I know what you mean," came Kakashi's voice pensively, "but I can't help but remember the old Sasuke. I want to believe he still is in that kid, somewhere."

"He's not a kid anymore," Shizune said quietly, "though I think we all want to believe that."

Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Did you see the marks on his back and chest? The scars? They're unmistakably signs of Sharingan abuse, and judging from their position and healing, they're not self-inflicted and quite old." I silently thanked whatever it was that made Kakashi lower his voice as they walked right by me, since it made the other two lean into him and overlook me. "I think he had a run-in with his brother a while ago." Kakashi continued. "And I think Itachi toyed with him. From the looks of it, the attacker wasn't aiming to kill, but to torture. Whatever the back story, Sasuke has been through a lot, that's for sure. I just hope he can somehow make it through this."

Their voices faded as they walked back up to the Hokage's office. I stepped out from the niche in the wall and wiped a tear from my eye before walking my slow, determined steps to Sasuke's dungeon.

When I reached the first dungeon door, I found it was simple wood reinforced with a seal. There was no window. With a shaking hand, I turned the key in the lock, negating the seal, and pushed the door open.

"Sasuke!"

I rushed into the darkened dungeon without thinking, feeling the stark loss of chakra as soon as I did.

Each of his hands was suspended next to his head by thick chains, while his legs were clamped in irons attached to the walls, rendering him completely unable to move more than a few inches. A thicker iron clamp circled his waist, while a smaller one bit at his throat. It looked so painfully uncomfortable that I felt tears prickling at my eyes again and I had to blink very very fast.

His head looked straight downward, draping his face with dark hair; his robe was now wide open to the clamp around his waist, fully exposing his chest. Now that I had time to get over the shock of merely seeing him again, I could see the scars Kakashi was talking about. Not-quite-healed welts crisscrossed Sasuke's hip bone, and one particularly angry gash streaked from the center of his chest to where it most likely continued across his back.

He didn't seem to notice I had entered. I walked closer to him…closer…and tucked a strand of hair behind his ears.

Then he looked up all of a sudden, his eyes not more than an inch from mine, and I realized how much he was at my mercy. Bonded to the wall, robe falling open – but I don't want him at my mercy. I never had. I liked the feeling of him controlling our actions so much more…it made me feel safe. Looking into his eyes now makes me miss that. After so long, I can no longer read them. They're trying to tell me something, but I just couldn't tell what.

"Naruto…"

I could feel his breath on my face and I didn't know what to say.

"D-Does it hurt?" What a stupid question. But I didn't regret it: Sasuke laughed! A humorless one, a dry one, but it was a laugh nonetheless, and it made my knees weak.

"Now? Dobe, I've been through so much worse these past few years. This is nothing," he scoffed. Thank God. I don't think I could take it if he had admitted weakness.

"Why did you leave?" I couldn't help it. I had to ask. At least I didn't add the extra word that almost slipped out, which would have made it Why did you leave me? even though I was thinking it. He probably knew what I meant anyway.

"I had to, Naruto-kun," he said after a pause. The old nickname, in his new and rougher voice, woke something in me and I let out a little gasp. All of a sudden, I wanted to discover who this new Sasuke was. I wanted to search inside him and find the Sasuke who cared about me and find a balance, and I want to make that Sasuke fall in love with me and I want it now. But Sasuke was still talking. "I didn't want to, but I had to. I had an obligation to my family – I have an obligation."

"Why did you hurt the ANBU? And Kakashi?"

"Because I'm not done yet!" Sasuke said in frustration. So adorable… "I haven't defeated Itachi, and I know I can, I know it!"

I gulped, hating how childish my next words sounded.

"Are you going to leave again?" I asked timidly. He looked me straight in the eye.

"Yes."

"Oh." I tried to sound nonchalant, but my goddamn eyes were pooling with goddamn tears again. It was just too goddamn much, goddammit! To see him, to feel him, to hear him…and then to have it taken away from me?

"Naruto-kun. I will leave again. But I can't leave without you."

I swear on Yondaime's grave, my heart stopped.

"What?" I breathed.

He smiled at me with the half-smile that I've missed for so long and –

"Did you think I forgot about us? About you?" He laughed, a real laugh now. "Dobe, I thought about you every day. I knew that if I had said good-bye to you, I'd never leave, but that didn't stop me from feeling guilty every time you popped into my head, which was pretty much every other moment."

I couldn't control myself. I put a hand on each of his shoulders and pressed my lips into his. Oh…my…God…He felt and tasted so impossibly delicious. I never, ever wanted to stop. His kiss was as fervent as mine, if not more so, since I think he was straining against the iron clamp around his neck. Selfishly, I found it hard to care that he might be in a bit of pain due to our kiss; in fact, I'm ashamed to admit I liked it a little. His tongue slid into my mouth and I moaned into it; I wanted to mumble his name, but no way in hell was I breaking away. One of my hands, almost of it's own accord, flew up to his hair and pulled him even deeper into my mouth, while my other palm felt every inch of his exposed chest, reacquainting myself which the feel of his flesh. My fingers lightly trailed over his new scars, scars I have a feeling I'll learn to love very soon. This continued for quite a few immeasurably blissful moments, until I realized that he really was in serious pain from the chains and I forced myself (it is truly difficult to stop kissing Sasuke when he's kissing you back) to pull away.

"Wh-why did you stop?" Sasuke panted. He was flushed and straining hard against his bonds.

"I want you to come to my house," I whispered. Even three years ago, when we hid behind trees, he never came to my house and I never went to his. We were worried people would see, and besides, we had never been serious before. But I needed him so badly, in so many ways, and I could tell he needed me.

He smirked through his sweaty glisten, and it occurred to me momentarily – it's really an amazing feat, how he manages to look arrogant even when he's chained to a wall.

"That's all very nice, dobe, but if you haven't noticed, I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

I let my finger touch his stomach, just a little bit – then I let it trail down to right below his stomach –

"I have the key, teme." I tried to be as arrogant as him, but that's rather hard while one's becoming…well, rather hard. Now my finger was just above where he wanted it to be.

"Unlock me," he growled. "Now."

I did, of course, and he fell into my arms and I could feel the scars but I didn't care, he was so incredibly beautiful. His lips met mine again and I let him play with me a bit, nibbling back, but I knew we had to get to my house, and fast. Neither of us could wait much longer.

"Tie your robe around you and put up your hood," I said, wishing he didn't have to make his bare skin disappear. "We don't want you recognized on our way back."

The walk home was a complete blur. We didn't run into anyone, at least, I don't think we did; I was too preoccupied with what we were heading towards. In what seemed like no time, we reached my door.

"We're finally here." I looked at him, slightly nervous as I unlocked the door. He smiled down at me, and it wasn't a smirk anymore, but an incredibly happy smile. Sasuke stepped inside the apartment, wrapped his arms around me, and shut the door.

"Yeah," he murmured into my ear, "we're finally here."

We all know what's coming in the next chapter…