A/N: Hey, minna-san~! This has to be the biggest chapter in the story… it was supposed to be two, but I figured that there's no point in milking the story, right? Next chapter will be the epilogue so I hope that you guys will enjoy these last two. I want to thank ALL of you guys who read the story, add me to favorites and alerts and extra, EXTRA love and thanks to my reviewers that share their thoughts with me and then deal with my blabbering in my replies. Thank you, thank you~! ^.^

I want to thank ZuiYue, in particular, because she got me to finish the chapter though RL sucks right now- and she also started her own multi-chapter! ^.^

My anon readers: Mo – I could SO see Sasuke saying something like that. I'm glad you got a kick out of it. ^.^ I hope this chapter answers any question you have… hopefully in a convincing manner. ;-) Kakashi's Dog - ^.^ I'm glad you liked. ^.^ I DID update KINDA timely. Now, be sad that it'll be over soon. ;-) Kiki – Here's more… a LOT more. I hope you like. ^.^

Disclaimer: Me no own anything. … EXCEPT. A Sharingan in a jar, because EVERYONE seems to have an extra one up their sleeve… ::hint hint:: Up their sleeve? Get it? … ::sighs:: I'm so lame. lol

The Sun and the Rainfall

Smoke and Mirrors

When he woke up Sasuke had surely enough found his way back to an intimate embrace, spooning against him with one arm securing him firmly- quite intentionally, one might have thought- into place in another one of Sasuke's intimate grapple maneuvers, and his cheek flat against his shoulder-blade- lips brushing his skin lightly and the warm breath causing a tingle inside.

Unintentionally, of course.

Could he have stayed there forever? Kami, he wanted to- he wanted to stay there and not thing, just feel- feel Sasuke's skin against his skin, feel his heart beating in time with his own, feel that blessed breath of life that slipped from those lips and spread through him, animating him. That way he could have pretended that nothing had happened and avoid the fear that nothing would change. It wasn't who he was, though- and he had become many things for Sasuke, not the least of which was a coward, but not that kind of coward. There was no kind of magic that could make that moment real- it was just a trick of smoke and mirrors that someone more naïve and less disillusioned by life might believe. Not him though- not anymore and not for many years now.

Naruto slid out of the embrace reluctantly, but not as cautiously as he otherwise might have, because he knew that the Uchiha would fake sleep and spare them both of the tension and the chicken-egg conversations. It did puzzle him, though, as it was a far cry from his passionate pursuit of the truth, before bed- and even that first night at the mansion- but it was convenient, so he let that particular sleeping dog lie. Still, the less mature and pragmatic part of him was bothered, because Sasuke's zeal had given him some assurance that was not quite as tangible anymore.

With a groan at himself he got into the shower. Seriously, he could be such a girl sometimes.

By the time he got out, the Uchiha was dressed and ready to go. He supposed that he had his shower before bed last night- though he seemed to have confused his own shower gel- that jasmine-whatever flowery one- for the one that he had bought for Naruto. Instead of jasmine, he smelled like honeysuckle, which, quite honestly, kind of weirded him out. The twee bastard had said that the scent was uniquely him- not that he should have expected that Sasuke would remember such a trivial thing, when so much was a mess in his head.

... Except he did. It was stupid and unfair, but he did.

"Ready?" he asked casually, attempting to conceal his annoyance.

The Uchiha frowned a little and for a moment it seemed as though as he had intuitively picked up on his mood, but, rather than say anything, he simply nodded and headed to the front door. Naruto watched him, then shook his head taking a moment to breath a deep sigh.

The day that I figure you out, Teme...

In truth, Sasuke wasn't as hard to figure out as he liked to pretend- for both their sakes. Yet, much like a grandiose magic trick can be nothing more than smoke and mirrors, understanding Sasuke was all about understanding the mechanics of his acts. Naruto was no genius, but he was a fast study- and he had spent more time around the Uchiha than anyone. With another sigh, he followed the dark boy out of the apartment and into the street where he had to pause that dramatic stride in want of directions.

"Where to?" he asked impatiently.

Naruto frowned again. "The Hokage Tower-"

Sasuke pointed at the tallest building he could see. "Is that it?" he asked even as he started to make his way to it.

It was a fair assumption that the Tower would be overlooking the Village, but still Naruto was impressed. "How about some breakfast first? I'm starving." he tried not to whine miserably.

"No." Sasuke said rather curtly, before softening his tone. "No..." his dark eyes moved to the Tower. "Let's do that after we're done with this." those eyes moved to him- intense and playful and meaningful. "That way I will know what my tastes are... and choose accordingly what I want- and you can treat me to it."

The air was thick with suggestion and he felt as unnerved as he used to back when Sasuke thought he was being funny speaking in code. "Uh... are we still talking about breakfast?" he asked sheepishly.

Sasuke smirked in a very Sasuke-like way. "Among other things that I've had questions about."

Naruto blushed and rushed ahead quickly with a chocked 'whatever'. It hit him that Sasuke was driven by the promise of answers that would shed some light to his life and maybe even restore his turbulent mind- which was why he had stopped asking questions- while he was lagging it for fear of disappointment- because he didn't want to hear that the Hokage's search for a reversal jutsu had led to a dead end and he'd just have to deal with the reality of how things were; that this was how things would be. The world had become a strange place, if the brooding Uchiha was carrying the torch of faith for the both of them.

They walked in pensive silence the rest of the way to the Hokage's office. It occurred to Naruto that Sasuke's faith was hanging by a thread so flimsy that he couldn't see it to hold on to it himself- and maybe just as well because something that fragile could not possibly hold the weight of both their hopes. It was grim thoughts like those that carried him to the threshold of their destination and brought him through without a polite knock on the door or bothering to announce himself.

"Well, well..." Tsunade greeted, without looking up from the scroll she was studying. "You're here early."

There was the definite scent of alcohol in the room that unnerved him. Unlike what he had originally thought- that the woman could be such a drunkard when Shizune wasn't chasing her around with mountains of paperwork- the Godaime rarely hit the bottle anymore- and when she did there was trouble. "Kakashi-sensei is probably late." he said cautiously trying not to stir the boat.

Now she did look up, dropping the scroll on her desk quite distractedly. "No-" she amended in a not-entirely-sober tone, "- you are early."

Apparently Sasuke hadn't gotten the memo on "prim and proper behavior towards your drunk Hokage" and had no memory of what happened when people had crossed that woman when she was in this state. "Have you been drinking?" he asked- more like stated- scrunching up his nose in distaste.

Naruto cowered a little as the Godaime's amber eyes moved to the Uchiha. "N-nevermind him, Baa-chan- he can't use his brain for shit these days..." he said quickly, elbowing Sasuke a bit too hard and moving in front of him- as though somehow shielding him- and added his trademark, nervous "... ahahaha."

Tsunade's dangerous gaze did not move for a long moment from the dark boy, but then she sighed and closed her eyes with a small smile. "I don't see how that's different than any other day." she said idly, yet when she opened them again the look she gave the Uchiha was cold enough to make him tense up. "Yes, brat, I have been drinking."

Both boys stood there uncertainly, because the one thing that they had not expected had been for the older woman to not only revisit the subject, but also admit to the accusation.

"Asses in seats- the both of you." she ordered, noting their indecision and, once they had settled- which had happened remarkably fast- she turned to Sasuke again, placing a sake cup in front of him. "Want some?"

Naruto looked from the Hokage's stern face- which seemed pretty sober now- to Sasuke's contemplative expression. Ah, hell... "Baa-chan-"

"Not you, gaki." Tsunade waved him off, without even bothering to listen what he might have had to say. "You can't hold your liquor."

That was so not what he had in mind. And so uncalled for too. So fine- there had been that party at Ino's, that maybe alcohol got to his head a bit and maybe he made up little, insulting rhymes about a certain Uchiha standing next to him, but that was about a year ago. Thinking back to it, memory loss did come with certain perks, as Sasuke didn't remember anything about that. Not that he had been there for the creative process, but Kiba- in his infinite wisdom- had decided to jest about it a few months later- and that's how Teme got all the that went through his mind, as his shoulders slumped and mouth hang open in shock- and yet he found that he was ridiculously hurt by the dismissal, like he was somehow being excluded.

Sasuke smiled a little- no doubt at his woes, the bastard- before meeting that challenging gaze. "Will I need it?"

At that, she arched a brow. Her banters with Sasuke had always amused as much as annoyed the older woman- not that Sasuke remembered, he just couldn't help being his charming self. "Good question."

And living up to his usual standard of charm, he childishly mirrored her expression. "And the answer?"

Tsunade smiled nostalgically a little, frowned a little for good measure, and then proceeded to place her own cup and a bottle of sake in front of her. "Good question." She sighed and leaned back, eyes absently fixed on the white bottle. "Iwao agreed to talk… but only to you. The two of you, in particular."

"I said that's a bad idea." Kakashi's voice came from the back of the room.

Naruto just about twirled around in his chair to face him. Had he been there all along? Might as well- he hadn't been paying attention to anyone not going by the name "Sasuke". "Kakashi-sensei, you're late." He deadpanned, just to keep the ritual.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled with amusement. "Well, there was a couple of napping lovebirds that captured my attention for a while." He said lightly, closing his book. "Nature is a beautiful thing."

It took a lot out of Naruto to keep that blush from exploding all over his face. The fact that Tsunade regarded the Jounin suspiciously and that Sasuke's questioning gaze had settled on the side of his face was not helping matters either. Was it Pakkun? He sincerely doubted it, because the pug hated getting dragged into other people's affairs and rarely strayed from the topic of his mission. No, this was all Kakashi- knowing that Sasuke would be at his place and either hazarding a guess or checking up on them earlier so that he could have his little sadistic fun playing with his head. If not for the utter sense of respect that he felt for his ex mentor and the fact that it was an obvious trap, begging for a reaction, he might have thrown a tangent there and then, no expletives omitted.

"Anyway." Tsunade cleared her throat. "Lovebirds and nature aside, Iwao seems quite honest in his intention to talk." She poured some sake for herself and then- significantly less- for Sasuke. "I suppose naming terms is his last attempt to have a feeling of control before his life ends."

Sasuke frowned at her a little as she sipped on her sake, then frowned more at what looked like the kid-meal version inside his cup. "How do you know you can trust him?" he asked.

The Godaime's long fingers played at the tip of her bottle, tipping it one way or the other, enough that it threatened to fall, before balancing it. "I cross-referenced Iwao's name with our archives. The request had come from Suna and the Kazekage had been kind enough to provide us with their own records… that's usually all that's required for a mission." She sighed. "As it turns out, there was a missing ANBU named Iwao. Him and his partner, Eiji had disappeared when the Third had sent them on a scouting mission… soon after Orochimaru betrayed Konoha. The idea was to locate him and report back."."

Cobalt eyes widened as her words sank in. "You… you mean to say that those guys…" he paused, feeling sick for a moment. "Baa-chan… were they our ANBU?"

This time it didn't surprise him that the Hokage refilled her cup. It was bad. It was horrible. "Yes, Naruto… they used to be Konoha shinobi… Their names are actually on our memorial stone. How screwed up is that?" she took a gulp of sake this time. "Our records have them down as deceased, which is why their names didn't come up right away. Apparently, Orochimaru kept them alive and experimented on them."

"Then why…?" he stammered a little. He had killed one of their own.

"Why would they attack me and Naruto rather than identify themselves?" Sasuke finished the question, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezing.

"Oh, they were quite mad, by the time that Orochimaru was done with them." Kakashi said grimly. "Iwao said that Orochimaru had bragged about killing the Third, so they figured that the next Hokage would never even know who they are. Besides, they knew that they were dying… and had been for a while. Konoha was no longer their home so they wandered off to the border. Apparently, at some point they tried to cross over and were attacked by Suna ninjas, whom they killed. And that's how they got on Suna's 'Most Wanted' list."

Sasuke had a sip of his sake, then passed the cup to Naruto. For a long moment he just stared in it. There was just enough sake for another sip, which would do nothing to dull the pang of guilt in his chest, but Sasuke's gesture made him feel that the amnesiac Uchiha could understand him well enough to sense his turmoil and was seeking to comfort him. It did help- he'd lie, if he were to claim that he wasn't affected at all by that show of support- but the world of ninja was so terribly messed up. Most of the time he focused on his dream and figured that when he became Hokage, he'd make things better. Was there really a choice about people like Iwao and Eiji? It had not been their fault, it was a nasty twist of fate that landed him on Orochimaru's hands. Had they killed those Suna ninjas out of malice or had they been attacked first? Whatever the case, they had sealed that unfair fate the moment they had bloodied their swords. Laws were there- unbending, uncompromising- and they were there for a reason; there was too much violence to allow chaos. People like Iwao greased the cogs of justice with their blood, because some innocents would be sacrificed, if law was to remain on those turbulent lands.

"And what, now?" Naruto asked quietly.

The older woman looked up from her empty cup- eyes hard in spite of the honey-sweet color. "He will be executed after he gives you the reversal jutsu." She said in a detached tone. "Iwao is a criminal."

Naruto smacked the cup against the table. "Konoha abandoned him once- doesn't he deserve at least the chance of trying to find a way to heal him?"

Kakashi sighed and looked down, but he could feel a certain set of dark eyes watching him. What would be there? Surprise at the outburst or perhaps pity for his delusions? What was this Sasuke- that had never been there when he had started to grow against the odds, who had no memory of the Dobe that kept coming after him when everyone had thought of him as a lost cause, that took his beatings and almost died beside him, killing Itachi- thinking of those naïve words spewing from his mouth?

"There is no way to reverse what has been done to him." Tsunade said curtly. "If I let him rot in that cell, he will die painfully and slowly… Killing him is the only thing that can be done for him now- he was looking to die fighting you back there." She took a sharp breath. "I promised him that I would find his partner's remains and they would both be buried side by side as Konoha ninjas. For that, he promised to talk."

The blonde boy had not thought that he could possibly feel worse, but now he did- because he could understand Iwao's feelings. At least he believed he did, considering the deal he had made. "When can we see him?" he asked then.

"What if he's lying?" Kakashi put up a stopping hand. "Are you willing to take your chances with someone who can screw with a guy's head like Sasuke's?" then he arched a brow. "We all thought that we had seen him as screwed up as it got, before all this."

In cue, the Godaime and Naruto both regarded Sasuke appraisingly, considering the Jounin's words a little too much for the boy's liking. The air around him darkened and his features set dangerously as he looked at Kakashi. "Back on topic." He said tightly. "I'm willing to take my chances with him." He shook his head, eyes drifting to the blonde for a moment. "I can't function like this."

The silver-haired man sighed. "A man who takes that kind of deal is either loyal to a person and loves them, or uses it to play on someone's heartstrings." He offered casually, though the words reeked of caution. "Someone like you, Naruto."

Taking a deep breath, he rose from the chair and nodded. "He's loyal and loved his friend." He said.

The Uchiha rose quietly right after him and stood next to him, then followed as quietly when he started walking. It was almost endearing to see Sasuke like that, because he had a docile quality about him that had just never been there- even when he had his memory, even after they had done unnamed things to each other.

When they were at the door, Kakashi added, "Just make sure you're not projecting."

They started walking down the corridor that would lead to the holding cells. Sasuke was still walking a bit behind him, but one look over his shoulder revealed unyielding eyes that stopped him from asking anything or attempting to strike up a conversation.

"What did Kakashi mean?" he demanded in an impatient tone.

Naruto cringed.

"I've had all the innuendo I'm willing to take." he continued before scoffing at the silence. "It doesn't matter. I'll know soon enough."

And with that he walked faster, walked past him and ahead towards the man that had agreed to unlock his past for the promise of a decent burial next to his partner- in ANBU, in Orochimaru's hell and, soon now, in death.

"Yo-o, Uchiha."

The voice halted them. Sasuke backtracked a little, as he had almost passed by the cell, and he took a few extra steps that brought him right next to the Uchiha.

Iwao was sitting on a small bench, half-shrouded in darkness. Now that anything other than the basics of his apparel- a worn shirt and pants- was gone, Naruto could see the man's long, salt-and-pepper hair and the tan skin that now looked somewhat wan with sickness. Those emerald eyes though burned with feverish intensity. Those eyes made the blonde worry about the man's intention to stick to that deal. Could Kakashi have been right about him projecting?

The Uchiha didn't seem to share his misgivings as he folded his arms. "We're here. Now tell me."

Iwao arched a brow. "Tell you?" he questioned, then rose to his feet. The sound of rattling chains accompanied his motion, making him seem more like a vengeful spirit than a real man. "I will tell you, but you'll have to tell me first."

Naruto stepped in closer. "That's not the deal."

He arched a brow. "Oh? The deal was that I talk to you. I am talking, aren't I?"

It was too risky. What if he could do something worse to Sasuke? What if by agreeing to this, he was about to let something terrible happen. No… "Come on, Sasuke." He grabbed his arm and pulled. "He's playing with you."

Sasuke surprised him by standing his ground. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked.

The older man cocked his head a little and smirked. "Much better." He nodded and then his smile vanished. "Tell me. Did the Hokage tell you our story?"

A nod. "She did."

Iwao studied the steel bars, probably attempting to figure out whether they had been charged with chakra. "What did you think?"

"It's unfortunate, but, to my understanding, being a shinobi doesn't exactly come with rosy prospects." Sasuke's eyes narrowed a little. "What happened to you was just one of the many ways that you could have died… or worse."

Iwao actually laughed. Cackled, was more like it, actually. "It's all black and white for you, isn't it?" he said and sobered up. "All that's out there are people in gray hats, but they don't tell you about that at the academy- they tell you that as long as you protect the Village you do what's right, killing its enemies is right." His features darkened. "Killing without questioning is right. And one day it's you who's the enemy."

"They couldn't have known-" Naruto started to protest.

"Couldn't have known?" he scoffed. "How hard do you think they even looked after we disappeared? For how long?"

What the man was insinuating was giving him a headache and got him on protective mode very very fast. The Third had been one of the few people that had been kind to him. The Third was kind and generous. The Third would never have given up on them like that. "The Third would never have-"

"But he did." Iwao cut. "It's not the Hokage's place to go after lost sheep… or sacrifice more to that end."

"The Third wasn't like that!" he just about yelled. "And I won't be like that!"

Now both Iwao and Sasuke looked at him with varying degree of surprise on their faces. Great- like he needed to open a new can of worms right about then.

"Who knows…" the man said then and sounded tired. He stepped back and sat on the uncomfortable bench. "We were living on borrowed time- we would have died anyway. We had actually managed to outlive most of Orochimaru's experiments… we were one of the first." He said distantly and closed his eyes, that now seemed much dimmer, before looking at Sasuke again. "You don't remember shit, but while we were fighting, you had asked me how I knew so much about the Sharingan." At the Uchiha's confused expression, he waved his hand vaguely. "You fucking eyes that Orochimaru had been obsessing about all the way until you killed him."

Naruto felt a quick look from Sasuke. What about his eyes? How was he associated with this Orochimaru that seemed to be a true villain? Was Orochimaru the one that had killed his family? Was that why he had killed him? It all made his heart ache, because all the answers were so ugly and the dark boy's empty mind was trying to piece together what he was hearing in a way that made sense. This, ergo this, ergo that. Nothing was further from the truth though. It had been his brother that had killed everyone. It had been his choice to become Orochimaru's apprentice and kill him- not because he was such a bad guy, but because it was the end of the line and Sasuke had no intention of sticking to his end of the bargain. It was all ugly- and very soon Sasuke would know. The vacation time from himself was just about over.

Iwao didn't seem to be paying attention. "Well, at the time, Orochimaru had been part of Akatsuki and his greatest desire was to have your brother's eyes." He paused a little amused at the way Sasuke's face was conveying constant confusion. "Are you surprised that I knew Itachi or do you just have no idea what the hell I'm talking about?" he scoffed. "Maybe this all worked a little too well… But things will make sense to you later, so for now keep notes."

A ray of hope stabbed him through his chest- right through his heart- at the sound of those words. It would make sense to Sasuke later- but that was only if he were to remember. That meant that Iwao knew of a way to reverse the jutsu, right? That meant that he actually intended to do it. And Sasuke would be back- bearing all the heartache of his past that Naruto had surprised himself by being willing to accept as a fee. In his moments of denial, he tried to convince himself that that would have been what the dark boy would have chosen, but, in fact, he was selfish, just as he had told Sakura. Because he had always been alone and though, eventually he managed to have friends- real, close, dependable, awesome friends- Sasuke had become to him so much more- and now he couldn't let go. Sasuke was his family, his precious person- a part of his heart and soul that was making life worth living. He wished he could be better than this, but this situation had made him realize that he was just as flawed and human as anyone else… perhaps more so.

"Your brother was actually on his way out of Konoha just as I was making it to ANBU, so all of us used to look up to him… envy the smug bastard too and resent him for setting the bar too high." The man breathed deeply and slouched against the wall. "Orochimaru had always been collecting jutsus- he had cheated death to do that- so the Sharingan became the answer to all his riddles. It was pretty soon though that he realized that could not counter Itachi's eyes, but being the obsessive freak that he was, it was also not too long before he experimented on a way around. A mirror you might say."

Sasuke frowned, inching a little closer. "What are you saying?" he asked, his voice oozing frustration.

"In hand to hand combat, you would have taken me, but you got impatient, because you were worried about your girlfriend over there." He smirked, gesturing at Naruto.

Hissy cat did not even begin to describe it. A beet-red, hissy cat. A beet-red, hissy cat that was caught getting out of the bag. And said cat, hated- absolutely hated - the word 'girlfriend'. "HEY-!" he protested- and was cut short.

Just as he had done that night for the dark boy, Sasuke's hand came over his lips this time. "This is not the time to get riled up about this." He said and those charcoal eyes were serious and bore intense on him. And just as though as he was being as serious and pragmatic, without cracking a smile, he added, "I need to have my memories back in order to have an equal share in this argument."

Naruto chocked.

His face was just as composed as he turned to Iwao- who looked incongruously entertained for a dying man. "That's enough talking. Release the jutsu."

"I suppose that is enough talk." He nodded. "But there is nothing to release. I never cast a jutsu on you."

"So you can't help me."

"That's not what I said either." He rolled his eyes. "I know that not all lights are on there, but you need to pay attention. I'm dying because of Orochimaru's obsession with your clan, so the least you can do is not waste what's left of my time."

Sasuke took a mental step back and started to consider- for which Naruto wanted to kick him. Literally. His anxiety was fast developing into an ulcer, while the Uchiha was playing into that guys mind-games. Mirrors. What kind of trick was Iwao proposing? It had probably been too much to hope for true magic.

"You said I got impatient because of Naruto." He stated slowly, then frowned a little. "This Sharingan… is that what you mirrored?"

Iwao applauded theatrically. "Isn't it jolly that you get those brain-cells working?" he dropped his arms to his sides looking exhausted. "That's right, little Uchiha. The technique was supposed to mirror the effects of Itachi's Mangekyu back at him."

The blonde shivered. Itachi could trap someone's mind in a timeless circle of torture that defies the laws of what used to be reality. Days of torture- that feel absolutely real- can pass in seconds. A small boy can relive the terror of his entire clan- including his parents- being slaughtered by their eldest son over and over again. All for the price of sacrificing the person dearest to you. But… "But Sasuke doesn't have Itachi's mangekyu!" he protested.

The man shrugged. "Honestly I was really surprised that it even worked." He said idly. "Orochimaru was pretty novel, but his head jingled with lose screws more than your average nutcase." He smiled a little. "At least Eiji said that and swore he could even hear them… but that could have been psychosis too, I suppose."

There was a moment of tense silence, before Sasuke spoke again. "So my memory loss was just as much of a surprise to you as it was to anyone else." He breathed out. "Wonderful. What now?"

A frown creased Iwao's brows. "What do you mean? You've been under the influence of your own kekkai genkai." He shrugged. "Just release it."

It was a bad time to be a Dobe, but Naruto looked as clueless as the Uchiha, even as the other boy had turned to him for explanations. "… Uh… how?"

The man regarded him with some measure of disdain. "How did you even graduate from the Academy?" he scoffed and formed the tiger seal as a hint. "Kai."

Sasuke frowned and carefully imitated the seal and then said. "… Kai."

The crickets were once again chirping.

"Teme, it's not just a word." Naruto said, feeling really weird about lecturing Sasuke of all people on chakra basics. "You need to mold your chakra as you do that."

The Uchiha looked annoyed. "I. Don't. Remember. How to do that." He said stubbornly.

"Just focus- it could come to you." He said nervously. "Like riding a bike."

Sasuke- who didn't even know if he could ride a bike- glared daggers at him, still keeping his hands awkwardly in that seal that meant nothing to him. "Stop being so helpful." He deadpanned, voice dripping his very Uchiha sarcasm. "Please."

Great time to be your delightful self, Teme. What had Iruka-sensei once said? The chakra is like body heat when you feel it. Cobalt eyes darted to Iwao- who watched like this was a show- and he cursed the moment, Orochimaru, cats, unpredictable jutsus and girlfriends. This was too important, so he did his damndest to block out anything, but the Uchiha. Taking a step back and to the side, brought him right behind the other boy, who tried to follow him with his eyes, fighting his confusion as well as he could.

"… What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, eyes darting between Naruto and Iwao.

Yes, it was awkward. Yes, he'd much rather be doing this in privacy. No, it couldn't wait, because if it didn't work, Iwao would have to come up with something else. Hopefully. No, Tsunade wouldn't let them go practice and he'd rather the crazy-soon-to-be-killed person witness this rather than people that would give him dirty looks every time he'd talk about being the Konoha Head Honcho.

Still… "Uh… can you turn around or close your eyes… or something?"

Iwao just blinked. "No."

Perverted freak. It was worth a shot though. Sasuke was looking at him incredulously and even more apprehensively too. "He said no- what do you want?" the blonde fended. "Now. Focus."

The dark boy frowned, his body language defensive. "On what?"

With a single slow inhalation- as though he was about to dive in something bottomless- that he hoped might give him strength- which it didn't- he brought his body flat against Sasuke's tense back, his arms folding around the Uchiha until his hands were set over his, covering them instructively. "Focus on the heat you feel." He said softly, his mouth very close to Sasuke's ear. It was flushed, so he knew that the other boy was blushing- but then again, so was he. "The chakra will feel like that too… only inside. Try to feel it the way that you feel me against you, all the way to your hands." He swallowed hard. This was so hard. Hard to ignore his urge to relax to it. Hard not to think that he missed him. Hard not to feel impatient, standing at the threshold of getting him back. "Take your time…" he forced himself to say.

It seemed to take forever- and forever was a terribly long time to wait and try to avoid thinking of who was watching and who might walk in on them at any time. But then he felt Sasuke's ribs expand with a deep breath and he braced for it.

"… Kai."

It was nothing like he was expecting- and he hadn't even realized that he had been expecting anything. When Sasuke's body went limp against him though, his arm instinctively folded around the pale boy, effectively breaking his fall. Few instincts were as honed inside him as being there to catch Sasuke every time he had fallen. This time was no different- if not quite a bit more literal- as he gently brought him to the safety of solid ground, trying to tame the galloping feeling of terror inside his heart. The feeling only intensified as he looked into the beautiful charcoal eyes that had dimmed watching something past Naruto's worried face, past the ceiling, past…

The past…

"Baa-chan!" he called frantically. "Anybody?" he yelled louder, then suddenly a pale hand clutched onto his shirt. Hope intertwined with his fear. "Sasuke…?" he asked in a small timid voice that surprised him. He sounded lost. "Hey… can you hear me, Teme?"

"Give him some time." Iwao said. The man now stood right behind the bars of his cell, watching closely. The amusement was gone and so was the intrigue to be replaced by a solemn feeling of understanding. "That's how he looked that time… I'd guess the release is working."

Naruto didn't look up and couldn't look at Sasuke either- because he felt helpless and scared and- "If anything bad happens to him-"

"What?" the man challenged. "What can you do that has not been done to me already? Kill me? I asked for that, you stupid boy."

The Uchiha shivered against him as he was being cradled, head right over his heart, so that maybe that thundering beat could bring him home. "I'll think of something…" he stroked the dark hair, now matted with small beads of sweat. Where is everybody? "GUARD!" he all but screamed.

This time two shinobi jumped in, with katana drawn, aiming for whatever was in their way. "Uzumaki-" one of them started, eyes widening at the fallen Uchiha.

"Get, Baa-chan and Kakashi-sensei-NOW!" he barked with authority that he didn't have.

Whether it was because the men agreed that his order made sense or because he just startled them into motion by the urgency echoing in his voice- because, really, no one wanted another dead Uchiha- they sprang into motion. Naruto watched them anxiously. Maybe he should have asked them to help him move Sasuke to the Hospital or even Tsunade herself, rather than waste time like this. Then again maybe moving him would have been the mistake unless the Godaime cleared it. What if, what if…? His mind was reeling with possibilities and questions and second-guessing. It all made him want to cry out in frustration, release that scream of frustration. Cobalt eyes drifter to the Uchiha, full of guilt- lips open, mouth dry, muscles limp.

Naruto's eyes squeezed shut. "Sasuke…" he whispered- pleaded. "… Please…" he chocked out and he wasn't sure, what he was even asking. Don't go? Come back? Don't leave me? He had said it all but the last one. Maybe… "Don't…" he started. "… don't-"

Sasuke's body tensed and a small gasp escaped his dry lips. Dark- gorgeous, liquid, startling charcoal gray- eyes blinked in confusion, then in focus. At first they lingered on Iwao as though he was trying to figure something out, but then it seemed as though as he mentally scoffed. And the he blinked once more and his eyes settled on the blonde boy that was holding him against him as though he were his lifeline. It obvious enough that he was exhausted- that much was certain, but little else.

"… Sasuke…?" he chanced the question. "Teme, say something…" … you're scaring me…

There it was again- that sense of déjà-vu. Last time he had said that- what's wrong, Teme- you're scaring me- Sasuke has asked him who he was. Part of him braced for that same question, even though he was sure that his heart couldn't take it. Because that was Sasuke- always drifting away with him hot on his trail. Don't leave me…

The pale boy moved back a little, weakly as it were, to make eye contact with him. After a long moment, he smiled very softly. "I know you…" he nodded a little, then attempted a smirk, "… Usuratonkachi."

Suddenly it all came crushing down on him- and then he did cry out. And then he did cry. And then he buried his face in Sasuke's pale chest, over his heart that drummed against his cheek- the most soothing sound in the Universe. He sobbed with all the grief of having nearly lost his precious person, all the need and pain and fear that he had held back. It dawned on him that all this time he had been hoping- that, in spite of all he had seen, he was still such a child. It dawned on him that even though Sasuke didn't say anything, he brought his arm around Naruto's broad shoulders to stroke his hair and his neck- that longing touch that was ever familiar and ever new.

Someone cleared their throat and he felt Sasuke tilt his head a bit. "I think that they're here for me, Dobe…" he said in that winded voice and tried to sound cool. He didn't.

Naruto caught a glimpse of silver- which he figured was Kakashi- and he moved back on his heels, allowing the Jonin to gather Sasuke in his arms. Out of the corner of his eye he saw low heels and green fabric- a thread of gold. Baa-chan… It was okay- it was all going to be okay now. The mirror had been broken and the world made sense again. The feeling of gratitude in him was almost too painful to bear.

"Naruto…" Sasuke started. "I'm-"

"You'll catch up in a bit." Kakshi stopped him. "Tsunade-sama needs to check if you're back to being your old, messed up self."

"Kakashi." Sasuke's voice sounded considerably more familiar and stern. "You and I need to have a talk."

"You're making that scary face again, Sasuke." Kakashi's voice carried with mock-fear.

It was all familiar again and he couldn't help the small smile. But then again, that was as much as he could do in that moment.

A gentle hand tousled his hair. "Come by in a bit- won't you, gaki?" she said softly.

A nod. The feeling of Sasuke's concerned eyes on him, however annoyed he was with their ex mentor. Who knows what kind of week Sasuke had with him… Come to think of it, he never did ask. It was all he could do to sit there as everyone walked away. Did they understand? Could they? He barely did himself.

"Are you alright?"

Blue eyes lifted to look at Iwao. The man was watching him patiently, with those emerald eyes shining in uncanny understanding. "I guess…" he said.

"Hold on to him." Iwao said before he walked back to the back of his cell and lay on the bench. "Hold on to him like hell… because one day he will die or you will die- like everyone and everything else…" he breathed deeply, "… but if you hold on, maybe you won't die with regret in your heart."

Regret. The word echoed in his mind as Naruto finally got to his feet. "Is that what you did?... with Eiji?"

Though he waited there for a long moment, Iwao made no move, nor did he say anything more, so he took it as his cue to leave. There had been so much that he realized that he had never told Sasuke- so much that he wanted to say in those moments that everything seemed to be going down the rings of hell and that now he remembered all the reasons why he never did. What they had did not and could not fit into words.

"Thank you." he said as he left- for all it mattered to Iwao, because it sure mattered to him.

The door closed behind him and started to walk down the corridors of the Tower. It was over now- really over, finally, thankfully, against the odds- and the only mirror left was the one reflecting his soul. It came as no surprise that he found Sasuke's face looking back at him behind the glass.

And that's my Chapter-before-last. ^.^ I hope that you guys enjoyed and are happy with my proposed closure. Though Iwao (and Eiji) are my created characters, hopefully they didn't seem forced into the story or became a distraction… Thank you all who read this. See you next chapters~!

Kisses!

Ja,

Maria