Well, here I am once again, it's that unreliable Author you all love to hate - Kasia!
I finally got my arse into gear and finished this chapter. I had about half of it written when I got distracted by other things. It was in fact two reviews which I recently received from Heaven Cobra and taiganlynx001 that reminded me about my story and how I desperately needed to update it. Hence, this lovely new chapter. So, my thanks to you two for - in some strange way - giving me a kick up the arse so I could finish this chapter.
If I'm going to be honest with you all, I don't think much happens in this chapter, it's just a load of talking, but I assure you, it is necessary. Why am I explaining myself here? You'll all see when you read the chapter (and you'll hate me even more when you reach the end of the chapter).
Like usual, I still don't own Naruto, and yup there is definite OOC - but you all love it, don't ya?
On with Chapter Ten!
'Wounds are irrelevant. All that matters is that we harbour feelings towards one another… right?'
Sasuke gazed around the empty hospital room. Though it held flowers, and gifts of all sorts (no doubt from all the girls at work), it still felt empty. There was only one person who would be able to make the emptiness go away.
"Naruto," Sasuke said gently, letting the name roll naturally off his tongue. He repeated the name a few times, not knowing the reason why, but feeling that if he said it enough times, he would feel better.
He closed his eyes, and released a tired smile as he very slowly eased himself back down on the bed. Too sudden a movement would cause his back to ignite with pain.
'Pain that I would gladly withstand a thousand times over, if only I could have my Naruto here with me.'
The worst of it all was how badly he desired to just spring out of bed. To get dressed and sprint out of the hospital, keep on running, through the whole of town, to their home where hopefully he would find Naruto, and then he'd make everything right. He'd make all the pain and suffering go away.
His eyes suddenly shot open at the thought that came to him. 'What if Naruto leaves again? What if he's not there when I recover?'
Neji gazed seriously into his lover's eyes, the determination never wavering.
"Neji–"
"Gaara, just think about it. He needs us, and after all of this, he may need somewhere to go. If things really can't work out between him and Sasuke, then where else will he go? Who else can he turn to?"
"Neji–"
"It's not like we don't have enough room, either–"
"Neji!"
"Yes?" Neji said almost too sweetly, turning his pale eyes back to his lover, having allowed them to wander off to stare at the ceiling in his ramblings.
"I think it's a good idea."
"You do?"
"Of course."
Neji smirked at the red-head, and shuffled about slightly in his lap to get a bit more comfortable.
Just then, the door to their cell opened, and a familiar face came into view.
"No way…" Neji whispered, while Gaara simply cocked one of his non-existent eyebrows.
"We can't allow you to leave now."
"I only came by to pick up some things!"
"This whole place has been sectioned off, Sir. Only police officials may enter the building."
Naruto sighed in an agitated manner. He felt a bit silly for not realising that of course the police would still be investigating the house. He was shocked however to find that all of a sudden the police were telling him he was not allowed to leave, and he would have to be taken down to the police station.
"So what the hell did I do wrong?" Naruto questioned, trying his hardest to remain calm and civil.
"Nothing, Sir. It has simply been commanded by Officer Nara to bring you back down to the station."
Naruto was about to start ranting about the unprofessional way in which the police seem to be handling everything, when the name 'Nara' registered in his head.
"Nara? Did you say Nara?"
"Yes, Sir."
A wide grin spread across Naruto's face. The police officer in front of him looked a little apprehensive at Naruto's sudden mood change.
"Then it's not a problem!" Naruto exclaimed. The police officer sighed with relief. It had been a tedious few days. He escorted Naruto over to the police car, and took off towards the station. Naruto watched as the house quickly faded from his view. His home – no, Sasuke's home. Naruto knew he didn't belong there anymore.
"Quite the predicament you guys have gotten yourselves into. How troublesome."
Neji continued to gaze at the man who had just entered the tiny cell. Just like back in their school days, the man wore a bored expression, and stood slightly slouched with his hands tucked lazily into his pockets.
"Shikamaru," Neji said with a smirk. Gaara gave a polite and simple nod in Shikamaru's direction, and instinctively tightened his grip on Neji.
Shikamaru replied with a curt nod, before sighing and started to explain the current situation. "Due to my position here, the best I can do for you guys is get you off with a fine."
"That was your doing then?" Neji queried.
Shikamaru nodded again. "Perks of the job. But…" he suddenly redirected his gaze to the ground, and started chewing on his bottom lip.
"But…?" Neji prompted. Gaara remained silent, his piercing gaze never leaving the agitated officer before him.
"It's about Orochimaru."
Both Gaara and Neji scowled. "What about him?" Gaara spat aggressively.
"The worst he'll get is a couple of years imprisonment."
"What?" Neji seethed. "That's it?"
Shikamaru nodded, his brows knitted together in slight frustration, "Even if he got say, a life sentence, you can be quite certain that he'd be out in less than ten years. That's how our fine justice system works these days, it seems."
"How is all of this possible?" Gaara asked in a harsh whisper.
"The evidence is of course against Orochimaru, but he's claiming self-defence. On top of this, he has high people in high places, and he is the main owner of a very reputable company. Think about it…"
Gaara clenched his fist and glared at the wall while Neji remained in a state of disbelief. How could this be 'justice'?
"And it doesn't exactly help that Sasuke never actually came to us about the rape, either. It's very damning against him that he let Orochimaru go."
Neji and Gaara shot their heads back up to look at Shikamaru. "How do you know about that?" they both questioned him.
"Naruto finally spilled, after a lot of persuasion, to one of my fellow officers." His eyes started to shine with what looked like tears, but as quickly as they had come, they disappeared. "It was obvious that there was more to the case than what we were already aware of. There was some sort of history, but of course, we've been told about it far too late. There's nothing we can do against Orochimaru. There's no evidence against him."
"Nothing we can do…" Neji mumbled quietly to himself. Gaara stared at him, feeling the same sadness and despair.
All three men were suddenly snapped out of their individual thoughts when another officer's voice invaded their minds.
"Nara!" it called. Shikamaru turned on the spot and walked stiffly out of the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving Gaara and Neji to continue pondering over the new information. How would Naruto take all of this?
"Shika," Naruto said softly with a faint smile as Shikamaru rounded the corner into the waiting area.
"Hey Naruto," he replied, trying his best to give a genuine smile, but it was all in vain. Naruto could see through anything.
"So, what's the bad news?" Naruto queried. Shikamaru dropped the smile and motioned for Naruto to follow him. Once inside Shikamaru's private office, he immediately set about telling Naruto all that he knew, in the kindest way possible.
'Then again, how do you tell someone the person who raped them and tried to kill them – twice – is most likely going to be set free…?'
"Naruto, I don't know how to tell you this to be honest, but it's best you find out now rather than later…"
"What do you mean, 'SET FREE'?!"
Sasuke cringed slightly as his little outburst made a sudden sharp pain shoot through his back. The police officer who had been standing beside his bed stood on shaky feet, having fallen backwards from Sasuke's shouting and menacing glare.
"That's right…"
"But – but…"
"I'm sorry."
Naruto's eyes closed slowly. Tears leaked from the corners, making their quick descent down his cheeks.
The officer didn't quite know what to do. He was hesitant to say another word, or even move, worried it would set the young Uchiha off again. He winced only slightly as Sasuke suddenly turned his glare on him once again.
"… Does Naruto know?"
"He should do by now. I had an officer go to the hospital especially to inform him."
"But why? Why tell Sasuke about this?"
"If for nothing else, then it's to let him stew in his terrible mistakes. He deserves to know what he's caused here."
"It wasn't your place to decide that, Shika…"
"You think so? Isn't Sasuke just as involved in all of this as you?"
"Hn. I suppose that makes sense."
Sasuke clutched the bed sheets tightly as the officer's words truly sunk in. 'Naruto knows…' he thought dismally to himself. 'What must he be going through? I should be there with him, comforting him…'
"Yes, Sir. Officer Nara is making sure that Mr. Uzumaki knows the full details of the case."
"Hah, what case?" Sasuke said with a tired expression. "From what you tell me, there hardly seems to be a case at hand. Orochimaru goes free, it's as easy as that."
The officer hesitated again before continuing. "That's not all I have to tell you, Sir. You see, due to the circumstances, should it come to the worst, you and Mr. Uzumaki will be placed under witness protection, separately, as commanded by Officer Nara himself."
"What?" Sasuke shot him another glare. "Separately?"
"I'm afraid so."
Naruto bit his lip.
"But surely," Shikamaru continued in a nonchalant manner, shuffling the papers around on his desk, "separate witness protection shouldn't matter, if everything between you and your lover is over, right?"
"What are you trying to imply here?"
"Nothing, Sir, I'm just –"
"Just because I'm stuck here without him means that it's all over?"
"No –"
"That I'm not going to fight for him? That I would let him slip away from me?"
"Mr. Uchiha –"
"Silence!"
Naruto stared down sadly at his lap. His mind was trying to process everything too fast, and it was giving him a headache.
"Well?" Shikamaru questioned.
Naruto stuttered slightly, "I – I guess…"
"It's not over!" Sasuke finished, spitting the words aggressively at the fearful officer stood before him. "Get out of my sight!"
The poor officer didn't need telling twice. He gave a short bow before quickly exiting the hospital room. Sasuke sighed and gently leaned himself back against the thin pillows. He focused on his breathing for a short while, forcing himself to calm down, before bringing his gaze over to the single window in the room. His eyes softened as he remembered when Naruto was stood there, and some of the things that were said.
'"I've always loved you, even when we were supposedly worst enemies. I loved you. I've been a nobody all my life, but you… you seemed to be the only one who acknowledged me. You noticed me. You gave me purpose in life."'
Sasuke whispered his lover's name, determination flaring in his deep black eyes. "I will fix this." Slightly against his will, he smirked at what he had planned. "I'll fix everything. Just wait… we'll have our revenge."
Ah, just what does Sasuke have planned...? How exactly does he intend to get 'revenge'? Will Naruto still want to be with him, even after Sasuke 'fixes everything'?
You all hate me now, don't you? See, I knew it. Haha. Well, you know, I was actually planning on ending this chapter at the part where Shikamaru says - "Naruto, I don't know how to tell you this to be honest, but it's best you find out now rather than later…" but I knew that would make this chapter my shortest one yet, so I wrote on!
Also, what does everyone think of what I did at the end there, with the switching between Sasuke's and Naruto's conversations? It was a weird idea I had. They are obviously both having similar conversations, asking similar questions, getting similar answers, etc... what do you think? I hope it wasn't too confusing.
I think there's about two chapters left to this story now. That seems about right, yup. Le gasp, it's almost over, people! The next chapter should be quite interesting indeed.
Cookies and a Special Mention in my Author's Notes of the next chapter to all who can guess what Sasuke has planned for his revenge!