Misery Loves Company

Author: Ladelle

Rating: M

Comments: Woo! An update! Truth be told, I re-wrote this chapter 3 times until I happy. It probably wouldn't have taken so long if I wasn't so fickle, but yay!

Thank you for all of your reviews. Enjoy!

Chapter 19:

Whether by adrenaline or the rush of unsuspected surprise, Naruto felt his heartbeat pound fiercely against his lungs, his breath catching in his throat. He swallowed the feeling uncomfortably as his mouth dried at the sight before him, sweat prickling from his skin as forcibly as the goose bumps that preceded. Fingers curled into fists he stumbled backwards, anger fueling him as the figure in front of him merely smirked.

"You look so surprised," Itachi Uchiha said, and it was all Naruto could do but restrain himself from rushing forward into a fight. He could barely see through his eyelashes, his eyes were narrowed so tightly, and the more primitive part of himself was urging him to do it. Punch him. Pay him back for everything.

"You--" Naruto began, lost for words in his mind. He wasn't sure what to say, considering this was the moment he had been waiting for. The moment to finally find Itachi and set things straight; only he hadn't expected this time to come so quickly. And so he stood, his over eagerness taking advantage of his confusion, crouching only slightly in preparation.

"I'm going to kill you!" the words didn't even sound like his own. His feet ground against the pavement, scraping as he pelted forward, his elbow drawing back as though his fist was an arrow, his body a bow. The air was cold against him as he worked against it, but he didn't feel it retaliate against his movements, reddening his face.

Instead he sucked in a breath and prepared to sink his hand into Itachi's stomach, so deep that he would earn something, anything. He was past the point of realizing that an apology wasn't enough.

"Such a child..." Itachi moved to the side, faster than Naruto could see it, and before the blond could calculate what was happening, pale and slender fingers had clutched his wrist, yanking it upward. Naruto hissed but didn't let the restraint stop him; after all, he had two hands.

Two fists, to be precise.

Itachi had been expecting a second go, but as Naruto's other hand forced its way into his stomach, it was obvious he didn't expect the force behind it. His other hand had found Naruto's free one, and after a cough that resulted in a low growl, Itachi slammed Naruto backwards, against the overhanging railing behind them. The steel cylinder was painful against Naruto's spine and he let out a discomforted groan, not done fighting; not by a long shot.

"Stop this," Itachi demanded from above him, and Naruto attempted to slam his foot down, hoping he'd find a foot beneath it. The bar pressed harder against his back as Itachi jammed him backwards, as if to reiterate his proposal. Naruto twisted to the left to avoid the surge of pain that shot up his spine and into his head and suddenly felt woozy.

If he were to fall...

The ground level was nearly fifty feet below, but not before iron awnings and jutting pieces of machinery extruded from the building. His gut clenched at the thought of tumbling past it all, and without realizing it, his determination had softened. The hold on his wrists tightened, but only because Itachi yanked him to his feet and away from the overlook.

With his mind less cloudy Naruto stared up at him, hating how remarkably similar he and Sasuke looked. The only difference was age beneath the older one's eyes, showing in small purple puffs of exhausted skin. The Uchiha was no longer smiling, and Naruto liked it better that way.

If Itachi had been smirking at him, he would have gone at it again.

"Can I let you go now?" Itachi asked, sounding more like a condescending parent than a captor. Naruto lowered his eyes.

"I don't know, can you?"

Even though Naruto was positive his answer wasn't the one Itachi was looking for, his wrists were released anyway. He immediately went to rub them; Itachi's grip had been brutal.

"You've made us seem suspicious," Itachi commented, and Naruto only glanced around, noting how a few stand-by officers were giving them skeptical looks. The deck was large and they stayed their distance, but Naruto could read the thoughts in their minds just fine. Naruto straightened his shirt, wondering if it would really be that bad to be arrested anyway. He was a cop, kind-of, and Morino would get him out.

"Danzo's officers won't act unless we tell them to," Itachi said suddenly, and a realization came to Naruto. The officers weren't hesitating because of indecision, it was because most likely--as Itachi had said--they all worked under Danzo. The airport was his territory, after all.

"So unless you ask for help, I can beat you to a pulp?" Naruto stared up at him, feeling his fists tighten again.

Itachi snorted. "If you're going to live here, at least say things that make sense."

Frowning, Naruto realized that he had once again used a phrase that had probably died sometime before the year he was in now. "I told you before, and I'm telling you again, I'm going to ki--"

"No, you're not," Itachi cut him off. When Naruto opened his mouth to ask why, the large glass double-doors behind them sprung open, revealing a very enthusiastic looking Kisame. He had a small pouch in his hand and his grin was snakier than usual, especially when he glanced back and forth between the two.

"Ah, you've already met," Kisame snared. "It was ironic when you told me you were looking for Itachi so long ago," he explained. "Especially considering he is my partner."

If Naruto had thought his mouth couldn't dry any further, or maybe that his anger couldn't swell to something near to unreasonable, he was proven wrong at the moment those words left Kisame's lips. Itachi seemed strangely cold beside him, not caring for the introduction. So instead, he changed the subject.

"Did you get the tickets?"

Kisame seemed distracted enough as he rifled through the back and withdrew three proxy cards, each complete with a picture and physical description. Naruto took the one he was handed and felt slightly affronted when the person in his picture was indeed a traveler, but looked nothing like him. He actually hoped someone would catch the ticket as being fraudulent, simply because anyone mistaking him for the poor man in the photo would make him even angrier than he felt now.

"Memorize the information," Kisame directed to him before nodding forward. "Let's go."

Naruto didn't move.

Kisame was already striding forward, but Itachi had stopped and was staring at him, his eyes narrowed. "Uzumaki," he said distinctly, his voice firm. "Now."

Naruto still didn't move. There was no reason to go now, when the thing he wanted was standing right in front of him. If Itachi was out of the picture...

A voice inside of him said he wasn't thinking enough. If he went, he'd be able to infiltrate the Akatsuki as a whole, take them down from the inside. But as his eyes narrowed at the one man who had done nothing but make his life miserable for over a century, reason was lost to him.

"I wanted to find you, and I did." He said. Itachi seemed to understand, but his expression hardened. It wasn't out of anger, either. It was like an awareness, a warning. He was telling Naruto this wasn't the place or time.

"You did. Now come on," Itachi stared. If it wasn't for the coldness of his stare, Naruto wouldn't have bet that this was as close to begging as Itachi got.

Naruto shook his head, feeling much like a child who was reluctant to obey their parent. Kisame frowned and stepped closer to Itachi, looking almost confused. "What's going on?" he asked. Itachi looked like he was about to answer when Naruto felt something whizz by his ear, so fast that it hummed as it whistled forward. It took Naruto a mere second to realize that it as a bullet, that fact only confirmed when Kisame's shoulder exploded into gooey red fireworks.

A new adrenaline coasted his veins. He turned around to face whoever had fired, the world moving in slow motion as a blur of pale skin rushed towards him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back, though not before firing a few more bullets. A scream entered the dream-like state Naruto was caught in, and suddenly the outer deck was packed with people.

When reality caught up to him, Naruto realized that he was actually rushing towards the crowd, that person weaving him through it. A person who was painstakingly familiar; someone he honestly hadn't ever planned on meeting again.

"Ga-ara?"

The words were lost in the crowd as people filtered through, scared, loud, perspirating. The smell was so thick it made Naruto want to gag, and he felt his insides turn as the other man whipped him from left to right and back again, all in a conscious effort to avoid any loitering officers.

It was then that Naruto began to struggle, pulling his arm away, even when the crowds worked against him, pushing him closer to the person he hadn't seen in years. They stumbled down a staircase towards a loading bay where passengers were collecting, and as soon s their feet hit concrete, Gaara yanked him to the side, taking a side ramp that was far less occupied.

"Let go," Naruto said, trying to shake his hand free. "Gaara, I told you to--"

Gaara did let go, and it hurt. Naruto found himself slammed against an outer wall, far from the vantage of any of the chaos erupting from the levels above. It seemed, Naruto realized, that they were all alone.

"What was that for?" Naruto stumbled to his knees, his back flaring as it debated on how to cope with the sudden injury. The redhead didn't look apologetic. In fact, his eyes were narrowed so intently that his eyes looked like diamonds underneath them, shining impurely in the shaded area they had settled in.

"Jesus," Naruto said again, rubbing his wrists. "Why on earth--" He started, but he didn't get a chance to finish. A fist met his stomach and he doubled over, coughing out his pain and surprise. And before he even had the mind to ask why he was being attacked, Gaara felt the need to explain.

"You're such an idiot," the voice was so familiar, but the words were so cold. "Thinking that you could go and join the Akatsuki and that no one would do anything about it. I'll kill you before you go with them."

Something clicked. Naruto pulled his vision upwards and recognized the gun, aimed directly at him. It was ready to go, the hold hot under Gaara's grip, the barrel twisting slightly in indecision.

Naruto frowned and a cold sweat enveloped his body, remembering that Gaara was an assassin. He could probably pull that trigger without thinking twice. When Naruto spoke, his voice was shaky.

"I wasn't joining them..." he said, although he figured that's how it looked. On the outside, yes, he was joining them. But on the inside...

"Lies," Gaara said, and Naruto was caught off guard by an emotion he couldn't remember seeing on the other man. Was it...hurt? Betrayal? Maybe...disappointment?

"I'm not lying," Naruto said a bit more surely, holding up his hands. His stomach felt bruised and he was still struggling to catch his breath after the punch, but he figured he'd have plenty of time to breathe after saving his life. "I was going...to find Itachi. To infiltrate...you know, to stop them..."

The gun didn't waver; neither did Gaara's expression, or Naruto's resolve. He started to stand up, his hands still held like a surrender. "I'm not lying to you."

Gaara's eyes widened a bit and the gun shook a little, and for the first time, Naruto considered that Gaara actually didn't want to kill him. So he continued.

"I came back because I want to live here, in the future..." he looked around, a little hesitant when the distant sound of voices made him feel like they might be found. "But I can't as long as they exist."

Gaara was still staring at him when Naruto's eyes returned, only the gun had been lowered. "You can't stop them."

Gaara was serious, his face once again unreadable, his comment even more full of skepticism. Naruto frowned. "I can and I will."

"Naruto...you can't."

He hadn't expected his name, and it made the comment all the more serious. Raising an eyebrow, he gave in. "Why not?"

"Because I've already tried."

The comment was so simple that it seemed full of so much more, more of Gaara, more of the future, more of things Naruto had yet to know and learn. "Why...would you have tried?"

The gun was now safely at Gaara's hip and Naruto prayed it would stay there. He felt safe and he had always felt like he and Gaara had something of a connection, though what it was based on, he had no idea. He had never killed anyone and he certainly had nothing normal in common with Gaara, but he didn't question his friendships.

"If you still haven't figured it out," Gaara said, scowling, "then you really are an idiot."

Naruto stared at him, still not knowing.

Gaara looked impatient before saying, "You and I are the same."

The realization made Naruto feel like he was seeing the world for the first time. Of course, it made sense. Red hair, green eyes...who had he seen like that in the future aside from Gaara?

"You..." Naruto couldn't bring himself to say it. Gaara only stared at him, confirming his thoughts.

"There's a lot you don't know," the redhead said suddenly, tucking his gun into the waistband of his pants. "For instance, Itachi is not your enemy."

"The best thing for us to do is split up," Haku volunteered, sitting back idly in the driver's seat. The airport looked like a mess, and none of the radio stations were talking about what had happened. It was strange to see such disarray, and it put a mood of unease inside the car.

"What happened..." Sasuke said from the backseat, glaring out of the window. His concern was obvious, even if it was hidden behind years of practiced stability.

Kotetsu glanced down at his icon, silent around his wrist. It seemed like either his police station didn't know, or their communications had been cut off. He frowned. "Let's worry about getting Naruto out of there," he said.

Suigetsu leaned forward. "What kind of 'splitting up'?"

Haku turned back to him, as well as Kotetsu, and they both glanced at each other. It was obvious that they had intended to be the ones to enter, and Suigetsu frowned.

"If this place is crawling with Danzo's men, you'll be recognized right off. Sasuke and I should go."

The idea made Sasuke glance over to Suigetsu in confusion. Maybe he had sensed that Sasuke wouldn't settle for sitting in the car and waiting. Maybe Suigetsu knew that Sasuke had no intentions of doing so. Or perhaps Suigetsu was merely acting on his own judgment and impatience, refusing to let the police possibly endanger them. Either way, he agreed and nodded.

Haku looked between them uneasily while Kotetsu merely took them in between slitted eyes, not at all amused. "You're not serious," he began and Haku spoke over him.

"That worries me a little," his voice was sweet, like a mother who quietly tried to disapprove. Suigetsu snorted, already reaching for the door handle.

"Take it or leave it," he said briskly. "I don't trust cops and I certainly don't trust either of you."

Haku's face fell and Kotetsu's soured as he reached around his seat, holding teh door shut. He and Suigetsu stared at each other for a pregnant minute before Kotetsu let out a huff, seeing that he wasn't going to win.

"Look, you can't just go charging in. If those are Danzo's officers, chances are they'll recognize the both of you, too." The statement was true, if you squinted. Kotetsu was assuming that everyone knew about Naruto and Sasuke's past relations, and perhaps the most recent. Suigetsu shook his head.

"I'm not an idiot. I'm also not the one that got that dolt in this to begin with. If you haven't noticed, I'm quite successful and have as many underlings as Danzo himself." The comment was made with such confidence that Kotetsu merely averted his eyes. Sasuke sat forward in an attempt to not sound as brash as his partner.

"We'll be careful," he said quickly. "Is there anything we should know or will you just be waiting here?" He wanted to get out; he wanted to find Naruto. In all of the chaos that had exploded on the upper deck, he was nervous Naruto was in more danger than before. As if Haku could read him, something cool slid into his hand. When he glanced down, he realized it was a gun.

"You'll need to know how to shoot that," Kotetsu said from beside Haku before glancing up at Sasuke. "Do you?"

In all honesty, he didn't. It was bigger than a pistol and smaller than a semi-automatic, something obviously registered for police officers only. Suigetsu took the weapon from him and opened the door, rolling his eyes. "I do, now come on."

Taking one last glance at the two uniformed men in front Sasuke nodded, stepping out from his side and meeting Suigetsu around front. The air was hot despite a running wind that chilled his skin, most likely a result of so many people cluttered above him, talking and loitering. The smell of congestion burned at his nostrils and he saw a blur of white form his side; medical vehicles.

"Oh no," he said to himself. He wasn't sure if Naruto was the victim, but he was growing increasingly positive that whatever was going on was related to the blond. Or more likely, the Akatsuki.

"He's probably fine," Suigetsu said from beside him, sounding more irritated than encouraging.

Shaking his head, Sasuke stepped forward, heading straight for the lower entrance. If anything, they needed to at least get one floor up, past ticketing. "You know, that's I always try to tell myself and he somehow manages to prove me wrong."

They entered the tall glass doors of the building only to be witness to a flurry of action, blue official blazes flooding the area like there was a police banquet underway. Passengers attempted to peer over the miniature blockades that had been set up, curious to see what was going on. Through the crowd Suigetsu saw another blur of white, this time being held back from progressing any further.

The conversation of a couple officers in front of them helped the two to get a better idea of what exactly was going on.

"They're not letting the medical crew in?" One asked, bewildered.

"I guess not. I guess the department's placed an order that no one enter until the higher ups get here...I wonder what's going on..."

Sasuke jolted when another officer came up behind them, his voice loud and booming. "Stop gossiping and help get the guests outside under control."

The two officers in front of Suigetsu and Sasuke seemed jumpy as well and they bustled off, leaving Sasuke and Suigetsu looking slightly misplaced. The officer raised and eyebrow and all at once Sasuke realized that they had been caught.

"Fancy this. What would to big shots like you be doing at the airport at a time like this?"

Always quick to quip a response, Sasuke answered. "We were intending on taking a vacation. We didn't realize that everyone else had decided to as well." Glancing around, he tried to play the crowd off like a bundle of passengers, ready to set off.

The officer, garishly handsome and equally as untrusting, smiled even larger. "Where to?"

As if he were really interested.

"Whatever' cheapest," Suigetsu said coldly. "And someplace not here. This place is a wreck."

The hustle and bustle in the room proved his point.

"Hm," the officer said, still not entirely believing. "Well, no flights today."

Sasuke was about to ask why when the man's icon sounded, an even firmer voice coming into play.

"... just located two bystanders; questionable if armed. Back-up requested..."

Suigetsu and Sasuke glanced at each other.

"...dock two...section W...again, requesting back-up..."

The officer pulled the icon to his lips to respond and when he turned, he was alone.

"How the hell do you expect me to believe that Itachi Uchiha is not my enemy?" Naruto fumed, his hands finding stability on his hips. Gaara simply seated himself against the wall behind him, as they were both hidden in a small alcove of an exit that had been blocked off for construction purposes.

"He's not," Gaara said simply. Those simple answers Naruto had forgotten about; the ones that drove him insane.

"How so?" he reiterated. "And why are you sitting down?"

Gaara did glance at his last comment as if it weren't an intelligent question at all. "We can't leave when everyone is in a panic."

Naruto continued to stare at him until the redhead figured out that Naruto wanted to hear more about Itachi. He seemed reluctant to talk about it, but since he was the one that brought it up...

"Itachi is trying to help you," Gaara said. When Naruto gave him an even more disbelieving look, he continued. "He is trying to help you protect Sasuke."

Naruto's jaw dropped and he felt fire shoot up his spine and go straight to his brain. "Protect Sasuke? Why the hell would he want to protect Sasuke? Last I remember, he was trying to burn him alive in their house!"

Gaara didn't flinch at Naruto's tone, or even seem surprised. Instead, he glared. "Do you want us to get caught?"

After a moment Naruto collected himself, bringing himself to a crouched position in front of Gaara, his seriousness regaining its composure. "You're going to have to explain more than that," he directed, and Gaara raised an eyebrow.

"You're not like I remember you," he said suddenly, and in a tone that made Naruto falter a minute.

"I'm older, wiser, yada-yada..." Naruto waved his hand in dismissal. "Tell me what you're talking about."

Gaara stared at him, seemingly in some sort of mental debate on how to answer. He was good at being straightforward, but it seemed like even he didn't know the entire story.

"I don't know everything, but he's the one who told me to come here today. He didn't want Sasuke following you to New York, and so he told me to get you out. I would have come anyway. Sasuke means nothing to me."

Naruto stared at him. "And I do?"

Gaara stared back. "You and I are the same."

Naruto didn't feel convinced. "I don't believe you. I was there when Itachi tried to kill him. I don't believe he is any different now."

There was a long period of silence between them before Gaara spoke, seeming reluctant again. "You of all people should know that situations change."

Naruto was caught off guard by this statement, but not as surprised as he was when footsteps sounded behind him and an officer was glaring down.

"I've just located two bystanders..." he went on, and Naruto glanced back to Gaara, fear and anticipation on his face. Gaara's didn't match however, and the redhead simply stood, his gun thankfully hidden from view. The officer stopped giving his address over the icon before staring them up and down skeptically.

"I'm going to need to see some IDs," he asked, not really requesting. Naruto flinched, knowing his ID would never pass. The officer looked them both over, and Naruto noticed that Gaara wasn't making a move either.

A look of satisfaction crossed the policeman's face.

"I'm going to need you two to come with me."

a/n: Off to work I go!