Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, angst, hopefully some decent jokes, and (of course) beautiful SasuNaru love.

Chapter 15: Feeling Desperate

"It was the sort of kiss.. worth dying for."

-Stephanie Garber

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Another base hidden in shadows- rooms filled with alarming stains and the harsh stench of human agony, rancid fear, and the sweet relief of death.

Wonderful.

Deidara's paper monstrosity unceremoniously deposited Naruto into a large room that all of the Akatsuki had already gathered in. Deidara came up and kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to his knees. He dropped forward, but caught himself with his hands, which were still restrained by chakra-blocking rope.

"Now, what to do with you?" Deidara grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and jerked Naruto's head up. He grinned down at him, licking his lips as he contemplated how to handle the nine tails. "We've been waiting for you for a long time." He glanced up. "Haven't we, Itachi?"

Naruto's eyes shifted over to where the Uchiha was standing, but his face remained impassive.

"What the hell are you implying, Deidara?" Kisame snapped, razor sharp teeth on full display.

"Cool it, shark-face.I didn't mean nothing by it," he said casually."I just know that Uchiha here has been all for hurting Konoha anyway he can. And this one-"

"Nnnn!" Naruto groaned as Deidara sharply wrenched his head back. He bit his lip, trying to keep himself quiet.

"-this one is gonna hurt."

It took Sasuke a fucking lifetime to finally find the trail that Naruto had left for him. He understood why the idiot had covered his tracks so well when he initially escaped, he would've done the same, but it made rescuing him a lot more difficult.

And infuriating.

He looked closely at the broken branches. It was obvious that it wasn't from a struggle. It seemed too intentional, too precise. Naruto had gotten far enough away after being covert, but he knew that Sasuke would be looking for him. It was clear that he had left this for him to follow. Sasuke chased after the marked trail, but paused when he noticed.. blood.

Is this the baka going overboard giving me a trail to follow, or.. or did something happen to Naruto?

He swallowed down his concern as he continued his search. As he moved further in, he found more torn apart and broken foliage, but this- this was different. There was definitely some kind of struggle here. He stepped into the path of destruction and could see red smears on the forest floor in front of him. His heart tightened and then just stopped.

"No.." he breathed, not even aware that he was saying it out loud.

He stepped closer, and as he did his crimson eyes widened in surprise. Standing above it, he could see that the blood had been used to write something. Something for him to see.

イタチ

Itachi..? Why would Naruto write this? What does this any of this have to do with Itachi?

Sasuke scanned the area around him, but this looked to be his only clue. It was enough. He knew who had Naruto this time.

The Akatsuki.

Did he seriously escape that psycho only to be captured by the freaking Akatsuki?

Sasuke pushed his fingers through his hair, sighing loudly. Only Naruto could get into so many freaking messes in one day. He checked his watch. I don't have time for this!! I need to find him!

He thought back to the regrettable amount of time he spent with Orochimaru. About the places he had gone to in search of his brother, both before and after killing the miserable old snake. Before he had returned to the Hidden Leaf.. returned to Naruto.

He hadn't recognize this area at first, but he was fairly certain that there was an Akatsuki base nearby that he had been to. He jumped up to look above the treeline. Once he spotted somewhat familiar territory, he plotted a course in his mind and set off.

Just a little longer, Naruto. Just hold on a little longer.

Kisame glared at the mouthy artist, aching for the chance to drive his coveted blade deep into his fucking spine. "Deidara, you seem to have a death wish." His mouth stretched dangerously. "I'd be happy to grant it."

Before Deidara could speak, the monochromatic Akatsuki member stole the show. Zetsu's leafy exterior stretched wide as he regarded their captive. "Isn't he the one who killed our dear Obito?" He glanced over at Itachi. "Tore out his eye and everything, right Itachi? Nine tails through and through I suppose.."

Naruto tried to turn his head, but Deidara still had him forced down on his knees, a hand entangled in his golden locks. He glanced over at Itachi and noticed something. It was the faintest movement, the slight twitch of a finger, but Naruto recognized it. It was the same signal Sasuke used. Just play along.

"If you're looking for his eye, Zetsu, I can assure you- I don't have it." Itachi turned to regard him. "And with the nine tails in our midst, I would think he'd be the better one to ask."

"Touchy. But right, none the less. Naruto-" the human plant-trap narrowed his eyes on the jinchuriki. "For what purpose did you take Obito's eye?"

Naruto tried to push up from his knees, but Deidara forced him back down. "So that you Akatsuki bastards wouldn't have it!" he snarled.

Zetsu stared curiously at him. "Well.. I do enjoy the idea of, hmmm- what is the expression? An eye for an eye. Perhaps that's how we should start."

Fear shivered down Naruto's spine. Clearly Itachi meant to help him, but he had to play along with the Akatsuki up to some point too. He just didn't know how far the Uchiha would go to remain undetected. "Wait!" he called out, "he came after me. I wouldn't have even fought him if he didn't attack me first. It's not my fault that he died! I'm-" he struggled for the right words, a way to admit fault and innocence at the same time, "-I'm allowed to defend myself!"

"An interesting conclusion" Zetsu replied.

"Aww- come on. Don't get soft on me now" Deidara grinned. "I say we have a little fun with him before we take out the nine tails. I mean, chakra rope- what an opportunity!"

"I would like a chance to probe his mind, first." Itachi looked down at Naruto, expressionless. "He holds information that might prove to be useful."

The group nodded. "Yeah, ok. I guess that makes sense." Deidara pulled Naruto's head up so that he could look down at his face. Naruto winced. "Leave some for me though. A living canvas would go perfectly with my newest artwork." His eyes were shiny, hungry. "Besides, me and Naruto have some unfinished business after our last fight."

"I truly don't care what you do when I'm done with him. As long as we are able to extract the nine tails afterwards."

Deidara considered this, then nodded. "Fine." He threw Naruto off to the side, and he slammed into the ground on the same shoulder he had dislocated earlier. He cried out in pain, unable to muffle the sound.

Itachi strode over, grabbed Naruto by his upper arm and yanked him to his feet. He stumbled, but Itachi kept a firm grasp on him. He led the blonde away from the others and down a hallway. They took a few turns and halfway down one of the corridors, Itachi opened a door to a small room. It had a cot, stool, and there was metal counter covered with a small collection of what were very clearly torture devices. Naruto stopped in the doorway, terrified at the prospect of going in there, but Itachi forced him to keep moving. He was pushed down onto the cot, which had been pulled up into a sitting position, and fastened to it with thick leather straps. "Itachi.. please.. I have to find-"

"Quiet."

Naruto growled. "Then can you at least tell me the fucking time?!"

Itachi looked amused. "It's 11:00- well, a little after 11."

Naruto went pale. "How 'after 11'?"

Itachi glanced down at his watch. "11:13"

Naruto felt bile rise in his throat. "He's not going to make it.." He felt like he was going to be sick, but he forced it back down. "Itachi- if Sasuke isn't here by noon, please, I need you to kill me."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You crave death so soon?"

"Death would be better than.. " he thought about the times that Sasuke hadn't been there in time. The brief moments of torture that felt like an eternity. The pain was excruciating- it went beyond anything he had ever felt before, anything he would ever be able to put into words. "Please. I beg you. At 12:00, if he's not here, kill me."

"And what makes you think that I would grant such a request?"

Naruto searched his eyes. "But.. but I thought-"

"You thought that since my little brother is... fascinated by you that all Uchihas must be." Itachi grabbed his chin and turned his face towards him. With his hands bound, and arms & ankles strapped down to the cot, Naruto had no choice but to obey.

Fearful blue eyes locked onto deep obsidian ones, which narrowed as they gazed back. "I. am not. Sasuke." Then Itachi's dark orbs went crimson. He leaned closer and whispered, "Mangekyo Sharingan."

Author Note:

Omggggg how much do you love Itachi?! I love the constant "is he a deranged monster or a selfless hero?" -ness that you feel in the show and I needed it to be here too. Just in my own way :)

I'm sorry- I know there wasn't a ton that happened in this chapter. That's on me. (I mean- obviously lol. Since I wrote it.) I just felt like this was such a perfectly dramatic place to end the chapter. Don't be mad! I still love you! Xoxox~

Ok, now that that level of desperate is out, onto the next chapter~ (I say with a flourish and overly dramatic narrator voice) Ha haaa!