A fire was crackling in the fireplace, and snow was falling outside, and for a moment Naruto could almost forget that the cabin was little more than a glorified prison. He closed his eyes and envisioned Sasuke by his side, curled up on the soft rug and silently reading a book, huffing out a pseudo-annoyed sound when Naruto poked his side to get attention. The look on Sasuke's face as he would put away the book and pay attention to Naruto, dark eyes filling with a softness he only seemed to show around him.
When Naruto opened his eyes and saw the empty spot next to him he felt himself grow cold, despite the warmth of the fireplace.
The room was quiet besides the fire and the soft scratching of a pencil as Sai worked silently, sitting in the armchair with his legs crossed as he drew in his sketchbook, paying no attention to Naruto.
Naruto had looked at the drawing earlier, when his legs grew restless and he had paced around the room in lieu of anything better to do. Sai had drawn a forest, dark and ominous, and high above a bird flying. A crow or a raven as far as Naruto could tell, the detail incredible, even when unfinished. It made Naruto yearn to feel what the bird was feeling, the freedom of open skies, nothing holding it back.
Sai had smiled at him when he caught Naruto looking, and it was less stiff than the usual smile he put up, something a little softer, almost real. Naruto had found himself on the verge of wanting to initiate an actual conversation with Sai. They'd been spending a lot of time together during the weeks Naruto had been here, but he still knew almost nothing about the guy. Something had just put him off him from the very beginning, and that feeling had never quite left. Besides working for Danzo Sai had never actually done anything to Naruto, but he gave off a creepy vibe that had Naruto want to keep away from him as much as possible. Now he was wondering how Sai really was, if Naruto had gotten to know him past that fake smile he usually put up. Was Sai just Danzo's lapdog, or was he like Naruto, caught in a situation he wasn't sure how to get out of?
Sai had ruined it all when he opened his mouth and called him dickless, which was about the moment when Naruto had sat on the floor instead, because this way he didn't have to look at Sai at all.
It was two days since he'd broken into Danzo's office, and sitting around doing nothing was killing him. He wished he could just do something, anything, right away, but he knew he had to be smart for once, and actually lay a plan and follow through, but it was difficult. His body was yearning to be back with Sasuke, and he ached for revenge for what Danzo had done to his family, but he knew that he couldn't just rush into this, even if that was his modus operandi.
He hadn't learned as much as he wanted from the quick look he had managed in Danzo's office. All the manilla folders appeared to be personnel files, and nothing in them was truly incriminating. Nowhere had Danzo outright written that he had done experiments on humans to create half-Protos, or that he had sent out a group to murder Naruto's parents; the files were too vague for that, Naruto just able to read between the line after what Yamato had told him. He had been able to learn that Minato had been able to wean off the suppressants, and that he had been living free of them for months, so even if Naruto didn't have a plan for how he was going to take down Danzo, he had hope he hadn't before, hope that there was a life past the cold numbness of suppressants and the warm rage of the beast.
He had wanted to do something the moment he left Danzo's office, but he needed to confer with Yamato first, but of course he hadn't been able to find him the next morning. He had wanted to ask after him, but he knew it would just appear suspicious, so he went around his daily routine, waiting for Yamato to get back while trying to come up with a plan.
Naruto hadn't seen Danzo at all for those days, and he just hoped Yamato would come back before him so they would have time to go through the plan before Danzo was back. Danzo seemed to still think he could trust Naruto, but Naruto wasn't sure he would be able to keep up the pretence if he was sent on another bad mission. He'd snap, and say something he shouldn't, and that would force Danzo to do something, and everything would fall apart.
If only Yamato would come back soon. He seemed to have a lot of autonomy, Danzo trusting him to go out alone, which would come in handy later on. If Naruto was to shift he couldn't do it in the cabin, there was much too great a chance that someone would find them and stop them, so they would have to find somewhere else, and Naruto had no idea where they even were.
There was another hurdle to cross as well. If Naruto wanted to shift he needed to be free of the suppressants, but someone always made sure he got his dosage every other day, Sai either giving it to him, or more often than not making sure he went down to the doctor. Naruto didn't trust either of the two, so he would have to ditch Sai for a day or two for the plan to happen, and he had no idea how to do that. So far his best idea was to just leave right before he was due a shot, and then come back as soon as he could, making up some excuse he had no idea what would be.
The suppressants seemed to flush through his system fast, probably courtesy of his Protos nature, which was why he needed a new shot every other day. Hopefully it also meant that it wouldn't take him long to be clear of the drugs altogether. He usually felt the first telltale signs of the beast stirring whenever he was due another shot
He pushed away from his position on the floor, intending to crawl over and toss another log in the fire, but didn't even get halfway across the floor before he heard the front door open. Naruto peeked over the edge of the couch, and saw Yamato shaking snow out of his hair as he shrugged out of a coat. Their eyes met, and Naruto knew Yamato could read the eagerness to talk on Naruto's face, and he shook his head slightly, as if to say not now.
Naruto wanted to pout and complain, but Sai was still sitting on the couch, and even if his focus seemed to be on his drawing pad there were no telling how much attention he was paying. Naruto nodded back, and finished feeding the fire.
The next two hours were agonizingly long as Naruto tried not to act out of the ordinary, and when Yamato finally came back into the living room, telling Naruto that he needed help bringing in more firewood he could barely keep from jumping up and running after him.
It took Naruto all but a second after the door to the shed swung shut behind them to jump at Yamato, telling him what he intended to do, not opening up for any discussion.
They wouldn't have long until Sai would grow suspicious, and Yamato seemed well aware of that, biting back the arguments Naruto could feel forming.
"Okay, so we need to find a place for you to safely shift, and get away from here for a day, that can probably be arranged," he said as he started piling up logs in Naruto's arms. He thought about it for a moment. "I've been wondering about the same, and I might have a place. I'm still not sure how we'll get you away without anyone getting suspicious though, I guess I could bring you along for a supply run, we'll just have to make sure there's an excuse why we don't come back."
Naruto stretched his neck to peer over the stack of wood in his arms. "We'll just drive the car into a ditch, tell Sai that we had to stay in town for the night or something. It's snowing outside, it's not that far-fetched, right?"
Yamato seemed to give it a moment's thought as he started picking up more logs to carry for himself.
"It's a pretty idiotic plan," he muttered.
Naruto broke into a grin. "Idiotic plans are what I do best."
When all the logs were safely stacked by the fireplace and Naruto had retreated to his bedroom under the guise of working out he started with the first step of the plan. They hadn't been able to think things through much, but Yamato had mentioned how it was completely foolish to not only escape the cabin, but to willingly shift into a beast Naruto had no idea he could control, and even though Naruto didn't want to let himself believe this wasn't the solution he also knew that they could need backup.
He'd mentioned it to Yamato as they left the shed, not giving Yamato the option of not agreeing, and now here he was sitting on his bed, digging underneath the mattress until he could pull out the cellphone he had stashed there. It had been turned off since he had gotten it from Sasuke, so it should have had plenty of battery left. He had cursed himself when he had gotten back from the break-in to Danzo's office and remembered that he could have brought the phone and taken pictures of the files, which would have meant he could have had his father's picture right now, but at least he knew he had power and would be able to use it now.
He listened carefully to make sure he couldn't hear anyone out in the hallway, and then he turned on the phone, pulling up Sasuke's number, and then hesitating over the call button.
Yamato had written down an address on a slip of paper, as well as some quick instructions, and handed it to Naruto before he walked upstairs, and Naruto unfolded it now, stroking against it to smooth out the creases and stall time.
He had no idea where the address was for, but the instructions were clear.
Tell him to bring chains and padlocks to tie you up
It was the only way to safely go through with the shift when they had no idea what would happen. Naruto had been able to control the beast before, but who knew how it would react now after having been drugged up for weeks. It might lash out and attack Yamato and Sasuke, or it might just flee, hurt someone else entirely. No, Yamato was right, they would need to make sure Naruto wouldn't be able to hurt anyone.
He didn't just want Sasuke there to make sure he didn't escape, he wanted him there because he knew that if anyone could ground him it would be Sasuke. Sasuke had talked him down before, he could do it again. He felt safer around Sasuke than he did around anyone else, and he wanted him there, wanted the support and strength he brought.
Naruto tried to imagine Sasuke's disapproving look as Naruto would lay out the plan. Sasuke would probably see all the faults in it, but he would also realise that right now this was what Naruto needed, and he would do as always and support him.
His fingers beat out a staccato rhythm against the sleek wood of the steering wheel as Sasuke drove down the interstate, more than fast enough that any cops would try to pull him over if they saw. He didn't care, he needed to get there faster, needed to be there right now.
The two days that had passed since Naruto had called him had been pure hell. He'd had trouble sleeping for weeks already, and the call certainly hadn't helped. Naruto hadn't said much, just enough that Sasuke knew that they were going to do something absolutely stupid and Naruto was just trying to play it off as no big deal.
Sasuke would have called him on it, but there was no point really. If Naruto had decided, then this was what was happening, so in the end he had just told Naruto he would be there, written down the address and then just listened to his breathing for a moment, soaking in the knowledge that Naruto was still there, alive, and that maybe they were getting closer to getting out of this shitty situation. Neither one of them seemed to want to hang up, but neither knew what to say either. Sasuke wanted to tell him that he loved him and missed him and that he needed to be careful, but the words clogged in his throat. He'd been waiting for this call ever since Naruto had left him at that hotel, and now he couldn't even say half the things he wanted to say.
In the end Naruto ended the call with a softly whispered, "See you tomorrow," and Sasuke was left sitting on his couch, staring at his phone, hating himself for not just telling Naruto what he wanted to say to him, to reassure him and tell him just how much he meant to him.
It had stopped snowing last night, and the road was clear of snow, but the landscape outside was still patchy with it where it flashed by his car windows. Beyond the fields he could see the white topped trees of a forest, and his GPS told him that it was the direction he was going in, and not too long after that it beeped to signal where he had to leave the interstate behind for smaller roads. He was getting closer and closer to seeing Naruto again, and he had vowed to himself that he was going to stop being afraid. Naruto had gone through so much shit in his life, he deserved that Sasuke got over his inhibitions and freely told him what he was feeling. It had taken Sasuke months to be able to tell Naruto that he loved him, he was not going to regress back into the fear that had held him back. He did love Naruto, and he had missed him, and Naruto deserved to know as much.
He braked a little too hard taking the right off-ramp, and heard the rattle of chains from his trunk. Naruto hadn't told him exactly what they were going to do, just that he needed to test something, and that Sasuke needed to bring chains. He had a vague idea just what the plan could entail, but the thought made him uneasy, so he tried not to focus on it, keeping his attention on the road instead, barely noticing the small town he was passing through.
He was far away from the big city by now, no more tall buildings and narrow alleys. Out here there were wide spaces, smaller buildings, and a sprawling forest. He had never been here before, had no idea what to expect, but he knew he was heading into the countryside, to some abandoned farm according to Google Maps. He wasn't sure what would wait for him there, but he hoped it wouldn't be anything bad, but rather something that would lead to the end to their separation. He wanted Naruto to come home now, hated the thought that he might be leaving alone again. He despised the way his apartment felt too big and too bland without Naruto in it.
By the time he turned off the road between two towns and onto a dirt road winding up along the edge of the forest he was clenching the steering wheel tight, knowing he was a mere minutes away from where he would see Naruto again. He was half an hour early, and he wasn't sure how he was going to take the wait if Naruto didn't come before they had decided upon.
There was a bend in the road, and then Sasuke could see a small farm rise before him, a main house, once white but now weathered into a grey that was flaking off the wood. There was a barn as well, and two other small buildings he had no idea what would have been used for.
The grounds were thick with weeds poking through the snow, and the yard and buildings had clearly not been maintained for years. Several of the windows in the house were broken, and it looked like a strong wind might make everything collapse altogether.
Sasuke pulled the car to a stop in front of the main house, getting out and stretching his legs as he looked over the area.
He couldn't see any other houses from where he was standing, the farm hidden by the forest and distant hills past the sprawling fields. Someone seemed to have been tending to the them, they were shorn for the winter, patched over with wet snow. A bigger farm had probably bought the land at some point, and this farm had lost its purpose, allowed to wither away where it stood.
It was quiet around him, too far away to hear any car traffic, and the only sound to be heard apart from the soft whisper of a wind was the faint croaking from a bird. He tipped his head back and shielded his eyes and saw a lone figure circling high above. He had no idea what kind of bird it could be, living in the city he didn't see much wildlife apart from pigeons.
Ignoring it Sasuke walked towards the house, peering in through a grimy window, seeing no hint that anyone had been here in years. The room within appeared to be a living room, a fireplace across from him, and a dusty old couch pushed to one side. Other than that it was empty.
He wasn't sure just where he was supposed to meet Naruto, so he walked back to his car, digging his phone out of his pocket to make sure no one had tried calling him, but there were no notifications, so he deigned himself to waiting, hoping Naruto would come soon, because this wait was just making him anxious.
Ten minutes passed before he he heard voices nearing, and he perked up, looking around for the source, not immediately spotting anyone.
It took another minute until he saw someone walk out of the forest, and there was no mistaking that bright blond hair. Sasuke wanted to run towards Naruto, but he saw someone else walking next to him, the two of them talking amongst themselves, and Sasuke hesitated. He had no idea who the other man was, and he didn't like how familiar Naruto was acting around him.
Then Naruto looked away from the other man, and seemed to spot Sasuke, because the next moment any conversation completely died out as Naruto ran, leaving the other man behind as he made his way across the field between the farm and the forest, feet splashing into the snow, seemingly caring little as he kept running.
Sasuke hesitated, but seeing Naruto running towards him like that made him forget any inhibitions he might have, and he pushed away from the car that he had been leaning against, and then he was running too, shoes soaking through as he stepped into a patch of rotten snow, but he didn't care, because Naruto was here, and he was whole, and they were going to fix everything now.
They slammed into each other, nearly toppling over with the force, but Sasuke managed to brace them, arms tight around Naruto to hold him steady, and then Naruto was clinging to him, face pressed into his neck and his arms a vice around him. Sasuke did the same, pressed his face into Naruto's skin and just soaked up the feeling of his warmth and the smell of him and the feel of his body against his.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, voice thick, and when Sasuke pulled back enough to see his face Naruto's eyes were wet with tears, lashes clumping together, a few drops escaping to trail down his cheeks, getting caught in the marks slashing across them.
Sasuke lifted a hand and used his thumb to wipe away the tears, leaning in and kissing Naruto, a light press of lips.
"I missed you," he said, and Naruto's lips pressed together, seemingly in an attempt to hold back a sob. Naruto had always carried his feelings on his sleeve, quick to cry and quick to laugh, which was so unlike Sasuke self, but also one of the things that made him love Naruto. He never needed to try to figure out what Naruto was feeling, because it was always there, right on his face for anyone to see.
Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's neck again, tears soaking into the collar of Sasuke's sweater, but he didn't mind in the slightest, just curled his fingers into the back of Naruto's hoodie and held him close.
When he opened his eyes a few moments later he saw the man Naruto had been walking with standing a bit away, looking awkward, shuffling from foot to foot and looking anywhere but at them.
Sasuke pulled away, kissing Naruto's forehead, knowing that even if he wanted nothing more than to just stay here holding him they were here for a reason.
Naruto seemed to realise the same, wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, and grabbing Sasuke's hand, lacing their fingers together as he pulled him along towards the other man.
"Sasuke, this is Yamato," Naruto said. "He's been telling me about my birth parents. He's… he's like me," he added, his hand tightening around Sasuke's hand.
"He's a Protos as well?" Sasuke asked incredulously. He had found no information on Protos while looking, and had been starting to think it was all a dead end, that Naruto was just Naruto, completely unique.
The other man took a step forward, holding out a hand. "Half-Protos," he said to clarify, and when Sasuke grabbed his hand he was greeted by a firm handshake.
Sasuke was naturally sceptical, but right now he had nothing to do but trust Naruto, hoping this Yamato was on their side. He wanted to ask more, but he knew time would be of an essence, Naruto had said as much when they talked on the phone.
"So, what exactly is the plan for today?" Sasuke asked.
"We're gonna tie me up, and then I'm going to shift, and hopefully we'll figure out more from there."
Sasuke stared at Naruto. He wasn't sure why he was surprised, because this was pretty much like every plan Naruto had ever laid; completely reckless, and not really thought through at all.
"So, that's what the chains are for then?" he asked. He'd sort of figured as much, but he found clarifications would be in order right about now.
"Yeah!" Naruto said, actually smiling at him, as if this wasn't a completely idiotic plan.
Sasuke sighed, knowing that the best thing right now would be to just go along with it. It wasn't like he had any better plans to contribute with, however much it pained him. He felt like he should have been able to do more, should have found some solution for Naruto, but he had been trying for weeks and getting nowhere.
Naruto and Yamato helped him get the chains from the car, and together they headed towards the barn, kicking open one of the side doors and walking into the dusty darkness. It still smelled faintly of animal, but it was clear that the only animals that had stayed here in years were rats.
Sasuke wasn't sure why they had decided to do this out in the barn and not the main house, but as Yamato dropped down his chains in the middle of the floor it made sense. The barn was built with heavy wooden beams, still looking strong even after years of disuse. This was the plan then, tie Naruto to the beam and hope it would hold him. He wanted to object, to point out every single flaw in the plan, but he knew it wouldn't matter. Naruto had made up his mind, and all Sasuke could do was to support him and make sure they all walked out unscathed at the end of it.
He aimed a firm kick at the beam Naruto seemed to have decided on, and there was no give in the wood. Sasuke had seen first-hand how strong Naruto was in his human form, and it seemed to only grow in his other form, so he still wasn't completely sure it would hold up, but right now it was the best they could do. Sasuke had to admit that the farm was pretty perfect for this use, too far away for anyone to hear them.
Naruto preoccupied himself sorting out the chains, and Sasuke was about to join him when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Yamato nodded towards the door they'd entered the barn through. "A word?"
Sasuke looked back at Naruto who was still busy inspecting the chains, and then back at Yamato, nodding. The two of them walked outside.
"I hope it won't come to this, but did you bring any weapons?" Yamato said, cutting straight to the chase.
Sasuke tensed, but gave a sharp nod. "I have a katana in the car," he admitted. It was habit to put it in the trunk when he left for missions, and even if this was hardly an official DPA mission he had placed it in its scabbard and put it in the trunk, hidden underneath heavy blankets so it wouldn't be the first thing anyone saw if he happened to be pulled over. He was still on leave from the DPA, so he was sure he wasn't supposed to be driving around with deadly weapons in the car.
"Good. I hope Naruto will be able to control it at least enough to shift back, but if something happens we need to be prepared."
Sasuke knew there was some truth to what Yamato was saying, that if Naruto wasn't able to control the beast—and then got loose—it would be up to them to stop him, but he didn't want to even imagine that happening. He wasn't sure he would be able to go to the step of hurting Naruto. At the same time he knew Naruto would be devastated if he ended up hurting someone, and would rather have Sasuke stop him, any way necessary.
"He's going to shift back," Sasuke said, pouring all the conviction he had into his words. He believed Naruto could do it, had seen him fight back the beast before, and he knew he would be able to do so again. Clearly Naruto thought this was the path to going back to his real life, so Sasuke was going to believe in him.
Yamato didn't say anything else, but it was clear the two of them knew what was at stake here.
"He cares about you a lot," Yamato said. "I'm glad he has someone important in his life."
There was something in his tone of voice that told Sasuke that Yamato didn't have anything like that himself. He sounded happy for Naruto, but also like he would have liked nothing more than to have the same. A longing for something else than what life had offered him. Was he also forced to stay at the cabin for similar reasons as Naruto? Sasuke would have to ask later, but right now he had other things on his mind.
"Thank you for helping him," Sasuke said in return. He wasn't sure just what role Yamato had, but it was clear that Naruto trusted him, and Sasuke felt like this Yamato had a lot to do with them having any plan at all.
"I promised his father," Yamato said, just as he headed back inside, and Sasuke was left frowning at his back. There was clearly more to the story, but this wasn't the time or place for that.
Naruto was testing the strength of a chain when they came back inside, pulling at it, trying to break it. He might be strong, but even he was no match for the heavy links of stainless steel.
"Let's do this!" he exclaimed, looking almost giddy. Sasuke would venture a guess and say that it was less because of what they were going to do, and more because it was something to do, something that might lead to answers.
A few minutes later Naruto was sitting on the floor, back against the heavy wooden beam that he had personally tested by doing what he could to tear it down. It hadn't even budged.
Sasuke walked up to him with a length of chain and kneeled by his side, trying to figure the best ways to do this to make sure Naruto wouldn't break free, but also so he was comfortable. In the end he started by winding a few rounds around Naruto's chest, underneath his arms.
Naruto grinned up at him, and even blinked salaciously. "I never knew you were into the whole bondage thing," he said, and Sasuke groaned, pointedly not looking at him. Give it to Naruto to crack jokes in even this situation.
"I mean, I'm not opposed to the idea. We could get some nice leather cuffs, maybe a blindfold or something, and I could—"
Naruto snapped his mouth shut when Sasuke gently cuffed the side of his head. "Please, don't," he muttered, tightening the chain and snapping on a padlock, testing to see if it would hold Naruto to the beam.
"Or what, are you going to gag me? Did you even bring a ball gag?"
Sasuke was kind of wishing he had, he had no need for Naruto to talk about their sex life in any form or fantasy in front of people he hardly knew, but Naruto seemed to have no qualms about it, and Yamato just pointedly looked the other way, seemingly pretending he couldn't hear them. Sasuke was sure the joking was mostly a front right now, to try and take Naruto's mind off what he was going to do, so he just let him crack his jokes.
Sasuke kept working, and luckily Naruto seemed to run out of BDSM jokes soon enough, instead moving on to test Sasuke's work, pulling at the chains and trying to wriggle out, even as Sasuke kept adding more links, binding his ankles together and making sure his arms were held down by his side.
When he finished the clock had just struck three in the afternoon. He took a step back, and surveyed his handiwork. The silvery chains criss-crossed Naruto, a startling contrast against his all-black attire, and he didn't appear to be able to move much, which was good considering what they were going to do.
"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked, wondering if he had gone too far or not far enough.
"Well, I have been more comfortable, and I think my right ass cheek is falling asleep, but it could be worse," Naruto said, grinning up at Sasuke.
Yamato grabbed one of the chains leftover and headed towards the door they had kicked open, winding it through the doorhandles and snapping on a padlock. It wouldn't be a big deal for Naruto to break out of the barn if he got free of the chain, the doors were easy enough to kick down, even without the strength of a preternatural being, but it would at least deter him for another few seconds, give them a moment to stop him.
Ideally they would have done this in a high-tech facility, in a cage with surveillance and doors that could withstand the force of a wild animal, but they didn't exactly have access to any of those, and time was of an essence, so they'd done as well as they could. Yamato had been the one to find the farmhouse, and Sasuke was sure he wouldn't have been able to do much better out here. If they were back in the city they could've probably found an abandoned warehouse to use, but the city was hours away, and it was easier for Sasuke to come here than the other way around. The plan was, as far as Sasuke could gather, to have Naruto shift, see what they could figure out about the beast before having him shift back. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long, and then him and Yamato could make their way back to the cabin, using a car accident as an excuse for their lateness. Apparently Naruto was already overdue his shot, and the hours since he should have gotten it would have helped his system flush out the drugs enough that he could go through with the shift soon. If they took too long someone were likely to come looking for them, and that would be less than ideal.
"I think we are ready," Yamato said.
Sasuke vividly remembered the last time he had seen Naruto shift, the red gaze so hard compared to Naruto's usual blue eyes, the way claws had shot out and dug through his chest. In that moment Naruto hadn't been in control at all, and Sasuke was afraid it would be the same beast they would meet today, something completely wild and ferocious.
Sasuke looked over at Naruto, and the way he tried to put on a brave front, but Sasuke saw right through it. Naruto was terrified, terrified of not being able to shift back, of losing himself in the beast, and Sasuke wanted to call everything off, tell him they could find another way, that they didn't need to do this; but at the same time he knew that right now this was their best bet to learn more, so instead he dropped to his knees next to Naruto and kissed him hard, trying to tell him everything he couldn't say in words through the way their lips pressed together.
"I know you can do this," he said. "You are an idiot, but I love you, and I know you can do this."
Naruto looked stunned for a moment, then his lips split in a wide grin. "I love you too. Now take a step back, because if this works you are not going to want to be this close."
Sasuke hesitated, not wanting to leave Naruto's side, even if he knew he would have to. One last kiss, and then he pushed to his feet and walked to where Yamato was standing across the room. Naruto gave them a solemn nod, smile washed away, and then he closed his eyes.
Turned out they hadn't needed to be quite as cautious, because a full hour had passed, and so far nothing had happened. Naruto knew the suppressants were being broken down, because he felt the beast stirring in his gut, but so far that was all it was doing.
His entire life he had been holding it back, and now that he was going to set it free he had no idea how to actually do that. Maybe the suppressants was still affecting him more than he thought? Maybe it would take days before he could let it out? Days they didn't have because someone would come looking for them well before that happened, and even though no one knew they were here he had no doubt Danzo would be able to track them down. They weren't far from the cabin after all, just through the woods.
He let his head fall back against the wooden beam, groaning in frustration before he looked back at his companions. Sasuke and Yamato was sitting across the room from him, both cross legged. Sasuke was looking at him, and Naruto could sense how tense he was. Could see how his shoulders were hitched a little higher than usual, how his jaw was set firmly, molars probably grinding together.
Naruto had been prepared for a lot of shit to go wrong today, but him not being able to shift at all hadn't been one of them.
The chains were a heavy band around him, and they clinked together when he tried to move into a more comfortable position. His legs and ass was numb, and he wasn't looking forward to how they would feel when he could finally get up, numbness fading for pins and needles.
Naruto looked away from Sasuke, hung his head and closed his eyes again, tried to will the fucking beast to just do something already. He didn't hear Sasuke moving from his spot until he kneeled down in front of Naruto, laying his hands on Naruto's thighs.
His head snapped up and he looked at Sasuke with wide eyes. "Shit, you're too close, you shouldn't—"
"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke said back, and Naruto pressed his lips together, stopping the babbling he could feel rising in his throat. He was still tied up firmly, Sasuke would have more than enough time to get away if Naruto were to start shifting. Back to his spot next to Yamato, where Naruto could just make out Sasuke's katana leaning up against the wall. Sasuke hadn't said anything when he fetched it, just placed it behind him, out of view. They both knew why it was there, and Naruto just hoped he wouldn't give Sasuke a reason to use it.
Sasuke looked at Naruto for a moment, dark eyes scanning Naruto's, as if he was looking for something.
"You have to stop hesitating," he finally said, and Naruto frowned at him.
"What do you mean?"
"You are holding back. You have to stop that, stop fighting it. I'm here to make sure it doesn't get free, to make sure you turn back into yourself. Don't be afraid of it any more."
Naruto pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing down on it as he considered Sasuke's words. He wanted to argue with him, that he wasn't afraid, that he wasn't fighting it, that he was doing anything he could, but Sasuke levelled him with a gaze that wasn't opening up for any discussions.
"Close your eyes and stop worrying, I won't let anything happen to you."
"It's not me I'm worried about," Naruto whispered, voicing his fear. The memory of what had happened the last time the beast got free was still bright on his mind, and he was terrified of ever hurting Sasuke like that again.
Sasuke's hand was cold against Naruto's jaw when he gently curved his palm around it to tilt Naruto's head up, and then he leaned in and kissed him, lips soft against Naruto.
"It hurts more not to have you with me than the wounds ever did. Just give in, I will make sure nothing happens."
Naruto swallowed the lump that rose in his throat and nodded once. He couldn't keep on living in this cabin, addicted to suppressants only his parents' murderer could give him. This was his best chance at getting back home, and he needed to do it, for Sasuke, and for himself.
He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. He could feel his pulse thudding in his ears, could feel the chains around his body, tight and heavy. They felt secure, they would hold him, he was sure of it.
The beast was there, a warm presence in his gut. Not unpleasant, there was something almost normal about feeling it there, unlike the icy emptiness the suppressants brought. Naruto had never tried to communicate with it before, had just pushed it away, afraid of what it would do, what it would make Naruto do, but he couldn't be afraid any more. His father had learned to control it, hadn't he? Which meant Naruto could too, he knew he could.
If only his father was still here, if he had been given the chance of growing up with them. His father could have told him how it worked, how he could control it.
Never before had he given in freely to the beast. Control had always been ripped from him by a rush of feelings; fear or anger allowing it to burst free, but he couldn't manipulate the urgency of those feelings now. He was angry about what had happened to his family, but it wasn't the sudden rush of anger that came from seeing someone be hurt, this was just a seething hatred in his mind.
He tried to fuel that anger, tried to picture the family he could have had, how Danzo had ripped it away, how he wanted revenge. Usually Naruto wouldn't give into these feelings, but right now he channelled it all, trying to fan the fire and unleash the beast within so he could learn to understand it, could learn how to control it, not just lock it up and hope for the best like he had done so far.
The curling warmth of it spread through his body, the beast stretching its consciousness through him, slowly, testingly. The suppressants had never removed it from Naruto, had only kept it drugged up, but now it was free to move, and Naruto was no longer holding it back, and as realisation spread through it the change came faster, the heat turned into a flash fire as it tore through Naruto, free of any bonds holding it back, and Naruto didn't think he could have held it back even if he tried, the reins yanked away from him, and he could do nothing as his back arched sharply, chains digging hard into his chest as they resisted the pure power of Naruto's body.
He felt a scream rise and then die on his lips, and the world was on fire around him, the air shimmering with heat and his eyes bathing everything in a red sheen. Jaws cracked as his teeth shifted, turning sharp and deadly. His hands were scraping against the floorboards, nails turning into claws that dug into the soft wood, ripping wounds in it.
The change went on for hours, or it was over in seconds, Naruto had no idea. He was pushed back, no longer in charge of himself as the beast claimed his body as its, turning it into something else, something feral. The world was washed in red, but he could see everything clearly even in the dark of the barn. Could see specks of dust in the air, and the puff of air when he panted.
It was like watching TV. He could see everything, but couldn't do anything as he felt his own body fight the chains, his own jaws snapping at the air as it fought to get free. He could sense the frustration and anger the beast was feeling at being contained. It fought hard, his muscles screaming in pain as it pushed at the chains, a broken howl rising in his throat, deep and ragged and unnatural.
He had never allowed himself to try to connect to the beast before, had feared what it was too much, but now he tried to do just that, tried to talk to it, but it was like talking to a rabid dog. It was working on pure instinct, not a separate mind in Naruto's head, but a caged animal, desperate to be free.
He couldn't hear any thoughts from it, but he felt it, flashes of pictures and feelings in his mind that he knew wasn't his. It was impossible to grasp, flashing by too fast, too disjointed. It made Naruto's head spin as he tried to latch onto something, tried to make a connection, but he was screaming into a void, and nothing answered.
He tried reaching out to it to calm it, but it pushed away, thrashing in the heavy chains that held them trapped, and Naruto was afraid it was going to break free. He could hear the creaking of the heavy beam they were tied to, could feel the heavy links of chain digging into his flesh through the clothes he was wearing, the biting pain as his skin was caught between links where the clothes had been twisted away, leaving it exposed. He wanted to look towards Sasuke to warn him that the beam wasn't going to hold, but he couldn't move his head, was merely a spectator in his own body.
Naruto knew that the moment the beast got free it would either attack Sasuke and Yamato or it would make for the exit, and then there were no telling who he would end up hurting, and he couldn't let it, had to stop it, but he was powerless. It was too strong for him, a force of nature he had no way of holding back. He was standing on a beach, seeing the tsunami come in and knew there were no escaping, too small against too great of a force.
He felt a nail break off against the floor as the beast clawed at it. The way this was going the beast was going to break either the beam or their body, too furious to do anything but fight the bonds with pure force, and something was going to break, sooner or later.
Realisation that he had made a horrible mistake seeped into Naruto, and he had no idea how he was going to get back from this, but then, just as suddenly as it started, the beast seemed to collapse in on itself. It sagged back against the beam, as if it had realised it wasn't going to free itself and that there was no need exhausting himself trying to fight the chains. He heard a growling sound deep in his throat he was sure he wouldn't have been able to replicate usually, and finally the beast seemed to look around itself, and through their joined eyes Naruto could see Sasuke and Yamato across the room. Yamato was risen into a crouch, as if he was preparing to shift any moment, and Sasuke appeared perfectly calm, but he had one hand behind his back, and Naruto knew that it would be curled around the handle of the katana, ready to draw the lethal blade in a heartbeat.
Somehow that knowledge calmed him. Sasuke was here, and he would make sure Naruto didn't hurt anyone. He relaxed infinitely and tried to focus completely on the beast, knowing he had to figure out how his father had been able to control his own beast all those years ago. There was a way, but the beast seemed so feral, he wasn't sure how he could do it.
"If you can hear me, Naruto, you are doing so well," Sasuke said, and Naruto wanted to tell him that yes, he did hear him, but his lips wouldn't move, and he couldn't nod his head, so all he could do was observe. It was unnerving to be able to see out his eyes, but not be able to control the line of sight. The beast was watching the other two, focusing mostly on Yamato, as if it could sense something about him. It made sense, Yamato was the one closest to the beast, being half-Protos. Maybe the beast could sense a kinship there. Or maybe it sensed a rival. It was hard to decipher the feelings flashing through his head. It didn't seem to perceive either Yamato or Sasuke as a threat, was watching them with calculating eyes more than anything, as if it was trying to assess the situation, how to get free.
Naruto focused away from what he could see and towards what he felt, the strange feelings in his own mind that wasn't his. Now that the beast was calm he could almost sense something more than instinctual rage. It felt as if a sharp intellect was there as well, assessing the situation, drawing conclusions, finding solutions. Not in the same way Naruto would assess a situation, but more like he would have pictured the mind of an animal. A predator stalking a prey, creeping through tall grass as it waited for the right moment to strike. The beast realised that it was captured and knew that brute force wouldn't be able to get it free, so it had stopped fighting, conserving energy.
The growling gave out as the beast swivelled its—their—head, looking about the barn. It saw the chain wrapped around the door, and Naruto could see the flash of those doors springing open, and the forest outside. It didn't look like the forest had done, more like how someone would imagine a forest, someone who longed for it. He could see it flash by as if they were running through it, could almost taste the scent of prey as the beast imagined them chasing after something; a deer, or rabbit, he wasn't sure, the picture kept changing, as if the beast couldn't decide.
He was sure he would never be able to fully explain how this felt, to see what the beast was imagining, it was a feeling unlike anything, how they were connected, but not fully. Two entities sharing a body, but still not completely separate. The beast didn't feel as strange as he had always seen it, not a parasite to get rid of. When Naruto saw through its eyes he could feel the longing for the forest deep in his own soul. He didn't just see that the beast wanted to run free, he wanted to be there as well, wanted to feel the ground underneath his bare feet, feel the fresh scent of pine in his nose, the exertion in his legs that came with running for hours.
As he focused he could feel as if the connection between the two of them were strengthened, as if he could finally see the beast for what it was. Not a beast at all, but another part of him, more primal, more animalistic and ruled by instinct; but still him.
Naruto tried communicating back to it, but the beast didn't seem to notice, or Naruto just didn't know how. He tried pushing at it, easing it back, but the moment he did the beast pushed back, rage flashing through it as it fought to stay in control. The rage felt like fire in Naruto's veins, and he retreated back.
The beast pushed against the chains that bound it again, thoughts of the freedom past the flimsy door driving it. It became hard to focus on its thoughts, pictures flashing in their mind. A cage, a forest, a cage again. The beast had been confined for so long, first by Naruto, and then by the suppressants. The drugs seemed to scare the beast, the cold touch that made it impossible to do anything. Naruto could feel how that was worse than any way Naruto had tried to hold it back before. The beast seemed scared now, scared to be forced back into the numbness, and any rational thoughts were washed away by the fear of a captured animal wanting to be free.
The beam creaked in warning over Naruto's head, and when the beast looked towards Yamato and Sasuke he could see the two preparing for the worst. Yamato had already shifted, reddish fur where there before had been brown hair, sharp fangs where there had been blunt human teeth, short curved claws where nails had been. Naruto had never seen how he himself looked in his shifted form, only Sasuke had ever done that, but he was sure Yamato was a mirror of him, the half-human, half-animal features he himself had, only less. Shorter claws, less fur, no tail. Weaker. The beast knew it could take Yamato in a fight.
Naruto screamed inside his own head, pushing at the overpowering force of the beast, trying to will it back, trying to gain control over his own body, but the beast fought him. It wanted to be free, and it was not about to give up control now that it finally had it, snarling and thrashing their body as it fought Naruto.
It was too strong for Naruto, he didn't know how to pull it back, was too overwhelmed, trapped in his own mind and the beast kept flooding it with pictures of running free in the forest, and it was hard to fight, because the image was alluring. Naruto wanted to give in and let the beast do as it wanted, he longed for the feeling of soft ground underneath his feet and the fresh air and the freedom of the forest.
Suddenly the beast snapped their eyes to the front, and Naruto saw Sasuke crouched in front of them. Too close.
"Naruto, it's okay, you are safe," Sasuke said, looking at him not with fear, but worry. Naruto felt his own jaws snap in Sasuke's direction, the beast feeling cornered, lashing out.
"I know you can hear me, and it's alright, just take your time, get back to me when you can." Sasuke's voice was calm, hand stretched towards Naruto with his palm facing forward as if he was trying to placate the beast while he was talking to Naruto.
The beast growled, watching Sasuke but not attacking, as if he was trying to assess if he was a threat or not, and Sasuke tried to push past the beast, tried to reach for Sasuke, but the beast pushed right back, and Naruto wanted to scream in frustration. He felt so weak, and he hated that feeling.
Please, let me back, let me talk to him, Naruto pleaded with the beast. He's good, he's ours.
The beast had communicated in pictures, so Naruto tried the same, tried to bring up pictures of everything that was good about Sasuke, how he protected them, how he was strong and good, thought about the two of them running together in the forest, just the two of them underneath the leaves, and by some miracle the beast seemed to understand, stopped growling and cocked their head to the side as he considered Sasuke. He drew in a breath, leaning closer to Sasuke, and Naruto could see how Sasuke stiffened. He seemed on the brink of scooting backwards, but then he extended the hand towards Naruto's face, and the beast bumped their nose against the palm, drawing in a new breath.
Something about Sasuke's scent must have told it something, because it eased back against the beam, wary but calm.
It was working wasn't it? Naruto had talked to the beast, sort of. He wasn't sure how he was going to convey everything to it, but he felt a faint hope that maybe this was it, this was how it was supposed to be. He had always pushed the beast away, but maybe he was always intended to embrace it. Living in some symbiosis rather than a constant battle. The beast seemed to understand him at some level, seemed to understand that Sasuke was special, was theirs.
Naruto tried to grab control of their body again, but this time not through force, but through more gentle means, trying to tell it that he was going to find a better way, but this was not the time.
He could feel his own back curve sharply as lips peeled away from fangs, throat growling again as it resisted him, but Naruto kept calm, kept trying to imagine everything he wanted to happen, and finally it seemed to relent, and he could feel it loosen its control, could feel the way it slowly retreated, leaving room for Naruto to act and move again. His body shuddered as it changed back into his human form, and then he was himself again.
He heaved for his breath, the shift and the fighting having taken all his energy, leaving him completely exhausted. Sasuke's hands were cool and comforting against his forehead for a moment before he started working on the chains and padlock, freeing Naruto from them.
"It just wants to be free," Naruto said, hearing a note of desperation on his own voice as he shimmied, trying to get the chains off faster. "He just wants to run through the forest and be free. It isn't evil, it's just trapped."
A/N: A pretty long chapter this time to make up for the wait since the last update! Also, I have officially detailed out the ending of Unleashed, so now I have it all planned out, and have an estimate of how long its going to be in the end. Just stay with me for a few more chapters~ (Also, had some trouble with notifications on reviews and stuff, so if I haven't replied to them I'm sorry! I have definitely read all of them multiple times to keep motivated though, so they are all very much appreciated. Please feel free to PM or send me a message on Tumblr if there was anything I should've replied to. :))
