The blond stared at him, his hands trembling. The man had just sliced the throat of another and was acting like it was nothing. Is he going to kill me? But he just said to go with him if I wanted to live, so…..he's not going to kill me? Jesus, what the hell is going on!?
The raven appeared to get impatient and rolled his eyes. Grabbing onto Naruto's upper arm harshly, he yanked it up and forced Naruto to stand up on his shaky feet. Striding over to the window, Sasuke stuck his fingers in the blinds and stretched them apart, creating a small space for him to look through. He peeked out and saw more cars approaching the apartment building through the darkened streets. The doors opened and more men came out, weapons glinting in the moonlight. Cursing, Sasuke shut the blinds and shoved the still in shock blond towards the door.
"Get your ass moving, they're coming!"
"Wait, what about Kiba?!" Naruto tried to twist around to get back into the apartment and wake his friend, but Sasuke grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him back out.
"They're after you, not your friend, dumbass."
Shutting the door behind him, Sasuke quickly went to the stairs at the end of the hall and started jogging down them. He glanced back and saw that Naruto wasn't following him. He grit his teeth and ran back up. The smaller man shaking and staring at the ground near the stairway, most likely in shock. I do not have time for this. Going back to him, Sasuke seized his shoulders and roughly shook him.
"Hey!" He barked. "Do you want to fucking die?"
His words seemed to jolt Naruto out of his thoughts and give him a slap of sense. Shaking his head, Naruto looked down at his bloody self and hesitated before whispering.
"…No."
"Then hurry the fuck up. The police are going to be here soon."
Again going down the stairs, Sasuke kept his eye on the cameras, aware that some were for show while others were real. Naruto was covered in blood and there were dead men littering the floor in his apartment. That, along with the loud gunshots, was bound to have attracted some attention. They needed to get out fast. Smirking, Sasuke thought of his client. Someone's not going to be happy about this. They can rule out quickly and quietly.
On the last set of stairs, he stopped. He held up a hand to keep Naruto from being seen, peering into the desolate lobby and seeing no one besides a receptionist texting on her phone with her earphones blaring music loudly. Tilting his head to the side, he could vaguely see some men clamoring outside, searching the exits. Wanting to avoid any more bloodshed and attention, Sasuke stepped out into the lobby, but headed towards the back door, keeping close to the walls of the building. The receptionist saw nothing.
He briskly entered the dim alleyway and tugged Naruto with him. A grey alley cat screeched at them, its yellow eyes flashing angrily; it leapt off of the trash bins it had been scavenging on and ran off to the street. Sasuke followed the cat and made it back to the main road. Carefully watching for any men with guns, he hid in the shadows of the nearby buildings and made his way to his car. He had parked in the parking lot of another building, making sure that no one had seen him go into the apartment complex.
Naruto was scared, but was determined to follow the stranger. So far everyone was trying to kill him, but this stranger wasn't. The man was actually protecting him. Relieved to have something steady to focus on, he tagged closely behind the mystery man. His mind was yearning for someone to tell him what the hell was going on, but he resisted the urge to ask the other. The man appeared to be trigger happy and Naruto was not about to piss him off. Licking his lips, he nervously whispered.
"Um, where are we going?"
The raven-haired man spared him a slight glance.
"My car."
"W-why?"
The man snorted. "You want to stick around and wait for these guys to find you?"
Hands tied, Naruto chose what he hoped was the safest option. Following the stranger, Naruto desperately tried to process what had just occurred. Was it possible this man part of their group? But he killed them. Did he double cross them? Is he leading me into some sort of trap? Oh fuck what if he IS going to kill me? Refusing to dwell on it any longer, he pushed them aside to be fully concentrated on later, when his life wasn't in immediate danger. Nearing the parking lot of a building a block down from his, he saw a sleek black ride sitting in the midst of shitty ones.
The man made his way over to the car and quietly opened the driver side. Getting in, he reached over and opened the passenger side door, motioning for the blonde to get in. Inside, Naruto clutched his knees nervously, his eyes darting around wildly. He licked his lips and tried to keep his hands from shaking too badly. Naruto glanced over at the lean stranger and watched as the street lights flashed rectangular beams of light against his profile.
The man's face was flat and cold, showing no emotion whatsoever. He gripped the steering wheel nonchalantly, belying the severity of their situation. His dark eyes stared ahead, cold and distant. The raven appeared to be absolutely in control and dangerous, even more so than his attackers. Consciously aware that he had been staring for a long time, Naruto turned away and watched the street. His eyes followed the green street signs flashing by and his previously pushed aside thoughts came back with a vengeance and bombarded his mind. Where are we going? Who is this guy? What did those men want? What key where they talking about… Unable to find the answer to them by himself, he worked up the courage and picked a question from the mountain in his head to ask the man.
"Hey…what's your name?"
The man glanced at him, his dark eyes boring into his blue ones. Turning back around, the he watched the road in front of him.
"Hn."
Offended that the man didn't bother answering, Naruto glared at him and leaned back into his seat. The irritation dispersed quickly, having not true foundation. Fidgeting, he crossed and uncrossed his arms, played with the hem of his shirt, drummed his fingers on the car door handle, tugged on his seatbelt, and kept glancing over at the other.
Sasuke gripped the steering wheel tighter, his pale hands stark against the black leather of the cover. He alternated between watching the streets for signs of cops or more Akatsuki and giving Naruto a once over. Sunshine seemed too pale, but otherwise appeared okay, considering his situation. He kept annoyingly moving around and twitching; unable to stay still for a while. Sasuke wrote it off as shock.
Concentrating on the road in front of him, he recalled the map he had memorized. He had excellent retention ability; able to commit to memory anything he wished. Since he was in an unfamiliar city, it was an excellent asset to have. Upon hearing a long, deep sigh come from his passenger, he pressed his lips together and scowled. In three, two, one...
"If you're not going to tell me your name, can you at least tell me where we're going?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and decided he would answer this question.
"Somewhere."
Naruto stared at the pale profile in disbelief. As much as he was grateful to the man for saving him from dying, the guy was just being a smartass. He looked down at his jeans and picked at small rip near his knee, pulling on the little strings sticking out. He was quiet for a moment before trying a new approach.
"Okay, and exactly where is somewhere? Is it a house? An apartment? The police station?"
Sasuke smirked and answered honestly. "Yes."
The asshole was just fucking with him. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he fumed. Pursing his lips, he crossed his arms and mumbled irritably under his breath, his hand reaching up to rake through his hair occasionally. Rubbing his nose, he faintly smelled cigarettes and something spicy.
After a half an hour of driving in tense silence, Sasuke pulled the car into a dilapidated looking motel on the outskirts of the city. The giant yellow motel sign flickered on and off in the night; part of the red letters weren't turning on and others only half way. A few cars were parked sparingly in the lot, a clear difference from the tightly packed congestion from the inner city. The motel itself looked worse for the wear.
It was all one floor and the layout in the shape of an "L". The doors were a chipped blue color with rusted bronze door knobs and room numbers. Dark green mildew stains thrived under the dirty windows and surrounded the outdated air conditioning boxes sticking out. An old Texaco gas station sat next to the miserable excuse for a habitat. The harsh, white light glared from the inside of the small store in the station, creating odd shadows in the night. A filthy man sat outside the store on the curb smoking a cigarette and talking vehemently to himself.
Naruto gazed uncomfortably around the parking lot, his blue eyes judging everything suspiciously. He had always been warned to stay in the city; most muggings and murders tended to happen in these types of places. Watching scary movies about said situations didn't help. He fought down the hysteria bubbling inside of him that was threatening to come out. Nervously scratching his neck and hyperventilating slightly, he turned back to his stoic partner. Calm down, calm down….
"…What are we doing here?"
He asked as politely as he could, making sure to keep the suspicion and anxiety he felt out of his voice. The black haired man turned to him, his eyes unreadable and intense. The raven broke the gaze and looked away, turning his attention to his seat belt.
"This is where we'll be spending the night." His voice implied the conversation was over.
Getting out of the car, he roughly shut the door behind him and strode over to the motel lobby, stepping around the potholes filled with water that littered the cracked ground. Edgy, Naruto followed the raven closely. Sasuke entered the lobby and stopped at the reception desk.
A lone guy manned the desk. A gruff, gristly middle aged man with five-o clock shadow and a receding hair line stood sweating with a small fan rotating in his face. He was munching on fried chicken and held a gray pen in his greasy hand. Watching as the lean man walked up, he gave a slight nod towards the parking lot.
"Hey man, nice ride. Name?"
"Hebi."
The man chuckled slightly, a deep throaty sound. "If you say so." Wiping his hand poorly on his shirt, he took out a ledger and opened it up, writing the name in. Grease spots dotted the page. He then took out a small bronze key and held his hand out for the required money.
"Right, right. Well, better lock it up tight. Ain't no tellin with the folks we got runnin around here."
Sasuke paid and took the greasy key from the man with a scowl of disgust and made his way back outside. Glancing up at the room numbers, he searched for his room. A door creaked open in front of him and out stepped a woman. She had bright, spikey red hair, and makeup caked on her face. She had on a tight purple lace bra with black string hanging down and a black miniskirt that was molded to her skinny frame. The hooker had an elaborate tattoo of a man's name on her chest over her heart and had on a blue naval stone. Her horrendously red lips pouted out and her red eyes eyed the lean man over her red-framed glasses. She stuck her leg out; her black fishnet stockings ending in worn black pumps.
"I've never seen a man who looks so all alone; could you use a little company? If you pay the right price, I promise your evening will be nice."
She slid a thin arm across his chest, stroking his shirt. Sasuke simply picked her hand off of him and glared at her and he continued on his way. Undeterred, the woman spotted Naruto and smiled. Batting her eyes at the blond, she slithered over to him and wrapped a reedy arm around his neck.
"What about you, sugar? Wanna have a little fun?"
"Umm, no thanks…"
Naruto carefully extracted her arm from his neck and followed the lean man to their room. The woman looked at the retreating men curiously. Her face suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered something shiny.
"Oh, you boys are together."
Naruto stopped and looked at her in surprise. "N-no, we're not, we just-"
She smiled at him and tugged on her brassiere. "Trust me, babycakes. I didn't see it at first, but now that I've a got look 'atcha, I can tell you boys are about as straight as a hula hoop." She turned her attention to her door. Locking it, she slid the key into a small handbag strapped to her wrist. "You take care now; tell your man to cage the snake, then shake and bake." She then pointed at her face. "You also might want to wipe off that red paint."
Walking off, she swung her bag nonchalantly and hummed to herself, leaving a shocked blond behind. Naruto shook his head and let out an uneasy chuckle. Turning around, he jogged to catch up with the stranger.
Thrusting open the blue door, Sasuke stepped inside, followed by a nervous blond. The room had a small kitchen with a miniature fridge and a small stove on a small tiled square by the door. The rest of the grimy room was carpeted. The walls were a dirty yellow color with various discoloration spots. Further ahead, there was a single thigh high bed facing an old, dusty, thick TV on a dresser. The sheets had faded red and white floral prints and flat pillows hidden underneath.
The grubby white night stand beside the bed had an old bible on it, along with an ancient corded phone with chipped number buttons. The carpet was a pale khaki color with various stains and crumbs littered around. It had unfortunately been the sole witness to things that should have never been seen or done. A small round table with an eclectic of deep scratches sat in the far left corner, with several creaky wooden chairs surrounding it. A single loveseat was in the right corner, close to the bed. Washed-out pictures of sunny days hung sadly on the walls, tilting to the side. Sasuke yanked off his coat and deposited it on the sofa. He dropped down on the bed lazily; one leg was leaning off the bed and the other was propped up. The raven crossed his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.
Naruto stood off to the side and stared at the taller man. He brought up a hand to scratch at his arm and he looked around the dingy room. Biting his lower lip, he edged closer to the man.
"So where am I supposed to sleep?"
Sasuke cracked open an eye and stared at the blond. His black hair fell onto his face, blocking out one dark eye. He smirked humorlessly.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Reaching back, he tugged out a pillow and placed it behind his head. Leaning up, he unlaced his black Gusto Oxfords, reached down and placed them on the floor together at the bottom bed post. He removed his tie and draped it on the headboard. His white shirt was stuck to him like a second skin, outlining his lean and supple body structure. He then turned off the intense light of the lamp above the bed, laid back, and was quiet.
Naruto gazed around the darkened room searching for somewhere to sleep. Light from the sign outside and from the gas station bled in through the gray drapes covering the window next to the door. Using that light, he maneuvered past all the furniture carefully. The bed was obviously occupied, so it was ruled out. The floor was disgusting, so hell no. The chairs near the table were a horrible idea. That left the love seat next to the bed. Tired and weary, Naruto capitulated and went over to the gray chair. He plopped down into it and toed off his black Reeboks.
The seat allowed for a small amount of turning, letting Naruto curl up on his side. Thankful for his smaller stature, Naruto used one of the armrests as a makeshift pillow. Settling down, he realized he was cold. He contemplated asking the raven to give him at least one of the linen sheets from the bed, but knew he most likely would get no answer. Shifting, he felt something draped on the sofa. Blindly patting it, he felt the fabric and realized it was a coat. The strangers coat.
Shrugging, he pulled it on and used it as a blanket, burrowing snugly into it. Eyes closing, he took several deep breaths, trying to relax his chaotic mind. He was still a bit drunk and he was exhausted, mind and body at rock bottom. The scent of something spicy wafted into his nose. Inhaling the tantalizing aroma, he was surprised that the stranger smelled so good. Avoiding thinking about the absolute disarray that had occurred and utterly beat, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
xXx
Naruto yawned and opened his eyes. Wincing at his stiff neck and pained joints, he sat upright and stretched his hands up, hearing his bones crack. The room was still dark, but a beam of bright, warm sunlight had landed on his face and brought him to hazy consciousness. His vision clearing up, he gazed around the room. His eyes widened, flitting from side to side in confusion. Where the hell am I? What's going on?! Standing up on cramped legs, he stumbled and the heavy coat slid off of him, landing with a loud whomp on the carpet.
Sasuke's eyes flew open instantly. His hand shot under his pillow reflexively and whipped out the small handgun from underneath. He swung the gun up to where he had heard the noise and thumbed off the safety and pulled back the hammer in one fluid motion. He flicked on the lamp with his other hand and flooded the room in bright light. He paused when he only found the blond had been the source of the noise and that there was no immediate danger. Irritated at being woken up, he scowled and pressed the safety back on.
"What the hell are you doing?" He said evenly, his voice thick with sleep and irritation.
Naruto stood speechless. He had barely dropped the coat before he was disoriented by blinding light and found a loaded gun pointed at his face. Frightened, he opened and closed his mouth like a fish, unable to make a sound. Remembering yesterday, he was hit hard by the memories. His mind now racing faster than the speed of light, he came up with a valid excuse. His voice finally croaking out, he answered.
"I-I was going to the b-bathroom."
Sasuke glared at the smaller man, his eyes staring out from his dark hair. He reevaluated his earlier analysis. Blondie just seemed so…weak and innocent. What could he possibly know? There wasn't any evidence to indicate otherwise. Sasuke didn't want to waste valuable time babysitting some stupid blond. He wanted answers, yes, but the cons outweighed the benefits in this situation. So why don't I kill him? I bet I don't need him to find out why they wanted him dead. I'll get my money and be gone. Simple. Through as much as he thought it, he didn't kill the man. Yet. Looking away, he stood up and grabbed his coat off the floor. Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out a small earpiece. He put it on and pressed a small blue button on it. He spoke into it curtly, watching out of the corner of his eye as the blond scampered over to the bathroom.
"Kakashi."
The silver-haired man's sickeningly cheery voice drifted out. "Good morning, Sasuke. I heard you had a busy night."
"Hn. What did you hear?"
"Well, strange gunshots were heard in a relatively calm neighborhood, where the police found several homicides. Additionally, apartment room I rented is asking for compensation for damages. Care to explain?" Kakashi's tone took on a hard edge.
"Someone else was trying to take him out. They tried hitting me as well, and so I had to bail out and take blondie with me." He pulled on the tie, deftly tying it in an Eldredge knot.
Kakashi's voice became suspicious. "Someone else? A set up? ….You're with the target? Do you realize what you're putting at stake here?"
Sasuke tied on his shoes and strode over to the window. He shoved the drapes to the side and gazed outside. Nothing had changed from last night besides the sun replacing the moon.
"I might have a lead. I haven't figured anything out yet; we're at some shitty hotel outside the city. I used your card, by the way. I don't have mine."
"And how did you get my card?" Kakashi asked curiously. After hearing no response from the raven, Kakashi continued, "What are you planning to do? Aren't you going to complete your objective?"
Sasuke pursed his lips, eyes flashing dangerously. "Of course I will. It's just a matter of time." He bit out curtly.
Turning off the device, he ran a hand though his hair and then slid into his coat.
Naruto returned from the bathroom. Adjusting his shirt, he scratched his tousled hair. Not meeting the raven's eyes, he stared at the ground, appearing to be inspecting the thin carpet threads. He took a deep breath.
"Hey man, um, I wanted to thank you for saving my ass back there. I would be dead without you. I couldn't have gotten out of that by myself. I'm not really sure why you did it, but I'm really grateful that you did."
Sasuke scowled.
"I mean, you didn't have to, but you did and I'm really grateful."
His right eye twitched.
"I have no idea what's going on, but I'm alive thanks to you."
He clenched his fists.
"I'm glad I got a guy like you here. Well I don't know much about you, but you kept me from getting shot, so I guess you know what you're doing. With your help I think that-"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the smaller man. At his limit, he strode over to the blond, grabbed him by the shirt near the collar and slammed him up against the wall, pinning him with one arm.
Surprised, Naruto let out a scared yelp and pulled at the iron-like arm across his chest. His wide azure eyes bore into obsidian ones. The arm edged more towards his neck, nearly choking him. Naruto grabbed the muscular forearm arm and tried to keep it from fully choking him. The raven broke the gaze and looked at the ground, his arm never yielding its heavy pressure.
"Listen here, Uzumaki," Sasuke's ice cold voice hissed out, threat laced in ever word. His face was still looking away. "I'm not helping you. I'm not your fucking knight in shining armor." His face turned back to Naruto's, a pale mask without emotion. His hair had drifted forward, hiding one eye behind dark strands while the other pierced Naruto with its coldness. "I'm not the good guy. The reason you're alive is because of a fucking impulse. I don't need you." He brought up his opposite hand. It had the previous gun in it. Tapping it lightly against Naruto's temple, he smirked as the smaller man's eyes followed the weapon's path. "I'm just as bad as the others that were paid to take you out. Or maybe, I'll do the job and pull the damn trigger myself, right between those baby blues." His hand moved and brought the gun in front of Naruto's face, this time pressing it harder on the space between his eyes.
"Saving your ass was a simple whim. Now, why were those men hired to go after you? What is your affiliation with them?"
Naruto grimaced and gripped the arm tighter.
"I…don't know. I thought you knew."
"Don't fuck with me, or you're dead. What did they want? Why you?"
"Why me what? Who are they?! I don't know what you're talking about, God, I don't know!" Naruto cried out desperately. He was completely confused, to the point of immense frustration and anger.
Sasuke's eyes bored into blue ones and he scoffed. So much for a lead. Shit. "I'm done here."
Sasuke dropped his arm and turned on his heel. He marched over to the door and pulled it open, his eyes squinting as the sun blasted in his face.
Naruto was scared shitless as the pale man shoved the black gun in his face. Close to pissing himself, he swallowed heavily as the man spoke to him and then let him go. Trembling, he rubbed his tender chest where the man had had his strong arm. He watched the man turn to leave him. Wait, if he's gone, then I've got nothing. Without him, I'm dead!
"Wait! Stop!"
Naruto cried out at the retreating back, hands curling into fists.
Sasuke froze. Expecting to not hear a peep from the smaller man, he was a bit surprised. Turning back, he regarded the blond with a lifted eyebrow.
Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his neck. I might as well give it a try…. "What if I….What if I were to pay you to protect me?"
Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief. "And how, pray tell, would you do that?"
Naruto's chin jutted out as he raised his head higher. "I have money." I don't have it yet, but he doesn't need to know that.
"My services are not cheap."
"I have the money!" Naruto insisted, getting a bit closer to the man. "I do!"
"I doubt you have enough."
Naruto eyes flitted around, desperately thinking of some way to convince the raven. Biting his lower lip, he met the raven's eyes. "What if I paid you twice the amount that those….those guys had for me? You mentioned that it was a job, so you must know how these things work."
"Twice the amount." Sasuke's repeated flatly.
Naruto nodded heavily, his golden hair flying around. Anxiously waiting for the man's answer, he rolled back on his heels and watched as the raven contemplated his offer.
"For how long?"
Naruto's face blanked. "Umm until we find out why there are men trying to kill me?
Silence.
Finally, Sasuke nodded. Deal."
Relived Naruto, he let out a long gust of breath. I'm safe….for now. He didn't look forward to having to pay the other, but that was a problem to be dealt with later. "How did you know where to find me? How did you know those guys were after me?
A cold smirk slid onto the man's face. "It's simple. I was sent to kill you."