Target
Ch. 11-Naruto's metamorphosis
A/N: Shit gets real, so prepare your anus. This is M rated for a REASON. This chapter is brought to you by Emeli Sandé and her song, "My Kind of Love" and James Arthur's "Recovery." Enjoy :D
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo.
xXx-Beta'd by Mein beta: Jhalamae-xXx
Sasuke gazed around the building as he scouted the perimeter of the site. His obsidian eyes roamed around,searching for anything out of place. He half expected to see Naruto and his friend try to run off. As he ventured around, his shoes sank a little into the red ground, sticking and making walking harder. He grimaced as he yanked them up. What the fuck kind of meeting place was this, anyways?
On a level he didn't want to admit, he knew why Naruto had sought out his friend. He even sympathized a tiny bit. It was a normal thing, seeing as how his life had suddenly changed. The want of normalcy had urged him to find his friend and regain that sense that nothing had changed. But the idiot should have known that by agreeing to meet up with his friend, he had inadvertently put them both in danger. Whether from himself or the Akatsuki, Sasuke didn't know.
The thought of marching in there and taking them both out was at the forefront of his mind, but interestingly, he felt an unwanted twinge of regret at the thought of taking out Naruto. Initially, he had been all for it, but the blond was the only one to have survived this long with him. When Kakashi had partnered him up with the others, he had made sure to show them his true self and dissuade them from ever thinking of sticking around him. But Naruto, whom in retrospect was forced to be with him, was actually lasting longer than he thought he would.
Sasuke paused his reverie, contemplating a new train of thought. He supposed he could use this chance to notify his informants of Naruto's location and thereby draw out some Akatsuki member whom he could engage and interrogate. But the chances of that were slim….
Even he, as well versed as he was in the Akatsuki's moves and motives, had no idea how to draw them out when he wanted. He knew the factors that could possibly lure them into the open, but they were only theories. They were always too careful, too cautious to take chances.
Sighing, Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. He would give them five more minutes before he went in to wreak hell.
xXx
"Wait, wait, wait!" Naruto shouted, terrified. This wasn't the first time he had a gun to his head; was this going to be a regular thing? "Dude, whatever it is you want, we don't have it." Naruto stammered, shooting Kiba a look and returning to stare at the metal nearly touching his forehead. His heart began to thud loudly in his ears, pumping out a loud thump-thump. His mouth went dry as images of his apartment and Kakuzu flashed by. It was happening again.
"Yea." Kiba grunted, his stomach tender from the hit. He wheezed a bit, having lost his breath when the stranger's knee connected with his gut. "Whatever drugs you're selling, not interested."
The stranger glanced between the two, a sick smiling gracing his face. "And here I was thinking you couldn't get stupider. How silly of me."
Okay, if he wanted us dead, he would have done it already. Think Naruto, what would he want? Something flickered in the back of his mind, but it was gone before he could grasp it firmly. It was like he had seen this guy's face before….Licking his lips nervously, Naruto took a deep breath. "So you're not a dealer. Then who are you, and what do you want?" He pointed at Kiba. "Look, we were just leaving and we don't have any money, so if you want-"
"Cut the shit and give me the key. You've given us enough problems already." The man growled, his index finger moved from the barrel to the trigger. His blue-eyed gaze never left Naruto's, staring hard into azure orbs.
Naruto nearly winced from the movement, but managed to hold still. He almost jolted in shock as what the blond had said sank in. The man was with the Akatsuki! No wonder his face had seemed familiar. What the fuck is with this key?! Naruto shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes glued to the weapon in his face. "I have no idea what this key is. If…. If you tell me what it is, I can go get it. Better yet, Kiba can go get it, and I can stay here, as insurance." Naruto stammered, hoping if the man accepted, Kiba could call for help. In any case, it was better for Kiba to leave; the shorter blond didn't want any more people to get dragged into his problems.
Kiba slowly got up and stepped over to Naruto, loyal to a fault. He wasn't about to abandon his friend to the crazy guy. "Let Naruto get it, I'll stay here."
The man tilted the gun away, letting it loosen in his hand. "You know what, I'mma let you guys go."
"Seriously?" Naruto asked incredulously. What this a trap?
"Sure, I've stopped caring. Go before I fucking change my mind." The blond growled impatiently.
Glancing at each other, Naruto and Kiba almost sprinted away.
"SIKE!"
A gunshot. The loud boom resonated off the walls and echoed across the flat.
"FUCK!" Kiba screamed, falling to the dusty ground in agony. Pain blossomed from the wound, radiating through his body as he fell. He fell on his stomach, winded and in pain.
"Kiba!" Naruto shouted, horrified. He dropped to his knees, immediately pressing his hands to the gunshot, hoping to stem the thick flow of blood pumping out from the wound. "Oh fuck, fuck, fucking Christ!" His anger overrode his fear and he almost launched himself at the man. The idea of Kiba bleeding out kept him immobile. "I wasn't fucking lying, I don't know what the goddamn key is, fuck! Fuck you and the stupid key!" He frantically pressed harder, ignoring Kiba's cries of pain. "Don't you fucking die on me, you fucking dog-fucker." He cursed wildly, desperately trying to find a way to get them away and into a hospital. Anything he came up with was easily swept away by the thought of the stranger shooting him, or finishing off Kiba.
Yanking off his jacket, he pressed the thick material to Kiba's wound, staunching the flow slightly. Red liquid quickly painted the fabric, spreading around. "You lied!" He accused the man, inwardly blaming himself for falling for it.
"Oh, cry me a fucking river. Oh no, the bad man lied! What has the world come to?!" He shouted, laughing loudly.
"Deidara."
Naruto could have pissed himself with the amount of relief coursing through his body at the moment. His shoulders slumped slightly and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Sasuke had arrived. Nevermind that he had snuck away and Sasuke had somehow found him- it didn't matter. The raven would take care of the man and Kiba would be saved. Everything would be okay.
Deidara's lips pulled back into a snarl as he felt the barrel of a gun press into the back of his neck. "Sasuke Uchiha. Didn't know you were still alive." Deidara watched Naruto, noticing where the blond was looking. His finger caressed the trigger. "He'll be happy to see you."
"I'm sure he will." Sasuke replied, his voice thick with sarcasm and dripping with ice.
Deidara. One of the lower Akatsuki members. Medium danger levels -uses explosives. Anger issues. Anger distorts decision making- taunt him. His work is messy, flashy. Wants attention, avoid giving him what he wants. Watch his hands. Keep close. Sasuke surveyed the situation as he kept the muzzle of his gun pressed to Deidara's neck. One injured –not his problem, Naruto was fine, and a new threat. His right hand twitched.
Something dark and dangerous flashed across Sasuke's face as he scowled, the darkness of the site sent strange shadows across his pale face, giving him a more menacing look. He nudged the gun a bit, watching Deidara's every move.
"What is the key." He questioned, getting right to the point.
"He has it." Deidara answered smugly, nodding towards Naruto. "Give it to me, and you'll all probably die, but I can make it quick and painless. Especially for you, Sasuke." He nearly spit the name out as he frowned darkly.
Naruto's has it? Right now? So it's something he's had on his person for a while…"What do you need it for?"
"Oh, you really think I'm just going to fucking tell you what it's for? Are you that stupid? For an Uchiha, you're quite stupid. I bet your parents would be glad they're dead if they knew how stupid their baby son was. How sad." Blue eyes narrowed into slits. The blond Akatsuki member peeked at Sasuke through his peripheries.
Deidara twitched.
Sasuke moved. Retaliating quickly, he dove to the side, bullets peppering the concrete behind him. Sasuke sprang up instantly and returned fire, placing himself between the deadly blond and Naruto. He fired back accurately, each shot hitting Deidara dead in the chest, shoving the blond back with each hit.
Thundering silence filled the room as everyone watched Deidara stumble back, the gun falling limp from his hand. Blood began to pile up and seep down the wounds, staining his clothes. With a shocked look on his face, Deidara fell back, stumbling to the ground and landing hard. Twitching for a few seconds, he went still, his eyes open and unblinking.
"Is he dead?"
Naruto asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He watched the body with wide eyes, shocked that it was over so soon.
Sasuke didn't answer. He watched the corpse intently. After a minute or so of watching Deidara and detecting no signs of life, Sasuke warily put his gun away. Either what Kakashi told him was wrong, or something was up…Walking towards the corpse, Sasuke's hand drifted to his waist and hovered over a slender holster on his hip. He nudged Deidara's body suspiciously before kicking his gun away, launching it into the darker areas of the half constructed building. Better safe than sorry.
He had hoped to keep this one alive for a while, to use him to get some more information. Now they were back on square one, similarly to when he had taken Kakuzu out. Lost in his thoughts, the sudden kick to the back of his knee was unexpected.
"That fucking hurt!"
Deidara snarled, shoving himself off the ground as Sasuke stumbled down. "Fucking Uchiha!" Standing up, Dediara looked at his chest as the bullets that had been buried deep inside him were now falling out, leaving the skin unblemished.
Landing hard on one knee, Sasuke shot back to his feet, his hand going to his gun. Watching in disturbed fascination, he watched his own bullets fall out of Deidara. It seems Kakashi was right about the regeneration. Bullets, and subsequently the gun, are obsolete. A dangerous smirk slid on Sasuke's face as he once again put his gun away.
"Giving up already? What a pussy. Fight me like a man, Sasuke! Or shall I go tell y-"
Sasuke's hand darted out as fast as lightning, launching an object into the air. Deidara blinked and something small and sharp whizzed past and sliced into his cheek, splitting the flesh open like a blooming flower. Astonished, Deidara pressed a hand to his cheek, feeling warm liquid spill down. He took his hand away and looked at it in shock, gazing at the blood coating it. "The fuck?" He spun around to see a small metal knife imbedded neatly in the wall behind him, vibrating with force. Seething, he turned back to Sasuke, hate glowing in his eyes. He had been simply playing earlier; he knew he couldn't kill the raven. That job wasn't his, but he'll be even more damned if he let the fucking kid get away with daring to try to kill him by such an uncreative and inartistic method.
Let it be known that Sasuke Uchiha was always prepared. His fingers traveled back to his waist and touched the pouch again. Sliding the tip of his finger in, he felt the cool metal of another blade, waiting to be used. Now that Deidara was back in the game and seemingly immortal, maybe he could torture him to get information…He was being presented with plenty of chances to strike, but he didn't know if the blows would be fatal to the Akatsuki member. He doubted it, but he had little to no knowledge about Deidara's regenerative qualities besides what Kakashi had told him. They could assume that all members were similar, but Deidara lacked the stitch work that had been prevalent on Kakuzu's body.
"That's how you want to play, huh?" Deidara said, suddenly grinning as he remembered his objective. His cheek cried out in protest of the movement as tiny pale fibrous matter began stitching the wound back together. The steady leaking of blood cut off. Giddy, Deidara wanted to put on a show, one that would light up the day and be remembered for sure. Hidan could go fuck himself for now; he hadn't even wanted to be partnered up with the conceited and religious bastard. "So be it!"
Jamming a hand down into this pocket, he pulled out a small palm sized cylinder and felt his hand get yanked behind him. The small device tumbled out of his hand and rolled in the dirt. "Fuck!" He cried, angry he was being stopped from creating something beautiful.
Sasuke drove the knife deeper into Deidara's hand, pinning the blond to the wall. "What is the fucking key?" He repeated, wiggling the knife, creating a wide, bloody mouth where the knife entered Deidara's hand.
His cheek feeling oddly stiff and sensitive, Deidara drove a knee into Sasuke's stomach, only to find it blocked by the raven's. Using the wall against his back as leverage, Deidara shoved himself forward, pushing off the wall and into Sasuke. His hand ripped off the knife, leaving it in the wall behind him.
Sasuke responded by grabbing the other knife he had used and whirled around, planning on disabling Deidara's legs. He was surprised to see the blond on his knees, almost convulsing. That was fast, I didn't expect it to be that quick. Sasuke mused, keeping his defensive position. He vaguely acknowledged that Naruto was behind him, still tending to Kiba and entranced with the fight.
Pain wracking his face, Deidara cursed violently and dug his fingers into the dirt, feeling the particles enter the healing wound on his hand. It was spreading, tendrils of agony leeching down to his neck. What the fuck was happening? Breathing hard, he forced the pain into the back of his mind, standing back up but retaining a hunch position. Sasuke had done something… As if reading his mind, his hand began to pulse, feeling warmer than usual.
Spying the small cylinder close to him, Deidara threw himself at it and depressed the button on the top once it was in his uninjured hand. Immediately, chunks of cement and dirt went flying into the air, blocking out the waning sun.
Sasuke winced and ducked down, covering his head. He felt debris landing in his hair and arms as a high-pitched ringing deafened him. Squinting, he couldn't see through the dirt and debris.
Using the distraction as an escape, Deidara coughed and began to retreat. While he couldn't set off the big ones, he settled on the smaller bombs. Sasuke had done something and he needed to leave. With a pained grin on his face, he knew the explosion would call someone's attention.
"I'd love to stay and chat ladies, but I do believe someone is expecting you." He sang out, unable to resist taunting the raven and his companions. He took off, stumbling as the sting from his neck now inundated his chest. Grunting and heaving, he took that route he had entered from, leaving blood streaked handprints on the rough concrete walls as he used them for support.
"Deidara!" Sasuke shouted, surprised by the blond's explosive and retreat. Once he could see, he sprinted forward, bent on forcing Deidara to stay put. He needed the information the man held and nothing would stop him from getting it. It won't be long now…. Sasuke smirked, knowing he was being underestimated.
"Sasuke! Wait!" Skidding to a stop, Sasuke kicked up a cloud of dirt. Naruto's voice had been like a needle that popped the bubble of concentration surrounding him. Whirling around angrily, he glared at the other blond that was keeping his friend alive. "What the fuck do you want?" He spat, knowing full that it was actually a good thing Naruto had run away. He would finally get what he wanted and if he played his cards right, he'd get it on a silver platter with a bow on top.
Naruto winced at the anger and impatience in Sasuke's voice. They could hear Deidara's laughter getting quieter the further he ran. "I know I don't deserve any help right now, and I know you're probably really mad at me, but I need your help. Kiba might die…" He pleaded, swallowing heavily. "I swear, if you help me now, I'll do whatever you want me too, on my fucking life. I won't question you again and I'll even give you the fucking key and leave if that's what you want, just please, save Kiba. You probably hate me, but Kiba had nothing to do with this. It's my fault."
He looked up into Sasuke's face, his azure eyes wide and pleading. This was his only friend, the only link to his normal life. He couldn't die. It was his fault. If he hadn't gone out to meet him, if he hadn't disobeyed Sasuke, this wouldn't have happened. It was blatantly clear now; his old life was over. He couldn't return to it, no matter how much he wanted to. Any attempts would endanger anyone he used to know. Why did they want this key so bad? He didn't want it, they could have it. What was the key to the lives of his friends? Why was it worth all the innocent lives they threw away trying to find it? Couldn't they just give it up and have it all be over?
Sasuke was ready to cut Naruto off and leave, but something held him in place. Rationally, he had no reason to keep Naruto; he was more of a liability than an asset. He could even just kill him here, search his body for whatever the fuck the key was and leave, returning to his usual life, and -what was keeping him from going after Deidara?
"Sasuke…" Naruto bit his lip, hating himself for even asking the raven for help after what he'd done. But once Kiba was safe and in the hands of a doctor, he'd make sure to do as Sasuke told him. He had fucked up and was now paying the piper. He closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself for the worst. "I-"
"Don't say a fucking word." Sasuke spat furiously, noticing that in his reverie, Deidara had disappeared and was most likely long gone. It was well known that the Akatsuki didn't stick around an area for long. His chance gone, Sasuke was livid. Turning on his heel, he strode over to where Kiba lay on the ground, groaning and moaning.
Naruto quickly moved out of his way as Sasuke crouched down by the injured man's side and inspected the wound. He moved off to the side, unsure of what to do or say.
Eyeing the gunshot wound that was leaking copious amounts of blood, Sasuke grimaced. It was in a bad spot. The likelihood of the brunette coming out of the building alive was slim to none. The amount of blood lost already with the volume he'd lose as help got here would be too much. He scowled, still fucking pissed. He eyed Naruto, and then looked down at Kiba.
"He's fine." He lied smoothly, his voice tight with anger. He didn't care if the other guy died; it was of no importance to him. If he told Naruto the truth, it was inevitable that the blond would cause and scene and freak out. "Keep pressure on the wound." He ordered sharply, taking control of the situation.
Moving away from the two, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Speed dialing a number, he held the phone to his ear, wondering why his body still felt on high alert. Something wasn't sitting well with him. A click was heard as the call was answered.
"Sasuke? What's wrong?" Sasuke almost rolled his eyes as he heard Iruka answer the phone. He should have known that they were going to be "busy". "Iruka, get Kakashi and head over to the construction site a few blocks away from my house. I have a wounded person and Naruto with me."
"A wounded person? A civilian?" Iruka's voice sounded muffled, as if he were moving around all of a sudden. A loud banging noise could be heard in the back ground. "What happened?"
"I'll spare you the details; we had a run in with the Akatsuki."
"We'll be there in less than 10." Iruka answered coolly, understanding immediately. He hung up, not wasting time by ushering Kakashi out of the shower and into clothes quickly. He pulled on his uniform, hopping around as he tried to stick his legs into his pants while tugging on an undershirt. Grabbing his cop car keys, he shouted at his lover to hurry the hell up.
Sasuke put his phone away and looked over at the other two males.
"Kiba, you still alive?" Naruto asked worriedly, looking down at his friend. Kiba's normally darker skin was looking a sickly gray and it was obvious he was in danger of bleeding to death or simply dying from the shock. He patted the side of the brunette's face in an attempt to rouse him.
"Fuck you." Kiba croaked. "Ain't nothing killing me today. Fuuuuuck this hurts." He grunted as Naruto pushed down harder on his back to keep him still and to staunch the liquid weeping out. He wheezed a little, struggling to breath with the pain wracking his body. His vision started to blur, eyes resetting on the spinning room like he was drunk, each time Naruto pressed into the wound he felt like he would vomit. A blood stained hand clutched at his wound awkwardly, clamping on top of Naruto's before slipping off. "So this is Sasuke?"
Hearing his name, Sasuke glared at the brunette. It was his fault all this had happened. Correction, it was his and Naruto's fault. If the dumbass blond hadn't snuck out to meet up with his dumbass friend, both knowing how dangerous it was for Naruto, none of this would be happening. He had lost his chance with Deidara, and now he was playing babysitter.
And itching sensation tickled the back of his neck, causing his black hairs to stand up. Uneasy, Sasuke strode over to where the knives he had thrown were wedged into the wall. He yanked them out, being wary of the blades. Carefully, he slid them back into their container, knowing he'd have to reapply the poison on the blade. He smirked as he retrieved the second blade.
Kakashi had told him of the regenerative abilities of Kakuzu's body after Iruka had met up with the medical examiner. After he had caught Naruto snooping in his private room, he added the information to the wall as Kakashi filled him in. If Kakashi was correct, then any superficial wound would heal quickly, resulting in no damage. Deep wounds would heal slower, especially if they were caused by a flesh-melting poison. Hemotoxic snake venom wasn't pretty. He'd have to pay attention to his informants to see if any news arises of an Akatsuki member dying of poisoning. If so, then it proved they could be killed and he knew how to. It was obvious Deidara had been affected, but to what extent was what he wanted to know.
It was a weak theory at best, but better than nothing. Hopefully the poison acted quickly enough so that the cells couldn't handle the proliferation and mutated or died out. Otherwise it would be extremely difficult to kill off a member if they were almost immortal. Sasuke paused, his mind working out hundreds of possibilities in seconds. Would the constant regeneration cause fatigue? Or even use up the bodies' reserves? Did their bodies have infinite reserves? Anything was possible, seeing as how a man he shot in the head had begun to heal during his autopsy. Does brain damage affect the restoration process?
He gazed around at the cement structure, eyeing it for damage. If the structural integrity had been compromised, they need to leave before getting squished by a building falling down on them. But it seemed that Deidara's explosives had only damaged several walls of the edifice, resulting in only meager damage. He had expected something bigger, but it didn't matter. Deidara had gotten away, along with his chance.
"Nice, he's just like you described him." Kiba grunted, grinning painfully up at his best friend. "Hell of a guy you picked to save your ass." With his forehead pressed into the dirt, Kiba tried to move but locked up as pain shot up his back. "..ff…hhhuuukk." The taste of dust filled his mouth unpleasantly.
"It wasn't like I had a choice." Naruto frowned, looking up at Sasuke who was off brooding about something. "Now stop talking. Help is coming and you'll be fine." He spoke sternly to his friend, relieved that everything would be fine. He even noticed that the blood flow had lessened. Peeking up at the raven, Naruto bit his lip. "Sasuke, who was that? An Akatsuki member?" It was pretty obvious it was, but he had to make sure.
"Hn. If you know the answer, why ask stupid questions?" Sasuke retorted, rubbing the back of his neck. Something was wrong. But what? He couldn't stay still. He felt like a dog that was being threatened and had its hackles risen, thrumming with violent energy. His eyes darted around the room restlessly, seeing nothing but the feeling persisted. He was never mistaken, but he couldn't see a cause.
"Probably for confirmation." Kiba shot back, wheezing a bit as he spoke. "To get his shit straight."
Sasuke withheld a sharp response, pacing now. What the fuck was going on? Why was he so tense and alert? His anger had leeched away, replaced with the fight or flight reaction from his central nervous system. His right hand twitched as he fought to keep it under control; the increased neural activity in his brain was causing it to act up. Where the hell are Kakashi and Iruka?
A scraping noise permeated the air, silencing the three men. Sasuke stopped his pacing, frozen. An unnatural hush followed, broken only by the sound of the scraping again. It sounded like something metal being dragged on the floor, screeching out in tandem with what sounded like footsteps.
Sasuke whirled around just as a man stepped out of the shadows, similarly to how he had done earlier when he'd ambushed Deidara.
A tall man wearing a long black monk's cowl came into view slowly, dragging behind him what looked to be a three-pronged scythe. The long sharp blades were painted a blood red, with a cord coming from the handle and disappearing into the fabric of the man's clothes.
"In the name of Jashin, you're all fucking dead!" Came a piercing cry from the hooded figure. The hood was thrown back, revealing a head of platinum hair and ruby red eyes. The wide eyes landed on the trio and the lips twisted into a cruel grin. The eyes then focused on one person.
Sasuke barely registered the words when the scythe he had been looking at was coming at his head. His instincts taking over, he ducked and moved back, giving himself room and time to analyze the situation as fast as possible. It was a relief to know what had him on edge, but it was also really bad. He knew this was Hidan, as his face matched the profile shot he had of him, but Sasuke knew little to nothing of the man. He was one of the more obscure members. He drew a blank as his mind tried to create fighting scenarios without him getting impaled by the scythe. He was going in dark.
The feeling of being out of his league prickled up his spine, bringing with it memories he never again wished to remember. Phantom pain radiated up his right arm, causing it to clench into a fist tightly. The taste of blood filled his mouth and the world seemed to slow down.
Hidan was coming at him again, a look of terrifying happiness on his face. Sasuke quickly picked up the trajectory of the blade and darted out of the way, narrowly avoiding being beheaded again.
Naruto watched in shock as the man attacked Sasuke, pushing him a bit further away from where he and Kiba were. Both of them were utterly silent, transfixed by the deadly dance occurring a few feet away from them. He had never seen Sasuke in action before, just the aftermath. Seeing the raven avoid being sliced to pieces was incredible; he was never standing still, never pausing as he moved fluidly in the open area while the other man yelled profanities and swung maniacally.
"You fucking shit! Stay still!" Hidan howled impatiently, bloodlust driving him to impale Sasuke. Kakuzu had told him this was the Uchiha who shot him. Thanks to having his partner bedridden and recovering, Hidan had been kept from going out on his usual sprees, which was something he detested to his core. Being shackled down to his partner and unable to kill wasn't on his list of fun things to do. Seeing the Uchiha and not being able to hit him was driving him up the wall.
Sasuke kept up with Hidan's movement easily enough, twisting his body out of harm's way more than once. While this was working for now, he'd get tired. He planted his feet and withdrew his knives, holding one in each hand. This was a dangerous time for trial and error, but he had no choice. If he went down, Naruto was dead, along with all of his plans for the Akatsuki. That would not happen, not while his heart had a beat.
"Oh little S'uke!" He sang, "be a good boy and let me kill you!" Giggling, he moved towards the raven again. He eyed the blond as went for the raven.
Hidan charged at him and slung the scythe downward like a sledgehammer. Sasuke aimed for the man's stomach, throwing the knives as he ducked out the way. The knives sank into his gut but did nothing to slow down the descent of the three-pronged scythe. It slammed into the ground, embedding itself with a loud ring.
Sasuke grimaced as his attack failed. Well, at least he sort of knew what he was up against. Hidan was like Deidara, in the fact that substantial damage must be done to even slow down the Akatsuki member. He couldn't even count on the poison, as most of it had been released in Deidara. If knives didn't work, a gun might….Even if it didn't work as it was supposed to, the damage could injure Hidan to the point where he would have the advantage. But he'd need to take accurate shots, which was a challenge in itself as he barely had a moment to stand still.
Sasuke withdrew his firearm from his shoulder holster, and prepared himself to get close. He'd need an opening to make the shot as damaging as possible.
"Aw, you think a gun is going to stop me? It didn't stop Kakuzu, did it?" Hidan taunted, sounding slightly out of breath as he stared down the Uchiha a few feet away from himself. Most people did not know the true weight of his scythe; it was no laughing matter. "He's gonna be fuckin' jealous when I tell him I'm the one that killed you." The knives in his abdomen plopped out by themselves, clinking on the ground as they landed. Through the torn fabric, smooth unmarred skin peeked through.
"Tch." Of course; a normal headshot wouldn't be sufficient. But it would buy time seeing as how long it took for Kakuzu to get out of the morgue unnoticed. An attack with Iruka and Kakashi might be enough, and as much as he hated to depend on others, it would be necessary for him to make it out alive.
With a loud crack, Hidan yanked his weapon out of the ground and swung it in a circle, gaining momentum. He twirled it above his head, spinning his body towards Sasuke.
Expecting the blades to come straight at his head, Sasuke was taken by surprise when Hidan predicated his movement, moved to the right and the scythe came at his arm holding the gun. The tip of the first blade caught the gun before Sasuke could fully move out the way and the weapon was yanked out of his grasp and thrown to the side.
"Shit!" Cursing, Sasuke looked around wildly for it, but his attention was quickly drawn back to Hidan. Pain lanced down his back as the deadly weapon sliced into it, thankfully not going in deep as he dove out the way. Anger bubbling under his skin at how easily he was being beat.
Sasuke darted back, only to slam into the wall behind him. He slid down as the scythe slammed into the space where his body had been seconds ago. He shoved himself off and spun around, knowing it was suicide if he turned his back on the Akatsuki member. He had no choice but to take drastic measures.
"It's not nice to fucking tease people, Sasuke." Hidan shouted, drawing the tip of the blades against the wall eliciting sparks that lit up in the dark of the building.
Naruto watched with panicked eyes as Sasuke began to lose the fight. Self-preservation told him to get as far away as possible and take Kiba with him, leaving Sasuke to deal with the madman. But he couldn't find it in himself to leave the raven. It was completely his fault they were here, and now Sasuke was in danger because of him. He had to do something! He'd helped before and granted it resulted in him killing someone, at least Sasuke had lived. The lesser of two evils.
He glanced down at his friend and Kiba met his gaze. They shared a worried look. "I gotta help him. Can you hold on for a little longer?" He asked nervously, knowing Kiba couldn't keep pressure on the wound from his position.
Kiba nodded. He knew there was very little either of them could do to help Sasuke out, but something was better than nothing. "Be careful." He warned hoarsely, his labor breath puffing out a cloud of dust.
Sasuke ducked and rolled, grabbing one of the knives he had previously thrown at Hidan. Taking the platinum haired man by surprise, he launched himself at the Akatsuki member. The raven braced himself for the hit his right arm was going to take. He didn't feel the blades as they sliced into his arm, almost breaching through and reaching his torso.
Using the attack to his benefit and the merciful lack of pain, his left hand swung up and implanted the long knife into Hidan's head through his throat, thrusting up into the man's cranial cavity. Drawing his arm free, he pulled back and aimed a high kick at the knife, further imbedding it into Hidan's skull. He jumped back, not knowing what to expect. He clutched his arm and got down on one knee, feeling hot liquid seeping out of his wounds. Had it been worth it? He tersely watched Hidan, counting in his head.
Naruto turned back to the fight just in time to see Sasuke jam a knife into Hidan's head. He noted that the raven was cradling his arm, which was dripping a dark liquid onto the dirt floor. Feeling disturbingly disconnected, he watched in almost fascination as the knife began to wiggle and drop out, with no wound in sight.
"Naruto, my gun!" Sasuke shouted, spinning around. Fighting against an immortal being was not something he had been anticipating. The lack of refractory period for healing was frightening, seeing as how not even normally heavy damage was making a dent. With one arm out of commission, it was impossible to win this. He had taken a risk and it had backfired. They were essentially fucked. A smirk slid on his face, giving him an unstable, demented look. He hadn't felt this level of fear and the instinct to fight in a long, long time. It was exhilarating.
Thankfully Naruto snapped out of his trance and quickly grabbed the gun that had land not a few feet away. He snatched it up, turned to Sasuke to chuck it to him and was just in time to see the deadly three-pronged scythe sail through the air in front of him. In a fraction of a second, he saw his own face reflected on the blades. Why did he look so scared? No… He blindly reached out to grab it, his fingers brushing the smooth metal of the handle before it sank into the ground at his feet.
"Oops, I missed."
Hidan giggled out, his hand clutching the cord of the scythe. With a bloodthirsty grin, he twisted and yanked it back, reveling in the wet, slapping it created as it left the bloody corpse it had struck. It whipped into his hand and he drew a finger across the blade, painting his finger with the liquid coating the length. He slipped the finger into his mouth, licking it clean. "Tasty." He purred, grinning madly.
Naruto blinked. He blinked again. Something terrible had happened and yet he couldn't comprehend it. His body was shaking. What was happening? He felt as if he were swimming, disconnected from his surroundings. Why couldn't he hear anything? He looked down and his heart stopped, along with his breathing. His entire body felt as if it were incased in ice.
Kiba was lying on the floor by his feet with a huge gash across his back, exposing things not meant to see sunlight. White bone from his broken and splintered spine peeked out from a mass of red, bloody organs. His jacket was in tatters, showcasing the lethality of Hidan's weapon of choice. The gunshot had been nothing. Naruto recognized his best friend's eyes, wide open and still. The brown orbs weren't blinking. He wasn't moving. Blood poured out, seeping through the dirt and gently surrounding his feet. It spilled from his mouth, coloring his lips with specks of ruby.
Intellectually, he fully recognized the fact that his best friend, his only link to his previous life, he was dead. But he couldn't feel it. It was as if he were a casual observer, just peeking in curiously. He should feel broken, he should feel sad, he should feel something. But, nothing… just a terrifying emptiness.
Warm liquid drifted down his cheeks as he registered the sound of metal clinking and Sasuke shouting his name. The raven almost sounded panicked. Strange. He stared blankly at Kiba…no, Kiba's body. Kiba wasn't here anymore, he was gone. His heart began to slowly beat again, coming in a quick and hard pace as the fog that was surrounding him was stripped away. The shock was wearing down. His entire frame was shaking even more, trembling with something unfamiliar to him. Time seemed to speed up as he turned to Sasuke and Hidan.
As if he were a robot, he strode forward, towards the platinum haired man. Feeling as if his body was on autopilot, he realized what he was feeling. Pure rage infiltrated his body, kicking his heart into high gear and feeding on the despair that threatened to take him. Then it all hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest; he was back in his body, feeling the rage, feeling the anguish, the pain. And it hurt.
"YOU FUCKER!"
He screamed, feeling his vocal cords vibrate painfully with the volume of his cry. Tears of hatred, fear, and terrible sadness poured down his cheeks as he lifted the gun and began to unleash a volley of metal projectiles into Hidan. The shots echoed loudly, reverberating along with his cries. He kept up his stride, eyes wide and unseeing.
"FUCK YOU! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM?! KILL ME INSTEAD! KILL ME!"
He roared out even louder than before, his tears blurring his vision as he emptied the clip into the man. With the gun empty, he launched it to the side furiously and sprinted towards Hidan, intent on causing him the same pain, intent on ripping the cruel man to pieces with his bare hands. He vaguely registered that the bullets had done nothing, simply burrowing into Hidan's flesh but causing no damage. His mind refused to be deterred, giving him tunnel vision on Hidan.
Hidan drew his scythe back, ready to take the key and have the fun he had been denied due to Sasuke's attack on Kakuzu. The blond kid posed no threat and would be easily disposed of. Sasuke, on the other hand, he wanted to drag out torturing the raven as long as possible. The scythe glinted in the sunlight that struck it, flashing across the room. He bent his knees slightly and prepared to put his full weight into the swing.
He moved feeling his body spring forward like a tightly wound coil.
Sasuke wasn't completely surprised to see Hidan take out Naruto's friend. Like a predator, he aimed for the injured, expending the least amount of energy and skill. He was , however, absolutely stunned to see Naruto turn and attack Hidan, his emotions painted in wild colors on his face as he shot down his friend's murderer.
The raven recognized the emotions for what they were, and he realized he hadn't thought the blond capable of them. He figured Naruto would be they type to cry and run away, or even accept death. He didn't think the blond would ever outright attack Hidan. It was strange to see and know exactly what was going through Naruto's head. On the darkest day of his life, those same emotions had torn him to pieces and glued him back together, creating the person he was now.
A misplaced sense of pride hit Sasuke, as he understood Naruto's mental state. For the first time since they had spoken, Sasuke felt a connection to the blond. The suffering morphing into anger, the pitiful weakness transforming into power, the power to fight against all odds. The pride quickly twisted into urgency as he realized the blond was running towards his grim reaper.
Sasuke darted towards them so fast, his own vision blurred. He acted on instinct, trusting his body to take charge. Sasuke propelled himself into the blond, his good arm reaching out and wrapping around Naruto's waist. His injured right arm came up in defense and sustained yet another brutal blow, causing him to shout in pain as the blades slid neatly into the fleshy part of his upper arm. The familiar pain caused him to hiss and bare his teeth.
Keeping up with the momentum of his movement, Sasuke held back yells as he pulled his arm free and used his uninjured one to shove Naruto behind him. His eyes met Hidan's challenging ones, obsidian orbs narrowed into slits. His sight darted from Hidan's stance to the scythe, watching both intently for the man's next move. He couldn't protect Naruto in the state he was in; his right arm wasn't even responding anymore; it dangled at his side, dripping copious amounts of fluid and his blood. Ten Ten was going to be pissed.
Out of his peripheral vision, he could see that Naruto's steam had run out and he was sitting quietly in some sort of catatonic state. He was staring blankly at the ground, seemingly not even breathing.
His eyes darted back to Hidan, still trying to figure out a way to survive this.
The platinum-haired man smiled at him. "Scared yet, Sasuke? Feeling your own weakness and fucking uselessness? Good." He snarled, moving in for the final blow. He knew Sasuke would try to keep him from harming Naruto, but that would be his downfall. The little Uchiha was already half out of commission with one arm unable to move. It left a wide area of attack on his right side, which left his left side open when he'd tried to block any blows.
Once he finished off the little shitstick, he'd rip the key off Naruto's cold and lifeless neck, and give it to the boss. It was a good thing Deidara had been able to confirm the key's location, saving him from wasting his time. While it was a rush to kill, he did have priorities, one of which included killing worthy opponents, or even ones he just didn't like.
The sudden scream of an ambulance and the roar of car engines screeching onto the jobsite had him freezing. Shouts from an eclectic of people filled the air as the building they were in was surrounded. "FUCK! But I'm not done!" Hidan shouted, angry at the intrusion.
He eyed Sasuke and spit in his direction. "I'll be back, you can goddam bet on it!" Turning on his heel, he darted out, searching for Deidara who was most likely watching from the side lines. He was the one to fight, Deidara was the one to get information. He missed Kazuku.
Letting out a long, tired sigh, Sasuke hunched forward, the adrenaline still racing through his veins as he tried to control his heart rate and breathing. On some level, he knew he should have been enraged at the thought of being left alive out of luck, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. A new thought had emerged and he was more than happy to entertain it. He glanced toward the recipient of the thought, noting the blond hadn't moved.
"Sasuke!"
He looked up to see Iruka running towards him, his cop hat almost falling off his head. Sasuke shook his head, denying Iruka's touch as the brunette reached for him. "I'm fine. It's him you should check." He nodded towards Naruto, watching a motherly type of worry seep into Iruka's face. "You might want to call the morgue as well."
"Sasuke, what happened?"
Kakashi stepped into his line of vision, staring hard at his arm. "You want to do this here?" Sasuke snapped irritably. He was in pain, his arm was fucked up again, his injuries, old and new, were aching, there was a sliced up corpse to deal with, and his charge was now mentally damaged. He was in no mood for all this bullshit. "Just call Ten Ten in and I'll tell you once I can't feel anything."
Kakashi's lips pressed into a hard line as he regarded Sasuke. His mismatched eyes stared into Sasuke's midnight ones, angry tinged with worry. "Get in the car." He ordered as he tugged out his phone to place a call he hadn't marked in a long time. He warily watched the raven trudge off in the direction of the car. Once he finished talking with the girl, he turned to Iruka who was kneeling next to Naruto, trying to coax him out of his stupor.
Paramedics flooded the room as they ran over to the body in the corner. It didn't take a genius to know that they boy was long gone; it was just a matter of ID-ing and moving what was left of the body. A young woman tugged a white sheet over the corpse and motioned for Kakashi to come over. Not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment, Kakashi pointed at Iruka and walked away, heading toward the car.
"Naruto, come on. I know you're suffering, but we need to leave, we-" Iruka paused as a woman bent down to whisper in his ear, tapping her finger on a clipboard she held. Her manicured nail created an annoying clicking noise. Iruka nodded to get her to move away. Licking his lips, he called forth his authoritative cop voice he used in similar situations. "Naruto, what was your friend's name? Do you know?" When the blond didn't answer, Iruka pressed on brutally. "You want him reunited with his family, don't you? Would you rather we leave him here, to rot and get eaten by rats? We need his name."
"….Kiba. Kiba Inuzuka." Naruto whispered, jarred by Iruka's harsh words. He looked up into the Police Commander's face, his now red, dry eyes meeting brown ones. "He was my best friend." He said hoarsely. "And I killed him."
Iruka resisted the urge to hug the blond. He understood the consequences and the dangers of being on someone's list, but he had to be professional. Standing up, he reached down and grabbed Naruto's shoulders, forcing him to stand. He contemplated his words carefully before speaking, knowing he needed to get the blond moving. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that if he was your best friend, he'd forgive you. You shouldn't blame yourself for something you had no control over. Now come on, I have to get this mess sorted out and you and Sasuke have to leave now, ok? We're going to get you somewhere safe." Glancing around to make sure no one had seen them in the chaos, Iruka yanked off his jacket and put it around Naruto. He pulled the collar up in a vain attempt to hide Naruto's face somewhat.
"Sasuke…." Naruto remembered the fight. It was difficult to keep his mind from slipping off the black edge it was on the cusp of, teetering on the precipice of the sweet oblivion of darkness. "Sasuke got hurt. Is he okay?"
Iruka nodded, shepherding the dazed blond out of the empty building and towards his cop car. He kept his arm around Naruto, hiding him from view. Thankfully, everyone's attention was focused on the dead body inside the building. "He's fine. He just got banged up a bit, nothing odd for him." Opening the back door to his SUV, he gently pushed Naruto inside, activating the locks on the door so that the blond couldn't escape. The Policeman didn't think he would try, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Through the tinted glass he could see Naruto's bowed head and his hunched shoulders.
"I'll be right back." He promised, seeing Naruto already gone.
Startled by the sudden ringing from his pocket, Iruka reached in and pulled out his phone. Staring at the screen in surprise, he answered the call and put the phone to his ear. As he listened, his face paled and he shot a look at Naruto who hadn't moved. The officer reached up and ran a hand through his hair, knocking his hat to the side. "I understand. Send three to be sure. I'll go later, I have my hands full at the moment. Tell them to be extremely careful, there might be chance they're still around. Roger that."
Sighing heavily, he turned and went back in, meeting Kakashi on his way. "Sasuke?" He questioned.
Kakashi gave a short nod over to his car. "He's waiting to get patched up. Who was the kid?" He glanced over Iruka's shoulder at the corpse now being removed from the scene. "He was his friend. Best friend." He corrected himself. "It's hit him hard."
Kakashi snorted. "Losing someone like that is bound to hurt. The Reaper?" He had recognized the type of wound that had murdered the other kid. While he, like Sasuke, didn't know much about this member, his weapon of choice was a scythe.
Iruka nodded at the nickname. "Hidan killed him, that's a given." He rubbed his mouth with his hand. "Let's get out of here; I can dispatch someone else to deal with this for them moment." The brunette gazed back into the building before turning his sight on Kakashi's car, finally landing on his own. "They're uncharacteristically active." He noted, referring to the activity of the Akatsuki. "It wouldn't surprise me if they tried again, very soon. It seems Naruto is the bait Sasuke needed all along."
The silver-haired man crossed his arms and cocked out a hip as he leaned back on one leg. "Sasuke's being careless again. We'll have to keep an eye on both of them. If they do attack again, neither of them stands a chance."
"And we both know Sasuke doesn't care about that."
"Tch." Kakashi clicked, irate with the younger Uchiha. He reached up and rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"His house was vandalized a short while ago." Iruka remarked casually, not meeting Kakashi's sharp gaze as he stared unseeingly at the building. "I got the call from the station. They know he's under your care, so they called me to tell you. Apparently the neighbors called for disturbances and the said thieves wrecked the place. You and I both know that there is no way ordinary thieves would even be able to step onto Sasuke's property, let alone 'wreak it'. It's a high class area, and this was in the daylight, no less."
Kakashi was silent. Then he sighed dejectedly. "He kicked the hornet's nest one too many times and now they're angry. They'll retaliate even sooner if they were desperate enough to attack his house."
"Desperate? Or a tactic? Isolate, cut off supplies and a feeling of safety. Attack while weak." Iruka thought aloud, trying to see the situation from their point of view. "Like lions going in for the kill."
"Juugo's reported a flurry of movement in the underground. Seems everyone knows Sasuke is up against the Akatsuki, but this time, he's got the upper hand which translates to Naruto. They're making bets to see who makes it in the end. Akatsuki has gained a huge fanbase."
"Hm. Vultures." Iruka muttered in disgust. "They just want their blood money." The cop adjusted his hat, and kicked a stone on the ground. He watched it bounce a few feet away before settling in the dirt.
"In any case, we're going to have to be more careful. Sasuke will be out for a while, leaving Naruto vulnerable." Kakashi mused, rubbing his chin contemplatively.
Iruka's radio suddenly crackled to life. "10-78 Officer Iruka."
Cursing lightly, Iruka responded quickly. "10-4. I've arrived at the scene and have an ambulance on standby. There was a casualty."
"10-4. Any witnesses at the scene?"
"…Negative."
"Roger that."
Sighing, the brunette reached up and patted Kakashi's shoulder. "Well, nothing's getting done standing here. I'll meet you at home." With a quick, hidden kiss, he and Kakashi departed, each going to their own car.
xXx
A/N: Been waitin' to write this part and the next one for a year now :D Fina-fucking-lly, I've been really excited for this. Also, every thing happens for a reason, so don't get too hung up guys. You'll see what I mean…. Reviews are nice since I'm still new to writing, so thanks to all those that let me know what they think!