Target
Ch. 12- Mortal Kombat
A/N: *Reads reviews & cackles* My lust for blood has been satisfied for now. But remember mein readers, shit gets bad before it gets better. I did the bad, so now the better? ;D Bring some sweats and read on!
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo
xXx Beta'd by the intelligent and industrious Jhalamae xXx
Looking out his window as Iruka drove, Naruto watched shops and pedestrians zip by. He stared unseeingly at the world, not understanding how things could seem so normal when everything that he cared for was gone. He noticed how indifferent to another individual's suffering people were, always wrapped up in what affected them and only them.
Was he wallowing in his own self-pity? Didn't he deserve it? After everything that happened to him, everything that had been taken and changed, didn't he deserve to cry out injustice? He hadn't asked for any of this, he didn't want this. He had been living a somewhat ordinary life, a peaceful one full of goals. Now, it seemed like death haunted him, mocked him from every turn. His only real friend had been murdered before him, and it was his fault. He had talked Kiba into coming, he had urged the brunette to meet up with him. He should have known that it was a stupid idea, that it was probably the worst thing he could have done besides wandering through town asking people if they'd seen him on the news.
The thing that really killed him was the fact that he had known it was a horrible idea, that it was incredibly foolish to actually do it, yet he had gone ahead and done it. He had deliberately disobeyed Sasuke's orders, breaking his rules and as a result, killed Kiba.
He had seen the evidence in Sasuke's private room, he had witnessed what the Akatsuki could do. Yet he still had gone and now Kiba was dead.
How could he have been so fucking naïve?
Grief had its fingers wrapped tightly around him, suffocating him, but the anger was also there. Anger at himself, anger at the Akatsuki, and anger with the world, angery at Sasuke for not saving Kiba, but then the anger would melt into sorrow, guilt, and despair, leaving him emotionally drained and hollow. His eyes were dry, unable to mourn the life of the brunette. Why was he even alive? Why didn't they just outright kill him and be done? Why Kiba? Why not him?
Why him. Naruto seemed to scoff at himself cynically, eerily reminiscent of Sasuke. As if he was anything special. Every face tacked on Sasuke's wall had been proof that he wasn't the only one. Granted, he was being pursued extensively, but nevertheless, it probably wasn't long before he became another picture, another meaningless victim. Would Sasuke even put his picture up? Would he put Kiba's up?
The exhausted blond reached up and grasped his necklace, running his thumb around the edge of the warm metal disk. He hadn't seen his grandfather Jiraiya in forever. Had the old pervert croaked too? It was highly possible that the Akatsuki could have gotten him as well.
Naruto closed his eyes and cringed, feeling as if something was constricting around his chest, keeping him from breathing regularly. While the old man had been a terrible guardian, he was a great person, especially considering he had an orphan dumped on his doorstep. It wasn't his fault his parents had gone missing while excavating at a new dig. For all anyone knew, the young archaeologists had simply vanished, leaving behind a newborn. For all Naruto cared, they were dead.
It was true then. Everyone he knew or cared about, died. His parents, Kiba, and now most likely, Jiraiya. What a sick, fucked up life he had. Who would care if he died now? Nobody would be there to mourn him. A bubble of hysteria threatened to overtake him, but he fought it down. What good would panicking do now? What happened was irreversible. Done bun can't be undone.
He turned forward, gazing at the back of Iruka's head through the Plexiglas that separated them. The car ride was eerily void of conversation. The police radio had been turned down, leaving only a small crackle of voices to fill the otherwise silent cabin.
"What's going to happen to him?" Naruto suddenly asked, breaking the silence. "His body, I mean."
Jarred from his own musings, Iruka partially turned towards the blond, managing to keep his eyes on the road. "Ah well, he'll go to the morgue where Sakura, the medical examiner, will determine the cause of death. His immediate family will be notified of his passing and his body will be dealt with accordingly."
"He had a girlfriend, you know. They were going to get married." Naruto said tonelessly, thinking of Hinata. Would she know it was his fault Kiba died? Would she hate him?
Not knowing what to say, Iruka kept silent. He knew Naruto was taking the death of his friend hard and he didn't know how to comfort the blond. He and Kakashi had tried with Sasuke, but it was obvious something had gone wrong there. He could tell the blond that he wasn't the one that had cut open his friend, but he knew it would do very little good. He was blaming himself, and with good reason.
xXx
Sasuke inhaled sharply as Ten Ten stuck a needle into his arm, right where Hidan's blades had sunk into him. The raven kept still as she repeated this a couple of times, injecting vaccines and antibiotics into his torn and tender flesh. He sat shirtless in a chair with his arm lying on a small round wooden table. A decorative lamp stolen from its usual spot in the living room was placed next to him, allowing for light to shine into the mess that was his lower arm.
Bloody rags and bandages were strewn around, thrown away hastily as the mechanic had attempted to stitch his wound shut, but displayed her lack of skill with the human body as opposed to anything mechanical. His upper arm was now slightly puffy and sensitive, marked by sloppy stitches he himself would need to fix later. They would do for now.
"Stop moving and lean forward." Ten Ten ordered as she brought forth a black bag and withdrew a smaller kit. She opened up the leather bound pouch and began to pick out several shiny silver instruments. They clicked lightly as she bunched them up in her hand and laid them neatly on the wooden finish. Next, she brought out a pair of comical looking glasses that served as magnifying glass. "This is going to take forever to fix." She grumbled, picking up a pair of forceps.
Sasuke watched in mild fascination as the brunette began to pick shards of broken metal from his arm, laying them out into a small pile as they accumulated in number. She was extremely careful, making sure not to further damage the internal synthetic neural network that served to communicate the arm's motor systems with his central nervous system. Hidan's maniacal blades had managed to nick the delicate circuitry, thankfully causing reversible damage.
A light metal clinking noise ticked out as she prodded the thin fiber-like wires that controlled his hand and caused his fingers to twitch and bang against each other.
"Hmm." She hummed to herself, rubbing her chin as she stopped working and looked down at the arm contemplatively. "You're in luck, I can save this." She then stuck out her pointer finger, holding it up. But, it'll take a few days to get the material I'll need to fix this. Shikamaru might have them at his place, but I'll have to call him to make sure."
Sasuke sighed, leaning back in the chair and letting his head rest against the chair's back. "Hn." He bent his leg and hooked his heel on the bar at the bottom of the chair, trying to get comfortable in the creaky seat.
"Ten Ten, just fix what you can now, and deal with the rest later." Kakashi suddenly spoke, appearing in the living room with a glass of scotch in his hand. He appeared relaxed, with one hand in his pants pocket and his posture slouched, but everyone that had been around him long enough knew it was a farce. He was actually quite unhappy. "This was short notice and I know you weren't prepared."
The brunette shrugged and stood up from the table. "Life's unpredictable." She then grabbed Sasuke's arm, jarring him from his resting state. She cringed under his deadly stare, but focused on telling Kakashi he was wrong. "There's damage to the Nitinol metal that acts as the radius and ulna, and a few of the carpals. Structurally, it appears fine, but I'll need to reinforce it with a layer of carbon nanotube to keep it perfect. Thankfully, the destruction was minimalized by the Kevlar coating I put there years ago. Now," she pointed towards his elbow, "I'll need to replace a few of the small pneumatic actuators and make sure the microprocessor chip installed in will still respond to the one inside your primary motor cortex as precaution. We'll need to do a check up on the pressure pads to make sure they're still functional and able to transmit sensations properly."
As she droned on about a laundry list of items, Sasuke's mind wandered off, wondering where the blond was now. He knew Iruka had taken him, but where do they go from here? Should he outright take the fucking key and be done with the blond, or go against everything he knew and give him something to fight back with. The easiest and less challenging path was to dispose of Naruto, which never left his list of possibilities, but Sasuke wasn't known for taking the easy way out of things. That tiny connection he felt in that moment still rang in his mind, stirring his thoughts up more than he'd like.
He was brought back to reality by a sharp prick of pain in his arm. Hiding his discomfort expertly, he looked back towards his limb, noticing Ten Ten removing the outer plating, further exposing the intricate machinery and delicate instruments that made his arm up.
"Sasuke, I'm going to disable the nerves, rendering your arm useless." Ten Ten warned, seeing the raven off in his own world. She slowly reached in, giving him time to voice complaints.
"What else is new?" Sasuke deadpanned, feeling impatient. "Do it and get it over with." The raven demanded.
Feeling irate at being ordered around by the younger man, Ten Ten grit her teeth and began to tinker around in the arm not to gently. She smiled with grim satisfaction as she noticed his upper arm tense with pain as she twisted her wrist sharply. Serves the asshole right.
"I've disconnected it for now. Once I get the proper materials, I'll reattach and we'll do a full checkup. For now, I advise you to be careful. Your real central nervous system is still connected, but I've cut off the pathway to control your synthetic muscles. You don't want to mess with those unless you want to go undergo targeted muscle re-innervation surgery again." She explained as she screwed the outer plates back on, hiding the inner machinery. Each slender piece of metal clicked smoothly in place, the dulled silver metal shining lightly under the lamp.
Sasuke's cold mask twitched at the excruciatingly painful memory. He would have to be wary of screwing his own body up again.
Knowing the raven wasn't going to respond, Ten Ten packed up her tools and replaced them in her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, he nodded towards Sasuke before turning to the older man in the room. "I'll be back soon." She mentioned to Kakashi as he walked her to the door.
Sasuke watched them leave, once again ignoring Kakashi's apologies to Ten Ten. Why did he need to apologize? She worked for him, it wasn't like she was a random stranger they picked to put his arm back together like some fucking Humpty Dumpty. She was obsessed with weapons and anything mechanical- it's not like she hated her job. Sasuke looked back down at his arm, grimacing. He very gingerly tried moving his metal fingers, but found his arm was unresponsive. He oddly felt no resentment, no regrets or other useless emotions as he glared at the metal hunk attached to his arm. It wasn't worth it anymore; those days were in the past, where they should be. Standing up, he grabbed his shirt and threw it on his shoulder, letting it hang loosely there.
He felt rather than heard Kakashi enter the room and stand behind him. Sasuke almost petulantly ignored him, knowing the silver-haired man was just going to go off about his safety, what was good for him, how worried Iruka got, how he needed to let shit go, the same old same old. One would think it was Sasuke's first time getting into deep shit. His missing arm was testament that his life was not all peaches and cream.
"Not so fast, Sasuke." Kakashi began, setting his glass down on the table as he swept up the mess and dropped it into the trash bin. "Me thinks you have some explaining to do."
Sasuke grabbed the drink off the table and swiftly chugged it down, savoring the burn before speaking. "Naruto tried to meet up with his friend, whom you know is the dead one. Deidara shows up and runs away after I got him a couple of times, Hidan came in and as you can see," the raven gestured towards his arm, "I had my ass handed to me, along with Naruto snapping after Hidan sliced his friend up like a Christmas ham." He set the glass down and waited for Kakashi's response, tempted to just leave. God knows he needed a long rest.
Kakashi took the seat Sasuke vacated and lamented the loss of his drink as his fingers played with the empty glass, twirling it lightly. "You said Deidara was able to run away after you…" Kakashi waved his opposite hand vaguely, prompting Sasuke to elaborate.
"You were right in that the Akatsuki display abnormal healing capabilities. Deidara sustained several gunshot wounds, yet he healed rapidly and ejected the bullets from his body. Hidan was the same; I even jammed a knife into his throat, aiming for his brainstem but it did nothing. If anything, he recovered even faster than Dediara did."
As he recalled the fight, Sasuke's mind drifted to the poison he had coated his blades with. Deidara had begun to display the telltale signs of the poison's symptoms, but severely dampened. By his calculations, the blond would be on the precipice of death right now. The venom acted quickly, targeting blood clotting proteins, severely damaging internal organs and other body tissues. It was also rather insufferably painful. The raven smirked, already picturing the carnage that would be Deidara's body at the moment. Sadly, the Akatsuki more than likely would now be wary of the venom, rendering another attack with any poisonous substance null. They would cover weak spots.
But the real question was, what are they? Clearly, they possessed above par healing capabilities, letting them become almost immortal. Did the key they sought after have a connection to that? Was it the key, literally, for them to become immortal, or were they already? Could they even be killed? Obviously a severed jugular did nothing, as did a knife to the brain or gunshots. An attack would need to be constant, not allowing the regeneration process to get going. It would need to cut off the healing before it could make a dent in the damage…but what could do that? Poison was out now, so what weapon would be able to create that type of-
"Is that all?" Kakashi voice broke through his concentration, drawing him back. The silver-haired man was staring at him intently, mismatched eyes unreadable.
Sasuke nodded curtly. "Pretty much. You saw the results." Stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, the dark haired man scratched his chest, picking at the scab where he had been knifed in his last altercation. He seemed to have become a beacon for trouble since he met Naruto, more so than usual. Granted, he couldn't complain; he had gotten the attention of the Akatsuki after years of chasing empty and false leads. He was closer than ever. "I'm going home now." He announced, patting his pants for cab money. "I'm leaving the blond idiot with you guys for a while." He gestured towards his limp arm. "As you can see, I'm in no shape to play bodyguard for a fucking idiot who can't deal."
"You can't go home." Kakashi called out, watching Sasuke stop walking.
"And why is that?" Sasuke sighed, thinking the taller man simply didn't want to watch over Naruto. "I'm sure Iruka would be more than willing to-"
"It's going to be hard to go home when it's covered in police tape."
Sasuke froze. He slowly turned to glare at Kakashi, arching a thin eyebrow for explanation. "What do you mean." He growled.
"What I said." Kakashi retorted. He stood up, taking the glass with him as he walked to the large kitchen he and Iruka used frequently, a third of the time for nothing to do with cooking. "Iruka got a call from the station. Your house was broken into and ransacked." He relayed the information casually, knowing it was riling his protégé up. "I told you to be careful." He voice darkened as he filled the glass back up with scotch, watching the amber liquid jostle the ice cubes inside. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Sasuke stalking into the kitchen.
"And I was. You're telling me the Akatsuki got into my house and wrecked the place?" He asked, needing clarification.
Kakashi nodded. "You and the kid are stuck here. Unless of course," he paused, shooting Sasuke a pointed look. "You want a repeat of today. If so, by all means, go back. Hell, take the kid with you and put up flyers."
"Tch." Sasuke turned on his heel and walked out of the room. While he didn't really hold his own home close to heart, it had been where he kept most of the information he accumulated about the Akatsuki. Thankfully, he kept copies of everything on a digital hard drive. Material things didn't matter much to him, unless they were his weapons of choice and the clothes on his back. Money just helped smooth the ride, not run the show.
It was just the tiniest unsettling that the Akatsuki had figured where he lived. Not that he kept it secret by any means, but it hit a little too close to home for comfort, pun intended.
Leaving Kakashi in the kitchen and moving into a side hallway, he headed up the long wooden staircase of the mansion-like house, striding to the bedroom he slept in whenever Iruka insisted he spend at least Christmas day together. Opening the familiar door, he slid inside and got in bed, not bothering to change or clean up. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.
xXx
"Naruto, come on. You can't spend the night in my car." Iruka tried to get the blond moving again, but the results were the same as the last. The blond was stuck in his own world, staring unseeingly at the seat in front of him.
Sighing, the brunette reached in cautiously and latched onto one of Naruto's arms. Slowly, he pulled the shorter male out, surprised by his willingness. He had figured he would put up more resistance, but the unsettling puppet-esque demeanor was welcomed. Like a skittish animal, Iruka led Naruto to the front door. Pushing him in, Iruka followed quickly, searching for his lover. Spying the older man sitting on the leather sectional couch in the living room reading porn, Iruka rolled his eyes.
"Did Ten Ten come by?"
Kakashi peeked out at the two newcomers from the top of his book. "She did. She patched him up roughly and left. He's sleeping by now." He kept his eyes on Naruto, watching the blond kid carefully. He was mourning.
Iruka pulled off his cop hat and his coat, hanging them on the coat rack next to the door. Quickly, he directed Naruto to one of the many spare bedrooms they had, hoping he would at least fall asleep if not rest. He left a pair of sleeping garments with him, telling the silent blond that he'd be downstairs.
Walking back down, he plopped down next to Kakashi, heaving a sigh. Slipping down the couch, he laid with his back to the seat cushions, staring up at the ceiling. Brining his feet up, he propped them in Kakashi's lap.
"Did Ten Ten say anything?" Iruka asked, allowing his head to drop back, giving his neck a respite from the stress of the day.
"She's going to get what she needs and come back to fully fix his arm up. She listed a few tests they were going to need to run, but overall, it's better than before." Kakashi reported, capturing one of Iruka's feet as he continued to read his book.
They were silent for a while, both contemplating what to do.
"You know, I never wanted kids. Yet now we have two of them." Iruka said suddenly, lifting his head to peer at Kakashi. He wiggled his foot to get the man's attention.
Kakashi nodded philosophically, rubbing his chin. He put his book down and crossed his arms. "One who is currently suffering the death of his best friend, along with the guilt of having taken part in it, and another who seems to have a death wish and doesn't care much about anything." He met Iruka's gaze solemnly. "I blame you."
Snorting, Iruka lightly kicked the older man. "Let's just hope they grow up soon."
Kakashi understood Iruka's real meaning. The policeman was genuinely hoping the blond would be alright and that Sasuke would stop dancing with death. But it would take a miracle for things to change.
"Yea."
xXx
Naruto stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to face reality. It had been hours since Iruka had left him alone, but he couldn't sleep. He stayed in bed, dull azure orbs staring blankly out in space. His cheeks were slightly puffy with the silent and sorrowful tears the drifted down his cheeks and into his ears. He had stopped sobbing a while ago and had exhausted himself.
A quick glance at the digital clock on the dresser told him it was barely around four in the morning. Naruto closed his eyes and harshly wiped away the last of his tears. No more. He was done. He was done with all of this. No more. He had gotten Kiba killed. If he hadn't been so stupid, the brunette would be alive, not a corpse waiting to be identified by its family, lying on a cold metal table while being pumped full of embalming fluid. He knew Sasuke had been injured thanks to him. He might as well admit that Iruka and Kakashi, the two people who did seem to want to help him, were also in danger. He was tired and sick of everything.
Sitting up, Naruto shoved the sheets to the side, and got out of the bed, slowly dressing in his own clothes. He knew what he would do. It was obvious. If he turned himself in to the Akatsuki, they'd stop. Maybe not killing, but at least he'd spare Sasuke, Iruka, and Kakashi the same fate as Kiba. It wasn't like he was worth it anyway. Look at all the shit he had caused. They probably would be happy with him gone, more than likely appreciating the burden of his life taken from them. He had put them all through enough shit; he was done.
Not bothering to be quiet, he left the room, walked down the stairs and to the front door. Light from outside peeked around the rectangular window panes around the door, as if pointing him in the right direction. Naruto stopped before he could reach the door and stared at it. As soon as he stepped out, he was on his own. No more Sasuke to help, just him and the Akatsuki. This is for the best. I need to do this. I can't let anyone else die for me.
Lifting a violently shaking hand, Naruto grabbed the doorknob, feeling his heart suddenly begin racing in his chest. His arm feeling incredibly weak and unresponsive, Naruto tried turning the knob. His hand refused to cooperate. He tried again, watching his vision go blurry as he tried to fight back tears that threatened to overwhelm him. The tan fingers wrapped around the metal knob refused to move.
"Fuck…c'mon, do it…" He whispered desperately to himself, begging his arm to work. "Work you piece of shit.." He sobbed, full blown tears running down his cheeks. Letting go of the handle, he slumped down, landing hard on his knees. His head fell forward and slammed into the door, but he didn't feel the pain. A trembling hand reached up and was placed on the wood, curling into a fist. "Why…." He cried, "why can't I do it?"
But he knew why. He was scared. He was afraid to die. He was too much of a chicken shit to face the fire, to take responsibility for his brash actions. And now here he was, sitting on the floor and crying like a baby, pathetically whining. He should be able to leave easily. Giving himself to the Akatsuki would save the others. Besides, he didn't have anyone left to care for him. Nobody would mourn him, nobody would keep him in their thoughts and wish him a happy afterlife. He was completely alone, with no one but his own pitiful self as company. Everyone he cared about was dead, what did he have to lose?
Yet he still couldn't move. Despite knowing how easy it would be to go to them, he was still afraid. And it was sickening. Knowing that he could do nothing but sit on the floor and cry was the worst. And he hated himself for it. Part of him was desperate to stay and cling to the meager safety offered by Sasuke, but he knew his chances were long gone. He had fucked up. Still sobbing, he tried to get off the floor but his legs had no strength left.
xXx
Sasuke irritably sat in the kitchen, staring at the bright numbers on the clock as his arm throbbed steadily. He had tried going to sleep hours ago, but couldn't. The day's events replayed over and over in his mind, almost giving himself a headache. Damn his near perfect memory. Sighing, he rubbed his tired eyes and let his head fall back a bit, resting on the chair's spine. The light from the porch streamed in, falling across the table and onto its contents. After Ten Ten's shit job of fixing his arm up, he had tried bandaging it and had little success. He hated to admit it, but the pain was almost unbearable, even with extra strength prescription pills pilfered from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. He settled for rubbing salve on the peeping flesh, wincing as he spread it around and into his wounds.
His chair was cocked in the direction of the front door, which was in the hallway beside the kitchen. The numbers flickered on the clock's screen, dragging on as he waited for morning to come.
A sudden shuffling caught his attention, causing his body to tense up in alert. With narrowed obsidian eyes, he watched Naruto come shuffling down the stairs and to the door. With each second that passed, Sasuke's lips curled into a scowl. He knew exactly what was going through his mind. The hatred of one's own weakness, the despair, the inability to give up on life and willingly go die. Echoes of his own bloody past resonated in his mind, building on what he saw in Naruto.
He took glup of water, mulling something over. He had seen the way Naruto had attacked Hidan; recklessly and intent on killing. It sparked a new idea in his mind. He himself had gone through what Naruto was suffering and had come out something he was proud of. A cold blooded killer, molded by the worst life could throw at him. Could he somehow bring that out in Naruto? Of course, the first step would be to get him to shut the fuck up and deal, and he knew just how to do it.
Downing his glass, he set it back on the table and stood, striding over to the door and Naruto's sniveling figure. "You're pathetic."
Startled, Naruto's head whipped up and his tearful blue eyes met pitiless obsidian. Unable to speak, Naruto kept silent. Of course he was pathetic. He couldn't even go through with his own plan. But maybe Sasuke would be able to force him to leave. It was apparent he was too much of a coward to do it himself.
"What the hell do you have to blubber about? It's not like you have to spend the next few years figuring out whether or not to sell your engagement ring. You don't get the pleasure of hearing about your brother's unfortunate death on the eleven o'clock news. You don't have to go to the morgue to identify your son's mangled body. Seems to me like you're doing pretty damn good over there."
Naruto winced, picturing everything Sasuke threw at him. "I didn't mean it..."
"Oh, sorry. Well in that case I'll relay that to his family, maybe throw in a fruit basket, and see if it puts a band-aid on things."
"God, it was an accident!"
Sasuke scoffed. "An accident? You knew the most powerful, blood-thirsty organization in the world was sniffing your ass and you're going to try to tell me it was an accident? Like you didn't know what you were getting in to? Bullshit. You know exactly what you did or you wouldn't be a shriveling heap of snot right now. You put him in danger. You slapped the target in his back. You killed him. The sooner you accept it the better off we'll all be."
"..." Naruto looked stricken and in pain, but he kept silent, accepting Sasuke's words. Tears silent rolled down his eyes as he couldn't pull them away from Sasuke's intense glare. His heart stuttered in his chest, breaking with each word from Sasuke's mouth.
The raven watched his words hit home, knowing Naruto couldn't argue. Just a little more. "Shit, maybe I should shed a tear or two. I have every reason to be afraid. Just by existing you put everyone near you in danger, and I have it worst, I'm bound by contract to wipe your ass and pick up your messes. Actually, I should probably go upstairs and tell Iruka and Kakashi that they need to cry too while they have the chance. Be right back." He starts to walk toward the stairs, almost counting down in his mind.
"Why are you doing this?!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke's retreating back.
Sasuke paused and turned halfway to pierce Naruto with a cold gaze. "Because I don't think you get it. We are on the top of their list now, you sat us in death row right next you to because your sorry ass has nowhere else to be. Everyone that cares and will ever care about you is in danger because you don't have the balls to bite the bullet."
In a sudden burst of anger, Naruto shot to his feet. "You think I don't know that? Give me some fucking credit…"
"Then why the fuck are you still here? Get it over with!" Sasuke snapped, jabbing his good hand at the door.
Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but his voice had left again. He couldn't do it. His mouth closing slowly, Naruto looked away, hating himself even more. "I can't..." He whispered, his voice cracking. "I can't do it."
"Yeah, you can't. Because you're afraid to die. You would rather everyone around you die before yourself, you're tripping them and feeding them to the wolves while you run on ahead. You know what your life is worth, you don't mean anything to anybody. You know how expensive your beating heart is, you know all they want is you, but you still can't walk out the door. You're too selfish. Too determined to salvage the shattered glass, glue it with your spit, and see if anyone still wants to buy it. Disgusting." Sasuke judged harshly.
"It's not like that!" Naruto protested.
"It's not? They're offering their home. They're reaching out to the poor bastard that got thrown into the chaos with the short end of the stick. You know Iruka and Kakashi would sacrifice themselves to keep you alive. It doesn't hurt you at all? You don't feel guilty? You think they aren't afraid of dying too? What, you think you deserve their sacrifice? You think your life is worth more than theirs?"
"No!"
"Then what's stopping you?"
Unable to come up with an adequate response, Naruto hung his head. He knew what was holding him back but was sick of it. It rankled something deep inside him to be so afraid, to be so willing to allow others to suffer for his own life. Searching for something to say, he looked up slowly. "Sasuke... What do you fight for?"
It was Sasuke's turn to be silent. He could tell the blond outright what drove him, but he had wanted him to come to that conclusion on his own. It was one thing to steer him in the right direction, it was another to make him into a carbon copy of himself. Without his own will solidifying his decision, any attempts to change the blond into something useful would be futile. "Revenge." He admitted.
Naruto shook his head dejectedly. "How did you lose everything and still find it on yourself to fight?"
Sasuke scowled. "How can you lose everything and not want to make them feel it too? Guess your friend didn't mean that much to you after all." He criticized starkly.
Naruto's was stunned for a few seconds as he digested Sasuke's words. Outraged, he yelled at the raven. "If I could avenge Kiba I'd do it in a fucking heartbeat! I know I got him killed, but I'm not like you! What the fuck am I supposed to do about it? I can't do what you can! So what's the point? I don't even have anyone to miss me if I died!" He shouted angrily. "You said it yourself! Who the fuck would care? Who-"
"Goddamn it! You'd figure being an orphan you would have stopped needing your mommy to hold your hand years ago. Grow up! Nobody gives a fuck in the end anyway, they move on. Live for yourself! Fight for the future they want to take away! Fight for your wretched, miserable excuse of an existence!..." Sasuke shouted back, feeling the need to shake the blond, hard.
Naruto stared at Sasuke wide eyed and silent. His entire frame was trembling with the power of Sasuke's words, wanting to rise up to the challenge. With the pounding of his heart ringing deafeningly in his ears and a strange feeling rising in his chest, Naruto stared down at his own hands, watching them shake slightly. Could he do this? Could he avenge Kiba? He had taken Kiba's life, but now he had the option of giving back to him by taking care of his killers.
Quieting down, Naruto licked his lips and spoke. "I can't just go and kill them like you do. We're not the same, but I want to do something. I can't pretend that I'll matter much, but something is better than nothing, right?" He closed his eyes and pressed his lips in a thin line. "I don't want to see anyone else die because of me. I want to stop them." He opened his eyes, dark blue pools meeting Sasuke's skeptical black orbs. "Let me help you."
Sasuke held back a surprised snort of laughter. "Help me? You call this help?" The raven shrugged his injured shoulder, suppressing a hiss of pain. "I think you've proven your ineptness already. I'd like to keep the rest of my body intact, thanks."
Naruto's hands twisted into fists. "I've already killed for you! I can handle it, I know I can get better, you just have to train me."
"Sounds like a great waste of my time. Train you? Why? You can't fucking listen to me in the first place. Your idiocy cost me a lot more than my arm. Because of you, I can't live my own life. You won't kill yourself so I'm a full time babysitter, and I can't go back to my job because I was forced to expose myself as affiliated with you directly to the Akatsuki. You completely destroyed any chance for espionage. They ransacked my home, took everything from my arsenal, stole all my money, and burned all the evidence I've been tracking them with to the ground. I have nothing left going for me anymore. Granted they don't strike while I'm down and out, I'm still going to have to run and fight for the rest of my life, and you expect me to help you?" He sneered. "For what? So you can feel better about yourself? So you can atone for you sins? That's not my problem."
He stared at Naruto hard, waiting. A furrow was etched on his face as he frowned. This was it. He wasn't about to spend his time helping out someone from the good of his heart only to have them chicken out midway. He needed to know if Naruto would hold out and last. Naruto needed to show he was determined enough. It would be hard and unforgiving path. He waited, unknowingly holding his breath and tensing his shoulders.
Naruto thought hard before he spoke, trying to create a compelling argument that would show Sasuke how resolute he was to his new resolve. He would take whatever Sasuke threw at him and would learn. There was no going back. "I know I'm not worth much to you right now, but I can't watch anyone else die because of them. Kiba was my fault, I get that, but everyone else they murdered wasn't. This whole thing is a lot bigger than me, and if I have any chance to make a difference and give them a taste of what they really deserve, it doesn't matter what the cost is." He paused, searching for any break in the cynical stare. You have nothing left, and neither do I. I know I've made mistakes and I'm fucking learning from them, but I can't do this myself. I need your help to teach me, to train me. I will fight back with everything I have. I'm not as naïve as I was before and I know that if you teach me, I can be someone you can count on." He finished, hoping to God he had sounded convincing enough. If Sasuke turned his offer down, there was nothing left.
Sasuke's hard lined mouth twitched as he accepted Naruto's words. The furrow between his eyebrows eased and he backed off. "Good." He turned back to the kitchen and started to pack up the medical supplies on the table. "We start today."
xXx
Naruto felt like deer in headlights as Sasuke stalked around him, circling him like prey. The raven was watching him intently, every so often frowning or pressing his lips in what Naruto perceived to be dissatisfaction. Sasuke's injured arm was resting in a sling that was strapped to his chest, keeping it tight against his body. Kakashi had advised against the training, wanting them to wait until Sasuke had full mobility in his arm, but the dark haired male brushed off his advice and had taken Naruto down into a basement-like area that appeared to be a gym.
The shape of the room was a rectangle, with one of the longer walls made up of a floor length mirror. One half of the gym's floor was hardwood finish, polished to the point of shining; the other half consisted of a light grey foamy mat. Expensive looking exercise equipment was placed in a corner of the hardwood floor, along with a row of dumbbells and typical workout gear. Naruto stood in the middle of the foamy mat, shoeless and shirtless, fidgeting under Sasuke's eyes.
He hadn't expected the man to take him up on his word and teach him immediately, but here they were, getting ready for his first lesson. Feeling his palms get sweaty in anticipation, he wiped them on his pants nervously. He would do this. For Kiba, for Sasuke, and for himself. When the raven was talking him into fighting back, Sasuke's words had seemed too personal, as if spoken from experience. His closest friend had been murdered. He had through of Kiba like a surrogate brother. Sasuke had lost an actual brother, and his entire family. As small as it was, they understood each other, feeling a connection. Naruto swallowed heavily. It was time to get serious and leave his naivety behind.
Sasuke noticed how edgy he was making Naruto and almost laughed. Almost. He was trying to discern what method to take to teach him. He had only ever taught himself, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to work with the blond. He valued constantly pushing himself to get better, often forcing his body to the limit. He had taken training lessons from Kakashi and had doubled them, tripled them, challenging himself to go past his limits and destroy his weaknesses.
His eyes roamed over Naruto's frame, the obsidian orbs noting every little detail and carefully filing it away for future inspection. Naruto was built a bit thicker than him, with more muscle mass along his abdomen and arms. It was well proportioned, which surprised the raven. The blond didn't seem like the type to work out. He seemed more like the type to eat and watch TV all day. Focusing back on his body, Sauske casually observed that Naruto had a decent build. Tan skin stretched taunt over sturdy muscles. While his own abs were well defined on his leaner body, Naruto's were slightly less noticeable but were equally impressive. A light blond happy trail began under his navel and trailed off into the gray sweats.
Guess the carpet matches the drapes. Sasuke thought amusedly. Finishing his analysis, he met Naruto in the middle of the mat. "How much do you know about fighting?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like he was in over his head. "I've seen every Jackie Chan movie. Does that count?"
Sasuke didn't offer a rebuttal. It wasn't worth it. "Well start with the basics then. Attack me." Sasuke took a step back, keeping his hand down to see where Naruto would first aim.
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Oh, alright." He said, feeling awkward. He didn't have much practice fighting since he was relatively a peaceful guy. The incident with Hidan was the obvious expection, but he didn't want to remember. It was too painful. Bringing his fists up, he moved quickly and threw a fist at Sasuke's face.
Sasuke almost nonchalantly reached up and grabbed his fist, twisting his wrist sharply. Naruto cried out and tried to loosen Sasuke's painful grip on his hand when a pale foot darted out and tripped him, sending the blond flying face first into the mat. "Fuck!" he cried, rolling over and nursing his wrist.
"You rely too much on your strength, allowing me to use the momentum against you. To fight properly, you need to be able to exercise control over that strength, using it only when necessary. Get up and try again." Sasuke ordered, resuming his position. While Naruto's strength would come in handy, it was essential to gain control of it and use it strategically.
Irate at being knocked down so fast, Naruto shot to his feet, determined to stay on them. Playing it a bit smarter, he aimed for Sasuke's face with his right hand, but was feinting. Expecting Sasuke to grab his wrist again, Naruto's left hand darted out, aiming for the raven's stomach.
Naruto was almost sadly predictable. Sasuke easily knocked his hand away from his stomach, ducked to the left to avoid the blow to his face, and brought his knee swiftly into Naruto's vulnerable stomach.
"Always protect your exposed areas. Keep a hand close to block attacks, or use your own knees." Sasuke said harshly, shoving Naruto away. "Again."
Wheezing, the blond staggered on his feet, nearly falling down as he hunched over, rubbing his tender stomach. "Are we going to keep doing this until I hit you?" He groaned out, wincing as he straightened up.
"We're going to keep doing this until I say so. Again." Sasuke commanded. It was obvious the blond was looking for quick solutions, wanting results as soon as possible. But as it were, Sasuke was going to take the long route. The basics were simple defensive and offensive moves. The next tier would move to more complicated sequences. While he didn't know when the Akatsuki would make another move, it was crucial that Naruto take his time to learn rather than rush. The more familiar he was with the movements, the better prepared he'd been in a real fight.
Nodding, Naruto recovered and brought his fists up, boxer style. He hesitated for a second before dropping his shoulder and aiming for Sasuke's gut. Before his hand could make contact, Sasuke smoothly moved out the way and whirled behind him. The blond felt a foot plant itself on his lower back and kick him down. Unable to recuperate quickly enough, Naruto landed on the mat with an oof as air was forced from his body.
Sasuke scowled at the blond on the gym mat. "Hesitation will get you killed. You don't hesitate unless you want to die."
Reeling from the kick, Naruto grunted as he got to his feet, favoring his side. That was going to hurt in the morning.
A pale fist shot out, slowing down abruptly to gently pat Naruto's scarred cheek. Surprised azure eyes shot wide open and met an obsidian match. "Don't ever let your guard down either." Sasuke stated, drawing his hand back. "Even around those you might trust, always be careful."
"What about you? Aren't I to trust you?" Naruto mumbled, rubbing his back.
Taken aback by the comment, Sasuke was quiet for a few seconds before responding. "No, trust no one. Not even me." He back up, creating a wider space between them. "Now, attack me again, but this time incorporate some kicks, if you can." Sasuke lifted his good hand and wiggled the fingers. "I'll even make this easier. I won't use my hand." He smirked and placed it behind his back, nodding at Naruto to begin.
Surprised by Sasuke's cockiness, Naruto rose to the challenge. While he knew he was no match for Sasuke, it riled him to be treated like nothing. It rankled him that he had no power to fight back when dealing with the Akatsuki, but now that Sasuke was willing to teach him, he could finally make a stand and be himself. No more hiding, no more running. It was time to face things head on and take the matters into his own hands.
Bringing his fists back up, he bent forward slightly and began to circle Sasuke, keeping his feet light as he searched for an opening. It was plainly obvious that if he were to attack from the front, Sasuke would find a way to kick him down. He could aim for his injured arm, but he was sure the raven would be expecting that. He needed to be unpredictable.
Sasuke eyed the blond in amusement, noticing the concentration in his face as he moved around. Good, he's taking this serious. More than that, he's making an effort and thinking strategically. Feeling eager to see what Naruto was going to do, Sasuke didn't turn around when he was behind him. The sudden dip in the mat alerted him of Naruto's movement.
Aiming for the side of Sasuke's right knee, Naruto swung his leg hard. He yelped when his shin met Sasuke's as the raven blocked and turned sharply, jamming a pale leg into the soft part of his thigh.
"Shit!" He cried, cradling his precious package. Never mind his thigh pain, he had to make sure the boys were still good. Relieved, he ignored the throbbing in his leg, taking it as a lesson. Sasuke wasn't going to go easy on him and he needed to be more careful.
"The way this is going, we'll be here all day." Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes at Naruto's display of idiocy. "We'll try this. I'll attack, you defend."
Worried at the prospect of getting this shit beaten out of him by an overly eager raven, Naruto swallowed heavily and nodded slowly, accepting the challenge. "Will I at least get the type of strike?" He hedged, hoping Sasuke would give him that much. He was still new to this and so far, the raven hadn't deemed him a total failure.
Sasuke nodded and moved in front of him, adopting a fighting stance. It was a bit odd with just one hand, but the taller man made it work. "I'm going to punch and I want you to block." He announced, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But I won't tell you when."
Naruto copied his posture. "Do you mean you won't tell me- fuck!" He yelled dropping the stance and ducking quickly as Sasuke's right foot sailed towards his face. Throwing himself backwards, he felt the deadly kick slice through the air above his head. Watching it land back on the floor, he didn't see it's brother coming up and slamming into his stomach.
Stunned by the hit, Naruto coughed violently, landing on his hands and needs. After a few seconds of dry heaving, he looked up and glared at his protector. "You said punch, not kick." He wheezed, wincing as his abdomen ached with his breaths.
Sasuke shrugged. "I lied. Sue me." It was shockingly fun to rile the blond and force him to do better. He could almost say he was having fun teasing him. He brought his back from behind him and beckoned Naruto in a come-hither motion. "Again." The look Naruto was sending him was filled with determination and frustration, two emotions Sasuke knew all too well. The blond was rewarded for his efforts. "Get up, or I'll make you get up." Sasuke threatened when the shorter man stayed down.
Forcing his body to stand quickly, Naruto held up a hand, motioning for a pause. "Could you at least show me how to block or something?" He said pleadingly, trying to appeal. "I can't work on what I don't know." He reasoned.
Sasuke sighed, at little disappointed. "We'll do blocking tomorrow then. For now, pay attention." Moving away from Naruto, Sasuke took up his own stance, one he usually fought in. "Physically, you're stronger than me. But that doesn't mean anything if I can take control and commandeer your own body." Sasuke spoke as he moved slowly through an imaginary fight. It was a bit off since he was one arm down, but other than that, it was his go to style. His arm smoothly darted out, disabling an imaginary assailant. He ducked and twirled out the way, avoiding invisible blows. "You need to work on finding weaknesses in an opponent and using them to your advantage. Memorize the basics. You'd be surprised at how helpful they are in dangerous situations.
Naruto watched the raven carefully, committing to memory everything Sasuke told him. In the same state of dress as himself, Sasuke displayed a mesmerizing display of lean muscles that shifted and rolled under his pale skin. Each toned muscle moved smoothly, showing where his power was coming from with each blow. Despite his incapacitated arm, Sasuke was incredible, moving fluidly like a snake, but his strikes deadly and accurate. He was reminded of the fight between him and Hidan, when the raven had exhibited unbelievable skill in avoiding being decapitated.
As Sasuke talked, Naruto's eyes drifted down to his torso, noticing how lean and well defined Sasuke's abs were. His own were impressive, but while he was a bit stockier, Sasuke was skinnier, allowing for the abdominal muscles to be more pronounced. Not even paying attention to what Sasuke was saying, Naruto's eyes strayed to his back. With each jerked of pale arm, his back twisted and raw power hummed under the surface, giving hints to what lay inside.
Naruto felt his mouth dry as he soaked up what he was watching. While he knew girls and nature were beautiful, what Sasuke was showing him created a whole new level to the world. There was something so intriguing, so captivating about the way he moved that had beautiful stamped all over it. It was also…sensual. He could see the drops of sweat glistening on Sasuke's back, shining in the light of the gym. He could smell the scent that was purely Sasuke, reminding him of the night spent huddled under his jacket in some cheap motel. The man had a distinctive scent, akin to something spicy. It was almost titillating. But if he could smell Sasuke, could the raven smell him? Did he smell similarly? ...Was Sasuke intrigued at all by his scent?
The man oozed danger, and his swift and lethal movements were testament to that. To control that amount of force...it was strangely exciting, making him want to join the raven in the fatal dance. Each move Sasuke made could have been sculpted by Michelangelo and sold for millions. His milky skin looked like porcelain. Tan fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and just touch. He wonder how taunt Sasuke's skin would feel under his fingertips, how smooth-
"-stomach. Did you get that?" Sasuke asked, drawing Naruto out of his thoughts. He came out of his stance, wiping at the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand.
Feeling his cheeks heat up as he snapped back, Naruto nodded vigorously. His heart was beating oddly in his chest. He swallowed dryly, praying Sasuke couldn't see what he had just been thinking…What had he been thinking? Scared that Sasuke somehow knew what he had been thinking of, Naruto averted his eyes, staring at the mirror on the wall. It didn't help when he noticed how Sasuke was staring at him. His heart thudded in his chest, now hyper aware of their proximity.
Eyeing the blond curiously, Sasuke strode over to him. "Good. Now you do it."
Not willing to admit that he had been thinking of other things, Naruto licked his lips and got into the stance he had seen Sasuke do first, trying to ignore his previous thoughts.
Sasuke pursed his lips and shook his head. "Tuck your elbows in a bit and keep your chin closer to your body." He closed in on the blond pressing his hand up against Naruto's stomach, feeling the muscles twitch underneath his palm. "I told you, protect this area…" He trailed off, noticing how red Naruto's face got at his immediacy and how terrified the blond suddenly looked.
He felt his palm tingle slightly at the touch, he registered their proximity, their flush, their breaths, and he retorted quickly like he had touched fire. Confused, Sasuke stepped back, silent for a heartbeat before irritation stomped out the confusion. He needed Naruto to focus and the blond was thinking about God knows what. He brought his foot up swiftly, right where his palm had been. He ignored the tingle in his hand, dismissing it as a physiological reaction.
Flying backwards with the unexpected hit Naruto landed on his left knee, coughing as his chest felt constricted. Fuck that hurt….
"I told you to watch your stomach." Sasuke reprimanded, forcing his hand into a fist. The sensation didn't leave. "Fucking listen." He growled. "Again."
xXx
"Get fucking Kabuto here now! Something's wrong with Deidara!" Hidan screamed as he dragged the bloody blond into the room, shoving him off his shoulder and dropping him on the dinner table. He shoved plates and take out containers to the side, sliding the smaller man closer to the center of the table. They clattered to the floor, creating a mess of noodles and vegetables.
Startled by Hidan's sudden entrance, a red haired man and a blue haired woman snapped to attention, running out of the living room and into the dining room.
Closest to the duo, a red head snapped on the lights. "Hidan, what happened?" He asked, shocked by what he was seeing.
"How about you get Kabuto's ass here, and then I'll start fucking talking." Hidan yelled, panicking.
"Sasori, go get him." The woman ordered, taking in Deidara's condition. "Deidara, are you still there?" She tried talking to him but got no coherent response. Worried, she hovered around the man, unable to help.
"Out of my way!"
Elbowing past all the members crowding the table, Kabuto reached Deidara and was stunned by his state. Grabbing the blond's quivering head, he forced an eyelid up and shined a light into the eye socket. A blue iris was being eclipsed by a huge pupil. Deidara's eyes were unfocused and shaking from side to side quickly. The veins on his sclera were leaking blood, giving him a pink eye appearance. A dribble of blood accumulated and trickled out of the corner of his eye like a bloody tear.
Deidara gurgled and twitched sporadically as red foam bubbled up from his mouth and spilled over his chin. His chest rose and fell hastily, accompanied by a whistling sound coming from deep within his lungs. On his cheek, blood leaked out profusely, coating the table as his body worked desperately to rid itself of the venom currently wreaking havoc on his body. Skin cells were rapidly being created and destroyed as the venom demolished red blood cells and the underlying tissue. The entire process was taking its toll on him.
Kabuto quickly pulled his hand back as he realized Deidara was burning up. A sheen of sweat on the blond forehead glinted in the light. He noted with horror that Deidara's normally pale skin was now a darker pink, and only getting darker. Glancing back up, he noted that a familiar black liquid was seeping out of his nose, mixing in with the blood and fat from his cheek wound. "Fuck!" He yelled. He knew this was a poison, but with the amount of damage already done, there was nothing he could do to save Deidara.
He moved away from Deidara's bloody face and began to search his body for other wounds. Ripping the blond's shirt open, he noticed bruise like marking all along his torso, getting heavier as it reached a shoulder. His eyes widened as he recognized the spots. "Disseminated intravascular coagulation." He growled. Deidara's body was attempting to stop the blood flow from his hands by creating blood clots, but it was doing so erratically, cutting of circulation to his vital organs.
Removing the rest of his shirt, he followed the trail of markings to a heavily infected and oozing wound on his hand. The hand twitched and pulsed as the slice bubbled dark substances onto the table.
"Kabuto, his heart is racing. What do we do?" The woman asked, her hand wrapped around Deidara's other wrist. His pulse was galloping under her fingers without rhythm.
"Nothing." Kabuto said slowly. "We can't do anything, Konan. Even if I were to give him another injection, with his permission, the damage is too much."
Deidara's torso suddenly arched off the table. A low groan came from his body before he fell back down with a hard thud. Red liquid spurted from his mouth as he stopped moving. His hand fell immobile. The room was utterly silent.
"No pulse." Konan said sadly, watching as a member of their organization truly died. She reached over and brushed sweaty strands of blond hair from a dirty visage and brushed it behind his ear. "Who did this." She asked venomously. "I want them dead." Whoever dared mess with the Akatsuki was dead. She would skin them alive, shaving off flesh into sheets as thin as paper.
"Now now, my dear, sweet Konan." A pale hand came out of nowhere and landed on her shoulder. "When the time comes, you will do as you please. For now, we must lay Deidara to rest. He died for a good reason, and we all must keep that in mind. Hidan, Kabuto. Dispose of the body. Sasori, gather the others. There has been a drastic change in plans."
Hidan and Kabuto immediately gathered Deidara's body and lugged it out of the room, following orders. The silver haired man even bowed his head slightly, acknowledging the dangerous person before them.
Konan gasped, taken by surprise by the hand on her shoulder. Turning, she recognized the long black hair and red eyes of their leader. It was rare for the man to come out of his study. She frowned. "Will we do nothing to retaliate?" She asked. The man moved away from her and smiled.
She shivered at the expression, knowing what it really hid.
"There will be retribution, after we have all the medallions. Until then, I need you to do as you've been ordered."
She nodded. "Of course, Madara."
A/N: Happy Holidays, mein readers. :D Hope you enjoyed the chapter