After ten long months I present to you a 15k word update. Thank you to everyone for reading, following, and especially to those leaving some love in the comments. I've always struggled with discipline when it comes to my hobbies and your feedback helps to keep me motivated to finish this baby up!

Chapter 9: Making Love with the Devil Hurts

Posted on September 8th, 2022

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Morino Ibiki, the head of Konoha's torture and interrogation team walks in the cell. His deep and menacing voice rings in the glass cell. "I was sure we would meet again."

Sasuke looks up at Ibiki, black eyes full of hatred for the shared history they'd had. Ibiki's face is impassive. "Come on in, boys." Ibiki motions for five more men to come in, all wearing grey uniforms and dark eyeglasses.

"You know, I was supposed to go to your wedding tomorrow. Interesting turn of events. Not unexpected though. Completely and utterly predictable."

"She finally fell asleep," Iruka says as he gently shuts the door to the guest bedroom. Kakashi is sitting by the counter, sipping on a glass of sake. "I may need some of that for myself." Iruka says. Kakashi slides the bottle to him.

"Cheers," Kakashi says as he downs a shot. Iruka eyes the glass in his hand, a frown on his face.

"This whole evening just… holy shit. What even was that?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admits. "I didn't expect Sasuke to commit treason now that he's been living here with us for so many years. After he's been the Shadow Hokage. Not after all it took to get him out last time."

"What do you mean?" Asks Iruka.

"I don't know the full story. But somehow the Kazekage was heavily involved in getting him out."

"What?" Iruka blinks. "Gaara-san? Doesn't he hate Sasuke?"

"Oh he does. And Sasuke absolutely despises him. For whatever reason. I've waited for Naruto to tell me how she pulled that one off, but she hasn't told me yet. Honestly, I'd forgotten all about it until now. Now that Sasuke is in custody for treason again."

Iruka looks toward the guest bedroom, his eyebrows scrunched in worry. "I don't know how Naruto will come back from this one. I've seen her upset and crying before, but this… this was different. Did you see her? Her eyes and face were just blank. She didn't talk at all. She stopped crying when the ANBU came to get Sasuke and hasn't shed a single tear since then. Wouldn't even talk to me about it. I've never seen her react like that."

"She must be in shock." Kakashi suggests. "I've seen shinobi do that after… something very traumatic. I think this may be the worst thing Sasuke has done so far."

Gaara wakes up upon hearing hushed voices. He goes to the front porch to see the light on. Temari and Shikamaru are conversing lowly, worry on their faces. When they notice Gaara, Temari gives Shika one last glance before she goes inside to check on the kids.

Gaara looks at Shikamaru quietly. It was obvious something had happened.

Shikamaru sighs and rubs a hand on his face.

"The kids are okay?" Shika asks.

"Yes." Gaara answers calmly. "Your parents actually came by shortly after you left and took care of everything."

"My parents?" Shika sounds confused. "What were they doing here?"

"Apparently Temari had told them I'm visiting so they assumed I'd be going to the party as well. So they came to babysit."

"Oh."

They stand in silence. Gaara looks at Shika pointedly, waiting for him to spill the beans. Shika puts his hands in his pockets and looks up to the ceiling where a few months are circling the night light.

"She found out." He starts. "Somehow, she remembered that Sasuke had broken into her mind. During the party while everyone was there. It was horrible. The wedding is cancelled. Sasuke was detained by ANBU for high treason and is in custody for interrogation. Since he broke into the Hokage's mind, there is concern he did it in order to obtain information that would be detrimental to the village and the other nations. With his previous history, I don't know how he'll be getting out of this one."

"And Naruto?" Gaara asks.

"Obviously very upset. I'm telling you, it was horrible. I've never seen her so broken to the point where she just disassociated and went quiet. I can't imagine… that's so fucked up. And on the day before her wedding, on top of everything."

"Where is she now?"

"Kakashi and Iruka took her back home. They'll take good care of her."

Gaara nods, relieved that she is safe. His heart clenches for the pain she has to go through. Questions if telling her would have been the better decision.

Eight Years Ago

"Get me out of here," Sasuke says in a hoarse unused voice as he holds her face. Naruto looks at him for several moments more, then, with lips tightly pressed together, she gets up and leaves the cell.

Four days later, Sasuke is let free.

"You have to understand, Kakashi-sensei!" 17-year-old Naruto is leaning over Kakashi's desk, eyes pleading and voice distraught. "He is in that cell, just rotting away-!"

Kakashi gets up and stands directly in front of Naruto, his one uncovered eye boring straight down at her face. "That's enough Naruto! Every day you come here and say the same thing."

"But Kaka-sens-"

"That's Hokage-sama to you."

Naruto swallows and takes a breath to compose herself. She looks up at Kakashi.

"Hokage-sama. Please. I understand you have to protect the village – we all do. But there would have been no Konoha if Sasuke hadn't stepped up."

"I know that. I know all that." Kakashi sighs. He walks to the window, puts an arm against the frame to rest his weight against it. "I want to let Sasuke out too. He did a lot of mistakes, but the village failed him once too many times as well." Kakashi turns around to see Naruto's hopeful face, observes her holding her breath in hopeful anticipation. And gets ready to shatter her hopes.

"You overestimate the pull I have, Naruto. I made sure to be Hokage so Sasuke would be kept alive, with what influence I have over the counsel and support of the village. But when it comes to freeing him, it is not up to me alone. He is an international criminal in the eyes of the shinobi world. He faced international court. I was the only one who voted to free him, Naruto. Shit, I was barely even able to keep him alive. The cell he is in right now – has been in the last few months – is probably the safest place for him to be. Freeing him without the support of the other shinobi nations would be insane. A new war would break loose, and we can't allow that to happen."

Naruto is staring at the floor, fists balled up. She looks up at him and in her face, Kakashi sees the past and the future. He sees his sensei and the future of Konoha all together.

"I will get him out. One way or another." She turns to stride out.

Kakashi calls and Naruto pauses with a hand on the doorknob. "Naruto. Be careful. It doesn't take much to be branded a criminal yourself. If I suspect anything - if information gets to me that you are breaking any rules - I will have to restrict your access to see him."

Naruto's shoulders pull back and she slants a gaze at Kakashi over her shoulder. If Kakashi didn't know her, if she wasn't his trusted successor, Kakashi would be grabbing for his kunai at the sight of her eyes.

"Kazekage-sama. The border patrol called that Uzumaki-sama just passed through the Eastern gate and will be here shortly."

"Excellent. Thank you. Please take the rest of the evening off and tell the rest of the staff to do the same."

Matsuri nods. Her eyes linger on Gaara for a bit, but whatever she is thinking about, goes unsaid.

Gaara heads down to the main entrance in anticipation for Naruto. Some of his staff is leaving for the night and Gaara returns their wishes for a good evening as they leave. It had been months since he'd seen Naruto – really seen her. He'd seen her around immediately after the war, sure, when the recovery efforts were going on and their neighboring villages were helping each other. But that had always been in the presence of people. Before the end of the war, the moments they had shared, the things they had done… it had all been genuine for Gaara. They hadn't talked about it - the events of the war and the post-effort had guaranteed to keep them both preoccupied and busy in their villages.

When Gaara had received her urgent letter yesterday requesting for a meeting, he knew she wouldn't be rushing over to Suna to talk about their previous fleeting romance at the face of an impending apocalypse during the war. Gaara has a gut feeling what her urgency is about and yet he can't bring himself to acknowledge it-

"Gaara!" Naruto calls and Gaara must have been deep in thought because she is already in front of him, throwing herself in his arms for a hug. Gaara holds her close – it's one of the few chances he gets to do it and if his gut feeling is right, they'd be getting fewer and fewer. Her warmth against his chest reminds him to take in the now and he buries his face in her hair. If people are passing and looking at them shocked to see their Kazekage getting physical, Gaara wouldn't know it. When Naruto withdraws, Gaara marvels at her already bright skin glowing even more from her journey in the sun.

"It only took me a day this time!" She beams.

Gaara gives a small smile. "You're getting faster and faster."

"I need to perfect that teleportation jutsu so I can come here much faster. And somehow, I'll figure out a way for others to be able to do it too. It's ridiculous how long it takes to travel between our villages even for shinobi, can only imagine what it's like for civilians…"

"Maybe that could be a topic on our agenda for the next diplomatic meetings." Gaara opens the door for Naruto. "Hatake-san said he'd allow you to attend those in the future as part of your training."

"You didn't get any training and somehow you figured it out."

"I had to. Would not recommend it though."

Gaara guides her to her accommodations. "I got the Kage suite cleaned up for you. I know what you're going to say – please save it. It's my pleasure. I'll stay in my house while you stay here. Besides, nobody would bother me there – Kankuro is on a mission and my sister is too preoccupied with Nara."

"What? Shikamaru? He's at your house right now?!"

"Yes. And I have to pretend I don't know what's going on so it's not awkward. It's a huge drag."

Naruto burst out laughing at Gaara's impression of Shikamaru. He smiles.

He leaves her to freshen up while he finishes up some errands. When he comes by half an hour later, she opens the door clad in a soft bathrobe and smells like soap.

"That's one fancy bathroom." She comments and grins.

Gaara smiles in return and closes the door behind himself. "Are you hungry? I can get us food or we can go somewhere-"

"Not really, no. I was hoping… we could talk." Naruto's tone suddenly drops low. She looks up at him nervously, chewing at her bottom lip. Whatever she may be here for, Gaara decides he will hear it with an open heart. But he already knows she's not going to ask for anything good. "I need your help. Please. Kakashi-sensei's position as the Hokage is enough to keep Sasuke alive, but not enough to set him free!" She blurts out.

Gaara knew what she was going to say before she says it and yet it stings when the words come out of her mouth. He steps back on instinct. Naruto leaps forward and clutches at his biceps. Her blue eyes are burning as she pleads. "Gaara! I'm begging you! They're keeping him in a cell in Konoha's underground! He's being interrogated all the time-"

"He is an international criminal, Naruto." Gaara's tone is cold and unwavering. "An assassin who moved to kill all the Kage. To kill you. There are no feathers he hasn't ruffled in the shinobi world in the last four years."

"I know that…" Naruto looks down. "I know all that. But what he did at the end… I could not have handled Kaguya alone, Gaara. Not alone, not with you, not with the whole army. If it weren't for Sasuke, the whole world would have been destroyed right now!"

"This argument was brought up during the international trial. Mainly by Hatake-san. The court deemed his contributions during the last few days of the war were not enough to outweigh his repeated betrayal over the years."

"If he wanted the world destroyed, he would have done it himself!"

Gaara doesn't answer. Just looks down at Naruto, knowing that she would jump at any argument against the Uchiha and try to turn it in his favor.

Naruto takes a deep breath. "Look. I know you don't like him."

"That's an understatement."

"I am willing to do anything for your support in freeing Sasuke. With your weight and power as Kazekage, with Suna being Konoha's greatest trade ally, it could be made possible!"

"Naruto. You're asking to potentially start another war."

Suddenly, Naruto raises herself on her tippy toes and kisses him. Her lips are warm and insistent on his. Gaara is a strong man, but he allows himself a moment of weakness even though he knows Naruto is in the process of breaking his heart. He holds her face and kisses her passionately, trying to communicate to her if not through words, then through his kiss. That there is an alternative – that she doesn't have to go to the Uchiha even if they are connected through some karmic bond. Gaara hopes for the blessed moments of their kiss, that when he withdraws and looks into her eyes, she would have understood that what might have been a fleeting romance for her during the war, was absolutely what Gaara desired for the rest of his life. She'd understand that Gaara is the better man. Naruto is the love of his life, plain and simple. Gaara knows it and although he is only seventeen, he knows that will never change.

When they withdraw, he already knows the next moments will shatter his heart.

Naruto takes a small step back and unties the bathrobe. She is naked under the robe save for the white cotton panties she's wearing.

She'd planned for this.

Naruto looks down as she pushes the cottony thing off her shoulders and lets it fall to the ground. Her eyes flutter up at Gaara. Instead of love and passion in her eyes, Gaara sees determination and reluctance at the same time. Gaara can't help looking at her gorgeous body being so blatantly offered to him. Her bright skin, the gentle way her breasts met, the soft cotton panties she wore, her strong abdominals and legs. He holds her gaze. Jaw clenched.

"You are offering to sleep with me. In exchange for my aid in freeing the man you actually want to be with."

The whole thing feels absolutely wrong. Gaara had never imagined seeing her naked for the first time under these circumstances.

"Be with him? Wha-… I don't know about that… But I do need him to get out. I gave him my word." She steps closer and her hands slide up his arms. "Besides, it doesn't have to be a one-time thing. I can come here more often. We can keep this going."

"As a payment for my support?"

Naruto's body language is stiff. "If you want to call it that. I'd offer whatever it takes. I can even… stay here. Permanently."

"You're offering… to be my lover. In exchange for Uchiha's freedom." Gaara summarizes with a dry tone.

"Lover. Girlfriend. Wife. Whatever it would take."

Gaara is in shock of what he is hearing. He knows Naruto's loyalty to the Uchiha runs deep, but he didn't think she'd sacrifice her dream to see the man walk free. Gaara didn't expect Naruto would take the honest feelings she knew Gaara held for her, stomp on them and twist them in order to manipulate him and get her own gain.

"You would give up your life-long dream in exchange for this man's freedom? The same man who hurt you and your comrades so badly?"

Naruto looks down. Gaara can tell she is embarrassed by her offer, but sure of the need to do it.

Everything inside Gaara screams to reach out and touch her, hold her, make love to her all night. He'd waited years for this. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and his bed and pleasure her all night long. After all, she was here naked in front of him.

Willing.

But not wanting.

The realization of the painful difference between the two aches inside Gaara's chest. He is more hurt and heartbroken by her proposition than by her ghosting him after the war. Jaw clenched, he kneels down in front of her, his face close to her belly and panties. Naruto flinches nervously at his proximity.

That flinch completely solidifies Gaara decision. And completely shatters his heart.

He picks up the bathrobe from the floor and covers her front with it.

There is so much he wants to tell her. So much more he's always wanted to tell her. Do with her. The heartache he'd felt in the last few months after the war was nothing compared to now that he feels like his heart had been completely ripped out.

"Put your clothes back on. Rest well."

Gaara turns around to walk out. Naruto is calling after him, desperation in her voice, pleading for confirmation that he will help her. Help the Uchiha.

The Gods truly are unfair.

Naruto wakes up from a knock on the door early in the morning. She dashes out of bed, hoping it's Gaara, hoping he'd be at the door to tell her that he'd do everything possible to free Sasuke-

"Good morning, Uzumaki-sama. Kazekage-sama has ordered you breakfast before your trip back home today." A polite older woman, member of the Kage building staff, pushes a cart with food inside the exquisite Kage suit.

"Trip back home? What do you mean?"

"Kazekage-sama was adamant that you get a good breakfast before leaving back for Konoha if you were to make it back by dusk. I have to say, you must have some impressive speed. And he must really care about you, you know, giving you the best suite and service," the woman beams happily.

Naruto blinks at the woman. She hadn't planned leaving today, much less in the morning. Last night, she had thrashed and tossed in bed, coming up with various things to tell Gaara to try and convince him of Sasuke's better nature. She was going to try to catch him today before he went to the Kage building to apologize for how she had done things last night. And try to reason with him again in a more normal way.

But the implication that Gaara wanted her to leave and not hear more of it was pretty strong. Naruto thanks the woman for the food. It smells and looks delicious, but Naruto only takes a few bites as she gets dressed and goes out to search for Gaara. To tell him what, she is not exactly sure. Of all scenarios that had gone through her head, Gaara wanting her to leave was not one of them.

When she dresses and goes out of the suite, a man greets her there. She recognizes him as one of Gaara's personal guards.

"Aaah, Uzumaki-sama. I was just coming to see you. The Kazekage sent me to make sure you have all needed provisions for your journey back to Konoha before I escort you to Eastern gate."

"Is Gaara here? I… I need to talk to him."

"I am afraid he is very busy today and will not have that availability." The man answers.

"I'm sure he'd talk to me if you just tell me where he is-"

"What can I get you for your trip back?" The says in a more insistent voice.

Naruto looks at the man challengingly. There are a few moments of silence where she recognizes his avoidance of the subject for what it is.

"He doesn't want to see me, does he?..."

The silence of the man tells Naruto what she needs to know. She stares at the floor. She'd gone too far. She'd ruined the friendship with one of her closest friends for the mere off-chance that Sasuke could somehow be freed. She was prepared to give Gaara her body and possibly sacrifice her dream of being Hokage. And yet, losing his friendship somehow hurt more.

"I'll go get my stuff." Naruto says defeated.

As Naruto is being escorted to the main gate, she feels eyes on her. She turns around and looks up to see Gaara looking at her from the roof of the Kage building. His face is impassive when he looks at her and that's how Naruto knows she truly hurt him. She considers mouthing "I'm sorry" to him but feels that wouldn't even begin to cover the massive fuck-up she'd orchestrated.

"Raikage-sama. Killer B-sama. The Kazekage and his associates have arrived."

The two brothers make their way to the conference room. They shake hands with Gaara. The Sand and the Cloud had a strong partner relationship and Suna was Kumo's strongest trade partner.

"So, what did you want to talk about that made you came all the way here?"

"I am here wanting to revisit the verdict to keep Uchiha Sasuke imprisoned. Your supportive vote would be the deciding one in pardoning him. In case you decline, here are our conditions." Gaara rolls a scroll to the opposite side of the table to the two brothers. The Raikage looks at Gaara in disbelief and outrage as he reads the scroll.

"You are saying you are prepared to withdraw all of the set trading routes and commodities, halt all of our relations unless we vote to free this dangerous traitor?! This insane man that plotted to assassinate us all?!"

Gaara sits in his chair, his face impassive. "That is correct."

"That's a tall order, young Kazekage. Your people will suffer too."

"We get all of our essential trade through Konoha. Really, it is the Cloud that needs the Sand more than the other way around."

The Raikage pauses. "Konoha, huh…" He leans further on the table. "Did Uzumaki put you up to this huh? You think freeing her "best friend" will somehow result in her getting with you? What she is going to do is immediately jump in bed with him the moment he's out and free."

Gaara gets up. "Please notify my associates of your decision by tonight. They are instructed on what to do, whatever your answer is." Gaara walks out as the Raikage keeps yelling and seething in the room.

Killer B catches up to Gaara. "Hey yo. Yo yo. My brother has a temper, don't mind him, yo." Killer B regards Gaara for a few moments. Puts a hand on his shoulder. "What you are doing is harsh and unfair, but I understand. You love her too much. In a better world, she'd see what you're willing to do for her, and appreciate it. You got yourself in a very tough spot. Hate to say it, yo, but my brother is probably correct in his prediction. Yo I'll still be rooting for you though. Good luck, my man."

The next day, Kakashi is in his office when he receives notice that Sasuke's verdict appeal has gone through, and an international trial will be held again. Urgently. Two days from now. Kakashi is shocked when the Kazekage and the Raikage both vote for Sasuke to be released under certain (very light, given the circumstances) stipulations. With Kakashi's vote, they win majority on the case, much to the Mizukage and Tsuchikage's rage.

When Naruto finds out about all this, she burst into tears. Kakashi keeps asking her what she did to get them to vote and if she got them in some sort of mess. But Naruto can't answer through her tears.

She feels Gaara's chakra nearby and notices him leaving with his associates. She leaves Kakashi and runs to Gaara, pushes through his security and goes to hug him. Gaara doesn't return the embrace, his jaw clenched as she clutches at him and cries and thanks him over and over again. The gaping hole in his chest grows and he detaches her from himself.

"Be careful, Naruto." Is all he says and leaves with his group. Naruto doesn't even contemplate on why and what he'd said to her before she finds herself running to the Uchiha compound to get everything ready for Sasuke's release today.

When Gaara walks out, he meets eyes with Kakashi. Kakashi nods to him in a silent show of gratitude. Gaara doesn't respond.

Present Day

Sasuke is gagging and coughing up blood on the floor of the cell. Ibiki is sitting on a chair, looming over him.

"Still very resistant to physical pain. Just like I remember. One of the finest shinobi Konoha has ever produced." Ibiki motions for one of his assistants to continue the torture. Sasuke grits his teeth but doesn't let out a sound.

"Tsk. What a waste." Ibiki says in an impassive tone. "Do you notice anything new, Uchiha? Last time I saw you in here, you were in chains." Ibiki continues and looks around the large glass cell, the walls covered in seals. "No need for chains this time. You can't activate your little dojutsu. You can't use any jutsu in here. One of the stipulations to get you out was to build a prison secure enough to hold you if you were to rebel again. I was sure it would come in handy. The seals are expertly crafted by our own Hokage, specifically targeting your abilities. After all, she knows them best. It was one of the ways for her to show commitment to capturing and holding you if need be."

Sasuke doesn't answer. He concentrates on alleviating at least part of the throbbing pain through the pure strength of his mind. He had tried and failed to use his chakra, even for the simplest jutsu. It was almost like his chakra was completely blocked. He had enough strength to function physiologically but could not spark a reaction with his chakra. Sasuke had noticed the seals on the walls but had refused to believe that Naruto had built a perfect prison for him. Sasuke was roughly reminded that there were some things she knew as the Hokage that even Sasuke didn't know.

"I wonder if she knew you'd be back in here again. She fought so hard to get you out… just to be given a massive disappointment. Again."

"Fuck. You." Sasuke spits out. He knows the torture and interrogation game is more than just physical. Knows this is Ibiki laying the ground for getting under his skin and breaking him down mentally.

Ibiki grips Sasuke by the hair harshly and brings them face to face. Sasuke grips the man's hand where it's pulling at his hair. Sasuke would normally have the power to get out of his grip and definitely kill the man, but the seals are pulsating and sucking all of his strength away.

"Why. Were you. In the Hokage's mind? What secrets were you trying to find there?" Ibiki asks, menace in his voice.

"Like I'd ever tell you anything. I will only speak to Naruto. Tell her to stop sending her puppets and come down here." Sasuke bites out.

The deep scars on Ibiki's face fold in a frown. "Very well. You don't have to tell us anything. Willingly. Maybe while we're at it, we can also take that cursed Sharingan out of you."

Suddenly, someone is pulling Sasuke's head from behind to a painful angle. More of the men come to hold down his limbs. One of the assistants, a Yamanaka, removes his dark glasses. Sasuke thrashes in their hold, realizing he doesn't have his usual strength to resist what is coming. His eyes are forced open.

Sasuke screams.

Naruto is crouched on the water of the lake behind the Hokage building. Warm chakra is buzzing under her feet to keep her afloat, creating small gentle waves. She watches the fish, so freely swimming right under her feet. She touches the water and submerges her hand. Has the lake… always been this deep? Maybe if she reaches a little deeper with her hand she can touch the fish… And then maybe-

"Naruto."

Naruto comes out of her trance. Without realizing, she is now shoulder-deep in the water, chakra buzzing under her knees too to keep her above water. She blinks and withdraws. She turns around to see Shikamaru walking toward her on the water, a suspicious and concerned look on his face.

He eyes her for a few moments. Naruto tries not to let her previous surprise show on her face.

"What were you doing?" Shikamaru finally asks. One of the few times he had allowed himself to question the Hokage.

"Nothing."

Shikamaru eyes her. Not believing her.

"I was just watching the fish." The fake nonchalance in her voice gives her away. Shikamaru's frown deepens but whatever he is thinking, he doesn't say it.

"Ibiki-san was looking for you. He is in your office now."

"You've tortured and interrogated him for five straight days… and you haven't got anything?" Shikamaru summarizes in an incredulous voice. Naruto is standing by the window. Her gaze keeps going back to the lake. The waters are so calm and smooth… so deep.

"Correct. I have to admit, he is an example of fine shinobi training. In addition to whatever that snake did to him. Most shinobi break in a few hours. The ANBU root shinobi, trained for this type of thing since little children, are known to go up to two-three days. Not even the Yamanaka on our team was able to break through Uchiha's mind to investigate what he was after. Even with the seals taking away all his power."

There is silence in the office. Despite the numbness that has settled in Naruto's chest and throughout her whole being over the last week, she still feels a flicker of pity and anger for what Sasuke was going through. But that is quickly squashed by the immense rage and disappointment she felt about him breaking into her mind.

"He insists that he will only speak to you, Hokage-sama. That he will disclose his intentions only to you."

"You're certain you've tried everything?"

"Positive, Hokage-sama. Our methods work. This is just not an ordinary case. Last time he was much more cooperative." Ibiki thinks on his next words. "For this case I would recommend… a more personal approach."

Shikamaru takes the liberty to dismiss the T&I team.

Naruto and Shikamaru are left in silence. Naruto is mesmerized by the lake again and Shikamaru traces her gaze. Then he speaks.

"What are you thinking?" Shikamaru steps closer to her.

Naruto shrugs. "I don't know."

Naruto looks at Shikamaru. Whatever light had been back in her eyes over the past few months, is now completely dim. Her eyes look as numb as her tone of voice sounds. "Do you think he was looking to betray us, Shika? As part of a new revenge ideology. That this was him looking for information that could destroy the village?"

"Honestly, no. If I'm certain about one thing about that bastard, it's that his loyalty for you runs deeper than any revenge he may seek."

Naruto looks out through the window again.

"Have you spoken to him?" Shikamaru's voice is hushed, as if trying to not trigger her.

"No. I don't think I have the strength to see him."

"Do you believe what he told you?"

"That he was merely looking to see if the Kyuubi was causing me to miscarry all the time?" Naruto thinks for a moment. "I don't know."

Shika frowns. "He looked for more than that." Shika doesn't mention that he knows Sasuke looked through her memories with Gaara. He doesn't tell her he knows about Gaara and herself during the war. He hopes that she will somehow arrive at the realization. Shikamaru doubts Sasuke was looking to exact revenge on the village, but the torture and interrogation was a needed and formal procedure to appease all the other kages since they had witnessed the fiasco the day before the wedding. They'd even had to allow for T&I members of Cloud, Rain, and Mist villages to be part of the team interrogating Sasuke as a guarantee. Suna had not given any such stipulations.

"Maybe you talking to him really could be the only way to get answers."

Naruto stays quiet, visibly detached from the situation.

"I'm really having trouble keeping the press appeased," Shikamaru changes the topic. "All the people who saw the events of that night were sworn to secrecy, thankfully, but the cancellation of your wedding ceremony alone was enough to give those vultures news for weeks ahead. There are all types of speculations circulating around why the wedding was cancelled and why Sasuke hasn't been seen out since. Some theories are really out there, and some are very close to the truth. The end result is the same though: trust toward Sasuke has decreased drastically and I worry that trust toward you may follow as a result."

"What would you advise?" Naruto asks as if in a rehearsed way.

"I honestly don't know whether to advise you to hold a press conference or just have your office keep saying that you're busy and wait for the speculations to die off. Which could take weeks. Maybe months."

Naruto nods slowly. Shikamaru assumes she won't be saying anything else – she hasn't been talking much in the days since her wedding party. Shikamaru could not imagine what she was going through… having her own wedding ruined by the betrayal of her husband, in front of all these people. Her husband being held prisoner for potential crimes against the state. And having to show up the next day, play the strong leader, as if nothing had happened. Shikamaru knows she needs space now. And he gives her his support from a distance. He observes her - how she is, what she does, what she needs, silently from the side.

"Naoto-san," Shikamaru greets in the dark when the other man lands in front him, Eagle mask on. "Thank you for meeting me on such a short notice. And for keeping our meeting private."

Hyuuga Naoto removes the ANBU mask. His expression is calm and sharp, his hair is gathered in a tail at his nape.

"I will keep it a secret as long as I know it doesn't harm our Hokage. Or the village."

Shikamaru smiles. "Your loyalty and care are unprecedented. That's why I called you here."

"Behind the Hokage's back." Naoto emphasizes.

"That's correct." Shikamaru licks his lips and continues in a low voice. Face dead serious. "Look, I know I am overstepping by asking for your assistance behind Naruto's back, but I am second-in-command and as such, it is my job to observe and notice things that are a threat to the Hokage."

Upon hearing this, Naoto's body language sharpens. "You have noticed a threat to the Hokage? Who is it?" Naoto grabs for his weapon pouch on instinct.

"I think… potentially herself."

Naoto looks confused. Shikamaru looks around and steps closer to the Hyuuga.

"She is detached and doesn't speak much. Which is to be expected after such a traumatic betrayal from her spouse. But yesterday I found her half-deep in the lake behind the Hokage building. She claimed she was just watching the fish, but I worry… if I hadn't been there, that she might have…" Shikamaru can't find it in himself to finish that sentence. His eyebrows are scrunched in a frown and his fists are balled up. He can't help but wonder, would it have been better if he had told her that Sasuke had broken in her mind when he figured it out himself. Would that have made it any less traumatic and heartbreaking for her? "And all because of…goddammit…"

Naoto takes the information in. His body language betrays concern and seriousness toward his duty.

"You want me to watch her?" Naoto asks.

"I'm with her for most of the day." Shikamaru says. "But I can't keep an eye on her when we are out of the office. To be honest, I've no idea where she is now. You are the head of ANBU. If you can get yourself and one or two trusted ANBU members to watch her, at least for the next couple of weeks. Just… Just to be sure. But if you are to get anyone else involved, they need to be excellent at stealth and undetectable, just like yourself. Naruto is not the Hokage for nothing."

Naoto nods. "Understood. They won't question what it is once they know the safety of the Hokage is concerned."

Shikamaru thanks the Hyuuga before he takes off. Shikamaru feels guilty for overstepping and keeping a secret from Naruto. But he feels that his duty to protect the Hokage and the village dictate for this course of action, at least temporarily. Shikamaru walks home, a little bit of relief in his chest now that Hyuuga Naoto was involved.

Naruto is walking the streets in the dark. She'd only been in the Uchiha compound once since that day, just to gather essentials. She'd been staying in the Kage suite and in her old apartment. Staying there did not bring her any particular pleasure, but at least she wasn't forced to spend the nights in her marital home where everything screamed of what could have been. The deep hollow in her chest did not allow for her to stay in the Uchiha compound, where her and Sasuke's sacred home was, for the fear that she'd completely break down. Whatever sanity she had left, whatever willpower, she clung to it and tried to stay focused on her work. Sometimes staying in the office working until the morning. The nights were the worst. Anxiety and heartbreak suffocated her and take away any chance for normal sleep away.

Naruto pauses. For a moment, she'd felt like maybe someone was watching her. She scans her surroundings. Naruto activates Sage mode to feel around for threatening chakra. When she doesn't sense anything, she gives one more look around. Then continues to her old apartment.

Naruto gets inside the dark apartment. She summons all of her willpower to not fall apart into a heap of sorrow and anxiety now that she is alone and away from her duty as Hokage.

She sits on the floor of the apartment cross-legged. She concentrates and soon she is standing in front of Kurama in her mind's eye. She greets the fox.

"What's up, kit," Kurama purrs in a deep voice. "Long time no talk. Got yourself in quite the trouble again huh"

"Did you know about any of this?" Naruto asks and her inner emotions betray anger which doesn't go unnoticed by Kurama.

"Woah, hold it there! You don't think that if I'd remembered this fuckery, I seriously would not have told you? You know how susceptible Bijuus are to that cursed Sharingan. I'm the strongest fucking tailed beast and yet it takes nothing but a second for the Uchiha to make me forget the whole encounter. And he also has that Rinnegan so I am shit out of luck. It really is only your natural Uzumaki barrier that protects us. If you hadn't remembered on your own, I would have never been able to unlock that memory alone."

"Do you think he's done it before? Broken into my mind? Would you know?"

Kurama sighs. "Honestly, no. But through sage mode, if you are able to achieve the highest level of transcendence, you could possibly be able to run a full diagnostic on your chakra and any interaction that's been made with your chakra even from years ago. Be cautious though – it won't be easy. I can aid you by landing you my chakra."

"It doesn't sound easy at all. But we have to do it. Thank you, Kurama. Sorry we are in a mess together again."

Kurama grins at Naruto and offers her a fist bump. "Pffftt. Wouldn't rather be in a mess with any other annoying human. You could tone down the fucking though, it's getting a little too much and too gross."

Naruto finds herself grinning back at Kurama and returns his fist bump. Then she takes a deep breath and feels Kurama's chakra flow through her.

Shikamaru makes his way down the stairwell. The guards verify his chakra signature and let him in. Per orders of the Hokage, only the people with the highest clearance had access to Sasuke's cell. Shikamaru finds Sasuke sitting on his bed, back propped against the wall, studying the seals that hold him prisoner.

When Sasuke notices Shikamaru, he sneers.

"Sending her puppets again. Tell Naruto to come here herself. I'm not saying anything."

"You don't have to tell me anything." Shikamaru puts his hands in his pockets. "We were friends once, Sasuke. I knew you well to know the darkness and insanity inside you. I already know what you were looking for in her mind."

Sasuke laughs – a deep, threatening laugh. "Let's hear it then. Let's hear how I was looking for national secrets – as if I don't know them all already – to use and destroy the village and the other nations."

"Not at all." Shikamaru's tone of voice is almost bored. "I believe you were looking for what was causing her miscarriages, just like you said. But above all else, you were looking to confirm your greatest fear. If she had been with any other men. You were checking to see if she was truly yours, the one doubt that has possessed your entire adult years."

Sasuke's smirk falls off his face. He straightens up.

"And you found something deeply disappointing for you involving my brother-in-law, didn't you? That's why you told me "those close to you want Naruto". That's why you attacked him at my house just for talking to her."

Sasuke moves to come and stand in front of Shikamaru, his face almost touching the glass. He evaluates the Nara silently.

"Have you told Naruto any of that?"

"No." Sasuke looks somewhat relieved. Shikamaru continues. "You will. Sooner or later, she will break and come to talk to you. And then I hope you are half the man my brother-in-law is. And tell her the truth."

Sasuke charges at the glass, rage on his face. "He is nothing but a weasel trying to sneak his way into our lives."

"You can say whatever. But the person who keeps betraying Naruto is standing in front of me right now. At least have the decency to tell her the truth and free her from yourself. If you truly love her, you will give her a chance to move on from you and be happy. With someone else."

"How fucking dare you, Nara?! She is my wife!"

Shikamaru stands in front of the glass. "How fucking dare you, Uchiha?! Your selfishness and insanity have clouded her life for way too long! All of our lives!"

Shikamaru leaves. Sasuke is left banging on the glass in rage.

Kakashi wakes up because of the man rolling and turning in the bed next to him. It's the middle of the night and Kakashi sighs. He turns on the night light.

"Iruka… what's the matter. It's three in the morning."

Iruka is lying on his back, arms crossed on his chest. His expression is worried as he is staring up at the ceiling.

"I just can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about Naruto."

Kakashi sighs again and rubs his forehead.

"This has happened before. Sasuke has betrayed her before."

Iruka looks at him and props himself up on his elbows.

"Not like this! They're not teenagers anymore! They were good for so many years – he was good – and now! The day before her wedding-!"

"I know. I know. It was very rough, even to just watch… Honestly, I don't know how Naruto will get him out of this one this time. Last time, I think she somehow pulled some strings. I don't even know if she'd be willing to even pull any strings now."

"I knew – I knew something was going on! I should have dug deeper." Iruka is becoming more and more upset. "We need to go talk to her. We need to comfort her and be there for her! Don't you think so, Kakashi? We are the closest parental figures she has. Or at least I am."

"And so am I to Sasuke." Kakashi moves closer to Iruka and holds him tightly in his arms. "Remember, they are the strongest shinobi in the world."

Iruka lets out something between a snicker and a sob. "They're just silly kids." He whispers. Kakashi caresses his hair.

"They'll find their way. Either back to each other, or each on their own. Don't forget how strong they are – not only physically." Kakashi kisses Iruka's temple. "As for Naruto, I think she needs space now. She needs space to think and handle everything, including getting the other village leaders to somehow let Sasuke off the hook. Again. But she is resilient, and she will figure it. Just like you taught her." Kakashi feels Iruka smile against his cheek and his breathing normalizes. "Also, she has Shikamaru and Hyuuga Naoto there with her every day. They are both really smart and observant. And above all, loyal. They'll take care of her."

Iruka is quiet for a bit. "Okay. Maybe you're right." He takes in a deep breath. "I'll still go talk to her though. Soon."

Sasuke's nightmares are worse than any interrogation he's ever been under. They are vivid and repetitive, merciless in targeting his biggest of fears. Of losing Naruto, their bond, of her leaving him, of him betraying her and his brother. Sasuke wakes up, nauseous from severe anxiety, and paces in the glass cell, gasps for air. He is alone in the underground, locked in a cell not knowing where Naruto was and what she was doing. What she was thinking about doing with them. He can't feel her at all through their bond and the bouts of anxiety and nausea make him fall to his knees and gag.

Naruto is on her way to the lake when Shikamaru catches her attention. He tells her Hyuuga Naoto is in her office ready to give report. "Very well," she says and turns around to walk with Shikamaru to the Hokage building.

"So what did you find out talking to Sasuke?" Naruto asks off-handedly as they are walking.

Shikamaru looks at her, surprise on his face.

"You didn't tell me you were going. Just because I give you access to everything, doesn't mean I don't monitor. I am still the one in command, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru's back straightens up. Although he hadn't done anything wrong, he was still surprised she paid attention to that. Now that her husband had betrayed her, once again, Shikamaru understood how she'd be more vigilant and weary of those close to her.

"Exact same thing Ibiki-san said. He insists he'd only speak to you."

Naruto looks up to the sky. "Is that so."

Naruto goes down the winding stairs. When the guards see her, they straighten up. She had put the guards there just to monitor who goes in and out. It was out of the question that they'd be able to stop Sasuke if he was to break out. However, Naruto was sure in the effectiveness of the cage as it targeted every specificity of Sasuke's skills.

Yellow chakra glows around Naruto's hand as the guards scan her chakra signature.

"Please take the night off. Thank you for your service." Naruto tells them and walks in.

It had been years since she'd seen the cage she'd wrapped in seals targeted for Sasuke. It had been one of the stipulations of the court to let Sasuke walk free – to build a prison strong enough to hold him if he were to rebel again. A way for Naruto to show loyalty toward Konoha and the other shinobi nations in the face of rising doubts whether her loyalty was with the village or with the Uchiha.

Naruto takes in the cage and the dark surroundings outside of it. Sasuke had been in there for ten days now. Everyone who had gone to try and interrogate him had failed.

Sasuke notices her and his eyes sharpen. He moves to stand in front of the glass, eyes locked on her every step.

"Naruto. Finally." Relief drips in Sasuke's voice. He puts both hands on the glass.

Naruto avoids his gaze for a while she takes a few slow and measured steps around. Then she stops in front of him and their eyes lock – Sasuke's, full of relief and anticipation and determination; Naruto's – blank, impassive, with silent rage flowing under the surface. Her shoulders are pulled straight back, her gait is measured. Her body language does not express any affection toward the man. The fact that Sasuke had not sensed her coming through their bond worried him. Was it because of the seals stealing his powers, or was the rift that formed in their bond really so deep that they were almost… disconnected?

"Hope you're enjoying the accommodations better this time around," Naruto speaks. Tone impassive. Arms behind her back. "Much better than last time, I should say."

"Yes. You built a perfect prison for me. I can move around and yet, I can't tap into my chakra at all."

Naruto snickers. Full of something that sounds too much like hatred to Sasuke's ears.

"I did make it perfect. For the people who were watching me. To prove my loyalty so you'd be released. I never thought you'd actually be in it." The way her words quiet at the end, and a small twitch on her face is all Sasuke needs to know that she is upset and hurt. Some relief fills his chest – as bad as things are, as long as she feels something toward him, they could fix things. And be happy again.

"You make it harder for yourself, not disclosing anything during interrogation. If you were ever wanting to get out, you'd have to demonstrate some serious loyalty. And it starts by cooperating during interrogation."

Anger floods Sasuke's chest and his eyes darken. Naruto is now close to the cage, close to the glass.

"I've sworn loyalty only once in my life. And it was never to the village." Sasuke says lowly. His eyes are burning now. Everyone knows the last Uchiha's loyalty lies only with Naruto. And nobody doubts Naruto's loyalty toward the village. That's why everyone accepted Sasuke as the Shadow Hokage. But now, after the news of their cancelled wedding ceremony and possible split had spread, after it was repeated and exaggerated by the press, Sasuke was back to being viewed as unfavorable.

Naruto snickers. "I couldn't tell."

"Come inside the cell. Let's talk." Sasuke urges her. When she moves to open the door with her chakra and come in, Sasuke fingertips twitch with the anticipation of finally seeing her.

Naruto comes in. She makes a hand sign then, unprompted, and suddenly Sasuke's chakra is back. He takes a deep breath in, relishing as the warm energy spreads throughout his body. He makes a small blue flame in his hand and marvels at it. He'd missed his power.

Sasuke looks at Naruto. The implication is clear: she doesn't think he'd get past her to escape, even with his powers back. Or was she giving him a pass to escape…? No - she wouldn't. Sasuke was sure all the important players were demanding his continued imprisonment.

One single thing strikes Sasuke: even with his powers back, even with Naruto standing right in front of him, he could still barely feel her through their bond. The realization, the confirmation of their almost completely torn bond, makes Sasuke's breath hitch in dread.

Naruto notices that. And when Sasuke meets eyes with hers, she knows he knows.

"Are you surprised?" hatred and rage drip from her voice. She looks at him from under her eyebrows. "You betrayed me. Betrayed our bond."

"That's what the others are telling you I did. I only sought to see what was causing our problems." Sasuke reasons.

"Bullshit, Sasuke. You at least used to be direct and honest."

"I am honest. I told you - I had to know why the pregnancies kept getting lost like that. I had to see if the Kyuubi was the reason." Sasuke moves to stand mere inches from her. His reasoning does nothing to quiet down the bubbling storm in her eyes. If anything, she looks even angrier now.

"Stop fucking with me Sasuke! You know my mother gave birth to me while carrying the Kyuubi. You could have asked me to talk to Kurama. And you know Kurama would have told me if he knew that we could correct something."

Sasuke starts to feel his own anger pumping in his lungs. "He would not have told you shit. Not if the reason was him!"

"So that's how you had to do it? By invading my mind?! And did it fucking work Sasuke?"

"It did. The last pregnancy stayed the longest. Until you went off to fend for your precious village and killed another one."

Naruto steps back in shock. Sasuke regrets the words immediately. Whatever little he can feel of their bond, he can feel it bleeding and absolutely falling apart.

"It was that one time after the hot spring, right?" Naruto's eyes scorn him. "When I woke up with a massive headache. When I told you I didn't remember the night before. And you gaslit me into thinking I just fell asleep."

Sasuke remains quiet. That is enough confirmation for Naruto.

"God." Naruto snarls. "Fuck you, Uchiha. After everything – after all these years – you fucking betray me like that?! With the cheapest dojutsu trick? And make yourself a traitor again?! What the actual fuck Sasuke. All the times I stood up for you. All the people I hurt to get you out and free. Well. You've done it now. Congratulations! You have finally – finally – proven everyone right. I should not have even bothered with you."

The words and the hatred in Naruto's eyes sting Sasuke and take his breath away. His anger is now tenfold. He walks into her and looms over her. Naruto holds his gaze.

"Stop shitting me, Naruto! You don't mean any of that."

"Try me."

"Whatever you say now, you know you can't leave me. I am your husband, for God's sake. We have a home and too much history together. We run way too deep." Sasuke raises his palm to show her where the sun is etched. "We are infinite, Naruto. We are forever."

Naruto gives a sad smile. "You're right. We are infinite. But we can't be together anymore in this lifetime. Not like this. We've hurt each other too much." You've hurt me way too much. "I can't keep doing this."

Naruto turns around to exit. Sasuke immediately goes after her, grabs her by the arm. Outraged that she would even consider leaving now.

"What are you fucking doing?!" Sasuke sounds desperate and outraged. "We're not done talking!"

Naruto relaxes against the wall and sneers up at him. "So now what Sasuke? You want to fuck me into submission again? Force me to get pregnant over and over again until I have your heir so I can fucking make you stay in the village with me? Your cursed bloodline is never meant to mix with mine. We'll never be one, it was decided way before us."

"There is always a way, Naruto. I will extract the Kyuubi from you. We will try again". Sasuke looks like a madman. "That, or a surrogate, or artificial-"

"That's insane Sasuke! Do you even hear yourself?" She pushes against his chest. Sasuke moves back and now Naruto is the one who gets in his face. "This madness again! How extreme can you go with this? Have we not suffered enough? Why won't you just accept me as a wife, only me, like I accept you… Why! Why do I need to keep proving myself to you over and over again to keep you here!"

Sasuke is quiet for a few moments. "I need an heir, Naruto. I have a duty. A promise."

"Need, need, need. You never say you want a kid. Do you really want to be a father, Sasuke?"

"I think we both know the answer to that." Sasuke's tone is low and quiet. "I have a duty."

"A duty!- A duty to a dead clan Sasuke! Just another one of your obsessions!"

Sasuke doesn't answer to this. Allows Naruto to get in his space.

"You thought you wanted Itachi dead too," she aggressive and Sasuke's whole body twitches at the words. Sasuke looks at her - he can tell that was a low but intentional blow. She doesn't stop there. "You thought you wanted our bond severed. You kept leaving me time and time again. You ended up changing your mind. Why can't you change your mind now too?" Naruto's tone drops. She's looking down at the floor now. "Why won't you let me leave you this once? While… while I can. Before I go insane, or die-"

"Listen to yourself!" He steps into her space now and grabs her shoulders, forces her to look at him. "Are you insane? What makes you think you can leave a bond starting from the beginning of time. Just walk away from it!"

"I can't keep doing this Sasuke. This – over and over again with you. It's too much. I have a village to run-"

"It's precisely your precious village that put us in this mess! If you had just come with me, if you had left Konoha, it would not have come with this. It was selfish of you to want me to stay here after everything they've done to me, to you, and you know it."

"I have compromised on a lot of things to make you stay Sasuke and give you all you need, but this is the one thing I cannot do. I have a duty too."

"I hate this place. Like it hates me. I stayed here only to be with you. The village and the duty you promised them ruined our relationship."

"Hardly. We both ruined it."

"We've been doing so well lately." Sasuke offers. A reminder of better times. "We can go back to that."

Naruto smiles sadly. "Only because we were ignoring the stuff that mattered. It was only temporary. And it showed."

Sasuke's face and voice crack. He's gripping her shoulders, desperate for her presence to ground him. "Why can't you just leave with me?"

"I can't. And even if I could, I wouldn't do it anymore. Your betrayal this time – it was too big. And you hid it from me?! In any other scenario you would be dead, Uchiha. This is national treason." Naruto swats his hands off, gets in his face. "What were you really looking for, Sasuke? Don't say the miscarriages. What was really important to you enough to ruin our bond over?"

Sasuke sees red at her words. His black eyes burn and he finds himself unhinged.

"You want to talk about things kept hidden? How about you and the Kazekage during the war huh?" He gets right in her face. "Was I really your first? Have I really been your only?"

A loud slap echoes. Sasuke turns his head to look at her again, his cheek burning with her handprint.

"You," Naruto is shaking in anger. "Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

"Yes, I do. And I always have tried to tell you how they look at you, all these men, especially him, how he is always around and how much he wants to be rid of me-"

"You're fucking insane"

"I saw him - I saw how he was looking at you. Especially that last time at the Nara's party!-"

"And what the fuck do you think would have happened?! I would have fucked him while pregnant with your kid?!"

"How could you let him touch you?! Kiss you?" Sasuke backs her into the wall, absolutely shaking and outraged, Sharingan spinning. "DID YOU FUCKING LET HIM INSIDE YOU"

"It was during the war Sasuke! You hadn't talked to me normally in years! There was nothing between you and I!"

"You should have known!" Sasuke shouts loudly with insanity in his red eyes. "You should have fucking known. You should have known that you were mine. Just like I knew!"

Naruto shouts, "Stop it Sasuke! Just stop it. That's what you fucking invaded my mind over? To see if I've ever sucked someone else's dick?! You couldn't just believe me when I said you were my first?" Naruto shoves at his chest, absolutely outraged, her eyes red now too.

"Do you have any idea what Gaara did for you?"

"Don't even fucking say his name-"

"How the fuck do you think you got to walk free from the fucking mess you put us all in?! You would have never even gotten to fuck me if it wasn't for him." Naruto spits out.

Sasuke blinks. "What are you talking about?"

"How do you think I got your sorry ass out of imprisonment? How your crimes deserving the death penalty suddenly disappeared?! And the only reprimand you got was being under surveillance for two fucking months? And then boom – you can travel freely across all nations? Have you never wondered how that magic trick fucking happened?"

Sasuke says nothing.

"Yeah. Exactly. Impossible. Unless the Kage of Konoha's strongest ally threatens to withdraw their support and their business from the other shinobi nations unless you are pardoned. Kakashi-sensei's power wasn't enough on its own, even if he was Hokage at the time. Gaara risked a war and his nation to get your sorry ass out."

Sasuke is silent for a while. Then, "He only did it for you."

"Yes. You're damn right he did – to make a friend happy. Not because he wanted to seduce me by letting the man he knew I'd immediately hook up with walk free. If he was truly what you say he is, he would have left you rot in that prison cell - like you were already doing - and nobody would have blamed him for it. Instead, he risked another war and possibly losing his strongest allies. If any of my other friends had that type of influence, they would have done it for me too. Because Sasuke. Everyone – fucking everyone - watched me chase after you for years. Watched you reject our bond over and over and over and more and more violently each time. Watched me forgive you and protect you over and over-"

"Stop."

"It hurt me so much, Sasuke. You have no idea. Everyone knew that nobody else stood a chance in my eyes – you were the only one who never believed it!"

"Stop!"

And when I finally had you – when you married me in your family's shrine, when you put your family's crest on me, when you invited me into your home and opened up to me – finally, accepted me – I thought you were mine. But you kept leaving me again and again, one way or the other. I've been losing you piece by piece for years now again and I just can't – I can't, I can't, I can't suffer like this anymore. I'm suffocating and I'm drowning, and I can't take you slipping away from between my fingers anymore and I can't lose you again because that would kill me. But you - here, now, how we've been lately, is also killing me slowly and I just can't-" Naruto bursts into a deep cry.

The back of Sasuke's eyes starts burning when he sees her cry. Blinking away tears at his waterline, he moves to hold her. Naruto puts and arm up and pushes him away, does not accept his offer of comfort.

"What is it exactly that you want from me, Sasuke?" Naruto lets out in a broken, defeated voice.

Sasuke pins her down with steely eyes before he answers.

"I want to own you." Sasuke's voice drips with dark possession and certainty. Finally, he is being honest. "I want to own you in a way a man has no right to own another living being. I want to own your flesh and your spirit. I want to own you to your very core. I want you to love for me, breathe for me, only be mine. I want everyone to know you are mine. I want to put my crest on your flesh and burn with Amaterasu anyone who looks at you. I want to be the only one who ever touches you. I want to liquefy your bones from pleasure. I want everyone to see how you fall apart in pleasure in my arms." Sasuke takes her face in his warm hands. Naruto lets him. "I want to possess you. I want to know your every thought, I want to absorb you to your very core." He brushes his lips against hers and breathes in her smell. "I want to kill anyone who ever dares to look at you. I want to reduce you to a melted heap of pleasure."

Sasuke presses Naruto against the wall and holds her face with both hands. "I told you years ago, Naruto. I told you, you did not marry a good man. I told you if you ever decide you don't love me, if you ever want to go to another man, I would scrub their germs off your tongue with a kunai and lock you in a cage until you love me again."

Sasuke's lips crash against Naruto's. She kisses back and wraps arms around his neck. The brokenness inside Sasuke seduces the brokenness inside Naruto. She can't possibly fight it. Even if it would end up killing her.

Now that they are physically close and Sasuke had his chakra back, he is able to feel small pumps and pulses in their bond. A promise that their bond could be revived. He kisses harder and presses closer against her at the glimpse of reconciliation.

They pull at each other's clothes like madmen.

"You can't leave." Sasuke insists. Commands. "We need to make it work."

Naruto doesn't answer, just draws his mouth back on hers.

It's a rough and desperate fuck, with Naruto's back against the glass wall and Sasuke's deep marks on her neck and collarbones.

"You're mine." He hisses. "You're fucking mine. Tell me you're mine."

Naruto slaps him across the face. "Just fuck me harder, Uchiha. I can barely feel it."

Sasuke grunts into her mouth, bites her lower lip. He throws her on her hands and knees on the floor and grabs at her throat.

"Is this what you fucking want, Hokage-sama? To be fucked and reduced to a pleading slut." Sasuke bites at the side of her neck. "Bullshit you can't fucking feel it. You're so fucking wet I slid right in. Tell me, Naruto, is that really the reason you came today? For a nice, deep fuck? Barely went ten days without my dick and now you're squeezing around me with every thrust."

"Just…just fuck me Uchiha- Fuck!" Sasuke pulls her hair and holds her throat. Drills into her with deep, powerful thrusts.

"Only I can do this to you. Nobody else would ever make you feel like this."

Sasuke keeps talking dirty to her, absolutely dominating, and Naruto's eyes roll back with pleasure.

Sasuke feels their bond now. It's not as strong as before, but he feels it pumping with a cascade of emotion. Alive.

Naruto spasms with her orgasm and Sasuke curses loudly as he comes – half inside her and half to mark her. Naruto collapses on the floor, taking deep breaths. Sasuke reaches to smear the cum on her back and ass in a wild urge of dark possession.

Naruto goes to get out from under him and get up.

Suddenly, Sasuke feels off-balance. The room spins around him and he is suddenly on the floor. Dizzy and disoriented, he attempts to focus and get up. He watches Naruto calmly get up and put on her clothes. She sits down next to him on the floor then, cross-legged, and brushes silky hair off his face. She can't help but think that even now, powerless and imprisoned and exhausted, Sasuke is still the most beautiful creature Naruto has seen.

"Hmm… You were always an excellent fuck." She caresses his face. "Easy now."

"What… did you do…" Sasuke barely lets out.

"Hush. Just a little longer." Naruto speaks in a soft but sickly detached way. A few moments later, she makes a hand sign and suddenly Sasuke's dizziness is gone. He pushes himself up by the arms. Takes deep breaths to ground himself.

"What… What was that?" Sasuke can move around now but the flow to his chakra is blocked again. Naruto had reactivated the seals.

"Oh, just a new seal I made," she answers nonchalantly. "I needed you distracted so I could collect all the memories you stole from my mind. And get hem recorded. You know, just in case you did steal national secrets."

Sasuke looks at her, shocked. "You… you fucked me knowing you would deceive me?!"

She must have put the seal on his back while they were fucking against the wall, made her hand signs behind his back, then riled him up so he kept distracted while she stole his memories. If it were another time, he would laugh at the irony and absurdity of the situation.

Before Sasuke knows what is happening, Naruto is already on the outside of the cell.

"Naruto!" Sasuke calls, attempting to stop the cascade of actions that tear his heart out. "Wait, don't leave. I… I love you." He says sincerely.

Naruto holds his gaze for a moment, then bursts out in laughter. "Aaahh, that's rich, Uchiha. You tell me you love me now? NOW?! Fuck you. Enjoy the feeling of betrayal."

Naruto walks out. She rests her back against the wall and takes deep breaths. The deep breaths turn into a deep cry and she slides down against the wall.

She had managed to keep a front for Sasuke, but the truth was that she had barely been able to walk away from him. A thousand times during their interaction she had thought about letting him out and both of them just running away together. When they had kissed, when he had been inside her, she'd tried to think about anything else other than the yearn she felt for him. She'd bit on her own lip so hard she'd made it bleed just so she wouldn't let out how much she misses and loves him.

A dark part in her wants him to suffer for the betrayal and pain he'd caused not only her but also the people who cared for them both. But the part that still loved him deeply, the part where her very essence was connected to his, was already starting to forgive him against her better logic. The pleasant soreness between her legs now did not allow her to stop thinking about him and their better times. She stands up. She had almost succumbed. Naruto was fighting her instinct to forgive. Because she knows Sasuke didn't deserve her forgiveness, not this time.

Naruto takes deep breaths, steadies herself. Sasuke had hurt her so very much that she'd actually thought she may actually die. Naruto tries to remember that fast as her very essence screams for her to curl up in Sasuke's arms and give up the cold pretense.

Whatever the outcome of this may be, she feels she still needs to prove that Sasuke is not a national traitor. Just a matrimonial one.

Naruto calls a meeting with all the Kages. She had notified them that Uchiha Sasuke had finally given in to interrogation and all relevant information had been extracted from him. They meet on neutral ground between all of their villages. Shikamaru is also there as Naruto's second-in-command. Before they enter the meeting, he pulls down Naruto's collar and looks at the dark love bites on her neck disapprovingly. He holds her gaze until Naruto brushes his hand away and tells him they are going to be late. Hyuuga Naoto is the only ANBU inside the meeting.

"Thank you for coming." Naruto starts. "I called this meeting to notify you that all of the memories Uchiha Sasuke stole from my mind have been retrieved. They have all been collected in this scroll. By activating it with chakra, the memories can all be viewed." Naruto sets a scroll on the table and pushes it to roll to the middle. "As it turns out, he wasn't looking for any national secrets. He only searched through my personal memories."

"And what personal memories could he have searched in the mind of the Hokage?!" The new Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi, asks, already angry at the implication that Sasuke may not tested as a national traitor. "A Kage's mind is never their own. It houses all the secrets of the shinobi world. All of our secrets."

The Mizukage nods in agreement. The Raikage glances from the two back to Naruto. Gaara only observes Naruto calmly, fingers crossed in front of his chin.

Naruto's face is impassive. Her shoulders remain pulled back, her stance secure and charismatic.

"You are all aware of my prior romantic involvement with Uchiha Sasuke. At a point in our relationship, he felt uncertain of my fidelity to him, and went to search my mind without my permission nor recollection in order to find the answers he felt he needed. Again, nothing concerning state security."

There is silence in the room.

"If he has done it once - if he has broken into the mind of a Kage once - he will do it again." The Tsuchikage insists.

"He won't. I won't allow him. He only did it that one time."

"And if he broke into the mind of his own wife, who is to say that he hasn't done it to any of us?"

"That's a risk with any powerful dojutsu user we all may encounter in our roles as shinobi." Naruto answers calmly.

"He's too close to you."

"He was also the one who warned us about Zetsu's moves to resurrect Kaguya and prevented another apocalypse. Just one of the many intel he has gathered that saved our villages a lot of trouble. He is the most effective spy and intel gatherer Konoha has. And Konoha has been very generous with sharing that intel." Naruto says pointedly.

"How can we be sure this is everything?" The Mizukage asks, referring to the scroll and the information contained in it. "That you haven't hidden anything because of your involvement with him?"

"I guarantee with my position as Hokage. Despite my personal affairs, Konoha has proven to be an irreplaceable ally for each and every one of you during my reign. I am asking for Uchiha Sasuke to be taken off your radar as international criminal given the new and complete evidence presented. He will move under the jurisdiction of Konoha only and will be judged only by Konoha's laws."

"In any law, what he did is high treason. One of us needs to verify this information and the authenticity of the scroll." The Tsuchikage insists with a frown on her face.

"I will do it," Gaara speaks. "I will have my experts review it thoroughly. Then I will send communication to each one of you with the verdict of the authenticity."

Naruto glances at Gaara. Somehow, she feels that he knows what exactly is in this scroll and is trying to help her save face by not having hundreds of strangers viewing her most intimate and personal moments.

"Like hell you will!" The Tsuchikage protests. "You voted to let him out in the first place eight years ago. You are too involved."

Gaara eyes the Tsuchikage. "Does Iwa have the experts to review and authenticate something of this level in a timely matter?"

The Tsuchikage's frown grows deeper and she stares daggers at Gaara.

"I thought so." Gaara stands up and reaches for the scroll. "I will have a response for all of you in no more than two days. If the authenticity of the scroll is confirmed and it truly is only a personal matter, I vote in agreement for Uchiha Sasuke to be moved only under Konoha's jurisdiction."

"You are making a mistake. That man is a criminal and traitor." The Tsuchikage stands up and shouts. Hyuuga Naoto's body language sharpens at the perceived threat. Naruto notices that and gives him a signal to stand down. "He should be kept in international prison, not in Konoha where we know his wife will bust him out! If it were anyone else committing the same offense, they'd be treated completely differently!"

"Uchiha Sasuke is the product of his village, just like the Hokage and I are." Gaara holds the Tsuchikage's gaze calmly. "We are both leaders of villages who betrayed us in our young years. Uchiha Sasuke is no different – he just went out to do what we have all thought about doing." Gaara's deep voice fills the room. "This matter, however, if true, is hardly something the five great kages should busy themselves with."

The Raikage doesn't say anything. He just glances from Gaara to Naruto. He votes in favor of. The Mizukage also agrees, persuaded by Gaara. The Tsuchikage storms out after the end of the meeting.

The Raikage pulls Naruto and Gaara to the side after the end of the meeting.

"What are you two up to again huh? What are you hiding? And don't say nothing, because I could see right through the little circus you did in there." The Raikage fixes Gaara with an angry stare. "It's just like last time eight years ago."

"It is nothing like last time." Gaara replies in a deep and calm voice. "I have it from a trusted informant, other than the Hokage, that this truly is all the product of a personal matter that just happened to end up in a dramatic reveal."

The Raikage remains quiet for a bit.

"What is on that scroll." The Raikage insists. Naruto goes to tell the Raikage that he can have the scroll to prove her word. But Gaara is dead-set on saving her the discomfort of other people seeing explicit records of her personal moments.

"It's me. Naruto and I. Together. That's what he saw in her mind. Those are the memories he stole."

The Raikage's eyes widen. He looks at Naruto for confirmation.

Naruto shifts on her feet. Then she nods. "That's all he looked for. He went in under the pretense of finding out what was causing me to miscarry. But really, he wanted to see if I was faithful to him. He was only able to access my mind only that one time, under very special and specific circumstances. It won't happen again. I won't allow it."

"Hold on," the Raikage waves a hand in front of his face. "You two? Together? What? When?"

"During the war. Before I was with Sasuke." Naruto answers. It's weird for Gaara to hear her confirm their short romance in front of someone else. They haven't spoken about it in eight years. "It was just a fling."

Her last words, the way she classifies their brief relationship and the dismissive way she says it, as if she's embarrassed, bore like kunai in Gaara's heart. And yet, the smallest of flinches is the only indication of his pain.

"But you…" The Raikage is looking at Gaara, puzzled. "You were the one who came to me with threats in order to free the Uchiha…"

Gaara continues to watch the Raikage as he puts two and two together. As he figures out the truth: that Gaara was so genuinely in love with Naruto that he risked his own nation in order to free the man who Naruto thought she'd be happy with instead of Gaara. The Raikage looks at Gaara now in a new light. "Wow… Look at that. So the Uchiha bastard wasn't all wrong to hate you so much, huh…"

Then Gaara sees pity flash in the eyes of the Raikage. Pity for Gaara, for contributing to losing the woman he loved. For how fate had played a number on him. How the woman he had risked everything for was again obviously trying to make sure she ends up with the guy who hurt her and not with Gaara.

Gaara is strong but he can't stand that gaze. Hates when people look at him like that because of his love choice. It really wasn't a choice. He couldn't help it.

The Raikage gets pulled away. Shikamaru comes to stand with Naruto and Gaara. Gaara hands Naruto the scroll.

"I won't give it to anyone to view. I trust your word. In two days, I will send word to the other Kages that the scroll is authentic and that they should move forward with removing Uchiha from their criminal list."

Naruto takes the scroll. She looks at it in her hand, long and hard.

"Shikamaru… you know?" Naruto asks him cryptically.

"Yes. About you and Gaara… I know."

"And you knew Sasuke did that to me? Why wouldn't you tell me? Why would you let me plan a wedding?"

"I asked him not to tell you." Gaara chimes in. "He figured it out the evening before you did. Because of a slip-up Uchiha had made and the fact that he attacked me with seemingly no reason. Looking back, my advice was probably wrong. Shikamaru was right - we should have told you. Maybe then the other Kage would not have known, and it would have been easier to handle. I could not have predicted the bad outcome or that you were ever going to find out… I just didn't want to see you heartbroken, especially right before your big day."

Something in Naruto's chest cracks at the genuine honestly and concern in his voice. The back of her eyes prickle. "Gaara…"

Shikamaru takes the scroll from Naruto to destroy it and tactfully disappears.

"You… What you've done for me. Through the years. The way you've been looking out for me. I could never thank you. After… After what I did-…" Naruto's voice cracks and she looks away.

"Water under the bridge." Gaara assures. "Whatever you decide to do, remember who you are and how strong you are. You have Suna's support."

Naruto just nods, choked up. Gaara gets pulled away and leaves. Naruto traces him leaving with her gaze.

Shikamaru and Naoto stand behind Naruto.

"We should leave now if we are to make it back by dusk, Hokage-sama," Hyuuga Naoto advises. When they are back in Konoha, Naoto asks for further orders regarding Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto is thoughtful for a moment.

"Leave him in the cell still." She says. "We'll wait for his judgment to move under our jurisdiction. Then we'll decide what to do."

Shikamaru nods. "The press thankfully doesn't know the whole story. As long as it doesn't get out that he breached the Hokage's mind and the implications that come with that, we'll be able to contain it. And he should be good to be released."

When Naoto leaves, Shikamaru approaches Naruto.

"What will you do with Sasuke after. After he is released." Shikamaru's eyes dart to her neck where her collar is hiding the hickeys and bites. "You went to see him. Did you reach an understanding?"

"I don't know," Naruto answers honestly. "What he did… the fact that he hid it. It hurt more than anything else he's ever done."

Shikamaru puts a hand om her shoulder and gives a sad smile in sympathy. Naruto put a hand over his and returns the smile.

"I'm going home. Temari and I are here for you if you need anything. You can sleep over any time if you don't want to be alone."

Naruto thanks him and wishes him a good evening. She plans on staying late to work and then maybe spend the night at the Kage suite.

Instead, she heads for the lake.

"Gosh, stop pestering me, Sakura!" Ino scoffs. It's dark outside, her and Sakura are in the flower shop. "You've been here every day since their wedding was called off asking me to tell you what happened. I told you - I was sworn to secrecy! I can't say a word."

Sakura is sitting behind the counter as Ino assembles a vase with flowers.

"But Ino. I know you must be dying to tell someone. Nobody will know, I promise. I won't tell anybody!"

Ino sighs. She puts the remaining flowers on the table and looks at Sakura.

"Why do you care so much? You can just read the speculations of the tabloids if you just want entertainment."

Sakura bites at her lower lip and looks at Ino with sad eyes. "I care because… Nobody has seen him since. I worry something bad happened to him."

"I'm sure he is okay. Someone as high-profile as him doesn't just get taken out."

"Exactly because he is high-profile." Sakura reaches to hold Ino's hand. "Ino. Please. We've been friends since before the academy. You know how I feel about Sasuke-kun." Sakura looks down in sadness.

"Still?" Ino is surprised.

"Still."

Ino sighs and looks up to the ceiling.

"Okay, I'll tell you what I saw. I don't know what they've done to him since. But if you tell anybody, even a single soul, if this somehow gets out!-"

"I won't! I won't, I promise," Sakura reassures and squeezes Ino's hand in gratitude. "Thank you, thank you so much."

Ino sways her ponytail. She then leans over the counter, looks around as if someone else could be around in the empty shop. Then starts in a hushed voice.

"Okay! So. We were at the party the evening before the wedding when…"

Why don't they go ahead and just break up? Even though their marriage is falling apart more and more, I do believe they share an eternal bond. I do believe they love each other deeply and are devoted to each other. I can't see Naruto giving up easily and I can't see Sasuke willing to let her go. Especially after fighting a war together. So based on the understanding I have of the characters and the bond between them, I'm trying to portray a realistic spiraling down with its ups and downs.

Thanks for reading! Appreciate your support on this and my other stories! :)