Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, angst, hopefully some decent jokes, and (of course) beautiful SasuNaru love.

Chapter 26: Blood, Sweat, & Tears

"Lips that taste of tears, they say, are the best for kissing."

-Dorothy Parker

--

Sasuke woke up, dazed and confused. He was lying on a cold, hard surface, and it was incredibly dark around him. He let his eyes adjust to it. He was clearly in a some sort of cell. He ran his fingers across the stone slabs beneath him. They were covered in a thin layer of dirt, with bits of gravel. The room smelled of wet earth and dried blood.

I'm somewhere underground, he thought to himself.

With an idea of his surroundings, Sasuke switched his focus to his body. He needed to check for injuries before sitting up.

His body was sore and stiff, probably from being thrown into the cell. His head was still cloudy from whatever they had injected him with, and he had a small cut in his head, but the blood had long since dried. His limbs felt heavy, but uninjured. He felt pain across his chest from deep slashes beneath his sliced shirt from where Naruto had-

Naruto.

He jolted up and looked over to find the blonde lying nearby. Luckily the rope was still attached, so he wasn't far enough away to activate the curse. He wondered if that was because the Akatsuki couldn't remove it, or because they knew why it was necessary.

He hurriedly scrambled over to him. "Naruto. Naruto wake-up." He tapped his face as he scanned his body for injuries. Aside from being unconscious, he couldn't see anything wrong with him. "Come on.. come on! Naruto!"

Blue eyes flew open and Naruto shot up fast. Too fast. The room spun and he dropped back, but Sasuke caught him before his head slammed into the floor. "Woah.. slow down. Don't pass out on me, ok?"

He pulled the blonde over, lowering his head onto his lap. "You ok?"

Naruto nodded, but had to stop when a wave of nausea rushed through him. He swallowed, then looked back up at Sasuke. The room was dark, but he could make out his face as dark eyes locked onto him.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly.

"A cell, somewhere underground."

"So, the Akatsuki got us."

Sasuke nodded, guilt swarming through him- for not fending them off, for not protecting Naruto from this. "I'm sorry.."

Naruto shook his head and slowly sat up. "It's not your fault, Sasuke. We never really stood a chance."

He nodded again, mostly to placate the blonde. He couldn't erase that feeling of failure. Words weren't going to change that.

"I can't sense my chakra" Naruto thought aloud. "Or the nine-tails. Or yours." He looked around. "So, we're in another chakra-blocked cell."

Sasuke thought back to the hideout Naruto had been kept in the last time he was captured. "Maybe this is where he learned that trick."

"So, do you think we're in the hideout we were headed to?"

Sasuke thought on that for a moment. "Maybe.. it was probably the closest one to us."

"So.." Naruto looked around, "how do we get out of here?"

"You don't."

Their cell door opened sending a stream of dim light through the room, momentarily giving them a chance to see the rest of it. It was small, empty except for the thick iron chains and restraints imbedded in the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Sasuke's face hardened. He would not let them use those on Naruto. No matter what.

They both considered rushing for the exit, but it was packed with Akatsuki members, so they stayed where they were, warily watching as the men entered their cell.

They quickly split up into two groups and grabbed them, forcing them apart.

Sasuke threw back an elbow, and heard one of them drop to their knees, gasping. He swung out his feet, forcing another to stumble back. The man stormed back up to him and punched him across the face. Sasuke slammed hard into the ground, bright lights flashing behind his eyes.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto struggled against his own restraints, growling with rage. He threw his head back and felt a rush of satisfaction at the sharp crunch that echoed around the room. He could feel blood splatter the back of his neck, but ignored it. He swung out a fist and managed to land it, knocking another one back.

It still wasn't enough.

One of the Akatsuki members leaned down and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Naruto groaned and curled up around his injured abdomen, but someone else grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his head back.

Naruto gasped, and the hand tightened. He clenched his teeth together, holding back the pained sounds that fought to slip out.

Sasuke tried to move towards him, but the men got a solid grip on both of them and yanked them as far apart as the rope would allow. Sasuke's arms were twisted behind his back and he was held down, forced to sit in front of them.

"Let him go, asshole!!" the raven snapped, fighting against them.

They shoved his arms up higher and he groaned in pain. "You're in no position to give orders, Uchiha."

Light was streaming in from the small barred window one of them had slid open in the door, and Sasuke could see Naruto struggling at the other side of the room, his head still forced back. Sasuke could see the blonde's eyes screwed up in pain, and a small trail of blood slipping from his lips.

"Naruto! Nnnn-Naruto, are you ok?"

The blonde winced, but kept his voice steady. "I'm ok, Sasuke.."

The hell you are.

"But he won't be if you don't cooperate with us" a man behind him hissed.

"What the fuck do you want?!"

"Get rid of the rope" the man ordered.

"Fuck you!" Sasuke spat.

Without warning, a man next to Naruto pulled out a kunai and stabbed it down into his thigh.

Naruto's eyes shot open and he shrieked in pain.

"Stop!!" Sasuke screamed.

Naruto gasped as they ripped the kunai free, and Sasuke watched in horror as blood pulsed from the wound.

"Let's try that again" the man behind him said calmly. "Release the rope."

"I- I can't.."

The man pulled his kunai forward once more, and Sasuke screamed- "wait- wait!! Please! I can't release it in here! I need chakra to do it!"

"He's lying" someone else said behind him. "He just wants to access his chakra to escape."

"No, that's not-" Before he could finish the man lifted his kunai. "NO- STOP!!"

But he ignored him and shoved the knife into Naruto's stomach.

Sasuke screamed, staring in horror as Naruto cried out. The tormented blonde tried to pull away, but the hand in his hair kept him still. Blood sprayed out of Naruto's mouth as he fought to catch his breath.

"Stop! Please!!" Sasuke begged, "I'm telling you the truth! The rope is bound to me with a chakra-seal. I can't break it without chakra!!"

"Fine", a voice hissed near his ear. "But if you try anything, we will make sure he suffers for it."

Sasuke was suddenly lifted to his feet and dragged over to the cell door. Naruto was moved closer to it, but it was clear that they intended to keep him in the cell while Sasuke was pulled free from it.

"Let him out," he pleaded. "Just long enough for the nine-tails to heal him. Please!"

They ignored him and threw him down to the floor. "You want to help your friend- then do as you're told."

He would unseal the rope if that kept Naruto from any further harm, but he needed them to understand why it was necessary in the first place.

"I'll destroy the rope" he said, trying to keep the shaking from his voice, "but we have to stay this close to each other."

The kunai was lifted up again.

"Wait- just listen to me!! The curse we're under- if we are more than twenty feet apart it will kill us both! You need Naruto to stay alive if you want the nine-tails!"

The men paused, clearly trying to decide if he was deceiving them or not.

"Don't you get it?! That's why I put the rope on us in the first place!"

They looked unsure, and that doubt spread like wildfire between them. "Before we act, we should get Itachi and the others" one of them said. "We can't afford to mess this up."

The group seemed to agree, and Sasuke was quickly thrown back in. The men across the cell released their hold on Naruto and shoved him to the ground. Then they left, slamming the door behind them.

Sasuke rushed over to Naruto, his heart in his throat as he watched the blonde struggle to sit up.

"God, Naruto.."

Naruto held his hand tight against his stomach, trying to hold off the bleeding. "It's.. nnn- it's not as bad.. as it.. looks" he breathed out, unconvincingly.

Sasuke quickly ripped off a chunk of his shirt and tightly wrapped it around Naruto's thigh to stop the bleeding there first. Then he unfurled the bandages he kept on his arms and gently pulled Naruto's hand away from his stomach. Blood spilled heavily from his wound.

Sasuke had to act quick.

He ripped off the blood-soaked part of Naruto's shirt that covered it and wrapped the wound tight. Blood soaked through the bandages, and he tore off the ones around his legs to add another layer.

"It's going to be ok. You're going to be ok," he said softly.

"I know.."

Sasuke looked up, locking onto huge pained eyes. He could feel tears slipping down his face, unable to hold them back. He grabbed one of Naruto's hands and moved it to the wound on his stomach.

"Press tight on this. We have to stop the bleeding."

Naruto nodded and pushed his hand against his abdomen. He winced and bit down hard on his lip.

Sasuke held his own hand firmly against the wound on Naruto's thigh, forcing back the bleeding there too.

"You're going to be ok" he whispered.

To Naruto.

To himself.

"You have to be.."

Author Note:

Angsttttttt and dramaaaaaaa~!

After all, a good story is one filled with blood, sweat, and tears.. among other bodily fluids ;)

As always, thank you so so so much for reading, and an extra warm thank you to bearlikespie & buzzk97- you have both been amazing and far too kind to me. You spoil me with your love, thoughts, and comments- and I'm loving every second of it.

Alright, let's see what happens next!

~* Dressed like a perfect gentleman from the 1800s, gloved hand reaching out*

"Shall we?"

Cinnamon, my loyal angst-horse, holds out a dainty hoof.

"Neigh."