Disclaimers: Naruto isn't mine. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, angst, & later- delicious yaoi lemon.
Like Night and Day
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Chapter 15
Lost in thought, Naruto hadn't realized how far they'd gone until Sai suddenly stopped and turned around.
Naruto looked up, surprised. "Wha-?"
Sai grabbed the back of his head and held it in place as he pressed his palm against his mouth- gently, but with enough force to keep him silent.
Huge blue eyes stared up at him.
He looks so.. scared, Sai thought.
His eyes dropped down to the rest of the blonde- his small frame clad in nothing but dark boxers and a torn shirt, his skin marred with bruises and splattered blood.
.. and so vulnerable.
Sai leaned in, trying not to take it personally when Naruto flinched back from him. "Shh.." he whispered, "we're close now."
He pulled back and slowly released his hold on the blonde who, despite everything, still took a hurried step back from him. Sai tried to keep his feelings numb, like he always did, but he didn't like seeing the distrust on Naruto's face.
It.. hurt.
It shouldn't- it was a feeling he wasn't very familiar with and he had just met Naruto, but somehow it caused a weight to drop heavily in his chest, a weight he felt more than he has felt anything in quite some time. He wasn't sure why the blonde had so much power over him,
.. but he did.
Sai looked away, grabbed the thick metal band around the blonde's wrist, and led him through the rest of the walkway until they stopped in front of a small door. Sai pressed his ear against it, listening carefully, but he didn't hear anything on the other side.
Not willing to risk it, he dropped down to his knees, pulling the blonde down with him. He looked over his shoulder and pressed a finger to his lips, reminding him to stay quiet, before unfurling a long sheet of parchment he had stashed in the pack strapped close to his body, along with a thick paint brush. He quickly sketched out a few small rodents and sent them through the cracks under the door to investigate further. Naruto gave Sai a curious look, but otherwise remained silent. The mice returned and gave him the all-clear before settling back onto the parchment.
Sai packed up his supplies and pulled the blonde to his feet.
Time to test their luck outside of his hideaway.
Naruto's fear doubled as Sai reached out and slowly pulled open the door, his deep blues wide, his body stiff. Once more Sai had to drag the blonde forward, pulling him into a small room. His room.
They just stepped towards the desk in the corner when the door was suddenly flung open, sending a shock of light into the dim space.
Sai froze.
Fuck..
He stepped in front of the blonde, ready to protect him, but it wasn't Orochimaru who stepped through the doorway.
In fact, Sai didn't recognize this man at all.
But Naruto did.
"Sasuke..?"
~
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment all he could do was stare.
Naruto.
He was there. Right there. Right in front of him. Pushed back behind some stranger, wearing nothing but a pair of dark boxers and a shirt- ragged and torn along the hem. Blood matted his hair and was smeared across his face, his knees looked bruised and scrapped raw, and a make-shift bandage was tied around his foot.
And that collar..
That horrible fucking collar was still locked around his throat and worse- now another bound his wrists together.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, sharingan spinning. "What the fuck did you do to him?" he growled, his voice dangerously low.
"Sasuke, wait! It wasn't him. Sai was helping me escape-"
"So, you're Sasuke.." Sai said smoothly, cutting off the blonde's frantic explanations. "Naruto mentioned you earlier.. and Orochimaru has been talking about you for quite some time."
Naruto looked over at him in surprise. "What..?"
He was suddenly very uncomfortable being so close to Sai.
When did I ever mention Sasuke..?
He started to take a step back, but Sai kept a firm grip on his wrist restraint- forcing him to stay where he was.
Sasuke noticed.
"Let him go."
Sai eyed the raven closely. "How do I know he'll be safe with you? You tried to join Orochimaru once before. How do I know you won't again?"
Sasuke took a fast step towards him. "You son of a bitch." He did a series of quick signs then threw his hand down, his eyes locked onto Sai.
"Chidori!" His palm filled with sharp electricity, a sound like thousands of chittering birds shrieking in agony echoed throughout the room. Brilliant white and purple light flickered in the raven's hard crimson eyes.
"Release him or die, asshole. Your choice." Sasuke took a step forward, ready to lunge into an attack.
Naruto's eyes widened with alarm. "Sasuke, wait!" He turned to Sai, hoping this pale teen who saved him was the kind of man he had thought he was. "Please" he said softly. "Let me go."
Hollow onyx eyes met determined azure ones. "You trust him?"
Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, seeing the rage in his eyes and.. something else. Something stronger than his anger. When he looked over at Naruto, the blonde could see it clear as day.
Sasuke was terrified.
Not of Sai, not of being in another one of Orochimaru's lairs again. He was terrified for Naruto. Desperate to save him- to take him away from this horrid place. To do what he couldn't do six years ago- the thing he has been tormenting over ever since.
He wants to protect me.
Naruto's chest swelled with thick emotion. He could feel it crawling up the back of his throat and stinging the corners of his eyes.
It was Sasuke he had hoped would find him.. and now that he thought back, it was Sasuke he had called out for as he felt himself slipping away. Truthfully, Sasuke was the one he had always wanted by his side, even after the villagers hurt him and forced them apart. Even after.. even after Sasuke hurt him.
It has always been Sasuke.
"Yes." He met the raven's blood-red eyes. "I trust him."
Sai studied the blonde for a moment longer, then finally released him. "I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto."
The blonde didn't respond. Instead he moved past the pale teen and towards the man he was relieved to see again. Sasuke quickly released his chidori and rushed towards his blonde, pulling him into his arms in a tight embrace.
"Naruto.." he murmured, his voice shaking. "God.. what did he do to you?"
Naruto's throat clicked.
Sasuke pulled back and cupped his blonde's face in his strong pale hands. "I'm getting you out of here."
He grabbed Naruto's arm, ready to follow through on his promise, but Naruto pulled away from him.
"What are you doing?!"
"I can't leave yet."
Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Naruto- we're leaving. Now. I won't let you spend another second in this fucking place."
Naruto lifted his bound hands. "Sasuke, I'm not an idiot. I want to leave too, but I need to get these things off of me first."
Sasuke tore a kunai free, but Naruto shook his head. "That won't work. I need Sai to-"
"Who the fuck is Sai?"
"I'm Sai." He stepped forward, a small vial pinched between his fingers. "And if we're going to get those things off of Naruto, we'll need this."
Sasuke didn't appreciate the "we" comments, but he was aware that he knew nothing about Orochimaru's collars. All he did know was that he needed Naruto to be free of them. He didn't like or trust this Sai-character, but he might have to to save Naruto from this place. And he was willing to do anything to make that happen.
"Fine. What do we need to do?" he said between gritted teeth.
Naruto noticed. Sai did not.
"We need a weapon coated with Orochimaru's blood." He held up the vial. "Luckily, I already have it."
Sasuke eyed him suspiciously, then finally gave in and handed over one of his kunai. "Here."
Sai reached for it and Sasuke latched out and grabbed his wrist. He squeezed down on it hard and yanked the man towards him, bringing their faces close.
"If you lay a finger on Naruto, I will fucking kill you."
Sai met his gaze. "I want to save him too. Just like you." He glanced over at the blonde. "I won't hurt him."
Sasuke's eyes flashed with annoyance, but he finally released him and handed over his weapon.
Sai quickly uncorked the vial and poured the blood across the blade. Taking a deep calming breath, Sai pressed two fingers on the kunai and softly chanted to himself, just as he had before. Naruto and Sasuke stared as blue light slipped from his fingers and consumed the weapon. Once it dissipated, Sai traced an intricate pattern with his fingertips, spreading thick crimson along the blade.
He looked over at the blonde. "Ready?"
"Yeah." Naruto walked up to him and held out his bound wrists. "I just want these things off of me."
Sai slipped his hand beneath the restraint, pulling it as far away from Naruto's wrists as he could before slipping the kunai inside. Naruto stiffened, but Sai pretended not to notice as he shoved the blade up, slicing through the metal. The severed collar slipped from Naruto's wrists and fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
Naruto stared down at his hands like he had never seen them before, then looked up at Sai. He was blinking back tears.
"Th-thank you.." he rubbed his sore wrists as he prepared himself for the next part.
Sai stepped closer and slipped his hand beneath the thick band circling the blonde's neck. Pulling it to the side, he sliced through yet another collar. He carefully unwrapped it from his throat and tossed it to the side.
Sasuke pulled the blonde back into his arms, examining the thick bruises forming where the collars had been.
From dragging him towards that fucking snake.. he thought with hate and disgust.
And locking him in place no matter how hard he struggled against them..
It sickened him to think about Orochimaru using those against him. His eyes dropped down to Naruto's battered body, his half-naked battered body.
What the fuck did he do to you..
Sasuke swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "I'm getting you out of here."
Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "Sai- you should come with us. You don't have to stay. You don't have to be Orochimaru's next experiment. You.. you deserve better."
Sai attempted a small smile, though it felt unnatural on his face. "I'll be ok. You should go, Naruto. I'll distract Orochimaru while you escape."
"But Sai-"
The teen shook his head. "Go."
Sasuke grabbed the blonde, and without another word pulled him out of the room and up the corridor towards the exit. As he moved he quickly created two shadow clones and sent them off to find Kakashi and Sakura.
He refused to wait for them. His priority, his only priority, was to get Naruto as far away from this place as possible.
He noticed that the blonde was struggling, and with those injuries it was pretty obvious why. It would take time for his chakra to fully return, and for the Nine Tails to heal him. Sasuke skidded to a stop, scooped up his blonde, and took off running again.
"Sasuke?! Wha- hey! Put me down!"
"Stop talking, dobe."
"What did you just-"
Sasuke looked over at him with heavy crimson eyes. "Please, Naru. Just.. just let me hold you."
Naruto's mouth dropped open, shocked by the very un-Uchiha like comment. He was prepared to refute Sasuke's offer again and demand to be put down, but the look in his eyes..
"Ok", he said softly.
And Naruto let himself settle into the arms of the man who, he knew, would finally take him home.
Author Note:
Theeeee En-
Looks over my shoulder. Sees angry eyes and flared nostrils.*
"Heh.. hehe-"
Scratching the back of my head*
"No- no you misunderstood. I was just kidding! There's definitely still some more-"
Angst-eyes narrow*
"Hehe.. did I say some? That's.. we'll- there's actually a lot more left. Yup- hehe.. Heh.."
Doubtful horse-face*
"Ahh, come on. You can trust me, Cinnamon. I'll keep this story going."
".. Neigh."
"Sign in blood? Are you out of your damn m-"
Made up horse deadpans. Gives pointed look at the psycho who keeps narrating a made-up conversation with Cinnamon the Angst Horse.*
"I.. take back the question."
"..."
"Uhhhh... fine." Sighs. "Where do I sign?"
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