Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst.

It's All In Your Head

Chapter 35: Leave

--

After a while, Naruto decided to venture out of the room. Mostly because he had to pee, but he also couldn't stand to be stuck in one place. It was exactly what made being chained to Sasuke's bed so overwhelming.

Well.. one of the reasons.

Naruto awkwardly dropped down to the floor, trying not to make too much noise in the process. He wasn't interested in Itachi stopping him, and he would definitely prefer not to be held by him again. That kind of intimacy only ever belonged to one person- he had no intention of giving it to someone else.

If he could help it, that is.

Unfortunately, being a prisoner limited how much he was in control of.

Naruto shook the thought from his head and dragged himself across the carpeted floor, which thankfully muffled the sound of his movements. He reached up and grabbed the door handle and slowly turned it, hoping the thing wasn't locked. Luck was on his side, at least with this, and the door quietly swung open. He continued to scoot on his backend on hardwood floor in the hallway until he finally made it to the bathroom.

Once again, he managed the door as quietly as possible and was pleasantly surprised when he noticed the lock on the doorknob. Thank fucking god! He pushed the button down, sealing himself inside.

It was the safest he has felt in weeks.

Just like he had done in Sasuke's room, Naruto grabbed hold of the sink and pulled himself up, carefully balancing on the heel of his foot. Keeping a firm hand on the edge of the counter, Naruto shifted closer to the toilet and relieved himself. A sigh escaped his lips as he enjoyed the simplest of luxuries- privacy.

He spent quite some time cleaning himself up and was happy when he found a spare set of toiletries in the cabinet below the sink. He helped himself to it and finished his bathroom routine before lowering himself back to the floor and scooting across the tile to the door. He unlocked it and swung it open, then froze.

Itachi stood on the other side, his dark eyes narrowed on his captive.

"Did you just stand on your feet again after the mess you made of them last time?" he asked between clenched teeth.

Naruto looked away, irritated that he had to explain himself. "No. I didn't. I used the sink to pull myself up and I balanced on the heel of my foot." His eyes shot back up to glare at the raven. "Satisfied?"

Itachi kneeled before him, his movements slow and predatory. Naruto refused to flinch back from him, but god.. he really wanted to. Itachi placed one finger beneath his chin and lifted it. "You will want to work on that temper" he said smoothly. "I said this place was safe. I didn't saw it would be pleasant."

Naruto slapped his hand away, much to the raven's dismay. "Fine" he murmured, "but I shouldn't have to explain myself everytime I go to the bathroom."

Itachi gave him one last look before rising to his feet. He walked back into the living room and dropped down on the couch, where he continued to sharpen his kunai. Naruto debated where he should go next, torn between being around the bastard any more than he already had to be and returning to a bed that wasn't his, to a bedroom that did not have a lock.

Fuck.

He decided to chance it. He scooted himself down the hall and quietly worked his way past the living room and over to the kitchen. He knew Itachi sensed him being there but he didn't look over at him, and Naruto was grateful for that. He has felt far too humiliated already.

He grasped the counter and pulled himself onto the heel of his feet once more, before checking the cabinets for a glass. He found one, of course in the last cabinet he checked, and went to the sink to fill it with water. He drank greedily from it and filled it a few more times.

He brought it to his lips once more, then paused. He sighed across the brim, his eyes locked on the backsplash behind the sink. "Why are you watching me?"

Itachi crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, unbothered that he was caught. He opened his mouth to reply, but the blonde beat him to it.

"Let me guess- curiosity?"

Itachi smirked. "That's right."

Naruto downed his last glass of water before abandoning his cup on the counter. He turned his head to look over at him, careful to hold his balance as he did. "I'm really tired of the lies."

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.

"I know you are Akatsuki, Itachi. Why are you pretending this isn't about bringing the Nine Tails to them? I know what they want" Naruto continued, "I know what they've been doing to other jinchurki." His eyes narrowed on his captor. "I know that's really why you brought me here."

"Interesting.."

"What?" Naruto growled.

"How you can know so much" Itachi murmured, pushing off from the wall to take a step towards him, "and yet so little."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he spat.

Itachi continued to step towards him, knowing Naruto couldn't go very far.

Preferring it that way.

He cornered the blonde, gripping the counter behind him, reminding him who is the one with power here, the one with control. A reminder that should not be taken lightly. "It means you don't know as much as you think you do."

"And what exactly am I wrong about?" Naruto asked, fighting to keep the fear from his voice.

Itachi gave a small smile. "All in due time."

He suddenly grabbed Naruto and jerked him forward before scooping him up in his arms. The blonde struggled, as he always did, and he failed- like he always did.

Itachi dropped him down on the wooden chair at the dining table. "Now" he said, pressing his palm against the table as he leaned down to face him, "should we try eating again?"

--

Time continued to slip by and still Naruto was stuck in this place. So far he had managed to piss the Uchiha off in just about every way he could, but he never hurt him. Not really. Most of the time he would just pick him up or throw him over his shoulder and toss him into the bedroom again.

The time that really set him off though was when Naruto waited for him to use the bathroom before moving fast on his knees and forearms to get to the front door. He managed to tear it open and shuffle a few feet across the clearing when Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him. He didn't even have time to scream before those crimson eyes forced him into his mental prison. He blinked and he was suddenly in chains in a dark cell, staring at the Uchiha's cold obsidian eyes.

"Can you really blame me for trying to leave?" he murmured, trying to talk through the anxiety crawling up his spine.

"I warned you, Naruto."

Memories suddenly flashed to life in front of him as Itachi forced him to relive the pieces of his past that he fought so hard to keep buried…

Iruka sensei cornering him in the hallway, his eyes filled with so much hate. The same hate he always saw. He watched Iruka's hand suddenly shoot up as his rage brought him to the brink.

It changed, but not for the better.

Naruto felt sick when he saw an image of the man who assaulted him three years ago. He watched him and his friends force their way into his kitchen, punching him in the gut when he tried to fight back. A fist in his hair forcing him back to his feet and the man biting down on his neck as he shrieked in fear and pain. Hands dragging him further inside, throwing him down on the bed.

Naruto could feel Itachi's eyes on him, but he refused to look. Whether it was amusement or excitement or pity, he had no interest in seeing it.

He tried to pull away from the chains, away from the illusion, but the chakra-blocking band on his ankle weakened him. He didn't have the energy nor the mental fortitude to break free, and he was helpless to stop it as the memory changed again.

He recognized the room immediately and flinched as the rest of the memory resurfaced. This one was more recent than the others, but it didn't make it any easier to watch it happen all over again. He swallowed back bile as Kabuto's torture device sent shocks through his past self's body. As steel spikes shot up into his hands and feet over and over and over- the silver-haired snake in the midst of a manic frenzy as his test subject shrieked in pain.

Itachi glanced over at the blonde, then down at his bandages, finally understanding how he ended up with them.

He turned his attention back to the next memory as it appeared. A rope, tied around his wrists and another forced around his neck, keeping him bound and his chakra blocked. A mob of angry villagers dragging him over to the edge of a forest, to a sturdy tree.

They.. were going to hang him?

Itachi was surprised; Naruto was disgusted. He turned away, unable to watch how close they got before Kakashi once again came to his rescue. Back when Sasuke wasn't there to do it himself, and Naruto was far weaker than he is now.

"Stop" he breathed, his words barely audible, "no more. Please."

For once, Itachi listened to him.

He stopped the slideshow of Naruto's fucked up life and shut down the illusion, bringing them back to the clearing just outside his hideout.

Itachi was surprised to find that he felt.. guilty, remorseful, as he looked down at the shaky blonde. Naruto's face was alarmingly pale, and his wide fearful eyes told him that he was still stuck in that memory, a memory Itachi had forced him to relive.

But he wouldn't apologize for it.

After all, he still had an image to maintain.

He grabbed the blonde and pulled him close to his chest then walked back, bringing him inside. Once more he brought him back to the bedroom and deposited him on the bed he seemed to hate being stuck on. He didn't scramble away this time, though. His mind was still somewhere else, and he didn't even seem to notice.

Itachi leaned down and took Naruto's chin in his hand, lifting his face so he could look into those cloudy far-away eyes. "Naruto."

The blonde blinked, his eyes clearing as he looked over at him. Itachi watched them widen as he realized how close the Uchiha was, but it was too late for him to try to pull away. "What.." he said quietly, his voice heavy with unshed tears.

Itachi forced down his growing guilt and hardened his eyes instead.

"Do not leave this house again."

--

Kakashi sensed something, something he hasn't been able to sense for a very long time.

Sasuke.

He looked back at his team and met Yamato's eyes. "I sensed it too."

"Let's go." Kakashi led his team as he veered off course, following after the remnants of Sasuke's chakra, hoping that he'd find his two missing pupils at the end of it.

It was the best clue they had in days, which gave him a rush of hope he knew was soon to have. He couldn't help it. Panic and despair had been coursing through him and it grew heavier every day that they turned up with nothing.

They had been to several of Orochimaru's hideouts but all of them seemed to be abandoned, and there was no sign that any of them had been there. Kakashi was well aware that there were other bases that he didn't know about, but he was having trouble getting intel on them. Orochimaru was smart, and constantly changing his location. Which made him extremely difficult to find.

The silver-haired jonin glanced over as the team he had assembled flanked him on either side. Yamato leapt through the trees, keeping pace with him front and center, which he appreciated. The two had become good friends after working together to train Naruto, and it was reassuring to have him by side.

On Yamato's right he could see Kiba on Akamaru's back, urging him forward. The brunette didn't really know Sasuke, but he had gotten to know Naruto a bit and didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings towards him, making him an ally. There were few people like that in Konohagakure, and he needed a team who at the very least wasn't hoping for Naruto's demise.

On Kakashi's far left side Lee was moving quickly, a determined look in his eyes. Truthfully Kakashi had been hoping Lee's sensei, Guy, would be able to join, but he was already away on a mission and Kakashi wasn't willing to wait for his return. Guy and Kakashi were childhood friends, though they hadn't become all that close until they were older, and Lee respected his sensei more than anyone. He knew that the kid wouldn't do anything to upset his role model because of that, making him another valued team member.

And then there was the enigma of a person to his immediate left- with long onyx hair, deep impenetrable pools to match, and eerily pale skin. Kakashi had his doubts about Sai at first, but he had come to cherish the strange boy- almost as much as he cherished Naruto and Sasuke.

Sai looked over and gave him his typical hollow emotionless stare, or rather that's what people saw at first glance. Kakashi knew better though. Sai had joined Naruto to train under Kakashi's guidance about two years ago.

It had not gone well at first.

Naruto was hesitant to allow anyone else in, after all of the pain and betrayal he had suffered with Sasuke and his peers and the villagers. Kakashi supposed he had good reason to keep his guard up. But Sai proved to be different from the rest. He didn't look at Naruto with distrust or contempt like the others. Rather, he closely studied the blonde with an almost childlike curiosity. It was true that there was something about Sai that was a little- for lack of a better word- off, but in a loveable way. Despite his fearsome skills and cold disregard for the lives he took, Sai still somehow seemed.. innocent.

Kakashi didn't know a lot about his background, but he did know that he had been used by the elders of the village- viewed as a tool in place of a shinobi, a person.. a kid. Whatever they had done to him, it seemed to affect his understanding of other people's emotions. Hell, even his own.

Yet, even with his awkwardness and Naruto's initial detachment, the two managed to become friends. With Naruto's help, Sai was able to find his humanity and appreciate recognizing it in others. And with Sai's constant support, Naruto was able to find the acceptance and comradary he had been without for quite some time. He still kept his distance, still couldn't handle being touched and refused to allow himself to fully trust another, but it was a start. And it had been steadily growing, improving, until a rumor had surfaced.

It came from a less than reliable source, but that didn't seem to matter to the desperate blonde.

It was about a month or two before Naruto's disappearance. Kakashi and Naruto had been on their way home from a mission when they came across an intoxicated villager and word had fallen into Naruto's hands- quite literally actually. The man stumbled and crashed right into the blonde, who managed to keep his feet and hold him steady.

"Are you ok?" Naruto had asked, his brows knitted with concern- the kind, sensitive boy still very much a part of him.

"Ohhhh a nice little shinobi" he slurred, "how re.. re..." he seemed to struggle to find the right word until he had a sudden, explosive epiphany. "Refreshing!!" He giggled to himself, still gripping the blonde who was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with it.

Kakashi noticed and stepped over to take care of it. He grabbed the man by the back of his collar and hefted him away from his student, eyeing him as he tried to figure out if he was a threat to be handled or just a harmless drunk. He was leaning towards the latter.

"Re-freeeeshhhh-inggg" he sang out. "Yes, much better than the other one."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Other one?"

The man nodded. "Mmmmm hmmm. Pretty boys should still respect their.. uhhh- elder! Don't ya think? Red eyessss on a prettyyyyy boyy.."

Naruto stepped up fast and grabbed his arm, bringing his attention back to him. "Did he have dark hair? Did you hear his name?!"

"Lil' mister no name" he slurred. "Pretty black hair thoughhhh."

Kakashi looked over at the blonde, his eyes pained. "Naruto, that doesn't mean it's him."

Naruto forced back his emotions and ignored his sensei's words. His grip on the man tightened, sobering him up a bit. "Who was he with?" he said fast, his panic clear. "Did he say anything? Where did he go?!"

The man shrugged. "I don't know, but that other guy was prettyyy creepy."

"The guy with him?! What did he look like?"

"A snake. A scary, scaryyy snake."

"Snake" Naruto repeated, thinking over his words. "A snake…"

He noticed the look in Kakashi's eyes, the look he quickly tried to hide. But it was too late. Naruto now knew that Kakashi understood who the man was talking about. Meaning it was very likely someone else in Konoha would know too.

The moment they made it back to the village, Naruto had gone around and harassed anyone and everyone until finally he got the answer he was searching for. He got to work quietly researching Orochimaru, a fact Kakashi didn't know until right before Naruto went on his last mission. His gut told him that this was something to worry about, and he wished he had trusted it.

Apparently Naruto isn't the only one who needs to work on his trust issues, he thought wryly.

The mistakes Kakashi had made in the past, and the fate his father had faced for his own, made him second guess himself often- something he was well aware he needed to work on. A shinobi needed to keep his head and trust his instincts. He was getting better at keeping himself composed, ready, and to consider all situations tactically, but he still had some work to do when it came to trusting himself.

Luckily, I have a solid team to help me get through that.

He nodded to himself.

That's right. I'm not alone in this. And if anyone can find Sasuke and Naruto,

it's us.

--

Kakashi signaled for his team to disperse and set up a perimeter as they drew closer to the source. He had a feeling that they would find him here, and this time he was going to trust his gut. On his signal the team slowly started to close in, masking their own chakra in hopes of catching him off guard.

Kakashi pushed his head band up, revealing his piercing sharingan. He scanned the area and then his breath caught in his throat. He spotted someone. And he knew exactly who it was.

Moving fast, Kakashi slipped among the trees and through shadows, waiting to be closer before revealing himself. Once he was in position, Kakashi shifted out of view and reappeared directly before the raven.

He didn't look surprised to see him, but he didn't seem happy about it either. "Why are you here?" he snapped, his own sharingan eyes spinning.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, keeping his composure calm, collected, and nonchalant.

Just like the good ol' days.

"Well hello to you too, Sasuke."

--