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 42: Find

--

Sasuke suddenly stopped and the group stopped with him. All eyes turned to stare at him, but the Uchiha's were far away- everything fading out of focus as he was pulled deep into a mind that wasn't his own. He could see glimpses of what was happening- fragments that slowly came together to form an alarming image. Naruto's wrist gripped tightly, a sharp gasp tearing from his throat, his wide terrified eyes forcing back tears, and Itachi..

Crimson bled into his dark eyes as he watched his brother move against Naruto, as his fingers slipped down his body to unfasten his pants. He could hear Naruto shouting in his head, the words slipping free from his lips as he begged for Itachi to stop.

Naruto?!

He could sense the shock coming from his distant blonde, see his body freeze as another voice penetrated his thoughts.

Sasuke..?

Where are you? Sasuke hurriedly asked. Tell me how to find you!

I don't know, Naruto thought, his fear and desperation evident even in his head. Some cabin in the woods. There's a barrier. I didn't see him put it up- I don't know what it can do.

Sasuke could feel the blonde pull away, his attention refocusing on the Uchiha on top of him. The one trying to force his pants past his hips.

"St-stop!!" he heard him scream, his voice cracking under the weight of his fear. "No! Let me go! Stop- please!"

Sasuke's chest ached, a fist clenched tight around his heart. He couldn't bear hearing him like that- fucking terrified and helpless. He was close enough to hear it, but too far away to stop it. He could feel his own tears filling his eyes and rising in his throat, suffocating him. He couldn't just let this happen, he wouldn't let this happen.

Fuck!! Naruto, just hold on! I'll find you!

"Kakashi!" he screamed, blood-red eyes wild with panic. "It's Naruto! I can hear him- he has to be close by. We have to find him! Now!"

Kakashi stared at him, just as fearful. "Is he ok?!" he cried, already knowing he wasn't. "What's going on? Who is he with?!"

"Itachi has him in some cabin. He said there's a barrier around it, but he doesn't know much about it. Itachi is.." His voice trailed off, but his face gave him away.

Kakashi's eyes hardened. He turned to the rest of the team and ordered for them to fan out and find him. "We have to move fast!" he shouted.

The team nodded and moved out, each feeling his desperation down to their marrows. They would find Naruto- for his benefit and for Kakashi's.

--

"You hear him, don't you."

Not a question.

Naruto could see it in Itachi's eyes- in the way they grew wide with anticipation. Just for a moment. Then the happiness flickered out of them, and that familiar darkness closed in. Itachi studied his face, searching for a sign of his brother staring back.

"Hear who?" Naruto asked, not sure why he felt the need to play dumb yet doing it anyway.

Itachi gave him a knowing look. He could tell that Naruto was feigning ignorance and it was clear that he didn't buy into it in the slightest. He was very aware that the blonde knew who he was referring to, and he seemed just as sure that Sasuke was in there with him.

"Can he see us now?" the raven asked, something wicked shining in his eyes.

This is what he wants, Naruto realized.

Something else occurred to him too. Is that why he's doing this to me- why he suddenly attacked me? Did he sense Sasuke before I did?

Does he want him to see this..?

Naruto knew that it was Itachi's goal to get Sasuke to kill him. For him to murder his own brother and then learn the truth about him- all for the sake of obtaining the coveted Mangekyou Sharingan. And what better way to get Sasuke to blindly lash out, to kill with a fucking vengeance and not an ounce of remorse, than to.. to do this to me.

And to make him see it.

Sasuke, he called out, are you listening to me? Itachi is doing this on purpose. He's only attacking me to piss you off.

Yeah, and it's fucking working, Sasuke growled back.

No, listen to me! He's not-

Itachi squeezed down hard on his wrist, pulling his mind back to reality- where he was lying on his back under a man nearly consumed with desire. Fear came rushing back as Itachi moved against him, rubbing his hard length between his legs. He could feel Sasuke's anger pulsing in his temples.

Sasuke, please listen to me-

"You seem to have forgotten something important, Naruto" Itachi interrupted. "When I'm in your head, I can see him too."

Understanding shot through him, and Naruto quickly slammed his eyes shut, but that wasn't enough to deter the Uchiha.

Itachi forced one of his eyes open between his fingers, a sinister look glinting in his crimson gaze. "Mangekyou."

--

Kakashi and the others continued their desperate search. They were close, they all knew it, which made this all the more frustrating. The urgency in Kakashi's voice and Sasuke's eyes echoed through them, and all were anxious to find the blonde. Clearly something was happening to him and while they didn't know what it was, they knew they needed to stop it.

It didn't help that there was some sort of barrier in place. Itachi's skills were well-known and feared by most. A hideout encased by a barrier that he created would not be easy to find. And even when they do, it was going to be a bitch to find a way to take it down. But they would deal with that obstacle when they got to it. First, they needed to just find the damn place.

And this time, their best bet was Kiba.

Or rather, Akamaru.

They hoped that even if the barrier cut them off completely, there might still be a scent for them to follow up to it. It had been a few weeks now, so it would be difficult to trace even if it had somehow lingered, but that didn't stop them from trying.

"Come on, boy" Kiba encouraged. "You can do this. I know you can."

Kakashi figured Akamaru could use some back-up, so he summoned his hounds as well, and sent them out to scout from opposite directions. He kept a close eye on Sasuke in the meantime, trying to determine how serious their situation was based off his facial expressions. He looked sickened by whatever he saw, which sent a wave of nausea and fear through the jonin as well.

Naruto had become basically a son to Kakashi. He was desperate to find him, to stop anyone else from hurting him. He had promised Naruto all those years ago that no one would ever hurt him like that again- that he would always keep him safe, that he could rely on him to be there no matter what. And he had failed in that promise.

He wondered by just how much.

"Sasuke" he called, dropping down on a branch next to him, "what's happening? Is Naruto ok?"

The raven looked even paler than normal as he turned to face him, his faraway eyes wide and filled with pain.

"He's with Itachi. I think he's-"

Sasuke's eyes clouded over and he froze as he was suddenly, violently, pulled into an illusion- one already residing in the darkest recesses of Naruto's mind.

Kakashi stared at the raven- at that blank, hollow expression. Another one of his students, captured by Akatsuki and completely out of reach.

"Fuck."

--

"I thought I might find you here, Sasuke."

Just the sound of Itachi's voice sent a chill crawling down his spine.

And he fucking hated it.

Sasuke had trained so hard to be strong- mentally and physically. He refused to let his past control him, for anyone to hold him back- it was why he had turned his back on the Leaf in the first place. Why he chose to train with Orochimaru, even though it meant abandoning his home and the only person he cared about. He had to make sure that Itachi wouldn't be able to hurt him and the people he loved ever again. And that meant more than just defeating him. He had to make sure that Itachi couldn't affect him- that he wouldn't be able to cloud his judgment or dictate his emotions.

After all these years, Sasuke now knew how to face him. He was sure of it. And yet, despite all of that training and the steel reserve he had fought so hard to maintain, he could feel his walls crumble around him the moment Itachi said his name. It was like nothing fucking changed.

And it sickened him.

He glared over at his brother, a snarl in place, but it slipped the moment he saw that he wasn't alone. Naruto. He was on his knees, wide blue eyes staring back with a mix of hesitant relief and blatant horror. And he understood why. Sasuke was glad that he could finally see him again too, but he didn't want it to be like this.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Itachi grabbed a fistful of his hair and gave it a sharp yank, jerking his head back. Naruto groaned, his eyes screwed up tight against the pain.

Sasuke tried to take a step towards him, but his body was frozen- already controlled by the illusion around him. Dark eyes flashed with rage. "Let him go, Itachi."

"I did consider it" Itachi said smoothly, his crimson gaze gleaming with obvious amusement. "But I'm not sure that I want to anymore."

His fist clenched in blonde locks and he jerked Naruto's head back hard, grinning as another pained sound slipped from his lips. "I'm not convinced that you deserve to have him back, little brother."

"That's not for you to fucking decide!!" Sasuke screamed. "Now let him go!"

He tried to break free of Itachi's hold, but the illusion kept him locked in place. He gritted his teeth together as his brother pulled an equally immobile Naruto into his arms. He tapped the blonde's temple with two fingers, eyes locked on the irate raven.

"I didn't enter his mind to reassure you that I would be returning him" Itachi said menacingly. "I came here to make sure you were watching."

"Watching.." Sasuke repeated, his stomach coiling in knots. "What are you-"

"Stick around, Sasuke. There're a few things I want you to see."

The illusion changed and, before either of them could do anything about it, Itachi yanked Naruto close and forced him into a rough searing kiss.

--

"Sasuke? Sasuke!" Kakashi tried shaking him, but the raven was completely unresponsive. "Dammit."

The jonin grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder before taking off again. He had a feeling he knew what was happening. It was clear that Itachi was inside Naruto's mind, and likely was able to imprison Sasuke in it as well. Because of that jutsu that linked them together. Apparently, it never stopped.

He assumed Itachi's influence over Sasuke worked the same way as it did with Kyuubi. He had been able to control and confine the Nine Tails three years ago, when he first intercepted Naruto's thoughts, and now he could get to his brother in the same way.

It left Sasuke incapacitated, for now, but Kakashi wouldn't leave him behind. He knew that he'd want to be there when they finally got to Naruto. And if Kakashi was in the same position, he'd want someone to do the same for him.

"Kakashi! I think we found something!"

The jonin braced the boy on his shoulder as he came to a sudden stop. Finally.

He raced over to Kiba's side, eyes wide with hope. "What is it? Did you find the hideout?!"

The brunette dropped a hand on the massive canine beside him. "Akamaru stopped here suddenly, and he hasn't moved." He nodded over his shoulder. "I think there's a barrier here, but it's hard to tell. Seems like Itachi found a way for people to just pass by to the other side without noticing it. But you can tell something's off. The clearing seems too.. short." He looked back up, eyeing the silver-haired sensei. "Are you able to pick up anything with your sharingan?"

Kakashi scanned the area and at first it just seemed like a normal clearing in the woods. He almost said so, then paused. There was something. A slight flicker in the open space in front of them, like light refracting off a sheet of glass.

Kakashi dropped a hand on the brunette's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "Good work, Kiba" he breathed, hurriedly blinking back tears of gratitude as they rushed up his throat and filled his mismatched eyes. He offered a small smile in its place.

"I think you found it."

--

"You fucking bastard!! Get your hands off of him!" Sasuke screamed, fighting against the invisible restraints holding him back, watching in horror as Itachi forced Naruto closer.

"Nnmph!!" Naruto screamed against the Uchiha's lips, panicked but unable to pull away as he kissed him harder.

Sasuke shrieked with rage as he forced his body to move forward- one weighted step. Then another. Slowly making his way towards them. "Goddamnit!" he shrieked. "I'll kill you!! I will fucking kill you!!"

Itachi pulled back and brought his lips close to the blonde's ear. Smiling, he murmured softly, "I'm counting on it."

Naruto flinched, and Sasuke's rage doubled. "Come fight me, asshole!!"

Itachi's eyes gleamed with malice and satisfaction. Naruto quickly turned away from it, seeking out Sasuke's charcoal gaze instead. "Sasuke, wait. He's lying to you! He wants you to kill him, but you can't! He-"

Anger flashed in those dark eyes, burning straight through him. "Don't you dare defend him" Sasuke grated out.

"Dammit, Sasuke- just listen to me!" Naruto shouted back. "I'll show you the truth. Please, you have to see it first."

Sasuke stared at him, like he didn't even recognize him anymore, then tore his gaze away and looked up at his brother instead. "What have you done to him?"

Itachi tilted his head, eyeing him carefully. "Would you like to see for yourself?"

Naruto shook his head. "Sasuke-"

The raven forced another step forward. "Show me what you did to Naruto" he growled.

"Prepare yourself, little brother." Itachi looked down at the blonde frozen against him, and his smile widened.

"I have a feeling you're not going to like this."