Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Deception - COMPLETE	By : kizukatana Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 11937 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and make no money on anything I write

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
-xXx-
Naruto dialed Kakashi's work cell from the pay phone, and left a short coded message. "Emergency contact location eight at noon tomorrow," he whispered, careful to not engage his vocal cords enough for voice recognition software to identify him if the phone was monitored. It was only the second time he had ever had to use the system, and he knew Kakashi would take it seriously.
Having accomplished all he could that evening, Naruto returned to Sasuke's apartment. He silently shed his clothes and slipped back into bed, relieved to find Sasuke still seemingly asleep. Sasuke had rolled to his side, facing away from him. Naruto slid his body against him, allowing himself the luxury of wrapping his arms around his sleeping lover. He wouldn't have many nights like this, and he would indulge himself while he could.
Naruto let his eyes drift closed, forcing his mind to turn off and not speculate on what tomorrow would bring. Whatever was going to happen, Naruto knew from experience that he would be better prepared if he slept.
He didn't see the onyx eyes open, or the frown mar the smooth, pale brow as Naruto quickly fell into practiced sleep.
-xXx-
Naruto woke the following morning, his legs tangled in his lover's. He opened his eyes to be met with a dark, intense stare. Unable to read the expression in Sasuke's gaze, Naruto ran his hand up over the pale hipbone, letting his fingers linger over the smooth flesh and hard body.
"Morning," Naruto said, smiling slightly, wondering how long Sasuke had been awake and looking at him. He was a very light sleeper, so he knew it couldn't have been long.
Sasuke allowed the touch, but didn't respond. Naruto saw a flash of lust in the dark eyes, but it was quickly shuttered.
Naruto quirked a brow, not sure how to read the situation. "Not in the mood?"
Sasuke looked at him flatly for a moment. "Where did you go?"
Naruto's hand froze. He had been so sure the other man had been asleep. He hadn't really done anything wrong, even though he had known it would annoy Sasuke. "I had to make a call."
"You could have used my phone," Sasuke said. He paused, waiting to see if Naruto would volunteer more information. Naruto didn't. "Who did you call?"
Naruto removed his hand from Sasuke's hip and rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling.
"I called Sakura. She had told me to call her to give her an update on my condition." Both those statements were technically true.
"And you couldn't have made that call from my phone?"
Naruto paused, trying to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to lie to Sasuke. But he also wasn't going to let the man take control of his life. There was only downside on that path, for both of them.
"I am not used to using traceable lines to make calls. There is shit in my life that doesn't involve you, and I'm not going to drag you into it."
Naruto didn't need to look at Sasuke to sense the anger flowing off him. "But you'd talk to Sakura about it. Didn't you say she wasn't a player in your world either?"
Naruto let out a growl in frustration.
So much for morning sex. It looked like Sasuke had selected the 'morning interrogation' option instead.
"I don't talk to Sakura about what is going on with you. And I don't talk to you about things that involve her," Naruto turned his head to finally look at Sasuke, his eyes immediately captured by the dark, possessive gaze that was fixated on him. Sasuke didn't like the implication that he was on equal footing with Sakura in Naruto's life. "You and I are having sex, Sasuke. We're not married. I don't owe you an accounting of my activities. If that's a problem for you, then I can start sleeping somewhere else."
Feeling pissed off, Naruto threw off the sheet and made to get out of bed. He was surprised when a pale hand viced around his wrist, and jerked him back to the bed.
"Don't leave my bed unless I tell you to," Sasuke said, his voice hard. He didn't even fully know why he was so angry. Naruto had every right to go out and make a call. Hell, Naruto could have gone out and had sex with a prostitute, and Sasuke really wouldn't have had the right to complain. He knew this, logically, but he couldn't help the surge of anger that he felt. He wasn't really even angry at Naruto. But he was furious about Naruto's life. And the fact that the blond was pushing him out and holding things back. He had the sense that something was happening, that Naruto was involved with something else that Sasuke knew nothing about. Beyond Orochimaru, or even Naruto's parents' killer.
And it scared him. Sasuke was a man who liked to be in control. He needed to know all the information of what was going on so he could strategize his next move and ensure things came out in his favor. But Naruto wasn't telling him what was going on, making that basically impossible.
He had thought he would be able to let the blond go after a few nights together. But it was becoming harder and harder for Sasuke to imagine being with anyone else after Naruto. He knew he would have to let go eventually... he had seen the report that Karin had faxed over. He wasn't going to give up his life's ambition for amazing sex and interesting companionship. But he needed more time. Naruto hadn't actually been convicted of anything yet, though just his past associations would be damning enough. It might be possible to figure something out, if Sasuke could just have time and complete information. But he had a feeling that Naruto already was involved in something that was pulling him away more quickly.
He couldn't allow that. He wasn't ready.
"The fuck, Sasuke?" Naruto turned, looking down at the fingers wrapped around his wrist, feeling his own anger spike. The sheet had been fallen past Sasuke's hips when the man had lunged for Naruto, revealing Sasuke's surprisingly hard erection, pulsing and angry red. Naruto felt his temper mixing with a rush of lust in a volatile combination.
"Fuck you, Sasuke. I told you I wasn't going to be your plaything," his eyes still fastened below Sasuke's waist.
Naruto jerked his arm to break loose, inadvertently pulling Sasuke towards him as the man refused to relinquish his surprisingly strong grip.
"Who says I'm playing?" Sasuke said, anger clear in his eyes, lust clear in his body. He readjusted his grip on Naruto's wrist, grabbing the other one and twisting it painfully behind the blond.
The action made Naruto's hips flex, the feel of the silk sheet almost agonizing in how little friction it provided against his suddenly aching cock. Naruto opened himself to the rush of anger and lust, knowing that he could... that Sasuke could handle it. He strained his neck up to slam his lips harshly against Sasuke's, sucking the chiseled lips he clashed with into his mouth and biting them.
"Just because we're fucking doesn't give you permission to control my business," Naruto panted, reveling in the surge of anger that shone from Sasuke's eyes at his words. So far, Naruto had refrained from fighting back, toying a bit with the councilman to see how far he would push things... wondering if he could incite the older man fully over the edge into violence.
"You don't get to decide what I get involved with or not," Sasuke bit out, tightening his grip on Naruto's wrist, each finger marking a bruise as he drove Naruto's arms up behind him further, threatening to almost dislocate the shoulder.
Naruto hissed at the pain, but Sasuke didn't miss the way the younger man's cock had begun to drip. He didn't really know what to make of the fact that the rapidly escalating fight was turning them both on to such a painful extent.
Naruto's wrists twisted sharply, breaking Sasuke's grip and he abruptly he flipped their positions, Naruto's forearm now pressed against Sasuke's throat, his naked body flush against his lover's.
"Sasuke…" Naruto said, his voice low, almost caressing. He increasing the pressure on Sasuke's trachea, restricting Sasuke's breathing. Naruto smirked as he saw the pale face awash with lust, feeling Sasuke's hips thrusting against his. He leaned down so his lips brushed the ebony locks. "… don't forget what I am, Sasuke. Does it turn you on? Knowing what I've done... what I'm capable of doing?," Naruto spoke slowly, drawing out each word as he felt the effect that the reduced oxygen and edge of violence was doing to his lover. He could feel precum spurt from Sasuke's shaft, slickening the skin between them.
Sasuke arched his head back, lack of oxygen making black speckles appear in his vision. The sensitivity of his body seemed to have jumped exponentially. When Naruto released his forearm from Sasuke's throat, Sasuke didn't hesitate before roughly rolling them over, with Naruto now beneath him. He ignored his own dizziness, not bothering with prep, Sasuke hitched up Naruto's legs and drove into him, almost frenzied with his need to posses his lover. Desperate to control him in some way.
Naruto arched up, nearly climaxing at the initial thrust as Sasuke's cock drove against his prostate. He didn't understand his need to provoke this man, nor the endless flood of lust that overcame him when he succeeded. Naruto had never done drugs, but the descriptions he had heard of heroine seemed to capture what he felt when he was in bed with Sasuke. A pleasure so overwhelming that you would sacrifice everything else in your life for just one more hit, regardless of the consequences.
The friction was intense without lube or prep, even given that Naruto was still stretched with some of the residual lube inside from last night's activities. Naruto closed his eyes, the sensation so acute that his breath came in short gasps and grunts as his lover pounded into him. Only wanting more of that ferocity, Naruto wrapped his strong legs around Sasuke's upper back, using his abs to pull up and meet the thrusts while his fingers dug into the pale forearms that were pinning him down brutally.
Nothing was resolved. They had no future together. But Naruto simply didn't care as he bit down on Sasuke's pectoral, his mind not able to retain any thoughts outside of the feeling of his lover and the torrent of need and aggression pumping between them, surging until it reached its breaking point and shattered them both.
They lay on the bed, dazed and panting, each slightly shocked at how quickly and violently it had escalated.
Sasuke felt his cum dripping down his length, which was still inside Naruto. He realized with a bit of shock that he had not used a condom. He never had sex without wearing a condom. It was a stupid risk, and he never allowed himself to be stupid. It shook him to know that Naruto was able to so completely destroy his thought processes that he lost all control over himself.
He had acted like an animal, even more so than that first night. And he didn't have alcohol to use as an excuse this time. He drew a shuddering breath, not sure if he should apologize to Naruto or not. He slowly pulled out, keeping his arms loosely around Naruto, wondering what to say.
Naruto shifted, and Sasuke lifted his head to meet Naruto's gaze. He was glad to see a similar mix of shock, confusion, and guilt in the blue eyes as what he felt in his own.
"What the hell are we doing to each other, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, sounding bewildered and a little shaken.
Sasuke didn't have an answer. He buried his face in Naruto's neck, breathing in the scent of the man and trying to bring order to his thoughts. His arms tightened unconsciously around his lover.
They stayed that way for more than an hour. Finally, reality intruded at the sound of Sasuke's office phone going off, and they showered together and breakfasted, neither bringing up the morning's events. Sasuke retreated into his office to work, leaving Naruto to think through what he was going to tell Sasuke when it was time for him to leave to meet Sakura.
. . . . . .
It was two hours later that morning when the elevator chimed. Naruto walked into the living room to see who had come up. He had heard the phone ring in Sasuke's office shortly before, so he assumed Sasuke had given the OK for whomever this was entering his home.
A man stepped out, and the way he moved set off Naruto's instincts immediately. In his line of work, he had developed almost a sixth sense for the threat level of prospective opponents. The man who had just entered Sasuke's apartment was absolutely lethal.
The visitor had obviously come to a similar conclusion about Naruto, freezing as soon as he saw the blond approaching him. The two men eyed each other, each subtly shifting into readiness for attack. The air grew thick with tension. If they had been dogs, they would have been circling each other, growling with hackles raised.
Naruto assumed that Jugo would have done his job and searched the man for weapons, but he watched closely as the man slowly set his bag on the ground, likely to free up his hand in case Naruto attacked.
"Who are you?" Naruto said coldly, finally breaking the silence.
"Someone who was invited. Who are you? And where is Sasuke?" The man's voice was flat and emotionless, and somehow familiar. Naruto didn't allow his brain to speculate as he focused all his awareness on detecting the slightest motion or eye movement of the man before him that could signal an attack.
The door to Sasuke's office opened, and Sasuke stepped out. Naruto moved to stand between him and the stranger.
"Sasuke, if you don't know this man extremely well, I think you should go back into your office and let me handle this," Naruto said, not letting his gaze falter for an instant from the stranger.
Sasuke let out a soft chuckle. "Shisui. I see you're making your usual good first impression. Let's hope things go better at the Japanese Heritage Appreciation forum you will be attending with me later this week."
"Sasuke," Shisui said, greeting him, but not taking his wary eyes from Naruto and ignoring Sasuke's comment about the upcoming event. "I thought you said you were not entering the game in the US."
Sasuke's face held no expression. "Naruto is not a business associate of mine."
Naruto took in the implication, and felt shock run through him that Sasuke was apparently aware of exactly who and what this man was... and had some sort of connection with him. A connection that could lead to the possibility of Sasuke employing someone like him here.
Shisui observed the protective stance that the blond held towards his cousin, and noted the way that Sasuke's voice had been laced with possessiveness when he'd said Naruto's name. It had been subtle, but Shisui was adept at reading such subtleties.
"He is your lover," Shisui stated with some surprise, allowing his stance to relax somewhat. Naruto's gaze shifted slightly to Sasuke, letting him take the lead on how to respond to the statement. Sasuke simply raised a brow.
Shisui gave an honest smile, picking up his bag. "Interesting. He seems to be a good match for you, cousin."
Naruto shifted uncomfortably at the assumption the man was making that they were in some sort of relationship, and was surprised that Sasuke did nothing to clarify their status. Naruto knew that Sasuke must have seen the fax, showing the risk of any sort of relationship with someone like Naruto. But I suppose he doesn't want to come out and say it's just sex, Naruto thought. It would have been much simpler for Sasuke to simply explain that Naruto was there for temporary security. Naruto wondered why Sasuke didn't clarify this, but was willing to let Sasuke make the call. He knew more about man, after all.
Regardless of how the man interpreted their relationship, Naruto felt himself relax slightly as the stranger appeared to be family, and a known quantity to Sasuke. The similarity in their looks and voices suddenly penetrated, and clicked into place.
Sasuke said nothing, and merely turned on walked towards the kitchen. "You must be tired from your journey, Shisui. Come and have something to eat. You can freshen up in one of the guest rooms before we get down to business."
Naruto watched Shisui carry his bag to the guest room that Naruto had occupied during his initial stay with Sasuke.
And he realized that the words Sasuke had spoken the other day were completely true.
Naruto didn't know Sasuke at all.
. . . . .
Shisui took a quick shower and returned to the kitchen where Sasuke had just finished preparing a light lunch. The three of them ate with minimal conversation, Naruto and Shisui clearly still watching each other, sizing each other up but in a much more friendly fashion now that they had cleared up that they were all currently on the same side. Naruto felt an almost uncontrollable urge to ask the man to spar with him and test his skills, but refrained.
As they were finishing lunch, Sasuke stood. "Naruto, Shisui and I have some family business to discuss. We'll be in my office for a bit."
After their argument this morning, Sasuke expected Naruto to be angry with him for the statement. He had gone ballistic over Naruto stepping out to make a phone call, and here he was shutting Naruto out of a meeting he was having. The timing couldn't have been worse. Sasuke was therefore unsettled to see a flash of almost relief cross the blue eyes.
Naruto simply nodded. "No problem. I have a few errands to run."
Sasuke felt his stomach clench, but there was nothing he could say. While there were many things that he wanted to discuss with both Shisui and Naruto together, there were a few things that needed privacy, especially the inevitable questions Shisui was likely to have about Naruto. He only hoped that Naruto didn't come back with a fresh bullet wound. "Where will you be, in case we need to reach you?"
Shisui cocked his head to one side, noting the sudden tension.
"I'll be gone only an hour or two. If anything happens while I'm gone, we can just meet up at the police station. But somehow I think your cousin Shisui, here, can deal with whatever comes along," Naruto said, sending a smirk in Shisui's direction, but not hiding the edge to his tone. He was curious about the man's presence, and wondered about Sasuke's family ties. The thought of how someone like Sasuke could possibly be related to someone like Shisui was something that Naruto would need to think about. It held implications that he hadn't considered.
He should be relieved that Shisui was here. It would make leaving that much simpler. Now, even if they didn't find the bomber before Naruto needed to leave, he knew that Sasuke had someone who would know what to look for.
He should have been relieved.
But instead, he realized that the last fleeting hope he had had of finding a reason to stay, or at least return quickly, had been eliminated.
He put his dishes into the dishwasher, ignoring the holes being bored into the back of his head from Sasuke's stare.
Without further discussion, Naruto headed out to go meet Sakura and hopefully Kakashi.
. . . .
Shisui observed Sasuke and Naruto carefully through lunch. When the blond had finally left, he arched a brow at his cousin.
"He doesn't know your family history, does he?" He switched into Japanese now that they were alone. Sasuke realized that - of course - Shisui would not have assumed Naruto spoke it also.
Sasuke looked flatly at the man. "It hasn't come up."
Shisui chuckled. "He'll think you're hiding it."
"Well, it's certainly not something I advertise, given my life here. And I'm not actively involved... so it isn't an issue."
"He won't trust you if you don't trust him," Shisui said simply. There was something familiar about the blond, but Shisui couldn't place it. He was quite sure he had seen his face before, but the memory seemed distant.
Sasuke frowned at the man's words. He knew Shisui was right, and had felt a growing need to close some of the distance between himself and Naruto. There just never seemed to be a way for him to do so. And opening up and talking about his past was not something Sasuke was practiced in. "Maybe. But I try to avoid the subject outside of the family. You know how Itachi feels about it."
Shisui flinched at the name. "How... how is he?"
Sasuke sighed. "He's successful. As expected."
"Does he know I'm here?" Shisui sounded almost hopeful.
"No," Sasuke said, his voice softening. "I didn't think it would be a good idea to inform him until it is absolutely necessary."
"What constitutes 'absolutely necessary'?" Shisui asked, his voice slightly bitter.
Sasuke didn't answer. He knew that there was a lot of history between his brother and his cousin. They had been so close when they were young, but when they had left for the US and Itachi had cut all ties with the family, they had had a huge falling out.
"Tell me what's been happening back home," Sasuke said. Shisui bowed, acknowledging the statement for the order that it was, and began going through various activities and family associations.
-xXx-
Naruto entered the church at five minutes before noon, and was not surprised to see a pink head of hair. Kakashi was always late. Sakura was always early.
It was the first time that he had ever used one of his coded contact areas to meet with Sakura. Her shoulders were slightly hunched with tension, and her face seemed tight with something Naruto couldn't quite discern, but it bordered on fear. Naruto wondered at it. It took a lot to shake his doctor.
Naruto and Gaara used churches and shrines because of their easy access, public schedules, and architecture that lent itself to secluded areas for private conversation. The religious significance of the locations played no role, but Naruto knew that others might not feel the same way.
Sakura had turned as the light from outside brightened the interior of the church, signaling his arrival. She immediately crossed to Naruto, clutching a small folio to her chest. He could tell from her expression that she was worried, but she was all business when she spoke, letting none of her nerves show in her voice.
"Naruto, how are you?" she asked, her eyes immediately went to the location on his scalp where she had treated his wound what felt like ages ago.
"Fine... I don't even feel it any more. And my hair pretty much covers the gash, so no one notices anything."
Sakura grabbed Naruto's hair next to his healing wound to pull it aside so she could examine the wound, ignoring Naruto's huff and the manhandling. She was amazed once again to see how quickly his injuries seemed to heal. "If you weren't so afraid of hospitals, I'd bring you in to study your weird healing abilities. Your skin heals with almost no scarring."
Naruto blew out a snort at the notion of being a human guinea pig, even for Sakura. Sakura laughed softly, his reaction exactly as she had expected.
"So... I was thinking about your call last night," Sakura began, releasing his hair almost as an afterthought. "You never had a chance to tell me why you called me."
Naruto shifted, and Sakura narrowed her eyes, already knowing he was going to try to dodge her question. She pre-empted him as he opened his mouth to say something. "Don't give me some crap about your actually following instructions to call and update me on the condition of your wound. You never do the follow-up voluntarily."
Naruto glanced back toward the doors, wondering if Kakashi had received his message. An interruption would be welcome at this point. He had wanted to tell Sakura over the phone because he would be less likely to give anything away about the nature of their trip if she couldn't see his face. She had an uncanny ability to be able to tell when he was lying or hiding something, and he didn't want her to worry about them. But he drew a breath, figuring he might as well get it over with, especially if the contents of the folio she was still holding accelerated their departure.
"I just wanted to let you know that Gaara and I would be going out of town for a bit... maybe even for a couple of months. I didn't want you to worry."
Sakura's gaze instantly sharpened. "You're not the type to take a vacation, and I know you and Gaara don't work for the same people. Where are you going? Are you in trouble?"
A low, rough voice sounded from over her shoulder, making her jump. "We have to take care of some old family business."
Sakura turned to see Gaara standing behind her, and wondered where he had come from, since clearly he hadn't come in the front entrance.
Naruto frowned at him, worry showing in his eyes. He had seen Gaara approach from the rear of the church, likely having entered through the locked back door. "Gaara... what are you doing here?"
Gaara shrugged. "I was with Kakashi when he got the message from you. I recognized your voice, and thought I'd come and see if you need any help. It's not like you to set up a meeting by phone."
Gaara had extremely sensitive hearing, sharply honed from a lifetime of relying on his senses to warn him of attacks. It had saved his ass on numerous occasions, and evidently had allowed him to overhear Kakashi's voicemail. "What is Sakura doing here?" There was a definite edge in Gaara's voice, and Naruto wasn't sure if it was because he had invited a 'civilian' to one of their contact locations, or if it was the fact that Sakura was likely in some sort of danger necessitating her presence here.
Sakura looked levelly into the clear, green eyes of the redhead. "I came across something that I think you both need to see. I didn't know how to contact you, but when Naruto called me last night to give me the heads up about your little trip, I told him I needed to show him this in person. I think... there might be someone in the police force targeting you."
Before she continued, Gaara held up a hand. "Not here. The cellars are basically sound proof. We can talk more privately there. Kakashi should be here soon."
As if his words had summoned him, the white-haired man appeared. He looked at Sakura curiously, having heard much about her but never met her. Sakura slanted a worried glance at Naruto, her grip tightening on the folio she was holding.
"Sakura - this is Captain Kakashi Hatake. He is the only cop I can absolutely guarantee you can trust. Based on what you told me on the phone, I think he needs to hear it, too. He will know what to do."
Sakura looked at Kakashi with interest. Other than Gaara, she had never heard Naruto give such a recommendation of trust-worthiness about anyone. She accepted his judgment, nodding slightly.
"Kakashi. Sakura has information about the matter you discussed with me after the bombing. It's not good news," Naruto said, sadness shading his voice.
Kakashi's face darkened. Without a word, he turned and headed towards the rear of the church to where the steps to the cellar were. Gaara, Sakura and Naruto followed.
Naruto closed the heavy cellar door behind them.
"Why do you meet in churches instead of the police station?" Sakura asked, looking around at the casks of wine and dusty shelves.
Kakashi smirked. "There are few places that the police or the feds would hesitate to bug. If listening devices were discovered in a place of worship, however, the fallout would give them a hell of a headache. Separation of church and state and all that. It's no guarantee, but it is the safest bet without time for a complete sweep."
Sakura gave a small shrug, accepting the argument. She handed the folio to Kakashi, repeating what she had told Naruto on the phone. Gaara and Kakashi both looked grim.
"How did you get these?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowing as he flipped through the files.
Sakura shifted slightly under his gaze. "I know one of the coroners well. He had done the initial autopsy on the first case, and when the second came through he recognized the tattoo. He went back to refer to his old notes to check for similarities, and found that the report had been modified." Sakura turned her gaze to Naruto and Gaara. "Why do two dead bodies have the same tattoo as you both do? What are you involved in?"
Naruto and Gaara exchanged a glance. Gaara simply crossed his arms, content to remain silent. Naruto wasn't. "Sakura... it's not something I can really talk about, but it isn't any sort of criminal organization. It's more of a... an affiliation based on our similar pasts, I guess."
Sakura snorted. "Like I'd care if it were a criminal organization, Naruto. I know who your last boss was, remember? I just wanted to warn you that someone is doctoring the files. I don't know if this is coming from officially sanctioned channels or from the people who killed them, but I do know that witness protection does a better job of altering files than this, so they are not the ones behind this. Do you know who is?"
Naruto glanced at Kakashi and Gaara, then shook his head. "No. We don't. But it could be extremely dangerous. Sakura, don't talk to anyone except Kakashi about this. There are a lot of things happening and right now we don't know what's connected to what, or who's involved."
Kakashi took out a piece of paper and wrote his number on it. "This is my personal phone. Call me if you find out anything more or see any more bodies with the same tattoo. Or if you think someone is following you, or threatens you. Don't contact me directly at the office. If possible, don't call from your own cell or home phone."
Sakura took the paper wordlessly, no sign of fear showing in her face. She simply nodded at the instructions. Naruto grinned. He should have known that Sakura wouldn't be rattled by this. Anyone who could calmly face down Gaara when he was injured and force him to accept medical attention wasn't likely to be thrown into a panic of much this side of the apocalypse.
"Is this related to the two of you needing to leave town?" Sakura raked her fingers through her hair in a show of frustration and worry.
"New earring?" Gaara asked, looking at the small silver piece of jewelry that flashed in her right ear. It looked like a wolf or a dog.
"Don't try to distract me," Sakura snapped. "This is serious. Both of these people were tortured before they died, by a very experienced practitioner. And you know who they are, so don't try to bullshit me that this is all nothing."
"Yes. They were my friends," Kakashi said quietly. Sakura's eyes softened.
"I'm sorry," she said, dropping her eyes. "I just... Naruto and Gaara are my friends. And I don't know how to help them."
Kakashi smiled slightly. "You already have. These two have been missing, and we knew something had happened. Now we know what, and can start to look into it. Thank you, Sakura."
Sakura gave a small smile in return, then turned to look at Naruto and Gaara. "Can you at least tell me when you are leaving or where you are going? That way, if something happens, I can contact you."
"Going through Kakashi will be the most reliable. We are still figuring out our travel plans. We'll probably be around for another week or two planning the best way out of the country. After that... well... just keep an eye on CNN and in a month or so you'll probably figure out where we were," Naruto joked.
"Idiot," Sakura said, but gave Naruto a hug anyway. I wonder if Kiba could help me find them if I needed to. Sakura pushed the thought aside. She had known Naruto and Gaara long enough to know that they wouldn't tell her any more than they already had. She considered it a sign of their friendship for her that they had told her as much as they had already. And at least now she had Kakashi as a contact. It was better than nothing.
Sometimes having criminals as friends really sucked.
She wondered if Naruto had told Sasuke where he was going, or if the man would be left wondering. He didn't seem the type to sit back and wait patiently for news anymore than she was. She wondered if she still had his brother's number on her cell.
-xXx-
When Naruto returned to Sasuke's penthouse, he walked in to hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. Without thinking, he stepped out of his shoes and silently made his way toward the sound, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his butterfly knife, flicking it open with a practiced motion of his wrist.
He reached the sparring room, and breathed out a silent breath of relief when he saw that it was simply Sasuke and Shisui sparring with their katana. He closed the knife and slid it back into his pocket, watching the two men spar.
He had trained in formal martial arts, but focused more on their more practical application. But there was something mesmerizing by the sight of two highly skilled practitioners who followed the art to its fullest, the way the moves and stances flowed into each other.
Both men were shirtless, and Naruto was almost hypnotized by the fluid grace of their movements. There was beauty in their motions, but it didn't disguise the lethal strength that was behind it. Naruto had seen Kendo practitioners spar with wooden swords, but he had never seen sparring with actual katanas. Especially not at full speed and force the way the two men Naruto was observing were doing. The precision of their movements spoke of years of regimented training. Only true masters of a martial art like this could risk the use of a real weapon at full speed without risking injury or death. Even the slightest miscalculation could be fatal. Naruto held completely still so as to not distract either man. It reminded him of his sparring sessions with Gaara.
Naruto had never studied any of the sword arts, living in the reality of the old adage, 'never bring a knife to a gun fight'. But he wished suddenly that he had, so he could have sparred with Sasuke the way Shisui did. He ran his gaze over the other weapons in the room, deciding that - another day - he would challenge Sasuke to spar. His eyes landed on a bo staff. That was a weapon he was familiar with, since lengths of pipe were more common to come upon lying around in a street fight than stray swords.
The style of fighting they were using seemed to be a highly specialized blend of Shinkendo, Iaijutsu, and some Aikido, but there were other moves that Naruto was unfamiliar with. Shisui turned, his back now facing Naruto. A flash of color drew his eye, and he noticed a tattoo on the man's shoulder. It was shaped like a fan, half white and half red. Naruto had seen the symbol on the scabbard of the katana that Sasuke kept over his mantle. Naruto frowned. A mark of fealty? Or simply a clan association? He had noted the slight deference that the older man had shown Sasuke. If Sasuke were the acting head of the family, then that would make sense. But surely that would fall to either Sasuke's parents or - if they were dead - to Itachi as the elder.
Naruto's speculation was interrupted as he sensed rather than saw Sasuke's concentration sharpen further. Sasuke drew his sword in a fluid arc. Shisui anticipated the move, and lifted his own sword to counter, but in a move Naruto wasn't quite able to discern, Sasuke altered the momentum of his katana by turning his wrists and twisting. Shisui only had time for his eyes to widen before his own sword was wrenched from his grasp. Sasuke stopped the arc of the blade at the surface of Shisui's throat. Even a tenth of a millimeter more and the pressure of the sharp edge of the blade would have drawn blood. The precision of the motion was almost as exquisite as the threat of death that it carried.
Naruto's body instinctively pulsed with adrenaline at the display of strength and skill. Even though he knew that Shisui had restricted himself to only using moves that this specialized fighting style contained, there was no denying the lethal abilities Sasuke had displayed. He had not pulled back until the very last instant in the kill strike. Naruto felt his lust spike as he watched Sasuke stoically sheath his katana in a practiced motion.
He grinned ferally. Who would have thought his little princess was so lethal.
Shisui watched expressionlessly as Sasuke sheathed his katana before reaching down to pick up his own. "I see Itachi hasn't quite abandoned all the family traditions."
Sasuke smirked. "No. He still insists on training me."
"Have you beat him yet?"
Sasuke looked over and saw Naruto standing quietly in the door.
Shisui laughed as he noticed that Sasuke had failed to answer his question. He could safely assume the answer was 'no'.
-xXx-
to be continued...
Someone dies in the next chapter! Any bets on who? (BriEva is barred from betting, as she has top-secret insider information LOL)
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Deception - COMPLETE