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
- 14
- 15
- 16
Warning: Hard Yaoi (Boy x Boy) Sex, mental disorders, language, etc. Not appropriate for young readers. 18+
Author's note - Hopefully none of you forgot Naruto in the opening chapter... and his freak-out. And I'm fast with this one! Right? Less than a week! And really long. Though I cheated since the previous chapter was late and I had written most of this before then. This chapter was jointly written with BriEva. Kudos to her for helping me! Itachi, Shikamaru and Gaara are in this chapter... my three favorites, so I am REALLY excited.
-xXx-
Sasuke could hear muffled voices talking outside his room, but he wasn't focusing on what they were saying as he drifted between awake and asleep.
"And why was Mr. Uzumaki in an adjoining room to your brother, Mr. Uchiha?"
"Shisui and Naruto were in charge of Sasuke's security at the event. I'm sure you heard about the bomb that was placed in my brother's car recently?"
"Yes, Mr. Uchiha."
"Then you understand why we were taking precautions. Shisui has worked with our family for years before we came to the US, so Sasuke asked him to fly over and help. Naruto was referred to us by Orochimaru to work as Sasuke's personal security after he had received some threatening photographs."
"So that's why they had adjoining rooms?"
"It wouldn't do much good to have security that was on another floor."
The content of the conversation was slowly penetrating Sasuke's consciousness. That was Itachi's voice.
"Of course, sir. So Mr. Uzumaki was employed by Mr. Sanin?"
"Yes. It is my understanding that he has been working for Mr. Sanin as some sort of security consultant for at least the past month, though I do not know the details."
"Do you know why Mr. Sanin would have been in Mr. Uzumaki's room with a gun?"
"I have no idea. I find the entire situation shocking."
"We'll need to take a statement from your cousin, the other Mr. Uchiha. Officer O'Mally will be with you in a minute. Once Mr. Uzumaki is treated, we'll be taking his statement down at the station."
Sasuke shifted slightly and bit back a groan at the ache in his neck. Why was he in bed, and why did his neck and head hurt so much?
"Get the gurney. The hotel has asked us to take the body down the service elevator and out the back to not alarm the guests."
Another voice reached Sasuke through the walls. "I don't need to go to a fucking hospital! How many times do I have to tell you that it's just a graze and they can treat me in the back of the ambulance. I'll go down to the station and answer whatever questions you want. But I am NOT going to the hospital. The EMTs can document whatever medical stuff you need from me."
Sasuke's eyes flew open as everything flooded back on him. Naruto. And Orochimaru. He had killed Orochimaru, and those were police outside his room door. How the hell had he gotten back into his room? He sat up and looked down at himself, expecting to still be covered in blood. But everything was clean.
Had he dreamed it?
There was no one in the room with him. Naruto's voice had come from the hallway. Following the sound of Naruto arguing with someone about whether or not he could walk, Sasuke opened his door and looked out onto a scene of chaos. Itachi was talking to a police officer who was frantically scribbling down notes. Shisui was talking to another officer off to one side. Police and men wearing black shirts with 'forensics' written in large block white letters were just entering Naruto's hotel room which was marked off with yellow police tape that said 'crime scene'. A man who appeared to be the hotel manager was standing off to one side wringing his hands.
But what drew Sasuke's attention were the two medics trying to force Naruto onto a gurney, his arm wrapped in white gauze with blood showing through.
"Naruto, what happened?" Sasuke was halfway to Naruto when Itachi grabbed his arm. A panicked look flashed across Naruto's face.
"Sasuke," Itachi's voice was low and urgent, and carried a warning that Sasuke didn't understand but made him pause. Something was not making sense. The elder Uchiha turned back to the officer who had been interviewing him. "Officer, please excuse me for one moment while I see to my brother." The officer looked about to protest when Itachi froze him with a forceful stare. "This will come as quite a shock to him. He might still be disoriented from his illness."
"Itachi -" Naruto's voice carried a panicked warning.
"I've got it, Naruto. You just get your wound tended to. I'll meet you at the station." Itachi then turned to look at the officer in charge of the crime scene. "I wish to be present when Mr. Uzumaki is interviewed. Given that he is an employee of my family, I want to be fully apprised of everything to ensure that he is treated fairly and nothing gets misconstrued."
The police officer opened his mouth to object, but re-evaluated that decision when he saw the cold look in the assistant district attorney's eyes. "Very well," he said grudgingly. "But just remember that you don't have jurisdiction here. This is not Manhattan. You will be allowed to sit in as a courtesy only."
Itachi gave a short nod. "You may consider me Mr. Uzumaki's attorney, if that helps matters." Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but Itachi tightened his grip on his brother's arm, likely leaving a bruise.
"It will only be a moment while I check on my brother and let him know of the situation. Since he was asleep, he will have nothing to add to the investigation. I'll just see him settled back in his room then will join you at the police station."
. . . .
Itachi all but shoved Sasuke through the door to his hotel room and closed it behind them.
Sasuke immediately spun around, breaking free of Itachi's bruising hold. "What the fuck is going on? Why is Naruto bleeding, and why aren't the police wanting to talk to me about the fact that I -"
Itachi's hand clamped over Sasuke's mouth. "Stop talking," he said, his voice low so as to not be overheard. "Let me explain exactly what happened. Naruto's drink was drugged. He realized it and found Shisui, thinking it could be a ploy to leave you unprotected during dinner. Shisui went back to find you, but you had already left, presumable to come here. I received a text from your phone that you were feeling unwell and would not be able to attend dinner, asking me to send Shisui up to you. I was informed that you had a migraine and had taken some sleep medication. Sometime when you were sleeping, apparently Orochimaru slipped into Naruto's room and shot him. It only grazed him, and Naruto was able to grab your katana and defend himself, unfortunately killing Mr. Sanin. Shisui and I heard the confrontation from your room, and went to Naruto's room and discovered what had happened. This is the story that Naruto, Shisui and I have all told the police."
Sasuke felt disbelief overwhelm him. Itachi was an assistant fucking district attorney... he could not possibly be willing to go along with this. He would kill the blond for his part in this later, but... "Itachi, you can't let Naruto -"
"There is a very good chance he won't even be charged, Sasuke. His case for self-defense is much stronger than yours. Orochimaru was in his room to kill him. They have already taken samples from the potted plant where Naruto dumped his drink downstairs. They will find traces of the drug. The hotel security cameras will show Orochimaru entering Naruto's room with a key he likely stole from one of the maids. The gun has only his fingerprints on it, and they will surely be able to trace it back to him once they run the serial numbers and find out how he got it. It was a pre-meditated murder attempt. Naruto was injured, making the threat to his life imminent and proven. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't even be a question of Naruto's innocence."
Sasuke just stared at his brother, hearing him rationalize this.
"The only question is whether Naruto's past association with Nagato will make him automatically suspect. But I am going to try to use all my influence to make sure that doesn't happen. Do you know why Orochimaru wanted to kill Naruto?"
Sasuke felt the surreal nature of his last conversation with the dead man flood back to him. "For me. This whole thing is because of me, Itachi. He didn't want Naruto and me to be in a relationship. I never realized how obsessed he was. I have to -"
Itachi grabbed Sasuke's arm as he took a step towards the door. "Sasuke, if you go out there and tell them a different version of events, we will all end up in jail, including Naruto. It's called accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence... take your pick."
"Did you make him do this?" Sasuke bit out. "To save my precious fucking career?"
Itachi just raised a brow. "When I arrived in your room, he had already knocked you out and was stripping you of your clothes so he could put them on himself."
Sasuke remembered Naruto's gentle touch as he told him he was sorry... evidently just before he fucking knocked me out. Sasuke's anger surged, then abruptly was replaced by icy fear when he remembered something Naruto had told him earlier. "That idiot," Sasuke realized his hands were shaking. "Oh, god, Itachi... do you have any idea what he's done?"
Itachi looked steadily at him. "Look, I told you, Sasuke. It is very unlikely that he will be charged."
Sasuke let out a hollow laugh. "If Naruto went to jail, he'd just have a party with Hidan and Dei. That's not what worries me. Naruto's face will be all over the six o'clock news. Orochimaru was a prominent citizen."
The counselor frowned, "Well, of course he will be in the news. It's annoying but -"
"Itachi... Naruto has been in hiding from the serial killer who murdered his parents. Orochimaru had threatened to put his face all over the news if he didn't play along. That was his leverage over Naruto." Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "Looks like he was able to carry out his threat even after dying."
Itachi's temper warred with his worry for the blond, but he kept his voice at a whisper, aware of the officers just outside their door. "What did you think was going to happen, Sasuke? You could have just disabled him. I know you have the skill. What were you thinking? Even if you had been the one arrested, Naruto would have been dragged into it, since it was in his room."
Sasuke looked at his brother, and Itachi knew he was suffering. The guilt was painful in his black eyes. "I didn't have a choice, Itachi. I didn't think Naruto would knock me out and try to take the blame! Orochimaru made it clear that he was going to kill Naruto eventually. He really believed that he had bribed enough police and judges that he'd get away with it. Because of who Naruto was," Sasuke's face hardened. "And he was probably right."
Itachi felt his stomach clench at his brother's words. He had hoped that somehow killing Orochimaru had been an accident... that Sasuke had been under a direct threat or had panicked or that somehow Orochimaru had moved unexpectedly and impaled himself on Sasuke's sword. But it was clear that Sasuke had calmly thought about it and made a calculated decision to kill the man who was threatening his lover. "We could have arrested him for attempted murder, Sasuke. You didn't have to take it this far."
"You know that's bullshit, Itachi. You of all people know that. Men like Orochimaru don't go to jail. Naruto would have been killed, and it would have been my fault for not acting when I had the chance. There was a clear threat to someone's life. I would have beaten the charge. Naruto didn't have to fucking step in like this."
"You know why he did it, Sasuke. It's not just the risk of jail for you. Even if you were acquitted, your career would have been over. Naruto is trying to salvage your life for you." At the cost of maybe his own. And I let him.
Itachi drew a breath. He knew that there was a difference between the law and justice. Was it right to kill Orochimaru before he could kill Naruto, when he had made is intent plain? Yes. Was it legal? No.
But Sasuke was his brother.
It didn't change the fact that he was doing the exact same thing that Itachi put people in jail for doing. The same thing, in fact, that his parents had done. He wouldn't excuse it. In then end, he would do whatever he had to for his brother. And find a way to live with the consequences.
Itachi could see the resolve forming in Sasuke's face, likely to go out and confess the truth to the officers standing just outside the door.
"He'll be on the news no matter what, Sasuke. More so if the sordid details of why Orochimaru was trying to kill him and the real nature of the death get out. It will be bad enough that the weapon was unusual, but if it appears to be a straight-forward case of self-defense, it won't make the national news. Add it a gay sex scandal with a public official, and it will take it to a whole other level of media frenzy. If you get involved in any way, the truth of your relationship with him will come out."
Sasuke's fists clenched. There was no way of getting control on this situation. His brother's career would be over if the truth came out now. And Itachi was right, the scandal would only be worse, and therefore so would the publicity.
"At least let me go with Naruto while he gets his wound checked out," Sasuke said trying to force himself to think clearly about this situation that had spiraled out of control. He needed to be with Naruto.
"No."
Itachi put up his hand as Sasuke started to protest. "Right now we need to minimize the scandal and suspicion, for Naruto's sake and yours. If you go anywhere near him, people will pick up on your relationship and the media drama will spread like wildfire. It will complicate the investigation, and put Naruto at even more risk. Right now, he is an employee of yours who was defending himself. It's not that interesting of a story. Let's keep it that way. You cannot be seen with him in public until he has been cleared."
"Itachi -" Sasuke felt an almost visceral need to be with Naruto. "How serious is his wound?"
"Shisui is an expert marksman. He just barely grazed Naruto. Enough that he can claim he was shot, but he hardly requires medical treatment. He should be able to talk himself out of going to the hospital. It just needs to be documented that he was shot to substantiate the claim of self-defense."
Sasuke nodded, slowly seeing the plan that Naruto had laid out. It shouldn't surprise him. After all, eliminating or altering crime scenes seemed to have been a pretty large part of Naruto's past job. He likely knew all the ins and outs of forensics, and how to pull this off. He was going to have to trust that Naruto knew what he was doing.
He wished he could conjure Orochimaru back from the dead just to kill him all over for causing this much trouble.
As the door closed behind Itachi, Sasuke picked up his phone.
"Suigetsu. I have a job for you. Timing is critical."
-xXx-
Itachi sat next to Naruto in the interrogation room at the police station. So far, he had been content to play the role of passive observer. The police had grilled Naruto about his work with Orochimaru, his history with Nagato, and his employment with Sasuke. In general, Naruto had stuck to the truth. He knew his records from Manhattan would be accessible, so he hadn't bothered to lie that he had worked for Nagato as his security, and that Orochimaru had hired him when all charges against Naruto had been dropped. He said he'd worked as a messenger and a bodyguard for Orochimaru in order to pay off his debts, and when Sasuke had been threatened, Orochimaru had sent Naruto to work there.
They had been impressed to hear about the bomb (and called the police involved to verify that Naruto had in fact been helpful). Itachi knew that police spent a lot of time with people... criminals, victims, and bystanders. The good cops could spot a lie or a story from a mile away. And Naruto wasn't that good of a liar.
But it ended up working in their favor. When they questioned Naruto as to why Orochimaru would want to kill him, Naruto was honestly bewildered. He clearly had no idea, and the police believed him. He didn't try to make something up, and he didn't evade the question.
"So what exactly happened after you went in your room?"
"I didn't know what had been put in my drink, so I went to the bathroom and made myself throw up. I was still feeling dizzy, and I was concerned that someone would use the opportunity to do something to Sasuke, so I took a cold shower to try to clear my head so I could go help Shisui. I came out of the shower and..." Naruto paused, the image of Sasuke slicing through Orochimaru's neck coming back on him. He swallowed as the guilt crashed over him again. "... and.. a bullet hit the door frame just above my head. Orochimaru was there, and the katana..." Naruto took a steadying breath. He needed to be more articulate. But he couldn't help wondering how Sasuke was dealing with having killed someone. Whether he was upset, or hating Naruto for having dragged him into something like this. Anguish filled the easy-to-read blue eyes.
The officer's face gentled, interpreting Naruto's guilt as guilt for killing in self-defense. As far as the police records showed, Naruto had never killed anyone. "Take your time. It's not your fault. We found the bullet-hole above the bathroom door. So far everything you've said checks out. If someone were coming at me with a gun, I'd grab whatever was handy to defend myself, too."
Naruto smiled wanly. Sometimes not having a good poker face paid off. "I... I don't know exactly what happened after that. I grabbed the sword and the gun went off..." Naruto brushed his hand over the bandage on his arm unconsciously.
"You were lucky the bullet only grazed you," the cop said, clearly on Naruto's side at this point.
"If the sword hadn't caught his wrist, I'd be dead," Naruto said, his mind going back again to the blank look on Sasuke's face.
Itachi felt himself relax fractionally. Things were going well. One mistake and it would have meant a lengthy and expensive trial. And more importantly, Itachi would have had to face the consequences of letting an innocent man take the fall for his brother. If Naruto were to be formally charged... Itachi didn't want to make that choice.
The two officers took a few more notes, then stood. "Well, Mr. Uzumaki. As of right now, you are free to go. Will you still be working with Mr. Uchiha?"
Naruto looked at Itachi, not sure what to say. "Yes," Itachi answered smoothly. "We are fully convinced of Mr. Uzumaki's innocence in this matter, and would not penalize him by taking away his means of employment. He will be reachable at my brother's address if you have any further questions."
"Very good. We would ask that you don't leave town, Mr. Uzumaki, until forensics has confirmed your story. We will need you to leave your clothing here as evidence. We have called the hotel, and they are sending over some items from your room to change into. Assuming everything checks out, we won't be pressing charges on this matter. Though the lack of motive is a bit concerning."
Naruto nodded, and said honestly, "I still can hardly believe that he did this. It just... doesn't make sense."
When the exited the police station, the press was swarming. Itachi stood by Naruto, simply stating that Naruto had been released after being questioned, and all evidence pointed to it being self-defense. Mindful of what Sasuke had said, Itachi tried to minimize their time in front of the cameras without making it look like they had something to hide.
. . . . .
Itachi called Sasuke and gave him a quick update as they drove back into the city, careful not to say too much over the phone in case the calls were being monitored.
Itachi dropped Naruto off, with a final warning to avoid being seen in public with Sasuke for a few days, when hopefully the media attention would die down.
"Aren't you coming up with me?" Naruto asked, not quite sure it was a good idea for him to be alone with Sasuke right now.
Itachi smirked. "I have a feeling Sasuke would rather discuss a few things with you privately. It's late. I'll come by in the morning, and we can all talk then."
Naruto looked at the clock in Itachi's car, and realized it was past two in the morning. "Um... ok, then. I guess I'll... just see you tomorrow."
Itachi raised an eyebrow at Naruto's clear show of nerves. "You can't run away now, Naruto. The police are going to be calling you over the next couple of days. You need to stay with Sasuke, or they will begin to dig deeper."
Naruto nodded, though hesitantly. "Thanks. I didn't mean to have you dragged in, Itachi. I had hoped you'd just send Shisui, so you'd be able to keep your hands clean."
Itachi didn't say anything for a minute. "Sasuke is my brother. Everything else comes second."
Naruto wondered what that kind of bond felt like. Then he thought about Gaara. "Yeah," Naruto said softly. "Brotherhood matters more."
Not noticing the suddenly speculative look that Itachi sent him, Naruto got out of the car and headed into Sasuke's building. Jugo simply nodded at him as he went up.
Naruto wondered just how pissed off Sasuke was going to be.
. . . .
Sasuke was pacing back and forth in his living room when the chime of the elevator sounded. He had sent Shisui out to help Suigetsu, but neither man had contacted him yet. Sasuke stopped while the doors opened, his eyes roving over Naruto as the younger man stepped almost hesitantly from the elevator.
They looked at each other for a moment. Naruto tried to read the expression on Sasuke's face and failed.
"They... um... let me go. Itachi told you, right?"
Sasuke nodded curtly.
"So... how are you doing?" Naruto asked after another awkward pause.
"Well, I wasn't the one who was shot, now was I?" Sasuke said, his voice emotionless. "Of course, someone did knock me out. Is that why you're worried? I'm not going to press charges."
Naruto had been midway taking off his shoes, but stopped at the sound of the underlying anger that was in Sasuke's voice.
"I didn't... I didn't think you'd press charges. Though I guess you could. But it would be a bit awkward explaining the circumstances of your injury."
"Awkward. Yes, I suppose that's one way of putting it. Although given that it would lead to my brother getting disbarred, and the three of you in jail for various felonies, awkward is probably not the best word for it."
Naruto drew a breath. Fuck. He should have known Sasuke was going to be difficult about this.
"Sasuke," Naruto began again. "I'm sorry... none of this was supposed to happen. I am trying to make it right, but I know it's all my fault. I should have left when Shisui came, but I just -"
"Shut up," Sasuke fisted his hand into the front of Naruto's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "Who gave you the right to make that choice for me? I'm the one who killed him. I'm the one who should have been brought down to the station. Orochimaru was there because of me, not you. I'm not going to let you use this as an excuse to run away or paint a bull's eye on your back. You fucking idiot."
Naruto opened his mouth as his brain tried to think up a reply, but Sasuke simply crushed their mouths together and cut off any words that might have formed. The pale hands were almost frenzied in their haste to remove Naruto's shirt and unbuckle his pants. The shirt pulled slightly on the bandage around Naruto's arm, and the blond hissed slightly at the pain.
Sasuke drew his head back enough to look at the bandage, his fingertips running almost tenderly over the wound it covered before wrenching Naruto flush against him again.
Not five minutes ago, Naruto had thought he was too tired and too stressed for sex, but he almost came as Sasuke unzipped his pants and roughly slid his hand inside to close around Naruto's achingly hard erection.
"Sasuke, please," Naruto said, his own fingers now ripping the button off Sasuke's trousers and jerking them down.
They barely made it to the bedroom where the lube and condoms were before Sasuke was slamming into Naruto. They screamed their releases together only minutes later, with no control or finesse, just a blinding need to be together.
Naruto lay on the bed, gasping for breath, one sock still dangling from his foot.
Sasuke was laying on his back, looking at the ceiling. "I'm not going to let you leave me over this."
There were a million reasons that flashed through Naruto's head on why staying made no sense. "Sasuke -"
"No, Naruto. Just no. If you leave me because you're bored of this, then fine. But don't leave because you're afraid. That's just bullshit."
Naruto looked over at his lover. He cared about this man. There was no point in denying it now. It mattered to Naruto what happened to Sasuke. "I'm not going to be responsible for destroying your life, Sasuke. Don't make me live with that guilt. I won't do it."
"We can figure this out, Naruto. Just don't run away."
Naruto swallowed, closing his eyes and imagining for a moment that he actually could do what Sasuke was asking him to.
"I won't leave you because of Orochimaru." It was all Naruto could offer. Sasuke didn't blame Naruto for Orochimaru's death and Sasuke's part in it. He still felt guilty that he had pulled Sasuke into something so sordid, but evidently Sasuke was handling it. Better than Naruto had after his first kill, actually. But that wasn't the biggest risk, and they both new it. "But, Sasuke, I won't stay and put you at risk if things get worse."
Sasuke lay still, not acknowledging the second part of what Naruto had said, though he understood its meaning. He felt like he was losing him... that no matter what he did, Naruto was slipping through his fingers.
-xXx-
The next morning, Itachi called to say that the police had a few follow-up questions for Naruto and would be coming by Itachi's office later that day to talk with both of them. Itachi wanted Naruto to come early so they could discuss how to answer the questions. Sasuke was told in no uncertain terms to stay home.
Sasuke was annoyed, but knew the reason for it. It was important for him to be removed from Naruto and this investigation in the public eye.
Naruto sighed. "Why does it have to be at his office?"
Sasuke smirked. "Scared?"
Naruto smirked back. "Let's just say that courthouses don't hold the fondest memories for me."
But in the end, Naruto went. Sasuke offered to call him a taxi, but with traffic Naruto preferred to just take the subway.
Naruto heard the call for his stop and stepped off the train with the press of fellow passengers. He hadn't gone two steps when he felt a sharp pressure at the base of his spine, and a soft voice spoke, cold lips brushing his ear, "So nice to see you again, my little fox." A breath of laughter whispered along his neck, laced with a hint of madness. "I saw you on the news yesterday, and just had to say hello. It's been far too long."
Everything began to spin as Naruto felt himself drowning in a rush of panic, and his vision blurred as images of his past collided and merged with images of the present.
That voice.
He would never as long as he lived, escape the nightmare of that voice. Instinctively, Naruto reached for the knife in his pocket, but it wasn't there. "I wouldn't move if I were you," the sing-song voice warned, a piercing sensation in Naruto's lower back accompanying the warning.
Naruto felt a warm wetness leaking from where the first blade had been inserted in his spine. Two bladed fingers followed the flow of blood almost as a caress before they, too, pierced his body. Any more pressure and they would sever his spinal cord. Naruto clenched his teeth as the scent of blood and the sound of that voice flooded through him. He knew without being able to turn and look that the hand pressed into his back bore a glove with five long razor blades attached, one over each finger like claws. Just as he knew the face of the black-haired man who wielded them.
The childhood name he had heard for the killer surfaced to his mind, even though he had long ago learned that was not his real name. "Kyuubi," he whispered.
The whispered laughter came again, almost gleeful. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me. But I am not using that name here." The final bladed finger drove in as the voice turned playful. "I'll see you soon. We have things to discuss."
Naruto felt a brush against his back pocket, then the pressure on his spine was released. Naruto staggered and fell to his knees on the platform, the throngs of people flowing past him and ebbing away. One or two stopped to ask him if he were ok, but Naruto didn't hear them. His head was filled with the screams from a night more than a decade ago, his ears no longer tuned to the present. Naruto's ingrained sense of self-preservation screamed at him to move.
Why hadn't he killed me? Naruto's body was shaking as he tried to force himself to stand up and protect himself. Save his parents. They needed him. The faces around him seemed to blur together, the language they were speaking seemed foreign. Where was he?
He had been so close. Why hadn't Naruto had a knife? Naruto knew somehow there was a reason, but he couldn't remember it. The wasted second he had spent reaching for it had lost him the opportunity. He could have killed him. Finally, he'd had a chance. But all he had been able to do was stand there. Again. Even if it had meant a severed spine, it would have been worth it. To see him finally dead.
"Gaara," Naruto whispered, wishing he had the power to summon his friend to him. His eyes focused somewhat as he realized that he had to get out of the open. He was wounded and basically a sitting duck. The man had said he'd be back, and just because he'd been allowed to live for the moment didn't mean that was a permanent decision.
Naruto forced himself to his feet despite the numbness in his body, glad to find it still responded to his commands. At least the blades hadn't penetrated deep enough to knick the spine.
He stumbled up the steps out of the subway, not sure where he was going. He had no cell phone, but he needed to make a call. Who could he call? Not his parents. Gaara? No, he had no way to reach him. He staggered into the first building he came to, not even registering what it was. His eyes didn't seem to be able to process anything, as scenes from his past continued to merged unpredictably with what his eyes were telling him was real. There was a security desk. His mother's bleeding body on the sidewalk. Metal detectors. A mocking voice, sick with pleasure. He reached back and touched his lower back. His hand came away red. His father's blood on the blades of the glove.
He saw a sign for the restrooms, and walked blindly towards it. He could hide there, he'd be able to see him coming from there. This time he would be ready. He would kill him. Was he still too late? His father. His mother. He looked down at the blood on his hands. Was it his? Theirs?
He felt eyes on him, not sure they were real or not. Somewhere in his mind he knew he was having an episode. It always happened when he was seriously injured, unless Gaara was with him. Gaara was the only one who could pull him back. But Gaara wasn't here. He needed him to tell him what was real. Gaara always knew.
"Naruto."
Was someone calling his name? With a slow, dizzy spin, Naruto realized he had made it to the men's room. He felt a hand grip his shoulder, and he spun on instinct, grabbing the man's hand. He heard the man's thumb dislocate with a pop while his free hand gripped the man's throat as he threw him across the room, the adrenaline that was pumping through his body blinding him to the pain the motion caused his injury, or the fresh wash of blood that ran down his lower back. He heard the man grunt as he hit the wall with a thud.
Naruto's whole body was shaking, whether from fear or blood loss he wasn't certain. He took a step towards the still figure, then paused. He felt like he was watching the events from outside his body
"Naruto!"
The voice again. It wasn't the same one from the subway.
"Naruto, why are your hands full of blood?" The voice was calm. Almost soothing. He'd heard it before.
Who was talking? Naruto tried to concentrate on the person he had thrown. Was this a face from the present or an illusion from his past? The black-haired man wasn't getting up, but he didn't look injured. Black hair... but it was longer than the man who'd hurt him. This man seemed to just be sitting… not attacking. Naruto knew this person. Trusted him.
"Naruto. I'm calling Sasuke. It's ok."
Sasuke? He didn't want Sasuke to be hurt.
"Gaara. Get Gaara," Naruto countered, his voice sounding strange to his ears. Why did it sound so far away?
"I don't know who that is. Naruto, can you tell me how to contact him?"
Naruto just looked at him. There was no way for him to contact Gaara. He already knew that, right?
"Naruto, you're ok. We'll get you help."
The man kept using his name. If Naruto could just get his eyes to focus on his face, he'd know him. Why couldn't he focus? An image flickered across Naruto's mind. An empty street. His parents. So much blood.
Naruto pressed his back against the wall. He heard the man talking rapidly into his phone. Why were they speaking English? Wasn't he in Japan?
After a few minutes, another man entered the room. Naruto tensed up. He didn't know this new man. Naruto flexed his knees, his hands coming up instinctively to defend against an attack as the man with the spiked ponytail ran towards the man Naruto had thrown.
"Itachi. Oh my god, are you ok?" Ponytail bent to help the man on the floor.
"Sit down, Shikamaru. The blood's not mine. All I have is a dislocated thumb. Naruto's been injured. I grabbed his shoulder. He didn't know who I was when he attacked me. Sasuke's on his way, but Naruto is asking for someone named Gaara."
Shikamaru shook his head indicating that he also didn't know who that was.
Shikamaru had seen Itachi leaning against the wall with a blood-smeared throat and assumed the worst. He had just finished testifying in one of Itachi's cases, and luckily hadn't left the building when he got a call from the councilor.
Shikamaru took a step back from Naruto with his hands raised to show he was no threat and slowly sat next to Itachi. He had studied the outburst in the holding cell, and was fairly confident that the blond would only attack if he felt threatened.
"Naruto. My name is Shikamaru. I'm a friend of Itachi's," Shikamaru said, his voice almost sounding bored. He was no threat to Naruto.
"Itachi," Naruto said the name slowly, confusion slowly melting into recognition as he looked at the man he had thrown. He knew this man. He wasn't afraid of him. "Sorry."
Itachi nodded, and shifted to a more comfortable seating position now that it was clear Naruto was regaining some form of control. "It's ok. No harm done."
"Naruto," Shikamaru said, his voice carefully free of all stress, sounding casual. "Do you know where you are?"
"Um... I was... in the alley... going... my parents..." panic started to build as the memories flashed back. He reached for his stomach, expecting to find it bleeding. "Fuck..."
Shikamaru glanced at Itachi. "He's dissociative. He's having a flashback to a different event."
Itachi nodded. He could tell that Naruto was going in and out of focus. They needed to ascertain how serious the blond's wounds were, but physical examination was not going to be possible at this point. But it didn't seem like they were going to be able to just ask him either.
Shit. Sasuke's going to kill me if I let his boyfriend bleed to death in my office, Itachi sighed mentally as Shikamaru kept a calm dialogue with Naruto, having him describe the bathroom, what he was wearing, and other simple things. Naruto was able to focus as long as Shikamaru didn't start discussing what had happened to him. As soon as they got near that topic, Naruto would seize up.
This was taking too long. They needed to be able to ascertain the severity of his wounds. Itachi flipped open his phone. There was one other person he could call.
"Hello?"
"This is Itachi Uchiha. May I speak with Dr. Haruno?"
"Speaking," the voice on the other line immediately tensed. "Is everything ok?"
Itachi hesitated. "I was wondering if you happened to have the contact information for Gaara?"
"Oh my god, what's happened to Naruto?" Sakura's voice was panicked. Naruto would never have used Gaara's name unless it was an emergency.
"That's what we're trying to figure out. He's been injured, and he's having some sort of flashback."
"Damnit, Naruto!" Sakura's voice sounded worried, despite the angry tone of her words. "Where is he?"
"We're at the courthouse. He's asking for Gaara. Do you know who that is?"
"Gaara is Naruto's best friend. But he doesn't have a phone. He's the only one who can bring Naruto fully out of these episodes. But they usually only trigger if he's severely wounded."
"He appears to be bleeding, but I don't think the wound is severe."
"How can you tell? Where is the wound?"
"I don't know. But he picked me up and threw me across the room when I touched his shoulder and it didn't seem to faze him."
"That doesn't mean anything. He ran out of my ER with three broken ribs, a concussion and severe internal bleeding the first time I met him. I'm about forty minutes away. He should have snapped out of it by then and I will be able to treat his wounds. If there is any way he can wait, then just stay there until it passes. If he loses consciousness, just take him to the nearest hospital and I'll meet you there."
Sakura hung up her cell, worry filled her as she rushed to clock out. She didn't bother taking off her white lab coat that would mean she's have to hang it in her locker. Luckily enough today she wasn't working the ER but was showing the interns around so her coat and scrubs were clean.
As she ran out of the hospital she bumped into her cousin, nearly knocking her over.
"Hey!" Ino complained. "Sakura, what the hell!"
Without even bothering to apologize the pink-haired woman continued her mad dash towards the exit. Memories of the few times she witnessed Naruto's flashbacks filled her mind as she hails a cab. Unconsciously, she raises a hand to her throat from remembering the time he nearly strangled her. If Gaara hadn't been there...
Gaara, she thought desperately with a clench of her teeth. Even if by the time I get there Naruto will be out of it…there's no telling what he might do before then.

With that in mind Sakura reached into her medical bag to the hidden pocket and pulled out the disposable phone with Kiba's and Kakashi's number saved in it. They had to find Gaara.
. . .
Itachi hung up and slowly rolled his shoulders, ascertaining that he hadn't received any injuries when he hit the wall. His thumb hurt like a bitch, but it was manageable. He slowly pulled it up and let it pop back into place, gritting his teeth against the pain. If Sasuke lucked out with the subway and didn't take his car, it should only take him fifteen minutes to get here. It had been at least five already.
Naruto and Shikamaru were still talking. Itachi focused back on what they were saying.
"That's right. We're in New York. Do you know what this building is?"
Naruto hesitated. "I... I didn't check when I came in. There were metal detectors. Lots of security. Government building."
"That's right. We're at the courthouse."
Shikamaru was able to keep up the non-threatening conversation while Itachi watched the slow drips of blood hit the floor at the blond's feet. As long as the pace of bleeding seemed slow, he wouldn't call 911. Shikamaru asked Naruto to tell him what color the wall was behind him, and succeeded in getting him to turn around, and they were able to see the large red patch in his shirt. Five narrow cuts in the fabric were visible as well.
The door flew open and Naruto spun to face the source of the noise. Sasuke walked in out of breath, his eyes moving between Itachi and Naruto. He took a step towards Itachi, a panicked look on his face at the sight of the blood on his throat.
"It's not mine, little brother. Naruto's been stabbed in the back. Literally. I think it was the person Hidan was warning him about."
Sasuke turned to Naruto, his eyes frantically running over the blond's body looking for the injury.
"Don't go near him," Shikamaru warned.
Sasuke could see Naruto's hands shaking. "Naruto," Sasuke said taking a step towards him.
"Sasuke," Shikamaru's voice sharpened in warning. "He can't recognize you right now. If you approach him, he'll view you as a threat."
"He's bleeding. We don't know how serious the wound is. I'm not going to wait until he passes out from blood loss to fucking find out."
"He threw Itachi across the room. If you trigger another flashback, he could hurt you."
Naruto's eyes had been locked on Sasuke's, but the flickered to Itachi at the mention of the man's name.
"Itachi," Naruto said, his eyes darted over to where Itachi was calmly sitting on the floor next to Shikamaru.
"Fuck, I didn't mean to... I didn't know it was -"
"Naruto, I'm fine," Itachi repeated, seeing Naruto's distress level rising.
"You're bleeding," Naruto said.
"No. I'm not bleeding, Naruto," Itachi said, careful to keep his voice calm.
"I think that is your blood on Itachi, Naruto," Sasuke said, matching Itachi's tone and bringing the blue gaze back to him.
"Sasuke?" Naruto said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Yes, Naruto. I'm here," Sasuke could feel Naruto's gaze focusing on him. Becoming more grounded. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Shikamaru slanted a glance at Sasuke, feeling that the topic was too risky. But Naruto nodded slowly.
"My back. He... he stabbed me in my back."
"Who?" Sasuke asked keeping his gaze locked on Naruto's and ignoring Shikamaru's kick to his ankle for pushing too fast.
"Fuck..." Naruto's eyes grew panicked. "You guys need to get out of here. You need to stay the hell away from me."
"We lost him," Shikamaru said, frustration tingeing his voice.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, which were still locked on the blue gaze. "No. He's warning us. He's not flashing back. He's remembering. Right Naruto?"
Naruto kept his eyes locked on Sasuke like a lifeline. He slowly nodded.
"Naruto, I've called Sakura. She'll be here in less than half an hour now. She's trying to get a hold of Gaara," Itachi said. Sasuke didn't let his gaze shift from Naruto, but Itachi could sense his brother's question, and addressed it. "Naruto was asking for someone named Gaara. Sakura said he's the only one who is able to bring Naruto out of an episode when he's seriously injured."
"Sakura's coming?" Naruto asked, following their conversation, his eyes still on Sasuke's. "Fucking hell. She's going to kick my ass."
Itachi smirked, wiggling his sore thumb. "Serves you right."
"Naruto," Sasuke took another step towards him. "I want to just check your wound. You were stabbed in the back. If it hit your kidney, you could bleed out."
Naruto tensed. "Sasuke... I don't... I don't always have control. I'm pretty sure I'm ok. He was just... reminding me."
Sasuke felt a ball of ice form in his stomach. "It was him... the man who killed your parents."
Shikamaru blew out an annoyed breath. "The objective when someone is flashing is to keep them focused in the present, not talk about the fucking event that set them off in the first place."
Naruto let out a nervous laugh. "You're a shrink I take it."
"Yeah," Shikamaru said, sounding bored again, hiding his surprise at how lucid Naruto was suddenly seeming.
"I hate doctors. Especially shrinks."
Shikamaru smirked. "Me, too."
Sasuke had reached Naruto, but hadn't touched him yet. "Naruto, I'm going to lift up your shirt so I can see the wound, ok?"
Naruto looked into Sasuke's steady gaze, feeling the panic and disorientation slowly ebbing away. "Ok."
Naruto stepped away from the wall as Sasuke lifted his shirt. Fury pumped through Sasuke's body and he had to physically hold himself back from punching into the tile wall. "That fucker," Sasuke hissed.
Naruto's back was marked with the exact same pattern of cuts as the scars on his stomach. The deepest one was over the blond's spine, positioned between two vertebra. If Naruto had moved at all, the cut would have severed his spinal cord and paralyzed him.
"Yeah... that pretty much describes him," Naruto said with a shaky laugh. "So... what's the damage?"
"Five small cuts. Not deep enough to hit an organ, but the one over your spine almost put an end to your career as a homicidal maniac."
"Pfft," Naruto snickered, amazed that he could. "So... can we call Sakura and tell her not to come?" Naruto asked hopefully.
Itachi grinned evilly. "Not a chance."
"Are we really going to hang out in the men's room until she gets here?" Naruto asked.
Itachi slowly stood, and Shikamaru did the same. The psychiatrist looked between Sasuke and Naruto, his interest showing.
"He's past the episode now," Shika remarked quietly to Sasuke. Naruto was washing his bloody hands in the sink. They were still shaking, but he could finally control them. "He trusts you to a remarkable degree."
Itachi noticed the way Sasuke's eyes stayed locked on Naruto, even as he acknowledged Shikamaru's statement. Naruto pulled off his shirt and took a damp paper towel and wiped off some of the blood. Sasuke folded up a few sheets and pressed them against the wounds to slow the bleeding.
When they had done all the could, Itachi spoke. "Let's go up to my office. Sakura will be able to treat Naruto there."
The door to the bathroom flew open, and a red-haired man with glass-green eyes stepped in.
Naruto turned, and a wave of relief and something deeper flashed across his face.
"Naruto," the red-haired man ignored the others in the now extremely crowded men's room and crossed quickly to Naruto, taking the blond's chin gently in his fingers and looking into lucid blue eyes. "You're already back," the redhead said, his low, rough voice sounding slightly puzzled. His green eyes scanned the room, fixing on Sasuke's face thoughtfully.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he took a step towards Naruto. "Who are you?" he bit out.
"It's ok... this is Gaara," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, then wincing at the pain as the motion pulled his cuts open again.
Gaara frowned and spun Naruto around, removing the make-shift bandages to reveal the familiar wound pattern.
"I'm going to kill him very slowly when I find him," Gaara said, his voice completely calm and factual as he stared at the wounds on Naruto's back.
No one doubted him.
-xXx-
to be continued...
So my description of Naruto's break is based on a family friend who has PTSD. This was how he described his flashbacks, and how his doctor recommended dealing with him when they triggered. I know there are many flavors and treatment ideas on this topic, but this is just one.
Oh, and Kuubi is not an OC. He is an actual character in the manga just borrowing the name. Hopefully the mask and black hair have let you all figure out who that is, yes? Not actually a demon fox. No magic in this story.
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Deception - COMPLETE