Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Torrid	By : KageKitsuneXXX Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4665 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
A/N: I'm not even going to put on the bunny suit, I'm so late. I'm so sorry, you guys. It's been a rough time, I'm afraid. After the last post, there was a death in my family. So the past couple of weeks have been a combination of coming to terms with it, making the funeral arrangements, and dealing with crazy relatives; while managing some other drama. Even though the story is all wrapped up in a nice bow in my head, I would start typing and just run out of steam before I got through a paragraph. I should take the advice I've received from some of my reviewers and post more sporadically; but the writing has been an excellent distraction as well.
But bah! On a far happier note- even while I've been away, you lovely people have been spoiling me! I have received some amazing fan-art, a fan-ficlet, and now 'Torrid' has trailers! (Squeee). Most of the lovely, lovely gifts I've received can be found on my y! and LJ accounts. To view the trailers, just head to youtube and search 'Torrid NaruSasu', and the two amazing videos should be at the top of the results. Here's to hoping you'll go take a look, and that you'll love them as much as I did. Thanks to everyone who has made a 'Torrid' contribution. Your talent and efforts keeping blowing my proverbial socks off. As a thanks to all the contributors, I named this chapter using a song from one of the trailers, which turns out to be a perfect description of the story as well. (Song: Until We Bleed, Artist: Kleerup ft. Lykke Li)
Last thing, a couple of people were asking me to clarify the setting of the story. It's an AU, as stated, taking place in modern day Japan, no ninja business here. I think Neji's fighting style maybe throwing people off; but Koshijutsu (nerve strikes and such) is a real fighting style that Kishimoto supersized for the manga. Other similarities are just homages to the series.
Please enjoy, I can't wait to hear what you think! I wuv you. X3

Sakura was squirming under her husband's heavy stare. She couldn't understand what could have happened since she left the house earlier that day. Her eyes shifted to the papers in Sasuke's hand, noting the vise-like grip as she tried to swallow her sudden nervousness and communicate with the man glaring daggers at her.
"Sasuke, what's wrong?"
The tight control in his voice was evident as he began to speak. He inclined his head coolly as he lifted the papers up, drawing her attention to them.
"My laptop was broken and I needed to use yours for a little while. Your password was surprisingly easy to determine, Sakura. That's not a very smart thing in this day and age."
Sakura stared wordlessly, her mind moving at warp speed as the myriad of possibilities presented themselves. Her eyes fell once again on the papers before looking up at Sasuke. The cold anger in his eyes made her want to flinch each time.
"You used my computer?" Her voice sounded scared and hollow, even to her own ears. Her pulse was quickening, and she already knew exactly where this conversation was heading.
"I'm afraid I browsed through your messages too. I suppose that was wrong of me, I'm not usually so inquisitive, but I thought I'd make an exception for once." Sasuke started shuffling through the papers, with an idle nonchalance that belied his dangerous aura. "I came across some emails between you and my father. You can imagine how surprised I was, seeing that you two were in such frequent correspondence, and so long before the wedding too. Funny how neither of you mentioned that to me. Why is that, Sakura?"
She remained silent as her breath came in stuttered gasps. Sasuke didn't seem too bothered by her non-responsiveness and slowly began to advance, eyes still trained on the papers. For every step he took forward, she unconsciously took a step or two backward, until her back collided with the partitioning wall, cutting off further retreat.
"I'm confused about a few things. For example, I get the idea that you and my father were negotiating some terms. This is odd to me since you didn't handle the business side of Haruno Pharmaceuticals. Also, you agreed to hand over some pretty crucial information about your family's company- right in the middle of a corporate takeover." Sasuke looked up at his wife, his look being a mixture of mild curiosity and befuddlement. "Now why would you do such a thing? You would have been selling out your family. What were you asking for, Sakura?"
Sakura's hands opened and fisted repeatedly, trying to get her quaking under control. She stared back at her husband and straightened, her chin lifting defiantly in false bravado. "What do you want me to say, Sasuke?"
"I want you to say it." Sasuke's voice was so soft and low; it only served to put her more on edge. "Tell me what you did."
She swallowed convulsively fighting the reflex to run and ensure self-preservation. "I convinced Fugaku-sama to agree to our marriage, providing I gave him some key inside information to acquire my family's company."
Sasuke took a step closer, barely a foot away from his wife. His calm façade was still in place, though Sakura felt her mustered courage already deserting her.
"When you say it like that, it sounds so technical and smooth…even innocent. But let's just call it what it really is, Sakura- you bought me."
Sakura shook her head quickly. "Sasuke, I was only-"
"YOU BOUGHT ME?"
Sakura yelped in fright at Sasuke's sudden movement as the printed emails rained around her like damning confetti. She quavered, certain for a moment that he had hit her, though he had only thrown the sheaf of papers instead. The dark rage surrounding him did not reassure her that he wouldn't get violent eventually. She remained frozen against the wall as Sasuke's barely restrained anger became almost tangible.
"You bought me from my father like I was some sort of cattle?" Sasuke roared, even as he struggled to regain some modicum of control; still he was determined to vent his fury. "This whole time I thought you were an innocent in this, that you were sacrificed like I was out of old men's needs to either acquire power or save face. You planned this whole thing? You?"
He stared at her as if he was really seeing her for the first time. "How could you do something like this? You're supposed to be my friend!"
Sakura finally pushed off the wall, her appeal already stamped over her face. "You don't understand, Sasuke. I know that it looks bad, but I just wanted us to be together. I did it because I love you!"
The look of incredulity on Sasuke's face was almost comical- there was that word again. "You 'love' me? Are you serious?"
Sasuke gave a half-laugh, managing to find some dark humour in the completely absurd situation.
"This is what your love is, this is what it does? I really wish you people would stop 'loving' me." Sasuke started counting off, enunciating his words as bitter disgust filled him. "You love me, so you bought me like an expensive whore. My father loves me, so he sells me for a company to a two-faced, lying freak. Itachi loves me and he just abandons me to this hell called 'my family'; and Naruto loves me so he just leaves when he doesn't get his way and replaces-"
Sasuke's voice broke and he stopped to take a few deep breaths before turning once again to address the glassy-eyed woman before him. "I'm going to leave for awhile, Sakura; because if I stay, I might do something I'll regret. I want you gone by the time I get back. I want no trace of you here. Pack your things and get out."
Sasuke seemed to immediately slam the door shut on her, as he stooped to pick up the papers that lay scattered on the floor. Sakura stared in shock at the dark head for a second, unable to process the ease at which he could dissolve their marriage. It hadn't been ideal, but they had been making slow and painful progress. She thought there had been something there, something that was finally building a connection between them. The fact that after all that, he could still disconnect so easily seemed impossible. She wasn't about to let it end like this. She began her appeal softly, but firmly; hoping she could reason with him even a little.
"Sasuke" She addressed the bent head, as he ignored her steadily to pick up and arrange the print-outs. "I know it looks bad, and it seems horrible and evil of me. I know you're angry, and I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did anytime soon. But Sasuke, you need to understand that I did what I did because I thought it was the only way. I just love you so much and I believe we can have a life together-"
"A life together?" Sasuke stood with a suddenness that had her scurrying away from him. The papers fluttered to the floor once again as he advanced on her, dark rage etched into his face as the last bit of the mask of self-control fell. "You want to have a life together? You ruined my life, you stupid bitch!"
Sakura retreated to the kitchen table, circling it in agitation and being careful to stay on the other side from Sasuke's. The man seemed intent on hurting her now, and edged around the table slowly, leaving the emotionally estranged couple locked in a tense dance around the heavy piece of furniture.
"Everything was fine before you came along and ruined what little happiness I had."
Sakura continued to circle around the table until Sasuke finally stopped the looping chase. Her breath came short as Sasuke seemed to zone in, pouring all of his negative energy onto her.
He could almost see himself doing it: strangling her until she turned purple, or backhanding her so hard, he'd hear her neck snap. Control over his raging emotions was hard to come by, thought he stopped himself from continuing to advance on her like a predator cornering his prey. "If love exists, you don't have a clue what it is. You and my father act as if I'm nothing but merchandise, or some type of commodity to be traded. You ruined everything, you destroyed my life-"
"What life, Sasuke?" Sakura's exclamation startled them both, and it was enough to end the man's stream of venom. She knew what she did was wrong, maybe terribly twisted too; but it had be born of desperation and love, and she'd be damned if she was going to stand there and take the abuse for everything Sasuke perceived had gone wrong in his life.
"What life did I destroy, Sasuke-kun?" She asked plaintively, taking advantage of the stunned silence of her husband. "You had no life! You didn't exist beyond your family until Naruto came along and forced his way in. After that, you couldn't exist beyond him either! I wanted to build a life with you, to give you your own family and some other purpose besides being Fugaku-sama's second choice."
Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the frantic girl across from him- the dining table serving as her only flimsy shield against his stalled wrath.
"I love you! I love you with everything I have, and I tried to show it to you every way I can. I offered it to you so many times and you just rejected it or overlooked it, like my feelings were nothing- as if I was nothing. I tried to give you everything I am, and you couldn't even bother to take time and register my existence."
She panted, the tears fighting their way out. "You accuse me of betraying our friendship; what kind of friendship could we possibly have had if you didn't even have the slightest regard for me?" Sakura asked earnestly as he stood gaping at her in muted horror.
"Despite everything, no matter how many times you turned me down, no matter how cold you were, I just couldn't stop loving you. I couldn't snap out of it, I couldn't get over it or outgrow it. I don't think I'm a masochist, Sasuke-kun; so maybe the reason I couldn't stop loving you was because I was the one who was supposed to rescue you, to wake you up. So that's what I tried to do. But I'm not your father, I'm not Naruto… there was no way I could get you to see me. So when that opportunity came, I didn't think, I just- I just did it. An opportunity came, and I went for it; because that was what you're father and Itachi would do, and that was what Naruto would do, and those are the only people you see. I had to do something, Sasuke. I had to get you to see me!"
For a second, just for a second, green eyes became blue and pink hair turned blond; and it was enough to throw Sasuke off-kilter for a moment. But this newest wound came deep, and soon the anger and the dark resolve came flooding back. The killing intent was gone, however, and his feelings towards the morose, desperate woman before him, vacillated wildly among rage, empathy, pity and disgust. He saw too much of himself in her, saw too much of Naruto too. What the hell was wrong with all of them?
"It's obvious that one can't create something out of nothing. We were fools to try, Sakura. I want you gone by the time I get back, Sakura." Sasuke repeated his earlier order as he went back to retrieve the papers. He then added softly. "Creating something out of nothing is impossible. I hope the reverse is also true."
Sakura made one last ditch effort to stop the fallout. "Sasuke-kun, please…"
"Don't test the limits of my patience, woman. This is over, the marriage, the friendship, everything. You will not be here when I return. If you are, I cannot be held accountable for my actions."
A second later, the door slammed shut.

Sasuke's car screeched to a halt outside the main house of the Uchiha compound. Despite the breakneck speed at which Sasuke had driven to get there, he had still found plenty of time for the blinding anger to build. He pushed the front door open, automatically kicking off his shoes as he entered the living room. At the small commotion, Uchiha Mikoto stuck her head out of the kitchen and blinked at her younger son.
"Sasuke, honey, is everything ok-"
"Where's father?" Sasuke asked abruptly, not really waiting for an answer as he headed towards the sunroom where his father spent most of his free time.
"Sasuke, what on earth is the matter?" Mikoto quickly followed after him, the look on her son's face filling her with apprehension.
Uchiha Fugaku sat quietly in the sunroom, seated on a cushion behind the low table as his son entered. The noisy and abrupt entrance did not detract his focus from his calligraphy as he continued the firm and deliberate brushstrokes across the paper.
"YOU SOLD ME?"
Fugaku didn't look up as Mikoto finally entered the room, an image of bewilderment as she looked with agitation to her son and stoic husband. Sasuke stood heaving before his father, staring down at the bent head. Having completed his latest character to his satisfaction, Fugaku finally spoke while carefully dipping his brush to begin the next character.
"Your wife called me just a short while ago. She was very upset about your behaviour this evening. It will not do to antagonise your spouse, Sasuke."
The elder Uchiha spoke softly and clearly, his voice filling the spacious room without any real effort. Fugaku never raised his voice, never yelled or screamed- he never needed to, not even with two boys in the house. Sasuke couldn't remember a time his father had ever done such a thing, but the calm demeanour now only served to grate on Sasuke's raw nerves.
"You told me this was for the family, something that was vital and necessary for the future of the clan. You made it sound as if she was as much a sacrifice to this as I was, and all this time, it was nothing but some kind of sick trade-off?"
Another deliberate brush stroke and the elegant kanji continued to take shape. "When you return home, you will apologise to Sakura. There is no call for such behaviour."
Mikoto stepped forward, trying to calm her son as she tried to make sense of the heated allegations. "'Sold you'? What do you mean by this?"
Sasuke had no time to address his mother's ignorance, his full attention on the seemingly unflappable man seated before him. "Apologise? Are you even hearing me?"
A dip of the brush into the inkpot, and Fugaku continued his advisory. "I'm sure your wife will be forgiving of your temper. You do have the tendency of getting overemotional sometimes-"
Sasuke gave a short, incredulous laugh while calling to the heavens to observe the injustice done to him. "This is unbelievable, I'm standing right here in front of him and he doesn't hear me…"
"Sasuke, honey, please calm down." Mikoto soothed as her husband ignored the mounting explosion before him.
"He doesn't see me…"
The gentle slide of brush against paper, and Fugaku tilted his head to scrutinise his work. "Whatever problems you and Sakura may have can be worked out with calm and rational dialogue. There is never any need for violent temper or language; especially when you have neighbours a wall away."
"Why don't you ever hear me?" Sasuke asked plaintively.
"If you really displayed the type of behaviour Sakura described, you should know that it's quite unacceptable…"
"Am I some kind of ghost that haunts this place?" Sasuke mused quietly as Mikoto impotently from one man to the other. "Why don't you ever see me?"
"A man handles the problems of his own household…"
"WHY THE FUCK DON'T YOU EVER SEE ME?" There was a sudden movement and the small table and its contents went spinning across the room, the ink splashing in a sable arc across the hardwood floors. Mikoto gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as her husband sat blinking, still holding his brush as it hovered suspended over the place his table ought to be.
Fugaku sighed as he placed the brush on the floor and smoothed the front of his yukata. He stood and fixed his son with a quelling look. Sasuke had to fight the urge to immediately back down as his father's displeasure was clearly summed up in a single glance. The younger man stood defiantly, even as he fought the quaking in his chest.
"Mikoto, if you could excuse us for a moment. I believe Sasuke wishes to speak to me."
She ignored her husband's request and stood her ground, trying to determine exactly what was happening here. Somehow, for some reason, her husband had chosen to deliberately misrepresent some facts to their son, and she wanted to know why. Sasuke's obvious pain and anxiety tore at her, and her instinct to protect, even if it was against her husband, came in full force. Too often, Fugaku simply went too far, even with the best of intentions.
"Mikoto…" Fugaku repeated firmly. Was every member of his family determined to test the limits of his patience? Her sharp and ready response to Fugaku's urging was aborted by Sasuke.
"Mom, please."
She looked over at her son and hesitated for a moment. "Is that what you want?" When Sasuke nodded, she sent another pointed glare in her husband's direction before quietly exiting the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
There was a short period of tense silence following her exit, which seemed to stretch on for a tortuously long time. At length, it was Fugaku who broke into the quiet.
"I don't know what you think has given you the right to come into my house and behave in such a disgraceful manner. I will not tolerate this insolence in my home, Sasuke."
Sasuke refused to be cowed. "You sold me, traded me away like I was stock or disposable assets that you didn't need. For what, Father? Was the company really worth that much to you, or am I just worth that little?"
Fugaku raised an eyebrow at the query. "You ask questions like a child, you think as a child does, and behave the way a child would. After your behaviour with your wife, and your display here, I'm not convinced that you aren't still a child. I will not discuss my decisions with children."
With that, Fugaku retook his seat on the cushion while Sasuke shook his head wryly.
"Your decisions? It's my life, Father; and I'm supposed to be your son."
"Exactly, and as your father I expect you to trust that I would only do what was best for you. You are supposed to trust and accept the decisions of your elders. It is the way, our way- of both our clan and this country. As your father and elder, I know what is best for you."
Sasuke didn't know if this conversation was becoming more hilarious or tragic. "You have no idea what's best for me, father. You don't even know who I am. No matter what I do, or say, or try, you just keep looking right through me hoping to see Itachi somewhere in the background."
"You believe I don't 'see' you, Sasuke?" Fugaku asked, annoyed and incredulous at the mantra, as he rose from his perch on the cushion a second time. "It's a ridiculous assumption. You are my son, my child. I see you very well and I see everything. I have done nothing but my best to try and keep you safe, to protect you even from yourself. It is a thankless and arduous task, considering how perfectly willing you are to throw away every opportunity afforded to you in the blind pursuit of this perverse obsession you have with the Uzumaki boy."
Everything seemed to stop for a minute for Sasuke- his thoughts, his heartbeat, everything.
His father knew.
Apparently he had known for some time. Sasuke couldn't seem to process the idea as the dangerous stillness continued. He was almost surprised at the sound of his own voice, and the conviction within it.
"There's nothing perverse about my feelings, Father. There's nothing perverse about Naruto either, or whatever we had…have."
The quiet, determined statement had Fugaku sighing his ongoing frustration with the whole matter. "I knew the very day you brought that boy into my home that he would be trouble for you and our family. The boy was born under a cursed moon, Sasuke, destined to be nothing but-"
"You don't get to talk about him!" The sudden ferocity was enough to silence Fugaku as he blinked in surprise at his glowering son. "You don't get to say anything about Naruto. He's my friend, and he cares about me. You don't get to look down on him, because unlike you, he actually gives a damn."
Fugaku could only stare in surprise before folding his arms and closing his eyes in contemplation. "You seem determined to think the worst of me, Sasuke. You and your brother are so unlike the way I was as a child. I tried to raise you both the way I was raised, and yet, it has turned out so differently."
It was déjà vu for the elder Uchiha, finding himself in a face-off with an angry and resentful son. He tried to think of some appropriate way to proceed without having to share too much of his own motivations and private thoughts. There had to be some distance between a parent and child- it was the way he was brought up, and it had worked for the generations until now with reasonable success. It seemed wrong to breach the old ways simply to appease a wayward child. Still, he didn't want to lose another son, and it was clear that some concession had to be made to prevent Sasuke from becoming even more alienated from him. Fugaku sighed heavily and decided to capitulate just a little.
"You can't possibly believe that I needed that girl to obtain her family's company, Sasuke."
Sasuke frowned and watched silently as his father walked past him to the glass doors leading to the gardens, his hands clasped behind his back.
"When the decision was made to acquire Haruno Pharmaceuticals, it was essentially a done deal. There was very little Haruno Tsuchi could do to prevent the takeover. He's a scientist, not a real businessman, and the most he could hope for was to hold up the proceedings until he was offered some position of lasting power or influence in the company, which I was perfectly willing to offer him. Sakura's offer to guarantee total control in exchange for marriage to you was almost laughable, and I would have sent her away; but I reconsidered."
Fugaku paused for a moment, and Sasuke waited with rapt attention- completely unused to his father speaking to him for such a long time on any topic at all. Still staring out into the moonlit gardens, his father continued his monologue.
"The world is not a kind place, Sasuke. Not for anyone, but even worse for those who are… different in anyway. It's even more pronounced here in this town, within our culture. People are crude, intolerant and unforgiving; and long after the transgression has been forgotten, the shame still remains. I tried to explain this to your brother, but he was headstrong and chose to leave instead. You and this boy…" Fugaku paused as he tried to wrap his mind around the idea. He sighed again as he shook his head. "The world may have changed drastically, but it hasn't changed enough. I do not want my children shamed, Sasuke, I will not have them ridiculed and set upon, not while it is within my power to prevent it."
Fugaku finally turned to face his dazed son, who still stood quietly listening, his eyes wide and staring. "I reconsidered Sakura's offer, for I realized that it might have been a blessing in disguise. You have tunnel-vision in regards to that boy. You are stubborn and reckless and nowhere as careful as you think you might be. It isn't ideal, but a marriage is a good shield. It offers you some protection while giving you some freedom to…pursue your real interests. I do not understand the inclinations you have, but I understand he brings you happiness. I told you before to cling to that happiness, and I meant it. This marriage was my gift to you, Sasuke. Go back to your wife and reconcile. Find a way to make it work. Do not squander my gift."

Uchiha Sasuke sat alone in his car just outside the gates of his clan's compound. His eyes were closed as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in deep contemplation. The day had given him a lot to process, leaving him feeling almost lightheaded. His father's revelations nearly blew the rest of the field away.
His father cared.
The confirmation left him a little shaky, raw elation and confusion mixing together to keep him off balance. He still didn't know where he stood as a son or as a clansman; he still didn't know just how much his father did care, but the current affirmation he received tonight was enough to make him feel almost human again. Plus, he was still running on the adrenaline from actually daring to stand up to the man, something Sasuke couldn't envision doing even in his wildest fantasies. If he had known if would have led to this, instead of crushing expulsion and estrangement from his family, he might have done it ages ago... then again, maybe not.
He heaved a sigh and slumped forward, resting his head against the steering wheel as he tried to figure out what he should do next. Before he spoke to his father, it had been clear-cut, but now the conversation had perplexed everything. He opened his eyes, the sheaf of papers on the next seat catching his attention. He sat up abruptly and twisted the keys in the ignition. Soon, he was roaring off.

He jammed the elevator button of Naruto's apartment building repeatedly, frowning as the doors refused to open. He looked up and discovered that the elevator was slowly on its way from the top floor and would probably get to the lobby sometime next year. Sasuke hissed his impatience, 'screw this', and took off towards the stairs.
Why the hell he hadn't just waited on the stupid elevator, he'd never know. Why he'd decided to run full-speed the entire way up so many flights of stairs, was an even bigger mystery. He might have been in the best shape of his life, but it was a little ridiculous. By the time he burst into Naruto's apartment, he was flushed, wheezing and bearing an uncanny resemblance to a crazy person.
Naruto flew off his couch in surprise as Sasuke barged in like a black-clad version of the Spanish Inquisition. Before he could protest the sudden intrusion, Sasuke doubled over panting and Naruto blanched, thinking the man was hurt. He climbed over the couch and skidded to a halt in front of the exhausted man.
"What's wrong?"
Sasuke could only shake his head as his body struggled to repay his oxygen debt. Naruto clamped a hand to the other man's forehead and tried to do a cursory inspection.
"Sasuke?"
Naruto could be so noisy and impatient sometimes. Sasuke thrust the papers into the blond's abdomen, resulting in a soft 'oof' as Naruto automatically grabbed the documents.
"What's this?"
Naruto eyed Sasuke dubiously as the man straightened up. Satisfied that he was okay, he gave in to curiosity and scanned the papers. He recognised Sakura's email immediately and it was fairly obvious to whom the other straightforward, no frills email address belonged. Naruto raised an eyebrow, giving another glance at Sasuke, who stood silently, offering no explanation. Seeing that he was going to be left alone to puzzle out whatever it was- Naruto turned his attention back to the emails.
It was a fairly difficult task- the emails were out of sequence, and most of the legalese and technical language went right over his head. Sakura could be such a wordsmith, especially when she was trying to make a good impression on someone; which was what she was clearly trying to do with Uchiha Fugaku. Naruto squinted, wishing Sasuke would just tell him whatever the hell it is that he should be noticing; but the bastard just stood there watching and waiting.
He finally came across some of the earlier emails, void of business wrangling and complex terms, where Sakura was simply laying the groundwork for her case. Naruto frowned as he read these, feeling a growing unease with the language and nature of the messages. Something wasn't right. He checked the dates, and the discomfort twisted in his gut.
"Sasuke…" Naruto trailed off, doing another check of the emails. "What is this saying?"
"What does it sound like?" Sasuke responded blandly, not wanting to colour Naruto's opinions until the man had absorbed all the information for himself. Naruto gave a nervous half laugh, afraid of making a fool of himself by arriving at the wrong conclusion.
"It sounds as if Sakura-chan was…" He licked his lips and squinted at the papers once more, before fixing Sasuke with a stare. "It sounds as if Sakura was offering to sell out Haruno Pharmaceuticals in exchange for marrying you."
Naruto snorted derisively at the outlandish idea. "I'm reading this wrong, aren't I? You know I'm no good at playing this detective crap, Sasuke. What is this really? Am I misunderstanding this whole thing?"
Sasuke shook his head slowly. "No, you're not wrong. Not about this, anyway."
Naruto deadpanned, staring wordlessly at Sasuke before frantically shuffling the papers, apparently looking for the joke. "You can't be serious."
"I found the emails earlier tonight, and confronted Sakura and my father just awhile ago. They admitted it, Sakura bought me using inside information on her family's company."
Naruto's brow furrowed as he looked at Sasuke, unable to digest this new twist. "Sakura-chan couldn't do a thing like that."
"She can, and she did. I told you she admitted it already. The truth is right there." Sasuke said simply, gesturing towards the papers hanging loosely in Naruto's hands.
The blond stared at the emails, seeing damning words and phrases jump out at him from the missives sent between the Uchiha patriarch and his daughter-in-law. His fist tightened around the already abused papers, as his vision began to blur. It was finally sinking in.
"I'm going to kill them."
It was a short, simple statement made powerful by the sheer dark intent behind it. Sasuke almost smiled, understanding the sentiment perfectly. "Yeah, I felt that way too."
Naruto's eyes snapped to his suddenly. "You said you confronted them. What happened? What did they say? What did you say?"
Sasuke felt himself treading into dangerous territory now, unsure of just how much he should tell Naruto, and what he should leave out. "I told Sakura to leave, but my father…"
Sasuke trailed off lamely, the unspoken words speaking volumes to a disbelieving and enraged Naruto.
"You're kidding; please tell me your joking. This is… you're not going to just let this go because of something your dad said, right? There needs to be some kind of retribution, Sasuke. There should be blood on the walls!"
"I know, I know." Sasuke said soothingly, not wanting the situation or Naruto to spiral out of control. "It's just that my father had his reasons, and resolving this whole thing won't be so easy…"
Naruto felt like howling in frustration. Sasuke's relationship with his father continued to mystify him.
"What fucking reasons? You're a person, Sasuke, a human being. You're not something to be bartered and bargained for! You're worth everything, why can't you understand that? How can someone just sit there and let another person just use them…"
Sasuke had never seen Naruto deflate so quickly, all the impetuous rage seeming to ebb out of the blond as he quickly drew parallels to his own situation with his former, undefined lover. The sudden change alarmed Sasuke. The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to recall their own turbulent affair and the negative feelings the blond harboured about it and his friend. He stepped forward, sliding a hand up Naruto's torso and stopping to massage his neck. He tugged the blond forward slightly, forcing Naruto to maintain eye contact- their faces barely millimetres apart. He was relieved and heartened that Naruto made no move to recoil or push him away.
"I will take care for this, Naruto. You can believe that. I can handle my father and Sakura now. Besides, the important thing is that we both know the truth. She bought the marriage with her family's company; she's not some wide-eyed innocent in this. Don't you see? This changes everything!"
Naruto blinked slowly, his features softening as he looked into Sasuke's eyes. "How Sasuke? What's changed?"
"Yes, I'm rather curious about that myself."
Naruto jumped back guiltily as Neji nonchalantly slipped off his shoes and placed them next to the door. He dropped his overnight bag on the floor and looked up with faux-innocent curiosity at the two men in the room. "What did I miss?"
Sasuke could barely contain his anger and irritation at the interruption, and the glare aimed at Neji said just as much.
"How long have you been standing there, Hyuuga?"
Neji smoothed his hair back, contemplating whether or not Sasuke was worth a response. "Longer than you might think. You were both too preoccupied to notice my entrance, it seems."
"Sasuke was just telling me some things he found out this evening." Naruto offered awkwardly as Neji sent a cool look in his direction.
"Indeed, I got the gist of it. Something about Sakura-san buying the marriage to Sasuke, was it? Hardly seems like a fair trade, does it? I hope Fugaku-sama at least threw in some office supplies to sweeten the deal."
"Neji!" Naruto bit out, anger sparking at the seemingly insensitive comment. Neji's own anger and impatience flared right back.
"What, Naruto? What exactly are you protesting?"
Naruto's mouth clamped shut as Neji rounded on him.
"And what the hell is this? Is this going to be some kind of ritual now? If you believe that I'm going to play the role as the chump boyfriend, who sits around biting his nails while you waffle about taking him back, every time he finds a new lure for you, you're as deluded as he is!"
Neji folded his arms, as he glared the discomfited Naruto down. "I recall you promising that you were going to try your best to not let 'other' people interfere with our relationship. I have news for you: this,"Neji stressed, giving an angry toss of his head towards a glowering Sasuke. "This is interference, and in case you're wondering, you don't seem to be trying very hard. I'm not playing this game with the two of you, Naruto. You choose, and you choose now. So quit waffling and make a decision. Either he goes now, or I do."
"You should finish reading the emails, Naruto. They are very enlightening." Sasuke knew that as things stood, Naruto would invariably choose Neji and kick him out. He wasn't about to give the smug, pale-eyed bastard the satisfaction. He opted instead to leave on his own terms, simultaneously robbing Neji of whatever victory he had been hoping for. Before Naruto could even form some kind of reaction, Sasuke was heading out the door, brushing past Neji with barely concealed hostility. A moment later, the door clicked shut.
Neji waited for awhile, arms still crossed as he gave Sasuke enough time to get to his car and exit the lot. Naruto stood sheepishly in the silence, squirming a little under Neji's heavy stare.
"Neji, I wasn't-" Naruto blinked as Neji silently picked up his bag, slipped on his shoes and headed out the door. "Neji, wait, don't be like-"
The door slammed firmly, cutting Naruto off in mid-plea. The blond let out a loud grunt of frustration and ran his hands agitatedly through his spiky hair.
Was it really too much to ask for a little less drama?

The condo was dark as Sasuke stepped inside. As his eyes adjusted, he finally spotted Sakura sitting on the kitchen floor, leaning against the wall with her knees drawn up. She must have cried herself to exhaustion, since she dozed lightly, her head resting on her knees. She was startled awake by the sound of the door clicking shut. She quickly scrambled up, smoothing her dress and hair as she swiped at her face. She watched him expectantly, breathless as he eyed her and turned towards the sunken living room in order to get to his study. He paused before the steps leading down into the alcove-like room.
"Smart move, calling my father… I suppose you have him on speed-dial by now. You're still here, so clearly you had faith in his influence over me. It wasn't a bad gamble, Sakura. Not a bad gamble at all. I'm not going to throw you out. You can stay here as long as you want. That is, as long as you're able."
Sakura felt a chill run through her at the words; knowing full well that Sasuke was promising her a cold war if she dared to stay. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as he continued, this time he was heading slowly and purposefully towards his study. He flung the words carelessly over his shoulder.
"As far as I'm concerned, this sham of a marriage is over. Find someone else to play 'house' with for all I care. If you thought you were nobody before, just wait for awhile. I'll show you what it's really like to be a ghost."
TBC
A/N: A reader left a review hoping there would be 'blood on the walls' by the time Sasuke was through with Sakura. The phrase was so brilliant, it stuck in my head and I just had to work it into my story. I love you guys something fierce, lol.
I hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you think and stay tuned. I eat your reviews for fuel (nom nom).
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