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
- 20
- 21
- 22
Author's note - hmmmm... not much of a note this time. Got all my ranting out last time. I'm tired and have a sore throat. And I want it to snow? Special thanks as always to BriEva for advice on the spooky parts, and also to WordWriter who helped me smooth the wording and settled me down about the chapter when I was freaking out that it was somehow coming out so much more complicated than when I had just been thinking about it in my head LOL.
-xXx-
Sasuke and Itachi easily found the air vent that Kakashi had mentioned. Sasuke was just about to loosen the screws when footsteps behind them drew their attention.
It was a Japanese-looking man wearing a cheap suit and a badge. "What are you two doing out here?" he asked, his accent slight, eyeing the screwdriver Sasuke held in his hand with suspicion.
"We're just... waiting for a friend," Sasuke said, elevating the volume of his voice just a bit in case Naruto was close, so he would be warned off. He didn't recognize the man, but he would lay odds this was Obito.
"I'm pretty sure that the NYPD wouldn't appreciate someone messing with their air supply," the man said, continuing to walk closer. Sasuke altered his grip on the screwdriver, holding it now in the same way he held his katana. There was something menacing about this person. Sasuke sensed Itachi subtly shifting as well, clearly having the same read on the man.
"It's not safe," the man continued, his voice smooth and almost hypnotic. "Being in an alley like this when it's not even light out. No one around. Bad things can happen in places like this."
Sasuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. If he knew nothing else, he was sure that this person was no police officer. The menacing aura increased as Obito drew nearer.
"I recognize you," he said to Sasuke. "Sasuke Uchiha. I believe we have a mutual acquaintance." Sasuke visibly flinched as the man suddenly drew his bare fingertips across Sasuke's stomach in a circular motion.
"Obito," Kakashi's voice sliced through the tense air, causing the man to withdraw his hand. Kakashi had entered the alley and was walking toward them, his face carefully blank. "I thought we were going to meet inside and discuss your potential lead."
Obito slid his hand into his jacket pocket, and Sasuke heard the faint clink of metal. No longer hesitating, he stepped back into a full defensive stance, raising the screwdriver in readiness, prepared to attack or defend, depending on what Obito did in the next few seconds.
"Is there a problem," Shisui materialized almost directly behind Obito, having come up silently from the corner where he had been waiting for Sasuke and Itachi to emerge from the alley.
Obito turned, giving an assessing look to Shisui. He slowly began walking towards Kakashi, his hand still in his pocket. "I was just telling these men not to mess with the air intake," he said, looking at Kakashi. "I have an appointment with a potential witness now, Hatake. I'll swing by your desk in an hour."
"I think it would be better if we talked now, Obito," Kakashi said stepping forward, his hand going to his gun.
Before anyone could react, Obito pulled his hand out of his pocket, now wearing a leather glove with metal blades on each fingertip. Kakashi had his gun out in an instant but Obito was already on him and had grabbed Kakashi's arm with his gloved hand before he could get a shot off, the gun pointing back towards Sasuke and Itachi. Obito drove the blades of his fingers into Kakashi's arm, slicing through skin and muscle as he rotated his hand. "You should have let me in the room, Kakashi," he whispered.
Kakashi used his free hand to strike Tobi in the throat, but the man had seen the move coming and leaned back enough to keep the blow from being lethal. Tobi knocked Kakashi's gun to the ground with his free hand, then pulled his blades from Kakashi's arm and made to strike him in the stomach. But by then Itachi, Sasuke, and Shisui had closed distance and Tobi - realizing he was outnumbered and out of time - turned and raced down the alley. "I'll see you all soon," he called out over his shoulder.
Shisui gave chase while Itachi checked on Kakashi and Sasuke ran into the station to get help.
-xXx-
Sasuke paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room while Kakashi was being treated and they waited to hear from Shisui. He had gone back into the station to see if Naruto had gone out some other way, but no one had seen him. It was as though the blond had simply vanished into thin air. And the person who had the best chance of knowing Naruto's likely whereabouts was currently being treated in the emergency room. Jiraya walked in, his face grave. "There has been no sighting of Obito. Or Tobi, as I suppose he is actually called. We confirmed with our contacts in Japan that there had been an officer, Obito Uchiha, who was one of their lead detectives and had been coming to the US to look for Tobi. It is safe to assume that Tobi found him first. They faxed over fingerprints and a photo, and it is definitely not the same man who was here claiming to be him."
Itachi surreptitiously checked his phone, and Sasuke knew he was hoping for word from Shisui. The fact that Shisui had run off unarmed to chase after a serial killer was something Itachi would be taking up with his lover the next time he saw him.
Sasuke had been playing back the scene from the alley and had realized that - until Shisui had shown up - Tobi had assumed he could take on three at once as long as he took out the one with the gun first. Kakashi would evidently not be the first cop he'd killed. But four-to-one odds had been deemed too risky by the serial killer. Sasuke knew the man would simply wait until the odds were in his favor again. Sasuke didn't misunderstand the way the man had brushed his fingertips against Sasuke's stomach, mimicking the motion that he had likely used when he gave Naruto his first set of scars.
It was not a comforting thought. He wondered how Naruto had lived with this fear hanging over him since childhood.
"I would imagine that the two of you have a few questions for me," Jiraya said. "Kakashi will meet us at the safe house when the release him. He'll call if there is word about Naruto or Shisui in the meantime. We should all go there and talk. Naruto is likely to disappear for a bit, but he'll make contact within twenty-four hours to let us know he's safe. Have Shisui meet us there when he's decided he's looked hard enough. I doubt he will find Tobi at this point. He knows that he's been made. The advantage now is that we have his fingerprints and his face. He will be easier to spot now. He must really value Naruto to have made such a risky move."
Sasuke's eyes were hard. "And what do you think would have happened to Naruto if he'd left through the planned route and run into Tobi alone? If you are familiar with his case history, then you know that he is particularly vulnerable when it comes to Tobi. You put him at a hell of a lot of risk for this plan of yours."
Jiraya shrugged, pulling out his keys and heading toward the exit, clearly expecting Itachi and Sasuke to follow him. "That's true. But he wouldn't have come at all if he hadn't been trying to protect you, Councilman."
"I never wanted him to protect me. Kabuto's case was dead in the water, and we all knew it."
Jiraya shrugged again. "Maybe. But you and I both also know all it would have taken was a formal indictment against you and your career would have been over. Kabuto didn't have to win the trial."
"Naruto didn't need to put his life at risk for my career," Sasuke said, gritting his teeth. He was trying very hard to not think about what could be happening with both Naruto and Tobi unaccounted for somewhere in the city.
"I believe the things we need to talk about require a more private venue," Itachi said. "Shall we?" He checked his phone again, worry beginning to edge his voice.
-xXx-
Shisui slowly entered the warehouse, forcing his breathing to slow so he could hear the sound of potential footfalls. He turned slowly in a circle, knowing that the man he had been chasing through the streets was somewhere nearby, hidden amongst the crates.
The lighting in the warehouse was dim and motes of dust hung in the air, swirling in the weak morning sun that filtered through the dirty windows. There was a mustiness that indicated that the warehouse was likely abandoned. Shisui wondered if this place had a special significance to the killer. He had clearly been led here on purpose.
The stacks of boxes in haphazard rows gave plenty of places to duck out of sight, and made it difficult to determine the direction of sounds in the room.
He knew that he was at a disadvantage, not having a weapon with him. But he was skilled at hand-to-hand, and as long as Tobi didn't have a gun, it would likely be an even fight. Though he didn't fool himself that it would be easy.
He heard the sound of sirens in the distance, and wondered if they had been able to track him as he gave chase to the man he was quite sure was the serial killer through the streets of New York.
The faint noise of a foot softly treading on the gritty floorboards made him turn. Tobi stood, his clawed glove already in place. "I suppose there is no point in wearing the mask. Although I am a creature of habit."
The man walked calmly toward Shisui, clearly not afraid of whatever skills the Uchiha might possess. Shisui shifted slightly, glad of the man's over-confidence, but knowing that it was probably earned. There was an unnatural light in the man's eyes that Shisui felt unnerved by. Even seasoned killers were wary in battle, but Tobi seemed... excited by it. The madness of the killer was palpable. Shisui's mind flickered to Naruto as a child, wondering how many years of nightmares his encounter with this monster he had suffered through.
"I have to say, it was a unique experience to be chased, rather the doing the chasing," Tobi stretched out his hand, articulating each finger separately, the sharp blades glinting in the dim light of the warehouse. "I hope you provide even more entertainment now that we've finally arrived." Tobi smiled, then gestured his bare hand to encompass the warehouse, as though showing someone his home. "This location suits me. It's the perfect setting, don't you think?"
Shisui let the man talk and kept his eyes trained on him, waiting for an opening or a momentary distraction that would give him an advantage.
"It appears that Naruto has tried to find himself another family. He really should have warned you what I did to his first family. Perhaps then this could have been avoided," Tobi said, his voice low and lethal now.
The sirens were getting louder, likely less than two blocks away. Shisui didn't want to take the chance that the man would run, so without waiting further, he lunged forward and grabbed the wrist of the gloved hand to render the unusual weapon useless. His other hand went directly to Tobi's throat, but before he could land a killing blow, he felt a burning sensation between his ribs, and looked down, surprised to see a smaller blade sticking into his side.
"Now what fun would it be if I only had one trick," Tobi whispered, his lips brushing Shisui's ear as he twisted the knife sharply while trying to free his gloved hand. Shisui gasped at the pain but kept his grip tight on the killer's wrist. He knew he was dead if he let go.
The door to the warehouse was kicked in as two police officers ran in, guns drawn. "Say hello to Naruto for me," Tobi whispered, then Shisui was shoved forward and a pile of boxes crashed down. More officers poured in, and the warehouse was searched, but Tobi was gone.
"Someone call an ambulance!" was the last thing Shisui heard before everything went black.
-xXx-
Itachi didn't wait for them to get settled when they arrived in the low profile apartment. "Let's cut to the chase, Commissioner. Kakashi basically admitted that the entire program is a sham. But that has evidently been true for a long time. Why are you suddenly pushing to get it all out in the open now?"
Jiraya looked at the two brothers who were pinning them with dual, slightly hostile gazes. "I don't know if you were aware that there have been some bodies showing up in the morgue bearing a certain tattoo?"
Sasuke and Itachi exchanged a glance, neither quite sure of where the man was going with this.
Grabbing a pad of paper that was laying on the table by the phone, Jiraya quickly sketched out a swirl, marking a few kanji on the outside of it. "I would assume that this mark is familiar, at least to you, Councilman, if what Kabuto said about your relationship with Naruto is true."
Both Uchiha brothers recognized it as the tattoo that Naruto had on his stomach. Jiraya smirked. "Ah, I see you both have seen it. How fascinating. You must be... quite close."
Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at the lecherous expression on the man's face. But the implication of what Jiraya was saying was not lost on him. "I am assuming that this is the mark of the Jinchuuriki program."
Jiraya blinked at the fact that Sasuke apparently knew the name of the program, but didn't remark on it. "Yes. They all have the same tattoo. It was a way to identify the bodies, if it came to that. Some of the criminal organizations that they go up against don't always leave their enemies intact enough for the regular means to work. When the first member of the program disappeared, we assumed that it was just an unfortunate fact of the lives that they all lead. Part of the... risk of doing business, if you will," Jiraya offered.
"That was the one who had tried to infiltrate Orochimaru's affiliates," Sasuke guessed.
Jiraya nodded. "And we thought Orochimaru had been the one responsible until two more members disappeared that had nothing to do with him at all. They turned up in the morgue just before Naruto left town, showing signs of torture. No one has connected the dots back to Kakashi and me yet, but someone is definitely digging around and tampering with the files. Someone other than you, Councilman."
Sasuke's fist clenched at the information that yet another person seemed to be targeting Naruto. Though he supposed it could have been Tobi trying to mess with Naruto's associates, but somehow he didn't think so.
"So you decided that - rather than waiting for the program to be exposed - you would try to bring it into the light yourself and... what? Retroactively legitimize it?" Itachi said, sounding skeptical.
Jiraya smirked. "You say that like it could never happen. I might have agreed with you before, but recent circumstances afforded me a chance to have the outcome play out differently than the one I had expected."
"What circumstances?" Sasuke asked sharply.
"Because of the size of organizations it has brought down, the operations of the Jinchuuriki have become more high profile than was originally intended. Both the FBI and CIA have recently asked to tap into my... resources. The Jinchuuriki program is now being mentioned in legitimate operations as having played a role, vouched for by respected, legitimate agents in the FBI, CIA and our own department. This makes is more likely that - given a minimal amount of historical documentation about the program - people would not dig too deeply. But creating records in a government agency's systems is a tricky business. Getting in is of course a challenge, but you'd need someone with the skills to know how to alter the time stamps on the entries to make them appear to go back to the program's inception, you'd need to link the files to the right systems internally... it's a very high-end task. And I didn't happen to have access to a hacker with that level of skill."
Jiraya looked at Sasuke. "But I noticed some interesting changes in the files associated with Naruto shortly after he began working with you. I only caught it because I was involved in his case personally, and I remembered the details. But not a single tech could tell me how it had been changed, or even when. I had heard that Naruto had been bought by Orochimaru, and was now working for you. And then you had your office run that little survey about how the public would respond to a senate candidate who was in a relationship with someone with a criminal record, and it occurred to me that someone in your position might have resources to 'fix' little problems like a person's criminal background. But I had no way of approaching you about it. You'd never admit to having such a person in your organization."
"But then Kabuto began investigating Sasuke for the murder of Orochimaru, and you found your leverage," Itachi said, his voice hard.
Sasuke was silent. Jiraya probably couldn't prove that Sasuke had tampered with police files, but he was aware of it. And potentially could make others aware of it if Sasuke didn't deliver what was being asked of him. Given that he was already under the microscope thanks to Kabuto, Jiraya had him in a corner.
"But if these government agencies have been asking for your help, surely they've needed some sort of documentation on the program," Sasuke said, not quite ready to give ground on Jiraya's demands until he understood them better. Tampering with files that were already being watched was a different game than creating some that were completely off the radar.
Jiraya smirked. "While most people loathe bureaucracy, I find it incredibly convenient. Governmental agencies are so mired in it you could hide Atlantis in the sheer amount of red tape that surrounds them. Hiding nine people has been easy by just being vague about where they actually were housed. And as long as we play ball when our mutual goals are aligned and no one had to sign off on budget for it, it has worked."
Sasuke and Itachi looked at him for a moment. And finally Sasuke asked what was clearly the most important question remaining.
"So what exactly is this program that Naruto is a part of?"
"Hmm," Jiraya said, considering the question as though somehow he hadn't expected it, though Sasuke thought it was more likely that the man was simply trying to decide how truthful to be.
"If you expect my help in any of this, then I want the complete truth. Trust me when I tell you that if I find even the smallest discrepancy between what you tell me and what my... associate... finds, I will first clean Naruto's files, then offer my services to the DA's office to help get you removed from office and arrested," Sasuke said flatly.
It was a bluff, because now that Naruto was embroiled in this with the DA it would be hard to extract him without bringing the whole program along with him. Sasuke was quite sure that Jiraya had done that intentionally to tie his hands. He didn't like being manipulated, but he had to admit that the older man seemed to be remarkably skilled at it.
"I suppose if I were to call it anything, I would say that the Jinchuuriki program is an... off-the-books affiliation of criminals who are willing to play nice with Kakashi and myself under certain conditions," Jiraya said carefully, watching the reaction of the brothers' faces as he did so.
"So... they are informants?" Itachi tried to clarify.
Jiraya smiled slightly predatorily. "Oh, they do much more than just inform. That's the beauty of the program. There are times when witnesses are killed or too afraid to testify, or when police and judges are bribed and an investigation gets cut off. When the official channels are closed, the Jinchuuriki can still operate."
"So they do what? Kill for you?" Sasuke asked, wanting to be clear exactly what this man was admitting to.
Jiraya's smile widened. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't know what it feels like to make the call over whether killing someone is justified when you know they'd beat the system, Councilman Uchiha?"
He knows, Sasuke realized, a bit stunned. He knows I killed Orochimaru, and he doesn't care. Or he even agrees with me.
"Not everything is black and white, as much as we might wish it were," Jiraya continued. "I realized early on that if there are cops who can be bought by criminals - and you and I both know that there are - then there are most likely criminals who could be bought by cops. Not with money, of course, but with other things. Just because someone sells drugs doesn't mean they'd sell kids. Or stand idly by and watch someone else sell kids. And more importantly, they are not bound by the same rules as actual officers of the law, and can shut down these kinds of operations by means that the courts would not condone."
"So... you pay them with what?" Itachi asked.
Jiraya again shrugged. "Information. Turning a blind eye to certain activities as long as they aren't too blatant about it. Kakashi and I were quite selective in who we recruited. We all share the same... perspective... on right and wrong, I guess you'd say. The courts routinely award longer jail time for white collar crimes... defrauding a bank, for example, than they do for things like rape or even murder at times. I don't happen to agree with that."
"That's vigilantism," Itachi said, no emotion or judgment showing in his voice.
Jiraya raised an eyebrow. "It's informed vigilantism, but yes. I suppose you could call it that. If it were legitimate, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?"
"So what are we actually having a conversation about?" Sasuke asked, deciding it was time to cut to the chase.
Jiraya looked him dead in the eye. "I know that you want to clean Naruto's record so he could be 'presentable' to the press. I also know that you have a hacker with some considerable skill that I have not been able to locate on my own. If I give you all the information of the Jinchuuriki and the work that they've done, I want you to create a retroactive record that makes it look like a legitimate operation that was housed in Homeland Security. In return, I will ensure that any inquiries that surface regarding Naruto, your relationship with him, and the death of Orochimaru are handled discreetly and to your benefit."
Itachi and Sasuke exchanged a long look.
"I think if you see the work that they have delivered, you will feel less morally conflicted about it. Gaara and Naruto alone have taken down seven child trafficking operations," Jiraya said.
"If I do this, then you need to retire the program. There can't be any more activity once it is on the books. Naruto will be done working for you, as will everyone else unless they choose to serve as legitimate informants," Sasuke said. "I am not going to give you carte blanche to run this operation going forward."
Jiraya nodded. "It only worked when it was under the radar anyway. The... methods that the group employs would make it immediately clear that the group was not sanctioned. We knew we'd have to shut it down when the bodies started appearing."
Jiraya's phone went off, and he checked the number then answered. "Yes?... when?... What's his condition?... We'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his stomach clenching at the grim look on Jiraya's face.
"No. Shisui. He caught up with Tobi. He's been stabbed. He's down at the hospital in surgery."
Itachi's face went white. He was out the door before Jiraya had finished standing up.
-xXx-
While Itachi waited impatiently in the waiting room for news on Shisui's condition, Jiraya and Sasuke were informed that Kakashi was ready to see visitors. They walked in to find the white-haired man just finishing a phone call, his gun arm heavily bandaged and in a sling.
"That was Sakura. Naruto got out ok, and had called her to fill out the medical report documenting his injuries. She dropped him off at JFK two hours ago and said she would bring the report by later today so we can proceed against Kabuto. She also may have a lead on who is hunting the Jinchuurikis. We might need to place her into protective custody until this is over."
"Where is Naruto going?" Sasuke asked sharply. He bit back a surge of jealousy that Naruto had called Sakura but not him.
"My guess is he caught the first flight to anywhere in Europe. I don't know what passport he is traveling under, given that this was last minute and I was afraid my e-mail was being monitored. He will go to ground until he finishes what he needs to there given that he knows Sakura has already let us know he made it out ok," Kakashi said, not seeming particularly worried.
Sasuke's face hardened, and he looked hard from Jiraya to Kakashi. He would find out what Sakura knew later, but for now he would deal with the two men in front of him. "You said you would give me access to all information on the Jinchuurikis. Right now I want to know exactly where Naruto is going and what he is doing. And the two of you are going to tell me."
-xXx-
Naruto lay on his back on the rooftop of the youth hostel in Madrid where he and Gaara would be staying at for the next two nights. There was a reddish haze around the full moon. Naruto remembered as a child his mother would tell him that people used to believe that was a portent of death. Naruto smiled slightly. They wouldn't be wrong. The only question was: whose death?
He and Gaara had decided to move up the timeline for going to Suna. They had decided on a plan, and the longer they waited, the greater chance Tobi would leave New York and Naruto wouldn't be able to find him again. He didn't like the thought of what the sociopath would do to try to force Naruto's return if he delayed too long. In the morning they would meet with Sasori, who would hopefully agree to smuggle them in close enough to the Kazekage's compound that they could make the final approach on foot.
They had had to alter their plan a bit, now that Naruto had realized that Jiraya must be trying to bring the group out into the open. They had to make it at least appear that they were playing nice with their idiotic CIA contact. Naruto had called him saying they were moving up the timeline, and would be in Suna in four days. The man had been pleased and told them he would arrange his contact there to be ready. Naruto had been nervous about it, but Gaara had said he had a way to solve the issue without actually letting Mu take over his father's lands. No point in taking out one asshole to replace him with a worse one.
Naruto glanced at his watch. Gaara had been gone for more than an hour. He wondered what his friend was doing, but Gaara had seemed to need time alone. Naruto had also needed to clear his head. Tomorrow was the first step in their plan. If Sasori agreed to help them, things would move quickly after that. They had to be focused. But tonight they could let themselves drift just a little. Naruto remembered reading about soldiers on the eve of a major battle, sitting by the fire, waiting for the dawn with the knowledge that many would not live to see another. He had confidence in both himself and Gaara, but he wasn't foolish enough to know that there was a real chance that they wouldn't both make it back.
Naruto accepted that. He would regret not being able to catch the man who had murdered his parents, but he had left no other loose ends.
The night was warm, and a gentle breeze ruffled his hair. Naruto closed his eyes, the sensual feel of the wind's caress making him think of Sasuke. That was something he tried not to do. It had been hard to be back in New York. Knowing that Sasuke was there, already moving on with his life. Hopefully what Naruto had done would finally free Sasuke of any taint that Naruto had brought. Then Naruto could at least keep his memories free of guilt.
He had considered trying to see Sasuke before he left. Not to talk to him. Just to see him, even from a distance. But in the end, it hadn't been possible. Tobi had appeared, and Naruto had left on the first flight going anywhere in Europe, knowing he could just take a train to where he had arranged to meet Gaara.
A shadow fell over Naruto's face, blocking the moonlight. Naruto wasn't surprised to see his red-haired friend sit down next to him.
"You ok?" Gaara asked.
Naruto shrugged. "I'm alive. And I have a date with your daddy. I guess I'm pretty good."
Gaara just looked at him, not buying the façade for a minute. "Do you want to give Kakashi an update on our new timeline?"
"Given that Tobi found out about the supposedly secret meeting we had at the precinct, I think we should lay low. It's not like we'll be off the radar for months. We'll tell Kakashi when it's done."
Gaara nodded slowly. Every contact put them at risk. Unless Kakashi signaled it was urgent, they would stay dark. It was standard operating procedure any time it became possible that your contact was being monitored, whether you were a cop or a criminal. "And once it's done, what will you do? Orochimaru is dead. Nagato's operation is completely dismantled."
"I have business with Tobi back in New York."
Gaara looked at Naruto. "What if he's not there anymore?"
Naruto shrugged. "Then I think I'm ready to start tracking him. He can't go without killing for long. I'll have Jiraya connect me with whatever group is looking for him. Now that he's trying to legitimize us, I might have a shot."
"It could take years to find him. Don't you want to actually build some kind of life? If Jiraya is really trying to whitewash the program somehow, you could have a chance."
Naruto knew that Gaara was talking about Sasuke. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the emotions that poured into him at the thought of what a life with Sasuke would have been like. "He needs something else. He might even have found someone. And in any case, you know that I can't have a life until Tobi is dead. Any life I have, he'll just rip apart."
Gaara shot Naruto a look, but the blond simply turned his head away. "Leave it," he warned. "What about you? Are you staying in Suna once this is over with your father?"
Thoroughly annoyed at the question, Gaara reached over and grabbed Naruto just under his elbow digging his fingers into the cluster of nerves there and temporarily paralyzing Naruto's right arm. He looked down at Naruto, his face calm. "I believe we have discussed in the past what would happen if you ever tried to hunt down Tobi without me. I don't think I have been at all unclear on that matter."
Despite the pain in his arm, Naruto snickered. "Psycho. Let go of my fucking arm. What kind of idiot wants to go chasing after a serial killer that isn't even after him, anyway?"
Gaara released Naruto's arm, laying back down next to him and looking at the moon. "The same as the kind of idiot who goes charging into the lair of a sociopathic dictator who doesn't even know he exists."
Naruto turned to his side, looking at Gaara for a few minutes. "I guess that's what brothers are."
Gaara turned to face Naruto, then slowly lifted his hand and let it settle in Naruto's hair, running his fingers through the blond locks the way he had the night Naruto had been shot in the head. Naruto closed his eyes, enjoying the rare physical contact from his best friend.
They stayed like that for several minutes, neither wanting to voice the doubts or worries that had begun to swirl though them now that the time for action was getting so close.
"Did you get what you needed?" Naruto asked, his voice sounding almost sleepy.
"Yes," Gaara said simply.
He sat up and pulled out a small wooden box out of one of the bags he carried. Naruto could smell the scent of sandalwood coming from it. A small smile lit Gaara's face as he lifted the lid, revealing an intricately designed black lacquered fan with a blood-red, silken ribbon tied at its base.
"What is that?" Naruto asked, not sure what to make of Gaara's strange mood.
"It's a message to an ally that we have in my father's house," Gaara said softly.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask further. He knew he would meet this ally and find out more about them when Gaara was ready.
Their room was stuffy and the air conditioning wasn't working well. Gaara went and brought their pillows and blankets up, and they decided to sleep out under the moon. They lay down next to each other, and Naruto turned, his face serious. "If you try to leave without me tomorrow, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you myself if you make it out of your father's place alive."
Gaara looked at him steadily. "Like you could find me."
Naruto glared, and Gaara let his fingers run through the blond's hair again, the movement becoming more natural. "I won't go without you. If for no other reason than you'd probably chase after me and get yourself killed," Gaara said, a tiny smile telling Naruto that he was joking.
"Asshole," Naruto said affectionately. "Try to sleep tonight."
Gaara shrugged noncommittally. He couldn't sleep well under the best of circumstances, and the night before he finally set his plans in motion to take out his father was not a likely candidate for sleep. He stroked Naruto's hair, waiting until the blond had fallen asleep.
He turned, pulling out the contents of the second bag. He looked at the tiny device he held in his hand. It was amazing how small they could make these things these days.
-xXx-
Suna
A blond woman was seated at a desk in the inner sanctum of the Kazekage fortress, reviewing the deployment of the security forces and analyzing recent infiltration attempts by rival factions. There was a knock on the door to her office.
"Come," she said tersely, not looking up from a report she was scanning that indicated that a US satellite had been positioned recently over their territory, potentially a surveillance device that might have tracked the location of the guards and the timing of the rotations. She sighed, knowing that she would now have to re-draw the security plans.
"This came for you, Commander. It shows it was sent express from Spain," the man said. He hadn't opened the package to inspect it, since it was addressed to her personally.
The woman looked at the package, and the neat handwriting that spelled her full name and address. It was not one she recognized. She ran her hands along the seams, checking for wires or other signs of a bomb. Though it was unlikely her father's enemies would target her specifically. Finding none, she opened package and pulled out an intricately carved sandalwood box.
Slowly, she lifted the lid. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the delicate fan nestled inside the box. She pulled it out almost reverently.
"Get out," she said, her voice soft.
"I'm sorry, Commander. Is there anything that I can -"
"I said GET OUT!" she did not lift her eyes from the fan that she now held within trembling fingers.
When the sound of the door closed, she closed her eyes and the first bitter tears rolled down her cheek. She thought of the beautiful baby brother that she had loved with all her heart. The baby brother who had been so clearly a born leader, so fiercely intelligent that at the age of seven her bastard of a father had had him killed. Too many dictators had fallen to impatient sons, and her father had not wanted to wait for Gaara to become old enough to attempt anything when others in his army were already admiring the boy.
But to her, Gaara had simply been a small child with frightened eyes and a teddy bear that he needed to fall asleep at night since their mother had died when he was two. When he had vanished from his bedroom, Temari had cried on his small bed, holding his teddy bear to her chest. It was the first and last time that anyone had ever seen her cry, even when their mother had died.
But she wept now, aching at that the thought that her little brother might be somehow alive and coming back to her. Terrified that it might not be true. Terrified that their father would find out and kill him. Every year on her birthday, since the time he was three, Gaara had bought her a fan. She never knew why he had started the tradition, but she had cherished them. She had bought herself a fan every year on his birthday since his disappearance. It had been her one connection to the memory of her baby brother.
Finally she wiped her eyes dry. She had hated her father with every ounce of her being from then on, biding her time until she found an opportunity. Inside the delicately carved box was a small piece of paper with a time and date inscribed. Temari smiled. It looked like opportunity had come knocking at last.
And if this was a trick by one of her father's foes to try to distract her from her duties, then they would learn just how much like her father she could be.
-xXx-
to be continued...
See! Women in Naruto can do something other than raise babies. SEEE!
Next up will be Karma paying a little visit to Gaara's dad...
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Deception - COMPLETE