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
- 2
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- 4
-xXx-
Sasuke poured himself a drink after the blond had left.
He felt... unsettled. He was a man who did not act rashly, and thought things through. A man of self-control and drive. It was what had enabled him to achieve what he had in such a short period of time. Like his brother, Sasuke did not make mistakes.
Yet tonight... he had allowed himself to be manipulated, and it had caught him by surprise. He was quite sure that this had been a test run, like all the other failed attempts in the past. Orochimaru probably had some interest in the outcome of the zoning vote, but if this approach had failed Orochimaru surely had either a back-up plan, or the matter was too insignificant to mind the minor loss.
No, the real test was always whether Sasuke could be bought through some means. He didn't know what Orochimaru's end goal for all this was, but he undoubtedly had one. If Sasuke voted against Orochimaru's interest, it would send the signal to Orochimaru that he would not be influenced by this. This was far from the man's first attempt at such measures. Orochimaru would offer something, it would be refused, he would come back later with something else.
By engaging in sexual activity with the boy, Sasuke had already tacitly accepted the offering. The question was now: would he follow through with the implied payment or not?
If he didn't follow through, it's possible that Orochimaru would try to get the boy to testify to some indecent acts with a minor (if he was a minor), or simply reveal Sasuke's sordid relationship with him to the press to try to damage him politically. And of course, if Sasuke refused to play, Orochimaru would not send Naruto again. He would continue searching for another route in.
If Sasuke did 'return the favor' in the upcoming council meeting, then Orochimaru would likely continue to use Naruto to try to garner favors from Sasuke.
It would probably be smarter to cut this off before it started. Sasuke poured himself another drink, swirling the amber liquid slowly in the glass before taking a drink, thinking about the events of the evening.
But then again, Sasuke thought, he could always sever the... 'relationship'... when he chose to. As long as the boy was legal and Sasuke was careful, it would simply be Sasuke's word against his if they decided to go to the press. And Sasuke was a city councilman, while Naruto had just gotten out of jail in one of the biggest takedowns in the past five years.
Yes. He could control this situation. All he needed to do was ascertain the boy's age. He could mitigate the other risks. Even if the boy were a minor, perhaps...
Sasuke thought of the insolent expression on the boy's face as he had knelt between his thighs, and felt his trousers tighten. He would enjoy having a chance to turn the tables on the blond... on Naruto. If Orochimaru's requests became too much, Sasuke could always refuse. He finished his drink, and set the glass down on the counter.
He walked to his large, marble bathroom, and turned the shower on. Within seconds, steam was billowing out from the large glass doors. He stepped in, allowing the multiple jets from the walls to spray his body, while the massive showerhead above him drenched his hair. He felt the heat and flow of the water to drain some of the tension away as he washed himself.
Surely the risks were manageable. As long as he wasn't a minor... Sasuke mentally shrugged as he stepped out of the shower, feeling relaxed. He grabbed a fluffy, perfectly white Egyptian cotton towel and dried his body, then slid on his black silk pajama pants, tying the drawstring at his waist. His groin was still sensitive from the evening's earlier activities, and the slither of the fabric over his organ had him closing his eyes briefly at the unexpected intensity of sensation.
He smirked. Yes, as long as the boy wasn't a minor. He could always just say no if Orochimaru's demands became too high. He didn't expect this minor infatuation he had with the blond to last very long anyway. Surely it was purely physical, just some sort of unusual chemistry between them. It would be short-lived and out of his system quickly, so he could get back to focusing on other things. And Naruto seemed to not have too much of an issue with it the whole thing. He wasn't some cowering child. Sasuke could allow himself this one deviation, and still maintain control of his life. He just needed a little more information to be sure he wasn't walking into something unexpected. He strode into the large, spacious bedroom adjoining the bath.
Picking up the phone next to his king-sized bed, he dialed. "Karin," he said, not surprised that she would answer a call from him on the first ring, despite the very late hour on a Friday night. "I need you to find out everything you can on the implications of the zoning change in my district that is coming for a vote next week, and any connections it might have to business or personal ventures for Orochimaru Sanin," he said, using the English positioning of the name. "I want to know any possible interest he could have in the outcome of the vote." He listened while she assured him that she would have everything by Monday morning, then hung up.
The second call he made was more difficult, but it had to be done. "Nii-san," he said, his voice calm. "Sorry for calling so late. I hope I am not catching you indisposed?... Still at the office? ... Yes, I suppose the Akatsuki case is keeping you quite busy... no, I'm home. Just getting ready for bed... yes, alone... how about I take you out to lunch tomorrow? You need to have some time to clear your head... no, there was nothing I needed tonight. I just wanted to see how you were doing with everything... great, see you at noon at your office."
Sasuke hung up. Of course, Itachi would know there was a reason for his call. It was impossible to hide anything from the man, but he could potentially at least minimize what he revealed. If anyone knew Naruto's true age, it would be his brother, who was prosecuting him. And if even Itachi doesn't know Naruto's age... well, it would be hard for the legal system to hold Sasuke accountable if even the State of New York couldn't figure it out.
Sasuke slid between the silk sheets on his bed, clearing the matter completely from his mind for the night. He'd make his decision once he had all the information.
-xXx-
Naruto pressed the buzzer on the Manhattan brownstone that Orochimaru had told him to return to when he had finished delivering the package. He wondered if the man lived here or if it were just one of his bases of operations. Naruto was still pissed off. He wasn't a sex trade worker, and he felt as though this task had been beneath him. It didn't make use of any of the skills he had developed.
A young man with spiky dark hair and dark eyes opened the door. He looked at Naruto with seeming annoyance, but motioned him inside. When Naruto had been there earlier in the evening, the boy had not made an appearance.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I was told to meet Orochimaru-sama here," Naruto said, his tone and posture clearly indicating he was not intimidated by the other man.
"I know who you are. Follow me," the young man said arrogantly. He led Naruto down the corridor to the library where he had met Orochimaru earlier.
"Zaku - leave us," Orochimaru said, waving the brunette away with the flick of a pale hand. The man slanted a final glare at Naruto, then left, closing the door softly behind him. "Please forgive Zaku. He was somewhat annoyed to have someone else deliver important messages for me. He is my usual courier for political matters."
Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, knowing his temper was showing and glad for it. "And should I guess why you chose me instead of Zaku?"
Orochimaru looked at him, expressionless. "You seem upset, Naruto-kun. Did something happen this evening?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Don't play with me. I made it very clear to Anko that I wasn't willing to sell my ass to make bail. If you took me on expecting me to change my mind, then you have made a poor investment."
Orochimaru looked intently at Naruto and licked his lips. "So something did happen. This is... pleasantly unexpected. May I ask who initiated it?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Like I'd have any interest in some spoiled, rich asshole."
Orochimaru looked at him, his excitement showing though he was clearly trying to evaluate the truth of Naruto's words. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Every word, every gesture."
Naruto suppressed a shudder. The fervor that lit the older man's eyes as Naruto described the encounter was just fucking creepy. Naruto didn't go into every detail, despite the man's probing. He just gave the basic summary: he delivered the package, Sasuke read through it, he read the part out loud about Naruto's role in this whole thing, Naruto was pissed off but still serviced him, and Sasuke didn't commit to agree to Orochimaru's terms when Naruto left.
"I won't do this shit again. If you were looking for someone who was good at this, you didn't look at my resume closely enough. If you need a bodyguard, someone to do recon, gather information or someone to intimidate someone, then I'm your guy. If you need a sex partner... look somewhere else. You pull a stunt like this again, and I'll just go down to the precinct and turn myself in for prostitution, naming you as my pimp." That would cause more trouble for Orochimaru than it would for Naruto, and they both knew it.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Surely you know what happens to pretty young men in prison. You might be strong, but you can't be on guard all the time. And there are only so many you can take down at once, no matter how tough you are. And then of course, there are always the guards. Don't think they don't like fresh meat either."
Naruto gave a feral smile. "I'll take my chances."
Orochimaru decided to switch tactics. If he forced Naruto too much, he would be less effective. Orochimaru didn't have leverage of the right kind on the blond yet. But he was expecting Anko to find some. There was always something that people cared about, or something that they wanted... always some way to tie them to you. Naruto would not be too hard to figure out. He didn't strike Orochimaru as a particularly complicated individual. Unlike the Uchihas.
"I heard some interesting rumors concerning Nagato's death," Orochimaru said, noticing the way the boy's face seemed to freeze at the mention of his former employer's name. Intriguing. "I heard that he wasn't killed by the police in the raid. I heard that he died by his own hand. And that his body guard was the only one with him at the time."
Naruto's face was completely blank.
"I am curious. The Nagato that I knew was extremely passionate and dedicated to his... work. It is hard for me to imagine him taking his own life."
Naruto stared at the pale man for a moment, but when he finally spoke, he voice was absolutely emotionless. "I have nothing to say to you or anyone else. If you want to know how Nagato died, or what he was thinking at the time, hold a fucking séance. I'm leaving. Don't contact me unless you have a real job for me."
"I can have your bail revoked," Orochimaru said coldly.
"Go ahead. I know what they have on me. I'll be out in less than a month, even without Anko's help." With that, Naruto walked out of the library to the front door. Zaku approached, looking as though he would intercept him, but a gesture from Orochimaru had the man standing down.
"Let Naruto-kun leave for now, Zaku. I'll be contacting him again soon, I'm sure."
Orochimaru could definitely ensure that Naruto was arrested and held longer than the boy seemed to realize. But he let the blond go without another word. He needed Naruto more compliant. He had waited years trying to find a chink in the Uchiha brothers' armor. Itachi had proven invulnerable. His only weakness was his little brother. So Orochimaru had focused his efforts there. Nothing had worked, until now. He wouldn't let Naruto go easily. He would build on this weakness. There were many ways he could play this. He didn't want to outright destroy them. No... one doesn't destroy such masterpieces.
He realized his hands were sweating. He took a breath and calmed himself. It would happen. There was no rush.
. . . . .
The heat in the subway was stifling as Naruto walked down the steps into the tunnel. Smells of garbage left in the sweltering sun wafted past, but he didn't mind. He loved the City in the summer. It was hot, sweaty, and gritty. But it was vibrantly alive.
There was a small group of street musicians playing on the platform. Naruto threw a dollar into the open guitar case as he waited for his train. You could disappear in this city from people trying to find you. Everyone minded their own business and stayed out of your way. No one looked twice at the person standing next to them. Nothing stood out as unusual, no matter how unusual it was.
He took the subway to the run-down apartment building where he and Gaara lived on 99th street in Spanish Harlem. They had originally lived in Chinatown, but after Nagato's group had some territory conflicts with one of the Tongs, they had relocated. It ended up being more convenient for Gaara anyway, given the organization he was working for was based at the very northern edge of the Upper East Side.
Naruto didn't mind that it was an 8th floor walk-up apartment. He and Gaara both hated elevators (floating death traps). The heat of the summer was full on, and he was sweating by the time he reached his door. He walked into the small studio apartment. As with most New York apartments, it was cramped, but clean. There was a small open room, where both Naruto and Gaara kept their pallets for sleep, and folded them up for seating during the day. There was a tiny kitchenette and a cramped bathroom. Naruto considered them lucky that the bathroom was not in the kitchen. It was a configuration they had actually encountered when looking for an apartment.
He was not surprised to see Gaara waiting up for him. He was slightly more surprised to see the man standing clad all in black, including the black cloth covering the lower half of his face.
"Kakashi. You're getting careless," Naruto said, walking over to open the window and checking the fire escape to see if there was anyone watching from outside.
He didn't need to see the man's mouth to know Kakashi was smirking. "As if anyone could follow me without my noticing. Naruto... have you really forgotten?"
Naruto just sighed. He was tired. It had been a strange day.
"What does Orochimaru want you for?" Gaara asked flatly. He had already assessed Naruto's condition when he had walked into their apartment. Naruto looked fatigued, but there was no sign of injury on him.
"Well, it looks like we were both right," Naruto said, looking at Kakashi.
Kakashi simply raised an eyebrow.
"He wants me for a specific target. But he also wants my ass. Or I guess, more accurately, he wants to use my ass to get the target."
"Who's the target?" Kakashi asked, trying to figure out why Orochimaru would have chosen Naruto.
"Sasuke Uchiha. The ADA's baby brother."
Kakashi gave a low whistle. "I didn't even know he was gay. Did Orochimaru tell you why he chose you?"
"No. He must just know Sasuke's type, I suppose. And I guess I'm it," Naruto said, sighing wearily.
"I didn't know Sasuke had a 'type'. As far as I heard, he was pretty much asexual," Kakashi said thoughtfully.
Naruto snorted. "If that guy's asexual, then you're a Puritan."
Kakashi gave an amused look. "So... I take it that means he expressed interest in you?"
Naruto glanced over at Gaara, who's face was cold and expressionless.
"Yeah. He expressed himself just fine."
"Did Orochimaru make you have sex with him?" Gaara spoke, his words almost crystalline with danger.
"No," Naruto said. Not yet, anyway. "Just... some servicing." He didn't go into detail.
Kakashi snickered. "Oral or hand?"
Naruto glowered at the older man, unable to prevent a flush of embarrassment from creeping up his neck and across his cheeks. "Fuck you, pervert. Go read your porn if you are so desperate to hear about some action."
"You need to set up your new rate card. Five dollar sucky sucky, ten dollar fucky fucky. If you need any pointers, I can set something up with Fu. Or Utakata," Kakashi was still laughing at Naruto's embarrassment. Naruto casually threw a roundhouse at the man's head. As expected, Kakashi dodged it, but Naruto swept his leg, landing him on the floor. He didn't continue, feeling his point was made. Kakashi, nimbly rolled up (still snickering somewhat) and simply returned to his position leaning against the wall clearly unfazed.
"Had you met Sasuke before?" Kakashi said, continuing as though there had been no disruption. "It seems like quite a leap for Orochimaru to randomly guess you would trigger something in the man, given Sasuke's reputation for being pretty aloof in that regard."
Naruto shook his head. "I've never met Sasuke or Orochimaru before tonight. I've met Sasuke's brother, though."
Kakashi shifted away from the wall. "And you're going to meet him again. Itachi was in the station today, talking to the officers who were complaining that the address we have on file for you is no good. It's still Nagato's. They sent some officers around to ask you to come down to the station to talk about Nagato's death, and what you know about it. But they couldn't find you. It seems there is more to the story than what you originally told me, Naruto."
Naruto sighed. Of course it would be too much to ask that they leave him alone on this. "Aren't they supposed to direct any questions to Anko? Or has Orochimaru already taken her off my case?"
Kakashi decided he would not press Naruto just now on the details of Nagato's death. The relationship the blond had with the man had been complex. He knew he'd have to tread carefully. "They were supposed to talk to her first, but they wanted to try to get you without her. After what she pulled in their last interview with you, they were hoping to 'accidentally' bump into you and ask you for a favor. But when they couldn't find you, they sent a request over to her office. But now they know you're not living at Nagato's, and they want a current address. Watch yourself."
Naruto nodded. He paid cash under a different name for the rent here, so there would be no paper trail. He and Gaara didn't have any credit cards, no bank accounts, no phones other than the disposable ones they got replaced every month. None of their group did. They were ghosts. Only Kakashi knew how to find them all.
"Did Orochimaru say he was going to have your bail revoked?" Kakashi asked, taking a cigarette out.
Naruto pulled out his lighter and lit it for him. Kakashi took a long drag, right through the thin fabric of his mask.
"He threatened to when I said I wouldn't do more jobs like that. I told him to go hire a pro if that's the kind of work he needed done," Naruto grabbed Kakashi's cigarette and took a drag, then handed it back. Occasional smoking was Naruto's only vice. Alcohol or drugs dulled the senses, which was something Naruto couldn't afford.
Plus, smoking the silver-haired man's cigarettes had the added bonus of annoying the man.
Kakashi glared at the cigarette that Naruto handed back, but continued to smoke it anyway.
"So... are you fired already?" Kakashi said, blowing out a stream of smoke.
"Dunno," Naruto said, also exhaling a thin stream of smoke. "I told him I'd do other work for him. But I'm not going to let him pimp me out to everyone he's trying to milk for political favors," Naruto said. "The case against me is weak. No one in Akatsuki will testify against me, and there were no outside witnesses to anything involving me.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. "You kill any of them?"
Naruto looked flatly at him. "I didn't say that. I just said there were none. Anko told me that all records involving Konan and me were destroyed before the raid."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes further at that, but didn't comment. "Don't quit quite yet if you don't have to. See what Orochimaru comes up with. Maybe he'll find other uses for you."
Gaara stirred at Kakashi's words. "Just watch your back. That guy has a habit of turning on his 'allies'. Especially the ones on the other side of the law, where he knows he can get away with it."
Naruto nodded. "I figured that. The guy's a snake. He's totally obsessed with Sasuke... it's fucking creepy."
Kakashi nodded. "He went after Itachi hard a while back. Itachi had to get a restraining order put on him. Looks like he thinks Sasuke might be easier prey. Did he say anything specific about what he was planning?"
Naruto shook his head. "No... it seemed more like... he just wanted to hear about any sort of sexual activity involving Sasuke. I actually felt more grossed out telling him about it than I did actually doing it with Sasuke."
Kakashi's eyes twinkled. He knew Naruto had taken both men and women as lovers in the past, though he'd been very selective in that regard. "Well, the Uchihas are very attractive, after all."
"Yeah, if you like assholes with sticks up their asses," Naruto grumbled. "Seriously, you should have seen this prick. He treated me like I was his fucking servant."
Kakashi shrugged. He had only met Sasuke once, but he knew Itachi and liked him. He found it amusing how much Sasuke seemed to have gotten under Naruto's skin. He was a little surprised that Naruto had gone along with what Orochimaru had asked of him. It certainly wasn't the first time that someone had tried to push the blond into that kind of activity. But it was the first time Naruto had actually gone through with it in the course of business. "Well, just play it by ear. If you end up back in jail, I'm sure Hidan and Dei will look out for you once they are out of solitary."
"They're still not allowed visitors?" Naruto asked. He was beginning to feel a bit desperate to talk to them and find out if either one knew what was going on with Orochimaru. If Kakashi didn't even know about it, he didn't know who else possibly could. And he didn't like being in the dark on something like this.
"They'll have to let them have visitors soon, or they'll run the risk of letting them get released on grounds of 'cruel and unusual punishment'," Gaara said.
"In the meantime, Naruto, you need to get in touch with Anko and have her meet you down at the station sometime tomorrow. If you are accessible, they might deprioritize trying to locate you," Kakashi advised. "You have enough people trying to find you. No need to add to the list. Once your actual address is on file..." he didn't bother to finish. They all knew how 'secure' the police records were. He might as well list himself in the phone book.
"Fine. I'll call her."
"She came to see me a couple of days ago, wanting to hear the details about your arrest," Kakashi said, looking at his fingernails.
Naruto stilled. "Those records are sealed."
Kakashi looked up, "That's why she came to see me. She wanted to... persuade me to tell here about what I saw that day. She's a beautiful woman."
"You wouldn't rat me out for a piece of ass after all this time, Kakashi, so don't even pretend."
Kakashi snorted, and ruffled Naruto's hair. "But I'm sure I'm not the only one she's asked. Just look out. Orochimaru is looking for leverage on you. And he's looking in the right place."
Naruto nodded, heeding the older man's warning.
Kakashi gave a mock salute, then opened the window to the fire escape. "Contact me if something happens." And with that, he vanished into the night.
Gaara watched Naruto in comfortable silence for several minutes.
"You ok?" The redhead asked finally.
Naruto shrugged. "It was weird. But... it's fine. Whatever."
Gaara pulled off his shirt. "Let's go to the roof."
Naruto followed suit, throwing his dirty shirt into the corner of the small room on top of his pallet. It was their ritual. At least three or four times a week, they would pick the lock on the door to the roof and spar late into the night. It served the dual purpose of keeping their skills fresh, and relieving the tension. Gaara had never taken a lover, but the physical intimacy of sparring did not bother him the way other touches did. Gaara knew that Naruto needed something to steady his mind and release the stress. They had grown up learning very different methods, but they were equally skilled, making their sparring a challenge regardless of how long they had been together.
They were brothers in every sense except DNA.
It was several hours later when Naruto, slick with sweat, walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. There was a spurt of rust colored water and a sputtering noise as the pipes rattled. After a couple of minutes, the lukewarm water ran clear and Naruto stepped into the thin stream. The water never got hot, but at least it wasn't cold. And given the heat of the night and the fact that their apartment had no air conditioning, Naruto was more than happy with the temperature.
He lay down on the floor on his pallet while Gaara took his turn in the shower, thinking about the events of the day. He hadn't been lying when he said it had been more disturbing talking to Orochimaru about the interaction with Sasuke than it had actually doing it with the councilman. Mentally Naruto shrugged. He supposed Kakashi was right. The Uchihas were very attractive. At least, physically.
-xXx-
Sasuke had just reached the main entrance of the district court building when he received a text from Itachi saying he had to run down to the station for an interview of someone they had been having a hard time locating and wouldn't be able to meet him for lunch. Itachi was coming out of the elevator just as Sasuke reached it.
"Sorry, little brother," Itachi said apologetically. "We've been trying to track this guy down for almost a week, and he just walked into the station out of the blue. We can't keep him long, since this is purely a voluntary interview. I want to be there to monitor it so they don't mess something up. Ibiki is gone for the weekend, and I don't know who they have on point today."
Sasuke shrugged. "I'll walk with you," he said, falling into step with Itachi as they strode towards the police station. "How are things going with the case?"
"It's going. We have enough evidence to put the main players away with no problem, as long as no one messes up. No one turned, though, which is unusual, but I guess Nagato was a pretty charismatic leader. There were only a few who we had to let go because we just didn't have enough evidence."
Sasuke decided there would be no way to slip the question in completely unnoticed, but this was as good a chance as he was likely to get. "What about that blond kid that went crazy in the holding cell?"
Itachi slanted a glance at him, and Sasuke mentally cursed. But Itachi answered the question, "He was one of the ones we had to let go. Orochimaru sent his top attorney to handle his case, but it was hardly worth Anko's effort. I am curious as to the connection there, but so far we haven't uncovered a history between those two."
"So he didn't end up going to juvie?"
"No. All evidence points to him being an adult. Though we don't really have a firm ID on him yet. It's like the kid just dropped out of the sky five years ago enrolled as a freshman in high school here."
Sasuke pretended only vague interest. Clearly there wasn't going to be a firm resolution on the matter, but it was good enough for now.
"Actually, he's the one that I'm going to observe the interview with," Itachi said, noting the brief flash of interest on his little brother's face before it was masked. "Sorry I won't be able to make lunch. But we'll catch up over dinner."
Sasuke simply nodded, noticing the shadows under his brother's eyes from exhaustion. Concern for his brother pushed out other thoughts as he touched Itachi's shoulder, causing the man to stop. "Itachi... let me know if there's anything I can do. You look exhausted. It's been a while since I clerked for someone, but I'm more than qualified."
Itachi laughed, but his eyes had softened at the offer. "Modesty doesn't become you, Otouto. You have enough on your plate as it is. But thanks," he pushed two of his fingers into Sasuke's forehead. It was a gesture that used to infuriate Sasuke as a child, but now he only smiled.
"Just be careful, nii-san."
-xXx-
"Anko's still not here?" Naruto asked the policeman sitting across from him in the interview room. "Orochimaru said she'd be here an hour ago."
The policeman shrugged. "We could always get started without her. She probably just decided that - since this is a voluntary interview rather than an interrogation - her presence was not necessary."
It was a lie and they both knew it. Naruto thought it likely that Orochimaru had decided not to send her. Either to try to teach Naruto a lesson for being insolent the day before, or because Orochimaru also wanted to learn the answers to the questions the police were going to ask today.
Naruto yawned and stretched lazily. "Seriously. I gave my statement. I have nothing more to say."
"Where you there when Nagato committed suicide?"
Naruto's face closed up. "It's been ruled a suicide?"
The policeman seemed to realize he had revealed something too soon. "Nothing's official. We just want to talk to you to get your side of the story."
Naruto smirked. "To compare with Nagato's side of the story? Damn, you guys are good if you can talk to a dead man."
"Look, kid. I don't think you realize what kind of trouble you're in. You better start talking," the officer blustered.
"Or what? I'm here voluntarily. I can walk out the door any time I want. So play nice," Naruto said, his voice mocking.
The officer looked non-plussed, and glanced nervously towards the mirrored glass. Naruto caught the glance, and turned to face it, knowing who was likely standing behind it.
"Hey, Itach', if you wanted my number that badly you could have just asked me," Naruto said in Japanese. The officer looked puzzled, clearly not understanding the language that was spoken. "I know I came on a Saturday unannounced, so I didn't expect the top line-up for interviews, but seriously where did you find this guy? He couldn't interrogate my sandwich."
The door opened, and Itachi walked in, clearly surprising the officer. Naruto just smiled.
"How did you know I spoke Japanese?" Itachi asked calmly in that language. Clearly Itachi was Japanese American, but he had been in this country so long that his English was accentless. Most people would not assume he could speak Japanese out of hand. But there had been something in Naruto's expression that felt like... it had been a deliberate 'slip' of knowledge showing he knew this fact about him.
Naruto shrugged, pretending the question was casual and meaningless. Itachi wasn't fooled. "Are you kidding? I just got hired by Orochimaru. He knows whether you and your brother dress to the right or the left*," Naruto said, still in Japanese, as he stood to leave. "Of course I know you speak Japanese fluently." He knew that if the interview was being recorded, Orochimaru would find out about this last exchange and likely be unhappy. But the man had stood him up, and Naruto owed him no loyalty. Plus, Naruto liked the ADA. Itachi seemed like a decent human being. There weren't very many of those in positions of power as far as Naruto had seen. The guy deserved a heads up. Something about Orochimaru set Naruto's teeth on edge.
Itachi simply waved a hand to the officer who stood to stop Naruto from leaving. The interview was over.
. . . .
Itachi returned to the observation room, looking at the man who had been watching the brief interview with him.
As usual, the brunette's hair was tied up into a spiky ponytail. The man had appeared to have been half asleep throughout the duration of the interview, but Itachi knew better. "Well, Shikamaru? What did you make of it?"
Shikamaru rolled his shoulders. He was a criminal psychologist brought in to assist on major cases, and Itachi had called him in as a favor on this one on instinct. "That was no ordinary kid. He was completely at ease and unintimidated by authority. Not hostile. Just unintimidated... it wasn't a front. He didn't even seem to care that his attorney left him dangling in the wind, even though he was clearly aware of the implications that Orochimaru could be withdrawing his support."
He looked to Itachi, who simply nodded. He had read the same thing in Naruto's expression.
Shikamaru continued, "He's been through something much worse that makes any tactics we have here seem like child's play. If you want to get anything out of him, you'd need Ibiki, or my dad. And even then... I doubt you'd get much. He knows we can only go so far. This is definitely not his first time through the system."
Again, Itachi nodded in agreement.
"Did you notice the faint scars on his face? Those were not accidental... too parallel and symmetric. My guess is that the guy has been tortured at some point. The clip from the security tape you showed me about the event in the holding cell where he attacked the fellow prisoner looked like a post-traumatic stress response. It seemed to be more from the physical attack rather than the sexual assault," Shikamaru sighed, "Net net, my read is this kid is dangerous and he knows way more than what he has said so far. But he's not loyal to Orochimaru, and is clearly conflicted about getting pulled into his organization. He gave you a veiled warning to watch out for Orochimaru because he seems to respect you, despite you being the ADA on his case. But you aren't going to get him to talk about something he doesn't want to talk about."
Itachi had let the interview end because it was clearly going nowhere. Naruto's parting words bothered him, though, especially since the blond had made a point of adding Sasuke into the warning. He got the sense that it was a message he should not take lightly. For some reason that he couldn't quite explain, he trusted the blond.
"I'm deleting the recording of this interview. We didn't learn anything from it," Itachi said. Shikamaru simply raised a brow. He knew Itachi was trying to prevent Orochimaru from hearing the tape. The police officer in the interrogation room would only be able to say that a few words of some other language had been exchanged, but nothing more than that.
-xXx-
There was a knock on Sasuke's office door. "Yes," Sasuke said tersely, checking his watch. He had less than ten minutes before he had to leave for his next appointment.
A redhead with glasses poked her head in. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir, but you have a call from Orochimaru Sanin. He asked to speak with you," Karin recognized the name from the search Sasuke had had her do over the weekend, but she was careful to let no recognition color her voice.
"Put him through," Sasuke said briefly, then picked up his phone as it rang. "Orochimaru-san, I was expecting your call."
"Sasuke-kun. It's good to hear your voice. I heard that the vote went through today?"
"Yes. I'm sure you will be pleased with the outcome," Sasuke said.
"So you appreciated the way I made my case on this matter," Orochimaru said, slightly taunting.
Sasuke's voice turned hard. "I voted in the interest of my constituents. Don't read too much into the situation."
He could hear Orochimaru's smile as he said, "But of course. I would expect nothing less from you, Councilman Uchiha."
-xXx-
to be continued...
yes, I know I have added more complications to the plot, but I promise I am keeping track of all the threads. But I think it's clear where this is going to go in the next chapter, yes? In terms of SasuNaru, anyway.
*for my non-native English speaking readers, this phrase "dressing to the right or the left" implies very intimate knowledge of someone. It literally is referring to whether a man places his penis to the left or right side of the crotch seam of his trousers for comfort when he dresses.
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Deception - COMPLETE