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
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Sasuke looked at the man passed out on his sofa. Panicking would not be helpful. He placed his fingers at the side of Naruto's throat and immediately found a strong, steady pulse. He could see the blond's chest rise and fall with each breath. Sasuke let out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding.
The logical thing to do at this point would be to call the police or an ambulance. Probably both. That was clearly a gunshot wound in Naruto's scalp. Just a graze, but enough to leave a hell of a headache. And potentially more serious damage. It would be a pretty big scandal if the boy died on Sasuke's sofa while he just stood there and watched.
But he hadn't missed the flash of panic in Naruto's eyes at the word 'hospital'. And somehow... he knew he wasn't going to call the police. He thought about calling Itachi, but if things really went to hell Sasuke knew his phone records would be examined and the last thing he wanted was to drag his brother into his own stupidity. Because if there was one thing that was becoming increasingly clear to Sasuke, it was that he was not logical when it came to anything that had to do with Naruto. Not from the first second he had laid eyes on him.
Added to all that, it was entirely possible that the whole reason Naruto was injured was because he had gotten involved protecting Sasuke. Sasuke had wanted to have access to Naruto and had agreed to let Orochimaru 'loan' Naruto to him to deal with the potential threat. At the time, Sasuke had assumed the threat was just a nuisance, nothing serious. So he hadn't really thought much about Naruto actually being at risk because of his whim. But if he was wrong, and the blond had gotten seriously injured because of it... the thought left an unsettled feeling in Sasuke's stomach. He considered the head wound, and remembered Naruto telling him that the photos looked like 'kill shots' from a professional, because each gave a clear path for a shot to the head. Just like Naruto's wound.
The latent guilt was enough that, instead of calling 911, he called down to Jugo and asked the man to have someone from the concierge desk fetch him several packs of medical gauze, antiseptic wash, salve, and some large bandages. He then googled 'how to treat head wounds'. Sasuke went to the kitchen and grabbed several washcloths and a bowl of clean water to cleanse the wound.
Losing consciousness and vomiting were 'red flags' that it was time to call a doctor. He decided that if Naruto didn't wake up within an hour, he'd call his own physician and see if he could bribe the man into making a house call. It was a risk, though, because a doctor could lose their license if they failed to report a gunshot wound to the authorities. Sasuke wasn't sure he knew his physician well enough to take that bet.
Sasuke brought the water and washcloth over, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the sofa where Naruto was laid out. For a moment, he simply looked at the shirtless blond laying motionless there. He had never had the opportunity to study Naruto up close without being observed in return. Sasuke set the supplies down and raised his fingers to Naruto's cheek, tracing over the thin scars there. The skin was smooth under the pads of his fingertips, with only a very subtle change in texture at the markings. In regular indoor lighting, the scars were almost invisible.
Sasuke's eyes drifted down across the lithe, muscled arms and chest, then over the tattoo swirled around Naruto's navel. He frowned when he noticed a second set of thin scars that the tattoo concealed. They looked old and well-healed. But there was no mistaking that Naruto had been stabbed in the stomach repeatedly at some point in his life.
He let his fingers slide down the tan throat, over the dips and contours of the collar bone. He ran his fingers along each rib concealed beneath the hard muscles of the smooth chest, hoping he would be able to tell if one was broken. The skin was soft and warm to his touch... the ribs feeling intact. He allowed his hands to explore the texture of the skin around Naruto's navel perhaps a bit more than absolutely necessary, finding the scars there similar to those on the boy's cheeks. Faintly visible, and detectable by touch only with a focused attention. And Sasuke's attention was nothing if not focused.
The heat of the Naruto's skin made Sasuke wonder briefly if the boy had a fever, but then he remembered the intense heat of Naruto's mouth and was reminded from experience that the boy's body temperature tended to run hot. The vivid memory of that wet heat wrapped around his cock caused Sasuke to shift, alleviating only slightly the growing pressure in his groin. How many times in how many ways had that wicked mouth made him nearly scream in pleasure?
Deciding that thoughts like that would only lead to a painful state of arousal which Sasuke knew Naruto would be in no condition to alleviate, he tried to school his thoughts back to checking for injuries. He slid one arm under the blond and lifted him forward, checking his back.
The position was distractingly intimate, with Naruto's naked torso supported in his arms, and Sasuke had to force himself to ignore the heat and scent of the man. The only injury he could see on Naruto's back was the mark from the gunshot wound from the first time he had seen him. It already looked fully healed, and likely would fade into only a small, faint scar. He gently laid the boy back down on his back.
Satisfied that at least Naruto's upper body injuries had been fully identified, Sasuke efficiently set to cleaning the blood from the gouge in Naruto's scalp, not needing to go carefully since his patient was unconscious and thus unaware of any pain he might cause. As he washed the blood away, he noticed that the hair closest to the wound was coated with some sort of black coloring. He took a lock of black/blond hair between his forefinger and thumb, and rubbed it. An oily, black substance came off on his hands. Sasuke smelled it, and realized it was shoe polish. He frowned, wondering what it was doing in Naruto's hair. Mentally he added that to the list of questions to ask the blond when he woke up.
Satisfied that he had done the best he could with the most serious wound, Sasuke decided he would remove Naruto's pants to check the rest of him. Naruto hadn't been limping, so he wasn't overly concerned, but Sasuke wanted to be sure. He had planned to leave the boy in his boxers for modesty's sake, but his hands stilled after undoing the zipper of Naruto's pants and discovering that there was nothing beneath them. Evidently his young criminal preferred to go commando.
Sasuke felt sweat prickle on the palms of his hands as he looked down at where the open zipper had revealed nothing but more smooth, tan skin with an almost invisible line of fine blond hair that disappeared at the base of the zipper. No tan line in sight, Sasuke thought distractedly. Definitely a natural blond. All he'd need was a little tug on the pants...
He dipped his finger into the side of the waistband of Naruto's pants, hooking the fabric down slightly to reveal one of Naruto's hipbones. Still no tan line. Sasuke resisted the urge to go further, not so much out of consideration for Naruto's potential feelings, but more because he refused to sneak like a beggar in the night to get a glimpse of the parts of Naruto's body he hadn't seen yet.
Still, he couldn't resist sliding the palm of his hand up over the hip bone and across the hard, flat stomach... the softness of the boy's skin at odds with the hardness of the muscle beneath. Sasuke felt his erection return full force, and removed his hand.
He could have forced Naruto on the very first day and demanded everything, had he wanted to. But it wouldn't have satisfied him nearly as much as having Naruto give in because the blond wanted it. Sasuke needed complete capitulation from Naruto. The blond loved to throw the fact in Sasuke's face that he only touched Sasuke because Orochimaru had assigned this 'task' to him. Insisting that this was all just part of some unpleasant job that had been foisted on the blond. Sasuke would not be satisfied with that. When the time came, Sasuke didn't want to give Naruto the luxury of hiding behind something like that. He wanted a full admission.
He had seen the changes in the way Naruto looked at him over the past few days. The blue eyes were no longer full of cool disdain and mockery. Sasuke had seen flashes of admiration and lust in them when Naruto let his guard drop. Their last three encounters had ended with Naruto leaving Sasuke's home hard and unfulfilled. Sasuke knew Naruto was close... so close... to giving in.
Sasuke's attraction was purely sexual, of course, he reassured himself. Some sort of intense chemistry... weird pheromones or something. It would fade like it always did. Once Naruto had yielded, surely Sasuke's interest would wane. And he would be able to get back to his normal life without distraction.
With brusque efficiency, he zipped the pants back up and simply felt along Naruto's legs, looking for lumps that didn't belong or signs of a bandage. But there was nothing, so Sasuke assumed the only two serious injuries were the head wound and the cut on his arm.
. . . .
The chime of the elevator sounded, and Sasuke stood quickly to take the medical supplies from Jugo, ignoring the man's questioning gaze.
"You will not call my brother regarding this," Sasuke stated flatly.
Jugo seemed to hesitate, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Very well," the large man said, clearly torn about which Uchiha he should fear more.
Sasuke wasn't entirely confident he had won that battle, but he knew there was nothing more he could do without actually tying the head of security up in his apartment.
He turned back to Naruto, and removed the antiseptic and bandages from the bag and quickly disinfected and dressed both wounds. Once finished, he sat back and looked at the blond for a moment, considering. What was it about this person that fascinated him to this extent?
It was true that the boy was beautiful. But Sasuke had met many physically beautiful people, and never felt this strong a pull. Part of it was the strange almost angelic quality of his looks contrasting with the knowledge that he was so dangerous... had even killed. Sasuke had watched Naruto while they'd been together the past week. When they were in a new place, or one with many people or many points of access, Naruto had this focus, this intensity that came over him. Sasuke got the sense that Naruto remembered every face, every voice, analyzed every potential angle of attack in those meetings. Sasuke found that... compelling. And attractive.
Of course, in other meetings where it had just been Sasuke and one other person in a small office with only one entry point, Naruto's eyes had glazed over with boredom. Clearly politics were not his interest. Sasuke wondered if the boy had even finished high school.
But it didn't diminish his attraction. Unconsciously, his fingers gripped the blond's chin tightly as he tilted Naruto's face up. "Why?" He asked, his voice annoyed but bemused.
He released Naruto's chin and stood abruptly. He had work to do. And if the blond didn't wake up soon, then he had a decision to make.
Sasuke turned on the news to run in the background while he worked at his desk. As a politician, he needed to stay on top of what was happening in the community. After a few minutes, though, the words that were coming from the TV penetrated his thoughts and captured his full attention.
"... where police say he was struck and killed by a subway train yesterday evening. Reports say he was affiliated with a Russian mafia syndicate, but no further details are being released. Police are still looking for the black haired youth that the man was seen chasing at gunpoint into the subway tunnels. Several witnesses recalled shots being fired by the deceased after the fleeing youth. It is unclear if the boy was killed or escaped. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this person is asked to contact the NYPD.
In other news, green gardening on rooftops has become a growing fad in New York City this summer..."
Sasuke let the rest of the reporter's words wash over him. Black hair... or shoe polish?
. . .
Naruto's first thought was that he wasn't in a hospital. There was no antiseptic smell, no beeping of medical equipment. He could hear a TV on somewhere. He cautiously opened his eyes. He was alone in Sasuke's living room, laying on one of Sasuke's leather sofas. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, groaning slightly at the effort. He hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday and his blood sugar was running extremely low on top of everything else, making his head spin.
"So you finally decided to wake up. I was just about to call a doctor. Saves me the trouble," Sasuke said, his voice emotionless as he walked out from his office into the living room. Naruto noticed that Sasuke changed out of his work suit, and was now dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans. Since Naruto only ever escorted Sasuke for work, he had never seen him dressed casually. He had to admit that the man looked good in just about anything.
Naruto focused on arranging his thoughts. He remembered coming in, Sasuke noticing his injuries, then nothing. He must have passed out. And strangely, Sasuke hadn't called an ambulance, or the police. Tentatively, he reached up and felt a bandage on his head. He noticed another on his arm.
"You... you put these bandages on me?" That was a mental image Naruto just could not conjure, but there didn't appear to be anyone else in the apartment.
"Your head was leaking blood onto my sofa. I didn't want it to ruin the leather. It's Italian." Sasuke had reached the couch where Naruto was sitting, and stood just in front of him, looking down on the blond with seemingly little interest. But he hadn't called 911.
For the first time since Naruto had met Sasuke, he wondered what the raven thought of him. What he wanted from him. If it were a simple, transactional relationship, Sasuke would simply have called the police and been done with him. It was definitely the safest course of action for a public figure to take in a situation like this. But he hadn't. Naruto couldn't understand why, but he was grateful.
"Bastard," Naruto said, a small smile on his face as he compared the man's words with his actions. "Thanks. For not calling an ambulance, or the police, or whatever. Hope I didn't mess up your fancy couch too much. At least I didn't throw up on it."
Sasuke frowned. "Were you throwing up earlier?"
Naruto shrugged. "Sunlight sucks right now. As long as I stay indoors it seems pretty ok."
"How do you feel now?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm ok, I guess," Naruto said.
Sasuke bent down, looking closely at Naruto's eyes. He had read online that constricted or unequal pupil dilation was a sign of brain injury. He wasn't sure he would really be able to tell, but thought he'd try.
At the closeness of this new position, Naruto could smell Sasuke's aftershave. His face was so close that he could feel Sasuke's breath on his cheek. A wave of dizziness washed over Naruto. "Actually, I guess I'm still feeling a little dizzy. Can you... give me some space here?"
Sasuke paused, a small smirk forming as he took in the possible implications of Naruto's unguarded words. But he pulled back. This wasn't the time. Naruto's pupils looked like they always did, which Sasuke took to be a good sign.
"You should see a doctor. Do you have someone you use?"
Naruto hesitated. He didn't want to call Sakura until he knew just how much danger he was in. And anyone else was out of the question. Sasuke frowned at Naruto's lack of response.
"Look, I'm not trying to get involved in your business. But it would be bad for my PR if I had someone die in my home. Especially from a gunshot wound to the head that looks many hours old. I'd probably have to fill out paperwork, and that would be annoying," Sasuke said, standing casually but his eyes intense. Almost... worried?
"Well, I'd hate to inconvenience you with paperwork by dying," Naruto said drily. "If you promise to stay in your home until I find out what the hell is going on, I'll head out and save you the trouble."
Naruto started to stand, but found a hand on his shoulder pressing him back down. "No. Not until you tell me whether this had something to do with me or not."
Sasuke didn't really know why, but he didn't want Naruto leaving. Finding out what Naruto knew about this situation was only a part of the reason, but it was definitely the part he felt most comfortable addressing. The part that made him feel like he wanted to keep Naruto here so he could protect him and keep him safe made less sense to him, so he ignored it for the moment.
"I honestly am not sure," Naruto said, carefully choosing his words, but wishing his head wasn't pounding so much. It was hard to be careful with what he said when his brain was barely back to functioning. He couldn't forget who Sasuke's brother was, or he'd wind up in jail.
"Let's start with something basic, like do you know who shot you?"
Naruto looked at Sasuke, then shifted a bit under the scrutiny.
"It's a simple question, Naruto. Yes or no."
"I don't know their names, but I know who they were," Naruto said, wishing his head was clear for this conversation. Sasuke was not someone who would miss any slip-ups Naruto might make.
"They?" Sasuke asked. He also noted the tense of the verb 'were', and wondered if he should read into that what he was. But he knew better than to ask that directly.
"Yeah. Look, all I know is that someone started following me after I left your place yesterday, which is why I am not sure if it has something to do with you or not. He wasn't someone I recognized... not someone I have had trouble with in my past. I ran into more people he worked with and it got ugly, and I got shot. But I don't know why they were after me," Naruto ran his words through his head one more time, and decided he hadn't given anything away that was dangerous. "I don't know if it had anything to do with you, which is why I came over today. In case they were just trying to get me out of the way to get to you."
Sasuke frowned at that, not liking the apparent lack of concern on Naruto's part about the boy's own safety. Naruto should have been hiding, or going to the police for protection, not coming to check on Sasuke. The feeling in Sasuke's stomach twisted further.
"Ok. So you were shot last night after leaving my place. Where?" Sasuke asked.
"In the fucking head, bastard," Naruto said, glaring at Sasuke. Evidently his nap had returned his ability to glare.
"No, moron. I mean what address. Where were you shot? In the subway tunnels?"
Naruto's expression of shock gave him away though he quickly tried to mask it. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You had black shoe polish in your hair, and a bullet wound. You were followed on your way back from my place, and I know you usually take the subway home. The police are looking for a black-haired youth who was chased at gunpoint through the subway tunnels last night by a man killed by a train."
Naruto stayed stonily silent. Sasuke looked at him for a moment. "Naruto... by all accounts the man was chasing you trying to kill you. The police found the only signs of injury on him were caused from the train."
Naruto leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "I can't think straight right now. But I'm not dumb enough to believe that someone with my background could ever be involved in anything like that without going to jail for it. So my official statement is that I have no idea what you are talking about. And if you don't stop asking me about it, I'm going to leave."
In Naruto's current state, Sasuke was pretty confident he could keep him here by force, but he didn't say anything.
"Look," Naruto said. "The only piece that you need to know is that I am not sure why someone tried to kill us, but -"
"Us?" Sasuke said.
"Me... I meant me. I don't know why someone tried to kill me, but given that one of the men started following me right after I left your place, at minimum we should assume they know I am working for you. One possibility is that they were trying to get me out of the way because they are the people behind the photos. Another possibility is that I am the primary target, but even then they could still target you because of your association with me. I came here this morning because I wanted to find out if anything unusual had happened, and also to warn Jugo to look out for anything strange. But so far... it doesn't look like anything is happening here."
Sasuke paused, trying to think things through. "Could it be someone that Orochimaru sent?"
Naruto felt his head spinning from lack of food and all the talking. He didn't really think much about his answer. "No, he doesn't have connections with the Russians. I know all the guys he has follow me and... oh, shit!" Naruto's eyes flew open as he realized something important that he had missed yesterday.
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"The... the guy that Orochimaru usually has follow me back from your place. He wasn't there yesterday. The guy who followed me must have taken him out. Fuck! No wonder Orochimaru was so pissed at me when I came home this morning. If he decides I was the one who did it, he's totally going to..." Naruto stopped himself, his mind racing painfully. If Orochimaru thought Naruto had killed the person he had tailing him, would he consider that a breach of contract? Would he find all his friends on the evening news tonight?
"Orochimaru has someone following you?"
"Yeah. He wants to make sure I show up here when I'm supposed to, and don't talk to people I'm not supposed to," Naruto said, clearly unconcerned about it at the moment relative to everything else that was happening.
Sasuke was more disturbed, however. He had assumed that Naruto was working for Orochimaru relatively voluntarily. That the blond needed money, or something, and that was why he did it. The fact that Orochimaru was having him followed suggested something much more coerced. That sat less well with him.
"Is it possible that Orochimaru's guy noticed this Russian and left voluntarily to either get out of the way or get new instructions?"
"I... have no idea. I guess I can ask Orochimaru when I get back tonight and see what he has to say."
"You're staying here tonight," Sasuke said flatly.
"What? Why?" Naruto asked. "I'm not full strength yet, so I don't know how useful I'll be as protection. And I'm probably not going to be able to suck you off or anything. I haven't been able to hold anything down since before I got shot, and I can barely move my head without feeling like I'm going to pass out."
Sasuke sighed in annoyance. "Idiot. I don't expect sex with you tonight. You look like hell, anyway. I just don't want you going out and getting shot. This is a very secure building. And there is a good chance that your attackers don't even know where you are right now."
"Well excuse me for not looking awesome today. But I'm pretty sure my job is to protect you, not the other way around."
"Fine. Then stay and protect me. Apparently, there are roving gangs of gunmen in the City. Jugo might not be able to take them all out at once before the police get here. I'll call Orochimaru and say I received a new threat, and am insisting that you stay until we clear it up."
Naruto thought for a minute. He certainly didn't want to go back to Orochimaru's right now, given that he wasn't sure if the man thought he had killed one of his lackeys. And he couldn't go back to his own apartment, now that that had been found by the Russians. He didn't know why Sasuke was being so nice about it, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth at this point. "Ok, fine. But I'm sleeping on the couch."
"I have a perfectly functional guest room. Three, in fact."
"If my job is to protect you, and the only entry point is that elevator, then I am sleeping between you and the elevator."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Though if you really want to keep me safe, sleeping in the same room seems like the best bet," Sasuke's mouth didn't actually show the smirk, but Naruto could hear it.
"In your dreams, princess," Naruto retorted, though it was half-hearted. He looked exhausted.
"So... do you think your stomach could hold anything down?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto considered it. "I don't know. I'm willing to try, though. I can't afford to have my strength this low for long."
Sasuke went to the kitchen and came back with a tall glass of an amber liquid.
"I don't drink," Naruto said, annoyed.
"You don't drink apple juice?" Sasuke said, raising a perfectly arched brow.
"Oh, sorry... it looked like beer or something."
"Why would I give a man with a head injury alcohol?" Sasuke said disgustedly.
"Because you're a perverted lush?" Naruto asked, accepting the glass from his host.
Sasuke snorted. "Right. I've only been drunk like three times in my whole life."
"Really? You always seem to have a drink when we come back here. And I noticed you didn't deny the pervert part," Naruto said, grinning.
"I have one drink in the evenings. And it gives me something to do with my mouth and hands, since you have intimacy issues, or something."
Naruto choked on his juice. They hadn't ever really discussed it. Naruto had simply let his actions indicate what he would and wouldn't allow. Was Sasuke going to try to renegotiate terms? Part of Naruto felt a dark swirl of desire at the thought. If Sasuke demanded it, then Naruto would have to do it... and the thought of having sex with Sasuke was becoming increasingly more appealing. But he didn't want to admit that... didn't want to give the confidant, successful man in front of him that kind of power or acknowledgement.
Sasuke simply looked at him, watching Naruto drink the juice, an unreadable expression on his face.
. . . . .
The elevator chimed, and both Sasuke and Naruto jumped slightly and looked towards the door that was opening.
Itachi walked out, stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Naruto naked from the waist up with a bandage on his head and arm, then shot a glare at Sasuke.
"And why is it that I have to find out third hand that my brother has cancelled all his meetings for the day due to health issues, and is instead locked in his penthouse with a potentially injured visitor?"
"I'm going to fire Jugo," Sasuke muttered.
Itachi smirked as he removed his shoes. "Please, otouto. You know I will simply influence whoever you hire next in exactly the same way. Jugo is good at his job. He is just able to tell which of the two of us it would be more dangerous to displease. And he is not the only one who called me this morning about your actions."
Itachi walked into the room, then sat down next to Naruto, ignoring the way Sasuke's eyes narrowed at his proximity to the blond.
"What happened to your head, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, reaching a hand to touch the bandage on Naruto's head, keeping his amusement at his baby brother's reaction concealed from his voice.
"Naruto was shot in the head," Sasuke bit out, placing an almost proprietary hand on the boy's shoulder.
Itachi's eyes widened, and his amusement fled despite his brother's ridiculous show of possessiveness. "When did this happen?"
"Last night," Sasuke said, again answering for Naruto. In any other circumstance, Naruto would have been annoyed, but right now he was glad to be able to take a break from talking.
"Does this have to do with the person stalking you?" Itachi asked Sasuke, "Is that why you cancelled your meetings today?"
"We don't know. And yes. Partially," Sasuke replied, glancing down at Naruto. Itachi followed his glance, noticing the pallor of the blond's face.
"They released him from the hospital so soon?" Itachi asked skeptically. Naruto didn't look ready to be out of the hospital in his opinion.
The silence that filled the penthouse at Itachi's comment was deafening.
Itachi shot Sasuke a sharp glance. "He hasn't been to a doctor yet?"
"I fucking hate hospitals," Naruto muttered, setting his empty glass on the coffee table.
"We need to call -" Itachi had been reaching into his pocket for his phone when a tan hand had shot out and viced around Itachi's wrist, stopping him with surprising strength.
"You are not going to call 911. No hospitals," the intensity in the blue eyes gave Itachi pause.
"Ok, no hospitals," Itachi said placatingly. He twisted his wrist slowly until Naruto let go, noting he was likely to have a bruise, making a mental note of Naruto's physical strength even in his weakened condition. "If you have such an aversion to those places, then I am guessing that you have someone else you call when you need medical assistance. In your line of work, it must be a fairly regular occurrence."
"Nagato had someone at the house, but he's long gone," Naruto said. "I don't know if Orochimaru has someone, but I wouldn't trust them if he did."
"You mentioned there was someone else," Sasuke said, ignoring the glare Naruto sent him.
"I don't want to bring her into this. She isn't a player in this stuff. She's just a regular person. I don't want her to become a target."
"You could at least call her and talk to her over the phone. If she's a doctor, she'll know the right questions to ask to get a sense of how serious this is," Itachi said.
They could see Naruto hesitating. Itachi pushed his advantage, handing Naruto his phone. "Use my phone. Call her."
Slowly, Naruto took the phone and dialed. Sasuke looked at his brother, knowing the man had purposefully had Naruto use his phone so that he would have an easy way of getting her number and finding out who she was. Itachi never missed a trick.
"Hey, Sakura," Naruto said, forcing his voice to sound normal.
"Naruto! Are you ok? Why are you calling?" Naruto could hear the instant worry in her voice, and felt guilty for it.
"I'm ok. I just... I had sort of an accident," Naruto ignored Sasuke's snort at his choice of words, "... and I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions just to be sure it's nothing serious."
"Why don't I just come over and check you out? I just finished my shift. Just let me know the type of injury, and I can grab my bag and -"
"No! Sakura, whatever you do, do not come by the apartment anymore. We've moved out, and... it's not safe." Itachi and Sasuke simultaneously narrowed their eyes at Naruto's words, correctly guessing that Naruto was not referring to Orochimaru's place.
"Naruto, what is going on? Are you in trouble?"
"I'm ok. I just... I had a... bulletgrazemyheadlastnight," Naruto said in a rush, knowing the explosion that was likely to result. He pulled the phone away from his ear just in time.
"NARUTO YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU WERE SHOT IN THE HEAD AND YOU DIDN'T GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR CALL ME UNTIL ALMOST A DAY LATER?"
Sasuke snickered, clearly able to hear every word that was shouted out of the phone.
"S-Sakura-chan, no need to be angry," Naruto said, reflexively tacking on the Japanese familiar term without realizing it, despite the fact that Sakura didn't speak Japanese. "You know how I am with hospitals, and I didn't want to get you involved..."
"Where. Are. You. Now," she said, her voice firm.
"I'm at a..." Naruto searched wildly for a word that described Sasuke's relationship with him. "... a friend's place. But I'm not sure it's safe for you to come. I'd rather try to just talk it through on the phone and see what you think. I want to keep you out of - "
"Please put your friend on the phone."
"Ah, I'm not sure that's a good -"
"I'M NOT ASKING YOUR OPINION. PUT YOUR FRIEND ON THE PHONE NOW."
Sasuke reached down and took the phone, having heard the request perfectly clearly from two feet away.
"This is Sasuke," he said, his voice smooth.
"Hello, Sasuke. This is Dr. Haruno. I am Naruto's physician. Evidently, he got himself shot in the head last night, and I don't trust him to answer my questions honestly because he can be a complete idiot when it comes to his own health even without a bullet lodged in his thick skull. Can I ask you a few questions about his injury?"
Sasuke smirked a bit. "Of course." Sasuke proceeded to answer questions Sakura had about the size and depth of the wound, signs of potential infection, the amount of bleeding, and what Sasuke observed about Naruto's ability to speak, remain conscious, and hold down food.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sasuke, I thought you were supposed to be a pervy politician. You trying to role-play Nurse now?"
"Quiet, Dobe. It's either this or I tie you up and drag you down to the hospital."
"Didn't I say I wasn't up for sex tonight? No bondage for you."
Sasuke just looked at him for a moment, and Naruto swore the temperature in the room jumped by about a thousand degrees.
"Sorry, what was that?" Sasuke said into the phone, snapping himself back to the matter at hand. He gave Sakura his address, then hung up.
"She's coming over," Sasuke said.
"What? Why? I said I didn't want her to come here. What if they connect her to me?"
"Naruto, do you have any idea how many hundreds of families live in this apartment complex? She said she was aware there were risks, but didn't care. She also said to tell you she would be careful and to stop treating her like she can't protect herself. You need to be seen by a doctor. She volunteered. End of story."
Sasuke paused, handing the phone back to Itachi, then looking carefully at his fingernails. He casually asked, "So is she your girlfriend?"
"What? No... she's... it's complicated. But no. We were involved briefly a long time ago but... I'm not in a position to have relationships. Especially not with people who aren't involved with the kind of people I work for. We've been friends for a few years."
Sasuke simply nodded, not wanting to admit that he felt relief. The concern and banter between the two had taken him by surprise. To be honest, he hadn't really considered that Naruto might have an actual relationship with someone. He was relieved to hear the blond basically admit that he wasn't dating anyone. Not that Sasuke wanted to date Naruto. He just was glad that there wasn't someone else that would get in the way of what he did want to do with Naruto.
"Naruto, do you think that whoever attacked you followed you here?" Itachi asked.
"No. They didn't follow me," Naruto said flatly.
Itachi studied him, noting that Naruto's answer was one hundred percent confident. And there was only one way that could be true. "Am I going to be dealing with bodies that tie back to you, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked. He really wouldn't want to prosecute the boy if he could avoid it. Hopefully they could make the case for self-defense, though if Naruto refused to be treated by a hospital there would not be medical records to confirm it.
"No," Naruto said, again without inflection.
Itachi frowned. "Look, Naruto, no matter how well you think you've hidden a body, or the crime scene, modern forensics -"
"I said there are no bodies. I have no idea what you are talking about." Naruto lay back on the couch and closed his eyes again, more to shut out the conversation than because he actually felt ill. The sugar from the apple juice had made him feel significantly better.
Itachi looked over at Sasuke, who shrugged. "I don't suppose you are going to tell me who your roommate is, or what happened to them."
Naruto didn't even bother to open his eyes to acknowledge Itachi's question.
Naruto was surprised that Sasuke didn't tell Itachi everything that Naruto had told him. Sasuke didn't mention the subway incident, or the Russians. He told Itachi only that Naruto didn't know who had attacked him, except it didn't appear to have come from Orochimaru. They were leaving all other possibilities open.
. . . .
Sasuke called down and ordered up some lunch. There was an awkward silence in the room, with Itachi clearly wanting to ask more questions, but also understanding that Naruto would be foolish to answer most of them. Jugo brought lunch in, and Naruto discovered that Sasuke had ordered him chicken noodle soup.
Somehow, Naruto found that sweet. He hid a small smile when Sasuke set the bowl in front of him.
"What?" Sasuke asked, sounding irritated. Evidently he had noticed the smile after all.
Naruto just waved his spoon in dismissal and proceeded to eat. Cautiously at first, then with increasing confidence as his stomach made no moves to reject the food.
They ate in silence. Finally Itachi spoke.
"Look, Naruto. I understand that - because I work in the district attorney's office - there are a lot of things that you can't or won't tell me. I am not trying to get you arrested. Right now, I just want you to tell me, as Sasuke's older brother, is there anything I need to know? I'll keep your name out of it, even if I have to lie. I just really... want to make sure nothing happens to him."
Naruto appreciated the direct appeal, and somehow took Itachi at his word that he wouldn't use information Naruto gave him to prosecute him. He had the sense that Itachi was not someone who normally was as open about his objectives as this, and he appreciated that the older man had not tried to intimidate or manipulate him. Naruto thought about what he knew about the situation, wanting to answer the Itachi's question as best he could.
"My gut tells me that these guys were after my roommate, not me, and not Sasuke. The only problem with that theory, though, is that they shouldn't have known where I was. The only people who knew where I was last night should have been Orochimaru and Sasuke. And I am pretty sure that neither of them set this guy or his pals on me. That's all I know for sure. But... I have some very dangerous enemies from my past. And they will target anyone associated with me if they find me. Unfortunately, it looks like whoever is behind the attack last night already knows about Sasuke. If not, I wouldn't have come here until I was sure one way or the other," Naruto said seriously.
Sasuke looked displeased with this, but Naruto just shrugged.
"There is one other thing that you should know, though I don't think it connects with this. Itachi, you need to watch your back with Kabuto."
Itachi looked slightly surprised at the comment. "Why?"
"Because he is working for Orochimaru. He practically worships the guy. He had promised to get on the Akatsuki case and give information to Orochimaru about the trial and stuff. I don't know if he was supposed to influence things, or just keep Orochimaru informed. But Kabuto failed, and blamed you. Orochimaru was unhappy with him. And Kabuto... is obsessively loyal to Orochimaru. So watch your back. That guy is messed up. And he is jealous of you."
Itachi had never liked Kabuto. It was part of the reason he had denied the request for Kabuto to join his team. That, and the fact that he knew that the case would be high profile and tricky, and he needed to minimize the number of people who could be influenced, bought, or just fuck things up.
Itachi nodded slowly. "Ok. I will make sure not to involve him in the investigation."
Naruto hadn't needed to tell him this. It was a symbol of trust. Itachi and Sasuke both recognized and valued it as such. Itachi wanted to ask more questions, but was respectful of the trust Naruto had shown and didn't want to push too far too soon.
"So you think that there are at least two different groups involved... the one who sent the photos and the people who shot you?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto sighed tiredly and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Fuck if I know. Nagato and Ko -" Naruto cut himself off. "Nagato was the master-mind... not me. I wish I could ask him what the hell is going on. He always was able to figure out the situation, know what players were involved, and what they were after,'" Naruto said. Sasuke and Itachi both caught the sadness in the boy's voice. Whatever they thought of Nagato, they respected the fact that the people who worked for him had loved him.
Itachi had noticed the slip the boy had made. He had been about to say 'Nagato and Konan'. He remembered the beautiful, blue-haired woman from the night the Akatsuki had been brought in. Everything had pointed to her being no more than Nagato's lover, not involved with the business outside of his bedroom.
She had fooled them all. There had been not a single shred of evidence connecting her to anything. Very few people ever got the better of him. Itachi had to admire that about her.
Sasuke's phone rang. It was Jugo letting him know that a Dr. Haruno had arrived.
-xXx-
to be continued...
Soo... Naruto and Sasuke did something together that had nothing (much) to do with sex. It only took seven chapters. LOL.
- 6
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- 8
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Deception - COMPLETE