(no subject)

[sne_mod]

For: ilandere123
Title: Last Cross
Rating: R
Summary: A serial killer is on the loose and Naruto is sent to guard one of the possible targets, Sasuke. As KIRA's victims increase, Naruto discovers the lies that surround this case and that Sasuke is not who he seems to be… [SasuNaru AU]
Warnings: Possible dub-con (?), violence (there is a serial killer after all),
A/N: I tried my best to incorporate most of the kinks you listed, but I'm not too sure about the result ^^;; Some of the kinks were only passive mentions, though .__. This is very different from what I usually write, but hopefully you like this fic despite my epic fail OTL
Mod note: Reminder for the author/artist of this submission, please do not reply to comments signed in, if you want to reply anon commenting is enabled.

•

Uzumaki Naruto puts on the bulletproof vest issued by The Organization, much thinner than the standard ones used by the police. He also prepares the tranquilizer bullets, neatly aligning them in a special sealed case. He places the electric handcuffs in their designated compartment, extra-careful not to accidentally turn on its switch. He checks his briefcase's contents, checks his apartment routinely for bugs and cameras, checks his security code twice.

He looks at the digital clock on his desk, noting that he still has plenty of time to go to work.

He sinks to his sofa, one hand splayed across his eyes. He recalls the company tour from the night before, recalls the antiseptic smell filling the testing rooms, recalls the collection of specialized weapons in the storage chamber.

More importantly, he recalls the sight of various corpses suspended in a state of not-decay, as scientists scurried around them, gathering information that might be useful in future combat. Most of the bodies were frozen in a look of terrifying aggressiveness, with beastly snarls and dilated pupils. One body stole Naruto's attention—the first corpse the company acquired. The person's face was too serene, almost as though he knew exactly what had happened to him; as though everything was a part of his plan.

Naruto sighs and returns to preparing the briefcase. He snaps one of the inner compartments shut, effectively hiding the weapons from view. His hands move on auto-pilot as he fills the outer compartment with pens, papers, reading glasses and other mundane things, as he thinks about the weapons he's going to carry to his work.

"It's a mission," he reminds himself with a tone of finality.

Naruto used to work as a police officer, but was recently promoted to the country's elite defense unit—the ANBU. Working for the ANBU is vastly different from working for the police (as Naruto discovered during the mission briefings and company tours). The ANBU team handles S-class missions, mostly involving people with so-called 'special abilities'.

ANBU's top researcher, Nara Shikamaru, had discovered a gene located in the X-chromosome which apparently determined whether a person possessed special abilities or not. The segment was originally supposed to be named the Shikamaru Gene, but the genius had protested –whilst muttering that it was too troublesome- and suggested that everyone call it 'The Last Cross' instead.

ANBU's top brass gives them missions regarding people who possess that 'last cross'—capture them, but if they resist ANBU members have permission to kill them. To kill them is the same as self-defense, because those super-powered freaks can be very violent when cornered.

Naruto feels a bit queasy about that policy, so he's thankful that his first big mission is something that appears not to be related to the Last Cross.

With that thought, he realizes that he's actually a bit excited about this mission.

His blue eyes fall to the clock again.

"Oh shit."

He springs to his feet, quickly gathering his belongings and buttoning up his long-sleeved shirt. He dashes to the front door of his condominium unit.

"I'm late for work!"

•••

Last•Cross

Uchiha Sasuke x Uzumaki Naruto

•••

"…You don't mind?" Naruto's tone holds a note of disbelief and surprise. He is aware that he's blinking owlishly at his supposed student and target, but…!

Uchiha Sasuke -20 years old, sophomore at Konoha Central University- rolls his eyes at his assistant professor. "No, Naruto-sensei, I don't mind at all."

"B-but, aren't you even scared? There's a serial killer that might come after you!" Naruto does not waste time and immediately searches for his assignment, so he can explain the situation and work out an arrangement between the two of them. Yes, he's wishing for everything to go smoothly, but Sasuke doesn't even look fazed by his explanations. Naruto wonders if Sasuke is even taking his words seriously.

"I don't have a reason to be scared, right professor?" Sasuke asks innocently, a light teasing note in his voice. "After all, you're from the elite division and you're going to be my bodyguard."

Naruto falters at the certainty in Sasuke's words. "Well, you could take this more seriously you know…"

"When you called for me earlier, I was expecting something actually related to the lesson, sensei."

"There's a serial killer that has killed twenty people already. We still don't know the killer's motives or his next victim, but apparently, businessmen seem to be targeted quiet frequently, and you're one of the more popular businessmen in recent times—"

"And I keep up with the news," Sasuke cuts in, opening his bag to look for something. "I already told you, I'm fine with it. Bodyguard, spy, whatever; as long as you don't interfere with my work or studies, I don't mind you following me around."

Naruto resists the urge to sigh, because Sasuke seems to be taking everything in his stride, and well… he had been expecting more questions, more explanations, more something. Oh well; at least Sasuke is willing to cooperate with the investigation.

Sasuke hands over a piece of paper that Naruto recognizes to be a class schedule. "You can have that. As for my other activities, I can give you a list after my classes." Black eyes shift to look at the door. "I need to go. I have a class at the Technology Building in ten minutes."

"Then I'll see you later," Naruto says with a strained smile, but as soon as Sasuke leaves the room Naruto gives in to the sigh and tries to repress the twinge of guilt—Sasuke trusts him, but Naruto is also here to investigate Sasuke since he's both a target and a suspect in this case.

But that's ridiculous—Sasuke looks and acts like a normal teenager, so different from the insane people with superpowers that ANBU captures, so different from the heartless serial killer who mutilates his victim's bodies into splatters of blood and flesh. Well, maybe Sasuke is a bit different from a normal teenager—he's a genius, for one; he's also managing a growing company despite his young age.

However, normal teenager or not, a mission is still a mission and Naruto vows to finish it with flying colors.

And as Naruto arranges his files, he looks at his assignment's file again and wonders –not for the first time- why Sasuke seems so familiar.

•

"Another victim has died at the hands of the serial killer nicknamed KIRA by the public. This is the twenty-first murder case and the police still don't have any leads regarding the suspect or his goals. The victim has been identified to be Charmaine Brock, 33, owner and founder of the BORROWED BAGS franchise. She has been found dead inside the main branch's storage room this morning. The estimated time of death was yesterday night from 7pm to 11pm. The police are redoubling their efforts in finding the connection between the twenty-one victims in hopes of catching the killer before he strikes again…"

•

Naruto watches Sasuke's hand pause for a moment, before they resume the steady tip-tap rhythm against the keyboard. He sinks to the chair as he waits for an answer.

"Is this not enough yet?" Sasuke asks, reclining against his leather armchair, steady eyes boring into Naruto's.

Naruto wonders how can someone so young can look so confident and yet still retain such a childlike curiosity. "It would be better for your security if I also stay at your house…"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow and Naruto feels an urge to squirm. Crap. He doesn't even sound convinced, and it looks like Sasuke noticed that too.

"Orders from my boss," Naruto adds sheepishly.

"From your boss?" Sasuke echoes, looking nonplussed, "Or is just you, Naruto-sensei, who wants to live with me?"

Although he regards his work and studies seriously, Sasuke is a bit immature regarding these kinds of things, Naruto realizes. Though, he finds that ability to tease Naruto about something at every turn a bit endearing.

He is so screwed. So, so screwed. Naruto begins to hate his luck for being assigned to someone who's so interesting and dashing and charming and this is a mission, damn it! He's not going to fuck it up because he's starting to feel a wee bit of attraction towards his assignment. Who's still one of the suspects, according to the ANBU top brass.

Naruto tries to force the growing blush down. "So, is it okay? I don't want to get scolded by my boss if you happen to be the next victim, oi."

"I think you're insulting the security system at my mansion, but whatever." Sasuke definitely doesn't look insulted in the slightest. "You can stay. We can go home together later, you might not be able to find the guest room."

Any sort of attraction instantly vanished at the sight of the infuriating smirk accompanying those words. "Why, you…!"

•

"The public mourns as the twenty-second victim of the serial killings was discovered to be the award-winning novelist and philanthropist Jiraiya. Time of death was estimated to be at 5pm to 9pm yesterday. The victim's body was found this morning when the housekeeper entered the house using a spare key. All the other possible suspects have solid alibis, and the modus operandi matches KIRA's. The police is on the move regarding the yet-to-be-discovered method of killing used by the serial murderer…"

•

Bleary-eyed, Naruto returns from Jiraiya's funeral only to find several ANBU agents stealthily installing security bugs and cameras at Sasuke's mansion. He had received the notice from Shikamaru and Neji this morning, but didn't think they'd do it so soon.

"Uchiha-san is on a business meeting now," Neji's assistant tells him, "And we saw a good opportunity to install the bugs."

Naruto scratches at his cheek, thinking. Well, Sasuke had said that he didn't mind things, as long as he's protected and his schoolwork and work duties were unaffected. But if the ANBU are willing to jump to such deep invasion of privacy, does it mean that Sasuke is in bigger danger now? Or, does it mean that the suspicions against Sasuke have increased? No instructions came from the top though, so Naruto assumes that he'll just continue with the way things are going. Maybe everyone's becoming more anxious, now that the death toll has reached 22 and the killer has started to go after high-profile personalities.

He looks around the mansion and sees at least 15 ANBU members. He hasn't heard of any mission taking more than 10 members, but they're on a tight schedule and the Uchiha mansion is rather huge.

Naruto spots some of his teammates, though a lot of the ANBU here are from the technology division. Naruto's not really technology-savvy, so he doesn't venture to that side of the ANBU often.

"Lee's not here?"

Ten-Ten chuckles a bit. "Lee's not really the type you'd want for a stealthy mission."

Naruto winces as he remembers the incident last week where Lee broke two expensive Tang Dynasty vases in his target's place—and that was just during his passionate speeches. It's terrifying to associate the energetic agent with stealth missions.

Ten-Ten moves on to check whether all the bugs have been installed. Naruto starts to follow her, but his phone vibrates insistently inside his pocket, prompting him to answer the call. Only one person knows this number anyway.

"Yes?" Naruto walks towards Ten-Ten and taps her shoulder. He mouths 'Uchiha' at her and points at his phone with a free hand.

"Your meeting finished early? So I'll meet you in front of the Ming Pavilion? Hmm, where's that? Ah, the one beside the Grand East Hotel…?" Naruto makes shooing motions at Ten-Ten, who discreetly lets each of the ANBU members know that the target is returning to his mansion earlier than expected.

Naruto lets out an irritated huff at something Sasuke had said. "Grand East, Grand Eastern, close enough! Fine, fine, I'll be there in 15 minutes."

He snaps his phone shut, turns to his associates and gives a weak smile. "Are the installations finished? I'll be heading out—we'll reach here in around 30 minutes. Say hi to Neji, Shika and the others for me." He directs the last part to Ten-Ten and Kiba.

With a parting wave, Naruto leaves the ANBU team to perform clean-up. He'd usually help out, but since his master is calling for him… Naruto shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

But no matter what he does, his mind is still filled with uneasy thoughts about his bosses' strong desire to do such a thorough surveillance on Sasuke. Naruto vows to ask Neji –who is also doing a similar mission guarding Gaara, if he remembers correctly- if he received any special instructions from the top.

He spends the entire drive thinking about Sasuke, innocence and impossible murders.

•

"Famous inventor and ex-Minister of Defense, Orochimaru, was discovered dead in his hotel suite at Grand Eastern Hotel at 3pm today. His secretary, Yakushi Kabuto, was the first to discover the body and was held for questioning by the police; but the gruesome way Mr. Orochimaru was murdered points to KIRA as the perpetrator. The police is unable to give any comment regarding the progress of their investigation, leading to much discontent of the public and the victims' families…"

•

"Uchiha Itachi's corpse is missing. The five security cameras in the area didn't even pick anything up." Neji mutters, as he waits with Naruto for their assignments to come out of the auditorium. Since the missions have started, the blond hasn't seen Neji for a long time, so it's a pleasant surprise to see the destiny-obsessed man. Though, given the news he relayed just a few moments ago…

"Missing corpse?! Wait, Uchiha?! Is he related to Sasuke? A long-lost cousin?"

Neji looks at him as though he's new breed of stupid. Naruto ignores the look, because that's Neji's default expression anyway; nothing personal.

"He's the first possessor of the Last Cross captured by the ANBU," Neji reminds him, speaking slowly, nearly-lavender eyes watching Naruto intently.

Realization dawns on Naruto's face—those suspended bodies with their tubes and stitches; and amongst all the feral-looking corpses, one of them had looked way too calm and composed—and that's the one that's gone missing? How can a corpse disappear suddenly, anyway?

"I remember, I remember." Neji doesn't look impressed at Naruto's words. "Though, I didn't know he was also an Uchiha."

Neji shoots the auditorium doors a longing look, silently wishing for Gaara to come out already so he can escape from this annoyance. "Did you even read your mission specs properly?"

Naruto flushes, looking defensive all of the sudden. Figures.

"Uchiha Itachi… is your assignment's older brother." Neji finally understands why Naruto seems to be so clueless about the extra precautions the ANBU leaders are using to track Uchiha Sasuke's movements. Naruto doesn't know about Uchiha Sasuke's connection to the ANBU—not even about the ridiculously-obvious link between him and Itachi.

"Ahhh~ so that's why Sasuke looked so familiar then," Naruto remarks while rubbing the back of his neck. "Shika didn't give me Sasuke's family records or anything, so I figured it wasn't relevant to the mission—"

No family records? Gaara's ancestry up to twenty generations back were all included in the file Shikamaru entrusted to him six months ago. If Shikamaru didn't hand over the Uchiha family records… it means it's an order from the top. But why are they sending someone who doesn't know a thing about the Uchihas to spy on Sasuke? Is it another precaution? To prevent Naruto from being too nervous? Or is there another reason?

"Are you going to tell him?" Neji asks hollowly after pondering for a couple of moments. There's only 10 minutes until the end of the seminar, and then Gaara and Sasuke would come out. "About his brother?"

"No."

Even Neji looks surprised at the quick answer, at the certainty of it.

Naruto sees the surprised look and attempts to explain. "It's just that… I don't want to burden him. I'm sure the guys back at the base will definitely find Itachi's body."

"You don't want him to be sad," Neji states woodenly.

Naruto flushes slightly, but doesn't refute the comment.

"You know the mission, right? You shouldn't fall in love with him. You never know if he's going to be an enemy."

"He's innocent!" Neji hasn't heard one of Naruto's outbursts in a long time. "I'm sure of it," Naruto adds in a voice barely above a whisper.

Neji closes his eyes and thinks that, ANBU or not, there really are a lot of idiots in this world. He reminds himself to ask Shikamaru later if he knows anything about their bosses' plan for Naruto and Sasuke.

•

"The entire west wing of the Powerhouse Mall exploded at 6pm this evening. The fire department has just finished extinguishing the fire, and the police have secured the perimeter as the cause of the explosion is still unknown. According to the initial investigation, the source of the explosion is in the mall's cinema halls. Oh! This just in! The police have found a body tied to a chair inside Cinema Hall 3, and the body has been found to have 13 gunshot wounds. The word 'KIRA' has been etched in blood on the cinema's floor, and experts say that it has only been twenty minutes since it was written there. The police are seeking the public's cooperation as they now question the survivors of the explosion for the possibility of KIRA present. The police are bringing five more squads into the area to check the perimeter for any suspicious people…"

•

Sometimes, when he is alone in his apartment, Naruto allows himself to doubt his assignment. There are too many gaps, too many things the ANBU heads are keeping from them. It's not just because of his talk with Neji the other day.

Sometimes, when he cannot sleep -despite the 600-thread count blankets and silent air-con inside one of Sasuke's many guestrooms- Naruto allows himself to doubt his heart. There is something unreasonable with his fierce views on Sasuke's innocence, something unnatural with his level of affection for the other.

Before he met Sasuke, Naruto had been so sure that he was in love with Sakura-chan. Now, he can't even remember the giddy feeling that always accompanied thoughts about her; he can't even summon the same excitement in wanting to see her. Now, it's like his every waking thought is filled with Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke.

They haven't even talked much to each other, aside from conversations regarding their bodyguard-teacher arrangement. The time they spend together is mostly filled with silence, as Sasuke likes to work in a quiet environment. Naruto is not as energetic as Lee or as rowdy as Kiba, but he's not usually that quiet. It feels like Sasuke's presence is changing him, bit by bit. He's not really sure if he likes that or not.

Though, at this very moment, liking Sasuke or not isn't even the issue.

Naruto looks up at the blazing mall with a horrified stare and curses.

•

"We are still here, live in front of Powerhouse Mall, where the entire west wing has been engulfed with flames. The fire department managed to put out the fire completely five minutes ago. Two more bodies, arranged similarly to the one previously found in Cinema Hall 3, were found in Cinema Halls 7 and 9. The floors of the other two cinemas are also covered with the name 'KIRA', raising the number of victims by the fearsome serial killer to 26. The health department have sent a number of medical tents where the injured can be treated, as the police have forbidden anyone from leaving the scene. Evidences point to the serial killer still being present in the vicinity…"

•

"It's a good thing I managed to find you quickly," Naruto comments, as he carefully pulls Sasuke up from the car seat. There is a metallic scent in the air and Naruto winces as he feels Sasuke's bloodied hands staining his sleeves.

He's usually a klutz, but manages to be efficient in preparing the first aid kit for Sasuke. The young Uchiha doesn't even bat an eyelid as his wounds are disinfected with the stinging alcohol; doesn't even cringe when Naruto's not-so-gentle hands press too hard when tying the gauze.

Sasuke decides that he rather likes the way Naruto looks when he's concentrating really hard—narrowed eyes, steady hands, half-bitten lips. It's only when Naruto sits up and sighs deeply that Sasuke asks the question that's been plaguing him since Naruto found him in the mall's third floor, limping painfully towards the emergency stairs.

"Why did you take me away?"

Naruto blinks, once, twice, trying to get rid of the haze that abruptly invades his mind. The only thing he's sure of now is that he's done a rather dumb thing. If he'd allowed the police rescue Sasuke, they would have given him proper medical attention. But if he'd left Sasuke to be questioned there, the ANBU would have taken over the interrogation and might have told him about Itachi—no… that can't be; Naruto promised himself to not let Sasuke know about the tragedy.

"I didn't want you to…" Didn't want to what? Naruto doesn't understand what he's saying, what he's thinking. Why did he rescue Sasuke? More importantly, why did he bring Sasuke back to his own apartment, instead of the Uchiha Mansion?

"Thank you though," Sasuke says, examining his wounded arms, deciding that he'll have to wear long-sleeved shirts for quite some time. If he'd noticed Naruto being strange, he didn't show it. "I have a presentation tomorrow and it would have been a pain in the ass if I'd been held back for some god-forsaken questioning."

Oh yeah! Sasuke had a presentation tomorrow! So that's why he didn't want Sasuke to be troubled by the interrogation. Everyone knows police interrogations are way too slow—and with the number of people they're going to investigate, it will surely take a long time.

It's reasonable, right? Naruto frowns as he thinks again. Something is awfully off about that reasoning, but it's… reasonable.

Sasuke is now leaning against his bathroom door. Why is he there anyway?

"Help me take a bath?" Sasuke asks slowly, liking the way the red spreads quickly from Naruto's cheeks to his neck. At Naruto's sputtering, he casually shows off his two injured arms. "I can't get these arms wet, right? Not right after you covered them so nicely."

Alarm bells ring inside Naruto's mind, because if he can't think properly just because he saw Sasuke in a dangerous situation, what will happen to his poor brain if he sees Sasuke naked?! More importantly, what if he becomes unable to control his hands?! Sasuke will hate him for taking advantage of him, and that's too frustrating to think about.

"I don't bite, Naruto-sensei," Sasuke continues his slow drawl, black eyes glittering with something similar to amusement. Naruto feels his throat become dry. Is Sasuke flirting with him? Is it okay to flirt back? Why is Sasuke flirting with him? Why can't he think rationally?!

Naruto feels his legs move towards Sasuke, feels his hands starting to unbutton his own shirt.

"Why are you undressing too, Naruto-sensei?" There's nothing but innocent curiosity in that voice. Is that even possible?!

"To save water. I'm also grimy from rescuing you," Naruto replies, eyes becoming slightly glassy.

Sasuke smiles, looking like a young child with that bright smile and crinkled eyes. "If that's what you want, Naruto-sensei."

Naruto follows Sasuke to his own bathroom. He tries not to watch Sasuke removing the tattered pieces of his clothing, tries not to watch Sasuke slowly dipping in to the tub filled with warm water.

"Aren't you going to join me?" Sasuke asks coyly, chest leaning against the tub's edge, hands rested against the edge as well, away from the water. He looks so different now, from an hour ago, when he was bruised and wounded and unable to walk straight.

"Such an impatient brat," Naruto retorts, aware that Sasuke's not that young compared to him. "I'll wash your back."

Sasuke gives a murmur of assent, arching his back slightly so that Naruto can scrub the soot and ash that clung on the pale expanse of skin. Naruto's hands are trembling as he traces nonsensical designs on Sasuke's back. Naruto is suddenly a lot grateful for his huge tub, as it allows him to be able to bathe Sasuke without overcrowding.

Naruto lets his fingers wander upwards, gently touching Sasuke's nape, shoulders and collarbone. Under the bright fluorescent lights of the bathroom, Sasuke's skin looks almost sickly-pale. But it's still soft and a bit squishy. And wet. And naked.

Why is he giving Sasuke a bath again?

"It's a pity I'm injured now, huh?" Sasuke looks like he's aware of the thousand thoughts warring inside Naruto's mind—thoughts mostly involved with him touching Sasuke inappropriately. "We could have had more fun."

Naruto pulls his hands back, sputtering wildly. The haze in his head disappears rapidly, and what the fuck? Why is he naked? Why is Sasuke naked? Why are they naked together in a tub? Naruto mutters an excuse and sprints out of the bathroom, as though being in a different room from his assignment is going to help him think more clearly.

As Naruto hurries out, flushed face bowed down, he misses the look of amusement that fills Sasuke's eyes once more.

•

"With a heart missing and all his fingernails ripped out, Yamato Tenzou, current Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, was found dead inside his office's private bathroom at lunchtime today. The police consider this to be the twenty-seventh victim of the serial killer KIRA, though investigators are hoping to discover vital clues in this case, as this is the first time that a dissection was involved. The police announced that they are narrowing their search to those who have expertise in surgery…"

•

"You're going where?!"

Naruto is aware that he probably looks like a madman now—either that or an obsessed freak. But, he can't help it! He can't let Sasuke go clubbing with his friends; especially in an area where a lot of businessmen and celebrities retire to after an exhausting day at work. He can't let Sasuke go, not when his wounds have barely finished healing, not when the public is thrumming with fear as to who's going to die next.

Not to mention, ever since the Bathtub Incident (as Naruto calls it in the privacy of his mind), his concerned thoughts about Sasuke have morphed into romantic ones. Whenever he sees Sasuke, he recalls –against his better judgment- the soft feeling of pale skin beneath his fingertips, the droplets of water clinging to Sasuke's navy-blue hair. It's all very mortifying. But it also fills Naruto with such strong feelings of concern and protectiveness.

"Relax, Naruto-sensei," Sasuke tries to pacify him, hands busy buckling his metal-studded belt to complete his clubbing outfit. "I'm just going to go clubbing with some classmates."

"B-But…! It's not safe! KIRA might strike there—he's been more active lately!"

"But I deserve to unwind, don't I?" Sasuke walks toward the taller blond with determined steps. Naruto is taller, but he feels like Sasuke is staring him down. "I've worked so hard lately."

That's true—Sasuke had just finished launching Uchiha Groups' newest game software and the preliminary sales figures looked very favorable. But the matter of Sasuke's safety was something that couldn't be compared to that.

Naruto's always been expressive—there's no doubt that the conflicting emotions are showing vividly on his face. Sasuke is standing just in front of him; their toes would have been touching if not for their shoes.

"I'm really glad that you're so worried for me, Naruto," Sasuke's hands are crossed over his chest, touching the long silver necklace looped around his neck. Naruto tries to protest against his assignment's words, but Sasuke simply continues talking. "But if you want to keep me here, you'll have to do better than that."

"Do better…?" Naruto echoes, feeling rather stupid for doing so.

Sasuke uncrosses his arms and reaches for his cellphone on his bedside table. "I've been looking forward to this clubbing trip, you know." A wicked grin crosses his lips as he checks for his friends' calls. "For me to stay here, you'll have to provide proper entertainment."

Naruto swallows as he takes a step back. Sasuke looks different—the innocent curiosity is gone, and is replaced by a sultry look. He's not sure whether this look suits Sasuke better. He tries to prevent his eyes from straying to the bed nearby. Why are they even having this conversation in Sasuke's bedroom anyway?

Don't look at the bed, don't look at the bed, don't look at the bed… "What kind of entertainment…? We can play your company's new game…?" Naruto offers lamely.

Sasuke laughs in mirth, shoulders shaking. "I'd rather have sex with you, sensei." He states frankly, no trace of embarrassment in his features.

Naruto stares at him with a mix of horror and mortification. Sasuke shrugs casually and moves away from his bodyguard. He makes his way to the door with slow, unhurried steps. "A lot of my friends want nothing but for me to fuck them. Maybe, if KIRA sees me, he'd rather have sex with me than kill me?" He actually sounds thoughtful.

The haze in his mind is back again, but this time, Naruto is sure in what he wants to do.

He runs after Sasuke, one hand gripping Sasuke's arm and one hand shutting the door forcefully. Naruto backs Sasuke against the mahogany door, both hands pinning him down. There's a loud thud as Sasuke's back hits his heavy bedroom door, but he simply raises an eyebrow at his bodyguard's aggressive move.

"I wanted you the moment I saw you," Sasuke breathes into the miniscule gap between them, coal eyes burning as he watches Naruto's face flush pink.

"Stay here," Naruto mumbles, hands inching closer to cup Sasuke's pale cheeks. "Stay here."

Even as Sasuke's hands creep upwards to entangle themselves in Naruto's blond locks, he tells Naruto challengingly, "You'd have to keep me entertained, Naruto."

Without bothering to answer, Naruto moves in, pressing lips against Sasuke's pliant ones. It doesn't take long for the gentle kiss to escalate—Naruto wants to protest that things are moving too fast, but Sasuke's mouth is open and warm and inviting, and before he can even utter a word, Sasuke's tongue is already invading his own mouth, tasting the ramen he ate for dinner, tasting the peppermint he ate after that.

Their noses bump against each other as they move with less grace than usual, the growing lust overshadowing any other concerns. The doorknob digs against Sasuke's back, Sasuke's necklace rubs uncomfortably against Naruto's chest, Sasuke's metal-studded belt scratches against Naruto's shirt-covered stomach.

"Shit," Sasuke gasps when Naruto grinds down on him, bumping his hipbone painfully against the doorknob. Naruto feels more the shiver of pain that passes through the other's body, and with great amount of difficulty, he looks up from his task of nibbling against Sasuke's earlobe.

"Let's move to the –ah- bed," Sasuke suggests, panting and eyes dilated, but he's already moving away from the door, one hand pulling the disoriented Naruto with him.

Sasuke unceremoniously pushes Naruto towards the bed. Naruto looks ready to proceed with whatever Sasuke had in mind and the thought almost makes him want to grin. Almost. Instead, he crawls over Naruto's form and settles himself on the blond's lap. Naruto gasps loudly as Sasuke begins a slow rhythm, rubbing their clothed erections together.

"Are you entertained enough?" Naruto asks, attempting to sit up. Sasuke makes a disapproving noise that sounds downright obscene. Naruto feels his cock twitch.

"Not yet."

Sasuke busies his hands with removing the blinding orange shirt Naruto is wearing. Even in the dim light of his bedroom, that color still manages to hurt his eyes. When Sasuke leans down again, Naruto hisses as the metal chain provides a stark contrast against his heated skin. Sasuke pities him and removes the necklace, throwing it and not bothering to check where it landed.

"Better?"

The sight of Sasuke smirking sends another twitch to his cock. Naruto thinks that on any other time, looking that self-assured would count as infuriating, but now, it just looks, well, hot. Naruto moves his hands from massaging Sasuke's thighs to slipping under the black shirt Sasuke's wearing, peeling it away.

Sasuke lies on top of Naruto, aligning their bodies, hands and lips moving everywhere, guided only by their desire to feel good, to make each other feel good. Sasuke leans forward and places his lips against Naruto's ear. "You're mine," He whispers hotly, moving his lips to Naruto's cheeks, leaving a wet trail against the whisker-marks. "You're mine," He whispers again, this time, against Naruto's throat, whispers it over and over again, against Naruto's collarbone, against his left shoulder, against his heart.

"You're mine," Sasuke whispers after he delivers a vicious bite against Naruto's ribcage. The skin is starting to purple, and Sasuke stares at the bruise he made atop Naruto's heart. "You can't escape me."

Naruto will not admit it, but he finds Sasuke's possessiveness adorable. The haze is becoming stronger, becoming more rooted in his mind. Naruto smiles indulgently at the younger man. "You're mine too," He lets one of his hands caress Sasuke's chest, lets one of his hands rest on Sasuke's heart.

Sasuke smirks triumphantly in response, black eyes looking a bit red.

"If that's what you want, Naruto."

•

•••






•••

•

"Famous geneticist and Konoha Central University's ex-Dean of Students Kobayashi Sakura died at 10:16pm yesterday night. The victim was with one her alleged lovers in a love hotel. The lover reports that as she was undressing, the word KIRA appeared to have been etched on her back. She is then reported to have started vomiting blood. Her lover went to the hotel staff for help, but when they returned to Kobayashi-san's room not five minutes later, Kobayashi-san's body had been chopped and scattered about inside the room. This gruesome way of death suggests that KIRA must have had a strong grudge against the victim. The police are currently investigating all of the people in the vicinity, which will be followed by questioning of the medical community. The victim's husband refuses to comment on the tragedy."

•

"Shika!"

Naruto looks surprised but pleased with the visit of his friend. But Shikamaru's policy is to avoid going outside of ANBU's headquarters; so why?

"Naruto," Shikamaru waves at him, looking like a disgruntled student, slouching disinterestedly.

"You could try to be more enthusiastic," Naruto chides, but doesn't really mean it. Shika wouldn't be Shika if wasn't lazy and disinterested in getting involved with everything. Naruto tries to resist the urge to hug his friend and fails spectacularly. He encases the genius scientist with a tight hug, because he'd missed his friends back at the headquarters. Shikamaru must have missed him too, or he would have shoved Naruto towards his desk already.

"I'm really glad to see you, though I don't think you came here because you wanted to see me," Naruto comments good-naturedly, wiggling his eyebrows at Shikamaru who looks torn between wanting to laugh or hit him.

"Danzo wants to give you another mission," Shika says, referring to the current head of the whole ANBU force.

Naruto looks puzzled, because it's no secret that Danzo thinks that he's too naïve, too rowdy for ANBU's operations. They must really be under a lot of pressure if Danzo is willing to forego his bias toward Naruto and allow him to work on more missions.

Shikamaru's disinterested look morphs into grave seriousness. "You're now included in the task force searching for Uchiha Itachi's missing corpse."

Naruto feels his blood run cold. He self-consciously raises a hand to his neck, where one of Sasuke's many lovebites from yesterday night resides. He doesn't meet his friend's gaze.

Shikamaru sighs and flops down on Naruto's seat. Naruto shuffles toward his desk, opting to sit on the edge not covered with papers.

"Neji told me."

He flinches at those words; Neji and Shikamaru are really, really intelligent, so looking at him now they'd be able to guess had what happened last night without difficulty. He squeezes his eyes shut as he thinks of the punishment that'll be given to him for fraternizing with his client. More importantly, would they assign Sasuke to someone else? That possibility brings an uncomfortable twinge to his heart.

"I couldn't really care less about how you want to guard Uchiha," Shikamaru starts, black eyes watching Naruto's fidgeting hands, shut eyes, trembling legs. "It's up for you to decide."

Shika will not tell Danzo whatever he found out today.

"Shika—"

"I was sent here to do investigations regarding Kobayashi-san's murder. KIRA is moving fast; way too fast lately. The headquarters are assessing the links between the victims. Danzo believes that we'll be able to catch KIRA soon, but KIRA's killing methods still need to be confirmed."

"But if we already have a suspect, we can make an arrest first, then question the guy after—"

Shikamaru starts shaking his head before Naruto has even finished talking. "KIRA is assumed, no, confirmed to be a possessor of last cross. It'll be practically suicide to catch him without knowing the full extent of his abilities."

"So… Sasuke's still in danger. Everyone's still in danger."

Shikamaru sits up and offers an awkward pat to Naruto's shaking shoulders. "We're doing our best." His soft pat turns into a strong grip, prompting Naruto to look up quizzically at him. Shikamaru's gaze is fixed on the faculty room's doorway.

"If you can't save the both of you," He says softly, cryptically, "At least, save yourself, Naruto."

As soon as he finishes saying that, Shikamaru straightens and steps away from the confused blond. Shikamaru gives a stiff nod towards the person watching them from the door, pushed slightly ajar. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit."

Sasuke slides the door open forcefully, smiling cordially all the while. "Well, you two just look so cozy with each other. I can't help but feel jealous."

Naruto looks frozen.

"I assure you, I am not interested in Naruto in that way."

Sasuke is still smiling—it looks a bit creepy. And suspicious, because Shikamaru has license to read the Uchiha files. The sullen eight-year old that was under ANBU's care more than ten years ago… it couldn't have been this person.

"That's reassuring to hear. Thank you."

Shikamaru keeps his eyes focused on the Uchiha as he waves goodbye to his colleague.

It's only when Sasuke closes the door and locks it that Naruto snaps out of his stupor. He shuffles guiltily over to his assignment, half-ashamed and half-afraid. What will Sasuke think, now that he knows Naruto hid the fact about Itachi away? They'd just got together last night, and now this! He really has no luck when it comes to these things.

"Itachi's missing corpse, huh."

"I didn't want to worry you." Naruto fumbles with his explanation, head spinning with a myriad of thoughts. "You had that game launch, and—"

"It's okay."

"Eh?"

"It's okay," Sasuke repeats, patronizingly slow. He hugs Naruto tightly, almost crushing the taller man in his hold. His hands make soothing circles on Naruto's back. "I'm not mad."

Naruto lets out a relieved sigh, but Sasuke's hands promptly stiffen. His fingers start digging into Naruto's back, causing Naruto to protest against the painful embrace. "I'm a little disappointed, though."

"I'm sorry for keeping it a secret—"

"Just a little," Sasuke amends, letting Naruto go, but not by much. His hands rest like heavy shackles on Naruto's wrists. "But I can forget this little incident easily."

"About your brother—"

"Turn around."

Naruto looks bewildered, pulling his hands away, but he finds out that Sasuke is much stronger than he expected. Sasuke's grip doesn't even slacken against Naruto's wrists.

Sasuke shifts so that he can hold Naruto's wrists with one hand; one of his hands gently touches Naruto's cheek. "Do this for me, and we're even."

Before Naruto can even ask what Sasuke asking of him, he feels his hands being bound by something smooth. Sasuke's necktie. "W-w-what are you doing?"

Sasuke is already maneuvering the two of them towards Naruto's desk, pushing Naruto face-down against attendance sheets and grade books, knocking some pens and pencils to the ground. "You'll have sex with me, ne, Naruto-sensei?"

"This is the faculty room," Naruto hisses, his voice muffled by the various papers surrounding him. He can feel sweat forming on his temples, trickling down to the papers he was working on before Shikamaru arrived.

"So?"

The curtains are not even drawn. The door is locked, though the professors from his department can easily borrow a key if they want to enter. And more importantly, why here, why now—?

"Everyone's busy with the police investigations about Kobayashi-san," Sasuke offers the information as if it's enough for an explanation.

"I don't want to do it here," Naruto says, but with Sasuke's hand is palming him through his slacks, his words lack the usual authority in them.

"Oh?" Sasuke's face is hidden from his view, but he knows that Sasuke is smirking that infuriatingly handsome smirk of his, he can feel it radiating from Sasuke. "But you're already so wet. It'll be a waste to stop now~"

Naruto feels indignant at being fed lines from cheesy romance novels. He renews his protests, because there's something definitely weird about Sasuke now. He's acting very strangely, not to mention they're on school property and the police and the ANBU are here and—

"Do this for me," Sasuke enunciates each syllable slowly, "and I'll forget about you not telling me about Itachi."

Naruto stops his protests at once, almost melting against his table. He nods shakily.

"Okay, Sasuke."

His eyes are open, yet unseeing, as his cellphone –the one he uses for contacting his ANBU teammates- vibrates against the table. One new message from Shikamaru. Time received: 3:25pm.

"If that's what you want…"

•

"The number of KIRA's victims reach 29 as a body was found at 3:30pm earlier today with the word 'KIRA' painted all over the victim's bedroom walls. Shimizu Matsuhara, 37, was one of scientists involved in the research about DNA manipulation that disbanded 10 years ago. His body shows no signs of struggle, but the autopsy reports show that his windpipe and voice box have been crushed. 'Strangulation' is the verdict for the cause of death, despite the lack of strangle-marks. The painting supplies used were found under the victim's bed, but the police are certain that this belongs to the KIRA case. So far, all the victims have in common are their seemingly impossible deaths. It has been two years since the first KIRA case and the public is growing more uneasy…"

•

The first time Naruto saw Sasuke, he couldn't help but feel connected, because they were similar, right? They were both orphans –that much, Naruto knew about Sasuke- so the feeling of loneliness must be the same for them both. Naruto thought that they could understand each other better than anyone.

The first time Naruto talked to Sasuke, he couldn't help but smile, because Sasuke felt like a normal person. He was unlike the people Naruto went after in his job, people with special abilities that wrecked havoc to normal citizens' lives. Naruto thought that he could really grow to like the other man.

The first time Naruto kissed Sasuke, he couldn't help but shiver, because Sasuke is really beautiful and amazing. He possesses an aristocratic look, stellar academic records, excellent performance in sports, and the prospering Uchiha Groups.

Those first times feel so far away, Naruto thinks, as he nurses the bruises on his arms. He has just finished giving his daily report to the ANBU, and now he's just staring at the ceiling, recalling the things that had happened to him over the past year.

Now, Sasuke is just weird. He's more aggressive, more possessive, more of a sex maniac lately.

Naruto blushes as he remembers the different things that Sasuke's done to him. It's only been two weeks since they'd first got together and Sasuke had already forced –well, force is a very strong word; coaxed, maybe?- Naruto into having sex with him in various places. Public places mostly, much to his utter shame.

He recalls feeling faint whenever they'd finished having sex, whenever he'd seen the breaking news detailing KIRA's newest kill. KIRA used to kill once every two months, before it became once a month, then once a week, and now—KIRA's victims appear every day. There's something nagging at him, something that wants to be noticed, but his muddled mind can't put its finger on it.

He sighs in frustration, hating the way his brain always goes to mush whenever he thinks of Sasuke.

His phone vibrates on his bed, the cushion and the bedsheets unable to fully drown out the sound. He doesn't want to pick it up, but he knows that Sasuke is on the other line; and really, his measure of self-control always crumbled beneath Sasuke's willing hands, baritone voice and icy glare.

"Yes, your highness?"

"I was thinking, a nurse uniform would look rather nice on you—"

"Pervert!"

•

"Konoha Stock Exchange Center was closed earlier this afternoon, when a man identified to be as Sarutobi Asuma collapsed in the lobby and started bleeding uncontrollably. Employees called for an ambulance, but the victim was dead before the ambulance had arrived. Paramedics announced the time of death to be 2:50pm. Cause of death is pinpointed to be the severe blood loss, though experts are unable to determine the trigger for the hemorrhaging. It seems that the case belongs to the KIRA murders as well. The victim used his nails to scratch the word 'KIRA' on his right arm. The police are still at a loss as to how the serial killer is able to pull off these seemingly impossible feats…"

•

"Asuma-san…" Naruto murmurs as he watches the breaking news from the safety of his ANBU-issued apartment. He wasn't really that close with Asuma-san, but he used to be Shikamaru's teacher, so he can feel a thread of connection between them.

2:50 pm.

Naruto pauses, hands halfway in reaching for his cellphone. He was about to leave a message for Shika, but—

2:50 pm.

At 2:50pm today, he was with Sasuke. More specifically, he was being fucked by Sasuke while they were inside the university's infirmary. Naruto feels his blood run cold.

He mutes the television and frantically searches for the KIRA records. He scans the time of death of the victims, starting from victim number 28 (Kobayashi Sakura-san) to the latest, victim number 45 (Sarutobi Asuma).

The nagging feeling from the other day returns, but now he knows where the uneasy twinge is coming from.

During the times the victims had died, he was always with Sasuke. Wait, scratch that. During those times, Sasuke would always appear out of nowhere and force –coax, whatever- him to have sex. Normally, that kind of information would give him fits of joy, because what better way to solidify Sasuke's alibi than that? But the KIRA case was filled with gaps and holes, of impossibilities turning into reality. The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.

It's too perfect to be a coincidence for every damn day of the last two weeks.

When he reaches for the phone, it's still for Shikamaru. But this time, when he talks to his friend, it's not to offer condolences; but to ask, in a shaky, yet serious tone: "Why Sasuke?"

Before, when he pressed for a reason, the top brass had told him that Sasuke was a suspect because the first few murders had accompanied a sharp increase in the Uchiha Groups' stocks. But now, it seems that there are more reasons aside from that.

Shikamaru is silent on the other line, but only for a while. He sighs, muttering 'troublesome', and tells Naruto to drop by the headquarters. He promises to tell Naruto everything—about the Uchiha Clan and the research on the last cross.

•

"Konoha's Minister of Health, Tsunade-sama, was found dead inside her car this morning. Time of death is estimated between 7:30 to 9:30am. The murder weapon was found in her assistant's hands. All evidence point to Shizune as the killer, though investigation is at a standstill now since Shizune-san appears to be in an emotional coma, unable to communicate with anyone. The word 'KIRA' is written with Tsunade's blood on the car's backseat, so the police are considering a possibility of KIRA also being able to control other people to kill his targets. Danzo, the current Minister of Defense, has released an official statement saying that he will be leading a taskforce to handle the KIRA case. He states that KIRA will be caught before the end of the week…"

•

There was no time for grieving.

KIRA even involved the Old Hag and Shizune-neechan, and they were nice people. Tsunade, aside from being the Minister of Health, was also one of ANBU's leaders. The same went for Asuma-san, for Jiraiya, for Yamato-san.

KIRA has killed too many precious people, has affected too many innocent lives. As an ANBU member, it is up to Naruto to catch KIRA, especially now that he has a lead.

His mind is still swimming with the details Shikamaru had shared with him.

Before the ANBU was formed, most of its higher-ups were involved in a research project regarding people with special abilities. Before Shikamaru had successfully found the 'last cross' gene, the previous research team managed to isolate an extract that could introduce super-powers to normal humans.

The extract was isolated from a group of people with inherited special abilities: the Uchiha Clan. The clan's ability was nothing that great—perfect photographic memory. But the scientists saw a glimpse of hope there, because if one clan could possess a special ability like that, then maybe they could try to create more abilities—abilities that could make life easier.

Uchiha Clan members became part of the research team, and their younger generation became the test subjects. Uchiha Itachi was the clan's prodigy; at 8 years old, he had already mastered the photographic ability perfectly. The scientists became greedier with wanting marvelous results, and they injected their newly-developed formula into Itachi. Since their understanding of the 'special ability gene' was still lacking (after all, the last cross was only discovered ten years later), the formula started causing violent reactions in Itachi's body.

Yes, Itachi did gain an ability. But the ecstatic celebrations hadn't lasted long as the side-effects began showing immediately, and the fire ability they had introduced went berserk—burning down the entire research building, wiping out years of hard work, burning down countless specimens, snatching away lives of scientists and test subjects.

The research organization hiding under the name 'Uchiha Corporation' burnt down, destroying the research facilities and killing hundreds of people. The survivors went their own separate ways; some resolving to repent for their sins, some choosing to disappear completely, while some… like Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade and Danzo… chose to revive the research, and formed another taskforce that would study humans with special abilities.

They formed ANBU.

And now, the events from ten years ago were coming back to punish them.

KIRA.

ANBU members had been sent on assignments that were supposed to guard possible KIRA-victims, but in actuality they are keeping tabs on people that could possibly harbor thoughts of vengeance. Like Sasuke—the only Uchiha Clan member left.

But whether Sasuke is KIRA or not—that's what he's here for.

There was no time for uncertainty.

He searches every nook and cranny of Sasuke's house and at last he finds it; a switch inside Sasuke's closet. His fingers tremble as he hesitates to press the switch.

But he'd decided, hadn't he? There was no time for hesitation.

He presses the switch, and he readies his tranquilizer gun and electric handcuffs. He is half-expecting Sasuke to be waiting for him inside the secret room, but what he finds instead is a room filled with screens. Surveillance cameras, he realizes with growing dread.

He sees a computer screen with various folders on its desktop. Each folder is named after each of the KIRA victims, dating back to the first case. Aside from that, there's a SASUKE, an ITACHI and a NARUTO folder. Gingerly, Naruto clicks on folder with his name, and stifles a loud curse. He sees video files and knows what they are about, just by looking at the dates and times.

Sasuke had recorded all of their conversations, all their sexual encounters, everything. Naruto feels slightly sick, his stomach growing heavier with each file he discovers.

He then clicks on another folder—this time, Tsunade's. He watches Tsunade and Shizune chat casually as Shizune drives her boss to work, before park in the Ministry of Health's main office carpark. Naruto watches as Shizune's eyes turn glassy, how a knife materializes out of nowhere in her hands. Naruto sees how Tsunade freezes, unable to move, unable to resist as Shizune slowly makes an incision—

Naruto closes the files hurriedly.

He strains his ears to listen for Sasuke, but can't hear him, can't see him from the security cameras' feeds. It seems that, whilst they were tracking Sasuke's movements, Sasuke in turn was tracking all of ANBU's; even his victims' actions.

He prepares his flash drive to copy the videos.

There is no time for any sort of affection.

He'll send those videos to the head of ANBU and then… the judgment for Sasuke will come.

Naruto closes his eyes and waits for the videos feeds to be copied, carefully thinking of nothing but a flash of blinding light.

When Naruto opens his eyes and makes his way to Danzo's office, he walks with a grim determination; ignoring Kiba's calls, ignoring Neji's pitying look, ignoring Shikamaru's silence.

When he receives Danzo's order, he convinces himself that this is the right thing to do.

When he prepares for his mission's final part, he thinks of nothing but amusement at how Sasuke's eyes seemed to be the answer all along.

•

"Hatake Kakashi was found dead—"

•

Naruto presses the television's remote, turning off the news.

The door to Sasuke's surveillance room is propped wide open. Naruto can see him from where he's standing, beside Sasuke's bed. Sasuke swivels in his rotating chair, facing Naruto with a composed countenance. Behind him, all of the videos -from the feeds at ANBU's headquarters, to the moaning and gasping Naruto, to the gory and messy deaths of KIRA's victims- all of the videos play at once.

"Where is Itachi?" Naruto asks stonily, setting his briefcase on top of the bed where he first allowed himself to sink into Sasuke's hold.

"Itachi is here with me," Sasuke replies simply, not offering any other information. Not a matter—Naruto can simply search for the body after he's finished dealing with Sasuke.

Naruto walks toward Sasuke, but Sasuke shakes his head. Instead, Sasuke moves, standing up against the bright colors of blood splayed in the dozens of screens.

"Tell me why."

"You look nice—the ANBU uniform fits you well."

"Tell me why." And the stony façade is breaking slowly, like bricks falling from a very tall tower, slowly reaching the ground. "Please, Sasuke, I need to know!"

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't think I was right." Sasuke reaches Naruto in a flash. "They deserved death after what they did to my clan; to mother, to father, to Itachi… to me!"

"But it isn't right to kill them!"

"Who will punish them, then?" Sasuke's eyes are like black marbles, challenging and angry. "Nobody else knows about the project—nobody but me can avenge my clan!"

"…You didn't have a special ability," Naruto says slowly, remembering the files Danzo had showed him before ordering Sasuke's disposal. "So, how…?"

A smirk twists on Sasuke's lips, but this time, it only brings cold fear to Naruto's gut. "It's Itachi's gift."

"Before he died," Sasuke's arctic hands gently trace Naruto's lips, nose, eyes, "He gave me a gift." Those hands settle on top of those blue eyes, prompting Naruto to flutter his eyes close. "Here."

Sasuke's eyes.

"Telepathy," Naruto breathes out, eyes opening as Sasuke's hands settle around his waist instead.

Sasuke shakes his head, bangs moving with the motion. "It's to turn my impossible wishes into a reality."

Silence fills the room.

Kill Uchiha Sasuke—that's the order. Kill KIRA. It's his job.

"I want to have sex with you," Sasuke mumbles those familiar words, hands squeezing Naruto's waist.

Naruto eyes the briefcase atop the bed. Inside the briefcase are the things that will kill Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes turn red and Naruto sees the whirling motions of Sasuke's special ability, given to him by his beloved older brother.

"Do this for me," Sasuke's words are muffled by Naruto's lips, "And I'll forgive you for killing me."

Naruto closes his eyes as he lets Sasuke unzip the bodysuit that clings tightly to his skin.

"Okay."

When he opens his eyes again, his mind is clear even as he sees the alluring expanse of naked skin in front of him. The haze in his mind is gone, and he sees the briefcase again, this time, unaccompanied by any tinge of affection or sorrow.

"You manipulated me into loving you," Naruto's accusation is filled with seething anger.

Sasuke shrugs and hands Naruto his skintight clothes. Naruto slaps the hands away.

"It made things easy," Sasuke says kindly, black eyes softening at the sight of the furious Naruto. "Though I only removed your inhibitions a little bit."

Naruto crawls towards his briefcase, and Sasuke even obliges him by remaining seated, back against the headboard and white blankets pooling around his waist. If Naruto is a bit more honest with himself, he'd admit that he was hoping Sasuke would start stammering apologies, start admitting that the real KIRA had him at gunpoint, start explaining that he was being controlled.

Kill Uchiha Sasuke.

The gun feels heavy in Naruto's hands. The smell of sex and sweat permeates the room. Naruto feels like he can't breathe. Sasuke doesn't move from his spot, only raises an eyebrow, as if to say, 'get on with it'.

"I have to kill you." Naruto raises the gun level with Sasuke's heart. The world looks blurry for a second, and he realizes that those are tears, judging from the wetness sliding down his cheeks, on the droplets hitting his thighs.

"I have to kill you," He repeats, and tries to think of nothing but the heavy bullet that will bury itself into Sasuke's heart, that will incapacitate even people possessing the last cross.

Sasuke stares at him, and in the split-second between Naruto pulling the trigger and the bullet embedding itself against the muscles of Sasuke's beating heart, Sasuke smiles a smile that Naruto falls in love with all over again.

"…If that's what you want."

•

EPILOGUE

•

The ironic thing with retiring from ANBU is that he sees his friends –who work for ANBU- more often now.

After his surprising promotion to full-time professor, Naruto feels that he can start anew and begin the process of forgetting everything related to the KIRA case. Six months after Hatake Kakashi's death, the public also begins to forget the two-year-nightmare involving the hunt for the mysterious murderer. Everything about KIRA's identity was hushed up by the Minister of Defense. ANBU is still intact, new officers replace the ones that were lost, and life goes on.

Naruto returns from having lunch with his friends, since after the KIRA case there haven't been a lot of jobs for ANBU agents.

Neji had threatened to castrate him if he made any moves on Hinata, who was now one of his students. Kiba still kept on harassing him about his surprising promotion. Shikamaru praised him on his recent thesis -professors were required to submit a yearly thesis, much to his dismay- and commented that he didn't think that Naruto had it in him to become a full-time professor. Lee expressed his burning challenge to Naruto about courting Sakura-chan, something that Naruto had good-naturedly accepted.

Life goes on, but maybe -now that the KIRA case was over and his stint at ANBU had finished- maybe he can return to some of the parts of his previous life.

He chuckles as he remembers his friends' antics again, which keep him in a good mood all afternoon.

The good mood lasts until the next day, when he returns to the ANBU headquarters feeling lightheaded. He greets all of his colleagues, flirts a little with Sakura-chan (who looks cute in the receptionist uniform), mock-wrestles with Kiba and Lee, much to Neji and Shino's consternation.

He knocks politely at the door to Danzo's office, waiting for their boss to invite him in. He feels lightheaded again, like he'd drink too much sake (which is impossible) or like he'd just had mind-blowing sex (also impossible).

"Congratulations on your excellent thesis," Danzo shakes his hand and Naruto can feel the lines and soft skin that come with old age. Naruto can't help but pout, as everyone keeps on pointing out that his thesis was way too good to have been done by him. He could write a good thesis! His mind was dizzy with all-nighters when he'd finished it, but he had worked hard on it! Naruto feels faint again when he meets Danzo's eyes.

"Thank you sir," Naruto says, just as Sai enters the room with a briefcase in tow.

A similar briefcase is resting at the foot of Naruto's chair. Naruto doubts their contents are the same, though.

Sai exits the room, but Naruto is too busy trying not to fall asleep. He suddenly feels tired, too tired. He wishes Danzo will hurry up, because it's unprofessional to start snoozing while in the company of his ex-boss.

"This is the compensation package." Danzo opens the briefcase and the smell of crisp, newly-printed money fills the room. "It took a long time because the clean-up for the KIRA case took awhile."

Naruto laughs and shrugs it off, not really caring whether the so-called retirement bonus is late or not. This helps finalize things though, and even he feels a pang of sadness when he hands over his ANBU briefcase to Danzo. His vest, his gun, his special-issued bullets—everything is inside that briefcase.

His fingers are still brushing against the briefcase when Danzo speaks up again. "Do you want to see Sasuke's corpse?"

The headiness envelops Naruto at full-force, and he blinks rapidly to try and chase it away, but to no avail. His hands feel paralyzed, as though there was a recoil strength that ran up his arms.

When the dizziness subsides to a dull throb, Naruto is able to open his eyes again—

—Only to see the ANBU-issued gun in his hands and Danzo in his seat, filled with bullet holes. The scent of blood quickly drowns out the scent of money, and Naruto's mind short-circuits.

"What the shit?" Naruto mutters numbly, unable to comprehend why, out of the blue, he went ahead and shot Danzo. He hastily opens the door, suddenly not wanting to stay inside the same room as a dead body.

When he opens the door, the smell of blood magnifies ten-fold, hundred-fold.

Everyone's dead—Sai, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Lee—everyone.

"What's going on??" Lost in a sea of dead and bloodied bodies, Naruto can only clutch at his head, trying in vain to think of a reason behind all this. He doesn't know why he shot Danzo, and he doesn't know why everyone is dead—not even five minutes since he saw them alive and well.

"I should call for help," he realizes amidst the traumatized thoughts in his head. He runs back inside Danzo's room and snatches the phone. He dials the emergency hotline and—

A female voice chirps after one ring. "Emergency hotline, how can I help you?"

"I—" He was about to go into a rant about how everyone was dead, and how he didn't know how or why, but before he can start he hears the dial tone.

"Emergency hotline, how can I help you?"

Instead of a female voice that sounds urgent and helpful, it's replaced with a deep baritone. It's a voice that Naruto knows too well—he still had dreams about him sometimes; every time.

He tosses the phone away, and just as he was about to turn around to run away from the room, a hand covers his mouth, effectively silencing him. A gun is then pressed against the side of his head, cold and insistent.

"I told you, didn't I?" The hand on Naruto's mouth dips down to softly trace his lips, creeping slowly downwards to touch his throat. "You're mine and you can't escape me."

Tears are forming against Naruto's now-closed eyes. He'd failed his mission. He'd failed his friends. He'd failed the country.

He'd failed himself.

He wants to ask too many questions. Why is he doing this? How is he alive? His corpse was supposedly stored under the deepest level of security in the ANBU headquarters. Instead, all that comes out of his mouth is a broken "Sasuke…?"

Naruto struggles even more when Sasuke rests his head against Naruto's shoulders from behind. To anyone else, the gesture might look affectionate. Maybe, it was Sasuke's twisted way of showing affection? He leaves butterfly kisses against Naruto's nape as he speaks.

"Nobody can help you. Against these eyes that can twist reality itself, who can catch me?"

Naruto has grown to hate that self-assured tone. He has grown to hate it with all his heart.

"Did you like it, Naruto? The six months of freedom? Of being a professor?"

Even now, everything is still controlled by Sasuke and his eyes. Even his renewed life, apparently. Naruto stops struggling after a few moments.

"Kill me, Sasuke," Naruto pleas to his captor, because really; what's the point of living now? What's the point of existing as a toy inside Sasuke's reality? What's the point of—

"I'm not going to." Sasuke's lips curve into a grin against Naruto's nape. Sasuke whirls Naruto around and he lets their foreheads rest together. Sasuke's eyes are a deep crimson red. "You're going to stay with me forever."

Naruto feels a part of him dying as he hears those words leave Sasuke's lips. The dizziness returns, and this time, Naruto's mind is too exhausted to resist.

"If that's what you want."

•

END



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