Cut Your Eyes

Chapter One

A/N: This is dedicated to everyone who is patiently waiting for Baby Baby Baby...I swear I'm working on the next chapter, but there's something missig. Also, thank you to EVERYONE who has ever written a comment. I love them so, so much.
Inspired by- Muse 'Sing for Absolution' and Three Day's Grace 'Get out Alive'

Also...'CUT YOUR EYES' is a prison-slang term meaning that a person has looked at another person or the items they have through the sides of their eyes, normally thought of as an intent to steal the items or start a fight.
From (members.tripod.com/afscmelocal3963/f_y_i_.htm)

Sasuke was reading over Naruto’s file when the guards brought him in wearing a pair of cuffs, some pajama pants, and not much else.

“For god’s sake.” Sasuke scowled at Ebisu, “Get him a shirt and something for his feet.”

“Yeah, Ebisu,” Naruto murmured, a small grin on his face, “Don’t forget the socks this time.”

Ebisu was too well trained to not snap back in the presence of authority, but he jerked Naruto’s hands back a little harder than necessary when he unlatched the prisoner’s hands, stomping out of the office when he was done. After a few minutes of silent staring the officer came back and dropped a few items in Naruto’s lap, with a low, “Sorry, all out of socks today.”

“That’s all right,” Naruto just shrugged on the orange sweatshirt, “I know you tried. No need to beat yourself up over it.”

Ebisu turned red and adjusted his glasses in a jerky movement that more than implied his rage as Naruto continued to smile sweetly, the very picture of cheer and innocence. Sasuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“That’s all, thank you.” Sasuke nodded to the door, “No need to wait. I’ll take him back down myself.”

Sasuke had the impression that if Naruto went anywhere else with Ebisu he’d be conveniently forgotten in the psych ward again, and that’s what had started all the trouble in the first place. If Naruto could just keep his trap shut he wouldn’t end up in solitary quite so often and Sasuke would have the distinct pleasure of not having to see nearly all of his officers sporting black eyes. It was a little demoralizing.

“Sir, It’d be better if I-”

“Thank you for your devotion, but I know you don’t have the time to sit around.” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man and he took a step towards the door.

“But-” Ebisu glared down at Naruto again who had sprawled out in his chair, a lazy, sleepy look on his face as he waved goodbye.

“Thank you.” Sasuke hated repeating himself, “That will be all, Ebisu.”

Ebisu huffed, gave Naruto a look that said more than it didn’t and finally slammed the door behind him with more than a little insubordination in his glare.

“I really bring out the best in people.” Naruto chuckled, stretching, “It’s just a gift I have.”

Sasuke sighed deeply, rolled his eyes, and tossed Naruto his file.

“What’s this?” Naruto frowned.

“Your records.”

“What?”

“I want you to consider an appeal.”

“What?” Naruto looked thoroughly confused, staring at the manila folder in his hand like it was about to bite. “Aren’t you going to yell at me?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “What you did was very wrong. Steal Kakashi’s porn again and your privileges will be revoked. There, are you happy now?”

Naruto made a face, his expression scrunching into an odd display of wrinkles as they stared at each other.

“Not…really.” He said, leaning away. “Aren’t you angry?”

“That you stole Kakashi’s porn?” Sasuke smirked, “Not particularly. That you made one of my most respected guards cry like a little girl? Maybe.”

Actually, he’d laughed himself sick in the bathroom stall, stuffing a fist in his mouth to smother the worst of it as Kakashi sniffled pathetically outside the door, holding his porn like it was a life raft and he’d just been dropped in the Atlantic.

“That big baby.” Naruto finally smiled, full and bright, the scars on his face stretching over his cheeks until he looked like a particularly pleased cat. “I wasn’t really going to burn the perv’s precious book.”

Then the smile dimmed and he frowned, running his fingers down the dull edge of the folder.

“Why the hell do you care, anyways?”

And very suddenly they weren’t talking about Kakashi at all. Over the last few months Sasuke had gotten used to Naruto’s general forms of interaction but the sudden subject changes still left him a little dizzy. Still, this time the breathlessness didn’t quite stem from confusion. Ever since he started digging into Naruto Uzumaki’s past Sasuke had sincerely hoped that this question wouldn’t be asked by anyone, but especially not by Naruto.

“I don’t think you belong here.” The rehearsed words felt clumsy on Sasuke’s tongue, “I think you have a real chance to get out.”

Naruto stared at him blankly and Sasuke could only stare back, hoping that the lies of omission couldn’t be read on his face.

“And I think you’re batshit crazy.” Naruto finally answered, scowling as he tossed the folder back on Sasuke’s desk. Papers flew everywhere, some from the folder, and some from the pile Sasuke had been ignoring in favor of a hapless perusal through Naruto’s past.

“I killed a cop.” Naruto was nearly yelling, “I killed a cop, Sasuke! They’re not going to let me just waltz out of this shithole! They’re going to make me wait until I have to stagger out with a fucking walker.”

The mental image was a sobering one, but Sasuke hid a wince by retrieving the scattered documents.

“That’s Warden Uchiha, Uzumaki.” He muttered, “And watch your language.”

“Fuck you.” Naruto snapped back, but he was already kneeling on the ground too, his arm under Sasuke’s desk as he retrieved a wayward budget report. “Freedom of speech.”

“Naruto-” Sasuke tried to rub away the headache starting behind his eyes, “-I don’t know how, but you seem to forget that as a felon your rights are pretty much nonexistent.”

He regretted the words as soon as they slipped from his mouth. Naruto froze and his face drained of all that vibrant color, leaving behind a pale, shaking twenty-something cloaked in such blatant despair that Sasuke’s usually reluctant heart nearly burst itself in sympathy. Out of all these people, the monsters locked up for the world’s good, Naruto still had the barest spark of innocence that made his tragedy so much more horrible. It was a testament to his character that that goodness still hadn’t been extinguished after nearly a decade in a maximum security prison.

“You were what, eightteen when you came here?” Sasuke sighed again and let his papers fall to the floor.

“I turned seventeen on the day of sentencing.” Naruto smiled grimly after a long silence and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s the only thing that kept me from getting a needle in my arm.”

“And how is…Haku?” Sasuke felt nervous for the first time since

Naruto stepped into the room. “It says in your file that he…she…um…”
Sasuke looked up and blushed in the face of Naruto knowing smile.

“He.” For a moment Naruto looked soft and carefree, “Haku just likes to dress pretty.”

Sasuke cleared his throat and began gathering papers again.

“Your file says that he still comes to visit regularly…but I’ve heard that you two broke up. Would Haku be willing to testify on your behalf?”

“Yeah,” Naruto whispered, “I mean, Haku’s got Zabuzza now, but he’s still…just, yeah. Haku’ll be there if I ask.”

Naruto went silent for a long moment while Sasuke quietly congratulated himself, but then the blonde’s voice turned hard.

“But I’m not going to ask.”

Sasuke took his handful of papers and threw them at Naruto’s face.

“Hey!”

“Look!” Sasuke pointed a finger, “You’re going to call your boyfriend, get a lawyer, and get the fuck out of here, Naruto Uzumaki. What the hell else are you doing? You’d rather hang out with those Sand thugs than get out of this hellhole?”

“Hey!” Naruto looked a little bewildered, leaning away as Sasuke lunged closer. “You can’t-”

“I fucking well can.” Sasuke snapped. “You’re in high school classes, right?”

“Y-yes?” Naruto laughed nervously, his blue eyesenormous. “Graduation is in a couple of months.”

“Good. That looks good.” Sasuke leaned a little closer, couldn’t help it. “And your record’s pretty clean. Gaara’s good for that much. Just stop fucking around with Ebisu or that asshole will get you into real trouble.”

“Heh.” Naruto whispered, “I think I can manage that, but Uchiha…that doesn’t mean I’m going to-”

“My brother’s a lawyer,” Sasuke whispered, a thrill of excitement running down his spine. He wanted to see Naruto free, out in the real world and living like he deserved.

“Jesus Christ.” Naruto whispered back, stunned. “Are you seriously suggesting-?”

It seemed like Itachi’s reputation had preceded him.

“I’ve talked to him. He’ll do it for free and he’ll-” Sasuke grinned, “And he’ll get you out. All you have to do is stop being an idiot and take a chance. Right now you’ve got it easy, but if you stop cooperating I’m going to get Gaara in here and tell him how stupid you’re being, and then it’s a whole new level of pressure.”

That was the clincher. Even Naruto, who had through some bizarre twist of fate become the homicidal maniac’s favorite person ever understood that Gaara could be personally concerned for his friend’s welfare and still be violent as hell. Naruto had some weird kind of magic that drew people in and didn’t let go, but this strange ability wasn’t exactly selective.

Sasuke was proof enough of that.

“Eh, well.” Naruto frowned and shrugged, “I guess there’s really not much of a choice.”

“You make it sound like I’m pulling teeth.” Sasuke frowned back, “Don’t you want to get out? Walk down the street as a free man?
I can’t imagine that a dank cell and a dirty cafeteria could possibly be better than a warm bed and dinner out.”

Naruto sat up straight and suddenly they were close, too close really. Sasuke could feel the warm puff of Naruto’s breath across his neck as that bright blue darkened and those long lashes threw a shadow against scarred cheeks. Down on the floor, behind Sasuke’s desk, the light was hazy and soft, casting shadows on them both as Sasuke took Naruto in and just breathed, exhilarated at the ability to just be so damn close. Sasuke was caught up in Naruto’s dream, the dream Sasuke wanted to make reality with all of his meager heart. The thought of someone so precious, so clean locked up.

Naruto was Sasuke’s hopes personified, and if he could just save this one person, pluck him out of the mire he didn’t deserve, then maybe the agony of digging this godforsaken prison out of the stone ages might just be worth the trouble.

It didn’t hurt that Naruto was so damn beautiful.

And his mouth was so soft, so welcoming, and his hands dug into Sasuke like Naruto never wanted to let go. Sasuke didn’t even have to ask for entrance, Naruto just opened up to welcome Sasuke’s tongue in a slow, wet slide. The heat was amazing, and the exquisite skim of skin on skin hijacked Sasuke’s good intentions and sent them both onto the ground, hips nestled against each other as Naruto pulled Sasuke in with insistent, hushed moans.

“You’re so good to me.” Naruto whispered, arching the long line of his neck to Sasuke’s mouth. “Why are you so good to me?”

And just like that…Sasuke stopped, held onto Naruto with gentle arms and pulled himself together like he didn’t know he could.

“What?” Naruto’s hands slipped into his hair, “Why…don’t stop. I’m sorry, what did I-”

Sasuke kissed him on the forehead, eyes closed as he broke into tiny little pieces.

“When you’re free.” Sasuke held Naruto close, “I’ll wait until then, I promise.”

“And If I’m never free?” The moisture finally broke from Naruto’s eyes, sending damp streaks into his hair.

“Never say never.” Honestly Sasuke couldn’t let himself think like that or he’d fall right to pieces. “And besides…they don’t make you retire until fifty-five.”

Naruto’s face went pale again and he tugged Sasuke down to stare into deep blue eyes.

“I’m not the only one who doesn’t belong here.” Naruto whispered harshly, “So don’t you dare…not for me, Uchi…Sasuke. Sasuke.”

Sasuke shivered, catching the barest glimpse of the boy who had buried a broken beer bottle into a grown man’s neck to protect a friend.

“Alright.” Sasuke whispered back, stealing a last, slow kiss. “But you have to keep your end of the bargain.”

“Alright,” Naruto smiled, close and quiet, “Alright. I promise.”

****

Six months later Naruto fulfilled his promise, walking into a courtroom with new witnesses, new evidence, a top-notch defense lawyer, and his head held high. The media watched with rapt attention as the boy they had so easily condemned before was released, his time spent in jail considered a more than adequate compensation for the death of a dirty cop.

Naruto was all smiles as he left the courtroom, grinning brightly for all cameras to see as he gave a short, upbeat statement that stank of Itachi’s measured diplomacy. The speech was well-suited to Naruto’s character though, and he left the courtroom steps followed by some very attractive journalists and one very pretty young man with an arm slung over Naruto’s shoulder. Sasuke watched Naruto walk back into the open arms of the world, into bustling life full of gentle pleasures and vivid color and people who would recognize him for the jewel he was.

“Foolish little brother.” Itachi sighed, sitting down on the courthouse steps, briefcase at his side. Sasuke leaned against him, dropping his head against his brother’s warm shoulder. The world seemed awfully cold now that Naruto was gone.

“Today should be proof enough that anything can be mended.” Itachi gestured in the direction of the blonde head disappearing into a sleek black car. “You should follow him.”

“No.” The car door slammed and Sasuke turned his eyes away, not wanting to see it go. “I burned that bridge, aniki. I’m not going to bother him now that he has his freedom.”

“If you think you’re doing this in Naruto’s best interest then you’re a bigger fool than I thought.” Itachi’s voice was as soft as ever. “You’re being a coward, Sasuke.”

“Maybe.” Sasuke didn’t bother trying to argue with Itachi as he was usually right, he just hunkered up next to him as Itachi lit up a cigarette, watching as a steady stream of strangers entered and left the courtroom.

A good portion of the people would leave in cuffs and chains, Sasuke thought wryly, and he’d have the very sincere pleasure of greeting them the next workday. Naruto was free but Sasuke no longer felt the need to keep up his end of the bargain. The prison was all he had now, his only constant besides a slightly annoyed older brother, and Sasuke was a coward, just as Itachi claimed. He couldn’t take the risk of leaving without knowing Naruto would be at his side.

“I have a meeting in half an hour.” Itachi stood, giving Sasuke a stern look as he held out a card. “This is his address and home number-”

“I can’t-”

Itachi ignored him, “They should be good for a while. He’ll be spending most of his time at the club, so if he changes either look for him there.”

Itachi flicked the card to the opposite side to show a red, stylized fox, and the name of an establishment that Sasuke had passed more than once.

“The Kitsune? That’s his?”

“Co-owned.” Itachi leaned over and slipped the card into Sasuke’s coat pocket. “I’ve been. It’s nice, very upscale.”

“Yeah, it’s in the better part of town.” Sasuke frowned. “But he went to jail when he was eighteen.”

Itachi shrugged. “Anyways, I better see you on Sunday. Mother is having dinner party that’s specially catered just for you.”

Sasuke nodded and slipped the card back into his coat pocket.

“Of course.” He sighed. Itachi just nodded and went right back up the courthouse steps, joining the group milling around someone Sasuke would probably know if he watched television, went to movies, or generally had a life beyond herding incarcerated criminals.

Three days later after during a very positive meeting concerning the general behavior of the Sand gang Gaara stabbed Sasuke with a spoon. Sasuke was so surprised and confused that all he did was yell, “Hey!” and shove the redhead’s hand away.

“Next time it’s a fork!” Gaara yelled as Kakashi slammed his fingers and the spoon fell to the ground with a dull clatter. It wasn’t even sharpened.

“Isolation?” Kakashi looked like he wanted to go hide somewhere and laugh and laugh and laugh. Sasuke gaped for a minute, put a hand over his stomach and shook his head. The last thing that crazy little shit needed was a long stretch of undisturbed time to plot alone.

“Psych ward.” Sasuke lifted up his shirt to see a rather impressive bruise starting to form. “Make sure he’s taking his meds.”

The rest of the day passed in the dull fuzz of confusion. Sasuke rearranged his papers, played a lot of solitaire, and watched each inmate with a wary eye. There had been attempts before, that came with the job, but no one had ever managed to make contact.

“You’re lucky,” The nurse had said, “If this had actually gone through you might have lost a kidney.”

Gaara wasn’t the type to ever allow one of his marks to be lucky. Sasuke was very possibly the only man he had attacked who could live to tell of the episode. Even at his most insane Gaara always had enough wits about him to make an effortless, impromptu kill. Sasuke had a letter opener right on his desk, a sharpened pencil, hell, even the inbox tray would have done some damage, but a spoon?

On his way out Sasuke stopped at the psych ward to find the gang leader sitting on the floor of his cell, smoking with his arms threaded lazily through the closed bars. Sasuke had an odd flashback to the last time he watched Silence of the Lambs as Gaara lifted his eyes and just stared, noiseless amidst all the odd sounds of nighttime in the psych ward. His glare was sharp and intent, as if he could see all the thoughts bouncing around in Sasuke’s skull.

When he finally spoke the words were quiet, nearly a whisper, and he said, “You don’t belong here. Get out.”

Just from that narrow, jade stare Sasuke knew Gaara wasn’t talking about the psych ward.

“Why don’t I belong here?”

Gaara smiled then and then turned his body away, staring at the dark of the far wall.

“You found the one good person in this shithole and you saved him.” Gaara took a long drag, “Your job’s done.”

“Naruto?” Sasuke whispered the name, nearly stuttering on the emotion that came with it. Gaara remained silent, just smoking, his body language dismissive as he took drag after drag.

Sasuke left the psych ward and didn’t look back.

****

It took him nearly an hour of staring at the closet but Sasuke finally managed to put together an ensemble that wasn’t a suit and didn’t look like he’d just rolled out of college. He was a Responsible Adult after all, and he intended to look like one. He’d seen the type of clientele likely to hang out downtown and the last thing he wanted was to be mistaken as some yuppie teen with fake ID. He also took out his contacts. Denied alcohol the yuppie teens would surely start smoking.

He ended up looking like a male, much trendier version of his mother in black slacks and cream button-down with his silver-framed glasses perched on the end of his nose. He changed the slacks for blue jeans, left his shirt untucked, and felt a little better about his masculinity.

Sasuke took a cab to the Kitsune and he ignored the voice in his head saying how wrong this was, how much trouble he was making for himself. Instead he listened to the words under Gaara’s rantings, ‘Get out, get out, get out…’ until the cab finally pulled up to a building with a stylized neon fox over a pair of bright red doors. Sasuke paid the cabbie and joined the queue at the door where a large man at the front of the line was checking IDs and handing out wristbands of bright orange for those that passed.

“Nice try.” He told one of the girls with a grin, “but there’s no way you’re twenty five.”

Good call, Sasuke nodded, she was eighteen at most, and probably trying to use a sister’s card. The girl shrugged and laughed with her friends as they were all ushered in nonetheless, though missing the required wristbands. When it was his turn Sasuke handed up his ID and the man flashed it under a flashlight, grinning sharply when he beamed it in Sasuke’s face, “Nice try, but there’s no way you’re twenty-ni…holy fucking shit it’s the Prez. You clean up nice, Warden!”

Sasuke snatched back his ID and pushed the flashlight away to get a better look at the bouncer heading the line. It was a good thing the night was dark or the man would have seen him pale.

Zabuzza Momochi, the devil of block five, was before him with a height of roughly six and a half feet, muscle-bound limbs crossed in front of his chest and grinning like Christmas came early.

“Mr. Momochi.” Sasuke nodded, forcing himself to stick his hands in his pockets, to act nonchalant. It wasn’t the first time he’d run into a con outside of the prison, but it was the first time he’d run into a con who had tried to maim him. “I hope life has been treating you well.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zabuzza’s grin lost some of its edge. “I got this great job, and man, you gotta meet Haku. Best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Actually-”

Zabuzza ignored him and called in reinforcements.

“Kisame! Get your lazy ass out here!”

Sasuke did not wince, but he most certainly did tense when Kisame Hoshigake stuck his tattooed head around the corner.

“I’m on a break, asshole,” He growled, a cigarette dangling from his lips, “-and I don’t give one flying fuck what you-”

Zabuzza grinned and pointed a finger. Kisame followed the eye line, squinted, and then cursed, spitting his cigarette onto the floor to snuff it out…which was generally how all Sasuke’s conversations on the cell blocks started. The guards made a point of not seeing certain contraband like cigarettes and porn, but Sasuke didn’t have that luxury. He had to set an example.

“I’m fairly sure you’re allowed to smoke here, Mr. Hoshigake.” Sasuke raised an eyebrow, “Unless you’re wisely trying to quit?”

“Fuck that,” If it weren’t for the dark Sasuke was fairly sure Kisame would be blushing, shaved head and all. He quickly pulled out his pack and lit another, growling at Zabuzza’s guffaw.

“Habits are hard to break.” Sasuke allowed. Kisame took a deep drag and then snorted.

“Whatcha doin’ here, Prez?” Kisame was suddenly dangerous again, his arms crossed as he stood up to a height that surpassed Zabuzza’s, “Not that it isn’t an absolute pleasure to see you at this establishment.”

Sasuke flinched at the leer Kisame sent his way and Zabuzza laughed again, haphazardly waving the line that had started to form up behind Sasuke. It seemed that with Kisame around and looking homicidal no one wanted to risk flashing a fake ID and getting caught.

“That’s an excellent question.” Sasuke stalled. The very last thing he wanted to do was spill his personal life to two gangsters on a power trip. “And also none of your business.”

“Here to play grab-ass then?” Kisame raised a non-existent eyebrow, “One-night stand type of guy, are you? Wouldn’t have guessed.”

Sasuke finally rolled his eyes and snapped, “Look, is Naruto here or not?”

Kisame smirked and Zabuzza froze, snapping his flashlight into Sasuke’s eyes like some deranged traffic cop.

“Is Naruto in?” Zabuzza switched the flashlight over to Kisame who snatched it right of his hand.

Sasuke nearly groaned. Of all the stupid mistakes to make…he’d never once called an inmate by their first name, except for Gaara, who didn’t have a last name he could use. Now he had a man who had been thrown in jail for attempted homicide looking at him like Sasuke had just admitted to drowning kittens in his spare time.

“I’m sure you’re imagining some torrid scenario, but it’s nothing like that.” Sasuke said in a low, even voice, “Please let me through so that I can speak with Uzumaki.”

Zabuzza gave him a blank stare and then looked over to Kisame who sighed and rolled his eyes.

“It means you’re having perverted fantasies, you idiot.”

“Well, that certainly sounds like you, Zabuzza,” A melodic voice came from the doorway, “What have I told you boys about harassing the customers?”

There was a boy…girl…ambiguously beautiful personage leaning on the doorway, waving guests through with a soft smile and a nod, lips quirked in a smile.

“You must be Haku.” Sasuke bowed to the young man, “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

He gestured Sasuke in and Sasuke followed with a relieved sigh, ignoring the two convicts who glared at his back. They walked past the coat check and took a pair of stairs hidden in the corner to a second level, high enough above the dance floor that the murmurs of dining guests was louder than the music. Haku pulled him up to yet another floor, cordoned off by a man who seemed just as large as the counterparts downstairs at the door. It was a VIP lounge, it seemed, and empty on a late Tuesday night.

They both took seats, Sasuke grateful to finally get off of his feet.
Haku grinned and winked, “Such manners and so handsome…you must be the Warden I hear so much about. They call you…Prez? I’ve always wondered why.”

“I never asked,” Sasuke shrugged, “They called the last Warden the Pope for a slew of derogatory reasons, so I thought it better not to know.”
Haku laughed, like the sound of tinkling bells, and Sasuke relaxed a little, the tension in his gut relaxing until he could smile calmly, unreservedly, at the man who had been so crucial in freeing Naruto from the prison system.

“It was because he was so young, so clean and uptight; like some over-achieving class president straight out of high school.” The next voice brought all that tension back in a rush of memories and panic. Of course Naruto would appear the second Sasuke’s guard was down. He should have expected it.

“Oh,” Sasuke murmured, glancing away for a moment. He put his hands into the thick fabric of the couch to stop their shaking as Naruto sauntered carelessly into the room. When he finally looked back Naruto’s eyes were lazy and heavy-lidded as he sprawled back with one arm over Haku’s shoulders. Haku gave Naruto a small frown but it went unseen as both men stared at each other.

“You look very well,” Sasuke didn’t dare try a smile, “I’m glad.”

And Naruto did look well, he looked more than well. The contrast between reality and memory was a fierce one, and while Sasuke had always found Naruto to be filled with vitality behind bars, out of them he seemed to be encompassed by a warm glow. In civvies a sort of tension seemed to have leaked away, giving the man a confidence that led easily to grace and an intriguing inner calm. Naruto truly was a different, separate person out in the open air and knowing that Sasuke’s guilt seemed double, choking all his good intentions.

“What can I say,” Naruto didn’t even bother to shrug, “Free life agrees with me.”

Then, after a moment of tense silence, “What the hell are you doing here, Warden?”

Sasuke winced, couldn’t help it. One comfort he had kept to himself was the way Naruto had said his name, had given a simple conversation soft intimacy with a word and a grin. Hearing the sharp contrast of the easy, hated ‘Warden’ was proof enough that Sasuke only represented one thing for Naruto now; the past.

Sasuke stood suddenly enough that Naruto’s head jerked back and his blue eyes widened.

“Nothing important. No reason,” Sasuke looked away, exhaled, and ran a hand through his hair. After working so long to get Naruto out of that hellhole of a prison the last thing Sasuke wanted to do was remind him of it by lingering. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

He bowed sightlessly in Haku’s direction and retreated swiftly, his determined ears hearing nothing but resounding silence as he headed for the door.

“That was short,” Kisame stepped out of the dark just as Sasuke crossed the threshold, holding him back with a hand on his chest, “Where you off to in such a hurry, prez?”

Sasuke pushed his hand off with a shove and hissed, “Home, now get out of my fucking way.”

Kisame grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back, jerking his face up to look Sasuke straight in the eyes. His angry glare softened at what he saw there, and really, there was nothing worse than getting pity from a hardened criminal, was there? Sasuke’s only consolation was that though his eyes were watering his cheeks were dry…but that condition wouldn’t last very long, he knew. He jerked himself out of Kisame’s grip and this time the man let him go, brushing out the wrinkles from where he’d fisted Sasuke’s clothes.

“I guess I don’t need to tell you not to come back,” He said, voice low.

“No,” Sasuke kept his voice cool, calm despite his trembling body, “You don’t.”

“I’ll catch you a cab.”

“I’ll walk,” Sasuke replied, sticking his hands in his pockets, “Have a nice life, Hoshigake.”

“Ditto, Warden.” Kisame called back, “Keep your nose clean, now.”
Sasuke stopped then and snorted, smiling helplessly as he tossed a casual wave over his shoulder.

Kisame’s laughter followed him all the way home.

Next up- Why Sasuke didn't stay, a new job with familiar people, and Gaara tries for real this time.

Also- If you love it, please review! I have so many things on my plate it's crazy so I need to know what to work on next.
(besides BBB...I so, so sorry for the wait, guys)