Dangerously Beautiful

Chapter 16 Touched Kakashi gripped his young lover's shoulders at the sound of that one word repeating torturously in his mind. How could the deciding council be so heartless and cruel to decide Itachi should be detained and executed in less than two days? His heart skipped a beat as he felt the younger man in his arms tremble, perhaps because he was frightened, or more likely because of the shock. It was impossible for Kakashi to hold his overwhelming anger in any longer, "Why does it have to be so soon, Hokage?!" he demanded, furious charcoal eyes meeting up with Tsunade's own. To avoid the guilt she turned to face the floor, scratching nervously at her left arm and letting out a sigh, "Konoha... because of all the catastrophes, the wars and the destruction lately, they've lost their confidence. Any hope they had or pride in their country has been stripped away by recent events. If we were to keep Itachi, one of this town's most brutal criminals, behind bars without consequence for too long, the people would become uneasy. We can't have them thinking at such a crucial point in this country's history, that we have sympathy for our enemies." She explained, knowing it was not an acceptable reason to take another person's life. The gray-haired Jounin gritted his teeth. "For that reason... For such a reason, you would have him die? To increase morale?" he could hardly speak, his knuckles turning white as he pulled Itachi closer. "Does his death only mean higher patriotism to you?" Tsunade focused her attention back on the two of them, noticing the Sharingan protector was still firmly over Itachi's dangerous eyes, though the tears that fell from his cheeks told of what was truly going on beneath the thick piece of metal. Never in her short time as leader of Konoha had she felt this emotional and torn in her decision-making. She had promised herself she would not allow her feelings to interfere with her duties, but seeing the two, locked up in a cell, one of them set to die tomorrow, it was impossible not to feel the churning in her stomach. "Even as Hokage, there's nothing more I can do for him. For the both of you. The council has decided the matter." With those dead words she flipped her long ponytail behind her shoulder and walked off alongside the Anbu and guards that had accompanied her. On the outside, she would remain stark and emotionless, though really, through her brown eyes it was more than obvious she could not keep up this false faade forever. Meanwhile,amilamiliar young Chuunin took many frantic steps down the Konoha hospital, choosing to ignore the nurses who gave the teacher a few strange looks and rushing down the corridor. He couldn't believe it took so long for the news to arrive at his ears that two of his students were hospitalized. He let out a long breath, sometimes he wondered if his superiors shielded things from him because he was so young. Iruka wiped the sweat from his brow at finally finding a hospital room with the surname 'Uzumaki' slipped into the nameplate. All he could hope now was that his students were in good health. With a slight knock, he stepped inside slowly. To his surprise both of his young students, Sasuke and Naruto, had been placed in the same room, though the Uchiha's name was not on the door. He only thought about it for a quick second before disregarding it. With a smile and a blush that tinted his scar pink, Iruka waved, "Hello." Sasuke stood quietly at the window, leaning his weight on his broken left leg and seemingly off in his own thoughts as usual. Naruto was lying quietly on his stomach, turning his hazy blue eyes over to the doorway for only a second before raising his hand to wave, though he didn't say a word. The atmosphere in the small hospital room was gloomy, to say the least. A thick amount of uncomfortable air hung below the ceiling and caused their latest visitor to backtrack a little, "Naruto, Sasuke, I was worried when I heard both of you were in the hospital. I thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing." He said lightly, his voice almost singing in an attempt to lighten the mood. When neither of them answered, Iruka took a few steps over to the blonde's bed, patting him on the head a few times and noticing the red in his eyes. He had been crying lately. The sympathetic teacher thought of asking the two what had upset them so badly, but decided to keep his mouth shut about the whole situation. "Are you feeling all right, Naruto?" A groan. "I'm okay... My stomach's growling a bit though..." he muttered, staring up at his former teacher with wide, hopeful eyes, his whiskers curling into a smile. Iruka was glad to see him smiling again, he ran his fingers through the fox's short hair, and grinned, "I'll see if I can get you both something from Ichi raku then." He said, his brown eyes straying over to his other student, who hadn't said a word or even so much as blinked since he entered. "Okay, Naruto, I'll get you some Miso Chashuu ramen." "Two bowls!" The youthful Chuunin nodded, "And for you, Sasuke? I don't want my students eating this crummy hospital food." He said, letting out a little chuckle. The youngest Uchiha remained completely silent, leaning his arms over the windowsill and continuing to stare out blankly upon the vast countryside of Konoha. "I know you don't want natto, right?" Iruka smilenowinowing his smartest student's least favorite food. But it seemed his desperate attempts were going unnoticed, as Sasuke rudely remained quiet, not turning or acknowledging his question in any way. Naruto sent a scowl his way for being such an asshole to someone who was trying his best to help. It wasn't Iruka's fault information took a few days to reach him, he probably wouldn't even hear about Itachi coming to Konoha until he was already tried and sentenced. Iruka tried his best again, "They have pork and chicken ramen. They also have curry if you don't want ramen..." Still he remained quiet. Naruto grimaced, clenching his teeth and turning to his teacher with a false grin, "Thanks, Iruka." He spoke up, showing at least he was grateful for the Chuunin's kindness. The brown-haired instructor waved as he exited the room, again looking to his most intelligent student for any signs he was even still breathing. "I-I'll just get you an order of something, okay, Sasuke?" he muttered before heading out, shutting the door and letting out a long sigh in the hallway. Compared to the disgusting energy in there, the hospital desks and halls seemed so much lighter. He could've sworn the sun shone brighter through the windows as well. As the door made a final 'click' when it closed, Sasuke turned, making sure his former teacher was gone before he stared back at the depthless window, finally speaking up, "I'm not in the mood for Iruka's stupid babbling right now..." he muttered. Naruto's eyebrows lowered as he spun in his bed to face his rival, "He was just trying to make us feel better, Sasuke!" he shouted, sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest. Sometimes he just didn't understand the young Uchiha in his actions. "Better?" The blonde turned, seeing the young clansmen's shoulders shaking, his fingers digging into the wood of the sill, cracking off splinters and sending them to the cold tile floor. With a sudden burst of raw anger, Sasuke spun around, grabbing the metal cart beside him and tossing it to the opposite wall, scattering the medical supplies all over the floor and causing an awful racket. Before Naruto could recover from the surprising sound, his best friend grabbed another metal canister and threw it to the ground, his eyes wide, his fists gathered at his side. "You know what would make me feel better?!" Sasuke shouted rhetorically, his head slumped down to his shoulders as he slammed his left arm into the nearby wall, shaking the items on the shelves and startling the second person in the room, "If my family wasn't a bunch of whores! If my brother wasn't forced to have sex with strangers! If I could go out and be with my brother like a normal family..." he paused, furious tears gathered in his eyes before he wiped them away, "Instead I have to search across the continent for him, only to watch him go straight to jail and be taken away from me again..." his black bangs fell in front of his tear-stricken eyes. His upper back ached horribly as the curse on his neck began to light up an incandescent orange and spread like wildfire over his pale skin. He no longer tried to control it, knowing it was more painful to fight against the prickly sensation than to just allow it to follow its own path. He bit his bottom lip and clenched his fists at his sides. It was times like these Sasuke wondered if it was truly worth waking up the next morning. Naruto now felt a little guilty for yelling at him earlier. The young Uchiha had truly been put through Hell lately, much more than the blonde had experienced in his entire life. Silently he walked over to his friend's side, hoping his comfort would be enough to calm Orochimaru's curse. Without any words between them, the fox encircled his arms around the dark-haired ninja's back, pulling him closer and nuzzling into his neck. Sasuke's black eyes softened at the feeling of another person's arms around him. Unlike his brother, he himself had never been physically assaulted by dozens upon dozens of disgusting men, he had never felt their hands traveling his body; so every feeling he received was not tainted with feeling of fear or aversion. Thus, Naruto's hands were very welcome, in fact, though he shrugged of most touches people gave him, he couldn't help but want more familiar contact. His curse began to fade off as those light arms pulled their chests together, the blonde now clearly feeling how rapidly Sasuke's heart was beating, how deep his breaths were becoming. He had never seen the normally stoic Genin so upset, so broken. "I just want things to go back to the way they were, I want to be born in a normal family. I don't want the responsibilities of a clan anymore..." he mumbled, his tears soaking into Naruto's clothing. "I want people to see me as who I am, not as Itachi's younger brother, or one of the Uchiha clan..." Sasuke whispered, reaching his own hands up to clutch desperately at his best friend's clothing. Yes. Best friend. For the first time in his life, the young Uchiha felt close to the fox, he could trust him like a real friend. The two remained quiet for a long time, save for Sasuke's clothing rustling as he pulled Naruto closer and closer to him, needing to feel the warmth of another person against him. After a few long seconds had passed between them, the fox boy spoke up timidly, his voice a little hoarse, "I know who Sasuke Uchiha is..." Sasuke almost let out a laugh, it was so unusual for someone to refer to him with his surname placed after his first, especially since he was in a highly respected clan. He had always been taught the family came before even his own happiness. Still, he allowed Naruto to continue. "Sasuke is... Sasuke is my rival, and my best friend. And even though he's real quiet and likes to insult people a lot, he's still a really nice person." Naruto loosened his fingers that were tangled in his rival's shirt, still refusing to let him escape his arms. He needed this contact as much as the one he was trying to comfort. The young Uchiha quieted, a smile coming to his lips. Just like always, the blonde had managed to somehow brighten his day, though most of the time it was because he had done something incredibly stupid. "Thank you." Kakashi grabbed at the bars of the cell, groaning and letting out a frustrated breath. He and the guards had been arguing for quite some time now about the need for the Sharingan protector. It was beginning to anger the Jounin that someone set to die tomorrow could not even see on his last day of life. Grumbling a bit about their incompetence, the gray-haired instructor rested his arms on the bars, "Listen, he's not going to hurt anyone. It's his last day to live, at least give him that much." He said, practically begging them. Itachi sat quietly on the small bench inside the cell, personally he didn't mind the blinding metal that was strapped over his eyes, but he knew once Kakashi got started on a subject, he would not give in. Finally, after their most exhausting talk, the officer assigned to watch them rolled his eyes, heading over to the cell and unlocking the door before taking a few steps inside, reaching to the heavy lock that covered the prisoner's eyes and carefully unlocking it with a groan, "I'm not doing this for him. Many of my coworkers at this prison were Uchiha. I know they would all be humiliated to wear this too..." the stubborn guard muttered, staring at Kakashi for a short second before pulling the blindfold off and heading back out. The gray-haired Jounin grinned, "Thanks." "Dun' mention it, just watch out for him." Kakashi was a little offended by that comment, and how everyone in the prison was treating Itachi as if he would kill them all at the drop of a hat. They knew his reasoning for killing his entire family, he would have thought more people would understand how such a stressful life could lead anyone to murder, but apparently the deaths of their comrades were held closer to their heart. Itachi blinked a few times, his vision a little hazy from being in complete darkness for such a long period of time. He turned his head towards the black and white blur in front of him, letting a few seconds for his eyes to regain their focus before he saw Kakashi holding his shoulders, his face only inches from the Uchiha's own. Shyly Itachi let a smile spread across his lips, his face still feeling a little sore from the protector, "Kakashi..." he muttered. The young Jounin, decked out in his unfamiliar Anbu uniform grinned back, "More comfortable now?" "Yes. Though you didn't have to do that for me." The eldest Uchiha said, reaching upwards to stroke at his lover's soft cheek. Kakashi let out a laugh, "Truthfully it was a little more for me. It's torture not being able to see your eyes." After looking into his boyfriend's eyes for a few long seconds, his gaze strayed to the cell window, or rather the large hole cut in the cement wall with menacing bars covering any chance of escape, seeing the sun hang in the sky. It had become late morning so quickly, he had barely noticed. Time was escaping his grasp so quickly, and when Itachi only had hours left. That's right, it was only a matter of time before Itachi would be pulled away from his arms and forced to endure whatever horrible execution they had probably already arranged and prepared. Tomorrow would be the last morning Kakashi could wake up by Itachi's side, the last time he could see his beautiful pale skin drenched in the warm golden light of morning, the last time he could touch his lips with his own. The thoughts themselves were more torture than he had ever been through. Life without Itachi. To the Jounin in his twenties, it was a nearly impossible thing to think about. His life would return to the loneliness it had been, the quiet solitude and depressing feelings of knowing all his friends were dead, those that weren't were more of acquaintances than real friends. Gods, it would be Hell without him. "Itachi, I don't think I can..." The eldest Uchiha smiled, leaning forward to interrupt Kakashi's words with a gentle kiss on the lips, already knowing what he was going to say. Sometimes the Jounin was just so predictable. "Kakashi, I don't want to think about what's going to happen tomorrow. I know whatever happens, that you'll be able to handle it. But it's not today. I don't want to see you frowning and depressed the whole day." He mumbled before adding another kiss on his cheek, burying his hand in the Jounin's thick gray hair and pulling him closer. "We should spend our last day wisely..." He said, giving him yet another kiss, this time on the neck. A few minutes had passed between them, Kakashi holding the younger of the two in his arms. For a while they reminisced about their short-lived time in the Anbu. "You know I worried about you every time you didn't show up for the meetings..." The gray-haired teacher muttered, touching the young Uchiha's soft face. Itachi nodded, "I know..." His mind began to wander away for those thoughts, an overwhelming sense of guilt gathering in the pit of his stomach as he remembered the hate he once had for this man. This same man who was now trying in every way to help him, to risk his incredible reputation as a respected Jounin and former Anbu to protect a wanted criminal. Itachi clenched his teeth together, trying to stop the embarrassing tears from coming to his eyes. It was a weakness to cry. "Kakashi, back then," he began timidly, "I put everything on your shoulders. Even though you were so kind to me I turned around and blamed you for not helping me escape quickly enough..." Memories of his brutal rape that night caused him to shiver, memories of the moment that had sent him over the edge. His boyfriend pulled him closer, feeling his cold trembling form, "I may not have said it back then, but I had forgiven you within seconds." He leaned back a little in order to see Itachi's incredible ruby-shaded eyes. Again his thoughts drifted off, they had a habit of doing that when the Jounin was in a terrible situation, to get his mind off of what was currently happening. Itachi watched as Kakashi's coal-tinted eyes stared at the gray cement flooring. He raised his hand up to rub at the back of his itchy neck, "When you left, I wanted to take care of Sasuke... I wanted to be a brother to him, but every time I even tried to, the rumors were just too much, the way people looked at me when I tried to head over there. He was seven years old and they looked at me like I was some kind of pervert. But now, he thinks I used him and maybe I did..." He began to whisper, his voice sadly fading, "He was so much like you that I..." Itachi shook his head, letting his eyes flutter close as he spoke, holding the Jounin's hand in his own comfortably, "Even though he's angry at you now, probably at the both of us, I'm sure he really appreciates the way you've been taking care of him lately. He's young enough to find someone his own age to care about." "I suppose so..." Kakashi mumbled, pulling Itachi closer to him and wondering how he could've survived those five years without him. To tell the truth, he realized how he had been able to, by keeping himself busy with work and missions, by constantly warring with Gai to pass the anxious time, though that didn't mean he had forgotten about him. Thinking these negative things only caused the frustrated Jounin to pull the eldest Uchiha into a tighter embrace, his gaze fixated on the cell window. Suddenly, an idea struck Kakashi, though it probably wouldn't work and it was a one in a million chance the guards and officials would allow it, he knew it was well worth taking. Without any words he sprung up from where he was sitting, releasing Itachi from his arms and hurried over to the cell door, pounding on the bars. "Guard! Guard!" he shouted, seemingly in some sort of rush. A few of the guards wandered over from different corners of the prison, leaning against the bars with some contempt for forcing them to stand and walk all the way over to the far cell, "What is it?" Kakashi hummed a little, staying at the same note as if he was thinking about it for a long while before answering, "I want you to let us out." The guards nearly all fell over at the same time. They had heard every excuse in the book for letting the prisoners out of their cells, they either couldn't go to the bathroom in public, or they needed some fresh air, but no one had ever simply 'asked' to be let out of their cell. It was preposterous. The pounding and shouting back and forth continued for a few minutes before the Fifth Hokage and the rest of the governing council stepped outside of their office, still handling the massive paperwork it required to execute a person. Tiredly, almost exhaustedly Tsunade stepped forward to the cell door, looking the familiar Jounin in the eye, "Kakashi, look, we already sentenced him, there's nothing more I can do..." she began, figuring Kakashi had become upset about the execution again. "No, no, it's not that. I wanted a final request before tomorrow." "Request? What kind of request?" She questioned, already a little skeptical. Kakashi stared her straight in the eye, he had to make sure she knew he was not joking about this, he was not making some insane request, that every word he said came from his heart, "Surely you agree Itachi deserves one final thing before tomorrow morning? That's why, with your permission, Hokage, I wanted to request that he be allowed out." "What?" Tsunade exclaimed, nearly yelling as she clicked one of her clunky heels on the heavy ground, "Out?" The Jounin was quick to bow his head respectively, placing his hands together and over his head as if he was begging her, his voice as sincere as the Fifth had ever heard him, "Just for one day. We'll return tonight and we will go along with the execution..." he shuddered, "tomorrow. Just please consider it." He whispered the last part, his throat aching from the tears he had been choking back. His request was unreasonable, he knew it. No one had probably ever been allowed such lenience, not the way Konoha ran its prison system. But it had to be worth a try, at the very least tomorrow morning he could feel as if he had tried his best. Tsunade pulled back a little, a little disgusted to hear that kind of forward offer, "I've never heard such a thing from someone on death row, someone set to die in only a few hours..." Her caramel brown eyes looked down upon the desperate man in front of her. His head was lowered, his Anbu uniform was dirtied and beaten from the many missions he had accomplished for the city, many without any question. He had never done anything to betray the village, he had never even indicated he had any distaste for Konoha. She took a few minutes to think over his offer seriously. It was difficult to look at the Jounin and not feel something for his efforts, all this time he could've abandoned Itachi in jail and let him die alone, but never once did he falter in his support. "Kakashi..." He perked up a bit, his head lifting just enough so he could see her, "Yes, Hokage?" "I shall grant your request." The guards were up in arms, all of them equally shocked and outraged that she would allow such a thing to happen under her watch. The first made sure his rage was well heard, "Excuse me, Hokage, we have no guarantee they're going to return!" "Yes, this request is ridiculous, to let them out unguarded to do whatever they please until they 'choose' to come back. Do not let your emotions make you naive, Hokage..." Another added. Tsunade sent a threatening glance his way, "I know I'm taking a risk with this, but I trust they will keep true to their word and return before the execution." She told them calmly, seemingly unaffected by their words. The prison guards let out unsatisfied grunts and grumbled to each other as they were ordered to unlock the cell door and allow the prisoner out, along with the Anbu soldier and Jounin. They exchanged untrusting glances with each other, and again with Itachi, who merely shrugged them off. As if his entire life he hadn't been swamped with different derogatory stares. Tsunade grabbed a pair of ankle cuffs from one of the officer's hip band, holding the long chain in front of the two for a few seconds, letting it dangle in front of their eyes. "You will be shackled together until you return to the prison, so Itachi cannot escape without bringing Kakashi along with him." "Hokage, those chains are easily broken by someone specialized in the Katon techniques..." The Fifth was beginning to think those under her command did not respect their authorities as they should. Of course she had already considered every condition the two could escape, knowing it was nearly impossible to assure there wasn't some angle they hadn't considered. Truthfully the shackles she had assigned them were just a precaution, in case the two were separated. Though Itachi could more than take care of himself as an S Rank criminal and child prodigy, if enough of the village found out he was near, their hate and anger from five years ago would overwhelm them to the point of them being nearly invincible. This way, Kakashi would be able to back him if they found each other in a bind. Kakashi grinned as they chained them together, as if he had already figured that out. Itachi moved his wrist a little as the less-than-sympathetic guard's tough fingers run along his arm before he slammed the cuff over him. The eldest Uchiha shivered a little as he peered up at the one who had touched him, knowing he remembered that face from somewhere. A shiver shot up his spine as he recalled him as one of their sparse visitors at the Uchiha house. If only the city of Konoha knew how many of its own officers dirtied themselves in that place. His deep red eyes nearly burnt a hole through the man's skull. Tsunade spoke up again, stating more of her conditions, "You are to be back at the prison by ten o' clock. That's the curfew for all prisoners." She explained. Kakashi nodded. Just as the two of them were about to be allowed to leave, the Fifth Hokage pulled the gray-haired Jounin aside, out of listening range of the others and whispered to him in her slightest voice, which was very difficult for someone prone to her loud voice, "Listen, Kakashi... No matter what, you have to overcome your feelings. I'm really risking my position by allowing you to do this, you know?" The Jounin understood well what an incredible favor this was to him, he was glad now the Fifth was a female, so she sympathized more with their emotions, "Yes. I assure you, no matter what I may feel like doing, I will return with Itachi. Besides..." he said, looking back at his dark-haired lover, his radiant pale skin and his dark, ruby eyes, "Itachi wouldn't let me help him escape anyway. The guilt has nearly killed him already." He mumbled, still looking at the eldest Uchiha with a wide grin, as if to assure him what they were talking about was not negative. Finally the two were escorted by a few guards to the entrance of the prison, Itachi shouldering his jacket off, knowing on a sun-drenched day like this, it would not be very comfortable to wear outside. Kakashi's cheeks flustered a bit at being able to see his silky white arms, not to mention his entire chest and back since his shirt was netted black mesh. Knowing how much of his skin was now showing, the Jounin pulled him closer to his side protectively. The guards gave them one last look before they unlocked the doors and allowed them to venture outside. "I still don't think it's a good idea to let a criminal like 'him' out so easily..." "I agree. Dammit..." A second guard agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets angrily before storming back to his position, trying to put out of his mind the dire mistake they could have just made. Kakashi pulled Itachi's hand into his own, since they were chained together anyway, he might as well take advantage of this forced closeness. Silently he turned over to the eldest Uchiha with a smile, certainly it was much more enjoyable to spend his last day out in the open air instead of that depressing cellblock. They had only taken a few steps before Itachi stopped, turning his head and staring blankly at the hospital. "We should probably visit them, huh?" The Jounin by his side suggested, strengthening his grip on his lover's fingers and looking at the back of his head, his black hair pulled into a tight ponytail which tossed and frayed in the cool mid-day breeze, his gaze fixated on the room Naruto and Sasuke were in. It was painful to see him facing away, his back to Kakashi like that day, like that day... Kakashi pulled his shoulders and placed a surprising kiss on his lips, almost as if he was reaffirming the Uchiha would not leave him again. Itachi was a bit shocked at the suddenness of the kiss, but wrapped his free arm around the gray-haired instructor's neck and continued it, his red eyes staring though his boyfriend's intentions, though he still couldn't place why he had so suddenly needed to prove he still cared for him. "What..." he took a much-needed breath and continued to speak in his low, rumbling voice, "What was that for?" The Jounin ran his fingers through those incredible black bangs, "I don't want to see your back to me, like when you left..." he muttered. It was understandable. Itachi pulled Kakashi's face closer, placing a kiss on his cheek, "I won't leave you again." He whispered so slightly the breeze cut off a few of his words. The two made their way to the room where their students and lovers and brother were, stepping past the hospital security and staff without a second glance. Now was not the time to be cautious, not when the hours were dwindling away from them as quickly as they had been. Itachi knocked on the door a few times, intending to apologize to Naruto and speak to Sasuke one last time before he was taken away from his younger brother, to make amends for what he did to his life, for what he did to his family five years ago, and most of all to tell him to forget his obligations to his clan and bloodline and live. He had intended to say all that, but... The hospital room door squealed open horribly, creaking on the hinges as Kakashi and Itachi stepped inside, the eldest Uchiha already preparing his words before he saw them. Sasuke was sleeping on his bed, sleeping soundly for the first time in these hectic days, his broken arm and leg propped up comfortably on the sheets. Naruto's head rested on his chest, rising and falling with his breathing. They both appeared so calm, so rested, like for the first time in a long while they could sleep. Beside them on the counter were empty paper bowls with only a few ramen noodles left inside. Someone had brought them lunch, Kakashi could already figure out who it had been. The dark-haired avenger stirred a little, his arm falling over his own stomach and touching the fox's shoulder lightly. Kakashi smiled, watching Naruto's whiskers twitch a little before he settled himself again on the Uchiha's chest. "We better not wake them." He muttered quietly, knowing that both of them were not very sound sleepers. Itachi agreed wholeheartedly, especially when they were the bringers of such bad news, he would rather not disturb the two with any information about the imprisonment, the execution, or anything else that would take them away from the euphoric calm they were in at the moment. He leaned down, taking a seat at the hospital bedside and running his painted fingers through his brother's bangs, seeing him groan a bit and turn over. He hadn't changed since those five years ago. Perhaps his attitude and body had matured, mostly due to the incredible weight on his shoulders, but his heart was still that of a child. "If anything," he began quietly, touching his soft face and noticing how Sasuke pulled into the warm touch, "I'm glad someone like him is carrying on the Uchiha name, because I never deserved it, nor did I want it..." he said, not expecting an answer from the one standing above him, mostly because he was saying this for his own well-being. Kakashi pulled a small drawer open in the cabinet by the two's bed, finding a small scrap of paper and a pen, "We should probably write down what happened so they know when they're ready to wake up." He suggested. The eldest Uchiha nodded, taking the pen in his hand and scribbling down his last words before folding the small note and placing it inside of the blonde's limp hand. They both stepped out of the room quietly, pulling the knob slowly so as not to interrupt them. They headed back outside, the bright sunlight nearly overwhelming them as they opened the door. It was mid-day already, the time was slipping away from their grasp. Kakashi and Itachi wandered the streets for a while, appreciating the little things about Konoha they had perhaps not noticed before. The eldest Uchs chs chains rattle a little as he turned his head to look at the people of this large, bustling city. They marched by, holding boxes or carrying orders of steaming hot food, even the children too young to attend the academy were running back and forth, tackling each other and playing like normal children. Everywhere he looked, the people of Konoha were living their lives, overcoming the disaster of the recent war and destruction to their country, and they continued to live with the same amount of energy as before. But that was to be expected of the people of Fire. For the first time in his life, the young S Rank criminal was noticing the small things about this town that made it great, no longer focusing on the sickening corruption. There were incredible trees that sprung up the the outskirts, some of the towering branches creating a cool shade over some of the taller buildings. The flowers and the other greenery in front of small houses and in the more wild aspect of the city gave off such an intense aroma of an assortment of plants. His ruby eyes wandered from the small, nearly unnoticeable pieces of the village, to the enormous Hokage monument, the four faces reminding him of the heroism and courage he once believed Konoha to have, when he was much younger. It made him feel a bit childish to think of such things, but he couldn't help it. Before he knew it, Kakashi had led the two of them to the lake in the Southern end, near the outskirts of the town, where the only people who wandered by were on their way in or out of town. The gray-haired Jounin took a few steps through the thick grass and past the tall trees, taking solitude within the brush so they would be alone. Itachi smiled. So he still remembered how much he liked this place, how every time the eldest Uchiha was missing from his home or Kakashi's home, he was here to be alone. Itachi sat down by the shore of the small lake silently, a grin appearing on his face as his boyfriend sat next to his side, the two of them staring at the calmed waters. It was always so peaceful here. Itachi would sit here for hours years ago, as the gentle way the water rippled took away any negative thoughts or experiences he had that day. It also inspired a lot of thinking on his part, "You know, even though I'm going to die tomorrow..." The one by his side shuddered, he did not want to be reminded. "I'm not really afraid of death. In fact, I feel very relieved." Kakashi stared at the bank of the lake, a little wary about talking about something so negative. He was just glad to be around so many trees he could knock on. "Even though you feel that way, I still can't stomach even admitting to myself that you're going to die tomorrow. I wish I could take your place..." he whispered, leaning over so their shoulders touched, letting his weight shift onto his young lover. "You've always been like that, Kakashi. You have to blame everything on yourself, even though none of it is your fault..." Itachi said, his voice softer than usual. The Jounin grumbled, "I can't help it. Every minute of everyday I feel guilty for not doing more to help you." Itachi continued to insist there was nothing he could have done, staring at Kakashi's painful eyes and knowing no matter what he said could not take the guilt from him, "Kakashi, there was nothing more you could have done. I don't blame you for any of it anymore." He continued to argue with him, not wanting to see the Jounin feeling sorry for himself, especially since these were going to be his final memories. "No, there was more I could have done, I should've tried harder to..." Itachi could not take his boyfriend's whining anymore, he could no longer listen to his blaming himself for every problem that came along, so he pressed his lips forcibly to Kakashi's, grabbing his shoulders and tackling him to the grassy ground below them. The eldest Uchiha let a sly smirk come to his lips as he straddled the Jounin's waist, climbing up on top of him as if he was victorious and continuing to kiss him. Kakashi deepened the contact, slipping his tongue along Itachi's hesitant lips before the younger of the two gave in and opened his mouth, their muscles sliding against one another in a constant battle for dominance. The Uchiha let out a long moan before letting his heavy eyelids rise, pulling their lips apart and staring down at the one he'd fallen in love with. "This looks familiar..." he muttered with a blush. The gray-haired instructor reached up to touch his black bangs, brushing them out of his face and grinning, "We were some sick kids, huh?" he asked teasingly, if only to get a smile out of the normally stoic young man. He was successful in his mission, seeing Itachi's pale lips curl at his comment. "...Yeah" He whispered, leaning down to take a playful nip at Kakashi's ear before returning to his position over his chest. Solemnly he crossed his arms and leaned over the Jounin's chest, his thoughts beginning to wander off. He knew by this time tomorrow he would be gone, unable to ever do something like this with him again. He wouldn't be able to lay in his boyfriend's arms for hours without saying a word, he wouldn't be able to walk down the street hand-in-hand, or catch up on what the two had been doing for the last five years. His ruby eyes began to shimmer with tears, though he forced them closed to stifle the embarrassment. He laid his head down helplessly on Kakashi's chest, clutching onto the tight black material of his Anbu uniform and nearly biting through his bottom lip before a small ounce of a whimper squeaked out. The caring Jounin touched his head with his hand, letting it rest there for a while before the one lying on top of his body looked up, "Itachi..." Without warning Itachi suddenly wrapped his arms around his lover's neck, pulling him closer to his own body almost desperately, needing the contact and the warmth of another's skin. "Gods, I don't deserve you..." he rushed, nuzzling into the crook of Kakashi's neck, "Even if I tried to hate you and live my life alone, I know I couldn't. As much as I tried when I left, I still wanted to be with you, no matter how many of my problems I said were your fault." He mumbled quietly, bringing his face up to meet with the one he loved, pressing their foreheads together. He hated to be seen like this, he absolutely abhorred it. To look so weak like a feeble child, to be seen crying was a privilege Itachi only allowed a select few to witness. Perhaps his parents once or twice, Sasuke, and Kakashi, these were the only acceptations to his strict rule. All his attempts at forgetting he was going to die alone tomorrow had failed so easily, it had only been a few minutes with Kakashi and he was already missing him. "The worst part of it..." Kakashi looked up at him, their eyes only a few inches apart as tears from the eldest Uchiha ran down his cheeks and onto the Jounin's sympathetic face. He allowed Itachi to continue, though he so wanted to reassure him everything would be all right, he knew it was a lie. "... is that, I can't be the brother to Sasuke that you always said I was. You thought far too highly of me back then... You always saw me as this caring older brother I don't ever think I was..." "You were..." Those reassuring words calmed him down a bit, at least enough so he could stifle the other tears that had ved ved in his eyes. Gently he let his head fall onto his boyfriend's chest, eyes fluttering closed calmly. Kakashi turned his head on the soft, dewy grass, feeling the younger man on top of him stir a bit before finally settling down. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the sun's dwindling position in the sky. It was falling, no it was plummeting down to earth so quickly it was nearly impossible to watch the star, at least, that's how it appeared to Kakashi, as time continued to wriggle out of his grasp so easily. Sure he could use one of the techniques he had acquired over the years to pause time, but he knew if he ever did that he would not have the strength to return it to normal, to have the daunting task of leading Itachi to his death. He shuddered, looking back at the near-setting sun. It was like clockwork, the way the sun and moon rose and fall. When the sun decided to take a rest, the moon would rise to take his place so easily, and when the moon was in peril, the sun would return valiantly. They were incredible partners, that was for sure. 'Ah...' He near mumbled, forgetting for a minute that Itachi was still speaking with him and turning to face his own chest. "Itachi?" he whispered, his voice only topping the breeze by a sound wave or two. The eldest Uchiha's arms were limp around Kakashi's neck, his breathing slowed and his form nearly unmoving on top of him. He had fallen asleep. On his last day of life somehow he managed to fall asleep, perhaps because he had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before, sitting up on an uncomfortable hospital chair, or perhaps he had worn himself out crying. Either way, Kakashi was glad he was able to relax, and a bit surprised at how easily he fell asleep in front of another person. He was hesitant to sleep in front of his family, let alone out in the open like this. younyoung Jounin ran his fingers through his bangs over and over again, feeling how incredibly silky and smooth his midnight black locks were, how delightful he looked bathed in the purples and reds of the afternoon sun. He was breathtaking, to say the least. When he was sleeping so innocently like this it was impossible to think he had single-handedly murdered an entire clan, even harder to think any court could convict him, not when he looked like this. He leaned forward, placing a small kiss on his forehead, noticing the Anbu tattoo which had been inscribed on his left arm when he was thirteen years old. The ink had faded a little over time, but the memories of their lives back then hadn't. Since they were both assigned to have the Anbu position at about the same time, they were often at missions together, performing tasks like true partners would. One such time Kakashi remembered distinctly... "So the information we've received is that there may be a spy in our midst, she has cleverly disguised herself as a maid and is currently residing in the Uchiha home. We want her alive, preferably, but if she proves to difficult to capture, it would be much more convenient if the information she has gathered on the family or especially on the Sharingan, be destroyed..." Their orders were read to them in a dark room, save for a single candle on the center table. For these dangerous assignments it was safer for all who were involved to be anonymous. Itachi held furious fists against the ground as he heard his newest assignment, feeling incredibly betrayed by the one none of the family had even suspected. "Damn... I should have seen it sooner..." he muttered before he and Kakashi disappeared, vanishing to go and complete their mission. Both arrived at the Uchiha residence at about the same time, slipping their ceramic masks over their faces so as not to be seen by the other Uchiha as they slept soundly. The two, decked out in their Anbu uniforms, made their way into the household, knowing the two of them had been given this mission because they knew the ins and outs of the Uchiha home pretty well. They snuck around a few of the corners, leaning against a wall and preparing to invade the maid's room, hopefully with as little violence as possible. Kakashi and Itachi both simultaneously removed their masks, they did this once before every mission should anything happen to either of them. The two pressed their lips together hurriedly, the eldest Uchiha son moaning breathily as they parted, "I love you." "You too..." His fellow Anbu mumbled, placing his mask back over his face and heading down the hall, arriving at the guest room and stopping just short. Kakashi motioned with a quick flick of his hand that he would enter first, making his way stealthily towards the door, and suddenly sliding it open, rushing inside to capture the woman. Itachi on the other hand, overhearing a suspicious sound from the room just adjacent, pulled the door open, immediately grabbing the silhouette he spotted and shoving him or her to the ground. Perhaps their suspect was trying to make a getaway? The eldest Uchiha boy's eyes widened as he looked at the one he had just forced to the ground. It was Sasuke, damn, he probably just awoke to get a glass or water or go to the bathroom. The gray-haired Jounin ran back out to the hallway, hearing quite a commotion from only the next room, "Itachi, what's wrong?!" he shouted before seeing the young boy in front of them. He was nearly scared out of his wits from the experience, all he had done was hop out of his bed to go to the bathroom, when he was viciously thrown to the ground by a frightening masked man. Sasuke let out a whimper before bursting into a full-blown cry, wiping at his sore black eyes. Itachi pulled his Anbu mask off and let it hang around his neck, pulling the small boy into his arms and holding him closer as he continued to cry. He couldn't believe how he could scare him so badly. Kakashi let out a sigh of relief, knowing his lover was safe, though it did seem they had caused more chaos in the Uchiha house than they had expected. His heart softened at the sight of the normally deathly-emotionless Itachi holding his brother, knowing even though he pretended he didn't much care for anyone in his family, it was hard not to notice the way he rubbed Sasuke's back and held him closer so he would stop crying. At that moment the Jounin knew he wouldn't ever find another person in the world who he cared for like this. Sasuke let out a slight sneeze, and a second waking him up from his slumber, brushing his nose with his fingers he looked around curiously. It was already late evening, according to the clock at his side it was about nine. He rubbed at his eyes, knowing he had probably allowed himself to sleep too long. He let out a near-silent yawn, looking for what the wet, sticky feeling was on his chest and seeing Naruto, his mouth gaping open, drool leaking over the youngest Uchiha's shirt. Just as he was about to strangle him, the blonde shifted his weight, his hand flopping limply onto the bed, a small, folded piece of paper drifting lifelessly from his grasp and fluttering to the tile floor. Naruto nuzzled in closer to Sasuke's neck, letting out a satisfied groan at the familiar contact. The youngest Uchiha leaned to the side of the bed, for curiosity's sake, he needed to know what that small slip of paper was. His fingers dangled almost to the floor, just a few... more... inches... He strained, swiping his fingers at it before the young fox sleeping over him began to tumble off of him. Sasuke quickly straightened his posture, sitting back where he was and pulling the boy back on top of him. Good thing Naruto was an incredibly rough sleeper. Basically you could smack him, kick him, pour water on him, and he would just mutter and go right back to sleep. Sasuke let out a long sigh, staring at that taunting piece of paper that would probably cause him to go insane later, and then back at Naruto, who was tiredly blinking his pearl blue eyes before fading off again. The youngest of the Uchiha clan leaned back against the papery hospital pillow, figuring whatever was written on the note could wait until later. His chest ached sharply as he regained his thoughts, his mind still a little blurry from all the pain medications and morphine the doctors had been giving him lately. He was beginning to think they were purposely trying to drug him, but knew he was probably being too paranoid and skeptical. His thoughts came to his older brother, thinking of just a few hours ago when he had been taken off to jail. The most painful sight was the look in Kakashi's eyes, the fear and intense sadness he had when he followed him off. He cared about him so much... He scratched at his own hands nervously, noticing he began doing it until the top of his hand was bleeding, he just hoped they would go easy on Itachi, listen to what he had to go through before they made their verdict. Though he continued to hope for this, he couldn't help the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he even began to think about his brother, something that shook him down to his spine. Sasuke bit his bottom lip, wanting to run away to the prison, to see what was happening to Kakashi and Itachi, to see if he could try and protect him. He pulled his good leg off of the bedside and was working on heaving the second, wrapped leg over the side before he felt Naruto clutch at his clothing, purring a little as he rubbed his blonde scalp against the Uchiha's soft shirt. Perhaps it was best he stay here. Itachi didn't need his help, he'd probably just get in the way, plus he already had Kakashi on his side. What could he possibly need Sasuke for? He slipped himself back under the sheets, grimacing a little at the small stings and aches he experienced while trying to slip his broken left leg back into the stuffy bed. 'Kakashi will protect him...' he thought to himself, crossing his arms behind his head and thinking back to an event he perhaps had taken for granted when it had happened five years ago... Itachi flipped over in his wide, king-sized bed, tired from an entire weekend of pleasing customers. His little brother curiously had just wandered into his room, not stating his reason or purpose, and had decided to plop himself down right next to his bedside, playing with a couple shuriken to entertain himself. Suddenly the eldest Uchiha male felt chatty, he turned on his bed to face his younger sibling and grinned, having met up with Kakashi last night seemed to put him in good spirits. "Sasuke?" "Hn?" "Do you have someone you want to protect?" His brother questioned, his face glowing. Sasuke rolled his eyes a bit, he wondered how older kids could think of such things. All he could think of was training and proving himself to his father. "No." he answered simply, hoping it would be the end of it. Itachi grinned widely, his face a little flustered, "When you've found someone to protect, nothing else matters. You would do anything to make sure they are safe..." he said, almost in a whisper, his eyes staring off at the ceiling above him, no doubt thinking about Kakashi. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, rea really understanding his strange brother's words at his young age. He shrugged off his brother's comments and looked up at him, "Can we go practice shuriken tomorrow?!" ... Now that he was older, the words Itachi had given him were starting to make sense. Gently he rubbed his thumb across Naruto's whiskers, 'For now,' he began to think as the boy stirred over his chest, 'I think you'll be that person... Naruto...' The awkward birds that chirp at night began to hoot and holler, gathe in in the trees above Kakashi and Itachi's lake and beginning to caw and chirp at them, as if they were kicking them out of their territory. The gray-haired Jounin almost cursed the bright, golden moon above their heads before admitting to himself that it was time to head back. He was hesitant to stand up alongside the eldest Uchiha, to look him in the eyes and then escort him back to the people who would mean his death. Itachi reassured him with the look in his gentle ruby eyes that it would be all right, even if he happened to be lying. They made their way to the prison, accompanied by a thick fog of deadly silence between them. When either one even thought of talking, their common sense reminded them of the phrase 'no news is good news.' When they arrived at the gates, Kakashi began to get frantic, sweat beading down his forehead as he took a few steps towards the enormous metallic door. He didn't want to force Itachi to go back on it now, he didn't want to make him do anything he did not wish to do, but when he could see the Shinigami holding their arms out for him it was impossible for him not to resist. He hurriedly stepped in front of the Uchiha, their chains rattling, "Itachi, we don't have to go back in there, you know? You and I, we could escape to another country, we could find a small place to settle down where you won't be hunted..." Again, the eldest Uchiha decided to stop his rambling with a kiss, pressing his lips only lightly to the Jounin's before parting, cupping the sides of his face wits has hands and staring into his coal-black eyes, "I need to finally end this suffering. The burden of the Uchiha clan on my shoulders, of living like a criminal is too heavy for me to carry any longer." He explained, his voice returning to the serious, low tone it usually took. "Are you going to insist that my burden not be lifted?" Kakashi cursed under his breath, wrapping his arms around the small of his boyfriend's back and sighing into his collar, "I wish I could carry that burden for you." "You already have." The prison guards stepped outside of the gates, seeing the two standing patiently outside, and they were on time! The doubtful guards nearly did a double take at seeing them actually live out their words. They shrugged their shoulders and grabbed the pair, pulling them inside and slamming the incredible door behind him. "Surprised yame bme back." "Yeah, we certainly weren't expecting that." The second added with a chuckle. Itachi's deadly glare fell upon the loud-mouthed guards, his blood-red eyes directed solely at them as he muttered, "Kakashi would not lie." The tone of his voice so threatening the guards thought they might die just by hearing them. Truthfully, it would not be difficult for the eldest Uchiha to finish them off. Instead he leaned against the Jounin's arm and continued on back to his proper cell. The door slammed on the two of them, rattling the bars aakinaking the exhausted prisoners who had gone to sleep early. A single guard ran his baton along the cells, shouting the time and curfew, "It's ten o' clock, lights out! Lights out!!" he muttered, having to separate a few prisoners who were beating each other in their cells before continuing on to the second floor. Through the somewhat depressing bars and shadowed cement wall both of them could see the sun had set some time ago, the moon now high above the mountains and casting an eerie glow over the entire city. Clouds strangled the light a bit, but it was still possible to see nearly to the outskirts, especially when the night fog had lifted. Kakashi leaned over the cold windowsill, his arms crossed, his face appearing so hopeless and bleak as he watched the slow-moving clouds skid across the sky, the entire cell block suddenly turning pitch black as the lights were switched off for the night. The prison cell they were in was now glowing a strange combination of blues from the night sky and pale yellows of the moon. Even as the execution loomed only a few hours away, he was still trying to think of any last-minute escapes he could make. Maybe he could... no, that wouldn't work, perhaps if he... no... His scratched at his gray scalp and let out a low groan. Itachi not how how down he was, standing from the cracked cement bench and stepping over to the window. Though he could barely see him, he followed the ghostly outline, slinking up behind him and pressing his lips to his neck. He dragged his warm tongue along the side of Kakashi's neck, playfully biting at the sensitive pale skin, a whisper rumbling from his voice, "Kakashi, this is our last night..." The prisoners snored quietly in their separate cells, nearly passed out from the amount of work-detail they were assigned too, besides that, it was perfecdarkdark. No one would disturb them, the conditions were nearly perfect, though the Jounin didn't feel that way. "I can't believe you can think about something like that at a time like this..." the copy ninja mumbled, his voice wavering as his lover's skilled tongue ran along his jaw line, causing him to shudder a bit before Itachi pulled away. "I want to be with you, one more time before I go..." They-hay-haired teacher couldn't resist his voice, the sincerity in his words of wanting to become one just one last time together. It was difficult to turn around and face his porcelain face and long black hair, stained by the moon's gentle glow and giving off a sense of ghost-like immortality. He faced the eldest Uchiha with his teeth biting at his lower lip, "... Please don't leave me." He said, nearly begging as Itachi wrapped his slender arms around his wide shoulders, feeling their hearts beating in unison when he pulled closer. The younger of the two nodded, his ruby eyes lighting up like fire in the darkness, "I won't. For tonight I belong to you and only you..." he promised, leaning into Kakashi's arms and allowing his elder to capture his lips with his own, running his painted fingers through his thick gray hair. The young Jounin let a moan escape his lips as he pushed forward, lowering Itachi's slender form to the prison bunk and climbing his body like a predator over his prey, delivering quick kisses to every part of his delicate face before sucking at his neck. The Uchiha breathed heavily, his body already heating up as his lover's talented tongue flicked against his throat, his hands running up and down the sides of his stomach, coming to rest over his hips. Kakashi bit at his collarbone, he felt so alive when he was with Itachi like this, like something incomplete within him was suddenly filled. His heart pounded as the Uchiha's light hands ran along his bacunniunning along the smooth black material of the Anbu uniform, his nails beginning to catch on the material as he dug his fingers into the suppkin kin below. Kakashi let out a satisfied hiss at the feeling, knowing Itachi was usually the one to take charge when they did things like this, though it wasn't as if he minded much at all. He paused, looking down at his lover and taking a breath, 'no, not at all,' he thought to himself before delving back down. They both were too eager to wait until their mouths had met together to kiss, instead they sloppily ran their tongues against each other, the sly Uchiha's slipping by Kakashi's cheek and sneaking into his ear, flicking the lobe with his tongue and biting at it possessively. The gray-haired Jounin let out a long breath, raking his fingers through his thin locks of black hair and kissing his cheek desperately, as if he stopped touching him, the dream in his arms might disappear, he couldn't bear to let that happen again. Hesed sed his eyes, allowing him only to feel and hear what Itachi was doing to his body. His chest heaved as the touches stopped. Curiously he peeled his heavy eyelids open and looked to see what had stopped the eldest Uchiha. Itachi was tugging at the bottom of his own black-netted shirt, feeling sweat already sticking it to his pale body. Finally though, he was able to peel it of of him, feeling much more free without that burden. Kakashi grinned at the newly revealed skin, and the slender, perfect body laid out for him, leaning down to take innocent nips at his collarbone, feeling the one pinned underneath him already arching up into his body, seeking some much-needed friction for his lower half. The S Rank criminal's eyes opened, now the ebony black tint rather than the stressful and chakra-eating Sharingan color they had been before. Itachi couldn't stand this slow pace, though it was his last night and it would probably be better to take things as they came, he had never liked to lay back and wait as his lover's hands wandered his body. He closed his eyes, feeling Kakashi's hands slide down the brunt of his well-muscled chest. His fingers barely brushing against his nipples and inducing a moan and a wild bucking of the Uchiha's hips. "Ahh..." He breathed, grabbing handfuls of the black stretchy material of his boyfriend's Anbu uniform in the palms of his hands and pulling on it forcefully as the gray-haired instructor continued. Kakashi leaned down, feeling the teen's hot breath cascading down his back, the cold night air from the window causing both of their breaths to fog lightly, seemingly lighting up the pitch-black around them. "Itachi, gods you feel so good..." He muttered, sliding his calloused fingers along the smooth extent of his chest, again flicking across his hardened nubs and causing him to cry out a little. He enjoyed greatly being the one to cause those sorts of pleasurable noises. Finally, after all he could put up with these teasing, incomplete touches, the young S Rank criminal grabbing more of the uniform material in his hands, anxious to rid them both of the only clothing that separated touniounin from being half-naked like he was. With a grunt he forcefully tore at the black spandex, hearing a loud 'rip' as he nearly tore it to pieces. Kakashi took in a surprised breath at the sudden draft of cold air travel down his back, looking down at the ravenous young teen that had done it, seeing as he continued to ravage the material with some sort of spite. Itachi smirked in the near-darkness, his warm breath lighting up his facial features for a second before once again he fell into the shadows. He continued to rip and tear at the thin material until he had shredded the top half to pieces, grinning widely at the opportunity he had created. The eldest Uchiha sat up on his elbow, delivering several small bites to the gray-haired Jounin's neck, leaning forward a little to grab a nipple in his mouth, tugging at it and watching his lover groan and take in quick breaths. Personally he licked at every scar that marked the worn Jounin's body, tasting every battle he had won and lost as he closed his eyes. His hands made their way around Kakashi's waist, feeling his naked back with his hands and suddenly impaling the rough skin with his nails, giving him a playful scratch with all of his fingers and looking deviously back up at his master for tonight. Though he had no problem at all pleasing this client. Kakashi let out a sigh. He couldn't count the number of scratches Itachi had left of his back, that even after five years hadn't healed, and now more add added to the tally. He lowered his body so their features lined up, noticing how his lover was desperately arching into him and ablidging. Both of them let out a simultaneous whimper as their clothed erections brushed against one another, Itachi's porcelain face immediately flushing a light pink. "Ahhh... ha... Kakashi..." he breathed heavily, pushing his hips up into him, grinding their thighs against each other and turning his head, fingers clutching more franticall his his lover's back. "Shh... we don't want to wake the guards..." "Fuck the guards," Itachi hissed between clenched teeth, no longer caring about anything in this world other than being able to finish their actions. The gray-haired Jounin smirked, reaching for his young boyfriend's black hair and slowly pulling out the single band, allowing his delicate black locks to cascade over his naked shoulders. Gods he was beautiful, and such an intense sight to behold. Kakashi leaned down, hisds tds traveling down to the waistline of Itachi's pants, undoing the top button and reaching for the zipper, though in the dark it made it very difficult to find. His hands roamed the lower half of Itachi's body, sometimes coming in contact with sensitive parts and causing the eldest Uchiha to let out a long breath. Finally he found the zipper, holding it between his thumb and forefinger before he felt his boyfriend's hands touching his shoulders. Before he had a chance to ask what the devious Uchiha was doing, the Jounin was thrown up from his position on top of Itachi and slammed forcefully into the far wall, against the cold bars of the bunk bed. Kakashi blinked a few times, the back of his head aching a little from the push, his back aching a bit. "I-Itachi... What the Hell was..." he stopped as the Uchiha began licking at his chest, a devilish smile on his lips. His forwardness in these types of things was a bit forceful, but in the end, Kakashi didn't really mind the violent bites or powerful slams, not at all. "I'm sorry, Kakashi, did that hurt?" Itachi asked sarcastically, biting at the Jounin's navel before grabbing the remainder of uniform material that was left, which happened to be only to his waistline. The eldest Uchiha slipped them slowly down his legs, throwing the useless black pile to the floor and taking in the full extent of the Jounin's muscled body with his eyes. His erection was already full and hard, tinted a bruise color. Itachi closed his eyes, wrapping his skinny fingers around the thick shaft and lowering his mouth to his level, bending down to deliver slight licks to the sensitive tip. Kakashi clutched at the thick mattress below them, his fingers nearly tearing off the sheets as his lover continued his assault on his erection, licking it, biting it, taking the extent of it into his warm mouth. The Jounin took in a sharp breath as Itachi dragged his warm tongue from base to tip, cleaning him of any pre-cum before kissing the length, holding it to his face. He opened his mouth wide and forced the entire shaft into his mouth, encasing it within his warm lips, his tongue running along the base seductively. The gray-haired teacher winced a little as Itachi's teeth raked against the sensitive skin, his head bobbing up and down in Kakashi's lap. Finally he pulled back, wiping his mouth with his hand and reaching for the zipper on his own fly, slipping the black pants off of his pale legs and tossing them to the floor as well. They were now both completely naked, and yet Itachi didn't feel ashamed. Unlike all those times he was seduced by sick middle-aged men who would laugh and get off on his embarrassment, now and every time he had been intimate with Kakashi, he never felt that way, he was completely comfortable being naked with him. The Jounin grinned, cupping Itachi's face in his hands, "You look like you were thinking of something..." he whispered, placing a light kiss on his forehead. The young S Rank criminal looked up to him, his black eyes reflecting the pale moonlight from the window. He remained quiet for a long while before he let a horrible smile come to his face as he leaned forward, his lips only a hair away from his lover's ear, "Fuck me." He stated, almost demanding it. Kakashi could feel himself grow harder at hearing that low, rumbling voice echo several times in his head, the lower half of his body now near numb. The Jounin listened, pressing the teen's body to the squeaky bunk and climbing over him, listening as their ragged breaths and heartbeats provided the only noise in the silent prison. His hand slipped between the Uchiha's legs, touching his thighs and finding his puckered entrance. Carefully he aligned the tip of his member with the small bud of skin, knowing he did not have to be stretched like a virgin. He pulled Itachi's entrance open with his fingers, fitting his tip inside, returning his hands to either side of his boyfriend's head, holding his weight on the hard mattress as he gently inserted his entire length, taking a slow pace as he waited for the Uchiha's tight body to become used to the presence inside of him. Itachi clenched his teeth, forcing his eyes closed as the Jounin finally sheathed his entire length within him. The two of them remained in that position for a while, getting used to the familiar feeling of being one with one another. Sweat beaded down Itachi's body, "Do it, Kakashi..." he said breathily, and wanting to feel the nostalgic rhythm of making love to the one he cared most about in the world. Kakashi nodded, pulling the Uchiha's legs open and leaning over him, letting out a sharp hiss as he pulled out of the tight ring, his gray hair falling into Itachi's face. Then, he slammed himself back in, his hips ramming against Itachi's soft thighs as he let out a low grunt. Again he pulled himself out fully and inserted himself, this time he quickened the pace they were going. Itachi let out a moan each time he was invaded, his body digging a deep dent in the old prison mattress. He grabbed a hold of the bars on the bunk behind him as Kakashi continued to grind into his tight form, in and out, in and out, like Itachi had experienced so much before. "Not yet, Kakashi, it's not enough... yet..." The eldest Uchiha huffed, gripping onto the bed poles harder, feeling Kakashi rock his body back and forth, quicker and quicker. "Ahh... ahh... hah" he moaned, their breaths fogging in the cold air and disappearing, though the heat of their bodies was much harder to calm. It was freezing outside, and yet, Itachi was sweating. He pulled his elder closer to his body, their bare-skinned chests slicking against one another, Kakashi deciding to pick up the pace, his groans matching the tempo he went at. This time he did not pull himself all the way out, rather halfway and then pushing himself back into the stretched entrance, feeling Itachi release the bunk bars and claw at his back, his own erection seemingly ignored. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer, "Kakashi, please..." he begged. The gray-haired Jounin already knew what he needed, his hand slinking down and grasping his lover's shaft in his fingers, gripping him hard while he continued to pump into him. Itachi let out a low growl at those entertaining light touches, his entire body beginning to tingle, and he knew he was close. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since they had started this pace, but Kakashi didn't want to stop, no, when he stopped it would be like admitting it's over, that the time they had spent together was up, that Itachi would in fact... die tomorrow. He couldn't admit that, not yet. Tears began to surface in his young boyfriend's eyes, gathering in his ebony orbs and overflowing onto his porcelain skin. Still, he was smiling, enjoying the feeling of having his lover well into his body, touching him, pleasing him, in ways no one else ever had. He looked up at the caring Jounin's face, seeing he too was crying and letting out a slight chuckle. He pulled their faces closer together as they continued, pressing their foreheads together with wide smiles. They both were crying on the outside, but inside they couldn't help the somewhat goofy grins that came to their faces. This was their last night together, yes, but not for another couple hours. Not for a couple hours. The Jounin's tears fell on Itachi's face from above, dripping down his cheek and finally pooling in the pit of his stomach. They let out their final breaths before the Uchiha grunted, throwing his head back, his long black hair sweeping backwards with him. He closed his eyes as he finally came, pouring his essence over his own chest, his entire body contracting, putting a powerful vice on the man inside of him. Kakashi grimaced, biting his tongue as he too came inside the young teen, staining is inside with his seed and pulling limply out. It was over. Itachi curled up on Kakashi's lap, facing the window at the far wall and covering their naked bodies with the papery prison sheets, at least until they had the strength in them to clothe themselves again. The eldest Uchiha grinned, pressing his head to his lover's chest and listening to him breathe while he stared out of the barred hole in the wall. The moon hung high above, casting an unnatural glow upon their bodies and lighting up the otherwise dark prison. All around them there were thieves, rapists, and murderers, and death for Itachi was only a few measly hours away, but all they could see now was each other. "It's a nice night..." Kakashi nodded, running his fingers through the teen's silky black locks and letting out a long sigh, "Gods, I can't bear to let you go..." Finally Itachi did what he probably should have done ages ago, when they discussed the execution, whenever guilt began to overtake his sympathetic boyfriend, "Kakashi, I want to remember you smiling as I leave this world. Please smile for me." The gray-haired instructor forced a smile to his lips, watching as his young boyfriend smiled back. "I'll meet up with you when I can..." Kakashi whispered, wishing he too could go with Itachi to the other side, to accompany him to the other world. Instead the younger of the two, the one who by all means should not have died first, would be the one greeting him whenever he passed away. It was not a pleasant thought. Itachi let out a breath, looking up to see Kakashi had already fallen asleep. He grinned, running his painted fingers along his face, one of his fingers running along the scar over left eye as he memorized the contours of his face with his hands. He nuzzled into his neck with a grin, pulling the covers over their shoulders and letting out a foggy breath. They had fallen asleep so many times this way, in the Uchiha home, in Kakashi's home, sometimes even by the southern lake; wrapped in each other's arms, listening to the other sleep. But it had never felt this good until tonight, when they realized how spoiled they were to find the person of their dreams, and how immature they were to throw it away for five years. Itachi placed a light kiss on his cheek before allowing his heartbeat to lull him to sleep. The next morning seemed to arrive unnaturally quickly, the sun seemingly teasing them by taking the moon's place ahead of schedule, rising up from the eastern edge of town and casting a honey-glazed golden glow to fall upon the normally black and dank prison. The light seeped through the window in the pair's cell, lighting up their quietly sleeping forms. The surly officers stalked by their cell, the grins on their faces showing they were clearing looking forward to today's events, to finally seeing the one who had murdered dozens of their fellow officers in cold blood, finally put to justice. One of them let out a low cough as he ran his baton up and down the bars to wake the two up, "Hey, it's nearly time. Get up." He muttered. Tsunade let out a tired yawn as she and the rest of the elder council stepped out of the nearby deliberation room, apparently having slept there the entire night. She stretched her exhausted arms in the air and watched as Itachi stirred in his bed, untangling his limbs from his lover's and standing, having already clothed himself during the night. His deep red eyes looked more worn than usual, the pink around his eyes a clear sign he had been crying for hours, he looked down at the one he loved, who was still wrapped comfortably in the sheets, and sleeping soundly. There was no way he could wake him, not when he was like this. He patiently waited for the cell to be unlocked and stepped out into the hallway, taking a look in the corner of his eyes and seeing it was already about seven by the position of the sun. The Fifth Hokage appeared a little concerned as the guards prepared to close the cell once again, on the sleeping Jounin. "Is it really all right to leave Kakashi there to sleep?" The eldest Uchiha smiled sincerely, "It's for the best. I don't want him to see me like this. I want his last memories of me to be the ones from last night, and not of me being executed today." He explained in his usual deep voice, though it caught in his throat as he spoke. Tsunade nodded. Two of the guards grabbed him by each of his arms, pulling him down the hallway, though he walked with them willingly. "Uchiha Itachi," one of them started solemnly, staring at his own feet as they announced the way he would be put to death on that day, "We have determined you will be executed publicly in the gallows." Publicly. It figured they would have his execution be public, they probably sent out officers last night to announce the event, after all, there were hundreds of people who wanted to see he was dead with their own eyes. Itachi closed his ruby eyes, allowing his mind to absorb the information. He let out a breath, "I understand." He whispered before turning back to Tsunade, who was standing by the cell with the rest of the remaining council members, "Hokage... If Kakashi wakes up, don't let him out of that cell. No matter what." The last thing he wanted the caring Jounin to see was him with a noose around his neck, especially if the fall didn't break his neck and kill him immediately, when he would see Itachi struggle and suffocate to death slowly. Tsunade was a little weary to agree to his request, mostly because Kakashi had absolutely no say in the matter. She knew he would like to be there when Itachi was put to death, to hold his hand and comfort him for as long as possible. With her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest, she nodded. "I will try the best I can." Was all she could promise at the moment. The guards then pulled Itachi off, leading him to a small, dark room that connected with the execution area. Quietly they sat him down in the single wooden chair, one of them holding his shoulder tightly in his fingers, "It'll be about a half hour for them to prepare the gallows." He muttered, showing absolutely no emotion towards the Uchiha. In fact, it was hard to show any feelings of sympathy or remorse for the execution, not for a murderer like him, not for someone who had killed his family and then joined the criminal group Akatsuki. Itachi watched from the small window in the waiting room, looking to the wide dirt area that lay behind the prison. He'd never seen it before, in all the times he had wandered around Konoha, it was the one small piece of land he had missed. It was no wonder though, it was tucked away behind back alleys and small, near-untraveled roads. The eldest Uchiha watched as the officers tested the gallows a few times, adjusting the width of the noose and positioning it to Itachi's height. His eyes traveled to the tall, chain-link fencing that surrounded the area, and the hundreds of people who were eagerly waiting. He bolted up from his chair, stepping over to the small window with wide eyes as he saw how just how many people had gathered simply to watch him die. There were men, women, and even children, some too young to remember the massacre of five years ago, and just simply carrying their parent's hate. His chest ached as he realized he was the one they had all come out to see, he was the one they wanted dead so badly they would not settle for just hearing about it, they wanted to witness it. Sadistic bastards. The crowd continued to cheer, demanding they bring on the prisoner, some of them grabbing at the fencing and violently shaking it. The rest simply yelled disgusting comments and angry pleas. "I never knew how many people hated me for what I did." Itachi whispered in the small room, a few of the guards accompanying him let out low chuckles. "When you 'kill' that many people, I'm surprised we can't just give you to em' and have them rip you apart themselves." "That's all you deserve. I'm surprised the Hokage was as lenient as she was." The second muttered under his breath, staring directly at the Uchiha's red, deadly eyes, seemingly without any fear. Itachi was too hurt and alarmed to attack either of them right now. Now, from the safety of the stone room he watched the audience cheer for his painful death, curiously scanning the crowd for any signs of Sasuke or Naruto. His heart nearly sunk down in his chest as he thought perhaps they would enjoy seeing him die. They would never say it aloud, but he was sure at least Sasuke would be glad to see him go, inside at least, he would like to see the one who had brutally killed his parents, finally brought to justice. When he couldn't find them both he was a little worried. They either couldn't stomach going to the execution, or they were too disgusted with him to go. Either way, it did not feel very pleasant to be alone, without anyone he could recognize or count on for support. Besides that, his time was growing nearer, the time when he would have to face that hateful audience. Meanwhile, back at the quiet Konoha hospital, day had just broken, the nurses and staff still wandering up and down the halls at this time, offering their early-risers some of their prepared breakfast and monitoring the patients closely who were on critical status. It seemed they never stopped, so it was hard to distinguish morning and evening any longer. Sasuke let out a low groan as he woke up, seeing the blinds across their windows had been opened and were now letting in the most annoying bright lights. The youngest Uchiha stretched his arms high in the air, something felt better about this day, perhaps things were starting to look up for him. He just hoped they would continue this way. Slipping out from under the sleeping blonde's body, he stepped over to the window, staring with gentle black eyes at the city of Konoha. Hm, there seemed to be less people out in the streets than there were yesterday morning. Normally he would have investigated it further, but decide was was probably just a coincidence. Naruto wiped his eyes, leaning backwards to crack his back and looking over at his rival curiously, "Any new word on Itachi?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head slowly, continuing to look out of the hopeful window, wondering if they had sentenced his brother yet. He ran his fingers through his short black hair and leaned on the windowsill. "Hey, what's this?" The blonde questioned, reaching down to the floor and picking up a smalece ece of paper that had been folded over. The youngest Uchiha turned, taking a few steps over to his best friend's side and looking over his shoulder. That was the same message he had found yesterday. Naruto cleared his throat, his pearl blue eyes running across the heading, "To Sasuke and Naruto," he started quietly, "It says..." he stopped, his hands shaking a little, his breathing growing very shallow. He couldn't possibly read the rest aloud. "It says 'tomorrow morning', tmeanmeans..." Sasuke trailed off, his black eyes shooting open. Without any more words to one another, they headed out the door. Sasuke bit his tongue as he ran, his left leg screaming with pain as he pushed on the healing bone, hearing an eerie 'crack' as he continued to rush alongside Naruto. The blonde could tell by the expression on his face just how painful it was for him. But still he pressed on, anxious to keep up the same speed as Naruto, no matter how much his leg was begging him to stop. They pushed past the doctors and nurses in the hall, quickly trying to make their way to the prison. Naruto wanted to speak with Sasuke along the way, but every time his mouth opened, his voice would not come out. He tugged at his whiskers as he ran, wondering what on earth he possibly 'could' say in this type of situation. He let out a long groan and decided to remain quiet. After a few short minutes of roaming the streets of Konoha, trying desperately to find the prison and the execution ground, they had finally arrived. The gallows could clearly be seen from a few hundred yards away, leading them to the immense crowd of people who had eagerly crowded around for Itachi's death. They were still shouting and yelling for the officers on the floorboards of the hanging area to bring the criminal out, so it was obvious Itachi had not yet been executed. Sasuke let out a breath of relief, though his heart was still pounding like a jackrabbit in his chest. The two Genins forced their way through the crowds of people, the youngest Uchiha forced to wade through people who were already slinging insults at his family and his name. He bit his bottom lip as Naruto grabbed his hand, holding it tightly so they wouldn't be separated. Still, the words felt like assaults on the dead bodies of his clan. "Bring that heartless murderer out here!" "Kill off that bastard Uchiha..." The words echoed painfully in Sasuke's head, greatly overwhelming any thoughts about his aching arm or his broken leg he had strained on the way over. His black bangs fell in front of his pale face as he stared at his own feet. He too had once said those things about the Uchiha clan, about his hateful brother, but now, they just sounded so spiteful coming from other people. Sasuke clenched his teeth together, gritting them as he and his rival finally made it to the front. They stood behind the tall wire fencing, looking through and seeing the officers and police were still preparing the gallows for the hanging. Sasuke continued to bite through his bottom lip, trying to take away the horrible aching in his chest, and the dull feeling of tears gathering in his wide, ebony eyes. Heced ced as he finally bit through the skin, blood leaking from his lips. The young Uchiha pulled his fingers from his face, peering at the dark red substance that spotted his porcelain skin. 'That's right, my brother's going to die...' he thought, continuing to stare at his hand for a long while, until he heard a familiar voice wake him from his thoughts. "Sasuke, are you all right?" Naruto asked gently. Sasuke's eyes sharpened, the curse on the back of his neck tingling with a sick sort of excitement. He knew he had to keep it under control, or he would most likely kill everyone who surrounded him. Yes, that would teach them for stamping on the Uchiha name, for figuring they were all diseased whores who were better off dead. Right now his entire body was dying to rip them to bloody pieces. Naruto climbed up the chain link fence, only a few feet off the ground, to get a better view of the gallows. They were going to kill him all right, in fact, the officers were already tying the noose and adjusting it carefully. So it was going to happen. Why didn't he feel anything yet? Why wasn't he shouting and beating on the walls like he usually did when something like this horrible injustice occurred? He clenched his teeth as he realized perhaps he was a little relived, no, a little satisfied that Itachi was soon to be put to death. Perhaps in some sick way, he wanted to see him die, to pay him back for what he did to him. He pretended to care for him, pretended to love him, but all along he was just a pawn. Guilt welled up in a tight knot in his stomach at the mere 'thought' of such hate that could be inside of him. The blonde's blue eyes widened, he looked back down to Sasuke and let out a breath. How, how was he not feeling anything yet; when an almost innocent person was about to be put to death. Feeling horrible for being so emotionless, he grabbed his rival from behind, holding him closer to his chest and letting his heart beat into his back. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he continued to repeat over and over again. Sasuke tore away from his grip, too angry now to listen to reason, to furious old old himself back any longer. With a loud and disruptive yell he grabbed the chain-link fence in his fingers, shaking it back and forth as violently as he could, clenching his fingers tighter around the metal and raging. He wasn't saying anything, just roaring like an angered animal, his eyes so glazed over with hate for the people around him, hat hate for the officers who were going to hang his brother, he became hardly recognizable. His black hair frayed as he pulled on the fence, letting out a shout, "Ahhhhhhh!!", his body began shaking involuntarily, his chest heaving with shallow breaths. His Sharingan activated. Naruto wanted to hold him, to calm him down, to keep him from making a scene when it was clear the audience surrounding them would be willing to kill any Uchiha on sight. "Sasuke, Sasuke, calm down..." he whispered, touching his shoulder. The youngest of the Uchiha clan let out a low growl, his left arm nearly hitting the crowd and swiping at the blonde's face, a few bloody scratch marks appearing on his cheeks, across his whiskers. Naruto touched the wound with his fingers, getting ready to shout at Sasuke for being a selfish bastard, that is, before the officers stepped out of the prison once more, this time with the murderer in tow. The crowd roared louder than they ever had been, seemingly quiet, mild-mannered people of the village, now transformed into vicious monsters. "Kill him! Kill him!" "We'll make you pay for betraying the village!!" "The last thing we need is another dirty Uchiha in this world." Another commented, the young woman spitting on the ground spitefully. Sasuke stared at his brother, the one who had taken care of him when he was little, the one he looked up to as a hero for most of his life, the one who had saved him from a life of prostitution, and the one who was now going to die so that he may live. He watched as Itachi was led to the top of the gallows, walked under the noose. He seemed to be cooperating with them entirely, though his eyes were closed solemnly. The youngest Uchiha took in a sharp breath as they began fitting the thick rope around his neck, pulling it to its proper width and fixing it so everything would be perfect when they executed him. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He threw his head back, grabbing the fencing within his hands and managing to bend the metal with his fingers, his red eyes appearing so chilling and murderous. The curse seal on his neck desperately called for him to rip through the fencing, to run to the guards with a good blast of Chidori in his hand, and kill them all, even if he had to take the innocent officers with him. He overpowered that feeling with his own will, though it still didn't stop the pain and anger that had balled inside of him for so long. At one point, he had gotten so angry with the audience, he had temporarily gone deaf with rage, though he didn't seem to mind or notice. "Sasuke? You know your big brother will always take care of you, right?" Sasuke could hear memories of Itachi's low voice, memories of a much simpler time, when he could be with his brother like a normal family, when he didn't have to defend his murderous actions. Tears caught up in his black eyes. Naruto continued to hold him from behind, though his own tears were already sticking to the Uchiha's shirt. The noose was secured around Itachi's neck, the officers took a few steps back and waited for the audience to settle. "Stop! Stop!!" Sasuke shouted, his cheeks turning red as he tried to yell over the booming crowd of voices around him, though it seemed nearly impossible to do such a thing. Still, his voice strained to wade above the voices of the mob, "He didn't do anything wrong!!" he continued to yell until his throat would no longer allow him to. Hoarsely his voice squealed. That was possibly the saddest sound Naruto had ever heard. He bit ton tongue and squeezed his eyes closed as the sadistic voices around them continued. "Go straight to Hell, you bastard!" "I hope you rot for what you did!" The hate was evident within the people, Itachi could tell. His softened ruby eyes slid open to see the many villagers had turned out. Curiously he squinted, seeing Sasuke and Naruto were among them, his eyes tearing up. He really did not wish for them to see such a thing at their young age, but he was thankful at least his lover did not have to witness it. His head fell to his chest shamefully as the guards around him began to adjust the ropes, leading him to the upper platform, the platform that would soon fall through with a simple flip of the lever, and send him falling to his death. The youngest Uchiha was beginning to comprehend the reality of everything that was happening around him, the noose, the gallows, his brother. After he had exhausted his supply of rage, there wasn't much left. Limply he let go of the fencing, the marks he had made with his fingernails and the bends he had caused with his strong fingers remaining embedded in the thin metal. The blonde caught him, knowing he would not be very stable with his broken leg. It was impossible for him to pretend he was strong and emotionless, not when all of this was occurring at once, as could be seen from the thick tears that clouded his own pearl blue orbs. "Sasuke..." he muttered, grabbing his body and pressing their chests close together, realizing he needed the contact and comfort just as much as his rival did, perhaps not for the same reasons... The two continued to hold each other, the blonde ninja facing the gallows with wide blue eyes. The one in his arms attempted to turn around, to see what was happening, but Naruto quickly grabbed the back of his head, turning him away and keeping his face imbedded in the crook of his neck. "You shouldn't look." He whimpered, knowing he should take his own words of advice. Sasuke dug his fingernails into Naruto's soft back, scratching at the warm clothing and gritting his teeth together, "Big brother..." he muttered, repeating the same thing again, "brother, brother, brother, brother..." he muttered, his blood-red eyes seeming to stare off into the depth of people who surrounded him, the ones who would gladly see him dead. It was only a matter of time before they would smile happily, and indicate to Sasuke that his brother was dead. Itachi snapped up in his prison bunk, a cold sweat pouring down his cheeks and down into his collarbone. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he looked out of his cell window. It was morning already, but at least that meant he would not have to suffer through these sorts of torturous dreams again. He let out a slightly relieved breath before realizing he was set to die today. He bit his tongue and grabbed the sheets that surrounded him, that's right, 'now' he was truly going to die.