Inbred

Chapter 47


1-5-3-8 Inari Road,
Third Avenue,
Tazuna Province.


Sasuke double-checked the address on the slip of paper to confirm that this was the right place. This had to be it, the description of the neighborhood matched Danzo's perfectly.

The houses were all large, each no less than two stories high. Most were avant-garde and creatively designed with numerous glass windows embedded into the walls, offering little to no privacy whatsoever while others were of a more traditional construction with the ceramic, red-tiled roofs and small, yet elegant, Japanese gardens. The Momochi residence was one of these such houses, squeezed awkwardly between two modern monstrosities on either side, much like a rose asphyxiated within a thorny bush. In fact, most of the neighborhood seemed to reproduce this alternating pattern of old versus new and it almost appeared as if each opposing architectural structure was trying to rival the other.

Sasuke massaged the crick out of his right shoulder he'd suffered from holding onto the safety-bar in the bus for so long. The last time he rode on a bus was when he went on that school trip to the Himeji Castle in the Hyogo Prefecture but since then he'd only taken taxis as his choice of public transportation and after rolling his shoulder and checking to see if he still had his wallet he suddenly remembered why.

The ride was unbearably cramped since it was already late in the evening and most commuters were on their way home and while Sasuke didn't mind rubbing against sweaty bodies at a party or club there was something unappealing about doing so in a moving vehicle, unless of course, you were into that sort of thing, much like the guy that had been standing behind him who kept bumping his hips and brushing his hands over his ass then pretended it was an accident and chuckled awkwardly in mock apology while swearing that the bulge in his pocket was his cellphone.

Sasuke was tempted to test that theory by smashing the object with a swift kick to his thigh and waiting to see if his foot connected with hard plastic or if the man would collapse to the ground, clutching his groin and rolling around on the floor in pain, but he didn't feel having to live through another lawsuit on assault and battery charges so he suffered through the molestation for now, but he knew that if he ever saw that man again and he had the misfortune of running into the Uchiha in a dark alley then Sasuke was going to make sure he never got the opportunity to press his dick against another human being. That would also entail the man never having children but did the world really need more guys like that? Sasuke didn't think so.

He walked along the cobblestone path that led to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard an indistinct voice ask to wait just a second but that second soon turned into a minute and Sasuke raised an impatient eyebrow. He was forced to stand there for an additional minute and occasionally would notice neighbors peering out of their windows from behind curtains or venetian blinds and Sasuke assumed they were either extremely nosey or were not used to having strangers in their community. It wouldn't surprise him though. The district emanated an aura much like one from 'The Hive' even though each lot was indistinct and unique from each other and it wasn't a gated community even though the layout suited one. The residents were just as odd and Sasuke recalled the children running into their houses when he walked down the street earlier.

He released the breath he'd been holding in a relieved sigh when the door started to open but its movement was halted by the chain door latch and a round face with chocolate-brown eyes peeked from behind the gap but when they seemed to recognize the young man on the other side they sparkled with excitement before the door was rudely closed in his face without so much as a greeting.

Sasuke heard the latch release before the door was swung open again but this time it's progress wasn't hindered and he was met with a young boy that appeared to be aged fifteen. At least, Sasuke assumed it was a boy since he was dressed in a boy's uniform but if he'd been wearing anything else then his first impression would have been that this person was a girl and he immediately thought of Neji.

"Uchiha-san, konban wa," he greeted politely with a bow, his voice doing nothing to affirm his masculinity. Sasuke didn't get the chance to open his mouth in return before he was grabbed by the wrist and all but dragged into the luxurious house.

It was extravagant, even he had to admit it but although it paled in comparison to his stately mansion, Sasuke preferred this welcoming abode to the almost haunted and empty halls of his.

"Please come in," he instructed even though he'd already led his visitor into the genkan / entryway and was now locking the door behind them and Sasuke couldn't explain why he suddenly felt so uneasy. The boy walked around him, looking him up and down with an approving eye but when they landed on Sasuke's irritated pair instead of being flustered he just smiled broadly.

"Forgive me," he said. "I just didn't expect to see you of, all people, at my doorstep."

Sasuke fought back a groan at his misfortune of being confronted by one of his enthusiasts and, instead, forced the corners of his lips into an upward position and he could have sworn he felt the tendons in his face crackle. "Thanks, I'm...flattered," he replied with artificial appreciation. What he really wanted to do was roll his eyes but he figured it wouldn't be best to offend this person, he suspected was Haku, especially since he wanted to garner information from him. "I'm looking for a Momochi Haku, by any chance are you him?" and the boy confirmed his speculation with a nod of the head.

Sasuke was a little surprised since he expected the person he was looking for to be between the ages of nine and eleven but this person had managed to drag two fully-grown young adults from a car wreckage to safety so it would have been foolish of him to expect his savior to be so young.

Sasuke offered his right hand in greeting which the boy took eagerly. "Nice to meet you. I'm-"

"Uchiha Sasuke, I know," he interrupted while pumping Sasuke's hand a few times, almost reluctant to let go. "Please make yourself at home, I'll let my guardian know you're here."

Haku disappeared down the hall and around a corner and Sasuke removed his shoes before hesitantly entering the main house. His host had said to make himself comfortable and he didn't want to offend the boy by refusing his hospitality so he explored downstairs a bit, occasionally stopping to admire the nihongo paintings and Nishiki-e wood-block prints. There were also a few decorative scrolls and large tapestries hanging from the walls but what really caught Sasuke's attention were the pieces of paper stuck between each work of art.

They were brightly colored crayon drawings of what appeared to be the young artist's interpretation of animals, people and buildings as how he saw them at that age and as the signature at the bottom became more defined and the age increased in number the pictures became more distinct as his imagination developed. There was one in particular that Sasuke couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from, one completed by Haku; aged 12.

The art was still fairly simple but his choice of medium had now graduated into water-coloured pencils. In the middle of the piece was a self portrait of the artist himself and behind him were large mirrors but instead of the surface reflecting his back the images in the glass surface showed the reflections facing their original. It was a little eerie and Sasuke identified with with the sense of paranoia of always being watched.

He felt something fuzzy brush against his ankle and Sasuke was startled when he looked down to find a white rabbit by his feet. He slowly backed away from the albino animal not wanting to startle it and risk having it bite him and he was very relieved when it remained in its place and didn't follow.

"Ohh, I see you've found, Akio-chan," Haku exclaimed from the stairway, elated that his pet that had been missing all afternoon finally decided to make his appearance.

"More like he found me," Sasuke muttered wryly as the teenaged boy rushed over to the little critter who seemed to recognize its master and was just about to hop away to continue their unofficial game of hide-and-seek.

"You're such a naughty bunny," he scolded the creature in a light-hearted voice while lifting him so they could rub noses. "I made a promise to myself never to let him out of his cage ever again, but it's hard to resist those adorable, little eyes of his," and even though he was speaking to Sasuke, Haku kept his attention glued to Akio. "Ahhh, kawaii."

"Uhh...yeah." Sasuke shifted uncomfortably at the way he babied that animal, even though he, himself, would sometimes talk to his dogs in a similar manner, but only when no one else was around, obviously. He really missed those two at times and even though he knew they were in good hands he still found himself concerned about their well being.

"Are you an art lover, Uchiha-san?" Haku asked and when Sasuke gave him a confused look he pointed a finger at the piece he was admiring earlier while cradling his rabbit in his other hand.

"Not really," he replied in all honesty.

Haku sighed and shook his head. "Neither is Zabuza-san, but he's always hanging pictures I like and for some reason he kept all my drawings ever since I was six and when we ran out of space on the fridge he started posting them all over the walls. I told him he didn't have to do that but he wouldn't listen to me so I had to stop before he turned our house into a museum," he laughed.

Sasuke forced an uncomfortable smile and he was suddenly very envious of the young boy. His father had never shown that much interest in his hobbies and unless it was something Uchiha Fugaku approved of then it was always a 'waste of time'. His mother used to praise his efforts, used to hang his pictures on the fridge as well but after her husband told her not to encourage the boy in frivolous past-times she stopped.

"Don't judge him too harshly, Haku," he said softly, defending the supportive, yet misunderstood actions of his guardian. "I'm sure Zabuza just wants to show how much he appreciates your talent and you shouldn't quit just because you think he's being over-zealous."

"I understand, but it's okay. It's not like I wanted to be an artist or anything. I actually want to be a vet so that when my precious, little Akio gets sick I can take care of him," and Haku brought him closer so he could nuzzle his cheek against his healthy, white coat.

Sasuke had to chuckle at that.

"I thought you wanted to be a doctor?"

He was startled by the deep, yet muffled voice that came from behind him and when he turned to investigate its source he almost staggered backwards when he came face-to-face with a large chest just inches from his own. Sasuke hadn't heard this man approach, didn't even feel a presence as he drew near to him and when he looked up to glance at his face he gaped at the intensity of those dark eyes that bore a hole through his skull from behind a mask of bandages.

Damn, but he was tall.

"Can't I be both, Otou?"

His guardian said nothing as he continued to give their visitor the third-degree and Sasuke managed to recover from his sudden shock so he could meet his gaze defiantly.

"Who the hell is this?" the large man growled from behind the gauze wrapped around the lower half of his face.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke, the man I saved last night. Uchiha Sasuke, this is my guardian, Momochi Zabuza."

"Hi, nice to meet you," greeted Sasuke while extending that same hand towards the other man but instead of returning the gesture he glanced at his outstretched hand as if it was coated in leprosy before bringing those scornful eyes back to his face.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"I just wanted to personally thank Haku for saving the lives of my friend and I," Sasuke replied before shoving his hands into his pockets. He didn't admit his ulterior motive of wanting to question the boy about the events he witnessed that night just in case his guardian became opposed to the idea, which he suspected he would be since it appeared to Sasuke that he didn't like him in the least and he suddenly regretted standing up for the guy just a few minutes ago.

"Hmph! Haku, I keep telling you to stop getting involved in other people's problems. You're always so soft-hearted."

"Oh yeah? Well, don't forget my Scout Master's giving me a badge for my heroic deed, so there," the boy retorted and playfully stuck out his tongue.

Sasuke glared at the older man who had just implied that he and Neji should have been left for dead. He wouldn't have been so angry had the slur been directed at him alone but his derogatory remark was aimed at his lover as well and Sasuke would have defended his honour by punching this guy's lights out, if Haku wasn't in the room.

Zabuza saw the antagonized expression on the young Uchiha's face, watched as he clutched his fingers into a tight fist in restraint and he grinned widely and Sasuke could see it beneath the thin layer of bandages across his mouth. "Why the hell are you still here? You've already thanked Haku for saving your pathetic life so get the hell out."

"Otou-san, please don't be rude to our guest," his ward cut in and stepped between the two men who were now glaring menacingly at each other, the space between their bodies charged with their disdain for one another. Haku felt it but he was so used to his guardian emanating his antipathy to everyone who set foot inside their home that it now felt like nothing more than a humid wind against his skin. "Don't listen to him, he's probably just upset because I wrapped the bandages too tightly," Haku added with a playful laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sasuke just made that noise at the back of his throat and Zabuza crossed his arms over his chest.

"Please sit down," Haku instructed to his visitor before ordering his adoptive father to fetch some refreshments for their guest. Zabuza reluctantly made his way into the kitchen, incensed that he had to show hospitality towards this stranger but duty-bound to the young lad he was raising as his own.

Haku sank into the low sofa that Sasuke had made himself comfortable in at his request and the Uchiha was glad that they had this moment alone.

"I'm sorry about that. Zabuza-san may come across as a bit obnoxious at times but he's really not a bad person. He just needs to get to know you better."

Sasuke had to force himself not to scoff at that comment because he had no intentions of spending enough time in that man's presence until he deemed him worthy enough to say he 'liked' him and even though he said nothing Haku could tell he still had his doubts.

"Don't forget, you were the one that said 'not to judge him too harshly'."

"Hn, must have been a temporary bout of insanity," and Haku laughed at his jest but Sasuke hadn't meant it to be funny. "You mentioned your Scout Master giving you some kind of badge, are you a boy-scout?" he asked in an attempt to start a conversation that would subtly lead to his interrogation.

Haku nodded and adjusted his hold on his pet rabbit who was now becoming restless. "Yes I am and right now we're earning our 'First Aid' badge and I've been practicing on Zabuza-san," he added as a side-note. "But tomorrow I'm going to be awarded my badge plus another one for bravery and Otou said he was going to have a surprise waiting for me after school tomorrow." Sasuke could tell he was excited and very proud of himself and he was also a little surprised that Zabuza felt the same way especially since he didn't approve of the boy rescuing them in the first place, but then again, if he was the kind of father that would keep his charge's drawings from since childhood then he was probably the type that celebrated all his achievements.

Sasuke sighed when he felt deprived again of the simple things the material wealth his father had couldn't give him. He closed his eyes and told himself not to think about that now. "Weren't you scared?"

"Yes. I was terrified," the boy admitted with a shudder. "Especially when that fire broke out, but it was a good thing I got there just before it did because it gave me enough time to drag you both to a safe distance. You're really heavy, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke chuckled and the boy smiled when he found the humor in his comment. "You weren't hurt or anything?" he inquired and Haku shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. Our Scout Master showed us how to carry heavy things without putting too much strain on our bodies."

"You're a real God-send, Haku. We were lucky you happened to be in the area, especially since it was so far away from your home or school."

Sasuke watched him carefully when he asked that question and he saw the boy become flustered and noticed he shifted uncomfortably in his chair but when Zabuza returned with his tray of drinks he blushed profusely.

The older man shared the contents in the tray and placed a glass of lemonade before his ward and a glass of water, sans ice, before his unwanted guest and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Zabuza sensed the uneasiness surrounding his young charge and turned fierce eyes to the older boy sitting next to him. "Haku, is he bothering you?"

"N-No, Otou. We were just talking," he replied coming to the Uchiha's defense.

"Oh?" he asked and raised a bald eyebrow. "What were you talking about?"

"Eto..., n-nothing really," Haku stammered but before Zabuza could question him further he rose quickly to his feet almost hurtling his beloved pet to the ground. "Otou-san, Uchiha-san and I are going to hang out in my room," and he leaned over to pick up his glass while gesturing for the other young man to do the same.

Sasuke did likewise and followed the younger boy upstairs leaving a disapproving Zabuza behind but when Haku ushered him inside the spacious bedroom and closed then locked the door behind them Sasuke started to have doubts as well.

Haku placed his drink on his night-stand before returning Akio-chan to his cage in the opposite corner of the room and when he faced Sasuke and saw his discomfort he giggled and pressed a dainty hand against his lips. "I know it seems a bit improper dragging you into my room like this but I didn't want Zabuza to hear our conversation."

Sasuke's body uncoiled with relief that his fears of the boy planning to make a move on him were not going to be realized. "Why?" he asked simply and masked his sigh by pretending to take a sip from his cup.

"Well, the thing is, Zabuza-san agreed to let me walk home if I came straight home from school but I don't and even though he knows I disobeyed him last night I lied and told him that it was just a coincidence that I chose to take the scenic route home."

Sasuke paused mid-drink when the boy cast guilt-ridden eyes to the floor. "Do you always take that route home?"

Haku shook his head and idly traced his fingers along the bars of the rabbit cage. "I try not to travel too far, just in case Zabuza-san gets suspicious when I'm gone for too long but sometimes I ask a friend to give me a lift to where I want to go if it's really far away."

"Where do you go?"

"It depends...," he trailed off and yanked his fingers away from the cage just in time to avoid Akio's sharp teeth.

Sasuke clutched his glass tightly as he cautiously asked the next question. "Haku, do you...go somewhere your guardian doesn't approve of?"

He stiffened at that and Sasuke wondered if he'd breached a restricted topic. It really wasn't any of his business, really wasn't anything he needed to know and he wanted to kick himself for poking his nose into the boy's private life. Haku flashed him a lop-sided grin, not at all offended by the question and plopped onto the edge of the bed.

"Kinda," he sighed then looked up at his dark-haired visitor with a serious expression on his face before asking, "Can you keep a secret?" and when the Uchiha replied in the affirmative he continued. "You may have guessed by now that Zabuza-san is not my biological father."

"I gathered that much," he said with a nod of the head.

Haku absently traced the pattern on his quilt with a lazy finger. "When I found out I was adopted, like any orphaned child, I became curious about the identity of my real parents but whenever I asked about them Zabuza-san would say he didn't know." Haku curled his fingers into a tiny fist and lightly punched the soft mattress. "But I know he knows something, I know he doesn't want me to look for them, but that's what I spend my time doing every evening after school."

Sasuke frowned. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked, once again taking the side of the boy's protective parent, albiet very reluctantly this time. "Zabuza probably has a reason why he doesn't want you to find them."

"I've thought about that," Haku admitted with a sigh. "I keep wondering if he's just trying to shelter me from some kind of disappointment. Maybe my parents didn't want me, maybe they've moved on, started another family and have forgotten about me, maybe they're dead or maybe he's just afraid that if I do find them I'll leave him."

The Uchiha could only imagine the heart-ache that man would suffer if that scenario were to play out. He knew what it was like to lose a baby but it probably paled in comparison to losing a child you've raised from infancy to adolescence.

"If you do find your real parents...will you?"

Haku was silent for a long moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't think I could. I mean, Zabuza-san loves me and I love him. He did everything for me and even though we're not consanguineous I still think of him as my father and If my real parents are alive I don't think I could ever see them as my mom and dad."

"Why don't you tell him that. Maybe he'd help you if he knew how you really felt."

"I guess, but I don't think that's probable," and the young boy sighed dejectedly.

Sasuke shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Would you...I mean, I could help you look for them, if you'd like." He was a little hesitant about asking that question but he'd already probed so far into the boy's private life he didn't think it would hurt to offer his assistance and he was sure Danzo wouldn't have much trouble locating his birth parents.

Haku shook his head and gave him a gracious smile. "Thanks for the offer but this is something I want to do on my own. Whether I choose to continue to search for them or not should be my decision and if I do find them but end up regretting my actions I want the blame to remain with me."

Sasuke was awed at the bravery and responsibility this boy possessed at such a young age and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Good luck with whatever you decide to do," and he raised his glass in a salute.

"Arigatou, Uchiha-san."

"Haku?" he asked suddenly and rested his half-empty cup on the nearby chest-of-drawers so he could fold his hands over his chest.

"Hm?"

"Why did you tell me all of this?" he asked the question that had been burning at the back of his mind from the moment he disclosed his unauthorized plans.

Haku leaned back so he could look up at the ceiling. "I dunno," he said, surprised with himself as well for divulging so much to a stranger he barely even knew. "I guess I've been feeling so guilty about lying to Zabuza-san all this time, I guess I just needed to make a confession," and when he brought his face back down to meet the Uchiha's, Sasuke recognized the pleading look on his face. It reminded him of the one Neji gave him the day he discovered his little secret as well.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Zabuza."

Haku jumped off of the bed then and clapped his hands together. "Great!" he exclaimed. "Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business."

"Business?" he echoed and those uncomfortable feelings he first had when Haku locked him in the room came rushing back in a tide.

"Yeah, that's why you're here, right? You want to know what I saw that night."

"Oh...um...yeah," Sasuke stammered and his body sagged with relief. Apparently, Haku was very intuitive as well.

"I didn't see when the accident happened," he started. "By the time I got there your car was already off-road."

"You only saw my car?" he interrupted.

Haku nodded. "Yeah, only yours. The cops said you were drunk and ran off the road."

Sasuke felt a vein pulse by his temple. "I wasn't drunk," he repeated for the umpteenth time and was seriously considering getting it tattooed on his forehead.

"Oh, that's good," the boy smiled believing him just as easily as his friends had. "I'd hate to think you'd do something so irresponsible."

"What else did you see?" he asked his voice a little gruff.

Haku searched his memory and tapped a finger against his bottom lip. "Eto...Actually, when I got there I realized that I wasn't the only onlooker but when they saw me approaching they ran off."

Sasuke's interest suddenly spiked. "Who were they?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know, it was too dark to tell, but just before they disappeared...hmm...that was when the fire started and I could make out that there were three of them...three men actually, but I didn't get a good look at their faces."

The older brunette digested what the other boy just told him before summarizing it to make sure he got the facts in the correct order. "So when you got there the car was already on the embankment and there were three other witness at the scene but they ran off when they saw you but before they left the fire broke out."

He nodded.

"Did you see them start the fire?"

Haku looked appalled at his accusation at first but his face melted into a frown when he understood the other boy's suspicion, a suspicion he had shared as well but chose to ignore. "To be honest I didn't see how the fire started because I was still too far away when it did and I really did wonder if they were the ones responsible because it was too much of a coincidence," he mused.

"Why didn't you tell the police what you saw?"

"I did," he admitted with a shake of the head. "But for some reason they didn't take me seriously even though I was the only eyewitness on the scene and even though I was the one that reported the accident."

"So, you called the cops...,"

"Yes, after I dragged you two to safety, but during the time it took for the emergency vehicles to arrive the car had already exploded, I've never been so freaked out in my life," and Haku hugged himself and shuddered at the memory.

Sasuke remembered what Danzo had said about the officers that responded to the situation, how they just assumed that he'd been drinking and wrote off the entire thing as a D.U.I. encounter but now Haku was saying that they were so callous that they didn't even see fit to investigate his claims of an anonymous group of men suspected of committing arson. Sasuke scoffed to himself, 'No wonder Danzo quit the force in the first place'.

"What else do you remember?"

Haku paused so he could, once again, search through his memories of last night. "Well nothing really happened after that. When the cops and the ambulance arrived a few reporters showed up later but they weren't allowed to take pictures and they weren't allowed to get near the wreckage. The police answered all their questions and they didn't even mention me, in fact, they forced me to stand behind the reporters as if I was a common on-looker," he fumed, angered by the shoddy treatment he'd received. "Anyway, the guys in the ambulance were nice enough to let me ride with you and after you guys were admitted I called Zabuza-san to pick me up from the hospital."

"It was quite a night you had," Sasuke muttered with a lopsided smirk.

"Tell, me about it, it was like an adventure. I never thought I'd experience anything like that, or that I'd get to see you in person," he grinned. "You recovered nicely," the young boy said, suddenly changing the topic.

"Yeah," he muttered in response and his hand automatically went to his left shoulder and massaged it absent-mindedly.

"How's your friend doing? Is he recovering well too?" he asked and Sasuke noticed the tiny blush that stained young Haku's cheeks.

"Yeah, he's...okay," the Uchiha replied cautiously.

Haku's blush deepened and his gaze dropped to the floor when he asked his next question. "Do you...I mean...could you tell him I said 'Hello'?"

"Sure, okay," he agreed not quite sure why the young boy was flustered all of a sudden but he found out soon enough when he worked up enough courage to take it further.

"Uchiha-san, do you think I'm his type?"

Sasuke worked hard to stifle a laugh and he pretended to clear his throat to hide it. While it was cute that Haku had a crush on Neji, what made it so hilarious was that Haku thought Neji was a guy. "Umm...his type?" he echoed, feigning ignorance.

Haku nodded. "I think he's really hot, but don't tell him I said that," he quickly added with a plea and clasped his hands in front of his chest. "I was just wondering if you could put in a good word for me."

"Sorry Haku, but he's already seeing someone, plus he's also straight."

The boy sighed dejectedly, his dreams shattered. "Oh well, it didn't hurt to ask," he murmured with a brave smile.

Sasuke chuckled, the sound drowned out by the ringing on his cellphone, the digital screen displaying a familiar number. "What's wrong, Naruto?" he asked already knowing who the person on the other end was.

"Hey, Sasuke are you coming home soon?"

He could hear the slight panic in the other boy's tone of voice and Sasuke frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really, it's just that...I went to check on Neji and-"

"What happened to him?" Sasuke shouted into the receiver, interrupting whatever it was Naruto was going to say.

"Dammit!" the blond muttered and had to pull the receiver away before he suffered major damage to his ear-drum. "Relax Sasuke, sheesh. Neji's fine it's just that when I went to check on him he was acting kinda funny."

Sasuke started to feel anxiety well up in the pit of his stomach. " 'Funny'? 'Funny' how?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, I tried talking to him but he won't talk back to me, but it's not like he's trying to be rude it's more like he's in a trance or something, like he's really depressed."

An overwhelming sense of relief washed over Sasuke that Neji was alright, more or less, but it was soon over-shadowed by his guilt that he was the one responsible for the state his lover was in right now. "I'll be there shortly, in the mean time see if he'll eat anything- except ramen," he added quickly.

Naruto muttered something incoherently before hanging up and Sasuke snapped his phone shut then looked over at the boy who was doing homework on his bed to occupy himself so as not to eavesdrop on the other man's conversation. "Sorry Haku, but I gotta go."

The boy made a sound of protest and climbed off the mattress. "Well, it was nice having you here, Uchiha-san," he sighed.

"Thanks for having me and thanks for all your help," he replied in sincerity.

Haku led him back downstairs and stopped at the kitchen to let his guardian know that their guest was leaving and Zabuza's snorted farewell was a 'Good riddance'. The young Momochi boy volunteered to walk Sasuke to his car but the Uchiha heir informed him that he'd caught the bus and was planning on hailing a cab because he refused to put himself through that kind of torture twice in the same day.

"You don't have to catch a cab, I'll get Zabuza-san to give you a ride home."

His guardian looked up from the salad he was preparing to give his one word answer. "No!"

"Maaah! Otou-saaan, you're so meeean," his adoptive son wailed but no matter how much he begged and pleaded he couldn't get him to change his mind. Haku counted his losses and apologized on behalf of his unco-operative parent before letting Sasuke out and he didn't stop waving at the taller boy until he was out of sight.

Sasuke didn't have to wait long for a taxi and made it back to campus within the hour but by the time he got there the sun was already setting painting the landscape with a warm, orange ambiance. He was glad to see that Naruto had got around to cleaning up the annoying clutter that lay in front of his door because he knew that if he came back and they were still there he was probably going to start a bonfire.

The apartment was quiet, save for the humming of the refrigerator and Sasuke felt a chill creep along his spine. He was expecting to see Naruto on the couch watching television or listening to the stereo set, chatting on the phone, surfing the internet, anything but the blond was nowhere in sight.

The last and most obvious place to look was his room and he sighed in relief when he saw them both. Neji was still lying on his bed and even though he was awake he looked more like the living dead. His hauntingly pale face, streaked with tear stains, was framed with wayward strands of thick, dark hair that splayed in a disarrayed mess across the pillow and his eyes were red from crying and glazed over with unshed tears. Those unnaturally pale eyes rested on the man at the door and Naruto turned to see what he was looking at.

"Sasuke!" he exclaimed in a soft voice and got up from the seat he had taken at the foot of the bed. He was glad the other boy was home, maybe he could cheer him up because Naruto had tried everything and he was starting to get depressed too.

Sasuke slowly approached the bed and kneeled by Neji's side, he took one hand in his and the other he reached out to brush away the strands of hair that were glued to his face. Neji turned his head so he could look into his lover's eyes and Sasuke's heart froze when he saw the blank expression there and the teardrops that had clung to his lids slide down his cheeks.

"Neji," he rasped, finding it very difficult to speak through the lump that had suddenly lodged itself in his throat. "I- I'm so sorry...if I hadn't...if I didn't force you to come with me, this wouldn't have happened to you and-"

The rest of the sentence was lost on a sob and the image of his beloved became blurry and a hot liquid burned a trail along his cheeks. He squeezed the smaller hand he had held in his, needing some kind of reassurance, some kind of encouragement, but Neji didn't squeeze back.

His chest suddenly felt unbearably tight and his throat burned with the need to say something but was blocked by that thick resistance.

"Neji please forgive me!" he cried loudly, finally breaking through that barrier.

The other man's face remained blank and devoid of emotion almost as if he hadn't heard him, as if he couldn't tell that he was hurting so much inside and needing so much for him to affirm that he understood, that he forgave him, that he still loved him.

Sasuke felt a soft pressure against his quivering lips and he brushed away the water in his eyes to see clearly and gasped when he realized that Neji was tracing his lips with the pads of his fingertips. His thin, cracked lips parted slightly and Sasuke leaned closer when he realized he was about to say something.

"Ba-ka!" he whispered and gently squeezed the larger hand that held his.

A weight was suddenly lifted from his shoulders so quickly that he was sure he could take flight if he wanted to. Sasuke chuckled and pressed his forehead against Neji's clammy own and his tears anointed his lover's face.

"Aoh!" he agreed on a happy sigh. "I'm such an idiot!"

-----

This took quite a while to do. Oi! Anyway, here it is. *Takes a well deserved breather*

To clarify Anon's um...clarification. Yeah, Danzo's supposed to be a detective, I hope I wrote him the correct character and context because I don't really know how detectives operate outside of C.S.I. and other shows like that.