A Shadow Darkly

VII

Sasuke couldn’t remember how many days he spent in the nude cooped up in Kakashi’s apartment under the man’s watchful eye or bound in the closet when Kakashi had to go out and didn’t trust Sasuke not to leave or set a trap. He felt hungry all the time, weak, and almost feeling like he wanted to die. He had too many sleepless nights, lying on the floor cold and aching. Sasuke sat now – crouched rather – against the couch, eyes on the white cat sunning herself on the balcony. He didn’t move, couldn’t move, since Kakashi had told him to stay put.

Sasuke decided that he’d behave if only to get his clothes back. He decided to save his strength, bide his time. He could pretend to be a good dog until his master grew lax in reprimanding him. Then he’d just have to reach out and snap that bastard’s neck. He would deliver to Kakashi the most unimaginable pain ever felt and he’d enjoy it immensely.

He heard the tumblers rotate and lick, dark eyes flicking from the cat to Kakashi, trying not to let his stomach growl upon smelling the scent of take out. He waited – tried to, anyway – for Kakashi to give him the go ahead and rose to find the silver-haired man watching him, gauging him. Finally, that silver mop bobbed once and Sasuke moved for the food – only to be grabbed by the neck and hauled back against Kakashi’s chest.

“Whet the hell, Kakashi!” Sasuke cried, writhing against that iron grip.

“I’m going out for a while.” Kakashi said, hauling the Uchiha up over his shoulder, carting him to the bedroom. He dropped the nukenin on the bed and shifted through the closet, pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt.

“And?"

“So since you’ve been behaving, you’re going to stay with someone.” Kakashi threw the garments at the nukenin, watching him intently.

Sasuke slowly dressed, fighting not to let his intense pleasure show on his face. “Who?”

Kakashi bared his teeth in a feral grin. “Naruto.”

Sasuke’s head snapped up, eyes going wide. He was going to stay with Naruto? The one person he left that he had to kill?

“Why Naruto?” Sasuke ventured carefully, dressing when the garments were thrown at his face.

“Because he can handle you.”

In other words, Sasuke thought dryly, he’ll have ANBU protection.

“And he has Kyuubi,” Kakashi continued, his tone of voice indicating he knew something that the nukenin didn’t. Sasuke just frowned at the older man and pulled his shirt over his head, trying to ignore how it smelled like Kakashi.

Sasuke accepted the sandals he was given – far too small for him – and did his best to try not to let his discomfort show. Kakashi (and other jounin) would hone in on that and mercilessly attack him for it. It was bad enough that he had to deal with Kakashi’s ideas of punishment on a daily basis. He didn’t need the other jounin joining in.

After nibbling on the take out, Sasuke allowed himself to be led from the apartment toward the Hokage’s tower. An interesting place to make the exchange, but Sasuke knew the place would be crawling with ANBU it was almost perfect.

Before the pair had even gotten within ten feet of the building, several ANBU appeared, surrounding them. Sasuke lowered his eyes to his feet, all the while imaging how he’d like to snap their necks. He didn’t bother listening to what Kakashi said, already having a good idea. Sasuke had spent weeks pretending to be cowed, giving fits of resistance here and there. He still couldn’t figure out a way to access his chakra, but he was learning Kakashi’s ticks. A few more weeks at the least and Sasuke would be able to take the silver-haired bastard out.

Kakashi pulled on Sasuke’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Into the tower the nukenin was escorted, caught between several irate ANBU and Kakashi. Sasuke made a conscious effort to keep still, staring hard at his feet. Elevator doors dinged open, revealing a long hallway with a door at the end. To this door Sasuke was taken, and after several warnings that fell on deaf ears, the nukenin and his keeper were admitted within.

Naruto sat behind the desk, immersed in paperwork. His strange bodyguard was nowhere to be seen, so Sasuke relaxed his muscles. He’d need them later, he was sure, and it was better not to waste energy at this point. Kakashi left Sasuke’s side and approached the Rokudaime, grinning behind his mask.

“Yo.”

Naruto looked up, lips quirked. “You’re late.”

“Well, as I was walking the path of life, a puppy came to me with an injured paw and I nursed it back to health.”

Naruto shook his head with a smile. “All right. You can go now, Kakashi.”

The silver-haired jounin nodded and turned, giving a glare in warning to Sasuke before he vanished, leaving the nukenin alone with the Hokage.

“You can sit down, you know,” Naruto said, almost amused. Sasuke shot him a glare. “Suit yourself.”

“Just shut up, usuratonkatchi,” Sasuke grumbled. To his surprise, Naruto only grinned. Grumbling even as he moved to sit, Sasuke couldn’t figure out why Naruto was being so friendly. For the next few hours, there was silence. Except for the scritching of pen across papers, neither man in the room spoke. The Uchiha studied Naruto and the walls and the ceiling, just bored. Was this why Naruto wanted to be Hokage so bad? To do hours and hours of paperwork instead of running missions? Sasuke figured killing Naruto at this point would be a mercy.

“Is this what you do all day?” Sasuke asked grouchily, folding his arms over his chest. He saw Naruto shrug.

“Mostly six days out of the week and about twelve hours a day with a half-hour lunch hour and ten minutes once every three hours to use the bathroom.”

“Half hour lunch hour?”

“Someone did a study that says it only takes you thirty minutes to buy and consume your food.” Naruto looked up at Sasuke, giving him a helpless shrug.” Many a person wish that someone dead.”

“I don’t doubt.” Sasuke said dryly. He shifted, stretching out his legs. “How long will that bastard be gone?”

"Two days, maybe.”

Perfect. Plenty of time to at least get an idea. Sasuke simply tensed as the office door clicked open and tried not to reach as Sakura walked by, setting down a new pile of folders as she picked up the ones Naruto had set aside.

“You’re almost done,” Sakura said cheerfully as Naruto groaned. “Just a few more boxes."

“Great,” Naruto muttered. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom. Sakura? Could you watch our guest?”

The rose haired woman looked at Sasuke. He didn’t bother to make eye contact. Finally, she shrugged.

“All right. But be quick!”

Naruto waved his hand in a casual dismissal and left the office, leaving Sakura watching Sasuke all too warily.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him – and she didn’t – but there was something about the Uchiha that made her incredibly wary. But he remained seated and kept staring blanking at the corner of instead of her, so Sakura relaxed and let her attention turn to the pile of paperwork on the desk.

Here were last years’ mission reports, the finance reports (why there was a need for spandex she really didn’t want to know), and some other miscellaneous things. She thumbed through a few manila folders and froze. Hot breath ghosted over the back of her neck and hands flitted up her sides. For a moment, she thought it was Naruto, trying to scare her again but this felt… wrong.

Sakura whirled and found herself pinned against the desk, the wood digging into her back as Sakura leered down at her from above. Sakura wasn’t a stranger to those kinds of looks – her first real solo mission had given her nightmares for weeks. She didn’t bother to struggle – it would only be like agitating the eight hundred pound gorilla. Instead she relaxed her body and let Sakura come closer, thinking she could buy some time with foreplay.

“You’re too smart for your own good, Sakura,” Sasuke hissed. Fabric ripped, Sakura’s scream silenced harshly by a swift punch to her jaw.

Sasuke bit her shoulder and Sakura could only cry, hands pinned by Sasuke’s. He was using her fear against her and dammit it was working! Sakura tried to scream again – where were the damned ANBU!? – and felt nails dig into her thigh.

Nonononononono!

Her legs were suddenly lifted and forced apart. Then –

Sakura’s breath came out in a rush as Sasuke was hauled away from her, deadly orange eyes glaring into obsidian. Sakura slid to the floor boneless, as she watched Kyuubi lift Sasuke by the back of his shirt, like a small child. The kitsune bared his teeth in a snarl and just simply snapped his wrist. Sasuke went flying, crashing into the chair he’d been sitting in with enough force to shatter it.

Naruto was instantly by Sakura’s side, covering her up with his jacket as Kyuubi stood over the reeling Sasuke.

“Are you?” Naruto asked.

Sakura gave a shuddering sigh. “I’m untouched.”

Naruto visibly relaxed then, every fiber in his form moving uniformly as he turned from Sakura to Sasuke and Kyuubi.

“What should I do with the bastard?” Kyuubi asked his vessel. Naruto merely raised a hand, stopping the violent tumult that Sasuke was steeling himself for.

“As Sakura isn’t hurt,” Naruto began in a soft voice, “there are no grounds for execution.”

“Execution?!”

Naruto continued as if Sasuke hadn’t spoken. “However, as a prisoner, he has assaulted a village member and therefore is subject to confinement. Kakashi will be back in two days – he can decide Sasuke’s punishment. For now, Kyuubi, take him to a solitary cell and place an ANBU guard detail on that hall.”

“Isn’t that a little excessive?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto met his eyes, those once warm electric blue eyes now as calm and still as a sapphire stone. Naruto didn’t have to say word – Sasuke understood.

He’d crossed a line that day, a line that could very easily be the deciding factor of life or death. And slowly he was realizing that Naruto’s word was law in this village as most of the Council had been replaced by ninja the Rookie Nine had looked up to as kids.

No one, Sasuke suddenly realized, would go against a decision of Naruto’s. Not if Kyuubi could manifest as a human. Sasuke fought down the shudder. Two days. He had two days to figure out how to kill himself. It was going to be a long forty-eight hours.