Originally posted on aff 2008-07-16 - 2009-03-08

I

Sunlight flashed by in tiny holes that led up to the earth's surface, letting in air to keep the dingy tunnels fresh. Not like it mattered, since the tunnels were so small it was hard to circulate the air, let alone breathe. If it weren't for the specially designed ANBU masks, they would more than likely suffocate. But since they had the masks – a godsend gift from Suna; they really needed to thank Gaara for them – that wasn't a problem. The masks were specially designed to allow the wearer to breathe while traveling through a stinging sandstorm – or claustrophobia causing tunnels – without having the throat close and the lungs seize. A really wonderful achievement they were.

So, wearing those masks, Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and Hinata made their way down the dark and dank tunnels of Orochimaru's latest – and hopefully last – hideout. They and others had been systematically locating, searching, and destroying Orochimaru's hideouts in search of the man or his cohorts. For Naruto, he didn't care beyond finding Sasuke. If they found someone else, cool, but he wanted to find Sasuke. He needed to make sure Sasuke was all right and most of all himself. He couldn't be dead because Orochimaru needed his body – the bastard – and Sasuke had a will to live because he wanted revenge. But every empty hide-out and safe house was a grim reminder that they were running out of time and even as strong as they had become none of them could match Sasuke let alone Orochimaru. And if the snake-bastard had actually succeeded…

Naruto shook his head and dodged a root, taking a quick left with Hinata as Neji and Sakura went right. There were too many chambers to check one at a time, so Naruto and Sakura were relying on the Hyuuga cousins' Byakugan to find any trace of chakra signatures. Those signatures would then be hunted and detained until they could be transported back to the surface and to the waiting arms of hunter nin. They'd all been met with disappointment with all the empty bases, but this time, they might just strike gold. Naruto hid his wince as Hinata's open palm slammed into his chest. Even armoured and padded, being hit by a Hyuuga – even gentle Hinata – hurt like a bitch. Hinata, for her part, actually had the decency to apologize. Neji would've snorted and Naruto probably would've gone complaining to Gaara and Neji wouldn't speak to Naruto for two months. The blonde had done that before, gone and told Gaara Neji was abusing him. Which Neji had, in a sort of weird way. Naruto had only just been promoted to jounin rank and as sort of a joke the other jounin had made him pack mule when they went off to play jounin hide-and-seek. Neji had taken the joke too far and had literally made Naruto his personal slave. So Naruto had gone to Gaara and either because he needed a good reason to keep Neji away from Konoha or because he was tired of hearing Naruto whine to him, Gaara had taken custody of Neji and made him limp for two weeks. Neji hadn't spoken to Naruto for a month. He'd gotten over it, at the behest of Hinata and severe promising from Naruto he'd never ever do such a thing again.

Naruto clearly remembered Neji's first words and shuddered. He certainly didn't like the idea of having sand in his pants, let alone ant lions. When he dropped back in reality, he realized Hinata had been speaking to him.

"Huh?" Oh, that sounded so dumb. Good work, Naruto. Hinata giggled softly.

"I said, Naruto-kun, that there's a chakra signature coming from a tunnel ahead and to the left."

"All right." Naruto replied. He shifted to flip on his radio collar, putting the mike under his mask, close to his mouth. "Sakura, we have a signature. Anything on your side?"

"Just dead bodies," Sakura's crackling voice answered. "We're coming back. Neji-kun has your position. Go ahead and engage and we'll back you up."

Naruto flicked a glance to Hinata and signaled her. She nodded and began to creep forward, Naruto following as he switched off his radio-collar, sighing silently as he felt Kyuubi lend him his sense. As fast as Hinata was, no one could match Naruto's speed when Kyuubi melded their chakra. Even Kakashi had trouble following him with his Sharingan. Still, Hinata led the way down the tunnel, only trading places when Naruto when they reached the concealed door. Naruto pulled out a thin wire and needle and set about finding the lock. He'd practiced these past few years on the jutsu he sucked at, and had managed to get Shizune to teach him how to pick locks rather than waste the chakra. That skill came in handy when he snuck into Iruka-sensei's apartment to make sure the man still breathed when he came home from a mission. Many of Iruka's old students did that, Naruto had found out: Ino, Hinata, Kiba, and Shikamaru to name a few. And then there was Kakashi, who checked on Iruka every couple of hours if he didn't see him at the academy or missions office. Naruto made a face behind his mask as the wire slipped into the lock and secured it with the needle. He hadn't known his former sensei and his "big brother" had been screwing each other. Or rather, Kakashi had been 'making love' to Iruka. Naruto never really understood the difference, but Iruka had begged him not to stab Kakashi to death so he hadn't. They were in love, happy, so when Naruto saw Pakkun or the other nin dogs sitting in the window or by the front and back doors, he knew to stay away. He figured after that incident, the dogs had been given permission to tear him apart if he came within five feet Of Iruka's apartment. Not that Kakashi was that obsessively possessive all the time – he was a jounin, and therefore understood the need to make sure your loved ones still breathed – so he allowed Naruto to invade Iruka's apartment on nights all three were in residence and they shared a nice miso ramen dinner after Naruto had completed his rounds.

The lock clicked. Naruto tested the door for traps and pushed. He went in first, low and fast – because projectiles were generally aimed high – and Hinata darted in behind him. They kept low, eyes adjusting to the dimness of the chamber. Naruto could smell earth and blood and then a scent hit him that was both so familiar and foreign and when his brain caught up with his nose, his ears registered Hinata's soft intake of breath and his eyes widened at the sight of the brunette man huddled in the far corner of the room, forehead on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed. The man twitched, raised his head, and wonderfully dark eyes peered through the dimness at the ANBU pair. Lips curled in a nervous smile and Sasuke shifted back into his corner, whispering something about ghosts finally coming to kill him. Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other and then back at Sasuke, pulling their masks off and coming toward him, careful to keep their hands away from their weapons.

When desperate, a person was bound to do anything that guaranteed survival, no matter how little the chance actually was.

And Sasuke had plenty of reasons to be desperate to survive.

Still, he didn't bolt or draw a weapon as Naruto and Hinata came closer, watching them like a cornered rabbit. Naruto didn't quite understand his behaviour, but took it as a blessing and signed to Hinata to follow his lead. He bent down in front of Sasuke and offered his hand to the brunette, watching the dark eyes fill with apprehension. And was that maybe a hint of fear?

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto began, "want to go home?"

"Home?" Sasuke whispered. "I don't have a home. Not anymore. Not since–" He broke off, lips drawing into a thin line. He drew back and glared suspicion at the two of them. Naruto only smiled and crouched, still offering his hand.

"Then come back with me. I'll make sure you won't get hurt."

Sasuke's right hand flexed, then curled into a fist. Naruto saw Hinata tense in response, fearing an attack. Sasuke flicked a glance at the Hyuuga girl before he centered his attention on Naruto again.

"Promise?"

Oh god, the word sounded like it came from a child and not a man who'd been missing for six years. Naruto didn't know what to make of it. Not then. He'd come to regret not knowing in a few short hours.

"Promise." Naruto replied and Sasuke shifted, uncurling and taking Naruto's hand. Naruto helped Sasuke stand, eyes going wide at the sight of his former friend portrayed. Naruto could count his ribs, see his hipbones, shadows lending their aid to enhance the Uchiha's gauntness. But even his emaciation didn't compare to his eyes, dark and haunted – and ancient, Naruto realized upon closer scrutiny – staring at the world around him with an almost jaded gaze. It didn't suit Sasuke at all. Or rather, Naruto mused, his own vision of Sasuke. Wasn't that why he fell so easily into Orochimaru's trap? Naruto felt Sasuke's grip tighten around his hand and pulled the brunette close. Sasuke's head tucked itself beneath his chin and Naruto let out a breath of relief. Neither of them was going to die here, and – though he knew it was stupid – Naruto discovered he was indeed about half a head taller than the brunette.

"Let's go, hm?" Naruto whispered as he gestured for Hinata to lead the way. Sasuke made a noise and let Naruto pull him out of the hidden chamber into the dank halls of the hideout. They traveled in relative silence, with Hinata speaking softly into her own radio-collar, directing Sakura and Neji to meet them above ground. Sasuke held tight to Naruto's hand the entire time. It seemed sad to Naruto, how the great Uchiha Sasuke was clinging to his hand like a lost waif. If Naruto didn't understand that the action was out of some fear, he probably would've laughed.

The entrance tunnel was just ahead and morning light could be seen when Sasuke dug in his heels and refused to budge. Naruto shook his head when Hinata opened her mouth and told her to go on ahead, they'd be along in a moment.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, and the brunette stared at him through long dirty bangs.

"They don't want to go up there," Sasuke whispered. Naruto blinked at the sound of the wrong personal pronoun. He brushed it off, though. Another thing he'd regret later.

"It's okay," Naruto said. "I promised I wouldn't let you get hurt, didn't I?"

Sasuke gave a bit of a hesitant smile. "Un."

"So you'll be fine. Ready?"

Sasuke shook his head but followed Naruto anyway when the blonde moved for the entrance. Light blinded the pair for a few moments and in those moments, Naruto felt Sasuke's grip on his hand tighten and then tear away, and his eyes adjusted immediately with Kyuubi's help. Sasuke was struggling against eight of the ten hunter-nin that had accompanied them to this den, the remaining two on the ground. Blood was spurting from one's neck and the other was desperately trying to stop it. Sasuke's right hand was covered in red. By himself, in a fair fight, Naruto knew Sasuke could take down an ANBU, but against eight he was soon subdued, bound in tight chakra-depleting rope and tossed unceremoniously to the hard ground. Neji was holding tight to Sakura's wrist and Hinata was doing her best to try and calm the rose-haired young woman. Naruto felt sick to his stomach as he watched the hunter-nin pull Sasuke up, watched fist after fist descend to make the Uchiha bleed for killing a comrade of theirs.

"Enough!" Naruto growled, weaving chakra into his words to make them a barking order; even if the hunter-nin outranked him, no one in their right minds would tangle with Kyuubi, even if Naruto housed him at the moment. The movements stopped, but what wounded Naruto's heart the most was the blank stare that Sasuke gave him, the culmination of broken promises mixed with some unseen terror, all rolled up into one begging, pleading gaze to just tell them to let –go– and leave him alone. Instead, Naruto looked away, sighed, and turned back to the hunter-nin and their captive with his best apathetic jounin stare.

"Hokage needs him alive, she said. Preferably undamaged, and well, I don't think I want to deal with her or her apprentices" – he emphasized the word 'apprentices' with a meaningful glance toward Sakura – "wrath if he shows up with broken bones."

One hunter-nin shivered. After that Sasuke was treated with a little more respect. Not much, but a little. Naruto watched as the hunter-nin hauled the Uchiha over one of their partner's shoulders while a few others dealt with the dead. All the while, Naruto felt Sasuke's eyes on him, boring into his back with sorrow and apology the foremost emotions within the orbs. Naruto knew he shouldn't feel regret, but he did.

And it hurt.