A/N:

I am so freaking excited to post this new story! It's been on my mind for a long time, and with the encouragement of Kizukatana (who is my heavy BETA for this story) I finally decided to write it it. I hope you enjoy where it eventually leads. I've always been heavily into stories centered around curses or uncovering artifacts (Indiana jones, The Mummy, etc.) which is why this has been weighing down on me. I have a lot of fun things planned, and I feel like I'm going to really enjoy writing this, so thanks for joining me on the ride! I'd like to also give a warm shout out to Ree for the amazing art she did for this story! If you would like to view the cover she made, this story is available on ArchiveOfOurOwn, with the art front and center! There I will be posting updates much more consistently.

If you like her art as much as I do, give her some feedback at her twitter sketchfoo !

Chapter One: Keeping Score

The passage that lead to Awrutshimaru's tomb was exactly how he imagined it: dark, ominous. Painfully dry.

Not that the young archaeologist hadn't seen this coming; and he wasn't talking about the suffocating desert air. As he reached into the backpack he'd planted near his feet, he pulled out his makeshift torch, allowing himself a private smile. The hostel he'd been staying in wasn't happy when they found out their table was missing a leg, but it was for a good cause, and he swore he'd make it up to them as he scrutinized the passage. Although his hunch might've been wrong, there was no such thing as being too careful.

Steady, nimble fingers pulled out the zippo lighter from a sand dusted pocket, and he flicked it on, setting the torch ablaze.

The all consuming darkness gave way to a distinct slithering sound from just a few feet away.

Of course there would be snakes.

With its body craned towards him and its scales rubbing together in a threatening display, the snake gave a drawn out hiss at being discovered. Then, just as quickly as it emerged, it slithered back into its hole. The man clad in a white field shirt and khaki's whistled with relief, signaling that the coast seemed more or less clear. Of people anyway.

"Isn't this great?" His voiced peaked, on the verge of screaming. His blood ran hot through his veins and his smile, wasted on an audience of none, could easily outshine the blazing desert sun. "I swear, that wasn't just any snake. That was an Egyptian saw scaled viper! In here of all places! Man, I must be dreaming..."

Stumbling through the entrance, which had previously been covered in sand, short black hair and dark eyes gazed at the surroundings with a frustrating amount of apathy.

"It was just a snake," The man remarked blandly, as if he was talking about the color of the sky. He dusted off some sand from his robes. "You are in Egypt. There are snakes everywhere, dickless."

"Ugh, y'know Sai, it wouldn't kill you to be excited about, I dunno, maybe the fact that we might find the burial chamber of an Egyptian pharaoh? Whose tomb's been hidden away for thousands and thousands of years? We're about to make history here you asshole, and I told you not to call me that."

Golden tufts of hair swayed as the man turned around, blue eyes rounding sharply on its target. "It's Naruto Uzumaki, remember?"

Sai flashed him a smile, reeking of ingenuity and something else.

Naruto didn't have time to mull over the bad feeling though, not when the distance between them became non existent. Sai closed in, bringing their bodies into full contact. His hand brushed not-so-subtly against Naruto's hip.

Naruto's fist tightened contemplatively around his torch.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. You aren't dickless," Sai said, serenely ignoring his discomfort. An index finger slyly smoothed over a crease in his pants. "After all, I've already seen this package you smuggled into Cairo. Your penis is a far cry from absent."

"And your face will be a far cry from recognizable if you don't move your hand," Naruto growled through gritted teeth. He slapped Sai's hand away and stepped back to put some much needed space between him and the weirdo.

A pervert. It was just his luck that he'd end up with a pervert as a guide.

When Naruto heard from an informant that someone knew the whereabouts of Awrutshimaru's tomb, he'd almost jumped for joy. He'd been searching for a lead for the last two weeks. However, his first impression of Sai was nothing short of shady.

Sai turned out to be a money laundering brothel owner in Cairo, who'd promised to show him the way if he'd promise to show him his… jewels .

Naruto almost gagged at the memory.

Money for information was one thing, but having to pull down his pants for it? He sighed, knowing now wasn't the time for regrets. He would feel ashamed of what he had to do to get here after he found Awrutshimaru's coffin, and only after the artifacts were safely placed in a museum where they belonged. Glancing at the entrance again, he hardened his resolve. His gut told him not to trust Sai; and as far as accuracy goes, it's never been wrong. But if Sai actually was telling him the truth, then this could be one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time.

"I hope you know how to fight," Naruto said as he reached down, undoing the holster strapped to his thigh. He reloaded his revolver. "If we run into any trouble don't just stand around."

Sai's eyes roamed down the curve of Naruto's back as he crouched to retrieve his messenger bag. Tan muscles strained and contracted against the material of the diggers shirt.

"Trouble?" Sai murmured distractedly. He watched Naruto turn the gun in his hand before placing it back, skeptical. "I'm sure anything we might find will be... wrapped up in its own problems."

Naruto held back a snort.

No, that wasn't it. He wasn't superstitious enough to concern himself with a mummy coming back to life. And he sure wasn't convinced Sai could run off with any of his artifacts. He would turn him into an embalmed corpse. Yet as he started down the passageway, a pair of piercing onyx orbs, smugly gazing down at him, flashed in his mind. Pale lips, twisting into a triumphant smirk, manifested itself in the tunnel shadows, and Naruto had to stop himself from trembling with anger.

"You're right," Naruto said, his gaze trained straight ahead. "But it's not the dead that worries me."

The tunnel, thirty-six miles south of the famous Giza Plateau, ran about eight miles long until they reached a dead end. The only thing left facing him was a wall of limestone bedrock and Sai's irritating plastic smile as he stood by it, gesturing at nothing.

"This is it," he stated lamely.

Naruto's lips twitched into a forced smile as he stepped closer to inspect it, wondering if he'd been tricked. It seemed more likely that he was inside a smuggling tunnel then a burial site. There was nothing indicative of it containing anything but disappointment, but he tried to hold out hope. He didn't show Sai his goods for nothing.

"Wait… Over here is…" Just below him, carved paper thin into the limestone, was a block. Naruto handed Sai his torch and he got on his hand and knees—he ignored Sai's low hum of approval—pulling on the corners of the space firmly. It quickly gave and revealed a crawl space, just big enough for him to squeeze through. His heart raced.

"Sai, I could kiss you." Naruto said in a daze, his mouth breaking out into a huge grin. Sai, for once, returned the smile genuinely.

"Is that an offer?"

Naruto's face fell.

"Don't ruin the moment."

He quickly looked behind them and sighed in relief. They were the only ones here. Good. The hidden crawlspace didn't seem to be disturbed either. He reached into his bag, pulling out his Swiss army knife.

"Stay here. If you hear anything or see someone coming, I don't care if you leave. Just let me know." He stuck the knife in his mouth, carefully nestling it between his teeth.

More than running the risk of heat stroke, there was an even higher risk of running into grave robbers; complete assholes, who sold off important artifacts to some sleaze with a fat stomach and even fatter pockets. If this was the real deal, he wasn't going to risk anyone else getting near this tomb until he called his diggers and blocked the area off.

There seemed to be some light at the end of the crawlspace, so he would leave torch with Sai.

"Hide the entrance, got it?"

"Of course." Sai said, his smile never reaching his eyes. Something strange and warped infected his usual monotonous tone, but Naruto tried not to read into it. "I hope to see you soon."

"Sure…" Naruto replied, awkwardly.

He licked his lips as he inched through the narrow space, trying to ignore the strange twist in his stomach, chalking it up to nerves.

He was anxious to see what was on the other side. Naruto was hopeful that his search had lead him to what archaeologists have only dreamed of finding for centuries. His father had been searching for Awrutshimaru's tomb his whole life and Naruto would admit, that obsession influenced his decision to become an archaeologist.

Minato Namikaze was a famous digger and his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, a genius anthropologist. The need to uncover history flowed through his veins and Naruto learned to yield. He loved this feeling. Naruto loved the dirt between his finger nails and the way the earth would pliantly bow, revealing countless stories. Because in simply dusting away sand, he was making sure that the past could never stay buried and everyone was free, even in death.

Naruto's breath hitched as he noticed he was reaching the end of the tunnel. As his head poked out of the crawlspace he sucked in another greedy gulp of dry air. The scent that swathed the room was neither subtle nor soothing. It was some variation of Kapet—one of the most popular types of temple incense in Ancient Egypt, used as a remedy for ailments. It was even mythed to cure snake bites.

The floor gave things away. It was littered with hieroglyphs, pictures of snakes dancing in almost every crevice, heads craned towards the receptacle placed perfectly in the center of the chamber and Naruto knew. This was it. He found it. Sai wasn't a waste of his time after all, he actually led him to Awrutshimaru.

"Sai, I can't believe it. This is it!" Naruto shouted, knowing Sai could hear him from the other side.

As he stood up, he stuck the knife between the waistband of his pants, walking to the center of the room.

The sarcophagus was typical. Full of fanciful patterns and unique messaging. However, the only reason he could see anything in this room without the use of a torch was because there were candles, still burning on the walls. They were a peculiar shade of red; blood red, he noted quietly, and the flames danced higher than what he's ever seen, four or five inches into the air. Something was off here.

How could they burn after thousands of years?

Naruto laughed nervously and took a deep breath, knowing that he was probably working himself up. Come on. What was he thinking just now? He was over excited, and that's why he was over analyzing the whole thing. The candles were probably not made entirely out of wax. Maybe they contained some sort of sintered bronze or foam, which caused them to burn for so long. Or maybe they reacted to the change of air pressure when the block covering the entryway was removed.

Sure, that would explain it.

There had to be a reason for it, but what Naruto couldn't justify was the smell. He almost doubled over from it, struggling to stand. The incense suddenly grew pungent, sickly sweet, wafting through his nose and making him feel dizzy. Weak. Like all of the strength from his body was being squeezed out of him.

Naruto had to admit, in all his years of digging and discovering burial sites this whole place kind of unnerved him. Nothing seemed to be disturbed, and it was clear that only he and Sai knew about the location. If grave robbers had been here, he would have picked up on it immediately. Still, something didn't sit well with him. This chamber felt weird. It was too… plain.

Important Egyptian figures were buried with riches, all the comforts of home, their pets for crying out loud. Unless they stuffed Awrutshimaru's servants and all his gold into this sarcophagus, it was likely that the stories were true and he hadn't been well liked.

Years of research and studying the glyphs surrounding Awrutshimaru told the tale of someone unimaginably cruel. A king who sacrificed his own people for sick, deranged rituals, and who was steeped in dark magic before his soul was carried off into the afterlife.

Naruto grimaced, patting the sarcophagus with a sigh. He apparently died in the middle of a sacrificial ritual, when a snake accidentally bit him and the poison stopped his heart. Talk about karma.

"Well," Naruto mumbled under his breath. "You're paying for it now, aren't you?" He said to no one.

The cover to the sarcophagus was gilded in gold, showing the typical positioning of a man lying in repose as though waiting to simply rise up and carry on his activities in the afterlife. Clutched in one hand was the flail, with carved scenes and hieroglyphics from spells taken from the Book of The Dead, but in the other was something that had Naruto's heart racing. It was what he came here for.

Though to get at the real thing, he'd have to move the heavy lid to get at the mummy entombed within. Luckily, the muscles in Naruto's back weren't just for show and recreation. He gripped the edge of the sarcophagus lid and heaved, his body straining against the weight as it slowly began to shift.

"Do you need any help with that?" Came a voice from behind him. Naruto spun around to find Sai watching him from the other end of the room, a pleasant expression on his face. In his hand was a gun, cocked and pointed at him. Sai surveyed the room before chuckling softly. "How cozy."

"... What the hell are you doing?" Naruto growled. Sai shrugged, as if their entire situation was perfectly natural.

"You had asked me to show you where Awrutshimaru was buried, so I lead you here," He responded simply. Then he paused. "But you did not ask if you had been the first."

"What the fuck is that supposed to…?" Naruto started. The rest of the words died in his throat.

Casually emerging from the tunnel behind Sai, Naruto clenched his fists as nimble, familiar fingers dusted off sand from a dark vest. This person stood up slowly, deliberately. A similar field shirt lay covered in holsters and Sai said nothing, instead opting to hand the pistol in his hand to the other man before taking a step back.

If looks could kill, one of them would be lying inside that sarcophagus. Naruto wanted to smack the look of supremacy that could rival a pharaoh's off the man's face. The tension in the air was so palpable he could cut it with his swiss army knife and serve it at a dinner party.

"Sasuke." Naruto snarled, the name venomous and acidic on his tongue. Sasuke's eyes glowed amongst the burning candles with sadistic amusement.

"Naruto." He replied smoothly, securing the gun in one of his holsters. "You're late. Dead last as usual."

"I got to Sai first," Naruto insisted. "There's no way you were here before me."

"Actually," Sai cut in. The liar didn't even have the social etiquette to look guilty either. "He visited me at my brothel just an hour before you. And he paid me in cash."

Naruto's face flamed.

"You're working with him." It wasn't a question, but a pointed statement. The betrayal didn't sting, because he had a feeling this would happen. Sai simply smiled in that infuriating, apathetic way.

"You were careless this time." Sasuke sneered, taking a few steps forward. Naruto visibly tensed, taking a defensive stance. "I've been following you since our last meeting in Luxor—Not exactly a stellar example of covering your tracks, Naruto."

"Is that right?" Naruto couldn't help but snort, crossing his arms. "Well I'm impressed, bastard... The last I saw of you, you were nice and cozy in that tunnel that mysteriously collapsed in the Valley of the Kings. Was it fun in there, or did the whole being-trapped thing kill the mood for ya? You must have really missed me if you've been following me around since then."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and Naruto grinned, having clearly struck a nerve. As quickly as the anger flashed across Sasuke's face it disappeared, replaced with cool indifference. He'd almost gotten away with the ring of a long dead, temple figurehead back in Luxor that time. The money from that artifact would have set him up nicely for a while, and he was still annoyed that Naruto had gotten the drop on him. But not this time.

"Just because you were lucky once doesn't mean you're any less a moron. You haven't realized I've been following you for weeks since then, and I didn't bother to conceal myself." Dark eyes fixed on the object shining enticingly on the pharaoh's sarcophagus and the Naruto followed his gaze, his posture only becoming more rigid. "...You lead me right to it this time."

Naruto instinctively tried to cover the sarcophagus from Sasuke's peripheral with his hands, knowing it was pointless to hide it, but becoming unnerved nonetheless. Because this was different from everything else up til now.

Yeah it was important, and like all the other items he's recovered this held just as much historical significance. But this wasn't just about his job. This time, this was personal. His father had looked for this tomb his whole life, and Naruto was raised on its stories. It's been his dream to find it ever since he was a kid, and it's why he even became interested in archeology in the first place. He couldn't let Sasuke win.

"You're not leaving with anything from this room, Sasuke…" Naruto growled dangerously, his hands twitching to grab his own gun or the knife between his waistband. "This isn't a petty marketplace theft. You're stealing from history. This chamber, and everything in it, doesn't belong on some obese, rich guy's shelf collecting dust, it belongs in a museum."

"For fifty thousand pounds, I think I'll leave it up to my client to decide where it belongs." Sasuke said, his voice inflectionless. Naruto felt every nerve in his body crackle with the urge to pummel him into the ground as he shifted subtly into a fighting stance

They stared at each other in heavy silence, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Naruto licked his lips, watching as Sasuke's hand casually brushed against the gun in his holster, waiting for the right moment. It was when Sai's low, amused whistle pierced the air that Sasuke finally pulled the revolver out and cocked it, causing Naruto to spring forward. Before it could go off, Naruto swept a leg into the back of Sasuke's knees, making him buckle and fall flat on his back.

The gun fell out of his hand. Sasuke's brows scrunched together, momentarily stunned, but he recovered just in time to roll away as Naruto pounced on the ground, hoping to pin him down. Sasuke rolled to a stand, sprinting towards the sarcophagus. His hands stretched towards the shining serpent.

Naruto wouldn't have that. He grabbed Sasuke by his waist and threw him onto the floor, his breath hot and heavy against the others face as they rolled around, looking for any opening to incapacitate the other and claim the prize.

Sand and dirt embedded itself in their skin. Sai's whistling only grew louder at the spectacle, clapping a few times in encouragement as the blood rushed to their heads, hearts pounding inside two sets of ears.

Sasuke realized the idiot had gotten stronger since their last encounter, because he was crushed under Naruto's weight. Tan fingers dug into his shoulders and Sasuke hissed, his teeth gnashing violently inside his mouth.

"Fifty thousand pounds?!" Naruto screamed hysterically, his voice echoing against the chamber walls as he finally pinned Sasuke down. His hands tightened around pale skin. "Are you fucking serious, Sasuke?! You're standing in Awrutshimaru's tomb for christ's sake! People have been looking for this guys for hundreds of years and you're pawning off his stuff for pocket change?!"

For once Sasuke had the gall to look offended. It quickly disappeared.

"And what would you do with this if it were in your possession?" Sasuke said icily, his body straining against Naruto's as he tried to find leverage to dislodge him, not giving Naruto a chance to respond. "You would give it to a museum, where it would sit on a shelf. "

"That's…!"

"Different?" Sasuke finished for him. Before Naruto could say anything back, Sasuke took the opportunity to bash their foreheads together, making Naruto groan and loosen his hold. From there, it was easy to slip out of Naruto's grasp and even easier to reach for the idiots own gun, pulling it out of the holster.

"Shit!" Naruto gasped in surprise when a bullet, his bullets, flew past him, nearly hitting him in the arm.

"That was a close one, dickless." Sai cooed from his cushy spot on the ground. He'd make a pretty picture with a large popcorn and soda.

Sasuke smirked and picked up his original revolver, chuckling low in his throat.

This wasn't good. Usually Naruto would look for somewhere to hide, but the only thing that could possibly shield him was the sarcophagus, and he'd be damned if he ruined something that priceless just to cover his ass. And the bastard knew that.

Naruto cussed under his breath as a bullet hit the dirt right in front of his foot and he jumped back, then rolled out of the way as two more shots came. As athletic as he was, he didn't know how long he'd have to run around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off. Trying to out-run a bullet wasn't much of a strategy since Sasuke's aim was precise, calculated. Each time Naruto went in one direction the asshole was ready, just barely missing him by a fraction of an inch and reloading quickly.

"For fifty-thousand pounds, I couldn't care less if it's used as a paper weight."

Sasuke discarded his first pistol and reached into his other holster, pulling out a second one. The situation was getting heavy. It was clear Sasuke was just toying with him, and Naruto wondered if he'd really finish their game of cat and mouse for good this time.

"In a museum it can be preserved, Sasuke," Naruto said harshly, trying to level his momentum. He dived to the floor and jerked when another shell lodged itself into the sand near him. "It can be studied . The role of a museum, asshole, isn't just to show off dead bodies to grade schoolers on a field trip-gah! It's to collect objects and materials of historical importance so they can be researched!"

Naruto jumped back, another bullet just barely grazing his thigh and he swallowed thickly. It seemed like Sasuke was tiring of the game. At this rate, he was going to end up with a few holes in him if he didn't think fast.

"How in the hell do you think history books are written anyways?" Naruto questioned frantically. "By pulling theories out of our asses and shoving them onto a piece of paper?"

"The defender of justice act gets old, Naruto." Sasuke commented idly, reaching in his satchel for another clip. Sai cheerfully nodded in agreement.

If Naruto weren't bracing himself for another marathon he would have wiped that smug look off Sai's face. His only option right now was for Sasuke to run out of clips.

That moment came sooner than expected when Sasuke paused, looking confused.

The fucker ran out of bullets.

"Let me try something new then!" Naruto yelled. Naruto's knife was out and nicking Sasuke's cheek before he had a chance to blink.

Sasuke dodged back and Naruto screamed, swiping at him again. The straps across Sasuke's body holding his holsters, snapped. The empty barrels crashed to the floor; Naruto tripped over one of them, his eyes widening as he fell face first into the sand.

Sasuke was immediately on him, his haggard breathing filling the room. His crotch applied pressure into Naruto's back, and Naruto found himself flushed—from the fight.

"What was that about showing me something new, Naruto? " Sasuke whispered lowly against his ear.

His pulse spiked. The pressure increased, and all of a sudden he felt even more dizzy. If Sasuke continued to have the upper hand like this, maybe his only option was to have him listen to reason.

"Look…" Naruto started. For some reason it was difficult to structure a sentence when Sasuke was covering him with his body. "The… The only reason we know anything is because of findings like these, through the preservation of artifacts... It's through artifacts where we can uncover not only the truth about our past, but actually have some fucking insight on the future. What kind of valuable information can we get if some disgusting snob's using that thing as a show piece?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He was getting a headache listening to the moron go on and on, and he did this every time they met. Each time Naruto would give some noble reason as to why he shouldn't do this, and each time Sasuke couldn't care less. If Naruto wanted to be a martyr, that was fine. It was obnoxious, and suited him. Sasuke, however, was no saint, and he wouldn't pretend to be.

"Does research pay my rent?"

"No, but it…!"

"Then why the fuck would I care." He deadpanned, his hands smoothing across the expanse of Naruto's back before finally settling on his hips. Naruto's breath hitched nervously. He could feel Sasuke bend down, inky black locks tickling the nape of his neck. Sasuke admired the subservient position, but only briefly.

"This is for Luxor…" He murmured against the lobe of Naruto's ear, causing a shiver to wrack the archaeologist's body. The strange sensation Naruto felt before, the one that spread from the tips of his toes and scathed his cheeks was replaced with hot, searing pain.

"Fuck!" Naruto swore.

Sasuke got off and marveled at his handy work.

Naruto gritted his teeth and looked over his shoulder to find his knife, sheathed into the back of his thigh. Sasuke didn't sink it too deep, and it didn't feel like it hit an important artery but fuck did it hurt. Naruto shakily reached for it and carefully, he ripped it out.

He had to bite his lip so he wouldn't scream.

"Nngh …!"

Sasuke said nothing. He approached the heavy lid of the sarcophagus and with a low hum, motioned for Sai with his hand. Stepping over Naruto's crumpled form with not even a trace of remorse, Sai approached the other side of the sarcophagus and lifted the lid with some force. It slid to the floor with a loud clang and Sasuke smirked, reaching inside and dislodging a shining, ivory knife in the shape of a serpent from the iron like clasp of the pharaoh's grasp.

Naruto again cussed lowly, but it wasn't from the gash this time. He used the same knife that had tore into his flesh just seconds ago to rip the fabric of his shirt and he wrapped the article around the wound, applying pressure. He couldn't let Sasuke get away. He wouldn't let Sasuke get away.

"Until next time, Naruto." Sasuke murmured, idly lifting the serpent up to the light to examine it. Once he was through, it disappeared inside his satchel. He walked around Naruto and towards the chamber's exit with only a backwards glance.

"It was a definite pleasure." Sai remarked pleasantly, and the horrifying part was he sounded like he meant it. "Hopefully the next time I get you out of your pants, I won't be working for the other side."

Sasuke's face tensed before morphing into a scowl. He paused in his steps.

"What?" He hissed.

Naruto slowly stood up, ignoring the fact that he was bleeding, and watched, horrified, as Sai closed the distance between them like before. Sai smiled, his hands snaking around to firmly grasp his waist, pulling him close.

"If you ever need anything else while you're in Cairo, you know where to find me…" He murmured before there was a palm pressing firmly against his crotch. "Dickless."

Naruto had reached the end of the line.

He drove his knee directly into Sai's crotch, feeling no sympathy whatsoever when he doubled over and fell to the floor. Trying not to appear mortified, and in more pain from exerting himself, Naruto ran a shaky palm through his hand. If it were up to him, and not the law, Sai would be six-feet deep in the sand.

"I bet you wish you were dickless, right about now." Naruto snarled, limping around Sai's curled form to where Sasuke was standing, stark still. The look on his face was something he'd never seen before, even in all their previous encounters. It was concentrated. Intense.

"What did he mean by that?" Sasuke asked lowly. Naruto felt like his expression alone could collapse the structure of the tomb, and it made him hesitant to respond.

"It means that while you got what you wanted, so did I." Sai responded from his place on the floor, and Sasuke—if it were at all possible—tensed further. "Or at least… part of it."

Unsure of what exactly was going on, or even why anything that came out of Sai's mouth mattered, Naruto glared. It started to click into place.

"Oh, I see what's going on here." He huffed, turning around to look down at Sai accusingly. He was pissed that he hadn't figured it out sooner. "You're both trying to distract me! Well guess what, it… ngh, it isn't gonna work! Because neither you, or Sasuke, are leaving this place…. not until I get back that dagger. If you think just because I'm bleeding I'm going to let you waltz out of here…. heh, then you've got another thing coming."

Naruto laughed hollowly, redirecting his attention to the real culprit who was cornered and finally right where he wanted him. He wasn't getting away from him this time.

"Sasuke, the only way out of here is through that crawlspace, and you're not…"

Naruto's lips snapped shut.

Where Sasuke once stood was now an empty space, and he fell onto his hands and knees, peering through the narrow passage just in time to see Sasuke's form disappear from it. He grounded his teeth.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sai mentioned languidly, now fully recovered. "He told me to tell you that the score's now 4:3."