Title: What a wish can entail
Author: Lisea18
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I'm making no money from writing this
Author's note: English is not my first language, so please forgive my mistakes.

WARNING: this fic is very dark, containing gore, death, torture and rape!

Spoiler for chapter 475

Thank you to poor Lady Valtaya who had to suffer through this fic, and to animeaddict666 who is the only one who replied to my desperate cry for a beta. Thank you so much (hugs). My Dark muse woke up and I couldn't get her to fall asleep again so I ended up writing this. Sorry.

What a wish can entail

"I will bring him back!"

"I will save him!"

"Revenge will only bring more revenge. It's harmful. I will end this vicious circle!"

"I will become Hokage and change the world!"

Those were Naruto's wishes. His dreams. It had all begun with Sasuke; he had to drag the bastard back. Even after Sakura had given up and decided to kill him before the other countries got to him, Naruto had never lost faith. He had convinced her to fight together to get Sasuke back.. He always managed to convince people to do the right thing... except Sasuke. Neither mentioned Sakura's fake declaration of love as they sped through the trees; they had a goal to achieve before setting things right between them.

Kiba, Sai and Lee followed, not daring to argue or even comment. They dispatched surrounding Sakura and Naruto protectively. It was their role, the only thing they could do in such an intimate mission. The silence was strange with Naruto, Kiba and Lee present. Burning with conviction, the seriousness of their eyes revealed their earnest intent. A last attempt, a last grasps for a dream that might never come to fruition.

So it was in a reverent silence that they made their way toward the Kage's reunion, hoping to track Sasuke from there. As they moved through the cold air that promised snow, Akamaru suddenly whined, catching Danzo's smell.

"Let's look around to see if we find Sasuke's scent. Otherwise, we will go for Danzo," proposed Sakura. "After all, he wants Danzo's head."

"Roger," answered Kiba, jumping on Akamaru's back as they sniffed around.

Finally they went for Danzo's scent, unable to locate Sasuke's. It didn't deter them. Never had they thought this would be easy. As they went through the forest, Lee grabbed Sakura, saving her as she had triggered a deadly trap. Sai took the lead, closely followed by Akamaru and Kiba who tracked their quarry. The young Anbu saved them from many close calls as he found and undid traps in the forest. Danzo had covered his tracks. They kept going even as night was slowly falling, the wind blowing harder and freezing them to the bones.

Heaven was on their side; Akamaru caught Sasuke's scent along with Danzo's. And there was blood. They hurried, Naruto rushing forward, a hand on Akamaru's fur, as if to make sure he wasn't going to lose the trail that led him to Sasuke. As if was the only thing grounding him here, preventing him to just run and leave them behind.

As they neared the source, Kiba began to turn grey, his sensitive nose having a hard time dealing with all the smells that reached him full force. Even the others could smell it now: the metallic scent of blood, the putrid stench of burnt flesh, the rancid hint of viscera. They slowed down, on their guard.

All this time they had been running, jumping from tree to tree, but now they were walking. They crept at such a slow pace that one could wonder if they really moved. Unconsciously, they moved closer to each other. They were shivering from cold, and from a strange fear as their stomachs lurched at the stink of death. Their breath puffed in front of them, adding to the mist surrounding them, as if to blind them.

They could distinguish two bodies lying on the ground. Naruto's heart was beating in his throat; fear he might be too late twisting his insides. He took a tentative step forward and froze as a squishy sound broke the stilted silence, his feet meeting a small resistance and his sole sliding in something sticky. He jumped back, surprised.

They stood there frozen for a minute before Lee decided that they were alone with two possible corpses and they could use a light. He pulled out a scroll and threw it open, efficiently bringing into light the atrocious sight. Kiba bent over and emptied is stomach. Scent had been hard on him, sight just pushed him over the edge. Sakura, even as a medic nin, took a step back, covering her mouth. Sai and Naruto just stared in frozen stupor.

What Naruto had crushed was an eye, out of its socket. Under the pressure it had been cracked up and the vitreous humour seeped out, in all its transparent and gelatinous glory. Optic nerves were still connected to it, but they didn't lead to a head but rather an arm. A dismantled one. Naruto winced as he took in the full scene.

It was clearly Danzo's arm. Severed from its body, broken in so many pieces that pointy bits of bones poked out from mangled skin and muscles. Almost nothing could be made of it, though he could discern the remains of eyes, myriads of eyes. Some were intact enough to see they had been Uchiha eyes.

Naruto shook out of his torpor as he sensed Sakura next to him. Meeting her eyes, he guessed her silent question. He opened his mouth, but couldn't form any words. Danzo had come to the Uchiha estate after the massacre and took all the Sharingans to implant them in his arm. The man sure was an opportunist.

Naruto took a breath, almost regretting it as the smells assaulted him, turning his stomach. He closed his eyes for a second, blocking the sight just enough to compose himself again. He saw Sasuke in his mind and that gave him strength. He couldn't begin to imagine how Sasuke must have reacted to that news. Surely, it had been the last straw to his already instable psyche. That would explain the horrid state of the arm.

Moving forward again, followed by his teammates, Naruto reached Danzo's crushed corpse. It was twisted in impossible ways, blood darkening everything. His guts were split opened, intestines bulged out. The stomach was eviscerated, the yellowish content flowing on the floor. His right leg and part of the left one were missing, shrivelled up and darkened flesh from a vicious fire. Not wishing to see more, blue eyes merely glanced upon the beaten body, only to reach the head. A huge gash opened the throat in a toothless smile that seemed to laugh at them.

The right side of Danzo's face had been crushed beyond recognition, his brain adorning the pavement. An Uchiha eye had been transplanted there, welcoming Sasuke's wrath. Naruto gulped and forced his body to move, to leave this destroyed body behind to reach the other one lying a few meters away in a pool of blood. He craved to know, but feared it just as much.

Sakura gripped his hand, pulling him as she advanced, her legs shaking as she surely underwent the same turmoil. It was him, his silhouette unmistakable, even though his white kimono had turned red from all the blood. At least he seemed whole, even if they could see how torn his clothes were. He had to be littered with wounds, but were they mortal ones? They knelt together next to him.

For a moment they both stopped breathing as Sakura put her fingers on Sasuke's throat, without turning his face to them. As if afraid that it would be too much to see his face if he wasn't part of this world anymore. Sakura started crying and Naruto's heart stopped, , but then he saw her exhale with a weak smile.

He was alive.

Gently, they turned the collapsed body, revealing Sasuke's pale and bloodied face. Sakura immediately began healing the biggest injuries, bandaging the less serious ones to be tended to later. Naruto gave the thumb up to the rest of their team, more to express his joy than to tell them Sasuke was alive.

"Let's get out of here," murmured Kiba, as if breaking the silence would wake up the mutilated corpse not far from them.

He was right, they had to hurry. It was strange that Sasuke's team or even Madara wasn't around. Surely, Danzo had found a way to keep them at bay, but they couldn't know when they would be back. As Sakura finished the first aid, Sai went into action, making sure Sasuke wouldn't wake up and wouldn't be able to escape, his chakra sealed or at least lessened.

So Naruto came back home, Sasuke thrown over his shoulder and Sakura walking at his side. They had succeeded. Now, they could move on. The first step toward his dream was complete. Everything Naruto had ever hoped for was within his grasp. It was shining with happiness that he entered Konoha, his step light and cheerful. He felt everything was possible from now on.

It wouldn't be easy, but everything was going to be alright. Kakashi was the new Hokage, which would help smooth things over a lot. They would convince other villages not to kill Sasuke, even if they had to lock him up for some time. Even the Raikage would be convinced, especially since his brother was alive.

Furthermore, Kakashi had heard the Uchiha's story. It could play in Sasuke's favour. Even if both Kakashi and Naruto doubted the validity of that story. They were just lies that Madara had used to make Sasuke his puppet. Konoha wasn't like that, especially not the Sandaime. It was too farfetched. Danzo might have stolen the eyes, but Konoha didn't order the murder. It was all that nut job Itachi's doing. Danzo had just taken the opportunity to get more powerful.

It was in this confident state of mind that Naruto left Sasuke unconscious in ANBUs capable hands, watching them seal his powers in preparation for his upcoming trial and rehabilitation.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

His fingers were slowly digging into the massive wooden table, perspiration starting to gather beneath his hands as anger boiled. Kakashi still wore his familiar mask of boredom as he listened to the old coots. Contrary to Naruto, he knew Sasuke's coming back wouldn't go smoothly, but he had thought being Hokage would give him more power. It seemed he had been sorely mistaken.

The council wanted Sasuke dead to prevent any tension with other villages. Kakashi tried to delay it, to show how his former student could be useful to them. He declared that Konoha wasn't this kind of village – wheedling and weak. His pleas fell on deaf ears. Worse, they had clearly told him that he wasn't Hokage yet and had no true power.

Kakashi knew why the other villages wanted Sasuke's head. He was too strong, too dangerous, the last Uchiha. They had wanted him dead even before he became a missing nin. Now they had the perfect reason to get his head. What bugged Kakashi was that the council seemed really eager to give them such an opportunity. It would almost make Kakashi wonder about Madara's tale.

He watched as the council left, the two oldest members glancing at him on their way. Both sides knew they were far from finished. Kakashi didn't want this role. It was too much on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair his sensei had occupied. In his mind's eye, he could see Obito.

"Will I manage?" he whispered.

He had to contact Naruto. Together they might at least delay the execution. Even Danzo had been careful not to cross Naruto, knowing the village considered him a hero. They had to play on that. Furthermore, he was sure the stubborn young man might be able to convince other villages to spare Sasuke. This was their last card.

His chair squeaked shrilly as he stood, full of purpose. Climbing as fast as he could, without gathering too much attention, Kakashi reached the messenger birds. He waved away the ninjas that immediately went to help him. No eyes save his should see these words.

He watched as the bird took flight, large wings flapping graciously before buoyed by the wind. He kept his eye on it until it was only a fading dot in the clear blue sky. This was his last hope to save his student, to do what was right.

"Hokage-sama? Some disturbances have been reported at the Uchiha's cell," reported an Anbu, as he teleported to Kakashi's left, kneeling.

Cursing, Kakashi rushed to the prison, a familiar feeling of fear and foreboding tightening his chest. Had Sasuke tried to escape? Had he hurt Naruto and Sakura who were waiting for him to wake up? Kakashi shivered. When Sasuke had first woken up in jail, he had made such a racquet they had to sedate him. Naruto had been slightly depressed when he was unable to talk his friend into calming down.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Naruto was enjoying his first miso ramen with Iruka at Ichiraku. The teacher had had a hard time talking him into following him for a nice bowl of ramen, or more like dozen. He hadn't wanted to leave Sasuke's side, but Iruka had finally managed to convince him. He couldn't refuse that to his father figure, especially since the man was worried about him. It wasn't as if something would happen while he was gone, and when Sasuke woke up, Sakura would warn him immediately.

Even if the restaurant had been erased by Pein, they had made a little dome tent to continue business. Naruto was chatting excitedly about Sasuke, how he had finally managed to bring him back. All of that through gulps of hardly masticated ramens. Iruka was smiling at him, listening and shaking his head at Naruto's antics.

The town bustled along as people did business, ran errands and swapped gossip. This was Konoha: Finally at peace. Familiar. Comforting. Ichiraku's patron was wiping his hands on his apron, his daughter scolding him because she was the one doing laundry. Customers where teasing them, even flirting with the Ayame, who blushed in both shame and pleasure. You could hear the cheerful talking and laughs coming from outside where people had gathered to rebuild what had been destroyed. Villagers helped each other, giving materials, lending tolls, explaining how to do things. Younger kept an eye on the elder and vice versa. Jokes and stories where exchanged all the time, keeping the atmosphere joyous.

Naruto had just devoured his third bowl of ramen when he saw a bird coming. In seconds he was on his feet, sure it was Sakura calling for him because Sasuke had woken up. As he reached for the bird, a dull sound struck his ears. In any other place it would have been too low to be heard. Even if people had, they would have gone on, not wondering what it was. But here, it froze the whole population. It was the sound of a body hitting the ground. All eyes converged toward the centre of the thoroughfare.

What met Naruto's eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When he reached Sasuke's cell, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Outside there was no blood, nothing that should make him worry. It was the absence that made his heart pound. Where were Naruto and Sakura? He didn't feel their chakra. He couldn't sense Sasuke's either. Heedless, Kakashi swung the door open.

There weren't many things that could make Kakashi squeamish. He had seen war, corpses, mutilated ones. He had assisted in torture. He had tried to put his own father's guts back into his dead body. He had seen so many horrible things he had thought nothing could shake him anymore. This wasn't the worst he had seen, but it touched someone precious to him, showing the facts in a new light that punched him straight through the stomach.

His leather clad hand grabbed the doorsill as he steadied himself. Breathing through his masked mouth, he tried not to smell. But he refused to close his eyes out of a respect. However, he couldn't let the Anbu stay. It would violate the secret of what had happened here.

"Leave," he ordered, his voice hard steel that left no room for argument. "Find Naruto and Sakura."

As he was finally alone, Kakashi straightened up. He had to face this. He had to know everything of what had happened here. This was another of his screw ups. This was his fault. Another thing for which he had to atone. This time, he wasn't sure he would be able to pick himself back up.

Steeling his resolve, he pushed his forehead protector up, his Sharingan surveying the room. He stepped inside, finally breathing normally even as the scents assaulted him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Iruka was the first to register whose body was lying on the muddy floor, in such a state one couldn't believe his eyes. Naruto was seconds later, his mind processing the information even if it refused to acknowledge them. Iruka protectively tried to stop him from looking. It was all it took for Naruto to rush through the gathering people to the body.

"Sasuke!" he screamed, rushing to his side and gagging, eyes slewing with tears.

This couldn't be. Not proud, strong Sasuke. What lay before his eyes couldn't...He fell to his knees, shell shocked.

Eyes bulging, Naruto could only take in the sight. He couldn't move a finger but couldn't turn his head either, morbid fascination and disbelief locking his gaze on the horrid display.

Sasuke was almost unrecognizable. His dark hair was messed up, patches of it missing to reveal raw, bleeding flesh. Blood stuck the bangs together in a dirty way, as well as a gooey substance. Naruto's nostrils flared. It wasn't... this wasn't possible. He had to be mistaken. That pungent clear stuff among the blood couldn't be... they couldn't have. They were in Konoha. Sasuke's wouldn't have let them... it couldn't have happened. Naruto was shaking; the blue eyes went down his long neck, taking in the bites on the pale skin, turning purple, coated with dried blood.

On his shoulders he could see traces of burns, as if someone had extinguished cigarettes on him. Then he saw how the flesh was torn and beaten by what must have been a whip, all the raven's back had been abused this way. On top of that, someone had carved the word 'traitor' deep into the muscle and remaining flesh of his back. More semen littered the wounds. Sasuke's lower back was a pool of blood at his mangled entrance. Blood and semen still streamed from his orifice. The rancid smell of sex and violence was unbearable. Naruto wept in anguish.

Seeing the state of his ass, Naruto could tell they had been more than one and that they hadn't necessarily taken turns. His tights had been slashed and burnt too. Needles had been left in his knees, poking out. The swelling of his legs along with the purple almost dark bruises were a telltale that they had been broken. His feet hadn't been spared either, each toes broken and pierced, nails ripped off.

Shaking uncontrollably Naruto reached to turn Sasuke over, fearing what he might see. He didn't even know if Sasuke was alive. He wanted him to be but a little voice told him that maybe it would be best if he wasn't. He was too petrified to call for a medic nin, unconsciously knowing Iruka would deal with that. For the moment, Naruto just couldn't turn his eyes from his broken teammate.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kakashi had taken in the scene, every little detail of it. Now he had to make sense of it. Of course he had already a pretty neat idea of what had happened here, but this wasn't enough. He needed to know more. He needed to know who had done this to Sasuke.

He was to blame. He hadn't thought this would happen, not in Konoha. When the ANBU had came to report, he had thought Sasuke had done something stupid. He had blamed him. He had been sorely mistaken. Sasuke had been the one to suffer... In this room, they had tortured and raped him. He would never forgive the culprit, or himself. He had no clues to where they could have taken him, or perhaps his corpse, so he needed to get as much out of this room as possible. He had already sent his dogs to warn people he trusted so they could start looking. He knew Naruto and Sakura were safe. Their blood wasn't here. Since they tortured Sasuke on the spot, it made no sense for them to move the other two.

As he pondered, the grey-haired man had walked back to the beginning of the scene; where Sasuke had been clapped in irons. He had been there at the time, had made sure the cuff didn't bite into his flesh. He had tried to have him in a relatively comfortable position so that, when he woke up, he wouldn't hurt too much. He had been the one to choose the chain in the middle, so Sasuke could be a little freer with his movements. Kakashi bit his lips through is mask, guilt threatening to engulf him.

He crouched next to a pool of blood. Sasuke's ripped shirt was drenched in it, his eyes taking in how it had splattered everywhere around. They had whipped him, certainly until no skin was left on his back. Trembling slightly, he dragged a finger in that reddish liquid. Without hesitation he dragged his mask off, and started drawing complicated arcs on his face, centring on his nose. He was using a jutsu that gave him the same sense of smell as a dog. He could have asked Pakkun. In a way, he thought this was his duty. Even if he was torturing himself.

Now he could discern all the subtle differences in scents. He could even smell the feelings, the heady pheromones. Now he would know the monsters who had done such a thing. There had been five. He fisted his hands, his nails biting into the leather of his gloves. He could smell how excited they had been, how they had fed on another's suffering. He could smell Sasuke's hatred, anger, his pain...

How had he felt when he woke up? Sasuke had always been very instinctive. He would have felt them, felt the evil intent oozing from them. He must have guessed what they had in store for him. Had they laughed? Had they taunted him?

"Hey look, the princess is awakening," snickered a man, a lavish grin on his face.

They surrounded him, leering, desire glazing their eyes. They brushed against him, teasing, wanting to scare him. Sasuke didn't react, his dark eyes hard and unrelenting, even defiant. One of them grabbed his chin, forcing his head up only to be met by a superior smirk.

They punched him but didn't manage to even alter Sasuke's cocky smirk nor the disdain on his face. He had spit on them.

"Don't worry, princess. We will take good care of you, until you beg," had sneered one of them.

Kakashi's eyes darted to the corner of the room. The whip lay there, covered in blood but torn. He smiled sadly; of course Sasuke would have found a way to fight back. Someone had had his nose broken, the one holding the whip, since his blood was on the handle. Another one had had his mouth hit; he had bitten the inside of his mouth, blood and mucous membrane spitted on the floor as proof. This meant Sasuke had managed to free himself of his bonds, and there one keyhole had been destroyed. There was only one way to do so, and Kakashi was pleased that he had made sure Sasuke's cuff weren't too tight.

They started whipping him. Sasuke looked at them straight in the eyes as they did so, no sound escaping his lips. Even as his body began to rock under the harsh hits, he didn't give them the pleasure of voicing his pain.

He bid his time, waiting for the opportune moment. All the while he twisted his hands. They probably thought it was a way to distract himself from the suffering. They were sorely mistaken. Sasuke dislocated his thumb.

"Look, he winced!" exulted a man.

Feeling more confident, the one with the whip had taken a deeper swing before slashing toward Sasuke. It wrapped around the dark-haired teen's newly freed right arm. Then he pulled, taking the unsuspecting man by surprise. As soon as the man lost his balance and fell, Sasuke broke his nose and stole a kunai.

Instead of getting rid of the man, he freed himself. He jumped, avoiding his enemies attempt to catch him. Using the chains to stay in the air just long enough he had slammed the kunai in the lock on his left wrist, freeing himself. As he went back down, he had kicked one in the jaw and threw the kunai at another, but had missed.

Kakashi stared at the kunai embed in the wall, a huge crack revealing the force of impact. His gaze trailed down, a bit farther from where Sasuke had been chained. He could see the traces of a fight, blood from all the parties. He deciphered the complex arches and drops of blood that showed how much Sasuke had resisted. But five trained ninja against one injured and sealed? It had been desperate from the beginning.

The former Anbu knelt where blood and sweat told him Sasuke had fallen. They had beaten him, kicking him so hard that he had thrown up. He would have some broken ribs. But Kakashi knew they had avoided the face as to not spoil his beauty. Then they had drug him by the hair, stray tendrils of hair proof of it, as well by the telltale trail in the blood. Kakashi had to close his eyes for a moment as scent suggested the emotional aura of the scene.

Sasuke's pupils were dilated in suffering as they grabbed him, unceremoniously dragging him a few steps. He was fighting the burning pain of his broken ribs, his hair being uprooted not distracting him at all.

"Not so cocky anymore are we, princess?"

He spit on them, smirk firmly in place. Dark fathomless eyes conveying how pitiful he thought they were; the hatred, defiance and stubbornness intact. Steady. They could break his body, but they would never break him.

A man lifted his hand, ready to slap or punch in indignation, but another stopped him.

"Don't spoil the goods. He's got such a pretty face."

"Don't worry. He will soon regret being born when we will fuck him raw and good."

"I bet he's gonna like it," leered a man, licking his lips.

"But first let's temper him down a bit, shall we?"

Kakashi's eyes had watered at seeing the needles littering the ground. He knew all too well what their purpose was. He could smell poison, one that made the joints swell so unbearably it drove many crazy. It must have been hard for Sasuke not to scream in agony as they pierced his body with those needles. They had left some in his knees, so he couldn't move right. His toes must have been broken too, Kakashi would have. But not his fingers, maybe hoping they would destroy his spirit enough to force him to use his hands later to pleasure them. Kakashi bet they hadn't managed. He didn't dwell more on how they had tortured him. But he gave a sad smile when he detected some of Sasuke's opponents' blood on the discarded needles.

Tenderly, he reached for some strands of dark hair, dirtied by blood, and pressed them to his heart. He took a shaky breath and went to the next scene. They had dragged him there again. That's when things had gotten dirty, but not before Sasuke had proved once again his unyielding spirit.

He had finally calmed down enough. They could start having fun without risking much. They were so excited. He was a nice piece of meat, and he would be so tight. If they were lucky he was even a virgin That would be delicious. That was all that pretty prick deserved. And one couldn't pass such a delectable opportunity, right?

They surrounded him, one still holding him by the hair. They ripped his pants and underwear, amused by the fact he kicked and fought, even in his state. Then, they freed their erections. The leader of the group was the first to move forward, proud and grinning. He tilted Sasuke's head to him, admiring the nice features.

"Open your mouth, princess," he ordered.

Sasuke didn't obeyed. Someone forced his mouth open, bruising his jaw in the process. The man plunged in, not having to be considerate toward his partner.

"Oh yeah that's good!"

He bucked his hips a few times, forcing Sasuke's mouth wide open, tearing his lips. He slid his hands in the dark hair, forcing Sasuke to move with him, pressing him forward, making him gag. Then he hurled in agony as Sasuke bit down, the one holding his jaw distracted by the scene. Sasuke didn't missed his chance, and he clamped his mouth closed so hard that he severed that offending member before spitting it out.

Sasuke smiled through the blood in his mouth, trailing down his chin.

Kakashi could almost hear Sasuke chuckle at their shock, at the screams of hatred and anguish of the castrated man. He had to suppress the urge to step on that disgusting organ until it turned to pulp. It was evidence: He couldn't destroy it.

Kakashi clutched harder the silky strands of dark hair. Things had turned even more horrible from there. They had been furious beyond imagination. More beating had taken place and then...

Kakashi could see and smell the sperm, could sense the agony.

Sasuke face down on the ground as they raped him. Sasuke restrained as they tore his body. Sasuke pinned to the floor as they took turn. Sasuke fighting down screams as they teamed up on him, irredeemably ripping him.

Pressing his head against the wall for a moment, Kakashi fought back the impressions. He felt wetness on his fingers, still griping Sasuke's hair, and realized he was crying. He didn't want to know more of what had happened here. His imagination told him enough already.

Opening eyes he hadn't realized he closed, Kakashi let a soulless laugh escape him at what he saw and smelt. Sasuke had pierced his eyes, stealing away their trophy, refusing them the Sharingan. He had struggled till the end, fought tooth and nails, never relenting.

Finally reaching the end, Kakashi took in the torn out nails and the cut tongue. More blood and an acrid smell told him a broken rib had stabbed one of Sasuke's organs. There was smoke and the smell of singed flesh, from where they had extinguished their cigarette on Sasuke. There was a discarded butt, the tainted end coated with blackened skin. Kakashi stayed still a moment. Grieving.

"Hokage-sama! We found him!" urged an Anbu at the door.

Kakashi put his mask back up. Still holding Sasuke's hair, he followed the Anbu.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As Naruto finally managed to turn Sasuke over, he howled in anguish. What had they done to him? What had they done! He angrily wiped his tears and took a shaky breath as he saw Sasuke's chest rise and lower faintly. He was alive, but unconscious.

Naruto pushed a bloody clump of hair away and bit his lips hard enough to draw blood. Sasuke had put his eyes out. It was obvious it was his doing: No one would have destroyed Sharingan. They would have tried to steal them as Danzou had. To think Sasuke had gone to this extent... What had been his state of mind? Naruto couldn't even begin to fathom it.

"We will cure you, you will see," he whispered more to himself than to Sasuke.

He needed to believe that. He would never live his guilt down if Sasuke didn't make it. It wasn't possible for him to die. Sasuke had to stay in Konoha, his true home. He had to acknowledge him, he had to train with him, to see him become Hokage. He couldn't die. He couldn't die this way.

Not able to look at the bleeding pits where Sasuke's eyes were supposed to be, Naruto dropped his gaze on those once full lips. They had puffed up under the abuse, the corner cracked and blood covering everything to the chin, along with sperm that had been released on his face. Instinctively, Naruto wanted to clean up his face, but he didn't even know where to start.

He had to avert his eyes, but once again he couldn't help but look lower, look at the dreadfulness. On Sasuke's slender neck, with the burns and bites, were the distinct marks of hands. They had chocked him to hold him down. He could find the same traces on Sasuke's arms. Needles had been stuck at his elbow. At his wrists, some rough binding had bitten into the supple flesh, leaving red marks to reveal that Sasuke had fought tooth and nails. His fingers had been broken and his nails pulled off. Seeing the strange angle of Sasuke's left arm, Naruto guessed they had dislocated his shoulder.

On Sasuke's torso, the rancid sperm was everywhere. Bite marks littered the skin, along with deep dark bruises, especially at the ribs. Naruto bet some were broken. He cursed and balled his fists as he saw Sasuke's nipples, torn by cruel teeth.

But even that hadn't readied him for when he looked at Sasuke's hips and pelvis. Hand marks were darker and more concentrated, deep red furrows from nails. Naruto gagged at the view of Sasuke's manhood. It was an angry red, almost dark and fully erected. They had pushed a needle inside Sasuke's urethra and forced it to stay hard. Then, they had pricked needles everywhere through the sensitive flesh. Not an inch of Sasuke's penis had been spared.

Naruto didn't know what to do. He couldn't move him without risking injuring him further. He felt so useless, powerless. He needed to do something, anything to help… As the initial shock wore off, he could hear the whispers of the people slowly gathering around them, feel their eyes taking in what he had seen.

"It's a pitiful sight." Someone nearby gasped, sounding almost as horrified as Naruto felt.

He could hear some people part the crow and leave, certainly villagers that weren't shinobi and couldn't stand such violence. He could hear murmurs of how horrible it was, wondering of what had happened.

Immediately, he fumbled with his orange and black jacket. He should have done that sooner, not letting anyone else see Sasuke like this. He almost laughed, knowing Sasuke would detest having Naruto's horrid orange garment on him, but the small smile faded in the face of reality.

Smoothly, he moved to drape his jacket over Sasuke, only to have his hands violently slapped away. He gasped in surprise, happiness and relief bringing back tears to his eyes.

"Sasuke!" he called, reaching to him only to be pushed away again.

Naruto felt a pang of hurt at that. Then he saw how Sasuke was huddled up on himself, barely able to rest his weight on his right elbow, his broken body not responding. His eyes were open, but only a mass of coagulated blood where nerves remained could be distinguished. He was like an injured tiger, on his guard, cornered.

"Sasuke, it's okay. It's me," soothed Naruto, reaching for him once again.

In this state of mind, maybe Sasuke hadn't recognized him. He was met with an angry hiss and a blinded movement of rejection as Sasuke scrambled back. To Naruto, it might as well have been a slap in the face. He staggered toward him, only not falling because he was already sitting.

"Sasuke, let me help you," he pleaded, his voice hoarse.

An indistinct gurgle was the only reply. Puzzled, Naruto watched Sasuke's mouth move, but not making another sound until he began to cough blood. They had cut out his tongue, he finally realized. And his internal injuries were getting worse. The bruising along his ribs was growing, darkening at an alarming pace. With his frantic movements, his puncture wounds were oozing blood and pus.

But that didn't stop Sasuke from trying to stand, despite the broken bones in his mangled body. Naruto was amazed that he managed to remain conscious at all. People gasped and moved away as he vainly tried to move forward, stumbling at first, then finally collapsing to his knees. Naruto had reached out to catch him, but another swing of Sasuke's arm had stopped him.

"Sasuke!" came the distressed scream of Sakura, Iruka hot on her heels.

Naruto turned to her, hope shining in his blue eyes. She could heal this! She would make him all better... But she stayed back. Shaking her head in disbelief as she began to cry, hand on her mouth, eyes wide as they filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry…they said a very badly injured patient needed me… I… I'm so sorry," she whispered between hiccups.

"That scum got what he deserved," a woman in the crowd grumbled in disgust before turning and walking away.

Naruto didn't know what to do. Desperate, he turned to Sasuke, collapsed on the street once more. Blood bubbled from his opened mouth as he struggled to move, even if it meant to crawl.

He couldn't leave Sasuke like this. But he was utterly powerless. He turned around, looking for help but only meeting the unmoving crowd. Very few people wore faces with sympathy. Iruka stood nearby, looking as shocked and horrified as him and Sakura. Naruto scowled, staring at the girl, why? How could she of all people just stand there staring with everyone else? She was a medic-nin! She should do something!

"Sakura!" he urged, but she stayed rooted on the spot, head buried in her hands.

Unwilling to waste any more time, Naruto moved to Sasuke again. Once again he was rebuffed, Sasuke's movements feeble but their meaning so painfully clear. Naruto could feel the hatred, anger and overwhelming betrayal radiating from his friend. It was a combination so strong and potent that it somehow kept Naruto away for a moment before he tried again to help.

The other balked once more, pulling away as if burned by his gentleness. Sasuke was growing weaker by the minute. Naruto could sense his suffering and he pressed closer desperately, his hand closing on one naked shoulder. He was calm but unrelenting as Sasuke growled again, more blood bubbled up out of his mouth. Naruto winced as a shattered hand closed on his wrist, only to push him away again. It was painfully cold.

"Sasuke I," but Naruto didn't finish because Sasuke's breathing had changed and he shuddered violently before coughing up more blood.

He was still panting as he struggled to keep breathing with his injuries. His breath was raw and laboured; but now it was fading. It was little more than a deep gurgling sound as it slowed, as if finally losing its desperation. Sasuke's shoulders sagged and he rested on his right elbow again for a moment, as if just holding his head up was too much.

"Traitor," someone in the back of the crowd hissed coldly.

"What happened?"

"It's the Uchiha?" someone on the other side asked.

"Yeah, not so pretty anymore though, is he?"

"Oh dear, it's so horrible"

Naruto bristled at the haughty whispers around them, but he doubted that Sasuke was still conscious of them. He was going to tell them to stop, that they didn't understand, but Sasuke coughed again. As he choked on more blood, his grip loosened. His hand finally slipped, falling motionless into the street. Naruto couldn't see through his tears, but he scooted closer automatically as Sasuke's other limbs finally began to stop struggling and relaxed. Sasuke's skin was strangely cold and his harsh, gurgling breaths had become frighteningly infrequent.

This time when Naruto reached out to hold him, Sasuke didn't push him away. He was completely still and Naruto wanted to believe that this was a sign that Sasuke didn't hate him. And yet he had to look away from Sasuke's face. Even closed, those empty eye sockets were a horrifying image that Naruto knew would haunt him for the rest of his life.

His breathing was still that horrible wet, gurgling sound, but it had softened as it continued to slow. Now it almost reminded Naruto of the purring of a newborn kitten. Finally, his broken body went completely slack. Sasuke's weight collapsed completely against Naruto's chest, his face tipping to the side, hidden in the folds of the blonde's shirt.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, and yet Naruto was barely aware of the drying blood and sticky sperm smeared on him as he clutched Sasuke tighter. His heart stopped as he tried to accept what all of this meant. He shook his head, still hoping to hear another shaky breath from Sasuke. Nothing came. Closing his arms around the broken body, he blinked back tears as if holding him would be enough to keep him in this world. Dilated blue eyes darted everywhere to find help and met Kakashi's, and saw him standing near Sakura, crying as he shook his head.

It was too late.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew without looking up that it was Iruka's. "Naruto… I-I'm so sorry…" the Chuunin whispered softly, his fingers clenching in sympathy.

More whispers flitted through the crowd. "He deserved it."

"But aren't this a bit over the top?"

"He's a missing nin!"

Naruto shakily grabbed his discarded jacket and pulled it across Sasuke's shoulders, covering as much as he could of his best friend's body. There was no more heartbeat against him, there was no familiar pulse of chakra. Just emptiness – a hollowness so big it felt as if falling into an endless pit.

Then off to the left, another murmur. "Missing nin indeed, how could he be so stupid as to be taken alive in the first place?"

Naruto clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He was the one to bring him back, back to what he thought was Sasuke's home. This was his fault. He had forced him to come back, despite knowing it was against Sasuke's will. Worse still, he had left him to endure this kind of torture alone. He should never have left him.

Guilt began to eat at his mind, drying his mouth.

It was like a vicious poison, spreading everywhere, slowing taking his mind away. Naruto was shaking in anguish, petting Sasuke's hair. He was rocking them both as he silently apologized to his friend for killing him, for destroying him so completely. It was overwhelming, this guilt that slipped into each pore of his being, everywhere that felt remotely empty.

And Sasuke's death left plenty of emptiness to feel.

But guilt was a vicious thing… it wanted more…

"They must have had so much fun…"

Naruto growled low in his throat as he heard that comment spoken with sadistic glee. The other whispers, more gentle didn't reach his ears. Only those able to fuel his pain did.

And just like that, his guilt found what it wanted – someone else to blame, something that would make Naruto feel less like clawing his way out of his own body. The assholes that had killed and abused Sasuke deserved death. These worthless people laughing at Sasuke's demise were guilty too. And Sakura? Maybe she was the worst of all. How could she have done nothing? Where had she been!

Then he gasped as he remembered; she had tried to make him drop searching for Sasuke, because she had wanted to kill him herself. Of course she hadn't even tried to ease his suffering. They all deserved to be punished.

Guilt had found something to make Naruto believe he could act. Something that would make him sink even deeper. Naruto wasn't ready to let go of Sasuke yet, but for the first time in his life, he truly understood the meaning of hatred… the thirst for revenge.

For the first time, he came close to understanding Sasuke.

All the while, he could hear Kyuubi laughing in his mind.

-END-