Hey there, my fine people! So here we are with the BIG REVEAL chapter - and I mean that literally because this bad boy is 12,500 words long, my pretties! You might want to get comfortable :D

I'm not even going to bother saying sorry for how late this chapter is, because it was a complete bitch to write, guys. Honestly, with the flashbacks and the switching between angst and fluff, it was really hard to write. And for those of you who hate my long chapters, I'm sorry! I couldn't stop the flow ~

Oh! And before I forget, Congrats to Hanairoh for pretty much figuring out the pasts of the boys (Not that it was that hard :) ) and to A fictional fan for pushing me to get my ass in gear for this chapter!

Anywho- Disclaimers the same as usual and warnings of adult language and mentions of sexual assault. Consider yourselves warned!

Enjoy!

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Chapter Nine – Hidden Scars

Naruto felt like shit. He woke that morning with the biggest headache ever and decided before he had even opened his eyes that he was not going to school. The thought of having to sit through maths and then do double P.E. was enough to make him dizzy and he had yet to move. No, it was a pyjama day for sure.

After about ten minutes of trying and failing to ignore that pain and go back to sleep, he accepted the fact that he was going to need a fair dose of medicine to help with the sickness. He placed his hand to his forehead in frustration. He had a fever as well. Bloody brilliant. With great difficulty he forced himself to roll out of bed and scope out his apartment for cold medicine. He was sure that Iruka had left him some a few weeks ago.

After gratefully swigging back the medicine, he grabbed his duvet and resigned himself to the hours of daytime TV that lay ahead. He could have watched movies but that would mean he would have to keep getting up to change the disk and that wasn't cool at the moment. As he settled himself down, he pondered phoning Iruka to tell him that he was sick. He shot the idea down pretty quickly; Iruka would have just worried more than was necessary over a cold and a fever and it wasn't as if his guardian would know if he went to school or not. He should probably phone Sasuke though, to let him know not to wait for him.

Sasuke.

Damn! Naruto thought bitterly as he forced himself off the sofa, determined to go and get dressed. Sasuke had sounded so shaken last night, Naruto knew that whatever they had to talk about was big and he was not about to miss out on it because of a little cold. Before he had taken a few steps, a wave of dizziness hit and he slumped to the floor, his forehead resting against the cool laminate underneath. Okay, so maybe it was more than just a head cold.

Sighing, he crawled back over to the sofa and grabbed his phone, praying that Sasuke would pick up. He breathed out in relief when he got a bad-tempered, "Hn?"

"Hey, Sasuke…Um, you okay?"

There was silence for a few seconds and Naruto held his breath, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't close up on him again. "…Yeah. I will be once…you know."

Naruto coughed and rubbed his eyes, willing his head to stop pounding so loudly so he could concentrate. "You're going to have to come over after school, Teme. I've come down with something and I swear there are elephants in my brain."

He waited for a reply but received nothing. "Sasuke?"

"Oh…yeah. I'll come over later, then. Are you feeling okay?"

Naruto smiled, "I'll live. Just need rest, I think. So later then, yeah?"

"Sure. Go to bed, Naruto."

"Yes, your eminence."

Chuckling, he hung up and settled himself among the cushions, determined to try and sleep the dizziness away. God, he thought bitterly, of all the days to get sick…

He wondered about Sasuke as he drifted into a fitful sleep, hoping that what he had to tell Naruto was something the both of them could handle and that Naruto could help him through his obvious pain and worry. And he wondered if the gentle and concerned tones that Sasuke used just now was common when he talked to sick people or if Naruto was the only person he spoke to like that.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Sasuke stared at his phone for a few minutes before his gaze landed on his packed school bag. He was still shaken up from the letter and the thought of having to go through the whole school day alone with the idea of Kabuto lingering in his brain was not a happy prospect. Before he let himself think about what he was doing, he had removed his school uniform in favour of a plain black t-shirt and some faded black jeans. He left his bag where it was and went downstairs barefoot.

"Morning, Kiddo." Kakashi greeted without looking up from the paper. "Ready for school?"

"I'm not going," Sasuke replied, already in the process of sliding toast under the grill. They had a toaster but he liked it better like this, with melted cheese and tomato.

"Oh," He simply nodded as if he had predicted that Sasuke would be absent. "Have you phoned and told Naruto? You walk together, right?"

Sasuke grunted, keeping a watchful eye on the toast so it didn't burn. "He called me. He's sick so he isn't going either."

"Sick?"

"Yeah; he said he had a huge headache and he wanted to rest. I'm going to go over to his flat later and check on him." And pour out my heart and soul while I'm at it, he added in his brain. He removed his toast and added the cheese and tomato before sliding it back under to heat.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully and folded the paper up. "You should make him some soup or something."

Sasuke straightened up, "Why?"

"Because for all we know he has a fever and a stomach bug. He may not be able to keep down food but apparently, chicken soup is supposed to help sick people."

"So I should make him some chicken soup?"

"Yes."

"I don't know how to make soup, though."

"Look it up – You're a clever lad, I'm sure you can figure it out."

Sasuke sighed, thinking that the soup idea was a good one but that he didn't want to really screw it up and make Naruto feel even worse than he already did.

"Can you help me?" Years ago it would have grieved Sasuke to ask for any sort of help but after what he had been through, he knew that there were more important things than his pride, especially where Kakashi was concerned.

"Sorry, Kiddo," Kakashi said, sounding not in the least bit apologetic, "I have a hot date with Iruka today."

Sasuke paused, "Seriously?"

Kakashi grinned, looking very smug, "Yup. We are going on an all-day date. First shopping, then dinner and then back to his house for a drink or two. Can you ask Naruto if you can stay at his apartment tonight?"

Sasuke took a second to process that before blinking. "Uh…Sure."

"Great. I'm going to head out then – I want to get a gift for Iruka before our date." With that he strode out of the room, a definite spring in his step. "Oh and Sasuke? Your toast is burning."

"Fuck!"

Sasuke pulled his toast out from under the grill, burning his fingers on melted cheese as he did so. He cursed when he saw the blacken tomatoes but figured he had other things to worry about. He sucked on his abused finger tips as he pondered his course of action. He was supposed to make soup of something for Naruto? And ask to stay at his place? And somehow talk about his whole past with his friend?

Why couldn't he have been that one that was sick?

Deciding that Google never failed, Sasuke ventured up to his room to try and find a recipe for Naruto and go from there. After all, it was going to be a very long day.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

As Sasuke stood just off the stairwell and in front of Naruto's apartment, he wondered if he should have called to let the blond know that he would be early. Well, they had never really said a specific time and Sasuke figured that the longer he put it off, the more likely he was to talk himself out of it. With this philosophy in mind, he took a deep breath and knocked the door.

After a minute of standing there, Sasuke was tense and ready to bolt when he could finally make out footsteps on the other side of the door. It swung open and Sasuke got a load of Naruto, who was standing with his shoulders slumped and his forehead pressed against the doorjamb. His eyes were slightly glazed and his face was flushed with fever. He had to blink a few times before his eyes cleared up.

"T-Teme? What you doing here?" He asked, his words slightly slurred and breathy. Sasuke blinked and then held out the foil-covered pot he had brought with him.

He cleared his throat, "I, um, well you're sick so I thought – well, Kakashi thought – that you probably wouldn't eat anything. So I made you this." His words came out in a jumbled mess and he wanted to kick himself for sounding so nervous. He tried to tell himself that it was because he was apprehensive about talking to Naruto but deep down he knew that the root of his nervousness had a lot more to do with the boy stood in front of him than the words they would share later.

"Thanks, dude. You coming in?" Naruto took a step backwards and swept an arm inward, indicating that Sasuke should enter first. The raven haired teen took the offer without hesitation.

Naruto's apartment was actually cleaner than Sasuke had been expecting. There were unwashed bowls sitting in the sink and the coffee table was littered with some magazines and school books but it lacked the food and general bomb-site appeal that Sasuke had expected. The floors were a pale laminate and the walls cream but the coffee table was a cherry wood and the sofa was black fabric. The black also dominated the kitchen surfaces and the fridge but the cream and white dotted around the place made the place look very homey rather than morbid.

"So," Naruto asked, shuffling over to the sofa and sitting down with a sigh. "What did you make me?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Chicken ramen. Figured you would enjoy it more than soup."

Naruto groaned, "Dude, you are officially a legend. No doubt."

Sasuke chuckled and decided to make himself useful. He searched the kitchen cupboards and drawers for a clean bowl and cutlery then spooned in a good portion of the noodles, making sure that there was plenty of broth. He re-covered the canteen he had brought with him.

"There's more if you want extra but I wouldn't eat too much right away."

"S'alright." Naruto said as he took the bowl from Sasuke with a thank you. Standing this close, Sasuke could see that there was a thin sheen of sweat on Naruto's face and arms and before he could stop himself, he had pressed the back of his hand to Naruto's forehead. He was really burning up.

"Geez, Dobe. Your fever is worse than I thought." He muttered, absently running his fingers through Naruto's blond locks. He scowled when he realised what he was doing and forced himself to stop.

"I'll be alright. Noodles are good." Naruto breathed, his eyes drooping slightly and nowhere near as bright as they usually were.

Sasuke looked helplessly around the apartment, wondering what he could do to help. He deposited his bag near Naruto's feet and then headed back into the kitchen area. He could still see Naruto and he watched him with unwavering concern as he filled the sink with hot, frothy water and began to clean the dirty dishes.

"Teme, leave that…you shouldn't…"

"It's fine, Naruto. You just eat, okay?" He silently cursed how soft and fruity his voice was when speaking to the blond but he couldn't help it. He wanted to take care of Naruto, which in itself was a rarity, considering he had never taken care of a sick person before. Then again, he had never had to nurse a person's wounds before he met Naruto either so maybe the blond was just opening up a new side of him.

He watched as Naruto slowly ate what was in his bowl tipping his head back to drink the left over broth at the bottom. Sasuke scrubbed the dishes clean and left them on the drainer to dry before hurrying over to Naruto to stop him from getting to his feet.

"You stay put." He ordered, gently pushing Naruto's shoulders until the blond conceded and lay back against the cushions again. "I'll finish this up, you just chill for a while, okay?"

Naruto nodded weakly and Sasuke noted his dry lips and rasping breathing. He fetched his friend a glass of cold water and perched on the edge of the sofa. "Here, tilt your head back." Naruto did and Sasuke tipped small sips of the drink into the sick boy's mouth, making sure to wet his lips. After Naruto had had about ten sips, Sasuke placed the glass on the coffee table and went to get a cold, damp cloth that he placed on Naruto's forehead before returning to the kitchen to finish the dishes. Naruto sighed in contented relief.

When he next turned around, Naruto was fighting off sleep. His eyes were drooping but he kept forcing them back open, trying to focus on Sasuke. The raven haired boy smiled indulgently and perched on the edge of the sofa again.

"Go to sleep, Dobe. You need to rest."

"No…promised…we'd talk…" Naruto managed, even though he was losing the battle with his eyelids.

"Forget it, Dobe," Sasuke said softly, gripping one of Naruto's wrists lightly in his hand and rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. Warmth filled his chest at the knowledge that even though Naruto was suffering from high fever, he was still more concerned about Sasuke. "You need to focus on your health."

"No…promised…"

Sasuke sighed and gave into his urge, running the fingers of his free hand repeatedly through Naruto's hair, part of him registering how soft and silky the strands were.

"I'll still be here when you wake up, Naruto. I'm not going anywhere." He promised softly, not caring if the tenderness he felt showed on his face or not. Naruto had his eyes closed. "Don't worry about a thing and just go to sleep. Please."

Naruto's head nodded almost imperceptibly and his breathing slowly began to ease out. Before he was completely dragged under, his own hand travelled up and he squeezed Sasuke's fingers. The contact felt like a bolt of electricity shooting through Sasuke who was now acutely aware of how close he and Naruto were sitting. And of how he had no desire whatsoever to move.

"…'Suke…" With that last breath of Sasuke's name, Naruto's head lolled slightly to one side and he finally succumbed to sleep.

"Dobe," Sasuke whispered, continuing to stroke Naruto's head and rub his inner wrist even though the blond was dead to the world. "What are you doing to me?"

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Naruto was very warm and content. Part of him knew that he should probably open his eyes, that he wasn't in his bed where he should be, but he was simply too comfortable to face the world just yet. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered a humming in the back ground and he frowned a little. Only he hummed in his apartment.

Slowly, his senses reawakened and he became aware of a truly heavenly scent permeating the air around him and he allowed the smell to drag him from his sleepy haze. He cracked his eyes open to see that the sun was setting and the living room was bathed in orange light and shadow. He was cocooned in his duvet as well as the throw off the back of the sofa and at some point he had been fully laid out on the sofa with his head on his bed pillow rather than the sofa cushions. No wonder he was so comfortable.

He sat up slowly and a damp cloth landed in his lap from its place on his forehead. Confused, he tried to remember what had happened before he fell asleep while searching for the person in his apartment. He had been expecting Iruka, so was a little shocked to see Sasuke standing at the stove, watching over whatever it was that smelled so good. He was humming gently to himself as he stirred the contents of the saucepan, the soft tones carrying over to where Naruto was sitting. He sang rather beautifully.

Naruto couldn't help but stare at his friend and was floored, and not for the first time, by how angelically attractive he was. His raven hair fell to his shoulders, soft and silky looking and in complete contrast to the unblemished, pale skin he was blessed with. Naruto still remembered how nice all that hair had felt in his hands when he comforted Sasuke after his panic attack. From where he was sitting, Naruto couldn't see Sasuke's eyes, but he knew that he loved the endless black depths that held intelligence and sorrow in equal measure. Sasuke had the look of someone who had grown up way too fast and lost so much and yet it was the glimmer of hope in those eyes that Naruto hung on to. Yes, Sasuke had eyes like his own.

His eyes travelled further over Sasuke's body and he took note of how the black t-shirt he wore was slightly tight and highlighted the toned muscles underneath. His arms were toned and the strength in his biceps was obvious. The black jeans were faded but suited Sasuke very well, the denim hugging his long legs in all the right places. Sasuke finished off the look with black converse. Had anyone else worn the ensemble, Naruto would have thought they were gothic or emo with all of the black, but it just worked for Sasuke.

After what felt like an age, Sasuke turned and shocking blue eyes met onyx. Sasuke's eyes widened and he hurried over to Naruto's side, wiping his hands on a towel as he did.

"You're finally awake, Dobe." He said as he crouched next to the coffee table and reached a hand out to Naruto's forehead. "I think your fever is breaking – your temperature has dropped a little. How's the headache?"

Naruto blinked, "Um," Suddenly, with Sasuke so close it was a little hard to concentrate and his mouth was drier than it had been. "Uh…It's better than it was earlier. What are you still doing here?"

Sasuke's eyes softened and he smiled slightly. Naruto loved it what he smiled because the blond knew that he only smiled at people he was really close to. "I promised I would be here when you woke up. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Naruto didn't know what to say to that so he simply stared, taking in the openness of Sasuke's face and wishing that the taller boy would let his shields drop more often because as striking as Naruto thought his eyes were, they were ten times more beautiful when they were open and smiling. After a few moments, he realised he was still staring and probably freaking Sasuke out so he looked out of the window and coughed awkwardly.

"How long was I asleep?"

Sasuke shrugged and checked his watch, "I got here about midday and you fell asleep not long after. It's seven o'clock now."

"What?" Naruto said sitting up straighter and shaking his head, "Why would you stay for that long?"

Sasuke frowned, "Because I was worried about you. I was going to phone Iruka but he has a date with Kakashi tonight so I decided to stay with you instead and make sure you were okay…"

Naruto was struck with how cute Sasuke was when he blushed.

"Are you hungry?"

Before Naruto could answer, his stomach growled loudly and it was Naruto's turn to blush. "Ahem…yeah…"

Sasuke chuckled, "I'll get the food. You stay put."

Naruto huffed; So Sasuke is a closet mother hen. Who knew? Ignoring his marching orders, he shuffled off the sofa and sat cross-legged on the floor by the coffee table, clearing the surface of the magazines and schoolbooks to make room for Sasuke. He had just moved his biology book when Sasuke placed a large bowl in front of him with a glass of water and two pain relief pills.

"You should take these with food," He said when Naruto looked at him questioningly. "It should help the fever and the headache more and the stew should go easy on your stomach."

Naruto was almost struck speechless by Sasuke's thoughtfulness. "Wow," He gave Sasuke one of his brightest grins, "Thanks…so much, Sasuke."

The tall raven haired boy smiled almost fondly and joined Naruto at the table where they ate in content silence for the majority of the meal, Naruto stealing glances at Sasuke from under his eyelashes, noting how the older boy ate with careful precision and very neatly while Naruto was a rather messy eater and was constantly wiping his mouth with his napkin. It was during the silence that Naruto remembered the real reason for Sasuke staying, besides looking after Naruto.

"Sasuke…Do you still want to have that talk?"

Sasuke froze and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face before he hid behind his hair. The comfortable silence they had shared together was suddenly tense with both of them feeling confused and uncertain about what was to happen next. Naruto knew that tonight would change everything and they would be crossing a line into the unknown.

"…Yeah...but just…I need a minute."

Naruto nodded in understanding. God knows, he was worried about what he had to tell Sasuke. He had been debating telling Sasuke about the year before anyway, feeling guilty that Hinata and Kiba knew something so important and Sasuke was the only one not in the loop. His decision to reveal all had solidified when he had accused Sasuke of not trusting him the night before. He had felt like a huge hypocrite afterwards, seeing as there was a lot he hadn't told Sasuke about himself. Then when Sasuke said he needed to tell Naruto things from his past, Naruto had figured that they could share the burden together. They would be there for each other.

"Did you say that Iruka and Kakashi were on a date?" Naruto asked, trying to diffuse the tension a little.

Sasuke nodded distractedly, "Yeah, Kakashi said so, anyway. That reminds me, do you mind if I spend the night? Kakashi always knows when there's something wrong with me and…well…"

Naruto smiled and nudged Sasuke's leg with his own, ignoring the little jolt that seemed to shoot through him at the contact. "Of course. I think…It would probably be best anyway. Shall we go and get comfortable?"

Sasuke looked really grateful for the opportunity to leave the room when he grabbed his bag to get changed into his sleeping clothes. Truthfully, Naruto wanted a little time to collect his own thoughts and decide how they should do this. He scanned the living room and concluded that it was too open and had way too many sharp objects so he grabbed his duvet and pillows and re-located to his bedroom.

"Naruto?"

"Bedroom."

Naruto was in the process of throwing the covers over the bed and replacing the pillows when Sasuke appeared in the door way, looking uncertain for the first time since they met. Hell, he hadn't even looked shaken on the first day of school and yet now his every muscle was tense and taut as a bow string, as if he was expecting Naruto to suddenly attack him and was preparing to…run. With a jolt, Naruto realised that running was probably exactly what Sasuke was contemplating and it was taking all of his willpower to stand in that door way and stare at Naruto with lost, endless eyes. Somehow, the show of vulnerability made Sasuke seem more human to Naruto, now that the raven wasn't hiding completely behind that stoic mask of indifference. And on some level, it was calming to know that Sasuke was just as scared as he was.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked softly, afraid of disturbing the peace of the evening and scaring Sasuke away. "Sasuke, it's alright."

The dark-haired boy scoffed half-heartedly, probably more from habit than actual need to, as if to say, I know, Dobe, I'm not stupid. The familiar gesture made Naruto smile and he decided that he may as well get comfortable, crossing his legs on the bed and leaning against the headboard. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, praying that what he was about to reveal wouldn't make things ten times worse than they already were.

After a while, Sasuke still hadn't moved and Naruto cracked an eye open, offering the other teen a small smile, the kind of smile that simply said I understand. It seemed to give Sasuke the little boost he needed and Naruto was happy to see a flicker of determination return to his gaze.

"Can we keep the lights off?" Sasuke asked, his voice sounding almost normal if not for the uncertain waver that was prominent. "I…I think it will be easier if we can't see each other that well, y'know?"

Naruto nodded, "Sure thing." Then he patted the bed next to him.

Sasuke tensed for a few moments, as if he were going to bolt right out of the door, but then he inhaled slowly, deeply, before turning and closing the door, bathing the room in semi-darkness. He slowly made his way over to the bed and mimicked Naruto's position against the headboard, except he drew his knees up and looped his arms around them, hugging his legs to his chest tightly. Even in the dim light, Naruto could see how Sasuke's hands were shaking slightly and could hear the forced steadiness of breath. Sasuke was terrified.

Without thinking about it, and without really meaning to, Naruto slowly stretched his hand out and his fingers brushed Sasuke's. The raven jerked and pulled his hand back slightly with a gasp, but didn't run away. Naruto found Sasuke's hand again and slowly brushed his fingers with the tips of his own, before he looped them together, drawing Sasuke's one arm away from his knees. He kept his movements slow and gentle so that he didn't upset Sasuke anymore. He gently let their entwined hands fall to the mattress beneath them but continued to stroke his thumb in soothing circles over the back of his hand. Thankfully it seemed to work because Sasuke slowly became less and less jumpy and let his body relax into the bed and the head board. Naruto felt no need to remove his hand, rather liking the physical connection between them, so he allowed his fingers to stay tightly gripped in Sasuke's with his thumb moving idly over the other boy's soft, beautiful skin.

"Okay…"

Sasuke whispered, and Naruto jerked his head up, realising that he had been staring at their entwined fingers with something close to rapture for the past few minutes. Sasuke was now looking at him dead in the eye with a determination that Naruto admired. And yet when Sasuke opened his mouth, Naruto was overcome with the desire to go first, to get his plight and shame out in the open first, so that it wouldn't be so hard on Sasuke to reveal his weaknesses. After all, it seemed that everyone except Sasuke already knew his own weakness.

"Naruto, I-"

"Sasuke, wait." Naruto squeezed the thin fingers gently and sighed, "Before you explain, you should know that I haven't been completely open with you either."

Sasuke looked confused and ready to question him so Naruto didn't bother waiting for a response. "You know how on the first day of school, you asked if I was new as well and I said 'something like that'?" Sasuke nodded slowly, obviously not getting Naruto's point. "Well, I lied. I'm not new to the school or Konoha…I just had to miss a year because of something that happened at the school. I…"

Naruto cursed his own lack of a back bone when he trailed off, wondering how exactly he could phrase the words. Sasuke sat in attentive silence, but his fingers shifted slightly until his thumb was free and he was running it slowly over Naruto's fingers in a sort of moral-support gesture.

"I'm ashamed of what happened. I couldn't believe I was actually that pathetic and I tried to go on like everything was normal until that day when Hinata and Kiba found me in the bathroom and I ended up telling them about him and then everyone knew what we had done and I couldn't bare being in that building anymore so I-"

"Naruto." Sasuke interrupted, adding pressure to Naruto's fingers. "Slow down. I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

Naruto took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself – he hadn't realised he was rambling so much. "Sorry, I just don't know how to start."

"How about the beginning, Dobe? I promise not to ask anything until you've finished." Sasuke suggested.

"Right. The beginning." Naruto said and nodded, thinking back to when his nightmare began. "I guess it started when Mizuki-Sensei came by Iruka's house for the first time…"

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

"Hey, Naruto!" Iruka's voice sounded from the hallway, "Come down here. I have someone I'd like you to meet."

Naruto logged off his laptop and closed the lid, stretching out his cramped muscles. He had been sitting in the same spot for the past few hours, waiting for Iruka to come back. He had called to say that he was going straight out with a friend after work and so Naruto had cooked for himself and settled into his room for the night. I quick glance at the clock told him that it was just after eight o'clock at night.

He jogged down stairs and called out for his guardian who returned the shouts from in the living room. Naruto stopped when he entered the room and saw a man he had never met before standing over by the bookshelf. He was very tall and of a much larger build than Iruka was, with shoulder length white hair pulled back in a black bandana and Naruto couldn't help but find him rather intimidating. Though his gaze was soft and he was smiling, there was a certain vibe of menace about him that instantly put Naruto on edge.

"Ah, there you are, Naruto." Iruka said from his position on the sofa. Naruto had been so preoccupied by the stranger in the room that he hadn't even noticed his guardian. "I'd like you to meet my colleague and old friend, Mizuki. He'll be one of your teachers this year with me."

"It's nice to meet you, Naruto." Mizuki said as he smiled at the wary blond boy, "Iruka has told me so much about you." He held his hand out for Naruto to grasp and for a moment the young boy considered refusing his hand shake and running back up the stairs like his instincts were telling him to. Then he saw Iruka smiling at him expectantly and he remembered that Mizuki was Iruka's friend and he wouldn't want to offend his guardian in any way. So he swallowed and placed his hand in Mizuki's outstretched one.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto addressed the man as his teacher, having no desire to be as close to this man as he was to Iruka. Mizuki's hand made his own feel sort of slimy and when he released, Naruto had to fight off the urge to wipe his hand on his jeans.

"So, Iruka," Mizuki said, his voice friendly and playful, "Where is this book you just had to show me? I can't find it."

Iruka frowned and searched the bookshelf himself before rubbing the back of his head like he was confused. "I was sure I left it here…Naruto, have you seen my copy of Life as I Know It?"

"That red one? Nope." Naruto replied, trying to find a way to excuse himself while still being polite.

"I'll just go and have a quick look upstairs." And just like that, Naruto found himself alone in the living room with Mizuki, who was smiling kindly enough but had a strange gleam in his eyes that Naruto didn't like one bit.

The tall man moved over to the sofa and sat next to Naruto, who avoided his eye. "So, Naruto. How old are you again?"

"Uh…fifteen." Naruto said, wanting the conversation to grind to a halt quickly so he could excuse himself.

"I see."

Naruto hated the silence that followed, not liking to focus on the way Mizuki was looking at him almost like he was something to eat. "Uh…What do you teach, Sensei?"

"Me? I'm a maths teacher." Naruto pulled a face and Mizuki laughed not unkindly, "I know, right? I used to hate maths too."

"So why did you become a maths teacher?"

Mizuki shrugged, "Iruka and I had always planned to go into teaching and I was sort of good at maths so that's what I did. Plus, being a teacher brings all sorts of…benefits."

Naruto felt as if the room temperature dropped two degrees. Naruto suddenly felt like he was way too close to the man and that the 'benefits' weren't the great holidays.

"Well…It was nice meeting you Sensei…I better go-"

"Do you have a girlfriend, Naruto?"

Naruto paused mid-way to getting off the sofa and looked at the man who was looking at him curiously. "No…No, I don't."

Mizuki smiled, "Oh? Why is that? A good-looking boy like you? I bet they fight each other to get to you."

Naruto shook his head and smiled ruefully, "Hardly."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"No-"

"Ever been kissed?"

"I don't see how-"

"Ever been touched?"

"Why do you-"

"So…You are completely…Innocent?"

Naruto gulped and for the first time realised that Mizuki had been inching closer with every question and had backed Naruto right into the corner of the sofa. He towered over the smaller boy and his face, when bathed in shadows, seemed positively evil.

When he didn't reply, Mizuki chuckled, "So you are. How…appropriate."

"I found it!"

Naruto had never been happier to hear Iruka's voice. That situation had been way too uncomfortable and Mizuki gave him the creeps. Mizuki sat back and stood up, allowing Naruto his personal space back. Iruka entered looking triumphant and waved to little red book in the air, "I knew I had it somewhere. Here you go." He handed the book into Mizuki's waiting hand.

"Thanks for this, Iruka. I'll be sure to give it a read." He tucked the book away into his pocket and smirked over his shoulder at Naruto. "I'll see you in class, Naruto."

The blond didn't answer and just watched with relief as Mizuki left. He had never felt so uncomfortable and uncertain in his life. Just what the hell had happened just now?

"Naruto?" The teenager looked over at his guardian who was hovering by the door, "Are you alright? You seem a little off."

Naruto warred with himself over what to say. Should he mention to Iruka that his old friend was creep as all hell? That he had no respect for personal boundaries? That he asked highly invasive and inappropriate questions? That he was now dreading school?

"I'm fine."

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

They sat in silence for a while and Sasuke had a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach as he predicted where the story would go next. Things he knew about Naruto were starting to fall into place and he didn't like the bigger picture they were creating. Not at all. But he still had to ask.

"I think I can guess…but what happened after that?"

Naruto had become steadily paler as the story continued but he was unsure whether that was from the memories or because of his fever. His fingers were clutching Sasuke's like a lifeline. He ran his free hand through his hair, spiking his locks up even more than they were before and breathed deeply for a few moments before continuing.

"Nothing happened for the first few weeks of school." He explained with his voice a little shakier than usual but still determined. It was almost as if he was telling the story about someone else and not himself. He seemed…detached. "He always seemed to be watching me in class and I assumed that it was just Iruka being protective again and asking him to look after me or something. I still didn't like him and I always tried to sit at the back of the class to stay away from him. Then after a couple of weeks he asked me to stay behind. He said it was about some maths test we had done and I just thought he wanted to yell at me for doing really bad on it or something."

He fell quiet and Sasuke was suddenly unsure if he wanted to hear the rest. "You don't have to do this, Naruto. It's fine-"

"No, Sasuke." Naruto said and his shining blue eyes lifted to meet Sasuke's. The pale teen gasped as the depth of emotions swimming there: hatred, sadness, shame but also a trust he didn't think he deserved. Naruto trusted him with his past and Sasuke realised that he could never turn that gift away. In a way, Naruto was probably trying to balance it out by sharing his own past and ensuring that Sasuke felt secure enough to share his.

"…Alright." Sasuke conceded, but shifted closer to Naruto in case his comfort was needed. "Go on, I'm listening."

Naruto took a deep breath, "He told me to go to him after class and I didn't want to upset him or Iruka so I went…"

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

"Mizuki-Sensei?"

"Ah, Naruto! I'm in the storage cupboard - could you come over here a sec?"

Naruto hesitated but decided that he really shouldn't be so hard on Mizuki over some weird vibe he was getting. So what if the guy had no personal space boundaries? Naruto shouldn't be passing judgement over first impressions. He left his bag on a random desk as he headed over to the cupboard at the back of the room. The door was ajar so he poked his head inside.

"Sensei?"

There was no reply and Naruto frowned, stepping further into the darkness of the room. He was sure Mizuki had said the storage cupboard but Naruto couldn't see anything. He was about to see if there was a different cupboard when there was a loud bang and Naruto was plunged into darkness. He heard the click of a lock.

"What the fuck?" He cursed out loud, trying to find his bearings in the blackness.

A light switch was clicked on and the room was flooded with the feeble glow of a cheap light bulb. Mizuki was leaning against the door leisurely, hands in his pockets and his legs crossed at the ankles. He had this sinister aura surrounding him and the possessive gleam in his eyes that Naruto had convinced himself he'd imagined.

"Sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked, his voice shaking and his hands trembling.

"Aww, Naruto." Mizuki's voice was cold and condescending, something fresh out of a nightmare. Or a horror movie. "Has anyone ever told you how absolutely delicious you look when your terrified? I don't know how I waited this long for you."

The blood was running cold in Naruto's veins and his heart was beating frantically, eyes darting about the room as he tried to find a way out other than the door that Mizuki was guarding. There obviously wasn't one, so he focused on a weapon and found nothing either. He was trapped and defenceless.

Mizuki began to slowly close in, his superior height allowing him to tower completely over Naruto as the young boy shivered and shrank back from the menace and danger he exuded. "W-what are you doing?"

"I would think that was obvious," He replied nastily, "Or are you really as stupid as you look?"

"I'm not stupid," Naruto spat before he could censor his mouth and the look of satisfaction he received made him gulp and take a few more steps back from his teacher.

"Oh really?" Mizuki chuckled darkly and suddenly gripped Naruto's face in his large hand, gripping his jaw so hard that the tips of his fingers made Naruto's cheeks hurt. "Then why didn't you say anything to Iruka after I left that night? Why didn't you ignore my request that we talk alone? Why did you naively walk into the back cupboard knowing I could be inside…unless you want this, Naruto?"

"No!" Naruto said, trying to push the man away in vain only to get punched in the stomach for his trouble. He doubled over as the large fist knocked the breath out of him and tears sprung to his eyes.

"Tsk, tsk, Naruto." Mizuki chided, leaning in sickeningly close to Naruto's ear, so close that his disgusting breath fanned Naruto's cheek. The blond cringed away. "Do you know what I like best about this storage room? It is completely soundproof. You can scream at the top of your lungs and no one would hear you. So I really wouldn't push me right now unless you want to get hurt."

Naruto was trying to gasp the breath back into his lungs. His head felt fuzzy and he felt sick with the nauseating reality of what was about to happen to him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, not caring how pathetic he sounded in that moment as Mizuki forcefully pulled him up and pushed him into the hard wall, pressing his shoulders into the brick painfully.

Mizuki chuckled, "A number of reasons. Because the idea of someone as beautiful as you being so completely innocent is…tantalising. I want to tarnish that innocence…I want to break you."

Naruto gulped, "Is this what you meant? When you said that teaching had benefits? Was being a paedophilic rapist what you meant?"

"Yes, actually," Mizuki had a crazy spark in his eyes now and he looked completely unhinged. The grip on Naruto's shoulders tightened and Naruto knew that there was no way he was getting out of this. The tears began to flow without check. "I knew as soon as I met you though, that you would have to be my first…After all, what better way to get back at Iruka?"

Naruto shook his head, "Iruka said you were his friend…"

"Ha!" Mizuki dug his nails into Naruto's shoulder so hard he was sure he was drawing blood. "Perfect Iruka. Saint Iruka. I'll show that stuck up prick that he can't do everything right. He can't protect the person he cares about most and I get to have fun watching as you both crumble."

"You sick bastard." Naruto spat in Mizuki's face and the teacher just growled before smirking. Not good.

"I like your fight, Naruto. Let's see how much fight you have left when I'm finished with you…"

"N-no…Pl-please stop…"

After what seemed like forever, Mizuki finally pulled away and stood up. He calmly began to reassemble his clothes and looked down at Naruto who was shaking and crying on the floor, lying on his side in the foetal position. He smirked and knelt down running a hand down Naruto's back before sitting cross-legged by the trembling boy.

He whispered in Naruto's ear and the boy cringed away from his touch. "Just know that if anyone, and I mean anyone, finds out about our time together, I promise I will kill Iruka."

Naruto froze, his eyes wide and a new onslaught of sobs threatening to spill.

"I know you've already lost your parents and your grandparents, would you really like to be the one responsible for Iruka dying as well?" He caressed Naruto's bare hips, which were already starting to bruise from Mizuki's rough treatment. "You've seen first-hand how strong I am – you know that I could kill Iruka quite easily."

Naruto buried his head in his arms and allowed the sobs to come. He had passed the point of humiliation when Mizuki had taken out his mobile phone and started taking pictures of what he was doing to Naruto. He was hurting and afraid and lost. Helpless and ashamed. Dirty.

"But y'know, Naruto…You were so much fun, I'd want to do this again sometime."

Naruto whimpered and shied away from the man, trying to hide his already abused and sore body from the prying eyes he felt.

"Not right now, no…" Mizuki chuckled, "I meant that I'll probably want to do this kind of thing again say…next week. I'm sure I can get another student to stay behind after school for a detention or something…After all, I can get into their files and find out the names of their parents and addresses – it should be no problem keeping them quiet."

Naruto's eyes widened. "N-no…" He croaked, "S-sensei…"

Mizuki laughed humourlessly, "What is it, Naruto? Don't want me to hurt your class mates the same way I hurt you? But it felt so good…I don't know if I can help myself."

The teen stayed silent and wished not for the first time that evening that he was stronger. If he were stronger he could have stopped when Mizuki did to him, he could have saved himself and whoever Mizuki would target next. But he was weak. So very pathetic.

"Unless…" Mizuki added, "You would like to take their place?"

Naruto forgot how to breathe. Mizuki wanted him to what?

"Think about it," Mizuki stroked Naruto's head almost lovingly…possessively. "You would be saving your classmates from me by agreeing to be my little plaything. All you'd have to do is keep your mouth shut and return to this room whenever I order you to and I promise not to go after your friends or Iruka."

Naruto shivered and began to tremble from the cold floor. Or maybe he was just going into shock.

"I'll leave you to think it over. If you want to take me up on my offer and save your friends, meet me here on Friday. Oh, and put your trousers back on – can't have you catching a cold now, can we?"

With those words, he strolled out of the room, the door closing behind him and leaving Naruto to himself. After what felt like an age, he finally found the strength to unfurl himself and get dressed ignoring the bruises he found and the aching in his whole body.

He knew before he left the room that he would be keeping his Friday afternoon appointment.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Sasuke's hands trembled as Naruto finished speaking and he was shocked at the tears that had begun to brim in his own eyes as Naruto recounted his suffering.

"You…" He swallowed to gain more control over his voice, "You did that? You…gave yourself to him?"Naruto winced and lowered his head, "Yes. I couldn't bear the thought of someone having to go through what I did. So I kept my mouth shut and I went back to him whenever he called on me. It was at least once a week and we told Iruka that he was tutoring me in maths. Mizuki even started boosting my grade so that it looked like I was making progress. When actually, I was just letting him use me whenever he wanted."

Sasuke's eyes had adapted to the darkness in the room enough to see the tear that dropped from Naruto's bowed head to land silently on the duvet. And he had no control over his own body as he lunged forwards and wrapped Naruto in a strong embrace, circling the blond in warmth and trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Naruto stiffened under Sasuke's hold but the taller teen refused to be deterred from his unusual show of compassion.

"Then you, Naruto, are quite possibly the bravest, most self-sacrificing person that I have ever met." He whispered and as soon as the words left his lips he knew they were true.

"I'm not brave, Sasuke. I'm pathetic."

Sasuke tightened his hold and spoke firmly, "You're wrong. You sacrificed yourself, your body and your mind to that bastard to save the people that you cared about. That isn't pathetic; Naruto, it's admirable and I know I would never have had the courage or the determination to do what you did. And the fact that you're here, in my arms, means that he never truly had you. He never broke you, Naruto."

After a moment, Naruto's whole body sagged and his head dropped on Sasuke's shoulder. His back was shaking slightly and Sasuke didn't need to feel the wetness on his shoulder to know that Naruto was crying. His arms came up and gripped the fabric of Sasuke's shirt while the taller boy rubbed his back and made shushing sounds to try and sooth the boy.

"I'm…I'm glad you told me, Naruto." Sasuke whispered next to Naruto's ear, "It makes me feel so proud…so happy…to know that you trust me with this. And I promise that I will never, ever betray that trust. I will always be here…"

Sasuke had no clue how long he comforted Naruto, how long he whispered what could be considered sweet nothings in his ear. When, at long last, Naruto pushed himself away from Sasuke's shoulder, the raven haired boy found he rather missed the warmth.

"It was Kiba and Hinata who ended it all."

Sasuke frowned, had Kiba and Hinata walked in on Mizuki doing that to Naruto?

"What happened?"

"Mizuki got careless." Naruto explained a wry smile on his face. "One of the times when he…y'know…he couldn't wait long enough to get me to the storage cupboard in his classroom so he dragged me into a bathroom instead. He was also really angry with me about something - to this day I don't know what it was - and he beat the hell out of me. I had broken bones and was all bloodied and bruised by the time he was finished with me…and he left me on the bathroom floor. Usually, I would have packed myself off after I recovered but I was in too much pain. I passed out. Next thing I knew, it was the next day and I was surrounded by paramedics."

Sasuke blinked, "They found you? Kiba and Hinata did?"

Naruto nodded, "I only recently found out it was them. I was too out of it at the time. But that's when it ended and Mizuki was arrested and everything. But everyone at school found out about what happened to me. That's why they've been giving me strange looks and avoiding me. And why I never get dressed for P.E with the other boys – it makes me really…uncomfortable."

Sasuke really didn't know what to say at that point so he stayed silent, just looking at Naruto and marvelling at just how strong the blond was. He never would have thought when they first met that the smiley and bubbly energy ball harboured so much secret pain. It made him wonder just how he looked to the outside world. Did he look injured? Pained? Or simply numb?

"…Alright, Sasuke." Naruto said, clearing his throat from his sobs, "Your turn."

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Naruto watched with still slightly-watery eyes as Sasuke stiffened but then relaxed almost immediately when Naruto reached a hand out. Sasuke's fingers entwined with his without a word and Naruto allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of his lips. He had never felt as comfortable around anyone as he did when he was with Sasuke, had never thought that he could talk about the whole Mizuki situation without wanting to throw up. For the first time, he had spoken about it and just felt the sorrow instead of the self-hatred and dirtiness that he was used to. Just crying had helped – he hadn't cried a single tear over it, hadn't emotionally dealt with it, since he woke up in hospital. He had figured that it would just make him seem even more pathetic than he already was. But now…Now he felt a lightness that he hadn't felt in ages. It was like something that had been sitting in the pit of his stomach or skulking in the darkest recesses of his mind had disappeared. It felt almost like…innocence.

And Sasuke…Naruto would never be able to put into words how much Sasuke's support had meant to him. How he had just listened, without judgement or interruption, to the hardest parts of the story had helped Naruto get it all out. He hadn't even cringed when Naruto told him all the details about what went down in that cupboard. Then when he had hugged him and soothed him, Naruto realised that that was what he had been missing in his life. He needed that warmth and comfort do drive the darkness away.

I will always be here…

Naruto stared into Sasuke's onyx eyes as the other boy collected himself and knew that he would always be there for Sasuke too.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said hesitantly, "I'm not sure I can go into detail about what happened…it…it hurts too much to talk about some of it. But…I think I can tell you enough. Is that okay?"

Without hesitation, Naruto nodded. Whatever Sasuke had to offer he would take and cherish. "Whatever makes you comfortable, Sasuke."

"Well then...I need to tell you how my parents died."

Naruto wanted to remain silent, not wanting to push Sasuke into revealing something he was uncomfortable with, but as the silence stretched on, he knew he would have to prompt him.

"Did…they die in an accident?"

Sasuke shook his head and refused to meet Naruto's eyes. "No…my parents…they were murdered."

Naruto couldn't hold in the gasp that escaped and his instantly scooted closer to Sasuke so that their knees touched and he had both of Sasuke's hands clutched tightly in his. The blond had had no idea…he had assumed, stupidly, that Sasuke's parents had died similarly to his own - in a freak accident or something.

Sasuke seemed grateful for the contact and bravely lifted his head so his watery eyes met Naruto's concerned blue ones. "I…I didn't see it happen. But I found them…"

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

"Mother, I'm home!" Sasuke called out as he entered the house. He leant against the wall and sighed, rolling his shoulders. The training session that day had been particularly brutal and his whole body ached from the endless drilling. His martial arts teacher was surely a demon.

"Mother?" He was about to kick his shoes off when he had the sudden sense that something was wrong. His mother usually said if she wouldn't be home when he got back and the house was quieter than usual. Someone had to be in – the door was unlocked and Sasuke didn't have a key. His father would never have risked leaving the door open. "Mother, are you here?"

He ventured further into the house, figuring that at this time of day, his mother would be in the kitchen. He frowned when the kitchen was empty too. He searched the whole bottom floor, becoming more and more worried as the minutes passed. "Father? Where are you?"

He headed back to the hall to search the upstairs when his blood turned cold. Blood. There was blood on the wall near the top of the stairs. It looked like…a hand print.

"Mother!"

Without thinking, he threw himself up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The hallways seemed blurry and his mind was a whirlwind of panic and he searched for his parents. They weren't in the bathroom or his bedroom, nor were they in Itachi's room. He stopped in front of their bedroom, his breath shallow and feeling dizzy as he noticed the blood on the handle of the door and the doorjamb. He didn't want to open the door but his hand seemed to move on its own.

The door swung wide and the light from the hallway illuminated two prone figures lying at the foot of the bed. The larger of the two was a man with his hair pulled back from his face and a line of blood running from the corner of his mouth to his chin. He was lying on his stomach and a pool of red had spread so that it surrounded him. His eyes were blank – lifeless. The other was a beautiful woman who was also lying in a pool of her own blood, curled on her side, but she was still alive and looking at Sasuke with unfocused eyes.

"Sa…Sasuke…" Her soft, weak voice was loud in the silence, even over the noise of the blood rushing in Sasuke's ears, "Sas...ke…r...run…"

Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He watched as his mother's eyes slowly lost focus and her head fell to the floor where she lay still, the silence loud and echoing in his mind.

"M...mother…"

He took a shaky step forwards but his legs buckling, so he crawled over, reaching a shaking hand out to touch the smooth porcelain skin of his beautiful mother's cheek. It was too cold. Why was she so cold?

The tears began to run as he found her hand and brought it up to his face, the limp fingers brushing his own cheek in a cheap imitation of the loving caress that he was used to. Holding the fingers against his cheek, he gently held his father's shoulder, not even realising that he was speaking to them.

"F…father…m…mother," He whispered, the tears dripping on the floor and mixing with their blood. "P-please…wake up…p-please…Mother...Father…"

"Aww, poor Sasuke."

The young boy gasped and dropped his mother's hand which fell limply to the ground with a dull thud. He searched the room for the source of the voice. "Who-Who's there?"

From the corner of the room, a tall man stood up and stepped into the light from the doorway. His skin was a sickly white and his black hair fell to his waist. He was dressed in black, which explained how he had blended in with the darkness, but there were even darker patches on his clothes, like they were stained. He was grinning and his eyes seemed to glow yellow in the dim light.

"My name is Orochimaru."

As the man advanced, Sasuke scrambled backwards, watching as the taller man stepped over his parents bodies as if they weren't even there. "My…parents…"

"Yes, that is a shame." Orochimaru said, his voice holding obviously fake sympathy, "They got in my way though, so I had to…dispose of them…"

"They…gone…"

Orochimaru stayed silent and Sasuke was overcome with the urge to scream, to fight, to attack. This man had killed his parents, was bathed in their blood and he was standing there smiling.

With an almighty roar he launched himself at the man, taking him by surprise and knocking him to the ground, where he then punched and kicked every part of him he could reach. He didn't even take note of the fact that he was crying and didn't see the needle heading towards his neck until it was too late. His limbs started to feel heavy and he slumped to the side.

"Snake venom." Orochimaru said as he pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off, "You don't need to worry though, Sasuke. It will only paralyse you."

"What do you want?" Sasuke said, his voice thick and his vision beginning to blur.

Orochimaru laughed and knelt by his prone form. "I want you, Sasuke. I have since I first saw you and I knew I had to have you. Yes, you'll make the perfect little test subject."

Sasuke wanted to swear at him, wanted to fight him and scream at him but he couldn't get his voice box to work. Nor could his body move. He was powerless and Orochimaru lifted his body into his arms and began to carry him away from the room. The last thing he saw before he passed out was his parents, lying in their own blood, his mother's hand reached out towards him.

Then his world went dark.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Naruto was shell shocked. Never, in all of his life, had he witnessed something so heart-breaking take place right in front of him. He had thought he had had a rough life thus far, what with Mizuki and everything, but watching Sasuke recount the murder of his parents, seeing the pain, sorrow and loss on his usually expressionless face, was by far the hardest thing Naruto had ever had to do.

"Oh, Sasuke…" The tears were running again, which was a surprise because he didn't think he had enough in him to cry anymore that night. Sasuke was crying too, his head bent and the silent cries shaking his shoulders but making no noise.

"I was helpless, Naruto. I-I couldn't save them!" He cried and then Naruto was in his arms, rocking the boy backwards and forwards and they cried together, each trying to find a form of comfort in the others warmth.

"I know, Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, "Shh…It's okay now…I'm here…"

They sat in silence for a little while, Naruto feeling almost too afraid to even ask what that Orochimaru guy did to Sasuke, but knowing that he would have to at some point. In that moment though, he just enjoyed the feeling of having Sasuke in his arms, running his hands through the soft hair that he was quickly growing to love. Despite the terrible circumstances and the tales that had been told, he was extremely proud that he was the one Sasuke chose to lean on.

Finally, Sasuke shifted against him and looked at him with red-rimmed orbs. "That isn't all that happened, Naruto."

"Sasuke…"Naruto whispered, afraid to hear more of Sasuke's suffering, "You don't have to say it tonight, if it's too much."

"I want you to know, Naruto. Please." Sasuke muttered, his fingers absently playing with Naruto's.

Naruto took a deep breath and knew that he would listen to whatever Sasuke needed to say, "Alright then."

Sasuke took a deep breath before explaining, "He took me to Oto."

Naruto's fingers tightened, "Oto?"

The other boy nodded gravely, "Yeah. He had his lab there, and his freaky-ass lab assistant, Kabuto, who was every bit as messed up as Orochimaru was. I didn't know what they were going to do to me, whether they were going to kill me or rape me…Turned out I was exactly what Orochimaru said I was – a test subject. Orochimaru's pet."

At this, he shifted the collar of his shirt down and revealed a strange tattoo-like marking on his neck. It looked like three commas in a circle but it looked more like a burn than a proper tattoo. "He burned this into my skin the same day we arrived in Oto. It was a mark of his ownership. His other pets had them too. Then his followers, like Kabuto, who would have this willing burned into them as a symbol of their devotion."

Naruto simply clutched the boy's fingers tighter, unwilling to believe what Sasuke was telling him. He had been a slave? Branded and forced to work for the man that kidnapped him and murdered his parents?

"…What did he do to you?"

"He used to inject me with things, mostly hallucinogenic substances, to try and make me see whatever it was that he wanted me too. Some of them worked and some didn't. Some just made me really ill and a few almost killed me. All of them were derived from the snakes, though."

Naruto gulped, "The snakes?"

Sasuke shuddered but nodded again, "They were Orochimaru's other pets. He was obsessed with them and used to enjoy watching them torment me. Sometimes he would release the snakes into my cage, just to watch me scream and try to fight them off before they bit or ate me. Most of the snakes were bigger than me. It was…I still have the nightmares."

"Is that why…The panic attack you had…?"

"Yeah. Even the hissing takes me back to that god-awful place. The hissing was always there, at the back of the warehouse or in my cage. It never ended. And I was the only one of Orochimaru's test subjects that had the snakes to deal with. In the end, whenever I was injected with the hallucinogenic, I would see snakes everywhere. On my skin, in my hair, on the floor, walls and ceiling."

His voice was getting shakier and his breathing quicker so Naruto rubbed his arms to calm him and to remind him that there were no snakes and he was fine. He was going to be just fine.

"So…How did it all end, Sasuke?"

Sasuke smiled a little sadly, "My brother came for me…"

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Sasuke was lying on his side, the room spinning and tilting this way and that so it was hard for him to see or think. There was a sea of colour but the snakes had finally gone away, which might mean that the drug was wearing off. Then again, it could just be another trick to make him feel like he was safe before they came back and attacked him again. His body remained tense and his eyes wide as the bright colours faded and the world slowly seemed to right itself to its normal axis.

"Ahh, finished are we?" Orochimaru's sickly sweet voice broke through the blissful silence and Sasuke backed away into the corner as the taller man approached, the cage door banging shut behind him and making Sasuke jump. Orochimaru reached out a hand to touch Sasuke's cheek but the teen pulled back and snarled, glaring at the man from behind his greasy and unkempt hair. "Now, now, Sasuke. Must we go through this every time?"

He gripped Sasuke's head tightly in his larger hand and twisted his head so they were face to face, Orochimaru's insane eyes boring into Sasuke's. "You will submit to me one day, young Sasuke, just like all the rest. You will be my greatest creation."

Sasuke stayed silent. He had learnt long ago that talking back only got him or one of the others hurt. Sometimes the sick bastard would actually inject them with poison so that their very blood burnt them and then give them the antidote afterwards. It had taken nearly two weeks for the pain to completely go away last time and the boy was in no hurry for a repeat performance. Even if this Orochimaru was just one of his illusions, he wasn't willing to take any chances.

Suddenly, an alarm started blaring in the back ground, the harsh noise echoing in the nearly-empty warehouse. The snake-man cursed loudly before grabbing Sasuke by the hair and hauling him up. The boy cried out at the rough treatment to his scalp as the room began to spin again. He was tugged painfully out of his cell and he tried to fight off the hand holding him but his muscles had long since depleted. His shoves were useless against Orochimaru's strength.

He had no idea where he was being dragged but he heard shouts in the distance and what sounded like gun shots but he couldn't be sure. After all, he couldn't even be sure he was awake yet.

Then a painfully familiar shout rang out, in a voice distorted by rage, "LET GO OF HIM!"

The floor rushed up to meet Sasuke as he was thrown aside like a rag doll, his already abused head bouncing on the floor with a crack. He groaned and tried to make sense of all the noise and blurs around him but he couldn't seem to focus. That must have been a really strong drug this time.

He decided that he should stop fighting it and simply wait for the snakes to come and get him like they always did. But there was nothing but the shouting and the loud bangs that may have been guns and that voice that sounded so much like Itachi that it hurt.

Then his vision was filled with a black blur and he tried to focus on what it was.

"Sasuke? Brother, can you hear me?" Itachi's voice rang clear through the confusion and Sasuke frowned. This wasn't how the hallucinations were supposed to go. This was way more painful than the snakes or the beatings combined.

"Stupid drug…" He muttered, hating the tears that began to spill, "This is too cruel…"

"Brother? Sasuke, what's wrong? Where are you hurt?"

Sasuke shook his head and closed his eyes. "I miss you so much, Brother…Why can't you be here? It should feel good, seeing you again, but it just hurts so much…because I know you aren't real…"

Itachi's voice broke and Sasuke's vision cleared to see a crying Itachi leaning over him. His head was propped in his lap and the illusion of his brother was rocking backwards and forwards, crying and shaking his head. "No, Sasuke, I'm real. Feel me, little brother, I'm real. I came for you…"

"You can't have…because my brother doesn't cry…he's too strong to cry…" Sasuke explained to the illusion, "But I'm not…I was never strong enough…I couldn't save our mom and dad either. I don't deserve to be found."

"Oh, brother," Itachi buried his head in the crook of Sasuke's neck and the younger boy frowned. That wasn't right. He could feel the illusions breath on his neck and the slight shaking of his limbs. None of the hallucinations had ever been that good before. "Sasuke, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner…forgive me, brother…"

The younger boy stiffened as he dared to hope… "B…big brother…" Itachi's head shot up and he looked at Sasuke with wide eyes, "Itachi…is it really you?" Sasuke voice trembled and his hands shook as they gripped the real-feeling shirt in his skinny fists.

"Yes, Sasuke…It's me, I'm here, little brother…big brother is right here…"

Sasuke's cries echoed in the silence, along with those of his beloved big brother as they cried in relief, happiness, sorrow and grief. Sasuke didn't notice how Itachi was covered in blood or the tall, silver haired man that stood off to the side, his own eyes filled with tears as he watched the two brothers reunite after too many months of hardship and loss. Sasuke simply hoped beyond hope that this was no illusion.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

Naruto stared as Sasuke recounted his rescue, "It was your brother and Kakashi who saved you."

Sasuke nodded, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles and sniffling. "Yeah. It took days for me to fully believe that I was out of there. I was a wreck, Naruto. I couldn't be in a crowd of people, I was paranoid, terrified of everything that moved and the only person who I let come close to me for months after was Kakashi. When I was in hospital, the nurse tried to give me a blood test and I fought so hard that I broke her arm."

Naruto's eyes widened but he chose not to comment. After all that Sasuke had been through, lashing out what a strange woman approached you with a needle was completely understandable. But there was one part of the story that wasn't adding up.

"So…where is Itachi?" Naruto asked and Sasuke's eyes clouded with sadness.

"He's in prison." Sasuke said, his head dipping to hide his face.

Naruto gaped, "Prison? What for?"

Sasuke shuddered, "Because when he saved me, he killed Orochimaru. Slaughtered him in vengeance for what he had done to my parents and what he had done to me. The thing was, Orochimaru was high up in the Oto food chain and some people didn't take too kindly to his being ripped apart. So Itachi was sentenced to five years in prison. I visit him sometimes but…It's not the same. I was left in Kakashi's care. We lived in Oto for a while, until I gained my strength back and could stop the therapy sessions. Then we decided to move back here where it's familiar."

They sat in silence, Naruto trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do or say now to try and make Sasuke feel better. Nothing at all came to mind.

"There is one more thing, Naruto. The reason why I was so freaked out yesterday."

"What?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "One of the girls I met in Oto, Anko. She contacted me and told me that Kabuto had escaped from the police station and that I should be sure to take care of myself. I was so scared that I…I needed to hear your voice…for some reason you seem to make everything okay."

Naruto's eyes brimmed with tears and he hugged Sasuke close, knowing that even if he wasn't willing to admit it yet, Sasuke held a piece of his own heart. Not just because they had both shared their past either. It was a deep running bond that Naruto never even knew he had been missing until Sasuke had arrived in his life.

Without either of them saying a word, they both lay down on Naruto's bed and lay close to each other, both still needing the warmth and comfort the other provided. Naruto simply closed his eyes and basked in the happy glow that enveloped him. He had Sasuke. After everything, Sasuke hadn't pushed him away and had revealed his own past and weaknesses in return for Naruto's. It was a peaceful feeling even if he was emotionally and mentally drained.

"I was wrong, Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, his voice thick with sleep as he snuggling in closer, "I do need you…"

"I need you too, Sasuke…"

And with those words, an arm wrapped around his waist, his head on Sasuke's shoulder and a smile on his face, Naruto joined Sasuke in the first dreamless sleep either boy had had in quite some time.

0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0

SO? What did you guys think? Happy? Sad? Confused? :D

I know it was a long chapter and everything but I felt like it was needed here, right? Please leaving me a lovely review to tell me your thoughts and feelings about this chapter!

See you all soon, with the 'Hot Date' Iruka and Kakashi are on in this chapter! Any KakaIru fans will really enjoy the next chapter *hint hint* :D

Much Love!~
Aidrian