Reckoning

****************

Dr. Gaara Subaku’s Home, West side Konoha City, (7:00 p.m)

“This meal is so good, I almost feel bad about eating it.” Kakashi said with a smile.

“I never feel bad about eating anything.” Gaara replied. “I last prepared this meal for my Uncle Baki.” He admitted, as he sat down across from Kakashi. “It was under similarly unfortunate circumstances.”

“Oh? What circumstances?”

“A Loss.” Gaara replied, and when Kakashi tilted his head he continued by saying, “This is a loss. Naruto is a loss, and we are…. Mourning.”

“Naruto is on me, not you.” Kakashi said.

“Its on both of us.” 

“I still find it hard to believe that Naruto may be convicted of several murders.” Kakashi said aloud, half lost in his own thoughts. Gaara remained silent. “In the eyes of the FBI, I’ll be on trial, and you will be as well. Naruto still claims that this all your fault.” 

“Naruto was like your bloodhound, you cant ignore where he points.” Gaara replied steadily, taking a bite of his food. “You must investigate me. It is in my best interests, and yours.” 

“Yes, it is.” Kakashi said with a frown. “And I'm not ignoring it, but I can't ignored the fact that Naruto went mad before he began to point towards you.” 

“We can not define Naruto by his madness.” 

“We can't define Naruto at all.” 

***************

Kaguya’s Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Northside of Konoha City

The cold iron bars his single cage faded away, and Naruto closed his eyes and imagined himself somewhere far away. Somewhere with lush tall trees, and a wide lazy river he could lay by. Somewhere warm. The faint snort of an animal pulled his attention and the blonde looked over to see the sand monster that used to haunt him, sitting silently across the river her imagined. 

Naruto’s ability to imagine and dream had grown in his…. Isolation. He felt more in control. Surprisingly, the near constant buzz of thoughts from the other inmates didn't bother him anymore. Naruto didn't get lost in other people’s heads anymore. He was perfectly comfortable ignoring- whatever it was Orochimaru was babbling at him now. The so called doctor liked to put him in the cage to question him, trying to weasel his way into the blonde thoughts. ‘Annoying.’ Naruto thought, as he opened his eyes and watched him babble something. ‘I’d rather be back in my cell.’

“-you feel?” 

“What did you say?” Naruto asked, with a tense creeping feeling in his gut. 

“I said, how does that make you feel?”

“It makes me feel like I am sitting in a dunk tank and you are tossing baseballs hoping to make a splash. You keep missing the target.” Naruto comment dryly and Orochimaru glared. 

“Lucky for me I have plenty of time for a few more tosses.” Orochimaru said. “Your in my hospital. Your my patient now.” Naruto fought the urge to growl in frustration. 

“I’m not talking to you.” The blonde replied with a shake of his. ‘Hes not even a good doctor. Just a greedy man whos out to make a buck.’ Orochimaru did let out a growl at that but it didn't faze Naruto in the slightest. ‘Hes trying to intimidate me now?’ naruto wondered, smelled the other man's aggression in the air. “I want to talk to Gaara.” Naruto said bluntly and Orochimaru pressed his lips together in a tight line. 

***************

Dr. Uchiha’s home, central Konoha City

Sasuke sat quietly in his chair, legs crossed casually as Gaara paced back and forth before finally sitting across from the raven haired alpha. 

“Naruto has asked to see me.” Gaara said simply. “I would like to see him.” Sasuke arched a browed, watching the alpha carefully as he continued saying, “I’m still curios about the way he thinks, despite everything that has happened.” 

“Naruto is still influencing you.” Sasuke commented, before leaning back in his chair. “You realize that Naruto asking to see you, simply to manipulate you?”

“And if I agree to see him?”

“It reveals your clear intent to manipulate him.” Sasuke answered, and Gaara turned his head to look out the window. 

“I miss him.” The redhead says quietly and Sasuke blinks. 

“You are obsessed with Naruto Uzumaki.” Sasuke tells him and Gaara turns to look at him. The redhead hesitate for a moment, as though trying to decide what to say. 

“I am… intrigued by him.” Gaara said finally. 

“Obsessively.” Sasuke said, “Naruto will take advantage of that.” He added, not letting the redhead deny it.

“Naruto is my friend.” 

“Why?” Sasuke asked, leaning forward as curiosity and wariness burned in his dark eyes. “Why is he your friend?”

“He sees his own mind as ugly, but useful.” Gaara says simply. “He cannot repress who he is. That is an honesty I admire.”

“I imagine there is an honesty there that you relate to.” Sasuke said before narrowing his eyes. “What can you, not repress?” Gaara looked down at his hands, and at the spaces between his fingers- and fell silent.

****************

Kaguya’s Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Northside of Konoha City

Naruto had been taken back to his prison cell after Orochimaru was supposedly done. The blonde wasn’t sure which he disliked more, having the greedy alpha talk to him for two hours or sitting alone in his cold cinder block cell. His dark green jumpsuit scratched at his skin when he slept, and the blonde wasn't sure when the last time he slept well really was. Before it has been because of his dreams, not it was the physical discomfort. ‘Gaara.’ The blonde thought, feeling a stab a pure fury rip his heart into two pieces. ‘Half of me wants to murder Gaara, and half of me wants to kiss him so hard he cant breath.’ Naruto smiled to himself. ‘Death by Love.’ He thought before his smile quickly dissolved as he remembered coughing up Matsuris ears. ‘I can't believe he killed her. He killed out daughter, and then shoved her ear down my throat.’

That was why he really wanted to talk to the Redhead. Naruto needed to know why. Why kill Matsuri? She was family. ‘She was a murder but she… she was our murderer.’ Naruto thought, trying not to focus to much on the fact the he was more upset with the fact Gaara had killed Matsuri than the fact that Matsuri killed someone. The familiar scent of dry desert sand pulled the blonde from his thoughts, and when he looked over he saw Gaara standing there. Right on the other side of the bars.

“Hello Naruto.”

“Hello Gaara.” The blonde mumbled.

“Lost in thought?”

“Not lost, no. Not anymore.” Naruto replied, tilting his head to look up at him, from where he sat on his still bed. “I used to hear the thoughts of other people bouncing around so… loudly that I could get lost. But there was always something there- a wall or a fort.”

“And now?” Gaara asked. Naruto frowned.

“Everyone seems quieter. Less loud- except for you.” Gaara blinked and the blonde stood. “My head is filled with words and actions and thoughts.” Naruto gave him a dry unhappy smile. “I cant get you out of my head.” 

“Friendship can sometimes involve a breach of individual separateness-” Gaara started to say before the blonde let out a soft growl and took a step closer to the bars.

“No. You are not my friend. The light of friendship wont reach us for a million years, thats how close we are to… friendship.” Naruto stated. ‘Gaara is either my enemy, or someone I love. I don't want him to be… just …my friend.’ The blonde thought.

“It is easier to imagine me as the killer responsible, that to imagine that you killed those people.” Gaara said simply, calmly. 

“Yes. It is.” Naruto answered and Gaara paused, thinking. 

“Giving our thoughts words, encourages clarity.”

“I have clarity. About you.” Naruto growled, that feeling of betrayal and anger bubbling up again. “I will remember what you did me. Everything you did, is somewhere in my head. In my memories. And I will find it.”

“Our conversations were only about you, opening yourself up to be who you are.” 

“I know who I am.” 

“Now. You haven't always.” Gaara replied.

“Because of you.” The blonde countered. Gaara stood there, calmly, on the other side of the prison bars and fury burned like a fire inside the blonde. It was then that Naruto knew what he felt about Gaara, what he wanted to do . The half of his heart the cried out love, was pushed back- squished under the lies and betrayal and the manipulation . “I will remember, Gaara.” Naruto murmured, “And when i do- there will be a reckoning.” The blonde promised. 

“I have huge faith in you Naruto. I always have.” Gaara said before giving him a smile. Naruto wanted to bite him and rip the smile off of his face. 

**************************

FBI Headquarters Northside of Konoha City

“You know this is just a formality. No one expects to find anything.” Ino says as she begins taking by processing some of the redheads spare suits. “Except for maybe Naruto.” she admits and Gaara blinks.

“He will have to be disappointed.” The redhead replies. “Your work lies in the realm of certainty. Evidence, does not lie. It will be your evidence the convicts Naruto.”

“Yeah well I found enough of it.” Ino says with a sigh. “No need to infer or guess or anything.”

“Far more simple than psychiatry.” Gaara says, before appearing to be sad. “Naruto is doing his best to understand where he is and why.”

“You were supposed to protect him.” Ino says suddenly and the alpha blinks, not expecting the Beta to be so straightforward. 

“From himself?”

“Yes.” She said sharply before sighing again. “Look, im not mad at you. At least not any more mad than I am with myself. We all missed whatever was going on with him.” 

“Not all of us are suspects.” Gaara replied. Ino lets out a dry laugh.

“Oh you’re not a suspect. You’re the FBI’s new Naruto.”