Reckoning

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Kaguya's Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Northside Konoha City

Naruto sat locked in his cage in the guest hal. It was late, well past midnight, but the blonde didnt feel tired. Instead there was a sense of quiet anticipation building in his gut. ‘Maybe know i can get some of the answers i need. A way to make it through everything.’ Naruto thought, though that seemed far fetched and unlikely even to his own hopefully mind. After all, the only true way to make everything okay is to be able trust Gaara again. But he can't. ‘Trust isn't some conscious decision you make. It happens you it doesnt.’ The blonde thought bitterly. ‘It’s a lot like love that way.’

“Would you like a book, mister Uzumaki?” Konon offered from where she stood next to the wall. Konon had become his unofficial keeper, the orderly popping up and following him almost everywhere. ‘Almost annoying if she wasn’t so.. passive or nice about it.’ The blonde thought, not really minding her.

“No.” Naruto answered, expecting that to be the end of the conversation. It wasn’t.

“I read your interview with Karin. You are a very well spoken alpha.” She murmured. “I agreed with a lot of what you said. You are right after all.” Konon took a step closer to his cage. “People dont understand much about me.” She flashed him a very shy smile. “Or about you.” She whispered and Naruto felt his stomach drop to the floor. “But, at least we understand each other.”  She shook her head in a soft awe-stricken way. ‘Okay, i was not expecting this.’ Naruto thought as the realization of how his plan had backfired began to dawn on him. “You were hiding in the FBI, that's talent.” She added, her dark hair done up in an elegant bun atop of her head. “If you hadn't gotten sick they might never have caught you.” 

“You found a great place to hide too.” Naruto answered, as his mind raced trying to think of a way out of this mess he just created.

“If you spend time in a mental hospital, you pick up a few tricks. Once your out… no one might ever know you were in.” She explained with a smile. 

“You realize that Orochimaru records all my conversations right?” Naruto warned and she nodded.

“Who do you think wired all of those tiny mic’s? Or unwired as the case may be.” 

“You killed that guy— yahiko?— during my trial?” Naruto checked, wanting to be sure. His empathy skills curling inwards and twisting as though ready to check that she would be telling the truth. She nodded.

“I thought it would free you.” Konon admitted. “I had read your file often enough to recreate it. Although, mounting Yahiko's body on those antlers was hard.” 

“And the judge?” Naruto asked as another idea bloomed inside his skull. 

“I killed Yahiko. The judge was… someone else.” Konon answered and the blonde could feel her sincerity leaking from her. Her strange omega scent danced just out of reach— buried under suppressants. ‘So Gaara killed the judge, and she killed the other guy.’ Naruto thought. ‘But she seems willing enough to kill, relishes in it…’ Naruto blinked as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys and opened his cage door. 

Naruto stepped out, and spent a moment lost in the sensations of power he felt. It was a rush, knowing that he did this, that he talked and manipulated and now he standing free and with a newfound ally just underneath everyone's nose. Konon looked ecstatic at seeing him tower, looking more alpha than he had in a long while. Seeming to tower over her, like a lone hero in an abandoned castle. It was a heady feeling. Beautiful. tragic. Powerful. 

“Why are you helping me?” Naruto asked finally, as he pushed back against those overwhelming sensations. Konon gave a very soft purr. 

“We are… predators. Much like hawks.” 

“Hawks are solitary.” 

“And that is their weakness.” She explained, take a step closer. “If enough of the small, weaker, lesser birds gather together they chase the hawk away.” Konon glances at the clock hanging on the wall, and Naruto took it for what it was meant to be— the final warning bell. ‘Time to go back to my cell.’ Naruto thought, his eye catching on his new found ally’s form. “Imagine if Hawks began to band together…” she suggested as she walked him the long route back to his cell in the alpha wing of the building.

It was part of the way there, in the omega wing of the faculty, that she paused. “Why did you want to talk to me?” She asked, pretending to adjust her shoe while watching the time on her watch. 

“Cuz I want to ask a favor.” Naruto admitted and she blinked. 

“I’m always happy to do a favor for a… friend.” Konon answered. “Simply say the words.” Naruto felt his breath catch and heart speed up and he turned to look at her in the eye before he dared to speak—

 “I want you to kill Gaara.” 

Konon nodded and then continued walking them towards Naruto cell.  Both of them unaware of the fact the cell the stoppe next to belonged to none other than— Sasori.