Reckoning

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

Kaguya's Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Northside Konoha City (next day)

“Hi Naruto.” Sakura said from where she stood on the outside of his cell. “I’m sorry to drop in unannounced like this.” she apologized but Naruto just shook his head. ‘Not like I get a lot of visitors I wanna see anyway.’ The alpha thought.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked, his braining still reeling from what he had told Konon to do earlier that evening. Part of him felt like a bundle of wire, ready to be stripped and redone in new more complicated shapes. The other part of him couldn’t him but imagine how Gaara would look covered in in his blood. ‘Would it be as red as he hair?’ Naruto wondered briefly.

“You.” Sakura answered jerking Naruto's attention back to her. “You gave in interview to Karin Namikaze! You hate her.” The beta shrugged. “It just seemed….” 

“Suspicious?” Naruto replied raising his eyebrow and she stiffened. 

“And slightly worrying.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Naruto answered with a sigh as he leaned back on his bed to stare up at his ceiling. 

“ Naruto, I know that you feel powerless because of what happened to Beverly and that you want to do something about it—“

“Is that so bad?” Naruto said sharply, turning his head to look at her. Sakura swallowed, and for the first time in her life it clicked with her that Naruto was and is an alpha. Power seemed to seep from his very skin and it set her on edge even as it made her long for him. 

“It depends on what you are thinking about doing.” Sakura respond finally fighting not to take a step back. “There is no… solution, no easy way out of grief Naruto.” She murmured and the blonde huffed.

“Ino died because of me.” Naruto practically growled. “Because she listened to me. I won’t let that happen again.” The words sent off mental alarms in Sakura head. 

“What have you done?” 

“What I had to.” 

Sakura could feel distrust building and as she left the alpha wing where Naruto’s cell was she stopped next to Orochimaru's office, where she caught sight of none other than Sasori being put back into his cell on one of the newly installed security cameras lining his back office wall. 

“Ah, Doctor Haruno…” Orochimaru exclaimed as he saw her looming in his office doorway. “The catnip for killers.” 

“I see Sasori has returned.” She replied, ignoring him. 

“Yes, well, we are his only two surviving psychiatrists.” Orochimaru said grimly. “He pulled the tongues out of the rest.”

“Pulled more than that out of you.” Sakura respond and Orochimaru stiffened. 

“Sakura. Sasori is here for purely selfish reasons. He is a part of Naruto's therapy. Naruto shot him but  has no memory of it.” 

“Can I see him?”

“Sasori?”

“Yes.” Sakura stated flatly her hands curling into fists by her sides. Orochimaru presses his mouth together in an unhappy sort of concerned looked before he grudgingly agreed. The alpha picked up his desk phone calling in one of the employees. Orochimaru took one look at the Beta man who walked in and frowned. 

“Where’s Konon and who are you?” 

“Kakuza. Konon requested the day off. she is sick.” The employee replied and Orochimaru grunted. 

“Fine, you’ll do I suppose. Doctor Haruno would like to speak to our little friend, Sasori.” The employee nodded and left to take Sasori to the visitors hall for her. 

“There was no reason to be so rude to him.” Sakura commented crossing her arms, nerves still on edge from her conversation with Naruto. 

“Kakuza is just a penny pinching money grabber. He focuses too much on monetary profit.”

“Still, he does his job.” 

“The does not mean I am required to like him, Sakura.” Orochimaru replied leaning back in his chair. “Either way, don't you have a Prison we to talk to?”

“Enjoy eavesdropping like a boy trying get a glimpse into the girls locker room.” Sakura said with a sharp smile. Sakura walked back down to the visitors hall to see Sasori already waiting in the smaller cage. 

“Ah Doctor Haruno!” Sasori exclaimed as her saw her. “Your scent does you justice. You are truly a of vision of spring and fresh air. A flower blossoming amongst the weeds.”

“I’m glad to see you alive, Sasori.” Sakura replied.

“Well, Naruto didn’t do a very good job of killing me.” Sasori said with a shrug. “Not that I blame him. He was sick and a rather poor shot.”

“He was a good enough shot to put  bullet in you before you put a blade in me.” Sakura fired back.

“Which I am ever so grateful for. Would have been a shame to lose a beauty like to death.” Sasori murmured and Sakura crossed her arms.

“I’ve been wondering about that night.” 

“Oh? Do tell.”

“How did you know where I was?” She asked bluntly. 

“A… little birdie wanted me too kill you.” Sasori replied before his face dropped into a low frown and he muttered, “either that or a little birdie wanted to give Naruto a reason to kill me.” The omega tilted his head at her. “Either way, you and I? Equally expendable.” 

The words did nothing to sooth her nerves regarding Naruto and the whole prison problem. “You were trying to find Black Zetsu that night.” Ah stayed flatly. “Did you find him?”

“I found Naruto.”

“Naruto isn’t Black Zetsu.” Sakura argued, uncrossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him. 

“Not yet.” Sasori murmured softly, as though trying to let her down easy. “Of everything that makes us who we are— memories, emotions... what has to happen to make those things change? To makes us change?” Sasori gave a soft omega purr. “So much has happened to poor Naruto….. he is a changed man.” 

“Maybe he’s looking for redemption.” Sakura said hopefully even as a cold sinking feeling of despair settled over her. Denial is a funny thing.

“He isn’t looking for redemption.” Sasori correctly rolling eyes at her behavior. “revenge though? That is a trinket he would value.”

“Revenge on who?” She whispers before her eyes for wide. “He thinks he know who killed Ino.” 

“You have always shown me great courtesy Doctor Haruno. For that reason I’m going to give you a chance to help Naruto.”

“What do you mean?”

“Naruto is in a… special place right now —mental that is— but once that rage passes he will either be a murder or he will not. Up to you.”

“He’s institutionalized, locked up! He’s really not in any position to be murdering anyone.” Sakura whisper hoarsely, denial thick and heavy on her tongue. 

“Not by his own hand perhaps.” Sasori acknowledged. “if he only had a little birdie to whisper to…” horror wrapped itself around the pink haired beta and she swallowed. 

“Who does he want to kill?” 

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

Suiei Pools, East side Konoha City (hours later - 11:30 pm)

Gaara doesn’t usually indulge in swimming, but the restlessness under his skin urged him to do something. So rather than head straight home as he usually did, the alpha decided to visit one of the city’s more respectable public pools. The late hour meant it was mostly empty and redhead allowed himself to relax and enjoy the movement of the water. His mind buzzed with thought about Naruto and the situation he found himself in, racing with ways to solve it without creating a bigger mess and resulting in more blood shed. The redhead missed Naruto and their conversations more than he anticipated he would. Plans however, are plans for a reason. Gaara was confident in his abilities. It was all a matter of timing. 

A loud splash momentarily distracted but Gaara dismisses it. It is after a public pool, and the redhead sincerely doubted that he was the only one who sought to use the pool at odd hours for increased privacy. He swam two more laps before stopping back at the edge to take a breath. Delicate feminine feet pulled his attrition upwards as a lovely omega women stood there looking down at him. Gaara blinked mentally preparing himself to turn down an invitation from omegas when she pulled a dart gun from out of the towel she was carrying. She fired, striking him in the chest without giving him time to so much as blink. 

The redhead alpha let out a huff as it struck him, and slowly reached for the dart before going unconscious and beginning to sinking to the bottom of the pool.  Konon set the towel and dart gun down diving in after him. Using the water to carry most of the Gaara’s larger form she got them both to the other side of the pool and pulled him to drag him to the private dressing room. Tying him with rope and setting a noose around his neck she left only long enough to grab her dart gun and towel before returning in time to see Gaara slowly come back to consciousness. 

She slipped on the robe she brought with her, and traded her dart gun for a real gun before leaning against the wall to watch him wake up. 

“Hello.” Gaara said quietly stilly fighting for breath.

“Hello.” She replied softly, before forcing him to stand upright on a bucket as she tied the noose she had put around his neck to the ceiling. She paused then reached out and slashed his wrists. After several long minutes of waiting and watching the blood slide down Gaara’s wrists and pool on the floor Konon tilted her head. 

“Did you know, that the phrase kick the bucket game from this sort of situation? You could kick that bucket right now and it would all be over. Faster then bleeding out.” She murmured, as she took a few steps back to admire her handiwork. An omega, killing an alpha, forcing him to —perhaps— even kill himself. All in the effort to impress her one true alpha. Her future mate. She felt happiness curl up in her stomach. 

“You are a nurse at the hospital.” Gaara gasped out, his chest heaving with effort as he eyed her. “Certainly setting new… standard of care.” The redhead rasped his voice cracking as he struggled for breath. “Naruto is not what you think,” the alpha continued, still struggling to breath around the noose. “He is not a murderer.” 

“He is now.” Konon replied quietly, somehow still releasing an aura of delicate feminist despite the fact she had in fact beaten an experienced serial killer. An experienced alpha serial killer. “By proxy of course, but the point stands.” 

“He asked you to do this?” Gaara questioned, something unrecognizable lingering in his voice. 

“What are…. Friends, for?” Konon purred, before take a single step closer. Curiosity was whispering in her ear. “I am going to ask you a few yes or no questions now.” She commented, almost off-handedly. “Are you ready?” The omega asked, polite even while murdering. 

“Ready.” Gaara rasped, his voice catching and letting out strange half growls. He may be slowly dying, but he was still an alpha. 

“Did you kill Naruto’s Judge?” Konon asked, and waited for an answer. Gaara didn’t responded and her mouth opened a little in awe. “You don't have to answer. I can ask the question and I will know what the answer is.” Konon purred stepping closer still. “Unlike scents which can be...influenced other biological reactions cannot. Your pupil for example.” She explained. “It reacts to specific mental processes. If you pupil dilates is a yes…. no dilation is a no.” Konon gave him a demure smile and leaned in to examine his eye and asked again, “did you kill Naruto’s judge?”

Gaara’s pupil dilated. 

Konon let out a breathy gasp, clearly enjoying the situation— albeit in a strange way. “Are you Black Zetsu?” She asked, nearly holding her breath.

Gaara’s pupil dilated. 

“How many times have you watch someone clinging to a life that simply isn’t worth living?” She asked, rhetorically. Konon stepped back and began almost pacing the length of the locker room casting glances back at him every few seconds in curiosity. “Have you ever wondered… why do they bother?” 

“I know why.” Gaara grunted. “Life… is precious.” 

“Precious?” Konon let out a laugh that sounded like paper benign carried off by the wind. Distinctive, fleeting, and carrying a certain kind of horror. (At least to students anyway.) “I wonder what they will call me.” She murmured half to herself before an idea blossomed in her skull. “you know, there are countless cultures where people eat their enemies in order to consume their strength.” The omega tilted her head considering it as she flashed a sweet smile towards Gaara. “Perhaps your murders will become my murders.” 

“Only if you eat me.” Gaara replied with a low growl. Konon hesitated, the gun still firm in her hand, when a loud sound startled them both. The omega looked over her shoulder to see Kakashi standing in the doorway.

“Put your hands where I can see them!” The agent ordered, and Konon narrowed her eyes hand twitching in the trigger—

“She’s got a gun, Kakashi!” Gaara managed to practically roar in warning before his voice cracked and gave out. Konon’s breath caught and she turned as fast as she could to fire— But was too slow. 

The bullet from Kakashi gun hit her square in the chest, knocking her back against the floor. The floor next to the bucket Gaara was standing on. She dragged in heavy slow breaths picturing Naruto's face and with a savage and half feral effort, pushed the bucket out from under Gaara’s feet. 

The last sounds Konon heard —the final sounds she would ever hear—  was: “call an ambulance! HURRY!!” Then she died, hoping she had succeeded in fulfilling her alphas desire.