Reckoning

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

Gaara’s home, Westside Konoha City

Gaara stood off to the side observing all of his guests indulging in the food he had helped to cook. Music danced its way through the air like a divine waltz helping conversations grow. 

The dinner party was a modest affair compared to some of his previous dinner parties. The waiters he had hired were top class but he reduced the number to four and he had only needed to hire six professional cooks to prepare all of the food. His kitchen had been bustling with activity for the past two days. Still, the event seemed to a success judging from the many compliments and smiles he received. 

“The food is phenomenal Gaara, thank you for inviting me.” Sakura said with a warm smile as she walked up to him, her soft pink ball gown perfectly matching her hair. 

“It would not be a Dinner party without you.” Gaara replied, playing the perfect host. 

“And how many of your guests have you said that to I wonder?” She laughed, letting her hand rest on his shoulder. “Did you get new cufflinks?” The Beta asked innocently, noticing the emeralds being used to keep his cuffs looking prim and proper. 

“I did, and I pleased you noticed.” The alpha responded giving her his small and practiced smile. 

“Oh, look Kakashi arrived.” The Beta commented taking a sip from her glass of wine her face scrunching up briefly in irritation as the agent made his way over to the two of them.  

“Kakashi, my friend, I am so glad you are here.” Gaara said stepping away from Sakura to give Kakashi a firm handshake. “You are, after all, the guest of honor. You saved my life.” 

“I’m sorry my friend, but I can stay long.” Kakashi responded. “Sasori was just taken to the hospital and I have another case I’m working on.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

“But I would love to take some food to-go, if that’s alright?” Kakashi asked. 

“Of course.” The redhead replied. “I will have one of the staff retrieve a plate from the kitchen.”

“Oh no, that’s alright. Just uh, get me a container and I’ll serve myself from here, with your permission of course.” Kakashi checked. Gaara blinked.  

“Hello Kakashi.” Sakura said cooly, coming up to stand next to Gaara. 

“Hello Sakura.” Kakashi responded before turning his attention back to Gaara. “Do i have your permission, Doctor?”

The redhead nodded reluctantly. “Eat it soon or it will spoil.” 

“Of course.” Kakashi said before walking away with a fresh plate of food. Gaara could feel Sakura’s tension, her anger at Kakashi for how rude he just acted toward Gaara. The redhead did not actually mind however. The feign reluctance and hurt was mostly a show for her and Kakashi benefit. As Sakura left, presumably to interact with other guests Gaara saw Orochimaru standing and watching him. 

Gaara felt satisfaction and with a faint genuine smile on face, winked at him. Orochimaru shivered in terror. 

**********

(Later)

After the dinner party was officially over The guest left in a stream of people with full stomach and wide smile. It dinner party had been a success. When the staff had finally left the only person left in the house besides Gaara— was Sakura. 

The alpha leaned against the doorframe watching the beta absently playing on his piano with a look of calculation in his eyes. After listening to her horrendous playing for another few moments the redhead walked over and sat next to her on the piano bench. The beta women went still and sighed running her fingers through her hair. 

“Kakashi is treating you like a suspect.” She said aloud. 

“I walked away from Naruto, however I am still trailing his accusations.” 

“I walked from him too.” Sakura admitted. “I- I can’t forgive him for what he did to you.” The Beta sighed. “I just want to walk about from all of this.”

“Where does walking away leave us?” 

“Each other.” She murmurs softly, her cheeks flushing. The redhead waited, knowing what she would likely do next. Sakura hesitated for a moment, before she leaned in and kissed him. Softly, tenderly…. lovingly. Her eyes slipped closed as she allowed herself to trust and love the man in front of her. Sakura surrendered herself, her heart racing as allowed Gaara to stand and leaded her to his bedroom. Her dress was cast aside with a practiced ease and her cheeks felt redder than a cherry. It was one of the hottest nights she’d had in a while. 

********

“Fuck your fantastic.” She breathed out, panting as she lay sprawled on his bed in the aftermath of what had been a breathtaking orgasm. “No wonder your an alpha.” 

“My skill in bed has very little to do with my secondary gender,” Gaara replied, as he peeled the used condom from his skin and threw it away. Sakura smiled. “Wine?” The alpha offered. Sakura blushed and nodded. The redhead gave her a quick kiss and went to the kitchen pulling out two glass and filling them half-way with wine. Then, after checking that she hadn’t followed him down, Gaara poured powder from a small white packet into one of the glasses and mixed it. Sakura wouldn’t be able to taste a thing. 

When he handed her the glass she drank it all happily, relishing in the sweet attention Gaara was giving her. Thanks to the powder Sakura was asleep within minutes. Still, Gaara waited a few more moments to be sure, even going so far as to snap his fingers next to her ear. Sakura didn’t even flinch. The alpha nodded to himself, stood up, got dressed and left soundlessly. 

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

Senju Hospital, Downtown Konoha City 

It surprised no one that when Sasori was being walked back to his cell, the guards decided to plush him out one of the second story windows on to the black top parking lot below. Sasori had never been the perfect picture of an omega. He was rude, polite only when he felt like it, prone to fits of violence, sarcastic, and above all he had a strong dislike for anything and everything— depending on the mood he was in. And not in the attractive way. Sasori’s injuries were so severe, he had be taken to another hospital, Kaguya’s hospital was a facility for the mind— not the body. It was because of this that Sasori found himself laid out on a stretcher in an isolated room unable to move as a shadow crept inside the room and stalked over towards him.

“Hello Sasori.” Gaara said, standing next to the bed looking down at the omega. 

“Doctor.” Sasori replied bitterly. 

“You are not surprised,” Gaara stated, as he began the process of carefully unhooking Sasori for transport. 

“No. Naruto gave fair warning.” 

“He knew I would come to kill you?” The alpha asked, pausing from what he was doing. Sasori nodded. “Then I should not disappoint.” Gaara stated as he finished unhooking Sasori completely and rolled the stretcher with Sasori on it through the carefully planned route to the outside. There, he picked him up and loaded him into the back of his car and took him home. 

Sakura was still deeply asleep thanks to the powder he had slipped into her drink, and Gaara was able to easily carry Sasori into the kitchen. The alpha set the other redhead down on the long kitchen counter, before he knelt down and moved a new plastic bottomed rug which covered the trap door to the basement. 

“A rug in the pantry?” Sasori commented arching his eyebrow at the alpha.

“Yes.”

“Why?” 

“It will prevent others from discovering the trap door how agent Ino did.” Gaara replied easily before opening the door and picking up the omega again. “It will help muffle for sounds for help as well.” 

“Oh. Of course. Naturally. Why didn’t I think of that?” Sasori snarked back, his face twisting in pain as the painkillers he had been began to fade from his body. “So you have a guest? Let me guess— Miss Sakura?” Sasori whistled. “She is a beauty for a beta. Would have been a real heartbreaker if she were an omega. It’s a shame.”

“Do not be rude.” Gaara warned flatly. 

“Just saying, she would’ve been.” Sasori shrugged as Gaara laid him down on a cold sterile table and locked a belt around his stomach to keep him from moving. “You sleep with her?” He asked and Gaara paused he gave him a sharp warning look. “So you did, what was it like? I bet your good.” 

“Sex is a useful method of distraction.” The redhead replied stiffly, tying down Sasori's legs. “

“So she’s that bad huh?” Sasori shook his head. “Real shame. Out of curiosity how did you find out I was put in the hospital? It just happened today.”

“Orochimaru informed me at the dinner party I held earlier this evening. It provided me inspiration.”

“Am I part of that inspiration?”

“Yes.” 

“Oh goody.” Sasori muttered. 

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

Gaara’s home, Westside Konoha City

It was late by the time Gaara returned to his house with Sasori which meant it was even later when he finally went to bed. Put simply, Gaara was tired. Sakura however, was not. 

The pink haired beta woke up slowly, and comfortable. She stretched out on the bed with a smile and looked over at Gaara who was laying beside her. The alpha let out a deep breath —not quite a sigh but close— and opened his eyes to look at her. 

“Your awake.” She murmured softly. 

“You are as well.”

“I was thinking…” Sakura murmured after a moment of silence settled on them. 

“What were you thinking about?”

“Funerals and about how often they make us want to have sex.” She replied thoughtfully before blinking. “No that this— I didn’t mean— this didn’t funeral sex.”

“Is it not?” Gaara responded easily. “We both buried a friend, Metaphorically speaking.” 

“I suppose in way… I buried my ideas about Naruto. About who he is.”  Sakura agreed finally. “There’s something…. liberating about finally letting him go.” 

“Yes.” Gaara stated, as he leaned in to kiss poor oblivious Sakura. After all, Gaara hadn’t really let Naruto go. At all. Before things could get much further however the doorbell rang and she groaned. The alpha gave her another brief kiss before wordlessly standing to go see who was at the door. He opened the door only to see Kakashi standing there with a grim look on his face. 

“Hello Kakashi.”

“Hello Gaara. We need to talk.” 

”What may I do for you?” The redhead asked, stepping out of the way to let the agent inside. 

“Sasori fell down a stairwell last night and was taken to hospital for care. However the security guard that was supposed to be watching him was killed in what looks like another Black Zetsu murder.” Kakashi explained. “Sasori is still missing.” 

“He escaped?” 

“No. Sasori couldn’t have left the hospital on his own his back was broken. He was taken by someone.” Kakashi frowned, watching Gaara closely. “Where were you last night?”

“I was here.”

“All night.” Kakashi checked. 

“Yes.” 

“You have anyone that can confirm that story?” 

“I can.” Sakura claimed proudly as she leaned against the doorway covered in one of Gaara’s jackets. “I was with Gaara all night Kakashi.” She added, crossing her arms at the alpha. “What are you accusing him of?” She asked bluntly. 

“I’m not accusing him of anything, just… asking about his whereabouts.” 

“That is not all you are asking.” Gaara added, standing there looking like the picture-perfect victim. 

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

Gaara’s home, Westside Konoha City (that night)

Sakura went home in the afternoon practically glowing, and Kakashi left him alone the rest of the day. This left Gaara with plenty of time to cook. The redhead took one of Sasoris legs— his thigh to be specific and wrapped it in a clay before baking it in the oven. The results were simply mouthwatering. 

“I enjoy cooking with clay.” Gaara informed Sasori, who he took out of the basement so that he could eat dinner with him. “Shall I carve?” He asked holding up the knife above the freshly cooked meat.” 

“Something tells me you already have.” The omega replied bitterly.

“You legs are of no use to you. You have a T-4 fracture in your spine. This is a more practical and flavorful use for them.” 

“It’s hard to have anything, isnt it?” Sasori wondered, as Gaara served him a plate of food. “Rare to get it and Hard to keep. A damn slipperly life.” The omega added. Gaara didn’t respond, instead, he focused on finishing serving dinner. 

“So you want me, to be my own last supper?” Sasori checked and the alpha nodded. “How should I say— no thanks?”

“You do not.” 

“Ah.” Sasori responded before cautiously taking a bite. There was a brief moment of silence and then— “my compliments to the chef.” 

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

FBI Headquarters, Northside Konoha City (same time)

“Black Zetsu has been tying fishing lures with people just Naruto used to do. We have lures with remains from Obito, Ino, Narutos Judge and even our mural killer.” Kiba said with his arms crossed. 

“But that’s not all.” Lee added pointing to a tray with more lures in it. “This lure here? Has tissue from Matsuri Visfiya, and another from Touka.” Lee swallowed. “Naruto didn’t kill any of these people 

“He was framed by Black Zetsu.” Kakashi said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of nose. “And Black Zetsu is finally owning up to all of these murders.” 

“Yeah. The question is— why now?”

“Yeah well, he may be taking too much credit.” Kiba said before walking over to a map. “We found some bark as well, it helped narrow down the search area— along with the microorganisms we found earlier.”

“And? Find anything?”

“Small cabin, right about here.” Kiba pointed and Kakashi nodded to himself. 

“Then that’s where we go. Load up, we have an place to search now.”

*************** 

Abandoned Park Cabin, Akemichi Park (little while later)

Kakashi pulled up to the cabin, and pulled out his pistol. The place looked empty but he wanted to be cautious. The S.W.A.T team was in the back waiting for the command. Who no on inside seemed to stir the alpha cautious cracked the door open— to reveal an empty cabin. Well, empty of people anyway. 

“Clear.” He called, as he proceeded further into to the cabin. Frames of glass like what was used to kill Ino lay stacked off to the side, and vases of flowers were carefully blooming in narrow boxes by the windows. A set of stairs heading down lurked in his right and he went still. With a low growl Kakashi aimed his gun and followed the stairs downward to find two completely black solid crates. No cracks for light could be seen— just a thin tube leading to an air filter before curling around to the outside. “Kiba, get in here.” Kakashi called. 

Lee and Kiba bumbled there way down there before setting to work on opening the crates. The first one was devoid of life, just a puddle of water. The second one however….. 

“Oh my god.” Kiba muttered, hand covering his mouth. “That’s…”

“Obito.” Kakashi breathed out as he looked down to see a male Beta shielding his eyes from the sudden bright light.