Reckoning

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

FBI Headquarters, Northside Konoha City

After find Obito alive and, partly, unharmed agent Kakashi was quick to send him to the hospital to get checked out before going to speak to the beta. Obito— the only survivor of Black Zetsu. The man who lived and saw his face. Who had to know who Black Zetsu is. 

“We haven’t caught him yet, but we can with your help. You’ve seen his face.” Kakashi asked after Obito was lead to the witness room and sat down across from him. 

“I don’t remember seeing him. And I— I don’t catching him.” Obito admitted with a faraway look in his eyes. 

“What do you remember?”

“Lights. Sound. The smell of… flowers I think. It was strange. Like I was myself but different. Me but not me.”

“Can you identify him?”

“If I can hear his voice, yes.” Obito stated and Kakashi nodded firmly, his eyes carefully avoiding the arm that Obito was still missing. 

“We have a suspect already waiting in another witness room. I’d appreciate if you came with me, see if it’s him.”

“Right.” Obito replied, subdued. It sent a cold shiver down Kakashi spine. Obito was always a cheerful beta. Sassy even. “Lead the way.” 

“Follow me.” Kakashi said taking him towards the room to have listen to Gaara speaking to Sakura. They couldn’t see or hear Obito of course, since it was a one way mirror. 

“It’s not him.” Obito answered swallowing and looking away. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m sure.” 

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

Kaguya's Hospital for the criminally insane, Northside Konoha City 

Naruto lay stretched out on his uncomfortable cot, miserable and pissed off at— well Gaara and the world. ‘I trusted him dammit.’ Naruto thought, still hurt over it all. ‘I trusted him and he did this to me. Why?’ Footsteps smacked the cold stone floor as Orochimaru walked to the front of his cell and slipped a bag of clothes through the cell bars. 

“Why are you giving me this?” Naruto asked confused as he stood up, reached out and took his old clothes back. His glasses perched happily on top. ‘Useless to me now.’ Naruto thought. 

“You are being set free.” Orochimaru stated flatly, before turning on his heel and walking off. 

“Wait— I’m What?” Naruto said, eyes going wide and his hands clenched tightly around the clothes. “How? Why?” He asked, to orochimaru's retreating form. “Hey— You didn’t even unlock the door!” Naruto called out, pissed off and slightly confused. The blonde glanced down at his clothes, a worn orange and black jacket and his favorite pants. A far cry from the stupid dark green outfit the had the Prisoners wear. ‘Free? Am I really free? Just like that?’ Naruto thought with a frown as he stared at his clothes. ‘The door is still utterly locked, yet he gave my clothes back. Is this a game? A trick of some kind by Orochimaru? Or by Gaara?’ Naruto wasn’t sure and it frustrated him. More than that though— it made him curious. And a curious Naruto, could be a dangerous Naruto.

“Either way, still better than Prison clothes.” Naruto muttered to himself as his stripped down and slipped into his clothes, relishing in the feeling of Cotton against his skin. As his finished dressing Orochimaru walked back in, standing against the wall. “This is sudden.” Naruto said, when it became obvious Orochimaru wasn’t going to say anything. 

“The prosecutor dropped all of the charges against you. Since you were never convicted of murdering anyone, the basis for you sentence here is null and void.” Orochimaru’s face twisted into half fear. “Black Zetsu has set you free congratulations.” 

The door to his cell clicked loudly, and Naruto sucked in a breath and as he pushed it open and walked out of it. ‘Finally. Freedom.’ Naruto thought breifly before he recalled both why he was in there and why he was finally out. ‘Gaara and I need to have a conversation.’ The blonde thought. ‘Possibly one with bullets.’ 

“I would love to see you and Gaara trade places.” Orochimaru admitted, “I have no intention of ending up on his menu.” 

“Then confess. Gaara likes to linger in the shadows. Shine a light on your relationship with him— sent the shadows to him.” Naruto answered, as he walked straight past Orochimaru to the door not even sparing a glance in his direction.  ‘Orochimaru isn’t important right now.’ Naruto thought. ‘Gaara is.’ He stomach rumbles. ‘And ramen. Ramen is also important.’ The blonde mentally added craving it. 

“Your suggesting I kill my career before Gaara kills me?!” Orochimaru calls after him incredulous and the blonde fights as sigh and turns to look at the weak alpha. 

“I’m suggesting you convince Kakashi any way you can.” Naruto responded. “Convince him…. Like your life depends on it.”  He finishes, as turns back towards the door. Towards Ramen and Gaara. 

“Why didn’t he kill you?” Orochimaru said suddenly and Naruto froze. “What makes you so… special? Why are you alive?” The blondes blinked and he felt his heart stutter for a second. 

“Because…” He said, “Because he wants to be my friend.” Naruto answered, swallowing. The blonde felt distant all of a sudden— his footsteps too loud in his head. ‘Shit why did he let me live? I mean I tried have him killed for crying out loud.’ Naruto frowned. ‘I try to reveal him, try to kill him. I almost succeeded too. Then again, Gaara did tell me that if he was Black Zetsu he’d be proud i found a way to kill while being locked up in prison.’ Naruto gave a low growl. ‘Gaara is such a dick.’ The final door between him and freedom opened and Naruto stepped outside. The air had a bite to it, sharp and chilly. ‘Wonderful.’ Naruto thought closing his eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling of fresh air in his lungs. 

“Need a ride?” A familiar voice called out and Narutos eyes snapped open. He turned his head to see Kakashi leaned against the side of his car.

“I was going to call a cab.” The blonde answered shortly. 

“We found Obito.” The alpha responded. ‘Oh, okay ignore me just like you always do.’ The blonde thought, repressing the urge to snap his teeth at him. “We found Obito— alive.” Kakashi added, distracting Naruto. 

“Did you catch the Black Zetsu?” The blonde asked, and Kakashi shook his head no.

“And uh— how is Obito?” Naruto asked, frowning and running a head down his face. 

“Traumatized.” The alpha responded curtly before giving a sharp sigh. “He thanked me for not giving on him after I found him. But I had. Just like I gave up on you.” Kakashi walked out to the blonde and bowed his head in shame. “I thought he was dead, and I thought you were crazy and then I gave up on trying to find you both.”  

“You didn't have to find me.”  Naruto said with a snort, and gesturing towards the building he just exited. “You just had to listen to me.” Done with the conversation and not at all impressed with Kakashi's weak apology, the blonde walked past the alpha intent on trying to find a cab.

“Look, I put Obito in the same room as Gaara. He firmly stated that he is not Black Zetsu.” Naruto paused, and turned to study Kakashi. 

“Firm enough for you?”

“No.” Kakashi answered quietly after a long moment of silence. “No it wasn’t.” 

“Where did you find Obito?” Naruto asked, trying to brace himself for entering back into it all. Back into the crime scenes. Back to the blood, and the death. Back to understanding and empathizing with murder. 

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

Abandoned Park Cabin, Akemichi Park

Naruto rode with Kakashi in silence all the way there. Partly because he had nothing to say, and partly because he was simply too busy thinking to bother with the other alpha. The blondes thoughts was a swirling mass of emotions, some of them he didnt mind and others that he didnt want to feel. When he got out of the car, and looked around to see the flurry of activity by the other FBI agents he was struck with realization of just how much he had changed from that day so long ago when Kakashi had barged into his classroom. 

‘They’re like ants.’ Naruto thought eyeing the agents scurrying around, before following Kakashi inside. ‘No.’ Naruto thought immediately as he walked into the, frankly filthy, cabin. There were spider webs decorating every corner like poorly down Halloween decorations, and a set of narrow window boxes filled with flowers filling every inch. Dust formed layers on the steps further down into the basement, with near perfect shoe prints left in them. A sterile metal table stood in the center, looking out of place in the old musty room. ‘This doesn't really fit Gaara much.’ Naruto thought eyeing all of the filth. ‘There’s no real…. flair to it. No drama tic prevention that normally comes with Black Zetsu murders.’ Naruto thought, which made him all the more eager to see where exactly Obito had been found. Where he had been locked up. ‘Obito is red herring. Everything he says will probably be a lie. A lie that he wont even know is a lie.’ 

“Naruto over here.” Kakashi called, as he pointed to a thick black crate with no obvious holes for light. 

“How did you find this place?” 

“Black Zetsu more recent victim, had water in his lungs. Microorganisms in the water lead us here.” Kakashi answered easily as Naruto peered I got the darkness of the crate. ‘How convenient.’ Naruto thought, not saying a word. “Was found Obito in this crate. He claims that Black Zetsu brought him here to kill him. Maybe saving him to be his last victim.” Naruto fought not to roll his eyes. ‘And there's the drama. The misdirection.’ He thought before Kakashi spoke again saying, “Black Zetsu knows we’re close to catching him.”

“No, he’s been caught before.” Naruto murmured eying the water in the bottom of the crate where Obito had supposedly been left standing. “”And if you catch a fish once but its gets away is a lot harder to catch a second time.” Kakashi frowns but doesnt ask him why he used a fish metaphor. ‘Gaara is a hunter.’ Naruto thought, looking down at the water. ‘He finds his… pigs, captures them and then kills them. But…. what about me? I tried to kill Gaara. Does that make me a hunter too?’ Naruto wondered briefly. ‘Whatever. That doesnt matter right now. Morality later, case now.’ Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, picturing a candle flame flickering before going out. It’s smoke taking shape before him until he’s someone else. 

“I sowed the seeds and watched them grow.” I murmured, as I sit in my lavish office carefully tending the highly poisonous flowers, “Cultivated them.” I add as I tear apart my victim and place the flowers artfully inside. The man isnt important. The flowers are. The message is. 

The message, the simple message I want him to understand— death can be beautiful too. 

I am careful. Searching and finding the perfect place to stage my so called work space. I’ve been on the other side of the looking glass. I know what they will look for. What they will see, How to lead them what I need them to see. The water in the ditch outside the cabin is specific, filled with bacteria to lead them towards me. I poured it down my victims throat. He died by drowning. Under his fingernails I left traces of the surrounding tree bark. “A long chain of events all leading to this.” I want to tell him, but it wasn’t just this was it? “No,” I want to say. “All of this has been my design.” The prison. The sickness. The flowers are my gift to you— “welcome back, I’ve missed you. I hope you enjoy theatre as much as I do. The show is only just beginning.”

“It’s theatre.” Naruto stated and Kakashi frowned.

“It’s theatre every time he kills someone.”

“Yeah. But the Black Zetsu didn't bring Obito here to kill him. He brought him here for you to find.”

“Black Zetsu isnt self destructive. He isnt looking to get caught.”

“Well he wants you to catch someone. Just like he wanted you to catch me.” Naruto snapped and the alpha pressed his lips together in a tight line, very obviously trying not to snap back at Naruto and cause a mess in the middle of crime scene. “You know, somewhere in all of this…. evidence, your going to find something leading you away from Gaara.”

“Obito has already said Black Zetsu isnt Gaara.” 

“Two years is a long time to have Gaara playing with your head. A long time for Black Zetsu to be toying with you. Besides, you had enough doubt to pull me back on the case didn't you?” Naruto shakes his head. “You cant trust Obito, and you cant trust any of this to be what it seems.” 

Kakashi fell silent after that. That same silence stretched between the two of them like a black hole over the entire trip as he gave Naruto a ride back to house. To his home. 

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

Narutos home, Greenwood (43 miles East of Konoha city) 

Gravel crushed under tires, as Kakashi pulled out of the driveway leaving Naruto standing in front of his house. ‘It’s weird being home again.’ Naruto thought. ‘It feels so different. Like a place from a dream. Foreign.’ The blonde shoved his hands in his pockets and started for the steps. ‘I probably only feel like that’s cause of just been away for too long. It’ll fade.’ Naruto decided determinedly, before being distracted by a loud bark. 

Kurama was running towards him, tail acting like some tool of destruction as the dog bark its happiness at him. Narutos face split open into a wide grin, before he knelt down to give his dog a hug and a scratch behind the ears. 

“Hey Kyuu.” Naruto breathed out before seeing another dog happily trot over to him. 

“Welcome home.” 

“Thanks.” Naruto responded, knowing who it was just by the voice. “For watching him. He seems happy.”

“He’s happy to see you.” Sakura replied.

“And who’s this?” The blonde asked, greeting the new dog like he had with Kurama.

“Miso. She’s mine.” The blonde blinks and tilts his head up at her. Sakura shrugs. “She likes Miso.” The beta explained simply. “She’s a rescue.”

“Pickin’ up my bad habits?” Naruto questioned, still absorbed with petting Kurama. ‘I missed you buddy.’ Naruto thought, while also feeling a prick of shame at how absorbed he had gotten in his revenge over Gaara. ‘Well, if it wasn’t for Gaara putting me in there I wouldn’t have had to miss him.’ Naruto thought shaking away the feeling. 

“I’m picking up your good habits.” Sakura corrected stiffly and the blonde frowned and then braced himself. “You challenged my who idea of they way you are. Or at least the way I think you are.” Sakura continued stiffly, calling her dog back to her side. 

“Well…” Naruto said with a sigh. “The way you think i am isnt always a reliable guide to who I am.” He finished, thinking, ‘hell just ask Gaara. He’s going to regret at making assumptions about me in the end too.’

“I was wrong about you.” 

“Why? Because you didnt believe me? Or in me?” Naruto crossed his arms. “Or because you let me question my sanity?”

“Because you tried to kill Gaara.” Sakura answered. “Your wrong about him.”

“No. Your wrong about him Sakura.” Naruto responded quickly wrinkling his nose. “You see the best in him and i… I dont.” Naruto felt his nose itching from her scent, and knelt back down to pet Kurama. ‘At least Kurama smells better.’ Naruto thought vaugely. 

“What was done to you, does excuse what you did.” Sakura added and the blonde had the suddenly urge to roll his eyes, girls and kick her off his property. “Are you going to try to hurt Gaara again?” She asked. ‘Am I?’ Naruto wondered, thinking and was struck by the very sudden and very uncomfortable realization that— he had no fucking clue if he wanted to try and Kill Gaara again. “Is he safe?” Sakura said loudly, her scent pouring off of her in distressed waves, jerking him from his disturbing thoughts. 

“From me or for you?” The blonde asked, looking up at her. Thats when it all hit him. Her scent was bugging his nose because it was stronger, not just from worry but because she was in a relationship. Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied her make-up, the glow to her skin and her nice clothes. Sakura was dressed up like she was seeing someone. ‘Fuck she’s sleeping with Gaara.’ Naruto realized, as he figured out why she suddenly treasured Gaaras safety. “He’s dangerous Sakura.” The blonde warned and he could practically see her huff up. “I would stay far away from him.” Naruto muttered as he pushed past her with Kurama to go back inside. Sakura left silently fuming. 

“Well. At least my house isn't a complete mess.” Naruto said sound as he looked around to see everything was, almost exactly how he left it. Almost. Everything was cleaner. For a second a bolt of panic raced through his system as he thought about his suppressants. Not the alpha ones had he bought to cover up his true nature but the one he had to sneak. ‘Shit what if they found them?!’ Naruto thought, half running towards where he stashed them, but finding nothing. That was when he remembered— he had run out. ‘Right. I ran out of them before, I was using the actual alpha suppressants. Threw the old bottle away and everything.’ Naruto groaned in relief and scratched Kurama back. “Good thing I ran out huh Kyuu? Then i really would be in trouble. I would have gotten exposed as a sigma for sure then.” 

Naruto spent the rest of the night care-washing all of his bedding and making a list of food to get since his fridge was practically empty. Laundry was thrown into the washer and Naruto sat back and relaxed on the couch for the first time in what felt like ages afterwards. Kurama was curled up next to him like a warm furry space heater and Naruto was once again left to his thoughts. ‘Am i going to try and kill Gaarara again?’ The blonde wondered, considering the rage he felt in the Prison. The rage that still lingers and shoulder like a fire just waiting for more wood to be tossed on it. ‘I want Gaara to suffer like i suffered. I want him to readily just what hell he put me through, and what he risked by tossing me in there like i was nothing.’ Naruto thought. ‘More than thought i wasn't home to feel that sting of betrayal that i felt when i realized what he’d done to me.’ 

“Do i want to kill Gaara?” Naruto murmured to himself once again. “I… dont know. But, I promised him a reckoning, and I need to keep my promises.”