Reckoning

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

Motel, outskirts of Konoha City

Though Naruto felt freer than he had in a long time, his brain still buzzed thinking of the problems closing in around him. Karin was one such….. Problem that he needed to handle. She hasn't let go, instead curling tighter and tighter like a python intent on squeezing him to death. The blonde glance down at his phone double checking the address she had emailed him. 

[From: annoying Beta][To: Me]

I moved to a different hotel for our interview. See you then.

13326 E 263 Konoha City, Batley Hotel

[From: Me][To: annoying Beta]

Fine.

The hotel seemed as shady as the beta reporter, with peeling paint on the some of the walls and the foul scent of overused scent cleaners and filters. Still, some smells cling to carpets until the only solution is to rip out the carpet. Naruto certainly wanted to rip something apart, although that could simply be his lingering desire to rip Gaara clothes off and use them to strangle the irritating alpha. Hard to say. 

“The publishing deal just got even better.” Karin announced as she opened her hotel door to invite the blonde. “There’s been movie interest. Hollywood is a wonderful place for the obnoxious and wealthy.” Naruto grimaced as he glanced around her room, noting the cork board sitting over the hotel room that was covered in news articles and pictures of various old crime scenes. 

“You’re not wealthy.” 

“I will be.” She answered, noticing his gaze on the news clippings. “Bringing back memories?” The beta asked giving a wicked smile as she shut the door and pulled out her voice recorder. “now then… let’s talk about Black Zetsu.” She started cutting straight to the point as she settled into her chair, watching him like vulture watches something die so it can feast on it. Hungrily. 

“Orochimaru turning out to be Black Zetsu. Who knew?”

“Who knew?” Naruto said with a sigh, still standing. 

“On one did. No one could— not even you.” Karin said leaning back into his seat. “You were so certain Black Zetsu was Gaara that you attempted to murder him.”

“You mean— Supposedly try to kill him.” 

“No. I don’t”. She answered firmly. “Now Gaara is your… psychiatrist again. What’s up with that?” 

“I was wrong. That’s what.” Naruto said bluntly. Karin shifted thoughtfully.

“Maybe you were, but maybe you weren’t.” 

“Orochimaru is Black Zetsu. The evidence supports it.”

“Black Zetsu had surgical skills. Orochimaru does not. She narrowed her eyes. “I spoke to his old medical school colleges, Orochimaru fled to psychiatry so he wouldn’t embarrass himself.” 

“Karin. My story with Black Zetsu already has an ending.” The blonde stated. Recalling the tense yet blissful movement spent high on adrenaline in Gaara’s dining room. 

“Mine doesnt. You honestly believe Orochimaru killed Matsuri Visfiya?” The beta stated flatly, leaning forward in a rare show of open aggression from her. “I don’t think he did and even if I let this story go, I will never let that go.” 

Naruto went still for a moment, as the ache he had experienced shot through him. Gaara made him believe he had killed his daughter. That is what Matsuri had felt like— she had become in a daughter to him. Thinking he had ended that… ‘I loved Gaara. I forgive him for a lot, I think I could even grow to love some of the darker things he does but to kill a child?’ Naruto grimaced.

“Trust me Karin, Neither will I.” Naruto agreed, vowing that he would at least remember that. No matter what happened. ‘Whatever future I have with Gaara will end up a childless one.’ Naruto thought, feeling both relieved and deeply heartbroken. 

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

Gaara’s Office, downtown Konoha City

“You know you will have to kill him.” Gaara says calmly. 

“I’ve known that for…. years.” Hinata replied. “But I may have missed my opportunity.” 

“Do you know why you failed to kill him before?” 

“Poor planning.” The omega responded unhappily. Gaara blinked.

“You failed, because you still loved him. In love, we take leave of our senses. However in Hatred you must be present in order to calculate your actions.” Gaara explained calmly as though speaking from experience. “Allow yourself to hate him. If you believe Neji will give you something if you ask, then you shall be begging for the rest of your life.” A single tear rolled down Hinata‘s cheek. “Tell me. Did begging help when he marked you? When he tore at your skin?” 

Hinata let out a bitter unhappy laugh. “I am lucky I didn’t kill him.” Gaara blinked. “My father’s Will has made it abundantly clear that when Neji dies, if there no male or alpha heir then the sole beneficiary will be the Association for Alpha Rights.”

The red head nodded in understanding. “Even in death, Neji would take everything from you.” 

“Alphas can be misogynistic.” The delicate spearing omega said softly. 

“One of the most fundamental desires amongst people is the desire to leave a legacy. What legacy will you leave behind?”

“I don’t get a legacy.”

“Unless you chose to make one.” Gaara suggested softly, and Hinata paused, as the thought took shape. 

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

Hyuuga Winter Estate, 27 miles NorthEast of Konoha City

Hinata's thoughts was buzzing like flies as she tried to think of how to kill her brother. Neji was as… resourceful as his money allowed. Which unfortunately was a lot. To take a break from her twisted brother she took solace in his morning horse rides along the edge of the estate grounds, but riding back to the barn sent dread looking back into her gut as she saw Neji standing there waiting for her. 

“What do you want?” 

“I want to… share something with you.” The alpha responded, holding a baby piglet in his arms. “This is Fate. Say hello to Fate.” He insisted and grudgingly, the Omega did.

“Hello Fate.” She murmured unhappily. Neji nodded seriously to her before turning. “Well? Follow me.” He said blandly, Lessing the way further into the massive estate and deeper into the tree behind the house until the reached one of the old ware houses. 

“After Father died I had a Christmas epiphany. I have seen pigs from all of the world, so I was curious what would happen if I brought together the best of what I had seen?” He explained still holding the baby piglet as the finished climbing up the stairs. Hinata looked out over the warehouse to see see through crates and tunnels twisting and turning sharply. 

“You built a maze.” She said faintly. “I shudder to think.”

“Our father was a pioneer in livestock production. I believe he would be proud of my efforts.” He said, as the side door opened and a trailer unloaded various species of pig and sent them running unknowingly into the maze. “Pigs were always his favorite animal. Unlike other animals they have intelligence a spark of understanding that dogs or cows seem to lack.” The alpha crossed his arms, as Hikaru gazed out over the maze he had built in quiet horror. “I designed it to antagonize the pigs. It, of course, took awhile to perfect. Any pig will eat a dead man. A live one though? Now that is trickier.” Neji gestured to a meat covered mannequin hanging from the ceiling. 

“Those are my clothes,” Hinata said quietly. 

“I can buy you new ones.” Neji remarked casually, before continuing his explanation. “We scent the meants with human scents, such as worn clothing or perfume and then as they feast as we play soundtracks over top to warm them up to the main event. 

“You do have an unparalleled understanding of pigishness.” Hinata murmured and Neji frowned. 

“Hinata, you know your mouth gets rough when your scared. It’s unladylike, you shouldnt speak so rudely to your caring brother. I could turn you out into the street with nothing. Leave you to whatever alpha finds you first.” He paused and looked back at the pig running and racing through the maze. “May even see if the pigs will eat you.” She said nothing and he turned his attention back to the maze and the pigs. “Tsukiyama!” Neji called out loudly, and an old beta man came in the warehouse door, walking past the maze and up to the meat covered mannequin. The beta wordlessly set about the process of spraying it down with perfume bottles and buttoning up the panting and zipping up the jacket. “Tsukiyama here actually fed a man to pigs in Kirigakure City….. 20 years ago?” Neji trailed off questioning the old man. 

“Yes.” The beta answered curtly. As beta finished preparing the meat doll Neji pulled a remote from his pocket and played a bone-chilling recording of a women screaming. 

“Come the real thing, we won’t need recordings of the screams.” Neji yelled leaning over to Hinata so she could hear him. The omega watched in horror as the meat doll, dressed like her and smelling like her got devoured by the pigs as screams played over the air. “It’s not only about making Father proud, it’s about us. It’s about family. I want you to be proud of me as well. You’re all I have, and... I am all you have.” 

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

Naruto's House, Greenwood (43 miles east of Konoha City)  That Night

Naruto was listening to the idle drone of the TV. Kurama was still at the vet. The doctor wanted to watch him for another day or so to make sure he was healed up enough to come home. ‘Gaara is still technically in a relationship with Sakura.’ The blonde thought, his frustration pulsing under his skin. Naruto couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually slept with someone beside his own hand and it was enough to drive him up a wall. A itch he just could scratch but of course the one person he wanted to scratch that figurative itch with was taken. ‘If he didn’t want Sakura he should have thought about that before he started fucking around with her and locked me in Jail.’ Naruto growled unhappily. A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. 

“I brought some whiskey. Thought I’d replenish your store.” Hinata said quietly, holding up two bottles. Naruto was silent, as she took a seat on his couch. After a moment he poured them both a glass of whiskey as she stared quietly at where a window used to be. 

“What happened to your window?” She asked, staring at where a tarp covered it.

“A stag got lost during the last storm. Came through the window.” Naruto lied, reminding himself to get the glass replaced soon. ‘Because Kenmoro couldn’t use a door like a normal person,’ The blonde thought irritatedly. ‘I have to freeze my ass off down here.’ Hinata blinked and looked at him, as he stood next to the door, with disbelief. Naruto gave a half grin. “I even got a couple scratches trying to get him out.” 

“Any scars?” The omega asked, before taking a long drink for her whiskey glass.

“Yeah. Probably more than I realize.” Naruto admitted. Hinata set the glass down and stood up, before softly sway close enough to kiss him.

“....I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” She whispered. Naruto went still as it clicked into place inside his brain. Hinata wasn’t here just to drink whiskey with him. 

”....I don’t have the right parts for your proclivity.” The blonde said slowly, setting his own whiskey glass down to watch her. ‘Does she… know I’m a Sigma?’ The blonde thought, slightly panicking. Hinata, for her part was mostly silent. Her lavender colored eyes were watching him intently for a long moment before she began to unbutton the front of her blouse. Naruto put his hand on hers to stop her, trying to understand where this had come from. ‘She doesn’t know.’ The blonde decided. His empathy ability is useful at times like these. Sometimes. He could feel that she needed something, desperately. He only wished he tell what it was exactly. ‘Well, I was complaining earlier.’ The blonde decided, as he began to unbutton her blouse himself. Having decided, and knowing what was coming next the blonde could feel his pants tighten as his member began to harden. Hinata pushed his shirt back and off his shoulders revealing the bullet wound Kakashi had given him before he was arrested. She ran her fingers over the scarred flesh before shedding her blouse completely, letting it fall to the floor. Turning, Naruto lifted her dark hair to see long thick scars running down his back like claw marks. 

“Who did this to you?” Naruto murmured, feeling his Alpha's side claw closer to the surface as he let his hands slide down her sides to reach for her ass.

“My brother.” The omega answered. “Who shot you?”

“A friend.” Naruto said briefly, not sure how exactly to describe Kakashi, considering he was manipulated by Gaara at the time. Gaara was a whole different situation entirely at the time. ‘Actually Gaara is just a whole situation altogether regardless of time.’

The blonde kissed Hinata gently, like a lover would. The blonde couldn’t help but think about Gaara, and how much softer Hinata was than him, as he squeezed her ass in his hands and pushed his tongue into her mouth. He pushed her back, stumbling into the couch where she easily slipped out of her skirt and panties. The blonde let out a low rumble as he peeled off his own pants, diving back in for another kiss as Hinata's scent began to fill the air so thickly he felt he could hardly breath. She nipped at his ears, before wrapping her legs around his waist pulling him closer. Naruto responded by pressing his fingers in. Slick covered his fingers and he toyed with her clit with his thumb watching it send shivers down her spine. Tugging at his hair, Hinata gave a soft groan and the blonde pulled his fingers out. Before she could become unhappy though, Naruto quickly thrust in— sending a visible jolt through her. The blonde pushed until he had bottomed out, before stopping to suck a deep breath. She was squeezing him so tightly it was as though he could feel every movement her muscles made. It was intoxicating and the blonde remembered how much he missed sex. The thick heavy scent of aroused omega yanked at his own alpha instincts and the blonde let out a low growl before leaning down to kiss her deeply. Hinata let out a sound, before pushing back, and like a dam had been broken the blonde let out a low snarl as he snapped his hips back and began a grueling pace. His hands digging into her hips, feeling the couch shift a little from the force as her hands flew out to stabilize so he didn’t accidentally fuck into her so hard she hit her head on the arm rest or something. She arched under him, her eyes squeeze shut as his hands alternated between toying with her breasts and digging into her hips. More than once he leaned down to lick at the plump flesh enjoying the softness. Naruto grunted as he felt his knot start to form, surprising him before he remembered that Hinata was an omega, and Omegas tended to prompt that sort of reaction from Alphas. She seemed to realize it was forming too, as she pressed back against him harder. The blonde painted trying to reach between them, take it into his hands so he didn't, but Hinata let out a huff, shaking her head, before leaning forward to push the blonde down on his back. Surprised, and turned on Naruto could only watch as she straddled him, forcing his knot inside. Hinata gave a slight jerk before she suddenly squeezed as tight as she could around him— the blonde felt like a rubber band just snapped as his vision turned white.

Naruto blinked slowly, panting as he opened his eyes to see Hinata still straddling him, now locked in place by his knot. The Omega seemed worn out and hesitatingly stretched across his chest before falling asleep leaving Naruto awake and alone.