Reckoning

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Naruto's house, Greenwood (43 miles East of Konoha City) 

The gunshot rang loudly in his ears and the blonde's training kicked in, making him duck and drop down to the floor. Karin, seeing an opening made a run for the door. She was almost there, felt her fingertips brush against the door handle before a hand reach for

her by the hair and pulled. Naruto had no intention of letting her get away that easily. The beta let out a scream and flailed blinded as she struggled to get away from him. Naruto gritted his teeth, not enjoying the loud screaming in his ears that she was emitting. It was loud and grating on his like nails on a chalkboard. Seemingly from out of nowhere Karin had a can of pepper spray and was spraying over her shoulder. It made his eyes water and he lost his grip on her. She gasped and ran, fleeing out the door and stumbling across the lawn to her car. Her phone already pulled out and rang, as she climbed into the car. Just as Kakashi had answered, Naruto smashed her car window with some sort of pipe shattering as he reached through the window to drag her out screaming. 

The glass shards tore are the skin on her arms and struggled as he wrapped his arms around her middle and lifted her. ‘Funny, she never seemed so light and fragile before.’ The blonde thought. He took her inside, pulled out some old rope he had from when he was working on the last project for the barn and tied her to one of his dining room chairs. The blonde didn’t bother trying to gag her. It was a waste of wash clothes and it was pointless out in the middle of nowhere. No one would be close enough to hear her scream. 

“You could have just listened to me for a second.” Naruto growled, his eyes stilling watering from the pepper spray. With a sigh he goes to the kitchen and carefully rinses his eyes with water hissing in discomfort as he does so. Karin remained, uncharacteristically, silent. It set the blondes teeth on edge. He could feel the nerves pouring off of her, and realized she was buying for time. With a sinking feeling he left he tied to a chair and went to investigate her car, only to see her phone. She had called Kakashi. Unhappy, Naruto ended the call without making so much as a sound. As he went back inside he took the phone with him, setting it down on the table as he looked at Karin who had pales considerably upon seeing it. 

“You won’t get away with it.” She insisted brashly. ‘And there’s the Karin I know and hate.’ The blonde thought, wished he could just wring her pretty little neck. 

“Get away with what exactly? Subduing a trespasser? I didn’t invite you here Karin. No home of mine will ever be open to you.” 

“I don’t make a habit of visiting murderers.” The beta responds nastily 

“Unless they can make you some money or a good story right?” Naruto laughs. “Either way I don’t really care.”

“Look at you. You're no better than Gaara. You practically ooze darkness now. Is that the ending of the book?” Karin asks. “Naruto Uzumaki turns to the dark side. How cliche. Of course it won’t last long. Black Zetsu doesn’t have a habit of keeping people alive if past victims are any indication. Won’t be long now until he eats you.” 

“Only if he’s still around to do the eating.” 

“you expect me to believe you still watch to catch him? What are you exactly? The good guy? You have a human jaw in your freezer. On what planet is that good thing?”

“The one the catches Black Zetsu.” Naruto said tiredly, a headache building behind his eyelids. Reaching for his phone he calls Kakashi. “Anyway we are trying to capture him and now that you know you might as well join the game.” 

“You said we?” Karin asked hesitantly and the blonde could practically see the gears turning in her eyes. 

“Hello?” Kakashi answered and The beta women blinked. 

“Kakashi. Karins here. She had a little scare.” 

“I figured as much. Karin, I’m going to explain some things and then I’d like you to make a choice if you don’t mind—“ 

“Either observe or participate.” Naruto interrupts. Still drinking in her defiant yet trembling form. A lingering sense of power settled over his limbs and he resisting thinking about the tightening of the noose around Gaara’s neck. Karin has a point after all. It would suicidal and stupid to trust Gaara. 

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

FBI Headquarters, Northside Konoha City

The blonde knew to expect the call, having planned it out with Kakashi and Karin beforehand. The beta woman had quite the knack subterfuge. Naruto stood off to the stood avoiding eye contact with Gaara and Sakura who stood in Kakashi’s office listening to a recording of Karin from the phone she had first made. The one where she screamed like her life depended on it. Sakura looked horrified and Kakashi merely looked grim. 

“Karin left me that message a couple hours ago. Her cell signal is dead now, but we were able to trace the last known signal to a cell tower near GreenWood. “We have security footage of her fueling up her car a few miles from your place.” Kakashi said, looking at Naruto. Sakura was still stiff and glanced suspiciously as the blonde Karins words from before ringing in her ears like a distorted echos. 

“She was supposed to interview me. She never showed up.”

“And why are you giving interviews to Karin?”

“I owed her one.”

“Surely Karin has more enemies than simply just Naruto.” Gaara defended. ‘It’d be sweet if it were so ridiculous.’ The blonde thought, still not looking at Gaara. 

“Not in GreenWood.” 

“I live in practically the middle of nowhere. If someone wanted to get her it’s not a bad place to do it.” Naruto says. Sakura remained silent, still watching the blonde as though she didn’t recognize him. Naruto counted that as a victory. 

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

Gaara’s House, West Side Konoha City

Dinner with Gaara is, as usually, a formal affair. The blonde had carefully wrapped the meat he had brought from his freezer to the alphas kitchen feeling a small thrill at being the one between them who knew what was going on. The kitchen was Gaara’s domain. Flawless knives and polished countertops, the blonde couldn’t help he feel flattered when the redeem head handed him a knife and invited him to help cook. The meal itself was delicious, regardless of what the meat was. Gaara watched the blonde take the first bite before reach a bite of his own, analyzing the flavor. 

“The meat has an interesting flavor.” Gaara said calmly. “It is bold, with notes of citrus.”

“My taste buds aren’t as great as yours.” Naruto answered, not able to taste the citrus. Gaara nodded simply.

“It is more beneficial for animals to be stress free prior to slaughter.” Gaara explained, “not only due to human reason but also for the meats flavor.” The alpha looked down at the cooked meat. “This animal tastes frightened.” 

“What’s frightened taste like?” 

“It is acidic.”

“So the meat is bitter about being dead.” Naruto said casually and Gaara gave him a rare smile. After another bite the redhead looked down at his plate and then the blonde with something akin to pride and wonder in his eyes.

“This meat is not pork.” The alpha murmured softly, his green eyes lingering on Naruto. 

“It’s long pig.” The blonde answers, knowing the game. After a moment of silence words prick at him like mosquitos. Relentless and annoying. Finally, unable to help Naruto speaks again. “You can’t reduce me to just a set of influences. I’m not a product of anything. I gave up good and evil a while ago.”

“Then you cannot say that I am evil.”

“You're destructive.” Naruto corrected. “Isn’t that the same thing?” 

“Storms would be evil then, if it were that simple. As would fire, and hail. Yet so often people call those things acts of God.” Gaara tilts his head. “Is this meal an act of God?”

Naruto stay silent. He doesn’t need to answer, and Gaara’s eyes take on the very pleased look. Naruto abruptly wished he could keep that look and has to force himself to concentrate on why he couldn’t do that. ‘I refuse to be a victim of brainwashing or Stockholm syndrome. What I feel, must be genuine. And we must be equals.’