Reckoning

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

Gaara’s office, downtown Konoha City

“I was euphoric when I killed Mikoshi.” Naruto said slowly. “But Karin was different. There was no rush just…. Calm.” The blonde admitted, sitting on the couch. “I felt detached. Watching it play out like a movie. Observing and participating.” The blonde continued, watching Gaara from where he sat. The alpha, for his part, didn't seem the slightest bit bothered that Naruto wasn’t sitting in his usual chair across from him. The office seemed darker than usually though and the blonde sought distance and something softer. It was unusual and Naruto hoped it didn’t mean he would end up having a heat instead of a rut.

“Did you feel your heart racing?”

“No.”

“A low heart rate is a true indicator for one's capacity for violence.” The redhead said simply. “Your design and methods are evolving. Changing the physical structure of your brain.” 

“Killing is literally changing the way I think.” Naruto mused not sure if he agreed with that. Gaara watched him for a long moment, his eyes warmer than usual, before speaking.

“You must understand, blood and breath are nearly elements undergoing change to fuel your radiance.” The alpha said simply. “Just as the Sun burns while giving light to the world.” Naruto felt his breath hitch because ‘fuck did Gaara just call me radiant?’ A small chirp on his watch broke the spell and Gaara unwillingly stood up. “I apologize but I have a patient I am expecting.” 

“It’s fine.” Naruto said with a sharp nod, still reeling from the word radiant. No one had called him that before. ‘Fuck the was just so… so forward of him.’ The blonde thought as he drove home. ‘How the hell am I supposed to respond to that?’ The thought nagged at him the entire drive back and his mind buzzed before settling on an option. He pulled out his phone and dialed Kakashi’s number. There was technically still a plan to capture Gaara after all. Though Naruto increasingly found he didn’t want to. 

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

FBI Headquarter, Northside Konoha City

The blonde stared at the imposing structure trying to wrap his mind around coming back here. He used to spend what seemed like every waking moment In or near this place, now he rarely if ever steps foot here. Not since being falsely locked up for being Black Zetsu. The FBI seemed hesitant after that to let him back in with open arms. He lost his teaching job and became a contracted consultant. The blonde would have been far more pissed off if hadn’t been able to sue this shit out of them for their treatment of him and for malpractice and obstruction of justice. There focus on combining him to just shut and watch things get handled quietly cost lives. Needless to say, Naruto still has a somewhat steady job and is far more financially comfortable now. 

“Hello.” Gaara says pulling the blonde attention. Naruto looks to see the redhead walking up and gave him a nod. “It seems Kakashi the White Fang needs us both here today.” 

“Wonder why.” Naruto states already knowing the reason. After he had gone home the blonde had decided how he was going to pay Gaara back for that compliments and up their little game and set the plan into motion. With nothing more to say the blonde walks inside going down the morgue where he expects Kakashi to be waiting for them. He isn’t disappointed.

Inside, Kakashi stands with his arms crossed looking down at a corpse that’s been burned entirely beyond recognition. Kiba and Lee has to use her teeth and dental records in order to identify her. Karin Namikaze. 

“Talk about incendiary journalism.” Kiba remarks casually. “Pretty sure the parking lot security guard who called it in is going to have nightmares about this for a while.” 

“She was dead for at least 24 hours before being burned.” Lee said, ignoring the last part of Kiba’s comment. “But it’s a good thing she went to the dentist otherwise would have almost no way of identifying her.”

“Karin always did want to be noticed.” The blonde said. 

“Karins only failing was that she was never able to keep herself out of her stories.” The kakashi stated, glancing at Naruto. 

“Well there’s more to the story.” Kiba announced, carefully rolling the corpse to the side with gloves hands and pointing to the cracking burnt skin. 

“That appears to be an incision.” Gaara says carefully.

“Exactly.” Kiba responded.

“Normally bodies when the burn will crack around edges of muscle or fat but that is not the case here. It’s too clean.” Lee explained. 

“He cut her with what looks like a hunting knife of some kind.”  The beta lab tech noted, adding to what his co-worker said.

“But why did he burn her?” Kakashi asked and Kiba scoffed.

“How many people did she burn in her career?” 

“Whomever burned her was not striking out against Karin or her journalist exploitation of others. This is something different.” Gaara said quietly, as he looked over the body and the deep burns of her skin. 

“Karin had to burn.” Naruto summarizes. “Fire destroys but it also creates. Some trees can only reproduce after a fire. Fire is...mythical. Karin might not rise from the ashes, but her killer will.” 

Later, after Naruto had gone home thinking about the look in Gaara’s eyes as he explained the power of fire he felt a trickle of slick escape as he lay sprawled out in bed. Kuruma slept happily on the couch and Naruto struggled not to reach down and grip himself as he pictured Gaara’s beautiful green eyes. Just before he inevitably gave in his phone rang. ‘Its Gaara.’ The blonde thought confused. ‘He never calls this late.’ 

“Hello Naruto.”

“Why are you calling so late?”

“Because I believe there is a matter that you need to be aware of. Are you available tomorrow evening?”

“Tell me why first.” 

“Very well. Hinata Hyuuga is pregnant.”