Reckoning

Previously—

“I’ll send someone to pick up the car sometime tomorrow.” Hinata said finally, not sure what else to do. Naruto nodded and then left. Naruto was surprised to find that seats were heated— and even more so how much he enjoyed it. 

Now—

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

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

Arriving at his house to find the screen door swinging wide open, set alarm bells off in his head. Inside he could hear the faint sound of a dog barking. 

“What the hell?” The blonde said to himself, as he slowly walked. The front door was unlocked. The wet sounds of chewing could be heard and he turned to see Neji sitting in on of his chairs.

“I just love your dog.” Neji said his voice sounded strange. Different from what it was. “How was that? Is that good? Do you want another bite?” The blonde blinked at the scene before him. With the lights all off darkness consume most of the house. 

“What are you feeding my dog?” Naruto said bluntly, not sure what to feel. ‘I thought he was with Gaara? What the fuck is he doing here? She said cage I thought she meant he was taking him to the Police and filing a report!’ The blonde thought, his eyes catching site of blood on the side of Kurama's muzzle. 

“Oh, just me!” Neji responded as though happy, turning to fully face him for the first time. His cheek had been torn to bits and pieces, red and bloodied. ‘He is literally feeding himself to my dog.’ Naruto thought stunned. The scent of blood in the air was over powering, making it difficult to smell anything beside it, but a soft thump made him turn to see Gaara said calmly in kitchen door way. 

“What the hell is happening here?” Naruto said quietly, letting his displeasure color his words.

“What Neji is experiencing is grounding in reality. Reality must be forced to adapt.” He responded.

“He fed his face to my dog.” Naruto almost growled, gesturing at Kurama who barked.

“He broadened his palette.” Gaara insisted. “As I broadened yours.” Naruto remained silent crossing his arms and staring at the redhead. After a brief moment the redhead bowed his head. “I can see that I overstepped. Apologies.”

“Anything involving my dog goes through me first.” The blonde told him, his eyes narrowing. 

“Understood.” He responded, his lips quirking into a half smile. “Does this mean there may be more opportunities like Neji here?”

“That depends on how this one plays out.” Naruto responds.

“I see.” The redhead stated glancing at Neji. “Murder or mercy?”

“There is no mercy. Mercy is a thing we pretend and manufacture.” 

“Then there can be no murder. We make murder as well.” The blonde stays silent. “You know you possess all that’s required to make murder. Mercy too, but murder you understand exceedingly well.”

“I’m hungry!” Neji blurted out and Gaara blinked.

“Eat your nose then.” He said with a glance. The blonde turned to watch Neji slowly process this before accepting it. Naruto watched grossed out but utterly enthralled with the scene before him. Blood and flesh and a alpha eating himself like a demeaned animal.

“I have a taste and a consistency like that of a chicken gizzard.” Neji belched out. 

“Taste is held in the part mind which precedes pity.” Gaara said evenly, turning to look at Naruto. “And pity has no place at the dinner table.”

“I’m not going to kill him.” Naruto said finally, not exactly sure how to admit he wanted to see what kind of life Neji would live after this.

“He intended on feeding you to the pigs after he me to them.” The redhead said, as though trying to understand where his mercy was coming from. 

“He's your patient.” Naruto responded with a small smile. “Do what you think is best for him.” Gaara glance back at Neji before flashing a half smile at the blonde. Then, he promptly walked over and snapped his neck. The redhead radiated power in the moment and the blonde would be lying if he said it wasn’t attractive. “Death then?”

“No. Not death.” Gaara answered, carefully checking Neji’s pulse. “Paralyzation.” The redhead stepped closer to the blonde. “May I borrow your phone? I need to contact Hinata. She needs to pick up her brother.”  The blonde nodded. Handing it over quietly. 

“Hello?” Came the faint sound of the omegas voice.

“Hello Hinata.”

“Doctor. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I believe it’s best if you come collect your brother. He’s injured and should receive medical attention swiftly.”

“I’ll come as quickly as I can.” She said softly. “Where do I need to go?”

“Where Naruto went.” He answered, before ending the call.

“That was vague.”

“That was planning.” 

“In case someone pulls any phone records.” Naruto mumbled out realizing it. 

“Yes.” They sat in silence for a moment before Naruto's belly grumbled. 

“You think she’d stop at a McDonalds on the way here if we asked?” The blonde asked. 

“I’m certain I can create a meal more suitable than the processed food at McDonalds.” Gaara said.

“With what we have in my kitchen?” Naruto scoffed, even as the alpha stood to examine what ingredients were there. Boxes of cheap noodles and old yogurt and milk in the back of the fridge. A half loaf of bread sat in the pantry. There were very few other things but Gaara remained determined. He glanced at Neji and the blonde shook his head.

“I’m not eating dog food.” He said pointing at Neji. The redhead accepted this answer, 

“He likely wasn’t the healthiest individual either. No, I believe you are quite right. He is unsuitable for eating.” Gaara said, agreeing with him even as he looked disappointed in the ingredient list. “I can make us something though it will not be my usual level of performance.” He admitted as though being tortured. Naruto stifled laugher.

“I promise I’ll eat it.” 

“Cruel.” Gaara said indulgently, even as he pulled out a pan and the bread and set to work. As though he had magic, the alpha was able to make delicious cinnamon toast in under 20 minutes. Naruto relished in the taste and the levels of comfort he had sitting on the kitchen counter eating cinnamon toast with Gaara. Even Neji's bloodied up body couldn’t really bring him down. It was just so… domestic. 

“I didn’t think it could be this way.” The blonde murmured. 

“What way?” 

“This way.” The blonde answered with a sigh gesturing at the two of them, and cinnamon toast. Gaara blinked. “It’s…” the blonde struggled to find the words. “Soft.” He settles on. “You always seemed out of reach. Cold and calculated. Something entirely… other. Inhuman.”

“I can assure you I am entirely human.” Gaara murmured softly, as he finished his food. “I use the bathroom like anyone else and have ruts just as any alpha does.” The blonde blinked.

“What’s that like?” He blurted out and Gaara blinked, before flashing a half smile.

“Using the bathroom?” 

“No not— your an ass ya know that?” Naruto rolled his eyes. “I meant your— well….”

“My rut.” Gaara supplied for him. “The same as any other.” Naruto raises his brow. “When I have them they are short. Three days of feeling hot and and battling the urge to murder almost everyone one I see.” Naruto laughed,

“So not too far different from normal? Wait what do you mean when you have them?” 

“I began taking suppressants shortly after you were locked up.”

“Oh.” The blonde said, not sure how to answer that. 

“And yours?” Gaara asked, curious and leaning closer to the blonde. The softness of the moment slowly giving way to a rising sense of intimacy. 

“Like a fever. Fire burning my skin from the inside out and my brain racing in millions of different directions. Pain.” He says finally. Gaara goes silent.

“Even with a partner?”

“I don’t share my ruts.” Naruto said bluntly. 

“You could.” Gaara murmured. 

Before either could say anything else, a knock echoed on the door and the alpha stood quietly to answer it. Hinata stood on the other side. She glanced at Naruto giving him a silent nod before turning to see her brother so bloodied form.

“Is he dead?”

“No, but he is paralyzed.” The redhead answered. 

“It’s time to talk about what Hinata wants.” Naruto added, glancing between her and her brother.  The

Omega seemed frozen, at odds with the relief and joy she felt with the horror of the scene before her. 

“What Hinata to wants…” she slowly. “Is to take care of him. Just like he took-care-of me.” 

“Then I hope he lives a long unhappy life.” The blonde said and she gave a thin cruel smile. 

“As do I.” 

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

Gaara’s home, west side Konoha City

The next evening, with Naruto's house in order. The blonde decided to see Gaara at his house. It was quiet and serene. The redhead made an exotic dish for dinner that tasted great but whose name Naruto couldn’t pronounce. It was supposedly from the alphas homeland. Later the blonde relaxed on the soft lounger in the study and watched Gaara draw. 

“What are you drawing?” He finally asked, curious what had the redheads attention so thoroughly. 

“Achilles lamenting the death of Patroclus.” Gaara tilted his head. “Whenever mentioned in the Iliad, Patroclus is defined by his empathy.” 

“He became Achilles on the battlefield. Wore his armor and died for him.”

“He did.” Gaara nodded. “Hiding and revealing identity is common in the Ancient Greek stories.”

“As are battle tested friendships.” 

“Achilles had wished all the Greeks would die, so that he and Patroclus could conquer Troy alone.” Gaara looked up at him, his green eyes shiny with emotion. “It took divine intervention to bring them down.” The blonde let out a sigh and stood, crossing his arms. 

“This isn’t sustainable. We are going to get caught.”

“Kakashi suspects you killed Karin.” 

“If he told you that he suspects me, then that means he suspects you.” 

“I know.” Gaara answered calmly.

“You should give him what he wants.”

“Give him Black Zetsu?” Gaara questions thoughtful. 

“You’ve taunted him long enough.” 

“Kakashi has become something like a friend. I suppose I owe him the truth.” The redhead agrees. 

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

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

Naruto sat on his couch feeling drained and trapped. ‘If I could just leave. Disappear, right now.’ He thought. Somewhere in the house a clocked ticking away time and the blonde sucked in a sharp breath. It was all he could hear. All he could focus other than the overlap of words drowning his mind. Two different conversations, two different people. Two different future laid out before him. 

“Doctor Gaara Subaku, requests the pleasure of company for dinner.” Kakashi had said. Leaning over his desk like one of those boss characters in old cartoons. 

“You are sitting in that chair as you have so many times before.” Gaara had said. “It holds in the creases all of the conversation ever held in its presence.” 

“All of the exchanges. Petty irritations, deadly revelations. Those announcements of disaster.” Naruto had responded to the redhead.

“The grunts and poetry of life. Everything we have ever said.” Gaara murmured. “Listen. What do you hear?”

What did you see—How did you feel—You and I are just alike—We are her fathers now—The mirrors in your mind can reflect the best of you—I can feed the caterpillar what hatches follows its own nature and is beyond me—I’m your friend I care about your life not the lives you save—wish that I could give that back—I’m sorry—never apologize for coming to me—You're not alone, I’m standing right beside you—You don’t want me to have anything in my life that’s not you—How do you see me—Hello Naruto—We’re Both alone without each other—I was a father to my sister, her name Temari—I want you to believe in the best of me, just as I believe in the best of you—you fantasize about kill me, how would you do it—with my hands—intimacy—must I denounce myself as a monster while you refuse to see the one still growing inside you—I likedkilling Mikoshi—I felt powerful—stay here—Stay with me—

where else would I go?

“A melody.” Naruto answers. 

“We are orchestrations. You and me.” Gaara nearly purred as he gazed at the blonde.

“And Kakashi.”

“And Kakashi.” Gaara stated flatly. “Our destiny is flying and swimming in blood.” 

“Everyone is settling in for dinner.”

“I’ll be wearing a wire. We’ll have a sharpshooter in the roofs with lines of sight to all the windows. Kakashi explained, ready and waiting.

“He’ll try and kill you in the kitchen. For convenience of course. It will make it easier to prepare the Food.” The blonde tells Kakashi still thinking of a way to back out. To escape from the very trap he had eat.

“Kakashi won’t be easy to kill.” Naruto told Gaara. “He’ll be armed. He’s strong and will trained.” The blonde let out a low sigh. “We can’t hesitate.”

“Gaara thinks your his man in the room. I think your mine.” Kakashi said slowly

“When the fox hears the rabbit scream he comes running. But not to help. When you hear Kakashi scream why will you come running?” 

“When the moment comes—“

“When the moment comes—“

“Will you do what needs to be done?”

“Will you do what needs to be done?”

“Yes.” 

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

Senju Hospital, Downtown Konoha City

“Forgiveness is a weird thing. It’s both a conscious and unconscious thing that you can’t really choose to do it.” Iruka said, from where he lay on the hospital bed. Cancer had not been kind to him. “It simply happens to you.”

“Has forgiveness happened to you?”

“I died.” Iruka said. “I’m just lingering between deaths.”

“Like the punctuation at the end of a sentence.” Gaara responded. “It gives meaning to every word and space before it.” 

“You moved my punctuation mark. You changed my meaning.” Iruka rasped out. “I’m not here because I want to be here. You saw to that. I’m here because I can’t abandon Kakashi.” 

“Love and death. The two wheels which all human sympathies turn on.” Gaara muses, inwardly thinking about his plans for Kakashi. And for Naruto. ‘He’s struggling with abandonment. He can’t leave him but he doesn’t wish to stay.’ The redhead thinks, recalling the insistence he had displayed at ending Kakashi. “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others— that is beyond us.” He added. 

“You saved me for Kakashi.” Iruka rasped out his hands shaking. 

“Will you save him, for me, when I’m gone?” The redhead went quiet, caught between a crossroads of his own. 

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

Undisclosed FBI safe house

Naruto sat quite beside Karin, his brain turning over thoughts like leaves in the wind. 

“I’m going to enjoy my resurrection.” She purred. “Nothing sells better than a survivor story.” 

“I wouldn’t count on us being survivors just yet.”

“Well I am.” She insisted, rolling her eyes. “Did you know I started out as a cancer editor for a supermarket tabloid?”

“Cancer is a lucrative media.” The blonde mumbled.

“True.” She said. “New cure for cancer. Cancer miracle cure…” she trailed off.

“Everyone is desperate for a little hope.” The blonde said before letting a long moment of silence stretch out over them. Like the ticking of a clock. Tick tock. “I want to ask you do something for me or rather don’t.” Naruto stumbled before turning to look her in the eyes. “Don’t write about Matsuri.” The blonde swallowed. “You can write about me, you can write about Gaara. Just…. leave Matsuri alone.” 

“You really don’t know if you're going to survive him do you?” She asked slowly as the reality settled in for her. In that moment there was peace between the two of them. Whatever comes next, this moment is one neither would forget for a very long time. 

“Just let her Rest In Peace.” The blonde murmured.