Reckoning

Previously—

“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. 

Now—

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

Gaara’s office, Downtown Konoha City

Naruto stood next to where Gaara normally sat and watched as papers fell from above like confetti. Or rain. The redhead stood on the half story narrow walkway that Naruto had stood on during their first session together. It’s shelves are lined with books and old notebooks on patients. Notes being cast down below to be burned. 

“Won’t your patients need these after…” the blonde trailed over turning to see the very seldom lit fire place in the office lit as well. Remind him of conversations held in Gaara’s home. Warm and inviting. An erasure if evidence. 

“Once I am gone the FBI would pour over my notes. I would spare my patients the scrutiny.” The blonde nodded, as he watched Gaara climb down the ladder carrying an armful of file folders. “I am dismantling who I was and moving it. Brick by brick.” Naruto scooped up a stack of papers throwing them carelessly into the fire. 

“These are your notes on me.” The blonde murmured as he reached for another folder. The best writing of Gaara lining page after page. A drawing of a clock pinned to one of the pages as he flipped further back. 

“So it is.” Gaara nodded. “When we have gone from this life, I will always have this place.” 

“In your memory palace?”

“My palace is vast. Even by medieval standards.” The redhead responded. “The front garden is the desert of my childhood. Severe. Beautiful. Timeless. With a single reminder of mortality.” 

“What might that be?”

“A skull, half buried in the sand and bleached perfectly white.” 

“All I need is a tree.” Naruto murmured, stilling flinging papers into the ever hungry fire. Gaara watched him with soft green eyes.

“In moments where you can’t overcome, you make it all go away.” 

“Tilt my head back, close my eyes, hide in the shadows of the leaves.” Naruto said with a smile. Quietly, Gaara went still his nose twitching. Inwardly Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. The blonde had been careful not to shower or anything and careful to come straight to Gaara after visiting Karin. The only way he could think to tip him off without getting caught by Kakashi. He had been so careful at times trying to slip wires onto the blonde. Scents however could be carried without being seen. ‘Now what will you do?’ Naruto wondered.

Later, after countless folders had been burned and papers moved and the smoke of the fire had clogged up their noses— Gaara made dinner. 

“Do you know what an imago is?”

“A flying insect.” The blonde answered, curious as he sat at the carefully prepared dinner table. 

“It’s the last stage of transformation and a term no longer used in psychoanalysis.” Gaara said carefully. 

“When you become who will be?” The blonde asked, trying to clarify what he meant.

“The image of a loved one buried in the unconscious which we carry with us all our lives.”

“An ideal.” Naruto murmured. 

“A concept of an ideal.” The redhead corrected softly. “I have a concept ofyou. Just as you have a concept of me.” 

“Neither of us, ideal.”

“No.” Gaara agreed before pausing. “Is it ideal that Kakashi die?”

“It’s necessary.” Naruto says softly. 

“We could disappear now.” The redhead offered quietly and the blonde went still, turning to look at him. “Tonight. Feed your dogs. Leave a note for Sakura. Never see her or Kakashi again. Almost polite.” 

“This would be the last supper of this life.” Naruto murmured, noticing that Gaara had served lamb. “You served lamb. Was it sacrificial?”

“I don’t need a sacrifice. Do you?”

“I can’t leave Kuruma.” Naruto said finally. Gaara set his glass down, and looked around the house. 

“Then don't.” The redhead answered. A long silence stretched out over them before Naruto spoke, 

“Okay.” He murmured softly. 

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

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

The blonde pulled up into his driveway, staring at the darkness of his house. It was silent and eerie, surrounded by empty forest. Once, that might have given him comfort— now it just reminded him how empty his life had been. His feet carried him instinctively up the porch and inside the house. Standing in his living room he sucked in a deep breath as all of the feelings and emotions that had been crawling at the back of his head threatened to overwhelm him. Tilting his head back he squeezed his shut and took a deep measured breath, until he felt he could do what he need to without falling apart. The clicking of dog nails on the floor approached and the blondes eyes opened with a flash as he looked down at Kurama. 

“Hey boy,” he said, dropping to his knees. “You want outside?” He asked, as if that was even really a question. The blonde stood and opened the door for the dog to roam free in the yard one last time before…. Naruto shook his head and forced himself to concentrate. He walked to the back of house and pushed against the heaviest bookshelf he had. It was tough work having been a while since he last needed to open it. Slowly it opened and looked inside at his nest. It was dark, and old sheets blankets an d pillows tucked away. All together it looked fluffy and soft. . Naruto stated it for a long moment before he worked on emptying it. 

It would only be too easy for anyone looking for him after he had left to stumble across this. Alphas rarely nest, it being seen as an almost exclusively omega (and sigma) behavior. 

With the nest room emptied he pushed the bookshelf back into place and he grabbed small duffel bag packing a few sets of clothes not sure when he would have the chance to get more clothes and not having the faintest idea where Gaara planned on taking him. He threw in a toothbrush and toothpaste for good measure. He paused racking his brain trying to recall what he was forgetting, because he just knew he was forgetting something. It hit him like a lightning bolt— suppressants. With no idea how long they would be moving or where, or if he would be able to find any more the blonde went digging for every kind of suppressant he owned and carefully packaged them together and stuffed them into the bottom of the bag. It wasn’t until he trying to figure out Kuruma’s meals that reconsidered it. Gaara is a nosy alpha, all alphas actually are. Taking gallon sized ziploc bags he stuffed them full of dog food before shoving the suppressant bottles inside—hidden from sight and scent alike. The dog food (and suppressants) he stashed in a separate duffel bag. Taking both bags and setting them on the porch Naruto was struck again with the overwhelming sensations of picking up and moving his entire life. ‘My whole life here summed up into two bags.’ Naruto thought looking down at the meager offering and feeling a lump in his throat as he looked back at his house. 

‘This was the first house I ever bought.’ He thought swallowing as he looked at the mismatched chairs of his living room through the windows of his porch. The blonde was struck with an unsettling and heavy feeling of floating— out of touch with reality and dreaming. A brief pant of panic shot through him as he considered that— ‘did my encephalitis come back? Am I hallucinating?’ He questioned inwardly, trying to swallow back the rising panic he felt trying to claw it ways up his throat. From his feet Kurama whines vying for attention but it was the crunch of gravel under tires that causes him to turn and face a car he didn’t recognize. Naruto tensed as the driver door opened only to reveal Gaara. 

“Hello.” Gaara said with a nod as though this was any other normal visit instead of them preparing to abandon their lives here and go on the run for possibly the remainder of their lives. 

“I packed some clothes and dog food.” Naruto blurted out. “I wasn’t sure what else I needed.”

“You did well.” The alpha responded, already opening the back of the door for Kurama to jump in. 

“I— do need any documents or—“ 

“Retrieve your license, passport and your social security card. Those are best not to be left available for anyone.” Naruto nodded, acting quickly, stashing them into a small backpack that had been stashed underneath some shirts in his closet. He even stashed his credit cards and cash. He knew he would not be able to use them for long. FBI has a great method of tracking purchases. He halted in his porch as an idea came to him them, and Gaara tilted his head watching him. Naruto reaches for his phone flipping it open and the redhead watched silently. 

“Delaying the FBI.” Naruto explained as he dialed the number he had thought he would never dial. 

“Niko Airi speaking.” Came the self assured Omega woman’s voice. “May I ask who is calling?”

“Naruto Uzumaki.” The blonde answered quietly.

“Mr. Uzumaki, is almost midnight. Why are you calling so late?”

“Sorry it’s just— this was the first time I was able to get out of It. I’m not sure what to do anymore.” Naruto said, letting false panic color his voice. 

“Get of what? Mr. Uzumaki what on earth is going on?” The women said with a huff.

“Kakashi is planning on pushing a man to murder and arresting him for the crimes of Black Zetsu.” Naruto hurried said, and the line went dead for a moment.

“He’s doing what?”

“He trying to push an innocent man to murder— Kakashi was pressuring me to help him.”

“Pressuring how?” She asked, and the blonde hear the rustling of the sheets as she got up from whatever bed she had been lying in.

“Following me, coming to my house. Even taking me inside FBI headquarters even though I’m not technically an employee anymore.” Naruto answered. “He wants to kill him.”

“These are serious accusations.” She said.

“It’s true. He’s fooled Sakura Haruno and the journalist Karin into believing he had the FBI support in doing this.” Naruto insisted. 

“Do you know where he is right now?” 

“I— I’m not sure. He should be at home now I guess?” The blonde said slowly. 

“Who is planning on killing?”

“Dr. Gaara Subaku.” Naruto said quietly. 

“I’ll be in contact with you shortly.” She replied, “in the meantime we will arrest Agent Kakashi and investigate the matter. Do you know how we can reach Dr.Gaara?”

“His cell phone I guess but last I checked he was going on a trip overseas. Originally it was supposed to be much later but I persuaded him to change his mind yesterday. I didn’t think you’d believe me given well…. everything.” Naruto said quietly. 

“I don’t.” Niko stated. “However these are serious accusations and must be investigated further. Kakashi has a poor track record.”  She began to say something else when Naruto simply hung up. 

“Well done.” Gaara murmured, reaching for Narutos bag and loading it into the trunk. Naruto whistled and Kuruma climbed into the back seat. Naruto and Gaara climbed into the front seat and the car roared to life speeding down the dark roads. 

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

Konoha City Airport

People were everywhere and the security guards observing them sent unpleasant chills down the blonde spine. If Gaara had any such feelings he certainly didn’t express them. 

“Where are we going?” Naruto whisper softly, trying not to let the noise of the crowds get to him. Kuruma whined next to him and he could feel people’s stare lingering on him and judging him for having a dog. Naruto was thankful Gaara had thought to bring a vest for Kurama so the guards would leave them alone. Though he had no clue whrn or where he got it. The redhead flashed him a very small smile. 

“My plane.” He responded as though owning your place was the most casual and normal in the world. The blonde nodded, too overwhelmed to really say much. They boarded without issue, and once on the actual plane they were left to themselves. Only the two pilots were there, no flight attendants. It was quiet and spacious and oozed luxury and wealth from every corner. Naruto felt uncomfortable while also feeling too tired to feel uncomfortable— it was a strange surreal feeling.

“Looks nice.” Naruto said lamely, eyeing the TV and the reclining chairs as well as the wine fridge. Gaara nodded. 

“I had it remodeled after a vacation last spring.” He stated before blinking slowly, tiredly. “I must ask you to excuse me. I am perhaps a bit tired from the last minute arranging I had to do. Feel free to explore, relax as you wish.” Gaara said before disappearing behind a curtain at the back leaving Naruto on his own. 

“Fuck.” Naruto cursed softly his gaze traveling the length of the lavish plane he found himself in. The vibrations of the floor beneath him reminded that he was in fact flying several thousand feet in the air and had done it. He had literally abandoned his life for a cannibalistic serial killer. In the silence of the plane Naruto was glad Kurama was able to come with him, as he tried not to imagine Sakura’s expression when she found out about—well— everything. He could imagine Kakashi's expression of pure rage all too clearly. The betrayal and insistence put on display for the uncaring and apathetic FBI upper management. Grim satisfaction rolled its way through him at the thought. ‘My reckoning.’ The blonde thought happily as he poured himself a glass of wine from the airplane's wine fridge. 

Gaara didn’t appear until for another several hours, stretching his nap out. In that time Naruto had watched several episodes of Star Trek and had more than two glasses of wine. 

“Naruto.” The alpha said quietly as he took a seat in the plushness of the airplane seat across from the blonde. 

“Gaara.” The blonde repeated, leaning back somewhat contentedly. 

“It occurs to me we still have much to discuss.” The redhead states quietly. Naruto nodded. 

“I know.” 

“Would you like to begin, or shall I?” The alpha offered but the blonde simply shrugged. “To the truth then.” Gaara said quietly. 

“And all of its consequences?”