Sasuke is gone for a day less than a week. He returns late in the night and Naruto welcome him gladly. Karin scurries off afterward, not able to stay for long.

When the door is closed, Sasuke wraps his arms around the blond and pecks him on the lips. "How was the journey over and back?" Naruto asks.

"I worried the entire way," Sasuke admits. "Their base is in the forest. It's well hidden. No one really goes in there anymore for fear of criminals, so it's quiet. Karin knew her way around, though. She got us there and back quickly."

"I take it you learned a lot?" Naruto assumes.

"Yes," Sasuke says with a laugh. It's a look Naruto has never seen him wear and he can see the dimples in the brunet's cheeks. "I never understood who I was... what I was. Now I do. Things that never made sense to me... I know now."

Naruto smiles, feeling happy for the brunet. "I'm really glad to hear that."

"I missed you," Sasuke admits.

Naruto's mouth finds Sasuke's once more, lips parting and tongues probing. And it escalates from here. There's touching is new places and groping as they stumble their way to Naruto's bedroom. They grab at each other's clothes and stumble towards the bed.

Maybe they're moving too quickly, but at this point neither of them really gives a damn.

"You're a hundred percent sure you want to do this?" Naruto asks.

"I feel... complete," Sasuke admits. "I feel good. I don't mind if we rush things a little bit."

Naruto smiles once more. "All right."

Sasuke raises his arms, allowing Naruto to remove his shirt. Once it's gone, he reaches for Naruto's belt with nervous hands. Eagerly, more skin is revealed. They undress with impatience and when they are both bare, their bodies press together – warm skin on warm skin – as they kiss again with increasing urgency.

As they part once more, Naruto reaches for his nightstand for preparation and Sasuke inches his knees apart further.

Naruto positions himself against Sasuke's opened thighs, the tip of his erection pressing against the brunet's entrance. He pushes in slowly, going deeper until his balls are pressed against the other man's ass. Muscles tighten around his hard flesh and he pauses. "Okay?" he asks hoarsely, giving Sasuke a moment to relax.

"Mm..." he mumbles airily, linking his hands around Naruto's neck.

Sasuke hasn't been with anyone since leaving the brothel. He can't help but think how nice it would be if Naruto could be the only person he slept with for the rest of his life... but the realistic part of him knows that a good as things are now, they won't stay. For now, he'll enjoy it. Naruto is gentle again. He's warm. All over.

And neither of them lasts long. It's a fast-paced anatomical collision – like both men are trying hard to soak up every inch of one another.

Sasuke holds Naruto close, panting and moaning. It feels nice. It feels nicer than he thought it would. It feels even nicer than it felt with Kiba.

To be with someone you love.

Love...

||XxXx||

When it's over, they both lie side by side. "That was... kind of perfect," Sasuke says with a laugh.

Naruto rolls onto his side and pulls the other man closer. "I'm glad."

"It doesn't bother you that I've been with so many men?"

"No," Naruto promises.

Sasuke smiles a small smile, though Naruto can't see it. He's been smiling a lot lately.

"What did you find out about yourself?" Naruto pries. "I wasn't going to ask... I mean, it's not really mine to know but I'm curious. I want to know about you."

"I'm kind of psychic," Sasuke says in a teasing tone.

"No, really," Naruto laughs, not believing it for a second. "What did your brother tell you?"

"I'm not really sure how to put it to words..." Sasuke admits, "but I suppose it makes sense now. I understand why Koharu kept me under such close watch, especially after someone died. I think she was worried I would find out who I was. She was worried I'd use it... So, she'd make sure to purify the rooms as soon as possible. I'd have to stay locked up until she was done. You know what they say. Spirits linger if you don't send them off."

Naruto frowns, trying to piece together what it all might mean. "So, if I died right here and right now... You'd still be able to see me?"

"No," Sasuke says. "It depends."

"On what?"

"Whether or not you left something behind," Sasuke says simply, "and whether or not you still have things to do. It's complicated... but the purification ceremony is something that, in a way, disintegrates a person's spirit. It's too late for them. They'll never get closure."

"So, what are you saying?" Naruto murmurs. "Everything we've been taught is a lie spread by the government? Talk about conspiracy... It's kind of heartbreaking, actually."

"Hm," Sasuke muses. "It's cruel. I think fear is their motivation. They feared we would be able to expose the things they were doing, the countless murders... So, they simply got rid of us."

"What part do you play in this, then?" Naruto asks.

"A long time ago we played a part," Sasuke says. "Now... not so much. It's funny, in a sad way. I could do so much good, but I've never been given the chance to. I could help people. I could give closure to the living, to the dead..."

"You could solve murders," Naruto adds.

"And maybe that's what it boils down to," Sasuke laughs bitterly. "We knew more than we should have. We had the ability to solve crimes that certain people didn't want to be solved. People like Danzo... people like Koharu... people with power. They are the cause of so many deaths. If the world knew... if there was proof, then maybe there would be an outcry. The president certainly couldn't afford any bad press. So, instead... we get silenced. We get murdered and the media is controlled. We're not allowed to live in the world. We have to stay hidden or remain as property."

"If the ghosts aren't bad, why are they known to cause trouble when they're left here?" Naruto pries.

Sasuke smiles faintly. "They have things they need to do and no one likes to be ignored, Naruto. I mean, do you?"

"I guess not," the blond relents.

"The trouble spirits cause is an attempt to get people to pay attention," Sasuke explains. "They don't want to stick around, but they feel that they need to. Sometimes they need help moving on and sometimes they don't. Sometimes it's reassurance and sometimes it's unfinished business. Whatever it is, I don't think we should see them as dangerous. That's why people like me exist. We're the line that separates. In a way, we're constantly in between. We're links used to help them find peace... but now there's only me and my brother and we can't do any good when we're forced into hiding."

"Hell," Naruto mutters. "Everything seems to be getting worse, doesn't it?"

"Some things," Sasuke agrees. "I feel selfish for actually... being kind of happy."

"Don't feel selfish..." Naruto whispers. "I doubt you've ever felt happy in your life. You deserve it."

"I mean, I'm sure it won't last," Sasuke laughs again, "but I want to enjoy it while it does."

Naruto pulls him closer and tries not to think about what might happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. He's trying only to think about the now – this very second, his time with Sasuke. He doesn't want it to end.

||XxXx||

When Sasuke wakes up, he feels Naruto's arms around him as well as his erection poking into his backside. He shifts, grinding his rear against it and Naruto stirs. "Sorry," he says groggily. "It's morning."

Sasuke smiles slightly. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"It's been busy, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to the lab," Naruto says. "I need to play catch up. I also want to learn more about a confidential file of my father's. The identity of the test subject is vague. I don't know much of anything."

"Do you think the other doctors might know?" Sasuke wonders.

"Probably," Naruto explains, "I mean... they've been around for much longer than I have."

"Speaking of files..." Sasuke starts. "Could I see mine? Karin gave it to you, right? Do you still have it?"

"Yeah." Naruto sits up and stretches his arms. "Yeah, it's in my office."

They get out of bed and pull their clothes back on before leaving the room. They walk down the hallway. Sasuke trails behind Naruto slowly, almost dreading seeing his file. In the office, Naruto unlocks a file cabinet and fishes out the file before handing it to Sasuke.

"Have you read it?" the brunet asks asks.

"Yeah," Naruto admits.

With a sigh, Sasuke opens it and stares down at the images of himself with dull emotion. He flips to the next page of statistics, staring down.

NAME: Uchiha, Sasuke

SEX: Male

HEIGHT: 5.4 ft

WEIGHT: 115 lbs

ERECT PENIS SIZE: 5.5 inch

AGE: 21

BLOOD TYPE: AB

CLIENT COUNT: 1909

"Hm," he muses, staring at the last numbers. He flips to the next pages and reads his performance reviews and medical history.

"Can you read it?" Naruto asks.

"With... minor difficulty, yes," Sasuke says, frowning. He flips back to the first page and stares at the images of himself. He does look small and frightened – like a cornered animal. Has he really come far from it? Has anything truly changed? He's still small and he's still weary.

||XxXx||

When Naruto leaves, Sasuke lazes around the house. Not an hour later, however, he hears the door open. He hears footsteps and strange voices. Naruto isn't with them.

Sasuke's heart speeds up and he quietly moves into his bedroom and into the bathroom. He crouches between the toilet and the counter and the voices come closer and closer.

"Guest room?" one voice says. "No... it looks lived in. I thought you said this guy lived alone?"

"I was under the impression he did," says the other. Sasuke's eyes widen when he realizes that he recognizes that voice. "No matter. We need to find his office."

'No!' Sasuke pleads with himself. He nearly chokes, his entire body burning with fear. His file is still sitting on Naruto's desk from this morning.

"Something about this kid doesn't sit right with me. He's the son of a great man, but he lacks the vision his father tried to pass down. He's... soft, even with all the testing he's been through."

It's Danzo. He's in Naruto's house.

But why?

And what is all the testing they're speaking of?

The voices get softer as the men leave Sasuke's room. Sasuke puts his hands over his mouth, trying hard not to make a sound. He's struggling to breath. As quietly as he can, he inches out of his hiding space and crawls out of the bathroom.

"He isn't going to do what I ask him to," Danzo continues. "I'll need to do what I can to ensure he has a change in mind. Well, we've got a last resort. We will put it into play soon enough."

Sasuke hears the rustling of papers.

"What in God's name...?" he hears Danzo ask in a murmur. "Sasuke Uchiha...?"

"Ha..." the other man laughs humourlessly. "Could he be hiding a runaway?"

They found it. They found his file.

In a fit of frantic anger and panic, Sasuke rises to his feet and leaves the room. On quick and quiet feet, he flies down the stairs and out through the front door. The sun is a blurry glow visible vaguely through the grey clouds, but it's beating down hard.

He's outside.

It's bright.

Too bright.

He'll be seen.

There are people.

"No, no, no...!" he pants, running a fast as his legs will allow. Unlike Karin, he doesn't know his way around this city. He's lost. There are people everywhere – people who probably know his face. He bows his head, running through the crowds of unfamiliar faces, away away away.

The town is densely populated, seeming almost eerie in a suffocating way. The smog is rising and Sasuke can see a dark cloud forming in the sky. The buildings all look the same and the ones that don't Sasuke can tell are factories and laboratories. The shops in the marketplace are all kiosks and everyone is in line to buy their food.

It's bright and hot and he feels exposed. He should have hid behind the house. Instead, he panicked. Now the heat is merciless and it feels suffocating. It's humid and the air is moist. Sasuke is sure his skin will surely burn off if he stays out for too long. He feels claustrophobic, his mind awash in panic. Soon he nears the familiar bridge that separates the city from the slums. He sees the brothel standing tall, its neon sign shining dully in the bright day's light.

Sasuke lets out a heavy breath, not letting himself linger. He's surprised he got this far. He's clammy and his clothes are pasted against his skin. "There's nothing I can do," he says to himself.

"You're right about that," a voice from behind him says.

Sasuke turns around, a sick feeling rising in his stomach. It's a cop.

Just like that, everything turns back to shit. It is as though he shattered a mirror, but instead of seven years of bad luck he gets an eternity. In the blink of an eye, every good thing in his life is once again stolen away.

At the laboratory, Naruto finds Kabuto in his office. "You were close with my father, were you not?" he asks.

"I was," Kabuto nods.

"I want to find this child," Naruto says, waving the folder around.

Kabuto takes it from him and reads the label. "Ah," he says with a laugh. "No need, Naruto. You've already found him."

"What?" the blond squints.

"This child is you," Kabuto reveals.