Death affects how one lives – or rather, fear of it. Sasuke no longer fears his own death. He's been through it once. What he fears is less selfish. He fears the deaths of those around him. It keeps happening. It's something he'll never be used to. It's something he can't simply take with an empty mind, no matter how many times he says the words aloud or in his head. It's something he'll never grow numb to.

When he wakes up, he's on a sofa in a Victorian styled parlor room. He stands up and surveys the foreign room. He doesn't know where he is, but he knows he's not at Naruto's. The walls are a rich red color, as are the drapes. The furniture is dark wood and the sofa he was lying on has a damask pattern. It's even nicer than the living room in Naruto's house. It would be homey, too, if it wasn't for the gun cabinet in the corner of the room.

"Hello?" Sasuke calls.

A moment later, a curly red haired man appears in the doorway. He is pale, slender and probably only an inch taller than Sasuke. There are prominent dark circles around his eyes and he looks tired, like he hasn't slept in years. "Hello," he echoes and Sasuke immediately recognizes his deep, cold voice. He is the man Naruto was sleeping with.

"Where am I?" Sasuke asks, trying not to sound bitter or uncomfortable or fearful.

"My home," the man says. "And, before you ask, my name is Gaara Sabaku. I'm a friend of Naruto's. He beat you up."

"Why'd he do that?" Sasuke whispers the question and it comes out pained. He reaches a hand up and touches his bruised jaw and swollen eyes.

"I'm not sure," Gaara admits. "It's... unlike him, but I can't say I'm entirely shocked. When he drinks, he grows volatile. He's been that way for a long time. He's jaded."

"I know," Sasuke says, still unable to make his voice louder than a meek hush. "I keep getting passed around," he mutters. "It's like a game of hot potato."

Gaara smiles mirthlessly. "That must be frustrating."

Sasuke frowns, feeling distraught. "I've known Naruto since I was young..." he admits quietly. "Why would he do this to me?"

"I'm not sure," Gaara says once more. "I haven't seen him in a while. You must be what he's been hiding. I knew he was keeping something from me, but I'm not one for prying."

"Yes," Sasuke murmurs.

"He's going to win the election," Gaara adds offhandedly. "Naruto..."

Sasuke grits his teeth at that. "I wish he wouldn't."

"He's charming," Gaara starts. "He's always been good at talking. People like him. It's... really no competition."

"It's so sudden," Sasuke whispers.

"I have a feeling someone put the idea into his head," Gaara adds. "The Naruto I know wouldn't want to run a country. He's a socialite, but socialites don't typically touch politics like this. We're notoriously stupid, especially at this age. If he portrays confidence, determination and strength, however... the people will vote for him. Those are all the things they want in a leader. I think... Naruto had mostly given up on society. Like you, he has seen some of the cruellest parts of the world."

Sasuke scoffs lightly, nodding his head. "What about you, then?" he asks. "What have you seen?"

"What makes you wonder?" Gaara retorts.

"Any other person would happily have their way with me or handed me over to the authorities," Sasuke says surely. "You haven't done either of those things so far. Why?"

Gaara presses his lips together for a moment, simply thinking. When he decides to speak, he confesses something he has yet to tell a soul. "Ever since my fiancé was killed I've been cautiously researching similar instances," he admits. "Not even Naruto knew that. Only one other person knows apart from you."

"Then why are you telling me?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

"Because you won't tell a soul," Gaara says surely. "And if you did, they wouldn't believe you."

"No one believes whores," Sasuke fills in the blanks, eying the socialite.

Gaara nods. "I was going to show Naruto. I thought he might be able to help me... but now I see that the tables have turned."

"I still don't understand..." Sasuke whispers, eyebrows drawing together.

"I'll go visit him later on," Gaara says. "He might talk to me. He usually does."

"He usually talks to me, too," Sasuke admits quietly. "He tells me he loves me... then he stops. Funny... I believed him."

Gaara gives a thoughtful nod, never one to reassure.

||XxXx||

When it grows dark, Gaara announces that he's going to visit the blond. He hopes to force out some answers amidst all the confusion. He lets himself in and finds Naruto in his room, lying on his bed reading as if he hasn't a care in the entire world. There's a book in his hand and he looks at ease. Gaara clears his throat, announcing his presence.

"Yes?" Naruto asks, not looking up from the pages in his book.

"We need to talk," Gaara says.

Naruto holds up a finger and it's quiet. A short moment later, he finishes the page and closes the book, setting it on his nightstand. "What about?" he asks, finally looking up to meet the redhead's gaze.

"Why did you hurt that man?" Gaara questions. "It isn't like you to go this far."

"Isn't it?" Naruto simply smiles, rising to his feet. He approaches Gaara where he stands in the doorway. "You always tell me I'm rough."

"I liked to believe you were better than this." Gaara would like to tell Naruto to stay where he is, but he doesn't. The blond has grown volatile and he needs to gage his movements cautiously.

When Naruto is close, grabs a handful of the redhead's hair and forces him to crane his neck. "Why are you having such a hard time looking at me?" he asks, staring into Gaara's eyes.

Gaara tries not to break the contact. "What the hell happened to you?" he demands.

"It's like..." Naruto pauses. "It's like I've woken up and finally remembered who it is I'm supposed to be." Dissatisfied with the answer, Gaara prepares to leave only to be stopped. Naruto grabs him by the arm and asks, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Home," Gaara answers.

"But don't our visits typically end a little differently?" Naruto hints.

Gaara's eyes narrow. "I'm not going to touch you ever again. I won't let you touch me, either."

"Since when do you care?" Naruto snorts. "That's what you love about me. You love that I hurt you."

Gaara's jaw tightens as he stares at the blond, trying not to take the cruel words to heart. He knows something is amiss. Something happened to change him, he just doesn't know what. "Let me go," he commands tersely. Naruto doesn't listen. Instead, he tightens his grip. Gaara winces, but he doesn't cry out.

"I can hurt you some more, if you'd like," Naruto propositions.

"Let me go..." Gaara says again, weaker this time.

Naruto smiles and laughs, this time obeying. "I was just kidding around with you," he says, holding up his hands innocently. Gaara sneers at him and turns away, preparing to leave but he's once again stopped. Naruto grabs him from behind, putting him in a sleeper hold before admitting, "No, I wasn't."

Gaara emits a gasp that comes out sounding like a sob. "Stop...!"

"You know," Naruto murmurs offhandedly, "I haven't fucked anyone since Sasuke spread his legs and, as fun as that was, I'd rather not fuck a whore a second time. They come riddled with diseases. You're daisy fresh in comparison. How many people have you had? Just two, huh? Me and the dead ex?"

Gaara's lower lip trembles and he closes his eyes. "Something happened to you," he accuses quietly. "You're not like this. This isn't you.

Naruto repeats the words in a mocking tone before adding, "Listen, this is exactly who I am. I don't appreciate people telling me what I am and what I'm not." And with that, he drags Gaara towards the bed, pushing him into the mattress.

"Naruto, stop it, you don't want to do this!" he shouts, desperately trying to claw his way out from under the blond. He knows where this is going and he's never been so frightened.

||XxXx||

Sasuke spends the hours Gaara is gone roaming his home. It's as large as Naruto's and just as nice. Sasuke can't help but feel slight envy for people with this kind of money. They have such nice things. Sasuke has never owned material items.

Soon, he hears the door open and slam shut. He makes his way back to the parlour room, not wanting to be seen snooping. Gaara doesn't even acknowledge him. He simply walks past him and runs upstairs. Sasuke shrugs it off. He'll ask questions later.

Gaara is upstairs for a long time. Sasuke waits in the living room and when he finally returns, his hair is damp. He's wearing a pair of cotton sleep pants and a tee-shirt. He sits on the sofa with Sasuke, bending over and staring down at his hands.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke questions only to be greeted with silence. The man's shoulders begin to shake. Sasuke isn't sure whether he's laughing or crying, but soon he raises his head. No tears.

"Naruto..." Gaara murmurs hoarsely. "He doesn't have even an inch of humanity left in him."

Sasuke frowns at that. "Oh..." He feels anxious and distraught. He tries to clear his mind but it's cluttered and he feels so fitful. The night he died, everything became a mess. He can't help but wonder if his brother's sacrifice is going to be worth it. Sasuke doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how to change things for the better. He has no power and power is all that matters in this world. Without it, he has nothing.

||XxXx||

The weeks pass quietly. Sasuke feels no ease by being at Gaara's home. The man isn't friendly or kind. He isn't one for conversation, either. But still, Sasuke is thankful. He once again has a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in and food to eat. No one knows he's here.

Election day is coming up. Sasuke listens to the radio most days. He listens to Naruto's sweet promises to the rich collective.

"Who did you vote for?" Sasuke asks the redhead out of the blue.

"I didn't," Gaara admits. "It doesn't matter who I vote for – especially not if it's between an asshole and a douche. That's how most elections are and you have to choose the lesser evil. Unfortunately, there is no lesser evil in this case. No matter who wins, they'll still run the city into the ground. That much won't change. Nothing that truly matters ever changes."

They're sitting at the kitchen table. It's early in the morning. Gaara is drinking a cup of coffee, staring down into the murky liquid. Sasuke was never a fan of caffeine. Instead, he's drinking a simple glass of water.

"I've been trying to peace things together," Sasuke murmurs. "My head has been fuzzy but I'm trying to put things into perspective. Naruto told me he was a test subject the day before he... Well, I don't even know what to call it."

"The day he became classist scum like all the rest," Gaara says before taking a slow sip of his coffee.

"Yes," Sasuke continues. "He had a headache, but he said he'd tell me the story later if I asked. I just never got the chance to. He said he was worried Danzo would try to somehow use him because of the upcoming election... So... maybe that's it. A memory implant? Maybe Naruto is being manipulated. He said it's something that his company was working on."

Gaara looks thoughtful. "How the hell would you reverse a thing like that?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm not sure..." A pause. "And... another thing... Naruto's father is alive."

"What?" Gaara whispers weakly.

"He's alive," Sasuke repeats.

Gaara closes his eyes. "Did Naruto know?"

"He did," Sasuke murmurs. "I'm not sure how long, though."

Gaara clicks his tongue, standing up and abandoning his half-empty cup of coffee. He moves briskly down the hallway and Sasuke has no choice but to follow after him. Soon, they're in the parlor room. Gaara moves in front of the gun cabinet. He opens it and ghosts his fingers across each weapon as he makes his choice.

"What do you need a gun for?" Sasuke pries.

"Just in case," Gaara says simply.

Sasuke finds the vague answer unsettling, but he doesn't pry further.

"Besides, I'm a wealthy man," Gaara adds as an afterthought. "It's safer to be protected."

"What do you do?" Sasuke asks, letting curiosity get the best of him.

"Nothing really," the redhead admits. "I'm an heir... a spoilt brat basically. I come from a lot of money. My father is a well-known lawyer. So was my mother, but she died giving birth to me. That was before there were drugs to help with these sorts of complications. Now my father blames me. I don't really get along with him, but as long as I maintain a good face for the public they won't cut me off."

Knock, knock.

"What the hell?" Gaara mumbles.

Sasuke follows him out of the parlor room and towards the lobby, lingering out of distance. As soon as he swings open the door there is a large, hooded figure blocking it. He turns around and when he removes it, entering the room.

Sasuke is surprised. "Kisame!" he exclaims, moving closer.

"Hey, kid," he says, allowing himself in and shutting the door. He snatches the gun from Gaara's hands and sticks it in his belt.

"Who the hell are you?" Gaara snaps.

"Just a pair of eyes," Kisame says.

"Get out of my damn house!" the redhead demands, pointing to the door. Kisame just ignores him.

"How did you find me?" Sasuke asks.

Kisame chuckles at that. "Do you really need to ask that question? Akatsuki is everywhere."

Gaara's eyes narrow. "Akatsuki?" he repeats in a questioning tone. "The rebel group? Tsk... I knew I've seen your face before... on wanted posters around town." He glances at Sasuke. "You're affiliated with them?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders lightly. "If you can call it that..."

"Was Naruto?"

"No," he says before asking Kisame, "Where is everyone else?"

"Hiding, as always," Kisame responds. "I came to check on you. Kakashi's main house was burned down a few nights ago. They know he broke you out and now he's on the run."

Knowing that makes Sasuke feel guilty. "Oh," is all he says.

"Suigetsu is sick," Kisame continues. "We don't have the proper resources to help him and since, by the looks of things, Naruto is out of the picture..." he trails off.

"I might be able to help," Gaara cuts in.

"Are you a doctor?" Kisame asks, giving him a once-over.

"No," Gaara says, "but I have money. A lot of it." For him, this feels like opportunity.

Kisame smirks. "All right... then it's decided," he says. "This will be our new safe house."

"No, wait –" Gaara growls, only to be cut off.

"I'll bring some people here," Kisame says. "We can't have Naruto ratting us out since, I assume, he knows our location."

Sasuke nods, feeling guilty for sharing sensitive information with the blond. "Bring Ino," he requests. "Please... I need to talk to her."

Kisame looks thoughtful, eying Sasuke and trying to determine whether or not that's a good idea. In the end, he relents and says, "All right."

Sasuke simply nods and Kisame spares Gaara one final glance before leaving. "Thanks for the gun," he winks.

||XxXx||

Kisame pulls his hood back up and makes his way into the dim streets. He stays in the shadows, moving quietly until he enters the forest. He's still grieving, but he has to be strong. If he isn't, everyone will break down. They can't afford that. For now, they need to keep it together.

He took care of the body by himself, burying Itachi near the old Uchiha compound. After the massacre, the homes were burnt down and a mass grave was created in their place. At least now Itachi would be with his family. He put his trust in Sasuke, so Kisame will, too.

When Kisame returned to the Akatsuki base, he was alone. Everyone pried and he simply told them they no longer had a leader. Out of fear, few questions were asked after that.

When Kisame arrives back this time, he is welcomed with quiet greetings. "I've found us somewhere to go," he says. "It's big and we've been here for far too long. We can't continue to use this as our headquarters. In all honesty, we don't know how much Sasuke might've told Naruto and since he's chosen other loyalties, we can't trust that he'll stay silent. If he tells the authorities that we're in the forest, they might come looking for us."

"Is it safe to move...?" Jugo asks, crossing his arms.

"It's never safe," Kisame admits with a snort, "but Sasuke is already there."

"Sasuke?" Ino is visibly relieved.

"I'll bring half of you with me," Kisame continues. "The other half will have to wait. We can't move in a huge circle. It'll only draw attention. Try to find Kakashi."

"Are you sure?" Deidara asks, crossing his arms.

"You all elected me as acting leader," Kisame says. "I'm not like Itachi. We're going to do things differently. I don't do it the way Itachi did. He was soft. He didn't want to kill. Unlike him, I don't mind killing. It's something I'm good at." He takes the gun out of his belt. "We need to do what we have to because we aren't winning. We can't afford to stay quiet and we're going to have to take a few risks. This is one of them. Desperate times call for desperate measures and, though I hate to admit it, we're desperate here. People never get what they want by staying quiet."

There are scattered nods.

"Collect what belongings you all have," Kisame continues. "We'll be leaving after dark tomorrow." With that, he walks down the hallway.

Ino follows after him. "Are you all right?" she asks. "You keep moving and you keep moving. It's as if by stopping, even for a mere moment, you'll remember he's gone."

A smirk spreads across his face, but he continues staring straight ahead. "Don't pretend you know a damn thing about me, girly."

"I know your entire life story," she reminds him. "I know you were in love and I know it's hard losing someone you love." He only sneers at her and it causes a faint smile to spread across her lips. "You know I'm right."

||XxXx||

Late the following evening, Gaara saunters into the parlor room where Sasuke is seated. "Naruto is giving a speech today," he says offhandedly.

"Really?" Sasuke murmurs.

Gaara nods, turning on the radio and turning the dial until it's on the correct channel. "We can listen. I want to hear what kind of shit he'll spew."

Sasuke begins to frown. He knows the speech will be perfect. He knows that this will not mean anything good for him or the rest of his people. Naruto will charm the audience with captivating words and promises.

Right now another politician is speaking on the radio. Sasuke doesn't know anything about politics. All he knows is that no matter what happens, nothing good will come of it.

Soon, the first speech comes to an end.

"What a load of shit," Gaara mutters his opinion.

After being introduced, Naruto begins to speak next. Sasuke closes his eyes and listens to Naruto's hoarse voice over the radio. He sounds charming and warm and it makes Sasuke think about the way the blond sounded when he'd say Sasuke's name. He tries to shake the thoughts away, not wanting to remember it.

"What is it?" Gaara asks.

Sasuke opens his eyes and sees Gaara staring at him. "I wish I could hate Naruto, but I can't."

"Maybe this isn't his fault," Gaara mentions. "Remember... you said that he might have been manipulated. The change seems sudden in ways... and it's not like he was drinking. I don't know why he'd act like this sober. So, maybe something changed him."

"It seems too good to be true," Sasuke murmurs. "I want it too badly and I've learned continuously that when you want something that badly, it's not likely to happen."

Gaara smiles faintly. "You're pretty negative."

"So are you," Sasuke retorts.

"I suppose so," the redhead agrees easily. "It's hard not to be angry... but I like to describe myself as pragmatic instead of negative."

Sasuke nods and then they fall silent again. They continue listening to Naruto's speech and when it's over, another politician starts to speak. His voice is rough and it reminds Sasuke of the feeling of calloused fingers against his skin. It makes him shudder.

Sensing Sasuke's internal distress, Gaara turns the radio off. "Enough of that," he decides. "Are you hungry? I can make something."

"No," Sasuke murmurs.

"I'll make something anyway," Gaara says. "You should eat." With that, he stands up and moves into the kitchen.

Sasuke stays where he's seated, feeling overwhelmed with emotions. All of them are unpleasant. He lets out a deep, shuddery breath and feels his eyes grow wet. He doesn't want to start sobbing, so he closes his lids until the feeling subsides.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay..." he whispers to himself when suddenly the doorbell rings.

He opens his eyes when he hears Gaara's footsteps moving towards the lobby. A split second later, familiar voices are welcomed inside begrudgingly.

With a surge of hope, Sasuke rises to his feet and follows the voices. A warm, pleasant feeling rises in his stomach when he sees Ino standing alongside Kisame and some other vaguely familiar figures. There's Jugo, Karin and Suigetsu... but the others are nowhere in sight.

"Been a while," the blonde girl says with a smile, opening her arms. With a relieved sigh, Sasuke moves forward and allows her to envelop him. "I missed you," she murmurs.

"Yeah," is all he responds with. He feels the same way, but the words won't come out. Nonetheless, Ino understands.

"Sakura is dead," he tells her as they break apart, not wanting to put it off.

She puts a hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp. "No..."

"Yeah," he whispers solemnly. "I feel like... I should have done something, though I know there was nothing I could have possibly done. I have no power."

"I know," she says softly.

"All right," Kisame cuts in. "Sorry to cut the reunion short, but we need to get the show on the road." He briskly introduces Gaara to everyone in the room, getting formalities out of the way.

"What medicine does he need?" Gaara asks, eying Suigetsu. The pale-haired man looks like he's ready to keel over.

"I'll make a list," Kisame says. "Hand me a pen and paper."

Gaara nods absently, moving to fetch the desired items.

"Where are the others?" Sasuke cuts in, eying Kisame.

"Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu and Deidara are elsewhere," Kisame says. "They won't be joining us quite yet. They're at another one of Kakashi's safehouses."

Gaara soon returns with paper and a pen as Kisame starts listing off medical supplies. Gaara writes them down and then puts the list in his pocket. "When do you need them?"

"As soon as possible," Kisame says.

Gaara nods his head before glancing at Sasuke. "You can show everyone around," he says before glancing back at Kisame. "I'll finish cooking and then I'll find a pharmacy."

||XxXx||

When Gaara is gone, Sasuke gives everyone a tour of the house. They settle down in the basement and Kisame says, "This is where we'll stay. There is a back exit and if anything might go wrong, that will allow us to escape quickly and head into the woods."

Sasuke rubs a hand over his forehead, feeling anxious. More than anything, he wants this to stop. He doesn't want to keep running and hiding. He wants to feel peace for once in his life.

"Sasuke?" Ino says his name in a questioning tone. "You okay?"

"Fine," he responds, forcing a smile.

||XxXx||

When Gaara returns from the pharmacy, he has medicine and syringes. He didn't recognize the names of any of the drugs, but he knows they are probably strong – though not strong enough to be over the counter. Perhaps this is all they knew they could get without having connections to a doctor.

"What are they for?" he asks when he hands the bag to Suigetsu.

"I take this orally," he starts, holding up a glass bottle of a syrup-like liquid. "It helps keep my insides from falling apart." He holds up the second bottle of a more watery liquid and continues, "I inject this and it helps with my immunity."

"They fucked him up good in the lab," Kisame adds with a snort.

"Yeah, it's hilarious," Suigetsu mutters.

"Anyway, let's talk shop," Kisame proposes.

With that, Sasuke slips out of the room only to have Ino follow him upstairs. She walks with him quietly, trailing after him as they reach the third floor. Before he moves into the guest room, he pauses, pressing his forehead against the doorway.

"Sasuke, where did you get the bruises?" she asks gently.

He brushes off the question. Instead, he lets out a sharp, sudden sob. Ino reaches forward tentatively, putting a hand on his back.

"I can't keep living like this," he chokes out. "It's too hard..."

"I know," Ino sympathizes.

"No, you don't!" he snaps, turning to look at her. "You can't know what it's like!"

Ino stares into his eyes, trying to keep her face void of pity. "You're right," she relents. "I can't possibly know what it's like."

"I wish I knew how to detach myself," he whispers wetly. "I used to be so good at it... but I forgot how. People think it's better to feel bad than to feel nothing at all, but it's not true. I feel like I'm going crazy."

"I wish there was something I could do," Ino says, reaching forward and cupping his face in her hands. She swipes her thumbs across his cheeks, wiping the tear streaks away. "I'll stay here with you. They won't separate us ever again. You'll always have a friend. I'll always be here when you want to talk."

"Right," he whispers. As much as he'd like to believe it, he knows that it's not possible. Someday, somehow... they will be separated again. He'll be alone once more. That's how it always is.

||XxXx||

At the end of the month, the poll results are read.

Naruto is president.