Naruto takes a deep, calm breath before lighting the sage. He moves around the house, circling every room and making sure the incense makes its way through every twist and corner. He can't stand the scent, but it needs to be done. He needs to purify the house.

When he enters the kitchen, Gaara lets out an irritated sigh. He's sitting cross-legged at the kitchen table with tea and a newspaper. "That smell makes me sick."

"Me too," Naruto admits. "It just reminds me of death. It smells bitter."

"Are you almost done?" Gaara asks, trying not to breathe it in.

"Yes, almost," Naruto promises.

"You put it off for far too long," the redhead continues in a murmur. "You should have done it weeks ago."

"I don't care," Naruto admits. "I'm only doing this because everyone will ride my ass if I don't."

"No one wants a house full of spirits, Naruto," Gaara says with a sigh. "They cause trouble when they grow restless. If they're stuck on the human plane for too long, devilish things can happen. They belong in the afterlife and that's where we're sending them. Peacefully."

"I know," the blond murmurs, "I guess I just don't understand it. When I was a kid, we didn't do this kind of shit."

"Instead, people came from the city and did it for you," Gaara says and Naruto nods his head. "It's called the Holy Day – the day the city streets are cleansed... it's mostly for runaway whores and slaves and people who live and die on the streets. People who have no one to send them off."

"Hm," Naruto mumbles in thought. He never learned this stuff properly. Most of it still goes right over his head.

"Well," Gaara shrugs his shoulders, "At least, that is what we're told. Who the hell knows if any of it is true? Maybe it's yet another conspiracy. God knows there's enough of them."

"Yeah," Naruto agrees.

Gaara decides to change the subject, sensing the blond's lack of interest. "So, what is on your plate today?"

"A meeting with the president," Naruto says somewhat bitterly. "My father did business with him and... now it's up to me to keep our contract going. Without his authorization, the lab will be shut down and the production of new medicines will cease. That's the last thing we need. These drugs are saving lives... but they're also ruining lives. Is the trade off worth it? I don't know."

"Who knows?" Gaara muses.

Naruto lets out a soft sigh, growing somewhat thoughtful. "I don't want to sound ungrateful," he murmurs, "but is it bad for me to say that I'm getting bored of life? Nothing is exciting anymore. I get everything I want easily. I don't need to work for things. I have no goals. I have no motivation. I don't know what to do with myself."

"Hm," the redhead ponders. "For now, just take care of the factory. You haven't even stepped foot in it since your father died, have you?"

"No," Naruto mutters. "I have no idea what happens inside that place. Sometimes he took me with him and he said he'd teach me everything, but that day never came because he died before I was ever able to learn. It's a creepy place, though. I never strayed. I stayed by his side the entire time and kept quiet. I got a bad feeling whenever I was there."

"Now you have an even bigger reason to go there," Gaara says.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks.

Gaara sighs impatiently. "You're a lack-brain," he insults. "Look, you have free reign. This means you can find answers to all the questions you had when you were younger but never got to ask. Apart from that, you can do your own research. Try to cure the cancers of the world and all that."

Naruto looks thoughtful for a moment. He presses his fingers to his lips and muses aloud for a moment before saying, "I suppose I could."

"But, as you say, your father...Orochimaru wasn't a good man," Gaara reminds him. "Be prepared to see some things that might not be pleasant."

Naruto laughs sadly. "I grew up in the slums. I'm used to seeing awful shit."

"Before your father's death it was probably a long time before you saw something so vile, right?" Gaara asks knowingly.

"Hm," Naruto mumbles as the memory floats into his mind.

He came home from a social event only to find his father's bloody corpse in the entrance of their manor. He hardly reacted and he most certainly didn't cry. For some reason, he felt nothing at all – no shock, no sadness. His father was always a deranged man who had many enemies. The killer still hasn't been found, but Naruto isn't worrying himself over it.

"He was always strange," Gaara murmurs. "He was especially strange with you. He didn't treat you like a son... he treated you more like a pet."

"Maybe that's how he saw me," the blond laughs humorlessly. "I mean, he never wronged me... but he made me uncomfortable at times."

"I know," Gaara whispers.

He was a fan of male beauty – that much was clear. Naruto never considered himself particularly beautiful. When he thought of beauty, he would think of softness and other feminine characteristics... but he knows now that there are different kinds of beauty. His beauty comes in a different shape. "I have such a handsome boy," he would coo and simper at his son, moving his hands over Naruto's strong chest and down his arms. Naruto was never a fan of touching. He just wasn't used to it and it always struck him as strange. Though that isn't to say he's a stranger to physical intimacy. He's had many careless fucks throughout the years. He's no stranger to that kind of touch.

"I should go," Naruto says. He finally finishes purifying the house, disposing of the remaining clump of sage before adding, "You can stay here if you want. I'll be back after dark."

Gaara nods, waving him out the door.

||XxXx||

When Naruto steps outside, he sees that it's yet again raining and it's coming down hard. That's nothing less than typical these days.

Naruto gets in his car and drives to the governmental building in the center of the city. Inside, he is walked to the president's office. When the door opens, Naruto smiles politely and says, "Mr. Shimura. I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm here representing Oto in behalf of my late father."

Danzo nods towards the young man standing before him, allowing him to step inside. "It's a shame about your father," he murmurs. "He was quite a visionary when it came to developing new drugs and stimulants. Because of his experiments, we can now successfully remove memories. He was working on a drug that would create new ones as well, correct?"

"Yes," Naruto murmurs.

"I know he was also working on a drug that would cause desire and create arousal. I hear it was successful, was it not?"

The thought is grim and Naruto knows exactly what the drug is going to be used for – slaves who don't want to cooperate. "Somewhat," Naruto murmurs again. "It's set to be released at the end of the year, but they can only create physical arousal. I know they were going for a drug that would be a mental stimulant as well..."

Danzo gives a long nod. "That's fine. See? Memory implants, memory retrieval and now this. We can manipulate minds as well as bodies and it's all thanks to your late father."

"It's dangerous," Naruto adds. "It doesn't sound very humane."

Danzo gives him a tight smile. "Look around you, Uzumaki. You live in a world where people are bought and sold. Of course it isn't humane, but it's life. A slave who holds fast is useless. We need to beat them down and put them in their place."

Naruto frowns at the harsh words. He was never one to support the slave trade. He always found it a grim part of society. It strikes a chord due to his upbringing.

"Can I put my confidence in you to continue distributing these products?" Danzo asks.

"Yes," Naruto says weakly, hating himself for it.

Danzo gives him another tight smile. "Perfect." He walks towards his desk and opens a drawer, fetching out a piece of paper. "This is a contact for the next five years. I need you to sign it."

Naruto holds his breath as he nears the desk. Danzo hands him a pen and he only exhales after signing the form.

"Don't beat yourself up over this," Danzo mutters offhandedly, putting the slip of paper in a file cabinet in the corner of the room. "Slaves make things easier for the rest of us. You're helping build a brighter tomorrow for those lucky enough to be born with status."

Naruto simply nods, not bothering to tell the man that he wasn't born with status. He was only lucky enough to be dragged out of the slums. But is it really luck? Sometimes he can't help but think his existence is unfair. On the opposite side of the city, there are people are starving and dying. There are people are left out in the cold. There are people have nowhere to sleep. There are kids being kidnapped and sold into a life they're far too young to experience. Children are being beaten, whipped, and their innocence tarnished. To Naruto, it has never seemed quite fair. They may be searching for a utopia, but at what cost? How many lives will be sacrificed? It'll never be worth it.

"You're free to leave," Danzo says carelessly. "I have another appointment. You're young and inexperienced, so I hope you learn quick."

"I'm not completely inexperienced," Naruto cuts in. "I've been studying biology since I was young. I have a good mind for the human body."

Danzo dismisses it and simply adds, "I don't want to be disappointed."

Naruto bows his head. "You won't be," he promises before turning around and leaving.

||XxXx||

Instead of going home, he decides to finally go to the laboratory. The building is tall and unwelcoming. Inside, the walls are white and the halls are narrow. It smells sterile and it's quiet – eerily quiet. Naruto takes the elevator to the top floor offices and enters his father's former study, flicking the light on. He surveys the room, spotting a file cabinet in the farthest corner. He tries to open it, but it's locked. Of course it is. It causes his curiosity to heighten. He can recall times where he would see his father hovering in front of the cabinet, always so secretive.

Naruto lets out a sound of irritation, opening a desk drawer and searching until he finds a ring of keys. He fishes it out and tries shoving them into the lock on the cabinet until one finally clicks.

Inside, there are an array of folders. He takes the first file out and opens to the first page –

Gen'yumaru [Failed]

Gozu [Ongoing]

Guren [Ongoing]

Jirobo [Failed]

Jugo [Missing]

Isiribi [Ongoing]

Kidomaru [Failed]

Kimimaro [Failed]

Nurari [Failed]

Rinji [Failed]

Sakon [Failed]

Suigetsu [Missing]

Tayuya [Failed]

Ukon [Failed]

Yukimaru [Ongoing]

Yukimi [Ongoing]

"Holy shit," Naruto breathes. "What the fuck is all this?"

Before he can flip to the next page, a voice interrupts – "That, my friend, is a list of this year's experiments."

Naruto turns around and sees a silver-haired man standing in the doorway. "Who are you?"

"Kabuto Yakushi," he answers. "I'm a leading scientist here... and you're Naruto? We've met before."

"Have we?" Naruto asks. "I don't think so. I would remember."

"Oh, my mistake."

There's something unsettling about the look of mirth on Kabuto's face, almost as if he knows more than he's letting on. Nonetheless, Naruto ignores it for now. "Tell me more about these experiments," he requests, waving the folder around. "Are these all names of people?"

"Yes," Kabuto admits, voice free of sympathy. "That isn't a detailed record. The detailed record is with our doctor, but these were your father's quick notes on the experiments being done. If the experiment is listed as failed, then it wasn't successful, meaning it ended in the subject's death. As you can see... we've had many failures this year, but with failures come room for future improvement. If the experiment is listed as ongoing, then the subject is still alive and we are still doing tests to improve... and lastly, we've had a few escapees recently. They are listed under missing. It's been a priority of ours to find them because they are extremely dangerous."

"Why are they dangerous?" Naruto demands.

"Jugo possesses inhuman strength and an inability to control it," Kabuto explains. "Suigetsu, on the other hand, is a genetic mutation. On top of that, he possesses great speed and agility – though in short amounts. His immune system is weakened, but together, they make quite a dangerous duo. They were likely the cause of your father's demise... Such a pity. He was a brilliant man."

"Damn," Naruto hisses. "And they're running around the city? How'd they escape?"

"A red-haired girl came in and broke them out," he states. "She was... particularly skilled. She got past the guards but the camera picked up a blurry image of her from behind."

Naruto bites his lip. "Damn," he says again. "Are you sure you're making every effort to capture them?"

"I assure you we are," Kabuto promises.

The blond releases a breath. "Fine," he mutters. "I'm taking this file with me. I'm going to read over it."

Kabuto smiles politely, nodding. The two of them exit the office and Naruto locks the door on his way out. "Would you like to meet the rest of the staff?" Kabuto offers.

"I guess that'd be prudent," Naruto says with a sigh.

They walk briskly down the hallway and into a room. Inside, a blond woman with big breasts is reading a clipboard. She has a white lab coat on and it's stained with what Naruto assumes is blood. "Tsunade," Kabuto greets her before turning to Naruto. "Tsunade is our finest doctor. If there's even a one percent chance that a life can be saved, Tsunade will succeed."

She looks up and forces a polite smile, though looking weary. "Hello," Naruto greets her. "I'm –"

"Naruto," she cuts in, softening. "Yes, I remember you... Do you remember me?"

His smile turns sympathetic before he adds, "Not really." He can't help but wonder how these people know him. He can't for the life of himself remember.

She chuckles slightly. "That's fine. You were young, after all. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Naruto says.

In the next room over, Kabuto continues to introduce him to the staff – Amachi, Misumi, Nono, Shiho and Yoroi. Naruto found them all strange apart from Tsunade. There was something kind about her that struck Naruto.

"Where are the experiments done and who by?" Naruto asks once the formalities are complete.

"On this floor – the main floor," Kabuto answers. "I do them along with Amachi, Misumi and Yoroi. Tsunade is too soft to take part in human testing... Shiho is a researcher and Nono works directly under Tsunade. The basement is where we preserve bodies and the third floor is, as you know, offices."

"I thought there would be more of you," Naruto admits, surprised at the limited amount of scientists and healers. It makes the amount of deaths seem even more tragic since there were done by such few hands.

"We're more than capable," Kabuto assures him.

Naruto forces a smile, though he feels ill. "I'm sure," he says. "Anyway, I need to head back home, but I'll be back soon to familiarize myself with this place. I'd also like to watch an experiment being performed on my next visit. When is your next experiment taking place?"

"Tomorrow at noon," Kabuto answers.

"I'll be there," Naruto says before sauntering down the hallway. He leaves the building and immediately starts to shake, overcome with a feeling of unease. He turns around and stares up at the building. "Oto... What a terrible place," he murmurs to himself.

||XxXx||

When he returns home, Naruto finds Gaara asleep in his room. It's rare for the redhead to get any sleep at all. His insomnia has always been a problem, but it grew worse after the death of Neji. Naruto spares him one last look before tip toeing back out of the room and leaving him to rest.

He enters the study and sits down at his father's old desk, opening the file once more and beginning to read. Past the table of contents is the first documentation. The summaries are messy and choppy, as if they were scribbled down quickly, but Naruto can make them out well enough –

Gen'yumaru [Failed]

Test: Strength

Result: Subject acquired a brief possession of raw physical strength only to have his body give out from overexertion.

Gozu [Ongoing]

Test: Strength

Result: Subject acquired raw physical strength. Took every staff member to subdue him. When temper is excited, cannot control actions.

Guren [Ongoing]

Test: Aphrodisiac

Result: Subject was physically aroused, but not mentally aroused.

Jirobo [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after six hours.

Jugo [Missing]

Test: Strength

Result: Subject acquired a very immense physical strength, but the lacks the ability to control it. He suffers from rages.

Isiribi [Ongoing]

Test: Splicing DNA

Result: Subject acquired an ability to breath underwater.

Kidomaru [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after fifteen hours.

Kimimaro [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after two weeks.

Nurari [Failed]

Test: Strength

Result: Subject was given too much of the first sample, resulting in an overdose.

Rinji [Failed]

Test: Aphrodisiac

Result: Subject was given too much of the first sample, resulting in an overdose.

Sakon [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after nine hours.

Suigetsu [Missing]

Test: Spliced DNA

Result: Subject is genetically mutated and suffers from numerous health complications due to the unsuccessful splice.

Tayuya [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after five days.

Ukon [Failed]

Test: Hearing

Result: Subject acquired a strong sensitivity to sound and an inability to turn it off. Bled out from the ears after one week.

Yukimaru [Ongoing]

Test: Strength

Result: Subject acquired raw physical strength and maintained a gentle demeanor.

Yukimi [Ongoing]

Test: Memory implanting

Result: Subject acquired the desired memory only to lose it one day later. Cycle repeats. Memories never stay. Immune system digests drug without lasting effect. Similar to case file 005 [archived].

Once Naruto is finished skimming, he closes the folder and frowns. "What a sin," he murmurs aloud to himself, saddened that this is what has been forced onto him. It's a heavy burden to bear and he doesn't understand what the point to many of these experiments is. Why would one want to maximize their hearing ability or be able to breathe underwater? To Naruto, it just doesn't make sense. He stares down at the photos of all these human beings that are either dead, or being experimented on. He pauses and concentrates on the faces of the two runaways.

"Suigetsu," he says aloud, staring at the pale face, the white hair and the strange, purple eyes. A definite mutation. That doesn't happen in nature. "And Jugo..." He stares at the face of Jugo. There's a dull and lifeless look in his eyes, but he seems angry, even in the photograph. They're both so young and Naruto can't help but feel sympathy towards them both for having something so unfair. He sighs, putting the folder in the desk drawer and locking it.

||XxXx||

Later in the evening, Gaara wakes up and finds Naruto in his office with his head in his hands. "Naruto," he says the blond's name aloud.

Naruto sits up straight and smiles, "Hey, you're awake. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine," Gaara says, pausing before adding, "Your bed is comfortable. For some reason, I sleep better in it than I do my own bed."

Naruto softens at that confession. "Well, you're welcome here any time," he promises.

Gaara simply nods. He saunters into the office and sits on Naruto's knee, wrapping an arm around the blond's neck. "How did today go?"

"It was rough," Naruto admits with a forced chuckle. "It was a pretty huge reality check for me. I knew what my dad did was bad but I didn't think it was that bad... Fuck, it's awful."

"Yeah," the redhead whispers. "Are you going to keep things the way they are?"

"I have no choice," Naruto mutters. "If I'm not shitting out new pharmaceuticals then the president will shut me down or put someone else in charge of the operation."

"You need to be so, so careful," Gaara warns him. "If you're not... If they have no use for you..." he trails off, unable to finish the thought.

"I know," Naruto chuckles bitterly. "I'll be dead, but I'm too damn soft. I haven't hardened one bit throughout the years."

"You're not a terrible person," Gaara tells him. "You might not see it, but it's true."

"Well, maybe so... but I'm not a good person, either."

"I don't care."

Naruto forces a smile, putting an arm around the redhead's back and slipping a hand beneath his shirt. "Have you seen Hinata at all lately?" he asks in an attempt to change the subject away from himself.

Gaara shakes his head. "Hinata is still mourning over Neji. She hasn't left home, but TenTen is taking care of her,"

"You're still mourning, too," Naruto points out, "and that's fine. It hasn't been long since he passed."

"Hm," is all Gaara says in response. He stands up and moves away from Naruto. When he reaches the doorway he turn around and adds, "Come, I'll make you dinner."

Naruto nods lazily and follows his friend out of the room and back downstairs into the kitchen.

||XxXx||

After dinner, they take care of the dishes and crack open a bottle of wine before settling in the living room. "You can talk about it if you want," Naruto says, yet again bringing Neji up.

"Can I?" Gaara asks airily.

"Of course," the blond promises. "I might not be able to offer anything, but I can listen."

Gaara is quiet for many long moments. He sits still and rigid, slowly sipping on his wine. He stares into the crystal glass and at the red liquid. Red. Red like blood. When Neji died there was so much of it. He saw it at the hospital and the image is still fresh in his mind. It's as if it just happened yesterday. "Neji..." Gaara murmurs aloud. "Neji was the first person to touch me gently. I wanted him to be the last as well... but..." He lets out a callous, bitter laugh. "We never get what we want, do we?"

"It's a shitty fucking world we live in," Naruto mutters, finishing his glass and reaching for the bottle to pour another. He fills his glass to the rim and sets the bottle back down on the coffee table.

"I was cold when I met you," Gaara murmurs. "I didn't think well of myself and I had no faith in those around me... even Kankuro and Temari. They tried to get close to me but I always pushed them away. I was too used to our father treating me like garbage. Eventually I began to believe the things he said to me... I thought I deserved what he did to me, but you showed me I was worthy of love. You gave it to me. You gave it to Neji as well and eventually me and him found it in each other. I never thanked you for it... so... thank you, Naruto. I suppose I was lucky to have had any time with Neji at all."

Naruto smiles sadly. "I wish you could have had him forever."

"Maybe I'll fall in love again someday," Gaara muses aloud. "I know it's rarely spoken about in books and in movies... but I think it's true that people fall in love more than once."

"Probably," Naruto agrees, but he can't offer much on the topic. Though he has love pouring out of every inch of him, he's never been in love. Someday, maybe... but it's a thought he finds jarring. So much of the love he's seen has ended in tragedy. Neji and Gaara are no different. The idea of putting your soul into another person just to have it taken away... It seems too cruel. "Would you say it was worth it?" he asks, glancing at Gaara.

"Yes," he says without hesitance. "We had a few really nice years together. We weren't perfect... but we were close enough to it." He forces a smile, but it falters quickly. "We... we had our wedding planned and everything. We knew who we were going to invite, where it was going to be held... we..." He pauses, a pained expression overtaking him, his limbs grow weak and the wine glass falls out of his hand, shattering onto the floor. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, staring down at the damage.

"Don't worry about that, I'll clean it later." Naruto frowns sympathetically. "Cry," he says softly. "Don't wipe your tears away. Just cry. You're allowed to. Just let it happen."

Gaara closes his eyes and presses the back of his hand to his mouth. He lets out a quiet breath. Naruto sets his glass on the table and shifts closer, putting an arm around his friend. Gaara leans into the blond, crying silently – but finally crying. They stay like that for many long minutes and when Gaara draws away, Naruto sees that he's flushed, his eyes are swollen, his nose is red and his cheeks are wet.

"Sometimes I think I could have saved him," Naruto admits. "If only I was called."

Gaara laughs angrily. "No one wanted him saved. He could have been saved so easily but no one cared. I didn't understand why. I was screaming for help and no one did a damn thing. So, I just stood there and watched him until he stopped breathing." A pause. "Naruto, I lied to you when I told you he died in the slums. They didn't kill him. He wanted to help the poor, yes, and that's what he was told he'd be doing... but instead he was just sent to his death."

"I know," Naruto says gently. "I had a feeling."

Gaara lets out another angry laugh. "It's dangerous... If we step out of line, we get cut."

"If my father was still alive..." Naruto starts hoarsely.

"I'd kill him," Gaara finishes in a whisper. "And I'd enjoy it."

Naruto stands up and offers the redhead his hand. When he accepts, they retire to Naruto's room for the night. This time, however, they don't have sex. Instead, they go straight to bed – neither of the men speaking another word.

He'll clean the glass up tomorrow.