When Sasuke opens his eyes, he's lying on a futon on the floor. It's dark and dank and it smells like dust, but he can't bring himself to give a damn. He stares into the dim, empty space, trying not to let the memories eat at him. It's easier said than done. The memories keep trying to chew their way back into his mind. They repeat. He feels Kiba push him out of the way. Kiba – who vowed to protect him... He kept his promise and it cost him his life.

'I must be cursed,' Sasuke thinks bitterly.

Soon, a door opens and the room is flooded with a mild glow. A pale-haired man walks in with a candle in his hand. "Hey, you're awake," he states.

Sasuke doesn't respond. He simply continues to stare away into the darkest corner of the room.

"Not talking, huh?" the man asks, kneeling next to the futon. "Well, that's fine. I'll talk instead. My name is Suigetsu. You met my pal, Jugo, right?" A pause. "Well, like he probably told you – we were sent to get you out of that place. Pretty delicate situation, huh? We thought it would take a bit longer... but yesterday we were given a chance and we took it. You're a free bird now." Another pause. "Still not talking?" He sets the candle on the floor and leans closer to the brunet only to realize his eyes are leaking. "Ah..." he murmurs. "Why are you doing that?"

Sasuke closes his eyes, bringing an arm to cover his face. He just wants to be left alone. He'd give anything to go back to yesterday. It didn't have to end like this. Kiba was far too young and far too kind to go in such a way.

"I'm bad at this stuff..." Suigetsu murmurs. Sasuke hears him stand up and leave the once again dark room. No more than a minute later, a new voice enters.

"Sasuke."

It's Jugo.

"You saw something bad, hm?" he asks knowingly, kneeling. "That guy... he was your friend, wasn't he? And now he's dead."

Sasuke shudders, not wanting to hear it said out loud – it will only hit him harder.

"It might sound harsh," Jugo continues, "but it's the truth and the truth is all we've got. The sooner you face it the sooner you can move on. Don't throw away what he gave you, okay? He gave you your life."

"My life..." Sasuke repeats hoarsely. "What little it's worth..."

"So, he speaks," Jugo says, audibly relieved.

"It was pointless," Sasuke murmurs, feeling numb as he speaks. "I'm just someone's property. They'll find me soon enough and I'll be subdued again... forced to fuck freely. It's all I know how to do."

"Life on the run is rough," Judo empathizes, "but you get used to it. There are good parts and bad parts. I have a feeling you've been living life with just bad parts, so why don't you take a risk and hang with us for a bit? Welcome some good. We aren't completely free, but we're freer than we were before becoming escapees. Clearly that man didn't think your life was pointless. So, like I said, don't throw away what he gave you."

"Where are you from?" Sasuke asks offhandedly, finally sitting up.

"Me and Suigetsu are from labs," he answers easily. "They did experiments on us. Karin was the one to free us."

"Karin...?" Sasuke questions Jugo.

"She is from the slums," he continues. "Born and raised, she knows nothing else. She is part of a rebel group. Well, I guess me and Suigetsu are part of it now, too."

"Oh," is all Sasuke says. He's not sure what to do with that information. He's still processing. "Where are we?" he wonders after a brief pause.

"A hide out," Jugo answers. "A... safe-house, or a haven if you will."

"Oh," Sasuke says once again.

"Not one for words, huh?"

"Not really," he admits. He speaks when he's told to speak. Right now, he's being given a right to remain quieter.

Jugo rises to his feet, offering Sasuke a hand. "Why don't you come out and get something to eat. I know what it's like to grieve, but you need to force your body to move and the mind will follow."

Sasuke relents, accepting Jugo's hand and the two of them leave the room. They walk down a narrow hallway and down a flight of rickety stairs to greet a large, open living room area.

Suigetsu is sitting around a coffee table with a silver haired man and girl with long, red hair, both whom Sasuke has never seen before. The man is aged, but handsome. The girl looks cogent, with a pair of scratched up spectacles sitting on the bridge of her nose and a forceful look on her face. Sasuke can tell she's in charge around here.

"Karin," Jugo says, addressing the girl. "He's up."

"He okay?" the girl named Karin asks.

"I'm fine," Sasuke bites out before Jugo can answer for him. "Don't treat me like I'm not here."

Karin smirks at his snark. "You were catatonic. We were scared you might not recover."

"I'm fine," he says again.

A pause.

"Yo," the silver haired man greets. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. This is my house. Sorry it's a bit unwelcoming. I don't use it often."

Sasuke crosses his arms, shrugging his shoulders. He's uncomfortable, but there is something familiar about the entire scenario. He's used to being around strangers. "What do you want with me?" he asks slowly, eying the three men and the redheaded woman.

"Not that," Jugo promises knowingly.

"What?" Suigetesu asks, not quite catching on.

"Sex, Suigetsu," Kakashi says with a dull sigh. "He thinks we want him for sex."

"I wouldn't mind breaking off a piece," Karin admits and Suigetsu recoils.

Sasuke finds it hard to admit that they're doing this simply out of good will. Suspicious of an ulterior motive, he puts it aside. He won't pry yet. Instead, he simply says, "What now, then?"

"We need to lay low right now," Karin says. "Since Villa Joy is the most highly publicized brothel in the country, it'll probably get out that one of the top workers is missing. We need to keep quiet until it blows over."

"Will it ever blow over?" Sasuke wonders. "You... You don't know what she's like... When she wants something, she gets it and if she can't have it she'll ruin it."

"Who are you talking about?" Karin gently pries.

"Koharu Utatane," Sasuke answers. "She's... She's ruthless."

"Yeah, we've heard," Suigetsu mutters. "We've heard that she's insane."

"She'll kill you without remorse," Sasuke continues in a whisper. "She has eyes and ears all over the town. She has connections to everyone and everything. It's impossible to hide from her. She is close with the president, too."

"Sh," Karin hushes him before he gets himself too worked up. "Listen," she starts in that same, gentle tone, "they've been searching for us for ages and they haven't even come close to finding us. We always send them in the opposite direction and they lick up every false clue. Similar to her having eyes and ears all around, so do we. We know what we're doing and you're safe with us, okay?"

Sasuke simply nods and says, "Okay..." For now, he'll try not to worry. He'll offer what he can, he'll try not to be too difficult and he'll try to sleep. He'll to what he's told because that is what he's used to.

"Where are we going now, though?" Suigetsu asks, staring at Karin. "We can't stay here too long. It's small and the cops are already on Kakashi's tail about hosting runaways. This could very well be one of the first places they check."

"Don't worry," Karin promises.

"How?" Suigetsu exclaims.

"I know where we can go," the red-haired girl says with a smile. "We'll leave tomorrow night. For now, everyone rest up. Catch your Z's and we'll meet up when everyone is awake."

"Is there anything I can do?" Kakashi offers.

"Might want to go shopping for groceries," she says with a chuckle. "Your fridge is looking pretty empty."

||XxXx||

Soon, everyone retires. Sasuke is stuck in a room with Jugo, Suigetsu and Karin. Unlike other parts of the night, this is something he's not used to. He stands up, unable to sleep, and walks down the hallway. Downstairs, he sees Kakashi still sitting on the sofa.

"Hi," the murmurs.

"Sasuke," the older man greets. "The last Uchiha..."

"I'm like a freak in a circus," Sasuke snorts with ill humor. "People would come from all over the world to fuck me... just to say they did. I guess it meant a lot – fucking the last Uchiha. Like I deserved it or something... I don't get why."

Kakashi gives him a sympathetic nod before asking, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Too crowded," the brunet says. "I can't sleep like that. I'm not used to sharing my space in that sense."

Kakashi smiles a small smile. "You can take my bed if you'd like," he offers. "I'll stay on the sofa tonight."

"I don't want to take your bed," Sasuke says.

Kakashi shakes his head. "It's fine. When I'm hiding people, I like to stay down here in case something happens."

"What could happen?" Sasuke asks, moving further into the room. He sits on the sofa next to Kakashi and meets his gaze, waiting for him to speak.

"A lot," he says sullenly. "I've had my door broken down. I've been detained. I usually make a racket so whoever I'm hosting will hear and perhaps know to run away. It works sometimes... but others..." he trails off.

"Why don't they just arrest you?" Sasuke wonders. "I mean... if you keep causing problems..."

Kakashi chuckles at that. "Well, I once had a very prominent role on the city council," he says somewhat forlornly. "I quit due to moral differences. They refused to see things the way I saw them. So I quit, but I know too much. In a way, I'm hard to kill so they don't try. Similar to Jugo and Suigetsu, I was also experimented on in my youth... However, the reason for my experimentation was quite different than theirs."

"How so?" Sasuke pries.

"Not everyone who grew up in a lab was taken from a slum. Like me, some were taken from orphanages, brainwashed and forced to be puppets for those in power." He smiles faintly before waving a dismissive hand. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm sure I'll get knocked down someday, but for now I'll do what I can with what I've got."

Sasuke nods along to each word, holding onto them. Kakashi is very welcoming. "Should I thank you for risking so much for us?" he asks.

A pause. "Thank me?" Kakashi questions slowly.

Sasuke gives him a pointed look. "You know what I mean."

Kakashi sighs and closes his eyes. "No," he says quietly. "I can't morally take advantage of someone in your position."

"Fine," Sasuke murmurs, feeling somewhat sour about getting rejected. "Are you married?"

"I was... once," Kakashi admits. "Her name was Harane. She died in our first year of marriage... Or, perhaps I should say she was killed. Unlike me, she was an easy target. That was my warning."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke states, though the apology is lackluster.

Kakashi simply shakes his head. "It's okay. It was a long time ago and I've had many lovers since."

"None of them stay?" Sasuke pries.

"No," Kakashi confirms. "But they don't run away. I push them away. The work I do is dangerous. I don't want to involve people who aren't directly involved. This takes priority."

Sasuke softens at the confession. This man is risking so much to help him and others in similar positions.

When the conversation dies down, Kakashi once again offers Sasuke his bed. This time, the brunet accepts and wordlessly wanders back upstairs. After opening a few doors, he finds the empty bed. It looks incredibly inviting in his tired state, though it's nothing compared to the bed he's spent most his life sleeping in. He lies down, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hits the pillow.

||XxXx||

Come morning, he wakes up to the sound of silence. He gets out of bed and quietly walks downstairs. Everyone is already awake and gathered in the kitchen, their whispers echoing.

"Ah, you're awake," Jugo says when he sees Sasuke hovering in the doorway.

"Come eat," Karin invites. "Kakashi has cooked us quite a spread as a parting gift."

Sasuke saunters inside, taking a seat. Kakashi gives him a plate full of food – meat, grains and greens. He eats modestly as everyone converses. The topics are light at first, but soon they move heavy and it feels to Sasuke as if they're discussing battle tactics and war plans, though it isn't quite the case.

"Don't worry," she promises him again, sensing his worry. "We aren't going to get caught. I know my way through every inch of this damn city. I know the ins and the outs of every secret passage and every not so secret passage. I know when the best times are and when the worst times are for travelling each. I've been running around here for as long as I can remember and I've never been caught – not even once. We'll leave as soon as it gets dark."

Suigetsu simply nods, eager and nervous at the same time. Jugo is thoughtful, only wondering how Sasuke will cope with such a fast-paced and frantic travel.

"So, so, so," Suigetsu urges, "Where are we going? You still haven't told us."

"Yeah," Jugo agrees. "Is it another safe house?"

"You two have been there before," she says, eying Jugo and Suigetsu with a knowing look.

"Huh?" Suigetsu questions. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Karin smiles slyly as she picks a piece of meat up with her chop sticks. Instead of answering the question, she decides to leave them hanging. "There's someone I've been watching for a while," she adds offhandedly. "We need to move quickly, though. He doesn't know we're coming, but he'll take us in. After all... you can't turn away family."