Summary:

"You impossible idiot."

Even with the insult, Sasuke spoke the words softly and with so much tenderness towards the other boy, his lips touching the side of Naruto's face. The bloodied hand that had previously held the gun was now the same hand supporting Naruto's body in the gentlest of hold. The scene was too unbelievable that Hinata could've sworn her heart had stopped. (And broke at that particular moment).

AU. This is the story of Naruto and Sasuke, as seen through the eyes of four people. OUTSIDE POVs. SLIGHT NARU/HINA, SASU/NARU endgame. ONESHOT.

NOTES:

This story is divided into THREE PARTS, showing the points of views of these four characters: MADARA / KAKASHI / HIASHI & HINATA. I apologize but there will be no Sasuke and Naruto POVs. Though the story will still be centered on Naruto and Sasuke, I want to narrate this story from the perspective of outside characters.

Please read END NOTES for clarification and further info.

WARNINGS:

• Mature, Violent Themes and Scenes: Torture and death threats; Use of foul language; Child prostitution (accidental); Kidnapping; Homophobia; Homosexual (BL) relationship; Yakuza

• FIRST FANFIC EVER: In case I haven't emphasized this enough, I don't write. AT ALL. I can't even write a decent essay for school. I only write for my comic (for dialogues). And to make this worse, I'm a non-native English speaker. So beware of the grammar and plot inconsistencies throughout the story. (Again, I did try to edit this as much as I can but an amateur is an amateur. Yessir I have plenty of excuses.). This is my first and last fanfic anyways. Plenty of room for improvement but hell if I care. (I'm kidding. I care. I really do. I'm just lazy and I probably won't repeat this madness again.)

• OOC: I twist these characters to fit my story. There will be a lot of out of character moments in this one. (I did try my hardest to make them as in-character as possible, but it's haaaaard holy shit).

• 30k+ words MONSTER: As soon as you reach 5k of this fanfic, please stop and think what you're doing with your life. Seriously this oneshot is long and it might just only be a waste of your precious time. I'm not self-deprecating. I'm being honest.

• PAIRINGS: Naru/Hina with Sasu/Naru endgame: I am honestly a fan of both. I love Hinata because I can relate. That's why the very first pairing I rooted for in Naruto is Naru/Hina. But this whole fanfic mirrors my sentiments. No matter what, the endgame of the manga should be Sasu/Naru. So this ends in Sasu/Naru.

• OUTSIDE POVs all throughout.

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[ we kill our way to heaven ]

MADARA

"T-This way, Sir. Please f-follow me."

The newly appointed Floor Manager led him through the overcrowded gambling den. Uchiha Madara had requested a private room. He didn't want to endure the noise of the awfully congested main floors. As he was currently in the most extravagant casino in the whole of Osaka, he might as well enjoy the night.

The manager guiding him was wearing a clean-cut custom tailored suit and expensive dress shoes boasting of foreign luxury. Though these were high class clothes, it did nothing to help the man's pathetic image. The guy still sounded totally incompetent and unreliable, clearly intimidated by the great Oyabun.

Madara chanced a peek at the manager's badge and scoffed when he saw his last name.

The young man's parents were major stockholders for the gambling house, and this could only be the reason why the young man acquired such a job.

Madara then dropped the thought, internally berating himself for such hypocrisy. At his age, he really shouldn't be this judgmental. He'd been accused of nepotism too, and had been known to show favoritism. It was the stereotype of the proud Uchiha blood. For them, blood ties would always be stronger.

When he decided to place his long lost nephew under his care and made him chief of all his operations in just a few years, there had been a lot of raised eyebrows too, especially from his closest lieutenants and advisors. Not all of them seemed pleased with his decision. They all thought that his nephew was way too young and untested to take the helm of the Family.

Though seemingly unaffected, Madara wasn't oblivious to the hushed judgments directed at him. He didn't acknowledge any of these useless critiques however, because in his heart there could be no one else more deserving and capable of inheriting his title other than the only other surviving Uchiha – Uchiha Sasuke.

But truth be told, he really need not address these detractors. When Madara finally introduced Sasuke to his men, everybody was forced silent. Meeting the young Uchiha made them realize how wrong they all were.

Madara remembered that day as clear as day. It was their (upper echelon of the Family) first time seeing and hearing Sasuke. He remembered the fear and awe in everyone's eyes as they watched him speak.

Brimming with confidence and conviction, and with eyes as sharp and unflinching as his late father, Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke stared all of his men down. "Challenge me all you want. I don't fear any of you. But if any of you touch him—if any of you dare to lay a finger on him again," here Sasuke sounded more like Fugaku in every word. Polished, yet rough. "I'll end you."

Madara was so impressed, he'd felt a rare tinge of shiver on his skin. There was no doubt about it now. Uchiha Sasuke was an Uchiha through and through. And Madara couldn't have been prouder.

Him of course referred to Uzumaki Naruto, the little light-haired Fox whom Sasuke brought along from the unforgiving slums of Kamagasaki. Kamagasaki, one of Osaka's 24 wards (districts) is known as Japan's biggest slum. There was no other way to put it. The place was hell on earth.

Known as the poorest district in the country, Kamagasaki housed thousands of starving homeless, jobless people, prostitutes, ex-convicts, and gang members. Just a breath of air from this godforsaken place would make anyone lose their hope and innocence.

Filled with curiosity, Madara tried to learn the background of the two boys. He was impressed when he found out that both of the teens had been living in that poor, hostile district for most of their life. (Both the boys were now 22). It was a complete coincidence too. Madara had never thought he'd meet his long lost and only remaining family in the slums.

Sasuke was just like his father. The young man looked sharp and ambitious, his focus strong and unbending. He had this kind of eyes that had definitely seen the ugliness of the world. Seemingly a man trapped inside a body of a boy. Too wise and mature for his young age.

The other boy—he nicknamed Fox, because of the odd whisker marks on his face—was a rebel at heart. Naruto wasn't as gifted or intellectual as Sasuke, but the boy surely made up for it with his tenacity and heart. The big blue eyes weren't as sharp, but the boy's naturally ambitious and stubborn streak could bend anyone's will, including Sasuke's. There had been no other person that could make Sasuke rethink his actions, or change his opinion on anything, but Naruto. Only Naruto.

When Madara met the two boys, he didn't know that it was the course that would change everything.

It was the one fateful day when a few of his men ventured in this slum for god knows why and brought home a teen covered in oversized rags and dirt.

Grime covered the boy's hair and face, and there were distinct marks on both sides of his face. Symmetrical scars that made the kid look like a fox. But even with these imperfections, the kid still looked like jailbait. Young fresh meat, with fiery blue eyes and a high voice. The hair the color of the sun and a skin darker than the rest, it was really hard to miss the boy.

Madara watched as one of his men drag the boy forcefully to one of the rooms. He could hear many filthy catcalls and jeers from inside the room. He knew it would be a glorious night for his men.

From time to time his men would bring in prostitutes for enjoyment. A brief sense of pity clouded Madara's thoughts but he swallowed it down.

He really didn't care for the child. He'd only given the kid a passing glance and gave his men a brief warning of "don't make too much noise" and went on his way. Despite his warning to his men, the hallways had still been particularly noisy that night, and Madara had half a mind to go there and give his men a scolding, but he stopped when he suddenly heard a loud blast, followed by glass shattering, and then loud panicking voices.

"You shitty punk! Get back here!"

"Get him!"

"Don't move, boy, or I swear-hey, stop!"

Terribly annoyed, Madara finally went down to check, and for the second time that night, he laid eyes on the fox-looking boy.

Now with all the grime removed from his body, Madara could now see the boy's full appearance. His eyebrows rose at the sight. He had no such interests but honestly, he could see the appeal. The kid was thinner and shorter than most boys, and he supposed that there was nothing on earth that could be brighter than those rare blue eyes and sun-kissed hair. The kid was almost naked, with newly formed bruises coloring his neck and upper torso. His skin was also filled with sweat and other disgusting fluids that almost made him sick.

A trickle of blood coloured the boy's forehead. It started to drip down from his left eye, making the kid wince. The boy wiped his hand over his wounded head, looked at the blood, then smeared it over the hem of his raggy clothes.

There was that three long seconds when they made eye contact. The kid's eyes that looked like endless blue seas stared right back at him without an ounce of fear and reservation. And he knew, Madara just knew that the kid was something else. A diamond in the rough. To be quite honest, he never felt this way before.

Madara stood his ground as the kid passed by him. Barely even dressed, the kid ran all the way outside—to the dead of the night, never once looking back. Madara retained the boy's image in his head, so convinced that he'd never see the kid again.

He was proven wrong not even a day later.

Where there's smoke, there's indeed fire. And fire came in the body of one extremely enraged Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke came in like a storm, filled with so much hostility and anger. The same men who assaulted the Fox suddenly found themselves hospitalized and out of commission- permanently.

Madara didn't know the attacker's name at that time, nor what he looked like. When he first saw the state of his men, he thought it was the work of a rival gang. Of a group. He surely wasn't expecting it to be by a single boy who had not even reached the end of his adolescence.

But that wasn't the biggest surprise of all. As soon as they came face to face, Madara stopped and stared, immediately realizing that the boy was his long lost nephew - the son of his murdered brother, Fugaku. The boy had been missing for years and was presumed dead.

When the boy saw him, he looked like he was going to attack him too, but he stopped when their eyes met. At that moment, Madara knew that the younger Uchiha had also recognized him.

They looked so much alike. Jet black spiky hair framing a rather chiseled and pale face. Sasuke's eyes were burning red with anger. Just from a single glance, he knew Sasuke had already realized Madara was the Boss, but that didn't stop the angry teen from glaring at him. Quite impressive if Madara would admit to himself.

"Did you touch him too?" Sasuke asked, tone low but filled with so much threat and venom.

Madara could have lied, could have just played innocent. But he didn't. Staring at his nephew's eyes filled with nothing but disgust and killing intent sent a chill down his spine. But it was a chill that was neither fear nor caution. At that moment, he felt extremely proud of his nephew. He was indeed an Uchiha, the way he cared about his possessions, and he could have never felt more pleased.

"If I did, what's it to you?" Madara bluffed, gauging the young Uchiha's reactions. He saw the fire in Sasuke's eyes intensify. Madara instantly knew he was walking on dangerous grounds. Like tiptoeing in a ground full of land mines, it felt like something was bound to blow up. "What are you going to do about it, boy?"

The only (and sudden) response he got was an iron bar thrown straight to his face. Though caught off guard, Madara dodged that easily—but failed to see a swerving kick to his side. The kick was filled with so much strength that Madara felt the deep impact on his ribs, felt it rattle his bones and teeth. That was a damn good hit, and Madara couldn't help but smile even with the slight pain.

He knew that Sasuke somehow recognized him, but that didn't even hold the young Uchiha back. There was no hesitation in that hit. Sasuke gave it his all.

'Impressive', he thought. This was surely getting interesting. Sasuke was not only smart. He was terribly strong too. He was exceeding every expectation Madara had.

So in that very moment, Madara decided to do what he felt was the most logical thing to do at that time. In all his life, this was only the second time he had done this.

He apologized.

Very un-Uchiha, but it was the only way he could convince Sasuke of his utmost sincerity. The boy should understand that he deeply regretted what transpired between the Fox and his men. That his men were drunk out of their minds that night and Naruto was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. And he promised that that was something that would never happen again as long as he reigned. And more importantly, in his most selfish of reasons, he wanted to gain Sasuke's trust. He wanted the young Uchiha.

Because in the next few years, he knew the boy will succeed him. He and Sasuke were the only remaining Uchiha left. With Sasuke's natural strength and genius, he knew that having Sasuke by his side would be very beneficial for him and their clan.

After the surprising apology, Madara continued on to invite Sasuke to live with him, explaining the reasons and benefits of being under his protection. Even Madara's men did a double take at the surprising change of tone from their superior. There was no mocking or condescending tone. Madara's words sounded sincere. And he really was.

"What happen to your friend was most unfortunate. Believe me Sasuke, we deeply regretted that. I apologize for mine and my men's actions."

But Sasuke wasn't having any of it. "I'll never," the boy said through gritted teeth, "associate myself with you people. You're disgusting."

Sasuke picked up the discarded iron bar from the ground and approached him again. His men were suddenly on his side, ready to pounce at his aggressor but Madara stopped them. "Don't."

And he straightened himself, looked at Sasuke dead on the eyes and smiled. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me, boy."

And with those words, Madara and his men left.

True to his word, Sasuke never came to see him.

It was actually Naruto that forced Sasuke to come to him. The Fox, Madara thought grimly, was the only person Sasuke valued more than anything else and it had seemed like it was only the fox's opinion that seemed to matter.

Two days after Sasuke's rampage, he saw Naruto waiting right at their mansion's gates. Madara could not have been more surprised.

Naruto was sitting on one of the steps leading to the gates, his head buried between his knees. He looked like he was sleeping but stirred when he heard the approaching car.

Madara quickly got out of his car and approached the boy. Naruto looked stunned and defensive for a moment, but suddenly changed when he saw Madara approaching him. Like a switch, the boy's face turned hard and looked straight at Madara. Madara almost felt impressed at the boy's audacity to stare directly at him.

Now at the right angle and lighting, Madara could now see the boy fully. The kid was still wearing an oversized shirt, but cleaner than his previous one. Naruto's bruises were now covered with gauzes that were beginning to sag and turn yellow. But at least the boy looked healthier and the shine in his eyes were still there.

"Kid, what are you doing here?"

"Take Sasuke with you."

He couldn't have heard the words correctly.

These were definitely not the words he was expecting to hear from the brash kid. He knew Naruto saw the shock in his eyes but continued on. "I saw you talk to him. You-" Naruto swallowed, and spoke out his next words very carefully and slowly as if he couldn't stomach saying them, "look a lot like him. You're related, aren't you?"

Guess the kid wasn't that thick, Madara thought, and a smile slowly crept upon his face. "That is true. Sasuke's my nephew. I lost him before. When his parents di- " Madara managed to stop himself and saw a brief shadow loom over the kid's face. "When their house burned down, I thought I lost Sasuke too.

"What's your connection to my nephew?" It was Madara's turn to question the child.

Naruto didn't answer, and instead repeated his earlier demand, to the astonishment of his men. Even at their first meeting, Madara knew the boy was something else, but at this moment his impression of the boy was seriously starting to change. He liked people who could challenge him. And the kid actually had the audacity to question him.

"Take him with you. If he stays with me, he's gonna rot like the rest of us. Sasuke has a family. He has you." And this, Naruto really looked like he was going to be sick. "I heard what you said to him. I heard everything. I'd rather have him safe and sheltered with you than…"

And this time, Naruto looked elsewhere, his eyes refusing to meet his. "I don't want him to throw away his future for me. Sasuke. He's everything to me."

A sliver of shame stirred within Madara's veins. Like ice had clutched his very veins and stopped his blood from flowing. For the briefest moment, he couldn't hear himself breathing. Such an extraordinarily unpredictable kid. He had never, in his life, met someone like him.

But this whole thing was unnecessary, really. Even without the Fox's little visit, Madara was already planning to persuade Sasuke again. The Uchiha had the bearing and potential to be great. It was in his veins. In his blood.

And there was also the fact that he was Madara's only family left in the world. It would be a great loss if he loses him, and he simply would not rest if he allowed such a great boy to continue to wallow in filth in that kind of place.

"Tell me, boy. What are you to Sasuke?" Madara's curiosity was eating at him. And he would give everything to sate this interest.

And here, Naruto finally looked him in the eye again. And when he answered him, the kid's voice came out strong and sure, eyes so breathtakingly alive and determined. "I'm his friend."

A friend. Huh.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Madara laughed at that response. This kid, he thought, was pathetic. Brave, but terribly stupid. He reminded him of someone. And for this alone, Madara thought that the kid deserved respect. The kid was really something else.

"What the fuck is so funny, old man?!" Frustrations laced the kid's voice and he had brazenly taken a step forward, perhaps misunderstanding the situation. He looked insulted (his face had turned red), and this made Madara laugh even harder. If the kid only knew what was going on in his head.

"You have guts, boy, I give you that. I've never had someone look me in the eye like that and demand something." Madara closed in on the boy. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

The kid scrunched up his nose and Madara waited for a snarky response but before the kid had a chance to say anything, there were suddenly loud noises behind them.

"O-Oi! You punk!"

"Sasuke!"

The name forced Madara to glance around. He found two of his men already on the ground and the rest of his subordinates trying to subdue a raging teen coming towards them. He looked mad. Murderous even. Madara thought he'd seen the teen's worst when he first met him (when his men abducted Naruto), he couldn't had been more wrong.

This was Sasuke at his most unbridled rage.

"Looks like your friend is here," Madara emphasized the word, smirking despite the commotion and focused back on the blonde kid. He didn't care for the sound of panicking voices around him, still somewhat taken by the interesting kid that was currently wide-eyed and gaping at the newcomer. The moment was ruined anyway.

Sasuke came in like a hurricane and Madara watched him as he made his way towards the stupefied blonde. The angry strides, the unnaturally hunched back, and the homicidal look on his face – Madara could've sworn he felt a shiver ran down his spine at that look. He felt proud, but at the same time still cautious of what this Sasuke could accomplish and what he was planning to do right now.

"Sasuke." The shock had been replaced and Madara blinked at the sudden smile that painted the blonde's face. Naruto greeted the (obviously hostile) newcomer with a smile, stupidly ignoring all the warning signs. It was like the kid was born thick. "Bastard, what are you doing here-?"

The punch that resounded in the area stilled all of them.

Even his beat-up subordinates that had fallen on the pavement had stopped groaning and groveling pathetically and watched the two teens with shocked interest. At the very least, Madara expected this. Had seen this one coming since he saw Naruto waiting at his very mansion gates demanding Sasuke's adoption. He knew right from the very start that this would not end well. For Naruto, most especially.

Sasuke had threatened all of them (even him) if he saw them again. And that was not an empty threat, Madara felt, as he knew that someone like Sasuke who was born into tragedy could not survive this long without the same kind of blood in his hands.

"What the fuckin' hell was that?!" Naruto was clutching his swelling cheek. He turned to Sasuke with an equally fuming look, with blood and spit oozing from his mouth as he shouted bloody murder at his livid companion.

Madara sighed at that. Good thing the kid had his remarkable bravery going for him, because he'd also been cursed with that rock-hard denseness of his.

Sasuke had gripped Naruto's oversized shirt and brought their faces closer. "I should be the one asking you that, you stupid fuck."

"HUH?! Say what now! Who you calling stupid, asshole?"

"Have you forgotten what these people did to you? Why the hell are you here?"

"None of your business, you prick, now let go of me!"

Sasuke didn't and instead pulled Naruto closer to him. Madara should have been warned right then and there. Should have seen the signs of their astounding closeness from the very start. Both had the capacity and the determination to do everything for each other. No matter how cheesy that sounded, it was true. So unbelievably true that Madara should have nipped this at the bud. Humans could be so sentimental.

"I'm not going to ask again, dipshit." Sasuke's voice had turned lower, his teeth clenching in his jaw.

"Then don't, bastard. I don't answer to you." Naruto pushed him with his hand, but Sasuke remained immovable.

Before this got even uglier, Madara chose the moment to finally intervene. "He wants me to adopt you."

The silence that followed was expected of course. Sasuke's eyes had finally left Naruto and was now boring holes into his face.

"What did you say." Slow. Exact. Each word enunciated clearly.

Madara knew the boy heard him clearly so he didn't bother to repeat his earlier statement. He knew Sasuke was just asking out of disbelief. He stared at Sasuke with all seriousness to convey that he wasn't joking. "And I intend to do so."

There was only a minute of silence and disbelief though as Sasuke's countenance literally reverted to its murderous state, his voice even lower and colder than before, "Like hell. I'd die before I go with you scum- "

"Sasuke. What are you saying?!" Naruto shouted. "Don't be stupid! You need this. You need them. They're your family."

Sasuke looked back at Naruto again. "You're my family, Usuratonkachi. And I don't need anybody else."

The last part was mumbled softly, whispered almost against Naruto's face, and if Madara wasn't situated close to Naruto, he couldn't have heard it. He could've mistaken the words too because there was no way in hell his murderous nephew would say those words.

And Naruto, for all his loudness and impulsiveness, was suddenly rendered speechless by that. His face had turned a bit pink, and Madara could've sworn that his eyes had begun to water as well. "Sasuke…"

"You're the only one I need, you piece of shit."

Naruto's eyes had grown bigger, his cheeks redder, and his mouth had been drawn into a wobbly line. Madara thought that the kid would end up crying then and there, and though this was slightly amusing to watch, Madara knew that he didn't deserve to see this moment. This kind of tenderness should be private. This was their moment.

Nothing could have prepared him for the moment that came next.

Madara had seen many things in his life, being the head of the most elite criminal syndicate in the Kansai region, he'd seen many sacrifices in his lifetime. And some of these sacrifices he ordered personally. He used some of his men to further his own goals. It couldn't be helped. This was for the greater good, and he knew that most of his men had been honored to give up their lives for him. But there were a few who might not have been given a choice to begin with. He was aware of this. And he'd done nothing for this. There was blood right to his very fingertips that could never be washed out.

From the moment that he met Naruto, he knew the kid was someone special. He's different. Though he might not be as strong as Sasuke, he was definitely tough and possessed a character that was much more compelling. He survived the streets far longer than Sasuke and still had the attitude and the heart of someone so innocent and untainted.

So it wasn't a stretch to believe that Naruto would be the one to sacrifice himself too.

"I don't care about you," Naruto stated, his bangs drawn down to hide his eyes. "In fact, I'm sick and tired of you. Bossing me around… Calling me names. I hate you and your stupid face."

And as if to cement his words, Naruto looked at Sasuke straight in the eyes, his other hand fisting Sasuke's shirt as well.

"That's why I'm doing this, stupid. I want to get rid of you."

Sasuke said nothing, but his stance had grown rigid.

"I want you out of my house, out of my life-"

This time, the punch to the gut came in more expected. Madara fully expected that response from Sasuke. He knew that his nephew knew what was going on, and for Naruto to try this to the Uchiha prodigy was both stupid and naïve. The self-sacrificial fool that he was, Sasuke wouldn't allow it.

There was shock (and obvious pain) in Naruto's eyes before he fainted and sagged into Sasuke's arms. Sasuke cradled Naruto's head carefully for a moment before he hauled him on his shoulder like the blonde weighed nothing (and perhaps he really didn't since he looked malnourished and too short for his age), and positioned him as comfortably as he possibly could on his shoulder. Such tenderness in that one act that even Madara could not help but stare.

"If I see you near him again, I'll kill you." Sasuke warned, looking straight at him. "I'll kill all of you."

And as quick as he came, he left them without another glance.

With clenched teeth, Madara watched as the two disappear. A sliver of doubt had crept into his veins.

Maybe he wasn't as infallible as he thought he was. Maybe this time, he could not get what he wanted. And he wanted Sasuke. He wanted the last remaining Uchiha to be under his protection and mentorship. He wanted the young Uchiha to succeed him. He was perfect for the job, and nothing else could dissuade him from this. But from Sasuke's final words alone, he doubted if this will ever come true. If he would ever see the two again. He wasn't scared of Sasuke's threats but he believed that the Uchiha really loathed him. And that he would never see him again.

But again, not even a few days later, Madara was once again proven wrong.

Surprisingly Naruto came back. And he came almost every week, rain or shine, staying for a few hours outside his gates until Sasuke would come along to drag him out, each time more furious (if that was even possible) than the previous time.

He would watch the exchange from his security cam. The two would be hurtling insults against each other, sometimes even resulting to physical harm which Madara would then order his men to break up, which would then prompt his angered nephew to redirect his wrath to his men. And man, was the boy utterly furious. Sasuke would attack his men without mercy or thought. It was a brutal feast for the eyes. In the end, there would be a lot of wounded-which were all mostly on his side. Sasuke had his own share of injuries and broken bones too, but he knew that he got it worse. His men were complete incompetent fools. Honestly could not even handle one hormonal teen.

But then one day, Sasuke stopped dragging Naruto back.

He couldn't be the only one surprised at this. From his security cam, he could see Naruto consistently stealing glances at every direction while he was waiting outside. The boy tried to be discreet about it too, but it was futile as the eldest Uchiha could easily detect and interpret even the smallest of body movements.

It had been two whole days of this. Of waiting and hoping. Sasuke never came to "force" Naruto home.

Naruto remained stubborn though. And because no one was bringing him home, he stayed where he was, right outside of the mansion with all the dirt and smoke, for two whole days. Madara wasn't completely heartless and instructed his men to bring food and water for the poor boy. True to his character, unsurprisingly, Naruto declined everything offered to him. On the second day, as if the kid hadn't had enough of bad luck, it started to rain heavily. It looked like a storm was coming.

"Bring him in." Madara ordered his men, "and I don't care if he struggles. You can break his knees if you want. Just bring him inside."

"Yes, Boss."

Outside, the skies had grown darker, faint flashes of lightning appearing betwixt the clouds. Madara had disregarded his security cam and just proceeded to stare outside his window. From his room, he had a clear view of the path inside the gates leading to the main entrance.

From where he was, he could see his men dragging the boy with much effort towards the main doors. The boy was shouting too, flailing his limbs all over the place. By the time his men had finally succeeded on bringing the boy inside, all of them were drenched to the bone, the kid more so as he had been already outside when the rain had started.

"What's your deal, old man? Why'd ya bring me here, huh?" The kid asked, spitting water all over his expensive carpet. Every part of the blonde's body was soaking wet. His hair had clung to his forehead, his eyes barely open from all the water on his face, and he was panting so hard. He was a bit flushed too, Madara noticed.

Against his better judgment, he approached the boy and laid a hand on his wet forehead. The boy tried to slap the hand away but Madara's held the boy in place with his other hand, feeling the kid's neck too. Huh. It didn't take a genius to figure this one out.

"Kakashi," Madara called, "call Tsunade."

His personal aide was stunned for a moment before bowing at the sudden order. "Hai."

"Let go, you old fuck."

"Stop struggling, boy." Madara grunted. With this proximity, he could feel the kid's feverish breaths against his skin. The warmth of his flushed skin. It didn't take long before the kid finally stopped struggling, the last of his energy finally spent up. As the kid's knees buckled beneath him, he fell onto the older man. It was a good thing that Madara already held him or he could've fallen face first into the floor.

The boy was obviously ill. Might have been for days. Not just when the rain started, Tsunade diagnosed. He was severely malnourished and should be confined in bed for a few days.

Obeying the doctor's words, Madara kept him. The kid stayed with him and was well cared for under his house. Naruto couldn't have a say with it as he was delirious with fever since then. Not even a day had passed, and Sasuke finally appeared at his doorsteps too. Much more subdued for some reason. But just as fearless.

"Where is he."

And demanding.

Madara greeted him with a smirk and ordered the boy to follow him, which the teen did with much vehemence, showing his displeasure by glaring at every one he encountered along the way.

"Ain't no god in these streets, boy. You are each other's only hope."

"Tch."

When Sasuke saw Naruto sleeping and confined in bed, the veins in his face could have burst. He looked right about ready to explode.

Madara started to explain before Sasuke could start in his violent rampage again. "He was waiting outside for two days when it started to rain. He became ill, Sasuke. I took him in, and my doctors cared for him."

"Why," Sasuke gritted his teeth, "are you doing this?"

"There's no point in asking that. I think you already know."

"You'll never have me. I'll never-"

"I'm planning to adopt you both," the elder Uchiha interrupted. "My lawyers are already fixing the papers as we speak. Naruto will have a new name under my protection."

Sasuke stopped, looked at him for a long time and then his gaze travelled slowly back to Naruto.

"I will give both of you the life that you deserve. You don't belong in that place, Sasuke. Don't waste yourself. Your potential. I'll see to it that your education will continue, and so is Naruto's. You don't have to throw your future away."

Naruto groaned in his sleep, prompting Sasuke to get closer to him. Sasuke's hand hovered over Naruto's, his face a mixture of worry, anger, and... guilt. But for some reason he didn't take Naruto's hand. The pale man's fingers were suspended inches away from the blonde's. Madara noticed the hesitation.

"If you don't want this for yourself, at least do it for Naruto. I can give him a future too. Something that both of you will never achieve if you continue to live in the streets. You'll both rot in there if you continue this stupidity."

If there was the final nail in the coffin, that would be it. Sasuke finally relented on his control and took Naruto's hand. He gripped it tightly between his fingers. Madara noted the slight tensing in the younger man's shoulders. And his face—the expression on his face looked much different. The eyes that were angry and vicious before were now staring at Naruto with so much concern and devotion. And for quite a while, Madara could only watch them, transfixed at this sudden change of heart.

"I'll leave you two for a while. If you need anything, my maids are outside."

The younger Uchiha didn't seem to hear it, still focused on the man lying on the bed. He didn't even respond.

When he returned to the room a few hours later, the image that greeted him was nothing short of overwhelming. Sasuke was leaning over Naruto, and his fingers were gently combing through Naruto's hair. He seemed to be whispering something to his friend. Madara could see the younger boy's lips move, but he couldn't hear the words.

Sasuke's eyes were gentle and peaceful as he stared fondly at his friend. So entranced was Sasuke on the other boy, that he didn't seem to notice the eldest Uchiha watching them. It was as if he was on his world, alone with the only person that meant something to him. For the second time that day, Madara was swept away with the raw emotion he was seeing from the child.

And he feared it.

He feared it with all of his heart.

Because this was the kind of relationship he had never seen before. The extent of the boys' devotion to each other was something he couldn't fully understand.

So when he finally adopted the two boys, Madara didn't stop observing them. And his fear only grew from there.

Seeing how Sasuke and Naruto interact, the doubt and prejudice in his heart multiplied. He started believing that Sasuke's growth would be stunted because of his unhealthy obsession to his best friend. As a future leader of their organization, Madara thought that Naruto could be a great liability to Sasuke. The orphan could be used by Sasuke's enemies to ruin him. Naruto might be a strong child, but he was a vulnerability the Uchiha could not afford to have.

So Madara tried to intervene. He tried to separate the two. He gave Sasuke as much responsibilities as possible to distract him, letting him believe that accomplishing these duties will help him ensure a stable future for both him and Naruto.

Once he ingrained this in Sasuke's head, everything proved to be much easier. Sasuke followed all of Madara's instructions to the letter. He even convinced the antisocial Uchiha to accept the presidential position from their school committee. With so many tasks expected of him, Sasuke spent less and less time with Naruto. This didn't go so well in the end, needless to say. Madara would soon realize that this will be one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

With less interaction with each other, the two became involved with different people, and not all of them were good. Though Naruto had made quite a few friends in school, he made a lot of enemies too. The blonde struggled heavily in school. This wasn't surprising as the kid had started his education way later than the rest. But not everyone knew this. Or understood. As a consequence, he was bullied a lot.

These were assaults that Naruto kept to himself. They only discovered this when it was almost too late –when the bullying got too serious and Naruto landed himself in the hospital just a few months into the start of the semester. His bullies had suffered too, but Naruto got the brunt of it being outnumbered and all.

Sasuke was devastated.

-Even more so when he learned of the other bruises scattered around the blonde's body. The bruises were not that old, and some were only starting to heal. These were bruises from previous attacks, forcing them all to realize that the assaults had been going on for a long time. The Uchiha had been so out of it when he learned this that he refused to eat or sleep while Naruto was confined in the ICU.

Sasuke stayed in the hospital for weeks too, not going to school or even back home. He only returned to school once Naruto was healed completely and was allowed to go back. As soon as Sasuke returned, he immediately resigned his position in the school committee, and never took part in any activities not involving his best friend. It was safe to say that after that, he never left Naruto's side again.

And the hard-earned trust that Madara built with the young Uchiha had crumbled once again. It hadn't been fully repaired since.

[ ]

"Sir?"

The busty dealer in front of him asked, snapping Madara out of his thoughts. Madara straightened in his seat and looked around. There were glass doors in his private room. Through the glass, he could see the main floors of the casino still bursting with life even at this late hour, and yet here he was alone in his own private table. He should've just stayed home and finished his work. Why was he even here? Anything was better than sitting at this lonely table reminiscing about life. Idle thoughts ruined him. This type of sentimental memories were unbecoming of him.

It was mostly because these past few days had been hellish. Every day, things had steadily been getting worse in the Uchiha household. First, this mysterious cold war brewing between his two adopted sons. Naruto and Sasuke had a huge fight a few weeks ago and had refused to talk to each other since then.

And then right after the huge fight, the unthinkable happened. Naruto called off his engagement with the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata Hyuuga, subsequently terminating their alliance with the equally powerful Hyuuga clan.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, their residing physician Haruno Sakura had suddenly gone missing. She mysteriously disappeared which worried Naruto greatly. The blonde could not (and would not) sleep or eat for days, spiraling the whole Uchiha household almost into madness, especially the youngest Uchiha. Seeing Naruto's health slowly deteriorate caused Sasuke to be in an utterly despicable mood too.

Madara heard a faint ringtone in the background. He knew it was a phone call. There was a hurried mumble before he felt one of his men walk closer to him.

His subordinate leaned close to his hear. A pause then- "Boss, we have a problem."

"What".

"It's the Fox." The subordinate seemed to struggle with the next words. It was the long pause that made Madara's blood freeze in his veins. "The Hyuuga have him. I believe he's been kidnapped, Sir."

Madara cursed at that, slamming his hand on the table. (God, he was still unbearably sober and right now, he desperately wished he wasn't.)

Things are about to get much, much worse.

"How." His tone had gone cold, causing an obvious flinch from his subordinate.

The man leaned down closer and whispered a few words into his ear.

It was only a brief exchange but as soon as the subordinate rose to his full height again, the Uchiha's eyes had grown darker.

The man looked absolutely terrifying and for a moment, the dealer on his table was afraid of her life. She definitely knew who this man was. When the floor manager had asked her to open a private table, he told her that she would be dealing against a special client. Once her manager mentioned the customer's name, it felt like her heart had stopped beating.

Uchiha Madara.

The man in front of her was the current Oyabun of Osaka's largest affiliated crime syndicate. Perhaps the most dangerous man she could ever come across in her life. The room had suddenly felt very small and uncomfortable. She could not breathe properly with the fear gripping her heart.

But the Uchiha only stood up abruptly, almost knocking off the table. The Oyabun violently removed his custom tailored blazer from the chair and left the private room without another word, his men following behind him. Nobody cared for the chips discarded on the table. Close to a hundred million yen in total, and nobody cared.

As soon as the door closed, the dealer slumped down on her chair.

At that very moment, she couldn't believe she was still alive.

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[ our heart is like a glasshouse. So breakable ]

KAKASHI

Inside the car, Madara's right hand man kept looking back at his Boss. Worried and wary, Kakashi recounted the events in his head. It was the middle of the afternoon when they learned of the Fox's disappearance. Apparently, the kid was abducted. By the Hyuuga, the Uchiha's biggest rival.

Just barely two months ago, Naruto was engaged to Hyuuga Hinata when he suddenly called it off, to the utter disbelief and disappointment of everyone.

The Hyuuga clan was so humiliated by this that they immediately cut off their alliance with the Uchiha. It had just been very recent when the two clans had finally set apart their differences and finally reconciled.

Madara was staring outside the window with a grim expression. He didn't speak for a very long time.

"Sasuke." Madara's voice was like a ripple in the water. A slight disturbance in the eerie calmness. "Does he know about this?"

Kakashi stared straight ahead at the road, and gripped the steering wheel a little too tight. "No, Sir. Not yet."

Madara seemed to relax slightly at that. "Good. Keep him out of this."

The car was slowing down to a stop. They were now nearing the manor gates.

"Fix this, Kakashi, before Sasuke finds out. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Boss." He looked at Madara through the rearview mirror again, noting the tired sullen look of his Boss. The lines on the elder Uchiha's face were deeper and the dark circles under his eyes had become more prominent over these past few weeks.

This had been a terrible month for all of them. Problems just kept on coming. Naruto's break-up with the Hyuuga had brought a lot of very serious, unexpected complications. And now—the proverbial final nail to the coffin—Naruto's abduction.

The Fox's engagement to the Hyuuga's heiress was meant to fix the hostile relationship between the two most powerful clans. It was supposed to be a new beginning for both of them. But it was Naruto who suddenly ended it. The engagement was terminated. And everything basically turned to shit thereafter.

The Hyuuga was so enraged-and shamed- with the cancellation of the engagement that they promptly withdrew their alliance with the Uchiha. All the dealings that were made with the other clan were now invalidated.

In some parts of the region, details of small conflicts between the two clans had started to rise again. Though insignificant enough to warrant the Oyabun's intervention, these small and recent feuds were a testament of the worsening situation between the two.

And it looked like, it was about to get worse. They had Naruto now. Was this finally, a declaration of war?

But it was still all a mystery. Why would Naruto call off the engagement in the first place? What was the brat thinking?

"Sensei. I think I like her."

Kakashi could't stop replaying the words in his head. The moment when Naruto told him about his 'feelings' for the Hyuuga. It was the day of the boys' high school graduation. Naruto looked him in the eye, with those shining blue eyes of his full of life.

"She's the most wonderful person I've ever met, Kakashi-sensei. She's kind and she likes me. Actually likes me, Sensei! Can you believe that? Somebody actually likes me. I…" Naruto's eyes widened, seemingly confused at that realization.

And here Kakashi finally realized something too. Poor kid couldn't even handle the thought that someone could like him. The kid grew up in the slums- surrounded by strangers and ruthless people. It was safe to say that the kid really didn't know much about love and affection.

"I think… I have feelings for her. Is this love, Sensei?"

"Naruto. Liking and having feelings for someone are two different things," Kakashi remembered telling the boy. Naruto looked confused. "You see, having feelings for someone is being in love with that person. It's much deeper than liking."

"So I like Hinata very much then!" Naruto rationalized in a heartbeat. He was all smiles when he said that and Kakashi couldn't help but smile too. He felt happy for his student.

The boy deserved it, Kakashi thought. More than anyone in the world, Naruto deserved every bit of happiness and affection that would come his way, no matter how rare they were. The smile that had painted his face lasted for a long time. Really, he was becoming more like Sasuke every day. So protective and devoted to this noisy little Fox.

The roads were empty and the skies grey, almost mirroring the dark sentiments filling the car. A fitting ambience to the current situation. Outside, it looked like it was going to rain.

Kakashi glanced at Madara again. Kakashi had always been amazed by how much Madara and Sasuke looked alike.

He had once seen a picture of Sasuke's parents and in his opinion, Fugaku could not even come close to Sasuke's features. It was Madara who looked more like Sasuke. Not only that, but their personalities and mannerisms were very similar too. So similar in fact that there were times when Kakashi had feared the younger Uchiha too.

Both were naturally very smart, hard-hitting, and impenetrable. Zealous at best and extremely unforgiving at their very worst. Both were very protective to everyone they love (or respected) but utterly rotten to the core to their enemies.

Six years had passed but Kakashi could still remember the first time he met the child. Sasuke was 16 then.

Poverty had sunken what could've been a very handsome face, he remembered Tsunade commenting at that time. Tsunade was their resident medic and she was put in charge of examining the boys when they were first welcomed into the house.

Kakashi couldn't agree more. Both of the boys looked striking. Sasuke's features were more defined with jet black hair and high cheekbones. He was tall and lean, with thin arms and legs. He was also too fair. Constant exposure to the sun couldn't even mar the paleness of his skin. He still looked unbelievably fairer for someone who lived in the streets.

Naruto, on the other hand, was a complete contrast to him. He had darker skin and lighter hair. The boy was quite thin and short for his age. He looked malnourished and weak at first glance. Like an impoverished main character straight out of a foreign film. A gaijin dumped in the slums, with deep scars embedded on his face, and sky-blue eyes.

From what little information they could gather, Kakashi discovered that Naruto was the first to be abandoned in the streets. His mother was a prostitute who died of an illness, and it was his father that abandoned him there.

Naruto was just six years old. He was too young to be abandoned like that, let alone to fend for himself. Nobody could've imagined the horrors that the child had to go through to survive. But he did. Naruto actually did. Unbelievably. Some would probably consider it as a miracle. But for him, it was more like a tragedy. To let a child suffer alone like that.

It was a few years later when Naruto met Sasuke.

The details were vague at best. According to Kakashi's sources, their meeting happened a few days later after the great Uchiha mansion in Osaka burned down. It was the house of the city's most prominent lawyer couple, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. Both of them were handling high-profile cases at that time and believed to have been murdered because of that.

They had two sons, and though both of the children's bodies were never recovered at the scene, everyone assumed that they were killed too by the same people who planned the arson and their bodies were dumped elsewhere.

It wasn't the truth of course as Sasuke appeared in the slums very much alive a few days later and met Naruto.

At the lowest point of their lives, the two boys met each other. It could've been a stroke of bad luck, as Kakashi would learn later. More so for Naruto. Because at that time when they met, Sasuke was at his absolute worst.

Following the arsonist's trails that led the young boy to the dreaded streets of Kamagasaki, Kakashi assumed that Sasuke was so devastated and bitter at the sudden death of his family, he took it upon himself to search for the ones who killed his parents.

A child that had been sheltered for most of his life was suddenly thrust into a world of ugliness and chaos. Sasuke was inconsolable, and there was nothing in his heart and mind but revenge.

But even with that amount of hatred keeping him alive, Sasuke had literally nothing at that time, and when Naruto met him the Uchiha was almost starving to death.

It wasn't Kakashi's sources who told him about this. In one of the rarest and most surprising moments, this was actually taken straight right from Sasuke himself. To be fair, Sasuke was dead drunk at that time.

It was the night of Naruto's engagement to Hinata. The celebratory party had just ended, and the service and caterers were beginning to tidy the area. Madara, along with Naruto were at a separate room with the Hyuuga talking about engagement matters. Only Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke were left at the bar.

Sasuke was holding what must have been his tenth glass of whiskey for the night. Kakashi sure wasn't counting. He was just concerned about the kid. Ever since the party started, Sasuke looked like he was planning to murder everyone. He had been deathly morose all night long and nobody knew why.

Even the naturally coy Sakura who was trying to cheer up the Uchiha all night had grown cautious, staring at Sasuke warily as the boy drank himself to near death.

"It's just an engagement. It's not like Naruto's going to leave us, Sasuke-kun. I heard Hinata-chan's moving to the manor so that means the idiot's still going to live with us. Right, Sensei?" Sakura stated with all her confidence. Deep inside Kakashi knew that even Sakura was scared that Naruto would be leaving them.

Through the years, the three had been very close. Especially Sakura and Naruto. They had become best friends, and helped each other a lot during their time in the Uchiha manor. There was no helping it. Naruto was like a human glue. He could charm and befriend anyone in any situation and they stick to him ever since. He loved people, and people loved him back. His natural optimism and selflessness might be the one to be blamed for that.

Receiving no response from Sasuke prompted Sakura to just let him be. She exchanged a brief meaningful glance with Kakashi then left.

After a while, Kakashi had had enough and stood up too. "Time to go home, Sasuke. Let's go."

But Sasuke didn't move. His eyes were drawn to the almost empty glass of whiskey in his palm. The ice inside the glass were now half-melted, and Sasuke was lazily swirling the glass. For Sasuke to be this unguarded in front of him must mean that he was drunk out of his mind.

"Sasuke-"

"I almost killed him once, you know."

The words stopped Kakashi in his thoughts, and he stared at Sasuke again.

"That dead last," Sasuke said, still focused on the empty glass in his hand, "was a huge pain in my ass and I hated him."

The humming noise of vacuum started to fill the small space. The tables and chairs were being rearranged, and the plates and utensils being collected. But the noise couldn't even distract Kakashi from listening to the young Uchiha.

"You'd seen the scar on his chest. You asked me before where it came from… That was me."

Kakashi didn't know if it was because the auditorium was almost empty now that silence had suddenly (and uncomfortably) descended upon them.

He knew about the scar of course. He was there when Tsunade was observing the two boys. It was a physical check-up. Both the boys had refused the examination, but Madara was adamant. He didn't want any sickness or physical ailments befalling on his only heir.

Tsunade was so surprised when she saw the deep scar on Naruto's chest that she quickly demanded an explanation. But Naruto was tight-lipped.

From a boy who could talk nonstop for hours about nonsensical things, it was unnatural for him to be so quiet all of a sudden. He avoided all the questions regarding the old wound. It was clear that he didn't want to talk about it. And the vicious glare from Sasuke made everyone stop questioning about the old injury as well.

But their curiosity didn't die down of course. There were assumptions, but the closest theory everyone could come up with was that Naruto got that from his violent upbringing, growing up in the slums. It wasn't far from the truth of course. As Sasuke finally admitted it. He was the one to give Naruto the scar when they were living in the poor district.

"He found me sitting next to a trash of rotting food. Hadn't eaten anything for days. Or slept. When he found me, I was probably already dying," Sasuke put the glass down, absentmindedly fondling the brim of the glass with his thumb. "The idiot had this stupid look on his face when he saw me—and then, he started crying. ...That naïve shit actually cried for me. He didn't even know who the hell I was."

His foul mouth had returned. Sasuke was beginning to sound like his old self.

"He started bringing me food after that. But everything that he gave me, I threw them all to his face." Even with the soft tone of his voice, his words were laced with a hint of rage. "Didn't need his help, but he kept on chasing me. I was there at that damned place for a reason, but the fool didn't get it. He got in my way."

The grip on the glass tightened. A shadow loomed over Sasuke's face. Even before Sasuke's revelation, Kakashi was starting to piece everything together. He knew that Sasuke was at the slums to avenge his family. In desperate search of the man who ruined his life.

"Damned fool wasn't even supposed to be there. He followed me, and I… I hurt him." Sasuke hissed. There was a crack and Kakashi's gaze drew toward the shattered glass in Sasuke's hand. Deep crimson was beginning to mix with the liquid inside the glass, creating an even deeper color of the brownish whiskey.

It was awhile before he continued, and when he did Kakashi was rendered speechless.

"Tell me, Kakashi, have you ever stabbed someone in close range? Felt their lung alive and beating in your own fingertips." Sasuke flexed his other hand. "I know. 'Cause I did it… once.

"I stabbed him right through his chest. His blood was everywhere. I watched him bleed. Naruto almost died in my arms."

Kakashi swallowed hard at the image, coldness running up his spine. He himself grew up in violence. His father was Yakuza even before he was born and he had been trained since his teen years to succeed him. Needless to say, Kakashi had seen his fair share of blood and gruesome things. This shouldn't be something new, but Sasuke's revelation did shock him. How old were these kids back then? How in the world-?

"And you know what, even with all the things I've done to him, he would still give up his life for me? The idiot that he is." Sasuke laughed quietly, a bitter smile painting his face.

For some reason, Kakashi couldn't look at the kid directly so he looked away, absentmindedly fingering a lone cigarette in his pocket.

"I thought I couldn't hate anyone more than I hated my brother." Sasuke said in a much sombre tone, and Kakashi was shocked at first. It would take him awhile before he understood the real meaning of those words. That was obviously directed at Naruto, but it wasn't hate.

I thought I couldn't love anyone more than I loved my brother.

Was what Sasuke could've meant at that time. Kakashi guessed he'd seen it already, but refused to acknowledge it for so long. He'd seen it before. He'd seen it every day. In every moment Sasuke looked at Naruto. In how they speak to each other. When the two boys interact, it was like the rest of world blur around them.

Sasuke would only see and care for Naruto and it was Sasuke's opinions that matter the most to Naruto. The two were inseparable ever since they took them in. Naruto was the raging fire against Sasuke's deep immovable sea. The contrast between them was totally staggering. And yet, even with all these differences (and an obvious clash of character), these two connected at the deepest of levels.

Kakashi was still looking at Sasuke when Naruto finally came out of the conference room, with Hiashi and Madara following close behind him.

Hinata was talking to Sakura. Naruto was in his usual vibrant self, more so than ever, as he approached Sasuke. At that moment, Kakashi didn't know why he was holding his breath as Naruto closed in on Sasuke. Perhaps deep inside, he was anticipating a fiery outburst from Sasuke, with the Uchiha being utterly drunk and all. And Naruto being Naruto wasn't really the best at reading people's moods.

At that moment, Sasuke was like an explosive device ready to be set off with the slightest provocation.

Naruto acknowledged Kakashi with a wide toothy grin and then proceeded directly to his best friend.

As soon as he reached Sasuke, the blonde exaggeratedly put his arms around his best friend. Kakashi saw an immediate flinch from Sasuke, but as soon as he saw it was Naruto, his shoulders relaxed and he quickly put the glass of alcohol down.

Naruto started to talk about something, but all Kakashi could pay attention to was how Sasuke's whole profile had drastically changed. There was still this glassy look in Sasuke's eyes but it had softened and focused solely on his lively best friend.

Sasuke continued to silently watch Naruto and his animated storytelling for a long while, and all Kakashi could do was watch, deeply entranced by the sudden change of expression from his moody student. The air around them was suddenly lighter. More inviting. He then glanced around the area and saw Hinata looking at the two boys as well. There was this unreadable expression on her face. There might have been a slight frown pulling her lips, but he couldn't really tell.

And then all of a sudden, Sasuke gripped the back of Naruto's neck and pulled him closer. It seemed like he was whispering something in Naruto's ears. Kakashi couldn't hear him obviously, but he reckoned it must have been nice words for Naruto to suddenly light up in response. A blush bloomed on the Fox's face at whatever Sasuke had said, and his eyes crinkled in pure happiness.

Naruto then rested his forehead against Sasuke's, and mumbled something softly. And this time, Kakashi knew exactly what Naruto said.

"Thank you, bastard."

Sasuke didn't say anything to that and only smiled. It was just a small curve of the lips, and barely even noticeable. It faded away quickly too, but the fondness in Sasuke's eyes stayed for quite a while. It was such an unbelievable expression that for the second time that night, Kakashi was taken aback. He always knew that the two were extremely close.

To be perfectly honest, everything had been laid out before him. There were so many instances where he could've realized the true nature of Naruto and Sasuke's relationship.

He'd been so stupid in not noticing it before. There had only been one person that could evoke such strong emotions from Madara's stone-cold nephew. There had always been only one person Sasuke would go to such great lengths for. To ensure Naruto's happiness and wellbeing, Uchiha Sasuke would do anything. It had been in front of him all along. All these years. How could he be so blind?

This wasn't just deep friendship or intense brotherly love. He had been watching the boys' interaction for so long that it should've tipped him off long ago. But it didn't and it took a while before realization truly set it.

The car slowed down to a stop, parking at the main garage.

All of the Oyabun's men had lined up to greet Madara at the entrance. One of them opened the car door for the boss just as Kakashi was exiting.

"You know what to do, Kakashi." Madara said to him, pulling out a cigar from his pocket. Kakashi nodded and proceeded to light the Uchiha's cigar. The man did not put the cig in his mouth though, and just let the fire eat the ash for a moment. Wisps of delicate snowflakes had started to fall. The air had gotten colder, weakening the fire.

"I trust you. Right now, you are the only one I trust."

"Yes, Boss. Leave this to me. As soon as I find out any information, I'll let you know."

Madara looked him hard in the eye. It was only a brief moment, but Kakashi swore he saw something in those hard, steely eyes. Something vulnerable. But it must have been his imagination as Madara promptly tore his gaze away and turned his back, walking towards the manor entrance.

Kakashi stared at the man's back as he walked away, his back unnaturally bent and his walk slower than before, looking as if he was carrying the whole world on his shoulders. For some reason, at that moment Kakashi almost felt sympathy for the man.

"Ridiculous," he muttered to himself. There was no one alive stronger and more enduring than the Uchiha. Kakashi bowed slightly at the man's retreating back and returned to the car. He stayed in the car for a whole five minutes before finally starting the engine and leaving the mansion, a plan already forming in his head.

[]

The man wasn't easy to capture. It took him a full three-hour just to locate and subdue him. For a man of Kakashi's intellect and skill, this was already very remarkable. It meant the man he's dealing with was almost in the same level as him or was just as capable. Honestly, Kakashi couldn't say he was surprised.

This was Hyuuga Neji after all. He was truly the embodiment of Hyuuga's greatness.

"You're wasting your time on me, Kakashi-san," the Hyuuga mocked, strands of smooth flowing hair falling to his face, "even if I know anything, do you think I'll tell you?" Even with the young man's dire situation, he still looked regal and respectable. His pale eyes burned with boldness and intellect.

Very few lights in the small warehouse were still working, so the lighting was a bit dimmed. Kakashi grabbed a rusty stool near him and walked towards the Hyuuga. He stopped a few feet away and seated himself in front of the younger boy.

Neji was currently bound to the same rusty-looking chair, his feet chained to the floor. Neji didn't look stressed though. He even had a smirk on his face, seemingly composed at the whole ordeal.

"I don't know what your family's up to. If this is some act of revenge, I assure you you'll gain nothing -"

Neji just hummed, looking elsewhere and basically ignoring his presence.

Kakashi's annoyance increased. "Boy, I don't want to hurt you unnecessarily."

The laugh that resounded in the area was both scornful and taunting. Kakashi's jaw automatically clenched. He was starting to believe the rumors that all Hyuuga heirs, even with their respectful demeanors, were all infuriatingly arrogant and conceited.

"…Too late for that, Kakashi-san," the boy gritted out, arrogance suddenly slipping from his tone and being replaced by something more-. "You lot already did."

livid

"You hurt us. You – and that disgusting orphan." Neji hissed at him. His calm demeanor was suddenly gone. "You've betrayed us. And this is something we can never forgive." His eyes were sharper, shoulders rigid and teeth gritted so painfully in his mouth that his gums had started to bleed.

For all the years Kakashi had worked with the Hyuuga, this was the angriest and most out of control that he had seen him. Neji had always been calm and composed. Even in the most dire of situations, he still remained level-headed and capable of planning the most intricate of schemes and designs. That was why the alliance with the Hyuuga had truly been cherished. It had been very fruitful since the very start.

"We accepted him in our family. Even my uncle had acknowledged him, and this is what he did to repay us."

Kakashi didn't let the shock show. He slowly leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs, bringing his arms to cross over his chest. In the outside it was a clear show of composure, but inside he was close to losing it. If this level-headed Hyuuga could be this angry, he couldn't dare imagine how the more uptight elder Hyuuga, Lord Hiashi, was faring.

He'd heard of the man's temper. Rumors had it that the man even resembled Madara's at his worst. He didn't forget, and clearly did not forgive.

They had the kid, and they can do anything to him.

And that's what made this whole ordeal much more frightening.

If the Hyuuga sought to punish Naruto because of the botched engagement (and they surely would have, no doubt about that), the Uchiha would definitely retaliate.

If Sasuke learned of this—if he found out that Naruto had been kidnapped, clan relationships would mean nothing to him. There would be hell to pay. He would stop at nothing to save the blonde.

Everyone knew of the young man's obsessive attachment to his friend. Even from their younger years, Sasuke had unhealthily stayed very close to the Naruto. They were inseparable since Kakashi had met the two boys. And the bond had just grown stronger as years passed. Even with Naruto finally branching out and meeting new friends, Sasuke had remained solely devoted to his best friend.

Everyone knew that Sasuke had only consented to his adoption for Naruto's sake. It was clear that he only wanted to give Naruto the life the poor boy never had. The boy had never had a home. Or a family. Naruto had lived his whole childhood in a tent painted with holes, had slept on a bed of smelly cardboard boxes and had probably never tasted fresh clean food in his whole life. In such a young age, Naruto had suffered much.

"And the naïve shit actually cried for me."

Kakashi could never forget Sasuke's words. Of all the stories he'd ever heard, and all of the things he'd ever known, these were probably the words that had affected him the most.

For a man like him who had grown up in violence, and had rarely empathized with anyone, Kakashi was surprised to find out that his heart could still be moved after all these years. Sasuke's revelation on that fateful night of the engagement had seriously made a mark on him. He should've known. It was always this so called human heart that changed the game.

"You should feel lucky it was me who caught you, Neji-kun," Kakashi said, casually lighting a cig.

There was a bit of confusion on the younger man's face but it faded away quickly. Neji's smirk came in easily on his face again, "And why is that, Kakashi-san?"

"If it was Sasuke, this will be a different story. He's not going to force you to say anything. You'll give it yourself." And there it was, the famous Hatake glare. Cold and calculating. Staring right through Neji's eyes. "Trust me, you wouldn't want that."

"Uchiha Sasuke, huh." Neji looked down on the floor, hiding his face. He remained silent for a while. The only sound that came between them was the occasional rattling of the chains binding the younger man's feet. The smoke from Kakashi's cigarette billowed lazily between them. There was this very long minute when everything was just quiet.

Neji seemed to be recalling something in his head.

Kakashi couldn't fully gauge the younger man's expression at the moment, but his own clock was ticking. He really didn't want to waste time playing mind games with the boy. "Neji-kun, let's not drag this-"

"I should've known." Neji suddenly interrupted, looking up at Kakashi again. There was a sudden glimmer in his pale eyes. Like a sudden realization "Tell me, Kakashi-san. What exactly is their relationship with each other? Uchiha Sasuke and that orphan."

"He has a name and it's Naruto," Kakashi gritted out. The rudeness wasn't lost to him. It was utterly uncharacteristic of the pale boy who had always been mindful of his manners even when angered. It was as if the man truly hated Naruto.

"You knew, didn't you?" Neji questioned further. "Those two… What they really are. You've seen it too."

"What are you talking about?"

"This level of stupidity doesn't suit you, Kakashi-san." There's a growing frustration in the Hyuuga's voice now. "I know you know what I'm talking about. Both of them. There's nothing in this world that are more important to them. Their relationship…"

Kakashi was lost. He threw his half-burnt cigarette on the ground and stepped on it angrily. "This isn't about Sasuke and Naruto. I'm asking about-"

"I was wrong..." Neji was shaking his head now, looking down on the floor. "It wasn't Haruno-san…"

Kakashi's eyes widened at the name. He swallowed hard. "You," he began to say. It felt like he had been struck in the gut. Their residing physician had been missing since last week. They had contacted her family living in Tokyo, but it was a dead-end as even her parents knew nothing of her whereabouts too. And of course, this had worried Naruto very much. Hearing Neji suddenly mention her name finally confirmed his assumption-

That Haruno Sakura's disappearance was because of the Hyuuga too.

"But that idiot fell right into my uncle's trap regardless. How stupid."

Neji didn't have to say that part. Kakashi already pieced out the information himself. Sakura was taken because Hiashi must have thought that Sakura was the reason for Naruto's breakup from the Hyuuga heiress. He must have suspected that Naruto and Sakura's relationship were far deeper than friends. That maybe they were lovers.

There was also the fact that even from the very start, Kakashi had already doubted that Naruto had been kidnapped. Even with his short stature, the young fox wasn't weak. He was heavily trained like Sasuke. He could take care of himself. They couldn't have taken him so easily. This must mean that Naruto went to the Hyuuga on his own accord. To save Sakura.

"You used Sakura." This wasn't a question. Kakashi's words cut through the vast emptiness of the abandoned warehouse. Disgust and anger were so plain on his face. "To lure Naruto."

The Hyuuga had the gall to look justified at that accusation, the smirk deepening on his handsome face. And with a voice as smooth as silk, Neji said, "An eye for an eye, Kakashi-san. That filthy orphan deserves whatever's coming his way."

"You didn't even know anything and you judge him easily like that."

"I know enough. Trust me Kakashi-san, I know more than any of you."

Kakashi rose to his full height, staring Neji down. But Neji didn't seem the least bit intimidated. Even with the growing hint of danger, he stubbornly maintained his eye contact towards the older man.

"I think we've all been blindsided. Those two had been closer than we all thought."

"I'm not going to repeat myself again, boy. This is not about them," Kakashi said through clenched teeth. "Sasuke had nothing to do with this."

Neji laughed heartily again. "You're wrong, Kakashi-san. This is all about them. Everything that happened and everything that will happen is because of those two.

"I've seen things," Neji continued even before Kakashi could get a word in, "that I didn't believe at first. I thought my eyes had just been playing tricks on me… I was blinded too like the rest of you fools. Probably because I didn't believe it myself."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"The night of the engagement party. I was there too, and I saw how Hinata-hime looked at both of them."

Kakashi stopped. He saw it too, but disregarded it at that time. Because he didn't understand the expression. He found it odd, of course. Hinata wasn't smiling as she watched Sasuke and Naruto interact at the bar. Everyone else was entertained as they watched the two. Even Madara himself had a small sliver of smile on his face as he watched the playful interaction between his two adopted sons. But Hinata—she almost looked like she was frowning, something that he never thought he would see on the timid heiress's face.

"I grew up with her. I know that there are very few things she doesn't like. It isn't that easy to piss her off, believe me." Neji swallowed hard. Signs of unease were beginning to appear on his face and shoulders. This alone had caught Kakashi off guard.

Neji had been stubborn and so sure of himself for the whole night. This was the first time he sounded hesitant. "I watched her through the rest of the night. It's not just because it's my duty. I cared for her, and I knew that at that time, Hinata-hime wasn't… acting right."

Kakashi had the same thought to be honest. Hinata was indeed acting different after the party.

"I didn't question her that time, but I continued to observe her. She seemed the same, but whenever Sasuke's name pops up she gets a tad defensive. That should've tipped me off." And here, Neji's gaze returned to him. Kakashi noted the bitter smile on the man's face. "The party* a few nights ago. Do you remember that one, Kakashi-san? It was right before your beloved orphan broke it off with my cousin."

"No." Of course he did but Kakashi wanted the Hyuuga to continue.

"You should. It was pretty… memorable." Neji's unease seemed to be growing. His shoulders were tense, and he kept looking away. "That Uchiha and the orphan had a huge fight outside the restaurant. Hinata-hime was so upset she begged me to break it off. She was crying when I found her."

Kakashi was there too, as a bodyguard for the two boys, but he stayed in the car reading his novel. So he really didn't know much of what happened. All he knew was that the two boys got too drunk and fought with each other. It was Neji who stopped the fight.

It was an "unofficial" bachelor party set up by Naruto's high school friends. It didn't involve strippers of course. It was only a small celebratory party before the engagement. The only ones invited were Naruto's close friends from high school.

It was a pretty intimate event. Most of them only had a few drinks in. But then, Naruto got really drunk. Coupled with Sasuke's particularly heavy mood that day, things were bound to get ugly. He knew that the young Uchiha wasn't even supposed to be there. He didn't have close friends in high school (only subordinates and acquaintances), and was just forced by Naruto to attend.

The Uchiha tried to stop Naruto from taking too much drinks, but for some reason Naruto was hell-bent on drinking himself to death. When Sasuke finally had enough, he grabbed Naruto's drink and called the party off.

All the others had been frightened of the Uchiha and most of them had scampered away, leaving only Sakura, Hinata and Neji (as Hinata's bodyguard) to watch the violent exchange.

Drunk out of his mind, Naruto became furious and lashed out at Sasuke. The two fought with Naruto throwing the first (very clumsy) punch to the Uchiha's face. It was an all-out brawl after that with the restaurant managers and the security struggling to stop the two.

"It got to a point when they started to insult each other. They said a lot of mean things. Things you wouldn't believe they could say to each other. And when I got too close to stop them," Neji said, "Uchiha hit me in the face. The fucker. I was about to hit him too, when Hinata-hime stopped me...

"She was still crying and all I wanted was to bring her home."

Kakashi noted the sadness in Neji's voice. "She doesn't deserve to be hurt like that."

"You saw something, didn't you?" Kakashi asked, deducing that maybe the young boy had seen or heard something – something from the exchange between the two. Kakashi wasn't sure what he's trying to find out. All he knew was that there was something Neji wasn't telling him.

"They were too drunk." Neji said quietly. If he didn't have his hands bound at the moment, Kakashi could imagine the Hyuuga burying his face in his hands. Because that was what the man sounded like right now. In denial and utterly embarrassed. "I thought I just imagined it."

"Imagined what?"

"He kissed him," Neji said. His eyes were unfocused, as if dazed. "Just like that. He kissed Naruto. In front of me. And Hinata-hime. I thought it was just a joke or to make that fucking orphan shut up."

All the breath in Kakashi's system must have left his body, because at that moment he couldn't breathe. Even his heart had seemed to stop at that very moment.

The shock must have been so plain in his face that Neji saw it fit to continue. "I knew there was something wrong with them, ne? Even from the start. That kind of closeness… It's just not right. They're sick.

"Both of them," Neji spat out, "are disgusting pieces of shit."

The blow to Neji's face had been so hard (and so sudden) that the chair toppled sideways violently, breaking two of its legs in half.

Neji grunted in pain as his face and shoulder kissed the hard concrete. Specks of blood painted the floor, and a lone bloody tooth was thrown a few feet away. Kakashi's own bloodied fist was trembling, still suspended in the air, as he looked murderously at the young Hyuuga.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Everything made perfect sense. Suddenly, Kakashi understood everything now. Neji was right. They'd all been blind fools.

"You will tell me where they are right now or god help me, I will-"

"Kakashi."

Sasuke's voice immediately stopped Kakashi. His voice was like a knife, smooth and sharp as steel.

The Uchiha's footsteps were silent as he approached them. Neji was still groaning painfully on the floor when Sasuke walked and knelt on one knee in front of him. As soon as the young Hyuuga saw Sasuke, his pale eyes widened and he immediately stopped groaning in pain. He even looked like he'd stopped breathing altogether too.

For a moment, Kakashi wondered what Neji had seen in Sasuke's eyes to make him react like that. He could only see Sasuke's back from where he was.

And then the Uchiha reached out to grab Neji's neck, gripping it tight. Neji cried in pain.

Sasuke neared his face to the boy beneath him – and with a voice laced with so much threat and venom, he said, "You and this disgusting piece of shit need to talk, Hyuuga."

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[ I've got a renegade heart, and it's screaming your name. ]

HIASHI & HINATA

This had nothing to do with love, Hiashi kept telling himself as he watched his men beat the boy close to death. One of his men was playing with a butterfly knife while the others took turns in using the boy as a punching bag.

He'd never dreamed of killing the boy of course, lest his own daughter hate him for all eternity. Hiashi would never risk that. He just wanted to hurt this boy. As much as he could. If he died in the process, well that was not his fault. That only meant that the kid was not raised and trained well. That Madara, his nemesis, failed in training and disciplining his underlings rightfully. That the Uchiha clan was not as indestructible as everyone seemed to think.

"Eugh!" Naruto slumped to the ground, his bloodied face kissing the rough concrete. The boy coughed a few times, spitting blood all over.

Hiashi was used to seeing blood and guts, especially from his enemies. And though he was not as heartless as actually revel in it, Hiashi admitted to himself that this particular one made him feel very much alive and rectified. It sounded sick even to his own ears, but he couldn't care, really. This piece of garbage had the gall to hurt and ruin his only daughter.

Hinata loved the boy with all her heart. She dedicated her life to him. With all this devotion, how dare he damaged her like that. Damaged the whole clan of Hyuuga like that. Naruto called off the engagement just a few weeks before. Blindsided and humiliated all of them.

And what insulted him the most was that Hiashi trusted that the engagement was not just to repair the bridges between the Uchiha and his clan. That this wasn't just a political marriage of convenience. Hiashi actually believed that this was about- love. That unlike his own marriage which deteriorated and ended up in a painful divorce, Hiashi actually believed that this one was true. That Naruto loved his daughter very much. My god, how obtuse and pathetically naïve that sounded. How stupid of him to believe in something like that. In this world full of pain and injustice, how could he believe in something like that?

"Have you had enough, boy?"

The kid's wretched wheezing was his only response. It sounded like the boy had trouble breathing, but Hiashi couldn't care less. He stood up from his chair and advanced towards the boy. He stopped barely inches away, his feet almost kissing the side of Naruto's face. His brown unsoiled leather shoes were a stark contrast to the boy's bloodied face.

"I loved her." Naruto mumbled against the concrete, but even then Hiashi had heard the words so clearly.

Hiashi felt his own fists tremble at his side. He spat at the boy's face and kicked him once in the gut. Naruto cried and doubled over in pain. He heard a faint crack and Hiashi had a fleeting thought that this was not the first bone Naruto had broken that night.

"Maybe you and I have different definitions of love, my boy, because if you love her, you would not leave her. You wouldn't treat her like this," Hiashi paused, and then crouched down to pick Naruto up by the neck. Just so he could look at the piece of shit in the eyes. The kid didn't even struggle. Didn't even make a sound as his supposed father-in-law lifted him from the ground like a sack of potato. Hiashi gritted his teeth and with a shaky breath, "you won't even dare to think of leaving my daughter. Of ending the engagement. My god, boy, she loved you with everything that she has and what do you do? You break her heart. You broke her."

Hiashi saw Naruto wince. Knew that he finally hit a nerve on the seemingly impenetrable boy. The proud blue eyes seemed to have paled. For one of the rarest time, Naruto looked like he was uncomfortable in his own skin.

"And now you have to pay. You hurt my daughter, I'll hurt you tenfold. I'll hurt everyone you love-"

"No. Don't do this. Sir, please." Naruto pleaded, and for the first time in that night tried to struggle against his restraints but it was futile. He was bruised all over, with broken ribs and eyes about to shut down from the injuries, Hiashi wasn't even sure how the kid was still conscious after all of the beating down he had gotten from his men.

"Release Sakura. If you need to punish someone, punish me. Hurt me all you want. Please. Please not her."

Hiashi threw the boy across the room. He was filled with so much anger his heart was beginning to palpitate. How dare he. "Not her fault?" Hiashi spat. "She was the reason you broke up with my daughter. I know the rumors, boy. I'm not a fool. Even my nephew, Neji, confirmed it. You were in love with her for the longest time, and you still are."

Naruto was shaking his head now, but he wasn't denying anything outrightly. And if there was anything that would make Hiashi more furious, this was it.

"Just admit it! Stop lying to me."

"I'm not-", And here, the boy's voiced cracked a bit. "In love with anyone." A lie. So obvious that Hiashi was now seething with anger, teeth so gritted tightly that he was starting to taste the blood in his mouth. How dare the boy lie repeatedly to his face.

"You think I'm stupid-?"

"Please let her go." Naruto's voice was starting to shake, but his eyes remained steady as they focused on him again. Pitiful boy was even starting to stand up again. "Sakura, I swear—she has nothing to do with this, Sir. She's my best friend."

Hiashi charged at the boy, knocking a chair blocking his way without any thought. The old wooden chair shattered into countless pieces onto the rough concrete. He saw Naruto shudder at the sound, but did not dare move an inch. The boy stood his ground, still looking directly at him. Naruto was barely holding it together though. His body was almost doubled in pain and his left eye had shut down completely.

"One more lie from your fucking mouth, or god help me I'm going to serve your pathetic little head on a platter and send it to your beloved-"

"Father!"

So focused was he on his anger, he did not even hear Hinata enter the room. It was only when Hinata approached him and grabbed his shaking hand that he finally realized he was no longer the only Hyuuga in the room.

"Hinata..?"

"Stop. Please. Enough of this H-How could you do this to him?!" His beloved daughter was beside him, her eyes filled with tears. Her voice was so pitiful and pleading that for the briefest second Hiashi almost forgot what he was doing. Hinata's hands were cold and shaking as they gripped his arm. An overwhelming surge of pity gripped Hiashi's heart. Looking at his daughter like this fractured the last bit of control Hiashi had and hugged her tightly.

"You don't need to see this, Hinata. Leave now."

"No, Father. I'm not going anywhere." With trembling hands, Hinata gently pushed Hiashi's hands away and walked towards the injured boy.

"Oh my god, Naruto."

As soon as Hinata saw the full extent of Naruto's injuries, she was all over the kid immediately. Hiashi was about to pull his daughter back to him but stopped when he heard the words he was never expecting to hear from his daughter.

"I'm so, so sorry N-Naruto-kun." Hinata was crying again, words of apology spilling past her lips repeatedly. "I'm sorry."

"Hina, what on earth are you doing?" Anger was starting to creep in Hiashi's veins again. As well as confusion. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He gaped questioningly at his beloved daughter.

But instead of answering him, Hinata only shouted in desperation, "P-Please, Father. He needs medical attention!" Her tears were clouding her eyes and face. "He's hurt. This is, this is really my fault. None of this was Naruto's fault. I'm so…"

"Hinata, it's ok." Naruto interrupted. "It's just the old man blowing off some steam. I'm fine." Naruto looked at Hinata through his bangs, smiling with a full teeth and blue eyes lively again. But instead of feeling relieved, Hinata was even more stricken, now seeing the full extent of Naruto's injuries on his face. Right now, she was looking like she was going to faint any second.

"N-Naruto-kun."

"Don't worry. This looks worse than it actually is, you know." Hiashi was beginning to wonder if he had hit the kid too much in the head. He was beaten half to death and he could barely stand up. And the kid still had the gall to smile.

"Y-You didn't deserve this, Naruto-kun. It was… me. I c-couldn't-"

"Hinata, you promised. " Naruto interrupted her again, still smiling, though one of his eyes was now fully shut. Naruto coughed loudly, splattering blood on Hinata's clothes. "Sorry", he said but Hinata ignored it and faced Hiashi again, voice pleading and terribly anxious. She was getting hysterical every second.

"Father, please. He needs to be treated."

"A piece of trash like him doesn't deserve anything. Let him suffer like this."

"Father-"

Hiashi's eyes went wide with fury. "What are you saying? Are you siding with him?! He hurt you. He abandoned you and shamed this family. He should suffer."

"No, Father. You don't understand anything."

"You don't understand anything, Hyuuga."

A memory of one Uchiha Sasuke came to mind. Hinata closed her eyes, remembering the same exact words that Sasuke had said to her years ago. Those were the same words that she was saying to her father. She couldn't believe the irony. She remembered it like it was yesterday. It was two years ago, on their graduation day. That was the day when she confessed her feelings to Naruto. Until now she couldn't believe that she had mustered enough courage to do that.

That was one of the most memorable and happiest moments of her life that she remembered even the smallest of details on Naruto's face at that time. The boy had been so confused and stunned at the confession that he became silent for a long time. But in the end, he hugged her tightly and accepted it. So disbelieving and a nervous was she at that time, she didn't feel (or hear) the shadow that followed her as soon as Naruto left her.

Uchiha Sasuke stood in front of her, sporting a face that was so unreadable.

"He'll accept that confession no matter where it's come from," Sasuke said. "He'll accept anyone, Hyuuga. So don't you dare hurt him."

Hinata was struck silent with that. His words were like a knife in her gut. Twisting and turning painfully, until she could no longer breathe.

"W-Why…" Hinata choked out, "would you think I'll hurt him?"

"…"

There was no response, making Hinata feel more agitated and confused. "Why are you doing this, S-Sasuke-kun? I.. I like Naruto-kun, and I will never, I'll never h-hurt him. What I feel for him-"

"I don't care what you feel for the idiot."

"T-Then why?"

Sasuke had turned away, his back to her. Because of this, Hinata could no longer see his expression. That must have been the reason why at that time, she didn't understand what Sasuke was saying. Why it took her a long time to understand what the Uchiha truly meant.

"Even if I told you, you'll never get it. You don't understand anything, Hyuuga."

The Uchiha had been right at that time. It was true she didn't understand anything. Even from the very start. She only cared that she was happy, never really giving a thought if Naruto truly loved her. Or what the boy's true feelings were. She disregarded everything else, because for the very first time in her life, she was happy.

It seemed selfish to think that her happiest moment had not been with her family. She'd been raised with all the luxury of a Hyuuga heir. Wealthy, high-ranking and already prominent in the society, Hinata could have anything she would ever want. She could have anything, and everything. She was blessed from the very start of her life.

And yet, she wanted nothing of this.

Everyone knew the failure of the Hyuuga clan. Indeed, she was the first child of the main family but she could not live up to it, no matter how much she tried. Everything the noble clan stood for had been lost on her incompetence and general lack of confidence. She was a shame to her family. Nothing more than a disappointment. And this pained her so much. Growing up, she wanted nothing more than to disappear. To just fade away.

She was nothing anyway.

But then, she met Naruto.

And it changed her life. It changed everything.

Naruto had showed her what it meant to fight for the things that mattered. The boy never gave up. Had never let fear or anything else decide his own fate. Even when faced with so much difficulties, the boy never once complained. When Naruto was enrolled at their school, he immediately stood out. It wasn't because of his smarts. It was because of how the boy struggled so hard in everything.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had been enrolled in her last year of high school. Their enrollment was of course an anomaly, so the students treated them as such. They stood out obviously, due to their distinctive looks and strange mannerisms. Though they were introduced as brothers they did not act the same.

Sasuke was more in tune with his surroundings. He was a gifted student, skilled in both the academics and the sports. He easily excelled in both. Though naturally capable, it was clear that he worked hard too.

In a short time, he gained the respect of not only the majority of the student body, but also of his superiors and professors. It was amazing, so to speak. But in Hinata's opinion, what made the Uchiha more exceptional was his indifference to recognition. He had never once let everything go to his head. He was proud of his accomplishments but never once used it to belittle anyone. And for this, Hinata admired the Uchiha. They rarely talked but she respected him, and even regarded him as a friend.

Naruto was of course, a different story. While the Uchiha flourished and thrived in such an environment, Naruto fumbled and struggled. It was clear he worked hard too, but it was mostly unsuccessful as it was exceedingly obvious that everything regarding school was new to him. Only a very few knew that Naruto's education had started late and everything he was learning was all very new to him.

"Then why was he placed in the senior level?" somebody once asked. She'd asked herself that once too, but never dared to voice it out loud. It wasn't her business to begin with.

She later learned that it was because of Sasuke's own insistence. Everyone knew of Sasuke's overprotectiveness of his adopted brother. It was the Uchiha himself who insisted Naruto to be placed in the same level as him. (And of course with the Uchiha family funding and influence in the school, the board had allowed this). Sasuke might have had the best intentions at that time, but he couldn't have known how this would affect Naruto.

Unsurprisingly due to his shortcomings, Naruto was bullied a lot.

A loud boy that was quick to cry. That was Hinata's first impression of him. When she first met Naruto, the boy was crying his heart out while fighting his attackers.

Naruto was beaten black and blue, sporting a dislocated shoulder, and had one eye screwed shut, while he lashed out at his bullies with everything that he had. This was one of the many assaults Hinata would find Naruto to be engaged in. Pitiful boy would always be the center of violent and discriminatory attacks because of his looks and deficiencies. But even with all these, the boy's spirit had never gone down. Even with the endless bullying and insults, Naruto's optimism and diligence continued to shine through. He never stopped hoping that things would get better.

And things did get better.

BUT at a huge price. And it really took a while. Right after Naruto suffered the worst fight he ever had. This happened just a few months after the semester started. Naruto was severely outnumbered. By the time the fight ended, almost everyone involved was hospitalized. Of course, outnumbered that he was, Naruto ended up in the worse condition. He stayed in the hospital for months, in critical condition. And even right after he finally recovered, he was still required to spend the days at home for rehabilitation.

His bullies never returned to the school. All of them were immediately expelled. She never saw or heard from them again. It looked like the Uchiha family had made sure of that.

After the ordeal, the bullies and their families had moved elsewhere, almost as if they'd all been exiled. As if they all never existed. Hinata was sure they were all still alive, but it was just that the Uchiha clan had ensured that if their families ever returned to their town, there would be nothing left for them.

After that, the physical bullying stopped. Nobody dared to touch Naruto again. But unbeknownst to the Uchiha, the abuse continued. He had to catch up with 17 years of schooling. Even with his best efforts, Naruto was still behind. Terribly so.

And just for that, she pitied him so much.

It wasn't actually love at first sight. If it's anything else, it was pity. Hinata had pitied the child when she first saw him. Looking at the blonde kid was like looking at a mirror. He was a failure like her. Born into a family with such high breeding and talent. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't live up to their expectations. For her, the family name had been a curse from the very start.

This was the same for Naruto. Being adopted into the great Uchiha clan and expected to follow in their footsteps was like a death sentence. It was a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.

But Naruto proved to be different than her. He never once gave up. He was stubborn, relentless, and remained enduringly optimistic even when all the odds were against him.

"…if you think for one second that I'll just let this scum go, then you'll have another thing coming, young lady."

Her father's booming voice bought Hinata back to the present. She gritted her teeth and pressed Naruto's body closer to her own.

"Either he marries you right this very moment or I'll spill his blood right here and send his remains to his disgraceful family."

Hinata sobbed harder, hugging Naruto more. She knew, at that very moment that she could no longer get out of this one. She had to make a choice. Right here, right now. She had to make the most difficult decision she could ever make in her entire life. She thought the hardest decision she would ever make was breaking up with Naruto and ending their engagement. For once, she never knew things could get so much worse.

"Hinata, it's okay." Naruto had grasped her hand, smiling at her. His teeth were all showing, though his lips were trembling a bit, and there's a bit of blood still gushing from the corners of his mouth. For someone that looked like he's bleeding half to death on the very floor, Hinata could not comprehend where Naruto was getting all this confidence and strength.

"H-How can you even say this, Naruto-kun?"

She didn't even notice that she had voiced that out loud. She only realized when Naruto's warm palm had rested on her cheek, his thumb gently wiping the flowing tears from her eye.

"Because it's you, Hinata, and you've always been so kind to me. Even though I'm a failure, you always watch out for me. That's why if it's you, everything will be alright."

The tears that Naruto wiped earlier were flowing freely again. There seemed to be something lodged in her throat. It was going to be a long time before she learned how to breathe properly again.

"I…"

Hinata swallowed hard, bowing her head. From this angle, Hiashi could no longer see his daughter's face. It was a long moment of quiet before Hinata spoke again. And this time, with much resolve. She raised her head and looked directly at her father's eyes. And when she spoke, her voice was no longer shaking.

"I'll agree to marry him, but before that… I'll have… I'll have my dance with him first."

It wasn't a request, and Hinata had said that with all the determination in her eyes—and as if this was the only confirmation that Hiashi needed to hear, he nodded immediately in affirmation.

"If that's what you want."

[]

Everything was prepared immediately. The patriarch of the Hyuuga family had made sure that the wedding dance would be just as grand as was the original plan. Though it was all in haste, the wedding hall was readied perfectly. All of the original designs for the reception were put in place. Hiashi watched his attendants quickly beautify and organize the place.

There were only a few people present. Just a few from the main family. There were mostly there just to bear witness to the grand event. Instead, cameras had littered the place to livestream the whole event. This dance was all for show anyways. It was the wedding that was more important.

He seated himself in one of the available chairs at the head table. In his hand was a glass of one of the finest sake in his collection. The priceless alcohol was originally prepared for the wedding. He finally had the chance to open it for himself. Never mind that the wedding dance would come first before the exchange of the vows. That was just a small, insignificant detail. What was important was that the betrothal will finally commence.

Despite the small unease in his heart, a sliver of a smile painted the elder's face. Hiashi leaned back in his chair, smiling for the very first time in weeks. This was all for his beloved daughter's sake. For her happiness.

This wasn't love, he kept telling himself. He was just doing what he was supposed to do. As the head of the Hyuuga family, this was his obligation.

Hiashi smiled bitterly. The nasty taste of liquor offering a reprieve to the endless lies gripping his heart. For some reason, he found the expensive liquid increasingly hard to swallow.

"I love him, Father."

He was promptly shaken out of his thoughts when he saw Naruto making his way to the center of the hall. The boy was now dressed in his white tuxedo wedding suit, looking all sophisticated and formal. His naturally spiky hair was slicked back perfectly, not one strand out of place. His face was all powdered up. The makeup artists had done a great job hiding the wounds on his face without using bandages. The boy walked towards the center with his back unnaturally straight and eyes too focused.

Hiashi thought something was quite off with the kid's pace, but he ignored the thought as soon as it came up. The boy had his chin up, sporting that infuriating toothy smile that seemed to be permanently attached to his face. As if the scum hadn't just suffered a beating just a few hours earlier.

Hiashi scoffed in his drink. The nerve of this kid. Looking all optimistic and not a care in the world.

The kid even looked too proud as he walked to the center of the hall and the crowd, approaching Hinata who was at the center too. The young heiress was wearing her white wedding gown. The whiteness of the gown suited her perfectly. Her hair was braided loosely to drape elegantly on her shoulder. Though she wore minimal make-up and jewelry (per her request), she still looked absolutely stunning. He'd been alive for five decades but he swore that this was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

Hinata looked just like her mother. So beautiful and elegant that Hiashi almost cried at the sight. His heart caught up in his throat, Hiashi put his glass down and just watched the two.

Just as Naruto reached the center, the music started. Naruto knelt in front of Hinata and took her hand. And then, the slow dance started.

They began to dance slowly, both of them still unsure of each other's pace. They already knew the steps. They had rehearsed this slow dance many times for weeks before the wedding. It was just that it had been quite a while since they did it again, and perhaps it was due largely to the situation they're in.

Naruto was obviously struggling. His body movements were erratic and his breathing a bit labored. He was sweating heavily too. In his palms and on his forehead. She herself wasn't faring any better. She still had tears in her eyes, making her vision blurry. Her steps, as opposed to Naruto's, were harried and lighter. She wanted this dance to end as soon as possible.

She'd always dreamed of this dance. Ever since she realized her true feelings for Naruto. She had always dreamed that she'd be married to him, and had a happy life with him. And their wedding would be the start. She was so happy when Naruto finally proposed to her. When they were engaged, Hinata thought that that was the single, happiest moment of her life.

"Hinata." Hinata stopped at Naruto's voice. Naruto had bent closer to her ear. This close, she could feel the slight tremor in Naruto's chest when he breathed.

The music was slowing down. They were approaching the final part of the dance.

"Do you mind… if I take a moment to catch my breath?" Naruto's breathing was fatigued and he had stopped dancing altogether.

Hinata's breath had stopped in her throat, her tears once again falling down her face.

"N-Naruto-kun." She stopped too and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry. So so sorry."

"This isn't your fault, Hina. Please don't cry. It's OK. I just forgot some of the steps, ya know. It's been long."

"Please don't move anymore. Please just stop this. You don't have to do this. I shouldn't have agreed to this."

"Hinata, I swear I'm-"

"Haruno-san would be fine. I promise she'll be fine. So please, just trust me. We should stop this."

Naruto's head lowered and rested on her shoulder. "I know. I trust you completely, Hinata. Sakura-chan's safe with you. She's gonna be OK."

Hinata was sobbing now. Her small form was trembling uncontrollably with how hard she was crying. Her fists tightened on Naruto's shirt, trying to stop the other boy from moving unnecessarily. She was still utterly confused on why Naruto was allowing himself to go through with this. "So w-why? Why are you still doing this? I don't understand."

And here, Hinata stopped, suddenly realizing something. Knowing Naruto…

"This was supposed to be our dance, Hinata. I should've at least given this to you. This was supposed to be yours."

Hinata's fists were shaking as they gripped Naruto's shirt. "Naruto-kun," she sobbed. She knew Naruto would do something like this. He'd always been considerate of others, always putting other people before himself. The boy was the one who shouldered the blame of terminating their engagement after all.

When she first told Naruto about the break-up, Naruto looked at her with so much shock and sadness in his blue eyes. Hinata couldn't tell him the real reason at that time, fearing that Naruto would blame himself. She instead told him that she'd fallen in love with somebody else.

Though obviously pained, Naruto accepted her feelings and agreed to end the relationship. The next day much to her surprise, the news had spread that it was Naruto who broke up the engagement. And the news somehow got twisted that it was because Naruto was cheating with another woman. This wasn't true of course. Hinata quickly contacted Naruto to set things straight. But the conversation didn't go the way Hinata planned it should—as it ended with Naruto even forcing Hinata to promise not to tell anyone the real reason for the break-up.

Naruto was obstinate in taking the whole blame. The responsibility should fall solely on him, Naruto stressed. Hinata obviously did not agree with this but with a heavy heart, she consented in the end.

"And I just want to give it to you. This dance," Naruto uttered shakily. "I'm sorry we couldn't do it anymore. I'm so sorry, Hina."

"No, no…"

She was full-on crying now that her knees had started shaking with the violent sobs.

For a person who was rarely shown affection throughout his life, Naruto had lots of love to give. Had lots of understanding and devotion to everyone, which was exceptionally amazing and unbelievable at the same time. He was abandoned as a child and had been forced to survive in the streets alone. Even when finally adopted, he was relentlessly compared and abused by his peers.

Naruto had been struggling so much for all his life, and he'd seen the ugliness in everyone's hearts. To think that he could still be someone as kind as this was unbelievable. Hinata couldn't even begin to put it into words.

And this was one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him in the first place.

But it was foolish to think that she could make Naruto learn to love her instead.

Her father, smart and capable as he might be, had been wrong on that part. It wasn't Haruno-san who had Naruto's heart.

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata mumbled as she kissed the side of Naruto's head tenderly, "will never forgive me."

"…."

She closed her eyes, whispering words into Naruto's ears. "He must be really worried by now."

Naruto even had the strength to chuckle weakly at that, unbelievably still finding humor at the most inopportune moment. "That bastard? Don't think so, Hina-chan… He hates me now. I think he hates me now."

Hinata seriously doubted that. "He… loved you, Naruto-kun. He always did. And you loved him too, right?" As soon as she said that, the reaction was instantaneous. She immediately felt Naruto become rigid against her.

Slowly, the blonde lifted his head from her shoulder and looked her in the eye. There was that look of unmistakable guilt in his eyes and he opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.

"I know, Naruto-kun. You don't have to say anything." The pain in her heart was overwhelming. It was like a scalded skin. A fresh wound that was raw and throbbing, and if she'd be given her own moment, she'd cry her eyes out. She knew for a quite a while now. "I know your feelings for him. For Sasuke."

This time, Naruto looked like he was going to say something but Hinata stopped him, and continued.

"For a long time now." She continued, hating how Naruto was looking at her. The blue eyes were clouded with guilt and shame. Feelings that shouldn't really be there, because none of this was Naruto's fault, really. Love… was nobody's fault. It wasn't Naruto's fault that he'd been in love with his best friend for the longest time now. It was just that the realization had come in way too late. Naruto was known to be slow but Hinata didn't think this was the case.

It's just that Naruto was not used to this kind of affection that he wouldn't be able to recognize it even if someone showed him directly. Even if someone had showed him consistently. Naruto wouldn't have known he was being offered affection. That he was cherished too. That he was loved.

"I…", the boy had frozen up. There were tears flowing freely from his face, his blue eyes too wide and full of emotions. On his face was a mix of both sadness and guilt. The boy really did wear his heart on his sleeves.

"D-Do you remember the party that Kiba-kun set up for you? The one where you and Sasuke-kun fought in the restaurant. You were too drunk, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded slowly. Hinata had a slight suspicion that Naruto didn't remember everything. He was totally out of it. "Neji had to take you two outside. Kakashi-san was there too but he was in the car so it was my cousin who dragged you out. Sasuke-kun even hit Neji on the face. I think he was pretty drunk too. You two were so uncontrollable. You were both shouting." There's a small smile on Hinata's face as she recounted the events, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She still looked too sad. The tears on her face had never dried up.

"I promised myself that once I became your wife, I would never let you touch another liquor again. I promise that I wouldn't let you two fight again. I promise…" And here, Hinata stopped. Her lips were shaking, and her hold on Naruto grew tighter.

B-But then he kissed you-"

Naruto stopped, staring wide-eyed at Hinata.

"And suddenly everything just stopped for me." Hinata choked out. "You and Sasuke exchanged a lot of hurtful things that night, you know, so when h-he... kissed y-you, I was... I couldn't…"

"I'm in love with you, you idiot."

Naruto stiffened even more. Hinata wasn't sure if Naruto even remembered the kiss. Or the words that Sasuke said after the sudden kiss. That heart-stopping confession that Sasuke made was the deal breaker. That was the moment when Hinata finally realized she couldn't go through with the wedding anymore. With the way Naruto was looking at her now, eyes so wide and mouth gaping, it would be a safe bet that Naruto didn't remember anything at all.

"I was so shocked," Hinata continued, "I must have p-passed out because the next thing I knew, I was already in my own room. Neji-kun told me everything that happened. He left out the kiss, of course. He must have seen it but he didn't want to tell me. But I remembered."

"Hinata…" Naruto said, his own voice shaking.

"That's why I broke up with you." Hinata kissed the side of Naruto's lips. So tenderly and so soft, and she let her lips lingered for a while on Naruto's tanned cheek. Almost like a goodbye kiss. This must be the last time she would be able to embrace Naruto like this. "I always loved you, Naruto-kun. And every time I see you look at Sasuke, my heart breaks because I… just couldn't be that person. You were always so drawn to him. Even when we were in school, you followed him everywhere. You always asked about him. I know you've loved him for a very long time. I know you always did."

Naruto's whole form was trembling as he hugged her back as tight as he could. "I'm so sorry Hina. I'm sorry…"

"This isn't your fault, so please don't apologize."

Love is nobody's fault. We could never choose the person we would fall in love with. Maybe, this was the greatest tragedy of all. When we choose to love the person who might never love us back.

The music had already stopped. From the distance, it looked like the couple had just stopped for an embrace.

"I…"

And then suddenly, Naruto crumpled on the floor, his knees finally giving up. Hinata was so caught off guard and tried to catch him, but Naruto's weight pulled them down together instead. "Naruto-kun!" she shrieked. Her hand pressed on Naruto's chest, feeling dampness there. Her eyes widened at the redness on her palm. There was blood slowly seeping from Naruto's shirt.

Hinata's fingers were trembling uncontrollably as she tried to remove Naruto's blood-stained waistcoat. With half of the buttons undone, she can now see the plastic foil wrapped tightly around Naruto's still bleeding stomach.

"Oh my god."

From the distance, she heard somebody scream. She thought it came from her at first, but then realized that she couldn't even open her mouth due to shock. She was so stunned that her body had frozen up. She could hear her own heart beating its way out of her chest. Her hands were trembling madly as she cradled the boy's head in her arms, pulling it close to her.

And then, suddenly, there were gunshots.

A lot of people were screaming now. There was growing panic and chaos all around her, but Hinata didn't seem to pay mind to any of it. Her time looked as if it had slowed down as she watched Naruto bleeding his life out on the floor. Slowly, blood was pooling on the floor, staining the hemline of her lavish white ball-gown. Naruto's own white tuxedo shirt looked gruesome, with the deep dark red darkening the pristine clothes.

"Y-YOU-?!"

It was her father's voice. Hinata had barely heard it when a shadow appeared at her line of sight. "Get away from my daughter, Uchiha!" Her father shouted.

Slowly, Hinata looked up.

"S-Sasuke-kun," she choked out, as she gazed up at the man in front of her. Her heartbeats were now beating faster than before. If there was fear overwhelming her heart right now, she dared not to show it.

Vaguely, she was reminded of that time when Sasuke spoke with her after their graduation. That was the time when she confessed to Naruto.

The Uchiha standing in front of her right now looked exactly the same, sporting the same unreadable expression. The only difference was that he wasn't looking at her this time. He was focused solely on the boy lying on the floor. His deep dark eyes were looking only at Naruto. Sasuke's fists were closed tightly at his sides, bleeding and bruised at the knuckles. He had a gun on the other hand, and his usually clean-cut and ironed clothes were now crumpled and blood-stained, more so at the cuffs, prompting her to realize that the chaos must had been the Uchiha's doing. He looked as equally gruesome as she and Naruto were.

'What in the world was happening,' she thought.

"Touch my daughter and I will kill you," Hiashi threatened, slowly walking towards them. Hearing her father's voice, Hinata finally tore her eyes away from the intimidating Uchiha and looked around her. What she saw chilled her.

"…!" The few guests in the hall room were huddled in one corner, visibly shaking in fear. The guards she realized in fear were all in bad condition, most of them on the floor and in obvious pain. The whole room was a terrible mess.

"If you want to keep your daughter alive, stay. The hell. Back. Hyuuga." Sasuke threatened back, not even looking at Hiashi. Suddenly, the collected façade of the Uchiha had morphed into this terrifying creature. His voice, when he finally spoke, was hard and chilling. And his eyes-

There was nothing in his eyes that did not scream viciousness. Forgiveness would be the last thing in his mind.

Hiashi wasn't intimidated. "How dare you threaten me in my own turf, you scoundrel! I will not-"

The sudden fire of a gun was too loud that Hinata thought something exploded. She shrieked and closed her eyes immediately. Chaos once again erupted in the small room, with some of the guests now crying hysterically. When Hinata finally opened her eyes, she saw a single bullet embedded deep into the floor a few inches from her.

"That wasn't a threat, Hyuuga. One more word from you. One more step, and I swear, I'll waste these bullets on your daughter."

Sasuke finally looked back, glaring heatedly at the Hyuuga patriarch.

"…" For the first time in Hinata's life, she saw her own father rendered speechless by that. Hiashi promptly closed his mouth and stopped in his tracks, his hand frozen in the air as if to reach for her daughter. There was this overwhelming look of desperation in her father's eyes that for a second, Hinata couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her father, the cold fearless leader of their clan, was now forced silent by one man not even half of his age.

No. Not even a man. A boy.

Just a boy. A boy deeply, madly, in love with the man in her arms. Hinata's hold on Naruto loosened unconsciously.

It wasn't just her father. Everyone was quiet after that. The screams and groans of pain had all died down. The air sang with an eerie kind of silence. The type that instilled itself deep into your bones. Freezing every beating vein and heart in the vicinity. Fear had seemed to have overwhelmed everything. No one spoke for quite a while.

"You f-fucking bastard."

And then, there was Naruto's voice.

Hinata was so lost in the moment that she didn't notice Naruto had woken up. The blonde had one arm planted on the floor, trying to steady his upper body. Trying to stand up. For the love of god, the boy was even trying to stand up.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

"It's ok, Hinata. I'm good." Naruto assured her as he tried to rearrange his legs. He had both his arms planted on the floor now for support. "I'm just gonna kick this bastard in the face," he said, voice breathless and shaking.

"No, oh my god, Naruto-kun. Please don't move."

"I'm good, I'm goo-"

Naruto coughed violently. The force drove his already unsteady elbows to collapse from underneath him. His balance failed and he was falling again. Hinata tried to catch him, but another pair of arms had suddenly blocked her line of sight and caught the boy instead. Sasuke had knelt quickly in front of them and had caught Naruto in his arms. The gun was discarded on the floor, forgotten. It was the Uchiha who was now cradling Naruto's head on his chest, his face bowed down and very close to the other boy.

Being this close to the pair, she heard the soft mumble of "idiot". At first she didn't know who said it, but when Sasuke repeated the word, louder this time, she was struck quiet. She almost couldn't believe it, as the previous menacing tone from the Uchiha was suddenly gone.

"You impossible idiot." Even with the insult, Sasuke spoke the words softly and with so much tenderness towards the other boy, his lips touching the side of Naruto's face. The bloodied hand that had previously held the gun was now the same hand supporting Naruto's body in the gentlest of hold. It was almost unbelievable that this was the same man who had brutally (and single-handedly) incapacitated her father's men.

Suddenly, this scene looked too familiar. It was as if this was the same scene three years ago, at the hospital. Hinata remembered the time when Naruto was confined after the bloody altercation at school. When she visited Naruto the following day with flowers and fruits in her hand, Hinata saw Sasuke leaning over the sleeping boy, his lips close to the latter's face. That was just an unbelievable moment that Hinata could've sworn her heart had stopped. And broke at that particular moment.

[]

"Get Sakura." Hinata was startled at the sudden order. The hardness was back in the Uchiha's tone, but this time with a tinge of growing desperation. "Now."

"Y-Yes!" She quickly nodded, cursing herself at not thinking of that in the first place. She looked around and signaled one of the remaining men in the room.

"Please get Haruno-san right now," she shouted at one of them. The subordinate's arm was bent in an impossible angle, but thankfully he was still alert and conscious. Hesitating, the man glanced between Hiashi and her, clearly unsure of what to do. He even eyed Sasuke too, his whole body rigid and nervous.

Frustrated at the man's indecisiveness, Hinata pleaded with her father instead.

"Father, please."

Hiashi looked as conflicted. He tore his eyes away from his daughter, and re-focused his gaze on the two boys.

"I don't care about that… filth," her father said, but this time for some reason the man's voice was lower. There was no longer a hint of vehemence in his voice. Even at the last part, he seemed to hesitate. As if he was starting to doubt his words.

"Father!"

"I don't care-" Hiashi suddenly stopped. It was as if the words had died in his throat. His hands had started shaking at his sides and his eyes were wide as they stared at the two boys.

The Uchiha was holding—no, hugging—Naruto's body now. There was no longer space between the two boys. Naruto's body was pressed impossibly closer to Sasuke. Never separating ever again. Sasuke had disregarded all of them and had started to whisper words into Naruto's ears. And Naruto, barely conscious and all, had leaned in closer to his friend, listening intently with a peaceful look on his face. The blonde's lips were moving slightly too, mumbling words she could no longer hear. Just words shared between the two of them. Words not meant for everyone to hear. If she wasn't deathly worried about Naruto, she could've left both of them in private. The intimacy in their closeness was too much to bear. Something she could never have with Naruto herself.

Hinata could feel everyone's eyes on the couple now. Everyone was looking at Naruto and Sasuke, as if they were the only two people in the world. The image looked so unreal that there was confusion painted in all of their faces. As if the image itself was too hard and unbelievable to process. It took quite a while before realization finally set in. And when it did, the whole room was once again stilled into silence.

"…"

Life was truly full of surprises.

Hinata glanced back at her father, unsurprised at what she'd found. Her father had the same bemused expression as everybody else. Seeing the look on her father's face, she knew without a doubt that her father had realized it too. Had finally understood.

Naruto's heart had long belonged to someone else even from the very start. And it still belonged, and would always belong to that one person. And it might have been painful at first, but Hinata had considered herself fortunate enough that she'd realized this even before the wedding. It would break her more if she'd learn of Naruto's real feelings years into their married life and with a family of their own.

When someone finally broke the silence, Hinata wasn't surprised where it came from. "Kill the cameras," Hiashi suddenly barked at his men, now standing straighter and his eyes no longer clouded in anger. Then he turned to the subordinate with the broken arm, speaking in a more hurried tone. "Release the doctor and bring her in. Now."

"Yes Boss! Right away."

"Oh thank god." Hinata almost burst into tears and slumped on the floor in relief, her hand clutching her chest. In the background, he could hear her father's subordinates scrambling off to turn off all the cameras in the vicinity. Even though it was all too late now as the whole thing was livestreamed and everyone had already seen the pandemonium that happened in this hall room, Hinata knew that everything was finally over.

"Escort the guests out," Hiashi ordered his remaining men. "There'll be no wedding. This event is done."

After he said that, the eldest Hyuuga approached his daughter slowly. He fell to his knees in front of his daughter and with shaking arms, he hugged her tightly.

"Your mother and I… we loved each other terribly. But not all relationships are meant to last, love," Hiashi said in a somber tone. "I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry for hurting you. For all the pain I've caused. You didn't deserve this."

"No, Father. This wasn't you. This was wholly my fault," Hinata choked out. She promised Naruto that she'd never tell and she'd been scared to confess, but it was her concern for Naruto that eventually crushed the fear in her heart.

"I-I was the one who broke off the engagement. I was the one who ended things with him." Hinata cried, burying her head into her father's shoulder. "N-Naruto-kun didn't do anything wrong. He just doesn't want me to be hurt, so he put all the blame on himself. And I agreed to that." Hiashi tightened his hold on her, and in a very low mumble, Hinata heard another apology slip past her father's lips.

"N-Naruto-kun saved me." Hinata hugged Hiashi back as tight as she could. "And I will always love him."

If Hinata could've loved anyone else, her life could've been a lot easier. But she never regretted falling in love with Naruto. She really couldn't. After all these years. Naruto might be the only man she would ever love.

Sakura finally arrived after a few minutes, with her instruments already in hand. She looked absolutely anxious and worn-out, but physically she seemed OK. When she first stepped in the room, she was so shocked to see the ruin in the room and the copious amount of blood pooling on the tiles, that the medic completely stood stock still for a good half-minute looking like she was going to faint. Thankfully, her healer instincts finally overrode everything else and rushed to the two boys in the middle of the room.

She even had to force the Uchiha to let go of Naruto first. Once Naruto was settled, lying on his back on the floor, Sakura started assessing the damages. Her hands were trembling as she started to unbutton Naruto's clothes. Though the young medic's eyes looked focused, it was her quivering lips and shaky fingers that betrayed her. Sakura's whole countenance was terribly tense.

"Sakura-san, you can do this." Hinata had disentangled herself from her father and proceeded to calm and help the physician any way she could. "N-Naruto-kun will be alright." There were tears now forming in the medic's eyes but she wiped them away before they could fall.

Hiashi didn't waste any time too as he instructed his men to call for the ambulance and contact the Uchiha.

It was all a blur after that.

It took less than an hour for the great Uchiha Madara to arrive, and when he did it was like the whole Hyuuga compound had descended into absolute stupor. The whole fiasco had indeed died down, but it was like everything and everyone was stuck in a trance. This was like an unbelievable dream. It was just that hard to believe. Who knew that the cancellation of the wedding would just be the start.

"The kid is fine," was the first words the eldest Hyuuga said to Madara. "He's being personally treated by your own doctor. She refused to take him to the hospital so I ordered the medical equipment to be brought here instead. I've also requested some of my most trusted doctors to come here-"

"Hiashi." Madara interrupted.

They exchanged a look. Nobody said anything for a while, and then Hiashi guided Madara to his study. They walked in absolute silence, not one of them speaking a word. Outside, the skies had cleared a bit. Though it was still snowing, the clouds had somehow lightened and the air wasn't as cold.

"What happened today," Hiashi said as he offered Madara a glass and poured a generous amount of alcohol in it, "was most regrettable." He seated himself in front of the Uchiha and poured alcohol in his own glass. When Hiashi brought the alcohol to his lips, he drank it in one swig.

Madara couldn't help smiling bitterly in his cup. These were the same words he told Sasuke so many years ago when they first met. When he had hurt Naruto, though indirectly, these were the same things that the elder Uchiha said to appease the boy. He wondered if Sasuke felt the same way he was feeling now.

Unforgiving. And absolutely furious-

He wanted to crush the glass in his hand and throw it to the other man's face. "For hurting one of my sons, I could never forgive you. You know that, right?"

"I understand." Hiashi didn't even bat an eyelid. "Please know that the feeling's mutual."

Hiashi poured another generous amount on his own cup. Madara filled his too. And they raised their glasses together.

"To love," Hiashi said.

The bitter smile on Madara's face deepened. He raised his glass a little higher. With the glass at his eye level, he could see a bit of his image reflected on the glass. He saw his own eyes, tired and rueful, as they stared back at him. For a while, he was reminded of his nephew. The same slant of eyes, the same dark color, but Sasuke's eyes had more fire. Had more passion.

Especially when his gaze rested on one particular person. When he looked at this person, Sasuke's eyes would start to fill with life and love.

And only with this person would he let this kind of affection show.

The bitter smirk that painted Madara's face slowly dropped. Madara leaned back on his chair and exhaled a long sigh. He didn't know why but suddenly his heart had become lighter and the hard expression in his eyes, softer. And a smile, so genuine and rare, curved the Uchiha's lips.

"To love," he said, finally.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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"Tell me, boy. What are you to Sasuke?"

And here, Naruto finally looked him in the eye again. And when he answered him, the kid's voice came out strong and sure, eyes so breathtakingly alive and determined. "Sasuke. He's my friend.

-He's everything to me."

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THE END

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OMG. You made it this far! I seriously commend you. Like, wow. You a masochist, man

SOUNDTRACK: (inspired by these awesome songs)

MADARA'S THEME: "We kill our way to Heaven" by Michl

HINATA'S THEMES: "Girls Your Age" by Transviolet & "Die Trying" by Michl

HINATA AND NARUTO DANCE THEME: "Breathe" by Luke Cusato

END NOTES:

* IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: (since there were a lot of flashbacks, this is the gist of what really happened in the story):

Naruto's engagement w/ Hinata - Fight between Sasuke & Naruto (restaurant scene narrated by Neji) - Cancellation of the engagement - Termination of the alliance with the Hyuuga - Sakura's disappearance (abduction) - Naruto's meeting w/ Hiashi - Hinata and Naruto had their last dance - Sasuke's arrival to save Naruto - Hiashi cancelled the wedding himself (final)

* Kamagasaki is a true place in Japan. It's now referred to as Nishinari-ku, one of the 24 wards (subdivision of cities) in Osaka. It is widely known as the country's poorest district or "Japan's biggest slum." (No offense meant. I copied that description online).

* Why did Sasuke stab Naruto (beginning)? With his refusal to accept Naruto's help (or offer of food), it came to a point where Sasuke suffered delusions (from severe starvation) that he mistook Naruto for his parents' murderer and stabbed him. Implied. Sasuke only gave hints.

* Surprise, surprise. Itachi is the arsonist. Implied. I want some of the things here to parallel the events in the manga. And in Sasuke's search for revenge, he "accidentally" hurt Naruto. When Sasuke said "I didn't know I could hate anyone more than I hated my brother", this means he knew who the murderer is.

* Neji saw the kiss and (vaguely) heard the confession. But he disregarded both, as he believed that those are just mindless rambling of two severely intoxicated people. Also at that time, his sole focus is on Hinata.

* Why did Hinata request the wedding dance? Hinata decided to have her dance first before the wedding so Sasuke will have more time to come and stop the wedding. She's stalling because she knew Sasuke would come to save Naruto. As always. (Also, I want the dramatic effect of the dance).

* In the dance scene, Naruto collapsed because of the severe blood loss. Naruto was previously stabbed by one of Hiashi's men (the one carrying the butterfly knife).

* The big question: Why did Naruto propose in the first place? Because he thought he loved Hinata. He thought he had feelings for her. Naruto didn't know much or understood the difference between affection and romantic love. It was the restaurant scene that happened weeks before the wedding that changed everything. Hinata of course saw the kissing scene and realized it too. She ended the engagement because of that. Please remember that all the wedding preparations have been finalized at this point. If Hinata admitted that she was the one who ended the engagement / alliance, she'd take the blame. Naruto didn't want that and shouldered the responsibility.

If you have any questions, clarifications, or violent comments, please fire away. :) This is my very first, and though it's rigged with a million mistakes, I am extremely proud of it. Scratched this off my bucket list!