Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

It was very quiet.

Sasori could hear nothing but the sound of his own heavy, laboured breathing. Darkness surrounded him, the scrap of material across the bridge of his nose blocking all possible light. Yet despite this lack of visual awareness, his sense of touch remained as powerful as ever. In one chained hand he held that of his partner, their fingers casually entwined as though they were out on a date.

Around them they could sense the comforting presence of other bodies, all huddled together and waiting in grave silence.

They didn't speak. They didn't need to.

In some faraway place they heard the voice of Madara, faint and commanding at the same time. He was talking to his people, preparing them for what they were about to witness. A natural public speaker, he delivered his speech in his own dishonest manner and with expert precision.

'The world is divided! There are the rich and the poor! The strong and the weak! There are those who lead, and there are those who follow!'

Distant cheering could be heard as hungry crowds waited for a performance. No doubt most of that cheering came from the Alpha members of society. The bodies bristled slightly at noise and several took a few steps back in misgiving. Sasori felt his lover's grip tighten, and he gave a squeeze of reassurance in response.

Madara's voice came through again, his words quieter yet as bold as ever.

'This natural balance has served us well in the past, has it not? Have we not prospered under these laws? Have we not, my friends, maintained the peace that our ancestors fought for? I ask you, where would we be without this treasured equilibrium?'

Sasori felt a nose nuzzle against his shoulder, seeking solace from him. He leaned back, anxious to feel his partner's entire body against his own. He kept his ears focused on Madara's voice. The man cried, grandly, 'We would descend into chaos! All our wealth, all our knowledge, all this progress we have attained throughout the years, all would be lost! My friends, we would become no better than animals, driven by the simplest of desires! We would lose the very thing that makes us human! Our ability to maintain this society is what separates us from wild beasts!'

'…Danna?'

Sasori automatically shut Madara out and instead turned to his partner. He couldn't see Deidara's face, his blindfold taking care of that option, but he could picture the Omega's expression in his mind's eye. It wasn't a happy one. 'What is it?'

'You never told me what's going to happen to us, un,' whispered Deidara, quietly.

For a moment, Sasori said nothing. Then all at once, he pressed his body hard against his lover's, the handcuffs restricting anything more than this awkward gesture. Eager to reach a greater level of closeness, Sasori rested his chin on Deidara's shoulder and relished the sensation of a warm body against his own.

Deidara practically fell against his Danna. He could hear Sasori's uneven breathing next to his ear and guessed it was due to the pump being fractured. 'So what-'

'You know I care for you, don't you?' interjected Sasori. The words tumbled from his lips as a strained whisper, almost as if he had a sore throat.

'Of course, but-'

'And…do you care for me too?' whispered the Alpha, pressing further forward.

Deidara nodded, afterwards realising that the movement could not be seen by either of them. Instead he answered, 'Yes-'

'Then what does it matter what happens?' said Sasori, and his tone suggested that this question was supposed to go unanswered.

Deidara frowned from beneath his blindfold, but decided he didn't want to push for a proper answer. He knew he probably wouldn't like the truth anyway and ignorance was bliss. For now he would settle for simply being with Sasori.

It seemed that even after all the pain they had been through, all the tears, all the fights, all the effort they had invested in escape, it seemed that even after all of that, they had lost their defiance in the end. Now they were placid creatures, waiting in calm acceptance. They stood with their bodies pressed against each other, not in a sexual way or a way which would evoke lust, but in quiet earnest, and listened to the rest of Madara's sermon. By now the crowds had somewhat mellowed and, judging by the sudden lack of cheering, they were currently being very attentive.

'But, my friends, I have not summoned you to remind you of this truth,' continued Madara, with fake solemnity. 'I have summoned you because I have some grave news to share. I once believed that each and every one of us understood the importance of this stability, but it would seem that some still didn't get the message. I have brought you here today to witness the penalty for rebellion. I have brought you here to meet the individuals who have defied us.'

The crowds burst into a violent uproar at this revelation, outraged that anyone would dare to campaign against them. Did these traitors not care for their city? Did they not care for peace and tradition? Did these evil people think that they had the power to place themselves above everyone else?

Behind closed doors, Deidara and Sasori shut their eyes tightly as the wave of noise rushed over them, this being far louder than expected. Words could be heard amidst the cries of indignation; grotesque insults and utterances of impossible hate. It was easy to imagine Madara basking in the commotion like the cruel tyrant he was, and even through all the ruckus his voice could be heard as clear as day.

'Do you want to meet them?' he asked, slowly goading the crowd into a full-blown frenzy. 'My friends, do you wish to meet the people who have cast you aside? The people who have wilfully endangered you?'

He received roars of agreement. It was like a scene from a play, one where the audience is so displeased by what they see that they start gathering rotten tomatoes.

Madara smiled down at his subjects. They were all so loyal and trusting, yet so easily manipulated. He raised his hand as a signal and gave a single order to his guards. 'Bring them out!'

Sasori and Deidara hastily pulled apart as a sudden shot of light seemed to appear from nowhere, piercing their blindfolds and making the world that much brighter. Behind them, the other teenagers cowered at the sheer intensity of the outside world. They felt themselves being ushered towards the light like cattle to a slaughterhouse.

Then the blindfolds were removed.

Sasori felt like screaming in pain when his eyes caught their first glimpse of the sun. The fiery orb shot arrows of light through his pupils, making the back of his head burn most terribly.

The crowd let out a roar and, as his eyes swam into focus, he finally realised the true magnitude of the situation.

This wasn't just a small gathering of people who could be bothered to turn up. No, this had to be about two thirds of the population, with more still trickling in. This was a grand event and, for a short moment, he was rendered spellbound at the sheer immensity of it all.

His eyes travelled through the crowd, sifting through the people, both Alpha and Omega. Everyone was present, a few sad faces scattered among the many hateful expressions. Mr Yoshida, Kurenai, Principle Tsunade, Shisui, the staff from the carnival, the kind doctor with his half-moon glasses…

And there, at the very front of the crowd behind the simple barrier, stood Aika and Toru. They were in a lovely pose, as though they were having their photo taken.

'Danna…u-un…'

Sasori turned to face his lover. Deidara was staring straight ahead, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. It was torture; to see his mother so close to him yet to be unable to touch her or even speak to her. She herself looked as though she would start crying at any minute. Her hands were at her face; she couldn't bear to watch her son's punishment, to witness his fate.

Toru, however, wore a very different expression entirely. He sent Deidara a warm smile, the kind that provided reassurance, and he placed an arm around Aika. Of course, she couldn't endure any longer, and she clung to him, her body trembling with wracked sobs.

Deidara couldn't hear her and somehow that made the situation a whole lot worse. It was like a tragic scene from a silent movie. He drew in a shaky breath and shut his eyes tightly. Tears streamed down his cheeks and landed on the pavement. He didn't want to be here. No words could describe how much he wanted to get away from it all. He wanted to run, run far away and never come back.

He could hear Sasori whispering to him in a soothing tone.

'Deidara…everything is going to be alright…are you listening to me? Everything is going to be alright…'

He admired his Danna's courage but it was a standard that he simply couldn't live up to himself. After being dragged through so much his character had become marred and battered. He just wasn't as strong as before; he didn't have the same level of zeal. It was a struggle for him to stand on his own two feet.

Behind them stood Itachi and Kisame. At first glance they didn't appear to be close at all, but away from prying eyes their hands were cemented together.

Itachi looked up and down the crowds, his hawk-like eyes flicking in all directions. Even after surveying the entire area, he found no trace of Sasuke or Naruto, and he lowered his gaze to the ground. He had expected this; he knew his brother wouldn't care enough to make an appearance.

And yet, it still hurt him.

It shot straight through to his heart. Sasuke didn't care.

He felt Kisame give his hand a comforting squeeze, and he smiled in spite of the liquid rolling down his cheeks.

The guards pushed them onto a raised platform and they gasped at what they saw. Konan very nearly fainted. There, next to Madara who was dressed in his sharp suit and cloak, was a noose. It wasn't a simple, cheap thing either; it was the real deal, and there was even a trapdoor situated beneath it. It was positively barbaric.

Madara raised his hand, asking for silence.

He got it.

'Friends,' he began, smiling as though he were at a school fair. He gestured to the group of young people at his side, lined up with their chains dragging on the wooden platform. 'These are your traitors.'

The crowd shrieked in rage, several people waving their fists and giving obscene gestures. Madara waved his hands. 'Now, now, listen carefully to me,' he said, suddenly deadly serious. 'I know that you trust me enough to make the right decisions. It is for this reason that I have made some...minor adjustments to the schedule. In other words, not all will hang today.'

The crowd broke into chatter, confused. Sensing a possible uproar, Madara spoke again.

'You are all aware of how important the board is, correct? You are aware of how much effort it takes us, the Alphas, to ensure your safety? It is our knowledge and skill that leads this empire. We need all the men when can get. We need strong, capable individuals of Alpha blood. Individuals that we can train. And for that reason…only the Omegas will hang today.'

The crowd was taken aback for a moment. They had just received a speech on how betrayal was unforgiveable, and yet half of the traitors would live? Then again, wasn't what Madara said true? They needed leaders, members of the board to protect them. There probably was a huge amount of brain work involved in running a civilisation.

The teenagers themselves were distraught. Their lovers would be snatched away from them and they would be made to watch them die. Perhaps cruelest of all was the fact that they'd then be expected to continue living without them.

Not even giving Deidara a chance to get upset, Sasori stood in front of him, blocking his view of the baying crowd. He looked over his shoulder. 'Deidara, calm down. Listen to me, calm down at once. I'm here. I won't let them touch you, but you need to calm down.'

But Deidara was crumbling away with each passing second. He hunched himself over, and his breathing was so rapid that Sasori thought he would have a heart attack.

His face was a contorted, a bright crimson, and he was sniffling uncontrollably.

He didn't want to die.

This wasn't fair. He was young; there were so many things he wanted to do. Why was his time being cut short? Was it because he fell in love with someone he wasn't supposed to? He didn't understand; no one could control love! It wasn't his choice!

All of a sudden, a loud, thunderous voice, sliced through the commotion.

'Madara!'

Madara's grin dropped to a straight, flat line. The crowd turned to see who had spoken, intrigued as to why someone would dare to interrupt their leader.

It was Toru.

He was staring directly at Madara, a single stony face among many surprised ones. Madara flicked his head, signalling for the man to continue. He'd humour the cretin.

'We made a deal!' shouted Toru, cupping his hand to his mouth in the hope it would increase his volume. 'You kill the rest, but my son lives! I said you could bring them to justice on the condition you spare his life! You agreed with me!'

Madara was silent for a minute, mulling things over. He sucked in his cheeks and rolled his tongue around his mouth in thought. 'I did indeed say that,' he mused, turning to give Deidara the once over. The poor boy was quivering from head to toe, his face stained with tears. Madara's lips slowly grew into a treacherous smile. 'But then again, I do say many things,' he murmured.

He turned to look at Toru once more, announcing something that would later have dire consequences. 'The conditions have been altered. Your son will die with the rest. There are no exceptions here, Toru. You know that, and the board knows that.' He sneered. 'After all, it's just an Omega. An Omega that you yourself abandoned not long ago...'

It was at this point that Toru finally realised he'd been double-crossed. Instead of protecting his child, he'd done the opposite; he'd delivered the boy to Madara on a silver platter. His eyes blazed and his face twisted in hate. His nostrils flared and, as he spoke, he sprayed the surrounding area with saliva.

'You lied to me,' he hissed, his voice strained and quiet. He bellowed, loudly, 'You lied! You said he would live! Kill the others! Kill the Alphas! Just, please…not my boy…'

His voice withered away into a mere whisper and Aika tried her best to console him; she wrapped her slender hands around his bulky frame but he roughly rejected her embrace. He pushed her aside and lifted his head, searching for someone else to blame.

His eyes locked onto Sasori.

Just seeing the redhead made his blood boil in his veins; it was enough to make him sick. He thrust a finger in the young Alpha's direction, cursing bitterly, froth forming at the corners of his mouth.

'You! You did this! You little shit! You live and my son dies! This is your fault, you bastard!'

Then he went wild.

He ploughed his way through the crowd like an enraged bull, pushing people aside and knocking them over. Several tried to hold him back but none succeeded; they were trampled beneath his feet. He rampaged through the heaving mass of people, heading straight towards the nearest Alpha guard. The man gripped hold of one of Toru's wrists in order to block a punch but that left his belt wide open; in one swift move, Toru has stolen the gun from his pocket and was now running towards the barrier, which he stormed through without a second thought.

He raised the weapon, pointing it at Sasori, who could only stare down its barrel in horror.

Everything had happened so fast, in a mere instant. He couldn't move; he was paralysed, rooted to the spot. He was literally staring death in the face.

Deidara screamed at his father and rattled his chains. He pulled desperately against his bonds, to point where they cut into the tender skin of his wrists. He hardly felt it though; he was too busy trying to break free.

Panic ensued.

The crowd screeched and fled in all directions, and Aika desperately pushed her way to the front, fighting against the torrent of bodies. The guards ran towards Toru with the intent of restraining him, and Madara bombarded everyone with orders.

Then a sickening crack sounded.

It reverberated around the town square, up the buildings and back down again, stunning the crowd. No one made a noise. They simply froze in place, terror etched into their faces. It was so quiet in fact, that it was possible to hear a pin drop.

Or rather, a corpse.

A lifeless body fell to the ground, blonde hair slowly turning red as it became soaked with blood.

Automatically fearing the worst, Sasori spun to the spot where his lover had been standing, but Deidara was still there. He had been unable to break his ties in time and now he stared ahead in total silence. Tears hung from his eyelashes, suspended without falling, and his bottom lip wobbled.

Toru dropped his gun as though it were on fire.

He had not hit the intended target.

And it was not Deidara lying dead at his feet either.

It was Aika.

He had shot his own wife.

It has been so long since I updated this...poor Aika... T^T

This chapter was quite short, but we've only got one more to go! After all this time, it's gonna be finished! We can do it, guys! X'D

I hope you enjoyed! Love ya! X3