Same Soul • Sasunaru

21. Embers.

Sasuke's POV
December 26th
Osaka, Japan
Evening

I'm not a medic

But I can take back the scars

I'll give to you.

°•°•°•°•°

My heart beats rapidly so much that my head throbs in pain. I'm baffled by my own actions, and still unable to believe myself and what I've done. It makes it near impossible to drive home through the city at night with the flashing billboards and distant police sirens that makes my blood rush faster. Not only this, but a blonde boy lies helplessly in the back leather seats of my Ferrari; previously fainting as I stole him from the Anbu Foundation kid. I keep constantly checking my mirror to make sure he's still breathing as I speed past hundreds of cars and pedestrians until I reach the edge of the city's skyline and into the hills.

I kidnapped Naruto out of good will, and it's something I need to keep reminding myself. Although I am very close to my brother, I know nothing about his plans with Naruto and the Akatsuki. For all I know, Itachi could want him and Minato dead in the end in order to get the power he wants. I agreed to help Itachi with whatever he needs that involves Naruto, but I would never take part in killing him or his family. The fact that the Anbu was at the winter concert made me nervous; like they were expecting the Akatsuki to execute an assassination. In consequence, I took Naruto and left the concert to protect him. Itachi would never lay his hands on Naruto as long as I'm right next to him.

I arrive at my house and park close to the entrance so I can carry my precious cargo across the cobblestone driveway with ease. I open the back door of my car to reveal the innocent blond boy sprawled across the heated seats in deep sleep. I struggle to lift him into my arms in bridal style from the car, but I'm eventually able to do so. Soft flurries of snow trickle down from the sky, so I keep running my hands through Naruto's blond locks to keep his hair from getting wet on the way to the doorway. Once I set foot inside of my home, I am faced with my brother Itachi before I even take a few steps into the house; only leaving enough space for the french doors to close behind me to leave a heavy breeze of cool winter air.

Itachi glances at me with bothered eyes, like I'm doing something that I'm not supposed to be doing. But ultimately, my actions left an impression on him. "You're very intelligent to bring the boy home, little brother. But unfortunately the Akatsuki had no plans tonight at the winter concert, and the Anbu is being over paranoid about protecting Minato Namikaze in his candidacy." Itachi grins at me satanically to piss me off, as he closes the large book in his hands with an abrupt thump.

"I don't give a damn," I snap back to him as I hold Naruto's unconscious body closer to my chest for warmth. "I  trust you, but I don't trust the Akatsuki. I'll take part in any plan that involves Naruto unless it harms him physically. Until then I'll keep him under my constant care, understand?" I take a step closer to him in dominance, my sneakers squeaking on the floor from the wet snow melting off of them. 

He huffs and begins to walk away from me and into the library by the marble fireplace. The burning embers reflect in his eyes with clarity as he stares at it like it's the most beautiful and ominous thing in the world. "Causing physical pain to Naruto would only improve Minato's growing light in the eyes of the public. Besides, you don't care about his mental well-being as long as we don't slash his throat? I pity you, Sasuke." He grabs the fire iron besides the andiron that holds slabs of maple wood between its metal bars. Itachi stabs the center of a charred piece of wood on a pile of black smoking ash. The friction causes the embers to fly upwards in spirals, then joins the rest of the ash. "If Minato Namikaze doesn't burn the way we want him to, then we won't have a choice in the end, now would we? That means you must do your part."

I furrow my eyebrows and hold my breath; my nails digging into Naruto's clothes in antagonism. "I'd rather have his heart broken then for him to be slaughtered by the likes of you. At least if he's hurt inside, I can help him to heal again!" I growl, my tone ranging from agitation to aggression. A small whimper escapes from Naruto's lungs; causing me to realize that I'm being loud enough to awaken him from his sleep. I lay my hand on his hair as I bring his head to rest on the crook of my neck.

Itachi's words fall silent as he eyes the growing fire until he refills his lungs to say, "Oh, and keep an eye out for amber alerts; Naruto is now a missing minor, after all. You would be smart enough to take his cell phone and hide it, right?" 

"Shit," I murmur under my breath, loud enough for Itachi to hear. I haven't thought about taking his phone. If he woke up in a mysterious place, my home, he would surely reach out to someone for help; meaning both me and Itachi would be in trouble with the authorities. I need to come up with an idea to make Naruto calm and from suspicion. I could potentially convince him he has amnesia when he wakes up; that the winter concert happened weeks ago, and he fell asleep at my place while hanging out. Without a cell phone, he wouldn't know the time or date. Now it's just a waiting game to see when he will wake up, so my plan can begin.