*Naruto's Point of view*

Gaara was already unconscious when I dropped him into our get away car from the cops. I brought him into the basement of my home before he regained consciousness. It's best he doesn't know where I live.

For now.

Kiba shackled the opposing gang leader's arms. His legs were as good as useless, with his kneecaps blown out and a bullet in his thigh.

While waiting for Gaara to wake, Kiba and I went upstairs to have dinner. I sent a henchman to keep watch and notify us immediately when he wakes up.

While my chef and servers were preparing dinner, I went upstairs to my room to freshen up and change my blood stained clothes. As I was putting on my jeans, someone wrapped their arms around me from the back.

Alerted, I elbowed him in the chest and swiftly turned around, ready to attack. As I was landing another punch, I saw the perpetrator was Kiba. I sighed in relief, "You scared me. I thought Gaara had escaped."

He rubbed his chest, "Ouch. That almost hurt." He chuckled, hugging me again. "Why? Are you saying Gaara would hug you?"

"No! I didn't think you were hugging me. I thought it was an ambush." I shook my head, pushing his arms off me. I hadn't been doing this in so long, I was jumpy and paranoid. I was so alone, no one had my back. Even when I was sleeping on the streets, I had to have my guard up. Always.

"Hey. Don't worry. I'm here now." He pulled me into his arms. It was his third attempt to keep me in his arms. I wriggled my head out to speak, "I missed you, partner."

He whispered softly into my ear, "I missed you too. Partner."

"Dinner's ready!" I heard one of my maids calling out to us to come down for dinner.

Finally I was starving. We proceeded downstairs to see a wide spread of dishes laid out on the lengthy dinner table. Kiba and I sat at each end of the table, and we toasted to a reunited friendship. After sipping wine, we began eating dinner.

"Are you going to continue supplying... drugs?.." I nervously asked.

"No. I know what happened to you. I won't. We'll stay far away from that. I'll be joining you now. We'll fight side by side, forever." He raised his glass again. And we cheered to a new partnership.

Life is almost perfect.

I took everything I had for granted.

Half an hour into dinner, my henchman shouted frantically while running up the stairs and into the dining room. "He-he's awake!" I raised my eyebrow at him, confused to as why he was so jittery over Gaara's regaining of consciousness.

"Got it." I wiped my month with a napkin, before heading down to the basement. Kiba followed along, descending into dimness. The moment I landed on the last step, I could see Gaara fiercely eyeing me down.

I smirked, "Hello, friend."
I walked closer to his crippled body.
"You must be wondering why you are here. Let me explain myself. Usually, if someone were to try to fuck with me, they'd end up all the same. Dead. You would have shared that same gravely fate. But something is keeping you from your inevitable death."

He looked up at me from the cold ground.
"What do you want?" He had the same indifference and composed face as when we fought. The only time he had an expression was during the death of his right hand man and the beating of his member.

Does he not fear me?
Does he not fear death?

I grabbed him violently with force by the collar, drawing him off the floor and closer to my face.
"Sasuke Uchiha." I exclaimed.

"He is dead." He replied unemotionally, with no anxiety in his eyes.

"Don't fucking lie to me. You told me you were in contact with him!" I dragged him closer to me, barking into his face furiously.

"My men were sent out to kill him. He is as good as dead."

"Fuck!" I threw him back onto the ground viciously.

My heart sank but it was fuming with rage at the same time. He can't die. He can't die.
I cannot let Gaara's men execute him.
He is mine to kill..

I almost felt scared for him.
He was on his own now. Just like me, he will have no one to cover his back. He's vulnerable and is labeled the perfect prey.
With Gaara's men after him...

Wait, Naruto.. Think rationally.
Even my men can't find him..
Surely Gaara men won't be able to either.

...

He won't die, right?

He can't die..

Kinda stepped in front of me as he interrupted my interrogation. With a revolver in his hand, he calmly cleared his throat and said, "I have questions to ask you. And your answers will determine how you die. A slow, painful death or a quick and merciful one."

He walked closer to Gaara menacingly. He squat in front of the injured man on the ground and jammed the gun to his forehead violently.

"How did you contact Sasuke Uchiha?"