We Three

Chapter 5: The Smoke

Nothing matters when I'm thin.

Really.

And somewhere, a girl with long blonde hair and wicked blue eyes smiles.

…

Itachi's burning embers stare at him (accusingly, like he knows Naruto's done something bad but doesn't know what, and Naruto isn't about to fess up to anything; he can keep guessing), as Naruto cautiously sips his apple juice. It burns the sores he's carelessly chewed on the inside of his cheeks, a kind of nervous tick he developed from trying to keep his face from melting off- and show the ugliness underneath.

It is unusually silent for their lunch meetings, as Itachi is typing up a test for his fourth period class, and Naruto is so absorbed in his own world of counting and trying not to think too hard, he can't notice, can't comment on it.

"You've lost weight,"

He looks up from the Nutritional Facts (60 calories- Ino's gotten him to start noticing the numbers; they're everywhere, closing in on them, but they can't sneak up on you if you watch out). Naruto looks up.

"Have I?"

…

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing," -Anais Nin

…

Those hot bodies press against him, acquainted and welcome, and Naruto takes one more drink for the fifteenth or seventieth time, and Ino and Deidara are right there with him (Just one more this time, for real! Just one more. We've got school and work and lives outside of this that we pretend to care about- that way, it's easier to leave this place when the hour gets late enough), protecting him from the cold ground and zero gravity because he's so high off of not giving a fuck.

They introduce him to a tall man with a heavy, black and red coat on that looks way too hot for comfort in this stuffy environment and bright auburn hair that he can't help but reach up to feel- wondering if it will burn his flesh like the vivid color suggests.

The man laughs- his facial piercings looking strange as his eyebrows and nose skin moves.

"Naruto- this is Pein," Deidara shouts with all his strength over the music, grinning cheekily, "The All Powerful Creator and Leader of the great and awesome Akatsuki,"

Naruto grins back, having forgotten about the scorching locks brushing his sensitive-but-numb palms- and no, it doesn't really burn, but he thinks if he tries hard enough, he'll hallucinate that it does; "I've heard a lot about you," he yells as well.

"Who hasn't?" Pein replies in good humor, not even seeming to raise his voice and still being heard, and it reminds him of Itachi when he is demanding attention in his classroom- or anywhere really, "I'd love to know how you got a hold of one of my rings,"

Naruto is confused, until he sees his hand is held captive not by red-orange hair, but a large calloused hand, Pein studying his thumb with a curious expression. He remembers a certain Uchiha, describing his little street gang.

"Itachi gave it to me," Naruto slurs, not really of the right mind to worry about whether or not telling the truth to this dangerous man is a good idea. It's probably better to lie, he thinks too late.

"Itachi? Uchiha Itachi!" Deidara yelps, alarmed, "Why would Itachi give you his ring?"

Naruto just shrugs, looking into Pein's weird eyes- they look like targets- rings of light and dark color, but he can't tell what colors because of the flashing strobes and discos; "We're close. I guess,"