Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sasuke's POV

Shit. Shit. Shit. They're coming for me. They've got me cornered. That shitty detective, "Sai." The bastard kept digging even though there was barely a trace. Damn asshole, I should have gotten rid of him when I could. It's too late now. If I got rid of him now, it would be too suspicious. Fuck, I should pack up what I can and disappear from the country.

Desperately, I grabbed everything I needed in a handbag and packed quickly. I looked thoughtfully at my mother's necklace on the nightstand next to my bed. It was a gold chain with a shiny white pearl as a charm. It was her favorite necklace. My brother gave it to her when he earned his first salary supposedly working at a friend's business. Should I bring it...?

...

Fuck it, I'm bringing it. I quickly grabbed the necklace and stuffed it in my pocket. I grabbed a hat, sunglasses, and my car keys and headed for the front door. I took one last look at the apartment and sighed, ready to leave my entire life and memories behind, ready to start over. I put on my hat and sunglasses; it was morning, so wearing them wasn't suspicious. Once in the parking lot, I put my bag in the back of the car and got in.

On the highway, I drove calmly, heading toward an acquaintance who would give me a fake ID. Everything was going well until I noticed the typical blue and red lights approaching me. Shit, what is it now? I pulled over, and the police officer did the same. I took off my hat and sunglasses before he came and rolled down the window.

"Good morning, young man. Do you know why I stopped you?" the police officer asked calmly.

"No sir, I'm sorry," I answered quickly.

"You were going 69 kilometers per hour on a 55-mph highway. This violation won't affect your license, but I'll have to report you."

Shit! If this guy reports it, the police will know I'm running away. Think fast... I know!

"Dammit. I'm sorry, sir. I'm just a little nervous since my wife is giving birth at the hospital and I have to get there quickly," I made up a story.

Perfect, it seems he believed it.

"Oh... I see. You don't want to miss that precious moment. I know, let's do something. Let's go to the hospital together so you can see your wife and we can sort this out there." the policeman offered kindly.

Damn! He didn't completely believe it.

"Thank you very much, officer! Fine, let's do that."

Shit, now what do I do? I'll have to drive to the hospital and sort myself out there.

"Oh, and your license and car papers, please."

I handed him the papers, and he checked them.

"Well, it looks like everything's in order. Let's go to the hospital. You drive, I'll follow."

Oh shit, I'm in trouble. I only have one thing going for me: the staff at the local hospital know me, since my mother was a nurse there. Maybe I can get through this unscathed.

I drove to the hospital with the police officer following me. When I arrived, I greeted the customer service nurse, a friend of Mom's, and asked her to tell me where the birthing center was.

"Oh, well, it's that way, but why do you want to know, dear?" the woman asked innocently.

"Don't worry, a friend wanted me to be his baby's godfather and wants me to see the new baby." It's so easy to fool people.

I headed to the place with the officer following me. In one of the hallways, I spotted a woman with long blond hair in a wheelchair. Okay, I'm taking the chance. I ran up to her and, before doing anything, whispered in her ear.

"I'll give you 100 bucks if you play along."

She just looked at me, confused, those huge blue eyes bulging from her face. Wait, what are those strange marks on her face? Ugh, whatever, I have to get rid of the policeman.

"Honey, here you are! I'm glad you're okay!" I hugged her. She was still confused. What's wrong with her? "Oh my God, did I miss the birth? Oh no, I knew I should have gotten here earlier..." I spoke, my voice intentionally raised.

The policeman looked at the scene and smiled. Okay, I convinced him. I approached him to talk.

"Thank you so much for understanding, officer. My wife is still a little disoriented from the C-section, but I'm sure she'll be fine without me. You'll take me to the station, right?" Okay, now he'll feel sorry for me.

"You know what, kid? I'll let it go this time. Stay and take care of your family. Have a nice day, young man." And he left with a smile.

Phew, that was close. Okay, now to bribe the patient. I turned and walked over to her. Oh my god, she seems to be heavily sedated. She looked very confused and a little scared at the same time.

"Hey, what's your room number?"

She didn't answer, so I just looked at the number written on the admission bracelet. I took her to her room, and no one was there. Is she alone? Idiot, she should have at least brought a family member. I'll grab whatever's valuable and leave. She's so sedated, she probably won't notice. I searched the closets, and there was nothing, just a strange white uniform stained with blood all over the groin area. What the hell?

Suddenly, I feel something lunge at me.

It was the woman, but her blue eyes were no longer the same color; they were more of a deep red.

"What the-" Fuck, I can't scream or I'll get into more trouble.

I tried to cover my face with my arm, but then the woman sank her... Fangs?! What the fuck?! She had bitten my forearm with her large fangs! I was bleeding and it hurt like shit.

"Hey, hey, hey—look, I don't know what's going on, but if you let me go, I'll give you more money!" Her reddish eyes almost pierced my soul.

It wasn't working. I closed my eyes, expecting the worst, but the woman just let me go. She let go of my arm, and all I could do was run away. What the hell was that?! I definitely can't go back. I ran to the nearest bathroom, covered the wound with paper towels, and put on a jacket I found in the lobby. When I left the hospital and went to the parking lot, I ran into the woman again, who seemed to be waiting for me.

But something wasn't quite right. She was still wearing her hospital gown and was barefoot. I quickly ran to my car, trying to escape before she saw me, but it was too late. Despite being smaller, she grabbed my shirt with one of her free arms and slammed me against a wall.

"Whoa! Wait, what the fuck?! Let me go, you crazy bitch!"

"Help me escape."

Wait.
What?
Her voice...
Her voice is a dude's...
WHAT?!

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing, motherfucker?! Pretending to be a woman?! How disgusting!" I tried to break free, but her- his grip was too powerful.

"I said, help me escape!" She got angry and slammed me against the wall.

"Shit, I'll do it, I'll do it for fuck's sake!" Shit, how do I get rid of this idiot now?

"Look, he's getting away!" a nurse yelled. "Security!"

Oh no, time to go. I grabbed the woman... Man...? The idiot by the shoulders and put him in the car. I got in and started driving. Fine, I'll just do this idiot this favor, and then he'll leave me alone.

"Fine, what do you want from me? Money? I don't have any. If you're in a bad situation, I'm worse." I looked at him in the rearview mirror, and he looked back at me.

"I want to leave. Not come back. You're going to take me far away. Where they can't find me," he replied coldly.

A baby's crying came into view. My eyes widened and I looked in the rearview mirror to see where it was coming from. The blond guy had the baby hidden under his gown this whole time. This perverted idiot, apart from pretending to be a woman, kidnapped a baby?! I can't handle this. I turned around and parked in the nearest parking space.

"Get out. Right now. I won't be an accomplice to kidnapping a damn baby."

"The baby's mine. Keep driving." He looked at me angrily when he saw we'd stopped.

"Didn't you hear?! Get out now, you sick bastard," I raised my voice.

My patience was running out. This jerk wouldn't get out of the car, so I got out and tried to drag him out. I grabbed his legs, trying to pull him out, but the jerk, despite looking so small, thin, and defenseless, kicked me out. I felt all the air go out of my lungs. He kicked me so hard that I fell about three meters away from the car.

"W-what the fuck is wrong with y-ou?!" Ugh," I writhed on the ground in pain, trying to catch my breath.

The blond man got out of the car and stood in front of me with a serious face. His eyes were red again, and now that I'm paying attention, besides his fangs, he also has long nails that look like claws.

"What the hell are you?!" I looked at him, terrified.

"Take me. With you. Far away," he demanded, still holding the baby.

He's crazy. Fuck it, I'm out of here. I quickly got up and tried to run, but a kick to the head stopped me. I fell to the ground. Now what? Shit, at this rate I'll be unconscious. Don't close your eyes Sasuke!

I finally gave up and closed my eyes. The last thing I remember is being dragged back to the car.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Sasuke's POV

My head hurt like it was going to explode at any moment. I blinked a few times until I was finally able to fully open my eyes. I was lying in the back of the car. Shit, it's already nighttime. Where is that insane idiot? I sat up and saw in the rearview mirror the blondie sleeping in the passenger seat. Asshole, after knocking me out, he thinks he can sleep peacefully in my car?! I angrily got out of the car and opened the passenger door.

When I opened the door, the only thing I could see was the large amount of blood coming out of the blond guy's stomach. I froze, watching the scene. What do I do? The blond guy was still holding the sleeping baby in his arms, but he looked weak and pale. His entire face was colorless.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" I whispered to myself.

I gently picked up the blond guy, causing him to wake up. Immediately, his eyes turned red, and he began to growl at me. He huddled the baby tighter as if trying to protect him.

"Hey, calm down! I won't hurt you," I tried to reassure him.

He stopped grunting, but his brow was still furrowed as he snorted. I could feel his labored breathing and how his body tensed in pain. I laid him down on the back seat. Slowly, the blondie began to close his eyes.

I lifted his hospital gown to see the wound. As expected, he wasn't wearing underwear, but I'm surprised he doesn't have any hair on his pubes.

"Shit, what am I doing thinking about another man's penis? Pull yourself together, Sasuke!" I whispered, annoyed.

Whatever. I looked down at his lower abdomen and saw the wound. How strange, it looks exactly like a C-section incision... Apparently, the wound opened because of that kick he gave me a few hours ago. It's still bleeding. At this rate, he'll bleed to death if I don't do anything. I sighed. Okay, I'll save this strange individual. I took off my jacket and then my shirt. I used the shirt to apply pressure to the wound and stop the bleeding. I went to the trunk and took out another shirt for me to put on.

The baby started crying desperately, so I tried to calm him down by cradling him in my arms, but it didn't work. Shit, maybe he's hungry. Wait, wasn't this baby just born? He needs to eat, that's why he's crying! If I don't feed him, he could get something serious... I left the baby back in the car next to the blondie.

I closed the car door and stopped to think for a second. I know! I walked to the nearest store that was open. Luckily, there was a Walmart nearby that was still open. I went inside, grabbed a cart, and started looking for the things I needed.

I ended up bringing bottled water, absorbent pads, surgical gauze and bandages, cotton, alcohol, medical tape, and some antibiotics. I also grabbed a pair of boxers, a sweater, a shirt, some pants, all size S, and some shoes for the blondie. I grabbed baby formula, a bottle, blankets, diapers, a sling, and a onesie for the baby. I went to the register to pay, but the cashier looked at me strangely.

"S-sir... Your arm..." He pointed at my arm.

Oh shit, my wound opened up. Good thing I put extra gauze in the cart.

"Oh gosh. It's nothing, I had an accident with Sprinkles, my dog, that's all. That's why I brought the gauze and bandages."

The cashier shrugged and helped me. I paid for everything, which, by the way, was way too much for the diapers! And then the government wonders why no one wants to have children. I left the store and headed to the car.

I opened the car door and found the little baby crying desperately while the blondie was barely breathing. I picked up the baby and placed him in the passenger seat. Returning to the blondie, I poured water on a towel and began cleaning his wound. I carefully removed his gown and placed it in one of the empty shopping bags. I placed alcohol on a cotton ball and carefully cleaned the incision. The blondie let out a small squeal as a tear escaped his eyes.

I grabbed the gauze, cut it into rectangles to cover the wound, and taped the edges to seal it. Good, the bleeding had stopped. To keep it tight and secure, I wrapped the bandages around his waist. Perfect, after years, that first aid lesson from my mom finally paid off. I took out the clothes I'd bought and dressed him carefully. The clothes still looked baggy on him despite the size. How old is this guy? Fuck, if he's a minor, I'd be in even more trouble.

"Okay, I'm done. Now I have to take care of the brat." I washed my hands with water and went to take care of the crying baby.

God, he looks like a newborn; he hasn't even been alive for a day. We have to be careful not to make him sick; he could die if he gets sick. I checked his diaper, and sure enough, it was dirty. Now, how do I change a diaper? I took the baby and put him on the hood of the car. I took off the dirty diaper and lifted his little legs to pour water on his bottom and clean it. I looked at the box of diapers and noticed it had instructions. Good! I followed the instructions to the letter and put the new diaper on him.

The baby was still crying desperately. I grabbed the bottle and the formula. I poured hot water into the container and a spoonful of formula and blended it. Ready.

"There, there... You must've been hungry, haven't you?" I began to feed him carefully.

The poor thing sucked hard on the bottle and occasionally choked on the milk. I finished feeding him and burped him. I dressed him in his onesie and put a hat on him.

"You look so handsome, baby." The baby stopped crying and just looked at me with those big black eyes of his. "You look like an alien, how funny. I wonder if you have a name..."

I placed the carrier on the blondie and put the baby inside. That should be enough for now. I covered the idiot with a blanket and sat in the driver's seat. The pain in my arm reminded me of my wound, which I also took care of with the remaining gauze and bandages. I took a break—too much stress for today—and drove to the nearest hotel. I went to the front desk and a very friendly lady helped me. I got the room keys and headed back to the car.

"Hey... Idiot..." I tried to wake the blond boy, but he didn't respond.

I had to carry him to the bedroom. Once there, I laid him down on one of the beds and took the baby out of the sling. The baby looked at me curiously with those big black eyes.

"What are you looking at? You better get a full night's sleep, little alien."

I placed the baby in the bed next to the blondie and put a pillow fort around him to keep him safe. I covered them both with the sheet. I undressed, took a hot shower to relax, put on some pajama pants, and laid down on the second bed to sleep. I was so tired that I fell asleep in less than five minutes.

[...The next morning...]

I woke up, and the first thing my eyes caught when morning came were the blondie's big blue eyes.

"Oh! What the hell are you doing watching me sleep like this?!" I jumped in fright.

The blond didn't flinch; I looked at him strangely. He was sitting on the floor next to my bed, watching me.

"Name's Sasuke. What's yours?" I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for his answer.

"I don't have a name. My number is nine!" he replied cheerfully, which surprised me.

"What the hell is that name?" I looked at him strangely. "Okay yeah, whatever, what are you running away from?"

His expression changed to one of fear and nervousness.

"The doctors... they want to take my baby," he whispered in a very serious tone.

"Right, and how did you end up at the clinic?" I probed a little further. Maybe he escaped from a mental hospital.

"Hm? I don't know... I was in the woods... Then I found buildings and people... I ate strange things, and my stomach hurt a lot... When I woke up, my baby wasn't in my stomach anymore; it was in a very strange glass box! Do you want to see my baby?" He gave me an innocent smile.

What's wrong with him? Does he really think he had the baby? Besides, he talks like a ten-year-old.

"How old are you?"

"Hm?" He looked at me incredulously.

"How old are you?"

"Years... Right! Ten... And... Eight!" He showed me his hands, counting his years like a child while smiling.

"Good... At least you're not a minor, thank goodness..."

"And you?" He looked at me curiously.

"Twenty..."

"WOW! Are you already an old man?"

"WHAT?! WHAT?! OLD?! You insolent asshole! I'm only two years older than you, idiot!"

"You think my baby needs a number like me?" Oh, and now you change the subject!

Whatever. He's too young to be in a mental hospital, and besides, he doesn't act like a crazy person, just like a child. Could he be mentally retarded? No... He speaks very well, and his movements are coordinated. Or... Could he have been kidnapped as a child and only just managed to escape? What am I thinking about?"

"Well, what does it matter? I have nothing to do with my life. I'm going to help you, blondie." I noticed a smell coming from him. "Oh my God, your hair stinks. Take a bath."

At this, the blond's expression changed to one of nervousness and fear.

"No! I don't want to!" He jumped and ran to his bed to grab the baby.

"Hey, calm down! Put the baby down. It's just a bath, you need it! If you don't bathe, you could make the baby sick, and that's not good." It's easy to manipulate a child.

He looked at the baby and then at me. He sighed loudly and then put the baby back on the bed.

"Fine..." he said, resigned.

Then he started undressing in front of me.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?!"

"Do you bathe with clothes on?" He looked at me strangely.

"No! But why are you undressing in front of me? Do it in the bathroom!" I took his hand and led him to the bathroom while giving him a towel. "Here, just take a shower."

I threw the towel at him and closed the door. I went to pick up the clothes from the floor, but when I looked at them a little more, I noticed something strange. The chest part of his shirt was all soaked. What the heck? I brought it close to my face to smell it. Milk? Can a man breastfeed?! He's so weird!

A few minutes later, I heard screams.

"AHH! SASUKE! OPEN THE DOOR!" The blond desperately opened the door and ran toward me, crying.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked worried.

"It burns, it burns, it burns! The water burns!" he replied, sobbing.

He showed me his hands; both were bright red.

"What did you do? Don't you know how to bathe?"

I ran to the bathroom only to find the shower running with the hot water turned all the way up. I immediately turned it off and went back to the blond, who was sobbing in fear.

"Come on, let me see," I examined his hands. "It's not so bad. A little cold water will take care of it. Don't cry anymore." I wiped his tears away.

I looked into his blue eyes. They were so big and blue they looked like two bright lanterns; he looked like an alien. I led him to the sink and immersed his hands in cold water.

"Better?" He just nodded. I sighed. "I guess you've never used a shower before, right?"

"No... I'm sorry..." His eyes teared up all over again.

"You idiot. Don't cry, it's not your fault." I reached for the towel lying on the floor.

I picked it up and took a look at his small, naked body. It was strange; his anatomy was that of a man, but he had a smaller waist and wider hips than normal. Where did this boy come from? Could he be a trans boy? He really looks like one, although I don't really know what they look like.

"Do you know how to bathe yourself?" the blond shook his head. "Okay, I'll give you a shower then."

I led him to the bathtub, where I told him to sit while I turned on the water. Once the tub was full, I began rinsing his hair. As I swished the shampoo through his long, blond hair, I noticed a tattoo on the back of his neck.

"N... 4... R... U... 7... 0...?" I read what was written on it. "Hey, dumbass, what does this mean?" He just looked at me strangely. "I guess you don't know either..." I sighed. "Hmm... Na.. Na..ru..to? You can also spell it that way. Hey, what do you think if I call you Naruto? It's better than idiot or just the number 9..."

He looked at me with those big blue eyes and smiled.

"Okay, Sasuke!" His smile made me blush.

"Fine, whatever, you'll be Naruto now." I rinsed his hair with water.

"AHH! MY EYES!" the blond squealed.

Oops, I forgot to tell him to close his eyes. Next time I'll buy baby shampoo.

"Okay, okay, it's just shampoo," I wiped his eyes. "It's over, don't cry." I dried his eyes with a towel. "Done?" He nodded.

I pulled him out of the shower and handed him a towel.

"Here, dry yourself carefully so you don't open your wound." I gave him his underwear. "Put these on. Once I'm done cutting your hair, put the rest of your clothes on."

"Are you going to cut my hair?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, if you want to escape those "doctors," it'll better if they don't recognize you." Besides, he looks like a girl with hair that long.

Once he had put on his underwear, I grabbed a chair and sat him down. I took some scissors and started cutting his long hair. I'd watched some tutorials before, so it shouldn't be too bad... Gosh, his hair is so long it's a shame to cut it. I started making cuts here and there, trying to make sure it was even. Once I was finished, I swept the stray blond bits off the floor. I took one last look at his hair, now all spiky and spiked with longer sides than the others. It's a mess, but at least he looks more like a boy now. While I swept the hair off the floor, I let Naruto look at his haircut in the bathroom mirror. Suddenly, I heard soft crying coming from the blond, who was standing in front of the mirror with a scared expression.

"Hey, it's not bad enough for you to cry!" I exclaimed, embarrassed. Was the haircut I gave him that bad?

"I'm scared! I want 1!" Naruto shouted while sobbing.

"Hey, calm down! If you keep getting so worked up, you might open your wound!" I said, worried.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Who could it be? I only paid for one night, and it wasn't checkout time yet. I felt sorry for leaving him crying like that, but I had to answer the door, so I left the bathroom and headed for the bedroom door. I peeked through the peephole and managed to spot someone wearing a white animal mask with red accents. How strange, it wasn't even Halloween. He was dressed like a plumber, and he was carrying a tool bag; he seemed to work for the hotel. I put on my cap for security and opened the door halfway to speak to the man.

"Good morning, can I help you with anything?" I spoke calmly.

"Good morning, sir. I've come to check the pressure in the pipes on the first floor. It won't take long," the man said in a friendly tone.

I don't completely believe it, but it would be suspicious if I denied him entry. While I was thinking about what to do, I noticed the man glance inside the room. The moment he spotted something inside, the man pulled a gun from the bag he was carrying. I immediately closed the door and stood to the side. Once I closed the door, the man shot the bolt, causing the door to fly off its path. What the hell?! That's not an ordinary weapon. The loud bang caused the infant who had been peacefully dozing in the bed a few minutes earlier to wake up and immediately cry.

In a split second, Naruto rushed out of the bathroom, once again in that irate state with red eyes, fangs, and claws, and forcefully lunged at the masked man. Frightened, I ran to the baby and hugged him tightly. I may be a criminal, but I'm not such a bad person as to save myself and leave a newborn behind. All I could do was sit in a corner and stare dumbfounded at the horrifying scene.

Naruto was on top of the man in an almost animal-like state. He frantically clawed at his limbs while the man tried to grab the weapon he had dropped a few feet away from him. Naruto, noticing this, gripped both of the man's arms tightly and lashed out with his fangs, sinking them hard into the man's throat. In one swift movement, the blond tore out the part of his neck he had bitten, sending jets of blood everywhere. He spat out the piece of skin he'd torn off in disgust. I froze.

I had just seen that crybaby, and scared blond brutally murder a person in right in front of me. I broke out in a cold sweat. Now what do I do? I can't move, my legs won't respond. I can't breathe properly. I'm scared.

For a moment, the distant but extremely familiar memory of my brother returned to me like a shiver.

"Itachi... where are Mom and Dad...?" I asked with a trembling voice, trying to ignore the blood on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke..." were my brother's last words before hearing the deafening boom of a gunshot.

I inhaled desperately, trying to fill my lungs with air, my vision blurred and my heart beating frantically. I'm scared, too scared. I can't breathe. Suddenly, I felt Naruto grab me by the shirt and almost effortlessly hold me in the air. His hands and mouth were completely bloodied. That horrible metallic scent of blood filled my nose, making me feel increasingly suffocated. He stared at me. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something. But I couldn't. Every word was caught in the knot in my throat.

"We have to go," he muttered in a serious tone. He didn't seem like the same person as before.

He dragged me toward the car and threw me against the driver's door. I stared at him, unable to form a coherent thought.

"I-I left the keys on the nightstand..." I could barely manage a whisper.

"Give me the baby," he demanded.

I hesitated for a moment, but decided to hand over the baby. I didn't know what he might do to me or the baby if I didn't do what he said. My legs were shaking like never before, and I could barely walk. Once I was back in the bedroom, I glanced around and spotted the car keys next to my wallet. I grabbed both of them and cautiously left the room. The blond waited patiently by the car with his baby in his arms. His eyes were still red, matching the horrible amount of crimson blood staining his skin and clothes, but his claws and fangs were gone. That calmed me a little. I got into the car, and he did the same, sitting in the back of the car, right behind my seat. Suddenly, I felt his sharp claws graze my neck. My breath stopped.

"If you hand me over, you die. If you speak of this to anyone, you die. If you try to escape, I will hunt you down and kill you like I did to the Anbu. If you decide not to cooperate, I will kill you and find someone else to help me. Understand?" His tone was somber and serious, so much that my skin prickled.

I nodded, stupefied, his eyes piercing mine like two shining rubies. The baby's cries were still present, but the blond devoted himself to giving me his full attention, deliberately ignoring the child's cries. I started the car and headed in any direction. My mind was so lost that I was just driving aimlessly.

"Na... Naruto... We can talk about it, okay? No one has to get hurt," I tried to convince him, but I couldn't even convince myself.

The blond tilted his head, somewhat bewildered.

"My name is Kurama. Drive quietly," he said seriously.

"Ku-rama? I thought you didn't have a name..." He just looked at me through the rearview mirror. "You should try to calm him down; he must be scared," I said, referring to the baby he was holding.

He just clicked his tongue in annoyance and took care of the baby, removing its claws from my neck. I sighed in relief. Now what should I do? I don't even know where to go, and we can't leave the country if he doesn't have papers. If he doesn't know where to go, how am I supposed to know where he wants me to take him? I drove around a couple of times until I stopped in a gas station parking lot.

"Why are we stopping?" Kurama asked, alert.

"We're running out of gas..." I replied cautiously.

"What's that?" he asked in a demanding tone.

"It's fuel so the car can keep going," I replied calmly. It seems that, even in this state, Naruto doesn't know much about the real world.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to escape," I said before getting out of the car.

As I filled the gas tank, I stopped to think. My mind was racing more than ever. What the hell can I do? I have no idea where this guy comes from, much less where he wants me to take him. Going back isn't an option. For now, the only thing we can do is travel south, to the lower coast of Japan. That region is usually inhabited by small villages of farmers and fishing workers. We can hide there for a few days while I think about what to do. The loud sound of the gas pistol stopped my thoughts, indicating that I should remove the pistol from the tank. I returned the pistol to its holder and got back in the car.

"Narut—Err... I mean, Kurama, what are you planning to do?" I tried to ask calmly.

"Take me far away, just that, and you can be free," he replied briefly.

"I see..." I nodded slowly.

This idiot hasn't the slightest idea where to go. I don't think he even has a place to fall dead. I opted to take us to the coast, where the sea is. Maybe that's far enough for him. It'll be a long trip, but at least there's still enough money left. I can forget about leaving the country; now I don't even have enough for a single ticket. The infant's crying began again, interrupting my thoughts.

"He must be hungry," I glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

He just looked at me angrily. This whole situation is so strange. First, this guy forces me to help him, then I had to save him from bleeding to death. Then he acts like a little kid only to brutally murder someone in front of my eyes and kidnap me afterward. Not to mention the fact that he may have kidnapped that baby. This is fucking crazy. The baby's crying persisted, which was starting to worry me.

"You have to feed him," I insisted.

"I don't know how!" the blond yelled irritaded.

I remained silent and drove to the nearest coffee shop. I got out of the car, his gaze silently watching my every move, looking for a misstep. I entered the coffee shop and asked the cashier for hot water. She looked at me strangely but didn't think much of it. I returned to the car with two cups of hot water. I opened the trunk and took out two of the four baby bottles I had previously purchased. With the ingredients ready, I waited about 20 minutes for the water to cool slightly and then prepared two bottles. I had water left over, so I made the rest into another bottle and put it in the diaper bag. I grabbed the bottles and the diaper bag with diapers and wipes and headed to the passenger door, where the blond was staring at me suspiciously. I opened the door.

"Give me the baby," I approached to take it.

"No! He's mine!" he flatly refused.

"It's not like I want him. If I don't feed him, he'll die not only of hunger but also of exhaustion," I said annoyed.

He thought for a moment and, after a few seconds, handed the infant to me. I gently cradled the child and rocked him to try to calm him. I shook the bottle and placed it in his tiny mouth. The infant's breathing calmed, as did his moans, as he sucked hard, trying to drink as much milk as possible.

"Hey, slow down, little alien, you're going to choke," I patted him lightly on the back.

The blond just watched my actions intently, as if analyzing my movements.

"Do you want to feed him?" I asked. He just looked at me. "Here."

I brought the baby closer to him and cautiously handed him the baby. He held the child while holding the bottle. His red eyes showed compassion and calm as he looked closely at the child. The two of them created such a warm scene that I even forgot he'd kidnapped me. I remembered it was almost midnight.

"We should go to a hotel. I can't drive all night by myself," I warned him. He didn't even look at me; he was mesmerized with the baby.

I drove to the first hotel I found and got out of the car alone to pay for one night. Once they gave me the keys, I went back to the car and parked near our room. Gosh, he's still covered in blood. I have to get rid of all the evidence.

"Come with me," I gestured for him to get out of the car.

To my surprise, the blond got out of the car and followed me to the room. I inspected the car and found several bloodstains everywhere. Damn, this is too much to keep the car. I took everything out of the car and carried it to the bedroom.

"Take off your clothes," I told him.

"Why?" he questioned.

"We can't attract attention. Put on something from that suitcase, okay?" I explained.

He undressed and handed me his clothes.

"Okay, I have to go. Don't open the door to anyone until I come back," I warned him, to which he nodded.

I left the room and got in the car. I went to buy some things and headed to a forest on the outskirts. I grabbed a backpack I bought and put some shopping inside. I left mine and Naruto's bloody clothes and started the car. I got out of the car and grabbed a bottle of gasoline, then poured it all over the seats. I grabbed a lighter, lit it, and then threw it inside the car. Giant flames of fire violently devoured the car. I said goodbye to the car and ran out before it exploded. Once I was out of danger, I called an Uber and returned to the hotel.

I stopped in front of the door. Why did I come back? I could have run away and left the blond to his fate. I could have gotten rid of that burden. But here I am, in front of the hotel door. What the hell am I doing?

To be continued...