A/N: Written for the 'Crossover Challenge' for the Reader Appreciation Club in Y!Gallery. I chose to write about Sasuke/Naruto in the Ai No Kusabi universe. I always get myself into these things so impulsively…

So, yeah, I love AnK, but it's a complicated universe to describe. It's my first time writing something futuristic and it was scary as hell. I hope I managed to do it right. I tried to find a visual mixture from both the old OVAs and the new anime, along with some aspects that I imagine might happen in that universe. I used the novels I have at home for reference in terms of the general maps provided.
If you're not a connoisseur of the story and want a more detailed vision of how the general scenery looks like, go google it for images.

Warnings: Yaoi, foul language, violence, some Dominant/Submissive action, possible blood play, incest.

Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke, Itachi/Sasuke, Naruto/Gaara, Sasuke/Kiba, Ino/Naruto, amongst others.

Unedited and un-beta'd.

Disclaimer: Ai No Kusabi belongs to Rieko Yoshihara. Naruto and its characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi.


Rebellious Will

Part I

In the eyes of higher societies, Ceres was nothing more than a place created with the sole purpose of sheltering all things that were considered filthy in the world of Amoy.

The constant disregard of one's humanity seemed natural to those living outside the walls of the small, ill-looking city where not even the lights glowed as brightly as everywhere else around it. However, every single person that inhabited it tried to live as best as they could with the little resources they could get through the illegal (and expensive) underground providences of lively Midas, one day at the time, knowing that it was fate that got them where they were.

Ceres represented the human trash of a strictly casted society. While Tanagura held the rich, the strong and the powerful in a world of uncontained luxury, Midas was the middle/high-classed hot spot, containing the commercial area of Amoy where some could afford to dream and be someone, leaving Ceres to rot at the bottom of the ranking.

Life wasn't easy in the place called 'Slums', nor offered perspectives or longitude. The male gender was predominant, and the few women who managed to survive tended to seclude themselves in order to escape from the avid eyes of men if they weren't abducted to serve the sinful fetishes of Midas first. People worked hard to survive during the day – some in a more honest way than others – and tried to have fun during the night. Enjoying themselves and living life as extremely as they could was the motto of many, as a silent code of understating was permanently established.

There wasn't a single thing that Uchiha Sasuke cherished about the place he had been born in. It was filthy, secluded, poor, and it was decaying more and more with every month that passed. The imminent scent of death surrounded Ceres, which was crumbling with excruciating slowness. One day it would be no better than the long lost wrecks of Dana-Burn.

Amoy, sin-filled and unjust would perish at some point under Jupiter's absurd leadership.

Still, for as long as it existed, the need for survival and the wish for more – for greatness – would always be valid to him.

Sasuke often regretted his and his brother Itachi's breeding. Deep inside, he knew they were better than those around them; cleverer, fitted for more than that, and destined for something larger than them. Nonetheless, they were both cursed with the same, immutable curse – hair that was naturally as dark as night itself.

Black hair could be seen everywhere. It wasn't as if it was trait exclusive to mongrels, but it wasn't the kind of color the rich would normally choose willingly, and if they did, it would always have to be highlighted in bright colors so as to leave no room for questions on their identity. So, of course, hair as simple and dark as Sasuke's and Itachi's was an obvious give away of their breeding.

In the Slums, they were considered beautiful. In Midas, some would throw dissimulated glaces their way whenever they strolled about the busy streets, but never for too long in fear of being caught ogling over worthless Mongrels.

But beauty was relative to Sasuke since it wasn't able to get him anywhere. He would have rathered be ugly and have red or light brown hair that would more easily give him acess to what he wanted than being attractive and troubled by such a dark, repressive color.

He wanted more. He wanted an apartment in Midas, and a steady job. He wanted to penetrate the walls of Tanagura. He wanted to feel safe instead of knowing that his head held a high price for being directly involved with the Black Market. Sure, he and Itachi were respected – and feared – amongst other dealers, and made good money, but it still, it wasn't enough to get out of Ceres. Not that they could, even if they wanted to, since there had to be some kind of law to forbid Mongrels from being registered citizens of Midas.

Unless they had some sort of strong recommendation from someone working with the higher powers, they would never get out of there.

It frustrated Sasuke to no end.

The plain living room of the spacious apartment he resided in with his brother was mostly covered in darkness in that hot summer night. The only source of light provided was filtering through the wide, opened window and allowed him to see the shadows and the contours of the few, modest pieces of furniture that surrounded him.

Sasuke was sitting on the old large red sofa with his back leaning on the armrest and his legs stretched out over the cushions. His hands were resting over his naked belly, the right one over the left one. His dark, intelligent eyes focused straight ahead on one particular spot that could be seen through the window - the huge, dome-like island of Tanagura seemed distant; yet, it shone brightly like so many colorful suns, offering such a ridiculous amount of light that it outshone all the other exhuberant lights in the sparkly Midas.

Like a fly, attracted to the heat of a lamp, Sasuke was attracted to that place.

"Sasuke..." a low, whispered voice called out from behind him as a hot breath brushed his ear and shook him off from a daydream he hadn't noticed he had immersed himself into. "Stop fantasizing, little brother."

It was unusual for Sasuke to lose himself so deeply inside his own mind that he wouldn't notice his surroundings, and yet, he had completely missed out the presence of another person in the room.

He let out a long sigh of contentment as soft lips were pressed gently over the curve of his exposed neck, silky strands of Itachi's long hair tickling his nape. His gaze, however, never left the exuberant scenario in front of him. If there was one thing he loved about his house, it was the view.

"What is it that you expect from that place?" Itachi asked, in a mutter that held a hint of scorn to it. "What is it that you seek? To become a slave to the whims of those prototypes everyone thinks perfect?"

Sasuke bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing slightly as a hand encircled his neck from behind, long fingers rubbing his Adam's apple with gentleness.

"It's beautiful," he stated firmly, even as his eyelids fell just bit as a tongue flicked teasingly along the side of his neck.

"Blinding lights," Itachi whispered. "Nothing more."

The younger Uchiha refused to contradict his older brother's ideals – they had had similar conversations before, and as agreeable as they were with each other most of the times, that topic made them clash all too frequently.

Sasuke strongly believed that the day would come when Tanagura would be reachable to anyone worthy enough, independently of their breeding. Even if that day would take a while to come, he dreamed that he would somehow, some day, be able to get in there thanks to his own capacities.

Itachi thought Sasuke was an idealistic in a world where justice didn't prevail. Mongrels didn't belong in Tanagura, just like Blondys could never fit into the rotten streets of Ceres; and things were as they were thanks to the strict laws that held Amoi together.

"That story I told you about…" Itachi said, letting go of him completely and moving so that he was standing beside the sofa on Sasuke's right. "Its purpose wasn't to make you hope for a future there. It was meant to make you understand that nothing in this world is simple or easy. Not even love."

Sasuke's gaze drifted away from the window and he looked up to meet his brother's tall, pale figure that seemed to blend in the semi-darkness. Like him, Itachi was wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and yet, he still looked imposing.

"That story is the proof that some things aren't meant to co-exist," Itachi proceeded, eyeing the other one seriously, reaching out a hand to place it over Sasuke's head in an almost fatherly way. "We are Mongrels, and no matter how much you think we don't belong here, who we are runs in our blood. This world, this reality, isn't ready for us yet."

"This reality is ridiculous," Sasuke said with a heavy sneer. "Someone has to change it. What just world considers real humans lower than genetically mutated living beings? It doesn't make sense. It has to stop."

"That world you seem to despise is the same one you wish to live in, Sasuke," Itachi pointed out gently, ruffling his hair. "You are contradicting yourself."

"I want that," Sasuke said, gesturing to the window with a sharp flick of his hand. "I want to be there, but as an equal, as someone who has struggled in life, someone who is worthy and smart enough to be among them. I want justice and equality for all. I want for people to be seen for what they can offer instead of their hair color."

Itachi sighed and let his hand drop to the side of his body.

"Your dreams are loud but they don't reach anybody's ears," he said, tiredly. "There is no such thing as 'equality', Sasuke. Some are meant for great things, others aren't. Fate is immutable."

Sasuke scowled.

"I don't understand how you can be so accepting of your condition, Itachi," he muttered, shifting in his seat and turning to the side so that he was now sitting, his bare feet landing on the cold floor. He leaned his head back so that he was looking at the handsome, semi-obscured features of his brother's face. "Is there nothing that you wish for, nothing you crave with all your soul?"

Itachi crouched down in front of him so that they were level-eyed, one hand in each of Sasuke knees for support. When he spoke, he did it in a soft, but grave whisper. "I am a Mongrel, not an infected beast, so there is no reason for me to despise my existence. I have enough resources to go through each day and still breathe easily without concerning myself about tomorrow." His fingers rubbed the knees lightly. "As it is, in truth I tell you that there is nothing I wish for."

Sasuke eyed him for a while, pressing his lips stubbornly together.

"How come?" he asked, after a while.

In the darkness, he could barely register it, but he was sure Itachi was smilling.

"Because ever since Mother died, the only thing I ever truly desired was for you to be safe with me, beside me," the older one said, removing his left hand from the knee and moving it to Sasuke's face with perceptiveness, cupping his cheek with warm fingers. "As long as I have you, I am happy and fulfilled. That alone is, and will always be, enough." Sasuke inhaled sharply through his nose, a wave of guilt an affection running through him. "It saddens me that you don't feel the same way."

But Sasuke did feel the same way. Itachi was his everything, the one person who was there, had always been there through it all, the one who protected him and with whom he had shared the best and worst moments of his life. He was all he knew how to cherish in that world of constant fear, struggle and darkness, and he wouldn't trade him for all of Tanagura.

Still, while Itachi was strong, he lacked the same ambition Sasuke possessed. For him, Sasuke was enough, but Sasuke himself felt hollow, unsatisfied, knowing of their potential. No matter how much he wished Itachi could be enough, nothing was enough to him at that point.

Still, he swallowed hard and leaned forward, pressing his lips roughly to his brother's in hopes that with that, he could express what he wanted to say but didn't know how to.

It didn't last as much as he had hoped, because Itachi pressed his palm flat against his chest, pushing him away gently before he even had the time to turn the kiss into something more intimate.

Itachi stood up once again, and Sasuke would've pouted, but he didn't want him to notice how frustrated he felt all of a sudden.

"Let's go to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," his brother said, promptly turning his back to him and walking away.

With an annoyed sigh, Sasuke rubbed his eyes tiredly before getting up and following after his sibling.

oOo

Sasuke was leaning on the surface of a silvery tall and thick street lamp, arms crossed over his chest as his dark eyes scrutinized the busy nocturnal streets around him. Hundreds of bodies moved in front of him, most of them richly dressed, some by themselves, some accompanied by others, all of them eager to go shopping, to spend a few hours at the casino, or just to head out to wherever it was they worked at. A few, finely primped women could be seen here and there, and whenever one of them laughed, all the surrounding male passersby turned their heads to watch her with the utmost respect, to listen to that holy sound that resounded like a long lost melody.

The young Uchiha was rather fond of Midas in a very detached way. He appreciated the fact that it transmitted a sort of more positive aura than Ceres; that alone was enough for him to feel remotely pleased about being there.

His left wrist was elegantly placed upon the curve of his elbow, where a thin, crystalline bracelet was hidden underneath the hem of a thin black glove. The simple device was tightly wrapped around the skin and it pulsated gently against his own, steady, pulse. It was an invention of Itachi's, very discreet and useful in situations where they had to work at an unsafe distance from each other. Each of them carried a bracelet that pulsated according to the other's heartbeat. It was useful because, according to how fast their cardiac rhythm was, they just knew if the other was in danger and could always barge in to help them out.

As it was, Sasuke was patiently waiting for his brother, who had immersed himself into a nearby secluded corner to retrieve information on their newest assignment.

Apparently, someone had been hacking the central system of Tanagura, messing up some of the input and output networks. According to Katze - the main bigwig of the Black Market – the person was either very clever of very reckless, and their intent was probably to hack directly into Jupiter's system. To which purpose, no-one knew, but even if the situation was under control for the time being, the Council of Tanagura wished for the individual to be found and immediately taken care of before greater damage was done.

Since Katze had once been trusted by the deceased most influential man in the big dome, of course he would be the first one to be contacted.

The red-haired man suspected the person was still just messing with their heads, teasing them in order to prepare them for what was yet to come.

Sasuke found it all very amusing. Truth be told, he admired the person's balls. He and Itachi had been in the assassination business a few years previously, when they were still struggling to be known and remembered for their efficiency, but they had given up on it as soon as they had enough contacts go sustain themselves. The dark-haired one wasn't all that happy to go back to that, but the amount of funds they had been offered had been too high for refusal. Higher than anything they had ever earned, actually.

But finding out who the person was, was proving to be an arduous task. It had to be someone of reasonable breeding, or at least someone residing among someone who was, in order to be able to access to all the required technology for the effect.

Trying to step inside Tanagura was too risky, so Itachi was focused on meeting face to face with every hacker on the list Katze had given them. Sasuke knew that his brother was able to read criminals' minds like they were his own, so if any of those hackers were to blame, Itachi would definitely be able to know. If they weren't, at least he could pay for them to try and track the source of the main informatics attack.

Still, all those underground moves were risky because no-one worked alone these days. Just like Sasuke and his brother served as each other's backup, many had large groups of men as theirs.

Sasuke was all dressed in fine but flexible black garments, what with pants and top that hugged his body in a most flattering way. The jacket he wore was of a shiny material and was opened, but the hood had been pushed upwards, covering his rebellious midnight hair from the eyes of strangers. Even though Mongrels were free to circulate through Midas, it was best to keep a low profile, albeit how much of a contrast his clothes made to the exuberant colors of the citizens there.

He was standing across the street from a very expensive restaurant not many could afford. In between both sidewalks, a few city spaceships passed him by or parked nearby in all their pomp.

Absently, once in a while he would rub the bracelet to feel his brother's pulse under his fingertips. It had remained rather normal for the last hour or so, but Sasuke couldn't afford to relax because things could get unexpectedly ugly.

Still, he was already feeling rather bored when something suddenly caught his mind's attention like an annoying buzz. The presence was out of his field of vision at the time, but his eyes soon scanned the area to look for the source of the feeling and soon found it.

Not something, but someone. Someone like many he had seen in his life and yet, so very different.

For some reason, his stomach fell all the way to his feet as if it were made of pure iron.

A Blondy.

The other seemed to be alone and had just stepped out of the restaurant and into the crowded street. Even though he had leaned his back on the show window, people courteously walked around him so as to not walk too close to his inherently imposing body.

Blondys tended to dress pompously no matter what they did or where they went. They possessed long hair that usually went all the way down to their thighs, and all of them were taller than the common citizens of Midas since they were created by Jupiter itself and that particular feature was supposed to be common in a Blondy.

This…person, however, defied all these strict parameters.

The man looked young, almost Sasuke's age, really, and was about his height, probably taller, but not by much. Even though his clothes were obviously made of the best materials one could afford, they had none of the arrogance other Blondys used to carry. He wore a plain pair of white trousers underneath a fine white shirt. A very light, flowing blue cape adorned his shoulders, two bits of its fabric attached to the shirt near each breast with silvery pins that resembled swirls.

His golden hair was cut short and looked positively wild, sticking out in every direction as if the man had no sense of pride in his looks. In each cheek, there were three well-defined brownish lines marking features that had been sculpted to perfection. His skin was a light caramel tone unlike the pale ivory most Blondys took pride in.

The man was wearing a pair of orange sunglasses that were horribly fitting and yet, Sasuke could see that his eyes were big and way too vulnerable.

That person was no ordinary Blondy. Sasuke acknowledged the breed, but he wasn't like them.

A prototype? Sasuke wondered, tensing up as the annoying sense of overwhelm struck him. No, definitely a failed specimen. But why is he alive?

Jupiter was believed to hold a perfect existence, but Katze had already confessed that it, too, failed in creating its most precious race once in a while. The failures, however, were disposed of as soon as they were deemed unworthy. In Tanagura, there was no room for failure.

So see such a person alive was shocking. That Blondy was nothing but flawed, his mere prevalence should be considered a nuisance, a sin amongst his co-habitants of Tanagura.

Then why was he alive?

People around the man eyed him in wonder, but not with the fear, idolization and respect that were common towards a Blondy – they eyed him in awe and in confusion, unsure of what to think, much like they eyed Sasuke most of the times, pretending he wasn't as attractive as many of his kind claimed him to be.

To Sasuke, however, he shone brighter than all those artificial lights in the noisy city. He was, without a doubt, the most striking being he had ever seen.

Even if deficient according to Tanagura's standards, the man was unbelievably handsome.

His strong hands were abnormally naked as he shoved them inside his pockets to retrieve a purple pack of cigarettes. He opened the pack and took out one of the dark sticks, bringing it to his lips. He was probably waiting for someone.

Sasuke swallowed hard, his muscles becoming rock hard with tension.

As the Blondy lit the cancer stick with an expensive-looking orange lighter, Sasuke lost the will to blink or even breathe.

So he stared, watching every move the other man made.

The noises of the world faded to nothingness, his blood pumping through his body and flowing with unnatural speed thanks to the fast pace of his heart.

Absently, he considered loosening up the bracelet in his wrist so as to not alarm Itachi, but just then, those big eyes landed upon him and he found himself unable to do it.

The Blondy had felt his heavy gaze and was now gazing back. If he felt surprised, he didn't show it. His expression was unusually open but careful as well. He looked only vaguely curious.

They stared at each other, ignoring the rustling of bodies around them and the noises of the passing cars and spaceships.

After what felt like forever, the Blondy balanced the cigarette between his lips and brought one elegant hand to his glasses to remove them.

Sasuke's lungs constricted even more as those big orbs gleamed like jewels and attacked his own defiantly.

They were like blue lanterns, aiming at him like an accusing spotlight.

Sasuke's muscles trembled with many raging emotions then, as a rush of unfamiliar pleasure ran through his body at being scrutinized by those strong, powerful eyes.

There was this intensity to that person that Sasuke had never seen before, like… resolve, poise, affirmation.

He wanted more. He wanted to see that man react, frown, express himself because he was more capable of that than any other Blondy - Sasuke just knew it.

With cautious and agile movements, the Uchiha uncrossed his arms and brought his gloved hands to the hood of his jacket. Slowly, he pulled it back completely to reveal the strands of his dark hair.

The Blondy's fine eyebrows quirked upwards in apparent surprise at something Sasuke didn't know what it was. He took a long drag in the cigarette before removing it from his mouth and letting it fall gracelessly to the ground. Narrowing his eyes, he expelled the smoke in an almost sensuous way.

It caused Sasuke's pants to become painfully tight.

Without really thinking, he stretched out his arm and pointed both his index and middle finger at the Blondy, almost hitting someone. The person's protests were left unheard, though. Sasuke then brought the tips of the same fingers to his own lips in a gesture he hoped could be understood.

The Blondy smirked slightly and shook his head from side to side, looking amused. His hand rose to where Sasuke could see it, and he moved it, gesturing for him to come closer.

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. Without really looking to check out for any spaceships on the road, he just walked straight ahead, crossing it and disregarding everything and everyone that could come in between him and the Blondy that held his gaze so steadily.

When he got about three steps away from him, he barely registered the other's movements as something was thrown his way and he caught it with quick reflexes of his left hand. He didn't need to look to see that it was the Blondy's pack of cigarettes.

Squeezing it possessively between his fingers, he never left the other's eyes as he took two more steps until they were at arm's reach from each other. Yes, indeed the man was barely taller than him, and nothing pole-like, like the others of his kind.

People kept walking around them, sending suspicious looks their way, but not daring for a second to walk in the space between them since, clearly, the freaky Blondy was socializing to the Mongrel. Wrecked or no wrecked, the Blondy had to be respected no matter what.

Dark eyes glanced over golden and perfect features. He was silently admiring full, pinkish lips when beautiful white teeth made an appearance and the stranger spoke.

"Have I enchanted you, Slum Boy?"

The voice wasn't as grave as he had expected it to be, but the tone was simple and confident and almost, almost made Sasuke shiver. He didn't, because his pride would never allow him to expose himself that much in front of a race he simultaneously envied and despised.

He let out the breath he had been holding since he had spotted the man, but found out he still couldn't breathe easily at all. The unwanted energy the Blondy exhaled was contagious, inescapable. It suffocated him, and yet, that perfectly imperfect being pulled him in like a magnet.

"My name is Sasuke, not 'Slum Boy', and I'm sure that that wouldn't do much to enlarge your already huge ego, Blondy." Sasuke's words were meant to sound sarcastic, but he couldn't seem to form the right tone, nor the right facial expression to match it at that moment, so he ended up being cold and defensive instead, as was usual of him.

The man's smirk grew wider, almost taunting. Those huge, shiny eyes traced invisible patterns over Sasuke's face, evaluating it placidly with open interest. For a second there, Sasuke could've sworn he had seen those eyes gleam with something akin to marvel, but it was soon gone, replaced by a sparkle of genuine curiosity.

Sasuke had never seen such glowing, soul filled eyes in any human being before. It was obvious that the Blondy had a hard time keeping up with his elite façade.

"Well, Sasuke, I suppose you assume my name is 'Blondy', then?" the other said, mockingly shoving one of his hands inside the pockets of his expensive looking trousers, the other dangling at his side, still holding the sunglasses.

"No, I'm sure your name is far more interesting than mine, your greatness."

Sasuke was happy that he had managed to spit his scorn out this time.

"Huh…" the Blondy mused, tilting his head to the side gently. "I heard Mongrels had witty mouths. I bet yours can utter the worst kind of trash in spite of that pretty face of yours."

Sasuke refrained from biting his lower lip. The Blondy had just called him 'pretty', and even though he hated being called that – he would inflict all kinds of pain to anyone who even dared throw a smart-assed compliment his way – for some reason, his mind could only process one thing over the comment – the Blondy had noticed him.

"Wouldn't you love to know?" Sasuke purred, in a way that was meant to be both challenging and seductive. He might be getting himself into big trouble, but something told him that his moves were correct. If he played his cards right, that Blondy might just be his free ticket to Tanagura. He could just tell that the man was both too clever and too emotionally exposed for his own good.

Sasuke could bet that all the other Blondys made his life a living hell for that. He could also bet that his words had ignited some kind of flame in him because that smirk was gone.

There was fire in those eyes now; a sudden dark appreciation made itself known there, mixed with something like instant eagerness, automatic need.

Sasuke had to keep a moan from escaping his lips at how much his body reacted to that one, simple look.

Just that look. The fucking man hadn't even moved an inch, but that look

Sasuke knew that, according to The Law, Blondies were forbidden to indulge in any sexual activities. They were allowed voyeurism, though, a purpose to which the Pets were suited for.

Jupiter was cruel leader to his beloveds, and yet, Blondys were created to be the perfect beings, highly intelligent, highly composed and free of inherent needs most humans possessed.

But this Blondy was a failed specimen, and as such, he clearly had desires. Even if he were to be like those considered 'perfect', Sasuke knew that even that race could crumble in the face of something higher than themselves. Jupiter was lucky that not many were confronted with real humanity.

The growl of an engine made itself heard right behind Sasuke, but he ignored it. However, the Blondy didn't.

As fast as the spell had started, it was broken.

The man blinked a few times before clearing his throat and shoving his large orange sunglasses back on his face. He pressed a tiny button on the side of the frames, causing it to make a small, fan-like noise and letting Sasuke know that his image had just been digitalized into the internal memory of the accessory.

The Mongrel was momentarily torn between overjoy and suspicion, and briefly considered if he should attack the man, crush the sunglasses and flee. In the end, he decided to keep his cool. It wasn't as if his record was clean, anyway.

"I expect to have my cigarettes back, Mongrel," the Blondy said, unnecessarily composing his clothes with aristocratic gestures. "I'm sure you'll find me eventually, being the cunning little rat I can just tell you are."

With that, he walked past Sasuke, purposefully bumping into his shoulder with little force – something no Blondy would do, not even out of spite because it would be too disgusting to even be in the same perimeter as a Mongrel – and heading for the large, white spaceship that had just parked nearby.

Sasuke turned around to watch him go, the pack still held firmly in his sweaty grasp, his nerves boiling with uncontrolled excitement.

"No matter how cunning, I'm sure I won't need to search for long if you wish to be found…" Sasuke said after him, confidently. "…by me."

The lateral door of the ship hissed and automatically opened upwards to reveal a stunning red interior. There was someone seated on the driver's seat, but he couldn't see the person's face because the Blondy was blocking most of the view.

A blond, spiky head turned to look over a broad shoulder, eyebrows lifted in disbelief. Then, the Blondy let out a short, dry laugh and said something that sounded awfully like "smart little trash" before getting inside the vehicle. The door dropped shut, and since the windows were obscured, the man disappeared from his view completely.

Still, it didn't stop Sasuke from watching as the spaceship roared with life and lifted itself a few feet off the ground. It soared in the same spot for a while before taking off down the road where, at the very end, the busy district would reach its end to allow it to lift off and travel higher above the tall buildings.

With his heart hammering in his chest, and his eyes hypnotized by that which carried someone amazing, the Mongrel didn't even notice that the bracelet was pulsing strongly in his wrist, so when he felt a heavy hand landing on his shoulder, he almost jumped out of his shoes.

He was violently turned around to meet the worried, sweaty face of his older brother.

"What happened?" Itachi panted, at once urgently grabbing his arms and looking at him from up and down as if looking for something out of ordinary in him. "Are you okay? Were you attacked? What was it, where have they gone to?"

Sasuke was rendered speechless, his mind a hazy mess of confusion. For the first time, he didn't register at all what was being said to him.

And then, it dawned on him – the bracelet. His heartbeat. Itachi must have felt it and thought he was in danger and had run to find him.

Only then did he notice that the device was squeezing his skin with strong throbs that signaled Itachi's own, wild heartbeat from the running.

Fuck, he was so damned furious and embarrassed at himself. Had he been that out of control for Itachi to find the need to come to him? How could he explain to his brother that he had just seen, and personally spoken to a fucking defective Blondy for the first time in his life and had thought that the other male was the most fucking perfect thing he had ever seen? How could he tell his brother that he had never felt so attracted to another individual as he had for that person and that the proof was currently protesting the lack of attention inside his pants?

He couldn't. He had never lied to Itachi before, but he just couldn't tell him – Itachi would just crush his dreams once more and he couldn't have that, not when something he had thought almost impossible to happen had just happened to him.

The Blondy had noticed him. He had felt it, that pull. He had lured him by saying he wanted his cigarettes back, and Sasuke wouldn't ignore it – he couldn't.

"It's…for a moment I thought I saw this guy we beat up once and I felt uneasy because he had a guy with him that was huge…" Sasuke lied, and then felt horrified at himself at how easily it slipped from his lips. "I'm strong, but I didn't know if I could handle those two by myself and I got nervous. It wasn't him, though; I didn't know I was alarming you, sorry."

Itachi let out a sigh of relief and let him go, running a hand through his hair. A few strands had released themselves from his tight ponytail.

"It's alright, I just got really worried, that's all," he said, still huffing a bit. "What's that?" He then asked, noticing the purple object Sasuke held.

"Just something I found." Once more, the lie came out easily. "You know I don't smoke, but these are the expensive ones, I couldn't just leave them there."

Itachi nodded and Sasuke shoved the pack inside the pockets of his jacket, relieved that he wasn't asked any further questions. After all, they picked stuff from the ground every day.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Itachi said, placing a hand on his lower back to urge him to walk. "I didn't get much information from this guy either, anyway."

They quickly and efficiently moved to avoid colliding with the passersby. They still had work to do and Sasuke just had to focus on that, at least for now.

"What other options have we got?" Sasuke asked through his clenched teeth.

"Two more hackers to question," Itachi explained. "But I'm becoming more and more confident that this person is a resident of Tanagura. No one form the outside can have access to internal information to do shit like that, no matter how good they are. This guy was just telling me that the central system is impossible to hack from the outside, and even from the inside, you have to either be directly involved in those handling Jupiter's main computer or be acquainted to someone that is. So, my guess is, either we have an Elite or even a Blondy trying to destroy Jupiter, or someone has somehow found a way to get inside the central and operate from there."

"While both possibilities seem highly unlikely, that's all we have for now," Sasuke said, with a nod of understanding. His heart was still beating too fast, and the idea of a Blondy planning a Coup D'état was just too exciting after what he had just experienced. "This guy must be a fucking genius."

"Yes, if he is lucky enough to survive and succeed, Jupiter will go down and this world will have a fresh start," Itachi agreed. "I just don't know if it will be for better or for worse."

They kept walking at a fast pace, headed for the location where the next hacker would be. If things went smoothly, they just might get this part out of the way before the night was over.

Still, the feeling of amusement towards that story was now turning into a feeling of resignation because he was working on finding the person who was doing what he had always dreamed he could do just to finish him off. What he was doing was going against everything he stood for. It was like throwing away the best chance of his life.

"This person could change our lives," Sasuke mumbled, as they turned a corner and reached the gambling area. "Killing him seems like such a waste."

Itachi's hand moved from his back to his arm, sliding down over it and grabbing his hand firmly.

"We must never place false hopes on someone whose ideals we know nothing about," Itachi muttered seriously. "For all we know, this person is just trying to take Jupiter's place. He may even want to annihilate all races to let the Blondy prevail. We can't just assume he will be our savior, Sasuke, when he might as well be our slaughterer."

Sasuke couldn't argue with that. Still, he tended to believe that someone with guts like that just had to be good.

Refraining from commenting further, he gripped Itachi's hand and kept walking.

Whatever, he now had something hopefully good to look up to.

oOo

"Ino, I need a favor from you."

"You're awfully demanding lately. Should I start keeping track of how many favors you owe me already?"

"You're my right arm, my love, I have no-one else I can trust. You know that you'll be rewarded if things go as I'm expecting them to."

"Of course… I'm such an idiot for always listening to your crap. I swear I'll never forgive you if things go wrong for me."

"I love you, too."

"What do you want? I haven't got all day."

"I need you to find information on a Mongrel named Sasuke. I'm sending you his picture right now."

"... Oh… he's very handsome for a Mongrel."

"I know."

"What do you need the information for?"

"Because I need an ally."

"You already have one in the Slums."

"Our network has to grow, Ino."

"Admit it; you're just dying to fuck him. One thing is good, though, if you do it in Ceres, you won't get caught."

"I don't want to fuck him. At this point I'd be glad to just fuck anything that moves. Fucking laws…"

"Whatever. What's with this guy, then?"

"There's something about his eyes that kind of reminds me of me. He's smart. He's got spunk, he has ambition, I could just feel it. I have a feeling he's connected to the BM. Besides, as far as we're concerned, the people in Ceres are the only ones we don't have to worry about."

"Hum… if you say so. Let me check him out and I'll get back to you."

"Thank you."

"Naruto?"

"What is it?"

"You and I… we are tainted material. I don't know why Jupiter allowed us to live, but even if we've been living comfortably in the middle of other Blondys, we are still wrecked specimens. Don't push your luck and be careful."

"You know that careful is my middle name."

"Yeah, more like 'careless', you fucking excuse for a Blondy."

"That's a big talk coming from a hermaphrodite."

The square hologram transmission ceased to show the Blondy woman's beautiful face. Instead, it was now showing all sorts of colorful pixels that emitted a gentle popping sound, but the blond man smiled a bit before readjusting his posterior on the fluffy rotating chair and touching the hologram in front of him. The image shifted and was now showing the picture he had taken of the Mongrel just a few hours previously.

Setting his elbows over the crystal desk of his well-equipped chambers, he joined his fingers together and watched the man with the smile still in check.

The dark haired male sure was a rare beauty, he pondered, observing the narrowed, resolute eyes, the correct features and the small, slightly perked up nose. In spite of how gracious his features were, he held himself with firmness and unfaltering pride. If Naruto were to be honest with himself, he had felt a bit shocked when he had defiantly exposed his hair to him.

Such dark, dark hair Sasuke had, and yet, even that was beautiful. He was a tough one, that's for sure. His clothes were well kept, and even though they weren't of high quality, they were better than anything any common Mongrel could afford, which led Naruto to believe that the man was sure to be involved in some obscure line of work, because no respectable jobs in Ceres could ever pay him enough to wear what he wore.

That made him all the more interesting, all the more desirable in every aspect of his existence.

No pet or furniture Naruto had ever owned had come close to being as gorgeous as Sasuke was, and neither of them had been able to turn him on as fast and as efficiently as him.

For many years Naruto had abided to Jupiter's Laws as an act of thankfulness for having spared him, but as time went by, he did it only out of self-preservation. As it was, no matter how experienced he was at theoretical sex from the many times he had watched others executing it, he had never tried it. In all honesty, apart from his inherent masculine needs – that he took care of by himself in his chambers, Jupiter be damned – he had never really found someone worthy of his attention, someone that would make him want to risk his face in favor of sex.

Until that little kitten from the Slums showed up.

Just looking at Sasuke's image made his nerves tense up, his blood flow faster, and his skin tingle with need. Goosebumps travelled up and down his spine.

He was sure that, being from the Blondy race, he wasn't supposed to feel lust. In fact, he wasn't supposed to feel much of anything at all, and his body, while ready to react to certain stimulus, wasn't meant to feel it. But he was deficient material, so there were a lot of things wrong with him, and many things that made him pitiful when compared to his Blondy superiors.

Not that he cared. He loved it that, next to the others, he was able to feel and be more human than they'd ever be.

He was sure Sasuke would be a passionate lover. Just thinking about it made Naruto's toes curl inside his shoes.

According to a story that had become a reference, Blondys and Mongrels were not meant to be together. They were opposites, fated to repel each other, different as day was from night.

In Tanagura, Iason Mink's death was still mourned even after all those years. The real story behind it was unknow to many, but Naruto, fascinated by its mystery, had researched it thoroughly and had actually come across a lot of interesting things. He had found secret, highly confidential data - documents, videos, phone calls - that linked him to Iason's story with a feisty, rather attractive Mongrel named Riki, whom he had taken in as an uncooperative
Pet and bedding him. It had been the biggest scandal Tanagura had ever seen. Having Iason perishing because of a Mongrel was too much, so the Council of Blondys had buried everything concerning the incident to keep Iason's integrity as intact as they could. After all, no Blondy had been as efficient and influencial as Iason, and Jupiter hadn't loved one as greatly as it had loved him.

The fact that Herbay collapsed that day as well, killing hundreds of people seemed meaningless.

No-one cared about Riki's whereabouts. Most thought he had escaped to another planet and was still alive somewhere. But Naruto knew Riki had willingly died with Iason in that collapse. In spite of all the evidence stating otherwise, Naruto believed that Riki had loved Iason, and their relationship hadn't been as seemingly abusive as one would think.

But an unfortunate love affair could not serve as a model for how the world worked these days. It was to prove stories like those wrong that he was working his way towards a new Era and a new world where justice would prevail over any race or prejudice. If anything, Iason and Riki's story only allowed him to understand that even the most perfect Blondy was flawed, and that something as seemingly under rated as love was strong enough to defy all laws and to last beyond death. If this world wasn't so wrong, maybe things had been different for those two.

This made Naruto understand that, if Sasuke was even a little like he thought he was, he would aim towards the same thing. Sasuke had dreams and ideals. Hopefully they matched Naruto's.

Perfection could, and would, be achieved.

His life sure was becoming interesting lately, Naruto concluded, licking his lips and inhaling deeply, electric blue eyes glued to Sasuke's dark, powerful ones.

How he wished Sasuke was thinking about him right then.

oOo

Unknowing of Naruto's thoughts, Sasuke was, in fact, thinking about the Blondy.

With Itachi sound asleep in their bedroom, Sasuke was back in the living room. Dawn was approaching slowly, but the midnight haired male had never felt so aware in his life. Leaning on the windowsill, he twirled one of the Blondy's unlit dark cigarettes on his fingers, watching the thing as if it was a rare jewel.

He licked his lips once, twice, and then brought the filter to his lips for a few seconds before licking them again. It left the taste of something sweet there and he automatically made a face.

The Blondy – whose name he never got to know – liked sweets. It was unfair that, apart from some sort of physical attraction, they seemed to have nothing in common, not even tobacco or the aversion of sweet things Sasuke had.

The brunet sighed and looked out to the horizon where Tanagura stood out, beautiful and majestic.

The Blondy was there, right now, probably sleeping, oblivious to the fact that Sasuke was restless, his mind replaying their encounter over and over again.

They would meet again, he knew it. Even if the Blondy forgot all about him, even if they were not fated to, Sasuke would most definitely find a way to return the cigarettes to him and steal something from him. He wanted more memories with the Blondy, more of… something. He wanted it so bad he could barely relax such was the adrenaline running all over his system.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would find him and make sure he didn't lose sight of him anytime soon.

TBC...