A bird called in the distance as the forest settled down to rest. Trees shook their mighty boughs in the evening breeze, hoping to achieve one last thing before succumbing to the night.

Suddenly a dark blur raced through the forest, invisible to the untrained eye. Stopping just at the edge, the shadowy figure peeked out of the surrounding foliage into the brightly moonlit field that stretched toward the villages that belonged to the Uchiha kingdom. The figure looked up at the full moon and watched a large cloud slowly drifting toward the shining sphere. When the edge of the cloud created enough darkness for cover, the shadow burst from the trees and sprinted for the nearest, and therefore poorest, of all the villages. Upon reaching his first destination, it was short work for him to find the house he was looking for. He knocked on the door and did not wait for an answer before opening the plank of wood and slipping through.

A young blond sat on a stool in the only room of the house. He had innocent-looking blue eyes that deceived anyone who trusted them, for they had seen more than others could hope to conceive. He also had the tan skin of someone who spent too much time in the sun, yet his hands did not bear the callouses of one used to the hard labour of a surf. He glanced up briefly at the unannounced visitor before unconcernedly turning back to the precious trinket in his hands. His face, lit by a fire in the fireplace, showed a slow smile and the visitor cleared his throat before addressing the blond man.

"Hello, Naruto."

"Hello, Kyuubi," Naruto greeted casually. "It's a nice night for travel, yes?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm here."

Naruto squinted up at Kyuubi with mock confusion showing in his eyes. "And why are you here, Kyuubi?"

"Well, the Akatsuki helped you out of a tight situation a while back. Now they want compensation."

The blond turned back to his necklace and nodded, never losing his calm expression. "I see. And how much are they paying you to tell me this?" Kyuubi grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"I'm not inclined to say. But it's not nearly enough to put up with your mouth."

The blond offered a grin of his own, one that caused the older man's smile to falter as a chill ran through his spinal cord. The light that shone in this kid's eyes…it was not human.

"I assure you Kyuubi, I'll have their money soon."

"How soon? They're getting pretty anxious because you only have-"

"Two weeks is plenty of time to come up with the money I owe and then some. In fact, you can tell the Akatsuki that I have a plan that will get the debt paid off earlier than planned."

"I'm not a messenger boy." The redhead growled. His brown eyes shone so brightly in the moonlight they appeared to be crimson. Nevertheless, the boy remained calm and Kyuubi's curiosity got the better of him.

"What are you planning?"

Naruto's calm demeanour was ripped away and he sneered at the other male. "I doubt that's any of your business, Kyuubi."

The addressed snarled and started for the door. "Remember Naruto, the Akatsuki are not kind. They won't tolerate this debt much longer." The moonlight came flooding through the doorway as Kyuubi disappeared once more into the night.

Naruto sighed and stood, stretching his limbs before crossing the deceivingly humble room to his door. Glancing out for only a split second, he gazed up at the Uchiha castle with a malicious gin unconsciously spreading across his face. He only needed to wait until cover….

A few moments later, the house was empty and a cloud drifted lazily over the yellow moon.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

The maid wandered through the castle, trying to find her prince, Uchiha Sasuke. Eventually she collapsed onto the floor, wheezing and wondering how he could have disappeared into thin air. If she did not find him soon, she would be severely punished by the boy's parents.

A soft scuffling sound in the wall behind the servant alerted to something-or someone else's presence. The only thing she could defend herself was a mere feather duster, but it would have to do. Turning slowly, she kept the makeshift weapon poised like a baseball bat with the feathers pointing toward her. She burst through the closet door that was embedded into the wall, the sudden blast of air sending her pink hair into her eyes. The brandished duster was held over a small figure she recognised. Condescending black eyes stared back at her and she blew the fringe out of her face.

"Sasuke-dono, why are you hiding in the closet?" She asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"I was trying to hide from you." Sasuke grouched.

"Oh, Sasuke-dono," she let out a twitter that sounded a lot like a bird's chirp. "You always make me laugh!" Before Sasuke could snort in reply, what seemed to be his mirror image appeared in the doorway.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?"

The raven blinked up at the deep voice from his crouched position on the closet floor. "Itachi?" He questioned innocently. Itachi did not fall for it.

"Come on Sasuke, everyone has been worried sick about you."

"Even you, Itachi-niisan?"

A moment of hesitation. "Let's go. Sakura-san, tell my parents Sasuke has been found."

As they made their way to wherever Itachi said their parents would not be (he had to talk his brother alone), Sasuke looked up at his brother the entire way. The former was already fourteen, but his body looked more like a child who had only just reached the age of ten-at least in height and weight. He also had pinker and poutier lips than was average for his gender and the shine in his black eyes and hair made him look more like a girl than a boy. In fact, more than once he had been mistaken for a female by strangers, one small example being when Itachi's betrothed, Hoshigaki Kisame (Sasuke was surprised his brother accepted the Blue. Male.) smiled at the youngest Uchiha and said Itachi had not told him he had a little sister.

Kisame was still trying to gain Sasuke's favour.

As much as the two brothers looked alike, Sasuke admitted that Itachi most resembled a man. He was tall and had a slender build, yet his body was muscular enough to be classified at first glance as decidedly male. His long hair, always tied back in a low ponytail to the small of his back, was well-kept yet did not "sparkle" like others said Sasuke's did. His lips created a thin and stern line, but they still were not feminine, and so Sasuke envied them. In short, Itachi looked like his gender more than his little brother and while he found this endearing, Sasuke found it flat out annoying. Itachi glanced down at the scowling boy and decided to ignore the topic he knew scorched his otouto's self-esteem at the moment.

"Sasuke, I would appreciate if you treated Sakura-san a little better." He sighed as Sasuke's scowl deepened. "I'm not asking you two to become the best of friends, I'm merely asking you to please treat her nicely. She tries her best. Besides, some day you'll grow to appreciate her."

Sasuke sniffed haughtily, but they both knew he would listen to his aniki. "…Alright, I'll try, Itachi."

They reached Sasuke's room and the younger brother was a bit surprised when his brother did not leave immediately like he usually did. At least, until he remembered the eldest brother had wanted to speak to him. But was it not time for both to go to sleep? The unspoken question was answered when Itachi sat down on the bed, patting the place next to him in a gesture for Sasuke to sit there. "Sasuke, you were not supposed to know this until a much later date, but I believe you deserve to know now."

Sasuke blinked with fret. What secret would everyone, with the exception of his loving aniki, possibly want to keep from him? He was not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Itachi took a deep breath that worried his otouto even more. "I am not going to take over the throne for Father. I will be-"

"What? Itachi you're the eldest! You should the first in line to-"

"Calm down, Sasuke," Itachi was smiling and Sasuke did not think there was anything humourous about their conversation. "Father and Mother are not very happy about it either, but after much discussion between them, Kisame, and myself, and we have reached the conclusion that I shall be helping Kisame rule his kingdom." His serious expression was finally back in place.

"But I always assumed you would join the two kingdoms together and you would stay here with me." Itachi smiled again at his brother's adorable pout-he looked so much like a little sister. "Sasuke, both kingdoms are quite large. It would be very inefficient to rule both at the same time. No, you will find a decent someone to wed soon and will you do, it will be you who rules over the Uchiha kingdom." The smile grew into a grin at Sasuke's expression.

"This is not the end of the world, Sasuke. We will still see each other often. Nothing, not even Kisame and his large kingdom, will be able to keep you away from me. We share a much stronger bond than that. This is but our next great adventure together."

Sasuke's pout faded a little, but it was still there. Itachi was always able to comfort him and make him feel as though the entire world could not tear the brothers apart, but today the younger boy was not so sure. After all, his aniki would be so far away…. What if Sasuke needed him?

"I still don't like this idea. I refuse to accept it."

Itachi sighed and Sasuke did not like the sound. "Sasuke, one day that tongue of yours will get you into trouble and no one will be there to save you when it does." The older boy gave Sasuke a brief goodnight hug that his otouto did not return. Unfazed, Itachi lightly laughed and poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers in retaliation.

"Ow! Itachi, that hurt!" Sasuke's shout was heard only by the door as his brother took off for his own bed chamber. Sasuke stripped quickly and dressed in his silken pajamas, readying himself for sleep. He was still fuming about the conversation that had recently ended by the time he settled down into his bed.

A shadow passed over the moon.

'When would no one be there for me?' Sasuke thought bitterly as Itachi's words continued to chant in his brain. 'I'm constantly surrounded by those who would readily do anything, even sacrifice their own lives, for my safety.' The shadow stretched further into Sasuke's room, over his bed, but the Uchiha heir did not notice.

When the moon reappeared, it shone down on an empty bed.

A/N: This, along with New World, New Things, is part of a "contest" where the story with the most reviews will be the one that is finished first. So if you want this one finished, please review. (You can even drop situations you think Naruto and Sasuke will get into together in there as well!)

Bye!

~theflawintheplan