Disclaimor:I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE NARUTO CHARACTERS, AND NEITHER DO YOU!!!! I DO, HOWEVER, LOVE SHIKAMARU NARA!!!!!

This is a LoBoACM production. Please enjoy. Updates by updates, may take time.

Warnings:
Yaoi! NarutoXItachi Launage, possible lemons Considering SasukeXOrichumaru

Notes From Author:
Trying to keep as much in character as possible while making them ooc, ((towards end of this chapter, Naruto and itachi talking occ, but on purpose)) I'm not to clevor with Kisume, but I know he does say 'Can't I kill him, just a little?' or something on those lines. Constructive criticism. And yes, I check e-mails quite alot...when i'm on...sumtimes...lol...watever...U no what i mean...

There it went again. The steady trickle of water running away. Naruto scrambled after it, trying to touch it before it went down the drain. too slow."Great job, loser." Sasuke mumbled sarcastically, watching him from a corner. "Well, you tried Naruto, but you'll never be as great as Sasuke!" Sakura pittered over, hardly glancing at Naruto as she made her way to Sasuke.
"Thanks, anyway..." Naruto sighed bitterly, wishing he could do things right for a change.
"We have a meeting at the ninja council today, and we don't think you should come." Sakura chippered on.
"Keep practicing, loser. Maybe you'll get better some day." Sasuke laughed sarcastically, closing the door as he and Sakura left.
"Naruto...Naruto?" The voice shouted.
Naruto glanced around, trying to find it's owner. The voice was deffaintly a girl, but the owner was no one to be seen.
Suddenly, Naruto was being shaken violently. It was like an earthquake, but only on him.
His eyes snapped open, and he saw Tsundae's face peering at him. "Naruto, come on." She helped him sit up, and handed him a bowl of raman.
As the noodels slipped down his throat, he felt better. It was just a dream, it didn't mean anything...Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't ditch him for some stupid council meeting.
"Lady Tsundae...?" Naruto looked up, his blue eyes half closed, his expression thoughtful.
"Yes, Naruto?" She smiled at him, remembering when she first met him with Jiraya.
"Do you think my team would leave me to go to some council meeting?" He asked.
"Of course we wouldn't." Sakura smiled, slipping into the room.
The sun was setting slowly outside the large window. It cast firey reds everywhere, leaving dark shadows to conceal it's deeds in. This might be the way Land Of The Fire got it's name. Far in the distance, konoha beach lay, it's sparkling waters reflecting the hues of red.
"How are you?" Sakura asked as Lady Tsundae handed Naruto a secound bowl of raman, and left, leaving the two to talk.
"I'll be fine!" Naruto smiled. In truth, most of his body hurt. He had been training. He wanted to be strong enough to kill Orichemaru and get Sasuke back. He vowed in blood to get Sasuke back. For Sakura, so they could be a team again. His hand slipped around the maddellion necklace, remembering all the hokages. They'd want him to keep his vow.
"I know you'll be fine, but how are you now?" Sakura asked, hesitating by the door. She wanted to get to the stores before they closed, she needed a new outfit for the meeting that was coming up, but she couldn't leave Naruto without making sure he'd be fine.
"Fine...fine..." Naruto replied, hands linked behind his head as he stared at the all too familair hospital room. Kunai blades hung from the ceiling, where'd he thrown them in pure boredom. He had several changes of clothes, and lots of possesions here, probally more then he had at his house. They probally saved the room just for him. Not many other people were in there as much as he was.
"Okay, if your sure..." Sakura slipt out, ignoring her guilty concous and joining Ino for their competitive-yet somehow friendly- shopping spree.
Naruto lay there for a while, nothing crossing his mind, just laying there, waiting. He knew no one else would come, so he orta fall asleep. But training had ruined his sleep. If he wasn't always having to try so hard. If it came easier to him, like it did to Sasuke, then he'd be fine. But no, even though the Nine-Tailed Fox gave him far more chakra then normal, he still wasn't as good. No, he was as good as Sasuke, but, somehow, even on the same level, Sasuke was always quiker, faster, smarter. Naruto sighed and rolled over, instantlly regretting it as his side shot pain.
"He's awake, Itachi Sama." The voice was harsh, cold, and regretfull, as though it'd left something behind that it knew it'd never get back.
Naruto forced himself to sit up, blue eyes wide as he saw Itachi and Kasume enter the room.
"Naruto...the bearer of the Nine-Tailed Fox. You are much needed for a task." Itachi's voice was cold and emotionless.
Naruto avoided looking at his eyes, instead glancing at Kisume. Kisume was smiling, showing more shark teeth then anyone wanted to see. Naruto stared at the floor.
"What do you want?" Naruto asked, trying to appear non-chalant.
Having not been looked in the eye, Itachi knew Naruto was scared. "We want you to come with us"
"I could kill him a little, then it'd be no problem." Kisume suggested, his smile somehow widening at the idea.
"No, we need him alive." Itachi glared at his teammate, then turned back to Naruto.
"Why should I go with you?" Naruto asked, staring at ITachi's profle instead of his eyes. Itachi was alot like Sasuke, except more femmine, though not lacking in the muscalur respect.
Itachi eyed Naruto. He was strong, even with the Nine-Tailed Fox, he wasn't completly healed. In no form to battle. An easier task had never been asigned. "Because you are in no condition to fight, and we could easily wipe you from the face of the earth, if that was nessacairy"
Naruto shuddered, and slowly, painfully stood. He grabbed his clothes slowly pulling them on over his undershirt and boxers, aware of Itachi's eyes on him the whole time.
"Itachi, can you see through clothes?" Naruto asked suddenly, slipping some kunai blades in his side pocket and some scrolls in his other.
Confusion showed on ITachi's face for a nano secound. "Possibly...If I wanted too..." ITachi had never really thought of using them for that purpose, but his Uchiha traits could come in handy if he ever wanted to.
"Oh, that would be pretty cool." Naruto linked his arms behind his head and laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. They couldn't kill him because they needed the nine-tailed fox. Might as well make the best out of it. And maybe, in some way, it could help him. He had to get Sasuke, help the Huugya Clan, become Hokage, and protect his friends. Those were his ninju ((i think..ninju, right?)) His Ninja Way.
"I'm not carring you, brat." Kisume grumbled, starting to leave.
Itachi waited, wondering if Naruto had a plan of some sort. "Why'd you ask"
"Huh? Oh, about your eyes? Cause, not only would it help with the ladies, but you could see blades and stuff, you know?" Naruto limped towards the door. "I hope you don't plan on walking fast. Kidnapping me when I'm injured wasn't a smart plan"
"Any other time, and you'd fight." Itachi replied, not unsympathetic.
"So? Not like you'd stand a chance." Naruto replied evenly. He knew there was a high chance Itachi would kill him if they faught.
"So, you say?" Itachi let the comment fall, not caring what the twerp had to say, if it was all talk and no action.
Naruto leaned against the wall as he walked, trying to ignore the pain in his side the was steadily creeping over his whole body.
Itachi watched him, wondering if he should make Kisume carry him. It wasn't like he cared much, but Naruto was in pain, and couldn't move so fast.
But, the more they walked-why they'd given Naruto a room so high and so hard to reach and leave was beyond everyone-the straighter Naruto stood.
The Nine-Taied Fox must be healing him. Impresive.
"Itachi...?" Naruto said, just as they reached outside, no one around. Probally all preparing for the meet.
"Hnh?" Itachi glanced over at him, admring his style for a minute, before staring straight ahead.
Naruto slowed down, falling into step beside Itachi. "Are you taking me back to you super-secret hide away, where people are going to touch my stomach, and eventually kill me to get the Nine-Tailed Fox"
Itachi thought about that for a moment. Super secret hideout? Playing with his stomach? Sounded oh so thrilling... "No...I think we'll leave that for another day"
Naruto laughed. "Your kidding, right? ...Right"
"Possibly..." It was taking alot more from Itachi not to smile. This kid was really something.
"Great. So, can we get some raman before leaving?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"Sure..." Itachi lead Naruto into a nearly empty raman shop. People stared at the ninja, knowing he was one of the 9 Akatsuki members they were suppose to kill on sight. But they were just average people who couldn't really do much about him.
"Hey, Naruto..." The man behind the counter called, giving Itachi the once over, before setting two bowls of raman on the counter.
"I don't want none." Itachi said, taking a bar stool-ish seat beside Naruto.
The man raised his eyebrows. "They were for Naruto. I owe him that, after he got my precouis Libby from the tree." In reply to her name, a rather large ornage and gray stripped cat meowed rather loudly from behind the counter.
"Oh..." Itachi just sat there, watching Naruto wolf down four bowls of raman.
"You going to that meet?" The man asked.
"Probally not, it's all too buisnessie for me." Naruto replied. "How bout you, Kolzumi? You goin"
"Nah, not a ninja. And it's not like they want me there to serve raman"
"You don't know about that! If I was there, you'd have to be there! I couldn't get through that whole meeting without raman!" Naruto replied entergetically.
"That's you, Naruto. Your my main customer." Kolzumi smiled, clearing away the bowls and placing another down.
"Yeah, well, I may be gone for a while. But, don't worry, I'll be back!" Naruto grinned, wolfing down the bowl.
"We should be on our way." Itachi said, catching a glance of Kisume walking past.
"Okay! I'll see you around, Kolzumi'!" Naruto followed Itachi out.
"Okay, Naruto! Don't be gone too long!" Kolzumi shouted as Naruto left.
"Do you eat, Itachi"
"What is it with your completly random questions?" Itachi asked, wondering why one would ask. He learned to cook, so of course he ate!
"Because, no one ever mentions you eating, or looking through people's clothes." Naruto replied.
"Oh, really? What do they mention?" Itachi asked, only midly curious, and more to have something to think about, instead of dwelling on what Kisume had in that rather large pack on his back.
"Sasuke talks about you killing the clan...And most people prefer not to talk about you. Beside Sakura, who hates you, because she worships Sasuke, and she barely has time for me. I guess I'm more in the way then anything else..." Naruto stared at the ground, relizing he was right. Sakura was becoming a healer. Sasuke was an amazing ninja with taska, a clan to revive, priorities. Naruto was...nothing. A hopefull kid, a useless teenager.
Itachi understood the feeling, remembering how the clan had treated him when Sasuke came along.
"Wow, Itachi, Sasuke's so much like you." Except that Itachi had moved on quicker, making himself more distant from the clan. No one had bothered him much, because he made it known that he was stronger, and could be mean. And then, the chance came, he killed all of them, except Sasuke, and left, joing the Akatsuki.
"Itachi?" Naruto asked.
"Huh?" Naruto must have been talking.
"Do you plan on killing me?" Naruto repeated.
"No..." Itachi replied easily, wondering why. "Again with the strange questions"
"Sorry..." Naruto mumbled, moving slower. The will had drained from him.
"Naruto, I have no intentions on hurting you. At most, I'll protect you." Itachi whispered so Kisume couldn't hear.
Naruto looked up, blue eyes wide. "Really?" He hadn't thought about Itachi as much for caring, at most, he disapproved of ITachi because of everything Sasuke said. But, there were two sides to every story.
"Yeah..." Itachi looked away.
"Moving so slow for a reason?" Kisume called back.
"More or less, Sharkie!" Naruto replied, linking his arms behind his head and leaning back slightly as he walked. There was more bouncein his step now, and he longer looked so down.
Itachi smiled to himself. Not a visible smile, just a small, almost smile in his head.
hr "Hey, Itachi, cann we stop here for the night?" Kisume asked.
"Sure..." Itachi dropped down, leaning against a tree.
"You making food, Sharky?" Naruto asked.
Kisume flashed Naruto a glare, hating the nickname already. "No"
"Fine, I'll cook." Naruto grumbled, reaching for Kisume's bag. "I know you have food in here, I can smell it"
He turned the bag upside down, find a pan, some noodles, a jug of water, some strange packet of spices, and three tin cups. "Easy enough." He set up some wood. "Hey, Itachi, can you do some fire jutsu"
"Is there another random question?" Itachi opened one eye slightly.
"No, I need a fire to cook..." Naruto laughed.
"Oh..." Preforming a quick set of hand symbols, Itachi easily started a fire without getting up.
"Thanks..." Naruto placed the pan on the two upturned sticks, so it wasn't directly int he fire and wouldn't burn. He poured water and the noodles in there and stired them with a wooden spoon he'd found in one of the inner pockets of the bag. Pulling out a shuriken blade, he started carving a stick while waiting for it to cook.
Itachi watched him, interested in what he was making.
Kisume watched the pan, about starved.
Naruto dropped some spices in the pan and stirred it constantlly, while carving the stick.
"Which way are we headed when we start of tomorrow?" Naruto asked as he spooned some of the noodles in the cups.
Kisume pointed in a direction, and held out his hands.
Naruto stared at him for a minute, then, relizing he wanted food, handed Kisume a cup. He passed him some chop sticks. "Don't get too sharky and gobble it whole, theres more in there"
Kisume glared at him, but gratefully ate it.
Naruto stood, carring a cup over to Itachi. "I'm not the best cook, but you haven't ate anything recently"
Itachi accepted the cup and chop sticks. Why should Naruto care if he'd ate? After all, hadn't they...sorta...kidnapped him...on his own will...? Wait, that made no since.
"Why are you coming with us on your own free will? Shouldn't you...have a shiken blade against your throat or something? He asked, slowly starting to eat. The noodles were good.
"Yeah...well...it's not like theres much for me back there, and I need to find some way to fullfill my tasks..." Naruto shrugged, eating his own food and rinsing the dish. He lay on his back, staring at the stras, hands once more linked behind his head.
He waited for the other two to fall asleep. Kisume had several more cup fulls of the noodles, and then went to sleep quickly.
Itachi, on the other hand, say, watching Naruto. After a moment, he pulled down his hair, a layed down himself, staring up at the stars.
"Whacha thinking?" Naruto asked soflty, so not to wake Kisume.
"About Sasuke..." Itachi replied.
Naruto swore he heard sadness in his voice. "Tell me"
"Why do you care"
"Because, I wanna think of you as my friend...Your not that bad of a person, really"
"Oh?" Itachi tilted his head so he could look at Naruto. Naruto's face glowed in the firelight, a tear streaking down. Naruto angrily wiped it away, unaware of Itachi watching him.
"What's wrong?" Itachi asked, staring back at the stars.
"Whadda mean?" Naruto asked.
"Your crying"
"Am not...Shinobi don't cry"
"Do too"
"Not really"
"Yes Really"
"No, they don't"
"Yes, they do"
"Fine, sometimes they do"
"Thank you"
"For what"
"Nothing"
"Fine, be that way"
"So, why were you crying"
"You wouldn't understand"
"I might"
"How uncharateristic"
"So? Are you going to tell me"
Naruto sat up, hugging his knees to his chest, his back to Itachi. "I'm nothing"
Itachi moved beside Naruto. "Your matter"
"Not like that. I mean...Sakura loves Sasuke...And I'll never be as good as Sasuke...No matter how hard I train...No one will teach me the right jutsus...And it's not like I wanna kill Sasuke...I just want to be...better...You know"
"Yeah..." Itachi whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Why do you feel that way? You're important, otherwise, we wouldn't have tried to kidnap you before, remember"
"Yeah, but Orichmaru kidnapped Sasuke, which cancels that out." Naruto shrugged.
"Orichmaru didn't kidnap him, Sasuke went on his own will." Itachi objected.
"Oh?" Naruto shrugged.
"Yeah..." Itachi glanced over at Naruto.
Naruto stared at the ground in front of his toes. He could feel Itachi's eyes on him. "Your not looking through my clothes, are you?"
Itachi laughed. It was a nice laugh, not cold, but an honest, happy laugh. Naruto smiled. They both layed back, not looking at each other.
"No, I wasn't"
"Okay. Let me know if you do. That would be freaky"
"I will...I mean, I won't, but if I did, I would"
"You make no sense sometimes"
"Your the one asking random questions"
"Your the one on the same team as a shark"
"Your the one going with the kidnappers, willingly"
"Then it's not a kidnap, is it"
"Guess not. Then, what is it"
"I don't know...A mission"
"Do you think I'll end up dead at the akatsuki base"
"Probally not, They might try to make you join us"
"Would that be bad?"
"Would it?"
"How should I know?"
"Do you wanna join?"
"How should I know?"
"Because it's you..."
"Yeah, but I don't know..."
"It's okay, your still young..."
"...You aren't much older then me..."
"Guess not..."
"How old are you?"
"Why?"
"Curious..."
"Aren't you always?"
"Is it a bad thing?"
"Could be..."
"Really?"
"Mhmmm..."
"I have a question..."
"Ask...Your going to anyway..."
"How come you weren't ever talkitive before?"
"I don't know why I'm talking now..."
"It's nice to talk to you, Itachi Sama..."
"Really? Most think I'm not a very pleasent person..."
"You can be..."
"Could be, mostly, I don't bother"
"I noticed"
They both grew silent, staring up at the stars.
"Hey, Naruto...?"
"Yeah...?"
"How well do you know Sasuke?"
"I'm not sure...We're...almost friends...I guess...We're teammates, otherwise, we probally wouldn't spend anytime together"
"Oh..." Itachi shrugged. "We never spent anytime together either"
"Why not"
"Just had...different options...He always wanted attention, and I...didn't"
"Oh...So, you just...didn't talk at all"
"Not much...We had times when we were like best friends, I'd carry him around, but they always ended when other people were around, and he wanted to bask in the attention"
"Why didn't you...?" Naruto asked.
"No more questions. Get some sleep, you'll need it, we ave lots of ground to cover tomorrow"
"Mkay...More questions tomorrow"
"Possibly"
"Good Night, Itachi Sama"
"Night Uzumaki" Itachi replied, letting his eyes drift closed.

Thanks for reading. Leave a review, or i'll cry. I might set my squirrly wrath on you... MUHAHAHAHAHA

Shikaara Your Great Escape