The castle belonging to the noble Uchiha family was not a happy one. Since the old king had died while his sons were still very young, his brother, Madara had taken over as King, until Itachi, the eldest son came of age. However, Itachi's 16th birthday came and went, and still Madara did not relinquish the throne; he enjoyed the power far too much. Nobody argued with him, because with one look into his crimson eyes, Madara was able to cast a spell that would convince everyone that he was rightfully the king of the land, and that Itachi, and his younger brother Sasuke were lucky to have a roof over their heads, courtesy of good king Madara. Still, the people suffered under Madara's rule; he didn't really care about their welfare, he was vain and cruel, and only cared for his own pleasures. Itachi found himself forced to witness the suffering of his people, as Madara spent the money earned from taxes on himself. And so, Itachi's 18th birthday came and went, and Madara was still in control, running the once happy and prosperous country slowly into ruination.
_______
Itachi sank his teeth into the pillow in an effort to keep from moaning; Sasuke was sleeping in the next room, and he didn't want his little brother to know his sordid secret. The hands on his hips tightened, and the man above him began panting in time with his rhythmic thrusts. Itachi found himself gasping into the pillow, as the mixture of pleasure and pain almost overwhelmed him. He let out a small groan as he climaxed, unable to stop the sound from escaping his lips, hoping that he wouldn't be heard. His uncle knew his qualms well; with a soft snicker, he reached around to fondle Itachi's spent and still sensitive member, thrusting harder and deeper at the same time.
"Ma-madara!" Itachi gasped, only partially in protest. As always happened, he gave in to the sensation, pushing back against the other man, arching his back. He felt his uncle's mouth hard on his neck, and knew that there would be another bruise to conceal in the morning. To his sudden surprise, Madara wrapped his arms around Itachi's waist, and pulled him upright, so Madara was in a sitting position on the bed, Itachi still with his uncle's cock deeply buried inside him. Itachi tipped his head back to rest on the older man's shoulder; now his mouth was freed from the relative safety of the pillow, his own harsh breaths seemed to echo far too loudly in his ears as he moved, riding his uncle. He cried out as he came a second time, feeling Madara fill him seconds later.
Itachi let himself be lowered back onto the bed, still breathing heavily. As always, his uncle dressed and left without a word. Itachi didn't bother to watch him go; now the sex was over, he was left feeling hollow and empty; disgusted with himself for letting Madara have his way, for not resisting it; worse, for enjoying it. His one consolation was that Sasuke knew nothing about it, and that with all of Madara's attention focused on him, Sasuke was being left alone. Itachi brushed his long dark hair out of his eyes; a trickle of semen down his thigh reminded him that he should wash, and at least cover his nudity, but movement seemed like far too much effort. He tugged the blanket over himself instead, but as exhausted as he was, sleep eluded him.
He found himself wondering whether his uncle loved or hated him; he was unsure about his own feelings, only he was pretty sure that the allure that Madara had over him wasn't love. But surely, he thought, if Madara simply hated him, why was he being kept alive? It was a question that constantly nagged at him; as much as he hated to admit it, if Madara wanted him out of the way, he would be gone; Madara had all the power, and he had none. Even if he could find some way to break the spell Madara had put on any one who supported Itachi over him, Madara was still stronger than him. Itachi clenched his teeth in frustration. If only there was some way to get Sasuke away; that was his biggest problem. Sasuke was a knife at Itachi's throat; Madara knew how much he cared for his little brother. With Sasuke somewhere safe, Itachi thought that he would be able to at least try to go up against Madara. But Itachi's number of allies was zero. The situation seemed helpless. Itachi buried his head into his pillow, and tried to sleep.
_______
The next morning, Itachi took Sasuke on a walk around the town, mainly to have something to do. The atmosphere in the castle was becoming increasingly stifling for him, and he knew that if he had had to spend the whole day cooped up in there again, he would have just ended up seeking Madara out. That was something that he did not want to do; his uncle had far too much power over him as it was; Itachi took a grim sort of pleasure in the fact that if Madara wanted him, he had to come and get him. Sasuke, as oblivious as ever to the tension surrounding him, skipped ahead, poking his nose into the different stalls and shops on the market street. Far too many of the houses were boarded up and abandoned by people who could not keep up with Madara's taxes, and not one of the stall holder's would look Itachi in the eyes. They all expected him to do something, he knew, and it hurt him that he couldn't.
"Itachi!" Sasuke's voice brought him back from his unhappy thoughts.
"What is it?" he asked, looking down into his little brother's dark eyes. He couldn't help but wonder how long that innocence would last around Madara. Time was running out for him to do something for Sasuke, and his people.
"Can I go and play, please?" He asked, pointing to where two slightly grubby children stood; a boy and a girl. The boy had a grin on his face; the girl was peering cautiously over his shoulder. Both were common playmates of Sasuke's Street urchins, true, but far safer than leaving Sasuke with anyone Madara found for him.
"Go ahead, but don't go too far." Itachi said. "Meet me over by the tavern in one hour, ok?"
Sasuke grinned at his brother, before dashing off to meet his friends. Itachi wasn't sure what their parent's would have said to Sasuke's choice of playmates, but then, his own choices left a lot to be desired, too. The brats were part of a plan Itachi had been formulating; if he could get Sasuke somewhere safe, he would be a more able to move about, without worrying about his little brother.
Itachi was so lost in his thoughts, that at first he didn't notice the drumming sound of an approaching horse. Rather, he was brought out of his reverie by a shrill scream; he jerked his head up, and turned to the direction of the cry, instantly on the alert for any sort of threat to his little brother. Itachi had no time to register if Sasuke was in danger or not. A large grey horse, with shining silver tack was heading straight towards him; it had already destroyed several of the rickety wooden stalls in its stamped, and panicked villagers were struggling to get out of its way.
Just before the horse drew level with him, Itachi sprang nimbly out of its way, grabbing a hold of its flapping reigns as the horse passed him. He braced himself, hoping that he would be able to manage the strange horse as well as his own steed, and he used the momentum of the horse to spring up onto its back. His luck held; there was a moment of uncertainty, as he struggled to stay seated in the saddle. He almost dropped the reigns, but he managed to get himself into a position where he could try to halt the panicked animal. The horse was well trained; it responded to Itachi's tug on the reigns, and slowed down finally coming to a stop a few meters down the road.
"There's a good boy," he murmured, reaching out to stroke the pale silky mane. He wondered what had happened to cause the horse's panic. Now it had stopped its mad dash, it seemed quite docile. Itachi risked looking behind him. He winced at the devastation; there was no way that Madara would go easy on the poor folks whose wares had been destroyed by the rampaging horse. Itachi frowned, wondering where the horse's owner was; by rights, that person should cover any losses caused by their horse. Looking at the ostentatious tack, they could certainly afford it.
Deciding that the horse was calm enough, Itachi swung down from its saddle and lead it back towards the ruined market street. "Is anyone hurt?" he called out.
The villagers appeared to be fine; the only responses were in the negative, or to thank him for stopping the horse. Itachi smiled at their thanks, all the while scanning the street for any sign of Sasuke. Apparently his little brother had wandered away with his friends; he was nowhere to be seen. With a soft sigh, Itachi lead the horse back down the street in search of its owner.
He didn't have to search for long; a young man with long, dark brown hair streaming out behind him was running towards Itachi. He stopped in front of the young prince; a look of mortification on his face.
"Is this your horse?" Itachi asked, his voice cold. He wanted to find out where his little brother had gone, and get them back to the castle.
The other man snatched the reigns from Itachi. "It is my horse," he said. "Some children were playing around him, and they spooked him."
Itachi raised one dark eyebrow sceptically. "You're blaming children for this damage?" he said. "That's low."
The man glared at Itachi with shockingly pale eyes. "I'm not blaming children," he said, his voice tight. "I'm merely explaining what happened. I can make restitution for the damages."
Jet and silver eyes locked. "I'll make sure that you do," Itachi said. "I'm Itachi Uchiha; my family rules this land. I should by rights place you under arrest until you or your family clears the debt to my people." but if he did that, Itachi would be putting the stranger, and any payment he made, straight into Madara's hands. He wanted to ensure that the payment went to the villagers whose goods had been damaged. Still, he wasn't about to tell the stranger that."However, instead of that, I will allow you to stay in the inn. But I will check on you daily, and I think that you should help with the repairs."
For a moment, Itachi thought that the pale eyed man would refuse, then a slow smile spread on his face. "Fine," he said, "I agree to your terms; as long as you keep your side of the bargain."
Itachi frowned. "My side?"
"You come and visit me daily. I'm Neji, but the way. Prince of the Hyuuga family." He held out the hand not tangled in the horse's reigns. Itachi took his hand, wondering what a prince from another kingdom was doing there. And why he was agreeing to Itachi's demands. Surely, a prince would just send to his family for financial aid; and certainly a prince wouldn't lower themselves to manual labour. Itachi frowned after Neji as he led his horse back down the street. He wondered if he would even be there when Itachi called at the Inn the next morning, or if he had been bluffing. With a small shake of his head, he went to try to find Sasuke.
-------
The next morning, Itachi managed to sneak out of the castle without Madara noticing him. He left Sasuke playing with his friends again, and wandered over to the inn. To his surprise, the grey horse was stood outside the inn, being groomed by a stable boy; Neji was still there.
Itachi found Neji sat at a table in the corner by the fireplace. He looked up as Itachi entered the room, and smiled. For some reason, Itachi felt his heart skip as their eyes met. He shrugged off the strange response, and took a seat opposite Neji.
"You're still here," He said, wincing inwardly as soon as the words left his lips; he had not meant to be so blunt. Neji smiled at him.
"Well, you have kept your side of the bargain, so of course I have kept mine." He said. "I've been talking to the people whose stalls were ruined," he continued; "they all speak very highly of you, by the way."
Itachi wondered if he had heard that right; why would they speak highly of a person who was unable to do anything for them.
"I can pay for the damaged goods," Neji continued, "I have most of the money on me, and I can get the rest by selling some jewellery. But I was thinking that the money won't help some people as much as having replacement stock; most of the people here rely on bartering. I was going to make an inventory, and buy new stock for them. They all agreed that this was the best way. So, are you ready?"
Itachi blinked slowly; "Ready for what?" he asked
"Well, I thought that we could get the inventory done today, and maybe get started on some of the stalls while the weather holds. I've been told it may rain tomorrow."
Itachi stared at the other man for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said. "You mean that you want me to help as well?"
Neji grinned at Itachi's confusion. "Of course. You are their Prince, and they look up to you."
Itachi sighed. He really didn't want to get into his complicated family situation with a stranger; it was far too depressing. But he supposed that if he was doing this, he wasn't stuck in the castle with Madara. "Fine," he said. "I'll help repair the damage that your horse caused."
Neji laughed, and Itachi felt his heart skip again.
As they spoke to the villagers, Itachi found himself watching Neji; he had a natural way of talking to them that Itachi envied. He watched as his people opened up to another prince, and bitterly reflected on his own short comings. Neji made it look so easy; Itachi found himself wondering if he would ever be able to wrest power from Madara. Certainly everyone in the castle bar himself and Sasuke was under Madara's thrall, but the same could not be said of the villagers. Suddenly, Itachi felt a glimmer of hope.
They paused for a break around noon; Sasuke was playing with his friends in the street, so the two princes set out chairs outside, and watched the children play.
"I have a sister the same age as your brother," Neji said, turning his pale eyes from the playing children to Itachi. "She's different, though. Shy. Our father despairs of her ever taking over the kingdom."
Itachi frowned. "Your younger sister is next in line for the throne?" he asked
Neji grinned, but there was a sudden look of regret in his pale eyes. "In my family, the ruler is always a queen. I was never eligible to take the throne. It was hard, when my sister was born; seeing everyone fawn over her. I envy your relationship with your brother; you're both so close. "
Itachi was suddenly unsure of what to do; Neji had seemed so sure of himself, so confident. He wanted to reach out a hand to him, to offer some sort of comfort, but really, there was nothing he could do. At least I am the lawful heir, he thought to himself; even though Madara has taken my throne, it is mine. Neji doesn't even have that.
"Is that why you're travelling?" Itachi asked. "You're trying to get away?"
Neji grimaced, and raised his shoulder in a small shrug. "I'm not trying to escape; I always go back. It's just, I've done all I can do there; I will never be the ruler, but I can help my sister once she comes to the throne. At the moment, though, I am a spare part; my mother is still in charge, and there is nothing for me to do. I suppose you can understand me; I've been told of the situation in this kingdom."
Itachi winced. "It's not the same," he said. "I should be able to do something to change the situation here."
"Then why don't you?"
"Because it's not as easy as that!" Itachi snapped. He instantly regretted letting his frustration out, but instead of being offended, Neji smiled.
"No. It's not easy." He said "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try. Sometimes, your goal can be reached easier by lots of little steps, rather than one big leap; that was something I learned the hard way." He tipped his head back staring at the sky; grey clouds were slowly beginning to creep in, dulling the bright blue. His pale eyes flicked back to Itachi. "It may seem overwhelming, but you can't decide to fail without even trying."
--------
Itachi quickly found himself looking forward to the time spent with Neji. Every day he would take Sasuke, who was happy enough to be playing with his friends, into the village; Sasuke would run off and play, and Itachi would spend the day with Neji. Not only did he enjoy the other man's company; he found that the villagers were opening up to him; it was a small glimmer of hope, that maybe he could do something for them, maybe he could put an end to his uncle's tyranny. His only big concern was making sure that Madara didn't know what he was doing. He tried to avoid his uncle as much as possible; but Madara kept up his nightly visits. More and more, Itachi began to dread these times, when Madara would take his body, and make it his own. Afterwards, her felt more shamed, more used than before. He would curl up, and think of Neji. The days became his refuge, and the nights were a nightmare that seemed to fade with the sun; though always he could feel their shadow on him.
He began to realise that he was falling for the other man; every time Neji smiled at him, his heart would pound. It was a new experience for Itachi; the only person he had ever been with sexually was Madara, and the only person that he would say that he loved was Sasuke. With Neji, his feelings were different again; like a wonderful mixture of the two, without the constant self-loathing he experienced with Madara, or the aching worry of having to be strong all the time to protect Sasuke. It was pure, and wonderful, but he found himself agonising over what to do about it. Increasingly, he found himself wondering how Neji felt about him.
And as much as he didn't want Madara to know about Neji, even more, he dreaded that Neji would find out about Madara. If he knew, Itachi was sure that he would shun him; increasingly, not being able to see Neji again scared him more than being Madara's pawn for the rest of his life.
That morning, Itachi gathered Sasuke and left the castle early; he couldn't bear to be there any longer. He was sure that Madara was getting suspicious, and the work on the stalls was almost done. He felt like his carefully horded contentment was a glass ball; any minute it would drop and shatter.
Itachi felt his heart sink as they got to the inn; Neji was standing outside, watching as the stable boy saddled his horse. He turned, saw Itachi and smiled, and for a moment Itachi felt his spirits rise; he smiled back.
"Where are you going?" He asked, forcing his voice to stay casual.
"The stalls are almost done. I was going to pick up some stock for them. Plus, some extra food; things are beginning to get a bit tight for some of the people, and there is only so far that neighbourly charity can go."
"Oh," Itachi said quietly. That meant that Neji would be away, probably for the whole day; the nearest town where he could easily get what he needed was a good two hours ride away. Also, if the work was almost finished, then he would be leaving soon. At that thought, Itachi felt his chest tighten.
Neji smiled; "I was going to ask if you wanted to come along," he said, "I was just worried about Sasuke."
Itachi bit his lip. He wanted to go with Neji, desperately so; the chance for a whole day alone together was far too tempting. But he would have to leave Sasuke behind; it was too far for his little brother to travel in one day. And if Madara used that as an opportunity to get to Sasuke...It was far too big a risk.
"I'll be fine here," Sasuke piped up. "You should go."
"Sasuke, I can't..." Itachi began
"I'll look after him."
Itachi turned to see that the inn keeper had wandered out. "We all will keep an eye on him; he'll be as safe with us, as he would be with you."
Itachi smiled, "but my horse is back at the castle," he said. "I won't be able to go and get it; if my uncle thought I was trying to run away, he would raise his army to chase after us. It's too big a risk."
The inn keeper tsked under his breath. "That one won't learn nothing from us about your whereabouts today," he said. "You can borrow my horse. He may not be as fine as your own, but he's fast, and a good worker."
"Thank you so much," Itachi said, touched by the thoughtfulness. I will stop Madara, he thought to himself; I will not let him harm my people anymore.
--------
Itachi let Neji lead the way out of the village; it had been a long time since he had travelled anywhere, not since his parents had died six years ago. Madara was always keeping an eye on him, and there was Sasuke to think about, too. Itachi firmly pushed his worry about Sasuke and Madara out of his head; he would not think about the future, he would just enjoy this time he had with Neji. The other man seemed to be having similar thoughts; their conversation as they rode touched nothing heavy, just gentile small talk. Finally, though, just as Itachi was beginning to fully relax, Neji broached the subject.
"What are you going to do about your uncle?" he asked quietly.
Itachi sat up in the saddle, and peered at the pale eyed boy. He sighed. "I'll stop him, somehow. My main worry is Sasuke."
"I thought it may be." Neji pulled his horse to a halt. "There's a stream just over there," he said, pointing through the trees to the right. "We should give the horses a drink."
Itachi followed him through the trees to a small stream. It wasn't until both horses were safely hobbled and drinking that Neji took up the thread of conversation again.
"I've been thinking about your situation," he said; "I want to help you. I think that we could keep Sasuke safe at my Castle. I want you both to come back with me. That way, you'll be safe until you are ready to make your move."
Itachi stared at Neji for a moment; he could barely believe what he was hearing; the idea of going back with Neji was so tempting. Sasuke would be safe, and he and Neji would be together. Idiot, he thought to himself going back with him is not the same as us being together. Itachi had been trying as much as possible to keep his feelings in check where Neji was concerned; while he was aware that he was falling in love with the other man, he had no real clear indication as to how Neji felt about him. Also, he couldn't just blindly react on his own personal feelings; there was too much at stake.
"I can't," he said softly, hating the words as they left his lips. "I can't get you involved in this; if something went wrong, Madara would turn against you, and your family."
Neji sighed; he tangled his fingers in the grass, twisting the verdant strands, before looking up into Itachi's eyes. "What if I want to get involved?" he asked, "it's my choice to shoulder the risk."
"Madara has a power, surely you've heard about it. It's no superstition, it's real, and the only ones not affected by it are his blood relatives. I don't want him getting to you." Itachi didn't want to even contemplate what Madara would do to Neji, especially if he found out how Itachi felt about the other man.
"Then I won't let him get to me. I'm not running away because your uncle has a scary power, and I'm certainly not leaving you to go up against him alone. Besides, I know you won't do anything while Madara can gain access to Sasuke. Where else would he be safe?"
Itachi bit his lip, staring at the ground; Neji was right; while there was even the slightest risk to Sasuke, he wouldn't be able to do anything. And Madara knew this.
"Itachi?"
He looked up at the sound of his name. Neji was close, very close; they were both sat on the grass besides the stream, their legs practically touching. Itachi was suddenly very aware of the sound of his own heart pounding, as Neji leaned in towards him. A lock of long dark hair fell over Neji's shoulder, and Itachi found himself fighting the urge to run his fingers through it; it looked so silky and smooth.
"I don't want you alone with that man," Neji continued; "surely he's noticed the amount of time you've been spending in the village; if he suspects that you are going to oppose him-"
"He can't do anything to me," Itachi countered quickly; he could feel his resolve melting with every word that passed Neji's lips. "His power doesn't work on me."
"He could have you killed. Or Sasuke. I can't believe that you would be willing to take that risk. Please, I really couldn't bear the thought of you being harmed." Neji reached out his hand, and placed his palm gently against Itachi's cheek. His hand was cool against Itachi's sudden flush. Their eyes locked, and Itachi suddenly became aware of the intensity in Neji's expression. He gave into temptation and caught the rouge strand of hair between his fingers; it was as soft as he had imagined, like fine silk thread. Neji's lips twitched in the slightest smile, and his hand slid around to the back of Itachi's neck. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and pressed his lips against Itachi's in a gentle kiss, hesitant, as if he was afraid that Itachi would pull away. Itachi wrapped his arms around Neji, pulling him closer, letting himself be pushed down onto the soft grass as the kiss deepened. He opened his mouth, and felt Neji's hesitant tongue slide against his own, the other man's hands tangling in his hair, pulling out the tie. Itachi slid his hand up under Neji's top, wanting to feel the hot, firm flesh underneath; he dug his fingers into Neji's back, feeling more than hearing the soft moan that escaped from the other man's lips. Itachi had never felt anything like it; Madara's kisses were always harsh and painful, more teeth than tongues. And Madara had never made him feel so warm, and safe. Finally, they broke the kiss, both short of breath.
"I've been wanting to do that for a while," Neji said, keeping his face close to Itachi's.
Itachi found himself smiling. "Me, too," he said.
They kissed again, this time with more heat; Neji was more confident, pressing his body against Itachi. Itachi felt desire flowing through his veins; he wanted Neji, badly. The clothing between them was suddenly a horrible stifling obstacle that needed to be removed. As if they were sharing the same thoughts, Neji began unbuttoning Itachi's jacket with trembling fingers. Itachi broke away from their kiss long enough to slip Neji's shirt over his head. He ran his hands over the smooth, exposed skin of Neji's chest, sliding a thumb over the darker flesh of a nipple, making Neji's breath catch in a small gasp. Itachi shrugged off his jacket, and wiggled slightly to help Neji remove his shirt; the movement caused his erection to press against Neji's thigh, the sensation making his heart pound harder, the heat in his blood burn hotter. Their eyes locked, then their mouths joined again; Itachi found his hands all over Neji's body, exploring the heated flesh, the heavy weight of his long dark hair.
Neji broke the kiss to trail his tongue down Itachi's throat, placing soft kisses along his collar bone, before moving lower. His teeth grazed Itachi's nipple, making him gasp and arch his back. Neji let out a throaty chuckle, and began to unbutton Itachi's trousers, sliding a hand inside to fondle the other man's throbbing member. Itachi moaned, his fingers tangling in Neji's long hair. He felt Neji's hands graze his thighs as he slipped Itachi's trousers off; then, with no further warning he felt the warmth of Neji's mouth envelope his cock. Itachi cried out, overwhelmed by the sensation; it was nothing that he had ever experienced before; the heat of Neji's mouth, the feel of his lips and his tongue. He suddenly realised that if this carried on for much longer, he was going to climax, and he didn't want to do that, not yet. He pulled Neji's head away from his cock; the other man's pale eyes were wide, hungry; it was a look that made Itachi want to devour him. Instead, Itachi contented himself with a kiss, before removing the last of Neji's clothing. He ran his hands down Neji's naked buttocks, before taking his cock into his hand; Neji gasped, and wrapped his hands around Itachi's cock, their hands moving in tandem.
"Itachi," Neji gasped, "I want you. Now."
Itachi rolled Neji onto his back, straddling his hips. He stared into Neji's pale eyes; it was like drowning in moonlight. He caught Neji's hand, and raised it to his lips, first kissing, then sucking his fingers. Neji let out a soft moan, his eyes not leaving Itachi's. Itachi then guided Neji's hand behind himself. Neji's eyes widened in sudden understanding, and he slid one finger, slick with Itachi's saliva into Itachi's tight entrance. Itachi leaned forward as Neji slowly began to move his finger inside, and began to explore Neji's chest with his tongue. He slid one hand between them to fondle Neji's cock, and let out a gasp as Neji slid a second finger into him. He ran his thumb along the tip of Neji's penis, feeling the dampness of pre-cum. He raised his thumb to his mouth, catching Neji's eye before lapping at it with his tongue. Neji thrust his fingers deeper into Itachi, grazing the spot inside that made Itachi want to melt.
Unable to wait any longer, Itachi grabbed Neji's hand, pulling his fingers out, and placing Neji's palm onto his hip instead. Carefully, Itachi lowered himself onto Neji's cock, feeling the tightness as he stretched himself; the combined pain and pleasure making his head spin as he was filled. He stopped for a moment, gazing at Neji, who smiled at him, a look of pure joy. Itachi felt his heart pound; he reached out, and brushed his fingers through Neji's hair, loving the silky feel of it. He began to move slowly, Neji's hands on his hips guiding his movement. He shifted his angle slightly, his breath coming in short gasps as every thrust now grazed his prostate. Neji slid one hand onto Itachi's cock, moving it in time with Itachi.
"I-Itachi," Neji said, his voice hoarse with passion, "I want to hold you, close to me."
Itachi slid off of Neji, and lay down beside him. Neji rolled on top of him, easily sliding back into Itachi's anus. Itachi wrapped his arms around Neji, digging his fingers into his back. Neji began thrusting into him again, his mouth trailing kisses and bites around Itachi's throat. Itachi slid a hand up Neji's spine, cupping the back of the other man's head, pulling him into a kiss. His other hand trailed lower, sliding between Neji's buttocks, teasingly circling his entrance. Neji moaned against his mouth, and Itachi pushed his finger against the tight, resistant flesh, slipping it inside, reaching for the spot that he knew would make Neji melt.
"Itachi," Neji groaned, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper.
"Nn, more, Neji, more," Itachi said; he didn't think that anything had ever felt as good as this; he could feel Neji's heart pounding, his ragged breathing. It had never been like this with Madara. Itachi found himself lost to the sensations coursing through him; he was drowning in Neji. It wasn't just physical; he could feel his love deepening, blossoming. He had thought that he loved Neji before, but now he knew it, in the very core of his being.
They came together; for Itachi, it was the most intense climax he had ever experienced; he lay panting, with Neji slumped on top of him. He ran his fingers through Neji's hair; it was tangled, and damp with perspiration, but still so soft. They kissed slowly, tenderly; the passion of before not gone, but dormant, resting inside the pair of them; ready to ignite again the moment a spark was struck.
Finally, reluctantly, Neji moved away from Itachi, sitting up, trying to untangle his hair. "Let me," Itachi said, sitting up beside him. He began slowly picking out the tangles, using his fingers to smooth them down, as he had no comb or brush. His own hair was probably in a similar state of disarray, but Neji's was considerably longer.
"Itachi," Neji said after a while. "I'm going to be going home tomorrow. Please, come with me."
Itachi paused, his fingers still entwined in a lock of dark brown hair. "I want to," he said quietly. "But I can't just abandon-"
Neji spun around to face him, a look of anguish on his face that made Itachi break off his sentence. "Please," he said, "you won't be abandoning anyone, and you know it. We'll come back, when we're better prepared; your people will understand that. I just don't want to lose you. Especially not now." He placed his palm against Itachi's cheek. Impulsively, Itachi grasped his hand and put it to his lips, kissing Neji's fingers.
"You won't lose me, I swear," Itachi said softly. "I love you."
"I've loved you from the moment I saw you," Neji said; "but there are chains that are binding you tightly to someone else. I want you to be mine. Please, let me break those chains. Come back with me, you and Sasuke. "
Itachi felt sudden nausea; "You know about...Madara?" he whispered.
Neji wrapped his arms around him, pulling Itachi into a tight embrace. "I guessed, from what some of the villagers have said, and by the way you are whenever he is mentioned."
"Why don't you hate me?" Itachi said, resting his head on Neji's shoulder.
"I could never hate you. Besides, it's not your fault; just say that you will be mine, that you will come back with me."
"Yes," Itachi said. "I can't bear to be in that castle any more. I can't bear to be apart from you."
Neji kissed him again; soft, yet deep. Itachi clung onto him; afraid to let go. If it wasn't for the fact that Sasuke was back in the village, and they still needed to get the things for the villagers, Itachi would have suggested that they ran away now, just the two of them. But he couldn't abandon Sasuke, or his people; as it was, he was feeling guilty at the idea of leaving the castle, even if it was only for a short while.
------
That night, Itachi tried very hard to act like nothing was different. He had decided that he wouldn't tell Sasuke until the morning, just in case some one overheard. Both he and Neji had decided that it was safer to make their plans while they were outside of the village; if word of what they were planning got back to Madara, Itachi was sure that his uncle would do something to stop them. And he didn't want anything to happen to Neji.
Itachi managed to avoid Madara; he got Sasuke settled , then curled up on his own bed; wondering if he would get any sleep that night. Thoughts of Neji, of their afternoon together, kept on playing through his mind. With Neji not there, the memories were bitter-sweet. Itachi just wished that the night would end quickly, so that he could see Neji again. His wish was left un-granted. He was dozing when a creak of door hinges jolted him awake. He sat up in bed; bitter experience had taught him that pretending to be asleep did no good. And Neji's words were fresh in his mind; he was determined to not let Madara touch him again. He slipped a hand under his pillow, and wrapped it around the hilt of a knife he had tucked under there. He had often dreamed of killing his uncle, but he had never managed to gather the nerve to do it. Now, though...
"Itachi," Madara said, his voice soft, like oil on silk, "why have you been avoiding me?"
Itachi tightened his grip on the knife. "I'm not avoiding you," he said.
Madara chuckled, a menacing murmur under his breath. "You have been; you even left the village today. I can't help but think that someone else has been laying their hands on what is rightfully mine."
"I haven't-" Itachi began. Madara cut him off; he closed the distance between them lightning fast, his hand wrapping around Itachi's throat.
"Don't lie to me," Madara hissed. Desperate, Itachi raised the dagger. Madara's other hand gripped his wrist, numbing his fingers. Itachi watched in despair as his knife clattered to the floor.
"I won't let you touch me again," Itachi managed to rasp out as Madara's fingers tightened on his throat. Madara threw him back onto the bed; leaving Itachi gasping for breath, rubbing at his bruised neck.
"You won't let me?" Madara repeated, a dangerous light shining in his red eyes. "You are not in a position to deny me anything; remember that, Itachi."
Itachi gasped as the robe he was wearing to sleep in was ripped away, leaving him naked. Madara roughly pushed him onto his stomach. "You are mine," his uncle hissed.
"I'm not," Itachi replied.
Madara tangled a fist in Itachi's hair and pulled his head back. "If you carry on resisting me, I will use Sasuke, instead." Madara said in Itachi's ear.
The door hinges creaked again. Itachi couldn't move his head; he tried to turn, dreading what he would see.
"Let go of me! Itachi!"
At the sound of his little brother's voice, Itachi struggled against Madara; to no avail. Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes, but Itachi refused to shed them. Sasuke was dragged into his line of sight, restrained by two of Madara's guards. Sasuke was obviously terrified and confused; his dark eyes wide and shining with tears.
"Let him go, Madara," Itachi said. "I'll do whatever you want, just leave Sasuke alone."
"I don't believe you," Madara said,
Itachi gasped, horrified, as he felt a finger invade him. Sasuke was still there. "Please," Itachi begged, "send Sasuke away, first."
"I don't want to." Madara replied. "He deserves to see what a little whore his brother is. You had sex today; you allowed your body to be invaded by someone who isn't me."
Itachi felt a cold, coil of dread; Madara knew. He hoped that his uncle hadn't done anything to Neji. He let out a whimper as Madara curled his finger, rubbing against his prostate. He tried to ignore the sensation, to deny the tingles of pleasure that shot through him.
"No," Itachi hissed through locked teeth; "stop this, Madara, please." He tried to shrug his uncle off; pain shot through his scalp as Madara's hand tightened in his hair. He could hear Sasuke, sobbing and screaming incoherently; then a gasp of pain, followed by the harsh sound of a slap. Itachi managed to see Sasuke, restrained by one of the guards, a red mark on his face. The second guard was dripping blood from one wrist; Sasuke had bitten him.
"Madara, I'll do what you want, but please, not with Sasuke here." Itachi said.
Madara released his grip on Itachi's hair, and removed his probing finger. He stood up, slipping off the robe he was wearing. He was naked underneath.
"I'll let Sasuke leave," Madara said, "If you give yourself to me first." He cupped his hand around his erection. "Suck me," he said. "If I'm satisfied, I'll send Sasuke away."
Itachi stared horrified at his uncle. This was a part of him that he had never wanted Sasuke to know about; the deep shame of the pleasure he got from his uncle's attentions. But he didn't know what Madara would do if he didn't obey him. Hating himself, Itachi crawled over to Madara, and took his uncle's cock into his mouth.
Itachi kept his eyes shut, wishing that he could block his ears as well, the deep shame eating at him that Sasuke was witnessing this. Madara let out a small sound of approval, and slid his finger back into Itachi's anus. Itachi let out a muffled gasp. Madara's other hand cupped the back of his head, so he couldn't pull away. Madara slid another finger into him, matching the timing of his thrusts with Itachi, who was just hoping that Madara would decide himself satisfied, and send Sasuke away. His uncle, however, didn't seem to want to make that hope a reality. He tangled his fingers in Itachi's hair again, and pulled his head away.
"Turn around," Madara said, his voice low.
Itachi stared at him wide eyed for a long moment. "But..Sasuke..."
"Turn around," Madara said again, his tone menacing. "If you don't, I'll make you trade places with your brother."
With a stifled sob, Itachi did as he was instructed. He cried out as Madara thrust into him, biting his lip to keep any further sounds from escaping his mouth. Madara rested one hand on Itachi's hip; the other snaked around to grasp his cock, pumping in time with his thrusts. Itachi left his body to take sick pleasure from Madara's actions; in his mind, he focused on thoughts of Neji; his soft kiss, his warm touch. He would endure this for now; it would be the last time that Madara ever touched him. He would make sure of that.
-----
Madara looked down at the unconscious form of Itachi. He had passed out, but not before Madara had had his fun. The dark eyes that had been hot with spite were closed, and the boy's stilled features held a beauty that always made Madara want to hold him, crush him. He switched his gaze to the tear-stained features of the other brother. It was just as well that Itachi didn't realise that Madara had absolutely no interest in the brat. Although, if Itachi pushed him again, he wasn't above having his guards rape the boy. That was for another time; for now, with his anger still burning white hot, there was something else he needed to do. He gave a curt nod to the guards. Sasuke was released; he immediately ran to his brother's side. Madara supposed that there was no harm in keeping them together. He picked up his robe, and left the room.
------
Neji let out a soft sigh; he was trying to make sure that all the last minute preparations were ready for his departure, but his mind kept on slipping back to Itachi. He wished that he could have spent the night in his arms, but there was no way that they would have been able to get away with that. Soon, though he thought, a slow smile spreading on his faced in anticipation. A soft tap on the door interrupted his thoughts. He frowned, glancing at the clock on the mantle piece; it was close to midnight; surely everyone was fast asleep by now.
Neji hooked up his sword before cautiously opening the door. He found himself staring into eyes the colour of fresh blood; the sword clattered from his numb fingers as he found himself face to face with Madara. He took a step backwards; unable to tear his gaze away. He vaguely remembered all the stories and the rumours, how you were never to look Madara directly in the eye, but thinking was becoming increasingly difficult.
Confident that he had the younger man under his spell; Madara took a moment to peruse the man that had dared to try to steal Itachi away from him. The prince was certainly handsome, though he was no match for Itachi. Madara sneered. This problem would be easy to take care of; he would not allow Itachi to belong to another. He gave his instructions, confident that they would be carried out. While it would be far easier to simply kill Neji now, he didn't feel that this would be sufficient to teach Itachi a lesson. This way, either Neji would kill Itachi, or Itachi would be forced to kill Neji. Madara would prefer Itachi alive; but it was better to have him dead than have him belong to another.
------
Itachi woke to find Sasuke curled up beside him; he sat up, feeling disorientated for a moment, then the memories of the past day came rushing back. He buried his head in his hands with a soft groan. But he had no real time to feel regret; he had to get himself and Sasuke out of the castle before Madara noticed. He dressed quickly, before shaking Sasuke awake. He found that he was unable to meet his brother's eyes, and was thankful when Sasuke didn't raise any questions about the night before.
"We're leaving here," Itachi said softly to his brother. "We will be back, I swear, but right now it isn't safe."
Sasuke nodded, his dark eyes wide and solemn. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"With Neji," Itachi replied, taking his brother's hand.
They snuck out of the castle and into the village as the sun was rising, casting a bloody glare over the quiet village. Itachi was relieved to see Neji waiting for them outside of the inn. He squeezed Sasuke's hand.
"Don't say anything to Neji about....what happened," he said softly.
Sasuke nodded in agreement. "But we will make Uncle Madara pay, won't we?" he asked.
"We will," Itachi said grimly.
"Good," Sasuke said, his eyes hardening
Neji smiled as they reached him, and Itachi felt himself returning the smile; it was as if the dark cloud left on his soul by Madara had been lifted.
"Since we only have the one horse, I thought that Sasuke could ride for a bit," Neji said.
Itachi helped his little brother into the saddle, and they set off down the road out of the village and into the forest. Neji was chatting to Sasuke, telling him all about his home, and his sister. Itachi listened with half an ear; he was mainly just watching Neji. He wanted to hold him, kiss him, but at the back of his mind was a fear that if he touched Neji, he would know what Itachi had done with Madara the night before. So he contented himself to just looking. Occasionally, Neji would look at him, and their eyes would meet. Every time that happened, Itachi would melt inside.
They stopped around noon for lunch. Itachi was thankful that Neji was fully prepared. Even if he hadn't had a late night visit from Madara, Itachi knew he wouldn't have been able to take anything but the clothes on his back. Itachi and Neji sat, their fingers entwined, and watched Sasuke play.
"How far is it to your castle," Itachi asked.
"Two days travel. Probably a bit more for us, since we're walking. I'm taking us the roundabout way, just in case we're being followed."
Itachi fought the urge to look over his shoulder; suddenly, the idyllic forest setting seemed cold. Neji squeezed his fingers.
"Don't worry," he said, "between us, we'll be able to stop anyone who comes." He leaned forward, and kissed Itachi. The feel of his lips, his tongue, brushed away any doubts or worries.
"I love you," Itachi murmured.
For a moment, Neji seemed frozen; an icicle of fear ran down Itachi's back as Neji's eyes went blank. Then, with no further warning, Neji's hands wrapped around Itachi's throat. Itachi felt himself pushed to the ground as his lover's fingers dug into his flesh. He heard a scream; Sasuke. Itachi saw his little brother charging; a stick grasped tightly in his hands. Neji was quicker; her released Itachi, and flung out an arm, sending Sasuke flying. Itachi took the opportunity to break free; he rolled away, gasping for air.
"Neji, stop," he begged, "It's Madara who's controlling you; fight it, please!"
Neji turned back to Itachi; his pale eyes horribly empty. Itachi found his hand tightening on the dagger at his waist, but he couldn't draw it. There was no way that he was going to be able to hurt Neji. He turned his head, and saw Sasuke getting to his feet. "Run!" he yelled at his brother. Neji pounced pinning him to the ground again. Itachi managed to get an arm free; his only hope was to knock Neji unconscious. He swung his fist; connecting with Neji's temple; it didn't seem to have any effect. Neji was scrabbling at the knife at Itachi's belt; Itachi managed to drive his knee into Neji's stomach, it didn't seem to have an effect on the other man; whatever Madara had done to him, it was stopping him from feeling pain. Out of nowhere, Sasuke appeared, leaping onto Neji's back and pulling at his hair.
"Sasuke, run away!"
"No," Sasuke replied; "I'm not leaving you."
Neji snarled, trying to shake Sasuke off. "Sasuke, let go," Itachi said. "Madara's done something to him; let me deal with him."
Sasuke released Neji's hair and rolled away. Itachi quickly sprang up and pinned Neji underneath him. Neji struggled, his hands reaching for Itachi's throat again. "Neji," Itachi cried out, desperate to bring some sense back into his lover. "Please, you don't want to do this; don't let Madara control you; I love you."
As they struggled, Itachi found himself gazing into Neji's blank stare; wishing there was some way he could break Madara's spell without hurting Neji. He managed to get Neji's wrists pinned, but the other man seemed to have gained extra strength; Itachi didn't think he would be able to hold him for much longer, and he was running out of options. He felt a strange pressure building up behind his eyes; it was almost hot. "Neji," he called again, feeling his grip loosen.
Suddenly, something seemed to happen; the pressure in his head seemed to explode. His vision blurred for a moment; and Neji stopped resisting him. The eyes he was looking into suddenly cleared; they were wide with remorse.
"Neji?" Itachi breathed, relaxing his grip. He let out a shocked gasp as he was pulled into a rough embrace.
"Itachi, I'm so sorry, I..." Neji said, tears forming in his eyes.
"Not your fault," Itachi said softly. "It was Madara." He kissed Neji, slowly, sweetly, just relieved that whatever spell Madara had put on Neji had been broken.
"Leave my brother alone!" Sasuke's sudden scream broke the tender moment; Itachi pulled away, just as Sasuke barrelled in, kicking at Neji.
"Sasuke, stop!" Itachi grabbed his brother, and pulled him away from Neji, who had curled himself up against the boy's onslaught.
"owch!" Neji grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his hip. Sasuke continued to glare at him; he sat down with his arms folded.
Neji looked at Itachi. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked.
Itachi frowned. "My eyes?" both Neji and Sasuke were looking at him strangely. He raised his hands to his face, but it didn't feel any different.
"They're red," Neji said softly.
"Like Uncle Madara's," Sasuke added.
"I think it's how you broke the spell he out on me." Neji said. He grimaced. "He wanted me to cut out your heart, and give it to him."
Itachi suddenly felt ill. "I never thought that he wanted me dead," he said.
Neji caught his hand and squeezed it. "you're free of him, now," he said.
"Until you don't return, and he realises that I'm still alive."
"We'll fool him," Neji said. "I need you and Sasuke to hide out in the forest. I'll get an animal's heart; I doubt that your uncle will be able to tell the difference between a deer's heart and a human heart. I'll pretend to still be under his spell, and he'll think that you are dead. Then I'll come and find you; we can plan our attack, and overthrow him. Without him suspecting anything"
"I don't want you going back there," Itachi said; "what if it goes wrong? What if he sees through you, or puts you under another spell?"
Neji kissed him. "I won't fail you," he said. "This will work, trust in me."
Itachi found himself clinging to Neji; unwilling to let him go "as long as you swear you will come back for me," he said.
"I swear I will," Neji replied. "Just wait for me; I love you."
"Madara will never have my heart," Itachi said; "it belongs to you, not him."
They kissed again, briefly, both aware that Madara would start to get suspicious if Neji tarried for too long. Itachi watched Neji ride away, his heart heavy with anxiety; true he had broken Madara's spell, but he didn't know if it was broken for good; even if it was, what if Madara just cast another one? Itachi sighed; worrying would get them nowhere. He grabbed Sasuke's hand; and they began to go further into the forest.
--------
It was getting dark, and Itachi was getting more and more concerned; he was sure that there were bears and wolves in the forest, and he only had a dagger to protect them with. Also, although Neji had left them with some food, it would not last long, and they didn't have so much as a blanket with which to keep warm. He was close to panicking, in fact, when he spotted the light.
Cautiously, he approached it, making sure that Sasuke was behind him. It was a cottage, sat in a small clearing it had a thatched roof, gently smoking chimney and a small vegetable garden out the front; it was incredibly out of place for the middle of the forest, and Itachi wondered who would live in such a house. He was sure that whoever it was, they were not under Madara's influence, but that didn't mean that they were necessarily safe. Still, Sasuke needed a place to rest, and Itachi preferred for it to be somewhere sheltered. He had nothing for them to steal, anyway; maybe they could get a nights shelter in exchange for something. Hand on the hilt of his knife, Itachi tapped at the door.
It was opened by a strange looking man; he had copper hair, blue eyes, and a wide assortment of body piercings; Itachi found himself trying not to wince. The man narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze first over Itachi, then over Sasuke. Itachi hoped that he wasn't making a mistake.
"Um, my brother and I are in a spot of difficulty, and I was wondering if we could have some shelter for the night." Itachi said. Behind him, Sasuke put on his best winsome expression
The man frowned slightly. "I think that your arrival is very fortuitous," he said. "Please, come inside. I'm sure that you can be of help to us."
Itachi grabbed Sasuke's hand, and followed the man into the house before he lost his nerve. He was led into a large room, gaudily decorated in red and black, where six other figures sat in mismatched chairs around a low table. They were the strangest looking bunch Itachi had ever seen; and they were all staring at him as if he was some sort of oddity.
"My name is Pain," the red haired man said; "I'm in charge around here."
"I'm Itachi; this is my brother Sasuke," Itachi said. He didn't want to give out their last name, just in case. "You said I could help you?"
Pain nodded. "Pleas, sit down. Konan, fetch some tea." The only woman in the group stood up, and left the room. Itachi sat in a vacant chair, pulling Sasuke down next to him, feeling six pairs of eyes fix on him.
"Yes. We are Akatsuki; our task is to purge the world of evil. I'm sure you can help with that, Itachi Uchiha."
Itachi stifled a sigh; he should have realised that he would be recognised.
"And if you help us, we will help you; we do not want Madara in charge; we will help you to get rid of him."
Itachi frowned. "Well, while I appreciate the offer, we've just met; how can I trust you to keep your word? I was thinking that I could do some jobs for you in exchange for a roof for the night."
The woman, Konan, returned, and began placing tea cups on the table. The tea cups were red and black, too, Itachi noticed. Something about the colour tickled a thought at the back of his mind.
"Wait. You said you were Akatsuki, right? I've heard of you," he said. Akatsuki were a group of wanted criminals, with dreams of world domination. Everyone had heard of them, but no one had ever seen them; they worked in the dark, and were responsible for a lot of assassinations of leaders; always, someone they favoured would ascend the throne. As world domination went, Itachi supposed that it wasn't such a bad way to go; all the disposed leaders had been tyrants, and all the rulers chosen by Akatsuki had managed to better their villages. Their promise to help get rid of Madara was likely one that they intended to honour, and Itachi wasn't going to turn away any help where getting rid of his uncle was concerned.
"What is it you want me to do?" Itachi asked, taking a sip of his tea.
Pain smiled. "I want you to use those eyes of yours. They're the same as Madara's, right?"
"I don't know," Itachi said; "it only just happened; I don't know how it works, or anything like that."
Pain sighed. "Still, if you want our help, you will have to help us out, first. There is a village to the west; we need the king killed, so his son can ascend the throne, but we've been having trouble getting into the castle. If you kill him for us, we will help you with Madara."
"What happens if I refuse?"
"We kill you, and groom your little brother to take over from Madara instead."
Itachi had figured that he was going to say something like that; the man was clearly insane. And his followers probably were, too. Certainly, none of them seemed fazed by his words. Itachi's hands were tied until Neji caught up with them; he didn't want to be wandering around the forest with Sasuke, and if killing this one man brought him closer to getting rid of Madara he would gladly do it.
"I wasn't going to refuse," Itachi said, "I was just curious. And if I do this, you will aid me with getting rid of Madara?"
Pain nodded. Itachi hoped that Neji would hurry back; he didn't want to have to rely on Akatsuki, but it was helpful to have a backup plan.
They were given a small room at the back of the house. Itachi put Sasuke to bed; it was late, and he didn't want his little brother to hear any further talk of assassination. Pain introduced the other members; the girly looking blond boy who was constantly scowling at Itachi was Deidara, Sasori was another red head, with cold eyes; Kakazu and Hidan were older, and sat in a dark corner, Kisame was the man who seemed to have some sort of skin condition. They were a strange bunch, and Itachi wasn't comfortable with the thought of leaving Sasuke with them for any length of time. Hurry up, Neji, he thought. Neji was the only one he trusted.
------
Neji stood outside the throne room, nervous. He held a deer's heart wrapped up in a scrap of cloth, and the blood was beginning to drip down his wrist. He hoped that the ploy would work. From what he had heard, Madara's enchantment never lifted unless he wanted it to, so as long as he played the part correctly, he should be fine. That thought didn't stop his pounding heart, though. The guards pushed open the doors, and he entered the throne room. Madara was sat on a large red and gold throne, the family crest embossed over his head. His eyes narrowed as Neji entered the room.
"Well," he said, "I am surprised. I had hoped that Itachi would kill you. Still; you will have the pain of living with what you have done. Show me."
Neji held out his bloody bundle. Madara took the heart, letting the soiled rag it had been wrapped in drop to the floor. He squeezed it slightly, and a trickle of blood dripped onto the floor. Neji felt nauseous, even though he knew that it wasn't Itachi's heart. Madara raised the organ to his lips, and licked the red flesh. Then his eyes darkened, and he flung the heart at the far wall, where it landed with a wet thump, leaving a trail of blood on the wall.
"How?" he snarled.
Shit, Neji thought; Madara knew.
He spun, and bolted; he needed to get back to Itachi, to get him somewhere safe. He managed three strides before he was pulled down by Madara's guards. He struggled against them, to no avail. Madara approached him, grasping his chin between his finger and thumb, pulling his head up, staring into his eyes.
"Interesting," Madara muttered, "It seems that my powers no longer work on you. Did Itachi do this?"
Neji glowered at Madara; he could practically taste his hatred for the man. Madara smiled at him. "Well, it's time for a new plan," he said. "Throw him in the dungeons for now; he's still more useful to me alive at the moment."
Madara turned his back as Neji was dragged away. "You'll regret this," Neji screamed; "Madara!"
-----
Itachi tightened his grip on his knife nervously. He had not had a lot of sleep the previous night, and Pain had spent most of the day having him test his new power. The man was completely obsessed with his own view of world order, and the others seemed happy to follow along with it. Itachi wanted to finish quickly and get back to Sasuke before they put any strange ideas in the boy's mind. He checked that his hair was tied back tightly so it would not fall and get in the way, before approaching the castle. It was the middle of the night, so most people would be asleep. The main problem that Akatsuki had had was the sheer number of guards. They didn't like to kill the guards, preferring to just focus on their one target. This was where Itachi came in. Pain thought that if he could just put a bit of mind control on the guards, he could easily get through them. For some reason, Itachi dreaded using Madara's power more than the actual killing.
There were three guards at the gate. Itachi breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to control four people at the same time; any more and he would have been in trouble.
He caught the eyes of the first guard, swinging his gaze to capture the other two. "Let me pass," he said.
The guards opened the gate and let him in. Itachi let out his breath; he hadn't realised that he had been holding it. He crept down the empty corridors. He needed to get to the fourth floor. From the information he had been given, there would be guards prowling from the second floor upwards. The king's bedroom was in the east wing. Itachi climbed the first set of stairs, thankful that so many castle designs in the realm were generic. He entered the first floor corridor, and almost walked into a dishevelled maid. She let out a shocked gasp.
"sleep," Itachi quickly commanded, catching her eyes. She slumped at his feet. He hoped that there weren't too many castle staff wandering around; he didn't think that his nerves would take it.
The guards on the second and third floors patrolled in pairs; Itachi decided to just convince them that he wasn't there; sleeping guards would be too suspicious. He thought that the king must be pretty paranoid to have this many guards; possibly he knew that Akatsuki were after him.
Itachi found the door to the royal bedroom; there were eight guards stationed outside it, he noticed with a sinking feeling. He wished that at least one of the Akatsuki members had accompanied him, but Pain had insisted that he go alone. Itachi frowned thoughtfully. If he made some sort of distraction, he could possibly draw of some of the guards, but he didn't know how that would affect the spell he had put on the patrolling guards. Itachi was struck by a sudden idea. He backed away, until he encountered one of the patrols. It was hard to capture the eyes of people who didn't think he was there, but he managed it eventually. He sent one of the guards to the bedchamber with specific instructions; the other one he made sit quietly in a corner. He hoped that there wouldn't be any lasting mental damage caused by this; he didn't know how he broke Madara's spell on Neji, and even if he did, he was not going to release the guards while he was still in the castle. He didn't have much time for introspection, though. The first guard retuned, with four of the door guards.
Itachi quickly caught their eyes; he was beginning to develop a headache; a slow throbbing in his skull; he hoped that he didn't have to do any more of this tonight. "Your shift has finished, go to bed." He instructed. He sent the other two guards after them for good measure. He hurried back to the royal bedchamber. He didn't have long; someone would notice the guards going off shift early, and investigate it. He captured the remaining four guards; it was harder; they were suspicious of their companions' absence. Still, they allowed him to pass.
Itachi pushed the door shut behind him, and leaned on it. He was dreading this, suddenly. But if he couldn't do this, how was he going to ever go up against Madara? His knife held tightly in his damp palm, he approached the bed; trying hard to move silently. The king was sleeping; he was older than Madara, with pale hair, but suddenly, all Itachi could see in his features was his uncle. He plunged the dagger into the sleeping man's heart.
The king's eyes opened wide for an instant, and he coughed, a thin dribble of blood leaking through his lips before he slumped back, still. Itachi swallowed a sudden feeling of nausea, before wiping the blood from his knife and sheathing it. At least I know now, he thought, that I will be able to do it. He wanted Neji; he wanted nothing more than to return to the safety of his lover's arms. He sighed; hopefully Neji would catch up with them in the morning. Until then, he would just have to miss him.
------
Neji was sat on the floor of his cell with his knees against his chest and his head rested on his folded arms. He looked up as he heard footsteps, and scrabbled to his feet as Madara entered his cell. Three guards followed behind him. Two of them grabbed Neji by the arms, while the third drew a dagger, and handed it to Madara. Neji glared at Madara, wondering if he could do any sort of damage before he killed him. He wished that he could see Itachi one more time. Madara smiled at him.
"I'm not going to kill you," he said. "Death is far too easy for you. I want you to suffer for driving Itachi away from me."
He was holding a small phial in one hand; it contained a strange green liquid. Madara raised his knife, and slashed at Neji's arm. He caught a few drops of blood in the phial.
"This will be the main ingredient in the spell to bring Itachi back to me," Madara said, handing the knife back to the guard and capping the phial. "I will use it to poison an apple. When Itachi bites into it, the spell will take effect, rendering him unconscious. Obviously I prefer him awake, but I would rather have him this way than not at all."
"Why are you telling me this?" Neji demanded.
Madara laughed; it was the most unpleasant sound that Neji had ever heard. "Why? Because I want you to suffer. Itachi will be mine, and there will be nothing you can do about it. Oh, there is a cure; it's in your blood. I want you to rot in that cell, knowing that you are the key to reviving Itachi, without being able to do anything about it. That's what you get for taking what's mine." Madara's last words were a snarl; he strode out of the cell.
------
Itachi stared up at the sky; the blueness seemed to be mocking him. It had been three days since he had killed the king. Neji should have found him by now. Worry was eating away at him. Still though Neji hadn't returned, none of Madara's troops had come looking for him, either. That was Itachi's basis for hope; surely if Madara knew he was still alive, he would have sent someone after him by now.
"Itachi!" he turned his head away from the sky at the sound of Sasuke's voice. One dark eyebrow raised as he noticed his brother was carrying a basket. Sasuke proffered it proudly; it contained half a dozen red apples.
Itachi took one and bit into it. "Where did you get these?" he asked.
"From a man in an orange mask," Sasuke replied.
Itachi frowned. The apple was sweet; almost sickly. "An orange mask?"
Sasuke nodded. "He said his name was Tobi, and that the apples were a present for you."
Itachi dropped the apple. His head felt strange. Sasuke looked at his brother questioningly, "Itachi? What's wrong?"
Itachi gasped; he felt like he couldn't breathe. "Sasuke, don't eat the apples," he managed. "You need to.....find Neji....have him keep you safe....I..." His eyes slid closed, and he slumped forward.
"Itachi!" Sasuke screamed, frantically shaking his brother; it was no use. Tears streaming down his face, Sasuke spun around, desperately looking for help. A man approached from the trees. It was the masked man, Tobi.
"What did you do to my brother?" Sasuke demanded.
The man, chuckled, removing his mask. Sasuke stared in horror as his uncle's face was revealed. The door to the cottage opened, and Pain walked out. He calmly took in the sight in front of him, his eyes sweeping from Sasuke, to Madara, and over Itachi's slumped form.
"Thank you for looking after my nephews," Madara said.
Pain clicked his tongue. "We managed to remove one more of your rivals," he said. "maybe if you would decide to send us some more money at some point? Kakazu is always complaining."
Sasuke stared; trying to make sense of the words; they had been betrayed; by Madara, Pain, and probably Neji, too. He wrapped his arms around his unconscious brother, feeling useless; he should run away, he knew, but he had nowhere to go, and he didn't want to abandon Itachi.
Madara looked at him coldly. "Do what you want," he said. "I'm taking Itachi home; either come with us, or go away; either way, I'm not going to wait around for you."
Sasuke went with them.
------
The dungeon was dark, and Sasuke was afraid. But Itachi needed him. Since he had been back in the castle, he had been mostly ignored. Madara had locked Itachi up in his bedroom. If Sasuke had a choice, he would have stayed with Itachi. But he had overheard something about a prisoner that he had to investigate. He carefully let himself into the dungeon. The main door was left unlocked and unguarded; probably because the cell doors were so thick. Everyone in the castle except for him was under Madara's control, anyway. And Madara did not view Sasuke as a threat.
Sasuke snuck down the corridor, peering into the cells. He found what he was looking for in the fifth cell; Neji, sat huddled on the floor. Sasuke frowned. He had been sure that Neji had turned against them like everyone else, but seeing him locked up, Sasuke began to wonder.
"Why did you let Madara come after us?" He asked.
Neji's head jerked up. "Sasuke? I didn't let Madara do anything. If you're here....Itachi? What happened to Itachi?"
Sasuke sniffled, finding tears forming in his eyes. "He won't wake up; Madara gave me some apples, only I didn't know it was him, and then...."
Neji approached the bars of the cell. "Don't cry," he said. "I can make Itachi better. Can you get the keys and let me out?"
Sasuke nodded, and disappeared. Neji clenched his fists. He would make Madara regret telling him his plans; the man was too over confident, so sure that he would never fail. Mainly, though, he was worried about Itachi; he hated to think of him helpless and alone in Madara's clutches.
The door swung open, and Sasuke appeared. He had managed to get his tears in check.
"Take me to Itachi," Neji said.
He followed Sasuke, who lead him a circuitous, roundabout route. To avoid them being seen, he quickly realised. Sasuke was actually smarter than he looked. Sasuke stopped outside the bedroom door. "It's locked," he said.
"What about the door next to it?"
Sasuke pushed at the door, which swung open. They entered the room which was empty, and from the amount of dust, unused. Sasuke sneezed. Neji hurried over to the window, relieved to see that it was wide enough.
"Stay here," he told Sasuke. "If you hear Madara coming, bang on the wall."
He pushed open the window, suddenly assaulted by a gust of air. He climbed up onto the windowsill. Luckily there was a ledge that ran between the two windows. Neji carefully stepped out onto the ledge, and began easing his way along. Luckily the wind was blowing him against the castle wall, instead of trying to push him away from it. He pushed at Itachi's window, thankful that it opened inwards, and tumbled into the room after it. Itachi was lying on the bed, unconscious, and Neji felt a lump in his throat. He approached his lover slowly, hoping that Madara hadn't been lying, that the whole escape wasn't some elaborate ploy to hurt him even more. He brushed a lock of dark hair out of Itachi's face; his pale skin was far too cold.
Neji bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood, then bent over and slowly kissed Itachi, letting his blood trickle down Itachi's throat. At first, nothing seemed to happen, then he felt the lips against his begin to warm. He moved away, and sat back on his heels as Itachi stirred. Red eyes flicked open, and fixed onto Neji's face.
"Neji?" Itachi whispered softly, barely able to believe his eyes. He raised one hand to lightly caress his lover's face, making sure that he was really there.
Neji leaned in and kissed Itachi again. Itachi wrapped his arms around him, opening his mouth and kissing him deeply.
"What happened to you?" He asked.
"Madara," Neji said grimly. "Come on, I want to get you out of here. Sasuke's safe, and waiting for you." He jumped as there was a sudden banging on the wall "crap," he hissed.
"What is it?"
"Madara." On cue, the door swung open, and Madara entered. On seeing his uncle, Itachi rose slowly to his feet, keeping one hand twined with Neji's.
"So. You're awake," Madara said.
"Neji, give me your sword," Itachi said, not taking his eyes away from his uncle. Madara smirked at him. Neji's grip on Itachi's hand tightened momentarily, then he let go and drew his sword. Itachi took the proffered weapon.
"That's hardly fair," Madara said; "I'm unarmed."
"He'll probably call his guards," Itachi murmured softly to Neji. "Will you be able to take care of them?" Neji nodded, drawing his dagger.
Sure enough, four guards dashed in. Itachi managed to capture the eyes of two of them. "Sleep!" he commanded. They both slumped to the floor.
"Well, haven't you been learning some new tricks," Madara said. He bent down, and snatched a sword from one of the fallen guards. Neji stepped forward and managed to parry the blows of the other two guards, though the tip of one sword grazed his shoulder. Despite his sudden concern, Itachi couldn't let himself be distracted by Neji; he charged forward, swinging his sword at his uncle's head. Madara caught the blow with his borrowed sword, twisting away and swinging for Itachi's head. Itachi ducked and swung his sword at the same time; there was a dull cling as Madara intercepted the blow. Madara had been a good swordsman, Itachi knew, but time should have dulled his skills; he had been reliant on minions for far too long. Still, Itachi found himself hard pressed as Madara renewed his assault. He felt a sting as the tip of the sword grazed first his cheek, then his arm. He had yet to land a blow on Madara. Their swords locked again. Madara bared his teeth.
"Why couldn't you just be mine?" He snarled.
"I was never yours," Itachi retorted. "Kill me, keep me prisoner, violate my body, none of these things will ever make me your property. Even if you cut it out, you will never hold my heart."
With a howl, Madara pushed Itachi back, the dissonant sound of their sword blades scraping against each other ringing through the room. Itachi tried to resist, but Madara appeared to have summoned his strength from somewhere. Itachi took a forced step backwards, and his legs tangled in something. With a cry of dismay, he fell backwards, his sword slipping from his grasp. With a howl of triumph, Madara raised his blade; Itachi had no time to think, to react as the sword plunged towards him. He screwed his eyes shut, then opened them at a sudden dull chang. Madara's sword was caught on another blade; Itachi twisted to see Neji, blood streaming down his face, blocking Madara's sword with one he must have picked up from one of the guards.
"Itachi, now," Neji said.
Itachi grabbed his sword hilt, and stabbed it upwards, straight in to Madara's heart. His uncle's eyes widened, and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. Retching, Itachi let go of the sword buried in Madara's chest, and scrambled out of the way as his corpse slumped forward. Neji dropped to his knees, and Itachi crawled towards him. They embraced fiercely then kissed; holding each other tightly, neither wanting to let go.
"You did it," Neji whispered, "You beat him."
"We did it," Itachi corrected, staring up into his lover's eyes. They kissed again; a deep kiss, full of passion and promise.
--------
After Madara's death, the spells he had placed on the people in the Castle vanished, and they all accepted Itachi as their king. Most of them claimed to not remember anything, but both Itachi and Neji caught a few embarrassed looks that suggested otherwise. The seven Akatsuki members seemed to have vanished without a trace; Neji and Itachi went back to the cottage to find it abandoned, and Pain and the others long gone. Itachi could only assume that they had heard of Madara's defeat, and had decided to leave before Sasuke spread the word of their collusion with him. Itachi didn't particularly care; as far as he was concerned, they had helped him. And as long as they didn't cause any more trouble, he wasn't going to go out of his way hunting them down.
Neji moved into the castle with Itachi; his family didn't seem to mind too much, especially since Neji would often visit them, bringing Sasuke to play with his sister. Under Itachi's rule, the village prospered, and soon Madara's time as king became just a bad memory, even for Itachi. His nights were no longer dark times, not when each one was spent wrapped in his lovers embrace.