Title: Kremlin Dusk

Author: sky75rk

A/N: AU, it just wouldn't let me get some sleep until I actually write this. You see, this is an idea that suddenly went inside my head after I watched TV, and also, one of my reviewers nailed this idea. This is only a sneak peek, since I'm still doing Incarcerated Soul, so if ever you liked this and want the continuation, I ask you to wait for it patiently. I have to finish the other first.

Last thing, this takes place in modern day Japan, meaning no places named Konoha, Suna, Sound or other names found in the original series.

Standard disclaimers apply.

ADC, minna.

First Channel: Mirrors of the Hotel Lobby

It was the end of the last year and the beginning of another school year. He stood at the middle of the field; his bright blue eyes watching many young couples get closer and enter another world, and the others waiting for their friends to finish their respective works. The hand clasping he watched with different emotions. Every kind except jealousy. Not a pang of jealousy. Maybe he was happy or maybe a little bit envious… he wouldn't know, he didn't know.

He turned his attention to other things and then he left. It suddenly became boring to wait for something that will just finish after a few moments of happiness. It was no use.

One thing he couldn't understand was why everyone was looking for a person. A special someone. To have? To hold? It wasn't an incentive that was reasonable enough for him.

To crave, he pondered, is just another one of human desires. Is craving what it all means then?

The thought of it made him chuckle.

He continued walking in the hot, crowded streets of Tokyo, frozen inside.

Numb, confused, immeasurably unknowledgeable of what all of this means.

It was because for Uzumaki Naruto, love… means nothing…

Eight cylinder engines revved down and stopped. The door in which the driver was seated unlocked and opened and out came a stunningly tall young man, skin pale and polished beneath the radiance of the mid-noon sun, hair framing perfectly sculpted face with black eyes. He was supposed to be the epitome of perfection, if only his dark eyes revealed a little bit of warmth in them.

Several onlookers turned their heads on the new boy that stepped into the campus. He still looked indifferent though, airing a spirit of carnality that threatened people to just stare from a distance instead of risking talking to him up close.

Here at last. He was standing outside Tokyo University, staring at the large buildings standing in front of him. After an onslaught of exams that almost drained his mental powers dry, he was able to relax himself, finally passing the requirements needed for him to study in a top school.

He had a goal, and he intended to make it become a reality in there.

A pink haired girl from his side spoke. "You're finally here Sasuke," a soft voice said, and he glanced at her, nodding his head once.

She smiled at him. "How do you like the school? You're staring at it for almost ten minutes now,"

"It's amazing," he replied to her truthfully, continuing to study the structure with dark eyes hidden underneath blue-black tresses. "It's just… amazing," he repeated again, awe showing in his voice more than ever and Haruno Sakura smiled at her friend, still finding it hard that something as common as a university could astound a usually stoic guy.

"So, where am I going to stay?" dark eyes now focused on her green ones, inquiry present in it.

"The dormitory near the school," she replied immediately, knowing that his friend didn't like waiting. "I've already arranged it so you can transfer in tomorrow. In the meanwhile, you will stay in a hotel. I don't understand why you don't want to stay at your house, Sasuke-kun. It would be more comfortable there than in the dormitory," she said, but she knew it was rhetorical and motioned Sasuke to get in the car, although it really belonged to him. Sasuke just humored her, and started the engine, putting the gear on reverse as he positioned the car to face the main gates and sped out the campus. On his side mirror, he continued to look.

Five minutes later, Sakura broke the silence. "So, for a car than runs from 0-60 kilometers per hour in 3.3 seconds, you sure do follow the rules," she told him, pointing at the speed meter at the dashboard indicating that their speed was not going over 100 kilometers per hour.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the road as he answered. "I don't want to spend any day of my life in jail or talk to corrupt cops either," he turned right, as Sakura instructed and they entered a lavish hotel entrance.

Both of them stepped out of the sports car and Sasuke handed his key to the valet. "So, this is where you're going to stay for the night. Then tomorrow, you can move in," she said again and he nodded. The girl walked straight to the concierge and checked in as Sasuke waited for her to finish, slinging his hand carry bag to his back and dragging his bigger one behind him. A bell boy asked to carry it for him, but he refused, saying that he did not need any help. Typical Sasuke.

A moment later, Sakura stood by his side again, smiling her usual cheerful smile. "I got your keys to your room, Sasuke. But it's in the sixth floor, not in a high floor that you wanted," she slowly explained, fearing that Sasuke might be angry with her. An angry Sasuke was not what she wanted right now. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine,"

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God. She thought, following her friend to the elevator. As they went inside it, Sakura pushed the button for the seventh floor. She looked at Sasuke and found that he was having trouble carrying all his bags. She put her hand on his back pack and pulled. "I'll help you," she told her with determined eyes and he gave in, feeling his shoulders going numb. If anyone would see him giving in to someone, it had to be Sakura.

The elevator bell rang and the door opened. He was staying in room 613 and he found that the seventh floor's hallway was an outside path because it overlooked the swimming pool. The first thing he noticed was the window positioned right beside the door. They both entered the room and saw a double bed in the middle of the room, a big table situated near the door just below the window he noticed before. It was a strange arrangement, but he said nothing about it, just putting his baggage down in the carpeted floor, he suddenly zipped the biggest bag he had, fishing out thick, big books and transferred it to the table.

"You can leave now, Sakura. I need to finish my reading," he told her, obviously trying to make her see that he did not want any distraction.

Sakura nodded. "Sure, I understand. I heard that your professor is one tough cookie to crack," she informed her, rearranging her hair in front of the mirror while glancing at the pale boy she knew for so long at the corner of her eye. He hadn't changed. "I also heard that he had some students actually going crazy and committing suicide because of how tough his classes are,"

"I know," he replied shortly. "That's why I need you to leave right now. I have to prepare for his classes,"

"Hai, hai," she picked her shoes up and headed straight for the door. "If you need anything, just tell me,"

"Whatever,"

Blonde hair tumbled up and down as the person skidded through the busy lobby of the hotel he just went in. He directly went to the concierge with a bright smile pasted on his face; he talked to a smiling young woman with the name 'Yamanaka Ino' in bold letters on her tag. "Hey Ino-chan!" he greeted.

"Hey Naruto-kun," the receptionist greeted back with the same blue eyes the guy had, only in a different hue.

"So… what room number is--"

"—the one who just recently checked-in? The one with dark-hair right?" she finished for him, knowing what he was asking about.

Naruto smiled brightly and nodded. It was a good thing that his friend, Ino, had applied to work at that particular hotel, or else he wouldn't know what to say when he asks. Not like she had this job on a permanent basis. It was only for three months, and then if she likes to work there longer, she'd have to apply again. New employees' policy.

Although she wanted to work longer, she knew that after three months, she have to give up the job, since in three months, she would have to start going to school again. Ino told him that she only wanted to experience working, even though she did not have any problems with money.

"Room 613," she told him and gave him thumbs up. She still didn't know what Naruto's business was with the people he continued seeing in the hotel she was working for, but she knew when to keep her thoughts to herself. It's not like Naruto would tell her anyway.

"Arigato Ino-chan," he told her and went directly to the elevators. There were other guests filing in before him and he gave them a warm smile, though he wasn't acquainted with them. He did not care. It was just in his attitude to smile.

Amazing enough, those people smiled back.

The bell rang and they all entered, smiling. He pushed the button for the floor he was going to and dropped his hand. The door opened and he led himself out, going to the room Ino said.

There it is. He spotted the room with numbers 613 engraved on it. He knocked a little too eagerly.

"Just wait, damn it," he heard the person from the other side curse as he continued to bombard the door with incessant knocks. Finally, he heard the lock click, signaling him that the door was already unlock. Naruto pushed the door open and bounced inside. He glanced at the man who opened the door for him.

His blue eyes widened in surprise. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Sasuke spoke at the same time this blonde stranger said the exact words and he was dumbfounded. Who does this stranger think he is, barging in his room just like that?

He glared at the blonde man and found the most mesmerizing azure colored eyes. But that didn't stop him from glaring at the guy.

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, seemingly thinking about what just happened. Next, he studied Sasuke's figure from top to bottom, blue eyes doing a scan. Then he gave Sasuke a smile shining with mirth and amusement and took a few paces forward, standing outside the door. "Sorry, wrong room," he apologized to the still glaring dark-haired boy, and then walked away.

Immediately, he closed the door and leaned on the wall next to the window. The curtains were drawn shut, and at that time, his hand stretched to pull the curtains open.

Blue eyes that were apparently still there, also leaning against the wall locked gazes with his black ones and winked.

Really dumbfounded now, his eyes winked back while his expressions betraying the fact that he was confused; blue eyes that belonged to the blonde man twinkled with stifled amusement and he smiled brightly again at Sasuke, whom he didn't know personally.

Sasuke just watched him leave, a dazed appearance still on him. It was just then he noticed he was only standing in his room with only a towel on his waist. A bite on his lips. Damn. He cursed, quickly reaching for his bag and pulling out some clothes to wear, before the cold of the room starts to take its toll on his body.

He shut his curtains again as he seated on the table overflowing with thick books. He had to get ready for his classes, or else his dream wouldn't be fulfilled. He poised his Techno Marine timepiece on the table and opened a ridiculously thick book.

He stopped an hour later, taking a break to look at the time as he was sure one hour has already passed. He went back to his book, returning to where he started. 15 pages done in an hour… not bad. He mutely congratulated himself as he finished understanding and studying fifteen pages in an hour. His brother told him that if he wanted to survive the torture, he must at least finish studying ten pages in every hour. With what he did, it was already considered a feat.

Not that he was really impressed by it. In his family, geniuses run abundantly.

Three hours have passed by and he closed the book, his mind shouting for a break. He complied, and his hand reached to open the curtains once again.

What the hell? He saw the same man from before, standing at the side of the swimming pool, dancing in circles. Sasuke thought he looked stupid, but it amused him. The blonde boy stopped, turned around as if sensing him watching and made eye contact with him. He smiled and waved at Sasuke, and with his mind still taking a rest, he did not notice that he was tentatively waving back in small doses. His pale hands dropped as the blonde continued dancing in circles.

All of a sudden, the blonde guy dropped to his knees, but he was not surprised. After all, after going around in circles, who wouldn't get dizzy, right? He smirked as he continued to watch the guy down on his knees near the pool, his tanned hand reaching and taking off his shoes. He looked back at him again and grinned. Sasuke figured that he planned to dip his feet in the pool.

But before the blonde could remove his socks, his eyes focused on someone he couldn't see and smiled, waving as another long, dark-haired guy made his entrance inside the area. The blonde guy ran up to him excitedly and threw his hands around the new guy. The new guy received the bouncing boy gladly, taking him in his long arms as the blonde giggled and carrying him out the area.

Sasuke almost choked at the scene. He's a… whore?

-Continued-

A/N: okay, what do you think? I know you already figured out who the long-haired guy was… didn't you?

One: Saleen S7 is a car which is 100 percent flat at the bottom except for its front and back diffusers. It goes 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and has eight cylinder engines, goes as fast as 240 miles per hour and has 550 horsepower. It weighs 2750 pounds and is regarded as one of the most expensive cars around the world. Cool isn't it? But I had to choose between several types of cars… I wanted Sasuke to own Cadillac 16 but even with Uchiha bloodline and power, it's still too expensive since only one Cadillac 16 was built in the entire world… I wanted this to be as real as it gets… and besides, Saleen S7 looks cooler than the Cadillac… that is, in my opinion…

Review?