Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and intend no copyright infringement by righting this story. It is meant purely for enjoyment and I am not making any profit in writing it.

Warnings: Alternate Universe, OOC, lots of darkness and angst.

The air was cold that day, really cold, like the winters he'd heard about in the north. Ones where it got so cold it rained this fluffy white stuff called snow. He did not want to see snow. He also did not want it to be cold. He hated the cold, hated being cold. Cold like his eyes, identical frozen onyx. Cold like that day when he was eight and the heater in his house was never turned on, when his parents had not been in a state to turn them on. Cold like his favorite client, tall and gaunt and with those colored eyes. Cold like it was now, this night as he stood as lookout for his friends who were spraying graffiti all over a convenience store. It had kicked Sakura out a couple of days ago, and this was their revenge.

He called him childish, and really, he agreed. Spraying a convenience store in revenge for kicking out a dirty street kid wasn't all that mature, but then, Naruto wasn't all that mature. He was okay with that, Naruto's immaturity. It reminded him there was innocence left in the world, and if he couldn't have his own innocence, then being close to it will have to do. Even if Naruto was a moron.

"Sasuke, I want you to met someone." Uchiha Sasuke- no it was Mura now, he'd left the Uchiha name with his parents- turned away from the book he was reading and towards his voice. Carefully he marked his spot and stood up, going to the door of his room and following him into the dining room. They never ate in the dining room of course; there was a perfectly useable table in the kitchen. The dining room was where he did his business. And if Sasuke was meeting someone there, that meant they had caught his attention and he wanted Sasuke to test him, to know how close to let him.

The man was fairly tall, he'd seen taller, but at his fourteen year old stature Sasuke barely came up to his chest. He wore nice black pants and a white button up, hair standing up but not spiked or gelled. The outfit would normally portray stiff working class, but the way he wore them told of a casual, laid back alertness. Shirt un-tucked and not buttoned all the way up, cuffs open and rolled up to the elbows. His pants weren't ironed and faint creases could be seen nears his boots and pockets. He would have been totally unremarkably if not for the patch over his left eye, and even with that Sasuke knew this man could blend in anywhere and fade into the background. A hit man then, an assassin, or so was the image.

"This is Kakashi, Kakashi, this is Sasuke." Sasuke nodded his head to the gray haired man, and Kakashi made no move to extend a hand. Smart guy, can think on his feet and asses subtle changes in the human produced atmosphere. First point, didn't try to shake his hand. He smiled at the two of them, a stretching of his lips to show approval more than happiness. "I have some business to attend to, Kakashi, can you watch Sasuke for a couple of hours?" It wasn't really a question, though the lift in pitch at the end of the sentence suggested it. Kakashi, to his credit, did not react to the startling news. He'd seen some smile wide at that, or jump in surprise, or stiffen, or any number of things. Kakashi just nodded like it was a normal thing and didn't loose that laid back posture. He smiled again, and then left.

"There is food in the kitchen, the bathroom is by the staircase, and you're not allowed upstairs." Sasuke recited boredly, like he had left him with strangers as babysitters before. It was true, he had been left with strangers, but he'd been taking care of himself since he was eight, and didn't need a babysitter. This was a test, so he made it sound like this happened all the time. Turning his back like he trusted the man, Sasuke went and sat on the couch, opening his book again. After a few moments Kakashi sat across from him on the recliner. Point two, didn't take the open spot next to him on the couch.

"He's testing me." Kakashi commented thoughtfully. Sasuke wasn't surprised; this was the kind of man who figured those things out. "But why is he testing me with you? Who are you to him?"

Sasuke hated these mind games, hated how good he was at them, how well he could fuck with other people's heads and come out intact. But he loved it too. Loved the sense of power, of superiority, how jams weren't jams as soon as he opened his mouth. He could seduce a guy and then convince him afterwards it was his fault, that Sasuke had been raped. He'd turned cops against each other and talked his way out of getting charged with stealing after he'd lifted the money from some gas station. He hated it because he was good at it and loved it for the same reason. This was another game, and he knew how to play it. Kakashi wouldn't fall for innocent or stupid; it was the truth for him.

"I'm his brother." And the puppets danced.

It took three visits, three, before he figured it out. Kakashi was not like the usual, not like the other's they'd sent. Some pretended to be dirty, but he could tell they'd turn up their nose to it all if they could. Most didn't like the violence, he could tell by the way their lips wanted to frown and not smile at the gore. Some did like the violence, but they usually weren't ones cut out for acting and were caught before they got to him. Kakashi was different, very different, but that didn't sooth the fact that it took three meetings before Sasuke knew. He must be slipping, and he didn't like it. Slipping meant dying, in any possible scenario he could think of.

Kakashi was guarding the dining room door, higher up than he had been before, but still not trusted to the important meetings in the room. Sasuke sat at the bottom of the stairs and watched him. Kakashi watched right back, content not to start a conversation. That was different too. He was used to people trying to sweet talk him or baby him or just be polite, considering whom he was.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked quietly. Kakashi looked amused for a second.

"I would think that's obvious."

"Only what's stupid is obvious. You're not stupid." Smart. Dangerous. That's what he had told Itachi after that first meeting. Kakashi opened his drooping eye a little wider to look right at him.

"I don't agree." Sasuke sat back on his heals and watched him some more.

"Do you like it?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm good at it."

"That's not an answer." Kakashi chuckled.

"No, it isn't."

"Then tell me."

"I don't want to." And Sasuke got the impression he was ending the conversation. A small smile pulled at his lips. He'd met a challenging opponent, finally.

This would be fun.

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TS