Named after the song by Woodland, if anyone wants to hear that on YouTube. They're a great group, singing old folk songs of exotic, Wiccan, natural and magic mysteries of our world. :) Even Celtic. But now to cut to bringing this to life.

It's no secret how one can be influenced by even the earliest pieces in the fandom world or even outside. I love the Uchiha brothers as much as anyone out there, so here you go again since "Brothers in Blood and Bond", though this isn't related to that, but there ARE elements.

Warnings: infidelity, incest, yaoi, mpreg - don't like, don't read. NO FLAMES.

Nope, I don't own ANYTHING.

In Western civilization, there was an old saying called "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Such was the case when she found herself staring down and admiring the ring around her finger which her saiai gave her. The metal was rosy, swirling, and etched with white surrounding the big blue diamond which was as rare as the love she knew she had for her new husband.

Three years to get him back, and it had been worth it.

But it also meant that, even though he came back on his own will, he faced necessary punishment for abandoning all of them.

Forsaking his dignity because of the man who butchered his childhood AND his clan. Which gave her every reason to hate Itachi Uchiha so much, and she was beyond happy the bastard was dead.

His body was never found when they recovered Sasuke at the site of the old Uchiha manor. Although, with the blood remaining, it was obvious that it was the elder brother's. Yet even though it was believed he was gone, that the plant guy from the Akatsuki had stated it so, there were too many questions. The Akatsuki had quieted down...until Pain came and attacked them all not long after.

Total devastation.

Lives lost.

Before all that, Sasuke had been placed in confinement until it was decided what to do with him. It was ruled that a Shinobi who went rogue but came back on his own would be given a lighter sentence along with the usual slap on the wrist, unlike one who evaded capture and imprisonment. Although when Pain arrived and threatened all of them, he had been let out only to join in the fight. He was a savage. To see him like that against every Pain...that was when Sakura Haruno really did notice that he was no longer the boy she remembered.

He was really an idiot - more than Naruto - for almost getting himself killed.

He kept slipping away from her, causing her so much pain as he did to Naruto and the rest, so half of her smirked that he almost died. But still...a small part of her still cared about him.

Naruto got through to Pain. He saved them all, which made Sasuke even more jealous than ever. Well, that's what he gets for following the path of revenge. What did he get in return when he killed his brother? she thought disgustedly. He hurt himself AND us...but I blame Itachi and Orochimaru for this. Always will. The Council seemed to be in agreement, but from what she heard, Danzo tried to intervene; he was ruled out as he was no longer an official member. Lord Third had placed him on house arrest a long time ago.

Sasuke was back in prison for some months before he was released. By then, Sakura had shown herself to be capable enough - and one method was to kick his ass in her own way. She'd sealed his chakra channels, on orders, because it was part of his parole. No use of his powers for a year until he was worthy of the village's trust again. The civilians were happy to welcome back the last Uchiha, but their comrades were another story.

Though Naruto was more than happy to allow his best friend and rival back in his life. But the pinkette was no fool: she could see Sasuke wasn't happy. She learned to start looking into the eyes, the windows to the soul, more clearly. He hated being forced to be happy, to pretend when he wasn't. He loathed keeping a mask on. She teared inside when she tried to understand and couldn't.

She didn't stop herself from seeing him, though. Ino-Pig was still at the competition, but Sakura was determined to not let her win. Yes, they were still at it.

He moved back into the Uchiha complex since it was essentially his. He was the last of his kind, after all. His older brother was dead. But thinking about him living by himself...she wanted to move in with him. She wanted to get the hell away from her parents, but first meant speaking to him first. She was shocked when he agreed to letting her move in with him - without a fight.

Why did he say it so easily? The last time he spoke to her, not counting their reunions, he told her she was annoying. That night he left us. It hurt so much that she didn't sleep much for nights after that. But being the stupid child she'd been, she blindly thought, along with Naruto, that it had to be a lie, that love and friendship conquered all...

The damage done to him had been more than she comprehended.

Since moving into the vast Uchiha compound with him, Sakura had been overwhelmed as well as disgusted at the lack of brightness. It wasn't fit to be a home with the lack of cheeriness. But if she'd told him that, he'd glare at her, and who knew what he would say. So she took it upon herself to bring in flowers and exquisite ancient paintings. She didn't want everything to be girly and feminine, but a good compromise.

Sasuke saw all of this and simply raised an eyebrow as well as gave his signature "hn". He had no complaint about what she did with the house, but being the "neat freak" that ran in his family, he did remind her to put something back where she'd left it. At first, she contemplated snapping at him, but he wasn't her mother, because Mebuki could scream if she wanted to. In short, Sakura put up with him better than she tolerated her parents.

That alone in itself was still a sore subject between them. He'd once told her that being alone was no better than having two parents who nagged your every step.

She did all the cooking and cleaning for him, not that she minded at all. After all, she had learned what it was like to be a good housewife if she ever got married to someone someday. In that time, she'd thought Sasuke Uchiha would be the one she'd spend the rest of her life with. Today, in a way, they did live as though they were married. It was he who was acting like Mom when she did forget to pick something up. She got used to it much better and started doing it more often just to please him.

I did promise him I would do anything for him.

But the downside: she, Naruto and their team continued on with missions and assignments while he was not permitted as part of his parole. He was allowed to leave the compound, but not without ANBU watching his every step. He went into the village for supplies, was given his monthly allowance, and just went about as if life was normal...but when she came back home to him, he'd be laying across the loveseat and sometimes the futon belonging to him as if he hadn't budged all day.

"Did you...do any training today?" Sakura would sometimes ask him. He did not look at her when he stated the obvious.

"How can I? No chakra, no good opponent to beat...no reason to get stronger."

It was his way of saying that with his brother gone - the one who had motivated him in his life - there was no reason to continue living. He was just in this house, nothing worth a lick, and wasting away, probably. He didn't want to go out there, knowing Naruto could easily beat him. He was still clinging to that Uchiha pride. So she left him be and went about her own business.

She wished she could talk to Lady Tsunade about recommending a counselor to help him.

And then three weeks later, out of the blue - and she did NOT see it coming - Sasuke looked up at her from his meditation position and asked her to be his wife.

And without thinking, she said yes. A surge of joy erupted inside her.

His words did not dampen her spirits. "You're worthy in my eyes, Sakura." That was all he said. He'd seen her, he stopped calling her annoying - except when it came to her accidental messes - and he called her his trustworthy significant other. Who else would he have but her? He could have asked Ino, but he just snorted and said she was worse than Sakura, which made her blush. She'd won the competition. To think about seeing Pig's face when the news broke out!

He didn't even have a ring yet at the time of the proposal, but a few months later, he did - and it was worth every ryo which had to have been a lot, but she didn't care to ask. It was her and him in one. The old and new together. It sparked quite the talk - but it also caused the question.

Why would she, the worthy apprentice of the Slug Princess and a great medical ninja on the way to the top, be marrying the traitor? She had no other answer but this: "I don't forgive him -" Half a lie. "- for the things he did, but I still love him, and everyone deserves a second chance regardless." She would never forget the look in his eyes when he heard her speak, defend his honor. The ghost of a smile then made its way across his handsome face.

The wedding day was set to be a week before his chakra channels would be reopened again, and that was her job again. It seemed him marrying Tsunade's successor was the final deed. Soon, he would be among those to take the Chuunin Exams so he officially became so, then Jounin so he could start teaching the next generation. Now this Sasuke wasn't looking forward to. Nevertheless, she and Naruto laughed and told him he would be the best teacher ever. That seemed to get a small smile from him.

Just to keep Ino to shut up, Sakura asked her to be her maid of honor. Her parents were there, only it was awkward between them - but they did accept Sasuke and threatened him with castration if he made their daughter unhappy in ANY way. "Hn, you need not worry about that," he told them smoothly. "I have more than enough to take care of her when she needs me."

She didn't want a man to look after her - especially him - like that. Not anymore. She was going to look after his ass from now on.

The day arrived, and here she was in a kimono which also compromised them both: it was black and blossoming with pink roses, cherry blossoms and daisies. The halo in her hair was golden wire placed with delicate pink blossoms and seed pearls. He never took his eyes off of her when she was brought up to him. He was in black, with his family crest on his back. Now she would wear that in her new clothes after today. She was an Uchiha now, and they were going to have a real family instead of a clan. There would be no expectations, no heavy burdens, since she had seen that in her friends as time went on, from a distance.

Lady Tsunade performed the ceremony for them. Naruto was his best man. Kakashi walked her down the aisle along with her father. Everyone was there, even if some still didn't trust Sasuke. We'll make it work, she swore to herself, and to him after their vows were taken. There were no words to explain how happy she was that she was married to the man she loved.

His eyes were shining onyx, before they resumed back to their usual smoky black pearl. He was happy...wasn't he? She wondered how to ask him, but the short but sweet kiss he gave her on the cheek erased all thought. "I'll see you later, Sakura," he said softly. "There's something I must attend to." The evening was falling, the party just ending, and what was he going to do? He wanted her to go ahead home and get ready for their wedding night.

"Well, Billboard," Ino said when they were leaving, "I owe you an apology for it all." Blue-green eyes glistened with tears she wiped with the back of her hand. "You and Sasuke are better for each other, after all."

She tried not to cry when she hugged her former rival back to being her best friend. Then they broke apart giggling when Ino had to ask her about that lingerie set she helped the pinkette pick out for tonight. When they both got back to the compound together, Ino helped her out of those heavy robes, making her breathe a sigh of relief, and then took out what she'd hidden from Sasuke and was excited to show him. It was a chemise made of lace, ruffled lightly, and blushing against her skin. Pushed off the shoulder to show the right amount of skin. "Well, good luck, Brow," the blonde said as she was leaving, turning and winking over her shoulder. "All the best."

Sakura climbed into bed right after cleaning herself up again, such as shaving and washing her hair again, so she had extra mango and blossoms all over. She also got herself and her new hubby some sake to have before they got busy. It was sake, but not in those little cups - but something better and had been a wedding gift from Hinata and her clan. These two guys were these beautiful blushing glasses rimmed with gold. She placed them both on the table beside her and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, waiting. Waiting - and then it hit her when an eternity passed. Where the hell was her husband? He said he was going to take care of something and then come back! She tried not to panic as she got out of bed again to investigate.

Her heart dropped into her stomach when she looked at the time and decided to summon Lady Katsuyu to give word to Tsunade immediately.

Sasuke never came home.

~o~

Blur...then clear ivory before his eyes.

What happened?

His eyes turned left and right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary...until he felt silk beneath him. Silk so dark a red it was almost black. The fabric was pleasant against his areas of skin - the back of his neck, his palms and his bare feet - but it was unnerving. He knew he was abducted. He had told his new wife he had business to take care of, but he'd unwillingly and silently broken his promise and found himself here, wherever "here" was.

Sasuke found himself staring up at a ceiling. He was in a house somewhere, that much was obvious. But he had the slightest feeling he was no longer in the Leaf Village. He had to be close enough, but that wasn't much help...

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever awake."

That voice...

He didn't need to turn his head in the direction of the speaker. Gritting his teeth, he tried sitting up and failed, falling back when his muscles disagreed with him. Had he been drugged somehow? "Itachi," he hissed out.

There was no mistaking. The slayer of their clan, his greatest enemy whom he KNEW he saw fell dead right before his eyes - he was right there in his line of vision. Sitting at a small vanity combing out his long, beautiful hair...no, damn it! Where the hell did that come from?! He was done then, but instead of tying it back like he preferred, he let it drape over his back like a waterfall. He was dressed in a simple, dark maroon yukata, which slid off one shoulder to show a small expanse of muscle. Itachi pushed the hair on that side over his other shoulder to expose this one. Sasuke growled at the show. His brother sighed, not looking at him.

"How the hell are you here? You're supposed to be DEAD! I saw you fall right in front of me!"

"Do keep your voice lowered, Sasuke," Itachi chided softly, turning halfway. His bare thigh was revealed by the robe inching away with the movement. "But then again, these walls are soundproofed. We are surrounded by a chakra-shield which will mask us from outsiders. Should any Shinobi pass by, they will not think to assume you are here." His Sharingan was glowing, making Sasuke growl in frustration and settle on rolling onto his side, still facing his brother. That's right, you were once captain of the ANBU at age thirteen years old. You remember everything so well.

"So, will you answer my question, damn it?!" he spat.

Itachi sharply sighed and closed his eyes. "You really haven't changed at all, otouto. But then again, I know too well that you never will." He shook his head. "And in answer to your question, you simply failed. I lost consciousness from the fight, but before you awoke, I was rescued. By then, I had lost my vision."

That's right: the more you use the Mangekyo, the faster the light leaves your eyes. "And you couldn't find 'Madara Uchiha' and kill him for his eyes - or is this why you have me?" he sneered. Of course, why else? Itachi tried to take his eyes before he collapsed, before he tapped his forehead like he did when they were children...

"No."

"No"?! Sasuke started back by surprise. He...the bastard...you bastard! You come here and say no to wanting my eyes for yourself, and you expect me to believe that?! "Then how the hell and why are you -? If you are blind by now, how are you right in front of me? How did you get around so well?!" His voice was rising with each octave - and it wasn't long before Itachi was looming over him. That damned robe...it had opened a little wider to show more of his brother's musculature VERY deeply to his lower abdomen. And on the verge of showing a certain part of his masculinity which made the younger Uchiha flush with embarrassment. Was this a new tactic his enemy was trying to do to him now?

Itachi wanted his eyes. That was why he waited all this time to come back. Now his face was close enough to Sasuke's. "Sasuke, I will answer all your questions if you promise to calm yourself down," he said icily. "But are you not aware contact lenses are in effect? It took me some time to acquire them. I told you that blindness meant total darkness. However, it was not my case. But without my Sharingan, it will be."

Sasuke felt his shock slowly dwindle. Yes, he heard that contact lenses were being a new invention, but his brother acquiring? It was hard to believe. "So, that's how you've gotten around...does this mean you no longer need my eyes for yourself?" It was a stupid question, and he should already know the answer, but he HAD to know. Itachi closed his eyes at the question before reopening them.

"For someone who has not been able to access his visual prowess for almost a year, you have guessed correctly without knowing." Itachi smiled lightly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I would ask myself why I would be in need of my brother's eyes when they are quite useless until next week...but alas, I could not wait until then, for time is running out coming the early hours of the morning," he said, gaze hardening.

"What could it be?" If this had to do with "Madara" whom he never got to seek out, the one who supposedly pulled the strings on Pain who was now dead, then his brother must be asking for his help, but he couldn't have come at a more perfect timing, he thought sarcastically. "Do you want to take me away at a time like this when I am at my weakest? I have not done much training since I was taken back here! When I thought you died, I couldn't bear to get better than Naruto! That loser won as it was! What else was there for me to live, Itachi?!" he shouted, pouring out all his frustration there was. His frustration at being back in this village which held him back, which welcomed him back only to lock him up and make him face punishment for leaving them. He sneered at them for not understanding him. They only hurt him more instead of helping him.

He'd thought Sakura would help, since she did grow up more in his absence - but how wrong he'd been and tried to hide it. Asking her to marry him had been a heat of the moment. He'd wanted to restore his clan, so what else other than to ask his teammate for this?

What was more: why was he even TELLING his brother this? This man destroyed his life, but now he was here in front of him, in this position. He was not here for his eyes...and here he was sitting and patiently listening to his little brother's story of life at the village they once called home.

"And then you come and kidnap me, on my wedding night of all nights," Sasuke finished, closing his eyes. The lids squeezed into wrinkles as he battled internally with himself, sharply gasping for air. Too many months of pretending to be happy, at peace, when he was far from it. He wanted a place for himself, a sense of purpose, but it was all gone when he thought his brother had died. Why did he not feel satisfied when his enemy fell in front of him?

Because you secretly still love your big brother.

NO!

Why would he love the man who tormented him into sleepless nights, called him weak and foolish all his life, lied to him, and took away their parents?! Who, by the way, was now leaning closer to him, and on the verge of covering his body. The compromise was making him very uncomfortable now. Why was Itachi doing this? This was bordering on incestuous. This was treading forbidden borders that shouldn't -

"The night of a wedding that you were never pleased to experience to begin with," Itachi stated, matter-of-factly - and now his hand came up to caress Sasuke's chin. He flinched at the contact; how dare he touch him! He tried to pull his face away, only for it to be grasped again. Itachi's jaw was tight, eyes narrowed knowingly. "You married her out of obligation, because you felt you had no will to live, otouto." His gaze softened. "That ring...it had cost you close to a fortune, hn?"

He felt his lips pull back at the hunt for the ring just to please her. Of course it had been close enough. He could use his earnings on better things, but on that engagement ring - it was nothing but meaningless even if he was aided in the search. He didn't hate Sakura, really, but he was not in love with her. He always believed she deserved better than him, but she was stubborn as ever.

Itachi took his silence as his answer. He hummed. "As I thought, Sasuke. I have been watching you from afar ever since you returned. You were lost and locked away. I left you so you could become stronger, and even when I allowed you to win, you let yourself crawl back into your little hole. I was ashamed to see that become of my strong otouto." Sasuke growled angrily. And to think that as a child, he wanted his big brother's approval and recognition. He wanted to make him and their father proud, to surpass Itachi...but nothing had changed. Here he was now, alive and well, and still stronger than he was. With the Susano'o, he couldn't even penetrate that chakra shield.

He might have awoken his Mangekyo Sharingan, but his chakra channels were closed off before he could find out.

It was then and there that he caught the deep way his brother was looking at him. Itachi was too close. Then he remembered the word he'd been called seconds ago: strong. He called me strong, as if it were natural, like nothing had changed between us from when we were children. He is looking at me like I am the little brother he said he loved...

...as if he never pretended it all.

He wanted to thrash, shout and yell, accuse him of luring him into this trap. But the feel of the growing heat the closer his brother got to him...it rendered him incapable of speech. Itachi hid from him because he wasn't being a coward, but because tonight - his wedding night - had been the right time, but what did he want of him now if not for his eyes?

And what about that accomplice of his who helped him slaughter their parents and their kin? Sasuke decided that he didn't want to know about that man. Not right now anyway. Of course, he wanted to eventually. His anger slowly subsided, but his curiosity threatened to raise the roof over their heads.

"However, I can be the big brother you desired again," Itachi finished, leaning down and brushing his lips over the younger's ear, making him shiver. The boundary had just been stepped on. "And so much more than that...which is why we are here, and with a long night ahead of us, but we are short on time, as I said. Tonight is the only night. We've wasted enough time as it is with all these questions and catching up." He huffed lightly and sat up, half-straddling Sasuke when he looked down at him.

"The moon will be red tonight. Every two and a half decades, it would be at its highest and can take place notably between young adulthood and full-adulthood, within clan members as the exchange of the Mangekyo can transpire, but this isn't about just visual prowess. Sasuke," he said, lowering his voice, pausing as if wondering how to say what came next, and it made Sasuke turn cold and sweat, "we have to conceive a new Uchiha."

His mind was wild: C-conceive...a child?! "No!" he burst, finally sitting up, but his body still numb and preventing him from moving away from his impassive brother. "Itachi, what are you saying?! We are brothers! What are we going to accomplish with this?!" The elder sighed again, a favored habit of his.

"It's not as easy to explain as it is the Sharingan, little brother. As I say, the red moon rises between two and three decades. This event is vital in times of desperation when continuing the Uchiha bloodline. It seldom takes place between two males...but there is also a reason I chose my own brother, even if I never wanted to," Itachi said softly, looking down at the bloody red surface between them. "I know what the Curse Mark has done to your body..."

The cold shock turned into something akin to morbid horror. His heart stopped altogether. He knows...

He'd been warned by Sakon the night he left Konoha that if he unleashed the second stage of the Cursed Seal, used it so recklessly, it would eat away his genetic makeup and trap him in monster form permanently, but it hadn't happened. Instead, it altered a certain important part of his body that was kept away from the public when he endured interrogation and then those humiliating medical exams - both done by Sakura and Tsunade-sama, and only those two. But Itachi knew all this time. He felt his breath hitch when he felt the weight of the front of his trousers being lifted, and warm air brushed over the beginning of his groin. He grimaced at the sweet sensations that turned his nerves to life.

His hips jerked, forcing Itachi's hand away. He didn't like what he was hearing, he didn't trust it...and he knew one fact that women were more suitable for birth than males were. The risks were high, and what if that were the case with him...?

Itachi seemed to know what he was thinking, as usual. "Sasuke...I promise I'll ensure no harm will come to you." His body moved again to cover him as that hand returned to its former place. "Your aniki will hold his promise..."

Liar...you always broke your promises to me. He shut his eyes and turned his face the other way as that hand was joined by its partner in pulling the fabric further down to expose more of him. This was more than he could bear, but Itachi would have none of it. "Sasuke." His voice had deepened. "Look at me." Sasuke flinched at the feeling of a kiss placed on his cheek.

"No."

"Look at me or else." With that, one hand traveled down, starting over an expanse of exposed stomach which rippled in contact, before descending downward and beginning to dip into the mass of hair at the top of his thighs, which made him snap.

Sasuke snarled and raised his hand to strike, but it was caught in the elder's, bringing back old memories. "You're not going to get out of this, Sasuke. What is written cannot be undone. If we make a child with our bloodline, we can surpass Madara together...or do you prefer to stay here in this village where they chained you down despite your efforts?" Itachi asked quietly, leaning back down to his ear, hot breath against his skin and then the moist tongue against his outer shell. He shivered but didn't thrash again. "I could always just drop you back to your wife and let you rot here for the rest of your life."

He grimaced, his heart tightening. It seemed his decision had just been made for him then and there. If I stay here, I'll die of insanity since no one will ever really care about me. Naruto...that loser is a reminder of how weak I've become. Sakura deserves someone more, someone who can give her what I can't. But if I leave so soon, I'll never have my chakra back. "How do you expect me to walk in your shadow again?" he seethed. "You were the one who told me to go and face you when I had the same eyes as you. I would have gotten the Mangekyo with your death before my eyes had my chakra not been closed off as punishment. I will NOT become the weak vessel here!" Now he managed to get away, his body's strength coming to him and sliding a few inches away; Itachi let him, watching him intently.

"You won't be weak, Sasuke," Itachi said after a moment. "Yes, you're the one to carry, because had I'd done the deed myself, it would have taken a few years and a forbidden jutsu to give myself a womb, and it's too long than the last year and a half now. And there is no more need to talk, Sasuke." He began to crawl back towards his brother. "We have to begin now, no more discussions."

Resigned, Sasuke sharply sighed. He wasn't getting out of this. What choice did he have? He didn't want to be stuck in the village any longer. But if he went through with this with Itachi, his life would still be unknown after they took out Madara Uchiha, if he was really alive. But the more he heard, the more he slowly started believing Itachi.

If he is telling the truth then, I'm going to kill Madara with him.

Itachi had been his every corner, not killing him but taunting him in order to make him stronger, which he desired to know why, and use his every last breath to get him to talk about why he killed their family. "To test the limits of my abilities"...I see it couldn't be just that. But if he lies to me again, then I'll use the next opportunity to kill him for sure.

He had been deep in his thoughts that he didn't feel Itachi pull off the rest of his trousers. He shivered at the air over his now exposed manhood which had gotten harder. Itachi gave a light smile at the sight as if it were the most precious sight he'd seen, which made Sasuke's blood boil, but strangely enough, it was no longer repulsive. He found himself looking upwards, at the window above his head which now showed the moon at its highest - full and glowing red as promised. Raging, passionate and full-blown in one.

"Sasuke, I'm impressed." Itachi then bowed forward and pushed aside the black robe so more of Sasuke's stomach was shown, but also so he had further access. He placed a kiss on the sensitive line above his pubic hair. His nerves shook within his region. Itachi licked him then, repeating the ritual around that area - and then finally giving his clenching erection the same treatment. His world turned upside down as his head did the same to wildly gaze back upon the moon, his vision swirling out of control with what his brother was doing to him.

Then Itachi was done, disappointing him, but it was far from over. Itachi then sat up on his knees and reached to unfasten the sash of his wedding robes, eager to remove these heavy garments. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when his body was freed from those constricting fabrics. He sat up only for Itachi to pull the clothes out from under him and toss them onto the floor. His blood-toned kimono followed.

The brothers half-sat nude before each other, taking in each other's equally sculpted body. And Itachi's equipment down there was just like his, if an inch longer. He's...beautiful. I never really paid attention before.

Itachi crawled over Sasuke again, and this time, the younger's legs spread to let the elder in. He sucked in a breath when that member poked against him, but it wasn't just rubbing against his own length, and definitely not his sac...but the very place which had been found during examination. Suddenly, his inner muscles clenched as his turmoil began again. He hadn't been with anyone, man or woman, and Sakura would never be lucky. Itachi's brows furrowed when he caught his reaction. "Don't worry, Sasuke. It will hurt only for a moment...unless you have been with your new wife before now?" he asked, expression morphing slyly and making him glare.

"Like I would end up with Sakura or just about anyone," he snipped. Chuckling, Itachi leaned down and kissed him again, at the same time aligning the tip of his member at the place where Sasuke was twitching and weeping. With this new female part, he assumed this must be how women were aroused, but he would never know.

Itachi seemed to decide that preparation wasn't enough, and Sasuke was moist enough that he slowly sheathed into him, between his manhood and sac, and the pain arrived. He cried out in mild agony, followed by pleasure when his brother began to move.

No, not brother...it's lover now. Brothers don't do this.

Itachi's long hair was a silken curtain on either side of them, shielding them from the world except the moon through the window which was the symbol of them coming together based on destiny. Their bond had always been much stronger than with the rest of their clan, than their parents even. But how did it ever become like this...?

Sasuke's mind shut off altogether, throwing his arms around Itachi's strong body and pulling him down to be closer to his body. There was nothing and no one but Itachi...and soon the child in his body that would be planted.

~o~

He always loved his brother - and as Sasuke grew up, he became so beautiful that the forbidden feeling couldn't be ignored. He shouldn't do this to Sasuke or himself...but the prophecy had been told. A prophecy Madara was aware of, and he couldn't do this without Sasuke who was an unwilling pawn in this. He'd done enough to his younger brother as it was.

The Blood Moon was a once in a lifetime he never thought he would live to see. Suppose his parents had been through that, or an ancestor...but it was meaningless to dwell on what may or may not have happened, or what could have been.

He was supposed to die. But he lived, lost his eyesight and had lived as a homeless, blind man who had been rescued and given these contacts by a kindly healer who let him stay with her for the time being, for he'd escaped Madara afterwards. The ancient Uchiha wouldn't rest until he was silenced, he knew it. So he had to be dealt with. Therefore, producing a full-blooded Uchiha with his own otouto was in the question. Children produced via incest often led to birth defects like smaller stature, deformity and poor eyesight, but with this moon blessing them, the risks could be decreased, but there was no proven fact to this. It was merely told orally through the ages within the Uchiha, and the same would apply to the Hyuuga with their old rituals.

They had the entire night ahead of them.

He had discovered that Sasuke had been taken back to Konoha, and how he was treated was far from how he deserved. He should have been revered as a hero for avenging his clan, since no one would ever know the truth, and Itachi intended to keep it that way. He would have violated all that Shisui left him for.

He saved Sasuke from a loveless marriage - a marriage of convenience, he knew it was. That ring was a symbol of a commitment that entrapped him, surrounded by people with various histories from his.

Itachi came back to save his younger brother, as a big brother was supposed to do. If Sasuke was hesitant and trying to escape, it was more out of uncertainty of the results which he had every right to worry about. The moon above them would save them. It was a rare time, but it had to be worth every time and effort.

He discovered Sasuke's condition when he slipped into the hospital records and interrogation, seeing the abnormality that was something a woman should have only. Orochimaru. Thankfully, the snake was gone, because of Sasuke, and he'd stripped away the Curse Mark himself with pride. Except the only thing left behind was THIS, and it could be used tonight. Fate had never been so kind to help them. Sasuke was still a virgin, which pleased him greatly and made it all matter. I saved him from even consummating his marriage. He didn't doubt Sakura Haruno would have made a fine wife and mother of his children, but Sasuke's happiness was his high priority. He would protect him and their own offspring from now on.

To be joined with Sasuke, encased in that tight, wet heat...otouto had been made for him. But that connection severed the simple brotherly bond once and for all. They were more now.

Sasuke was beautiful; he was a man now. He was strong, but he would have been if he hadn't had his Sharingan closed off as punishment. Itachi should have had his channels restored to him, but when this was done, he would find someone they could trust, or he could do it himself. He had no medical experience, but he knew their line well.

Hands roamed over the back of his body as Sasuke wildly writhed beneath him like a cat in heat. His sensitive passage closed tighter around Itachi, making him shudder with pleasure. It was too much...too much...and Sasuke's legs wrapped around him to keep him hooked forever. His palms moved down to squeeze his toned backside. Itachi increased his thrusts as he lost his own control within the younger; he could feel himself getting closer to release...and then his vision turned red with desire, release and fury. His seed spilled into Sasuke, and the other's leaked and spurted between their bodies, white and hot. A few drops coated the dark red silk sheets to show proof of their coupling.

He lay himself against Sasuke, gently pulling himself out of that soft, slick tightness, but Sasuke's hands on his back and his cavern closing back around begged him to not leave yet. "I want to do it again," he rasped, looking up at him with glazed eyes. "How many times do we have to?"

Itachi chuckled. "There's not a specific number. Once or twice, or many...it doesn't matter. I said we have the whole night ahead of ourselves." With that, his energy renewed simply by his lover's request, and without pulling himself out all the way by some means, he had Sasuke on all fours on the bed, his wet pucker still swollen red and shining with some of his essence trickling out. Itachi swelled with satisfaction that he made Sasuke like this.

Sasuke yelped as he jerked forward and backward with the thrusts. He clenched the sheets beneath him, looking up and happy that he could keep looking up at the red jewel in the sky. Itachi joined him in gazing towards the symbol of Tsukuyomi - in a much darker and more forbidden perspective, in a way representing the world he could cast with his own eyes.

It was over in moments, for the second time, and yet their energy would never decrease. Their bodies had so much stamina it wasn't funny. "I-Itachi," Sasuke managed, raising his head to look at him.

"Hn?" Itachi lifted his gaze to look tiredly at him.

"I want to know...why did you not kill me with the rest of our clan?" The question he desperately desired so much had risen unbidden at the odd time.

But Itachi didn't answer him. Instead, he leaned forward and pecked him on the forehead. "Tomorrow I will answer, and that is a promise...but you must not go off on a vengeance when I tell you," he said sternly. And you will hold me to the word. I always lied to you, kept you away from all of this, but there is no need to anymore.

"You always said 'next time' and 'later', and then I'd thought you were dead - but this time, I will hold you to it, nii-san."

By the time darkness claimed the brothers - now lovers - for the nth time into the early hours of the morning, the moon was already lowering as its cycle neared completion. It was by then that the ritual was complete: Sasuke and Itachi had conceived a child. The elder lay on his back then, holding his young love close to him, then sliding his hand beneath the dark silk sheets he pulled over them both and touched Sasuke's toned stomach where their baby was planted and would take time to grow in under a year. He placed a lazy kiss on Sasuke's forehead then and fell asleep, the other resting his head on Itachi's chest in response.

~o~

The next morning, no one ever found Sasuke Uchiha, and his new wife was in tears even though she tried to be strong for him. For her husband to disappear on their wedding night and never be found - Lady Tsunade issued out the word that either Sasuke Uchiha had been kidnapped or gone rogue, but neither had solid proof of the matter. He had been alone, so perhaps the latter was true. Sakura and Naruto were devastated once again. Both of them had the same question to each other: how could Sasuke do this to them once again?

Months went by, and there was still no trace of him. No one in enemy nations had word of a possible sole Uchiha around, either. Even Team Kakashi questioned lower-ranked rogue ninja, but they even knew nothing of Sasuke's whereabouts. It was safe to presume he was dead. With that, Sakura wept endlessly for days, being comforted by Naruto at times, then Lee came about and asked if he could be there for her if she wanted him, and she agreed. Sasuke was gone forever, so why should she waste her time moping over him?

It wasn't long before Naruto found comfort in Hinata Hyuuga who had confessed her love for him, and though he wasn't ready to express his feelings or take it seriously, he promised to treat her like the person she was. He tried to comfort himself that Sasuke might be happy for him, and on the day he became Hokage, his best friend would watch from the heavens.

A memorial was held for Sasuke, even though there was no body to bury, but his photograph and everyone were there. White roses, camellias and so on were placed beneath the frame, as if he were hailed as a hero instead of the traitor - but those who still believed he was swore to keep their tongues from wagging to avoid the consequences. The ones who shed more tears were Naruto and Sakura, and Kakashi Hatake - who would soon be the Sixth Hokage - solemnly bowed his head at his failure of one of his own students.

However, the truth couldn't have been more farfetched.

The Uchiha brothers disappeared without a trace, but they were alive and well, and carrying out the plans they made themselves. Sasuke was full with the child he created with his own brother, and they would together put a stop to Madara Uchiha. No one was aware, but they had come to observe the service from above, cloaking their chakra presences well and dressed in civilian clothing for now. Neither gave an expression at the sight, but inside...

Itachi felt sympathy for three of the attending down there. One lost his best friend, another her husband on their wedding night, and the third one of his students he considered a family - among his list of failures.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was indifferent. All he could pay attention to was, beneath his cloak, the swelling of eight months in his abdomen which he cradled. He shouldn't have traveled, but he insisted on seeing this for himself. His lover and protector was behind him, bringing a hand of his own around to place atop his huge belly which nested their unborn son or daughter...but it was this moment that Itachi found that he sensed not one chakra gathering in Sasuke's womb, but two. Sasuke was having twins. The younger Uchiha looked up at him and noticed the light in his eyes.

It was supposed to be a surprise until the day came, but it made the somber air joyful on their parts. Just as the memorial was ending, he took Sasuke and whisked him away. "What is it, Itachi?"

"There's two in there," he answered tenderly, sitting them both down beneath a tree which was a long distance from the gates of the village. He rubbed Sasuke's belly with both hands, making the other sigh pleasantly, then leaned down and rested his cheek on the surface. Their children were not in danger, and neither was he. When Madara was gone, they would build a quiet life together.

At the same time, Sasuke's Sharingan activated - and it was the Mangekyo. Not out of malicious intent, but in reaction to the news that he was carrying twins.

Took me three days to do this. XD But it was worth every drop of sweat.

This oneshot won't be continued or even have a sequel, and it's a promise. I considered giving it a closing ending, with Madara being defeated and their child being born, but the ideas I came up with gave it no justice that I fear doing a repeat of "Brothers in Blood and Bond", and I wanted no one to die, so it's best left as it is. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the results. Reviews appreciated. :) And please, no begging for updates.