Innocence
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I know that some people were curious about the circumstances behind the divorce. That and some other things will be revealed. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 2
A few minutes later, Sasuke finds Naruto. Perhaps not surprisingly, the idiot was already dancing with some busty cheerleader that he recognized from their university. Sasuke mentally rolls his eyes at this and taps Naruto on the shoulder.
"Hey, I'm going to cut out early. I'll tell you what happened later." Sasuke promises.
"Alright. Have fun. Remember, tomorrow you have to tell me EVERYTHING." Naruto says with a grin.
Sasuke shakes his head. He didn't even know how to respond to that. What could he say? He certainly wasn't about to mention the fact that he had found his long lost brother in front of some random coed. His really hot, long lost brother. His long lost brother who was an amazing kisser and that Sasuke had been discussing exclusivity clauses with.
"Yeah. I'll tell you everything, tomorrow. It's a very long story. Let the others know that I'm okay. Just tell them that I caught out early because I bumped into an old friend." Sasuke says as he bounds off.
An old friend was probably the easiest way to put it. He was going to wait to spring the whole long lost sibling thing on them, until after Sasuke figured out what sort of relationship Itachi wanted with him. Obviously, romance was now out of the question.
"Hopefully, he's still there when I get to the parking lot." Sasuke says as he races towards their agreed upon meeting spot.
Once upon a time though, they had been close. Sasuke had idolized his older brother. He had been heartbroken when his mother told him that he was never to speak to his father or Itachi again
She wouldn't even tell him why. He had begged and pleaded, but it was all to now avail. Now ten years later, Sasuke realized that he might finally find out what really happened between Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha.
"Sasuke!" Itachi calls out and the younger Uchiha dutifully strides over to him.
Itachi tries not to laugh. It was rather endearing, really. Sasuke was very much the picture of an adorable puppy that followed you home from school one day. He almost felt guilty for what he was about to do.
Sasuke really was so innocent. His eyes were shinning with happiness. His baby brother was genuinely happy to be reunited, even after what he likely considered to be a very embarrassing incident. It was heartwarming.
"Hey! I'm glad you didn't take off. So which one is your car?" The raven haired college grad inquires.
"I would never willingly leave you behind. I told you that I would meet you in the parking lot and I am a man of my word. I always keep my promises, Sasuke." Itachi says as he caresses the his brother's cheek.
Sasuke was willing to forget that they had committed one of the ultimate taboos in modern and most historical societies. They had desired one of their own. The younger Uchiha was willing move on with that and even potentially accept a job working with Itachi. In exchange for this display of complete trust, Itachi was going to convince him to join the Sharingan Dragons.
He was going to convince his innocent baby brother to join one of the most powerful criminal organizations on Earth. In a way, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at that knowledge. Mostly though, there was something incredibly alluring about the prospect of corrupting the gorgeous man that was standing just a few feet away from him.
"That's go-od to know. So yeah. Where's your c-ar?" Sasuke asks again.
Sasuke mentally winces. He was stuttering and stammering around like a schoolboy with his first crush. It was embarrassing. An innocent, platonic touch like that from his brother should not cause him to react this way.
He shouldn't be stuttering. His heart shouldn't be racing. Oh and he definitely should not want to lean into Itachi's touch and kiss him again.
He must be sick. Why else would his body be reacting this way to someone who used to read him bedtime stories and comfort him when he had nightmares? Sasuke bites his lower lip as he contemplates whether or not he could even tell Naruto about this.
"This is my car." Itachi says as he opens the door of a beautiful red convertible.
They had always told each other everything, but Sasuke wasn't sure if he should tell the blonde about this one. Naruto was a wonderful friend and good at keeping secrets when it was important, but this was on a completely different level. He could only hope that eventually his body would get the memo that his brain had received. Itachi was FIRMLY off limits.
That's when he realized that his brother was speaking to him and had opened a car door. Itachi had opened the door of a gorgeous and really expensive convertible. Sasuke blinks at the knowledge that that car had likely cost more than a year of his tuition.
"THIS is your car?" He asks in shock as he gets inside it.
"Mhm. I told you, I work for Sharingan. Sharingan compensates its employees rather generously. Of course, in return they do expect a certain degree of loyalty." Itachi informs him as he reaches over to buckle Sasuke's seatbelt.
"Well yeah. If they are paying you enough to get this kind of car before you are thirty, I would imagine so." Sasuke says.
Itachi couldn't help but smile. He could scarcely remember a time when he had been as easily impressed by a fancy car as Sasuke was. Well boys would be boys, he supposed.
Once Sasuke joined the Sharingan Dragons, he could have whatever kind of car he wanted. He could have all that and more. After all, they were dragons. Dragons were famous for their protecting their treasure.
"I'm glad you feel that way. Of course, we would start you off small as you're new to whatever your chosen field is. What was your major?" Itachi inquires as he finishes fastening Sasuke's seatbelt.
Sasuke tries not to blush at the surprisingly intimate gesture. He had no idea how Itachi could make something as mundane as fastening a seatbelt sexy, but he did. He really hoped to God that he wasn't actually blushing.
Suddenly, he found himself grateful for the change in topic. Majors. Jobs. Those were safe topics. Those were normal topics that you could discuss with anyone, even your sexy brother.
"I double majored. Business and Political Science. Minored in History." He answers.
"An interesting combination. I think that we can easily find you something in Sharingan. I was also a double major. It seems that overachieving runs in our family." Itachi muses as he buckles his seatbelt and he drives off.
Sasuke tilts his head to the side curiously. He couldn't help but wonder what Itachi had studied. Itachi was a little older than him. He probably knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life by now. All Sasuke had was a vague childish notion of what he wanted to do. The same thing he had wanted to do since he was ten.
"Really? What did you take?" Sasuke asks.
"Economics and International Law. I minored in history as you did. I suspect you are like me and enjoy the subject, but didn't see very many practical applications for it when it came to a career." Itachi answers.
"Yeah. You're right about the history thing." Sasuke admits.
He was pleased to have at least a couple of things in common with his brother, even if they were just academic. It would give them something to talk about. Something to talk about that wouldn't remind Sasuke of their heated kisses. He really, really need that.
"Ah here we are. Our great uncle is the current CEO of Sharingan Corp. His name is Madara. Madara owns several properties, but this is the one that he is currently residing in for the moment. I suppose it's only fair to warn you that his presence can often be a little intimidating at first." Itachi warns him as he parks his car a few minutes later and heads towards a massive gate.
Sasuke blinks. That wasn't a house. That wasn't even a mansion. That building should be classified as a palace. He knew that Sharingan was one of the biggest corporations in the world and Madara was the CEO, but somehow that fact hadn't really hit home until now.
The building was probably bigger than Sasuke's entire high school had been. It was beautiful. Pure white with large marble columns. Really, it reminded Sasuke of ancient Greece and the gardens were filled with stunning roses that seemed to come in every color imaginable. Not to mention there were gorgeous fountains and sculptures scattered here and there.
"Wow." Sasuke whispers.
"As I said, Sharingan compensates its employees generously. So you can imagine that the CEO is also highly paid." Itachi states with amusement as he gestures for Sasuke to follow him.
The elder Uchiha scans his fingerprints. Sasuke blinks. His uncle was a bit paranoid. Then again, maybe he had good reason to be. He was damn sure that robbers would love to get into this place.
"You need to either be in the system or enter with someone who is. For now, you can't get into this place without me or another member of our family. I imagine that you'll be added soon enough." Itachi tells him.
"What would happen to me, if I tried to get in without you or someone else?" Sasuke asks.
"You haven't changed at all. You are still just as inquisitive as ever. Sasuke, let's just say that you don't want to find out the answer to that question." The elder Uchiha warns him and Sasuke simply nods.
The gates open and Itachi leads Sasuke inside the massive building. The Business Major was really glad that Itachi was with him. Otherwise, he knew that he would get lost in this place.
The inside was just as stunning as the outside. The carpet was made of a red velvet material and upon the walls hung dozens of beautiful, historical paintings. There were also chandeliers living the ceiling and likely hundreds of rooms.
"He's likely in his study." Itachi says as he leads Sasuke up a gorgeous spiraled staircase that looked like something straight out of a fairytale.
Soon enough, they come upon a door and Itachi knocks on it. It didn't take long for someone to open it. Sasuke blinks at the man who did.
He was tall and broad shouldered. The man had what could only be described as a mane of wild black hair. Seriously, it reminded Sasuke of a lion. His eyes were crimson red and very calculating.
This man was his GREAT Uncle?! How could that be possible? He looked forty. Well maybe he had just aged well or used his money to undergo some really amazing plastic surgery.
"Good evening, Uncle. It seems that you don't need to track Sasuke down, after all. I found him in a nightclub, celebrating his graduation with some of his friends." Itachi says as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Ah that is wonderful news. It is so good to finally meet you. You do certainly take after Izuna. He's my brother and your other Great Uncle. It's like looking at a picture of him from over forty years ago. Amazing. Come inside." He says as he walks back inside his study.
Sasuke noted that Madara had a handsome black leather couch and two red velvet chairs inside his study. There was also a magnificent cherrywood coffee table and several bookshelves that were stacked with likely hundreds of books. In the corner was a handsome grandfather clock and there was lovely Persian Rug upon the floor.
"It's good to finally meet you too. I don't really know much about father's side of the family, I'm afraid." Sasuke confesses.
"That's probably because of the divorce. It was a rather vicious one." Madara comments.
"Do you know why it happened? Mother won't tell me, no matter how many times I ask. Whatever it is, I can take it. I just want to know." Sasuke asks.
Madara sighs. He really was too much like Izuna for his own good. Sasuke had definitely inherited those damn puppy eyes of his.
"I'm not entirely certain that I should be the one to tell you that. I think that is more Fugaku's place than mine." The CEO replies.
Sasuke blinks. Itachi had said that it was a family business. He just hadn't really thought about what that entailed. It sounded like there was a very real possibility that he could see his father for the first time in a decade. That knowledge made Sasuke feel almost dizzy.
"Do you think that he'd agree to meet with me?" Sasuke asks cautiously.
Itachi shakes head and wraps his arms around Sasuke protectively. He hated that it had come to this. His brother wasn't even sure if their father would want to speak with him. That was heartbreaking.
"I know that he will be over the Moon to see you again. He talks about you all the time. He did want to keep in touch with you, but our mother wouldn't let any of us near you." Itachi whispers.
Sasuke nods slowly as he tries to process that. The general consensus seemed to be that for some reason, Mikoto didn't want him to have anything to do with his father's side of the family. He just wasn't sure why.
"What did he cheat on her or something? I could see why she would divorce him, if that was the case. That doesn't explain why she'd cut me off from the two of you though." Sasuke demands.
"Oh no. It was nothing like that. Fugaku Uchiha is many things, but unfaithful is not one of them. That much I can most certainly assure you of." Madara says.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He was at a loss for why his mother would completely hid half of his family tree from him. Other than cheating, he wasn't sure what else it could possibly be.
"Alright. I'll ask him, if he wants to see me." Sasuke replies.
"He's going to want to see you, Sasuke." Itachi assures him and pokes his forehead.
"OWE! Not that stupid forehead thing again!" The younger Uchiha practically snarls at Itachi in annoyance.
Madara shakes his head in amusement. Well it seemed that their relationship was picking up, right where it left off. He was happy for the brothers. Truly.
Now came the hard part. Somehow, they would have to convince Sasuke to accept their unique lifestyle choices. Preferably, he would join them. That second part was going to be a much harder hill to climb though. He had been raised by Mikoto Uchiha. That meant that this kid was probably on the straight and narrow path as far as being a law-abiding citizen was concerned.
"Yes, the stupid forehead thing again. I'm going to do it, every time you doubt yourself like that. Father will want to see you. I'm sure of it." The smoky eyed Uchiha states firmly.
"Alright." Sasuke says.
"I'll give Fugaku a call and arrange for a meeting. Would you like to stay here for tonight? It's already rather late." Madara inquires.
Sasuke bites his lower lip. Logic told him that staying in a "stranger's" house wasn't a smart move, but these people were his family. It would be good to get to know them. That and he really wanted to explore the place.
"I'd like that. Thank you." Sasuke says with a smile.
"Wonderful. Itachi, why don't you find him a guestroom to stay in for the night?" Madara suggests and Itachi nods his head in agreement as he offers Sasuke his arm.
Sasuke took Itachi's arm. Itachi smiles as he notices that his baby brother seemed to trust him instinctively. That or he was just a naturally accommodating person. It was hard to tell which.
The last time that Itachi had seen him, the man had only been thirteen. A lot could change between your thirteenth birthday and your twenty-third. There was a lot that he had to learn about Sasuke and he decides now as good a time as any to start.
"Sasuke, I want you to know that I am introducing you to a whole new world. Some parts of it may be rather overwhelming, at first. I know that this isn't what you are accustomed to, but I want you to promise me that you will give Sharingan and our family a chance." He says as he leads him into a guestroom.
"Itachi, it's a corporation. How freaky can it really be? Besides, I've missed you and father. I'm sure underneath all that hair Madara has, there is probably a loving uncle. I'll give it a fair chance." Sasuke tells him with a smile.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you like the room?" Itachi asks.
Sasuke looks around in awe. There was a white king sized canopy bed, bayb blue walls, a silver carpet, connected bathroom, wardrobe, computer, lab top, and even a mini fridge. Madara apparently went all out for his guests.
"You're kidding me, right? This place is amazing." Sasuke says.
"Good. I'm glad you like it. Good night, Sasuke. Sleep well. I'll be in the room just across the hall, if you need anything." Itachi assures him as he places a kiss on his forehead, before departing.
Sasuke groans. He was so screwed. It was just an innocent chaste kiss to the forehead and his legs currently felt like goo. God, he was pathetic. He needed to get over this attraction. It was sick. It was twisted and it was wrong!
"Dammit!" Sasuke mutters as he smacks his fist against the wall in frustration.
What Sasuke didn't know is that Itachi heard that. He heard the hit against the wall and the mild swearing. The elder Uchiha smirks. Despite the fact that Sasuke knew they were related, he was still affected by him. That was a very good sign.
Meanwhile Madara gets on the phone and place a call to his nephew, Fugaku. He smiles when the other man picked up the phone almost immediately. That was one of the things that he liked most about he other man. He never wasted Madara's time.
"Hello." Fugaku says into the phone.
"Ah. There you are. My dearest nephew, I do believe you are long overdo for a visit. I have a surprise waiting for you. One that I think you are going to like a great deal." Madara replies with a smirk in his voice.
Fugaku wasn't really sure how Madara did it, but somehow he could "hear" the smirk in his uncle's voice. It was a gift, he supposed. Though that didn't answer the question that was now burning in his mind. What sort of surprise did Madara Uchiha have in store for him?
"Madara, just tell me what it is. I'm in the middle of going over our quarterly profits and I don't want to have to stop because you felt like playing a prank." The younger man snaps at him.
Madara chuckles. Fugaku Uchiha was also quite the workhorse. While he rarely engaged in any of the less savory aspects of the family business, he was excellent at finances. This was a trait that Itachi had inherited. Even if the men hadn't been related to him, he still would have hired them because they were both financial wizards.
"While I admire your dedication, I think that you'll agree with me this is a far more important matter. The quarterly reports can wait a few days. Family comes first." The crimson eyed man says.
Family comes first? What was Madara talking about? He was working for their family by doing the quarterly reports. What could possibly have elicited such an unexpected reaction from his uncle, Fugaku muses.
"You have peaked my curiosity. What is it?" Fugaku demands.
"Well as you know Itachi is still quite young. Sometimes he likes to patronize nightclubs with his friends." Madara begins.
Fugaku raises an eyebrow. It wasn't exactly a habit that he encouraged, but Itachi was an adult. If he wanted to go clubbing, he was fully entitled to do so.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. What's so unusual about a twenty something year old man, going to a nightclub?" He inquires.
"It's more who he found when he went to the nightclub. Itachi ran into Sasuke. Your youngest son is currently at Amaterasu with myself and Itachi. It's late. I imagine he's about to go to sleep now, but I did tell him that I would inform you of his presence here. He is most eager to see you again." Madara says.
Amatersau was the name of one of Madara's Estates. It was a grand one, even by Sharingan Standards. As far as Fugaku could tell, it was also Madara's favorite.
"Madara, I am leaving right now. I'll be there in about 15 minutes. This had been not be a joke because that would just be the height of cruelty." He warns him.
"I would never joke about something as serious as this. I know how much you have missed him. I'll see you soon." Madara says as he hangs up.
Fugaku immediately throws on his shoes and heads to his car. He could scarcely believe it. Could it really be that Itachi had just stumbled upon his brother and somehow gotten Sasuke to come home with him? How was such a thing possible?
He mentally slaps himself. He could worry about the how later. What mattered is if it was really true. Fugaku quickly drives off and sighs as he remembered how he had gotten into this situation. He had never meant for any of this to happen.
Ten years ago, Fugaku had been a very lucky man. He was wealthy, healthy, and had a beautiful family whom he adored more than anything. He and his wife were very much in love and had two wonderful sons. Everything had been perfect, until that night.
Fugaku came home from Sharingan Corp one night, only to find his wife frantically throwing things into her suitcase. She was clearly packing and in a hurry to leave. She looked as though she had spent the better part of the day crying and silent tears were still flowing down her beautiful face.
"Mikoto, what's wrong?" He asked.
"Everything. How could you keep this from me?!" She demands.
It was at that moment, that Fugaku knew his life would never be the same. He didn't even have to ask Mikoto what she meant. She must have somehow found out the truth about Sharingan.
"Kitten, calm down. We can talk about this. I'm sorry that I kept it a secret from you. I just didn't know how to tell you." He pleaded with her and reached out his hand to caress her cheek.
"Don't you, Kitten me! You lied to me for years! How long have you been part of this…strange Japanese Mafia?!" She demanded.
He felt his heart sink into his chest. Somehow, he had to make her understand. He had done it for her and their sons. That and it was in Fugaku's blood. He was born to be a Dragon. That was just who he was.
"A long time. I never lied to you. I really am the Chief Financial Officer for Sharingan Corp. It's just that Sharingan Corp is a rather diverse business. Half of doesn't operate by the book. That's all. Mikoto, you have to understand. My family has been in the Sharingan Dragons for centuries. It's our legacy." He told her.
"It may be your legacy, but it isn't going to be our sons' legacy. Fugaku, I love you. I really do, but I can't do this. I can't condone this. The Sharingan Dragons sometimes kill people. Take back your ring. I can't wear it. I know that it was likely paid for with blood money. I'm leaving and I'm going to fight for custody. Don't try to stop me or I WILL go to the police." She warned him.
His eyes widen in horror and he immediately pinned her to the wall. Mikoto had always been his Kitten. On that day, she was a tigress. She kicked, she screamed, and she even bit him. Several times. He was lucky that he didn't need stitches.
"Mikoto, I know that I don't have a right to ask you this, but I want you to stay. You know that I love you. Do you really want to resign our boys to a part-time father? Do you really want to go through an ugly custody battle? There is no need. We love each other. We can make this work. I can just work on projects that are on the book." He pleaded with her.
"That's not good enough. You are part of an organization that MURDERS people, Fugaku! Now, let go of me. If you try to stop me, I mean it. I will go to the police!" She yelled at him.
He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. Mikoto and the boys were his everything and now there was a very real chance that he had lost his wife. He might even lose his sons.
"I'll let you go, Kitten. I would never hurt you or force you to stay, but don't go to the police. You don't really understand what you are dealing with. The Sharingan Dragons are numerous and they have people working in police departments all over this country. There are Sharingan Dragon judges! If you snitch, they will kill you. I won't be able to protect you from all of them. So please, please don't tell the police." He begged her.
"Alright. I won't tell the police, but I am leaving. I'm also going to fight you for custody. I'm not going to have our sons exposed to this. I won't. Not without a fight." She informed him as she wiggled out of his grasp and headed towards the door.
She quickly grabbed her suitcase as she opened the door. Mikoto looked back for just a second and Fugaku thought that maybe, maybe she would change her mind. She didn't though. She just threw her wedding ring at him.
"I don't want anything purchased with blood money." She said quickly and she ran out of there like a bat out of Hell.
Other than the court hearings, that was the last time he saw her in person. His heart ached for the loss of his wife and his youngest son. Now at least, maybe he could have Sasuke back. That was the only thought on his mind as he arrives at Madara's Estate and allows the machine to scan his fingerprints.
"This time, things will be different." He mutters to himself.
This time, he wasn't going to lose Sasuke. He'd find a way to make up for all those wasted years. Fugaku wasn't sure how he was going to go about doing that exactly, but he would. He had to.