Welcome to Konoha
Chapter V
By: Morbid Alex (Karasu8)
A/N: I really need to start pushing myself to update more. I mean it - seriously. I've been lacking more than I could ever imagine since 2004. That, my darling friends, definitely means something. Way back then, I lost my first account here when they refused to accept lemons - along with well over a hundred stories. I don't know what's been up with me all of this time. For some reason, writing's felt out of place in my life when it came to writing for other people. Hopefully now, I'm back "in my groove", if you know what I mean. And everyone's been complaining, with every story, that my chapters aren't long enough. Is this? o.o;
OH! I added FORUMS on my fanfiction dot net account. Please, please go there if you read any of my stories. I would like to get to know you guys better. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters, but I do own the plot and the fanfiction. I make no money off of this - don't sue me.
Ino and Sakura worked for quite a long time, and opted to skip lunch in the cafeteria. The blonde girl had said that they could, if they got really hungry, order some pizza from the Campus pizza shop, Four Cheeses, or something. Sakura had, of course, agreed. They had both plopped down on the bed, then, and started thinking of every guy Sasuke ever was seen with. Twenty minutes into their lunch period, they'd come up with a list of eight names.
These ten names held two high school sector boys, six college boys, one teacher. The high school boys were Uzumaki Naruto and Nara Shikamaru. Immediately, Sakura had spoken that they were the two he hung around more than the others, and that she'd even seen them in Sasuke's private dormitory - a strange privilege given to him, as well as Itachi, by the Headmistress of the Campus. There'd been something about the Uchiha family donating large sums of money, which probably led to such arrangements to begin with.
The college boys were Hoshigaki Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, and Shisui, even though they were said in gossip to be cousins, Shisui that is, for having the same last name. He was new to Konoha Campus, but had been sighted around both Uchiha siblings quite a bit. Then, the teacher, was none other than everyone's favorite pervert: Hatake Kakashi. The girls had added him simply because Sasuke got along with him better than the rest of the staff. And, pretty much, because Ino had squealed "cute" when she thought of them together.
"So," Sakura mumbled, poking at the names on the list with a capped pen. "Who do you think it is out of these eight?"
"Don't know," Ino replied nearly immediately, grinning as she, too, looked at them. "I think it's Deidara. He's around almost as much as Shisui, and if they're cousins, he's definitely off our list. Maybe we should just...hunt and gather information?"
Their eyes met, just like before, and nodded together. Most likely, if they were going to figure anything out, they would have to see each of the men on the list. Photos would have to be taken with Sasuke, studied for any minor details that would point them in the right direction, et cetera. Sakura volunteered, since they had math together, to watch him when he was around other boys, too. Most likely, he'd show signs of being gay if they looked really closely - and that was exactly what they wanted.
"Right then! Tomorrow, Sakura, we'll put our plan into action!"
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sasuke stared blankly at his plate of food. It consisted of nothing more than a plain salad with a little oil on top, a piece of buttered bread, and a bottle of water. The rest of the cafeteria's food, in his opinion, seemed rather contaminated. Even this, although he'd not only paid for it, but picked it to begin with, didn't seem all that great in his mind. He wanted, whether he'd like to admit it or not, something from his mother. She always made the most delicious green tea, rice cakes, and an appetizing tomato stew. Anything is better than this shit, if you ask me. I should sneak to the college sector's lunch - I know they've got better.
The teenager's dark eyes lifted from the food, then, and he glanced around the cafeteria. None of the usual people were sitting with him. In fact, nobody was at all. He sat alone, on the far right side of the room away from everyone else. Naruto and Shikamaru had had their schedules switched, and now no longer had the same lunch. They were probably the only two people he let himself be around - Naruto because he was interesting, and Shikamaru because he was actually intelligent. Sasuke had found that intelligence in the high school sector was becoming more rare with every second that passed. More students were dropping out, and the ones that hadn't usually been able to be accepted, were coming in. Slender fingers picked up a fork and he began the tedious task of picking through his salad, a frown slowly making its way to his face. It didn't take long for him to find the browning leaves of lettuce and old tomatoes sitting just below the more "pretty" top. This school's lower grades are becoming a nightmare, as is the food. What happened to the chef? Is he sick?
Apparently, the people cooking in the kitchens couldn't be bothered anymore. That, or this was the first time they'd ever even been in the Campus kitchens. he wouldn't doubt it if it was the little freshmen brats from the culinary classes. Most of them couldn't even wash their hands unless their grades were at stake. Nobody, he decided, like that should ever be allowed to make food for the entire Konoha Campus population. The mere thought made his stomach roll over. He'd be much better off at the student-run Hoagie Hut near the college sector. Kakuzu and Hidan, usually, were the ones in charge of making the food and feeding the college students who didn't feel like sitting in the cafeterias. Their food, at least, was edible, clean, and safe. He knew, mostly, because Itachi had taken him in there so many times. He'd spoken to the pair - one completely religious beyond belief, the other money obsessed, and found that they were also clean people. They, thank Kami, washed their hands often.
Another few pokes at the salad later, Sasuke switched to the buttered bread. It had been in an unopened bag shipped to Campus that morning from a bakery a few streets away. The butter, too, had just arrived, but from the dairy farms on the west side of town. So, at least, they were good for eating. Carefully, just to make sure the bread wasn't going to turn into something gross, he eyed it a second time. It didn't change and sat there innocently. The Uchiha quickly broke it into pieces with his fingers and ate it. The bottle of water was examined next, opened moments later to wash the bread down. It wasn't really cold, but Sasuke had went into the very back of the cooler, that just barely worked, and took the coldest available. The luke warm water was the best he'd get. With that done, he pushed the salad away from his person with disgust. Maybe I should go take a nap and order some take out or something? I'm not going to fucking start living on bread and water. What do I look like? Am I some kind of prisoner?
Onyx orbs roamed again, passing through all the faces in the cafeteria. Many people were doing their assignments, which he didn't doubt were late. Others, mostly the female population, were looking at him and blushing without shame, or chattering about the latest gossip. What he didn't know was that, very soon, the gossip would be about him. One girl in particular, with long, black hair in braids, met his eyes accidentally. A small chuckle escaped him and he winked at her, watching the poor girl's reaction. It was almost like watching an anime, he decided - her face turning as red as a tomato in a matter of seconds. She seemed to lose her train of thought, hazel eyes soaking him in, then she snapped back. Her face hastily turned away, head bowing nervously. None of the girl's friends even appeared to notice, but then burst out in loud giggles. Most likely, she didn't think the "Ice Prince" would do "such a thing as winking".
Sasuke stood, dismissing the recent event with ease. He dumped the salad and the plastic plate in the trash, grimacing at the smell it omitted. Not only did they not make food every day, but they didn't empty the trash either. What was that, old sushi? He shuddered and moved away, shaking his head. You'd think somebody would've complained about all of this by now...
He was free for the rest of the day and resumed clases that night. Even then, though, there were only two classes: Weaponry and Archery. For this, he was grateful. This semester, Sasuke was taking it "easy". He wasn't lazy, he had just already taken all the other classes, except Kakashi's and the math with Sakura, during the first semester. "I guess," the teen muttered to himself, "that I can take a break until it's time to get there."
By "there", Sasuke meant the weaponry class. He knew, better than most, that keeping rested was essential when it came to improving one's skills. His father had preached about it to him, and the Dojo's students, constantly. The mere thought had him rolling his eyes and shrugging. He stepped thoughtlessly from the noise that was the cafeteria - escaping the gossiping girls, the gawkers, and only Kami knew what else.
Lately, he'd been sleeping more, and all Sasuke could blame it on was his "coffee ban". For the past two weeks or so, he hadn't touched a single cup of the caffiene-filled miracle drink. Not even once. It was the only thing that could assure he'd be awake when he needed to be...and when he didn't. The minute he found coffee was behind his troublesome insomnia, he had abandoned it.
"I don't need coffee" is what he had snapped at Naruto first thing. It had been the morning after deciding to stop drinking it. The blonde boy had just shook his head and snickered softly, holding back any comments. Sasuke's mornings without coffee usually resulted in an ugly attitude and even uglier bruises on whomever wanted to provoke him. He obviously hadn't been happy with himself and his own decision, but didn't give up on "the ban". Even now, as he entered his empty dormitory and threw himself down on his bed, he stubbornly resisted the urge to go get some to keep him awake. Uchiha Sasuke was extremely irritable when he was tired, and this lack of coffee was definitely making that apparent.
Onyx eyes glared at his harmless, feathered pillow, then closed. As much as he was missing coffee, he'd been missing sleep. Within fifteen minutes, Sasuke found himself lost to the rest of the world - asleep.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"As you all know, when you're running a business, there's going to be both positive and negative responses to everything you and your employees do. You'll have to deal with happy and upset customers. Just remember that the customer, even if they're really wrong, is always right." The Business II professor on the college campus spoke loudly, nodding as he went along. He was tall, with a strong build and dark hair and eyes. He smiled around at the class, and most were found writing intently on lined paper. One set of eyes, however, were trained carefully on him instead. They were dark, black-gray in color, and slanted elegantly. These eyes, scrutinizing the professor's every move, belonged to another member of the Uchiha family. They belonged to Uchiha Itachi.
The young man was sitting beside the ever-elusive, snake-loving Orochimaru. They had taken the class together, as part of their business "plans" with the rest of their group. They called themselves the Akatsuki Organization, and quite frankly, unless you knew the company inside and out, you couldn't tell that these two were strong parts in it. After all, they were still in college on Konoha Campus, weren't they? But we're incredibly brilliant, Itachi knew, thinking to himself. Isn't that what they've been telling us all along? If it's true, then we'll reach our goals in no time - all of us. In the mean time, I've got other things I'd like to gain.
Long, intelligent fingertips grasped a cellphone. The nails on those fingers were painted a distinct purple, one that was hard to find and few had. The phone was almost completely flat and thin, able to be flipped open soundlessly, with buttons glowing a gentle red color. It was completely black and, no doubt, could be bought for a pretty penny. One thing one could be certain of was that it hadn't been cheap - not in the slighest. Fugaku had bought it for Itachi as "encouragement" at the beginning of the first semester. He'd just waved it off, taking it wordlessly, and continued on. "Petty gifts from father won't sway me to his ideas and beliefs," he'd told Mikoto later on, who simply looked saddened for a moment and quickly changed the subject, a smile popping onto her seemingly ageless face.
And now, those fingers moved, nail laquer shimmering under the classroom's fluorescent lights as he pressed numerous buttons. Their red glow was dim in comparison to the blue and green of other phones, which made his much easier to use without catching attention. The best thing was that he could keep his eyes on the professor instead of the phone, the raised ridges on the buttons telling him what button was what. He opened a blank text message, then typed in his little brother's cell number, pressing "OK" just afterwards. Then, at a swift pace, he typed out his message, a nearly invisible smirk drawing up on his lips. He wasn't sure where the teenager would be right now, but he wanted to see him. Business II was so close to ending he could almost taste it - the last class of the day on Itachi's schedule. Quality time with his sibling was in order, he had decided before even walking into the class, and he would have it even if he had to fight for it. His thumb moved to a larger button and pressed on it, then closed the phone. Sent.
Now that that was accomplished, his eyes slid away from their professor and to the clock on the wall. It seemed to tick a bit too slow for the Uchiha's liking, so it moved away again just as quickly. Instead, he gazed at Orochimaru. The man's long locks and golden-hued orbs had always been rather interesting, to say the least, and he found the other was already paying him quite enough attention. Their eyes met and Orochimaru cocked an eyebrow, a snake-like sneer falling on his lips. Itachi didn't respond, but merely nodded, eyes narrowing. "I'll be parting from you after the bell," he mouthed, a second, larger smirk threatening to invade his empty expression. "I'm going to visit someone."
The older student opened his mouth to reply, gaze curious, but the shrill ringing of the last bell cut him off. Even better, he can't squirm his way into coming with me.
Itachi stood and turned on his heel, books all tucked under his arm, and he strode out without another word. He could feel Orochimaru's eyes on his back, as if he was trying to burn a hole right through him, but continued on without a single look over his shoulder. As far as Itachi was concerned, the man had a bit too much enthusiasm when it came to the Uchiha family. By too much, he meant that it was starting to even become a handful for him - something twisted and sinister that had nearly become a tangible thought, and something, he'd come to realize, he wanted Sasuke to have nothing to do with. Ever.
His feet easily carried him to the Campus' high school sector. So far, he checked his cell, Sasuke hadn't answered him. That meant, more ikely than not, that he wasn't in class. A frown set itself on Itachi's mouth and he glanced around the narrow corridors. Many girls watched him in awe, mumbling and whispering to their friends about him. Not only was he a college student, but he was one of the most gorgeous men on Campus, and, they must've noticed, Uchiha Sasuke's older brother. He continued on, wondering where the younger could be. If I wasn't in class, and I was Sasuke, where would I be...?
Something clicked, not too slowly, but not immediately either. Dark eyes widened and then settled back into their usual nonchalant state. Sasuke would either be out with his friends or in his dormitory. If he was with his friends, he would've answered me, but seeing as he hadn't, he's in his dorm. That was the conclusion the older Uchiha came up with, feeling quite satisfied with it. In fact, he couldn't have been more sure, either. Sasuke and Itachi had always kept in touch - more than most brothers would, as many would say, but that didn't stop or change anything. Whenever Sasuke was out with his friends, at parties, clubs, in class...it didn't matter. He'd always answer for Itachi, and Itachi took pride in knowing it.
It only took a little while for Itachi to find Sasuke's dormitory. He hadn't been in there at all, except for a single time, and had forgotten where it was. He'd stopped at the main office for the high school sector and gotten an extra key to his sibling's room. They, thankfully, hadn't given him a hard time about it. Itachi'd been "such a good boy" when he was there that they immediately offered him anything he asked for. He shoved the key in the dorm room's door and turned it, then twisted the knob and pulled it open. Hah, so my little brother is in here.
Sasuke was definitely there. He tossed in his bed, sweating under his heavy clothing. It was getting hot in his dormitory, and being asleep, there was nothing he could do about it. His body shuddered slightly and he turned to lay on his back, groaning softly, his brow creasing. A single droplet of sweat made its way down his temple and landed on his pillow with a nearly inaudible "plop". He swallowed thickly, an arm throwing itself up and resting across his furrow brow. Everything, currently, was in disarry. The teen's hair was mussed from tossing and turning every five seconds, his bed sheets and blanket were kicked and wrinkled, half on the bed and half off, and his clothes had become just as rumpled up as his hair. Itachi stared in mild amusement at the very scene.
He hadn't thought of turning on the air conditioning for the room when he was awake, and this was the result. Itachi shook his head, stepping over random things strewn about the floor. There was a black belt, a single black boot, a pair of blue sandals, and only the gods knew what else. The college student shook his head at it all - unlike him, Sasuke wasn't exactly the "neat and tidy" type. He nudged a small notebook with his foot and bent over, picking up a picture frame that must've fell off the night stand. The picture in it wasn't of the two brothers, but of a certain blonde and Sasuke. He scowled at it, and roughly placed it where it belonged. Itachi didn't think anyone else deserved his brother's attention - they shouldn't be in pictures with him.
"Sasuke," he spoke out loud, leaning over the boy. His fingers rested on the edge of the bed, which dipped some with the extra weight. "It's time to wake up."
Nothing. There was no reaction. Itachi's brow creased as he thought, a hand sliding up to rest on the boy's forehead as his arm slid away from his face and back to his side. Pale fingertips rested there and could feel the heat radiating from the skin. Overheating? Perhaps. Itachi leaned closed, lithe form placing itself just above the other's, breath rolling out and carressing flushed flesh. "Sasuke," he repeated again, watching eyelids stir in the response. "Wake up."
Obsidian met obsidian. One set became extremely entertained, and the other grew large in surprise. A yelp followed, Sasuke sitting up and nearly crashing face first into the other. "I-Itachi?"
"Aah, so you're awake now..."
A frown befell the teenager's startled face. He swallowed nervously, then backed it with forced agression. Itachi always snuck up on him when he was sleeping - it was frightening sometimes. The man didn't know when to stop scaring people, even his little brother, and Sasuke swore it amused him beyond belief. His brother, he was starting to realize, had a rather twisted sense of humor. "Y-yes! Don't do that, 'tachi!"
"Okay." Itachi chuckled, then winked at his sibling. He leaned over some more and planted a soft, feather light kiss to the teen's forehead. When Sasuke was a little kid, he'd done the same thing right before leaving the house for something. The look he'd gotten after doing so had always been remarkably cute, and now, it didn't change. Sasuke's lips dropped their frown and a fake pout fell on the younger's face. You can never stay angry at your big brother, can you, Sasuke? You're...adorable.