A/N: Sorry to leave everyone on a cliffhanger last chapter, but here's the next chapter ^^ Hope you enjoy it and happy holidays! Have a good New Years!

Warning: SMUT, lemon, malexmale. You have been warned

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


Peace and beauty were things often only defined in the mind. Each person saw them differently and there was no way to say what true peace or beauty looked like. But by the same token, sadness and pain were the same. While they were felt by everyone, they were felt differently and by different degrees. They were both confusing things created by humans to describe something they couldn't understand. It was the human way to try to explain things that they didn't understand, to have an answer for everything even when at times, things couldn't be explained.

It was the way of life, to leave certain things a mystery; especially when it dealt with things that were beyond human belief. The idea that hundreds of lines connected people together was a terrifying thought to most people and would cause mass panic if people were to find out that the things they once thought were only myths, such as fate and her threads, truly existed.

And perhaps it was best left that way; allowing people to believe what they wanted so they were happy within their own little world. It was best not to disturb the happy little bubble that surrounded people when it came to what they believed in; to do so would only cause unrest and other things that were unwanted at the time.

But just because there were things that people believed didn't exist, didn't mean that those people were right and that those objects were truly myths. It just meant that human kind would never know the true wonders of the world that they lived in and looked at through veiled eyes; and in all honesty, those beings that were believed to be myths but actually lived, preferred it that way. It allowed them to live in peace and to watch the humans as they slowly learned more and more things; creeping towards a time where the thirst of knowledge threatened to be their undoing, and choosing to help if they so wished.

Peace was something that these beings knew and had found within their years of immortality; watching the years fly by at the blink of eye while life seemed to crawl for the humans on earth. Their peace was found within their minds and was projected to their place of living; allowing them to constantly feel at ease as they continued to live their life. It wasn't something that came naturally to them and took time to understand, but once it happened, the process became easier and the knowledge of what peace was, was clearer; if only by a little.

It was something that Itachi had come to learn during the many years of watching the threads weaves themselves around the earth, growing and dying; connecting and separating people. His peace came from the times when Sasuke was younger and the pressures from his father weren't placed so heavily on his shoulders. A time that a few weeks ago, Itachi didn't remember but his spirit did and it had helped to project that time in his life without him knowing why. Sometimes it was best not to question the things that happened and just accept them; doing so kept the headaches away; or so Itachi found.

A light breeze moved through the walkways of the house; making the wind chime in the backyard ding slightly as the pieces connected against each other to create a calming noise as Itachi moved through the hallways. Bright sunlight filtered through the trees around the house, the wind making the branches sway back and forth and the sunlight to scatter across the ground. It was peaceful and warm, but Itachi could still feel his body on edge as he continued to walk.

Despite the peace that had settled over his house since the fight with Madara almost two weeks ago, Itachi found it hard to truly relax just yet; not after everything that had happened during the fight with his ancestor. Every detail was still fresh in his mind; every movement and attack that had happened replaying itself in his mind until Itachi could replicate the fight perfectly. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about it; analyzing it and trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.

They had been so close to winning and finally destroying Madara before the elder male had pulled one last ditch attack that had worked; much to Itachi's dismay. If it hadn't been for Naruto's combined chakra with the Kyuubi, there was a chance that Itachi wouldn't be alive still; that he would've finally died for good this time instead of getting a second chance at life by helping control the threads of fate. But instead, Naruto had made a sacrifice that had saved Itachi's life in the end, but at the cost of another life.

It was something Itachi didn't like to think about, but the evidence was there and was something he couldn't ignore. The fact of it was, was that someone had died during that fight; someone that shouldn't have died and the loss was heavy in the air around him, despite the peace that surrounded the house. Madara's death, while sad because he was kin, was a needed one and was a life that should've been ended centuries back. Humans weren't meant to stay alive for so long; they witnessed the rise and fall of many things, watched as time changed before them while they barely aged, and in turn, that seemed to upset the mental balance in a person.

Madara was mad and crazy to begin with, but as he continued to live past the centuries, it only grew with each passing decade until Itachi was certain that Madara couldn't tell what was up and what was down. He only knew what he wished to know or believe and that train of thought had settled in deep in his mind, twisting and coiling its way through his body until it had infected him so much that he was beyond saving. In the end, it was for the best that the man had finally passed on; he was only damaging himself more and more with each day he kept on living and trying to fight death.

But the other death that had occurred on the battlefield was one that Itachi hadn't wished to happen and while he knew that it was inevitable, he still mourned the loss. Especially for what that loss meant. It was a noble cause, one that helped to offset the pain of death; the loss of life so that another life could continue. And for that, Itachi constantly thanked the Kyuubi every day since that fight; for without him and his determination, Naruto would've died that day on the field.

A small smile slipped over Itachi's face as he reached a room and softly pushed open the door, gazing inside. His eyes rested on the bed where Naruto was sleeping peaceful while a soft breeze floated through the room. The blankets steadily moved up and down, the only sign that Naruto was still alive, as his eyes remained closed and his breathing light. For the first week after the fight, Naruto had stayed in a deep sleep as his body worked to recover from the near death experience, his chakra working its way through his body and helping to speed up the process while Itachi offered his own help as best he could.

It was only recently that Naruto had woken up from his sleep and had graced Itachi with a wide smile before falling right back to sleep; to which Itachi couldn't stop from chuckling at the action. But with each passing day, Naruto was awake for a longer period of time and was moving around more, testing his strength to see what he could and couldn't do. Yesterday had been the longest day that Naruto was awake, talking with Itachi for a little over an hour even though he had stayed in bed the whole time.

The younger male was also mourning the loss of Kyuubi, even though he had only been aware of the Kyuubi for a few short days. He still remembered what it was like to live with the fox and to know that the biju was gone this time without the chance of coming back was hard for Naruto as well. Naruto knew what had happened without Itachi telling him and Itachi suspected that Naruto had had one last chance to say goodbye before the fox vanished from his body.

Sliding the door shut behind him, Itachi made his way over to the bed and sat down next to the younger male, his hand coming out to rest before Naruto's nose so he could be certain that Naruto was still breathing. The feeling of hot breath fanning against his hand made Itachi sigh happily and he pulled back, only to find blue eyes staring at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm not going to die," he said lowly and reached out to grab Itachi's hand, pressing a kiss to the backside of it. "Not yet. Not after I was given this chance to spend it with you."

Itachi smiled slightly. "I know but do you blame me for worrying?" He brought Naruto's hand to his cheek and pressed it against his face, leaning into the soft touch. "If the Kyuubi hadn't helped, I would've lost you again, and the thought of that makes me cling to you even more. Holding you in my arms as you were dying was something I would rather not live through again; you were meant to live."

Naruto's thumb brushed over Itachi's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, 'Tachi. I'm not leaving you and I plan to use the Kyuubi's gift instead of wasting it by simply killing over and dying." He glanced out the window, looking at the lazy clouds that floated through the sky. "We were lucky that that piece of Kyuubi was still residing in me. Otherwise, I might not be here. I could've been lost to the stream of time and we never would've found each other again." He chuckled lightly, not believing the words that were coming from his mouth; knowing that they must sound cheesy, but he couldn't help himself.

"I know," Itachi answered and slowly lowered Naruto's hand so his arm could rest against the bed without putting any more strain to the still tender wound. "It seems that Kyuubi was able to come through one last time, just as he did the last time you two were put in danger. It seems as though he came to care for you more than you thought."

It had been an unexpected reaction from the fox, as he was already free from Naruto's body after his attack on Madara. There had been nothing left in Naruto's body to heal himself, leaving Itachi cradling nothing but a cold body in his arms as the Kyuubi continued to rain attacks on the spot where Madara had once stood. By that time, Itachi was fairly certain that Madara was dead; he couldn't sense his chakra or presence at all, but Itachi had no power to stop the Kyuubi from attacking the place where Madara had fallen. The fox was free and could do as he pleased, and the chance of the fox using his time to heal Naruto now that he was free was slim.

Itachi continued to try to heal Naruto, forcing out the last bit of chakra in his body so he could heal Naruto until his body was trembling with effort. At that time, he knew he had nothing left to give and Naruto's body had grown cold in his arms but a small part in Itachi's mind pleaded for hope and had tossed aside all rational in an effort to save Naruto, even at the cost of his own.

He had continued to force chakra into Naruto's body, in hopes that it would spur his heart into action again until the sound of soft footsteps met his ears. Large paws stopped in front of him, making Itachi look up at Kyuubi, wondering what was running through the fox's mind. Now that the Kyuubi had finished with his revenge over Madara, Itachi could see the pain in the biju's eyes at what had fallen upon Naruto. They had lived and fought together in the past, and even if their relationship had started out in hate, there was still a bond there that had proved to be stronger than either probably thought existed.

"He's gone," Itachi stated, his hand trembling as it rested against the wound. It had finally stopped bleeding but Naruto's heart was still silent under Itachi's touch. "I couldn't save him in time." His voice shook and Itachi could feel his throat threatening to close up, knowing that he was close to tears; no matter how un-Uchiha like it would be.

The Kyuubi shook his head and slowly lowered his body to the ground so they were eye-to-eye. "He's not gone just yet. His soul is still there, connected to something that keeps it bound to his body and refuses to leave. You can't feel it, but there's the smallest thread of chakra there still connecting him to me and it's the only thing keeping him alive right now."

Itachi blinked and felt a small spark of hope flare within his chest once more. "What do I have to do to bring him back. I will not let him die; not after what he did for me and after he fought Madara once more. It was a battle that should've ended years ago and our job should've been finished, but we were both called to fight again." He refused to back down on the subject and refused to let Naruto fade away in his arms. If there was a way, then Itachi was going to do it.

A deep chuckle left Kyuubi's mouth and his lips pulled back in a smile, revealing sharp and dangerous teeth. "Silly human. This is something that you can't do; nothing you try will bring him back. But I on the other hand can help with this little problem that is facing us both." His lone tail wagged behind him before settling once more around his body. "This body is nothing more than the remaining energy that was trapped in Naruto's body. The rest of my energy has been gathering with the rest of the biju and awaits me so I can return to my former glory. However, I cannot simply vanish because I am still connected to Naruto, if only by a thread."

"But if you use the remaining energy that's in this body to heal Naruto and breathe life back into his body, then you would no longer be connected to him," Itachi said, hoping to plant a seed in the Kyuubi's mind in case the fox hadn't already been thinking of such things. If that was the case, there was still a chance that Naruto could be saved by the Kyuubi one last time.

Snorting, the fox sat back on his haunches and gazed down at them both. "And what makes you think that I would let my host die on me?" He asked, voice filled with pride and slight arrogance. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune and I take care of those who recognize me; even though history depicts me as a ruthless and violent demon."

Itachi felt a smile cross his face at the words and he watched as the fox lowered himself back down to the ground, his gaze focused on Naruto. Slitted eyes glanced at Naruto before the Kyuubi's eyes closed before red chakra bubbled around his body, slowly separating from the fox's body and creating a steady stream of chakra that flowed into Naruto's body.

At first, it looked as though nothing was happening, but as the minutes passed, Itachi could feel Naruto's body growing warmed and as he continued to watch the younger male, Itachi could see the wound slowly knitting itself back together. Before him, the Kyuubi was slowly growing smaller as his energy was passed to Naruto; forcing the chakra into the once lifeless body.

As it was with Madara, the more the man used the Kyuubi's chakra and energy, the quicker it left his body and joined the rest of the chakra where the biju were residing. Now that same process was being used to save Naruto's life and at the same time, fully sever the bond between human and biju so that Kyuubi could finally return home with the rest of the tailed beasts. The only concern Itachi had now was that the Kyuubi would have enough chakra to reverse the damage that had been done; seeing as Naruto's body was badly damaged and would need more attention than usual.

Not only that, but Naruto had also borrowed the Kyuubi's energy during the fight, using it to create the large attacks that had helped bring Madara to his knees before the Kyuubi took over and finished the man off himself. They had both used a large amount of chakra then, and Itachi could only hope that that wouldn't backfire on them when they needed Kyuubi's chakra now more than ever.

However, Naruto's cheeks were already flushed with life and Itachi could see his chest moving up and down while Naruto's heart beat strongly under Itachi's hand. A quick glance at Kyuubi showed that the fox had shrunken to the size of a small dog but he wasn't stopping until the last bit of his energy had been passed off. And even if that were to come, Itachi felt confident that Naruto was well past the danger of dying or so Itachi had hoped. It was hard to say what could happen in the future and as the Kyuubi continued to shrink in size, Itachi could only hope that it would be enough to let Naruto pull through on his own. Naruto had fought against many odds before and had come out on top, even when no one believed it was possible.

"I'll return home after this," Kyuubi spoke up, now the size of a normal fox. "I've done what I can and now the rest is up to Naruto's will to live. But as soon as I pass the rest of this energy to him, I'll vanish from his body and he'll be left with just one presence in his body; his own, as it should've been had I not attached myself to him when we first split. Now he can live life as he was meant to and I will be allowed to see the rest of tailed beasts who wait for me."

Itachi nodded carefully, understanding the words. "You will be missed, Kyuubi no Kitsune," he spoke solemnly. "By both Naruto and myself, and we shall never forget what you did for us. And I thank you for saving his life once more."

Kyuubi smirked. "I might have grown a little fond of the brat," he stated and closed his eyes once more. "I will miss him but I am glad to finally return home."

The chakra flow started to slow and fade a little as the Kyuubi continued to shrink before Itachi's eyes until at last; the fox vanished from sight, leaving Itachi alone with Naruto on the battlefield. It wasn't until the last of Kyuubi's energy ceased to exist around them that Itachi stood up and slowly staggered back to his place, his body feeling drained and weak but it was still able to make the trip home.

After that, Itachi had focused on cleaning their wounds before placing Naruto in bed in hopes that he would wake up soon and then fell asleep himself. The rest of the days had passed by in a haze until Naruto woke, easing Itachi's fears until he felt as though he could breathe easier until at last they were past the critical part in Naruto's healing process.

"I knew that stupid fur ball cared for me," Naruto said with a small laugh, pulling Itachi from his thoughts. "He was just too proud to admit it to my face and had to wait until I was dying for the last time to say the words. Silly animal." There was a hint of sadness to the words, but it was mixed together with the happiness that Kyuubi was finally able to move on and Itachi was sure that a small part of Naruto felt as though he was responsible for keeping the last piece of Kyuubi from returning to its proper place.

"It's all in the past now," Itachi said carefully and leaned down to press a soft kiss to Naruto's lips. "You've been given a second chance at life now and I feel as though we shouldn't waste it by dwelling in the past where things can't be changed, but instead look to the future where there's a chance at happier times."

Naruto laced his fingers through Itachi's hair, rubbing at the man's scalp lightly. "You always had such a way with words," he murmured and pulled Itachi back down for a kiss, moaning softly as their mouths opened and tongues brushed against each other. It was a soft tender kiss that spoke volumes on how thrilled they were to be alive and back in each other's arms once more.

When they pulled back, Itachi gazed down at Naruto, smirking at the swollen lips. "Then don't be upset with my next words. But your body is still too weak to handle the activities that you lust after. Perhaps in another week we can try and enjoy such pleasures without fear of harming your body in the process."

A small pout settled on Naruto's face at the words, even though he knew that they were nothing but the truth. While Naruto felt as though he could handle a round of sex with Itachi, his body protested the thoughts, reminding him that it still hurt to move around too much and that he wouldn't appreciate Itachi taking him hard from behind.

"Fine, but I expect to find pleasure the moment my body can handle such things," Naruto stated, his lips curling into a smirk. "And I will make sure that you receive pleasure as well."

Itachi felt his lips pull into a small smirk, mirroring Naruto's actions. "I look forward to that day then," he answered and lowered his head once more for a harsh kiss.


A weak and a half later, Itachi found himself pressed up against the wall as hungry lips sucked on the side of his neck before teeth found purchase on his skin, nipping and biting until a large bruise had form there. His hands pulled Naruto closer, wanting to feel the press of a warm body against his, especially after the most recent news that they had been given only a few days prior.

Despite everything that they had gone through, Naruto would have to return back home in a few days as he was almost fully healed. Seeing as he still had a life back on earth, he couldn't just vanish without causing his family and friends to panic and while Naruto had protested that it was unfair, there had always been an underlying understanding that Naruto wouldn't have been able to stay the whole time.

Naruto still had a life to live on earth, but once that life finished and he passed on, there was nothing holding him back from rejoining Itachi one more. But until then, this one moment of pleasure would have to last a lifetime until Naruto was once again by Itachi's side, as Naruto refused to take another lover back on earth. No one would replace Itachi.

"Bedroom," Itachi grunted as Naruto's hands started to dip below the waistband of his pants. The bed would be softer than the floor for Naruto and Itachi didn't want to risk injuring the wounds, even though they were healed now.

They stumbled through the hallway, their lips pressed against each other and making it hard to see where they were going, but they somehow managed to find their way to the bed after crashing into the walls a few times. Itachi could feel Naruto's lips smirking against his as he tried to hold back his laughter at their attempts to stay connected while walking and Itachi couldn't help but return the smile.

He pushed the younger male onto the bed before removing his own shirt and then climbing onto the bed to hover over Naruto. "Someone is anxious," he purred and reached down to cup the hard bulge in Naruto's pants. "What should I do first, hard and fast, or slow and easy?" He murmured next to Naruto's ear, nipping it lightly.

"Fast," Naruto gasped and bucked his hips up. "Then slow. I'm not letting you go for the rest of the day."

"Good," Itachi answered and attacked Naruto's neck, leaving a large mark on the tan skin. He was going to mark every part of Naruto's body so the younger male would always have something to remember him by. "I'll make you remember this night until the day you pass and you're back in my arms," Itachi grunted as he started to pull Naruto's shirt off.

Blue eyes darkened at the words and Naruto reached up to pull Itachi's hair out of his ponytail. "I accept your challenge," he stated, his eyes filled with lust. "And I'll make sure to return the favor before I leave as well."

Itachi smirked and eased Naruto's pants off his legs, tossing them to the side to land near the shirts that had been discarded earlier. He gazed down at the hard cock that was standing at attention and tapped the tip lightly, smearing around the precum that had gathered there. "What should I do with this?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as though he was unsure as to what to do.

"Suck it," Naruto demanded breathlessly. He tried to look demanding but the flushed cheeks ruined the effect and only had Itachi chuckling lowly in the end.

"As you wish," Itachi answered and slowly lowered himself to rest between strong thighs. His eyes locked with Naruto's as he licked at the throbbing length, making a long, wet trail up the hard flesh until he reached the tip. His tongue swirled around the tip, cleaning away the precum and leaving the head clean and shiny in the light of the room.

Dark eyes flickered up to look at Naruto once more before Itachi engulfed the cock without any warning, loving the strangled moan that left Naruto's mouth. Hips jerked and bucked, gagging Itachi briefly before he held the hips down as he started to bob his head, feeling the familiar taste of Naruto's cock against his tongue.

Soft pants and moans left Naruto's mouth and fingers tightened in Itachi's hair as he hollowed his cheeks, swallowing around the cock to provide more pleasure for Naruto. It had been far too long since either had received this sort of pleasure and Itachi committed every sound, sight, and taste to memory; not wanting to miss a thing.

He pulled away from Naruto's cock, giving the tip one last hard suck before releasing it with a small pop and drawing a disappointed moan from the younger male. "Not yet," Itachi murmured and slid back up Naruto's chest to press a soft kiss to Naruto's lips. "I don't want you coming yet until I'm buried deep inside you."

The words made Naruto moan as Itachi moved away from the younger male and walked towards the bathroom to grab a small bottle of lotion. Lube wasn't something he had on hand but he wasn't about to take Naruto dry. Placing the bottle on the bed, he slid his own pants off and kicked them to the side, pleased to have his cock finally free from the tight confinement of his boxers.

"And you called me anxious," Naruto said breathlessly, his eyes light and teasing. He reached for the lotion and spread some over his finger before guiding them down to his entrance. "This will drive you insane," he murmured and pushed two fingers past the tight ring of muscles, tossing his head back at the familiar burn he remembered from past experiences.

Itachi watched as the fingers thrust lightly, Naruto panting in time with each thrust and Itachi could feel his cock throbbing at the sight. He moved to the bed and grabbed the bottle, slicking his own fingers and pressing a single digit against Naruto's wet entrance. He cupped Naruto's hand and pressed his first finger in, stretching the puckered entrance even more and brushing against the swollen prostate.

The younger male shouted as pleasure raced through his body and Itachi smirked as he brushed over it one more time before return his attention back to stretching the tight hole. A fourth and final finger pressed in, helping prepare Naruto for something bigger until the younger male was squirming and panting beneath him.

"'Tachi," Naruto gasped. "Stop teasing me," he pleaded, sweat dripping down his chest as his body trembled with pleasure.

"Of course," Itachi purred and slipped his fingers out of Naruto, using the excess lotion to coat his cock. He hissed as his hand ran over his cock and he had to stop himself from continuing with the pleasurable feelings, knowing that something better was waiting for him. He shifted on the bed until he was hovering over Naruto again and wrapped the blond's legs around his waist, his cock nudging the stretched entrance.

Dark eyes gazed into blue ones, searching for any hesitation. Seeing none, Itachi slowly pushed forward and groaned loudly at the tight heat that wrapped around his cock. He forced himself to move slowly, knowing that Naruto's body wasn't used to such feelings even though the action made his legs tremble from the urge to start thrusting without concern.

He held himself back though, his control hanging on by just a thread as he fully sheathed himself against Naruto and feeling the younger male shiver slightly at the feeling of being stretched. Itachi leaned down and fisted Naruto's cock, which had softened a little during the penetration while capturing Naruto's lips to distract him as best he could from the pain.

Finally, Naruto clenched around him, making Itachi moan into Naruto's mouth. No words were needed and Itachi's hands slipped down Naruto's body to grasp tan hips tightly before pulling starting a rhythm that had them both panting and gasping each other's name. Sweat trickled down Itachi's face as he tried to control himself, not wanting to start out too hard just yet. But Naruto had different ideas and pressed him closer, digging his heels into his back and Itachi gazed into blue eyes that danced with humor and when Naruto spoke, Itachi could hear the taunt in his voice.

"What happened to hard and fast?" Naruto asked and clenched around Itachi once more. "I'm not going to break 'Tachi. Any slower and I'll fall asleep on you."

Itachi paused at the words before shaking his head as his lips smirked slightly. "Very well," he answered and angled Naruto's hips up. "But know that you brought this on yourself."

"I accept the consequences of my actions," Naruto answered before yelling as Itachi snapped his hips forward harshly. "Yes! Like that," he cried and bucked his hips up to meet Itachi's thrusts.

Grunting, Itachi continued to thrust, brushing over Naruto's prostate with each pass as they quickly moved towards completion. It was rough and wild, but Naruto had been right; there was no time right now for sensual loving. There was nothing between them now but the urge to fuck and gain pleasure for each other's bodies until they were sated. And only after that, could they slow down and explore each other with soft touches.

Itachi shifted his grip on Naruto, changing the angle of his thrust so he slipped in further, reaching deeper and making Naruto scream his name. It was arousing to have Naruto lose control in such a way and Itachi watched as the younger males face contorted with pleasure with every pass of Itachi's cock against his prostate.

"Fuck Naruto," Itachi moaned as he felt the younger male tremble under him. They were both growing closer to orgasm; Itachi could feel the heat coiling low in his body, ready to snap and pull him over the edge and Itachi had every intention of taking Naruto with him.

He reached between their bodies and grasped Naruto's cock; feeling it twitch as his fingers wrapped around the throbbing length. Precum leaked from the tip and Itachi smeared it between his fingers as they played with the tip before he started to stroke the cock, using the precum to make each pass move smoother.

Naruto's body clenched around him at the action and it didn't take long before Naruto's back arched as he came, cum coating his chest and Itachi's hand as he continued to buck in the hand holding him. Itachi groaned as Naruto's muscles gripped his cock tighter as he continued to thrust, making it almost painful to move until Naruto went limp against the bed, the powerful orgasm leaving him boneless.

Itachi leaned forward, pressing deeper into Naruto as he claimed Naruto's lips before he followed Naruto as well; hips rolling forward and jerking as he rode out his orgasm. Tongues tangled together as they panted into each other's mouth while Itachi's hips started to slow until they eventually stilled against Naruto.

"That was nice," Naruto murmured when they broke apart. He reached up and ran a hand through Itachi's hair. "But I think next time we can last longer."

For a moment, Itachi just stared at Naruto before chuckling at the words. "We had an excuse that first time. It had been a while." He nipped at the base of Naruto's throat. "But I believe that we can last longer next time as well. Just give me a little bit of time to recover first."

Naruto laughed lightly, the noise making Itachi wrap his arms around the younger male, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed against his. He didn't know how long they had together but for now, they would make this moment last.


Three days later had Itachi standing with Naruto near the pond in the back of the house, the sun setting behind them. Their time was up and Itachi could already feel the ache growing within his chest at the thought of letting Naruto go for an unknown amount of years. Perhaps the only thing that helped to ease the pain of separation was that Itachi had been granted times to visit Naruto during the year; something Itachi had accepted without complaint.

"You better visit me," Naruto stated, crossing his arms with a small pout. "I won't be happy if you decide not to visit when you can."

Itachi chuckled and pressed a kiss to Naruto's temple. "Just think of this as the times we were on missions, years back. Only seeing each other for a few hours every handful of days."

"I guess," Naruto murmured and leaned forward to capture Itachi's lips. They shared a long kiss before he broke away and trailed down to suck on a patch of pale skin until a fresh mark marred the area. "That's a reminder of what's waiting for you next time, so don't forget it."

Itachi responded with a mark of his own, his lips brushing over the mark once he was done. "I won't. I can wait until I see you each time until you're back in my arms for good this time. A handful of years waiting for you are nothing compared to the hundreds of years I've passed alone."

Naruto grunted and he threaded his fingers through Itachi's. "Don't say that. It should never have happened in the first place and when I come back, I'll make sure that you're never alone again."

"Such pretty words you speak," Itachi teased and glanced at the setting sun over Naruto's shoulder. Once it fully set, the younger male would vanish from his world and go back to earth where he would remain until his death. It was a sad thought, but Itachi didn't want Naruto to miss a life that he was supposed to live.

The top of the sun was only inches from kissing the horizon and Itachi pulled Naruto into his arms. "One last goodbye, even though it's not a final one. There will be many more after this, I promise you that," he murmured.

Naruto nodded. "I'll hold you to that promise," he answered and pulled Itachi down, pressing their lips together as the sun continued to set until the light vanished under the horizon.

There was one last press against Itachi's lips before the only thing that remained was just the ghost of Naruto's touch against his body and Itachi was alone once more. But this time it was something that Itachi could bear, as he knew that Naruto was just within reach and that at least once every month or two, they would be able to see each other again. And that alone helped to keep the loneliness away.