Chapter 9:
Of Betrayal and Passion Unleashed
"You know, this is a lot like old times," Naruto remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know, you and me, racing through the woods, trying to find Sasuke."
Sakura laughed.
Naruto ran beside Sakura through the Uchiha compound, worry for Sasuke gnawing a hole in his chest, despite the humorous front he tried to keep up. As was the norm these days, the picture of Sasuke in his mind was accompanied by a stutter in his heart and a deep burn in his stomach. He hoped his friend wouldn't do anything drastic.
Drastic? This is Sasuke we're talking about, his mind reminded him. If anyone's got a flair for the melodramatic, it's him.
Naruto sighed, trying to remain optimistic as he glanced over at Sakura, who was weaving expertly through alleyways and houses as they neared the Police building. It was then that he noticed a glowing silver band that encircled Sakura's wrist. It was about an inch thick, and was inscribed with a single rune. It pulsed with a soft blue light that seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter as they traveled.
"What's that?" he asked; she followed his gaze to the subject of his inquiry.
Sakura smiled a little. "Don't ever let him know it, but…Itachi needs me. Especially on missions, when we need to know each other's location at all times, I use this. It's attuned to his chakra, and leads me straight to him."
Naruto nodded in understanding. Sympathy shot through him as he thought of the great shinobi. He knew exactly why the two would require chakra tracers…Such was the price for using the incredible power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.
The building rose into sight in front of the two, and Naruto picked up his speed as thoughts of Sasuke once again plagued his mind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trying to better see the figure before him in the darkness. He drew a kunai from the folds of his clothing and held it out in front of him, making a slow circle around the intruder as he fumbled along the wall for the light switch. He ignored the frantic beating of his heart as his hand found it and he flipped on the lights. The fixture above them went on, spreading light around the darkened office and illuminating the other person's face.
Sasuke's throat went dry and his heart felt like it was being wrenched from his chest as he beheld the face of his brother. At least, he thought it was Itachi; he had the same long, black hair tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck, and Sasuke could see the lines that marked his cheeks. But his eyes…
Itachi's eyes were a pale, milky grey, and he did not turn to face Sasuke even though the younger Uchiha had no doubt that his brother could hear him as he crossed the room. He's blind. Sasuke swallowed as his mind turned over the disastrous effects of the Mangekyou. He wondered how long it would take before he suffered the same fate as his older brother.
If this man really is Itachi, Sasuke's inner voice hissed, as his shocked mind returned to the present dilemma.
He walked up to the intruder, his hand shaking slightly as he held the kunai knife before him. "Who are you?" he whispered.
Itachi turned at the sound of Sasuke's voice. "Don't be foolish, otouto. You know who I am."
That voice. That deep, commanding voice that haunted Sasuke's dreams since he was eight years old washed over him as the kunai clattered to the floor. He stepped forward, a hand reaching out to his brother; then he stopped himself a few inches away, his shaking hand falling limply to his side. There was so much that he wanted to say, so much that he wanted to tell his brother after he found out the truth from Madara. But somehow, 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm glad you're here' didn't seem to be the correct words.
"I…I thought you were dead." He muttered brokenly. I thought I killed you.
Any reply Itachi was about to make was interrupted as the door banged open again and Naruto ran into the room, Sakura close behind.
"Sakura," his brother said without turning around. "I believe I told you that I didn't require your assistance in this matter."
The pink-haired kunoichi scoffed. "Oh, shut up, Itachi. You and I both know that Sasuke's reaction was unpredictable. The last thing we need is a fight breaking out…Remember what we came here for."
Sasuke's eyes widened at Sakura's reply. He was sure Itachi would kill her for that. But he didn't. He just stood there…and smirked. They became even wider as his brother just hn'd in reply; the response contained no malice. To say Sasuke was shocked would be an understatement.
Sakura came over to stand next to Itachi. "You might want to pull yourself together before your eyes fall out of your head, Sasuke."
Sasuke backed up a few steps, his hand on the hilt of the sword at his side. Disbelief, confusion, and the faintest wisp of happiness warred within him.
"What the hell is going on?!" he demanded.
Surprisingly, Naruto stepped forward, a hand reaching out to his friend. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sakura placed a hand across his chest and pushed him back. He saw her mouth the words Let me to the blonde. Then she turned to the younger Uchiha and spoke.
"Sasuke…all those years ago, when you defeated your brother in battle, you weren't alone in those woods. I was on a solo reconnaissance mission for Lady Tsunade, and I felt a great amount of chakra…" She glanced over at Itachi, who of course didn't return her gaze. "I found Itachi on the brink of death and was forced to use the Genesis Rebirth Technique. At first, I planned to take him with me to Konoha as a hostage, but as we traveled, things…changed."
She gave Sasuke a pointed look, and it dawned on him suddenly what the meaning was behind the glow in Sakura's eyes and Itachi's quiet acceptance of her sassy remarks. He couldn't speak; he didn't respond because he did not want to say or do something he would later regret. He also felt a staggering relief that almost brought him to his knees; all the guilt and anguish he had felt after killing Itachi and learning the truth about the stoic Uchiha slowly vanished. He was alive, and he was here, in front of him.
Sakura remained silent for a few moments, as if to give him time to respond, then continued on when he said nothing.
"I returned to Konoha after that mission, keeping Itachi in hiding out in the surrounding forest. Soon after we completed your takedown and retrieval mission, Sasuke, and after that I left Konoha and never came back. I brought Itachi back to the Akatsuki and joined them myself, realizing that he would not fare well without me"—Itachi sneered at this, but said nothing—"and that I had a new nindo: find a way to keep Konoha out of Pein's path of destruction."
Sasuke just stared at Sakura as she finished her little speech. He couldn't believe that the Sakura he had known had changed so drastically. He felt a tiny stab of loss as he gazed at the missing-nin before him, but he couldn't help but appreciate what she had inadvertently done for him and the risk she was taking for her village. He nodded slowly, forcing himself to accept the person Sakura had become. Besides, he was in no position to judge her; he had several years in prison under his belt and many broken bonds to repair to attest to that. He admitted to himself that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of his brother and Sakura in any type of relationship other than a working one, but he decided that if they were both happy and weren't flaunting it in front of him (which he knew Itachi would never do) then he would do his best to ignore it.
The kunoichi smiled as he removed his hand from his sword; she could also read the acceptance in his face. She moved forward and pulled Sasuke into a tight hug. "I've missed you," she murmured.
Sasuke allowed her to hug him for a few moments, then gently disengaged himself from her grasp.
"So why are you here?" he asked as she moved away.
"Pein would like to strike up an alliance between the Akatsuki and Konohagakure," Sakura began. "There are forces at work in the other villages, Sasuke…There are secret alliances being formed and deals being made without Konoha's knowledge. As the strongest ninja village in the world, it is a number one target."
She paused, and looked at Naruto. "Also, Naruto is being groomed for the position of Hokage. Pein knows this, and plans to use this information to his advantage. I just don't know what his exact motives are yet."
"Well, isn't it obvious he wants the Kyuubi?"
"Yes, but if he wanted, he could simply come and take it," she said matter-of-factly. "So I'm sure he plans to use some sort of blackmail, and Naruto will be in an especially precarious position once he gains the position of Hokage."
The room lapsed into silence as they all digested Sakura's words. Sasuke's mulling was interrupted as Sakura spoke again.
"I'm sorry to end this reunion so abruptly, but Itachi and I have to go meet with Lady Tsunade to discuss our future alliance and plan our next move. I realize it's a lot to take in at the moment, but I know I'll see you both soon."
She smiled at them both, then discreetly tapped Itachi's hand, who turned away from them towards her touch and accompanied her out of the room. The door swung shut behind them with a soft click. Sasuke felt slight panic as he watched his brother leave, but then he reminded himself that there would surely be time to talk later. They had a mission to complete at the present.
Naruto turned to Sasuke, an expectant smile on his face, but the Uchiha merely regarded him coolly. There was something nagging at a dark corner of Sasuke's mind, and he had to know if what he suspected was the truth.
"How long have you known?" he asked immediately, not wanting to waste time beating around the bush. "About Sakura." He added, to make sure Naruto had no reason to evade his question.
The blond looked away from Sasuke's dark gaze. "We've kept in communication over the past four years—"
"So you knew about Itachi that whole time?" Sasuke interrupted.
"…Yes."
"You knew my brother was alive and you didn't tell me?!" Sasuke tried hard to keep his voice level, but a little of the hurt managed to seep through.
Naruto's eyes widened as he studied Sasuke. The pain he was obviously struggling to conceal was shining in his eyes as he glared at Naruto. He wanted more than anything to pull him into his arms, but he knew that Sasuke would probably punch him in the face if he tried. The look on Sasuke's face made his stomach twist in guilt. He didn't know what to say, so he settled for an automatic response.
"Sasuke, your response to the news of your brother's survival was unpredictable, and Lady Tsunade ordered me to conceal that information from you for the safety of the village. Only myself and—"
Unpredictable. Unpredictable. They treated him like an unstable mental patient! The blond was cut off again as Sasuke raised his hand as if to block him out. He refused to look at Naruto, and Naruto could almost feel the waves of betrayal coming off of his partner. Sasuke hated the meaningless explanation that Naruto was spewing in a feeble attempt to placate him. He couldn't believe that his closest friend would hide such a thing from him. For a few dark moments, he wondered if anything else Naruto had said to him were lies. He wondered if the entire "friendship" was built on empty words and false emotions. A tiny voice in Sasuke's head told him that he was being ridiculous, but he ignored it, too upset to listen to reason.
"Get out," he whispered bitterly.
Naruto moved towards him, his eyes pleading. Sasuke's head whipped up and he glared at his friend, his Sharingan blazing.
"Leave!"
The blond staggered away. Sasuke closed his eyes and brought his hands to his face, listening to Naruto's retreating footsteps. He wanted so much to be part of the team again, to be part of the village, but every day Sasuke felt more and more like he was being alienated. He knew that he wouldn't be welcomed back with open arms after his release from prison, but it still hurt to be ostracized. Dread clenched around his heart; if even Naruto couldn't trust him, then how long would it take for everyone else? He didn't even want to think about the months he would be spending alone before things started to change. It wasn't that he really minded being alone; after all, he had survived that way for most of his young life. But how could he be expected to lead the Military Police if the forces he commanded didn't even trust him?
The Uchiha paused in his anguished musings as he realized that he hadn't heard the door open and close again, signaling Naruto's absence. He slowly removed his hands from his face, and was met with clear, cerulean blue. Naruto's face was twisted with an emotion Sasuke couldn't place. He seemed to be warring within himself. His tan face was mere inches away from Sasuke's. Sasuke took a step back, and Naruto followed; eventually his lower back hit the edge of his desk.
"Naruto, what are you—"
Naruto's arms suddenly wrapped around him tightly and his mouth crashed against Sasuke's with painful force. Sasuke responded without thinking; his hands came up to tangle in the blonde's hair, twisting Naruto's head forcefully to the side so that he could enter his mouth and dominate the kiss. Naruto's lips parted easily; he panted and moaned into Sasuke's mouth as the Uchiha's tongue rubbed against his own. His mouth was hot and wet and Sasuke loved it. Naruto tasted like the wind after spring rains and the cup ramen he had had for lunch earlier in the day.
What am I doing?
Sasuke was merciless; he plundered Naruto's mouth, biting and pulling on his bottom lip and sucking ferociously on his writhing tongue. He ground his hips hard against the blonde's, ignoring the resulting whimper and Naruto's shaking knees. He wanted his partner to feel all of the pain he was feeling; he wanted to convey, through the viciousness of his kiss, all of the anger and frustration that raged within him.
This is wrong.
There was a sudden wetness on his cheeks, and Sasuke pulled away a fraction of an inch from Naruto, still holding him tightly in his arms. Naruto gasped raggedly for breath, his face flushed deliciously and his lips swollen. The blond gazed at Sasuke, raising a hand to touch the Uchiha's tear-streaked face. Sasuke tried to flinch away, but Naruto brought up both hands and tightly gripped the back of Sasuke's head. He leaned forward, placing soft kisses up and down Sasuke's cheeks, the tip of his tongue slowly tracing the tracks of Sasuke's tears.
But I don't want to stop.
