Author's Note: Hello, there! Well, here's the resolution to the last chapter's cliff-hanger, but before we start, I'd like to thank the seriously badass people who reviewed! Thank you sooo much! And let's not forget the wonderful people who added this story to alerts and faves! Yay for you! Thanks for your support everyone!
Since that's been settled, let's continue the story! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor will I claim otherwise.
WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of violence/blood, suggestive dialogue, yaoi, and strong sexual content, AKA, a lemon. The lemon's end and beginning has been clearly marked, so readers may skip it if desired. However, reader discretion is still strongly advised…
10. True Feelings
Three Minutes Previously...
Naruto, Kisame, Hidan and Kakuzu had traveled in silence for most of the trip back to the Akatsuki's base. After the day they had, nobody was in a talkative mood.
Naruto spent the better part of the trip thinking about everything that happened, but especially about Yoji and how senseless his death had been. It made Naruto realize something. Not only were humans suffering because of Orochimaru, but demons were too, even if nobody was fully aware of it. Naruto knew that some demons were probably helping Orochimaru of their own free will but so many weren't. Just like the humans, those demons needed someone to protect them too. But who would do it?
"We're making good time. We should be back in less than a few minutes." Kakuzu announced, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts and back into the present. Naruto nodded dumbly in acknowledgement before realizing what it meant; he would see Itachi soon!
A flood of happiness at the thought of seeing the Uchiha quickened Naruto's sluggish steps. He walked at the head of the group, taking longer strides and obviously wanting to get to Itachi sooner rather than later.
Kisame took notice. Despite his wariness towards the idea of Naruto and Itachi as a couple, he couldn't help but grin slightly at the sight of how eager Naruto was to get back to the Uchiha.
"Naruto," he called, "Why don't you just run on ahead? We'll be there soon, anyway."
"Can I?" Naruto asked, excited at the prospect. He looked at Hidan and Kakuzu to see if it was okay.
"Go ahead. It doesn't matter to me." Kakuzu replied. Hidan merely waved him off, signaling for him to leave.
Naruto grinned broadly at them before turning away and dashing through the forest path. He channeled chakra into his feet, increasing his speed as well as muffling the sound of his footsteps. When the wind blew in his direction, he could clearly smell Itachi and that only served to double his speed.
Within moments Naruto reached the end of the forest path. He sniffed the air once more and caught Itachi's scent... and someone else's. Naruto frowned. Unless he was mistaken, it was Deidara's. It made him pause briefly, but he dismissed it and hurried forward. He wanted to see Itachi.
Naruto pushed through a dense bush, positive Itachi was on the other side of it. Sure enough, he was... and he was kissing Deidara, who kissed him back passionately, arms around him.
A stab of cold entered Naruto's body at the sight. His eyes suddenly burned, tears threatening to spill out. It felt as though the air had been ripped from his lungs. He couldn't speak. All he could do is stand there, watching as his wonderful mate kissed someone else. His body felt numb, except for a horrible pain in his chest as his heart broke.
Naruto watched as Itachi and Deidara separated, panting for breath from their moment of passion. He saw how Itachi pushed Deidara against that tree, before presumably going in for another kiss. Instead, Itachi asked, "What was that?"
Had Itachi wanted more, right then and there, from Deidara? Naruto didn't know, but he at last found his voice to ask. "I'd like to know, too."
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Itachi stared at Naruto for what felt like an eternity, even though it had only been a few seconds. He saw the intense anger and sorrow that burned in the Kyuubi's eyes before it transformed into a controlled cold fury.
"What the hell is going on?" Naruto asked, his voice as icy as a glacier in winter.
"It's not what you think, Naruto-kun." Itachi said, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.
"You're right; it's not what I think..." Naruto said tonelessly. Suddenly, his blue eyes burned bright red and he snarled, "It's what I saw! How dare you lie to me?!"
As soon as Deidara met Naruto's eyes, he regretted it. Naruto leapt at him, nails extended into claws. Without much thought, Itachi pushed Deidara away from the tree and to safety. Deidara stumbled and Itachi helped him up.
Naruto slammed into the tree, breaking it in half and not even feeling as jagged splinters punctured his skin. He whipped around, a demonic snarl on his face, "Now, you're protecting him?!"
Itachi resisted the urge to flinch at the pure anger in Naruto's voice. "Naruto-kun," he said calmly, "please let me explain what's going on."
"Why should I? So you can just lie to me?!" screamed Naruto, his eyes stinging from unshed tears.
At this point, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Kisame rushed to the scene. They looked at Naruto, and then noticed Itachi close to Deidara.
"What's going on here?" Kakuzu asked slowly. His hunter's sense was screaming at him to leave immediately, but he still needed to find out.
"I kissed Itachi, un." Deidara answered, trying to inch away from Naruto.
Shocked, Hidan gaped at the explosives master, "You did what?"
"He kissed Itachi," Naruto said. He bit his lip to keep from howling his distress, fang teeth cutting into his flesh. The physical pain was nothing compared to the raw, aching wound in his heart.
Ignoring all those around him, Itachi reached out to Naruto, who was now quivering slightly. "Please, Naruto-kun." He touched his shoulder gently and looked Naruto in the eyes, trying to convey his feelings.
That's when all Hell broke loose.
Seeing Itachi's eyes looking back into his own triggered an instinctive demonic reaction from the Kyuubi; if somebody hurts you, hurt them even worse.
Within milliseconds, Naruto transformed with a blast of fiery red chakra. The Akatsuki members who surrounded him were blown backwards by a concussion wave of raw energy from the transforming Naruto. The chakra scorched the surrounding plants, leaving them smoking around the savagely angry nine-tailed fox.
Kakuzu picked himself out of the tangle of vines he fell into, ignoring the blood that was dripping down from a gash on his arm he had sustained from falling into thorns. "Everybody, retreat!" he ordered, roughly grabbing a dazed Hidan off the ground. "Get back to the base or you will die here!"
Nobody argued. As one, they tried to get to the possible safety that their base offered. Except Itachi. He stayed behind, coughing from the smoke. Cautiously, he approached Naruto, who snarled and snapped at him viciously. A wet trail in the golden fur below Naruto's eyes gave an outward indication of his emotional distress. The tears only made Itachi want to be near him.
"Itachi!" Kisame grabbed his sleeve, tugging on it hard. "We gotta go! Now!"
"No!" Itachi pulled away forcefully. "I need to be with him!"
Not considering the consequences of his actions, he ran to Naruto, easily crossing the ten feet that separated them.
Ears flattened against his head, Naruto bared his teeth. "Stay away from me!"
"Naruto-kun, please!" Itachi pleaded. For his trouble, Naruto lashed out, striking him with a clawed paw. Itachi felt the skin on his chest rip open and the impact sent him flying towards Kisame, who was knocked off his feet. Together, the partners tumbled backwards. They rolled to a stop a few feet from the main clearing outside the base. The other Akatsuki members immediately went to their aid.
Kisame got to his feet shakily, feeling as though his brain had been rattled way too hard against his skull. He offered a hand to Itachi, but the Uchiha smacked it away, standing up and staring at Naruto. The fox's nine tails were thrashing wildly now, snapping tree branches and trunks as if they were mere twigs. Itachi saw as Naruto reared up on his hind legs briefly before bringing his forepaws back down on the ground with a lot of force. At the impact, a powerful tremor rocked the earth, splitting sections of the ground apart.
"He's creating earthquakes?" Hidan asked, dumbstruck. "We're all going to die, aren't we?"
"Maybe." Kakuzu replied grimly. He knew Naruto's power was way beyond anything the demon hunters could handle and this was just a fragment of it.
Hidan wasn't happy to hear it the news. He clenched his right fist and punched Deidara in the jaw. "You stupid dumbass! This is all your fault! What the fuck is wrong with you?" He struck the blond again, this time hitting Deidara in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. Deidara gasped, trying to fill his lungs with oxygen. "You dumb fuck! Why would you even try something so stupid?!" Hidan grabbed the blond by his collar, shaking him. "Why?! Answer me!"
Deidara coughed, blood from Itachi's bite and Hidan's punch spilling out of his mouth. "I didn't know he would react like this." He lowered his eyes from the other man's, incredibly guilty and terrified. "I just wanted to get back at Naruto. I just wanted a little revenge against the demon that beat me. That's all it was, I swear, un!"
Disgusted, Hidan threw Deidara away from him. "You're a sick fuck, you know that?" He turned around to see Konan and Pein hurrying towards them. Konan's amber eyes were full of sadness as she gazed at the rampaging Naruto, then pity as she caught sight of Deidara's face that was beginning to swell from Hidan's attack. Pein's eyes remained impassive as he watched Naruto, but his body was tense.
Konan knelt down and helped up Deidara, supporting part of his weight on her. "Why did you do it?" she whispered to him, "You knew it was wrong, and yet you still did it. Why?"
"I'm sorry we can't all be like you and do the right thing every day." Deidara said bitterly before looking away. He sighed, "I didn't want to go all the way with Itachi. Just a kiss to upset Naruto, un."
"I guess it worked," she said sadly. "He's beyond upset now..."
Deidara was silent. If he had known any to this was going to happen, he would have never tried it all. Sure, he had been mad that Naruto had beaten him twice, but was a bit of revenge worth it for possibly being killed? No. Obviously not, but it seemed it was a lesson learned too late. Now everyone could be killed for it. Deidara glanced over at Pein, noticing the man's apparent lack of concern. Had he known this would happen? Was this his plan all along?
"Leader-sama," Deidara called. Pein didn't respond. The blond continued, ''The mission was a failure, un."
At this, all eyes turned to Pein.
"What mission?" Kisame growled. Another earthquake rocked the area, followed by an angry roar from Naruto.
Pein replied coolly, "It was just something I asked Konan and Deidara to do to drive away Kyuubi. That's all."
At this, Itachi finally snapped. "That's all?" he repeated before raising his voice, "How can you say that?! My Naruto-kun going insane because of you! Not only that, but we're all at risk because of your pathetic excuse for orders! What kind of leader are you?!"
"I was just trying to protect you, Itachi!" Pein grit his teeth as another roar echoed through the air.
"Protect me?" Itachi spat, "I don't need anyone to protect me, but especially not you!"
A thunderous crash alerted the Akatsuki to the Kyuubi once again. They saw trees being toppled over as Naruto barreled through them, running away deeper into the forest.
"He's leaving." Konan said, her eyes wide with concern.
"I'm going after him." Itachi stated without a moment's hesitation. Once again, someone grabbed his sleeve. It was Pein.
"You can't," he said. "It's too dangerous. He will kill you."
"I already know that," Itachi shoved the orange-haired man away from him, "but I need to go after him."
"I forbid it!" Pein shouted, his perpetually calm exterior breaking. "I order you to stay here!"
"I'm through taking orders from you!" Without a second look at his comrades, Itachi's dark eyes gleamed with determination as he raced away to follow Naruto, knowing full well he may never come back.
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Standing at the very top of a pine tree, Itachi surveyed the area. He made a mental note of where he needed to go before leaping through the trees, his feet never missing a branch or foothold. He had been sprinting almost non-stop for an hour in an attempt to get to Naruto, with his only break being used for surveillance. Thankfully, following Naruto wasn't difficult for Itachi. After all, it was hard to ignore the ripped up and partially burned sections of earth that formed an uneven zigzag through the dense forest. It had to be Naruto's path. Who else had chakra that was capable of burning things and was strong enough to uproot massive trees?
Before reaching a clearing at the base of a mountain, Itachi heard a tell-tale roar before it turned into a loud sorrowful whine. Knowing it was Naruto, the sound made his heart ache, but he continued his mission.
In the heart of the clearing, a bright gold mass of fur lay in the grass. It shivered and emitted another loud whine that petered out into a soft whimper. Naruto.
Itachi crept closer to the demon, his steps soundless. When he got within arm's reach of the Kyuubi, he couldn't resist the impulse to try and comfort him and tried to stroke the silky fur. Although his intentions were only good, he failed to recognize the immense danger he was putting himself in.
At the light touch, Naruto whipped around, teeth bared and tails whipping. He slammed the side of his long muzzle against the Uchiha, knocking him over and leaving him gasping, his back on the ground and the wounds he had received earlier from Naruto beginning to burn painfully. He groaned, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he found himself looking into the open, fanged maw of an angry demon.
"Why are you here, human?" Naruto asked, standing over him, his hot breath washing over Itachi's face.
Itachi didn't understand the series of growls, but tried to answer anyway. "I came to see if you're all right, Naruto-kun. "
A bead of saliva trickled out of the Kyuubi's mouth, falling onto Itachi's skin. "Why do you care what happens to me?"
The bitterness in Naruto's growl was all too clear to Itachi. He completely ignored the instinctive fear that threatened to make itself known within him. It was unimportant. The only thing that mattered right now was Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, please listen to me," Itachi began calmly. "I have never wanted to hurt you. What happened was just a misunderstanding -"
"Liar!" snarled Naruto. He grazed his one claw across the left side of Itachi's face, slicing through the skin easily and drawing blood. Itachi didn't cry out, only winced at the pain of having his flesh torn and feeling as warm blood streamed out. He was sure he was only seconds from having his throat torn out. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
But nothing happened.
As Naruto gazed down at the bloody face of his lover, he remembered the day he had decided he wanted Itachi as his mate. He recalled licking that very same blood off Itachi's skin before biting him, marking him. A few days later, he and Itachi had consummated their passion for the first time and began their relationship.
A soft whine escaped Naruto's throat at the memory, and his heart beat painfully in his chest. Itachi cracked open an eye at the sound and saw as Naruto withdrew from him. Itachi slowly sat up, watching as the Kyuubi began to pad away. At the edge of the clearing, he stopped, his tails dragging on the grass.
"I've decided to let you keep your life. Killing you isn't worth it. Leave before I change my mind." Naruto took a breath, exhaling from his nose. "Go back to the others and don't come after me."
Unaware of what Naruto said, Itachi struggled to his feet, determined to follow him. He failed to notice the bristling fur on Naruto's back.
When Naruto heard Itachi's steps behind him, he remained still, his lips curling into a silent snarl. He waited a few moments, trying to summon his resolve to attack once again. Hurting Itachi was getting more and more difficult by the second for him, but maybe if he tried again, Itachi would finally get the message and go away.
Itachi opened his mouth to call Naruto, but before any sound could come out, Naruto whipped around, and tackled Itachi, slamming his full weight into the dark haired man. Itachi crashed into a tree, feeling a sharp pain as one of his ribs broke on contact. Naruto jumped away, head lowered and tails fanned out in challenge.
The Uchiha drew in a labored breath, sliding down the trunk. His eyes fell on Naruto, widening as they took in the sight of the nine-tailed fox opening his jaws. A dense ball of swirling red chakra was forming, becoming larger and larger. Itachi knew what it meant; a chakra blast.
Without another thought, Itachi rolled away. A second later, the tree he had been propped up against was vaporized, leaving behind a smoking pile of wood. Several other trees in the vicinity were now scorched and blackened by Naruto's attack.
Naruto roared at Itachi before charging at him again and tackling him, knocking over into the earth. Itachi got off the ground shakily. Once he stood up, Naruto struck Itachi with his paw, breaking another three ribs in the process. Itachi gasped and clutched his side, his breaths becoming more irregular. A trickle of blood dripped out of his mouth. He wiped it off slowly, eyes fixed on Naruto.
The sight of Itachi so battered and bloody further weakened Naruto's resolve to attack. He was still upset about what he had seen earlier, which was why he was still fighting. Itachi, however, hadn't hit him once. In fact, he hadn't even tried to defend himself. Why?
A sparkle of vermillion chakra engulfed Naruto, returning him back to his human form. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded of the injured Itachi. "Why won't you fight back?"
"There is no reason to." Itachi replied simply, beginning to feel dizzy from blood loss.
"What?! We have every reason to fight!" Naruto snapped. "Are you forgetting you're part of the Akatsuki and I'm a demon? You're supposed to fight me!"
"No."
Naruto rushed Itachi, punching him in the jaw. "Fight back!" he screamed, almost begging. He kicked the Uchiha half-heartedly in the shin, making Itachi stumble. The Uchiha said nothing, merely taking the attacks.
"Please," Naruto pleaded, sinking to his knees in front of Itachi. Tears gathered in his eyes and slid down his cheeks. "Fight back... please."
Itachi shook his head, "I cannot fight you, Naruto-kun."
"Why not? I'm beating the shit out of you and you're doing nothing!"
"I know, and I'm fine with that."
"Why?"
"I don't want to hurt you, Naruto-kun." Itachi said softly, his breath now coming in uneven intervals. "If you want to kill me, go ahead and do it."
Tear-filled eyes widened, "What?"
"You heard me. I will not fight back." Itachi's eyes were clouded over with pain, but they were still intently locked on Naruto's. "I refuse to hurt you because you are the only person in this world that I love."
Confusion appeared on Naruto's face, mixing with his distress. "W-what are you talking about, Itachi?"
"When we met, my whole life changed," Itachi said, fully aware that this might be his only chance to tell Naruto his true feelings. "The moment I saw you, nothing else existed... it was as though the only thing in the world was you." He smiled, remembering fondly. "Although I didn't quite realize at the time, that's when I first started to love you. As time progressed, I fell more and more in love with you, and no matter what happens, I know I will always love you. That is why I will not fight you. I love you too much to ever intentionally harm you."
Naruto gaped, not believing what he had just heard. He just stared at Itachi, unable to comprehend the depth of the Uchiha's feelings.
"I know this is a lot to take in at once," Itachi said, feeling light-headed. He sat in the grass, his blood drying on his skin and his ribs throbbing painfully. "But I just needed to tell you... I love you, Naruto-kun." His physical pain seemed insignificant compared to the feeling of happiness that came with telling Naruto how he felt. To him, he had just spoken the most wonderful phrase ever to the most wonderful person ever.
For several minutes, they remained silent, save for Itachi's labored breathing. Naruto didn't know how to react, his tears still falling slowly down his face. He just stared at Itachi, the man who had just declared his love for him. Minutes ago, Naruto had been attacking him mercilessly. And why had he been doing that? Because it appeared that Itachi had cheated on him with Deidara. Now, Naruto wasn't so sure about that anymore. Itachi didn't sound like he was lying...
Instincts warred within Naruto. As a demon, part of him felt like attacking, only because he himself was hurt by the supposed betrayal, but a far larger part of him felt nothing but affection for the demon hunter. He wasn't completely sure if he was in love too, but he knew he did not want to be without Itachi, and to Naruto, that's all that mattered.
His decision made, Naruto wiped away the wetness on his face before crawling towards the battered Itachi. He kissed him lightly on the lips, and nuzzled against him.
A faint smile adorned Itachi's face. He closed his eyes in contentment, reasoning that if he had to die, this was the best way to do it. All he needed to do now was to wait for Death to come for him...
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Bright moon light shone down on Itachi. He opened his eyes slowly, his sight bleary from sleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, surprised. He wasn't in any pain.
"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked him.
Itachi stretched his limbs. Except for his skin and clothes being caked with patches of dried blood and stiffness over his ribcage, he felt great. "Fine," he answered slowly, bewildered. "Wasn't I all ripped up not too long ago?"
"You were, but not anymore," Naruto grinned broadly. "I fixed you right up. You're as good as gold now!"
A quizzical look graced Itachi's features, "How?"
"I'll show you." Naruto reached out and took one of Itachi's hands. He raked a sharp nail over the back of Itachi's hand, a line of red blooming on his skin. Naruto leaned down and licked the wound, cleaning off the blood. He closed his eyes and covered Itachi's hand with his own for a second before removing it. A glimmer of demon chakra danced on the Uchiha's skin before zipping across the scratch, healing it instantly.
"I didn't know you could do that," Itachi whispered in amazement.
"Yeah, it's a secret technique. One of my friends was an expert in healing techniques and she taught me how to do it."
Itachi blinked, surprised. "I wasn't aware that is was possible to heal anyone with demon chakra."
"Normally, it's not; demon chakra burns human skin," Naruto said. "But if you apply a layer of saliva, it protects from the skin from burning while still keeping its healing abilities. That's how I was able to heal you, broken bones and everything."
Itachi nodded, taking this in. It was an interesting piece of information, but he wondered if there would be any side effects for a human receiving a chakra infusion from a demon...
"Itachi? Are you sure you're okay?"
"Fine. Just thinking about something."
Naruto didn't press further. Instead, he kissed Itachi on the mouth before smiling at him. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."
This caught Itachi's attention. He met Naruto's eyes, "Does this mean you and I are... all right?"
A slight frown appeared on Naruto's face as he pondered over the question presented to him. He flicked his eyes over Itachi, who looked as impassive as ever. There was, however, tension visible in the set of his shoulders, indicating how anxious he was to hear Naruto's answer.
"We're all right." Naruto said finally, ending the suspense.
Itachi let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that."
Naruto folded his arms, "But I still want to know exactly why you were kissing Deidara."
Itachi understood and immediately began to explain what happened. With clear distaste evident in his tone, he told the Kyuubi about Pein's plot and how he had recruited Konan and Deidara. He recounted Konan's half-hearted attempt to follow orders and her warning about Deidara, brought on by her obvious guilt. Itachi explained how Deidara had been immensely annoying him, and that is the only reason why he had kissed him at all, being sure to add he hadn't been expecting Deidara's surprise squeeze to his backside or the attack to his mouth. All the while, Naruto watched him intently, and felt no suspicion or doubt about Itachi's explanation.
Once Itachi had finished, he gave Naruto a few minutes to mentally digest this information before inquiring about something he wanted to know about. "Naruto-kun, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"When you saw Deidara and me together, why did you get so angry?"
"I had a really, really bad day," replied Naruto, remembering the stolen villagers and Yoji's death.
"And?" Itachi prompted, aware there was more he had to say.
"Well, I just..." Naruto lowered his head, a blush forming on his cheeks. "I know I overreacted, but I couldn't stand the idea of seeing you with anyone else. My natural instincts went into overdrive and I just... snapped, I guess." He looked at the Uchiha, guilt evident in his blue eyes. "Itachi, I'm so sorry I hurt you."
Itachi didn't reply immediately. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Naruto, holding him close. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I'm fine now, and you're with me. That's all I need."
"But what about the Akatsuki?" Naruto murmured, his face buried into Itachi's chest.
"I don't want to go back."
Naruto pulled away, eyes wide. "Really?"
Itachi shook his head, "Not after what happened."
"But where will we go?"
And that was the problem. Itachi did want to leave with Naruto, but where would they go? They had no money or anything, and Itachi's clothes were torn and caked with blood and dirt and it was starting to make him itch. And even if they were able to ignore these things, there was also the fact that it would seem as though Itachi had simply run away from everything. His friends, his comrades, and the life he had known for the past seven years.
"I don't think you should go," Naruto said softly. "At least, not yet. You still have ties to the Akatsuki. They were your family, and you shouldn't leave them without saying goodbye. It just wouldn't be right, you know?"
Itachi nodded solemnly. "I know, but it will be difficult.''
"Yeah, but worth it, I think. You'll probably be happier in the long run."
"I guess..."
"Trust me, you will. Besides," a mischievous grin appeared on Naruto's face, making him look like the trickster demon fox he was thought to be, "we still need to get back at Pein for what he tried to do."
"If you want, I'll kick his ass and let you watch." Itachi offered, a sight smirk on his lips.
Naruto laughed and then shook his head. "No. I had something else in mind."
"We kick his ass together?"
"Not exactly. We need to show him that his plan didn't work and we're still together, even after everything that happened." Naruto said, "It needs to be something that undermines his authority, too."
Itachi was intrigued, "What are you planning, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto stood up, brushing dirt and bits of grass of his pants. He grinned mischievously once again and extended a hand to help Itachi stand, "You'll find out soon enough, Itachi."
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Before dawn, Naruto and Itachi returned to the Akatsuki's base. As expected, no one was there to greet them. Itachi was sure that somebody had to be awake or at least sensed their presence, but nobody said anything. He was glad, though. He didn't feel like giving an explanation of what happened and why he wasn't dead in the forest somewhere.
The two of them went to Itachi's room, giving him the chance to get out of his dirty clothes. While he changed and got cleaned up, Itachi had asked Naruto once more to explain his plans for getting back at Pein. Naruto, of course, had no intention of spoiling his surprise, leaving Itachi to continue guessing.
Once Itachi had finished his ablutions, Naruto was eager to put his plan in effect. He grabbed Itachi's hand and led the way, sniffing his way through the corridors to find the place they needed to be. The twisting hallways were tricky to navigate, but with the Kyuubi's keen sense of smell, he was able to find the room he was looking for.
"Here we are!" Naruto gestured to the heavy, locked door in front of them.
Itachi's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He knew this room. "Why are we outside Pein's study?"
"You'll see. Do you know how to unlock the door?"
Itachi nodded before he proceeded to find the hidden key in the wall. He removed the old key and slid it in the lock. The lock clicked open and the door swung inwards on well-oiled hinges.
Naruto entered, dragging Itachi after him before closing the door. His eyes fell on the large wooden desk in the study and he grinned. Perfect, he thought.
Itachi noticed the look, "Naruto-kun, why are you grinning like that?"
"No reason." Naruto replied with false innocence. He strode across the room and sat on the desk, checking how sturdy it was. It was an expensive, quality piece of furniture, well-made from the finest oak available and polished to a glossy shine with a special varnish. It also seemed like it was strong and could take a lot of punishment, if necessary.
"Naruto-kun?" Itachi folded his arms. "An explanation, please."
"Oh, okay," Naruto eagerly agreed. "Well, I noticed that when humans get mad at each other, they usually yell and cuss at each other until one gives up. Demons don't do that. We prefer a more physical approach for getting back at each other."
"What do you mean?"
"It's kind of hard to explain," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He sighed, but soon his eyes brightened as though getting a great idea. "I know!"
"Do tell."
"All right," Naruto began earnestly. "When I was little, there was this little old lady who used to live near me named Haru. She was an owl demon and spent a lot of time in the forest hunting birds, like pheasants and wild turkeys. When Haru would catch one, she'd remove the feathers, clean, and cook the birds, usually stuffing the meat into a fried pocket of dough. Every Saturday, she'd sell them to the other demons that lived in our village. They were pretty good, so nobody minded paying for them." He frowned slightly, remembering, "Except for a lazy bat demon named Enishi. He would steal them from her, but Haru never screamed at him or anything, even though she knew what was going on.
"Anyway, one day Enishi stole one as usual. He bit into it, expecting something good, but instead got a mouthful of something gross."
"What was it?"
"Owl pellets," Naruto answered him. "Basically, regurgitated chunks of whatever Haru's body did not digest from her food, like clumps of bones and fur from the mice she sometimes ate."
Itachi grimaced, "And Enishi ate these... pellets?"
Naruto nodded, "Yup. After that, he never stole from Haru again. That was her way of getting back at him without saying a word."
There was a silence before Itachi asked, "Does this mean you're planning to vomit on Pein's desk?"
Hearing this, Naruto laughed, "No. That would be really gross, and you're missing the point of the story."
"Which would be...?"
"That demons solve their disputes with actions, not words. For example, Haru knew that Enishi liked to steal and eat the food she made so she intentionally sabotaged one just for him. She ruined something he liked to make her point about what happens if you steal from her."
"Then what point are we trying to make here?" Itachi gestured to the room they were in.
Naruto got off the desk and strode up to the Uchiha, a seductive smile on his face. "That we're still together, and nothing Pein says or does can change that." With that, Naruto kissed Itachi, his lips gentle and teasing. "Besides, I think he owes us a little fun for the hell he put us through. His desk should do nicely..."
"Definitely," Itachi agreed, at last understanding what Naruto wanted. Itachi kissed Naruto's mouth before his lips traveled down to the demon's neck, gently grazing his teeth across the skin.
The Kyuubi moaned softly at the contact, "You better get those clothes off before I tear them off you."
"How very demanding of you, Naruto-kun." Itachi commented, both amused and very turned on by his lover. Naruto didn't usually say such things to him. It was an interesting change of pace.
"I'm not demanding." Naruto grinned as he unbuttoned Itachi's cloak, "I just know what I want."
"Which would be?"
"You, Itachi."
LEMON WARNING
Itachi shrugged off his cloak and removed his shirt. He gently pushed Naruto a few steps back until he reached the edge of the desk. Naruto sat down on it and Itachi kissed him, standing between his open, but clothed legs.
With practiced ease, their mouths melded together, lips moving in perfect harmony. Itachi's tongue slid around Naruto's, tasting the demon's familiar flavor and exploring the wet cavern. He'd done it so many times already but each time felt like a unique, one of a kind experience. It was something that he would never tire of.
A low moan escaped Naruto's mouth when Itachi pulled away, panting lightly and fingers pulling at the demon's clothing. Naruto felt his jacket and shirt gently tugged off his skin before Itachi's lips were on the left side of his neck, gently kissing him. When Itachi reached the base of his neck, he began sucking at the skin, right over the bite scar he had given Naruto the first time they had made love. It was a sensitive area and Naruto cried out when Itachi bit down, almost deep enough to draw blood. It hurt, but Naruto liked it. He, like so many other demons, enjoyed a bit of pain with his pleasure.
Skillfully, Itachi brought his hands lower and unzipped Naruto's pants, being sure to stroke the hardened arousal beneath the cloth. Naruto groaned softly at the contact and wriggled on the desk he was seated on, helping Itachi remove his pants and boxers. Itachi slid them off easily, dropping them on the floor and leaving his lover naked. He resumed his self-appointed task of marking Naruto's smooth tan neck with hickies, alternately sucking and licking the skin.
Itachi moved lower, trailing kisses and gentle nips along Naruto's chest and abdomen until he was almost kneeling before him, his head between Naruto's splayed thighs. Itachi placed his hands firmly on the blond's hips and glanced up at Naruto, a playful smirk on his lips. A deep blush formed on Naruto's cheeks at the sight. He knew what it meant and it only served to add to his all-too-obvious arousal.
That was all the invitation Itachi needed. He leaned forward, opening his mouth and engulfed the head of Naruto's throbbing erection within it. Naruto moaned loudly, tangling his fingers in the Uchiha's long dark hair as pleasure coursed through his body. Itachi sucked hard, almost greedily at him, bringing him close to climax in only a few short minutes.
"Ah...ah... Itachi!" Naruto cried as he came in Itachi's mouth. Itachi swallowed the demon's seed and licked the tip clean before starting again, taking the semi-hard flesh in his mouth and sucking it until it regained its previously rigid state. Suddenly, Itachi stopped and stood up, taking in Naruto's appearance.
Naruto's breath came in ragged bursts, his blue eyes glazed over with lust as he regarded Itachi. He was propped up on his elbows; his skin was slick with sweat and his legs open, fully exposing his arousal. In short, he looked incredibly wanton, and to Itachi, just begging to be pounded into the desk.
"What are you waiting for?" Naruto breathed, seemingly reading the other man's thoughts.
Itachi simply smirked in reply and removed his own pants and underwear, stepping out of them and kicking them off to the side. He pulled Naruto's hips closer to his, lining up the blond's entrance with his own throbbing erection. Itachi hooked his arms underneath Naruto's bent knees, slightly lifting him off the varnished wood. Without any more delay, he plunged his hardened flesh deep inside of Naruto's body, not stifling his own groan of pleasure at the contact.
Naruto's voice echoed loudly in the room as Itachi repeatedly thrust inside of him, establishing a regular rhythm. Naruto gripped the edge of the desk to keep himself still, nails digging into the wood. His body ached, but it was a small price to pay for the incredible feeling that each movement brought. His thoughts strayed from any discomfort and focused on other things. The waves of pleasure coursing through his whole body, the closeness of their bond, and the fiery intensity of his love for Itachi occupied Naruto's mind.
He could feel his insides contract around the Uchiha's hard member before Itachi groaned again and released his seed in Naruto, panting. At the feeling, Naruto came too, the pearly liquid squirting out on Itachi's chest. The Uchiha lowered Naruto's legs back onto the desk, and leaned forward, kissing Naruto gently.
"I love you, Naruto-kun." Itachi said, leaning his forehead on the blond's, their bodies still connected.
"I love you, too, Itachi." Naruto whispered, his blue eyes firmly locked onto dark ones. At this moment, he felt amazing, replete, and more satisfied than ever before.
Itachi smiled down at Naruto and kissed him again before finally pulling out. After, Naruto felt strangely empty, but dismissed it. Itachi helped him off the desk and the two of them settled on the plush carpeting of Pein's study. Itachi lay down and Naruto joined him, laying his head on the Uchiha's chest before pulling the nearby Akatsuki cloak over them both. Within minutes, they fell asleep together, the world around them forgotten.
END OF LEMON
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At nine in the morning, Pein frowned. He was in front of his study and the door was locked. Not only that, but the key was gone too. Without the only key, he couldn't enter. He sighed loudly and knocked on the door, not knowing what to expect.
After several minutes of delay, the door opened a fraction of the way. Pein's striped eyes widened when Itachi appeared at the threshold.
"What do you want?" Itachi asked him, sounding slightly annoyed. Not only that, but the Uchiha wasn't wearing a shirt, revealing that his light skin was marked with fresh hickies around his collarbone.
Pein hesitated, not sure what to make of the sight before him, "I was just... going to get some work done."
"Hn... hold on a minute." Itachi closed the door and retreated inside. Pein simply waited, not knowing what else to do.
Finally, Itachi reappeared, fully dressed with Naruto by his side. Naruto regarded Pein somewhat warily, but said nothing.
Itachi reached into his sleeve and withdrew the key. He passed it to the leader of Akatsuki. "It's all yours now. Excuse us." Itachi said, grabbing the Kyuubi's hand. With that, the lovers strode away through the hallways. Pein watched them as they gained distance. His keen eyes didn't fail to spot Naruto's slight limp as he walked.
Pein blinked, staring at the key in his hand as though it weren't quite real. When he recovered, he pushed open the door to his study and walked in. Immediately, he sensed something was amiss.
Taking careful steps, he padded up to his favorite (and very expensive) desk. The once-flawless surface now had deep scratches, especially on the edges. They looked as though they were caused by someone tightly gripping the desk. Not only were there scratches, the varnish was damaged as well. Handprints were visible on the wooden surface and what appeared to be a faint impression of somebody's back and buttocks further marred it. But what really troubled Pein was what appeared to be a whitish fluid that had dried on the edge of the desk...
Realization hit Pein like a charging bull. He staggered back, eyes bugged out of his head.
Itachi and the Kyuubi...they must have had... Pein could not bring himself to finish the thought. All he knew was that his wonderful private study was now tainted.
A mournful sigh escaped his lips as he cast his gaze around the room he had once seen as his sanctuary. He grabbed the ladder that leaned against the wall and climbed it, grabbing various books off the shelves and dropping them into an empty box. He took only the important ones and any others that he thought may prove useful.
Once he was finished gathering everything he needed, Pein took one more long look at his study.
After today, it just would never be the same. It was now... tainted.