A lot of people seemed to think Itachi had left Naruto behind in that building, so just to clarify, no he didn't. He took Naruto with him. :U

Ita isn't that mean to the poor blondie.

Your reviews make me smile guys, :D I'm glad people like this story. I guess for now I should finish it, but by the time I do, if I decide to write the old chapters again and not do the sequel I'm afraid you'll eat me alive. :[
I'm so nerdy, I've had this ending in my head for months. I so want to do the sequel.
:U I should shut up now.

Warnings: Yaoi, uhh.....nakedness?
Disclaimer: ....GTFO.

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Naruto awoke in comfort, wrapped in a cloak with tempurature that seemed to serve only to lull him back into sleep. His backside propped against the stiff surface of a tree, the blond moved foward only to have a searing pain shoot through his lower body, earning him a disgruntled cry. This seemed to grab the attention of the Uchiha, who soon emerged through a crevice of trees, carrying several fish in his hand. His expression was a familiar one he'd worn during his first encounter with Naruto, however upon seeing him in his pained state, the facade melted to reveal remorseful wincing, as he mouthed a silent apology.
The blond's only response was a growl, rooted to the spot to preserve the tender area from any further discomfort. He watched as Itachi knelt before a crackling flame, skewering the fish and leaving them to roast in the fire.

No sooner had he finished that, when he turned to the blond, seating himself no closer than three feet from his frustrated face, keeping his infamous composure as best he could.
"Naruto.."
"No, stop. I know what you're going to say. Look, I've been fed a lot of lies in my life. Enough so that I could brag about it. But the one thing I won't accept, is you lying about love."
Much to his surprise, he'd found himself beginning to cry. Tears streamed like crystalline droplets down his fair skin, and he made no effort to contain them. The Uchiha's emotionless gaze was once again melted into shock at the sight of the blond's tears, hesitating to sweep them away.
"Naruto, I do not lie. Not only does Konoha wish to kill me, Akatsuki now does as well. At this point, could I truly really lie about anything?"

His response seemed to catch the blond off guard, for he said nothing. Merely staring into his eyes, he could see the remorse in his actions, the regret for letting lust control him. This was no cold killer, nor a heartless kidnapper. This was a man conflicted by emotion, holding back the tears that could ruin an image he tried so hard to perfect.
For once, Itachi finally appeared vulnerable. Dropping his defenses, Naruto moved despite the pain, ignoring the cloak that fell back, revealing his naked body. He carefully threw his arms around the Uchiha, burying his face in the larger man's neck.
"I don't understand it myself yet...but if you really and truly love me, I guess I can give you a chance."
He didn't have to look up to know Itachi was smiling, and envisioned the look on the man's face, one that he would only allow those sacred to him to see. Closing his eyes calmly, Naruto pulled away from the Uchiha, staring over at the roasting fish that was to be their breakfast.
"Can I wash myself off before I eat?"
"Of course. I'll help."

Without another word, Itachi lifted Naruto into his arms, surprising the blond who let out a small yelp. Knowing he was unable to move on his own however, he didn't bother to complain as the larger man gently set him down into the gentle shoreline of a lake. It was surprisingly warm, and shocked the blond, who had prepared himself to be immersed in freezing water. Naruto took advantage of the warmth though, and gently stretched out his body, the soreness gradually seeping away the more he moved.
Gently immersing himself whole in the water, he was surprised to find out just how clear it was, and just how much he could truly see. Schools of fish swam around him, aquatic plants tickling at his bare body, and sunlight shining through the deep water, filtering the lake until it faded into the murky deep.
"Kit."
Kyuubi's echoing voice caught the blond by surprise, not expecting such a clear voice, even one within his own mind
"What is it?"
"Itachi Uchiha....he is speaking the truth. He harbors no malice towards you Kit."
"Suddenly you seem unusually supportive of me partnering with this guy. Did you forget he was the same one who wanted to kidnap us years back and rip you out of me?"
"Times change Kit. Is he not the same man who sold you from becoming a product and being someone's living toy? I am not telling you to requite his love, but I am saying you may drop your guard at least a little."
"I'll try."
"Yes, try it. And if you do fall for him, I will give you something incredible."
The blond remained unresponsive, focusing more on washing the excess remains of last night from his body. Kyuubi soon realized Naruto refused to continue the conversation and with an irritated click of its tounge, the demon receeded into the depths of his mind. Thankful to be alone, Naruto surfaced and exited the lake, dressing in his clothes which he had spotted placed nearby and--with great difficulty--walked toward the fire where Itachi sat.
"Here, take one."
The blond uttered no complaints to upset his protesting stomach, taking the fish that the man offered him and hungrily biting into it. It was plain, but surprisingly satiating, and before he realized it, he was wholefully immersed in devouring it.
"Uhm...Itachi," He began, mouthfulls of food preventing his words from coming out in a conceivable or even intelligent manner. The sight of it all nearly made the older Uchiha burst into laughter, but bit his lip to keep the blond's rage in check.
"Yes?"
This time the blond swallowed before attempting to speak again, his voice more clarified.
"I hope this isn't where you want to live or something. What the hell do we do now?"
"You don't have to tag along with me anymore."
"I....don't?"
His words took the blond by shock, who merely stood stunned, unable to prod any further as to why. With a sigh, Itachi got to his feet, abandoning the last of the fish which the blond quickly took and began to eat.
"All I needed to show you was that. I didn't want you to become some fodder for those bastards. You can go back if you want, of course they'd still try to capture you."
"Tsunade would kill them when she found out!"
"Naruto these men are not daft. You would be pronounced dead, and a tale so convincing even the wisest man would fall for it would be spun."
"But now all they'll do is declare me missing and raise complete hell. I mean, they'll be looking for me. Akatsuki will be looking for you...and you can't stand a chance against both forces! Kisame was right about that, they'll destroy you!"
Itachi only laughed in response, figuring that untimely death to be a quick end to the hollow lonliness that had settled in his heart.
A gentle touched stirred this however, and he was soon met with a pair of concerned aquatic eyes, fighting that lonliness off, and winning.
"Itachi Uchiha is not invincible. He is strong, but he can lose. So please, let me come with you and help. Besides, Akatsuki might come after me before they focus on you. You wouldn't want that to happen right?"
Smiling softly, the blond nudged the Uchiha until the corners of his lips perked up almost half-heartedly.
"Alright, I suppose you can be pathetic at times."
Lightly tapping him on the shoulder again, both boys worked on covering their trail, whilst Itachi taught the blond everything he knew of a fairly nomadic lifestyle.

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"What do you mean, no sign of him?!"
Two ANBU lay kneeled before the table behind which their Hokage sat at, never letting their eyes wander from the floor, out of respect, and fear for Tsunade's sheer rage. The busty woman had taken to letting her anger out on the countertop before her, splitting the wood in half with one slam of her fist.
"E-exactly what we said ma'am. We've searched and searched, but Naruto's house is immaculate and even tracker dogs can't pick up on his scent."
"I asked you to do this job because you are the greatest team of ANBU in the village. Not only is Naruto important to the village, if Akatsuki get their hands on him, it'll spell the end of lives everywhere!"
The two flinched beneath their masks at the Hokage's wrath, both pitying and admiring the brave soul who dared to pick a fight with her.
"Ugh, both of you get out of my sight."

The blond woman turned to the window, ignoring the two shinobi who's presences dissapeared in a puff of smoke. She alternated her attention between her own reflection and the village skyline, tracing her finger along the sleepless bags under her eyes. Ever since Naruto had gone missing, she'd been lying on a bed of nails, and the resulting stress had began to pile on her nerves.
Amber eyes flew towards the doorway, her fist at first clenching and relaxing soon after.
"You can come in now Sakura."
At her command, the cherry blossom timidly walked into the room, feeling a bit taken aback herself at her master's rage.
"Tsunade-sama...they didn't..?"
"No trace of Naruto whatsoever. It's as if he vanished off the face of the planet."

Sakura's emerald eyes dimmed hopelessly, already sore with tears. She sniffled stubbornly and rubbed the liquid away, hoping her resolve was strong enough to stay composed. Again she was useless. Naruto was in danger, possibly dying, possibly captured, and where was she? Sitting in the Hokage's office, crying her eyes out. Where was the endless two year training she'd put herself through? What happened to the promise she had told herself time and time again to protect Naruto?
"He's done...so much for me....and I.."
Opening her mouth to speak, the cherry blossom was soon interrupted by yet another intruder, staring down at the back of the Hokage's head with an irritatingly condescending smile. His face was marred with scars of battles long past, though most of it was obscured by bandages. To his side were yet another set of ANBU, though these merely stared blankly with their masks, no incentive to show respect towards their leader.
Though the man was elderly, he was indeed ominous, and the aura that surrounded him sent shivers down Sakura's spine.

"Danzo." Tsunade simply said, hiding her anger behind the most stoic facade she could muster. Carefully working to keep her temper in check, the Hokage turned around and folded her arms, biting her fiery tounge in place.
"Well well Tsunade-sama. Are you sure you won't be needing my help?"
"Since when in the world did you care about Naruto's well being?"
"Since it began to jeapordize the village of course. I was the one who suggested you keep that fox under lock and key, and since you decided to let him roam and have his freedom, we are now missing the nine tailed beast that could possibly be used to attack us a second time!"
"Naruto is not just the fox god damn it!!"
Again Tsunade released her anger on the remains of the table, shattering it further into utter rubble. Though Sakura jumped away, neither Danzo nor the two beside him flinched the slighest.
"Naruto is a human being with his own thoughts and his own actions. I don't care about the damn fox! He must be returned because he is an important part of this village, and one day you will be bowing to him as Hokage."
"I would sooner let myself be spat on before I bowed to a demon."
"I would sooner let myself be spat on before I accepted help from the likes of you."

Not surprised by the Hokage's sharp tounge, Danzo let out a low chuckle, his voice full of spite.
"Well Tsunade-sama. You have no choice in the matter."
One of the statuesque ANBU stepped foward, placing a small scroll into the palm of Tsunade's open hand. Unwraveling it carefully, she read the parchment with disdain, growing more upset as it went on.
"The elders have already agreed that I send a tracker ninja with the next team you send out. This person will be hand picked by me, and you have no say in the matter. Understand, princess?"
"Get out."
Clenching her teeth, Tsunade dropped the scroll to the ground, watching Danzo's retreating figure with pure venom in her stare. Sighing, she sunk into her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose, at a complete loss.

"Tsunade-sama...I can go with the tracker. I don't trust that Danzo man just sending him out alone, and if it's both of us, I can keep an eye on him."
"No...no I have a better idea. You have one hour to prepare for this journey, and I want you in my office immideately after."
Sakura nodded and formally dismissed herself, making way to the doorway. Adrenaline coarsed through her system, pushing the cherry blossom ever foward, her sights set only on finding Naruto.
"This time, I'll protect you Naruto."

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Yaaaaaay. I did it.
Sounded real heavy on NaruSaku there for a sec didn't it? Well, it's not romantic. I mean I like NaruSaku but this is solely a platonic relationship, nothing else.
I might pair Sakura up with someone.
If you suggest Sasuke I'll stab you in the jaw, absolutely not. B|

*cough*
Anyway, I hope everyone liked this chapter.

Okay, so due to personal reasons, I tried to change my account username. This somehow fucked up my profile and now I can't even update it or access my own or anything. I don't know what's wrong, so if someone can help tell me what's up, that'd be great.