~heyyy~! wow i suck! lol...exactly how long has it been since i updated this story? yeah, even i don't even know. i suppose college and pulling a cross country move has had something to do with the lack of update, but yeah. that and i'm getting really, really bad writer's block on this story...prolly has something to do with the kingdom hearts obsession i have right now ^^; anyway, enjoy! yes, it's a short chapter, and i hate it, but it's gonna have to do until i get some real inspiration and get moving on this...damn i need to bring in the lemons...like bad -_-;

Chapter 11: Making Up

Sasuke and Itachi sat on the benches outside of the changing room. Naruto had left after his little outburst and neither one of them knew where he went. Naruto wasn't even picking up his cell phone, no matter which one of them called.

Sasuke sighed. "Why the hell's he mad at me?"

Itachi frowned and looked over at his little brother. "Why? Didn't you hear him say that you were no different than me?"

"Tsk, whatever. I'm nothing like you."

"Sasuke, you're exactly like me!" Itachi yelled, finally losing his patience. "Can't you see that? The way you told him about our past is no different than me hitting you."

"What are you talking about?"

Itachi sighed in annoyance. "Nevermind. How'd you find out anyway?"

"I got a text message," Sasuke answered.

"A text message?" Itachi repeated. The only one who knew Sasuke's phone number as well as their past was Kisame, but he was Itachi's best friend. There was no way he would rat out what happened with Orochimaru…would he?

"Yeah, text message. I didn't recognize the number, but I decided to open it anyway. It said that if I wanted to know the truth to watch the Channel 4 News. I watched the story and saw our neighborhood."

"That could've been anyone," Itachi mumbled.

"No, it couldn't have," Sasuke said back. "I texted them back asking what it was I was supposed to be looking for. Then I got a reply telling me all about your little…incident. At first I didn't believe any of it, so I decided to call the person texting me so I could at least hear their voice. When they picked up and I demanded their name, they said it was Orochimaru Ryosuke, the guy that just got out of prison. He told me that he was the one that raped you."

"Don't say raped," Itachi said. "It makes it sound worse."

"Itachi, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What good would it have done?" Itachi mumbled.

"Maybe it would've been different if we talked about it."

"How would it have been different?" Itachi yelled. "It doesn't change what happened to me and it doesn't change what I did to you! What's done is done and now I'm taking hell for it!" He got up and began to stomp away.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered.

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry," Sasuke repeated, lifting his head up. "About making Naruto hate you. I was just so mad that he liked you more than me even though…even though I'm always such a jerk to him."

"What you did today was pretty low," Itachi told him, sitting back in his chair.

Sasuke sighed. "I know."

Itachi looked at his brother in confusion. Despite everything in this conversation, the older brother couldn't help but admit that Sasuke looked…guilty. "I forgive you," he finally sighed. "After all, I probably would've done the same thing."

"Really?" Sasuke said hopefully.

Itachi smiled. "Yeah." He sighed then turned in his chair. "Come here, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled slightly then scooted forward and hugged his brother. Itachi smiled and hugged him back. This was how brothers should act, and if all was okay now…this was all at Itachi wanted. He sighed and released Sasuke. "I suppose we should tell Naruto that we've settled things now."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

The two brothers stood up and, with one final smile at each other, walked out of the changing area. Sasuke was the first one to find Naruto, sitting by himself with his feet dangling in one of the hot springs. "Naruto?" he called softly.

Naruto visibly stiffened and turned his head away from where Sasuke was standing. He didn't want to talk to either of them, he didn't want to be caught in the middle of this ridiculous fight that had nothing to do with him. Okay, maybe he played a small role in the whole thing, but it wasn't his fault…he hadn't asked to be brought into this.

Sasuke sighed at the blond's reluctance to face him. He walked over and sat next to him, sticking his feet in the steaming water as well. "So…" he said, in an attempt to start conversation, knowing very well what the reaction would be. He laughed softly as Naruto confirmed exactly what he thought he would do: he turned his body all the way around and crossed his arms, pouting like a child. "Naruto, I think you should know," Sasuke said. "Itachi and I…we made up, we're not fighting anymore. There were some things that needed explaining and we got our answers…I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never meant to."

Naruto's shoulders trembled a bit and Sasuke leaned forward. "Naruto?" It took him a minute to realize, but when he did, it hit like a kunai in the heart. "Naruto, please don't cry…"

The next thing that happened caught the brunette off guard. Naruto spun around and tackled him to the ground, sobbing, soaking Sasuke's shirt with tears. "Naruto?"

"I…I'm sorry," Naruto sobbed.

"What? Wait a moment, why are you sorry?"

Naruto shook his head and looked up at Sasuke with tear-filled, blue eyes. "I…I don't know! But I feel like I should say sorry!"

Sasuke laughed, he couldn't help it. He burst out into laughter, pulled the stunned blonde into his arms and hugged him tight. "Naruto, you're such a dobe!" he said. "You have no reason to be sorry. I hurt you, Naruto, I know I did. And that's why I'm sorry. You did nothing wrong. When I hurt you, you ran to the next closest person you knew, Itachi….I didn't realize it at first…but you running to him was the motivation I needed to get my act together…I know that from my actions, it seems like just empty talk, Naruto, but I'm being 100% truthful here. I honestly and truly love you…."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke and met his eyes, sadness and joy making them fill with tears again. And without another word, Naruto buried his face into Sasuke's chest and began crying again.

Itachi stood in the doorway and watched, thought clouding his eyes. He had heard every word that Sasuke had told Naruto and, despite what he was trying to fight…he had to let Naruto go. When Sasuke had first caught the two in the changing room, Itachi had seen that behind the glare and tough front that Sasuke was putting on, his younger brother had been ready to break. He had seen the hurt and torment that had clouded his eyes as the younger boy pulled out his last hope and spilt Itachi's past. It was his last act of desperation to get the blond to return to him. And to top it all off, Itachi felt like complete shit. Sure he had feelings for the blond, but the whole reason he took Naruto as his own was to hurt his brother. Itachi had always won everything, always had everything, and the last thing that Sasuke was holding on to, Itachi was taking that from him, too. He said he loved his brother, he told everyone that, but his actions were showing otherwise. Itachi looked over at the two younger boys, still wrapped in each other's arms, then turned away and, heaving a heavy sigh, he walked back to his room.