Hello my lovelies! :D How are you all today? Good I hope?

Well, here we have the next..episode...of ADB! XD Yes, this is the part that I lost during the whole 'split the chapter' thing. But don't worry, I think that, perhaps, this chapter came out better than the first attempt! ...I hope! D:

Now...ahem...the end of this chapter is...a little bit...lemon scented. -listens to squeals of delight from fangirls- Oi, oi! It's just a bit lemon-scented! You should all know by now I don't do the full out lemon-cakes! Just a little tinge here and there, just a whiff or two... And as for those that would rather NOT read it(smell it) I have added an interruption to announce it's arrival, so you can easily just scroll past it to the ending AN, okay? There we go, we accommodate everyone! ^_^

Now, without further ado, here we go!

Warnings: Mild violence, language, boyxboy kiss and a whiff of lemony goodness.

Disclaimer: already been covered darling.


Sasuke sighed in annoyance as he towelled his hair dry, peering out from under the material at the blond standing in his doorway, hands on his hips and a determined look in his eyes.

"So let me get his straight," he said slowly, moving the towel back to have a clear view, "you want to go to a club tonight?"

Naruto nodded, grinning. "Yep!"

"Hn. No," Sasuke grunted and continued drying his hair. Naruto scowled.

"Hn. Yes!" he imitated Sasuke's grunt, returning the icy glare he received with one of his own. "Come on, bastard! I'm tired of watching reruns, you suck at being lazy and it's our last night off before we head out to save the world again! Let's go to a club, have some drinks and maybe dance for a bit or something!" he argued.

Sasuke sent him an irritated scowl but Naruto only sent him a frustrated puppy dog face in reply. The raven grumbled obscenities under his breath, pulling the towel away and wringing it in his hands.

"Okay, how about this," he started, holding up a hand to silence any words Naruto was going to vomit at him, "we can go to a club," he said the word as if it were something unpleasant he found floating in his toilet, "if you agree to shut the hell up for the evening and not bug me about not dancing or whatever."

Naruto frowned for only a moment before grinning and nodding. "Deal! I'll be calm and cool, I won't speak above an accepted volume and I'll even make you breakfast tomorrow morning!" he cheered. Sasuke snorted, shaking his head and running his hand through the damp locks to get rid of a knot.

"No thanks. I don't want food poisoning while I'm scaling a fifty-foot building," he mocked and Naruto gave him the finger but his smile was pleased.

"I'll be back!" he said, turning and leaving the room to go and get his own clothes to change into. Sasuke sighed, wondering what he had just condemned himself to as he sat on his bed, wearing nothing but the loose sweatpants he'd put on after his shower.

Naruto had been on his case the moment he returned home from his jog, demanding that they go out somewhere since Sasuke was a-in Naruto's words- 'useless lazy person' and that their going out would somehow help the harpoon Sasuke allegedly had up his backside.

Scowling at the memory of that little insult, Sasuke whipped the towel back onto his head, slowly rubbing it across the damp spikes while his mind began to wander over the last few days.

There had been so many new developments in his life lately, he was still disbelieving over half of them. And so much of it was all because of the blond currently changing in his living room.

Since he'd become partner with Naruto, things had been turned upside down and inside out. Two months ago he was Agent Sharingan, the most efficient loner agent in the entire agency with a one hundred percent success rate and who was a straight man.

Now he was Agent 'Duck-Butt' Sharingan, a not-so-efficient partner with a lucky success rate and an injury count that was higher than he'd ever had, and to make matters worse...he was starting to feel a bit on the rainbow side of the sexuality spectrum.

He had, by now, acknowledged that he held an attraction to Naruto. And it was more than that of a friendship. But what would he call Naruto? A partner? Co-worker? Friend? Or something more?

He wasn't even sure what he wanted to call Naruto. The attraction he felt had left him confused. Sure, he was physically attracted to the man, though Sasuke still tried to deny it on occasion purely for the sake of his sanity, but what if he acted on it?

What if he told Naruto about his desires?

If he didn't end up on a stretcher with Naruto walking away in disgust and instead things took a pleasant turn, would it just be a one-time thing? Did Sasuke want it to be a one-time thing or would he want more?

He wasn't even sure of his own desires, and it was driving him crazy. He didn't know his own wants; that was just annoying. How could he not know what he wanted? He was the one that wanted it, right? So surely he should know what 'it' was! But no, he was still undecided on his own thoughts and desires.

Sometimes he wondered if things would be better if he'd never had Naruto as a partner.

However, every time that thought crossed his mind, a little voice reminded him that Naruto had saved his life. If Naruto had not been there, he may well have died at the first gunshot from Deidara the Bombing Psychopath. And even if Sasuke had pulled a miracle out of his backside and escaped from there alive, there was no guarantee he would've lived through the other missions. If he'd been in the elevator alone, he would've died.

Then again, perhaps he wouldn't have been shot if he wasn't protecting Naruto.

He growled in his throat. It was all so confusing and contradicting and it was driving him absolutely nuts! He just didn't know how to proceed anymore! Should he continue to squash the ever growing emotions over Naruto or perhaps try to embrace them? He'd already, in some ways, accepted them. Of course, that just made things worse since they surfaced even more often now that he acknowledged their existence.

"Okay, let's—" Naruto trailed off, hand on the doorknob as he noticed Sasuke was just sitting on his bed, staring into space while his towel sat upon his damp hair. He saw the way that the Uchiha's expressions shifted, his eyes darkening and lighting and his eyebrows tilting or furrowing every now and then.

'Just judging by his expression, it seems he is in deep thought over a very complicated matter. My guess is...his gayness. And perhaps the stick up his ass,' he thought the last bit with a smirk and stepped into the room, making his way over to the raven. He stood before the man, letting his hand plop onto the towel and begin to sweep it over the dark hair.

Sasuke snapped out of his musings and immediately began to struggle and curse the blond, but Naruto only laughed.

"Now now, Sasuke, you shouldn't leave your hair wet! You could catch a cold, and we all know how easy bastards can catch a cold!" he said cheerfully, completely ignoring the punches aimed at his stomach. Unfortunately for Sasuke, it was Hulk-Hour and Naruto didn't feel anything but a brief pressure.

Sasuke fought valiantly, delivering several punches and even a double-fist attack to Naruto's lower abdomen but it was to no avail. Finally realizing that Naruto was under the effects of the virus, Sasuke gave up and sat there with a snarl on his face.

"You idiot."

Naruto just grinned, finishing his work. He pulled the towel away, sweeping his hand through the air.

"Ta-daa!"

Sasuke stood up, grabbing the towel and shoving it in Naruto's face before he made his way to his closet, ignoring the laughing man behind him. He pulled out a pair of black jeans and a blue-button up shirt. Naruto was dressed in his new orange shirt and blue jeans with a dark brown jacket. Sasuke grabbed his own black jacket, sliding it on.

"Come on, let's get this over with," he groaned and Naruto pumped his fists into the air.

"Awesome! Clubbing here we come!"

"Idiot."

~ADB~


They had looked online to find a club; well they had after Sasuke finished beating Naruto with a book after he opened his laptop to find it set on a porn-site upon loading. Naruto had just about busted his gut laughing at Sasuke's reaction, but he apologized profusely when Sasuke had dropped the book and grabbed his chair instead. Once they got over that, the managed to locate a club that wasn't too far away and that had a high rating.

Sasuke called a cab while Naruto mourned the fact that his phone was dead and he had to leave it behind to charge. Soon they were in the cab, discussing various things until they arrived at the club.

It was a dark and intimidating structure. The large double doors were guarded by two burly bouncers who stood upon their pedestals, staring down at the crowd milling around. A large, blood-red neon sign was set atop the building, showing the words 'The Red Sand' upon the detailed visage of a large scorpion.

The two managed to get into the line heading in, pleased to find that they got in rather fast since most of the crowd were underage. Naruto offered a pleasant smile to the bouncers who only stared at him with a look of utter disdain.

"Man, those guys need to get laid," the blond murmured as they stepped into the building and Sasuke snorted at the comment.

They stepped forward and paused to take in the sight before them.

The club was mainly just a giant hall that had been fashioned to suit its design. An archway of potted palm-trees was set up a few paces away from the entrance doors. Beyond that, there were three shallow steps to the dance floor, which took up most of the floor. Red tile shone in the flashing lights and in the very centre of the floor was a circular platform that held the DJ booth and two giant speakers on either side of it. Similar speakers were stationed at the four corners around the dance floor. There was a type of divider just behind the DJ booth, obviously to provide a section for the DJ to walk to the backrooms without having to fight through the crowds. Beyond the red tiles, two staircases were visible. They cut into the wall, vanishing up and inwards in the wall, obviously leading to the large balcony section that could be seen. The rich red carpet of the stairs looked like a bloody waterfall in the brightly lit staircase. Tables, couches and a dimly lit bar were set up on the balcony, and right behind that was the window. It was large and wide, giving everyone a view of the sky and the moon, as well as the parking lot behind the building where guests could park their cars and keep an eye on them. Thick, electronic panels could be seen on either side of the window, obviously there to close when it was daytime.

Naruto's attention was most drawn to the large strobe light hovering above the dance floor, just above the DJ booth. It was a large structure fashioned to look like a magnificent red scorpion, its pincers held out threateningly and its stinger poised to strike. Lights shone from the tips of its legs, pincers and the main light was at the tip of its stinger, the bright rays shining down through the body of the scorpion which was made of various red shades of glass, creating a crystalline effect on the floor below.

Naruto let out an impressed whistle. "Damn! This place is epic! It just makes you feel the danger, you know?" he said. Sasuke grunted in response, eyes automatically roving over the crowd gathered on the dance floor. It looked like things had only just started to pick up as there weren't too many people yet.

Naruto wasn't joking when he spoke about the sense of danger. The moment he'd stepped through the door, Sasuke had felt on edge and alert. Something about the club just felt...wrong. It was as if he was missing something. And he felt like he was being watched. Naruto took several steps forward, standing in the archway and looking out at the area in awe. Sasuke stood behind him, his eyes scanning the area while his body got more and more tense.

'Something's wrong,' he thought, and his eyes caught movement behind him. He snapped his head around and his eyes narrowed at seeing the two bouncers from before closing the doors and bolting them. He felt a stare on him and turned once more, his attention drawn to the DJ booth. The man was staring right back at him, one hand pressing against the earphone on his ear while the other hand stopped scratching the records and instead hung by his side and out of sight. Finally Sasuke noticed the growing shadows on the balcony, indicating people were gathering there.

Naruto could feel how tense Sasuke was and he turned concerned eyes to the man. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch Sasuke's shoulder. Pale pink lips parted.

"Kyuubi..."

Naruto's eyes widened and then a voice rang out above the music, enhanced by a microphone.

"Well well, what have we here? Two little ants wandering into a scorpions nest?" a horribly familiar voice sounded.

Both agents snapped their attention to the balcony, seeing the figure of a person that set them on edge.

"Sasori..." Naruto breathed and the red-head's smirk was visible even at this distance.

"It looks like it's our lucky night," he whispered, licking his lips while he played with a coin in his fingers. He stared directly at the two men before directing his next words to his gathered henchmen. "Kill them both."

The first gunshot cracked through the air like lightning and the people on the dance floor began to scream and make a mad dash for the exit. The two agents ducked before rushing opposite sides, taking cover behind the large palms. They ducked down, covering their heads when bark and splinters showered over them from bullets smashing into the trees.

The people panicked more and more, slamming into the doors but they were locked. The noise was deafening, and Sasuke held a hand up to his ear. The bouncers were trying to fight past the crowds but with little success it seemed.

Naruto swallowed thickly, wincing as another shot slammed into the tree he was hiding behind. Taking a chance he darted to the side, rolling across the floor and narrowly avoiding a spray of bullets. He quickly stood up next to Sasuke, his shoulder touching the raven's as they both hid behind a tree.

"What're we going to do!?" Naruto yelled above the noise.

"We need to get out of here!" Sasuke yelled back, and then he cursed and pulled Naruto down when a bullet hit the pot and porcelain shards rained over them. Naruto looked up, peering out from the hiding spot only to duck back again rapidly when more bullets were flung his way. The DJ had a shotgun and was doing most of the firing while all the gunmen on the balcony had pistols or what looked to be machine guns.

Naruto moved to peer out the other side, his eyes landing on the divide that offered a path from the DJ booth and back. It was partially covered and had a clear path to the booth.

He tugged on Sasuke's arm, letting the raven see the path. They both stared at each other, understanding what needed to be done.

"I'll be the decoy. I'm a fast runner," Naruto said. Sasuke grabbed his arm before he could move.

"I'm more agile than you! I can dodge the shots better, I should be the decoy," he argued as the beginnings of Welcome to the Jungle began to play. Naruto shook his head.

"You're agility is what'll make you the best suited to get to the booth! I'm the decoy, that's it!" he said firmly and then he ran out of the cover. "Over here you warthogs!" he roared, though most of it was lost due to the blasting music.

Sasuke cursed, bolting out the opposite way and running while crouched to avoid being seen for as long as he could. The gunmen were focused on Naruto, shots being fired at him as he sprinted across the dance floor. He took cover behind one of the large speakers at the corner of the floor and crouched down, covering his ears and yelling in pain when the speaker squealed loudly after bullets smashed into it.

The gunmen were distracted by the noise and Sasuke took the chance. He raced towards the booth, taking a running leap and vaulting over the back of the platform. He brought his leg around in a powerful sweeping kick which collided with the side of the DJ's head, sending the man skidding off the platform and falling onto the dance floor, out cold. Sasuke grabbed the shotgun he'd dropped and spun around, firing a spray towards the balcony and scattering the gathered men.

He jumped and ran over to where Naruto was crouching, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

"Come on! We need to get to the exit! It'll be by the staff rooms!" he yelled above the loud squealing of the speaker and the music still blaring from the others. They bolted towards the large black metal doors set between the staircases where the staff rooms would be and Sasuke made sure to fire a covering shot towards the balcony again.

Naruto reached out, ready to grab the handle and open the door when movement met his eyes to the left. Reflex made him jump and run up the wall, hearing bullets slam a trail after him before he pushed off and flipped, landing besides Sasuke who aimed and took out the gunman standing on the stairs.

Naruto once again ran to the door, only to bounce back when it didn't budge. He growled, shaking the handle with force but to no avail.

"It's locked!" he roared, stepping back and kicking at the door repeatedly in an attempt to break it open. Sasuke joined him, slamming his foot against the door alongside Naruto to try and get it to budge but it just wouldn't move.

Naruto let out a stream of curses in various tongues, slamming his fist on the door. There was another shot and the two stood back to back, Sasuke shooting the attacker. Movement caught Naruto's eye and he turned to see a gunman running down the stairs on the right.

"Sharingan!"

His tone was all Sasuke needed to know and he swung his arms back and over Naruto's shoulders, presenting him with the shotgun. Naruto took it, firing a clean shot and handing it back to Sasuke as the gunman fell down the last few steps, dead as a doornail. The blond ran over to him, grabbing the two pistols he'd been clutching. He knew he needed guns if he was going to get through this night alive.

He ran back over to Sasuke, wiping away some sweat.

"What's the plan now?" he yelled upon stopping.

Sasuke cursed, gripping his hair and looking at the locked door. Never had they been so unprepared before. They always had some sort of weapon stashed away, or a back-up plan but not this time. The closest they'd ever been to this sort of situation was when they'd been captured in Sasori's enterprise. But things were different now.

There was no mysterious shadow to help them out of this.

"We need equipment!" he blurted out, overwhelmed with how unprepared they were.

"Well we don't have any! So what'll we do?" Naruto snapped and Sasuke closed his eyes, his mind racing as he tried to think of a plan. A thought occurred to him and he opened his mouth to tell Naruto only to freeze when the blond was inches from his face. He was about to push the man away and yell about personal space when his ears rang with the sound of two shots being fired right beside them. Naruto stepped back, lowering his guns and Sasuke turned to see two black-clad men falling down the stairs.

He exhaled slowly, turning to look at the blond. "Nice shot," he said and Naruto's lips twitched briefly.

"Thanks," he said, "Now what's the plan?"

"Right," Sasuke reached back, fishing in his pocket and pulling out his phone. He'd only remembered now that he had it. Flipping it open he growled angrily at seeing he was almost out of battery life.

"I can only send a text, but I'll tell Kakashi what's happening so he can send back-up. We'll have to find a way out before they arrive or it'll cause complications for Kakashi to handle this mess without getting into trouble with the police force. Maybe we can smash through the window," he said as he began to type frantically on the small keypad.

Naruto kept an eye out while Sasuke worked. Music was still blaring loudly, filling his ears and throbbing through his body like a liquid bass. It seemed that the enemies were making new plans, as no more gunshots were fired. Naruto didn't like the way it was, he could tell that something was wrong.

"Hurry—" he was cut off, letting out a choked cry when he felt something wrap around his neck and yank him backwards off his feet. Sasuke had just pressed send when he saw Naruto grab at his throat and topple backwards. His phone fell from his hands and he jumped forwards, grabbing the blond.

Naruto was clawing at his throat where he could feel a wire was squeezing. Sasuke was atop him, his fingers frantically pressing around Naruto's throat until he managed to get a grip and pull. Blood trickled down as he yanked at the thin wire but finally it seemed to withdraw and Naruto gasped for air, coughing as Sasuke pulled up, his onyx eyes searching for the source.

He caught sight of light reflecting off another thin wire. With a yell he grabbed Naruto and rolled them both to the right, avoiding the deadly projectile as it whipped the spot they were before. His arms were wrapped around Naruto's shoulders as he continued to roll them to a safe spot. He stopped at the edge of the dance floor, lying atop the blond. Naruto held out his arm, shooting a round at the edge of the balcony and striking the only man still standing there.

"I think the others have moved to come in at a different entrance," he said into Sasuke's ear and the other nodded, quickly climbing to his feet and pulling Naruto up too.

"Fuck this shit," Naruto gasped, a hand coming to rub at his throat. "We need to get out of here!"

Sasuke nodded. "Let's head for the balcony—"

As he spoke the metal doors they had tried to get through previously burst open, soon accompanied by the sound of heavy gunfire.

"RUN!"

Sasuke's yell was met with movement from both sides. As the two agents sprinted for the stairs, the group of heavily armed guards were filing out, shooting at them with what appeared to be AK-47's. Bits of plaster, wood and stair railing exploded around them as they made a mad dash for safety above. Naruto fired back, as did Sasuke, but they were running out of ammo with little chance of getting more.

"Give me a lift!" Naruto suddenly yelled, and Sasuke turned on instinct, crouching and offering his hands as a boost as he had at the party where Gaara was kidnapped. Naruto jumped, and Sasuke pushed him up before allowing his head to follow the blond and see what he was doing. His eyes widened when he saw Naruto grab onto one of the hanging light fixtures just at the entrance to the stairs. Knowing what the blond planned to do, Sasuke rushed to reach the top before he got caught in the mess.

He dived and rolled just as he heard the loud creak of metal and Naruto landed a few feet beside him on the balcony as the light fixture fell down, crashing on the top stair with an ear splitting shatter. The electric lights sparked and the carpeted stairs were aflame in seconds, a small barrier being formed. The gunmen cried out as they reached the top only to run back down to avoid the fiery trap.

Sasuke rolled onto his stomach, looking at the temporary reprieve and turned his head, grinning at Naruto. "Nice thinking," he breathed and Naruto grinned back.

"Heh," he huffed smugly, pushing himself up. "I told you I was good," he finished. Sasuke shook his head with a smile, but his expression faded when he saw shadows approaching from the other staircase.

"Find cover!" he ordered, rushing to the side and ducking behind a table. Naruto did the same at a table two paces away, pressing himself against it and catching his breath. They heard the heavy steps of the oncoming attackers before the sounds of gunfire deafened them. They stayed still behind their covers as bullets riddled the floor and smashed into the tables around them and the chairs. A plate exploded off of Naruto's table, a shard of glass slicing across his cheek and nose, dangerously close to his eye, yet he didn't make a sound or move an inch.

Sasuke himself tensed his muscles as a chair was blown off balance by a spray of bullets and splinters of wood bounced off his legs as it landed too close.

Suddenly all gunfire stopped, and the two agents shared a confused look. Sasuke was the one that braved a glance around his table. It seemed most of the gunmen were reloading while a few others were lowering their guns, seemingly believing that they had done the job.

Turning back to Naruto he smirked and nodded. The blond nodded back, a small grin on his face.

In unison they stood up, whirling around and firing the rest of their ammo at the attackers. Several black-clad men fell to the ground with screams of pain while others jumped and crouched, shooting randomly in a panic.

Sasuke vaulted over his table and rushed for the nearest one, leaping into the air and bringing down his heel to smash into the man's face. A crunch was heard and blood spurted out of the person's nose while a pair of black shades shattered into two parts. The man slumped forwards and Sasuke grabbed him, turning him around and using his body as a shield from a spurt of bullets directed his way. He strafed to the right, feeling the heavy body in his arms jerking violently as more and more bullets pierced the flesh.

There was a loud scream of pain and most of the heads, including Sasuke's, turned to see Naruto jumping over the bleeding body of another man who had a large shard of broken ceramic plate stuck in his neck. Naruto slid across the marble floor, bringing his leg up and letting it collide against the first attackers head. He went flying over the railing with a yell before he crashed down onto the DJ booth, the sounds of circuits frying flesh cutting off the loud music briefly before it resumed playing.

Sasuke took the opportunity to throw his human shield at the closest attacker, at the same time grabbing the gun from the dead man's shoulder. As the corpse knocked down one man, he opened fire on the others, gunning down three of them before they gained enough sense to duck out of the way. A sudden echo of his gunfire made him look to Naruto who had obtained his own gun and was copying his actions, further driving the men into hiding.

"Come on Kyuubi! Let's go!" Sasuke yelled, backing away towards the window. Naruto yelled an affirmation, moving to follow him. He sprayed a few more bullets after the men who finally retreated back down the stairs and turned.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke heard Naruto scream his name before he felt something collide with his head. Yelling in pain, he whirled around, pulling the gun up only to feel it get yanked out of his hand. His eyes adjusted and he saw Sasori standing nearby, his hands outstretched as several thin chords of wire whirred through the air around him. His gun was caught in one and it was yanked into the man's hands.

Sasuke cursed, jumping back to avoid getting shot.

Naruto ran forwards, pulling his weapon up. "Get away from him!" he roared, his finger already pressing on the trigger. The sound of wire springing into action was his only warning before something slashed across his face. He cried out as his eyes were almost struck, having just closed them in time. He stumbled back a few feet only to trip and fall on his back when something wrapped around his ankles.

Sasuke growled as he saw Naruto go down, his fists clenching tightly as Sasori turned his eyes back to him. The red head flicked his wrist, and the coil of wire that had wrapped around Naruto's ankles broke away from the mechanism attached to his wrists.

"Sasuke, was it?" Sasori drawled slowly, taking a casual step forward. "Funny name that...I'm sure it belonged to an Uchiha, did it not?" he asked coldly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he tensed, raising his hands in a fighting stance, fingers clawed. "Hn."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "Uchiha indeed," he murmured. "You and your blond lackey have done enough damage to my organization. It's time you went out of the picture for good." His hands lifted up, palms towards the floor while his fingers spread out. "I'm going to enjoy slicing you to bits. And then I'll get to work draining the blood from your friend over there. He might be valuable, after all."

Sasuke's glare was more heated than the sun. "Over my dead body, you shit-faced dwarf," he snarled before launching forward, shoes pounding against the marble floor. He was heading for Sasori straight on, but just as he got in range and saw the man's hands move in defence, he diverted to the side, skidding across the floor and knocking shards of glass and wood aside before rushing forward, his fist slicing through the air in a clear shot for Sasori's side.

Just before his fist made contact, Sasori whirled around, and a wire wrapped around Sasuke's wrist forcing it away. He yanked his wrist back and slipped it out of the wire. Sasori jumped back in time to avoid his windmill kick and delivered a swift jab to the stomach himself. Sasuke slid back along the floor, one arm wrapping around his stomach while he coughed at the winded feeling. Gaining his air supplies again he ducked to the side to avoid a wire shooting for his neck.

As he moved out of the way he reached out, snagging the wire with his fingers. In a quick move he wrapped it around his fingers securely and pulled. Sasori wasn't expecting the tug and stumbled forwards.

Sasuke dashed for him and rammed his arm straight into the shorter man's neck, making him fall onto his back with a choked cry.

Looming over the man on the ground Sasuke pulled at the wires, feeling them slice his finger a bit but he was satisfied when he saw the mechanisms attached to Sasori's wrists spark before smoke began to rise. He'd broken them.

Sasori glared up at him as Sasuke stamped a foot on his chest, keeping him down. "You agents...you may have defeated me but you won't bring down our organization," he snarled and then growled when Sasuke stepped on his chest harder, the crack of a rib breaking cutting the growl short.

"Hn. That's where you're wrong," Sasuke said calmly. "You so-called villains never learn. The bad guys never win."

Sasori's glare sharpened before his bloodied lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "What about the bad guy who killed your family?" he whispered and Sasuke's face immediately darkened. Sasori snickered coldly before crying out in agony when Sasuke stomped on his chest extra hard, breaking more ribs and winding him.

"I will find him. And when I do, I will tell him the same thing before I end his pitiful existence," Sasuke whispered venomously.

Through his pain, Sasori grinned. "Oh, I doubt it...little Uchiha," he strained out the name before coughing, blood spurting out and speckling across his cheek. His head thumped down while his eyes rolled back and he passed out from pain.

Sasuke stood over him, glaring down at the man before him. He slowly removed his foot, standing with his fists clenched. Something was crawling in the back of his mind; a nagging feeling of dread that told him something was wrong, amiss. That there was something he needed to know.

A low groan reached his ears and he looked up. Cursing, he rushed over to where Naruto was lying, looking disorientated.

"Agent! Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, sliding to his knees beside the blond and hoisting him up by his shoulders, holding him up in his arms.

Naruto groaned again, an arm gingerly coming to feel the back of his head. "Yeah...I hit my head pretty hard. I think I blacked out for a few seconds even. What happened?" he asked, looking around and spotting Sasori lying several feet away, out cold and bleeding. "Shit Uchiha, what'd you do?"

"Hn. I kicked his ass," Sasuke said smugly and Naruto grinned cheekily.

"Only because I distracted him for you," he joked and Sasuke snorted as he helped the other to his feet.

"Come on. We'd better get out of here. Kakashi will be arriving with a team shortly and it's better if we're not here while he cleans up the mess. No doubt he'll give us an earful when we go back tomorrow," he grunted, walking beside Naruto as they headed for the stairs.

Naruto chuckled at the thought, limping slightly due to his ankle getting twisted when Sasori wired it earlier. They trudged down the stairs that weren't aflame and headed to the open metal doors that lead into the back rooms. It seemed as though the rest of the staff and guards had already high tailed it out of there, undoubtedly scared now that their boss was taken out.

They saw the exit and sighed with relief, stepping out into the cold night air. It had started to rain, the small droplets feeling like heaven on their heated skin after all the fighting. They were in a back alley, but they could hear the sirens out near the front of the club. As they walked past a branching alley that led to the front, they caught sight of Kakashi dressed in a police uniform, looking stern and imposing as he ordered the other 'policemen' around while men dressed in black discreetly carried in gadgets used for scanning, containment and evidence.

"Wow...This might sound," Naruto grunted when his ankle jolted and he leant against the wall for some support while Sasuke slowed his steps, standing slightly ahead of the blond. "This might sound really weird, but I cannot wait to climb into your bed."

Sasuke blinked, and Mochi soon sprang up in his mind, yelling various versions of the phrase that could be interpreted wrongly. His cheeks heated slightly but thankfully the rain covered it. Instead he snorted and smirked.

"Hn. Come on, let's hurry," he said, motioning for Naruto to hurry as he went on ahead. The blond was massaging his ankle, trying to sooth some of the annoying ache. He waved his own hand at Sasuke, indicating he would catch up in a moment.

Sasuke shook his head, continuing on around the corner. He was about to shove his hands into his pockets when he looked up and all thought and oxygen left him.

Standing halfway down the alley, soaked to the bone from the rain and yet still looking as elegant and imposing as ever...

"...Itachi..." Sasuke breathed, his eyes wide and vulnerable. "..B-brother..."

~ADB~


Itachi stared at him blankly, his long hair plastered to his face and streams of water caressing the stress lines he sported. He was wearing a sleek black button-up shirt that clung to his skin and a pair of white slacks that hugged his form now that they were wet. One hand was hooked in his pocket casually while the other hung by his side, clutching a dark, metallic object.

"Hn. Hello," Itachi's voice was deeper than he remembered but Sasuke was distracted from that fact by the iciness of his tone. The small bead of hope that had been forming in his heart at seeing his brother alive was crushed under a sudden horrific realization at Itachi's next words, "My foolish little brother."

Sasuke's eyes were so wide it was a miracle they didn't fall out of his skull. His skin paled as Itachi's loose arm raised, the glint of a gun catching in the faintest hint of light from above while the rain continued to pour down. He barely registered his own breathing, which had sped up to a level that was considered hyperventilation.

"Brother..." he said again, the word like a plea as he looked straight into Itachi's eyes. It was disturbing, how the rain almost made it appear as if the man was crying, yet his eyes were cold and empty. Deadly.

"Hn."

Sasuke didn't even hear the first gunshot. He didn't really feel the bullet that hit his side. His body stumbled back, his hands coming to clutch at the area out of reflex but his eyes never left Itachi's blank face. He saw the pale finger pressing the trigger again, this time aiming straight for his head.

'I'm going to die...He's going to kill me...Itachi is going to kill me...' despite this realization, he couldn't bring himself to move. A second shot was fired, and Sasuke could literally see the bullet zooming straight for his head, right between his eyes. He waited for the hit to come, waited for the sight before him to be replaced with an infinite darkness.

But it never came.

His vision was instead replaced by the full body of his blond haired partner as Naruto threw himself in the way of the bullet. Sound rushed back to his ears in the form of Naruto yelling out as the bullet slammed against his chest. And with sound came pain and fear. His heart was beating while his hands clutched tighter at his side, trying to stop the blood.

He tried to call out to Naruto but he didn't need to. The blond hadn't fallen. Instead, Naruto was charging towards Itachi with a loud roar, his hands grabbing the side of a dumpster. Sasuke could barely register amazement as the large metal container flew through the air towards his brother, crashing to the ground just as the older Uchiha slipped out of sight down another alleyway.

Naruto didn't waste his time going after the other man, instead turning back and rushing over to Sasuke. There was blood on his shirt, but the tear showed that the bullet wound wasn't nearly as serious as it should've been. 'Sasuke's reflexes must have kicked in at the last second! He must've managed to dodge it even a bit!' he thought frantically.

"The virus," Sasuke mumbled to himself, his voice delirious. "Itachi...he shot me..."

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice was loud in his ear but he didn't answer. His mind was in pieces as he tried to process what had just happened. His brother..his brother was alive. His brother was alive and grown up and holding a gun...and shooting him! His brother was trying to kill him!

"He tried to kill me! He tried to kill me!" he started to repeat the phrase, voice rising in pitch and intensity until he was almost shrieking it, the only thing stopping him from doing just that was Naruto's hand over his mouth as he was hoisted into the blond's arms.

Naruto took off, running through the rain at a speed that wasn't normal. He carried Sasuke as though the man weighed the same as a small child in the arms of a body builder. Sasuke was still clutching his own wound, blood soaking through his shirt and mixing with the rain.

"He tried to kill me!"

"Sasuke, snap out of it!" Naruto yelled. The rain had gotten worse, making it difficult to see but he managed to find his way back to Sasuke's apartment. Time seemed to have sped up as it hadn't felt that long since they were in the alleyway, but there was no way he had gotten to Sasuke's apartment in under ten minutes. Or maybe he had somehow? He wasn't sure what the effects of the virus were like when grouped with an adrenaline rush instilled by panic and fear.

He raced into the lobby, noting with relief that Stone wasn't anywhere to be seen at the moment. He didn't want to have to deal with any questioning.

He ran up the stairs rather than taking the elevator and rushed down the hall to Sasuke's apartment door. Sasuke had gone into a state of shock, his eyes permanently glued open while he rambled on in a low voice about his brother and guns and getting shot and death. Naruto fumbled to get the keys from Sasuke's pockets but he finally managed and got the door open, slamming it shut behind them.

He dropped Sasuke onto the couch, and the movement seemed to snap him out of his ramble long enough to let out a shout of pain.

"Fuck!"

Naruto knelt down and pulled Sasuke's shirt off so he could see how bad the wound was. It was a deep graze but it seemed that it wasn't something he couldn't take care of. The biggest problem was the bleeding.

"Okay, I'm going to get the medical kit! I'll be right back!" Naruto said, jumping up and running to the bathroom. He was in such a hurry he missed the way Sasuke tried to grab his arm and stop him from leaving.

When Naruto was out of sight, Sasuke broke down. He clutched at his head, his eyes wide and wild as he finally started to make sense of things.

'Itachi is alive. He's been alive this entire time! He's been alive and he hasn't tried to look for me...he was alive but he tried to kill me. Does that mean that he...that he was the one...did he kill mom and dad? Was it him all along?' the idea of his beloved big brother being the one responsible for the death of his family was like a ten ton boulder being smashed against his body. He cried out, fisting the material of the couch as he writhed in a physical pain that was both from the gun wound and from his sudden revelation. He felt sick to his stomach, and the urge to throw up was overwhelming. He gagged, slapping a bloodied hand over his mouth. Tears were starting to leak from his eyes, out of frustration and fear and sadness. They stained his cheeks on the way down.

Steps thudded closer and then Naruto was back, skidding to a halt beside the couch and frantically ripping out bandages.

"Sasuke, hold still! I need to get this to stop bleeding!" he yelled, but Sasuke wasn't listening. He was hyperventilating as images of his brother shooting at him, shooting his sweet mother and his stern father...images of his brother covered in the blood of his own family assaulted his mind. He couldn't breathe anymore; his lungs refused to take in air.

"Sasuke! Sasuke snap out of it!" Naruto yelled frantically, pulling the man to lie flat so he could get a bandage around his stomach. Sasuke struggled but Naruto used the strength of the virus to hold him down and finish wrapping the bandage around him. He let go and Sasuke started to writhe again, looking genuinely terrified of something that wasn't there.

Naruto yelled at him to calm down, but it seemed like Sasuke couldn't hear him. He was growing desperate, his chest aching at seeing Sasuke in so much pain. He needed to do something!

A light clicked on in his mind and he grabbed Sasuke's shoulders.

"Calm down!" he yelled again, giving it one more try. Sasuke just started to shake his head, saying something about betrayal and family and Naruto held his wrists tighter before sweeping in.

Sasuke froze as he felt lips connect with his and his thoughts ground to a halt as Naruto pressed closer, moving his lips gently and soothingly over his own. His hands shook in the blond's hold before he pushed back, closing his eyes and biting at Naruto's lip harshly. Naruto winced, the effects of the virus beginning to wear off. He didn't pull away though, knowing that Sasuke wasn't in a good state of mind yet. But his plan seemed to be working somewhat.

When Sasuke had stopped biting at his lip he pulled back, licking at the beads of blood that were forming while Sasuke panted heavily in front of him, his eyes unfocused. He stared at the Uchiha, searching for a sign that he had done something right to ease the man's mind.

Sasuke was still trying to register what had happened. He had been panicking over his brother and then it had all gone away. What made it go away?

He looked up, his eyes clearing and focusing on Naruto's face. Or more specifically on his lips. They were bleeding and swollen and Sasuke licked his own, tasting the familiar taste of Naruto's blood.

He stared into the blue eyes searching his face, and his hands reached out, grabbing Naruto's head and pulling him forwards roughly, slamming their lips together again. He needed this.

(We interrupt this broadcast to make this announcement! : All non-yaoi fans, and all who cannot handle more than a kiss, please scroll to the Author's Note here! Thank you!)

~ADB~


Naruto grunted in surprise as he was pulled back down into another, fiercer kiss. Sasuke was devouring his mouth viciously and he could only close his eyes and take the abuse, noting that it wasn't all too bad. He reached up his own hands, placing them on top of Sasuke's in an attempt to calm him down. It worked because soon Sasuke was no longer biting him, but rather licking his lips in an apologetic and sorrowful manner. He kissed back gently, as if saying 'it's alright, everything is alright' and let Sasuke invade his mouth.

As their tongues got acquainted, Sasuke pushed Naruto back until he was lying on the floor with Sasuke hovering over him, a wet and pale hand sliding under the soggy orange t-shirt and caressing the injury on his chest. Naruto jerked a bit when Sasuke's fingers dipped into the shallow wound and it caused their teeth to clack together harshly, making Sasuke pull away briefly with a hiss. He stared down at Naruto, eyes glazed while Naruto caught his breath and stared back with a vision only slightly more cleared than his.

No words were needed for them to communicate in that moment. Sasuke's eyes screamed it all and Naruto only sighed, reaching down to hold Sasuke's hand and guide it away from his wound, leading it across his abdomen before finally, hesitantly, letting it rest above his crotch. Sasuke's eyes had followed the movement but now they swept back up to him and Naruto smiled at the hesitance. It was as if Sasuke was saying 'are you sure this is okay with you?'

"...It's alright," he murmured softly and Sasuke nodded minutely before leaning back down to claim Naruto in another kiss. His hand rubbed against the fabric slowly at first and then gaining speed, feeling the contents beneath with a growing excitement. Sasuke knew that, come morning, he was going to maybe regret how far he was taking this. He was going to regret how he panicked and had to rely on Naruto to calm down in a way that was intimate and unstable for the both of them. But he also knew that, no matter what excuses he may come up with or what his pride would make him say, he would never regret being this close to Naruto. He would never regret this chance to confront those confusing emotions regarding the blond head on and finally, finally see just where they were taking him.

Naruto's breathing had picked up as Sasuke's hand stopped its massaging only to unbutton his jeans, slide inside and continue it from there. He turned his head, clenching his jaw as he took this time to really think about this. It wasn't too late to turn back; to stop this from happening. He knew that Sasuke would probably regret it in the morning, and would probably try to deny ever wanting it even though it was so obvious that he did want it. That he even needed it.

He gasped as Sasuke started to bite at his neck and struggled to maintain his clear thoughts as Sasuke's hand moved more aggressively.

'The real question right now is...do I want it?' he thought before throwing his head back with a groan as Sasuke increased his pace. He looked up as Sasuke pulled back and he saw the look in his eyes. It was the look of an insecure child, unsure if the treat he was offered was really for him and not just a cruel trick crafted by a mean elder. It was the look of a man who'd suffered and was looking for consolation. It was the look of a person who was finally being allowed a privilege that they had denied themselves for a time.

And Naruto had his answer.

'Yes. I want this.'

It was uncomfortable, being on the floor. Every time he twitched or arched his back, his head would thump against the wood or his elbows would knock against the planks. He would hiss, or bite down on Sasuke's lips and it would only derail whatever pace they had going. Finally, Sasuke had seemed to have had enough of the distractions. He was the first to stand on shaking legs, the first to drag Naruto up and lead him down the pitch black hall. Neither of them had thought to turn on a light, having been accustomed to the dark already.

When they reached the bedroom, it was Sasuke who was pushed onto the bed. Despite his surprise, he yielded under Naruto's onslaught of affection, returning his kisses and touches with his own.

It was a strange mix they found themselves in. There was a definite edge of desperation to everything that Sasuke did; his impatient tugs and disgruntled sounds as he tried to get Naruto to do something. But Naruto was slow and calm, tender in what he did and careful with how he proceeded. It was almost as if their roles had been reversed under the influence of lust. Sasuke was the brash one who went ahead without thinking while Naruto took his time to assess things before diving in to claim the benefits of his patience.

A war had been waged between them once all items of wet clothing had been stripped bare, leaving them on the dampened sheets with the remains of rain clinging to their newly heated skin. Now, under this new pressure, things had gotten wilder, hotter, and fiercer. There was less gentle touching and more aggressive nudges. A fight was held, where the weapons were heated exchanges of skin or heavily panted orders and requests rather than guns or fists and soon they were reaching the point of no return.

Sasuke was lost in everything as he pushed Naruto down against the mattress, gripping the tan wrists tightly as he laid a claim to the man like no other before, his body moving of its own accord as thighs squeezed around his hips and curses were muttered against his ears as he drove forward again and again. All the panic he'd felt before at seeing Itachi again was gone, replaced with a sense of calm that was achieved through the knowledge that Naruto was here, giving into him with a level of trust that was not to be taken lightly.

And Sasuke returned it in fair trade, closing his eyes as he surrendered himself to Naruto. His mind was clear enough now to know that things were going to be difficult come morning. They weren't going to be able to forget about this no matter what they did. And Sasuke was surprised to find that he was content with that. He didn't want to forget. He wanted to remember everything. There was something happening here that was more than just the sensations or the seeking of comfort. A new bond was being formed; one that he hadn't seen coming and one that he hadn't realized he was missing.

By the end of it all, they were both lying under the sheets, twice spent and with their chests heaving as they tried to supply air to their sobbing lungs. Naruto was worse off than he was; Sasuke hadn't been gentle when he'd taken him, unlike Naruto who had been like a sleepy kitten in his actions. The blond fell asleep first, his steady breathing creating a lullaby for Sasuke as he lay on his side, looking at the man who had been thrown into his life and had changed it somehow.

His eyes were sliding shut on this night, but Sasuke knew that when he opened them, it would be to a whole other chapter of his life. And he found himself impatient to greet it, as it promised something better than what he'd had so far.

His last conscious movement was the twining of his hand with Naruto's, a tight hold as if to ensure that he would not be able to leave easily. And for the first time in a long time, Sasuke felt willing to fight to keep that hold tight.

~ADB~


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AAaaaaaand there we have it my pumpkins! (wtf...) How didja enjoy the action in this chapter? Was it exciting? To be honest I was listening to the song Welcome to the Jungle when I wrote it, so perhaps it seemed much more epic to me than it did to you. -sweatdrop- I hope I wasn't overestimating the chapter...

And as for all you fangirls, I hope you are content with the citrusy-scented ending. It's vague, but you know what happened! And as for those who chose not to read it, I can assure you that the only vital things you missed were a few internal monologues in which Sasuke basically told himself that 'he wouldn't regret meeting Naruto' and that he believed the next day would be the start of a new chapter. (in case you haven't read the last two paragraphs) And of course Naruto admitting to himself that he wanted this just as much as Sasuke..okay, maybe not as much as Sasuke since he wasn't hysterical at the time...but yeah... :D You get the gist!

I hope you all enjoyed it, and please remember to leave a review!

Kaoru: No, seriously, leave one! After she finished chapter 15, she suddenly went into a state of blankness and she wasn't sure what to do next! Review and motivate her and inspire her so she doesn't fall behind! I BEG YOU! D;

Kamari: We look forward to hearing from you all! See you next episode of Agent Duck-Butt!