A/N: Hmm I guess I don't have much to complain about here, for once. Mm… Oh an announcement, I will be trying to finish up this story soon, perhaps seven more chapters would be suitable. Then a Free! (Rei x Nagisa) one-shot will be posted, and after that, probably a multi-chapter story. Also, stop pestering me about my writing mistakes, I have no beta. With love, I hope to see some awesome reviews!
"I want to reconcile the violence in your heart,
I want to recognize your beauty's not just a mask,
I want to exorcise the demons from your past,
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart,"
-"Undisclosed Desires" by Muse (song lyrics)
The rain pelted against the glass walls in the rich restaurant. Naruto sighed at the dark evening outside the walls. He turned back to his guests across the table one Uchiha Sasuke and his lover. The man beside Itachi had straight brown hair with dark blue highlights running down to his shoulders. Pale skin and tribal tattoos on his neck and biceps. The male had pale-grey nearly white eyes, and teeth that had been capped. If anyone had seen him before he capped his teeth they would have said they were shark-like. Tall and broad his physique differed from Itachi's who was shorter but leaner.
All in all, the man had a strange appearance, a more difficult personality, and an even more loving relationship with Itachi. The man went by the name Hoshigaki Kisame. Naruto groaned as he watched Itachi flush once again.
"Kisame-san please refrain from molesting Itachi-san while I'm trying to eat."
"Don't see how it's a fucking problem." Naruto sighed,
"That's exactly what it is. And I honestly don't care as long as I get my work done it's late." Itachi cleared his throat and shifted in his seat while Kisame lost his perverse smirk.
"I already have everything else sorted out except for a runner. That is one of the reasons I called you hear." A peal of thunder rode the air, "Do you have any recommendations?" Itachi and Kisame thought it out in silence. Kisame spoke up,
"I believe I know someone." Itachi nodded as if he could read Kisame's mind. Naruto pinned Kisame down with his blue crystalline eyes.
"Hozuki Suigetsu." Naruto looked on interested.
"And how do you know him?" Kisame waved his hand in the air uncaring.
"A distant cousin." Itachi glared at him softly.
"Ah, family then. What's his poison?"
"Opium laced tobacco." Naruto chuckled.
"A fan of the classics." Naruto glanced at the late night through the restaurant and sighed. He watched Itachi put a hand on Kisame's muscled forearm before he spoke again.
"Speaking of which I wanted to speak to you about Madaara…"
Naruto sighed as he dismissed Shino and entered the house. He removed his white patent leather shoes by the door and softly whispered, "I'm home." The lights where off and the house was dark. Naruto deftly made his way up the floating glass staircase with the grace befitting a night seeing creature. He padded his way to his son's room and softly pushed open the door. He smiled at his son curled up with a stuffed lioness in the large red, silk comforter. He walked over and re-tucked him in.
"Sweet Dreams, ladybug." He then brushed the chocolate brown hair from the child's forehead and gently gave it a small kiss before he walked exiting the room. As he stripped off his tie he gently shut the door again.
Naruto groaned at the rising sun pouring in through the bamboo blinds. Then as he shifted over in the navy blue sheets he realized something was missing. Ryuuji had not woke him up.
Naruto taught Ryuuji, homeschooled him if you will. Naruto found it easier to teach Ryuuji, less worries for both Ryuuji and himself. It had not been easy but in the end it had succeeded with joy. Even when it was days for subjects Ryuuji deplored, he had always woken Naruto in the mornings, without fail. Something was wrong.
Naruto rolled over and grabbed for the flip-phone he refused to get rid of and flipped it open. It displayed that it was already 3:52 pm. He then jumped out of bed flinging the expensive blankets to the tatami mat floor. He ran out and slipped across the hall and whipped open Ryuuji's door. He say his son, sweat coated bangs stuck to his head and his breathing labored. He was struck with fear at the body curled in on itself reminding him of how small Ryuuji was even for a six year old. The paralysis shot out his body with his fear and he ran so fast he collapsed by the bed on his knees, pushing pain through his bones. The floor in the room was hard, dark wood flooring. He quickly half threw the blanket off Ryuuji's chest and moved the dark brown, sweat soaked bangs from Ryuuji's forehead and put his hand on it. The warmth almost burned him and Naruto let out a frightened whine. He then stood up and ran out of the room to the kitchen, when he hit the marble tile he almost fell flat onto his face but persevered and reached the medicine cabinet.
He grappled blindly in the almost darkness of the kitchen until he found the digital thermometer. He then ran back to Ryuuji's room slightly out of breath for adrenaline. He then schooled his features into a calm and away from the franticness that made his heart beat too fast to be healthy. He then smiled wanly and tried to rouse Ryuuji to consciousness.
"Hey, ladybug, I need you to wake up for a minute." Ryuuji eyelids fluttered before opening into bleary, fever-soaked emerald.
"Mama… don't feel good." Naruto kept a brave face but the shortened endearment struck such worry into his heart it clamped pain into his chest like a hangman's noose.
"I know, but you can go back to sleep after I take your temperature, alright?"
Ryuuji nodded slowly but made no other move. Naruto carefully guided the metal tip of the thermometer underneath Ryuuji's tongue. Naruto's eyes focused on Ryuuji's staggered breathing until the small beep rang out in the stone-silent house. Naruto pulled the thermometer and looked. He blanched, the tan gone from his vulpine face, the blood even left those whisker-shaped scars making Naruto look dead. 39.89 degrees Celsius. (Or around 103.8 degrees Fahrenheit). A tear slipped down his cheek without his notice, fear for his son clouded the fore-front of his mind. A sweaty palm touched Naruto's cheek. It shook steadily.
"…kaa-san?"
"Everything's fine love bug, just go back to sleep."
Ryuuji started to nod off. Naruto carefully took of the heavy comforter and used it to create a barrier around Ryuuji, leaving only a thin sheet to cover him. Naruto then pulled out the stuffed hedgehog Ryuuji liked to cuddle when he was sick and put it underneath Ryuuji's arm. He hid his fear well as he quietly shut the door and made his way down the stairs with terrified mind. He then looked at the flip-phone he had put into his pocket. He then called carefully found Tsunade's contact and hit the call button. The phone rang three times before a slightly slurred voice,
"Waddaya want, brat?"
"Tsunade." The name was whispered with agony and desperation that the phone was silent for a moment before answering again,
"What's wrong?" Naruto answered this in a slightly more normal voice,
"Ryuuji's sick." More silence,
"He been sick before." Naruto shook his head as tears smarted sharply at the corners of his eyes. Naruto took a shuddering breath,
"Not like this, His temperature is… high. And… and his breathing… And I'm… Tsunade, please!"
Tsunade replied sullen,
"I'll be there soon, I'll bring everything." Naruto swallowed and nodded before saying,
"I understand." And hung up the phone. After the phone clicked the phone off Naruto slid down the wall and fell on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Then as he always did, he picked up the pieces and climbed back up the stairs to get dressed. The time now read 4:13.
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It had taken Tsunade 20 minutes to get there. It had taken Tsunade 15 more minutes to kick Naruto out of the apartment. Naruto was now sitting in his hallways on the slum-like flooring of the apartment building. He had finished off a bottle of wine, three cigarettes, had his mobile phone out and was starting on a large bottle of Scotch older than he was. He was trying to keep the fear for his son out of his mind, but unshed tears stung sharply at the rims of his eyelids.
He was wearing an untucked white cotton shirt, top buttons loose showing the hollow of his throat, and a pair of black silk pants with a drop of drying red, wine by the knee. His back against the wall, his legs were untucked, his feet on the ground but his knees in the air. He flipped open the phone and let the screen light up his face. He snarled at his own frustration. He typed in a number, so close to Kiba's but perhaps two or three numbers off. The phone rang four times and Naruto growled at his right hand man's supposed incompetence.
"Naruto-san?" Oh my God, it's Sasuke! Thought Naruto stupidly.
"Sasuke-kun." He didn't care that his voice slurred.
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Sasuke's cellphone rang right as he entered his small-ish apartment. He carefully kicked off his shoes as he heard the shrill ring. He then pulled out the phone and saw the unknown number. He stared at the phone while manhandling his tie knot with one hand. As he finally got it loose, he remembered he had given the (cute) blonde his phone number. He sighed as he took a chance and answered the phone.
He called the name of the person suspected to be at the other end of the call. The person answered but their voice was slurred. Sasuke frowned at that and asked (perhaps innocently),
"What's wrong?"
An agonized sob was his answer. And, Sasuke worried.
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Naruto sobbed into the phone. And then another sob followed harshly before Naruto controlled it and breathed heavily. Tears started to stream down Naruto's face. He finally checked back into reality. He heard,
"Are you alright?!"
"No. Yes. I have no fucking idea." Sasuke made a brief angry huff.
"I'm coming over there. Where do you live?"
Naruto gave him an address, not knowing whether it would ruin him or not.
Sasuke waited impatiently in the elevator. His collared shirt was unbuttoned to show his collars bones, no belt or tie, and a pair of Converse shoes on his feet. A pair of slacks sat low on his waist. He had not changed before coming over here. As soon as the elevator had pinged to show him that he had arrived, the elevator doors popped open and Sasuke rushed out. He slowed down and schooled his expression when he saw Naruto unhurt. What why in the flying hell monkeys did he care again?! Sasuke sighed at his own (supposedly) paranoid delusions.
Sasuke just sighed and sat down on Naruto's right. He looked at the pinched face before taking the bottle of Scotch and taking a swig. He then looked down at the ground and saw the crystal ashtray, a pack of Lucky Strikes, and a Zippo lighter. Sasuke sighed again before taking a cigarette, lighting it, and taking a smooth drag. The smoke scraped his throat briefly with its strength.
"Do you know what this reminds me of?" the blonde looked up briefly as Sasuke, "My senior year of high school." Naruto snorted,
"So big, bad Uchiha-kun was secretly a punk?" Sasuke chuckled before taking another drag off the cigarette before handing it to Naruto who took it.
"I guess, dear God I was a stupid kid." Naruto nodded briefly before releasing a puff of smoke.
"You aren't alone in that boat, trust me." Sasuke nodded before snatching Naruto's burning cigarette and taking a drag. Naruto responded by taking a rather large gulp of the Scotch. Sasuke grimaced as he blew out another puff of the blue-grey smoke.
"So what is wrong? You never did tell." Naruto sucked in a wet, breath before saying,
"Ryuuji's sick." The voice was hoarse, and it had worry. Sasuke's brow drew together worried as Naruto hollowed out his whiskered cheeks and took several large gulps. His voice sounded rough as he spoke again,
"It's bad." Sasuke casually snuffed out the tobacco stick in the crystal ashtray. Naruto glanced up at him with tears in his eyes, frightening Sasuke into paralysis. Naruto turned more to face him,
"What if I lose him?!" Sasuke didn't know what to say or do, especially when Naruto jumped into his chest, grabbed his shirt lapels and put his head in his shoulder.
"I can't lose him!" Sasuke kept him arms safely out as the distraught blonde sobbed,
"I can't! I can't! I can't! He's all I have!" Naruto released a grief-filled wail, and that was the final straw for Sasuke.
He gently wrapped his arms around Naruto's thin shoulders. He was shocked that Naruto unconsciously settled into the embrace and sobbed harder. Damn even though I know who he is, he must be very lonely to search out comfort like this. He listened carefully to the agonized whispers creeping in between sobs and weaving in-between wails.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost him. I'd be alone." After that statement Naruto descended into babbling and wiping his face on Sasuke's shirt. For one in his god damn life, Sasuke forgot about his shirt and whispered assurances in the tan ear, and made promises to unseen crystal blue eyes. Naruto finally slumped into unconsciousness. Sasuke looked down at the head nestled on his chest and shoulder. He heard small, breathes coming from the compressed nose, the equivalent to a mouse's snore and smiled as he realized something that would affect his life, to eternity.
Even the evil devils of the world have large hearts.
