Hello guys, this chapter is updated! I think 3 more updates to go before new chapters. I'm excited!

Chapter 14

The following morning Kyuubi woke up early from a sleepless night. Constant thoughts of last night's altercation with his brother kept him awake throughout the night. The dull pain he felt in his back was also another factor. It hadn't seemed serious at first, but the rough collision of his back to the wall from last night has him unable to move without wincing in discomfort. It was enough to keep him tossing and turning throughout the night.

Kyuubi wiped his mouth dry when he's finished brushing his teeth and exited the spacious bathroom into the living room. He casually strolled through the wide space into the adjacent kitchen where his brother sat at the counter, eating a bowl of cereal. Kyuubi gave Naruto a small greeting and frowned when he's rudely ignored. With a roll of his eyes, he wondered why he even bothered when he's not even spared a glance in acknowledgement.

By the fridge, Kyuubi poured himself a tall glass of cold water and downed the entire drink in a few gulps. It was a ritual that was part of his morning routine. He rinsed out the glass and set it aside. He began towards his bedroom to wake up his son, sparing his brother a secret glance when he passed him.

After much effort with getting the sleepy five year old up, Kyuubi began to prepare himself and his son for the day. He decided on a comfortable oversize tee paired with knee length grey shorts, a chill look for a relaxing day with his son. His long natural red hair is fashioned into a high ponytail with long bangs tucked behind his ears.

Pleased with his casual look, Kyuubi peered down at his son standing just beside his leg. An amusing smile etched over seeing intense concentration on his son's face from just brushing his hair. Not to mention, the boy's been at it for the past ten minutes or so.

"Jaron, I think you can stop brushing your hair, baby it looks wonderful." Kyuubi smiled adoringly when his son peered up at him through long dark lashes with his mouth open in utmost disappointment.

Jay shook his head and returned his eyes back to the full length mirror, casually continuing to brush his hair in slow strokes. "Perfection cannot be rushed." He said like a proper stylist with a wave of the small brush in his hand. His outfit matched his mother's but instead his big cartoon tee was paired with blue shorts.

Kyuubi gawked at his son. "Who thought you that phrase?" He questioned astonishingly with his hands over his hips.

The boy gazed up at his mother with a wide smile on his face. "Yugi."

Kyuubi pursed his lips, nodding at the obvious yet unexpected answer. It made perfect sense. Yugito was an actual freak when it came to everything being done perfectly. Something that could be done in five minutes, she'd spend about thirty minutes completing it because it had to be done to absolute perfection.

Kyuubi lowered himself and kissed the top of his son's head. "Well, I think your hair looks absolutely perfect." He assured with a smile, and his son argued that he only said that solely because he was his son. Honestly, this boy was too smart for his own good. "What do you want for breakfast, baby?" Kyuubi asked.

Jaron excitedly gazed up at his mother. "Let's have pancakes." He suggested with enthusiasm.

"You had cookies yesterday."

Jay glanced down, confused by his mother's statement. "So?" He shrugged his shoulders, redirecting his gaze back to his mother.

"So, that's too much sugar." Kyuubi explained. "What about some fresh fruit salad or yogurt to balance it out?" He stifled his laugh when his son frowned at the healthier alternative. "You know I don't like when you eat too much sweets, baby." He tried to reason with the boy.

Jay turned back to the mirror with a huff. "You always do that. You ask me what I want and then you end up deciding for me." He mumbled in frustration.

"I'm a mother that's what I do." Kyuubi awed, seeing his son's cute annoyed expression. The way Jay would pout and scrunch up his little nose in the cutest way was too adorable. "Anyway, finish brushing your hair and come eat breakfast, okay?"

"Okay, mommy."

"Atta-boy."

Kyuubi kept the door of his bedroom open as a safety precaution. He walked to the kitchen to find his brother no longer there. Kyuubi began preparing breakfast, aware of his brother's presence within the apartment due to the small noises emitting from his room. He frowned as he reflected over last night.

With each fight they had, they grew farther and farther apart. Harsher and harsher words were spoken with Naruto mostly spewing the hurtful insults. Their relationship was barely holding on by a thread. At this point, Kyuubi wasn't sure if he could even restore a relationship with his brother.

As he sliced the fresh fruits into cubes, he thought back to his mother who had urged him since childhood to be close with Naruto. Back then, being too mature for his age, he found Naruto to be a nuisance and a spoiled brat. He still was, he chuckled at the thought.

Kyuubi's smile eagerly fell from his face when he now understood just how stupid he was to think that way. They were five years apart, a big age difference. Not only that, Kyuubi had matured quicker both physically and mentally than other teenagers. At times, people legitimately forgot just how young he really was. He had taken on many responsibilities and he had shunned away everything he found to be a waste of his time, which included his little brother.

Kyuubi placed the sharp knife flat against the cutting board and sighed deeply. He was ashamed of himself. He never once considered how much he was hurting Naruto, how far he was pushing him away. Guilt completely overwhelmed him. He was now dealing with the consequences of wanting to be the perfect lover for Itachi.

Being naive and young in love, he had rushed into maturity to please Itachi who was older and much more adult-like. The brother who loved him and wanted his attention was denied and pushed aside.

Kyuubi finally understood that the only ties of brotherhood between him and Naruto were that of the same blood running through their veins. Kyuubi shuddered at the awareness and it made him sick to his stomach that he was capable of being that selfish. He doesn't get a chance to feel sorry for himself when his son came running into the kitchen.

Kyuubi hurriedly wiped his tears with the back of his hand and forced a smile. "Ready to eat?" Kyuubi put some of the fruits into a bowl, adding a spoon he handed the nutritious breakfast to his son. He groaned wearily when Jaron stared at the contents with a judgmental stare. "What's the matter, now?"

"Can you make it into a smoothie?" Jaron asked cutely.

"Jaron, are you serious?" Slight annoyance trailed in his tone.

The boy gave his best puppy dog look completed with pouted lips and wide eyes. "Please mommy..." His dark hair was parted in the middle with his bangs curtaining over the sides of his forehead. His face was framed beautifully as his long hair brushed just above his shoulders.

Kyuubi breathed out exasperatedly and complied with his little angel's wish. It was honestly impossible to say no to the precious boy. Kyuubi began preparing the smoothie and Jaron quickly slid off the stool. "Where are you going?"

"To Naru's room." Jaron shouted from the living room. He ran and eagerly barged into his uncle's room. "Naru, it's time to wake up, lazy butt!" He exclaimed. He grinned sheepishly when he looked up to find his young uncle awake and glaring at him. "Hehe, never mind." He casually strolled inside and closed the door behind him. He eagerly climbed over the large bed within the room.

"What did I say about coming into my room?" Naruto stood by his work desk, his beats headphones hanging around his neck as he looked through some files in his hands.

Comfortably on the soft bed, Jaron rolled back and forth for no reason at all other than to keep himself entertained. He stopped when he heard his Naru call out his name in a sing-song manner, reminding him to answer the question.

"You said to always knock first." Jaron answered, his voice strained from the awkward position he was contorted in over the bed. His legs are folded over his chest until his feet reached the sides of his head.

"Okay, so why didn't you knock?" Naruto scattered the photos over his desk before retreating the rest of the warm printed copies from his printer.

"Because I thought you were sleeping." Jay said innocently with a shrug of his shoulders. He tilted his head in mild interest. "What are you doing?" He kept his gaze on his uncle who was busied with something over the table.

"Art project." Naruto's dressed in an orange sweater with a pair of white joggers. His lie from yesterday wasn't all that far from the truth. There really was a project that needed to be completed. It just didn't involve a chubby kid from school.

"Is it for school, Naru?" Jay climbed off the bed and went to stand near his uncle, his eyes curiously peeking over the contents scattered neatly over the dark wood crafted desk.

"Yeah." Naruto went back to his laptop and began typing something on it.

"This is the nice man from before. His name was something like socks." Jay stated as he stared down at the printed image of Sasuke and Hinata.

Naruto peeked over his shoulders at the boy and couldn't help but laugh at what he's told. "It's Sasuke, baby boy."

A look of confusion crossed Jay's face momentarily before it's melted into that of amusement. "Ah, Sasuke. I knew that." He giggled cutely when his uncle rolled his eyes playfully. His mother's voice then entered the room and his giggles died down. "Smoothie's ready! Bye Naru." Jay waved a goodbye and ran out of the room. He dramatically sighed in annoyance when his uncle called him back to close the door. He did as he's told and hurriedly ran into the kitchen.

"Please do enjoy, your majesty." Kyuubi gave his son the half-filled cup of smoothie with a playful bow of his head. Since his son could never finish a full cup, he decided to drink the remaining half himself.

"Thank you!" Jaron grinned widely, showcasing his little rows of teeth after he took a sip. He hummed at the delicious taste, bouncing up and down in delight. He continued to drink his smoothie while his mother turned on the television for him and placed it on a random cartoon show.

Kyuubi stood back and simply admired his sweet boy. He was such a happy child and oh so very smart. He was everything his father was. It went deeper than just their striking resemblance. Itachi would have absolutely loved and adored this precious angel.

The doorbell sounded through the apartment and Kyuubi finished the last of the smoothie before placing the empty cup in the sink on his way to the door. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and pulled the door open. Kyuubi's shocked to see the man he thought to be back in the states in front of him with a security guard by his side.

"I thought you were back in America?" Kyuubi asked. He arched his brows and narrowed his eyes at the purpled tender skin beneath Sasuke's right eye. The swollen skin painfully vivid in the dull light of the hallway.

"Change of plans." Sasuke said simply.

Kyuubi stepped aside, permitting Sasuke and his guest to come inside. "What the hell happened to your face?" He questioned insensitively as he followed behind Sasuke into the living room while Tsukasa remained dutifully by the door.

Sasuke chuckled lightly at the blunt question. He sat over the armrest of the leather sofa and reclined his body as he met Kyuubi's concerned gaze. "It's the small price I had to pay for keeping your secret." He paused. "Itachi knows." In that very second, he could saw the blood drain from Kyuubi's face as he instantly went pale.

The small revelation enough to create a shroud of dark tension in the atmosphere, Sasuke silently watched Kyuubi desperately try not to suffocate. Kyuubi stood frozen, appearing traumatized. Sasuke moved forward ready to lunge should Kyuubi faint.

"You told him." Kyuubi said softly, the accusation within his tone fierce. "Why?" He practically growled the question.

Sasuke lowered his head and kept his gaze on the carpeted floors beneath him. Tortured with emotional turmoil that came with betraying Kyuubi, he could barely manage to maintain eye contact with the man.

"The crazy son of a bitch went after Ana." Sasuke explained in a dangerously low voice. "Once again, I wasn't strong enough to protect the people around me. Kyuubi, I don't know how but that bastard has been tracking me all these years. I'm ashamed to admit it but I stupidly underestimated his capabilities. If I am to protect you and Naruto, I need my brother."

"Did he…?" Kyuubi began, trailing off uncertainly. Resurfaced memories from the past of his own experiences with the man have nausea surging through his stomach. He recalled the several times Sasuke had mentioned his girlfriend, the kind words he spoke of her. Kyuubi can't imagine her being mistreated at the hands of that man. "Did Shisui…"

"No, he didn't go that far. She has a wound but she'll be okay." Sasuke frowned, his jaw tensed in comprehension of Kyuubi's unspoken words. It was as if he was reliving the past all over again.

Kyuubi exhaled a shaky breath. "Sasuke, he'll come after me. My baby, Naruto, I can't…"

Sasuke stood up and started towards Kyuubi. His hand raised and gently settled over Kyuubi's cheek. "Calm down." He cooed softly. He lowered his hand under Kyuubi's chin and lifted Kyuubi's head to stare consolingly into wide fearful eyes. "Itachi will protect you now. You have nothing to fear."

Kyuubi shook his head and released himself from Sasuke's hold. "Was he on the phone with us, yesterday?" He doesn't know why the sudden thought invaded his mind and demanded clearance. When Sasuke nodded his head, he felt his nausea worsen. "He's been watching me. For how long..?" His hands slipped into his hair and grasped the strands tightly.

"Hey." Sasuke pressed a finger to his lips when Kyuubi glanced up at him with frightened wavering eyes. "You'll worry yourself sick." Sasuke said in a tone that demanded Kyuubi to calm himself. "Have reassurance in Itachi's abilities to protect you. You'll be alright, we won't allow him to come anywhere near you. Have some faith in us."

"I'm just scared Sasuke." Kyuubi admitted in a small voice. He clutched his hair tighter as he shook violently. "I'm tired of running." Tears clouded his vision, a stray tear falling down his cheek when he blinked.

"Then stop running." Sasuke wiped the stray tear from his face and pressed a soft kiss to Kyuubi's forehead. He pulled back and stared deeply into teary eyes. "You and your family will be safe, I promise." He assured once more. He pulled from Kyuubi when he seemed to finally relax and take some comfort in his words. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"This might sound irrational but I need you and your son to leave the apartment for a while. I need to speak with Naruto and it would be easier to do so without any form of distraction." Sasuke's both courteous and bold.

Kyuubi's a bit taken back by the directness of Sasuke's words. Nevertheless, he understood Sasuke's intentions. Without a verbal answer, Kyuubi walked past Sasuke into his bedroom. In a short time, he returned with a few objects in his hands.

"Come baby, let's go visit Granny Chiyo for a bit." He walked to his son and removed the empty cup of smoothie from the boy's hand and settled it into the kitchen sink. "Here's your iPad."

Jay grabbed the device from his mother and looked at him with big brown eyes. "Is Naru coming with us?"

"No." Kyuubi quickly replied. "We'll be back soon. Greet your uncle Sasuke." He lowered himself down and wiped his son's messy face clean with one of the kitchen towels.

"Hello, uncle socks." Jay's cute laugh echoed the room. He glanced at his mother and his amusement instantly vanished when his mother frowned at him disapprovingly. "Sorry." He bowed his head. "Good morning, uncle Sasuke." Jay respectfully greeted with a smile.

Kyuubi finished cleaning his son's face and stood up, tossing aside the towel. He heard Sasuke greet his son and ask him of his well-being. After their short conversation, Kyuubi told Sasuke to inform him through text when he can return to the apartment and Sasuke nodded to his request. With that, Kyuubi left his apartment.

As he waited for the elevator to arrive, he glanced back at the apartment door. Kyuubi could tell something had Sasuke shaken up. He couldn't help but wonder just what the hell the monster had done to Analeina. The little information Sasuke had given him riled up his anxiety, his heartbeat drumming rapidly against his chest.

Sasuke breathed in deeply, his exposed abs dipping in from the soothing action. The Ralph Lauren dark navy button up he wore was buttoned up to just above his naval, hanging loosely over his shoulders. He wore dark trousers, matched with expensive shoes and minimal jewelry. The diamond encrusted watch on his wrist sparkled as he moved his hand to run through his dark tresses.

"Tsukasa, I need you to remain by that door until I give you permission to do otherwise. Is my instruction clear?" His words are calm but their spoken with such intensity that the older bodyguard by the door grew rigid.

"Yes, I understand Sasuke." Tsukasa bowed his head respectfully.

Sasuke stood by the marble counter, his finger tracing the intricate design as he took a moment to gather his thoughts. He was to be careful, mindful of his tone and emotions. When he felt himself ready, Sasuke began towards the familiar door. He gave the hard white exterior a loud knock.

Sasuke gently pushed the door open when the raspy voice from inside gave him permission to enter.

"Someone's learning to follow simple instructions." Naruto said casually to the nephew he expected to be at the door. His eyes were focused on the project in front of him. When he doesn't hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet rushing across his room, he glanced over at the door and he lightly chuckled. "You sure do have some nerve." He scoffed and returned back to his computer.

Sasuke leaned coolly against the door frame with his hands shoved inside his pockets. "Can we talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Naruto shuffled over to his printer, lifting open the paper compartment; he added more paper to the slot. He focused on his work, not sparing the man at the door another glance.

Sasuke allowed for the short moment of silence to simply observe Naruto. He could tell just how much he had hurt him, his best friend not even wanting to look his way. Sasuke sighed as he pushed himself off the door frame. "Naruto, I'm sorry."

For the first time since Sasuke's arrival, Naruto neglected his work and fully engaged his attention on Sasuke. He watched him nonchalantly, and simply tilted his head to the side. "Ok, you apologized." He shrugged his shoulders shrewdly. "Should I get on my knees and suck your dick, now?"

Sasuke struggled to stop himself from chuckling at the crude comment. He nodded his head in understanding as he molded his lips together. "Okay, I guess I deserve that."

Naruto resumed back to his project. "You haven't received half of what you deserve." He felt his body grew stiff as Sasuke entered his room, approaching. When Sasuke's near, he looked up at him with a deep frown. "What do you want?"

Sasuke stood a few inches from Naruto. He averted his eyes from the beautiful blue eyes that glared coldly at him. Sasuke looked over the widespread of pictures of himself and the girl he had met. His finger caressed over one of the images slowly. "Give me a chance to explain." Desperation lingered in his eyes as he glanced at Naruto. He sighed and closed his eyes momentarily when Naruto dismissed him by maneuvering around him to get something from the drawer below his desk.

"Like I said I have nothing to say to you." Naruto roughly ripped opened the box of ink in his hands. He flinched back horribly when Sasuke's hand moved towards him. Naruto breathed in harshly, calming himself from the memory that resurfaced from last night. He looked down at his hands, the spilled dark liquid, running down and staining his skin. "Fuck!" He groaned, bending over and tossing the ink into the trash bin beside the leg of the wide desk.

Sasuke swiftly moved and gently grabbed Naruto's arm in his hold. He tightened his hold slightly when Naruto went to pull from him. He brought Naruto closer to him and delicate fingers inspected the harsh marks and red bruises lingering over nonetheless unblemished neck. "That boy did this to you?" Sasuke questioned with a clenched jaw.

"Get your fucking hands off me." Naruto wrenched his arm from Sasuke's hold. His passive expression twisted into that of hatred and anger. "Honestly, who the fuck do you think you are? Choosing when you want to care about me, and when you feel it's okay to treat me like shit." He shook his head as he narrowed his eyes. "Fuck you, Sasuke. Just, get the fuck out of my life once and for all." Naruto aggressively brushed past Sasuke out of his bedroom into the living room.

"Would you be this bold if you were talking to that, Kiba kid?" Sasuke voiced strongly, trailing after Naruto who came to a sudden halt at his words. He watched as Naruto turned slowly to face him with a hard glare. "Are you this bold with him or just me and your brother?" Sasuke questioned again with a tilt of his head. He witnessed the slight tension in Naruto's stance and he knew right away, he had struck a nerve.

"Did you say something to him?" Stood at the foot of the kitchen, the motive of washing the drying ink from his hands completely disregarded as he waited impatiently for Sasuke's response. He felt his throat suddenly grow dry. "What did you say to him?" He questioned with newfound desperation.

"Obviously, not enough for him to heed my warning."

"What gives you the right to interfere in my business?" Naruto confronted sternly. "Just who the hell do you think you are? You're no better than him. What gives you the right to say anything to him as if you're any better?"

Sasuke took a step forward, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'll disregard your blatant offense to compare me to someone like him on the basis that you are upset with me." He spoke slowly, assertively enforcing every word he spoke. "Right now, I need you to just give me the chance to explain."

"More lies." Naruto muttered softly. "Say everything I want to hear and then laugh behind my back, treating me like a play thing. After all, that is what you said I am. Right, Sasuke?" He arched his eyebrow. "I'm just some gullible stupid boy for you to manipulate and toy with at your leisure, right?"

Sasuke frowned. "It was a stupid lie. You know that."

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't know. But I know that hearing those words did hurt unlike anything you could imagine. I know hearing you, of all people, say such harsh words, hurt more than any insult Kiba could ever say to me. But at that time, it benefited you, so you didn't care." He shrugged his shoulders, mocking. "At that time, it was the right thing to do, so fuck it. Fuck how I feel." He paused, breathing in to keep the sobs in as warm tears gathered in his eyes. "You thought, you would come here, apologize, explain everything and then dumb ole Naruto would just throw himself at you again, isn't that right Sasuke?"

"You know that's not true." Sasuke almost pleaded. "You're being emotional and you're not giving me a chance to explain."

"No, I'm being a person with feelings." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he stalked towards Sasuke. "You're not above anyone else. You're not the fucking hero of my story. Maybe at once I thought you were, but obviously I was wrong. If anything, you're just as bad as them all." Naruto turned his back to Sasuke. "At least Kiba has the courage to admit he's fucked up. You, you're just a coward who justifies their terrible actions and pretends to be the good guy." Naruto walked over to the kitchen sink and began to scrub roughly at his hands, the dried ink stubbornly refusing to wash off.

Sasuke opened his mouth with eagerness, only to find himself at a loss for words. He stood rigid, tensed in a stance that rivaled that of an old statue. Coward. The word taunted him like none other. It's a descriptive word that's been associated with him far too many times for him to wear his pride proudly as an Uchiha. Slowly, the meaning of the word teared down the confidence he's been instilled with since birth. Hearing it from Naruto seemed to finally break through the gates he's sheltered around what remained of his pride as a man.

Sasuke stood, wearing a blank canvas of emotions. He went into the part of his mind where he had discarded the ordeal from the past. Slight despair can be seen in his eyes as hurtful memories resurface and engulf the entirety of his mind. He breathed in deeply as he approached the counter within the kitchen. He casually leaned against the counter, facing Naruto's back. He shoved his hands inside his pockets.

"It wasn't my intention to hurt you, Naruto." The words are spoken with earnest for forgiveness. "I cannot force you to believe me but I hope you know my character well enough to know how much I care for you."

Naruto continued to scrub furiously at his hands, the nuisance of the stubborn ink along with Sasuke's persistence has his eyes set in a hard glare. "It was so easy for you to lie before. Why should I believe anything you say now?"

Sasuke's hands callously ran through his soft hair. "I understand that and I take full responsibility for it. With that being said, I do not regret the things I said to you if it meant that it kept you safe."

"Safe from what?" Naruto shut off the faucet, his hands the most clean he could possibly get them. Though, some ink remained stained on his hands he knew with time it would eventually come off. He ripped a paper towel from the roll next to the sink and dried his hands as he turned and faced Sasuke with uncertainty.

"Something happened to your brother that was entirely my fault. Had I have paid more attention to the true nature of Shisui, I would've thought twice about feeling content with leaving your brother in his care."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head inquisitively. "What do you mean by that?"

Sasuke lowered his head, his hair falling over his eyes as he drew in sharp breath. "Kyuubi was assaulted in a way no person should ever experience."

As long as I'm alive, you'll never have to experience what I did. Naruto felt his heart clench at the sudden memory of his brother's words. He watched Sasuke as if the man had grown two heads. His wide eyes suddenly narrowed as he stepped towards Sasuke. "Why the hell would Shisui of all people hurt Kyuubi? He was like a brother to us. What motives would he have to do that?" His voice raised an octave higher.

"Simply because he can and he did." Sasuke said simply, gazing up and staring into furious eyes. "He's not the Shisui we all knew and grew up with. Rather I should say, we didn't really know Shisui for who he was. Instead we saw what he wanted us to see. Caring, kindhearted, a friend, our family. It was all a lie."

"That doesn't answer my question. Why would he want to hurt my brother?" Naruto questioned fiercely with gritted teeth.

"He needed Kyuubi as far away as possible from Itachi. In order to do that, he needed to make Kyuubi fear him more than he loved my brother, and he succeeded." Sasuke drew in a sharp breath and rested his hands on the counter behind him. "He wants my father's company. In order to achieve that, he needed Itachi, the next in command out of the way."

Naruto shook his head as he began to pace. "How does Kyuubi play a part in all of this?"

"My father, Fugaku Uchiha, is a cruel man. While he neglected one child, he showed overwhelming admiration and unconditional love towards the brilliant one. Trained him to one day be the successor of his multibillion company, he forced discipline and strength through acts of harsh punishments. If my brother brought home an A- that was cause for a hard slap across the face. If Itachi spent too much time with his younger brother instead of studying, the punishment was either the belt or whatever was in reach. Sometimes, he had the heart to let Itachi pick his own punishment." Sasuke laughed unamusingly. "The man I call my father is the man I despise most in this world."

"Kyuubi was essentially my brother's sanctuary. Whenever Kyuubi was around, Itachi would endure anything and everything. That was the problem, and over the years Shisui had come to witness this as well. To get to Itachi was to first get through Kyuubi. Kyuubi was my brother's defense against my father. When Kyuubi's out of the picture, Itachi has no reason to further endure my father's abuse."

Naruto pulled at his blonde hair as he finally made sense of Sasuke's long words. "What did he do to my brother? Did he-" Sasuke's timid nod and silence made the deep coils within Naruto's stomach churn, causing him to momentarily feel sick. "How do I play into this? Why didn't you fucking tell me? Why didn't Kyuubi-"

"Because Naruto," Sasuke interjected sternly. He pushed himself off the counter and walked slowly towards Naruto as if weights were attached to each of his foot. "When I found out what that bastard has done to Kyuubi, I almost killed him. In order to save his wretched life, and persuade Kyuubi and me to remain quiet of the matter to Itachi, your life was threatened." Sasuke watched as the color slowly drained out of Naruto's face. "All these lies, the reason your brother moved all the way here, everything I and Kyuubi have done, was all done to keep you safe from that lunatic. Turns out he's not alone, if I had called his bluff there's no guarantee that you would be standing in front of me right now."

Naruto moved back. Wavering in his stance, he gripped the sink behind him for stability. "Why come after me? Why am I a part of this?" He asked meekly, in a timid voice that's barely audible.

"Naruto, you are the most precious thing to me in this world." Sasuke said softly. "When I discovered what had happened to your brother, I lost myself. I had never experienced such anger and rage. I nearly killed a man with my own hands. The threat of someone harming you at the cost of my revenge kept me from finishing the bastard off." Sasuke cupped Naruto's cheek, a gentle stroke of his thumb lingered. "I couldn't risk it. I couldn't lose you."

"His life for mine."

Sasuke leaned his head against Naruto's forehead. He closed his eyes as he caressed Naruto's cheek tenderly. "You have no idea how much you mean to me. I would make a deal with the devil himself it meant keeping you safe. I had to send you away for you and your brother's safety. Not a single day went by where I didn't think of you, where I didn't dream of seeing you again. To hold you in my arms."

"Sasuke…" Naruto can't speak the rest of his words when he's engulfed in a tight embrace with Sasuke's arms wrapped tightly around him as if this would be their last moment together. Naruto wanted to urge Sasuke to ease up a little, his bruises from his night with Kiba screaming from the pressure applied on his back. Naruto decided to suffer through the ache, permitting Sasuke to hold him even tighter if necessary.

"Listen." Sasuke loosened his arms, pulling back from the embrace; he kept his hands over Naruto's shoulders. "Itachi now knows what happened to Kyuubi. Shisui is well aware of the fact as well. He'll make it his priority to come after you and your brother in order to have some advantage over us." He held Naruto tighter when fear triggered blue eyes to grow wide from panic. "Calm down and listen to me. In order to keep you safe, Tsukasa will accompany you everywhere you go, that includes classes and even the bathroom."

"Sasuke do you fucking hear yourself?" Naruto forced himself out of Sasuke's arms; panic overwhelmed him as he stared open mouth and bewildered at Sasuke.

"Tsukasa is one of my father's security guards. He's well trained and I trust him to protect you. I'll also keep an eye on you. He won't be able to come anywhere near you, I can guarantee you that." Sasuke gave a lopsided smile. "Also, my brother's involved now. The bastard won't have it as easy as he did the last time."

"And Kyuubi?" Naruto questioned in concern. "Itachi-"

"Will take care of it." Sasuke finished Naruto's sentence with a satisfied smile and a decisive tone. He moved closer to Naruto, enclosing his arms around Naruto's waist, he placed his chin over Naruto's head. "Again, I'm sorry for the way I've treated you these past few days. You didn't deserve that all."

Naruto sighed deeply and pressed his hands against Sasuke's chest, lightly pushing Sasuke away from him. "I'm not sure if I-"

"Come here." Sasuke swiftly maneuvered Naruto into his body with a gentle tug on Naruto's wrist. He stared down, deeply gazing into Naruto's wide blue eyes that watched him strangely. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Naruto gave a small smile, feeling Sasuke's steady heartbeat under his palm laid over Sasuke's bare chest. "You know for a straight guy, you sure do love having another man in your arms." Naruto bit the corner of his lip as he ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair. "If you're not careful, people are going to start having the wrong idea, especially Ana."

"I love my girlfriend very much." Sasuke said factually. "When you meet her, I'm sure you'll like her as well." Sasuke tightened his hold around Naruto's waist when he tried to get out of his hold. "Why are you so quick to get away from me?" He had an amused look on his face.

"Because Sasuke, you have a girlfriend who you apparently love very much." Naruto again tried to remove himself from Sasuke's embrace. He sighed and frowned when Sasuke maneuvered them around and kept him pressed against the counter with Sasuke's hands stationed at both sides of the counter. "What are you doing?" Naruto questioned sharply.

Sasuke molded his lips together and began drumming his fingers over the marble counter. "Are you okay?" Sasuke asked. "I've told you a lot of things that's pretty hard to digest."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks before exhaling tiredly. "Obviously, it's a fucking lot. I don't even think I've fully grasped the entirety of the situation. I honestly don't know how to feel."

Sasuke nodded affirmatively. "That's understandable. Listen you need to make up with your brother."

Naruto turned his head away. "I don't need you to tell me that." His heartbeat quickened at the thought of his brother. All these years, he's treated him so rudely, spoken such unkind and hurtful words to Kyuubi. Just the other night, he wished death on him.

All these years, not knowing Kyuubi was battling his own demons. Kyuubi was doing all of this to protect him, and in the end, he just acted like a spoiled brat. Not once wanting to see the situation from his brother's perspective.

Sasuke placed his hand under Naruto's chin and lifted his head to gaze into dull blue eyes. "Don't start feeling as if you're to blame for all of this." Sasuke said. "This fight is neither yours nor your brother's, keep that in mind."

Naruto stared deeply into intense eyes filled with passion and a sense of security. He blinked and arched his eyebrows when he's finally aware of the dark bruise under Sasuke's eye. His eyes widened with concern as he brought his hand up and allowed a finger to gently trace the tender skin. "Did Shisui..?"

"I'm surprised it took you this long to notice." Sasuke admitted in a teasing tone. "Let's just say Itachi wasn't exactly fond of kept in the dark all these years."

"Five years without Kyuubi and his son all because of me." Naruto muttered with a frown on his face.

"It was your brother's choice to leave, just as much as mine. Like I said before, this isn't your battle." Sasuke pulled Naruto into his body and held him close for a moment before he pulled away, keeping Naruto at arm's length. "Now, there's a matter we need to discuss."

Naruto threw his head back as he groaned in exhaustion. "What now?" He drawled out in defeat, his eyes peering past Sasuke at the sink faucet. He made a low noise when Sasuke's hand grabbed his hair and chin, and tilted his head to the side to reveal in full view the mess Kiba had left on his skin.

"Let's talk about these."

Thank you for reading everyone. The story will become less confusing with more updates. Leave reviews! Oh god, I hope this isn't cringey. If it is oh well, lol, I don't even know anymore. Be nice to me, guys.