Walking through the doorway to the tower, the green-haired youth carefully wrapped the vial he carried in a napkin, and dropped it into the empty trash can next to the door, leaning into the shadows by the wall to watch and wait for the person who was supposed to pick it up.

He picked at the hem of his jacket sleeve nervously, his pet's tongue tickling his neck comfortingly as it's coils slid over his skin. Tia was back at home, more than a little upset at him for dragging her away from her clutch, but she'd get over it, and he had a job to do.

A figure in a black cloak-like jacket was striding towards the waste-basket, and his stomach nerves buzzed apprehensively, sensing something not right. Viper's eyes flicked up and over the figure's cowl, missing any hint of eyes or other defining features.

A voice slid out of nowhere and he heard, "Now go do the rest of your job, and call when you have him and his little boyfriend."

Years of experience made him stay still, not showing anything had happened. He saw something flash in the light, just for a millisecond, but it was enough to make him squint, and he saw tiny, wire-like threads guiding the 'man' who was walking towards him.

Sasori the Puppet Master. He'd heard the name before, and he knew something of what the hitman's talents were, but he'd never expect a fellow assassin like himself to get tricked so easily. At least he could say he'd caught on, which was definitely more than his victims could say.

But still. This man could've killed him, even with the trio of extremely venomous snakes on his body, wrapping around his wrists and waist, plus the small, female black mamba sliding against his neck, her tongue flicking slower than it had before.

His master had taught him quite a bit about his pets and the rest he'd learned from his days in thier pens, living with them and learning thier personalities.

For instance, his king cobra, Leo, was very temperamental around females, but sweet as honey when alone. Marie, the lovely, petite little coral serpent he'd bought as a newborn hatchling from a friend of his and worked to raise in a tank of saltwater, was shy and slow to anger around him, but she'd kill anyone else easily if they got too close to her basin.

Each had enough poison to kill several grown men in minutes, and several times over at that, and neither were half as frightening to him as Itachi and Sasori.

He murmured to Kara, who uncoiled and dropped to his bicep, re-wrapping tightly. The green mamba around his waist joined her, and both the blue krait snake on his left wrist and the australian brown on his right, both barely a year old, traveled down his fingers and into his deep pants pockets, coiling around themselves snugly until they finally settled. (1)

Then, hugging the wall, he slipped out the door and into the crowded night-time street, his hands shaking. Dropping his fingers to his jacket pocket, he fingered the two syringes he had prepared. A third lay in his bag as a backup, but he didn't expect to need it.

Kara flicked her tongue along the still erratically pumping viens in his arm, and his nerves cooled somewhat, feeling her worry. She could always tell when something was wrong. Pretending to rub his arm, he petted her gently, reassuring her that he was fine. She shifted, and wrapped tighter.

Then, eyeing the time, he quickly dropped by his apartment building and went up to his floor. He'd bought out the whole top level, since he needed quite a bit of space. He earned his money with his pets, and paid off any questions concerning the exotic variety he kept.

As he opened the door, he saw a note next to Kara's aquarium, he leaves inside wrinkled and disturbed.

10:30 tonight

they'll be at the Tower and I'll be at the gift shop, picking out a present for my baby-brother

Swallowing hard, Viper, tucked his snakes away into their places, going to the back of his bedroom and shifting the curtain.

Niel, the only snake that never took to him, was watching for him with wary eyes, as if to say, 'I saw death tonight. It came in and left you a note'. His ridged, black and white scales were gleaming, and his hood was flat against his head. He was relatively calm, and he was just watching.

Niel was a Rinkhal, or a spitting cobra. Although, as his Boss continually pointed out, Rinkals were not true cobras, since they were not of the Naja family, and were monotypic.

Moving the curtain back, he checked on Tia, and found her asleep, curled tightly around her batch of eggs.

Next, he went to the living room and picked out two snakes to take with him, niether much bigger than the yearlings from eariler. These were from an older clutch, but also a smaller breed. One was a tiger snake, the other a death adder. The adder would be on his wrist, the tiger on his bicep.

As they moved into place, he jumped onto his fire escape, and quickly went down, headed for the huge tower that rose up from the neon lights a mile away. Breathing the deep-city air, he relaxed into his element. He had a job to do.

10:13

Sasuke dragged his lover past the game booths, swearing they'd come back before they're group left.

"Come on-I wanna go see the whole city. Everyone says it's great," his pride was the only thing that said he was not whining by this point.

The Tower was immense, and it rose high above them as the raven dragged his lover through the amusement parks main street, towards the base where the elevators and gifts shops were.

As he moved into position, he could hear the trio talking.

"Does this thing cost any money," the tall blonde asked, looking up at the Tower.

Tourists, the teen thought blithely, shaking his head.

"Nah. But it has a wicked view. I think they should charge, but there's too many ways into the building for that. They would never control it," the girl, her hair up in a ponytail, said, switching the lollipop in her mouth from one side to the other and motioning to the structure.

The bracken-haired boy beside them, his bangs covering half his face, was quiet, staring at the nearest elevator hungrily.

Viper moved into position, and kept an eye on the gift shop. There was no sign of Itachi, even though it was only eight minutes until the exchange was planned. He slipped closer to the elevator, and listened to the conversation.

"Yeah, I bet it will be really high up, Sasuke. But you know I don't like heights. Do I really have to go up there?" He got closer. What would happen if the boy refused to go with the others?

God, Itachi would murder him.

"Yes, Naruto," Sasuke smirked, "I want to see it with you." Naruto blushed at this, and Viper rolled his eyes. Then, crouching, he watched them get closer to his spot. He was in the bushel of trees right next to the elevators, and waiting to board. After his targets did, of course.

10:24

Sasuke watched the black clad teenager shirt in the elevators reflective surface, but decided not to say anything to Naruto. Intead, he slid his hand gently into his pocket and felt for his knife. Shit. That's right-he hadn't bought a new one, and his old one couldn't come with them because of the damn plane laws. Fuck.

'Maybe I can take him out with no weapon,' he thought before quickly dismissing the idea. If this guy was any assassin at all, or a thug, for that matter, he'd have a weapon, and even if it was a kitchen kniffe, that's more than he had.

Thinking fast, and pointed to the stairs, and muttered, "Let's go up those. Do they have windows?" He glanced at Juura, but she was too bust staring at the elevator doors.

So either she'd noticed too, or she wanted them to open without pressing a button. But she glanced at him after a moment and eyed him, apparently assessing whether or not she should say anything. So she wasn't as dumb as she'd looked.

"No, but it's quicker. More people are likely to be riding the elevator. Hence, more stopping," she finally said. By now, they'd stopped dead, and were turning for the staircase doors.

The boy made no move to follow, instead coming out once their backs were turning and hopping into the elevator.

But right before they went in the doors, Juura said quickly, "But I forgot they were doing construction on the stairs. Oh well," and turned them around fast.

"What the hell guys," the oblivious blonde between them laughed, and went along with them, his insides sparking like they usually did when something was wrong.

"Sasuke? Is everything okay?" he murmured into the others jacket, leaning over and keeping his voice down.

The raven said nothing, but pressed a button for the top floor.

-"Something's wrong, kit. I feel like you're in danger."- A voice suddenly muttered, and he frowned. Even Kyuubi knew this wasn't right.

What is it?

-"...I don't know yet."-

A few seconds later, about halfway between stops, the elevator jolted to a halt.

"Fuck," Sasuke finally spoke, and slammed them both against the back panels. Juura leapt to one side, but nothing happened for a a minute. Then, slowly, the escape hatch above them slid open, and a snake dropped through, coiling on the floor.

Oh fuck. Oh god.

-"Just stay calm. The snake can no more kill you than a leaf could."- Kyu muttered disdainfully, and Naruto felt the hair on the back of his head stand straight up.

Of course he knew that, because-

"Any of you move, and she'll bite you," a soft voice came out of the pitch black hole above them, and a teeneger dropped to the tiled floor, crouching for a moment before standing upright.

"Just relax," he whispered, and Sasuke's hold tightened on the blonde's arm, tugging his fractionally closer. The tiger-banded snake shifted and hissed. The man shook his head an inch, and it stopped, without even looking back.

-"Just let me go. I can take care of this, kitling."-

And what if one of those things bit Sasuke while you were 'taking care of it'? What then?

-"..."-

Yeah. That's what I thought.

"Uchiha, don't move, or the snake will bite your little boyfriend. Itachi is happy he'll see you so soon," he added a moment after, as an afterthought.

Sasuke's body stiffened like a board, and Naruto glanced at him. Itachi was Sasuke's older brother, right? But didn't that guy...

Naruto's eyes widened, as the raven behind him let go of his arms and nodded.

"Fine. Go ahead."

No, Sasuke wouldn't just-"

"Take me to him."

Sasuke POV-twenty minutes ago

I felt my blood pumping, frozen, through me, and my heartbeat was so loud I'd was drowning out any rational side I might have had here.

Just keep his focus away from Naruto. Please. Just-

"Uh-uh. Blondie here comes too. In fact, Itachi has a nice, cozy place set up just for him. Nice, comfy bed," the green haired freak spoke again, and ice clogged up the rest of his heart, chipping away the rest of his reason.

His fists balled up, and he sprung forward, only to stop as a sharp pain pricked his left leg.

He looked down, and was surprised to find not a snake but a dart sticking from the pain-place. Well, a syringe. Juura was already down, probably with a similar injection somewhere on her own body, and he felt the ground rush up at him. He wasn't in pain, but tired. dizzy, he blinked a few times. Sleeping meds?

Another prick, this time filled with hot fire, and soon after his body stiffened up. He couldn't move, and his breath was thick, and hard to get a hold of. He sucked in mouthfuls but his lungs burned, and the black began to circle the edges of his vision.

"Stay away from him!" Naruto was next to him, but there were sharp nails digging into his arms, and the spots the blonde touched burned with energy.

His body was dragged away and up into the elevator shaft. Shit.

"Fuck. God, Itachi's gonna kill me," a voice floated out of the black, and he thought it might be the boy. It might be his own thoughts though.

"I shot him with the wrong fucking thing. Crap." The teen shoved him away, and he rolled perilously close to the edge. His chest was on fire, and the world went black.

Naruto POV-Current

I'm stuck on the ground, and everything is on fire. But the burn is fading, and Kyuubi soon wipes the poison from my viens entirely, leaving me a bit drowsy from the other injection. I pull them out of me and throw them to one side, going to Juura quickly. Thank god. She just got the sleep shot, and is passed out on the floor.

(A/N: I'm going to delete the -" that goes with Kyu talking right now. To hard when I'm pumping out ideas)

Your phone. Service, I think to myself. Kyu's preoccupied with wiping clean my immune system from the shock, and chasing out the bits and pieces that managed to penetrate to his own area of my mind.

I pull it out, and text Shikamaru. He's the one who stays calm.

Itachi got Sasuke. stuck in elev8tr at toyko twr

sos

hurry S. is injcted w snake venm

Then, tucking it away in case they need more information, I try to wake up Juura. She groans and shifts, blinking. Then, jolting awake, she looks around.

"Snakes! Where's Sasuke? Oh god!" She can see what happened on my face, and I notice for the first time that I'm a wreck. My hands are shaking and I feel Kyuubi withdraw so I can feel the pain and tears he was protecting me from. Then, his anger bubbles up in my heart and breaks my own free. I snap my eyes close and open them quickly, glaring at the square hole above.

I can feel that strange energy pulsing along my insides, and Juura shrinks away slightly, without saying anything. I think vaguely back to that day months ago when I woke up passed out on the classroom floor. The sensation is undoubtably similar, but I remain in control, and haul myself into the black space.

I want my mate back.

(1) - Some information for my avid readers

The snake venom Viper injected:

The first dart was only sleeping meds concentrated.

The second was a dose of venom from the "Taipan" - up to 11 ft. long, in Australia and New Guinea rapid paralysis with severe breathing difficulty mortality nears 100% without antivenom.

The three syringes he has at first are all venom. The other syringes he got from home, filled will sleep meds.

(Itachi has the antivenom, guys:P)

More on Viper's ''pets'' at (http:/)(www.)(seanthomas)(.net)(/oldsite) (/danger.)(html) -remove the parenthesis.

To those of you who've been gunning for a more 'in charge and confident' Naruto, you're about to see what happens when someone touches a Jinchuuriki's life mate. Not that he's going to change into the nine-tails. I don't like it when you get too far into the real story in the ninja world, so it's going to seem a bit toned down, but those fans out there who get it will love the next chapter, though I'm sorry to tell you it's be a month or two coming out. Summer. Sorry. Read my profile, guys ;A;