Drafted

by BlackProdigy

Sequel to 'Summer Camp' "Let me assure you, your days will be long and your nights will be bitter, you will be fucked with, run ragged, razed and broken but power through it and it will be the most rewarding thing you will ever achieve." Uchiha Sasuke drilled those words into his head. Dealing with new friends and newer enemies with Naruto miles away, the only option is to survive.

21. Clash Of The Titans

Chapter 21: Clash Of The Titans

Pairings: Naru/Sasu

Rating: M - NC17

Disclaimer: 'Naruto', don't own it; not mine; I just borrow Masashi's characters and replace them in naughty positions.

Summary: Sequel to "Summer Camp". Let me assure you, your days will be long and your nights will be bitter, you will be fucked with, run ragged, razed and broken; I can also assure you that there are going to be times when you feel like it's too much but trust me, power through it and it will be the most rewarding thing you will ever achieve." That was the greeting Sasuke got. Trying to adjust to new friends and even newer enemies while dealing with Naruto miles away, the only option is to survive.

A/N1: SHOWDOWNS. (Read that again, it's plural; not just Ryu and Naruto.)

A/N 2: Guys, in this chapter expect a difficult Sasuke, (but y'all should know this by now, ALL my Sasukes are difficult) and prepare for different sides of Naruto. Understand, he's flooded with mixed emotions right now, mostly from the bomb Richard had dropped on him about Kushina and Kyuubi and under Kyuubi's abuse, that he'd developed some serious issues.

A/N3: I think the last chapter was my biggest one ever. 15K- whew! (BTW, this might be bigger... ) Anyway, FINALLY, I don't have to do any more location switching and first person p.o.v. I was kinda getting sick of both myself but it had to be done based on the plot. ... Clichés abound, like seriously...just look at the songs below...

Songs: "That Boy Is Mine." by Brandy and Monica. (Told y'all CLICHÉ, ROFLMAO! ) & its not totally on point but just the beat does it for me, 'Make Up' by R-City & Chloé Angelides. I don't own either of these songs.

Warning: MATURE CONTENT... NC-17 boyxboy

---

Previously...

Running up the slope he skidded to a stop when Sasuke walked up to a guy, grabbed him by the lapels and snarled. "You're fucking dead! "

Only to have his hands ripped from Ryu's chest and trapped around his back. "Naruto let me go!"

Not one of them saw when Ryu staggered back, eyes wide.

"No. What has he done S'uke?"

"What has he done?" Sasuke shouted, struggling unsuccessfully against Naruto's unyielding hold. "He tried to kill my brother, that's what he's done!" facing the clearly shocked teen he accused. "Isn't that right Namikaze?"

Identical cerulean eyes met.

"You must be Ryu. " Naruto said flatly.

"Naruto..."

They didn't even shift as both voices echoed,

"...My...cousin."

---

The boy is mine.
You need to give it up.
Had about enough.
It's not hard to see,
the boy is mine.
...

---

From the second Ryu had uttered the word 'cousin' Sasuke felt like that simple word had dropped a boulder upon him. He could have understood if Naruto had said it alone, but the two in tandem just made it worse.

It was so clear now. Ryu had known all-the-fucking-time and hadn't said anything!

He'd known everything and still played the 'ignorant' game, making Sasuke assume he didn't know who Naruto was, especially after he'd accidentally uttered Naruto's name on that hospitals bed.

What a dirty conniving bastard. Guess the chip didn't fall that far from the block after all. Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed when Naruto's dark eyebrows lowered just as his arm tightened around his waist.

If it had been one of those scenes in a movie when the hero and the enemy finally met, there would have been a storm starting in the background, low rumbles of thunder and faint crackles of lightning splitting the sky, but, sadly, it wasn't but it didn't matter if the cinematic effects were absent because that certainly didn't stop the effect that was rippling through the people surrounding them.

It was explicitly, undeniably clear that Naruto and Ryu had to be blood. Two forms, both tall, tan, muscled, blonde haired and blue eyed faced each other and the energy swirling between them was like a building supernova.

"Holy..." TenTen, Kin and Kiba exhaled just as-

"... Shit." Shikamaru, Gaara and Neji finished.

"Naruto..." Ryu said as he stepped forward, apparently quickly recovering from his shock."... You're...here... We need to talk."

"No. I don't think we need to do anything."

"Trust me, we need to." Ryu pressed.

"Okay fine. You want to talk, let's talk about this..." Naruto voice was darkly dangerous, "You may be my cousin but if you even try to touch Sasuke again I'll have no problem tearing you limb from fucking limb."

Ryu then stopped completely. A second later his entire demeanor changed and he met Naruto's hard stare with his and a sadistic smile. Ryu's head tilted to Sasuke while his eyes were still trained on his cousin's.

"Who said that only thing I did was to just try and touch him...You didn't tell him about it... did you kohai?"

Sasuke felt like something had just carved out a crater in the pit of his stomach. "There was nothing to tell Namikaze."

Still meeting Naruto's eyes Ryu asked. "Really then. Tell me Naruto, do you know that particular spot on his neck, huh? That tiny spot behind his left ear, the one that makes him arc-"

"Asshole!" Sasuke snarled, rage engulfing his entire body like a furnace. "What the fuck are you playing at?"

"So it wasn't just my imagination that saw the sharigan mark on your collar as you gasped beneath me?"

"Son of a bitch!" Sasuke swore actually breaking free from Naruto's hold. "You know damn well that didn-"

"Is there a problem here, cadets?" Kotetsu Hagane asked loudly while walking towards them. Everyone went still. Naruto with a touch to the skin under Sasuke's shirt gave a nonverbal order to not move.

"No Sir." Ryu said calmly even though his entire demeanor was shouting something different. "We were just...talking."

Kotetsu looked disbelieving so he turned to Naruto to verify and immediately did a double take when he saw who he was talking to. "Is it so, cadet?"

"Yes Sir. It is." Naruto replied with a hard edge. "We just had a slight...disagreement... It's over now."

"Very good." Kotetsu said turning away. "Namikaze you have a call. Admin now."

Ryu clearly didn't want to move but he still stepped back. "This isn't over."

"Damn right." Naruto agreed stonily.

It was a testament to how Naruto's self control was in place because even though he wanted to bury his fist in the Namikaze face he was more concerned with what Ryu had said. He turned to see Sasuke with both palms pressed over his eyes.

"Sasuke." he uttered.

The single word was a question; 'What the fucking hell was he talking about?'

The hands pressed harder.

"Sasuke." he repeated, patience clearly thinning. "I'm waiting.

He was waiting? He? What the hell? Sasuke snapped.

"And I'm waiting to hear that my brother is drinking martinis with his fiance, but I can't! Can you not comprehend that my brother, ITACHI, is in the fucking hospital? What the hell do you want from me Naruto?"

"The truth."

"About what?" Sasuke taunted hoping that Naruto would throw a fit so he could temporarily ignore the situation.

"You damn well know what I'm talking about. What was he saying about you under him?"

The jealously in his tone was obvious and Sasuke wanted to exploit it. "Why, are you feeling threatened?"

Naruto stopped for a long moment before he swore."What the hell is wrong with you? I am not your enemy Sasuke. I'm trying to understand what the fuck I'm into and you have to be so damn difficult. " He stopped, snorting to himself. "You know what, screw this, there is no winning with you is there? Call me when you get your eyes uncrossed."

Naruto was about five steps away when Sasuke realized that he'd pushed too much. The sight of Naruto's turned back made a slice of fear cut through his lower half.

"It wasn't like that." Distress was clearly colouring Sasuke's voice.

Naruto stopped.

A minute.

"... Then what was it like?" Naruto asked still stiffly facing away.

The Uchiha swallowed. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

"I'm still waiting Sasuke." Naruto said now facing him, his face blank.

Something had to break, and damn it, Sasuke had to give it up.

"Do you want the long version or the short?" Sasuke finally replied evenly.

"Short."

Sasuke took a deep breath. "It all started from some fucked up tradition here called 'Big Brother' where the seniors choose a newbie to 'mentor'." The confession was hard-edged.

"... He chose me. Then they had something called 'ballistics' where they give the 'brothers' a week of 'bonding' activities to do. We went through them all, until the sparring happened. It was okay...until I blanked out for a second and before I knew it he was over me."

It was in that moment everything seemed to coagulate. He swallowed trying to come to grips with the feelings running rampart through his mind now; the mixed emotions for Ryu combined with fear for his brother and his self-castigation for his stupidity towards Naruto, condensed into a tight ball and seemed unbearable.

"I froze Naruto. Fuck. For a moment I.. I..."

"Saw me." Naruto inserted.

"... Yes." Sasuke answered like he was swallowing battery acid. "I remembered the...that night on the basketball court. The way he was over me was exactly the same the night where you... I.. I couldn't..." He sighed, eyes slipping halfway. "... I lost it...you must be mad. "

"Of course I'm fucking mad Sasuke." Naruto snapped. "But not about you losing focus, I'm mad that you didn't tell me anything! Christ... You know for a split second I thought you..."

'Cheated on me', were the unsaid words but Naruto knew better than that. If that had been the case, Naruto would have found Sasuke in the morgue. Sasuke's internal level of pride and loyalty would have killed him.

It was clear though that Sasuke had inferred the unspoken because the grimace on his face was tight.

A thought about something he knew was mostly impossible sprung up in Naruto's mind. He didn't want to ask, but he needed to close all doubts.

"... Did he force you?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What the hell Naruto? No! Fuck no! I'm not that goddamn weak! It. Was. Just. Fucked. Up!"

The words were uttered with solid truth behind them and Naruto visibly calmed down.

Sasuke wasn't done though and after he backed up to rest on the nearest tree he filled in the rest.

"Yes. I admit it, I saw doubles okay. Everything he did reminded me of you. You walk the same, talk the same, act the same. The only thing different is that he has a rich boy candy coating."

'And a manipulative, fucked up father.' Sasuke added mentally.

A pause.

"When did you know that he wanted you?"

"After a training session with Haku in the gym here. I was shirtless, he walked by...I saw his eyes..." Sasuke shrugged, the cumulation of the statement was obvious.

Another few seconds passed.

"What happened after he kissed you?"

"He didn't kiss me." Sasuke stared stiffly. "I was on the floor, he was over me. I froze for a second and his mouth was on my neck."

Sasuke shifted, glad that his next were going to justify him. "I got so repulsed that I pushed him off and shouted that he would never get me...and I meant it too."

After a long tense moment Naruto sighed, stepped up and placed his hand at the junction of Sasuke's neck and jaw, his thumb tracing the defined bone.

Sasuke's eyelids lowered at the soothing touch.

"Why are you so damn stubborn?" Naruto asked gently.

Black eyes snapped open, irritation brimming in the depths. "Excuse me?"

Peach lips twitched, amused. "You're damn stubborn and you know it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing but Sasuke, there will come a time when you're on the edge you will have to scream mayday. Why didn't you?"

Sasuke's rigid muscles didn't relax. Naruto was right. It was his recurring curse; always internalizing every problem thrown at him, seeking to solve them alone like an independent monolith.

"Because I thought that I could handle it... like I always do. I'm still on the edge though. That bastard set up an accident for my brother. "

" Actually..." the Uzumaki said quietly, pulling his hand back. "... I don't think he did."

Sasuke reeled back." What?"

"I saw his face after you accused him Sasuke." Naruto explained. "He had no idea what you were talking about."

"And how do you know this?"

A wry smile. "If you had the experiences I did growing up you'd know how to read faces. His said, 'what the hell are you talking about?'"

"And you believe that?" Sasuke asked incredulous.

"I don't 'believe', I know." Naruto paused, looking contemplative. "...You know... I'm kinda wondering what he wanted to talk to me about."

Sasuke blinked, 'Maybe the fact that his father killed yours.' he didn't dare say it though, instead this came out.

"... Are you considering it...to talk to him I mean."

"Yes... after I put my fist through his face though."

Sasuke's lips twitched. "I'd love to watch."

Naruto's hand slipped around to the base of Sasuke's neck and pulled him in, the intention of kissing him clearly pulsing from his body. "Want to bet he's watching this?"

"Don't you dare." Sasuke warned placing a hand on Naruto's chest to slightly push him off. "I'd like to live here in peace, thank you very much...I'll take any other options. "

Even though his words were genial by the clipped undertone in Sasuke's voice Naruto realized that he was still clearly anxious and worried about his older sibling and that was only reasonable. If he had one like Sasuke's, he'd be on the edge too.

A small huff released from the blond just as he stepped back. "I'll think of something...in the meantime, let's go back to that swanky pad of yours."

---

Walking away from the confrontation on the quad, even though he didn't show it, Ryu felt like the earth under his feet had just opened up and swallowed him whole.

His cousin, the son of his dead uncle had stood before him and glared at him like he was the prime enemy; which he could understand, because of a truth, he was one.

It wasn't like he hadn't known that Sasuke was in a relationship with his cousin, he had, but under his obsession, he'd still wanted to selfishly destroy it.

Entering the administration office he inquired and accepted the phone that was handed to him.

"Hello?"

"My son."

"Father," He acknowledged slightly confused. "Why are you calling this way?"

"If your cell was on I wouldn't have to, but that doesn't matter. This morning I received a call from Hitotsubashi University regarding you. The transfer is going faster than I expected. In under two weeks you will be moved to the campus and undergo private classes to prepare for the January term."

"Two weeks?" Ryu uttered trying to control his shock.

"Yes son, two. Aren't you happy?"

"I'm...surprised." Ryu returned trying hard to inflict some delighted tone in his voice even though every cell in his body wanted to scream 'Fuck NO'.

"Well you shouldn't be, you knew this was the plan all along. This Academy was just a play for the masses. I've made sure that you know the real duty of our family, to follow in my footsteps."

"Yes father." Ryu replied sullenly, "I know."

Arashi paused."... I don't want to think that I just heard some attitude from you."

Even though his teeth were grit Ryu managed to answer him with faked contrite. "No father, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"How are we going to present the move to the public? "

A laugh. "You don't have to wonder about that. That's my job."

"Very well, father. I'll leave you to it. It was just something that was bugging me from the moment you told me about it. "

"Hmmm...reasonable.. " a pause. "...by the way... how's that kohai of yours?"

Ryu froze.

What. The. Hell. Why was his father asking him this now... and then it hit like a lightning bolt.

His father. Sasuke's brother.

Son. Of. A. Bitch!

"By my knowledge he's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Arashi answered blithely. "By the way, you're fiancée is-"

Ryu didn't want to hear anything about the young redheaded Terumi heiress. "Father I have to go. Class starts in about five minutes."

"... Did you just interrupt me son?" Arashi said in a still tone.

Ryu swallowed. He knew that interrupting his father was a inexcusable error but he had a do it. "My apologies father but I really have to go."

A huff. "Fine. But make sure your cell is on. I don't want to do this again, and expect a call from me at nine tonight."

"Yes father. I'll be sure."

The call ended abruptly. Ryu stifled the urge to slam the phone down till it broke.

His father. Sasuke's brother. Christ.

How was he going to handle this load of shit that his father had just dumped on him. There was no way he could talk to Sasuke without getting into a fight with his cousin and besides there was no way to actually prove his suspicion; that his father had wanted to eliminate the other Uchiha to push Sasuke further into them.

"Ryu?" a passing cadet asked. "You okay?"

"No." the Namikaze answered stiffly while walking away. "I need to break something."

---

23 minutes later, Elgin...

Sasuke couldn't keep still.

The moment he had stepped into Elgin and saw the discarded phone on the floor, the anxiety about Itachi had reared up like a tidal wave.

He'd immediately tried to call Kisame, and when the first attempt didn't get through he called every two minutes after that; each attempt unfortunately got the same unanswered fate.

With every passing minute his delirium just got worse, even tripping into frustrated anger.

The last few minutes had passed with him alternatively sitting, left leg bouncing at a furious rate or pacing the floor in agitation; his fist clutching his phone so hard it creaked.

Though concerned not a single person had tried to get to him because it was obvious that Sasuke was deaf and blind to anyone and anything that didn't say, 'Relax. Itachi is okay'.

All of them remembered the infamous 'Ino Incident' and knew when Sasuke was on the brink of spitting fire. No one wanted to be a target for his wrath.

That was until, during his fifth rotation around the room Naruto grabbed him, trapped his tight lipped face in both hands and growled.

"Damn it! Buck the fuck up Uchiha! What the hell is it going to take for you to snap out of the this?"

Sasuke's immediate reaction was to bury a fist in Naruto's gut, but the only thing he got for that was a deep grunt.

Naruto didn't release his hold but a fiendish gleam sprung into his eyes. Leaning down into Sasuke's ear he whispered, "I think I know..."

He twisted his head to face the others."Is there a basketball court anywhere in this place?"

Kin's and TenTen's faces, though still anxious, immediately took on a 'fangirl fiendish' gleam, the others were impassive but Kiba's looked like he was on death's row.

"There's one below the gym complex." Shikamaru bravely supplied after it was clear that no one was going to utter a word in case of inviting the Uchiha's wrath.

Speaking of, Sasuke still hostile gaze searched Naruto's eyes but underneath was a slight trembling. Did Naruto know what he was doing? Was he going to resurrect the one action that had bonded them together?

By the look in the eyes before his knew that it was a solid 'yes'.

The opportunity was dangling before him begging to be grabbed, and no mistake, grabbed at it he did.

"When?"

"Now." Naruto answered pleased, stepping back. "No holding back."

"Not now." Chancellor Mathieson interrupted while striding in. "Misters Uchiha and Uzumaki, may I have a word with you both?"

Sasuke's teeth grit. "What is this about, Sir?"

The older man's eyebrows lowered, clearly sensing that something had gone awry. "The adjoining room, please. I'll explain everything there. "

Looking at each other they both simultaneously turned to the head of the institute and nodded.

Stiff with tension Sasuke pushed open the door to the adjoining room and took slight comfort in the freezing cold that met him.

Turning to face the older man Sasuke, tired with the ambiguity and under the stress with Itachi blatantly asked. "Sir, what is this whole thing about?"

Pale blue eyes met his. "Mr. Uchiha, this whole 'thing' is based on a formal request by the American Central Intelligence Agency."

Sasuke literally forced his face to be blank. He didn't dare disrespect the man with his trademark dismissive attitude.

"We've already figured that out Sir, but what exactly do they want from us?"

The Chancellor paused for another moment, tried again to ascertain Sasuke's current mood but failed.

"The details of that lie with Special Agent Uzumaki Nagato who is in Japan and will be joining you early tomorrow after his release from the JDF."

Naruto's back met the wall. "Then this has to be something important. That's the only reason why we were yanked out of school so fast."

"Yes, Mr. Uzumaki. That is the most probable reason. "

A couple of thoughts were running through Sasuke's head and the primary one was, 'what the hell did Orochimaru do now?'.

He was about to ask when Naruto, apparently reading his mind voiced it.

"Has something happened with Oroc- Mr. Sannin?"

Both Sasuke and the Chancellor looked at Naruto with a dichotomy of expressions; the Chancellor's was blank while Sasuke's was impressed.

"I personally do not know the specific details of the request. If it has anything to do with Mr. Sannin, I'm sure that Agent Uzumaki will provide them for you."

He then checked his watch. "I'm actually here to tell you that under the directive of this Academy and the country's partnership with the United States, you are obligated to perform any and all duties requested of you by Agent Uzumaki. By enrolling in the military you made a pledge to serve the country and this, cadets, is a prime opportunity to do. Be warned, not confirming is grounds for expulsion."

With the blasé words the head of the school had just used made an already irritated Sasuke see blood red.

His jaw immediately clenched. If there was one thing that could seriously piss Uchiha Sasuke off it was to give him an ultimatum.

"But," Naruto spoke up, eyes flitting quickly to Sasuke, knowing intuitively that the particular tick in Sasuke's face meant he was swallowing his words.

"We haven't been fully trained. I mean isn't this something that requires full clearance, which I don't think we have."

"First of all Mr. Uzumaki, be assured that your training will continue after the CIA is finished with you, and trust me if this mission is completed successfully, you won't have to worry about clearance, for anything." He returned stately.

Sasuke couldn't hold it anymore. "So we have no choice."

"What you have is an opportunity to serve your country, which had to be your aim enrolling in this Academy. " the older man said cooly. "That was all I needed to say. You may return to the general gathering."

He was fuming but Sasuke had the decency to wait until the older man walked out before he followed, stride extremely clipped, hoping that Nagato had better get there soon so he could rip him a new one.

Pushing the door he turned to face the people in the room, his eyes skimmed over Gaara, Neji, Shikamaru, TenTen, Kiba, Kin who were all softy chatting among themselves.

Which immediately stopped when they stepped in.

"So." TenTen, after a few seconds, spoke up daringly. "Any confirmation as to why the hell we're here?"

Naruto got to it first. "Just like we all suspected...the official word is that this is an 'request' by the CIA, which by the fact that we're all here, I think we all know is unofficial code for, 'Orochimaru'."

A beat.

"Damn it!" Kiba swore, banging his head on the wall behind him after digesting the information. "I was hoping that wasn't it... but isn't that bastard in prison for the rest of his life?"

"Yes." Shikamaru answered simply. "He was sentenced to three life sentences actually."

"Then what the hell..." Kiba trailed off. His eyes then popped wide. "...you don't think he broke out and it coming back here, do you?"

Snorts and snickers ran through the room.

"And is coming to do what Kiba?" Neji asked the Inuzuka clearly amused .

"To kill us, duuhhh." the tattooed teen replied, cutting his eyes when he saw Gaara pinch the bridge of his nose in expaseration .

TenTen then had mercy on him.

"If that was the case CNN would have blared that all over the world and an international manhunt would be in effect. It has to be something else Kiba."

Kiba scrubbed both hands over his face. "This is so freaking messed up."

Sasuke himself had been absolutely quiet through the whole thing, mind alternately shifting from his brother and Orochimaru.

It was after about the third calling of his name he reacted.

"What?"

The severely clipped, agitated, worried and angered tone the sole word was said in made everyone sober.

Clenching his eyes Sasuke, knowing that his attitude was getting unreasonable, turned to the staircase and uttered. "I can't deal with this, I need to... think."

"... No." Naruto rebutted as he moved to block him. "You're not going to think, you'll be obsessing, trying to figure out what happened with the snake bastard and then come up with some kind of plan to make him confess about Itachi."

Sasuke swore mentally. How the hell did Naruto know exactly what he was going to do?

"My brothe-"

"Is going to be fine, Sasuke." Naruto assured still standing in his way. "I met Itachi only once and trust me, he's one damn strong dude. You don't need to think, what you need to do is get changed."

Sasuke held Naruto's gaze for a few seconds before tilting his head upwards the staircase.

Naruto calmly shifted and let him pass.

After a minute passed Kin quietly asked, "Aren't you going to follow him?"

"Soon. He needs a minute to hit something first." Naruto glanced up.

"There is no way y-"

A dull thud sounded a second later. Naruto grinned to himself while the others gaped.

"Are you psychic or something?" Kiba asked, eyes wide.

"No." Naruto returned while looking up. "I just know him."

---

…Basketball Court. 4:47 pm (Make-Up lyrics)

I give you everything you want

But all you talk about is everything I don't

Why you always talking slick

It's like I can't do nothing without getting lip

Thankfully the basketball court and it's surroundings, situated just below the gym complex were empty; quiet and peaceful.

The solitary atmosphere settled on Sasuke and pressed some stability in his system. The situation with Itachi plus the ignorance about Orochimaru had his mind spinning all over the place and he needed a stable focus point.

Naruto silently kicked his shoes off and walked barefooted unto the gritted surface. "Perfect."

While Naruto was carefully walking around the court, Sasuke paused for a few moments to watch as the sun's waning rays made a halo around Naruto's body.

They highlighted Naruto's blonde hair, giving it a multi-faceted gleam and it was absolutely stunning to the Uchiha. If Sasuke had believed in otherworldly beings, in that moment, he would have thought Naruto was one.

"Are you coming or not?" Naruto called over his shoulder.

Snapping out of it Sasuke followed, toed off his own footwear and walked onto the cement paving. His toes gripped for a second just as his mind grimaced. If they fell too hard on this gritted floor there was no way to escape breaking something.

Walking towards the blond Sasuke narrowed his vision field to Naruto only.

Naruto.

The unconventional military brat who had resurrected the perfect solution to both of their problems.
No complicated methods, no psychoanalysis, no talking; just a pure, simple physicality.

And Sasuke was absolutely grateful for it, because right now the only thing he wanted was to turn his brain off.

But that wasn't going to stop Sasuke from trying to kick Naruto's ass though.

"You're sure about this?" Sasuke asked again calmly.

Blue eyes met his steadily. "Unless you'd prefer to wallow in your room like someone with PMS, then yes."

"I'm going pretend that you didn't just call me a girl on her period."

"Did I?" A shrug while facing Uchiha prodigy. "If I did, disprove it then."

Striking a offensive stance Sasuke watched as Naruto shifted, one foot back, left elbow pulled back into a fist and his other hand formed a weird fist that pushed the heel of his palm out.

Sasuke was confused for a second, trying to recognize that style, but he gave up before he shrugged internally and lunged.

Naruto pivoted out of his way and with a tight circle dipped down and executed a sweep kick which Sasuke swiftly jumped over and with the kinetic flow threw himself backwards on his palms and flicked over.

Braced on his palms, left leg extended Sasuke, under his bangs, looked up at the grinning Uzumaki. Sasuke felt an insane rush of adrenaline flood his system, pushed up and darted in.

Naruto grabbed his extended arm, spun around, and twisted his entire body over his back. Reacting quickly Sasuke managed to land in his feet, only stepping back once to regain his balance.

Flexing his shoulders Sasuke pinned Naruto with his eyes and slipped into a Sanshou stance Haku had taught him. "Ready?"

Blue eyes glimmered. "Born that way."

He leapt with a strike, Naruto contracted with an overhead double block. Sasuke spun around with a high kick aimed at Naruto's head which he blocked and repaid with a kick of his own that was an inch away from clocking Sasuke's head right into the ground.

He darted into Naruto's space and then started a series of body strikes, each and every one Naruto smoothly blocked within a nanosecond of his attacks.

"Stop it!" Sasuke growled, jumping back after his strikes were blocked for the umpteenth time. He could understand Naruto defending himself, but that was the only thing he was doing and it was pissing Sasuke off.

"Stop playing hero and fight me dammit! You're pissed at me, I'm pissed at the whole world. Let it out, fuck! "

It seemed that was what Naruto was waiting for as immediately he shifted everything up.

His eyes took on a darker shade and he dropped the defence act and assumed a one that though unknown to Sasuke shouted 'offense'.

'That more like it.' Sasuke thought satisfied.

Raising a hand Sasuke beckoned him over.

And Naruto didn't disappoint. The speed of his attack was almost invisible to Sasuke who barely dodged a rib cracking strike by mere inches.

'Finally!' he mentally crooned.

…

A measure of time later...

I love it when we fight just to make up
Funny how bad words turn to making love
I get under your skin, babe, just because
I love it when we fight just to make up

His black hair was wet to the ends and his shirt was soaked with sweat. His muscles had lost the tingle of trapped lactic acid and now had the satisfying burn of adrenaline; the same of which was blocking the majority of the exhaustion from his brain to allow him to still push just as Naruto pushed back.

He didn't know how long they'd been at it but the rising dusk might have been a clue and sometime ago he'd dimly noticed a steadily growing crowd surrounding the basketball court.

Cadets; seniors, juniors and some teachers, had gravitated to the court and stood behind the fencing just looking on. The most likely reason was that some cadet had passed them and tattled.

Both didn't even care they were being watched. Trapped in a world of their own anything outside of each other was trivial and wasn't worth noticing.

Stepping back Sasuke grimaced slightly at the pull of skin over a part of his stomach that he knew was going to be black and blue by tomorrow. Naruto had landed a solid punch to there that miraculously didn't break a rib. It still hurt like a bitch though.

Pushing his dripping hair back Sasuke flexed his aching fingers and looked at the darkening bruise on Naruto's jaw and the deep red bloody cut on his forehead, a result of Sasuke fist and elbow.

Naruto was softly panting, cheeks slightly flushed, blond hair mussed and in disarray by Sasuke's grabbing hands but his eyes were determined and vibrant.

To the Uchiha, he looked beautiful.

Stepping sideways be slipped into another stance, absolutely pleased even Naruto reciprocated and without a word lunged.

---

Outside the Basketball Court...

A while ago Gaara had seriously debated within himself about watching Naruto and Sasuke fight.

The prime reason he hadn't wanted to watch the two on the court before him was because the moment Naruto had stepped on the Academy's soil and he'd seen Sasuke's reaction. Immediately a bereft, had-and-lost feeling had started to rip his gut apart.

Nevertheless he made himself go.

With every single second it became more evident why he and Sasuke wouldn't have worked out.

Primary reason; he didn't pose a good enough, comprehensive challenge to the raven. Mentally, yes, physically and emotionally, no.

He could never have evoked the mixture of emotions that were on Sasuke's face now, shifting from second to second, running the gamut from exited to furious to confused to elated to pleased to forceful, focused, agitated, ecstatic, delighted, fulfilled, but most of all satisfied.

He could only take cold comfort in the one thing he had actually drawn out of Sasuke; intellectual fascination. Better something than nothing, right?

Subconsciously he compared himself with Naruto. He was slight androgynous and pale; Naruto was ruggedly muscled, ruggedly handsome, tall and tan.

He was a theoretical genius; Naruto was a practical one. He was quiet, composed and pensive; Naruto was outspoken, straightforward and brash.

One extreme to another. Complete opposites; and that opposite was the singular thing that Sasuke needed.

He knew it was masochistic of him to still watch but Gaara refused to turn away.

---

Another measure of time...

Well, make it up to me, baby
I make you happy in the bed
But it's so much better any time I get you mad
Why you so wicked and bad?
Attitude makes me want to bend you over my legs
Scream and yelling de house down
Sometimes you love me, sometimes you're coming for my head
We awake the whole town
Fighting like teenagers all over again

The self-destructive rage had long ago left Sasuke's system and by the look in Naruto's eyes it was apparent that his own anger was gone too; so there was no feasible reason to continue this.

He was exhausted but Naruto didn't looked anywhere close to tired. Sasuke steeled himself but then he saw the shift in Naruto's face and he knew that Naruto had recognized his state.

Internally Sasuke released a breath of relief because he knew that if Naruto kept going he, even though tired, would continue.

'You're pride is going to kill you someday.' Naruto's words on the end of the scavenger hunt were still absolutely true.

Taking his last offensive stance Sasuke waited for the blond to reciprocate while his mind was replaying a move he had seen Itachi do once.

Focusing on the sole individual before him Sasuke took a deep breath and rushed in, quickly struck Naruto's shoulder twice to throw him off balance, grasped his arm, pulled down dipped under, leapt up, wrapped his legs around Naruto's neck, stopped his momentum and let gravity take over.

They both fell to the ground.

Silence.

Utter silence.

Shifting to perch on his chest Sasuke barely managed a satisfying smile. "You give?"

Naruto's lips twitched. "Do that move when we're having sex and I'll give you anything you want."

Blood was about to stain his cheeks but Sasuke crushed the reaction and after refraining from slapping Naruto, moved get off the body below his.

Safely up he extended a hand to Naruto who grasped it and pulled himself up, grabbed the arm and reeled Sasuke into him.

"Tonight." the deep timbre and blatant want ran over Sasuke's skin like slick oil.

Sasuke couldn't suppress the shiver that ran over his entire body.

---

Outside the basketball court...

"Holy. Shit." Genma whispered awe imprinted on his face, a cool four minutes after the fight ended. "How the hell did Uchiha do that flip?!"

"That's what you're focusing on?" Izumo inserted. "Did ANY of you catch the absolute perfect Krav Maga the blond pulled?"

Kotetsu was just silent watching the two in the middle of the court talk.

"Did you know about them Morino? " Izumo asked the scarred man whose expression was like one who'd just ingested acid.

"Morino?" He asked again this time with a prod.

"Yes." Ibiki growled finally. "I knew."

The three gaped at him. "And you kept it to yourself all this time?"

"For good reason." Ibiki said. "Uchiha Sasuke is a infection who's just going to inoculate anyone around him. It is in his blood. Trust me."

"What about the blond?" Izumo asked.

"Waste of time." Ibiki snorted turning away. "He's already been poisoned."

---

Elgin.

The minute he stepped back into an empty Elgin Sasuke made a beeline to the phone that was vibrating and blinking on the table.

Turning it on Sasuke bit his inner cheek in anxiety. A message flashed that he had received voicemail two hours ago.

Accessing recorded message Sasuke pressed the 'speaker' option and let the it play.

"Sasuke."It was Kisame's steady voice. "Itachi only sprained a shoulder, got a cut on his left temple and twisted a knee . Other than that he's okay. I'll call you back as soon as I can. He's strong and in good hands, trust me. "

Sasuke literally collapsed on the nearest chair relief surging through his body. He couldn't speak for a second but he garnered some strength to dial his brothers fiance.

It rang out twice before the gruff of the older Mizu's voice came on.

"Uchiha?"

"How is he now?" were the first words out of his mouth, his heart throbbing in his chest.

"Calm down Sasuke." the older man assured. "Like I said before, he's fine."

Sasuke couldn't speak for a second but he garnered some strength and managed to whisper, "Thank God."

An amused chuckle. "I thought you didn't believe in a higher power."

"After this I might make a conversion." Sasuke said blandly. "Is he near you?"

"No." the older Mizu said. "I had to leave his room to take this call; something about the cell phone's radiation messing up the sensitive machines inside. He told me that he hates hospitals and as a matter of fact, two minutes ago he was ordering me to get him the hell away from the place. He also said to tell you that you shouldn't worry about him though. "

"Too late for that." Sasuke half chuckled. "And idea when he'll be out?"

"By doctors orders, the latest tomorrow morning, but by his determination, no more than an hour. "

For a second Sasuke wondered if Kisame knew his own brother was back, but he hedged on the side of caution. If the CIA (or Ryuu himself) had wanted to let Kisame know they would have.

" Tell him to call me." Sasuke ordered. "...please... and Kisame, I've said this once and it bears repeating, please take care of him...for your own sake."

The engineer snorted. "We're getting married Uchiha. Don't you think I'm in it for the long haul?"

"Hn. Whatever. Just..."

"Yea... I know... and by the way when you see Ryuu, slap him over the head for me."

So he did know.

"Will do."

Arms braced on his knees, the cell phone clasped between both hands he looked up at a sweaty Naruto leaning on the door jam, arms crossed.

After a second Naruto crossed the floor and stood before him. "Didn't I tell you?"

Sasuke felt drained but managed to acknowledge. "Yes, you did."

After a few seconds Naruto plucked the collar of his soaked shirt off a bit and sniffed. "Damn it. This is gonna have to be burned. There ain't no way this stink is gonna come out."

It was only in that moment Sasuke felt acute repulse at the grime covering his own body.

Sasuke stood up. "Just don't burn the house down. I'm going to take a shower."

Naruto's eyes lit up with hope and Sasuke immediately crushed it.

"Absolutely not." he stated intuitively knowing that Naruto was going to say something like, 'Me too, why don't we take one together to conserve water'.

The plain fact was that Sasuke knew if they took a joint one it would be daybreak before they got out.

"Separate. You hear me."

Peach lips twitched. "Neurotic to death, huh."

"Yes. And I'm staying that way." he replied climbing the stairs. He didn't show it but anticipation was roiling through his gut. "You can go when I'm done."

---

The fireflies flitting around signaled that it was stretching into deeper night but Gaara hadn't moved from the his place, a cool twenrty feet away from the court and that was even after he heard the quiet footsteps of Neji approaching him and stopped a couple feet behind him.

They stood in silence.

"We're not doing this." Gaara said not even turning to face the Hyuuga.

"Doing what?" Neji asked lowly.

"This." Gaara said shortly. "Ex boyfriend remorse. It's paltry and pathetic and I for one am not going to sink that low."

"You're probably right." Neji conceded after a few seconds. "It's for the best."

Gaara paused. "That's... exceedingly magnanimous of you...what happened?"

"Naruto happened." Neji said shortly with no hint of spite."You must have seen what happened at Elgin...how he predicted exactly what Sasuke was going to do when all of us had no idea."

"So?"

"So, it's blatantly obvious that none of us knows him like that, including you and I. Despite the fact that you've known him for a short time and I've known Sasuke for years, neither of us could have predicted that."

Gaara was still staring back at the empty court. "And that..." He nodded at the court. "...just made it more obvious."

"It's still weird though." Neji offered after a short stint of silence between the two. "I don't think that even Naruto had the time to get that deep into Sasuke's mind...I'm wondering...how could he know that."

"Maybe they were soul mates in another life." Gaara offered up blandly.

Neji stifled a laugh. "You seriously believe that? What were they, teammate ninjas in mystic land?"

Gaara just graced him with a flat level look.

"Okay, you may have a point, but still, it's weird."

"Or maybe they were just meant to be." Gaara pronounced while walking off.

---

Elgin. The lounge.

"No." Kin said for the almost fiftieth time, refusing to give in to TenTen's begging. "For the last time, we're not going to listen at their door! "

A huff. "Why not?"

Kin snorted while turning back to the book before her. "Do you really want to be reminded of what you aren't having?"

The acrobat paused. Damn it, the assassin had a point. Dejected TenTen's head fell into the couche's arm.

"Damn it...you're right."

Kin shifted uneasily on her seat but still hummed in agreement while turning a page. "I just hope that Sasuke can walk tomorrow, you know, after all that pounding."

TenTen, not catching on to Kin's pun, saw her friend shift again and thought that the girl needed to get comfortable. She sat up and grabbed one of the couch's pillows.

"Heads up." and threw it.

Kin easily snatched it from air and squinted at it, noticing the soft material it was made of.

"... Yeah, we should probably give him this tomorrow morning."

They shared a long look between them, then TenTen realized what she had been saying. Her lips twitched before both dissolved into laughter.

---

(Last warning)

I love it when we fight just to make up
Funny how bad words turn to making love
I get under your skin, babe, just because
I love it when we fight just to make up

Leaning on the suite balcony's iron railing Sasuke, barefooted still in a pensive mood, tilted his head up to trace the Orion constellation in the inky dark blue blanketing the sky.

His eyes were trained up above but his ears were tracking the sound of the shower that Naruto was under.

He heard the water shut off.

Sasuke quickly glanced at the open duffel bag on the floor of his room. While Kiba, TenTen and Kin, after returning from the mess hall had chosen rooms on the second floor, no one had even batted an eye when Naruto didn't. It was obvious that he'd already moved into Sasuke's room.

Sasuke turned back to stare into the dark because if he saw Naruto's wet and dripping body he didn't know if he could control himself. Anticipation was roiling even harder through his gut.

It was only extrasensory perception that allowed him to sense Naruto waking up behind him because that man was so light on his feet it was ghostly.

"Sneaking up on me now, baka?" Sasuke softly uttered still staring out into the dark.

He shivered when a bare chest pressed into his clothed back as arms covered his and hot palms closed over his hands.

"Who said that I was sneaking?" warm breath murmured into a pale ear.

Sasuke went still and closed his eyes to breathe. The level of heat emanating from Naruto's body had to be unnatural.

"Just an observation, dobe." He softly murmured.

"What are you looking at?" came a husky question from just under his ear. Coincidentally the same spot Ryu had mentioned.

"One of the most unfortunate beings who ever lived." Sasuke uttered softly just before Naruto pressed his lips at the spot on his neck and his pelvis into the small of Sasuke's back.

The line of his quiescent dick pressing into Sasuke was nothing short of impressive.

"And who was that?"

"Orion. The greatest hunter to ever walk this planet. He couldn't get a break though."

"Hmmm...just like you, huh."

"Tell me about it." Sasuke agreed sadly.

Naruto softy tuned Sasuke around and pressed his forehead into Sasuke's. After a moment Naruto's lips pressed against the Uchiha and whispered. "Allow me."

Sasuke titled his head to accept the kiss just as his cell rang. Pushing Naruto off he almost sprinted into the room and grabbed the device.

Itachi's number flashed on the screen.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again Aniki." were the first words out of his mouth, his heart throbbing in his chest.

"Considering the hundreds of times you've scared me, I think this is fair play." came Itachi's cultured voice.

Damn it. He had a point.

"What happened?"

A sigh."I honestly don't remember much. All I do remember is a black tinted SUV slamming into my passenger side and my head hitting the glass."

"Did you do a report?"

"As a matter of fact, the police just left. And I'm getting out of here too."

Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah, I know how hospitals make your skin crawl."

"By the multiple times I've been in one with you, yes. I'm repulsed for life. " Itachi agreed. "I'm going home to my warm bed and hot tea."

Sasuke couldn't resist. "And a hotter man."

"Like you should talk. Tell Naruto hello for me, foolish little brother and remember to use protection."

Blood flared in Sasuke's face. "Go to hell Aniki."

"The sentiment is returned."

The call cut off. In that instant Sasuke felt like every load he'd been carrying had been lifted off him.

Getting up Sasuke placed the cell on a table and walked up to the patiently waiting man. "You said something about 'allowing you', right."

Naruto nodded.

Sasuke ran his hand through freshly washed hair. "Well I'm going to allow you to take me to bed and fuck me till I pass out."

Naruto's smile was evil while gently removing Sasuke's hands and crossed the room to the door.

"Uh no S'uke, you think it's that easy? You took charge last time and I allowed you... but this time...this time you're going to listen to me."

"Huh?" Sasuke blinked.

"You're going to burn...like I did in those freezing nights when the only thing I wanted to bury myself in you but couldn't."

"Burn...do you mean t-"

The click on the rooms door sounded like a omen.

"I'm going to fucking torture you."

"You think so, huh? " Sasuke bluffed trying hard to ignore the predatory look on Naruto's face and the animal magnetism literally pulsing off him.

With each forward step Naruto took, Sasuke took one back until his back met the wall. Naruto's arms instantly caged his head.

"Before I'm done you'll be begging for it."

Sasuke tried to snort dismissively even though his pulse kicked up. "I don't beg."

Lips found an ear. "Trust me, the freak inside you will."

This probably was the worst thing to say but Sasuke uttered it out of sheer ego. "Prove it."

In a second both of Sasuke's wrists were trapped above his head with a muscled forearm pinning both and Naruto's body pressing his into the wall.

In one sharp breath Sasuke got hit with a strong blast of musk body wash and Naruto's own earthy natural smell; paired it was intoxicating.

Sasuke could feel every inch of the virile male on him, shared every heated breath and saw every minute pore and faint freckle on his tan face.

"You know..." Naruto's voice was in his ear just as he pushed his clothed and hardening dick into Sasuke's belly.

With one unconscious shift Sasuke's legs parted to allow Naruto to settle between them, maximizing the pressure of the hardening shaft against Sasuke's awaking one.

"...one night I had this dream..." He whispered. "...we were in a tent in the forest...you were on all fours under me and my dick was buried in you so deep I thought you'd choke on it..."

Sasuke twisted trying to escape the hold but got nothing for his efforts. In fact the arm pressed even harder.

"...you were clamping so hard around me I had to spin you around and pull out to not lose it so fast..."

Eyes closed, short heated breaths panted from Sasuke's mouth because the deep base in Naruto's voice was just amplifying the lust that was already in him.

"...do you know what you did after I pulled out S'uke?"

"H-how would I know that?" Sasuke barely managed to ask just as callused fingers on Naruto's other hand dipped under his shirt and traced the tender skin under his bellybutton.

Sasuke saw white behind his eyelids.

"Think..." Naruto pressed. "...my cock, dripping with cum, pressed into your inner leg, wanting to slam back into you and fuc-"

The words uttered from those lips made something coil tightly in Sasuke's gut. He surged forward and after capturing the taunting lips started to devour every corner of his boyfriend's mouth with desperate hunger.

Naruto was no better, reciprocating even harder. A hand slipped under Sasuke's pants and closed around a filling cock.

At the touch a deep pleasured moan rumbled out of Sasuke's throat into Naruto's mouth.

Rubbing the distended head Naruto pulled back."No underwear Sasuke?"

"Lesser clothes to get rid of." Sasuke's reply was breathy as the caress on his most sensitive skin continued. "...tell me what I did."

Naruto's lips found Sasuke's. "You reached down, grasped my aching cock, ran your hand all over it, twice, then raised it to your face and sucked every drop of my cum off your fingers. Every... single... drop, baby."

Sasuke couldn't make a sound so dry was his throat. Unconsciously his fingers on his trapped hands twitched. Naruto instantly picked up on the shift.

"...Do you want to now?"

Dumbly Sasuke could only nod. Naruto's grin was feral as he shifted to release one of Sasuke's hands that immediately dipped down.

Breaching the elastic of Naruto's boxers Sasuke closed his slender fingers over a thick base nestled in short hair. The veins at the root were rigid, filled with blood and the skin taught and hot. Sasuke bit his lip and lightly trailed down to the uncut head that was leaking.

Returning to the base Sasuke started to rub, caress, tease and torture. After massaging the thick muscle of the shaft his fingers cupped and rolled heavy balls before pressing the scrotum.

That last motion earned him a deep aroused growl. A pleased smirk twitched at Sasuke's face as he moved back up to the crown, pushing a fingertip into the leaking slit while his other fingers ran circumference around the head.

Naruto's face was buried in Sasuke's neck by now, licking and biting at the skin there.

Sasuke faltered for a moment, lips trembling, trying hard to concentrate. The sensations from his neck flying to his brain seemed to take a double path over his neural pathways, blanking out his stable mind.

He couldn't believe he had gotten so sensitive.

Wrestling some control back he started to move again. Over and under; his hand repeated the motion, rubbing and squeezing until his palm was wet. He paused for a moment to brace himself for what he was going to do. Slowly Sasuke retracted his hand and lifted it to his face.

His pale fingers were covered with a light sheet of opaque white. Sasuke was slightly mesmerized and allowed the light coming from above to dance over his wet fingers before he stuck his tongue out and tentatively licked his index finger.

Salt and musk assaulted his taste buds.

Without hesitation he then sunk two fingers deep into his mouth, suckling the fluid off the appendages.

Meeting and trapping Naruto's eyes Sasuke then delicately ran his tongue from the base of his palm to the tips of his fingers in a clean sweep.

"Motherfuck." Naruto swore ripping Sasuke off the wall, wrapping Sasuke's legs around his waist and carried him off to the bed and dropped him on it and placed his corded body over Sasuke's.

On the bed Sasuke placed his cleaned palm on Naruto's face and cupped one of his whiskered cheeks, thumb tracing over Naruto's bottom lip while his black eyes re-memorizing every facet of Naruto's face.

The words 'I've missed you' were unsaid but Sasuke knew that by one look in his dark eyes Naruto knew it.

Lacing his fingers into thick hair Sasuke pulled down and latched his teeth on Naruto's bottom lip, worrying it just before he fully kissed him.

Tan elbows were on either side of an ebony head just as Naruto accepted the kiss and returned it.

One hand, still in Naruto's hair while the other slipped over a tan chest, skimming down over pectorals to abs, tracing the entire muscled roadmap.

He was about to slip that hand under the loose pants when the nineteen year old pushed off and stepped off the bed.

Confused Sasuke sat up on his elbows and looked as Naruto rummaged into his duffel and took out some items. Sasuke squinted wondering what he was holding until Naruto returned to the bed and placed two items on the bed beside Sasuke's head.

Black eyes shifted and a slight flush crawled up his cheeks. Beside him was a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms.

"We're doing it right this time."

Naruto said just as he dipped to Sasuke's belly, pushed his shirt up and attached his teeth to the skin there.

"Ahhhhh!" Sasuke cried falling fully back on the sheet, both hands fisting into Naruto's hair, left knee up and spine arched. Damn , he was really sensitive.

Had his body been that deprived?

Hands slipped under his bottom. Sasuke, breathless, took the nonverbal clue and lifted his hips. In a smooth motion the cloth was ripped off his lower half and he, intuitively, rose up, clasped the hem of his shirt, pulled up and threw the shirt away blindly to some corner of the room.

Naked Sasuke, back on the soft sheet, relished the hunger in the blue eyes that ran over him like a parched man approaching an oasis.

"Fuck, you're beautiful." Naruto leaned down to capture Sasuke's lips again, his hands running over milky white, smooth skin. Sasuke trailed his own down to the waist of Naruto's pants and tugged.

Immediately both hands were trapped again, at his sides this time.

"Nuh-uh," Naruto chided. "Not so fast S'uke...you haven't started to burn yet..."

Sasuke mentally whimpered. "You're wrong... I've been burning every fucking day since we parted."

"Really now."

"Yes." Sasuke replied in hope that Naruto would scrap the 'torture' part of his plan.

He was solidly disappointed.

Naruto, after a moment, smirked. "Let's prove that theory."

He reached over Sasuke's head to the curtains behind the bed that were covering the window there and tugged one of the ties off.

"Wha-"

In seconds Naruto bound pale wrists to the bed's headboard.

A tug. Sasuke was completely fastened. Naruto then hooked both hands under Sasuke's knees and pulled up and apart; sat back and took in the picture of his baby's body.

Sasuke was still struggling against the tie and with every struggle the strain pulled the skin of his chest tight, defining every stretch of skin, dip and curve. Naruto silently took in Sasuke's pale pink nipples, the dip below his ribcage, flat defined stomach, hipbones, a trail of dark hair leading to a reddening cock and his lean legs.

Naruto swallowed. "Fuck, I'm one lucky bastard."

Sasuke still more focused on the bondage tugged against the tie hoping it would miraculously release.

No dice.

"Do you know the major erogenous spots on the human body Sasuke?"

Wait. What?

"Huh?"

What the hell was Naruto talking about?

"I asked you a question baby. I'd like an answer." Naruto said again shifting to Sasuke's feet.

"No." Sasuke replied solidly. By that time he'd given up with two thoughts in his mind. The first was that maybe, just maybe, he might like whatever Naruto was planning with the bondage and the second was, why Naruto was playing twenty questions when he was supposed to be fucking him through the mattress. "Why?"

Naruto, perched on his haunches took Sasuke's left foot up and pressed both thumbs into it. Surprisingly that action made a spike of pleasure ran up his shin.

"The library at Fuji, well it had this particular book..."

Naruto held Sasuke's foot up to his face and breathed a warm breath unto the sole. "...it was all about these spots on the body...all the ways you can make someone come without fucking them..."

Sasuke tensed.

No.

No.

Nonononononono!

Sasuke immediately reneged on his previous decision and tugged harder.

Not. Fucking. Now! Naruto could NOT do this! Not when he was right where he had been longing to be for weeks!

"Naruto don't you da- uugghhhh!"

Naruto had ran his rough tongue right up the sole of Sasuke's foot. The sensation that hit his mind was like a tidal wave. Who knew the sole of a foot was linked to the 'fuck me now' receptors in his brain?

Sasuke didn't have time recuperate from that because Naruto's tongue- abrasive like a cats- began to drag up his shins and inner thighs.

Then his hot mouth began to nibble at Sasuke's stomach; found his navel and a slick tongue started a merciless thrusting in. A cruel preamble of what Sasuke wanted to happen to another part of his body.

Naruto shifted, back to Sasuke's lower half and latched his lips on Sasuke's knee. Half delirious Sasuke wondered when did Naruto pick up an oral fixation.

Sasuke then opened his eyes to see Naruto drag his tongue over his inner thigh, softly bend his knee and pressed his leg almost to his chest. Soft bites peppered up his calf until he reached the tender skin under the Sasuke's knee.

"What ar-ahhhh!"

Naruto had sunk his teeth into the skin and let them stay there. The pressure wasn't enough to break the skin but hard enough to send pleasurable pain spiking up Sasuke's body.

The deep moan Sasuke released after the shock made it undeniably clear that he had more than just a 'thing' for pain. Fire and lightning seared his pleasure pathways to dust and Sasuke was left gasping and unfocused.

Blinking his eyes open Sasuke whispered. "Do that again."

It was the first time Sasuke saw a smug 'I knew it' look on Naruto's face. "You want me to do it again...or move on?"

Anticipation, wonder and tiny hint of fear curled in Sasuke's stomach. "Move on?"

Naruto leaned over him the same smug smile on his face. "Didn't I say I was going to torture you?"

Something funny curled in Sasuke's gut just as under the benign light Naruto, without another word then started to lick, suckle and kiss every part of the young Uchiha.

There were places on his body that Sasuke hadn't known could amp up pleasure. Places like under his chin, his elbow even his shoulder blades; with each touch Sasuke fell deeper.

"Ahhh." Sasuke groaned.

Naruto had been suckling on his ear ,another unknown erogenous zone, for what seemed like a small eternity.

By the time Naruto was working on his obliques Sasuke didn't know left from right. He had been expecting Naruto to go after the normal parts- nipples, neck, cock- but that didn't happen. Instead Sasuke was driven half-insane by Naruto's finding of other, stranger areas to pleasure.

Every muscle in Sasuke's body was quaking now and his skin was damp with a thin sheet of sweat. With his hands tied he was barred from rubbing his full and aching cock and because Naruto was preoccupied with other parts of his body Sasuke now fully understood the 'torture'.

It was when Naruto was moving from his the skin just under his armpit that the trembling Uchiha lost it.

"Naruto, goddammit, fuck me already!"

A chuckle below his left pectoral. "So impatient. We haven't even got to the good part yet."

For once in his life Sasuke was afraid to ask, but he did. "And w-what's that?"

In a wordless reply hands pressed his legs up and before Sasuke could take in a breath, a rough tongue was waging indiscriminate war against his clenching entrance ring while a hand was mercifully rubbing his dick.

Naruto was ravaging, sinking his tongue in to hot depths over and over and over until Sasuke sorely wished he could only gasp at Naruto's coarse hair. He was dimly aware that his vision was blurring over with tears.

Everything crashed. He broke. "Naruto, please!"

It seemed like that was what Naruto was waiting for. Sasuke then suffered through the longest five seconds of his life before he finally heard the cap of the bottle of lube snap open.

A delirious part of his suffering mind whispered something scarily close to a prayer when Naruto released the tie and gently shifted him on his side.

Nestled behind him Naruto graciously placed his arm under Sasuke's head and hand under his knee bent his left leg up. A warm nose muzzled at a sensitive ear just as slick fingers prodded at his hole.

Sasuke's eyelids fluttered down reveling in the soft presses around and eventually in his body.

Slow, steady strokes widened and prepared the passage for entry while Naruto was whispering soft spanish susurrations in his ear.

"...why're you going slow?" Sasuke asked in a whisper, eyes opening a little.

"I have to... it's been a long time... you're tight and I don't want to hurt you..."

Lids closed back again just as he heard the rip of foil and a second later the tip of Naruto's dick pressing inside at the initial intrusion.

A hand was pressed against Sasuke's stomach just before it then slipped to capture his cock. "Breathe baby."

Sasuke did just as he braced himself for pain but felt nothing but sensuous sensation. It seemed like the lube had a relaxant additive.

Hot but slow thrusts drove into the very core of him and Sasuke's lip was permanently trapped between his teeth.

Naruto's dick felt like burning lance inside him. At his back Sasuke felt the sweat-slicked abs clench and release with every push. His hand fisted the sheet as each thrust brushed against over-sensitive balls.

There was an inferno in his belly and white behind his eyes. His mouth was constantly open with his pants and moans.

"Sasuke.. .."

"Sasuke …baby, look at me."

Sasuke barely managed to crane his head over his shoulder to meet unfathomable blue eyes. His hand reached up and behind to clutch at Naruto's head as the thrust started to pick up. His head then lolled back.

He couldn't see it but he felt it; the warm eyes, the soft lips worrying his neck, the hand propping his leg up and the slick thrusts that breached him, touching the deep spot within him over and over again.

"Oh fuck!" Sasuke clenched as he felt that trembling that had just started in the deepest part of him, climbing and climbing. His nails sank into Naruto's neck.

His body was tightening now, locking up for the massive orgasm that was just on the edge.

And then Naruto stopped. Sasuke literally cried.

A shift. He was on his back now. Sasuke could barely make out Naruto's face through the tears in his eyes.

His lips were captured then the sex started again.

Sasuke forced his eyes take in Naruto's angular features, the strict jaw, the hard, full mouth and the short beginnings of his shadow.

The thrusts slowed, the sex burned hotter as the invasive breeches got deeper and deeper inside his belly. It was a deep reaming of epic proportions and Sasuke fought the tears that were threatening to brim over.

"S'uke... I've missed you."

Hot lips claimed his own as their lower bodies joined into something greater primal. It was something cosmic and eternal. Sasuke hadn't felt this- ever.

"Na-ru-to.. " Sasuke clenched around the slick thrusts that seemed to breach his soul.

It was too much. Way too much. Sasuke arched and came with a soft cry. Naruto's jaw went stiff as the throes of release stained his face.

Sasuke was barely conscious when he felt that pulse of his lover's release inside him. Still riding the mental high Sasuke mourned that he couldn't feel the rush of warm fluid deep within.

Admirably Naruto held the bulk of his weight from crushing Sasuke until Sasuke himself dragged Naruto down onto him, wanting to feel his wet skin against his.

Sasuke wasn't sure how long they had been lying there until Naruto eased up and withdrew, took off the condom, tied it off and threw it in the trash bin beside the bed.

Knowing Sasuke still wanted contact Naruto laid on his back and rolled Sasuke on him, taking in the look of complete satiation, contentment and exhaustion radiating from the dark, sleepy eyes.

Nuzzling his nose in wet hair Naruto murmured, "Go to sleep S'uke..."

Closing his leaded eyes Sasuke slipped into oblivion.

---

The Gym Complex..5:46 a.m.

"Why did you want to talk to me?"

Ryu stopped in his tracks at the sound of his cousin's cold and guarded voice.

After a long moment Ryu placed the Bo staff he was practicing with on its hooks, dabbed at his bare chest with a towel while thinking hard about what to say to Naruto.

Then decided to not say a word.

He pivoted on his heel and aimed a high spinning kick at Naruto's head which the military brat easily dodged.

Naruto's responding lightning fast and deadly accurate punches made Ryu utilize every muscle in his body to dodge them. They were coming without hesitation and we're clearly aimed at breaking something.

And then Naruto slightly lost his footing and in a millisecond Ryu took advantage, his strikes just as precise.

It was clear that both had exceptional training because each strike was met with a fitting defense.

Even on the defensive side during the barrage Ryu looked into Naruto's eyes and knew that his cousin wasn't fighting for himself. He was defending Sasuke.

Ryu's teeth grit. Dammit. By the level of dedication Naruto was showing they were closer than he'd thought. But he wasn't going to give up.

"Fuck!" Ryu swore, staggering back after a punch landed solidly on his shoulder.

He had been distracted for one split second. One second. Fuck. He remembered his father smacking him to the ground multiple times for the same mistake.

It wasn't going to happen again.

He ignored the numbing flesh because he needed to prove something. He'd be dammed if he came out of this looking inferior.

After completing a double block Ryu leapt up and gave a roundhouse kick to clip Naruto's face.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted, his cheek exploding with pain at the hit.

The military man son's blue eyes were lit with hell's flame.

When Naruto's fist was inches away from his face Ryu shot out his palm to block and grab it, twisted Naruto's arm around and shoved him up against the wall.

"Give him up, Naruto." he grated.

"Fuck you!" Naruto swore face sideways on the wall while struggling to break the hold. "You don't know shit about Sasuke!"

Ryu's pushed harder, trying hard to ignore the fresh nail marks on Naruto's neck. "I know I can give him everything he wants, can you? "

Naruto fainted and dropped down to sweep kick Ryu's feet from under him.

"You think Sasuke wants money asshole?" Naruto snarled aiming a kick to the floored Namikaze, which Ryu quickly avoided by rolling away. "He's rich as shit. He doesn't need your blood money."

Blood money. Spot on.

Ryu retaliated with a roundhouse kick. Naruto blocked his leg this time, trapped his knee in a hold and slammed his elbow down.

It didn't give the 'crack' he wanted because Ryu shifted at the last second and bent his knee with the aim to slam up into Naruto's chin.

With an downward block Naruto made that plan futile.

Ryu staggered back. "Then what does he want?"

"Someone who knows him." Naruto spat circling the other teen. "Someone who's not some fake ass, rich, pampered fucker who doesn't know the ugly side of life."

That single statement made Ryu see red and in an infantile move shoved Naruto to the other side of the room so strongly he hit the wall.

"You think I don't know shit about ugly."

"Yeah?" Naruto leaned in, hand on the wall panting."If you do, prove it. Tell me that you've seen your family die in a blaze and your ancestral house burnt to ashes. Tell me you've been sent to an orphanage with cruel kids just to wonder why everyone hates you."

"Tell me that you have nightmares every night, reliving the abuse by someone you trusted. Tellme the first time you opened your soul to someone it got crushed."

Naruto paused to breathe.

"Tell me you know ugly after you've been mentally and physically abused for fifteen years and that you had to check and double check every fucking step you make."

"Tell me that the first time you've heard the words 'I love you' was just before there was a chance that you'd never hear those words again."

"Tell me when you've put your life on the line for people you don't even know. Tell me when you've taken shots for someone you couldn't allow to die. When you tell me all that, then I'll believe you."

Each word sent something undefined slicing thought Ryu's gut.

Suddenly every urge to continue the fight left him. Ryu, braced on his own wall titled his head up, eyes closed in a grimace.

Silence.

"You can't...can you."

It wasn't a question.

"No. Not like that..." Ryu replied. "...but that doesn't mean that I don't know ugly..."

His own eyes opened to pin Naruto's.

"Tell me it isn't ugly when you wake up at three years old and find your mother gone. Tell me it isn't ugly when you're told that your uncle, the only one who would play with a toddler is a traitor to his country and family..."

" ...Tell me when the only people who you can talk with are people who call you 'Master'. Tell me when you've never gotten an 'excellent work' or 'I'm proud of you' for any school project done. Tell me it isn't ugly when you eat at a table made for sixteen people alone."

"Tell me it isn't ugly when you're shipped to another boarding school every year of your life. Tell me when so called friends just stick around for the sake of being in the 'in crowd'. Tell me when the only reminder of your family is a faded picture of your mother and grandparents..."

Here he paused. "...Tell me when you think you've found this perfect person who could understand and you can't even touch them."

". ... Tell me when your father, the one you're looking to for direction spins your head around like a gig. I know ugly Naruto. I live with it." Ryu quietly finished.

The two stood mere feet away and just looking at each other.

A stint of awkward silence.

The two were coming to the unwanted truth that they were more alike than they had thought.

And it was uncomfortable.

"I still don't like you." Naruto said frankly.

Ryu's lips twitched. "I'm not exactly fond of you either."

"Did you have something to do with Sasuke's brother?" Naruto asked blatantly watching for any telling reaction.

He got a sober one. "Trust me, I didn't."

Another stint of silence.

"What the hell was all that then?" Naruto asked confused gesturing between them.

"A test... I just wanted to know if you were like your father... if you could protect Sasuke."

Naruto's jaw ticked. "If you think Sasuke needs protection, you're a fucking idiot. What was that really about?"

"...Do you really want to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"... It's about our family." Ryu confessed finally.

Naruto scoffed. "You mean your family. I don't have any."

"You're wrong." Ryu returned. He walked away for a few seconds, took up his cell phone and clicked gallery. "You have a whole clan."

Enlarging the photo he'd scanned into the device he handed the cell, palm flat, up to Naruto.

The other blond took few seconds to look down and instantly squashed his reaction.

It was the picture of Arashi decked in green sweater, his father Minato in red, his redheaded mother between them and toddlers Ryu and Naruto at their feet. In the background were other people, mostly other blonde haired people. Namikazes.

"Do you remember this?"

"It was some Christmas party." Flat blue eyes looked up. "So? Where are you going with this?"

Ryu carefully placed his cell back down. "... What if I told you that I think my father had something to do with yours, my uncle's, death?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed for a moment. "What? Why would you think he would kill his own blood?"

"Because of your mother." Ryu added.

By the lack of surprise on Naruto's face after he had said the truth Ryu knew he'd just confirmed something and gained a slight measure of trust.

"Your mother's family and ours we-"

"Enemies." Naruto interrupted. "... I know."

Ryu's eyelids lowered, a slight grimace on his face. " I know my father. He had to be insulted that a member of his family was going to marry one of our historical enemies. I know he had something to do with it but what I'm trying to figure out is how he orchestrated it all. Over all...what happened to you... it was fucked up... I'm sorry. "

Naruto's own face was blank. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"Yes, there is. We are family Naruto...and my father tried to kill you just because of some fucked up ideal... " Ryu added. "we were close...once...but too much time has passed and I don't expect us to ever get back to that stage."

Naruto's eyes lost a little of hostility. "If you keep fucking with my Sasuke you're damn right about that."

"Don't expect me to apologize for that. I want him. Shit, I still want him more than I wanted anything else... but he made it clear, multiple times that he wasn't going to allow me anywhere near him."

"And that must have hurt like a bitch."

Ryu's smile was painful. "It does."

"You're a honest bastard, I'll give you that so let me return the favor. ..." Naruto temperament was dichotomous; his voice was hard but his face was leaning to understanding. "... You ever try anything else to him and I promise you, they will not find your body."

"He's affected you that much, huh..."

Naruto's gaze was flat.

Ryu conceded. It hurt massively, but he had to accept it. "Okay, fine. I'll play it your way...I don't fucking want to but... I'll leave him alone."

For once Naruto viability calmed down. "Okay...keep your word and we can deal."

Ryu let out a deep breath.

Naruto then took the opportunity to offer something up. "If your father did set up our deaths you're probably thinking that he got someone else to do the dirty work."

Ryu looked impressed at his cousin intuition but he then sobered.

"Yes. He wouldn't do anything that could be traced to him directly. He had to have some help. Most likely someone with a grudge to my uncle."

After a few seconds Naruto asked. "... Does he know that I'm still alive?"

"I honestly don't think so." Ryu replied.

Naruto debated for a moment before he took a chance of a lifetime. "You're talking about the accident...what if I told you that ...he probably got my mother's ex boyfriend to do it."

Ryu looked skeptical. "What?"

Naruto's lips twitched. "My mother's ex boyfriend...he was an officer at the military base in Russia and later was a regular at your father's company...a Russian guy named Avilov Kyuubi. "

Ryu stepped back, images flitting through his mind. "...guy with...red hair?"

Naruto leaned back, arms crossed over his chest. "That's him."

"I remember my father talking about some Russian who was the bodyguard for some foreign Minister or something."

"Yea, him...and that's not all...that ex boyfriend hated my father...and after the whole thing went down...he adopted me.",

---

Sasuke blinked twice up at the ceiling, aware that the warm body that had been spooning his was absent. Sitting up in the lightening gloom Sasuke look around, wondering where Naruto could be.

After one glance at his cell phone on the bedside table his eyebrows twitched up. It was six forty-five in the morning.

Getting up, with minimal pain, he found and put on his discarded clothes then checked the bathroom. No, Naruto wasn't there. He then glanced to the door that led to the balcony; it was still closed.

Confused Sasuke wondered where he could be. He was about to leave the room when the door was pushed open.

Black brows furrowed as he stepped back. "Where were you?"

Naruto tugged off his sweat shirt to reveal the white tank underneath. "...I just had to take care of something."

"What was so impor-?" Sasuke stepped up to look Naruto in the eye then saw the darkening bruise on his jaw."You had a fight?" Sasuke asked incredulous his fingers rising touch the mark. "With who?"

Naruto sighed and reached out to the tense Uchiha. "...please don't get mad.."

"Who?" Sasuke pressed.

"...You know who."

Sasuke stepped back eyes wide, his voice kicking up. "You had a fight with Ryu? Are you fucking crazy?"

"No.." Naruto said. "...it's just seem-"

"Why?" Sasuke interrupted stonily.

"I just wanted to know what he wanted to talk to me about, okay."

"Bullshit." Sasuke refused. "It was about me, wasn't it."

"Part of it, yes." was Naruto's frank answer.

"I can't fucking believe this." Sasuke turned away stiffly. "...did you even think how this could affect-"

"How would it affect you Sasuke?"

"Becau-" Sasuke was about to continue but Naruto cut in.

"Because there's more between the two of you than you allowed me to think, isn't there."

Sasuke stilled. What was Naruto insinuating?

"You know Sasuke, I don't own you. You don't have to tell me what kind of high level bullshit he's throwing at you..." Naruto said. "...the only thing I need to know is that you didn't fall for him."

The amount of relief that emanated from Sasuke was palpable. "You don't have to worry about that. That. Never. Happened."

Naruto gave him a searching look before he nodded, went to the kitchenettes sink and filled a glass of water.

After a moment Sasuke tried. "...How did you find him?"

"I just thought of what I'd do if I had gotten the bombshell that he got yesterday..." Naruto said evenly before downing the glass. " ...I'd want to work it off. So I went to the gym and he was there."

" ...What did you talk about?"

"You... Itachi... his father and mine..." Naruto answered rinsing the glass and replacing it.

Squashing the thought that Ryu might have mentioned Madara Sasuke faced him. " What did he say about my brother?"

"Just like I suspected." Naruto confirmed. "He had nothing to do with it."

Black brows contracted slightly. "What did he say about your father?"

"That he suspects his father had set up mine."

Sasuke turned away but not quickly enough to dissuade Naruto.

"You knew?" came the disbelieving statement.

Shit.

Sasuke could have slapped himself. "Not entirely. He told me that he suspected that his father had something to his 'uncle's' death. At that time I didn't know it was your father. He didn't even give me a name. He just said 'uncle'."

"And what were the odds that he was talking about my father." Naruto mused.

Sasuke ran a hand through his grimy hair and grimaced. "I'm going to wash off...we'll talk after... I'll tell you what I can."

Naruto nodded. "Okay."

---

Elgin. After breakfast.

They'd just returned from breakfast at the mess hall where admittedly the only thing Sasuke had was tea and toast, so hard was the anticipation waging war in his gut.

Back now at Elgin Sasuke couldn't deny that he, and everybody else, was nervously watching the clock. The talk with Naruto would have to wait.

Sasuke knew that Nagato was supposed to be there by the afternoon but he was still watching out. He sincerely hoped that the CIA agent didn't have another delay.

There was a knock on the door. Surprisingly it was Shikamaru who got up to answer it. Sasuke ignored it, thinking it was most likely another star struck brownoser who had seen the fight and wanted to talk to him.

He was then surprised when Shikamaru stuck his head back in. "Oh fearless, package for you."

Sasuke went still. Package; Madara.

Fuck.

Naruto's head swiveled to look at him curiosity clearly in his face. Slowly Sasuke rose up and without a look to his boyfriend crossed the room to the door. In the foyer Sasuke met the young person carrying the box who didn't look more than sixteen. Sasuke was confused.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes." He replied coolly.

The young man handed him the package and the release slip. Sasuke paused for a moment. "You're not an aide, are you? Who are you?"

The boy, for he was really a young teen, scuffed his shoe and mumbled something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that." Sasuke said trying to squash his annoyance.

"…Morino Idate." The kid finally spoke up. "... I'm a friend of Konohamaru."

Sasuke clamped down on his anger. This had to be Ibiki's orphan nephew. No doubt the kid had heard about the hatred his Uncle had for him and was afraid to meet him.

"Where is Konohamaru? I haven't seen him in two days."

"He went to some function at his grandfathers...If I did somethin-."

"No." Sasuke said evenly. "Its okay...there's no problem...its fine."

Idate looked up, unbelief in his eyes. "...Really?"

Sasuke nodded. Even though he was talking to the teen his eyes were tracking a tinted car driving into Elgin's parking lot. Seemed like Nagato had been released earlier than planned.

Well that was one wish coming through.

"Yes... something tells me it wasn't just me that you wanted to meet..."

By the light that sprung on the boy's face Sasuke knew he was right." So... when Konohamaru gets back here and if there's time, tell him you and he can meet Naruto."

Eyes widened. "Naruto, the Naruto...the one who got shot?"

Shifting the box under his arm Sasuke replied. "That's him."

The kid looked like Christmas, New Years and his birthday had all come in one. "I'll tell him. I...I just... I..I mean I've heard Konohamaru talk about you so much that I just wanted to meet you."

Sasuke had more mercy on him. "It's okay...really."

The kid nodded and turned running up to the campus proper.

"Never thought I'd see the day." Nagato said walking up to him, Kisame's brother trailing behind him silently. "Chidori being gracious."

Sasuke shifted. "And I never thought I'd be in any more situations with you so I'm going be gracious and give you a chance to explain what level of shit you've put us in now."

The older Uzumaki sobered. "Inside please... We'll explain everything there."

Sasuke nodded, shifted the box, raised a hand and slapped Ryuu over the head.

"What the hell, Uchiha?"

"Blame your brother." was Sasuke's refrain while walking inside.

Inside Sasuke silently passed the others, ran up the stairs to deposit the box on the nearest surface and then went back down to see everyone chatting.

The moment he stepped in everyone went quiet. Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah." Kiba spoke up facing Nagato. "What's the deal?"

The CIA agent sobered. "You all should be wondering about what's happening why you are all here...it's about-"

"Orochimaru." they all said at once. "We know."

Nagato looked faintly impressed. "Well I'm glad that you figured that aspect of this out but really Orochimaru isn't the problem to us anymore...in fact he isn't a problem to anyone anymore."

A confused looked passed among them just as a fingertrails of premonition crawled up Sasuke's body.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked.

Nagato's lips twitched. "Because he's dead."

---

P. S. For all who were concerned after I mentioned the Doctor's visit last chapter, I'm happy to say that I'm 110% good. No worries at all. Thanks for your good wishes guys.

And the Kin/TenTen, Gaara/Neji scene...I couldn't resist. And I admit that my mind ran away from me before the smex.

And speaking of; I know I'm the author but while I was writing the 'erogenous' sections it occurred to me that Naruto, instead of studying school material was studying ways to make Sasuke scream blue murder when he got to him again...was anybody else?

Well, I hoped you liked it though...and one more thing:

REVIEW DAMNIT!

Ja.

Prodigy.