A/N: Billions of thanks for the reviews! I'm going to answer a few questions I found in some of the reviews.

1. The reason I let Naruto's mother die, even though she lived, was because the story wouldn't have run the same way if I hadn't. Her living had a profound effect on how Naruto is now, the way he reacts to things. He's not an idiot.

2. About the orgy. They were drugged, I said as much. Neither Sasuke or Naruto would go to other people of their own accord. Neither are they going to bitch and complain about it after the fact, what would that change? Nothing. Naruto has accepted the fact that he's bi, obviously. He knows it doesn't change his feelings for Sasuke. A year has passed, come on people, they've grown up a bit. Stories were the lovers only have sex with each other are, to my mind, unrealistic and just dumb. Shit happens that's frequently out of one's control. That's life.

3. About the female Sasuke preggy thing. It's going to be in this story and he's definitely not going to be happy about it. Kind of an accident.

Ok, that's done. This story will have a sequel, in case you were wondering. I had to ditch the Akatsuki story. I couldn't make it work and now that a baby is on the way (big spoiler right there, sorry people. I promise I won't give anymore) I don't really need it. For those of you who don't mind a sex-crazed Naruto boffing everybody, there'll be a oneshot about the orgy, but not for some time. I'm busy as fuck. I let a whole morning of packing go by to write this chapter.

Love u guys!

Chapter 35

Itachi studied the stunned faces while he blew gently on his drying nails. Careful to use only the sides of his fingers, he closed the small bottle and slipped it into a pocket. He uncrossed his legs, stood up and walked slowly towards the person who stood in the middle of the small group. He tilted his head back to regard the shocked face.

"Well, little brother. You've grown. Do you-" Itachi's eyes widened as Sasuke threw his arms around his neck and hugged him violently. A glance sideways revealed his mother coming to add her weight.

Mikoto knew it was her son and yet couldn't believe it was him. Ten years! She'd stood, drinking in the sight of him, the changes, as he'd spoken to Sasuke. Then she was hugging him, sobbing against his back, holding him tightly so he'd never leave again.

Naruto stood watching this big brother sandwich with his arms folded. He'd taken in everything. The way the dude walked in that slow unhurried way, how he had eyes only for Sasuke, the brief wince of annoyance when Mikoto-san threw herself against him. She was the only one making noise. Sasuke was silent. Naruto saw Itachi keep his hands slightly twisted as he awkwardly hugged Sasuke with his forearms. So the nail polish was important? Naruto, eaten with emotions he couldn't name just then, felt an urge to piss the guy off by grabbing those hands. He didn't.

Instead, he studied the legendary ninja he hadn't seen in nearly four years. He wore the mesh shirt that was common garb for Konoha males and a pair of loose black pants. The dark hair was luxuriant, falling to just below the shoulder blades in a thick tail. Two locks fell over his cheeks in the customary Uchiha style that even Mikoto sported. The light from the lamp showed Itachi's hair to be a rich brown instead of black like Sasuke's. Naruto wondered idly what the guy looked like with his hair loose…maybe topless…

Naruto gave himself a mental shake. The guy was attractive but he was interested in only one Uchiha. He turned his attention to him now.

Sasuke let go of his brother slowly. He could not take in the fact he was here. It had to be a Genjutsu. He kept his hands on Itachi's shoulders, looking him up and down, taking in the sight and smell of him. Had his brother always been such a slight person? He'd seemed ten feet tall all Sasuke's life. Even before he'd seen the man again, whenever he thought of him it was always with his brother being much taller than he was. Seeing him now, the way Itachi's head came to Sasuke's mouth, brought home to the younger Uchiha just how much time had passed. He gradually let go of the man he'd been waiting so long for and stepped back. He glanced at Naruto. Naruto looked at him. An understanding passed between them: the time had come to fulfill the promise.

Itachi stood examining his younger brother just as closely. He didn't shift his eyes from this assessment as he spoke. "Mother, I'm glad to see you are well. I will stay one night. Then Sasuke and I have to leave."

"Leave? No! Where are you going? You can't leave and you're not taking Sasuke anywhere." Mikoto was distraught.

"Sasuke has known this day was coming for a long time…haven't you, little brother?" Itachi gave a very small quirk to one side of his mouth. "We have a mission. I cannot complete it without him. He's coming with me."

Mikoto looked back and forth between her sons. Sasuke looked excited. Itachi merely had the indifferent expression he seemed to have been born with. "Well, I'm coming with you," she said decisively.

"No. Only Sasuke. No one else." Itachi's voice was deep. It brooked no argument.

Naruto tensed at these words. Sasuke would set his brother straight, he thought. He has to. He stared at his lover's face, willing him to speak, but Sasuke still seemed to be awestruck.

"You are not leaving! You can't take him, he's all I have left! You can't! You ca-"

Itachi cut off the raising hysteria Mikoto exhibited with a small gesture of one hand. "I will keep him safe. If we can, we'll return. If not…you will have other children to care for."

Itachi turned with this cryptic statement and headed for his room. The other occupants of the room watched him. When the door shut softly behind the older man, Naruto turned to Sasuke. Sasuke seemed to recall his presence and turned to look at him. His face split in a grin.

"Oh, my God, he's back. Did you see him?! He's finally back! That means I can finally leave this village for good! Do you think he's been waiting here long? It's a good thing we're packed already Naruto, we can just leave first thing in the morning. I-"

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Naruto asked casually. He leaned against the wall with his arms and legs crossed. His body vibrated with an emotion he didn't immediately recognize and didn't feel like analyzing just then.

"What do you mean? What about our promise? We've been planning this for years."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten the promise. Nope. But you heard the dude; Only you and him are going."

"What? Oh, but that…no, you're coming. He won't mind."

Naruto did not like how Itachi's presence seemed to already be blinding Sasuke. "Won't he?" the blond said now. "He certainly minded your mother coming along. And I don't recall you telling him that I was going to be accompanying you two."

Sasuke looked from Naruto, to his mother who'd been listening, to his brother's door. He began walking in that direction. "Fine. It's no big deal, watch. I'll tell him now."

Naruto followed Sasuke as he knocked on the door before opening it. He stood outside as Sasuke entered the room. Itachi was sitting cross legged on the bed going through a bag.

So that's what he looks like with his hair loose, Naruto thought. The stuff floated around his shoulders, enhancing the dark devil look of him. Sasuke spoke.

"Um, Itachi. I can understand about mom, but…Naruto is coming with-"

"No."

"But-"

"I said no."

Sasuke closed his open mouth. He glanced back at Naruto, saw his grim expression. Sasuke never imagined this scenario. It had never occurred to him that Naruto wouldn't be allowed to go with Sasuke when the time came. He wasn't going to give up though. Not on Naruto. He turned back to his brother. He thought for a few minutes, arranging what he wanted to say. His hands shook a little; his brother's arrival unnerved and excited him in a disturbing way.

"Itachi, Naruto took on the promise I made you. He helped me fulfill it and he became strong with me. I promised to take him with me when you came back for me. I can't leave him here. I...," Sasuke swallowed hard and squared his shoulders, standing up as straight as he could. "I won't leave him."

Itachi took his time rummaging in his bag through this statement. He finally seemed to find what he'd been looking for. It was a small notebook. He held it as he looked up at Sasuke.

"Stay, then."

"What?" Sasuke's eyes bulged. No. He couldn't mean that.

"I do mean it," Itachi said. Sasuke realized then that he'd spoken aloud. "If you can't leave him, stay here with him," Itachi continued. "He obviously means more to you than I do, more than the mission does."

"That's not true, Itachi. I've waited for you for almost ten years. Naruto's been with me longer than you have, but you're my blood. I just don't understand why he can't come with us."

"You don't need to. He's not going. Either you come with me or you stay with him. Decide now." He bent his head and flipped through the pages of his notebook, as if Sasuke's answer didn't concern him in the slightest.

Naruto had watched and listened. His eyes were red. He could see how tortured Sasuke was. He wanted to make the decision for him, but he didn't speak. He waited to hear what Sasuke would say, who he would choose. Naruto could feel Mikoto's presence behind him.

Sasuke cast an anguished look at Naruto. Naruto felt his stomach clench. They'd shared a lot, been through a lot. They were soul mates, lovers, best friends…but this was Itachi. This was the guiding force behind much of Sasuke's life. Naruto knew how important Sasuke considered him, Naruto, knew he loved him beyond reason. But this was his brother and he loved him more. The knowledge rocked Naruto, made his head ache it began pounding in time to his heart.

"Have a nice trip, Sasuke" he said, taking the decision away from him. He turned to leave. He went down the hall to Sasuke's room and looked around. He set his bag on the floor as he heard Sasuke running down the hallway.

"Naruto."

The blond man turned around. He made his voice light. "What?"

"I…I have to go with him. I'll keep trying to convince him to let you go too, but-"

"Nah, you don't have to. He looks like his mind is made up."

Sasuke looked closely at his friend. He'd seen Naruto angry before. Usually it was a surface anger that ignited quickly and left just as quickly. Deeper anger almost always resulted in some manifestation of Kyuubi. He could see that Naruto's eyes were red, but his tone didn't fit. He sounded almost cheerful…but not happy. A shiver went up Sasuke's spine. The only time Naruto sounded like this was when he was covering up some deep, deep pain. In fact, Sasuke could only remember hearing and seeing his friend like this two or three times.

"Naruto-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Naruto turned towards the window and looked out.

Ah. Now he could name the feelings. Before, when he was watching the cozy little family reunion, he'd felt left out, like an outsider. Jealous. Sasuke's much awaited brother, the long lost son, had finally come home to claim Sasuke. His Sasuke. Bad as that was it was nothing, and I do mean nothing, to what he felt when he saw that Sasuke was choosing his brother over him. It was anger, betrayal such as he'd not experienced in years, if ever. Not even the exile had come close.

Confident as Sasuke always was that his brother would take Naruto along, Naruto had known it was a slim possibility. He hadn't cared, though, sure that Sasuke would never abandon him. Either he, Naruto, had underestimated the bond Sasuke had with Itachi or he'd overestimated the bond he and Sasuke shared. Sasuke had said it, he and Naruto had been together longer than Sasuke and Itachi had. But he also said that they were blood. I guess what we are to each other can't compete with that. Worse, I don't even have a right to feel like this. But I do. Oh God, this hurts!

He took deep calming breaths. Yes, he was hurt. He was more than hurt. Crushed. Sasuke had chosen, albeit silently, to go with his brother rather than stay with him. He turned to look at Sasuke, now. He was standing just inside the door to his room, watching Naruto warily, sadly. He picked his nails nervously as his eyes ran over Naruto's blank face, trying to gauge his mood.

It was with detached wonder that Naruto realized that a part of him, a small part, hated Sasuke. Sasuke had turned his back on the promise they'd made years ago and Naruto hated him for that. It was only a small dot on the red-white brilliance of his love for the taller man, but it was there. Oddly, it only served to intensify his love. As if by having the contrast of his hate, his love was more refined. Even so, he guessed things would never really be the same between them again. Maybe they would get past this somehow, but they could never go back to how things were before this decision. That hurt him even more, which made him angrier.

They looked at each other in silence. Naruto pissed beyond all reason, Sasuke nearly shitting himself with guilt and remorse. The quiet stretched out between them.

Suddenly Naruto wanted to hurt Sasuke as much as he was being hurt. He stepped quickly to the other man and, reaching behind him, slammed the door shut. He locked it. Sasuke flinched at the sound but didn't have time to say anything as Naruto grabbed him by the shirt and slung him bodily across the room. He landed on the bed with a crash, the frame under the mattress collapsing under his weight. Naruto was on him almost before he'd landed, causing the broken pieces of wood to shift under their bodies.

Naruto's mouth sought Sasuke's savagely. The kiss was scorching, bruising, unkind. Sasuke welcomed it, welcomed Naruto's touch, even though it hurt. He wanted to be hurt, because he knew he'd hurt Naruto. The hands that roughly removed his clothes made his blood sing with passion. He was just as rough with the long-haired blond as he ripped his pants from his legs and tore the shirt from his back. No words were spoken; their mouths hadn't separated since they'd latched on to each other.

Naruto bit Sasuke's lip, drawing blood. Sasuke moaned into his mouth. They both sucked away the blood. Sasuke's hand fisted in the flaxen hair and pulled, exposing Naruto's throat. He bit the corded column hard, leaving bite marks that soon healed. He had Naruto's rock hard cock gripped in his strong hand, and he worked it slowly up and down, squeezing as hard as he could.

White hot passion ignited between them. Naruto was silent on top of Sasuke, the only indication of his feelings the harsh breathing he did through his nose. Sasuke's groans as Naruto's tongue fought with his were swallowed by the heavy man on top of him. Sasuke felt his legs nudged apart. Naruto lifted Sasuke's legs and pressed his knees to his chest. Sasuke held them in place as Naruto bit his way down Sasuke's body. He paused at Sasuke's swollen cock. Sasuke's hole clenched and unclenched in need, wanting Naruto to suck him and suck him hard. He lifted his hips, silently pleading with him to take him.

Naruto continued to hover over the solid length of flesh. His eyes roved over the pulsating cock, the balls beneath it and the puckered hole that quivered at his gaze. He lowered his head.

Sasuke bit his lips to keep from crying out as Naruto swallowed his balls whole. The entire sack disappeared into his mouth and he sucked just hard enough to make Sasuke release a knee and stifle his scream with the back of one wrist. Bone-melting pleasure raced through Sasuke and he was helpless to stop the shudders that had him pitching on the broken bed. The wooden pieces settle further, dropping them lower. A particularly hard suck had Sasuke biting his hand. A growly scream escaped his clenched teeth.

Naruto released his balls and Sasuke panted, trying to calm down. He saw Naruto sucking three of his fingers. He just managed to relax his muscles before they were showed ruthlessly into Sasuke's ass, angling so they hit his prostate with pinpoint accuracy. Naruto began massaging it with firm, steady pressure.

Sasuke's hips bucked, his mouth open. His back arched off the bed as Naruto increased the tempo and the pressure rapidly, not waiting for Sasuke to build to his release gradually. Sasuke held his cock, not wanting to cum yet, but Naruto grabbed his hand and held it away as he lowered his burning mouth over the straining flesh. He felt Naruto swallowing his pre-cum, sucking, sucking…oh, God, sucking so hard as his hand moved strongly inside him. Sasuke looked down to watch Naruto's head moving on him, saw how his bicep jumped as he worked his hand mercilessly. He watched as he came, his mouth open in a silent scream, watched as Naruto swallowed as he kept sucking, his hand never resting. It hurt so good, the way Naruto kept sucking and fucking him while he came.

Naruto removed his hand when Sasuke was completely spent. He released the softened cock from his mouth and sat on his heels. Sasuke legs started to come down, but Naruto pushed them back to his chest. Tucking one sheaf of hair behind his ear, Naruto bent down so he could place his mouth against Sasuke's hole. He inhaled deeply before he ran his teeth around the puckered rim. Then he bit him.

Sasuke's legs came down, clamping around Naruto's head. He grabbed the hair and pulled Naruto's face up, but the brawny man resisted, and licked Sasuke's hole suggestively. Sasuke's hold on the hair changed, loosened…became a caress. He pressed the blond head closer, urging the knowledgeable tongue to continue. His own head fell back as he leaned on an elbow, one leg raised, the other bent on the bed. His hand kept the blond head pressed to his ass, shamelessly enjoying how the hot tongue darted inside him. He breathed shallowly as his dick came to life again.

The sounds of Naruto's lapping tongue were the only thing to be heard in the moonlit room. That and Sasuke's quiet moans, wordless murmurs. Eventually Sasuke lay back on the mattress, twitching and shuddering from Naruto's ministrations. He legs were bent, spread wide, both hands tangled in Naruto's hair as his head moved from side to side. Sometimes Naruto attended his balls or his cock, but he always returned that clever mouth to his sensitive anus.

Sasuke was past wanting it by the time Naruto reared up over him. Sasuke drew his knees back up to his chest, welcoming the coming penetration. He looked up at Naruto. His face was completely hidden in shadows. All that could be seen was a white-blond outline to his head and his blue eyes. The eyes glowed with moonlight in the night-shrouded face. Almost as if they weren't connected to a face at all. He gazed into those silvery-blue eyes, emotionless eyes, as Naruto entered him in one swift, brutally hard thrust. Sasuke's breath froze as Naruto's balls met his, at how full he felt. He didn't take his eyes off of the his as Naruto began driving into him.

He wasn't gentle. Naruto fucked him as hard as he could, putting all the power of his body behind each thrust. He saw the frown appear between Sasuke's eyes, saw his mouth open in pain and it felt good to him. He moved faster, seeking his own release as his pumping hips finished breaking down the bed. Sasuke's hands pushed against his chest, but Naruto didn't stop. He clenched his jaws and kept staring into the dark gray eyes that looked at him silently as if knowing how much he was hurt. As if he knew that hurting Sasuke was hurting him even more. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

Sasuke derived no enjoyment from Naruto's lovemaking. He reached up and brushed the tears from Naruto's cheeks, sure that his lover was unaware that he was crying. He tentatively reached his arms around the bulky man and tried to bring his body down to his. Naruto resisted, but Sasuke persevered. Naruto gave in at last, collapsing on Sasuke with a sob. His body shook with the muffled sounds, but he kept fucking Sasuke. He did so even more desperately now. Sasuke wrapped his legs around the laboring body along with his arms and held on until it was over.

Naruto stayed inside of him. He'd cum, but he was still hard. He leaned his head on Sasuke's shoulder, turned away from him. His tears ran down and hit Sasuke's skin.

Sasuke held Naruto close, rubbing his back, trying to soothe him. He could feel Naruto's cock pulsing inside him, feel the hitching breaths. The tears that were hot on his neck and shoulder quickly cooled. Naruto's voice was low when he spoke.

"You said you'd never leave me."

"I know."

"Don't go. Please."

"I'll come back. I promise."

"No, you won't."

"I will. I'll come back to you." Sasuke didn't know if he could stand the separation though. He felt his throat close up as his own tears threatened. How could he leave Naruto? He couldn't. He just couldn't. But he had to. Dying must surely be less painful than this.

Naruto said nothing. He could feel Sasuke's heart beating against his. They stayed that way, joined, until Naruto heard Sasuke's slow, even breathing. He gently extricated himself from the arms and legs and stood up. The moonlight kissed his naked body as he regarded Sasuke.

He really couldn't ask Sasuke to turn his back on his own brother. Sasuke wouldn't be the man he loved if he did. And Naruto would hate himself if Sasuke actually had done as Naruto asked and decided to stay. None of this was Sasuke's fault.

No, he blamed Itachi.

Naruto hunted around for something whole to wear. He found an old pair of pants in Sasuke's dresser and pulled them on. He found a shirt and threw that on, too. He picked up his bag. He cast one last look at Sasuke as he paused in the doorway. Sasuke rolled over on the broken bed, murmuring his name.

Itachi glanced up from the conversation he was having with his mother. They were both in his room, sitting on his bed. Naruto stood in the doorway, staring at him.

He'd heard the crashes that came from his brother's room and assumed the Jinchuuriki was trying to convince his brother to stay. He hadn't heard anything else so he assumed Sasuke had settled the matter. This idea was confirmed as he saw the look of raw dislike in the wide-set blue eyes. Naruto's lip curled in disgust as he turned away. Unconcerned, Itachi turned back to his mother. He heard the front door close behind Naruto.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke muttered, reaching across his bed as if looking for something. Itachi wondered at the bruises and bite marks on his brother's body. Did Sasuke always sleep naked? The bed was broken, which explained the crash he'd heard last night. He noted the teeth marks on his brother's manhood and wondered what kind of animal Uzumaki Naruto was to fight in such a way. "Sasuke," he said again.

"Hn?" Sasuke suddenly gasped and sat up as his hand slapped the empty space beside him.

"Naruto!" he looked around, but only saw his brother standing at the foot of the ruined bed.

Itachi looked at the panicked expression on Sasuke's face. He made a note to rid his brother of whatever strange attachment he and the blond shared. Friendship had its place, and he was grateful to Naruto for keeping his brother safe and happy in his absence, but Sasuke was his brother and they had business to attend to. He didn't like to think of the jealousy he'd felt when Sasuke had insisted on bringing the other man along. It was with secret satisfaction that he spoke now.

"Naruto-kun's gone. He left last night. It's nearly dawn, we need to be on our way. Hurry and get dressed."

Sasuke stared at his brother. Gone? No, Naruto wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. He felt bereft, rudderless, without direction. He didn't want to face this new chapter in his life without Naruto. Naruto was his compass, his anchor.

Itachi saw how his brother deflated at the news and his lips thinned. "We don't have time to waste. Get up now. Or are you staying here?"

Sasuke grimaced, holding back his tears. He wouldn't cry in front of Itachi. He hunted up clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. When he came back, his brother was still standing where he'd left him, arms at his sides. His eyes followed Sasuke as he toweled dry, dressed in black pants and a loose white shirt. He didn't relish how Itachi's eyes ran over his naked body.

Sasuke knelt on the floor and checked the contents of his bag, discarding some things and adding others, all the while conscious of Itachi's eyes on him. When he was ready, he straightened up and faced him.

Itachi wordlessly led the way out of the room. Sasuke looked around at it, remembering it, before he followed his shorter brother.

Mikoto waited by the door, crying softly. She hugged Sasuke, tightly. "Your brother explained everything to me. Be safe my son. Be safe and if you can, come back."

Sasuke nodded past the lump in his throat. He and his mom had grown so close during the last year. Closer than they'd ever been. He would miss her terribly. But not as much as Naruto. Oh, God, Naruto. He sucked back the sobs and tears that wanted to come, swallowing them viciously. He would not shame himself in front of his watching brother.

He wanted to tell his mother to tell Naruto to wait for him, but Itachi's eyes somehow forbade it. He let go of his mom and left behind the slight figure of Itachi. His mom watched them leave the compound.

As they neared the main streets of the village, a few early risers could be seen. The sky was just starting to turn pink in the east. They walked slowly side by side.

"Does anyone know you're here in the village?" Sasuke asked.

"No. And it stays that way."

"I should probably cloak us then. Don't worry, I'll layer it so it won't be dispelled."

Itachi didn't speak, but watched his brother perform a Genjutsu he'd never seen or heard of before. Layer it? He activated his Sharingan. When he saw that it was done, saw how it was done, he felt his skin break out in goose bumps. An old woman looked right through them some distance away.

"Where did you learn such an advanced technique," he asked Sasuke. He'd seen how the jutsu had been layered, inverted, and layered again seven times. Such a thing was unheard of. He felt his hands itch to learn it.

"Mom."

"Who??"

Sasuke turned to him. Itachi's eyes were red, boring into him. He sounded as if he didn't believe he'd heard right, though his face was still blank. "Mom? You know, our mother?"

"Impossible."

Sasuke shrugged, returning his eyes to the street. "That's what I thought. The first night I saw it, and her Sharingan-"

"Mother doesn't possess Sharingan," Itachi interrupted. Sasuke kept talking.

"-was when we rescued the Hyuugas right before we left the village. She cloaked the whole Hyuuga estate so that not a sound could be heard while we attacked it. Nobody could tell the difference either. All that's nothing, though. During the exile she'd put us in these Genjutsus that she'd layer twenty-three times. There were layers inside the layers. Some parts of it were layered more than others and we'd have to break out of the jutsu. Fucking awesome stuff. I can only layer about eleven times."

Itachi heard all this with disbelief. His mother, his own mother, had Sharingan? Was a Genjutsu user of such caliber? He very nearly turned around then, so he could go back and learn all that she'd been hiding. He actually did stop in the middle of the road, considering it. Sasuke stopped as well, looking at him curiously.

He decided against it. He would get Sasuke to teach him what he knew and figure out the rest. He addressed something else that had bothered him about Sasuke's speech as they resumed walking.

"Don't swear. It's unbecoming."

"What? Cursing bothers you?"

Itachi didn't answer, only walked in that measured pace. Sasuke, used to the talkative presence of Naruto, found these silences unnerving. Had his brother been this quiet when they were younger? He couldn't remember. He had trouble remembering anything before that night of blood and death.

They reached the village gates and passed through undetected and undeterred. Sasuke turned back and scanned the street, the village walls. He'd hoped…maybe if he waited a little…

"He's not here and he's not coming. Accept it. Are you so weak that you can't be without him?" Itachi's voice cut like a razor through his fragile optimism that Naruto would not let him leave. His brother was right. He needed to accept that he was leaving Naruto and move on. He couldn't expect Naruto to do what he hadn't done and stick by him no matter what. Still, he'd hoped.

He felt his heart breaking as he followed his brother with his head down. His face burned with self-loathing. He would never forgive himself for leaving his friend. Never.

Itachi set a slow pace, but they covered quite a bit of ground. Sasuke spent the time remembering the year he and Naruto had spent in exile. He remembered how his friend had rescued him from Orochimaru, the day his mother died and he'd sworn to bring Sasuke back if he ever left him. Guess he won't bring me back this time. Please don't hate me, Naruto. Please.

It was almost noon when Itachi said they would take a rest in a clearing they found in the dense forest. He was just slinging his bag to the ground when a kunai came out of nowhere, aimed at the back of his pony-tailed head.

Itachi leapt backward, Sharingan on. He skidded in the grass as the kunai landed where he'd been standing. Sasuke jumped back too, activating his own Sharingan as he examined the trees. The attack had come from above them.

"Whew! What a relief to see that your bitchassedness doesn't affect your reflexes, Itachi." The familiar voice had Sasuke stifling a fierce yell of joy. He felt close to pissing himself in happiness. He managed to remain silent as the unseen voice continued.

"That means I won't be the only one protecting us should we meet up with anybody unsavory." Naruto dropped out of the trees and strolled towards them. He stopped midway between Sasuke and Itachi. He looked back and forth between them, hands in his pockets, bulging bag on his back.

"Yup, I reckon he's almost as good as you, Sasuke. He'll never be as tall or as strong, more's the pity, but one can't have everything, I suppose." Naruto picked his teeth as if something were caught in them. He examined his findings and flicked it aside. Itachi spoke in a quiet voice.

"Leave. You're not welcome here. Sasuke made his choice."

Naruto turned to him with an avid expression that Sasuke recognized as restrained violence.

"Leave? Leave. Hmm. No, I don't think I will."

"Sasuke-"

"Yeah, I know Sasuke made his choice, you fucker. Now here's my choice. I made a promise and I'm keeping it. But promises aside, Sasuke and I are one unit. Where one goes, the other follows, comprende? You can tell me all you want about how unwelcome I am, but I'm not going anywhere. Sasuke chose as he did and I respect him for it. I ain't leaving him, though. Not now, not ever. Get used it, 'Tachi-baby."

Sasuke slowly sank to his knees. Naruto respected him? He'd betrayed him, their promise, and Naruto forgave him? Sasuke felt blessed and cursed at the same time. What did he ever do to deserve Naruto? How did such a person love him?

Itachi studied the blond boy. He'd waited years to be reunited with his brother, he wasn't going to let this kid take that away from him. How could the boy be so inconsiderate as to think his friendship mattered more than what was between two brothers?

"Leave or you will get hurt." He took a step closer to the blond man.

Sasuke stepped in. "Itachi, don't. He's here now, let's just continue our journey."

"Yeah, 'Tachi-baby. I'm here now. You think I'm going to let a shit like you keep me from Sasuke? I'd like to see you try."

Sasuke winced. "Naruto…you don't need to antagonize him. And he doesn't like swearing."

Naruto had been idly stroking his pony-tail. He stopped and looked at Sasuke with naked shock on his face. Then he turned to Itachi and gave a slow grin that showed way too many teeth. His eyes were half closed, as if in sublime ecstasy. His voice shook with laughter when he spoke.

"Are you kidding? This guy is such a tight ass that he doesn't curse? Oh, my God. I know he's your brother and all, but this is too delicious. Oh, the fun I'm going to have!" He spent several minutes cursing creatively and randomly. Much of it was directed at Itachi.

Naruto cut off as Itachi calmly lifted a hand and did an odd formation. Naruto saw it and realized that the landscape had changed. He looked around with interest at the inverted colors, the sky that boiled with red clouds. He saw Itachi standing a few feet away. To his credit he didn't smile and start monologuing the way most opponents did when they thought they had you.

Naruto didn't wait to see what would happen. He called up Kyuubi chakra and dispelled the technique. The clearing surrounded by forest returned. Sasuke still stood some feet away. Itachi was looking with wide-eyed shock at Naruto who still had orange chakra curling off of him in thick waves. Naruto walked over to him.

"You have got nothing on your mom when it comes to Genjutsu. That was baby stuff you just did. I don't want to fight you since Sasuke would probably never forgive me. But if you try that again or try getting rid of me in any other way, I'll go Kyuubi on your ass. Big time. Trust. I'm staying. I won't be a hindrance and I won't interfere with your Madara issues. Got it, you dickless wonder?"

Itachi said nothing. He only watched the larger man stalk away and start talking to Sasuke. How had he dispelled that technique? He'd definitely improved since they fought each other at the Kazekage incident. Interesting. He would keep his peace for now.

"So…you mind me tagging along?" Naruto eyed Sasuke carefully. He'd really hurt him last night. Maybe he didn't want-

"You have to ask? I thought you hated me."

"I do. Some. But you did what you had to do."

Sasuke swallowed at hearing that. "Think you'll forgive me?"

Naruto snorted. "Already have. Can you forgive me? For how I acted last night, I mean?"

"You know I do." Sasuke grinned sheepishly.

"I'll make it up to you tonight." Naruto moved to put his arms around him but Sasuke sidestepped with a glance at his staring brother some feet away. He hoped Itachi hadn't been listening. He changed the subject quickly before Naruto said anything else.

"What about the council and Tsunade? I don't care about being a missing–nin, I hate the village. But you-"

"I took care of it. Where do you think I was all last night and this morning? It took some doing but I managed to convince them to let me leave. It took a lot of doing, actually. They don't know Itachi's involved. Some of the other parents and Gaara helped. Don't worry, it's cool. I let them think I'll be writing every so often to let them know where I am."

"Will you?"

"Maybe."

Sasuke was about to ask something else when Itachi walked up to them. He sat down and began taking out food. Naruto Looked at Sasuke and decided he was hungry, too. He sat down and took out his own lunch. Sasuke followed suit.

Itachi watched as Naruto and Sasuke talked about things he knew nothing about. He swallowed his bitter disappointment that his grand reunion with his brother was ruined. He'd thought Sasuke would be overjoyed to see him, would look up to him and follow him the way he did when he was younger. He'd been stupid to think his brother would adore him like that after all this time. He chewed his rice ball as he studied the tall, strong man his brother had become. That had been a shock, seeing how big he'd gotten. He'd expected to find someone only a little taller than the boy he'd left. Why, he didn't know. I don't know him anymore, Itachi realized. He'd seen the deep sadness on Sasuke's face as they traveled this morning. He'd ignored it, thinking his brother would get over it.

Sasuke's face now shined with radiance as he laughed at something Naruto said. What, exactly, was the strange hold the Nine-Tails kid had over him? He needed to find out. He needed to find out why their friendship was so strong and what it meant to his brother. I need to get to know Sasuke again. And to do that I will have to get to know this brute he calls his friend. Fine.

He finished his lunch and addressed Naruto, idly brushing crumbs from his fingers.

"Naruto-kun."

Naruto whipped his head around, a smile still on his face. It faded a little as he watched Itachi. "Yeah?"

"For my brother's sake I will let you stay. Do not underestimate me, however. That would be a mistake. You will both do as I say, no questions asked. Do you understand?"

Naruto didn't think now was the time for smart comebacks. He nodded his head. "Thanks."

Sasuke gave a whoop and lunged at his brother. He knocked Itachi to the ground as he hugged him. Itachi stiffened. Sasuke planted a resounding kiss on his shocked brother's cheek.

"Get off me." Itachi's voice was strained under the weight of his younger brother. What was wrong with the kid??? No shame. Itachi wiped his cheek, though the gesture had pleased him greatly. Maybe his brother still loved him after all.