Dear readers, thanks for hanging on. I finally was able to finalize this chapter to my liking.
My father unexpectedly passed while I visiting him over the holidays, therefore, my world was a mess for some time. As I wanted to get away, writing at the chaps is what has helped somewhat to ensure my mind isn't completely engrossed on the untimely passing of my father.

As well, if some of you are keeping up with Tell Me, know that that story is the one wanting attention now and demanding it of me a lot. I feel so bad that Deny Thy was being ignored a little, but managed to get the one chap finished to post. I know its a little short, but meh, you all needed something updated :D

All the best and many thanks to those who still see this through!

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Itachi pulled up to the manor, and before he even turned off the vehicle, Sasuke had hopped out and went straight up to his room. Deidara looked at Itachi worriedly and Itachi shook his head. Something had upset Sasuke since the hospital, though he denied it, Itachi knew there was something. He decided to go up and talk to him while Deidara made tea.

He found Sasuke pulling out several university text books and setting them up on his desk. Itachi tsk'd to himself, he was familiar with this. Sasuke would bury himself in his studies, anything to assist to get him away from things that bothered him. In a way, it was somewhat better than running to dark persons like Orochimaru, but none the less, it wasn't healthy. Itachi knocked lightly and moved through the door, taking a seat on one of the armchairs. He watched as Sasuke grabbed a binder with his class notes and make himself comfortable at his desk.

"Sasuke," Itachi called out. Sasuke responded out with a grunt, indicating he knew Itachi was there. "What is troubling you otouto?"

Sasuke slammed a book down, his irritation relevant. "Nothing nii-san, I have a lot of work to do. So, if you would please excuse me," he responded between clenched teeth.

Itachi said nothing and didn't move from his position. He knew his otouto was a stubborn one, but he wouldn't ignore it this time. "You must have questions Sasuke, let's talk."

Sasuke stopped in his movements. Itachi using his name meant business. He turned to look at Itachi, who sat motionless, black eyes watching him intently. Sasuke ran a hand through his locks, pulling tightly for a moment before releasing a depleted breath. He moved to sit on the corner of his bed, his head resting on his hand, and crossing his legs. "What more has happened nii-san?" Sasuke started.

Itachi crossed a leg over. "Lady Tsunade and Gaara have been assisting in trying to determine who shot Naruto, laced with silver and how that event may be tied to your kidnapping. You were gone a long time, and there was no way that you could have been with the hunters for that long and be alive. Someone else had you, and we have every reason to believe whoever it was, wanted you for what you are. An Uchiha." Itachi pinched his lips together, his wolf agitated at the thought of his brother being someone's guinea pig. "When we learned that Naruto was awake, we couldn't tell you as of yet of Naruto's situation, as you were on your own healing path." Itachi watched Sasuke's eyes widen in question towards him. "Naruto woke with amnesia otouto." Sasuke's eyes focused on Itachi with an emotion he could not identify. "He is having trouble remembering anything prior to the time…" Itachi hesitated, "before he was shot." Sasuke tilted his head slightly, waiting for Itachi to continue. "He does not have any memory of someone shooting him, as well, he does not appear to have any recollection of you." Itachi sighed as Sasuke dropped his face to look at his hands that were now clenched in his lap. Itachi watched Sasuke breath through and process the information he had just shared with him. Itachi wasn't sure of the complete details of what level of courting that Sasuke and Naruto may have been at, but he knew it would have most likely been enough to leave Sasuke possibly distressed at learning of Naruto's current situation. "Lady Tsunade informs me that Naruto's memory loss is most likely…"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke cut him off. "We weren't anything of importance for him to remember anyhow." Sasuke moved to stand. "Quite frankly, if he doesn't remember who I am, then I won't have to put up with his childish behaviours." Sasuke walked to his desk, taking a seat and opening up his binder. "Excuse me nii-san, I have several weeks of work to do that I need to get started on."

Itachi frowned and felt the sorrow of the omega wolf touching his alpha wolf, while he watched his otouto shut himself away. Itachi said nothing as he rose and made his way to the door. He glanced back at Sasuke, who looked as if he was diligently working away at his studies, before turning to leave Sasuke to his work. He didn't catch the tear that escaped Sasuke's eye that Sasuke furiously rubbed away, while growling out about work to do.

===x00x00x00x===

Naruto fidgeted with his sweater as he was pushed in the wheelchair through the hallways of the hospital. It had a been in total, almost a whole month of being in the hospital, from when he woke up to right now that is. He wasn't taking into account the time that he was in the coma. Tsunade finally gave the green light for him to return home, but not without a strict regime of a plan that consisted of diet, physiotherapy for the body, a written limitation on regular physical activities and regular appointments with Iruka. He could walk and run like his old self, so he felt, but Tsunade had warned him that any over exertion could cause damage to the tissues still healing. Werewolf or not, the poisons that damaged his body, would take longer than normal to heal, and Tsunade threatened to kick his ass if he overdid himself at any time. As for his memories, Naruto still found himself in the dark, literally, when it came to who shot him and the time frame from before that. He still wasn't sure how far in the past he couldn't remember, but Tsunade estimated it could be up to a year prior. He still was struggling with his dreams, at times he would remember something, but it would fade just as fast as he would remember. Iruka had asked him to try and keep a journal, so he could write down whatever he could remember. It was actually tucked in his duffel bag, filled with words that he wasn't sure he could piece together. He would maybe get the pack to help him look at it later.

He was pushed through the large mechanical doors that slid open when he was close and met up with Kiba, who had his jeep parked at the ready for him. The sun was shining brightly, the air was still crisp as it was now the beginnings of spring, but the heat of the sun made all the difference. Naruto smiled and squinted in the sun as he made his way to stand. Kiba came over and pulled him into a hug.

"It's so good to see you come home man," Kiba patted Naruto's back while hugging.

"You have no idea how bad I want to get home. The food here is killing me!" Naruto chuckled as he released Kiba and turned. Tsunade gave a glare with no bite, gave him a hug, reminded him to follow his recovery plan and she will see him for his next appointment soon. Shizune gave a soft smile and Naruto pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for everything," he whispered to her. Kiba grabbed Naruto's bag, threw it in and held the door open for Naruto. Naruto grinned another bright smile and waved as they pulled away from the hospital. He couldn't wait to get home.

As they pulled up to the familiar cottage home deep in the woods, Naruto couldn't help but suddenly feel that he was missing something. His wolf was suddenly anxious, and it felt like it was grieving. Naruto poked at the wolf, trying to understand, but the wolf just ignored him. Naruto felt the familiar pangs of a headache behind his eyes and he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You alright man?" Kiba spoke up as he put the jeep into park, then killing the engine.

"Just headache coming, it's alright," Naruto grunted out as he made his way out of the jeep. "A snack of real food will probably help." He grabbed his bag from the back, slammed the jeep door and trotted to the front door of the cottage.

After getting settled back in his room, receiving several hugs and cheek kisses from Hinata and Sakura, he made his way to the kitchen, set on making something to eat that wasn't rehydrated hospital food. His mouth was practically salivating as he bee lined for the fridge. He was fishing in the fridge when Hinata came in and shooed him to the table, insisting that she would make him something to eat. Naruto plopped down, cracked open a water bottle and taking a swig. "We need to talk about Kyuubi," he started. "You all need to tell me everything."

As Hinata prepared a light meal of eggs, toast, vegetables with juice, she informed Naruto about Kyuubi's feelings towards the mystery of who the shooter was. The pack, including Kakashi tried to keep him from making any irrational decisions, but was in vain. Naruto nibbled away at the food, listening inventively. Sakura came in a while later and added to the conversation. Sakura explained the note that Ky uubi had left for them to find. Kyuubi was adamant on following a lead and told the pack not to worry.

Naruto pushed his plate away after finishing off his glass of juice. "And he hasn't texted or phoned at all. No clues on which way he was going or what the lead was," Naruto mumbled the areas of details of the story. Naruto then put his elbows on the table and folded his fingers together. He leaned his chin upon them, "guess there isn't much we can do at the moment. He just better be prepared for a beating once he returns." Naruto snarled out in an annoyed voice before slamming a hand on the table to emphasize his point, causing Hinata and Sakura to jump slightly. Naruto then grinned at the two women. "Thanks for the food Hinata," he smiled as he stood from the chair. "I'm going to go for a walk." He waved slightly as he left the kitchen, both women just watching him quietly.

Outside, Naruto walked with his hands shoved in his pockets, taking an easy pace, as Tsunade had threatened him to take his time. He knew if he overexerted himself as soon as he returned home, Tsunade would take his legs. His thoughts went to Kyuubi and hoped that he had not gotten himself into a serious situation. Why did Kyuubi not think to turn his phone on? What type of lead did he have? Was it that dangerous that Kyuubi couldn't risk being traced to where he came from? Naruto just sighed to himself, knowing that Kyuubi's hot headedness could lead to situations where he would end up with a black eye, but certainly never anything that could be life threatening. He kicked at some stones, watching them bounce forward and then into the grass. He decided to take a side path, not interested in returning home just yet.

He came to the river and followed the sandy bank, focusing on where he was stepping and the edge of the flowing river. A sparkle just under the shallow water caught his eye, having him stop and kneeling down just on the edge. He dipped his hand into the water, grasping at the sparkle and brought it up to his eyes. In his hand, a small rounded pebble sparkled in the sun, as it had several minerals in it. His eyes fogged over suddenly.

'It reminded me of you in so many ways...'

Ebony eyes focused on a glimmer of a small rock in a pale hand that rolled and caught the dim light. A pale slender finger then rolled the smooth rock about in the pale hand. The dark eyes were beautiful, focused, but the face was hidden in the shadow. Naruto felt serene and pleased watching the scene.

Naruto shook his head suddenly. He was back by the river. A small wet pebble in his hand. He stood, dropping the pebble and bringing a hand up to his forehead. 'What was that? It—it was so real. A memory? But—but who was that then? His alpha suddenly was throwing a sense of yearning, practically calling out to—to what? Naruto grumbled at himself, feeling frustrated. If it was a memory, then who was it? Why did he feel so—so good? He kicked at the pebbles in the sand before turning and continuing to walk. He would have to write this down when he returned to the cabin.

He came up to a small opening, where several species of flowers and wild rose bushes grew. Naruto smiled. He knew this area, one of his many favorite areas in the forest. It was quiet, peaceful and quite pretty. Not touched by man, except his pack of course, the many species of flowers were able to flourish to practically an extreme. Naruto slowly walked through, enjoying the scents and colours. A few boulders that laid about, Naruto found one to sit upon. He glanced at the flowers as the moisture on them caught the rays of the sun, sparkling and glittering in the breeze. The sound of the river in the background, gave off a hypnotic type Zen space and Naruto smiled to himself as he let his senses take it all in. Iruka had suggested allowing himself to relax, another form of meditation, at any time as relaxing the body and mind was a part of healing. He closed his eyes and focused on all the sounds and scents around him.

Soft moonlight caressed the form that stood before what looked like a mirror on the ground. A slight breeze moved the strands of blue black hair, shining and flickering in the moonlight. As the moonlight brightened, Naruto could see that the mirror on the ground was actually a frozen pond, the form standing before it. Naruto could only see the form's back, but there was a scent. A strong earthy scent invaded his nostrils and his inner wolf suddenly moved about in excitement that had Naruto gasp. He tried to move towards the form, but it began to fade. Stopping, he called out, but no sound came. His wolf pushed against the barriers, Naruto felt the yearning once again coming from the alpha. The image suddenly faded into a fog…

Naruto's eyes snapped open! 'Holy shit, what the hell is going on?' His heart rate sped up, the frustration rising as the image was still there, but all he could see was a silhouette of a person, the moonlight the only thing showing the form and again, no face. Naruto grit his teeth and started pounding the rock. He then jumped up and started shadow kick boxing, releasing his frustrations. At the same time he cursed out loud, releasing pent up energy through movement and verbalizing. After several movements, his body let him know that he had overexerted himself and he fell to his knees. He leaned his head back and howled out in frustration at the sky. His alpha would have howled out in agony if he let it. He released out hard, pushing his lungs out to release the irritation and frustration that he could not stop coming. The cry eventually trickled down to a whisper and Naruto dropped his head, his shoulders and panted. With his eyes squinted shut, his hands in fists on his lap, the sobs began to rack through his body and the tears fell.

===x00x00x00x00x===

He wiped the inside of the glass, nonchalantly, watching the others in the bar, grinding, dancing, acting flirtatious and in some cases falling over in a drunken stupor. Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he continued to wipe glasses, put them away, make a drink for a customer, then repeat. He let out a big sigh as he noticed a customer came to his bar, her eyes looking at him in a lustful manner, her eyelashes fluttering. She puckered out her lips slightly as he came towards her to get her order. "What can I get you?" Sasuke's voice was monotone and flat. He made sure not to make any movement that showed off that he may have any interest.

The woman winked then her eyes fell to his arms, she gasped slightly and her eyes suddenly filled with concern. "Oh my…do they still hurt?" she asked with sympathy in her voice.

Sasuke winced inwardly, looking to where the woman was staring at his arms. He briefly thought of the history behind the jagged scars littering his arms, his legs and his back. "No," he answered as he began to roll down his sleeves, covering them up before making her drink.

She gave a little smile as she looked at him, "at least there are no scars on your face." She winked again, grabbed her drink and turned to move away.

"Yeah, sure." He frowned as she walked away. Same old, same old, people thought just because he had no scars on his face that the pain must have never existed. He finished doing up the cuffs on his long sleeves, wiped down the wrinkles and moved to make another drink. Several weeks had now passed, Sasuke of course caught up on his university work and healed enough to start helping out at the club again for only a few hours at a time and under Itachi's watchful eye. He no longer went to the library alone, no longer stayed there to work. He found what he needed online, ordered the books then went to the library to pick up the books. In class he stayed in the class and went straight to his next class or to his car. He didn't talk to anyone anymore nor dilly dally outside. He made extra sure not to run into where Naruto may hang out, but he wouldn't tell anyone that. With his new routine, he didn't see the blond anywhere on campus or anywhere really.

His wolf was not happy, to put it simply. It raided his emotions now and then, reminding him of the loss it felt, but Sasuke reminded the wolf of the rejection. Sure, the alpha had amnesia, and didn't remember Sasuke at all, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He accepted that it was time to move on, heal and ensure that he finishes his education for his career path. The nightmares had subsided to one every so often, but at times the phantom pains still riddled through his muscles. To many times he woke to fear, out of breath, sweating, but he couldn't recall what the dream was about. Then the pain would start, rippling through his body, feeling like he was being wrung out like a dishrag and he would clench his teeth, breath through the pain, refusing to cry out. The first few times Itachi and or Deidara would come to his side, but Sasuke refused to show such weakness anymore. He would continue down his chosen path, as it was before all the situations happened and be done with it.

His musings were interrupted when someone cleared a throat beside him. His dark eyes shifted in the direction to find the fire red haired alpha sitting at his bar. Sasuke turned, giving him a nod and grabbed a short glass, putting a few cubes in it. Holding it up he raised a brow in question, "on the rocks?" The red haired alpha nodded a response and Sasuke poured whiskey straight up into the glass, then placed the drink on a coaster before the man. "Gaara," Sasuke acknowledged the alpha.

Gaara grabbed the glass and held it up in appreciation, "Sasuke." He took a swig of the liquid, pinching his lips slightly at the bite the alcohol gave. "I came to update Itachi. Is he here?"

"Good evening Gaara," Itachi spoke up from behind Gaara, sliding into a bar stool beside him. Sasuke placed a drink for Itachi. "Update? Let's go to my office. Sasuke." Itachi nodded, grabbed his drink, stood and began to move towards the back office, Gaara and Sasuke following behind him. The office walls were vibrating from the music, but limited sound came through and Itachi flicked on his desk lamp, casting a soft glow about the room. Itachi motioned to the chairs at the head of the desk, inviting Gaara to take a seat. Itachi took a seat in his leather chair, folding his hands together under his chin when he leaned forward into the desk. Gaara sat in a chair as Sasuke stood to the side of the desk.

"It has been found out that an auction will be taking place shortly in the next region. My sources informed me that the city Amegakure has been found to host sales every month." Gaara lifted his fingers, quoting the word sales and giving a disgruntled sound. "I have two individuals who have been able to receive an invite to the auction. Apparently a person needs to be on a specific list to be considered an honoured guest to get an invite to these sales." Gaara leaned back in the chair, his glass still in hand, he drank the remainder of the whiskey.

"I gather you can trust these individuals?" Itachi perked an eyebrow in question.

"Hn, of course," Gaara grunted out. "I have the utmost trust in Kankuro and Temari." Itachi sat up in surprise, his lip curling up in a smirk as he knew the two. "The sale is in two days, I'll update you on the progress." Gaara made to stand. "Any news on Sai?"

Itachi shook his head and glanced up at Sasuke. "He hasn't been seen anywhere, but that isn't uncommon."

"Hn," Sasuke responded. "If he has gone into hiding, it could be some time before he shows himself again. He did a lot of traveling for Orochimaru, to keep Orochimaru out of the spotlight. Therefore, he has a lot of places to go and keep himself in hiding."

"Be aware Sasuke," Gaara gave Sasuke a nod. "Itachi." Gaara nodded towards Itachi then left the office. Sasuke turned toward the one way glass. His eyes roving over the grinding bodies in the flashing lights.

"Otouto." Itachi turned his chair, looking over his brother with concern. Sasuke flinched his head, noting that he had heard his brother. "Talk to me."

Sasuke said nothing. He continued to look over the crowd, his eyes not seeing the crowd anymore, the lights flickering several colours through his retina's and then his eyes clouded over.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called out again when Sasuke placed a hand on the glass, leaning into it and breathing heavy. Itachi stood and walked up behind him, his alpha wolf nudging at Sasuke's. The omega wolf nudged back, quietly and expressed caution. Itachi bent over and looked around to see the far away fogged look in Sasuke's eyes. "Where are you otouto," he whispered.

"Good to see you again Sasuke-kun…How I've missed your presence around here…"

Sasuke's eyes flickered quickly back and forth, as if he was seeing something and his breathing sped up.

"It had gotten dreadfully boring without you around…"

Sasuke began to shake. His eyes flickered frantically about behind his now closed eyes. His breathing shortened to wheezy breaths.

"You should be well rested enough to attend…"

Sasuke's knees buckled.

"Sasuke!" Itachi called out as he moved to catch Sasuke before he crumbled to the floor. He put one of his arms around his waist, hoisting him up as Sasuke's body shook uncontrollably. "Sasuke! Sasuke! Breath!" Itachi held him up, the alpha rearing its head in panic of the omega crying out in distress. Sasuke's eyes began to flutter open, fogged red eyes flickering about, trying to focus, his arms reaching out to hold something, trying to keep himself steady. "Otouto! What is it?" Itachi called out again. Though he was familiar with Sasuke waking to nightmares, he had not happened to see Sasuke fade into a dream like sequence while awake. Itachi managed to maneuver Sasuke to the couch, setting him down and feeling some relief as Sasuke began to respond. "Otouto…"

Sasuke sat hard on the couch, dropping his head into his hands, trying to control his heartrate. His wolf was struggling with fear, fear from what he heard. "Nii-san…his—his—I heard…" he stumbled to find the right words. His tongue wasn't wrapping the right words.

"Otouto, where were you?" Itachi knelt next to Sasuke's knees, placing a hand on Sasuke's head as the inner alpha purred out, willing to calm the omega.

"I-I heard him. That voice…" Sasuke took in a shuddering breath. "I heard Orochimaru's voice…"

==x00x00x00x00x==

Kyuubi grunted as he lifted crates and moved walls about, pushing around stacks of chairs, preparing for the upcoming gathering. For the last few weeks he had been working with Sakon, Jirobo and Kidomaru, getting to know the work, their role and some of the other workers. As far as anyone else was concerned, Kyuubi was a grunt worker, hired for his brawn and not his brains. Today was the day before the sale tomorrow, and Kyuubi was busy preparing the area. The inanimate objects that were being sold, had already arrived and were being set up at the tables in the far area of the room. Kyuubi was ensuring all the walls were in place, the holding areas were ready to hold the wares when they arrived throughout the night. Kyuubi frowned. The creatures, some of his own kin, were called wares in this world, treated like objects to be sold to the highest bidder. In between the sales, there was much work to be done, transporting, arranging, to name a few. His job was basically moving shit around and preparing for the event. He snorted out as he slid another wall into place behind the stage.

"Yo Kyuubi!" A voice bellowed out from across the room. "Got a last minute shipment that we need some help with!"

Kyuubi grunted out a response and headed for the back doors, meeting up with Jirobo and Kidomaru, who were lowering planks. Sakon came up behind him, "hey Kyu'. This shipment is of special request and usually brings in a promising bunch of coin!" Sakon slapped a hand on his shoulder. Kyuubi inwardly grimaced. "After we set up, wanna get a couple cold ones?" Kyuubi nodded and grunted out a response of agreement as he began to unload the merchandise.

===x00x00x00x00===

Kyuubi stood by the tables of merchandise, his job now to ensure that no merchandise went missing by any sticky fingers. It was a good position, noting that the late merchandise that came in the day before was of various minerals, one of them being a silver load. He didn't know who the seller was of the minerals, as the listing was always cataloged by a serial number, as every seller had their own. Kept the confidentiality of the seller for more than one reason of course. If he wanted to know the distributor of that silver, he needed to find the paperwork. He figured that the office where his boss was usually in, had the information he sought, but he would have to figure out the best time to get there. He had a lot to think about.

The auction began with the selling of various items off the tables, the wares were often sold last. His eyes scanned the crowd, noting the smartly dressed individuals, and he recognized some politicians and clan leaders. Disgust went through him as he saw one of them being a werewolf council member, Danzo Shimura, who was talking quietly with a shorter younger man with glasses and silver hair. A younger couple caught his attention, since the majority of buyers were persons with several decades older if not more. This blond and brunette couple looked no older than in their late twenties. He made a note to keep a close eye on those two, as well as Danzo. The auction was about to begin.

After the objects on the tables were all sold, an intermission was held while the staff prepared the wares. Kyuubi made his way to the back. He found Konan in one of the holdings, combing the hair of a young wolf. During his time, he had come to find that Konan would attend to the younger pups, grooming them. Kyuubi snorted out his annoyance at this knowledge. He hasn't spoken to Konan since finding her participation when he was introduced by Sakon to the area and only now shared some words to Nagato. Nagato avoided most eye contact with him and only said what was necessary when the group came in for drinks. Kyuubi was saddened by this, he really liked Nagato. Hell, he even liked Konan before finding out how much she helped out at these sales. He continued his way through the back, it was his job to ensure the wares were ready to go on stage then stand next to the stage to ensure things went smoothly. He threw a disappointing look to Konan as he walked by. He did not see if Konan glanced his way or not.

The wares were brought out, pushed through without thought, bids were made and Kyuubi held a stoic face as he attended to the buyers collecting their goods. He bit his cheek when a young omega pup was leashed and handed to the old council member Danzo's goon. He made a note in his head of who purchased what and listened carefully to conversations that happened around him. His one thought, who was buying the majority of the minerals, silver included, had interested him and he at least had the serial numbers of the buyers of the minerals that he would research. He needed to determine a plan on getting the information he needed, and soon.

==x00x00x00x00x==

"Has anybody seen my black fishnet!?" A voice bellowed from the top floor of the cottage home. "Come on guys! I can't go out without it!" A near whine followed.

"Quit whining and look in your laundry!" Sakura yelled up the stairs. "And quit yelling!" She chuckled as she packed her lunch bag in the kitchen. She was working the graveyard shift tonight and was packing her mid-shift lunch and snacks as per usual. She was also dropping off the boys as they had requested, stating they would find their own way home afterwards. She hummed lightly to herself, thinking that this was probably what the boys needed…to just be boys. Since Kyuubi ran off weeks ago and still hadn't contacted them, the tension and worry was becoming more and more difficult to ignore. The pack's anxiety was rising with each passing week, though she and Hinata tried to remind themselves that Kyuubi is a full grown alpha and couldn't be expected to stay in their pack forever. No matter how much Naruto insisted it was okay. Instincts can be difficult to fight, but Naruto was definitely hurting that his secondary alpha pack mate didn't at least keep in touch.

"Hurry up your scruffy ass up Kiba, I'm sprouting grey hairs and achy bones just waiting for your slow ass!" Naruto laughed out loud as he came strutting down the stairs. Hinata gave him a low hum of approval as she noted Naruto buttoning up his dark blue dress shirt over a white tank top. His black jeans hugged all the right places, complete with biker boots. He winked at Hinata for good measure while flashing her a grin.

"Looking sharp there alpha," Hinata gave a purr. "Certainly will be turning some heads tonight going out looking like that." Hinata crossed her arms and walked around the now blushing blond, giving several nods of approval.

"Oh stop…I'm hardly that interesting," Naruto raised his voice a few octaves higher blowing out a raspberry at her and put his hand on his hip, when he thrust it out. "Look at my thighs, do this make me look fat?" He put two fingers up to his lips, giving Hinata a questionable pout.

Hinata started giggling and gave Naruto a playful slap on the shoulder. "Go get your boogie on you goof!" She laughed again when Naruto started chuckling at her response and ruffled her hair. Sakura came out at that moment, dressed for work and giving Naruto an approval whistle.

"And what me? Aren't I worth a few catcalls?" Kiba pouted from the top of the stairs. He had on his tight fitting blue jeans, black fishnet shirt with a brown leather jacket, complete with cowboy boots. He was fiddling with his sleeves as he made his way down the stairs. Hinata made a couple catcalls to make him feel better, and of course, he did really look good.

"Okay boys, lets hit the road, remember I'm off at five a.m. if you are still around the area and need a ride home, just shoot me a text." Sakura grabbed her keys and headed out, both guys following after her and Hinata wishing them a good night.

During the trip into the city, Naruto watched the passing scenery. The first was darkness, nothing new there since it was forest, but when they came to the city outskirts, the flickering lights on the horizon was magical. His eyes took in the panoramic view with awe, as it always took his breath away.

Noticing his silence, Kiba shoved his elbow into Naruto's side. He gave Naruto a look of question. "You sure you alright man?" His voice etched with concern.

Naruto hummed then gave a brilliant smile. "Yeah, yeah… Iruka did say I should try getting back into groove of things if I feel comfortable." He hesitated and he brought his hand back behind his head, rubbing it in habit. Kiba placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Naruto laughed quietly. "Let's do this dude, we deserve it eh?!" Kiba seemed to accept this answer and shook Naruto's arm, giving a laugh before he leaned forward to talk to Sakura who was in the front driving. Naruto inhaled deeply and looked out the window again. He had to be ready for this. Being stuck home with medical routines was so not his comfort zone. He was doing his regular physio appointments and meetings with Iruka, but he was still feeling so lost…practically in the dark. He talked to Iruka about the visions that he had and Iruka noted that it may be his memories are trying to get through and to continue his meditation and not to push it. His alpha was no help, it felt as if it was mourning or was searching but continuously coming up frustrated. Naruto couldn't get a feel for its apparent agony at all. The worst was after the dreams, the damn fucking dreams. He ran a hand through his locks, pulling slightly due to his aggravation. The dreams left his heart racing, a slight sweat on his forehead and his alpha nipping at his mental walls wailing. The visions were darkness, filled with a feeling of sorrow and hollowness, and he was sure he heard crying in the distance. But the light was always there, always just out of his reach, no matter how hard to tried to grasp it, it always blinked to nothing as soon as he got close. He snorted out his annoyance quickly before engaging in on Sakura and Kiba's conversation.

Sakura dropped the two off outside the club, reminding them to text her if they needed her. The two took in the spring night air before noting the small neon sign, The Rinnegan, gave a soft glow. Kiba slapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, flashed him a grin and tilted his head towards the subtle entrance. Naruto returned the smile, taking steps next to him.

The lights were beating in time with the music, the vibrations shook through their skin and Kiba's hips were bumping as soon as they stepped through the door. He bopped his head slightly to the beats while twisting his way to the bar, Naruto right behind him. Once they made it to the bar, Kiba called over the bartender. Naruto came up behind him, turning to look at the people dancing around him and taking in the atmosphere. He smiled warmly as he looked about. He felt relieved as he remembered this place. He recalled coming to the place with others from uni, from work, and of course with Kyuubi. A swish of sadness overcame him, thinking of Kyuubi but his alpha suddenly perked up and became excited that had Naruto look about in wonder. What got his alpha so riled up he wondered.

"Naruto!" Kiba called out. "What will it be?"

Naruto turned to see the bartender was at Kiba's front, waiting for a drink order. Dark coal eyes met his that had Naruto's breath stutter. Naruto licked his lips before leaning in close to bar, his eyes focusing on the dark eyes of the man before him. "Give me a vodka special, tall," Naruto called out before adding, "good to see you Itachi." Naruto grinned when Itachi gave him a small smile and held a hand before him to shake.

"Good to see you Naruto. I am absolutely pleased to see you out and about. So sorry to hear of what happened, but I am certainly glad to see you are on the mend," Itachi managed to call out while he shook Naruto's hand. "And just to let you know, my pack is assisting on the case to see that whoever was responsible is brought to justice." Itachi's tone was serious and deep.

Naruto shook Itachi's hand back, his smile saddened slightly when Itachi mentioned what happened. "Thanks bunch Itachi. It's good to actually be out. I was going a little crazy being stuck indoors." He nervously chuckled as he shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, not sure where else to put them while Itachi eyed him. He suddenly felt nervous with Itachi staring at him intently but couldn't tell why. His alpha was still anxious or excited, Naruto couldn't quite tell. Was it because of Itachi? He didn't recall his alpha getting riled up in the past because of Itachi. But then… 'there are pieces of my past missing now isn't there…' Naruto thought sadly.

"On the house." A voice broke his thoughts. Naruto looked to see Itachi pushing a drink towards him. "And again, it is really good to see you Naruto." Itachi nodded in approval and moved to help other customers. Kiba slapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, catching his attention. Kiba nodded out towards the dance floor and Naruto nodded in agreement, the pair moved off into the crowd.

Naruto leaned against a small table, tucked into a corner, holding his second drink in his hand. He watched Kiba wiggle and move with a woman on the dance floor. Naruto was taking it slow and just watching. He didn't want to drink to much, and he certainly didn't feel like dancing either. His alpha was still acting strangely anxious and at times would get angry. Naruto still didn't have a clue what his alpha was thinking or what was making it so upset. He was getting quite tired of its tantrum. His eyes looked away from Kiba and took in the area. The fog machine released in spurts, set to the time of the lights and music, definitely made an atmosphere of a dance club. The corner Naruto was in was a tad bit quieter, as it was directly out of the speakers, lights and the crowd. His eyes scanned the bodies of the various persons moving around and focused on an individual that appeared to be leaning back against one of the bars. His eyes looking out at the people, just as he was doing. His alpha poked him harshly that had him flinch from the pain. 'What the fuck asshole!' Naruto verbally lashed out at his alpha. 'Jeezusss what the fuck is wrong with you! Shit if you had a body asshole, you would so be getting a beating!' Naruto rubbed his forehead as he felt the pain begin to subside and he looked up to see the figure at the bar now looking directly at him. Naruto drew in a breath as those black orbs pierced his body. The lights were bouncing off his marble coloured skin that pulled his eyes in and he swears that it was the most beautiful site he had ever seen. As he took in the structured face and the hair, Naruto's eyes widened as he came to a realization. It was the lost alpha that showed up in his hospital room! 'Day-AM that's one hot alpha!' The said hot alpha continued to look at him for a moment more before pushing himself off the bar and turning around, walking away from Naruto's stare.

Naruto's mouth dropped open while watching the retreating raven haired alpha disappear within the crowd. He didn't realize that his legs started walking without him knowing towards where said hot alpha was last standing. His blues scanned the area, looking for a wisp of dark hair, the marble skinned alpha man that may be still in the sea of bodies. Naruto came up to the bar, standing up on his toes to look around the area. 'Where the fuck would he disappear so…' His head tilted to the left and right, up and down, and when he couldn't find him he slowly sank back down to the flats of his feet and flopped heavily on a bar stool. He released a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair, feeling defeated.

"If your gonna sit, you need to order."

The voice behind shocked Naruto into a standing position. "Alright, jeez, give a guy a break," Naruto whined as he turned to face a set of round shaped dark orbs and marble coloured skin. Naruto gulped when he noticed it was the alpha that he was just staring at from across the room. Naruto was speechless as he took in the cool dark eyes as they gave an icy glare back.

"You gonna order something or not dobe?' the baritone voice vibrated through his skin like someone had run ice cubes down his back.

Naruto's eyes blinked rapidly, and his eyes fogged over. 'Hold it open any longer and you will attract flies dobe…' The statement and the sound of a deep chuckle echoed through the darkness in his mind.

Naruto froze, feeling his alpha's excitement vibrate with such force the sudden memory disappeared. Naruto's eyes came back into focus and he instantly chastised his wolf. 'Fucking god dammit! What the hell!' Naruto grit his teeth angrily and clenched his fists, he wanted to punch something.

"Hmph, idiot."

Naruto flicked his head up to see the dark haired alpha turn and walk away. Naruto felt a punch to his gut as his alpha pushed at him. Naruto ignored it. "Wait! Wait…please," Naruto called out suddenly. His heart skipped suddenly when the dark haired alpha stopped but didn't turn to look at him. "I've met you before…r-right?" Naruto spoke out, but he didn't know why he asked that question. Something was wanting him to keep the attention of the dark haired man.

The dark haired alpha looked over his shoulder, his eyes taking in the artic blue that bore at him. "Don't think so," he said curtly.

"I'm Naruto," he spoke out quickly. He hated that he sounded almost desperate.

"Not interested," the man spoke in return, turning now to take the order of another customer.

"But you haven't taken my order yet!" Naruto called out and grumbled when the dark haired man held a hand up to him, indicating for him to be silent while he was taking another order. Naruto flopped down again on a bar stool, watching the dark hair, cool skinned man create a drink for other customers. His alpha felt like it was spinning in circles and throwing itself at the barriers. 'What is wrong with you?' Naruto questioned his wolf but then ignored it. He continued to watch the bartender and inhaled deeply. His eyes fluttered shut when a scent suddenly breached his nose.

He found himself leaning closer to the scent, closer to the one emanating it, right across from him, in his jeep…it's dark out, black eyes were half lidded and focusing on him…

'So thanks for tonight, and other times too…and I wanted to give you this.' He heard himself saying…

A small box in his hand, long slender fingers now covering the box, his own hand covering those fingers and leaving the box in a pale skinned hand, the slender fingers folding around the box…

'Thank you again Sasuke, sleep sweet…'

Lips whispered out when blue eyes opened and focused on the bartender, "Sasuke…"

==x00x00x==x00x00x==

Well, things are moving along arent they :) Thanks for reading to the end of this chap!