Sighing, Sasuke pushed his fingers back through his already wind tossed hair. Tussling the dark locks some he sighed, his shoulders slumping drastically as he looked around at the forest they had pulled back into. Sakura was currently fussing over Naruto, who was throwing a fit for some odd reason. Perhaps it was the fact that Itachi's bloody face was under his foot.

The gag was removed as Naruto lurched forward. "STOP IT!" he shrieked, tears coming to his eyes as he fought against Iruka's grasp. "STOP HURTING HIM!" he continued, his voice cracking with emotion as he struggled, wreathing and squirming to get away.

Sasuke winced, "He's a criminal Naruto." He said with a roll of his eyes, grinding the sole of his shoe into Itachi's temple some more. The blonde continued pleaded; tears streaming down his face and splattering across the ground, leaving dark circles where they hit. Itachi groaned some, the gag having been removed long ago.

"N-Naruto… it's alright." The broken man managed to wheeze, his eyes closed in pain as Sasuke looked down at him with disdain.

A foot made contact with Itachi's side and Naruto cried out. "I HATE YOU SASUKE! I HATE YOU! HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!" He shouted loudly, his throat tearing with the effort of it. "I FUCKING HATE YOU!" The words ripped, tore and shot barbs into Sasuke, leaving the Uchiha bleeding emotionally, just as his older brother was physically. Sighing he ground his teeth together and took a step back, relieving the pressure from Itachi's face with a slight pout.

"Whatever you say, moron." He said, his tone bored and distant, but forced as he slipped his hands into his pockets and stalked off.

Sakura looked back and forth between Sasuke and Naruto. "I'm sorry," she whispered, a tear at the corner of her eye. There was a bruise just visible beneath her shirt collar and she jerked the fabric over it quickly. "I'm sorry Naruto, I'm sorry…" she continued, before pulling away and following the youngest Uchiha, her pink hair flounced some as her feet pounded the packed dirt.

Naruto sobbed some, straining again to break loose from his old sensei's grip. Iruka pulled a kunai, pressing it against Naruto's throat briefly, "Hold still Naruto." He whispered, tilting the dagger forward and jerking upwards.

The ropes fell away easily and Naruto shook his arms out, launching forward and pulling Itachi into his lap, fresh tears continuing to pour. Kakashi was present now as Naruto stroked the bloody hair from Itachi's face, cradling the injured man as if he was a fragile and delicate being. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, knowing damn well that he wasn't.

Itachi smirked some, his split lip bleeding sluggishly. "You… cry too much." He said weakly, laughing some, but coughing as a crack rib shifted. Naruto gave a weak sob, his slight smile showing his be-grieved amusement.

"You ass. You're hurt, act like it." He whispered, hunching over and pressing their foreheads together. Itachi closed his eyes, tilting his head up some and kissing him lightly, the taste copper flooding both of their mouths as their tongues butted briefly. The sensei's traded a look of worry and both took a step forward at the same time, dropping to their knees beside the injured man.

"If Sasuke asks, he did it. You have a fractured rib. I don't know if I can locate any of the fragments. Don't move much, it might puncture a lung if you do." Iruka said as green flooded his hands, siphoning to the Uchiha's chest. Itachi gave a small grateful smirk as his hand closed around Naruto's, threading his bound hands with the blonde's free ones.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, as if worried the blonde would bolt. He received a glare in return. "'S long as 'Tachi's here I'm not leaving Kakashi-sensei." Uzumaki replied with a slight pout. That was good enough for the silver haired man, as the Uchiha seemed to heal before his very eyes.

Itachi gave a weak cough, his hand gripping Naruto's tightly as he sat up, a few more coughs wrenching from his throat as the blonde cradled him tightly, rocking more for his own comfort then the other's. He could tell the Uzumaki was shaken, so he let the boy hold him so tightly, and small bit of warmth bubbling from cracks in the ice. Closing his eyes he sighed softly, his free hand gripping Naruto's clothing gently, as if he, the great Itachi Uchiha, was afraid to let go. The two men were gone.

There was a sudden cry, and the Uzumaki whipped his head to the side, staring with wide eyes as Sakura was thrown into a wall. "Wha-?" he started, before seeing Sasuke stalk out, headed straight for them. "Shit." He whispered, silently wishing he hadn't been stripped of weapons so he could free his lover. The younger Uchiha growled, eyes fading red as he stalked forward and grabbed Naruto by the hair, pulling him from under his brother and to his feet.

"Why? Why are you in love with him?" he growled softly, smirking at the gasp that escaped the boy when the rough wood of a tree met his back sharply. Naruto didn't respond, only clawed at his hand weakly, no energy even now. Sasuke pulled him forward then slammed him back, tears gathering in his unwilling eyes. "WHY?!" he shouted in the blonde's face, shaking him by the hair, ripping some out mercilessly.

It was then that Naruto spoke. "Because he… he's gentle, and kind, and NOTHING LIKE YOU!" he said, pain evident in his facial expression as the bark of the tree scratched at his skin. He cried out in pain as Sasuke's fist met his face and something hard pressed against his thigh.

"Gentle huh? Who are you talking about Naruto? HE KILLED MY FAMILY!" he snapped, his grip on the golden locks tightening and jerking again, wrenching another cry of pain. His free hand grasped between Naruto's thighs, tugging upwards tightly and roughly. "I love you Naruto." He said angrily, "And you fucking LEFT ME!" Squeezing tightly he gave another harsh stroke, feeling the member harden some beneath his touch. It was pure physical torture, and he loved inflicting this sort of pain on the boy.

Itachi couldn't do anything but watch weakly and angrily as his little brother hurt Naruto, slamming him against a tree repeatedly. Struggling against the ropes he growled low in his throat, catching sight of the hand at his lover's groin, stroking it harshly and without mercy. He was becoming angered, more angered then he could ever remember.

A moan escaped Naruto's throat as a hand met skin, tears forming at his eyes. "St-stop! No Sasuke! AH!" Sasuke didn't stop, he delivered a sharp twist, wrenching a whimper from the blonde. Grasping tightly he worked his wrist, drawing mewls from the crying boy beneath him.

"I-itachi…." Naruto whispered, hid vision clouded by tears as he struggled, trying to get away from the teen with a hand in his pants. There was a sudden gasp of pain, and a warm spatter hit across Naruto's chest, freezing him. "T-tachi?" he asked, stunned as hiss offender looked down.

"Heh… love you too… n-nii-san…" Sasuke whispered, looking at his chest with surprise as his shirt began to soak with blood. Itachi let a small whine escape his throat as he pulled the knife out, the only stopper for the blood flow. Holding Sasuke as an older brother would, he let tears come to his eyes as he sank to the ground.

Pale fingers stroked dark hair as Itachi cradled his dying brother, "Shh, stop trying to take, ototou." He whispered, remorse clear in his voice. He hadn't wanted to kill him, he knew it was one or the other the second he was captured, but still. Sasuke was getting worse, his eyes had shown madness in their depths, the spark of Orochimaru's torture coming to seed. But still. It had been his little bother, the boy he had fought so hard to protect his entire life, and he had just ended that precious life with his own weapon, with his own hands. He was stained.

Blinking rapidly, the blonde dropped to his knees beside the collapsed Uchihas. He couldn't think of any words to speak as he slowly closed Sasuke's now lifeless eyes, gripping Itachi's hand tightly at the same time. "W-we need to get out of here…" he whispered after a moment. Footsteps were approaching, slowly, but they were coming. "Tachi, come on. We need to leave." He tugged some, before realizing that his lover looked pale.

Itachi didn't know what was wrong, he could feel the tightness in his chest, feel the light headedness. Shaking the feeling off, he kissed his brother's forehead before standing, pulling Naruto along with him. "We need to get far away from here, and the othe Akatsuki members. Kisame is creating a distraction for us. If we bring you to the base, Leader-san will kill you." He said business like.

So that was why Kisame had winked when they were kidnapped…

Naruto nodded silently, repressing the tears and cries that threatened to spill at the loss of his former friend. Now was not the time for tears though. They had to run. Picking a direction to head in together, the two of them sprang forward, feet pounding the ground, before transferring to the trees.

Sakura came into the area where Naruto was being held and froze. "S-sasuke!" she shouted, dropping the tray of food and rushing forward. His body was still warm, but there was no breath left in him. She uttered a choked cry and pulled him close. "Sasuke-sama….. Sasuke-sama…." She whispered softly as the sound of rushing feet came towards her. The body was pried from her grasp as a white haired sensei pulled her back, holding her back as she kicked and cursed. "LET ME BACK TO SASUKE!" she shouted, tears falling freely as she slowly stopped struggling, giving way to sobbing freely. "Kakashi-san… Wh-why? WHY?!" she begged, twisting suddenly and attaching to him, letting her sorrow soak his vest shoulder.

Kakashi didn't respond, he just held her tightly. "Shhh. Now's not the time for questions Sakura. We need to get you to the tent ok?" he said softly, a fatherly tone in his voice as he nudged her in the direction of the medics tent. Hoping she wouldn't go into shock.

They had stopped for a second; Itachi was looking worse and wheezing now. "What's wrong?" Naruto begged, holding onto him and bouncing with worry. Itachi shook his head with confusion.

"C-can't breath." He managed to wheeze, his hand against his rib, knuckles white in pain. It was a bone chip in his lung, Iruka had told him not to move. But Naruto had been in so much pain, emotionally, he couldn't just lay and watch. Coughing, he winced at the bubble of metallic blood that came with it. "S-sorry Naruto." He whispered, as his vision went black and he dropped.

The Uzumaki didn't know what had happened. One minute Itachi was talking and looking fine, the next his was going cold and white on the ground. Shaking he pulled the man's body against him, tears welling in his eyes. "You did this to save me. You weren't supposed to leave!" he said softly, rocking and laying himself across Itachi's still chest. The tears slipped down, landing with no sound as the blonde continued crying. "YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE TOO!" he shouted suddenly, a fist striking out and hitting the dead body. Itachi didn't move, didn't wince, didn't even begin to bruise. He just lay there, his eyes closed, blood still in a small line from his lip to his chin. He wasn't breathing, his heart wasn't breathing.

He was dead.

And Naruto was alone. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" The cry echoed off the trees. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" he cried, pounding his fists into anything he could reach; the ground, Itachi's body, trees, stones, himself, nothing was safe from the rain of anger and sorrow. "YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" he continued, repeating the phrase over and over as he shook, his breath coming in short quick breaths.

Someone had entered the clearing and was standing silently. "Naruto…" Iruka said, a small look of pity on the man's face. Taking a step forward, he reached out a hand. "Naruto, it's useless… come on, let's go home Naru. I'll buy you ramen and we can talk." He offered, trying to coax the boy from Itachi's corpse so that he could comfort him.

Naruto completely ignored him his hands now smoothing the hair from Itachi's face. "Don't come near me Iruka-sensei." He whispered softly. Something metallic flashed and a knife lunged through the air, must to Iruka's dismay.

Kakashi was stunned, his black clothes handing on his thinner then normal frame as he held Iruka and Sakura against him. His face was solemn and tear stained as he watched Lady Hokage choking on her own words in front of the village, three coffins behind her. Itachi was to be buried with Naruto. Sasuke and the Uzumaki's names had been added to the KIA stone. Itachi would have no mention anywhere but his grave marker. That was the way all three of them would have wanted it.

"I don't see why everyone's making such a big deal of this." Said a blonde, frowning as he looked at the scene before him.

A fair skinned raven haired man beside him rolled his eyes, and a similar man said at the same time, "Just shut up and watch Naruto."

The Uzumaki smirked. "Yeah, yeah, you two. Shut up and watch my own funeral. Because a ghost has nothing better to do."

It was Itachi's turn to explain, Sasuke had done so last time. "We're not ghosts Naruto. We're simply spirits waiting for re-incarnation."

"Or something like that nii-san."

"Something like that." Naruto muttered. "Oh well, wanna go see if we can eat ramen as dead people?"

Sasuke laughed and Itachi chuckled. "Dobe."

;-;

I cried while writing the ending… like three times. Well, the ghostly trio. Have fun with the one in your brains. .

Sorry it came out so emo guys…. But this is how I planned the story from the start…. I was just expecting… ya' know…. Less fans to be reading and hoping for a happy ending. This is not a happy ending, unless the whole, eternity together with the one you love, is considered happy.

xD

So yeah….. bye bye. P.S. I might post some drabbles on the "Ghostly Trio" …under that title.