Chapter 20: The Road Home

"We should go over ground rules," Itachi said as he stopped along the trail. They were a few hours outside of Konoha now, and his brother had been becoming increasingly irritable the closer they came to their goal.

"Ground rules for what?" Sasuke asked, stopping as well as he turned back around to face the other, taking off his pack as he placed it on the side of the road to stretch his back. He could guess. Itachi had been cagey about them going back. It didn't make any sense to him. Could his brother not see how much he adored him? How could he ever get jealous?

Itachi sighed, seemingly annoyed for even having to voice whatever was bothering him this entire trip home. Honestly, Sasuke was just happy he had gotten him to sleep some last night. "It needs to look like we're just siblings."

"I'm aware," Sasuke replied, arching a brow at where Itachi could possibly be going with this.

"In front of Shisui as well," Itachi hesitated. "Especially in front of him."

Ah.

Now he understood.

Not ground rules for what he was allowed to do then.

Sasuke glared at Itachi, feeling sick to his stomach at just the thought. "You want my permission to fuck your boyfriend, is that it?"

Itachi pursed his lips, looking like he had just swallowed something bitter as he watched him warily. "It's necessary." The casual way he spoke those words only caused the anger festering in Sasuke's stomach to grow. He should tell Itachi he could feel something. Maybe the bastard would be proud he was making progress.

"Necessary?" Sasuke's fists clenched at his side, trying to restrain himself from giving the asshole the satisfaction of seeing how pissed off he really was. "You sure think an awful lot about the magical powers of your cock. You can't just fuck people into forgetting that you're a terrible person."

"Do you think I'm a terrible person?" Itachi questioned, lip curled in a sneer.

"Yes," Sasuke answered honestly. "I think you're a lying, cheating, murderous, asshole." Sasuke's temper fully took over as he couldn't get the image of Itachi's hands, the same hands that just this morning had been gripping his hips as he rode him to completion, all over Shisui out of his head. Would Itachi kiss him with the same desperation he kissed Sasuke? Would he leave him when he realized how much of a pain in the ass dealing with his shit was?

"Sas," Itachi sounded pained. "Don't cry." Oh. He supposed he had started crying. He wiped furiously at his eyes, shaking with how angry he was that he was still too fractured to hide how much this was hurting him from his brother.

"What do you want me to say to you?" Sasuke asked him, crossing his arms back over his chest to hide his shaking hands as he blinked rapidly to try to staunch the tears. "I knew what this was. You've reminded me of that several times."

"I'm not trying to hurt you," Itachi tried, taking a step closer as he reached for him.

Sasuke bared his teeth at him, slapping at the hand that reached for him. "We're too close to Konoha. Don't be reckless just because you feel guilty. You want ground rules? Do whatever you want—you always do. We don't see each other until it's done. I don't want to look at you until you're mine again."

"No," Itachi spoke with finality, moving forward as he grabbed Sasuke's forearms, walking him backwards until he could slam him against a tree. "You don't get to dictate me seeing you." Itachi cupped his cheek, tilting up his face as he leaned in close. "Tell me how to make this better."

"You can't," Sasuke spoke softly, trapped in Itachi's eyes. "We need him to trust us. I know what that means." He inhaled, calming himself as he let that familiar numbness surround him, blanketing the pain and rage he had allowed foolishly to slip through. "In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, does it? It's just sex."

"No," Itachi repeated, pressing his forehead against Sasuke's, the other gripping his hip in a vice. "Don't go away again. Stay with me. You can yell at me all you want—just stay with me."

Sasuke's eyebrows knitted, confusion perforating through the numbness. His hands reached out, sliding up Itachi's chest to feel just how hard his brother's heart was pounding underneath his palms. Itachi was terrified. Of what? Losing him? Did he actually think Sasuke would ever leave him? Did he not understand the way he felt?

"I don't want to see you two together," he gave in, making concessions he knew Itachi could work with. "I don't want him to mark you," Itachi nodded to him, shifting to press his lips almost desperately to Sasuke's cheek. "I don't want to sleep with you again until all of this is over."

Itachi didn't respond right away, stiff against him as his hand trailed from his hip, pushing up Sasuke's shirt as his nails scratched lightly at his stomach. "No sex?"

"I'll vomit if I smell him on you," Sasuke defended his decision as Itachi's hand started to toy with his waistband.

"No," Itachi answered finally, dragging his fingers just above the dark line of hair. "You don't get to dictate when I can have you." Itachi kissed the frown off his lips, and Sasuke hated how he trembled against that mouth. "I'll shower beforehand. I promise." Itachi pressed closer to him, and Sasuke obediently spread his legs as he felt a hardness press up against him. "Sasuke?" His lashes fluttered as he looked to meet Itachi's eyes, feeling his own heart begin to race at how intense their connection was. "I need to tell you my rules for you now, and I'm aware how they're going to sound. I've been dreading having this conversation."

"I know your rules, Aniki," Sasuke defended himself. Itachi had drilled the rules into his head enough for them to stick. His arms stretched up, wrapping around Itachi's neck to pull him closer. "I would never cheat on you." The thing he couldn't comprehend was why Itachi even needed him to say the words. "I love you more than anything in this world." Didn't he know that? Wasn't he aware of Sasuke's obsession the moment Itachi asked him to be complicit in the massacre and he had actually said yes?

"I love you too, Sas, more than anything, but that's not what I mean." Sasuke's arms tightened around Itachi, not even able to comprehend the apprehension he should be feeling. Itachi had only ever said it once—and never so openly. His heart swelled, leaning in to connect their mouths before he could help himself. Itachi pulled back, looking pained even as he kissed his way along Sasuke's jaw. "You can't warn them. You can't try to stop it. You can't let anyone see how sick you are. They'll be suspicious."

Sasuke felt like vomiting, disgusted with himself for letting Itachi back him against his tree and call the fact that he was having some hang-ups about murdering his entire clan a 'sickness' "Get off me." He tried to say it calmly, but that fire that had started in his belly when Itachi had started this conversation with the ground rules on cheating on him had grown exponentially with the way those hands around him only tightened and didn't relent. He reacted, putting chakra behind it as he shoved Itachi as hard as he could, sending him sliding across the ground as the amount of shit he had been forced to eat since his meeting his Pain finally spilled over. "I said get off of me you piece of shit abusive asshole!"

"Otouto," Itachi tried to placate, actually raising his hands as it only succeeded in pissing him off more.

"Fuck you!" Sasuke pointed down towards Konoha. "Go tell everyone in the village that I'm the sick one while you made a fucking deal with the goddamn devil to murder every person we've ever cared about! I'm the sick one?" Sasuke hissed, sharingan pulsing in his eyes as he glared down the gaslighting asshole. "You manipulative prick—you're the one that's fucking sick."

"I didn't mean it like that," Itachi tried to explain, but Sasuke could see the strain on his face from having to calm him down. He probably wanted to kick his ass. Good—let him fucking try. "You just can't try to stop it. Believe me, I've tried, and it won't work."

"Please, tell me how hard you tried to save them while using getting to fuck me as a bargaining chip?" Sasuke hissed back, rage flickering slightly at seeing the stricken look covering Itachi's face.

"Is that what you think of me?" his brother questioned. "That I didn't even try? I tried so hard. I tried everything. None of it mattered. None of it made a difference to those in charge who all seem to think they're so idealistic and right." Itachi looked away in disgust, rubbing at his temple. "So yeah. I did what I could to make sure you would live. I agreed to kill them all myself instead of Root so that you could live. You don't want rules? Fine. Do whatever you want, and so will I. I don't want you if this is what you think is between us." Itachi ran his hand through his bangs, and Sasuke saw how bad he was shaking. "I'll do it myself."

Sasuke frowned, trying to ignore the almost overwhelming desire to run towards his niisan and beg forgiveness. "You don't get to do that. You're trying to manipulate me again."

Itachi actually rolled his eyes at him. "Think what you want. But I'm warning you, if you try to stop this and end up ruining the deal that I made for you, then you will not like what happens."

"What will happen?" Sasuke questioned, not scared of the threat. "You going to kill my family? You going to ostracize me from my home? You going to make me a hated shinobi tracked down in the bingo book for the rest of my life? What baby? What are you going to do?" Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not the sick one, Itachi. I'm just the person too selfish to do the right thing and stop you." Sasuke sighed, leaning back against the tree. "Your rules are acceptable. Anything else?"

"No," Itachi answered, voice clipped with annoyance. "Do you have anything else?"

"I do as a matter of fact," Sasuke answered. "When you kill him, I want you to tell him about us. I want him to know that you love me."

"I don't even like you right now," Itachi argued with a sneer. "Anything else?"

Sasuke frowned at the words, not willing to admit how much they hurt him. "I want a code word. I want to be able to say something to you when others are around that makes me remember that I fucking adore you, and that this will eventually all be okay."

"It won't be okay," Itachi answered right back, not even beginning to humor his ask. "And I'm not playing love games with you. Shisui will see through it."

"Well we wouldn't want your lover to be suspicious," Sasuke murmured, rolling his eyes. "I don't need anything else from you." It's not like Itachi would give it to him anyways.

"I have one more," Itachi said, voice hesitant as he watched Sasuke. "Outside of missions, I don't want you anywhere near Naruto."

Revulsion filled him as he was aware of just what his relationship with Itachi really was. How degrading and repulsive their relationship really was. "No," he shook his head to solidify the fact. "You don't get to dictate to me who I can be friends with." He used the same words Itachi had used with him when he shot him down. "Especially not when you're actively having sex with someone else." Crazy jealous bastard. "I won't have him at all soon, and I won't have you while we're in the village. Please don't make me explain to you how me having no one would go poorly for me." He appealed to the rational part of Itachi's brain that could consider the fact that this entire mission could go belly up if Sasuke truly lost his mind.

"Fine," Itachi relented, lip curled as he stared him down. "But if it crosses the line—if he tries anything with you, I will kill him."

Sasuke was quiet for a while, just letting the words resonate between them both as he felt beyond sick from the threat. "I'm a better person than you, Aniki, I would never do that to you."

"We need to get going." It annoyed him at the way Itachi could just change the subject while something so heavy hung between them. While the accusation hung between them. "Once we start walking we need to follow the cover story we discussed. Assume that we're being watched. Assume Shisui will suspect we're together."

"Obito mentioned Shisui's ability, what is it?" Sasuke questioned, having been thinking about it since he overheard them talking in the woods.

Itachi watched him, clearly debating the lie he wanted to tell him now. "Obito was right, it wouldn't work. The village would still demand the cull."

His forehead furrowed at the obvious dodge, curiosity more than a little peaked. "What's the ability?"

His brother looked like he would rather eat glass then say the words, finally taking a deep breath as he relented. "It's called Kotoamatsukami. It allows him to manipulate someone's mind without them ever realizing it."

It felt like ice water had been poured down his spine. "Are you serious?" A brash of emotions filtered through him ranging from surprise, anger, jealousy, envy, and finally abject terror. "Could he use it on you?"

"He's stronger than me, yes," Itachi answered, taking a step forward with his hand out in a calming gesture for whatever he must have seen on Sasuke's face. "He won't. He can only ever use it once and he's saving it."

"But he could?" Sasuke's eyes were wide with panic. "He could use it on you and take you away from me? And you wouldn't even know?"

Itachi's brow knitted, as if he was just now considering the possibility. "He wouldn't do that."

"But he could!" Sasuke's heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as he felt absolutely sick with the thought, shaking his head back and forth. "The plan's off. I don't want you sleeping with him. I don't want you anywhere near him!" They were demands he had no right to make. They were demands Itachi would never in a million years bow down to.

"Sasuke," Itachi began, sounding beyond exhausted with this line of thought. "We have a plan. We have to stick to it. He won't suspect. Shisui is a good person."

"Of course he'll suspect," Sasuke hissed at him, stomping over to where he had laid down his pack as he threw it over his shoulder, feeling that familiar thrum in his head. He was going to take Itachi from him. He was going to take the only thing grounding him away from him. He was going to lose everything.

Itachi surged forward, and Sasuke let out a shaky breath when he was wrapped in those arms. "It's okay…look at me." His chin was grabbed, tilting his face up as he saw how scared Itachi looked as the arm around his lower back tightened. "I'm never going to leave you. Ever. A few more weeks, Sas. A few weeks where things are going to be terrible…and we won't be together…and some horrible things will happen. A few more weeks and then it'll just be you and me. I just need you to hold it together until then. I just need you to trust me until then."

Sasuke leaned the rest of the way up, connecting their mouths as his mind slowly came back to itself, Itachi sighing in relief against his lips as he let go of his chin to grab the back of his spikes instead and deepen the kiss. He pulled back after a few seconds, kissing Sasuke's forehead. "We really do have to go now," his brother spoke, at the same time making no move to release Sasuke. "I don't want you to worry about Shisui. I just want you to focus on getting better and let me take care of everything. I'm sorry I said those things to you."

"I said plenty to you back," Sasuke admitted, fingers reaching up to curl in Itachi's hair as they stood together, both unwilling to pull back forever from this makeshift life they created together out in the woods. "I'm not weak. If he uses it on you…I'll kill him. He's stronger, but I'll find a way." He pulled back finally, forcing himself out of Itachi's arms as he knew he wouldn't be able to rely on anyone but himself while in the village. "We should go." Itachi yanked him close, kissing him one last time as if he could chase the flavor on his lips, before nodding his approval and going to grab for his own pack.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the village—the weight of what had been said between them too much to bear. Sasuke's anxiety and dread was increasing with each step. Would they look at them and see the betrayal on their faces? How could he face his parents knowing what he did? How could he face his village and all the people who had come to trust him without realizing that one day he would both literally and figuratively come to stab them in the back?

He inhaled, smelling fires burning from the torches. He wouldn't have Itachi to rely on soon. He would have to get through this all on his own. Sasuke realized the things he had yelled at his brother weren't necessarily fair. Itachi was trying so hard with him. It couldn't be easy having to deal with what he put him through. He would probably like the reprieve with Shisui.

"Itachi." Sasuke's head snapped to the left, hackles immediately raised as he saw their cousin waiting at the entrance to the Uchiha village for them. Shisui turned to him then, and Sasuke saw the flicker of hatred for just an instant, before a pleasant smile came to his features. "Sasuke."

"You must have a six sense," Sasuke mused. "I was just thinking about you. Is that how you knew we were here?"

Shisui smiled at him at the assumption. "All good things I hope? But no, your brother sent me a pigeon this morning saying that the both of you were finally finished training."

Of course he had.

Sasuke did his best to keep his face neutral, not reacting to the jealous outburst he wanted to ensue. "Well I'm sure you have a lot to talk about. Don't let me interrupt."

"Wait," Shisui commanded as Sasuke moved to step away while his temper was still intact. "You don't need to run off so quickly. Surely my presence isn't that abhorrent to you?"

"It is actually," Sasuke bit out, dropping the pleasantries as he turned to Shisui with a glare.

"Sasuke," Itachi chided, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "I apologize for him—he's just…"

"Pissed?" Sasuke supplied helpfully. "Shisui, go fuck yourself." He gave a mock salute to their cousin, motioning with disgust towards Itachi. "And enjoy all the things your self-righteous indignation won you. Fucking hypocrite." Itachi told him to sell it. "Thanks for the training, Aniki. I hope the both of you are very happy together."

Itachi rolled his eyes at the display, disgust on his features as he frowned at him. "You will apologize."

Sasuke's eyes widened incredulously, pointing towards their cousin. "To him?" He shook his head. "I'd rather bite off my own tongue."

"Sasuke," Shisui interrupted, taking a step forward. "There's been some kind of misunderstanding. We can talk about it. I would never do anything to hurt you."

Sasuke scoffed. "Well you did." He glanced between them, landing on the actual general concern on their cousin's face. "Don't worry. I've been told over and over again my place in this world. I'll go back to my squad and be good." His eyes flickered directly to Itachi. "Isn't that what you told me, Aniki? I do try my best to listen."

Shisui looked to Itachi for answers. "What's he talking about, Itachi?"

Itachi glowered at Sasuke, before turning his attention back to their cousin. "We can talk about it at home. Sasuke just needs to get back to a routine. He'll be fine. He's been having a hard time adjusting since we left the village."

Sasuke rolled his eyes again. "Such a nice way to put that you're a frigid ice prince pining after mediocrity." He glared at Shisui. "It was really nice seeing you again, cousin. We'll have to catch up some time." He turned to leave towards their house, being interrupted by the whizzing ball of energy in the form of a human that came barreling into him.

A surprised grunt left his mouth as blond hair came into view, Naruto pulling away from his chest with the biggest grin he had ever seen stretching across his mouth. "You're finally home."

"Hey Dobe." A smile came to his face before he could help it as he realized how much he had actually missed his friend. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Kakashi told me!" Naruto stated with pride, having yet to let him go. "Some scouts spotted you a bit ago on the road, and I figured you'd be going home first."

"Your eagerness is pathetic," Sasuke teased him, feeling Itachi's eyes burning into his back.

"Your face is pathetic!" Naruto just shot right back with, yanking him into another hug. "I missed you so much…even if you are an asshole." Sasuke scowled as his hair was ruffled, giving in as he finally hugged back before pushing the other away.

"You're so clingy," Sasuke admonished, glancing down as Naruto grabbed his hand instead, entwining their fingers. It took everything in him not to glance towards Itachi to see how absolutely livid his brother must be right now, but he had told him to sell it with Shisui, and so Sasuke didn't pull away. "Think you just didn't like getting stuck alone with Sakura," he teased him.

"She's fine," Naruto defended his teammate. "But she's not you." He yanked at his hand. "Come on. Let's put your stuff away. There's a festival in Konoha right now. There's an entire ramen tasting bar!"

Sasuke showed mock surprise. "You left a ramen bar for me?" He bit his bottom lip as he tried to hide the actual smile that wanted to stretch across his face, not feeling this lighthearted in quite some time. "That's actually very sweet."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, yanking him closer by his hand. "Well I can be sweet." He looked up towards Itachi and Shisui, and for the first time Sasuke did as well. Regret over his actions immediately filled him as he saw the contemptuous way Itachi was staring at his friend. The warning from earlier came to him, and he pulled his hand quickly away from the blond's, trying to keep his face the same as he knew Shisui was watching all of them like a hawk.

He cringed at the way Naruto immediately grabbed it back. He sighed in resignation, knowing how clingy his friend could get when they were apart. He was sure it had to do with Naruto's severe separation anxiety from his upbringing. Sasuke had been his only friend for the longest time. It didn't mean what Itachi thought it did.

"Naruto," Sasuke tried to break the tension he was sure he was the only one feeling. "Have you met my cousin?"

Naruto glanced over, roaming over both Shisui and Itachi, and clearly having no sense of self-preservation as he could actually feel the anger radiating from his brother. "Nice to meet you?"

"Shisui," his cousin supplied, bowing with Naruto as he glanced over to Itachi. "You didn't tell me your brother had a boyfriend."

Sasuke shot him a look of loathing contempt, eyes flickering over to see blood actually dripping from where Itachi was clenching his fist. "I'm not—"

"It's not official," Naruto interjected, squeezing Sasuke's hand tight. "We need to talk about it."

"Naruto!" Sasuke scolded, ripping his hand away as he spun on him. "You can't just declare something like that!"

"Yeah I can," Naruto argued, and Sasuke wanted to punch him as he was grinning ear to ear as he blushed. "I should have asked you out ages ago, but then I let you run away for special training and I realized what I wanted."

Sasuke lashed out, covering Naruto's mouth with his palm as he felt the other smile underneath his hand as he blushed a deep red. "Quiet," he demanded, turning to Shisui and Itachi. "We clearly have things to talk about. We'll get out of your hair."

Naruto grabbed for him again. "Commeeee onnnnnnnn…We're going to miss the festival!"

"Sasuke," Itachi interrupted, and Sasuke dug in his feet to stop from Naruto's pulling as he glanced back at his brother. "Be sure to be back for dinner. Okasan and Otousan will be devastated not to see you."

Sasuke nodded stiffly, not sure what else he was supposed to do as Naruto finally yanked hard enough to get him to lose his footing as they stumbled off to drop off their things and go to the festival.

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A.N-Naruto is sweet, and I can just write sweet happiness with him and not the ridiculous angst Itachi and Sasuke live and breathe with everything they do. I think next chapter is going to be very therapeutic. That being said…I don't think Itachi is going to handle things well. Hope you liked the chapter and that it wasn't too dark. I think Sasuke is just figuring out a lot of the shit Itachi pulls with him, and how much power he actually has.