Title: Only You
Chapter Title: The Truth Comes Out
Author: nikki3 (bloodywriter83yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13 (subjected to change depending on the chapter content, which means that if it ever reaches the NC-17 mark, you'll be seeing it at my livejournal.)
Pairing: Itachi x Sasuke
Warning: YAOI. SHOUNEN-AI. AU. Incest?
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.
Author's notes: Hmm... It took a while but here it is! Finally finished the second chapter of "Only You". Have fun reading people!
Kamikakushi - Ehehe... They were. Yeah. People just love to do those sort of things and I'm one of them! Hehe. Hehehe. Guilty pleasures? Don't we all have one?. I'm glad you find this fic interesting.
unmei0wa0fushigi - I'm glad you think it's good. I hope that this new chapter is as good as you expected.
Yuki-Chan2 - Yeah. He did come at the last minute. I hope you'll like this chapter.
Chesiere Cat - Yep. Sasuke asked about kissing. Who could resist? Not even Itachi could. I really love this pairing. Even if you've read all the fics about this pairing, it still wouldn't be enough. They may not be brothers but yeah, Sasuke doesn't know yet. Expect him to find out the truth... Hehehe. I update only when I'm in school or when I'm high on caffeine and nicotine. It's a bad habit I haven't been able to cure. (Damn school.) Thank you for your concern. I really appreciate it. Well, there's a nice ItaSasu scene here... -.-;;; I just hope that it comes out as good as I hope it would be. Glad you liked the last chapter. Please update your ItaSasu fic soon.
Pyro Dragon 117 - Yeah, it is incest but since they're not really brothers, it's not considered incest anymore (considering the fact that I made Itachi into Sasuke's distant cousin). I'm always stressed out because of school. Don't worry though. It's not the fic that's really stressing me out. I enjoy writing fics. I'm glad you think that the chappie was okay. Err... I'm a coffee addict and have a terrible smoking habit. I can't help it. But thank you for your concern. I really appreciate it. Twelve cups of coffee? Wow... You're an even bigger caffeine addict than I am. I'll update my fic asap. You should update yours soon as well.
FrozenLioness - I just came up with the idea while thinking of what to write for my KakaIta fic. I was just staring off into space, appreciating the taste of my espresso and... WHAM! I'm relieved to know that it makes some sense. I wasn't really sure it would work when I first thought of the idea.
Zedd07 - =.=;;; Aw, damn. You wanna send flames? Hehehe. Yup this was the one I bothered you with while we were at Starbucks. Hehehe... Yeah... More stories to finish... But at least it keeps boredom from school at bay. Besides, I really like this pairing. They're a really drool worthy pair. You should watch the anime and/or see the manga. I'm glad you liked it. I appreciate that you took the effort to review even if you're not from this fandom. My descriptions are still not as good as yours and lynlyn's. But I'm working on it.
viciouscallisto - I'm glad you like my stories and that you're interested in this one but I'm not really good at writing. Well, I'm updating now so I hope that you'll like this chapter.
jkkid - Err... Ehehe...
Krystal - I'm glad you think so. I'm trying to update as fast as I possibly can while my ItaSasu muses are still high and active. Erg... extremely active... -sees Itachi and Sasuke in a dark corner of the room- ... -puts up a sign that says "CENSORED" and puts it over the screen- Damn muses going at it like rabid weasels...
Chi - Glad you like it. Hope this chapter would good enough for you.
Chapter Two: The Truth Comes Out
Itachi had somehow ditched his bloodthirsty partner once he was well rested enough. He had heard the reports. They were disturbing to say the least. Sound was flurry with activity. Something was up. Four of the original Sound's Five had been sent out. If his hunch was correct, they were sent out for Sasuke. And he was not going to sit back and let them succeed in this endeavor.
From the last that he had seen Sasuke, he had used the organization's resources to find someone who could enlighten him on how to get rid of Orochimaru's blasted cursed seal. They had been fruitless until they discovered an old man who dealt with a similar case in the past. Not exactly what he was looking for but close enough. It just might work.
From his understanding of the old man's explanation, the cursed seal was a form of possession. One way to remove it was to exorcise the demon, in other words, kill that blasted snake and send him to hell. That would be hard since nobody knows just how many tricks that bloody viper had slithering up his sleeve. Another would be to remove the part of which the seal was attached to. Itachi was sure that there was no way that he could completely eradicate Sasuke's utter hatred for him. The only other alternative was to replace it with a stronger form of possession. Itachi didn't know what could possibly be stronger but he was sure that if it ever came down to it, he'd figure something out. It was a prodigy thing. Until either of the options was done, he would have to use a temporary means of suppressing the seal's power, which meant using a sealing jutsu stronger than the one previously used on the younger Uchiha.
Right now, the most important matter on hand was that he find Sasuke and whisk him away before Orochimaru digs an even deeper snake pit for the young avenger to fall into. He was still a bit far from Konoha. If they had ever left before he got there, he hoped to intercept them before they crossed the boundary.
He had not expected to encounter them almost to the border. Sasuke... He was changed. That's it. That blasted snake better start digging a deep hole to slither and hide in because this Uchiha was most definitely going to kill him the next time they met. He was going to bleed that snake dry and hang his bloody carcass for all to see. No one violates Sasuke's well being and gets away with it. No one.
His lovely, red avenger was on the ground barely conscious while his blond comrade was on defensive against Orochimaru's lackeys. In the state the bearer of the Nine-tailed Fox was in, he wouldn't last long despite his rumored quick healing abilities and his chakra stamina. Itachi had to interfere for Sasuke's sake.
Shock was written all over the blond's face as the prodigy stepped in. Dealing with such lowly dregs was easy. The battle was over as quickly as it had begun, hardly up to Orochimaru's high standards when it came to shinobi abilities. The old man must be losing his touch, Itachi thought with mild amusement.
He looked over to where the blond boy was hovering protectively over the younger Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes were unfocused, tired from the events that had transpired. Itachi could tell that had the Uchiha heir not been so drained, his eyes would've been looking straight at him. The genius' heart skipped several beats.
"Why?" The voice barely a whisper made his heart stop for moments. There were so many answers he could've given then, so many lies. He was tired, tired of lying to the one he loved.
His mouth opened and the words spilled out. "I came here for you." He honestly didn't think that Sasuke heard him. The younger Uchiha was already blissfully unconscious. So then, how to take a possibly violent and unwilling Sasuke was no longer a problem. The only obstacle left in "kidnapping" his beloved was the weakened blond before him. Had he been ever a loyal lackey of the organization, he would've just taken the opportunity to take the Yondaime's legacy back to headquarters (and still have Sasuke at that) with some obscure hope of receiving a promotion. But he wasn't like the others. He made his own path, doing things his way. He bowed to no one save the Uchiha heir, who was his angel sent from heaven to grace him with his light.
A high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts, the voice evidence of puberty setting in. "I won't let you take Sasuke!"
My, my, so protective. The gesture was sweet but painful if Sasuke ever fell in love with this boy. The thought was smothering and suffocating. "Naruto was it?" His voice sounded so distant even to himself. "I'm not here to play power games for an organization I no longer represent. I'm not after you or that thing inside you. I'm only here for Sasuke since it has become apparent that he is no longer safe within Konoha's protective custody." He could not believe he was actually explaining and reassuring his actions to a kid whose I.Q. ran in the lines of pranks, pranks and more pranks. Oh, and yes of course, ramen. Come to think of it, he had not been to Ichiraku for years now expecialy since he was not really welcome in the village that was once his home.
But he digressed. Back to the matter on hand. The blond seemed to be thinking over what he just said. Perhaps he should give the boy some credit. At least this Naruto wasn't making a move without thinking it over first. Honestly, he was half-expecting the boy to try to beat the crap out of him or at least land a hit before contemplating such a rash and foolish action. In terms of power and chakra stamina, Naruto had quite a potential. Anyone would've been blind not to see that. Give or take a few years, the boy would be a powerful ninja, regardless of rank. Itachi was sure of that. Given what this blond was showing him now, he could see a bit of the promise and hope that few others have most likely seen. Naruto had the makings of a great shinobi. No doubt a sapling planted and nurtured with care by great men. Definitely worthy of Sasuke's affections.
"What do you plan to do with Sasuke?" The question was calmly laid out. The blond had already thought it over.
The prodigy sighed in relief. At least this kid had enough sense not to make any sudden moves. With his body still singing from the last kill, adrenaline rushing through his veins, he didn't know what he could've done had the younger boy lunged at him. "I won't hurt him if that's what you mean."
"Then why?" He had to hand it to the kid, he was pretty damn persistent.
Itachi slowly moved closer to where Sasuke lay. He kneeled beside the younger Uchiha, brushing off errant locks obscuring the boy's face. He stared at the raven-haired boy, pale yet beautiful. Sasuke looked so peaceful in his sleep, that small smile on his lips so blissfully unaware of the decisions being made for him. The genius closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his hand pausing on Sasuke's bruised yet warm cheek. Then he opened them again. He didn't bother to look at the blond, keeping his eyes fixed on Sasuke as he gently stroked the younger boy's skin. "I can help him get rid of Orochimaru's cursed seal. Even I am not cold-hearted enough to let that snake manipulate him so. As much as I want him to be an avenger, I don't want him to be influenced by that bastard of a Sennin. He's strong all on his own. He just doesn't have enough patience for it." He never did. Sighing, he continued, "I'll return him to you when I'm done."
"How do I know if you'll do what you say you'll do?" Doubt was evident in that voice, that tone the bearer of the Nine-tailed Fox used. Yes, how can anyone trust a criminal who wiped out his own clan?
Itachi hooked an arm under the unconscious Uchiha's legs and the other behind his neck and cradled the boy to his chest. "You'll just have to trust me then." The blond said nothing. The prodigy took this as his cue to go. Besides, he could sense others, possibly the young genin's comrades, coming closer.
"You better bring him back." A warning. How interesting. Had he been a lesser man, he would have been greatly intimidated.
The older Uchiha paused in his tracks. He didn't have to look back to know that the blond had literally turned a blind eye to what was going to happen. "If I don't return him to you in this lifetime, feel free to hunt me down in the next." Then he walked between the trees, through the foliage and vanished.
-----
Naruto didn't know what possessed him to let an S-ranked criminal walk away with Sasuke. From one criminal to another... the normally cheerful blond didn't know which was worse – letting Orochimaru get the young Uchiha for his perverted use or letting Itachi take Sasuke away for who knows what. (1) The older Uchiha had mentioned removing the cursed seal. Was it really possible? How could the Uchiha prodigy remove something that the many talented shinobis of Konoha could not? Naruto had his doubts.
But then again, he supposed that what Itachi had planned for Sasuke couldn't possibly be worse than what that snake bastard had in mind. So in effect, Itachi was the better choice after all. But what could he tell his comrades? What could he tell Sakura? They had come all this way only to return empty-handed. Not exactly the scenario he expected when they set out to rescue the younger Uchiha from Sound's clutches.
Shikamaru and the others, including the Sand siblings were eyeing him worriedly. He had remained uncharacteristically silent all throughout. It relieved him that they asked no questions after the initial outbursts when he first declared that they stop their pursuit and go back to their village. What could he possibly say? "Hey guys, Sasuke's murdering big brother came by to pick him up to do who knows what to him." (2) No, he couldn't possibly tell them that. He needed something better. "Hey, I figured giving Sasuke up to his bloodthirsty brother is better than giving him up to a perverted snake bastard." Nope. Definitely not. It all sounded as if he had abandoned their comrade to a terrible fate.
He had barely noticed the time and the distance they covered until he was standing in front of the old hag's office. They had been ushered into the room immediately. Somehow, he had expected her to flip at the news as he delivered his account of what happened to Sasuke. His comrades, with the exception of Kiba and Neji who were both in the hospital receiving immediate medical treatment, were staring at him in varying degrees of shock. He couldn't blame them. These were all mild reactions. He could already imagine what Sakura's reaction would be like... She had trusted him to bring their teammate back and he had failed her. Whether it was Itachi or Orochimaru, it was all the same. He had let an S-ranked criminal take Sasuke.
Tsunade seemed like she was in deep thought. She was probably thinking of how things could possibly get any worse. He half-expected her to berate him for being gullible and for his failure. But instead she sighed and said, "You've done well on this mission. I commend you on your performance."
Naruto blinked. She looked as if she was taking this quite well. It was shocking to say the least. He could not help but ask, "Why?"
She looked straight at him and smiled. "If Itachi is as you say he is and is no longer part of Akatsuki, then he's an even less threat than Orochimaru. Even if you did succeed in bringing Sasuke back, it would've been long before he left once more."
Naruto looked down at his feet. He still felt as if he had failed.
"Besides, from the way to narrated it, Itachi doesn't seem as cold-hearted as well all thought him to be. Perhaps it would be much better for them to resolve things just between the two of them. And maybe whatever scars Sasuke may have carried since the massacre of his clan may begin to heal. As a healer, I know that physical pain eventually fades as it heals. It may scar but it would no longer have the power to hurt you. Emotional scars, however... sometimes they may never heal at all. This is something only the two of them together can settle. It may be best to leave them be for now. All pursuits on both Uchihas will be put on hold as of the moment."
The blond wanted to argue with her but a hand on his shoulder made him realize just how tense he was. He looked at the owner of the hand and found jade green eyes looking back at him. The expression on Gaara's face was soft, so uncharacteristic for the bearer of the sand demon, Shuukaku but somehow seemed like it belonged there somehow.
"You've done all that you could. It's already enough. All you can do now is believe in Uchiha and his brother. If you believe Uchiha Itachi's claim to return his wayward little brother to Konoha one day, then the rest of us can start believing that Uchiha Sasuke would indeed return," the Sand ninja said. That was probably the longest he'd spoken to him since they last saw each other.
Naruto felt his lips quirk into a small smile. It was odd hearing that from the other boy but it made him feel much better. The others nodded in agreement. He smiled at them gratefully for their support. In a blink of an eye, they were dismissed and the loud ninja found himself trailing behind a certain red-haired ninja. "Gaara?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks."
"... Don't mention it."
Naruto twiddled his thumbs for a moment before blurting out, "So, wanna have some ramen with me?"
Gaara regarded him strangely for a moment, cocking his head a bit to the side. The blond thought it was rather cute, a cute gesture of a clueless child who didn't know what was going on. "Ramen?"
"Yup!"
The youngest of the Sand siblings glanced at his sister and she smiled and nodded before walking up to Kankuro and informing him of Gaara being otherwise indisposed for a few hours. The youngest Sand ninja looked back at Naruto and shrugged, a totally Shikamaru-like gesture. "... I suppose so..."
"Yes! Ramen! You're paying!"
"Eh?!"
It wasn't until later on that Naruto remembered to inform Sakura of the Hokage's decision regarding their teammate, their comrade, their friend, Uchiha Sasuke.
-----
The first thing Sasuke realized as he slowly drifted back to the realm of consciousness and feeling was that he was on a bed, a very comfortable bed. His eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking at a room the size of his apartment. The windows were open, sunlight streaming in through the light curtains. The floor tiles appeared to be made of cold, hard marble. There was a small dresser in one corner o the room. One painting took up almost an entire wall. The bathroom was across the room from the bed. The closet doors were big, making Sasuke suspect that it was a walk-in closet. Over all, they were all impressive. Most especially the bed. It was a four poster bed complete with silk and velvet drapes and beautiful tassels loosely tying them to the posts. The blanket was thick yet light, not stifling at all. The mattress was soft, you would feel like sinking into it. Sasuke felt as if he could stay there all day. But that was strange. He didn't know anyone who could afford such a luxurious room, let alone the bed. It was almost as if he wasn't in Konoha anymore... Konoha...
Last thing he remembered about Konoha was abandoning the village to join Orochimaru and to pursue his brother. Konoha would most likely put him where he would be extremely comfortable. Even if Orochimaru's men succeeded in taking him to Sound Village, he honestly didn't think that he'd be swathed in comfort. Which left only one more person... his brother. But Itachi would do something like this for him. The old Itachi he knew would but the one who massacred his clan – most definitely not.
Just then, the door opened with a creak and a familiar cloaked figure stepped into the room. Sasuke's eyes widened in recognition. A flash of warmth rushed though his body as a stray thought surfaced above the rest. He cares. The younger Uchiha knew that he really shouldn't care that he cared. The one standing before him was the man who killed his parents, massacred his clan. But he did care that his brother, Uchiha Itachi, cared for him. He sat up, his body protesting against the act. "Itachi..."
The older Uchiha moved silently towards him. Sasuke remained still, staring at his brother wide-eyed. Upon reaching the bedside, Itachi placed a warm hand over Sasuke's forehead. "Your fever's receded somewhat. You still need more rest." The prodigy reached for a shirt from the bedside table and motioned the younger boy to raise his arms. It was only then that Sasuke realized that he was wearing someone else's clothes. The younger raven-haired boy quietly allowed his brother to undress him, removing the shirt he was wearing and putting the new one on him. Sasuke could feel the heat on his cheeks, knowing that he must have looked like a ripe tomato. From the scent of the shirt, he could tell that it was Itachi's shirt he was wearing, the thought sending another wave of heat through his body. He mentally berated himself for reacting this way. Pull yourself together, Sasuke.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything to keep his mind from straying into thoughts that he shouldn't be thinking. But Itachi wasn't where he was previously. The prodigy was already standing in front of the window, pushing back the curtains.
"You've been unconscious for three days. You're safe, for now. This place has been devoid of inhabitants for a month now. It's previous owners... Well, let's just say that Kisame... got a little carried away. Akatsuki won't bother us for at least a week more or so. That snake on the other hand, wouldn't dare where I'm concerned." The genius' eyes flickered to him briefly before continuing, "I've reinforced the seal over your cursed seal. It should hold until such time that we find a way to remove that snake's poison."
Sasuke moved his hand over to where the cursed seal was. Now that he'd noticed it, the seal hasn't reacted since the older Uchiha stepped into the room. He couldn't feel the seal's dark essence at all. "Why?" He asked. "You don't even care so why bother?"
"But Sasuke, I do care."
"No, you don't."
"I care about you more than you could ever imagine."
"Why should I believe you?" I want to believe you but it's just so hard. "You killed the clan."
Itachi sighed. "I did what I had to do."
Sasuke growled. "You betrayed me."
He could see the older Uchiha's eyes widen briefly at this. "If there was anything that I didn't do, that would be betraying you. I never wanted you to get hurt nor did I want to hurt you."
"You already did. You killed mother, father and the others. You took everything from me!"
"Sasuke..."
"Everything was fine the way it was. Why did you have to ruin everything? You're my brother. Why?"
"Sasuke, I..."
"I hate you."
"..."
"I hate you! I hate you so much it hurts! I hate you..."
Itachi remained silent as Sasuke wiped the unshed tears from his eyes but more still came and streamed down his pale cheeks. The older Uchiha walked back to the younger boy's side. When the young avenger saw this, he raised his arms to fend his brother off should the other come any closer. "Don't... don't come near me..."
The genius gently pushed Sasuke's arms aside and held them as he sat down. "Sasuke..."
"Go away..."
"They, your clan, wanted you dead." The distraught boy stiffened at the statement. "I did my duty, my duty to protect the heir of the Uchiha Clan." The younger boy looked at him confused at what he was saying. "At the age of seven, I was taken from the branch family to protect a boy five years younger than I was."
"Branch family?"
"Yes, So in other word, Sasuke, we're not brothers. We never were."
-----
Itachi surprised even himself that he could tell these things to Sasuke with a straight face. The look on the Uchiha heir's face coupled with the tears cascading down his cheeks made the prodigy want to pull Sasuke into his arms and soothe him the way he used to when the younger boy had a nightmare. But he couldn't. Not right now. He had brought up his truth out into the open himself. The least he could do was finish it.
"That's... not true..." the younger boy choked out.
Itachi caught Sasuke's chin between his thumb and forefinger and made the younger Uchiha look at him. "But it is. They took me in to be your protector. I was nothing but an expendable tool. I was to act as your brother until you turned eighteen. I was a decoy, a false heir so that the clan's enemies wouldn't think about hurting you." He sighed. "You remember the oracle, Sasuke? She left as quickly as she came but not without a foretelling." The prodigy released his hold over Sasuke and looked away. "She said I would end our bloodline... and you would let me. Everyone was furious. I never meant to feel any more than I should for you. They asked for your head and I did what I had to do to protect you."
The heir placed a hand over his lips and looked at him in horror and shock as more tears fell. It was too painful for Itachi to continue looking. He knew that Sasuke was appalled to know that he was the cause of the clan's demise.
"I swore to myself before that I wouldn't let anyone most especially myself, hurt you and that I would do everything within my power to protect you... But I didn't do a good job of it, did I? I hurt you far more than anyone else." He lightly brushed the younger Uchiha's tear-stained cheek with his fingertips. "If it means anything to you, I'm sorry. When all this is over, if you want, I'll let you kill me as a punishment for my crimes against you."
Sasuke shook his head and continued to cry and there was nothing the prodigy could do about it. Itachi knew that no amount of apologies were enough to comfort the heir and make the boy forgive him completely.
The older Uchiha gave a heavy sigh. He stood up and walked out but not without pausing, glancing back at Sasuke before closing the door. He leaned heavily against the door and closed his eyes. He could hear the boy's sobs even from behind the closed door. It had hurt him to know that he had once against hurt the one he loved but this time with the truth. His vision blurred and he could feel his tears trailing a path of wetness against his cheeks. He was glad that there were no other residents within the mansion save for him and Sasuke. He didn't know how he could've bottled it all up without losing it had anyone else been around.
It was a while before the sobs inside the room completely subsided. He wiped his tears with the back of his sleeve and peeked into the room to check on Sasuke. He saw the younger boy asleep, his face half-buried into the pillow, tears a glistening trail down his face. A whimper and a sob escaped his lips every now and then. Even in his sleep, it seemed that the younger raven-haired boy could not be at peace because of the truths Itachi unveiled for him.
The prodigy felt a twinge of pain lance through his chest at the sight. Hurting Sasuke was the most unforgivable act he had ever done above all the numerous crimes he had committed. In this lifetime and those to follow, he would spend every moment making it up to him. He clenched his fists. He would make sure of it.
He closed the door quietly and walked down the corridor soundlessly. But first things first – he had to do something about that blasted cursed seal. Damn Orochimaru and his perverted ideologies. Screw that snake and his jutsus. Itachi would first break the seal then he'll break that unforgivable bastard in every possible way he could.
But he was getting ahead of himself. The seal... How to remove it? He needed something stronger than what bound it to the victim. If the seal was deeply rooted in Sasuke's hatred for him then the counter for it would be... He stopped in his tracks, the small click of his heels echoed down the otherwise silent hallway. But he couldn't. There was no way for it to ever happen even if that emotion may be a stronger form of possession than hate could be.
Perhaps it would've been better to let the blond take the younger Uchiha back to Konoha after all. There was no way he could change the way Sasuke felt for him. If he returned Sasuke to the village and let the boy kill him, maybe, just maybe the younger Uchiha would be happy someday. It might work but it was no guarantee that the cursed seal would be removed completely. Besides, that blasted snake was bound to find a way for the seal to resurface. On the other hand, as much as he loved Sasuke, he couldn't ask the boy to live a lie for him if it were even possible. The younger boy's hatred for him would always be deeper and stronger than any other emotion he could ever feel for the one he once thought was his brother. Besides that, he couldn't ask Sasuke to abandon the village completely for him if he could ever make Sasuke love him the way he loved the younger Uchiha.
He slammed his fist into the wall beside him, causing a large indentation on the hard concrete. He couldn't do this. No matter how he looked at it, it all seemed so hopeless. Maybe he should return the younger Uchiha to the village when he was well enough. Then perhaps they could end it all and say goodbye.
Another wave of pain went through his heart at the thought. It was choking him. He knew he would eventually have to say goodbye to Sasuke but it seemed that no amount of preparation would ever make him ready to do so. No amount of time was enough for him to dull the pain that threatened to suffocate him.
He continued his trek down the hallway, bypassing his room and went down the stairs. He needed fresh air to breathe. Perhaps a short walk outside would help clear his mind and may help him think straight. How did things get so complicated while he wasn't looking?
-----
Sasuke stared at the drapes without really seeing. How long had he been here? Mostly alternating between sleeping and crying he had not really bothered to notice the time. Itachi came in and out every few hours or so to check on him, every now and then bringing him food and trying to coax him to eat. He had barely acknowledged the older Uchiha every time. He supposed that it was his lack of response that made the other boy stop talking and just did things without prior warning. Itachi had undressed him, bathed him, dressed him and changed his bandages. He did everything except force him to eat. The prodigy would always leave the tray on his bedside table and leave. Sasuke wouldn't eat. He wanted to die.
Earlier, after being bathed and wrapped in a soft terry robe, the older Uchiha sat him in front of the dresser and brushed his hair with smooth strokes. The rhythmic motion of the brush through his hair was soothing somewhat. It was in such a moment that he could almost pretend that nothing was wrong, that the other Uchiha brushing his hair was really his brother. Their parents would be downstairs waiting for them to come down for their meal. The other clan members would be ready to greet them as they went out for training. It was almost too easy. But unfortunately, Sasuke was all too aware of the fact that Itachi wasn't his brother, a mere branch family member assigned to protect him, the heir. The clan was dead, massacred by the one he trusted and loved the most. His life was turned upside-down because of the clan's fear of destruction, Orochimaru's perverse fascination with the Uchiha bloodline limit and most especially because of Uchiha Itachi. The thought may sound childish but it just wasn't fair! He never wanted any of this to happen. Things were so much simpler back then. He never meant to... to...
The door opened and Itachi came in with another tray in his usual attire save for his cloak. He should know by now that the younger Uchiha had no intention of touching it. But it seemed that he brought it anyway. Sasuke looked away, opting to stare outside where it was raining. It seemed that the heavens cried for him when he didn't have to strength to do so. He could see it clearly from where he was as the windows were closed and the curtains were pulled aside. The older Uchiha placed the tray aside and sat on the bed, feeling the younger boy's forehead with his hand. Then, he sighed.
"Sasuke, you should eat. You're not going to get any better like this."
The younger raven-haired boy turned his head and glared at the prodigy. "Maybe I don't want to get better." He sat up. "Maybe I just want to die."
The frown on the genius' face deepened, his eyes narrowing into slits. Had the situation been different, Sasuke would have been terrified to death. Itachi looked menacing and dangerous. The younger boy was startled when the older Uchiha grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Why?!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as well. "You ask me why? It's because of me the clan is gone. I caused their deaths. It's all my fault. I should die."
Itachi growled. "That's not what I save you for! The blame falls on me! Me! I killed them for my own selfish reasons. True, you were the reason I did it but it was my fault, not yours!" The older boy went silent for a moment and breathed deeply as if to calm himself, his tight hold on the younger Uchiha's shoulders loosened somewhat. "Sasuke, don't think about it anymore. Just eat and get better... I don't want to see you so miserable..."
Sasuke's eyes flickered to the tray for a moment when he saw the saddened expression on the prodigy's face. "No."
The genius suddenly went rigid and relinquishing his hold on Sasuke, he picked up the tray, which had on it a bowl of chicken broth, and placed it beside him on the bed. The younger boy stared at him in confusion as he dipped the spoon into the clear soup and brought it to his own lips. Sasuke half-expected the other to force feed him by trying to shove it down his throat. What he didn't expect was or the older Uchiha to lean over and kiss him. In his shock, his mouth went slack, granting the other access to his moist cavern. His eyes widened when he felt the prodigy's tongue touching his as the soup was passed from one mouth to the other. It was much to his shock and dismay that he found himself responding, closing his eyes and kissing back. The taste of the broth was lost to him as their mouths clashed, tongue twined, his hands tangling in the older boy's hair, dislodging the band that held it together, and Itachi's hands on the small of his back and the back of his neck. It was his first exploration into the realm of intense emotion and sexual feeling since he first woke up in the prodigy's care. Blood rushed through his veins, warmth seeped into every pore down to the core of his being and fireworks lit up behind closed eyes. Breathing seemed irrelevant and unimportant. Nothing mattered except for the mouth on his own, the tongue twining with his, the hands on his body, the feelings he was experiencing and the person who evoked them.
Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. His eyes opened as Itachi pulled away, leaving him breathless, his lips tingling, his body trembling and asking for more.
"Itachi..." he murmured breathlessly. He was about to say more when the ex-ANBU captain suddenly stood up as if to put some distance between them.
"You should finish your soup." It would have come out cold and distant had the older raven-haired boy not looked as breathless and disheveled as he was. Then, Itachi walked out leaving Sasuke to catch his breath, confused and wondering what the hell just happened between them.
-----
Itachi closed the door and leaned against it. What am I doing? He wondered as he pressed his fingertips to his still tingling lips. He had not really meant to kiss Sasuke. He had only wanted to shock the boy into taking the soup without resorting to physical violence and hurting him. But, by gods, the kiss was electric, sending jolts of pleasure up and down his spine and throughout his entire body. He had been drawn deeper into that intimate contact as Sasuke willingly kissed him back. He could've had the younger boy then and there if he wanted. But he didn't. He could not and would not take advantage of the clan heir in his obviously distraught state. With Sasuke's current mindset, it was more likely that he would welcome any form of comfort and physical contact to assuage his pain, guilt and distress. He stopped before both of them did something that they might regret later on.
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His heartbeat still wouldn't slow down. Sasuke... Behind closed eyes, he could still see the delectably tempting image Sasuke presented when he broke the kiss. Even with his eyes opened, he could still see it with every breath he took, he could still smell the scent that was unmistakably Sasuke. He didn't know what to do. He was glad that his room was situated down the hallway, on the far end, rooms away from the younger boy. Just knowing that he had almost had a very willing Sasuke in bed took every bit of his will power not to go back in there and ravish the boy.
With great effort, he peeled himself away from the door and slowly walked back to his room. Having only one door between and the Uchiha heir was beginning to be particularly trying on his self-control with the way his thoughts were going at the present time. He needed to put some distance between them, the farther, the better.
Once in his room, he dropped down with his back on the bed and put his arm over his eyes. He needed to put a tighter hold over his sense of self-control. He needed to do something, anything to keep his tainted hands of Sasuke. But after having a taste of the forbidden fruit, how was he supposed to keep his hands of the younger boy without going mad?
-----
Sakura stared into the water from the bridge where she stood. It was the place where Team Seven would always meet up before undergoing any mission or training. When she wasn't there, she would spend most of her time by the village gates, wanting to be the first one to greet Sasuke when he came back. She had every hope that he would one day walk through those gates and call her annoying as she fawned over and lavished so much attention on him like she usually did when they were all together. She wouldn't mind if she reverted back to being the third wheel in his and their other teammate, Naruto's rivalry. She just wanted him back safe and sound.
Truth be told, she really didn't know whether to be happy or sad that the number one rookie ended up in his brother's clutches rather than Orochimaru's. She couldn't even believe her ears when Naruto narrated the incident to her. It was like some freakish horror movie where the heroes would think that things were looking up only to find that things had not only gotten bad but also worse. But she had no choice other than to simply believe in her comrade's instincts and beliefs.
She stared at her reflection and thought, I'm so pathetic. I'm no use to anyone pining over Sasuke-kun like this. She needed to do something to better herself, to improve her current state. She knew that she had to find a way so as to keep her from lagging behind her teammates all the time.
She had once been arrogant enough to think that she would be one of the first ones to be promoted to Chuunin. And who would've thought that out of all nine rookies, the laziest of the group, Shikamaru would be the first one to be promoted to the next level. Even Sasuke and Naruto weren't good enough to be chosen by the standards of the committee evaluating them. She may have the brains but what she lacked most were the skills to back her up. She obviously needed to work on that.
She pushed back from the railing she had been leaning on. But first things first – she needed to get back in touch with her friends and apologize to them for ignoring and distancing herself from them for so long. She started her trek back to the main square to find her friends, confident that soon, things would get better as long as they had hope and worked towards it together.
As it was, soon she found herself walking up to Ichiraku's, knowing that it was the place Naruto frequented the most. True enough she found the number one loud ninja slurping down his third bowl of ramen. What she had not expected was that he had company with him. Gaara was there and was also on his third bowl of ramen as well. Sakura felt her brow twitch at the sight. It was almost as if they were having some weird contest. It was funny in a way because both boys stopped mid-slurp to look at her as she sat down beside the blond, with a noodle still dangling from their pursed lips. The hyperactive blond slurped the rest of the noodle into his mouth and screamed, "Sakura-chan!" Ouch. And right into her ear too.
Sakura scowled and whacked her teammate at the back of his head. "Naruto! Not so loud! I can hear you just fine!"
The red-haired ninja stared at her blankly for a moment before resuming what he had been doing, which was slurping ramen in the same manner as Naruto before she came in and sat with them. The attitude was almost Sasuke-like except for the fact that she actually liked the raven-haired genin. The Sand ninja on the other hand, she didn't know what to make of him. But from what she heard around town, he got along really well with Naruto.
The pink-haired girl spent quite a few hours with Naruto and Gaara, catching up on the things she missed when she distanced herself from them. She had found out that Chouji had been ordered by several doctors to take a temporary diet at least until his stomach got well enough to accomodate his usual range of consumption, much to the chubby boy's chagrin.
Shikamaru had needed to have some of the bones of his fingers reset and strangely enough developed a habit of going out of his way to the hospital to visit Neji, who was currently immobile due to being swathed in thick bandages and a target for Naruto's pranks it seemed. Knowing Shikamaru though, he most likely sat through the whole ordeal muttering about watching them was so troublesome.
Kiba was doing better now. Like Neji, he was still recuperating from his previous injuries although he had already been released from the hospital.
Rock Lee was going to the hospital for a regular check-up every other day. The Godaime feared that there might be some backlash due to his fight with Kimimarou, overexerting himself so soon after recovery.
Ino, Hinata and Tenten were helping out wherever and whenever they were needed. Temari and Kankuro, Gaara's siblings, were helping clear debris when they weren't discussing the alliance between Sand and Konoha with the Hokage and some representatives from both villages.
Konohamaru and his friends had taken up Naruto's job of pulling random pranks much to the amusement of the villagers. It was mostly to keep the people's spirits up after suffering great losses.
It appeared to Sakura that almost everyone seemed to be doing something except her. Perhaps she should go out and volunteer for some work around the village. It would keep her too busy from her thoughts of Sasuke at least for most of the time.
She and Naruto spend most the conversation just talking to each other. The Sand ninja beside the hyperactive blond merely spent it listening to them converse when he wasn't staring at the loud ninja, of course. She could easily spot infatuation if she saw one. (Mainly because she herself had been there before.) And this one was close enough. She almost giggled whe Naruto, who was as clueless as ever, turned to him while he was staring and asked his opinion about the subject they were discussing. The blush was evident on the other boy's cheeks. It was priceless. So cute.
Then, the oblivious blond put an arm over the blushing ninja's shoulders causing the other to turn an even deeper shade of red, closely competing with the color of his hair. She couldn't help but smile to herself. Yup. Definitely cute, the two of them together. She left the two with light spirits (Gaara had been suckered into paying the bill for the hyperactive blond) and looked up at the sky. She smiled. Sasuke-kun come back soon. You don't know what you're missing. She giggled.
-----
TBC
Gods, that sounds so perverted. It was not really my intention to do so but it just came out that way.
Please see number 1.
Author's notes: This is what I call "The Chapter In Which the Characters Angst Too Much." Never realized how much angst one could really put in a chapter using only four Naruto characters. Hehehe. Anyway, I spent a lot of time and effort to finish this chapter (that's filling up a filler notebook with the unedited version, that's 33 pages worth of brain cells). (When I finished this chapter, I was looking at 10 pages worth on Word, Garamond, size 10, but by putting the obligatory stuff, I'm not looking at 10 but 11 pages.) I also realized that because I'm making the chapters longer than usual, I'm sorry to conclude that the chapters for this fic would ultimately be reduced. I've tried proofreading this to the best of my abilities. I hope that there are at least minimal errors in terms of grammar and spelling.
Please review! Flamers can go to hell and kiss Zabuza's ass (if they can get through Haku first)!
Started: June 16, 2004
Ended: June 26, 2004
Transferred from filler notebook to Word: June 27, 2004
Worked on: June 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 – a total number of nine days.