Possession

Disclaimer: I own none of Naruto characters. They rightly belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei. But I do own some of the characters that I made up to be members of Akatsuki.

Warning: Shounen-ai/Yaoi. Incest. Some OCs. If you find any of the said materials disturbing, I suggest you leave this page immediately. You've been warned, so don't flame me about that.

Pairing: Itachi/Sasuke, Sasuke/Naruto and slight Neji/Naruto. Eventually Itachi/Sasuke and Neji/Naruto.

Note: Well, I've already had a plan for Neji and Naruto. That's why Neji appeared in the first place. And there's SasuNaru in this chappie, too. ;)

As for your concern about me resenting writing this, I've to say it never is that way. True, I said I was busy with my project and I did take a lot of time before updating but I'll never resenting this or turn it into a chore out of unwanted responsibility.

I write because I love to write. It's like expressing what I've in my mind: the obsession and craziness the fangirl in me cannot deny. We all have this obsessive side in ourselves, I positively believe. And we've different ways to express it. As for me, I will never ever hate writing or do it out of guilt and responsibility because writing is what I love. Even though sometimes I may get lazy and lay back doing nothing for a long, long time. :sweatdrops:

Sometimes my idea may be lame but that's what I've in my head at the moment and I can't help expressing it that way. But that doesn't mean I want it to come out that bad. Every writer wants to improve their writing and produce a good-enough product but not every time that the result comes out satisfying for both the writer and the readers. That's what comment and the problem of how to improve are for.

Anyway, I thank you for all your concern and, with all my respect, the love you have for this fanfic. :bows: (And sorry for this long boring rant that may or may not make sense.) Now on with the story.

Chapter XIII: A Little Break

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto yelled, promptly tackling the other boy.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sudden attack and they both fell to the cold floor with a loud thud. Recovered a minute later, the dark-haired boy glared accusingly at Naruto who was now having both his hands locked in a tight grip and happened to be straddling his hips. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"

Naruto stared at him incredulously before opening his mouth to retaliate. "Stopping you from doing something stupid."

Sasuke's glare became darker as he tried to get his captive hands out of Naruto's while asking: "I don't see why cutting my hair is considered stupid."

Blue eyes widened and the blond boy stared, stared and stared. "………………" And finally spoke up after a long pause. "…You weren't going to commit suicide?"

Sasuke who had stopped struggling for quite a while regarded him with a look that obviously said 'you're utterly stupid'. That was when relief entered the blond boy's feather and he began to laugh dryly at his overreaction.

When would the dobe finally grow up? The raven haired-boy sighed. "And could you please get off me now? Or else I might have the idea that you're trying to rape me."

On hearing that, heat suddenly crept up the kitsune boy's face, making itself known as red tints on his high cheekbones before spreading all over his face and ears—he looked like a tomato with blond hair, Sasuke noted--as he 'finally' realized what a promising position they were in and that…Sasuke was naked. He quickly let go of Sasuke's hand, stood up and turned around pretty fast, mumbling something incoherent under his breath. Despite his funny reaction, Naruto still didn't leave the bathroom.

Sasuke looked at him, his previous upset mood turning into amusement. He then snatched a clean towel from the bar and wrapped it around his waist. "Oi, dobe." He called.

"…Yeah?" Naruto voiced back, still had his back on him.

Sasuke walked up behind him and Naruto almost jerked in surprise as he felt the other's hand sneak past his waist and down the length of one of his arms—Sasuke's skin was still wet and left some beads of water on his skin. The other was standing so close that the blond boy could smell his shampoo and Sasuke's own scent. So close…

Something cold and solid touched his palm, snapping the blond boy out of his reverie. Naruto shifted his gaze down to the object trusted in his palm. A pair of scissors. Yet before he could say anything, Sasuke spoke up: "I wonder if you would accept this honor to cut my hair for me?"

Okay, so His Highness seemed to be in a better mental condition than he first expected him to be. Naruto felt like slapping the vain bastard right away but he held himself back for two good reasons:

First, slapping was such a girly thing and second, even though this 'asking-for-favor' sounded vain and so one-way gaining, it was an 'asking-for-favor' after all, for this was Sasuke, the oh-so-high-and-arrogant bastard who asked no one for no favor. And it was known that Sasuke was so damn protective of his beautiful hair.

So should he accept this kindly-offered 'honor'?

"Why? I kind of like it long." He asked in curiosity but grabbed the offered scissors before turning slowly to meet with deep obsidian orb. Well, actually, he was about to say 'I thought you liked it long' but changed his mind the last second when he saw the emotion that swim behind those eyes a moment before it was completely sealed, leaving only endless dark void.

"…" You don't have to try being so emotionless...

"Do you have to know everything?" Sasuke asked back, his tone rather soft as he took in the slightly pained expression on his best friend's face.

Cerulean orbs wavered like wavy ocean as they reflected the daylight shining through the bathroom window as they met with a pair of pitch-black ones, trying to search the bottomless depth for the emotions concealed there. He found none. Sasuke's so perfect at hiding them. Before, even though those eyes rarely showed anything but anger, there were times that Sasuke had let those other emotions slip but now…

It was all too perfect.

The blond boy broke their gaze and gestured Sasuke to the mirror before walking out of the bathroom. "I'm getting a chair."

Naruto came back a minute later with a wooden chair. He set it in front of the mirror and waited until the other boy took his seat that he spoke up: "Be sure that you won't regret me being your personal hair-dresser later, ok?"

Sasuke merely quirked and eyebrow at him. Naruto sighed and taking that as a yes, he started to comb the long, silky locks from the very base to the end its full mid-back length one last time. And he was startled at how soft those midnight-black locks felt slipping through the comb and his fingers fluidly like water. For a big moment, the blond boy considered his option to reject 'honor' and not cut Sasuke's long hair.

Yet decided to do as what His Highness wanted in the end. He twirled the scissors in his hand like a professional hair-dresser would and began cutting it. A good portion of silky black hair fell to the floor. Naruto studied his first cut and decided that it wasn't so bad and was about to continue when…

"Wait!" Sasuke interrupted, his trademark scowl marring his fine feather.

"Eh? Changing your mind now?" A fox-like grin spread on Naruto's lips and he twirled the scissors again playfully. "I know Sasuke-chan couldn't tolerate his precious hair being cut off."

Sasuke's scowl deepened. Really, when would the dobe grow up? And hell, he would rather call it 'chop off'.

"I think I should do it myself." The raven-haired boy said and reached for the scissors. But Naruto just put it out of his reach. Sasuke tried again, this time whirling around so fast to snatch it but Naruto managed to dodge and stuck his tongue out at him. "No. You asked me to do it."

"No. Listen, dobe. Your hair-cutting skill is even worse than Gai. Be more reasonable and give me the scissors."

"…But you offered me the honor." Naruto said, feigning to be oh-so-hurt. It was fun and relieving at some points seeing Sasuke get pissed.

"I take it back." The Uchiha heir growled, annoyed. He stood up and was about to use his height advantage to take the scissors back when Naruto quickly stepped aside and announced: "Well, if you don't want me to cut it, then fine. But I won't let you cut it yourself."

"I won't commit suicide!" Annoying idiot. "Now give me the scissors."

"It won't come out so nice cutting it yourself." Naruto stated matter-of-factly.

"At least it's better than what you did."

"…Umm…"

Silence prevailed for a while until a smooth voice shattered it.

"Need help?"

Both boys turned to see Neji standing in the doorway. Most parts of his body were covered in bandages, though.

"Neji! I thought you were-" Naruto began.

"Seriously injured?" Neji finished it for him. Naruto nodded.

"Well, Godaime-sama's treatment is much more efficient than you thought. Now I know why Lee recovered so fast back then."

"Oh, so now will you take this honor instead of me to cut Sasuke's hair?" Naruto asked, ignoring the daggers the Uchiha boy glared at him.

Neji looked a little bemused by Naruto's choice of words but let it slip as he took the scissors from the grinning blond. "Sure, why not?"

xxxxxxxxxx

"There. Done." Neji said, brushing the cut off strands off of Sasuke's shoulders while Naruto took his seat beside the sink, watching the Hyuuga genius work. Sasuke nodded and stood up, not caring that he was still half-naked. Naruto then hopped down from his position. "Wow. You're really good, Neji."

"How do you think I keep my hair in constantly good condition?" Neji said, admiring his handiwork.

Sasuke's hair in the front was still kept long but it was cut short in the back. Not too short, though. In fact, it looked almost exactly like what his hair was four years ago except that it was a little bit longer and would need some hair-gel to be spiked up. Seemed like Neji was so observing to know that Sasuke seemed to love his hair the same way he did. Still, why the Uchiha heir decided to have it cut, Neji had no idea but he let it slip.

The white-eyed boy then washed the scissors clean and put it back in place near the sink.

Sasuke, after checking that his hair was okay, turned to give Naruto and Neji a look. "Do you mind if I continue my daily shower now?"

Yet before Naruto could say anything, Neji covered the blond boy's mouth with his hand. "Not at all. Go ahead." And with that, he dragged Naruto out of the bathroom with no problem that Sasuke wondered if the Hyuuga boy was really still wounded.

xxxxxxxxxx

Neji dragged Naruto out of the bathroom, across the room and in the end, dropping him quite hard on Sasuke's bed before sitting himself next to the lying blond boy.

"You know what, if you aren't just sitting there, I might have the idea that you're going to rape me." The blond boy said, trying to sound as plain as Sasuke as he quoted him.

Neji lifted an eyebrow at him, looking a bit thoughtful. "Hmm…that's a nice idea."

"W-what?" Naruto abruptly sat up, staring at his friend wide-eyed. It was a quite miracle that he didn't turn into tomato-Naruto again that day yet there was this strange feeling inside his stomach and he scooted a good distance away from the white-eyed boy.

Neji chuckled softly—his voice rang smoothly like velvet. "Actually, I won't. I don't appreciate the idea of raping people, especially you, Naruto." He met the blond boy's gaze squarely. Even though those white-eyed—so white like fresh snow—never showed emotion, for it was always pure white, it was unlike Sasuke's eyes that hid everything from the world.

As he stared at those white eyes before him, they seemed so open and sincere as if asking for someone to look beneath the shell. After all these years, he had noticed how the Hyuuga boy's gaze, though full of pride and confident, had softened, the slight change on his handsome face…Yet somehow, the blond boy felt like his gaze was now much more intimidating that any harsh one he had encountered before.

"Why?" Naruto couldn't help but wonder, still unable to take an eye off the handsome teen in front of him.

Neji smiled. "Because you're the no. 1 loud ninja of Konoha."

"Oww!" Neji cried out, clutching his arm where Naruto had punched it. The Hyuuga boy then gave Naruto his most vicious glare, which was returned with an oh-so-innocent look.

The Hyuuga genius' expression then became more serious as his eyes rested on the red cloud patterned-black cloak lying not far from them on the same bed. "…"

"He's such a stubborn bastard." Naruto said. And a selfish one.

"…Sometimes when a bird is freed from a cage, it has nowhere to go and just flies back into the cage." Neji said softly.

A bird that no matter how many times it was set free would fly back into the awaiting cage.

"…I know." Cerulean eyes turned to rest on the close bathroom door. "So what do we do now?"

"It seems that we've lost the best opportunity to wipe out the Akatsuki. Scouts are sent to track down their trail but I don't think it'll be so easy given that they aren't stupid. For now I think…" Neji's gaze then followed Naruto's, resting on the same door.

"He deserves some break."

TBC

There goes a fluffy chapter after all those heavy stuffs. I hope you like. I'm sorry if you found Naruto a little bit too childish here, though. He's difficult to write…

Anyway, please feed the feedback monster. It'll be truly appreciated.

Two more chapters to go, if it goes as I've planned.