Title: Admit Defeat

Author: Kisu

Rating: PG

Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto

A/N: Sorry for the wait people! It still will be a while before this fic ends. I was going to give it a dramatic angsty ending, but I decided to be nicer. I'll give it a dramatic angsty ending later on. Bwaha!

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

Chapter 9: Stirring the Ashes

A roll of thunder momentarily deafened Hyuuga Neji as he glanced around cautiously. Quick footsteps approached from behind him and he swung around, drawing a knife out from underneath his rain-slicked coat.

"Whoa." Shikamaru barely avoided the quick slash of the knife at his face and Neji's eyes widened.

"Shikamaru." Neji greeted the bike tech as he relaxed. With nimble fingers, he placed the knife back in its sheath under his coat. "Have you seen Sasuke or Naruto?"

"Yeah. They were fighting Orochimaru back there." Shikamaru said, breathlessly. "I came to get back up."

The sound of a gun being fired sliced through the air and their heads shot up. A sharp crack of lightning lit up the skies for a mere second before it was followed by a horrified scream. Shikamaru and Neji's eyes met.

Sasuke.

They rushed in the direction where Shikamaru had come from.

---

The world was numbing and colors bled together as he ran toward Naruto. Orochimaru had stopped laughing and was babbling insanely as the poison chorused through his veins. Sasuke had hoped to enjoy watching the man die slowly but he had other matters on his hands.

Naruto.

He crouched down and turned the blonde over, gasping softly as blood continued to spill out from the bullet wound in his stomach. "Naruto! Naruto!" He furiously shook him.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto's blue eyes opened halfway and he reached up with his bloodied hand. Sasuke gripped it tightly as the rain continued to beat relentlessly down on them. "It hurts." He managed as he groaned in pain.

"Sasuke!" He turned to look over his shoulder at the two men who ran up to them. Neji and Shikamaru blanched at the sight before them.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru exclaimed in dismay as he sunk to knees beside him.

"Shika…take Sasuke. Hinata should have called the police." Naruto whispered.

"Hinata did?" Neji asked as he glanced worriedly at the blonde.

"All part of the plan." Naruto grinned. "Everything will turn out right. Trust me, Sasuke."

"I'm not leaving you here!" Sasuke snapped, eyes wide in fear. "I don't want to lose you again!"

"Sasuke…" Naruto's eyes blurred over with tears. "You were always there for me, Sasuke. So I decided to return the favor since I left you all alone, all these years."

"Naruto, save your strength." Sasuke replied, hoarsely.

"I was scared Sasuke. I didn't want to lose you like we lost Itachi." Naruto continued, eyes half-closed. "But then I realized, I needed to protect you. Not because you were the Ryuujin Gangju leader, but because I love you and that's all I can do."

Sirens wailed in the distance and Neji tugged on Sasuke's arm. They had to leave now.

"Don't touch me." Sasuke hissed, venomously and Neji tightened his grip.

"Sasuke, we have to go." Neji told him. They were on a personal level now.

The sirens were closer now and a car skidded around the corner and screeched to a stop. Gaara stepped out of the passenger side. Tenten waved at them.

"Let's go, hurry!" She said.

"I'll take care of him." Gaara said, eyes betraying no emotion as they raked over Naruto's body. Shikamaru and Neji nodded before forcefully dragging Sasuke into the car.

"Naruto!" He yelled as Neji silently shut the door behind them. Tenten immediately sped off and Sasuke spun around in the back seat, staring as Gaara watched them drive away. He turned back around and with shaking hands, drew his legs to his chest. "If anything happens to him, I'll have all your heads."

Shikamaru and Neji said nothing as they stared out the window and Tenten drove in silence.

Nothing could erase the uneasiness that rested on their minds.

---

It was a slow night shift and Hinata stretched her arms over her head, sighing as her eyes flickered over the paperwork on the desk. She stared at the phone for possibly the thousandth time that night, and willed it to ring. She had done what Naruto had asked her to do.

She had called the police and told them about the gang war.

But she hoped that everyone was all right.

"Neji. Naruto." She murmured. Then a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Kiba."

The phone suddenly rang and she jumped, her hands brushing against a stack of paperwork and knocking it over onto the floor. She took a deep breath to relax her nerves and quickly picked the phone up.

"Konoha Hospital. How may I direct your call?" She asked, breathlessly. There was a pause at the other end.

"Hinata?" Neji's voice came through. "Can you bring some things to my house? Some of us have a few minor injuries."

"Neji! Are you all right?" Hinata asked. "Is Naruto and Kiba all right? What about Sasuke?" There was a hesitant pause and her cousin answered.

"We're all fine. Come as soon as possible." He replied before hanging up. Hinata stared at the phone in her hand before replacing it back in its cradle. She exhaled shakily and got up to pick up the papers on the floor before heading over to her cousin's house.

----

"How is he?" Gaara asked his older sister. Temari gave him a glance before double-checking the bandages wound tightly around Naruto's chest.

"He's fine. The bullet wasn't deep and it was shot at an awkward angle." Temari told him. "Plus, he has fast healing abilities like you."

Gaara nodded, slightly. "So he told him." He said, voice devoid of all emotion. "It was about time."

"It seems like you two are almost like brothers." Temari said, gently. "After all, you both were created as tools for Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru." Gaara smiled, slightly. Before they had left, he had seen to it that the Shinja gang leader was dead. He did so by plunging his fingers into Orochimaru's windpipe and watched as the little light left in his eyes, slowly died out. "When do you think he'll wake up?"

"Soon, I suppose." Temari said as she glanced over at the sleeping blonde. "Are you going to tell him about his past?"

"Yes."

Temari sighed softly and patted her little brother on his shoulder. "Make sure he stays hydrated when he wakes up. I have to run some errands if we're going to stay here for awhile." She quietly picked up at the tray of bandages and antiseptics before walking out of the room.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Gaara murmured, walking over to the window to wait for him to come around.

---

"…war between the two most powerful gangs."

"It's swarming the media." Chouji commented through a mouthful of chips. Hinata looked up briefly before returning to her task of bandaging Tenten's arm.

"….the Ryuujin and Shinja."

"Hn." Came Sasuke's silent reply.

"No witnesses and no bodies found. But it seems like the Shinja Gangju leader was killed."

"What about, Naruto?" Sakura said, quietly as she gazed at the television. "Do you think he's okay?" Sasuke shot out of his seat and paced angrily through the den, a dark scowl on his face.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed as he raked a hand through his shoulder length brown hair. He had removed it from its customary ponytail and it fell silkily on his black mesh shirt. With a frown, he batted away Kiba's curious hand.

"How did all of you hold up?" Sasuke asked, finally as he turned to face them.

"Good." Neji replied as Tenten nodded silently in agreement.

"They were really strong." Chouji mumbled.

"I know its not over." Sakura said, quietly as she ran a hand through her cropped hair. The girl she had fought was vicious and had grabbed her hair, so Sakura had neatly cut through her own hair to escape. "Orochimaru won't be shot down that easily."

"But he's dead." Kiba spoke up. "They announced it on the news and everything!"

"Sakura is right, I'm sure it's far from over." Tenten frowned. "I mean, who is going to be Orochimaru's successor?" They all stared at her, filling with dread.

"Do you think Orochimaru has a son…?" Sakura asked as she gazed at Tenten. Tenten shrugged and Neji straightened abruptly.

"Well, we know that at least with Orochimaru dead, we must proceed carefully. That was why Naruto made sure Sasuke wasn't at the scene or something could happen to the companies that is under the Uchiha name."

Sasuke sat down in his chair and buried his face into his hands. Oh yes, the companies that used to belong to his father. Since Uchiha Kenji was the head of the operation, all other companies that belong to the families within Ryuujin were under the protection of the Uchiha name. But if the Uchiha name were to become tainted, it would destroy the entire foundation.

"Well, what should I do now?" Sasuke asked. Neji frowned and crossed his arms.

"Lay low until Naruto recovers." Neji replied.

---

Gaara entered his room, he gazed at the empty bed and a small frown settled onto his face. With a frown, he walked over to the window and leaned out to gaze up at the rooftop. A flash of yellow was all he needed, and he gripped the rooftop, swinging up and landing lightly beside Naruto.

The sun was slowly setting and was casting its rays in soft reds and orange across the dimming sky. The sea of sand seemed to glow in its natural beauty as the temperature slowly decreased, and a cool dry wind wafted through the air.

"Beautiful." Naruto murmured as Gaara turned his gaze from the scenic sight to his friend.

"I know." He replied in a subdued voice. He loved the Drylands better than Konoha. To him, the sand was much more welcoming than trees and water. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive." Naruto said, with a laugh as he leaned back and placed a hand on his bandaged torso. "How long was I out?"

"About two weeks." Gaara replied, watching the blonde calmly.

"And, what is the current situation?"

"They're announcing Orochimaru's heir today."

Naruto swung his head around, blue eyes wide in surprise. "Orochimaru has an heir?"

"Supposedly." Gaara replied with some resentment. "Now, get dressed. We have a press conference to attend."

"What?" Naruto blinked in confusion. Gaara leaned over to tug a lock of Naruto's golden hair. He needed a haircut.

"Orochimaru is the kind of person who wants everything to collapse with him. So how would you widen the bridge's gap?" He questioned. Naruto closed his eyes for a moment.

"Widen the bridge's gap?" Naruto murmured. Then, his eyes shot open in realization. "No. It can't be."

"That's right, Uzumaki. You're Orochimaru's heir."

---

Sasuke stormed into the conference room, his black hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it away. The collar of his white shirt was flipped up and the two buttons were opened to reveal fair skin. Clouded with thoughts, he failed to acknowledge the flashes of the cameras as he sat down in front of the press, to the right of the podium where Naruto will be speaking.

"Smile for the cameras." Shikamaru said, softly from behind him. Clad in expensive Armani suits, Shikamaru and Neji stood behind him with eyes warily scanning the room.

Instead of taking Shikamaru's advice, a prompt scowl crossed over his features as he glared down at the reporters. "This isn't good." Sasuke muttered. "Naruto shouldn't come."

"Why not?" Neji asked, curiously.

"Tomorrow, the headlines would be, "Doctor as heir to Shinja's legacy"." Sasuke replied. "Or, "Dr. Uzumaki's past family gang history."

"He's bringing everyone down with him." Shikamaru gasped in horror. "He planned this all in the beginning."

"I underestimated him." Sasuke cursed as the room quieted down. They watched as the doors swung open to emit Naruto.

His face was cautiously blank and devoid of emotion. Only his intense blue eyes held flashes of anger and despair.

Their eyes met and Naruto inclined his head in the barest of nods at him. He wore a black dress shirt, and white pants with polished black shoes. A silver chain with Itachi's ring strung on it, hung out of the unbuttoned collar.

To Sasuke, he looked indescribably sexy.

Gaara and what seemed like a few of Orochimaru's lawyers followed Naruto. Sasuke's breath hitched in his throat, as Naruto brushed against him as he ascended before the podium, hands resting lightly at his sides.

"Good evening." Naruto said, in the softest of voices. Through the microphone, his smooth voice echoed throughout the quiet room.

As if it was a signal to the reporters, they erupted into a frenzy of flashes and questions.

"Mr. Uzumaki, how do you feel about being Orochimaru's heir?"

"Sir, are you happy with your status?"

"Mr. Uzumaki, is it true you are the adopted son of Uchiha Kenji?"

"Mr. Uzumaki, how is this going to affect your career?"

"One at a time, please." Naruto said, eyes closing as a soft smile crossed his features. "I will answer every question truthfully. So, please don't rush."

"All right then. Mr Uzumaki, what was your relationship with the Shinja head?" A woman asked in the front of the crowd.

Naruto opened his eyes, its blue intensity startling most in the crowd. In an even voice he replied,

"He killed my family."

Sasuke paled slightly, how truthful was Naruto going to be? The audience erupted into soft murmurs and gasps. Others quickly scribbled down this information on their notepads. Thank goodness this wasn't going to be aired.

"Mr. Uzumaki, do you have any idea on why Orochimaru wanted you to be his heir?" A man called out.

"I have some ideas." Naruto replied.

"Do you wish to elaborate?"

There was a pause before Naruto met the man's gaze. "To widen the bridge's gap." He said.

"In other words, sir." The man said, shakily. "He wanted to bring down Ryuujin after he died?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I won't let that happen." Naruto said, with a smile.

"But Shinja is Ryuujin's rival." The man continued with persistence.

"Well then, he should have chosen his heir more wisely." Naruto told them. "If the council wishes, I will gladly take over Orochimaru's position. But I will remain loyal to my foster father and Ryuujin."

"So, Uchiha Kenji did adopt you as his son?" Another man spoke up from the back of the room.

"Yes. I have never considered myself as part of Orochimaru's division and I never will." Naruto responded.

The crowd erupted into murmurs and whispers again.

"What are your first plans when you take over Orochimaru's corporations?" The woman asked in the front again. Naruto finally recognized her as Yamanaka Ino, Shikamaru's girlfriend. A soft smile crossed his lips and Ino smirked at him. So she had finally become a news reporter.

"I plan to make Shinja Co. into a larger and more advance corporation." Naruto declared, with an amused glint in his eyes. Ino nodded as the same glint came into her eyes.

"And how would you do that?" She asked, a bright grin on her face.

"By bringing up the question of a merger with my brother." Naruto said. Sasuke inhaled sharply, his eyes wide with surprise. Naruto turned to look at him and grinned.

Gaara smirked.

'Too bad, Orochimaru.' Sasuke thought as Neji and Shikamaru shot each other knowing grins. 'You can't turn Naruto against us. However hard you strike him down, he'll get up and strike you down harder.'

---

Unknowing to all of them, a woman slowly reached into her jacket and pulled out a cell phone. "Sir, Naruto has willingly agreed to become heir to your corporation." She said, quietly.

"Excellent." The familiar voice replied. "Excellent job, Kin." The woman seemed to swell in pride as a broad grin crossed her features. "It will be easier once we get Naruto into my hands and away from Sasuke."

"Yes, sir." Kin replied as she gazed at the blonde from the back of the room.

"Make sure, he comes to me. A car is waiting outside."

"As you say, sir." Kin smiled.

"I'll be waiting."

Kin slowly removed the phone from her ear and ended the call.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Kin said in delight. "What an interesting fellow."

---

A/N: Read and review! Any flourshing ideas on what will happen next? Perhaps some…rape…coughs