Chapter 8

Posted January 27th, 2022


"Something's off," Suigetsu notes, chewing on his pencil, his eyes boring into Sasuke. "You're more mopey than usual-what happened?"

Sasuke turns the page in his textbook. "Hn."

"So something did happen" Suigetsu leans in closer. "You can tell me, you know. I can keep a secret."

Sasuke moves away from the male leaning into his space. "I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"M'kay. You can stay all aloof and brooding if you want to. You can't say I didn't try."

Suigetsu relaxes in his chair and grabs his phone. Sasuke glances at him discreetly – the Uchiha may not be used to being open about his feelings but he was secretly surprised and grateful Suigetsu had the emotional intelligence to notice and ask. Honestly, if the other male had probed harder, Sasuke may have given him a general overview of what was troubling him. Sasuke had to admit he had definitely underestimated the other male. He actually really liked Suigetsu.

"Mannn she's fucking hot." Suigetsu whistles looking at his phone and shoves it in Sasuke's face. "Don't you think so, Uchiha?"

Sasuke blinks at the bright screen and is almost about to shove the device away when he notices the photo. He recognizes her immediately: the tan skin and the blonde hair make his breath hitch. She is sitting at the edge of a bed, her back bare and turned to the camera. She is drying her wet hair and the sharp features of her nose and cheekbone stay in profile. She looks relaxed and distracted – did she even know this picture of her was being taken?

Sasuke glances up and realizes he must have shown too much emotion display on his face – Suigetsu has a victorious smirk on, his one crooked tooth sticking out. Sasuke schools his expression as Suigetsu pulls the phone away.

"Ya know, this is a brand new photo of her, I follow her on social media. And it looks like some dude tagged her – Gaa-ra? I wonder why some dude has a picture of her naked on his bed-what do you think, Sasuke?"

Yes, Suigetsu was definitely more observant than Sasuke had given him credit for. If he takes the bait and engages in the conversation, he might as well tell Suigetsu everything, and Sasuke wasn't sure he was ready to. Didn't stop Suigetsu from speculating though.

"Let's check out who this dude is…hmm, it seems like he's in the acting and modelling branch too." Suigetsu is scrolling on his phone fast. "Oh, he models as well." The bright screen is shoved in Sasuke's face again and he sees a modelling picture of Gaara shirtless – the man is definitely shredded and there is a certain stoicism to his expression that is alluring.

"So a hot dude and a hot girl?…I wonder what all this is about?…" Suigetsu is still throwing the bait. He's not wrong to be prodding at that direction but Sasuke is ready to shut down. He closes his book and gets up.

"We're done here."

"Aww, but we still have seven more chapters to go over?"

"I'll do it alone at home." Sasuke throws his backpack over his shoulder.

"Sasuke," Suigetsu calls after him, leaning forward with his hands on the table. "Even if you don't tell me – you tell me. You don't have to do everything alone. My ear is always available for you to borrow and you're always invited to my parties."

Sasuke usually makes it clear he is not interested in Suigetsu's parties. But he can't help but appreciate the other man's concern, although it makes him feel bare and vulnerable. Sasuke acknowledges Suigetsu's words with a simple nod and walks away.


"What's on your mind?"

Naruto is chewing on her toast distractedly and registers the question long moments after it's asked.

"Huh?"

"I said, what's on your mind? You seem out of it today." Gaara is on the other side of the counter, cutting something. Naruto blinks at him.

"Nothing," she lies. Teal eyes heavy with doubt pin her down and Naruto looks away.

"You never were good at lying." Gaara turns on the blender to blend some fruit. The noisy interruption is welcome as Naruto straightens and gathers her things in her bag.

"Anyway, I took some pictures of you earlier. Do you want to see them?"

Naruto blinks. "What-when? Nevermind, you can do whatever with them, I trust you."

Gaara raises a brow at her as he observes her gather her things in a frazzled and distracted way. He walks around the counter, his warm hands slide over her shoulders and he makes her pause to look up at him. "Is anything troubling you?"

"Don't be silly, what would be troubling me," Naruto mumbles and shuffles away from his grip like a cat. "I-um-gotta go. I've a rehearsal, yeah."

"There's no rehearsal on Saturday morning."

"A rehearsal of my own, I mean. In my apartment, I read to script to myself. Anyway – bye!"

"Don't forget your smoothie," Gaara hands her a to-go cup.

"Uh, thanks. Gotta go, bye."

She hurries off and out the door. This wasn't the first time Naruto is displaying scatter brain syndrome and acting frazzled, but it is the first time Gaara had woken up in the morning because of Naruto panting and mumbling some guy's name in her sleep, all flushed and hot. He had pretended to be asleep as Naruto woke up and hurried off to the bathroom, the shower turning on moments later.

They weren't exclusive and over the years Gaara had known about several guys Naruto had been hanging out with, but none of them had made it to her dreams, as far as Gaara knew and he knew Naruto well. They never discussed their other separate intimate involvements but this morning someone had made it to Naruto's dream. Gaara wondered just how much had happened during the time he was away.


Naruto would check her phone over the next week after giving Sasuke her number but he never texted her. His dark eyes haunted her, the way he had looked at her at the end of her play, and she didn't know why it bothered her so much. She didn't really know the guy that well, but whatever it was, it was distracting her.

Naruto didn't know why Sasuke haunted her so. She'd always had many admirers, male and female. She'd engaged in intimate encounters with some of them but had never thought of anyone after that. Really, the only constant in her intimate life so far had been Gaara whom she shared a deep friendship with and just so happened to know him sexually.

At first, she had thought Sasuke was like every other rich asshole, shallow and hollow, unable to hold his ground. But she'd seen something in his eyes, something deeper, something she recognized within herself. And the way he looked at her, with increasing want every time, and the way he kissed and touched her, said more than his words had so far. The way he had looked at her that night after the play, after he had watched her kiss Gaara, had bored a hole in her soul. His dark eyes, burning and possessive, seeping with jealousy and rage, were not the eyes of a hollow asshole like Naruto had thought. Sasuke had continued to prove her wrong.

When she had given him her number, Naruto had decided that she did want to get to know him better. If Sasuke was able to use his words as well as he used his tongue when he kissed, she may have not rejected him. Somehow, Naruto felt that it couldn't just be a casual sexual relationship with Sasuke, hence why he needed to open up.


Itachi had noticed a swift change in Sasuke since they'd gone to the play. His little brother was even more quiet and avoidant of contact with Itachi. Itachi regretted taking Sasuke to that play, but nothing could be done now to reverse it. The best thing he could do is try to set up his brother in the best way possible in order to move forward.

Itachi steps into the university theatre. As charming and socially fluent as Itachi is, it's not hard for him to get directions to a particular cast room he is looking for. The door is left slightly open and Itachi knocks softly, opening the door and stepping in. Naruto is sitting in front of a brightly lit mirror, doing her makeup for a play and wearing a silky short robe, ready to change into her costume in a second. Blue eyes meet black eyes in the mirror and Naruto's eyebrows furrow. She lets the brush down and turns around to look at the Uchiha.

"Itachi-san? Is everything okay?" Is Sasuke okay? She wants to ask, because why else would Itachi be in her dressing room all unexpected.

Itachi is straight to the point. "I came to talk to you in private about my brother."

Naruto's lips press together and she turns around again, facing the mirror. She grabs the brush and continues doing her makeup. Itachi comes to stand behind her chair and watches her in the mirror, notices her shoulders are stiffer now.

"What about him?"

"I need you to initiate the next step with him. If you want to, that is."

Naruto raises a brow quizzically.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you? Very well. Here's an observation – do you think your brother is emotionally ready for anything romantic, like you want him to be? It seems to me that he definitely has a lot of growing and discovering to do on his own that does not even begin to involve romance. You want me to take the next step again? I've taken several steps with Sasuke already. He's just not there yet."

"You're not wrong. I was hoping you could help him do some growing. He seems to respond to you much better than he responds to me. Or anyone else, for that matter. Whatever you said to him, made him open up to making friends and now he has a social group he hangs out with at school. Make no mistake – you left a huge impression on him, one way or another."

Itachi hands her a piece of paper. She takes it and finds a number written on it.

"This is my brother's phone number."

"You seriously want me to text him? He's had my number for two weeks and hasn't reached out. Why should I? He can't get over himself to take the next step. I've shown I'm more than willing if he just gets his head out of his ass and uses his words for once."

"You said yourself my brother is socially stunted. You have to give him a push."

Naruto picks up a lipstick stick and opens it. "I did give him a push. Twice, when we made out. Also, don't think I didn't notice the little fiasco you did at the gala, probably insinuating I was your date in front of Sasuke."

Itachi shrugs. "As I said, my brother sometimes needs a push."

"I don't know how much more I'd be willing to push, Itachi-san. Besides, that usually the guy's job. He's hot and intriguing, I don't really know him that well and he's not allowing me to know him."

"But you're very attracted to him, that much is clear. And he is to you. He just can't get over seeing you with another man."

Naruto rolls her eyes. "It was a play. It's my job to act, I kiss different actors all the time for different roles."

"Please, don't disrespect me by playing dumb, Naruto-san. It was plain clear your fellow actor was not someone you've been intimate with just for acting." Naruto locks eyes with Itachi in the mirror. At Naruto's lack of answer, Itachi continues. "Which is absolutely in your right. A friend with benefits maybe? It doesn't matter. My brother will eventually get over it and I don't want it to be too late where you've forgotten him already."

"Why are you so concerned with this? Surely, you have better things to do other than meddling."

"Sasuke is all I have left of my family. As I said, he's different around you. Better. Even without trying, you've reached him in a way me nor therapists have been able to."

Naruto considers his words but then shakes her head.

"He's definitely not ready yet." She smirks, a lighter mood in the air now. "Maybe you have the wrong Uchiha in mind for me?"

Her eyes meet Itachi's playfully in the mirror.

A small smile stretches Itachi's lips.

"Maybe. But there's only three left of us - one is married and the other one's main interest are not women."

At that, Naruto's eyes shoot up and she meets his eyes in the mirror. She sets the lipstick down.

"I don't believe you." She gets up and leans toward the mirror. Naturally, Itachi's eyes immediately fall to where the short robe is now almost revealing her plump ass sensually. Naruto catches him looking and laughs a husky laugh. "See?"

"Hn. It's only natural."

Naruto turns around, moves the chair to the side. She grabs Itachi by the necktie and brings him closer. Her eyes linger on his lips and then she looks up.

"Are you telling me that if I pushed you on the floor right now and straddled you and gave myself to you, you wouldn't fuck the life out of me?"

Itachi smirks and his eyes darken.

"Believe me, if it wasn't for my brother, you would be very, very late for your photoshoot and you'd need a lot of makeup to cover all the marks I'd leave on your body."

Naruto exhales sharply at that and her hand around his necktie tightens.

"However," Itachi continues and puts a hand on top of hers to loosen her grip, "there is nothing as satisfying as breaking a proud man and making him submit."

Naruto smirks and lets his necktie go. "That's fucking hot." She glances at him again before stepping away. "If you ever need a third, you know where to find me." She applies a final coat of lipstick. "I have to go now though. Good talk."


When Naruto goes back to her dressing room hours later, she finds the piece of paper with Sasuke's number neatly sitting on the table. Her lips press together. She doesn't know what makes her save the number in her phone.


I just couldn't resist a little Ita/FemNaru :3