Naruto wasn't sure how many days had passed since the incident in the basement. Needless to say, things had not been the same. Naruto was much more cautious around Itachi, not letting his guard down for a moment. The meals prepared seemed safe, so he continued eating, but he refused to look at Itachi at all.

His training with Kisame was also different. Since hardening his resolve he began to actually fight back. He still had his ass handed to him, but it he could block a few strikes, dodge, and once in a while counter. He could also clean himself up, now able to walk away from his training session rather than being carried out.

He parried a blow putting more distance between them, his arm taking heavy damage, but not broken. He grounded his feet, readying for Kisame's follow up attack. Instead, he dropped his defenses, smiling. "You've gotten much better. You might survive in the real world for more than a day now."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he muttered, wiping the blood off his chin. Believe it or not, he had grown to trust Kisame to a degree and form a bond. It wasn't one of friendship, nor were they enemies. It was a mutual understanding and respect for one another. Did not mean he liked him though. "Just you wait, I'll pay you back for every bruise and broken bone."

"I'd like to see you try, brat." He placed the sword against the wall. "We're done for today. The old man upstairs probably has your dinner ready."

Naruto gave a wry smile. "Aren't you older?"

"If you noticed, that asshole is stuck in the 1800s. He could at least wear modern clothes." He stretched his left arm. "Get upstairs," a creepy smile stretched on his lips, "unless you want to keep going."

"I'm going, I'm going." Naruto wasted no time in leaving the subbasement. If Kisame said he would continue, then he would continue. He had a sick and twisted sense of humor and enjoyed causing others pain. At the very least, his behavior was predictable.

Climbing the stairs, he kept his eye out for an escape as he always did. Since being brought here, he had seen no doors or windows leading out of this place, but there had to be a way in, so obviously there was a way out.

Itachi was not there cooking dinner that night. Instead, the small child Kira was cooking in his place, standing on a stepstool to reach the stove. It still didn't quite register with Naruto that the kid was as old as he said. When the kid spotted him and gave a childish "hmph," turning his nose up in the air, it just made it all the more difficult to believe. Kira had not spoken to him since they had met in the office, but all he did when speaking to Kisame was praise and defend Itachi, scolding Kisame for his attitude and words towards his master.

Kisame looked just as annoyed with him, but he kept his hands to herself. It must have been difficult for him to do so because Naruto had seen him take his anger out on the furniture and him afterward.

Kisame didn't join him for dinner, not that he ever ate anything with him, just supervised.

"The master and Kisame are out today," Kira said in a voice of a child acting like an adult. "So don' go doin' unnecessary things."

Kira hopped off the stool with a plate of food and dropped it on the table, the plate making a loud clang. The food was charred, smelled strange and as a whole looked unappetizing.

"I'm not very hungry," he said, getting up from the table. "I think I'm going to go lie down."

Kira looked annoyed but took the strange concoction away.

With Kisame and Itachi gone, this was his chance to snoop around some more. If there wasn't a door leading to the outside, there must have been one hidden in the rooms. There was the bathroom, the three bedrooms, the kitchen, and the office/ library. As much as he had been in the kitchen, he didn't think there was an exit there. There were no large shelves to hide a door or a carpet to hide secret passage. With the subbasement below them, the exit probably wouldn't be in the floor. His best chance was the office.

Hearing the water from the kitchen running, he took the opportunity to go straight to the office. Last time he had inspected the bookshelf. This time he checked the desk. The Western movies he watched always had some sort of switch on the desk or some sort of ornament with a hidden button. With Itachi's obsession with Western cultural, surely, he would have done the same.

He looked and looked and looked. There was no button or switch. He did find a file in a drawer though. Pulling it out, he scanned through the contents. It had English letters, but he couldn't make out what it said. Possibly important, he clutched the thick file to his chest and ran back to his room, hoping to hide it somewhere. Sure, they would know he took it, but if they couldn't find it, he might be able to escape with it one day.

He ran back to his room, shutting and locking the door behind him, though they probably had a key to bypass it or simply force the door open. Frantically, he looked around for a place to hide it, looking for a lose floorboard or something. That's when something caught his eye, light scrapes in the wood that had been covered up by the rug. Pulling the rug farther back, he could see the arch shape form it created with the empty bookcase as the pivoting point.

Could it really be that easy?

With hope and disbelief, the bookcase in his room, swung open, revealing a door.

This whole time, his exit had been just feet away where he slept. They must have known he wouldn't check his room. Especially when he was so dead tired and beaten up from training at night to move.

He laughed a little at disbelief, but he wouldn't let the opportunity pass him by. Picking up the file, he opened the hidden door that had a staircase leading up behind it. Naruto took it, seeing his escape to freedom.

"Took him longer to find the exit than I expected," Kisame said to Itachi as they watched Naruto escape through the back alley from on top a roof a few houses away.

"He was preoccupied," Itachi replied. "We had to give him a hand."

Kisame chuckled. "It was a good stress reliever while it lasted." He turned to him, "Should I bring him back?"

"No, he is doing what I need him to do." Itachi turned his back on the escaping fledgling. "It's your turn now, little brother."

Living with Gaara was trying at best. After one of Sasuke's informants was caught hacking into the shinobi database, looking for clues to the whereabouts of Naruto and his brother, Tsunade sent one of her little fledgling hunters to force him to leave the country. With the promise of being able to use the Medjay's resources, he decided to leave with Gaara, living in a large house in Korea just outside of Seoul.

Gaara did have some impressive informants, a perk that his heritage brought him; however, it left Sasuke with very little to do as he waited to hear results back. Meaning, he was stuck thinking. A pastime he used to revel in before Gaara ruined it for him.

He was growing restless. As Naruto's disappearance was almost 3 weeks now, his chance of escape dwindled, and the reality that his brother had taken another person from his life was starting to sink in. The result was him constantly being agitated and short tempered.

Sasuke knew Gaara was at his door before the redhead even knocked. "What do you want?" he snapped.

The door opened, and Gaara came inside without waiting for his permission to enter. "We found Uzumaki."

At the news, Sasuke tried to act indifferent but he did sit up a little straighter. "Is that so?"

"He's on a plane here. We managed to intercept him before the shinobi did. Tsunade-san most likely knows what I did by now."

"When will he arrive?" His voice was level, but his mind was buzzing with questions. How did he get away? Was he hurt? Why didn't he escape sooner? He didn't ask any of it though, but there was slight amusement in Gaara's eyes in contrast to his stoic face as if he knew.

Gaara moved into his room, pulling open drawers and pulling out the clothes inside them. "He will be here in one hour. I have set up a place for you to share in case someone comes looking for you. They will most likely check here before the surrounding area, giving me a chance to warn you."

"I can pack my own clothes," Sasuke said impatiently, moving to the dresser. "And I know what you're playing at."

"I don't know what you mean," Gaara replied but backed away from the dresser. "Car will be leaving in ten minutes." He left without another word.

Sasuke packed his belongings in five, and the car left five minutes after that. The apartment was not too far from where they had been staying and was just as luxurious. With a modern open floor plan and every luxury appliance, it paled in comparison to the large window overlooking the city. In addition to the standard dining, kitchen, and living room, there was a large work out room, complete with mats for sparring,

There was only one bedroom however with a king size bed with a large balcony attached, and a bathroom with a large Jacuzzi tub and a two-person rain shower. This revelation didn't take him by surprise. As he thought, Gaara had another motive.

Who would have thought Gaara was the type to play matchmaker. Sasuke wouldn't be so easily manipulated. This wasn't some cheesy romance novel where the couple would lose themselves in a romantic getaway despite the danger around them. It was foolish and irresponsible and positively unrealistic.

Already deciding to sleep on the couch, Sasuke searched the apartment for possible escape routes. They were on the top floor, so they couldn't jump out the window without a plan. Well, he could but it might kill Uzumaki. Uzumaki's healing abilities were still uncertain.

Lost in thought of how to escape should the main door be blocked, he almost didn't hear the front door open again. At first, he thought it was Gaara, and he turned angrily ready to demand him to stop this childish game, but blue eyes met his instead of green.

A familiar warm smile greeted him. "Hey, bastard, I'm back."

The smile was enough to fill his stomach with butterflies before he squashed the feeling, but Naruto was okay. He was standing in front of him, unharmed, breathing, unchanged. He found himself unable to speak. All he could do was look at Uzumaki and reassure himself that it was real, that his brother hadn't succeeded in making another tragedy happen in his life.

"Hey, you okay, Uchiha?"

Hearing his name, he snapped out of it, putting on his normal teasing manner. "Just dumbfounded that you could actually find your way home. Who knew you were so smart?"

Naruto's smile turned into a glare. "I'm going to take a shower," he muttered, thrusting a file into Sasuke's arms. "Don't say I never did anything for you in return."

Uzumaki stormed off, leaving Sasuke not quite sure why he was angry. The folder did catch his interest though. Going to the kitchen and placing the folder on the island, he flipped through the folder's contents, his eyes widening at what exactly Uzumaki had given him. It was his brother's accounts, memos, and plans. The only problem was that everything was in Latin. No surprise, his brother was fluent in the dead language. Sasuke on the other hand never bothered to learn. It would take some time to decipher it.

Unable to do anything about the information given to him at the moment, he closed the folder and checked the cupboards, confirming that it was indeed stocked with food. He was no fool. His brother must have done something to Uzumaki. He just needed to find out what it was.

Pulling ingredients from the cupboard, he started chopping up vegetables and meat while waiting for the premade broth to boil. While waiting for Uzumaki's return, he may have looked up simple recipes in case he did come back since Tobi was not with him. He convinced himself, it was because it was out of boredom and not because he wanted to cook something that was actually edible for him.

He was carefully putting the vegetables into the broth when he felt a warm breath on his ear, "That looks good."

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, his entire body tensing, ready to attack. He had not heard or even sensed Uzumaki's approach. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he forced his body to relax and ignore how Uzumaki was looking over his shoulder as he poured the last of the ingredients into the pot.

"I figured my brother starved you while you were there."

"Why would you assume that?" He felt Uzumaki move away though he still didn't hear his footsteps.

Feeling it safe to turn around, he wished he hadn't. Uzumaki only wore a pair of blue boxers and a towel around his neck. His hair was still wet though obviously tousled from being dried by a towel with water droplets still trailing down his body from his hair. Uzumaki had gained new muscle since their last encounter, and Sasuke found himself watching a droplet make its way past tone abs to disappear under the hem of the boxers. A part of him wished Uzumaki wore briefs.

Casually, he turned back to the stove, squishing every perverted thought down and answered. "Are you telling me he didn't?"

He heard the chair at the island scrap along the floor as it was pulled out. "Nope. Fed me twice a day. Really big meals too."

"He did?" He couldn't hide his surprise that time. His brother was not known for being kind.

"Yeah. Great cook. Some of the best food I've ever eaten."

Sasuke stared at the food he was making, having the urge to just toss it into the sink. "Is that so."

"Yeah," Uzumaki went on completely oblivious. Then his voice changed, no longer praising the man. It was full of shame and self-hatred. "I almost trusted him. His partner was such a dick and then he would be so kind to me. I wanted to trust him."

"It's a type of conditioning. If you treat someone cruelly and then offer kindness, eventually they will accept the cruelty just to look forward to the kindness." Sasuke finished preparing the ramen and placed it in front of Uzumaki. "I'm glad you weren't affected."

"Yeah, so am I." Uzumaki dug into his meal.

So his brother had done something to him, some sort of torture. Given his brother's ability, it would be foolish to believe that Uzumaki was truly alright. He could be a sleeper agent now, but he didn't want to believe that or even consider it. What would his old self do?

His old self would kill him. No hesitation. He wouldn't be standing here feeding him. He would have a sword in his hand and Uzumaki's head in the other.

"So, is there another bedroom? I couldn't find it."

"No, it's a one-bedroom apartment." It was slightly amusing to watch Uzumaki's face light with realization. "There are extra blankets. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Like a pretty boy like you could survive sleeping on a couch," he snorted.

"I've slept in trenches during both great wars. A couch is heaven in comparison."

"I'll sleep on the couch," Uzumaki insisted.

"I said, I'll do it."

"No, I will," Uzumaki growled.

They both stared stubbornly at each other.

"Fine," Sasuke said. "How about a match? The gym has enough room for wrestling. Winner gets to decide sleeping arrangements."

"Great. I've been waiting to beat that smug look off your face." With a cocky grin, Uzumaki picked up the bowl and drank the rest of the broth then placed the bowl down with more force than necessary. "Let me put on some pants. I'll meet you there."

While Uzumaki got dressed, Sasuke did a quick clean up of the kitchen. He didn't expect Uzumaki to readily agree. There was no way he could win. Then again, Uzumaki was sometimes slow to pick up on things. Perhaps he forgot.

Going to the gym, Uzumaki waited for him, stretching on the ground. He was in a split, his chest to the ground as he stretched his legs, counting under his breath. Seeing him enter, Uzumaki sat up, jumping to his feet with a spring in his step. He really did only put on pants, and he proceeded to stretch his arms, pulling them across his chest. He hadn't been that flexible before.

"Surprised?" he said laughing.

"This will be quick," Sasuke said, stepping onto the mat. "Let's get this over with."

"That's my line, bastard." He took position on the mat, bringing his arms up and grounding his feet, spreading them and lowering his stance. "I'll let you attack first."

"It seems staying with my brother has infected your intelligence, and you had so little to begin with."

Uzumaki rolled his eyes. "Stop talking and just attack, bastard."

A smirk twitched onto Sasuke's face even though he tried so hard to hide it. "I always knew you were a neko."

"What?" Uzumaki's face furrowed with confusion. "What do cats have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," Sasuke dismissed the question. "I'll indulge you. First person to pin wins." All he had to do was take out Uzumaki's legs and pin him.

Sasuke moved at half speed. The last time they sparred, Uzumaki could barely watch that speed let alone keep up with it. He didn't want to humiliate him as much as win the match quickly. Just as he was about to take out Uzumaki's leg, he lost sight of the fledgling. It wasn't until his own knee was kicked out from under him and put into a full nelson that he could even feel his presence again.

"You were saying?" Uzumaki was grinning from ear to ear. How had he become so fast and strong so quickly? His technique was nearly flawless just now. It was hard to concentrate on that when he felt Uzumaki move above him, his naked chest, rubbing against Sasuke's back. "Come on, say it. You give up." Uzumaki whispered as he struggled to keep Sasuke contained. His breath touched the back of his neck. Sasuke froze, unable to move, praying that Uzumaki didn't notice his current problem.

"I give up, now get off me."

Groaning, Uzumaki let him go. "You're no fun. You could have broken out of that if you wanted to." He rolled off him and sat on his heels.

"Could have, but then I would have won too easily." Sasuke kept his back to Uzumaki, closing his eyes and trying to get his body back under his control.

"Smug as always. Anyways, I win, so I say we both share the bed. It's big enough. Just promise to stay on your side."

"Whatever."

Uzumaki apparently didn't like his sudden cold attitude, grabbing his shoulder suddenly. "Hey, face me when I'm talking to you!"

The yank was hard enough to cause him to fall backward, and Sasuke retaliated, his instincts kicking in. Swinging his legs back into the air towards Uzumaki, he pushed himself off the ground with his hands and twisting as he kicked Uzumaki to the ground and landing on his knees in the process, straddling Uzumaki and pinning the fledgling's hands above his head.

Being so close, Sasuke couldn't miss the look of realization on Uzumaki's face, and he felt his own face heat up immensely. Faster than the eye could see, Sasuke retreated to the other side of the room, looking anywhere other than where Uzumaki laid.

He expected Uzumaki to yell at him and call him disgusting or a pervert. It wouldn't be the first time someone called him that. Laughter was the last thing he expected. "Why are you so embarrassed?" Uzumaki teased, sitting up. "Don't take it so seriously. I mean, a cold prick like you probably hasn't had sex in centuries. Of course rubbing up on someone else would cause you to react."

Uzumaki had given him an excuse. A chance to say it was just a healthy reaction and there was nothing behind it. Today's events however told him otherwise. He was attracted to him and he couldn't easily ignore that fact. Besides, Uzumaki was straight. It was doomed from the start, and that was for the best. He didn't need any more distractions.

Without saying a word, Sasuke left. Suddenly, the apartment didn't seem big enough after all.