Chapter 2

"Mommy, I don't want to go to school."

Kushina Uzumaki sighs as Naruto hugs her waist and looks up her with blue eyes very much like her husband's. "You can't stay home all day, Naruto."

Naruto pouts adorably, but unfortunately, his cuteness fails to work on his mother.

"Naruto, you have to go to school and that's that. Why are you being so stubborn?"

"I don't like school. Everyone at my old school hated me, and everyone at my new school will hate me too."

Kushina gasps in surprise, "Naruto, why would anyone in the world ever hate you?" As far as she is concerned Naruto is the perfect, sweetest boy.

"The girls gave me nasty looks, and the boys were just creepy."

Kushina freezes. "What do you mean? Did any of the boys at your old school do funny things to you?"

At Naruto's confused look, Kushina bites the inside of her cheek, "Naruto, were you ever intimate with a boy?"

Realization washes over Naruto and his cheeks burn a bright red. "I would never do those things with someone I don't love."

Naruto's eyes widen when his mother grabs his shoulders in a painfully tight grip. "Naruto, a lot of perverts will lie to you about love just to get to your body. You won't believe what some of these pigs will say for sex."

The young blond shivers as his mother paints a frightening picture. "So many lives are ruined every day because of unrestrained sexual behaviour among teens."

Kushina hates having to talk to her son about this sensitive matter in such a crude manner, but this has to be done. Her baby boy's safety is at stake. However, the crestfallen expression on Naruto's face makes her realize that she has been a little too harsh. Her hold on trembling shoulders relaxes, and she gathers the frightened boy into her arms. "I am sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to warn you about the dangers of teenage lust. If you ever decide that someone out there is worthy of your body, I need you to make sure that his intention is marriage, and not a one-night stand."

Naruto buries his face in his mother's shoulder and sniffles, "I don't like any of this. Why do I have to get married? I can take care of myself."

Kushina pulls away from the soothing embrace and stares at Naruto's feminine facial features. "It's the law Naruto; Uke are a rare breed, and their reproduction is either properly controlled by their family, or the government will step in and assign mates."

Naruto sighs. His mother is right. Staying single forever is not an option for him. Unfortunately, his body has matured before his heart. He is not ready for a deep emotional connection with anyone. "I don't want to fall in love." Naruto admits timidly.

Kushina's smile disappears. Her baby boy is so innocent. His romantic ideals make him believe that falling in love is a necessity for marriage. "Naruto, I will do my best to find a mate who will love you, but I am not making any promises. It is not uncommon for people to go into marriage without falling in love. You will learn to love your husband. I am sure of it."

Naruto's eyes water as he struggles to make sense of his mother's words. "How am I supposed to give myself to a complete stranger? That's not how it's supposed to be. I can't get married without falling in love first. What about you and daddy? You fell in love and then you got married."

Kushina doesn't know how to answer. Naruto is absolutely right. Minato and Kushina are shining examples of love gone right. Textbook story romance. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. But those were different times.

In today's world of rape, teenage pregnancies, and spousal abuse, Kushina cannot let her son live in a dream world. She has to think about his emotional and financial stability. Even if that means having to crush his boyhood dreams. "Naruto, love at first sight just doesn't exist anymore. In my day, boys were romantic and chivalrous. But today's youth only cares about sex and other momentary highs."

Naruto closes his eyes. Tears escape thick golden lashes as the boy struggles to control his emotions. "I am sorry, but I am not going to marry someone I don't love. It will feel like a lie, both for me and him. I promise I will be careful. I am not going to spread my legs for some stranger and get pregnant. I care about our family name, and won't do things that will shame us."

As Naruto turns around to walk away, he hears his mother sigh sadly. "I want you to be happy, Naruto. The kind of mate you want just doesn't exist. This is reality, not a Harlequin romance, and to survive in this world, you have to be sensible."

Naruto turns back around; his tears flow even faster. "What would you know about the kind of mate I want. I didn't know you could read minds."

Kushina feels her gaze waver. It's hard to look into those bright blue eyes which look even more fierce when sparkling with tears. "What kind of mate do you want, Naruto."

Naruto feels as if a dam has been broken. His parents are so concerned with his safety, that they are completely willing to ignore his wishes. "I want someone who can't live without me. I want to be loved for who I am."

Kushina steps forward slowly, as if approaching a spooked deer, and wipes a stray tear from her son's face. "That's exactly what I want. Your father and I are going to find that person for you, but as your parents, we also need to consider stability. A boy from our social circle, someone who can provide for you."

Naruto's heartbeat speeds up in distress. "Those people are not looking for love. They want obedient, mindless concubines who will warm their beds and have their children."

Kushina knows that she is losing this argument, "Naruto, it's time for school." By the time Naruto comes home from school, she will probably have a counterargument ready, but for now, she will take the coward's way out.

Naruto's shoulders slump. He knows his mother isn't going to listen to him. "I will see you later, mom."

"Have a great day at school."

Fugaku Uchiha clears his throat. Silence takes over the room.

Sasuke's closest friends and family are present. Every single person here is worried sick over Sasuke's condition.

Kakashi smiles. His one visible eye crinkles pleasantly. "Why are we here, Fugaku?"

A pointless question. Everyone knows exactly what's number one on today's agenda: Sasuke's rapidly deteriorating condition. Fugaku has a hard time deciding where to begin. "Mikoto and I thank you for taking the time to meet with us. We all want what's best for Sasuke."

Neji and Gaara regard the oldest Uchiha with suspicion. They have shared a childhood with Sasuke, and are absolutely sure that Fugaku doesn't give a rat's ass about his son. His main concern has always been, and always will be, money. Mikoto has tried her hardest to be a good mother, but her efforts always seem to be lackluster at best.

Itachi sits in a corner, with Deidara sitting dutifully by his side. Disgust is clearly evident on his beautiful features.

Fugaku catches his son's poisonous gaze and raises an eyebrow. "You have something to say, Itachi?"

Itachi's expression is thunderous, but his voice is remarkably calm. "Your money is your first priority. You don't give a damn about what happens to Sasuke."

Fugaku glares at his son. "This is your family too, Itachi. Sasuke's wayward behavior is putting a serious dent on our reputation. His indiscretions reflect poorly on the rest of us."

Itachi growls furiously. "Who cares what the world thinks? We have always been social pariahs. The Uchiha family has been condemned for centuries. The reason society hates us, is because of our misdeeds. To blame Sasuke for the mayhem our ancestors caused is completely unfair."

Deidara whines when he senses Itachi's anger. He wants to calm himself, but fails. The blond knows his husband isn't angry with him, but his body takes Itachi's negative tone as a signal that Deidara has done something to displease his mate. It's an instinctive reaction.

Itachi feels his mate's fear and silently berates himself for scaring the minx.

Fugaku watches his son's reaction to his mate with disgust. "You are pathetic Itachi, and so is that brother of yours; so dependent on your mates. At least you managed to find yours."

Mikoto cringes at her husband's harsh words. She is very jealous of Itachi's relationship with Deidara. Her own husband has never as much smiled at her their entire marriage. Fugaku has always been too concerned with money and power to pay much attention to her. She would do anything for Fugaku to love her, even like her a little.

Kakashi chooses that moment to interfere. Itachi looks as if he is going to attack his father and murder him in cold blood. "The main question is, how do we help Sasuke. I know that unmated Uchiha men are typically left alone to die, but that strategy has failed thousands of time, hasn't it."

Neji nods in agreement with Kakashi. "Stop insulting Sasuke. His pain is nothing to laugh at."

Fugaku takes Neji's words as an attack from the Hyuuga family toward the Uchiha family. "Are you saying I am not capable of tolerating pain, boy? For centuries, the Uchiha have…"

Gaara quickly interrupts the speech before it can continue. He is in no mood for a history lesson. "Does Sasuke know everything there is to know about the curse? Does he know what's going to happen to his body and mind if he doesn't find his mate?"

Itachi regards Gaara with an appreciative look. Fugaku looks livid. "Sasuke is fully aware of the curse, and its effects. He is now trying to spend what he thinks are his last days enjoying himself."

"By experimenting with drugs, and hopping from bed to bed?" Mikoto ignores her husband's disapproving look and speaks up. "Just last week, I caught him doing cocaine. My precious baby has gotten himself into god knows what. He is self-destructing. You have to find his mate as soon as possible."

Fugaku rolls his eyes. His wife's drama never ceases. Itachi is alive and well-adjusted; Sasuke is just a spare, an auxiliary. He loves his son, but he knows when to give up. There are only a few months left until Sasuke's seventeenth birthday. The odds of finding this mysterious mate in such a short period of time are extremely low. "Mikoto, don't you understand. The boy has already lost his mind. The damage to his brain has been done. The best we can do at this point is to get him settled in a capable caring facility. Sasuke will never be a competent businessman."

There is a feeling gnawing at Itachi; his heart feels as if being twisted in a fist. The helplessness he feels over his brother's misfortune is eating away at him. "We should give up? Is that what you are saying, father? Have him committed in an institution until he bleeds to death? You heartless bastard."

Deidara trembles at the picture his husband paints with his words. He has always been very empathic to Sasuke's pain and suffering. Frankly, it makes him want to slit his wrists.

Fugaku feels dread and hates himself for it. He who fears nothing is afraid of Itachi, his own child.

Itachi is notorious for his anger. Sasuke is his greatest weakness. There have been incidents of Itachi having people killed because they looked at Sasuke the wrong way. Fugaku has made a continuous habit of underestimating the extent of Itachi's protectiveness over Sasuke.

Fugaku's self-preservation instincts kick in and he now speaks in what he thinks is a soothing tone. "I just want Sasuke to get help. The boy is mentally unstable. You heard you mother, all those drugs and suicide attempts. Sasuke is going down a very dark road, Itachi."

Deidara is distressed, and Itachi wants to calm him, but he is very close to losing it himself. "If something happens to my brother, I will kill every person in this family, including myself, and set every building we own on fire. Let's see you protect your precious family name then." Itachi says calmly, his sharingan spinning out of control. The temperature of the room drops several degrees, and every person in the room shivers uncomfortably.

Kakashi runs a nervous hand through his spiky, silver hair. He is not sure he can stop Itachi when he is in such a frightening rage. Some damage control needs to be done, stat. "Calm down, Itachi. No bloodshed yet. We have to help Sasuke, remember?"

Itachi always finds visiting his parents a tedious and downright painful affair. All he wants right now, is to go home and fall asleep with his mate, but his brother's life is at stake. Kakashi is right, something needs to be done. Sasuke's well-being has always been Itachi's number one priority. "No brother of mine is going to a mental institution. However…" Itachi glares at his father hatefully, "I don't mind if a doctor looks him over."

Neji and Gaara are quick to voice their agreements. They want Itachi to take charge of Sasuke's life and Fugaku to stay the hell out.

Kakashi gets up from his seat, "It's settled then. I will make an appointment with Tsunade sama. If anyone can talk some sense into Sasuke, it's her." That said, Kakashi quickly starts walking toward the nearest exit and almost makes it. Almost being the key word.

"Well isn't this just spectacular." Fugaku sneers, "You people made a decision without even waiting for my approval. Tsunade's intervention will be useless at this point. We need to find a competent psychiatric ward and have Sasuke committed. The sooner you people accept that Sasuke is a lost cause, the easier it will be to move on after his death."

Itachi sees nothing but red as he attacks his father. The sooner the old man dies, the sooner Itachi can take over the Uchiha estate and take care of his baby brother. Sasuke is Itachi's. Anyone stupid or brave enough to challenge his claim on his baby brother will die a slow, agonizing death. Itachi will make sure of it.

The men in the room barely manage to restrain Itachi.

Deidara scowls at his father-in-law. Nobody makes his husband mad! Fugaku and Mikoto are incredibly surprised when the usually calm blond glares daggers at them. "What kind of father are you? Giving up on your son like that… It doesn't matter. We will take care of Sasuke. Just stay out of his life. He doesn't need you anyway, un." That said, Deidara looks at his feral husband and pouts. "Are you mad at me?"

Itachi's vicious expression changes to one of confusion as Deidara approaches him and nuzzles his face. The husband feels instant relief as the intoxicating presence calms his nerves. Everything negative washes away into bliss.

Neji and Gaara watch, surprised as Deidara leads a new serene Itachi out of the room.

Kakashi turns toward the remaining Uchiha couple. "Sasuke needs love and support, and I suggest you give it to him, before your older son destroys everything you have worked so hard to build."

Neji and Gaara frown as Kakashi grabs their hands and starts to lead them outside. "Dinner time, students are treating." The young men glare at Fugaku one last time, before obediently following their teacher into the dark hallway, which leads out of the main mansion.

"They are absolutely right." Mikoto says timidly. "Sasuke deserves his chance at happiness."

Fugaku's regal face holds an utterly disinterested expression; as if the manic attack which just took over Itachi's being never happened. "Sasuke is as good as dead. Those lunatics are wasting their time. We should start planning a funeral."

Mikoto chokes on a sob as her husband walks away, leaving her alone in the vast expanse of the room.

Naruto says goodbye to his father, and thanks him for the drive to school. Minato watches, confused, as his son walks away, looking as if he has the entire weight of the world on his shoulders.

Naruto feels a tug at his heart as he enters his new school. It's probably just nerves. The blond thinks to himself. Starting over, at a completely different school can be stressful. He tries to be logical about it but the feeling won't stop nagging at him.

Naruto's condition only manages to get worse. As the blond makes his way to the main office to get his schedule, the urge to lie down somewhere comes out of nowhere.

The lady at the front desk pinches his whiskered cheeks and welcomes him to Konoha High, and then proceeds to congratulate him for having Kakashi sensei as his homeroom teacher. Apparently he is the best teacher this school has ever seen. Naruto nods politely and accepts his new timetable, and the stupidly complicated map that comes with it.

Just when the damn map starts to make some sense, a hand on Naruto's shoulder horribly startles him.

The culprit raises his hands in surrender. "Relax, we come in peace." The boy has canine features. "New kid, I am Kiba. This is Shino, Shikamaru, and Lee."

Beside Kiba, is a tall guy, with a calm, handsome face. A sleepy looking teen waves, and an enthusiastic young man grabs Naruto's hand and shakes it will all his strength.

Naruto shakes hands with all four, and gives them his most dazzling grin. "The name is Uzumaki, Naruto Uzumaki."

The tired looking teen, Shikamaru smiles charmingly, and Naruto feels himself blush. "Do you guys know where Kakashi sensei's class is?"

Kiba takes a look at Naruto's schedule. "Your schedule looks pretty similar to Shikamaru's, except for maybe one class. Hey don't worry, Shika chan will show you around."

"Don't call me that." Shikamaru mumbles, and nods for Naruto to follow. The blond waves at the remaining group of three. "Nice to meet you."

Naruto looks at Shikamaru as they walk. "You look exhausted. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

Shikamaru yawns. "I get a lot of sleep." He wouldn't dare leave home without his standard twelve hours.

"Then why do you look so tuckered out? Is that healthy? You should go see a doctor." Naruto is a very bright, happy young spirit. Seeing someone so miserable in the morning is kind of a shock.

Shikamaru smiles wanly at the newcomer, "This is my natural look. Nothing unusual."

Thanks to Naruto, Shikamaru isn't paying attention to where he is going. He manages to crash into another student. Naruto's eyes widen in surprise. Surely this will not be taken well by the stern looking young man glaring intimidatingly at them.

The person Shikamaru has crashed into is tall and slender. Pretty face and long lustrous hair aside, his most noticeable features are bright, pearly eyes. Naruto has never seen such an exotic beauty before, and cannot help but stare up at the stunning boy in fascination.

Shikamaru must be used to the perfection, however, and is completely unfazed. He quickly apologizes and straightens himself. "Sorry, Neji. I will watch where I am going next time. I just don't know how this keeps happening."

Naruto watches in disbelief, as the boy, Neji, smells Shikamaru's hair, an action which goes completely unnoticed by said boy. "I guess, fate wants us to clash, over and over again." That said, Neji helps Shikamaru by wrapping an arm around his waist, and starts leading him through the crowd.

Naruto is fairly sure Neji slammed into Shikamaru on purpose.

Shikamaru remains oblivious to Neji's blatant flirtation, and starts looking through his bag. "Damn, left my pencil case at home, again."

Neji's expression is that of utter delight, as he quickly produces an expensive looking pen from his own bag, and lovingly presents it to Shikamaru as if a token of utmost affection. "Take whatever you need from me."

Naruto is fairly sure Neji doesn't just mean a pen. He would give Shikamaru anything.

Shikamaru sighs, and shakes his head. "No, I keep taking your things, Neji. It's not right."

"Nonsense," Neji says, "What are friends for? I will see you at lunch." The boy kisses Shikamaru on the cheek and walks away. Shikamaru waves slowly, and motions for Naruto to follow him to the back of the class. Naruto smirks, very proud of his new friend. "Shikamaru you dog. Your boyfriend is delicious."

Shikamaru sits down in the furthest corner. "I don't have a boyfriend."

Naruto feels his jaw drop in surprise. "Did you see the way that Neji kid was looking at you?"

"He's an intense guy." Shikamaru shrugs. He is used to Neji's behaviour. Everyone at Konoha High is a character, there is no reason the Hyuuga prince of all people should be any different.

"The way he held you? He kissed you on the cheek. And I am pretty sure he crashed into you on purpose. Believe it."

"He likes girls, Naruto." Shikamaru scoffs. "Trust me. He's not the kind of guy who falls for someone like me."

Naruto throws himself in the empty seat beside Shikamaru. "If there was some kind of award for being oblivious, you would win."

"Where are we going?" Itachi meets Sasuke's gaze in the rear-view mirror. His younger brother has a questioning look on his face.

They had found Sasuke in his room, trying to burn his bed. Upon inquiry, Sasuke had simply shrugged and handed Itachi the lighter while Deidara proceeded to dispose of the gasoline.

It's an ominous sign. An empty, soulless bed; the loneliness is too much to bear. Sasuke's subconscious had compelled him to destroy it.

Deidara smiles from the passenger seat. "We are taking you to Dr. Tsunade. She wants to meet with you, and talk to you, maybe even explain some things." Maybe it will sound better coming from a doctor, who knows. The truth is the truth and that's final.

"I already know what's wrong with me. I am cursed. You don't need a doctor, you need an exorcist."

Deidara rolls his eyes. "The curse can't break, un. Not unless you figure out a way to get rid of the Uchiha blood flowing in your veins."

Sasuke doesn't answer. His energy is so drained due to malnutrition, that even talking is too taxing. Itachi catches the brief moment of weakness. When was the last time you ate, baby brother?

"Your father wanted to have you committed in some kind of asylum, un. So be grateful." Deidara adds.

Itachi's makes a face as he pulls into the hospital parking lot. He hates hospitals because they represent weakness. The fact that he is taking Sasuke to one means that he is desperate.

Sasuke has never been more convinced of his own demise. To see Itachi trying to consult with an authoritative medical figure is extremely disheartening.

Sasuke tries to numb the knowledge as much as possible but drugs don't work anymore. Alcohol doesn't work anymore. The knowledge that death is coming, and that no one can save him from it cannot be dulled in any way.

Itachi wants to ease his brother's pain, and to make this curse disappear, but he cannot. He is angry, and sometimes suicidal. This is so much worse than when Itachi was looking for Deidara. Itachi's life doesn't matter to him as much as Sasuke's does.

The only thing stopping him from unleashing his psychotic rage is the hope in Deidara's eyes. Sasuke can be saved, I just know it.

Itachi scowls. If only the curse had spared his brother. Unfortunately, every male-born Uchiha child is royally screwed.

There are many people, who would do anything to be a part of the Uchiha family. They are referred to, by members of the Uchiha family, as fools.

Depression is common in the Uchiha family. Outsiders don't understand why such a rich, powerful group of people would ever feel misery. Being born in a family, where marriage depends on sheer luck; where a curse decides if a marriage is love or a sham can only lead to despair.

For an Uchiha male, not finding their mate is pretty normal. Most of them never live to see their eighteenth birthday. Itachi has seen countless cousins and uncles cough blood, and choke to death on their own tears. The year between an Uchiha's seventeenth and eighteenth birthday is the worst. It is the wait for impending death.

It has taken Itachi years to learn how to keep sane in a cursed family. Just when he thought he had gotten used to watching beautiful faces malform into monsters, the first sign of Sasuke's death appear. Itachi finds himself regressing back to six years old, when he saw Obito go from being a vibrant, handsome young man, to a charred corpse in a matter of months.

The Uchiha curse is a closely guarded secret. Only a few, trusted people outside the family know about it, but everyone in Konoha knows there something a little off about the Uchiha family. They are polite, charming and downright civil when the occasion calls for it, but the madness is challenging to hide.

The mates are attractive and created only for pleasing their husbands. They can be located all over the planet. An Uchiha can sense his mate to a limited distance at the most. Anywhere beyond that, Uchiha senses don't work. If mate is located halfway across the world, which they always seem to be, and the young Uchiha fails to locate and bond, death is certain.

The symptoms of the curse start around the seventeenth birthday, and include internal bleeding, panic attacks, and third degree burns. Schizophrenic and episodes are common and pyromania is an early symptom.

Sasuke has already been caught trying to burn his bed. He will soon start bleeding internally, and… Itachi stops his train of thought before his mind can continue down this morbid path.

Itachi has been looking all over the world, searching for Sasuke's other half. The chances of discovering the mysterious mate are low, but Itachi refuses to give up. His baby brother's life is at stake.

"You are not going to die, Sasuke." Itachi promises his brother. He has no way of knowing if it's true or not, but it's all he has to offer at this moment. The words have the desired effect. Sasuke visibly relaxes, and Deidara smiles at him adoringly.

He may be crazy, but at least he is spectacularly crazy. Itachi thinks with pride, as Sasuke growls at an innocent nurse for daring to take his temperature. A thermometer lays fallen on the floor as the frightened female quickly scurries away. It's normal behaviour for Sasuke. He finds pleasure in scaring people. He feels like a monster anyway, empty and soulless, might as well act like it.

Deidara pouts at Sasuke. "Stop scaring people, un. The nurse was just trying to take your vitals." Sasuke ignores the reprimanding and glares menacingly at the remaining nurse trembling near him.

"Why don't you let me take his temperature, un." Deidara takes the thermometer from her hands. "I will even take his blood pressure for you."

The nurse nods shakily, and hands Deidara the device. The blond thanks her and brings the thermometer near his brother-in-law's mouth. "Come on Sasuke, I need to take your temperature, un."

Sasuke glares, but opens his mouth obediently. Itachi nods in approval and internally reminds himself to play doctor and sexy nurse with Deidara.

The scale reads 107.8 degrees. The nurse lets out a startled gasp and quickly leaves the room. It's several degrees too high for a human being. This is nothing new for Itachi. He has seen such elevated body temperatures in his family before. Some things never change.

Deidara gives Sasuke a worried look. "Sasuke is burning, un." He doesn't have any medical knowledge but he knows none of Sasuke's physical symptoms are normal.

"It's one of the first signs of the curse. His fever is rising." Itachi explains to the worried blond. This is all very new for Deidara.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" A nurse calls out the patient's name.

Deidara watches as Sasuke follows the nurse, clearly disturbed. Itachi frowns when his phone buzzes, and Kakashi's ID flashes on the screen. He is tempted to just let it go to voicemail, but something inside him compels him to answer.

Naruto watches Kakashi check attendance, and tries to remember the names of his new classmates. "Ino Yamanaka?"

"Here Kakashi sensei." A perky blond girl raises her hand. Shikamaru flinches at her cheerfulness at this early hour. Morning persons always annoy him.

"Shikamaru." Naruto elbows the sleepy brunette who answers with a pained groan. "Why is this guy doing attendance backwards? Shouldn't he go alphabetically?"

"Why does Kakashi sensei do anything the way he does?" Shikamaru questions the universe in general. "He is quite a character." That said, Shikamaru folds his arms on the desk and falls into a peaceful slumber in a matter of seconds. Naruto watches him enviously. He hasn't been able to sleep for months, and even when he manages to fall asleep, nightmares plague him.

The dreams are all the same: a loved one being tortured to death. Naruto finds the dreams painful as well as frustrating because he cannot see the man's face.

For the longest time Naruto thought the man being tortured was his father. However, over the years, after witnessing the dream countless times, Naruto has come to realize that the faceless victim's hair is too dark to be his dad's. The mystery continues. Not only is Naruto unaware of the identity of the victim, he is also completely helpless, frozen in place as his beloved gets tortured, over and over again.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" The blond is snapped out of his reverie when the teacher calls his name. "Present, sensei." He replies.

The entire class turns around in its chair to stare at the new kid, as if assessing him. Naruto grins weakly, "What, something on my face?"

Kakashi seems to be carefully watching along with the rest of the class. When Naruto first laid eyes on the man, his left eye was covered, but now it isn't. A flash of bright red is seen, but before Naruto can figure out what it is, the eye is covered again and Kakashi is reprimanding his class for trying to scare the new student. "Eyes up front children."

What an odd man. Naruto concludes in his head. The mask, the body language, the carefully covered left eye. He gives off a serial killer vibe.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" A spark of electricity runs through Naruto's body, and he finds himself shivering in excitement. What the hell is wrong with me? Naruto thinks to himself as the rest of the class goes into frenzy. Multiple voices start speaking at the same time.

"His majesty is skipping school again."

"Good riddance. Let the police handle him."

"That drugged out degenerate is better off with that gang of his."

"Fucking psycho. Probably robbing a bank with his fellow assholes."

Kakashi quickly scans the room and repeats. "Do I have a Sasuke in my class?"

A beautiful, pink-haired girl raises her hand and answers solemnly. "I think he is sick again, sensei." Sasuke hasn't been seen at school in half a month.

Kiba, who is sitting in front of Naruto, scoffs. "Sick, my ass." Sasuke misses all the school he wants and there are simply no consequences for anything he does. Even beyond these hallowed halls, his family's influence is too powerful for Sasuke to stay in jail for long. A night of incarceration at the most and he is out roaming the streets again, in search of drugs or whatever suits his fancy. The Uchiha family is untouchable.

Kakashi nods his thanks at Sakura.

As the man continues to take attendance, Naruto massages his forehead in an attempt to fight the upcoming headache. His earlier discomfort has blossomed into something much worse. Oh god, I am getting sick. I just know it. The blond spends the rest of the class, miserably glaring at Shikamaru, who looks to be having the best nap of his life.

After class is over, and the students have emptied out, Kakashi dials Itachi's number, and hopes that for once, he doesn't get voicemail. The gods must be listening, because Itachi's monotonous voice answers after two rings.

"An incredibly convenient miracle has occurred. Your brother's mate just joined Konoha High."

Kakashi smirks when he hears a mild hint of surprise color that usually blank tone. "That is convenient."

"He is in my class. The name is Naruto Uzumaki. Blond hair, blue eyes." Kakashi is blessed (or cursed) with his own sharingan, and has recognized Naruto for who he is. Sasuke's mate.

"I think I love you."

Kakashi's eyebrows raise at the admission. "I am afraid it's not reciprocated."

The dial tone is all he gets as an answer. He is busy staring at the phone, mildly annoyed when the sound of a throat clearing snaps him out of his daze. "Iruka sensei?"

"Kakashi." The man's cheeks are colored a delightfully rosy color. "My break just started. Coffee?"

"I would love to." Kakashi tries not to sound too eager. Tries being the key word.

Iruka grins, pleased. "Your turn to pay."

"You are robbing me blind." Kakashi sighs as he gathers his things off the desk. "My bank account is emptying slowly and steadily."

"I am quite the gold digger." Iruka says pleasantly. "How's the new student?"

"Nothing special. Just another boring kid to babysit."

"I think I love you."

Deidara is deeply surprised when Itachi says the words into the phone, but since it's Kakashi on the other line, he is not too worried.

Itachi hangs up abruptly, and gives Deidara a relieved look. "Sasuke's mate has turned up."

Deidara doesn't know whether he should jump with joy or faint with shock. We have been searching the world for him, and he shows up in Konoha."From where?

"Who knows?" Itachi says, "Who cares? I should call Kakuzu and the others. They should stop the search and come home."

"Are you sure, un?" Deidara says with a worried frown. "What if they stop looking, and this person isn't the real thing?"

"Kakashi is never wrong about these things."

"You found her?" Sasuke tunes into the conversation. "How did you find her?"

"Him." Itachi corrects, "It's a boy."

Sasuke's eyebrows threaten to disappear into his forehead. "A boy? I am straight." He has experimented, sure. When one is high one cannot discern between male or female. When sober, Sasuke likes girls.

"Not anymore, un." Deidara grins. "Welcome to homosexuality."

Itachi feels as if the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders. Ignoring the look of surprise on Sasuke's face, the elder brother throws himself at the younger. "I knew you wouldn't die on me."

Sasuke holds Itachi and silently has a panic attack. They found a boy… This curse won't even let me choose the gender of my mate. Everything is decided for me. I hate everything about this godforsaken family. Itachi lets out a pleased sound when Sasuke strokes his hair. Okay, maybe not everything. Sasuke amends. But the curse fucking sucks.

"Congratulations." Deidara smiles warmly.

Sasuke gives a small, forced smile back. My life is over…