A/N: It took a while, but here it is! And guess what? It's not over yet.
Beated by the wonderful fangirlandiknowit.
Of Sorcerers and Commoners
Part II
All it took was a small flick of Itachi's hand and Sasuke was being sent flying towards the heavy wooden door before he could even reach Naruto, slamming it closed as his back hit it with enough force to be a clear warning, but not enough to actually hurt him.
Naruto seemed impressed by the simple efficiency of the spell, looking at the eldest Uchiha with his eyebrows quirked upwards and a strange sparkle in his blue eyes, while Sasuke merely braced himself against the door and clenched his teeth in a way that resembled a feisty feline. Itachi felt the corner of his mouth curving upwards slightly – a childish part of him almost wished his brother would hiss at him because that would be immensely funny.
What wasn't funny, though, was the fact that his little brother had kissed his soon-to-be assistant. He had never seen him this angry with someone and actually stepping up to hamper with Itachi's affairs – he had never really cared enough to do more than throw a few menacing warnings to the people he took under his wing.
But now, Sasuke had dared Naruto do prove something to him, and Itachi wasn't sure about what it meant or why he was bothering this time. The only thing he knew for sure was that Naruto had a weird effect on him, but it was yet to be decided if that was a good or a bad thing. However, he concluded, it couldn't be good if Sasuke also had an effect on Naruto, and judging but the now raging hard-on the blond was sporting, his suspicions were correct.
Maybe it was the powerful magic in both of them that lured them to each other. The fact that their magic came from very different types of energy that obviously clashed actually made them more curious towards the other. If Itachi could feel it, then so could they. One thing was for sure: Itachi had never seen his brother this riled up and so soon, ever.
He couldn't say that it bothered him as much as it probably should, since the sight of them kissing and had been more than a little enticing, not to mention that their bickering was certainly amusing. But Naruto was his, and Sasuke had no right to interfere, even if he had Itachi's best interests at heart.
"Sasuke, don't be childish," Itachi scolded dismissively, calmly making his way to the pile of hay that would serve as his and Naruto's bed for the night, picking up the large old blanket Madam Welsh had given him so Naruto could dry off. Sasuke had his lips pressed tight together as Itachi made his way to the blond, carefully putting the blanket over his shoulders and feeling pleased as Naruto immediately covered himself up with it. "Naruto is my assistant. Whether he is worthy of trust or not, or whether he will be efficient in the tasks assigned to him or not, that is my responsibility, not yours. You have nothing to do with this."
"You just like to slam your nose against the same walls, over and over again, don't you?" Sasuke snapped, straightening up and angrily arranging his clothes, eyes fixed on Naruto but addressing Itachi. "I don't know what you're looking for, but it should be obvious by now that you will never find it. This lowlife…" Sasuke made a disgusted gesture towards the blond, who raised his chin proudly. "…will be just as useless as all the others."
"You're the lowlife," Naruto defended at once, sounding annoyed but not offended. "It's because you have no faith in people that you will be a lonely bastard for the rest of your life. That pretty face of yours can't make up for your lousy character. I'm not who you think I am."
"Then fucking prove it." Sasuke did hiss this time, taking a single step forward with his fists clenched, eyes burning with fury. "Because if you don't, I will personally throw you back on the streets where you belong inside a bag full of shit. And you," He turned to Itachi and pointed his finger at him, which made the eldest of the two's breath catch in his throat at how feral he was looking. "This is the last time I'm taking any of this bullshit. I don't care what or who you want to take to your bed, and I don't care if you value my opinion on this or not. If he fails, I'm done. You go your way, and I go mine. And be fucking sure that I mean it!"
Huffing angrily, he turned on his heels and opened the door, unceremoniously slamming it closed on his way out and leaving the two other men staring at it, both rather speechless.
Itachi forced his muscles to relax, but it was difficult after his little brother's ultimatum. Sasuke had never threatened to leave him before. Yes, they had been trying to find someone for him for several years now, and failed every single time. Of course, this was as frustrating for Sasuke as it was for Itachi, and they had fought a lot over the years, even if the youngest one never judged him.
But Sasuke had always stood by his side, no matter what. Having him threaten to leave was something that tore at Itachi's soul. Sasuke had a world of opportunities in front of him, many of them that he hadn't taken because he wanted to help Itachi with his busy life, so he had settled for the best position he had inside the castle. There were so many offers still standing for him, though; all he had to do was choose one and he'd be gone.
Apart from his work, Sasuke was all he had. Without Sasuke in his life, there was no reason for him to keep moving. He'd lose everything.
"I'll show him," Naruto grunted under his breath, shaking Itachi from his strangely depressing thoughts. "I'll tell him who the lowlife is. I'll be so good at everything he'll be kissing my feet and begging for forgiveness in no time." He looked over his shoulder at Itachi, pouting but looking determined. "And you know what's worse?"
Itachi looked down at him and blinked a few times. "What?"
"That I still have a boner."
Well, Itachi thought, with a disheartened sigh. It was unfortunate that he had lost his own.
000
Naruto had spent most of the three days of their journey back to their destination asking questions and talking his mouth off about everything and nothing at the same time just to keep the conversation alive. Anything was a good topic as far as he was concerned, and Itachi indulged his energetic blabbering without so much as a nod or a grunt, because he supposed the young man had been terribly lonely for the past few weeks (or months) and was more than happy to socialize to his heart's content. It was immensely annoying, but some part of Itachi sympathized with him without really feeling any sort of pity, since it was more than obvious that Naruto knew how to take care of himself and wanted pity from no-one. There was a sense of dignity about him that made the Uchiha respect him.
Far behind were the days when he spoiled his protégés, so he was more than focused on making Naruto work hard in every aspect, and see how he'd behave without Itachi coddling him. If the pressure was too much for the boy to take, then he'd just have to leave like all the others.
However, if that were to happen, Itachi wasn't sure how to even begin to convince his brother to stay with him. Swearing that the search for a lover/assistant was over might do the trick, and Itachi was willing to do it, even if it would compromise both his job and his sex life.
Not that it couldn't be fixed if Sasuke finally were to give him what he wanted. But, of course, Itachi knew he would never find the courage to ask.
Sasuke had been awfully silent throughout the journey, and whenever he did talk, it was to tell Naruto to shut up or to offer some insulting input to the topics the blond had chosen to approach. The two would end up bickering loudly for several minutes before Sasuke got tired of being dragged along by Naruto's incessant and rather useless yammering, as he liked to call it.
But one thing Itachi had to give to Naruto – he had started working hard as soon as they decided they would be on their way. As a test, and a vow of trust, on the first day when they were to leave Madam Welsh's tavern, Itachi had given him a silver coin so he could take care of everything needed for the journey, and Naruto had done so flawlessly. He'd taken care of the horses, arranged for sufficient provisions for the three of them and the two mares and even managed to bargain a few furred blankets into the equation to keep them warm through the nights. Not that Itachi and Sasuke didn't have quality clothes to protect them from the cold, but Naruto himself would need them, so it wasn't money thrown to the pigs.
Also, he had taken upon his own hands to taking care of absolutely everything during their days of traveling, and Itachi had to admit that he was rather impressed.
The blond had even washed and sewn immaculately a pair of trousers Sasuke had accidentally ruined when he had fallen in the mud during the night while taking a trip to a nearby bush to relieve himself. During the fall, the trousers had been stuck in a few thorns that had also scratched his knees rather badly. Naruto had also decided that it was a good idea to show off the fact that he also knew a few medical tricks since he even found the necessary plants to make an effective paste to put over Sasuke's wounds.
Itachi was sure his little brother was impressed, as well, but he stubbornly refused to say a word about it.
The eldest of the three had to admit that Naruto's pride – in no way inferior to Sasuke's – was very alluring. That and his positive and friendly energy. He dealt with them as if the three of them had known each other for ages.
He was determined to prove Sasuke wrong no matter what, and that reassured Itachi more than he could've admitted. It was also a very, very attractive side that excited him about the young male. Naruto's constant motivation and his obvious thirst for knowledge, constantly striving to become better, was something that made him very appealing.
If it weren't for the fact that just thinking about being intimate with another person in front of his little brother made him feel very uncomfortable, Itachi would definitely have tested out Naruto's other abilities by then. How he resented his body's betrayal on the night he and Naruto had met.
Still, even with Sasuke's silent and antagonistic behavior, it felt like Naruto was, indeed, already part of their little family, and Itachi couldn't wait to get him home and introduce him to his future life.
As they finally made their way through the village towards the huge stone castle at the top of the hill, Naruto became unusually quiet, especially when Itachi told him he had to enter the walls by foot, considering their different social status. Feeling sorry for him, Itachi – and sometimes, Sasuke, as well – had allowed him to ride behind him for most of the journey since he didn't even have decent enough shoes to protect his feet.
The sun was barely setting, and there were still villagers out in the streets, minding their own business. They all waved excitedly at Itachi with big smiles on their faces as he passed by. Some of them even bowed respectfully, and Naruto, not really shy but not confident enough to be all cheery around strangers, would just smile a bit at the humble people with his hand firmly closed around the fabric of Itachi's trousers.
"You are quite popular around here, aren't you?" He asked hesitantly, looking up at Itachi with curious eyes as they left the village and made their way up the uneven path towards the castle. He was walking between his and Sasuke's horses.
"Well, as I said, I do work a lot," Itachi explained calmly. "Not only inside the castle walls, but also outside. I want to make sure that I can help the villagers in any way I can, be it concerning their health or just checking up on how the plantations are going and so on, and not only in this part of the kingdom. I sometimes travel to check up on other villages, like I was doing when we met. I am not the King's advisor, nor am I involved in politics, but His Majesty allows me to provide any help I can, because that allows the people to know that their King cares for their welfare and makes them feel closer to their ruler."
Naruto was silent for a while in contemplation. Beside him, Sasuke's back stiffened but he didn't comment.
"So, you were serious when you said you needed an assistant," Naruto mumbled, as if, for some reason, he had thought otherwise.
"Of course," Itachi replied, looking down at the mop of unruly hair. "You thought I was lying?"
"Well, I thought that the whole assistant thing was just something to attenuate the fact that I'm going to be your whore," Naruto said in a conspicuous tone, grinning up at him with mischief to make sure Itachi understood he was merely being playful. "Which would've been fine. I'm just glad that I get to do some real work for someone who truly dedicates his life to helping people."
Itachi smiled lightly.
"I'm sure that whoring yourself will be a nice part of this bargain considering all the work you have ahead," Sasuke said, his tone dry and sarcastic.
"That's pretty obvious," Naruto muttered easily, still grinning like a lunatic. "I'll take the sex as a reward, then, since I'm surethat that will definitely be fun."
Throwing him an unimpressed look, Sasuke huffed. "Don't talk about intercourse that casually around here. Itachi and I might not believe in religion, but this kingdom is very catholic. Sex is for reproductive purposes only, and is only supposed to happen between married people." Sasuke now smirked down nastily at the blond. "Of course, you'd be surprised at the amount of people who defy the testaments inside the walls of the castle."
"Yes, because that's just preposterous," Naruto nodded, with a snort. "Why would sex even feel good if not to be enjoyed? Why create so many ridiculous rules if they'll just make humans want to break them? Why would God even make sex feel good if not to be enjoyed?"
Sasuke looked thoughtful for a while but didn't answer. He glanced at the blond one last time and then fixed his eyes on the path ahead once more.
"Well, I appreciate the honesty," Itachi intervened, sincerely, as if the little interaction between the two youngest ones hadn't happened. He tried not to look too deeply into the fact that Naruto was currently looking up at his little brother rather curiously. "But I'm looking for a companion, Naruto, not exactly a whore. You are supposed to be a part of the family now. If you work hard and live up to my expectations, I can assure you that your life will take a turn for the best."
Naruto turned his head to him now, grin becoming broader and genuinely happy.
"You will not be disappointed!"
"I'm sure I won't," Itachi replied gently. "Also, Sasuke is right. Any conversation about sex or anyone's sex life should be kept behind closed doors. Our closed doors. No exceptions."
"Yes, my Lord!"
By the time they reached the castle, the sky had already been painted in tones of purple and stars had begun to decorate it. As soon as they reached the large open wooden doors that gave entrance to the castle, Naruto's chin fell and he all but remained silent, even if he did look around excitedly and gasped once in a while. He hadn't expected to have a stable boy to greet them and take their horses.
The guards and servants that greeted them joyfully eyed Naruto with interested surprise as they made their way through the halls to Itachi's and Sasuke's quarters, and he didn't blame them since he had never brought in someone with such poor clothes to the castle before. Once in a while, the tall raven haired man would comment about where they were and which rooms weren't allowed entrance. Then, he would tell Naruto a few of the rules that could most definitely not be broken, and he would all but nod quickly in understanding, making sure he stayed close behind him and Sasuke. There was much for him for learn, but Itachi wouldn't focus on that today. It was imperative that Naruto washed himself first and put on some decent clothes so he could be introduced to the King at once. The knowledge seemed to make Naruto slightly nervous. He also seemed rather put off by the fact that most people offered the brothers small bows of respectful greetings.
Itachi's and Sasuke's quarters were located in the west tower – the tallest of the three that the castle possessed, which meant they had to climb over five hundred steps to get there, during the night, with the help of an oil lamp. Naruto made a horrified sound as he saw the spiral staircase, but quickly followed the Uchiha brothers up without so much as a sigh. When they got to their destination, the blond was panting heavily as opposed to Itachi and Sasuke, who neither looked like the workout bothered them at all.
"You'll get used to it quickly enough," Itachi assured Naruto, with a small smirk once they stood in front of the single heavy wooden door and placed his hand on the iron handle. "After all, you'll have to go up and down these same stairs many times during the day."
Naruto threw him a dirty glare but nodded defiantly, and Itachi enjoyed seeing the fire of resolution in his eyes.
The quarters were considerably large and, Itachi supposed, surprisingly well furnished considering the place. The tall walls were covered in bookshelves filled with books and scrolls as well as several imposing black closets, and in the wall opposite from the entrance, two separate, smaller wooden doors could be seen, indicating Itachi's and Sasuke's separate bedrooms. In the center, there was a large iron table with heavy wooden chairs with seats lined in rabbit fur. Not too far from there, a smaller and older looking table carried a medium sized caldron in the middle of it, as well as all sorts of vials and recipients with odd textures and colors inside them. All in all, the place was very organized and neat, but it was obvious to anyone entering it that it belonged to a studious man.
"No-one but the three of us and the King is allowed entrance in these quarters unless given permission, or asked to do so," Itachi explained, while Sasuke closed the door behind them. "Of course, His Majesty will never bother to come up here, but he will, when necessary, order someone to come up here to call us. This tower is very private, but Sasuke and I still try to be careful about our magic within these walls. Under no circumstance are you to reveal anything concerning what happens up here."
"I understand," Naruto said, nodding vigorously and standing very still in the middle of the room with his back very straight as if, suddenly, he didn't know what to do with himself. He was clutching the satchel containing Itachi's herbs rather strongly, hugging it to his chest as if it could provide him some sort of comfort.
Sasuke was already removing his traveling cloak and throwing it over the nearest chair, and Naruto seemed unsure of what to do about it, his eyes following the younger Uchiha's figure as he went to his room to put his belongings away.
With a snap of his fingers, Itachi made it so that each and every single candle and torch in the room instantly lit up, bathing the place in warm tones of inviting yellow. Naruto gasped in fascination.
"You will sleep in my room," Itachi informed casually, also removing his own cloak and folding it neatly before placing it over the gigantic table. "We are going to arrange for you to have your own bed, but whether you choose to use it or to sleep with me is entirely up to you."
"He needs new clothes," Sasuke retorted, emerging from his room. "We can't introduce him to His Majesty looking like this."
"Yes," Itachi agreed. With a small smile, he moved closer to Naruto and carefully took the satchel from his hands. He could tell that the younger male was nervous, especially now that he wasn't in a familiar environment. Itachi suspected that he was also very confused about his and Sasuke's influence inside the castle, as well as very overwhelmed by the fact that he'd be meeting the King himself in a short while. "Naruto, I need you to go downstairs and bring us a big bucket of clean water since we all need to freshen up. By now, word has spread that I have taken in a new assistant, so I'm sure everyone will be willing to give you directions if you say you're going on my part. Also, I need you to look for an old lady named Chiyo. She is the castle's seamstress and will be able to find you something suitable to wear."
Naruto gulped, but at once, his eyes became resolute. "Yes, my Lord."
Without another moment of hesitance, the blond turned on his heels and immediately left to do as he was told.
When he turned around to face his little brother, Itachi found Sasuke with his arms crossed, eyeing him with an eyebrow quirked upwards and an expression that was grave. Itachi's smile faded.
"I was serious about what I said, Itachi," Sasuke said, in a cold voice that also sounded resentful. "You know I love you. But if he fails…"
"Where will you go?" Itachi interrupted. He had meant to talk to Sasuke about the deal he had imposed on him, but due to Naruto's presence, he hadn't been able to. "We only have each other."
Sasuke bit his lip and looked away, to a flickering torch on the wall to his right. "I know."
"And you'd leave me?" Itachi pressed on, placing the satchel over the table next to his cloak, his gestures elegant and careful, so as to mask his uneasiness. "So that I'd be alone without either of you?"
"You can't expect me to be around forever," Sasuke replied, with a small shrug. "I'm tired of watching you looking for a lover. I understand it, and yet I don't. I don't understand why you do it, or why you'd seek something like that so strongly. You could simply find an assistant and then bed other male lovers. It's not like you're the only man that desires other men in this kingdom."
Itachi sighed in defeat. For a brief moment, he considered telling Sasuke why he needed someone to love – someone constant, someone for him – but then quickly dismissed the thought. Even if Naruto were to leave like all the others, there was no need for him to cast Sasuke away unnecessarily. Because he knew that confessing the way he felt would do it – Sasuke would be disgusted and he'd leave without looking back. Itachi couldn't bear the thought of losing him so soon.
"You wouldn't understand it, even if I explained it to you," he whispered, shaking his head from side to side.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, intelligently trying to read Itachi's features, but the eldest one kept his face as devoid of emotion as he could. "Try me."
"You would hate me."
Sasuke seemed genuinely angry at the words. "How can you possibly say something like that?" He hissed, with poorly controlled fury. "Haven't I been by your side for all these years? Haven't I accepted you and respected you and everything you stand for? Haven't I always supported and protected you?" His voice lowered dangerously. "We lead different lives, but I always admired you beyond reason. How could I possibly ever hate my own blood when, as you very well know, I don't care about anyone else in this world?"
There was truth in Sasuke's words, and it tore at Itachi' heart to acknowledge it. Sasuke had always been beside him no matter what. He had never been judgmental or critical towards him, and yes, Sasuke's heart had been too hardened by life itself to allow other people in, so he had always devoted his deeper feelings to Itachi, even if not on a physical level. All of Sasuke's affairs had been short-lived and meaningless to him – barely an indulgence of his body's needs he couldn't ignore – nothing more.
Sasuke would give his life for him in a heartbeat, and there was no-one in this world Itachi trusted more.
All this, Itachi knew. But the idea that Sasuke might ever respond to his feelings was something that seemed impossible to him. Even if Sasuke wouldn't hate him, things would forever be awkward and tense between them, and that was something he didn't think he could take.
"I know all of that, Sasuke," Itachi muttered, dispassionately. "And I am sorry. But I am a filthy person, no matter how highly you think of me. I love you far too much to splatter my filth all over you. You do not deserve such a burden."
Sasuke merely 'tsked'. He looked genuinely hurt, but Itachi couldn't find the heart to plead for their sake – he knew he had no right to do so when his younger brother had given so much already. All he could do was pray to fate that Naruto had come to stay so that he wouldn't lose his loved one.
"He won't last three full moons," Sasuke grunted, also heaving a sigh, but one of utmost frustration.
"I have faith that he will," Itachi said cautiously. "He's not like anyone either of us have ever met. I'm sure you can feel it, too."
Sasuke didn't comment on that, instead saying, "You have too much faith in people."
Itachi merely offered him a sad smile. "What else is left to have faith in?"
000
Naruto managed to get everything Itachi had told him to do just fine. Once he returned to their quarters, with a huge bucket of water in both hands and a clean set of clothes under one arm, he was sweating quite a lot but looking very pleased with himself. Apparently, just as Itachi had said, he had managed to get around rather easily thanks to the servants' help – whom he claimed were all very nice people – and was now feeling more confident.
Itachi understood that he didn't really know how to go about the tasks an assistant to him should do, so he patiently instructed him where he could find three basins for them to wash themselves, that he would have to fill with water and then pour over it a few scented dry flowers Itachi always kept in stock. He was to put the water-filled basins over the table. Naruto did everything with excitement and eagerness to please.
Itachi then told him that he and Sasuke were the ones that should get cleaned first and that he should assist them with both this and getting dressed. Naruto was clearly more interested in this than in any other task, so when Sasuke refused his help to clean up and dryly told him to assist Itachi instead, the disappointment was very evident in his features.
Still, he was more than pleased to help Itachi, and this made him feel relieved. Naruto's interest in his little brother was far too obvious, but not exactly surprising – Sasuke was Naruto's age and a sinfully attractive young man; the vision of a seductive demonic beauty in all his glory. However, as Naruto took Itachi's clothes off him and then assisted in cleaning him up, there was no doubt in his mind that he also felt attracted to him since his hands would, more often than not, lose the effective professionalism the task required to swiftly caress his skin in a way that was far from disinterested. While wiping his chest clean, his blue gaze had been transfixed on him as if he had never seen anything like Itachi in his life. Neither Itachi nor Sasuke had taken their clothes off in front of him during the journey.
"Beautiful," Naruto had whispered, more to himself than to the older man, before licking his lips. Itachi had smiled in gratitude. For some reason, the compliment flattered him coming from the blond's mouth.
Nevertheless, Itachi didn't miss the glances the blond threw at Sasuke's own very naked form now and again. He couldn't blame him – he had seen Sasuke naked more times than he could count, but he always struggled to keep his eyes averted. His brother had a lean but fit form – the form of a fighter, and the body of a warrior. All his companions were bulkier than him, but he was undoubtedly stronger than all of them.
Sasuke, for his part, went about scrubbing the filth from his body with a rag as thoroughly as possible, mouth pressed into a thin line and eyes stubbornly avoiding the other two occupants of the room.
While Itachi's clothes were modest, consisting simply of a pair of white woolen trousers, and a brown, well-kept shirt, the garments Sasuke brought from his room were a little more impressive.
Once Itachi was properly dressed and his black boots were on, he had Naruto untangling the knots in his hair with a comb made of chicken bones. The two watched in mutual silence as Sasuke put on his black trousers and boots, followed by a white linen shirt.
Naruto was just getting finished on tying Itachi's long hair with a red satin ribbon when Sasuke called him. "I need your help, now."
Naruto's tense hands felt on Itachi's shoulders, squeezing them as if to ask for permission.
"You should obey Sasuke's orders as well as you obey mine," Itachi said simply, looking over his shoulder with a reassuring smile, making Naruto swallow hard and nod. He seemed as nervous to be around Sasuke as much as he was eager, and this amused Itachi for reasons he couldn't fathom.
As the blond made his way to him, Sasuke extended him what Itachi knew to be a black leathered vest that had several blue strings both in the front and the back of it that needed to be tied up properly. "Small knots in the front, medium sized ones in the back," Sasuke instructed plainly. "Make sure you tie the ones in the front first and that they are of the same size and as perfectly as you possibly can."
"Yes, Sir," Naruto said, eyes meeting Sasuke's cold, evaluating ones with unfaltering determination. It was fascinating to see the huge difference in Naruto's behavior towards Sasuke now that they were in the castle.
Itachi sat on a nearby chair and observed the two as the blond helped his brother put the vest on and then started to tie the knots with a deep frown of concentration. He was very slow in his task, but was managing, somehow.
"Once you are in the presence of his Majesty, you are required to bow down," Itachi said passively, crossing one leg over the other. "Even if either Sasuke or I aren't bowing, your head is to be bowed and your eyes are to be trained on His Majesty's feet unless he asks you to look at him."
"Alright," Naruto said.
"You are too slow," Sasuke hissed, looking down at the blond reproachfully. "It'll be dawn by the time you're finished!"
"I'm doing it as fast as I can!" Naruto retorted, looking up at Sasuke with a frown, and then looking back at his work. "You said it had to be perfect."
"Well, it looks far from perfect from here," Sasuke said, with apparent disdain. "Start over."
Naruto's head snapped back up to glare at him. He opened his mouth, clearly to protest, but Sasuke merely raised a defiant eyebrow at him as if to say 'what are you waiting for?', so he immediately closed it, bit his lower lip and swallowed whatever insult he had down and said "Yes, Sir."
Itachi could swear he heard him mutter a venomous 'bastard' under his breath, but instead of provoking him, Sasuke chose to let it pass for the time being, merely pulling at a strand of Naruto's hair with unnecessary force, but not for too long. The other glared at him again before untying the knots in the vest all over again and starting over.
Sasuke would definitely give Naruto a hard time – Itachi knew this by experience. It was always something that both entertained and scared Itachi, because it was Sasuke's attitude that often had thrown Itachi's previous assistants off balance. That and, of course, Itachi's insatiable hunger for good sex – that most of them couldn't provide.
He was genuinely interested in seeing how Naruto would handle both Sasuke's taunts and his sex life with Itachi. He truly didn't want to be disappointed.
"As I was saying," Itachi proceeded. "Give His Majesty answers to any questions he has for you, but tell him nothing of your powers, or how you came to be homeless. Just tell him you lost everything in a fire after your grandmother's death and that you were looking for a new home."
Naruto nodded his understanding, and Itachi thought it best not to disturb his concentration anymore.
It took a while for Naruto to tie the knots the way Sasuke wanted – he still had had to redo his work in a few of them, yet he never complained – but Sasuke said nothing about the ones in the back.
"Fetch that sword for me," Sasuke ordered, pointing at the large one resting against a corner of the room. Sasuke had more than one sword, but that one was the best of all of them. Itachi had seen its sharp, perfect blade of steel that was capable of slicing a man in half with little effort. The handle itself was made of gold, tiny, various jewels incrusted in it to form beautiful patterns. Sasuke only carried it in to the King's presence. If he ever were to go to battle, that was the sword he'd carry with him.
Naruto's hands seemed hesitant in picking up the weapon. He seemed surprised by the absurd heaviness of it, and yet, he carried it to Sasuke with caution, admiration clear in his eyes as well as longing for the object. Itachi watched the display of emotions with interest, but when Naruto gave the sword to his brother, it was with a gesture that stated that he understood that he was unworthy of it. But again, there was passion in his blue orbs as he watched Sasuke easily attaching it to the belt around his waist. He seemed glare at the thing with defiance, as if saying 'I'll be worthy of the likes of you in no time.'
"Put the cloak on me," Sasuke ordered, ever the cold, authoritative one, gesturing to a perfectly folded fabric that Itachi knew to be velvet resting on the table. Naruto moved to pick it up, but his fingers lingered on the velvet for a while before grabbing for it – an action Itachi didn't miss. He wondered if Naruto longed for such garments or if it was who they belonged to that fascinated him.
This was where Itachi's curiosity was severely peaked. If Naruto hadn't figured out what Sasuke was by now, he'd know when the cloak unfolded.
To prove him right, as soon as the fabric was unfolded in his hands, Naruto raised it so he could contemplate it. His chin fell.
Indeed, it was a beautiful cloak, made of dark blue velvet, and yet, it was light. In the back of it, though, the emblem that identified the county's high ranked men could be seen embroidered in silver – a fully bloomed rose with thorns as sharp as fangs.
With trembling hands, Naruto moved to place the cloak over Sasuke's shoulders in an almost reverent way. The younger Uchiha didn't comment, even though there was no way that he didn't know the other one to be moved – or shocked, Itachi couldn't tell. Still, it became apparent that he was trying to read Naruto's demeanor.
The cloak was long and it went all the way down to just a little above Sasuke's ankles so that it didn't brush the floor.
Over his shoulder, Sasuke passed Naruto a brooch made of silver, also with a similar design of a rose. Gulping, the blond moved again so he was in front of him and use the brooch to keep the cloak in place, linked at Sasuke's chest. Once he was done, he fixed Sasuke's appearance as much as he could so he made sure everything was perfectly in place. Itachi had a feeling that he was simply finding an excuse to touch the dark-haired beauty, but Sasuke's eyes – impassive and hard as stone as they were - didn't leave Naruto throughout the unnecessary procedure.
Afterwards, Naruto took two steps back and looked at Sasuke, seeming to take his image in. "You are a knight," he pointed out, voice a lot steadier than Itachi had expected. He seemed a little bewildered, too. "His Majesty's knight…"
"Yes," Sasuke said, with a nod that was surprisingly devoid of arrogance. Somehow, Naruto's weird demeanor seemed to have affected him in some way. "I am. Which is also why the lives Itachi and I have outside of our duties to the King and the kingdom must be kept a secret at all costs. This applies to you, as well. You are like us. If they find us, they will hunt us down." Sasuke considered their new companion for a few seconds before adding "We must protect each other at all costs, Naruto. This trust we are placing upon you mustn't be broken."
Naruto's back straightened at that and he shook his head enthusiastically.
"I will never betray the hand that feeds me! My Lord Itachi will teach me how to control and use my magic," Naruto said, throwing a grateful and eager look towards him. Then, he looked back at Sasuke. "Will you teach me how to fight? How to use a sword like yours? I need to be able to fight if I am to protect the both of you."
Sasuke all but offered him a condescending and mocking half-smile. "You are assuming my brother doesn't know how to use a sword just because he is a physician. He is as qualified at swordsmanship as I am, if not more. It is our nature that needs protection, not our bodies."
Looking from one brother to the other, Naruto seemed even more fascinated than before.
"Still, I have no time to teach him how to handle a sword, Sasuke, when I have so many things in my hands to do, and so many other things about sorcery that he needs to be taught," Itachi offered calmly, easily understanding Naruto's eagerness to be around both of them. "You might as well give him a few pointers when you are available."
Blue eyes lit up with hope, but Sasuke rolled his. "That depends on how efficient he is as your assistant," he replied, running a hand through his hair in annoyance. "Three full moons, Itachi. If he lasts that long around here, I will consider teaching him something. Until then, you do what you have to do."
Itachi nodded solemnly. "We have a deal."
In his excitement, Naruto jumped a little, grinning widely at the youngest Uchiha. "You will not be rid of me as you seem to think!" He said, in a loud, way too happy voice that made Itachi smirk before pointing directly at Sasuke. "I'm here to stay and you better get used to the idea. I'll work hard under my Lord Itachi and prove to you that I'm worthy of being taught!"
"Oh, you'll work hard under him alright," Sasuke taunted, with a repulsed twitch of his nose. "And didn't you say you had nothing to prove to me?"
"Well, since you challenged me, now I decided that I do," the blonde sputtered, as cockishly as humanly possible.
Sasuke sighed and re-adjusted his clothes in spite of Naruto's previous hard work. "It doesn't matter. I'll believe it when I see it. You better clean yourself up and get ready to meet the King. We'll be offending him if we only make an appearance at dinner time. I'll be announcing our presence so His Majesty is ready to receive us."
"Yes, Sasuke! I mean, my Lord!" Naruto said, his tone teasing. However, when he bowed down, he did so in a most graceful and respectful way that seemed to throw the young knight a little off guard.
With one last look at Naruto's bended head, Sasuke seemed to consider something for a while, but then simply walked past him towards the exit with dignified steps. He patted Itachi's shoulder absently when he passed him, and Itachi touched his hand in the briefest of moments before he moved away. Naruto straightened up, and both of them watched the knight leave without another word and close the door behind him.
Naruto released a breath. "Damn fucking handsome bastard," he hissed, shaking his head from side to side with a confused frown. Itachi could all but smile, unsure if he should feel saddened or amused.
Things had taken quite an odd turn, hadn't they? If only Naruto were here to stay, the three of them could actually work towards becoming a real family. Itachi needed a lover and Sasuke needed a friend, someone he could rely on and open his heart to. Someone other than Itachi that could allow him to be himself and not the stone cold perfectionist everybody saw.
But only time would tell. And Itachi could only hope for things to turn out well enough for the three of them.
TBC…
Next part will be updated soon and it will be smutty. Not SIN smutty, but yeah. I'm working this plot a bit so it's not completely PWP. You guys know me; I can't live without adding a bit of romance and emotion to my fics. And Sasuke and Naruto are just begging for it. They just clash and draw each other like magnets whenever they're around each other.
I hope you guys liked it!
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