Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Unbeta'd.
This story is dedicated to Fang Nicole. It is dedicated to Imperial Mint and Frosty Ice Cube. It is dedicated to Gwyllion, Daydreamer79, SangoStar and StarsOfYaoi It is dedicated to EVERYONE who loves the under appreciated, and often hated and scorned pairing, of ItaNaru.
The Four Suits
The River
Naruto tried not to shift as he watched the numbers on the digital alarm clock beside his head switch to show 6.58 am. The sunlight peeking around the heavy curtains illuminated the extravagant room, from the heavy ebony desk and armoire to the bed Naruto was currently sprawled in.
He stifled a sigh as he turned his gaze to the heavy body draped over his. His plan had been to wake, slip out of bed, leave a note saying he received an emergency call and then track down Zetsu to get the hell out of there.
But Itachi had foiled all his plans with his damn over-possessiveness.
He was lying almost completely on top of Naruto, one arm wrapped around his waist, their legs tangled. Even the slightest movement would alert Itachi to his presence, and Naruto had no idea if Itachi was a light sleeper or not.
In actual fact, Naruto was comfortable. He was very comfortable. The bed was the most comfy one Naruto had ever been in, Itachi's body heat was not uncomfortably warm but a lovely addition, and Naruto wanted nothing more than to sink into him, snuggling back and falling into a pleasant sleep.
However, his mind was going a mile a minute.
Naruto's sleep had been fitful, due to the words Itachi had said to him hours earlier. They were the reason he had been almost non-responsive through their second round of sex. The reason he had been lying awake for the last half-hour, staring at the clock.
"You're someone I could end up loving."
Loving. Love. Itachi had said he could end up being in love with Naruto. That was an absolutely terrifying thought. Naruto was supposed to be a normal assistant, simply passing through. Nothing special. Not someone Itachi could love.
The clock flicked to 6.59am and Naruto froze as Itachi shuffled slightly. The older man began to make small, mumbling noises that, at a more appropriate time, Naruto would have found adorable. However, they seemed to signal that he was waking up, so Naruto quickly ran his hands soothingly down Itachi's back, leaning in slightly.
"Shh," he breathed. "Go back to sleep..."
"Mmm..." Itachi buried his face in Naruto's neck, pressing a soft kiss to the skin there. "Na'u...o..."
Naruto held his breath for a moment but then Itachi seemed to settle back down into sleep. Naruto released the breath slowly, closing his eyes in relief.
The alarm clock flicked to 7.00am and Naruto's eyes snapped open as the alarm blared out into the room. Itachi stiffened on top of him before letting out a low groan. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his face to relax as he felt Itachi wake.
Naruto deepened his breathing, hoping to feign sleep. He tossed slightly, scrunching his face up at the noise, and as soon as he heard the alarm switched off he allowed himself to relax again.
"Naruto..." Itachi whispered above him, clearly not talking to him, but at him. "My Naruto..."
The words froze Naruto's heart and he slowly began to 'wake.' He opened his eyes and looked up at Itachi, who was hovering over him. Itachi's sleep-mussed hair fell around his face, and Naruto stared up at his lover. Itachi smiled, a soft and beautiful sight, before leaning down to peck him on the lips.
"Morning," Itachi whispered as he kissed Naruto again. "And a good morning it is."
Itachi placed another couple of quick kisses on Naruto's unresponsive lips before drawing back with a frown.
"What's wrong?" he whispered. Naruto realized he needed to get a grip on things. He wrinkled his nose and pouted up at Itachi.
"You have horrid morning breath," he mumbled. "And I wasn't done sleeping!"
His words seemed to placate Itachi who smiled down at him before shaking his head.
"I forgot the alarm was set," he apologized. "Go back to sleep, and I'll go brush my teeth."
"You're getting up?" Naruto asked with a pout. "Why?"
"I have to check up on some things from Kisame," Itachi whispered as he leaned down to softly kiss away Naruto's pout. "After that call, I'm all yours."
"Come wake me again after that," Naruto demanded, turning his lips away from Itachi's questing ones. "And brush your teeth!"
Itachi let out a low chuckle before he pressed a soft kiss to the side of Naruto's neck and slid out of bed. Naruto shamelessly watched his ass as he strode to a door that clearly led to a bathroom, until the door closed and cut off his view.
With a soft sigh, Naruto sat up. He looked around, slipping from the bed, and spotted his clothes on a chair to the side. He hurried over to them, wrapping a sheet around his waist and tugging it from the bed, and grabbed his pants, tugging out his phone. He sunk down on top of his clothes, his fingers dancing over the pad of the phone as he scrawled out a desperate message to Kiba.
'Call me! Call me! Call me!'
His phone buzzed after a minute and Naruto answered it, just as the door to the bathroom opened again.
"The hell, man! You know we're not supposed to have contact!"
"Oh my God," Naruto whispered, clutching the phone tight and ignoring the looks he knew Itachi was giving him. "Is-is she ok?"
"The fuck? What are you on about?"
"Of course!" Naruto continued, ignoring Kiba completely. "What hospital?"
Itachi had crossed the room to him now and was standing to the side.
"Hospital? Naruto are you ok?"
"Right, I'll be there as soon as I can," Naruto promised. "Ok, I'll call you when I get there. Ok. Yes. Bye."
"Hey! Don't hang up on m-"
Naruto hung up the phone, looking up at Itachi with wide eyes. Itachi reached out to run a soothing hand through his hair, and Naruto clutching the phone tight.
"I have to go," he whispered. "I have to go... now."
"Of course," Itachi murmured. "I wish I could accompany you, but..."
"Yes, Kisame," Naruto said with a nod. "It's ok. I'll be fine."
"Zetsu will drive you," Itachi said with a nod, turning to get dressed. "And call me after."
"Right," Naruto said with a nod. He scrambled to get dressed, tugging on the clothes from the night before in record speed. As soon as he was dressed he turned to find Itachi watching him and began to edge towards the door. "I have to go."
"I'll walk you out," Itachi said. He took Naruto's hand and led him down the hall and through a maze of corridors until they reached the large front doors.
"Thank you," Naruto whispered, aware of the sombre mood hovering over them. Itachi paused, brushing a hand against Naruto's scratched cheek.
"I do wish today could have been different," Itachi murmured as he leaned down. "But it was enough that I got to wake up with you in my arms."
Naruto's breath caught at the words, words he would have loved to hear in any other circumstances. He leaned into the hand for a moment, closing his eyes for a moment.
Kiba. Gaara. Shikamaru. Temari. Ino. Iruka. Chouji. Asuma. Kankuro.
The names flashed through his mind and he stepped away from Itachi's hand with a low sigh.
"Thank you," he repeated before reaching for the doorknob. "I'll call you."
--
Naruto had thought he was clever, getting Zetsu to drop him off at a hospital, until he realized he was stranded at a random hospital. He had panicked for a moment before his brain caught up with him, and he called a cab.
On the ride home, he took a deep breath and tried to clear his thoughts. Itachi hinted he could fall in love with him. Itachi was acting like a lover. A caring, considering, perfect lover. And Naruto was so tempted to allow him to be one. He wanted to simply sink into Itachi's arms, to sink into the relationship, but he knew he couldn't.
His phone rang and Naruto jumped slightly. He eyed the caller ID and relaxed as soon as he saw that it was Kiba. He answered it immediately.
"Kiba! So sorry about befo-"
"Naruto."
Naruto froze at the voice, biting his lip nervously.
"Hey, Gaara," he said, looking around as though he expected Gaara to pop up. And he might. Gaara was creepy like that. "What's up?"
"You called Kiba." Gaara's monotone hadn't changed a bit. "And you saw Shikamaru."
"I, uh, sent a text to Kiba," Naruto corrected. "And I saw Shikamaru and Ino! Oh wait that doesn't help m-"
"You know the rules," Gaara growled. "No contact. You broke the rules."
"I always break the rules, Gaara!" Naruto complained. "Come on!"
"Not this time, Naruto," Gaara snarled. "This time you-"
"I slept with Itachi," Naruto interrupted. "I slept with him. Last night. And Gaara, he's eating out the palm of my hand."
"...well, this changes things," Gaara sounded exactly the same, although Naruto knew he was pleased. "How long until it happens?"
"Soon," Naruto said as he looked out the window. "It'll happen soon."
--
"Perfect. Beyond perfect. Is there anything beyond perfect, brother?"
"No."
"Sound a little more enthusiastic, will you?"
"I am. It'll all be happening soon. The showdown."
"...right."
--
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched his phone, set to silence, buzz against his coffee table. He looked out at the setting sun for a moment before turning back to the phone. It was Itachi, of course. He had been ringing every so often for the last couple of hours.
Naruto hadn't answered.
Sighing softly he rose from his chair, crossing to the kitchen. He dug through the cupboards until he found a cup of instant ramen before reaching over to flick on the electric kettle.
As the water began to slowly boil beside him, Naruto watched his now-silent phone. He just wanted to get this all over and done with. He wanted to release the Shadow Possession Virus and leave. He wanted to do it before Itachi really got to him, before he didn't want to leave.
The kettle clicked and Naruto sighed as he poured the ramen into his cup. He set the top down before crossing to the table. He picked his phone up and carried it to his jacket, hanging on the hat stand in the hall. He dumped his phone in his pocket, turning his back on the jacket. There. Now he could honestly say he didn't hear his phone.
Hurrying back to the kitchen, Naruto tore the top off his ramen. He dunked his chopsticks into the noddles, swirling them around, before he sat down to consume his meal.
Before he could get the first bite to his mouth, there was a knock at the door.
Groaning, Naruto rose irritably, stomping down the hall to the door. He unlocked it quickly, tugging it open.
Naruto paled at the sight of Itachi standing on his doorstep, hand poised to knock again.
"Naruto," Itachi smiled down at him. "I tried calling you but you didn't answer."
"Itachi…" Naruto took a couple of steps back. "M-My phone… it's on silent…"
"Hn," Itachi stepped into the apartment uninvited, sweeping past Naruto to the kitchen. His eyes fell on the ramen cup and he turned back to Naruto. "You were eating?"
"Um, yes," Naruto mumbled, shuffling into the room. "I just got back."
"And you're eating that?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow. Naruto scowled at him, crossing his arms.
"What's wrong with ramen?" he demanded. "I happen to love ramen! It is the most nutritional food-"
Naruto was cut off by soft lips pressed against his. Itachi wrapped his arms loosely around Naruto, drawing him close into a comforting embrace as their lips moved together.
"Itachi," Naruto breathed as they parted. "I…"
"Shh," Itachi hushed him with another kiss. "It's ok. I won't ask what happen if you don't want me to."
"It's ok," Naruto mumbled, leaning against Itachi's chest. "Just a friend. His girlfriend had a really bad allergic reaction. She almost died."
Itachi wrapped his arms around Naruto holding him close. Naruto allowed himself to relax with a gentle sigh. He knew Itachi probably wasn't there for a hug, but he still enjoyed it, hoping that he didn't try anything. It would be rude, after all. Naruto was worried about Kiba's imaginary girlfriend.
Naruto peeked up at Itachi through lowered lashes, pouting slightly. He had to keep up his act until this thing was over. Then he could forget about Itachi. Hopefully.
"I hope you didn't come all this way just to ask how I was doing," Naruto murmured as he pushed his body fully against Itachi's. "If you did, I should make it up to you."
Itachi's eyelids lowered as lust filled his eyes, but he placed firm hands on Naruto's shoulders, pushing him back. He looked down into Naruto's eyes, tilting his chin up as he did so.
"Naruto, you just got back from the hospital," he said. "You were up early this morning. I don't think you're up for more than a couple of kisses. You should go to bed."
"Bed?" Naruto mumbled. Bed actually sounded really good right about now. "Will you come with me?"
Itachi chuckled, wrapping his arms back around Naruto.
"How can I refuse?"
--
"...What do you know?"
"What?"
"You know something. What do you know?"
"I know nothing."
"You can't lie to me. Tell me."
"What's in it for me?"
"What?"
"An exchange. I'll tell you what I know for some information."
"Hmm... what do you want to know?"
"You're close with Itachi, yes?"
"Relatively."
"How much does he trust you?"
--
Naruto groaned as he was slowly pulled back into wakefulness. His eyes flittered open, looking around his dark room for the source of the irritating noise.
His eyes fell on a note on his pillow, the perfect handwriting easily recognizable. Picking it up, Naruto read the message from Itachi.
Naruto,
I received a call and had to leave. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, but you were fast asleep. I'm surprised the phone or my leaving didn't wake you.
I've set the alarm for you. Don't go back to sleep. If you sleep again you won't sleep tonight. I'll see you as soon as I can. I have an early meeting tomorrow but after that I'm free.
Yours,
Itachi.
Naruto sighed as he reached over and switched off the alarm. He remembered a vague dream that included someone running a hand through his hair and kissing him. It must have been Itachi.
Naruto stretched as he sat up on the bed. He twisted his head to remove the cricks before rising and stumbling to the bathroom. As soon as he was done in there he made his way out to the kitchen. To his surprise, there were a couple of Chinese take-away containers on the table, and another note.
Naruto,
Don't eat that junk. Heat this up.
Itachi
Squashing the temptation to eat ramen just to spite Itachi, Naruto picked up one of the cartons. He opened it, looking inside before pouting. It looked good. With a sigh he grabbed the others and dumped them into the microwave, closing the door and hitting the buttons quickly.
As the food began to heat up Naruto leant his hip against the counter. He was determined not to think of Itachi, so he forced his thoughts to a different topic.
His parents.
Since the unpleasant encounter Naruto had managed to keep them from his head. However, it was only a matter of time before they demanded contact again. Maybe if he agreed to meet them for lunch they would back off. He could make it a standing date – they would meet for lunch once a week, and in exchange they would leave him alone.
He reminded himself to call Sai as well. He wanted to know who had been following him, and he was sure Sai knew by now. He was probably just waiting for Naruto to call him. He was weird like that.
Opening the microwave after it beeped, Naruto pulled out the containers. He sat down at the table, digging out an egg roll and chewing on it thoughtfully.
He was going to try and infect Itachi's computer as soon as possible. Monday, if he could. If he couldn't get the password he might be able to wait until Itachi left for some reason and simply activate the program then. That, of course, was risky. Itachi might come back at any moment and catch Naruto on his computer.
Sighing, Naruto snapped open his chopsticks, digging into the Singapore noodles.
It would all come down to Monday. Naruto just wanted to get this over with! As soon as the computer was infected he simply had to see if anyone noticed it, and if they didn't he would be able to quit. Without notice. He'd simply vanish.
Naruto's phone buzzed and he almost dropped his chopsticks. Growling at being interrupted he reached over and grabbed the phone, barely glancing at the number before he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Uzumaki."
Naruto wanted to groan. It was that Hyuuga prick.
"Can I help you, Mr. Hyuuga?" he asked politely. You conceited ass.
"No. I can help you."
"With what?" Naruto asked, poking at his food.
"On Monday, I will demand a lunch meeting with Itachi to discuss how to handle a particularly difficult client. He will bring Kisame with him. His secretaries and Tobi will be out on their lunch break. You will decline all invitations to join them."
"Now, wait a minute! You can't tell me what to d-"
"During this time," Hyuuga continued, ignoring Naruto. "You will go to Itachi's office. You will log onto his computer using the password: Shisui. You will infect it. You will continue coming to work for the rest of the week, you will continue your affair with Itachi for the rest of the week. On Friday night you will decline all invitations to meet with Itachi, saying you will be attempting to reconcile with your parents. At eight o'clock precisely a car will arrive at your apartment. You will get in the car and vanish. Itachi will assume your parents convinced you to return to them. You will have no further contact with my cousin. Any questions?"
Silence filled the small apartment, broken only by the sound of Naruto dropping his chopsticks.
"How do you spell Shisui?"
--
"Love, you know I've been completely honest with you, right?"
"Of course. You can never keep secrets from me!"
"Stop that! Keep your hands over there! Now, I've been completely honest with you, but I know that you have not been completely honest with me."
"..."
"Well?"
"Soon, love, soon. I promise, it will all make sense soon."
"It had better! We don't have much time!"
"We don't?"
"Monday. It's happening Monday."
--
The bath was full. The candles were lit. A bowl of strawberries sat beside the bath, right beside the two glasses and bottle of wine.
Naruto smiled as he surveyed his handy work, sprinkling a few more rose petals into the tub. He had received a call from Itachi an hour ago, and the man had said he was exhausted from a 3am conference call and the meeting that morning. As Naruto drew the blinds against the Sunday sun, he inhaled deeply, wondering if Itachi liked the vanilla scent that filled the room.
A knock sounded through the apartment and Naruto's breath quickened. He dashed through the apartment to the front door, flinging it open. Despite being very tired, Itachi still looked as gloriously handsome as ever.
"Come in!" Naruto demanded, stepping to the side to let his boss in. He noted the way Itachi's ran down his body with a small smile. He had worn the dark red silk robe on purpose – it was short and showed off his legs.
"Afternoon," Itachi greeted as he leant down for a kiss. Naruto wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck, tasting his mouth greedily. Itachi let out a slight grunt before wrapping his own arms around Naruto's waist. When they pulled back, Itachi rested his forehead on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, I'm exhausted."
"I know," Naruto said, fiddling with Itachi's hair. "So I ran us a bath and opened a bottle of wine. We can soak, you can relax, and then I'll tuck you into bed."
"Sounds heavenly," Itachi mumbled. "But I don't want to intrude."
"Of course not," Naruto said, dragging Itachi towards the bathroom. He tugged off Itachi's tie, swiftly unbuttoning his shirt. "I want you to relax."
Itachi allowed the undressing, his hands running over Naruto's silk-clad body. As soon as he was stripped Naruto began to push him towards the large bathtub. Itachi climbed in, sinking into the hot water with a groan. Naruto smiled, pouring two glasses of wine before dropping his robe. He could see Itachi eyeing him with interest, but he knew the man was too tired to do anything.
Naruto slipped into the bath with him, settling between spread legs. He leaned back against Itachi's chest, handing the man a glass of wine. Itachi took it with a nod, sipping the alcohol with a sigh.
"This is wonderful," he whispered into Naruto's hair. "You didn't need to do this."
"I was bored," Naruto said with a shrug. "I wanted to."
"Thank you," Itachi breathed. Naruto smiled, picking up one of the strawberries and offering it to the man over his shoulder. Itachi took a bite, humming his appreciation of the taste. Naruto grinned, eating the rest himself before reaching for another.
Naruto slowly fed Itachi and himself, his grin growing as the bowl emptied, along with the bottle of wine. The water began to grow cold and Itachi's eyelids began to droop, so Naruto wiggled slightly before rising. He picked up a towel, turning to hand it to the rising Itachi. As soon as they were both dried, he pulled the plug, blew out the candles and took Itachi's hand. He led him to the bed, gesturing for him to get in. Itachi sunk beneath the covers with a grateful smile.
"Don't let me sleep past four," he warned. Naruto rolled his eyes but set the alarm anyway. He turned back to see Itachi almost asleep and quickly slid into bed with him. Itachi's arms came around him instantly, and the man sighed before drifting off to sleep. Naruto watched his features for a moment before smiling widely.
Itachi would have no idea what hit him.
--
"So, it's happening, brother?"
"Yes. In less than twenty-four hours, all our planning will come to fruition."
Kankuro smirked down at his little brother, reaching out to ruffle Gaara's hair, which he hated.
"Everything is going to according to plan."
--
"Finally!" Naruto hissed as loud as he could without waking Itachi. "I was beginning to think you'd never call!"
"Why are you whispering?"
"No reason," Naruto muttered, glancing down at Itachi. He knew Shikamaru would hang up the second he found out Naruto was in the same room as Itachi. "What did you find?"
"Nothing,"
"What! Fat lot of help you are!"
"Moron. I found nothing because there was nothing to find. Pein is making it all up. There's no loophole. There isn't anything. He's clearly just trying to bluff his way into compensation."
"Can you prove there's not loophole?" Naruto asked, reaching for the pen on his bedside table, snatching up a piece of paper on the way.
"Yes. Section fifty-eight, section C, sub-section D-6, paragraph five."
"Bloody hell," Naruto mumbled, scrawling it down. "So that's it?"
"No. The sixth footnote for that section is it."
"Gah! Alright, got it. Thanks, Shika, you're the best!"
"Don't call me that. And don't ring me again!"
Naruto grinned as Shikamaru hung up on him, looking down at the piece of paper. It made him feel a bit better, knowing that he was saving the company money, which he would probably end up stealing anyway.
A glance over at the clock told him it was three-thirty. Itachi wouldn't wake for another half-hour. Sliding from the bed, Naruto went to find the second copy of the company paper work so he could have it ready for when Itachi woke.
--
"I did what you asked."
"Yes, I know."
"Where will you all go?"
"We all agreed its best not to know. However, I'm sure Shikamaru and Ino will be going to the Caribbean. Chouji, France. Kankuro and Temari have their sights set on Italy. The others, I don't know."
"And you?"
Gaara smirked up into pale eyes, drinking in the desire and possessiveness that was always so clear in Neji's expressions.
"I am going nowhere. I recall being told I'm not allowed to."
--
Naruto let out a pitiful moan as he felt Itachi shuffle beside him. A low chuckle filled his ears as a hand ran down his back.
"Don't worry," Itachi whispered in his ear before biting it. "I'm just going to call Kisame."
Naruto watched through hazy eyes as Itachi slid from the bed, crossing from the room. He was probably headed for the bathroom where his pants – and his phone- were.
After he had woken, Naruto had shown him the footnote, claiming to have found it on his own. Itachi had sat down to read it, his expression serious, and as soon as he had finished he had calmly set the papers aside before pouncing on Naruto. He showed Naruto his appreciation quite thoroughly, several times, until the younger man could barely move.
Now, Naruto buried his face into the pillow before him, wincing at the pain in his ass. He was glad that Itachi was happy, but he could have paced himself.
Turning his head to the side, Naruto reached out and fumbled in the drawer next to him until he found a packet of aspirin. He popped out two tablets, dropping the rest back into the drawer, and dry-swallowed them. Sighing, he waited for them to begin their work. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such great sex.
The door shutting drew Naruto's attention over his shoulder. Itachi was back, his phone in hand. He smirked at Naruto as he set it on the dressed, stalking towards the bed.
"Kisame double checked," Itachi said, his deep voice taking on a velvet quality. "He's scheduled a meeting with Pein for tomorrow."
Naruto's eyes widened as Itachi reached the bed and began to crawl towards him, his movements as seductive as a panther. Despite everything, he could feel his body taking an interest. He could see that Itachi's was too. Naruto couldn't believe his body was up for another round. But it seemed it was. As so was Itachi's.
"Have I told you how thankful I am?"
--
"So, Monday,"
"Yes. Are you going to tell them what you did?"
"Yes. I just... I have to. I got to know them, I feel bad for deceiving them. I have to at least tell Naruto."
"I know, love. But remember, your first allegiance is to me."
"Of course! Always! You're the reason I met them in the first place. If I hadn't gone undercover for you... and I still don't understand why I had to be the one to infiltrate the group."
"Because I'm a very well known Private Investigator. At least one of them would have known me."
"Still... I didn't like being apart from you..."
Kakashi chuckled as he ran a hand down Iruka's face.
"I know, dolphin."
--
Monday came, and the weather seemed to reflect Naruto's intentions; it was dark, cloudy and pouring down with rain. The young assistant swore as he raced into the lobby, hiding from the rain. He hated that his bus stop was so far down the street. He was drenched.
Sighing and shaking out his hair, he nodded to Kurenai as he hurried to the elevator. He stepped in to the empty box, wrapping his arms around himself as the cold began to set in. He quickly swiped his card, hitting the button for the top floor as he did so.
The elevator never used to be this slow, Naruto was sure. It knew what he was doing, and was being slow on purpose. At least, that's what Naruto thought.
When he finally reached the top floor he raced down between the offices to Itachi's. He hurried in, past Sasori, who automatically reached for a cup of coffee Naruto didn't place down. It seemed to startle the man, who blinked, staring down at his hand, before looking up at Naruto.
"S-Sorry," Naruto said, his teeth chattering. "N-Not this mo-morning."
"Hmm..." Sasori turned back to his computer. "Go use Itachi's shower. Leave your clothes outside the door, I'll have them dried."
Naruto blinked, startled. He was sure that was the most Sasori had said to him since the interview. Nodding, he raced into Itachi's office, hurrying to the private bathroom. He switched on the water in the shower, and stripped as he waited for it to heat up. He dumped his clothes outside the door, briefly wondering if it was good for the carpet or not, before racing back in to adjust the water and hop in the shower.
The hot water pouring over his cold body was heaven. Naruto sighed softly as the water heated his cool skin, grinning in delight at the feeling. He turned around, letting the water pour directly onto his back and moaned at the feeling.
"I should come in early more often."
Naruto yelped, spinning around. Standing by the door, watching him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, stood Itachi.
"Ah..." Naruto blushed scarlet, looking away. "Sorry! I got drenched walking from the bus, and Sasori said it was ok to take a shower and-"
Naruto stopped abruptly as Itachi began to remove his own shirt. Naruto backed himself up against the cool tile as Itachi stripped before sauntering towards the shower, completely naked.
"Nn... you have work!" Naruto squeaked. "You can't- we can't- nn!"
Itachi opened the door to the shower, stepping in and under the spray. The hot water poured over his body, and Naruto began to shiver. Itachi reached out, tugging him into his arms in one swift movement, causing him to blush scarlet.
"I don't have any meetings until this afternoon," Itachi breathed against Naruto's lips as he tilted his head up. "I can afford to waste some time."
His lips covered Naruto's, swallowing any protests he might have made. Naruto had a million and one protests at the front of his mind, but all were useless without the use of his lips. With a mental shrug, Naruto leaned into Itachi, running his hands over his smooth chest as Itachi's hands wandered south.
Naruto let out a muffled moan as one of Itachi's hands grabbed a palm-full of cheek, while the other slid until his fingers were hovering in Naruto's cleft. Naruto let out a soft gasp as the fingers dipped in, rubbing against Naruto's entrance. Itachi continued to squeeze Naruto's ass with his other hand, while the younger man simply grabbed his shoulders and held on.
Itachi's fingers, wet from the shower, pushed forward until one of them slipped in. Naruto squirmed slightly, trying to get at a better angle, and then squeaked as Itachi wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Legs up," Itachi panted as their lips finally parted. "Around my waist."
Naruto obeyed, wrapping his arms around Itachi's shoulders and jumping. Mid-jump, his legs shot out, snaking awkwardly around Itachi's waist. Itachi used his free hand to secure him, pushing Naruto up against the wall as he did so. Naruto leaned his head back as Itachi began to suck on his neck, another finger sliding in. Reaching up past Itachi, Naruto adjusted the showerhead until water was pouring directly on them.
Itachi bit down on Naruto's neck, stretching him eagerly. Naruto mewled as another finger joined the others, pushing down on them. He purposefully squeezed his muscles down on the fingers, smirking at Itachi's growl.
Itachi pulled the fingers from Naruto, glaring at his lover. Naruto winked cheekily at him, causing Itachi to growl again before shifting back, making sure the water was covering his cock. As soon as he deemed it wet enough, he moved back, positioning himself at Naruto's entrance.
"Tease," he whispered into Naruto's neck. Naruto nodded in agreement, trying to push down on Itachi's cock.
"Yes, yes," he moaned. "I am. I'm horrible for teasing you! Punish me!"
Hissing, Itachi slammed Naruto down onto his cock in once swift move. Naruto let out a pleasure-filled scream, his fingers digging into Itachi's shoulders. Itachi waited patiently, allowing Naruto to adjust as he nipped at the long tan neck before him.
Naruto took a couple of deep breaths before leaning in to bite Itachi's ear lightly.
"Bastard," he mumbled. "Are you trying to kill me? Yesterday, this, and I'm guessing tonight."
"Try lunch," Itachi corrected as he gave an experimental thrust. Naruto moaned softly. "And then this afternoon. And tonight. And then all over again tomorrow."
Naruto let out a soft gasp as Itachi began to thrust slowly. His arms snaked around Itachi's neck as the man struck his prostate repeatedly. Naruto rocked into the thrusts, the water flowing over them making his head spin and his already heated body even hotter.
He didn't last long, especially once Itachi began to pump his cock, and soon was crying out his orgasm into Itachi's mouth. Itachi managed three more thrusts before he filled Naruto, his teeth sinking into a tan shoulder.
Itachi sunk slowly to the floor, taking Naruto with him. Naruto curled into Itachi's body, allowing the man to press soft kisses to his lips and face. He was lifted briefly, and Itachi slid out of him, before he was returned to that lovely chest.
Itachi moved about, cleaning them up and switching off the water. He gathered Naruto up, shaking him slightly to rouse him from his half-slumber. Naruto mumbled lightly, taking the offered towel as Itachi set him on his feet. They dried quickly, and Itachi dressed while Naruto remained wrapped up in his large, fluffy towel.
Itachi opened the door to his office, smirking as he saw Naruto's clothes weren't there yet.
"Guess you'll be wearing that towel awhile longer."
--
Naruto sighed as he rolled over on the couch. Itachi, seated at his computer working, didn't seem to notice. Naruto rolled his eyes and continued playing his game on his palm pilot.
After Sasori had returned his clothes, Naruto had gotten dressed in the bathroom, much to Itachi's disappointment. After that he asked if Itachi needed anything, and had been told to sit on the couch. After ten minutes of silence he asked why he was sitting on the couch and Itachi had calmly told him that he liked him there. Naruto had scowled before he began playing his game.
The door opened to admit Kisame, and Naruto looked up eagerly. He was bloody bored, hyper and nervous. Not a good combination.
"Hey, boss," Kisame greeted. "Got the latest. Bloody Mist are requesting another meeting today or tomorrow-"
"Today is too short notice. Schedule it for tomorrow afternoon and let them know how much they're putting us out."
"Right. Pein is scheduled for two o'clock this afternoon. Half the board has requested that they be allowed to attend. The other half is demanding it. I believe they want to see his face rubbed in his failure-"
"Allow it. Tell them to bring their secretaries. I want that man as embarrassed as possible."
"Right. Now, I got a call from Neji-"
Naruto resisted the urge to sit up straight at that.
"-he is demanding a lunch meeting with you."
"Did he say why?"
"No. Something about a difficult client he is seconds away from strangling."
"Hn. Schedule it."
"Ok. Now, people on Sasuke's floor have been complaining about the noise coming out of his office-"
Naruto tuned out, flopping down on the couch. It was happening. It was really happening. He had half expected Neji to bail on him. But... it was... he would...
By Friday, he was going to be gone.
Naruto didn't know if he should be relieved or devastated.
--
The hours dragged by. Naruto could barely keep his eyes from the time on his phone. As soon as it was quarter to, Itachi rose. Naruto bounced to his feet, crossing the room to Itachi. Itachi smirked down at him, wrapping an arm around his waist and tugging him close. Naruto tilted his head up and allowed his lips to be devoured.
A cough at the door drew them apart, and Naruto looked around to see Kisame watching them from the door. Naruto winked at him, causing the man to roll his eyes, and Itachi to growl slightly. Naruto leant his cheek on Itachi's chest, sighing softly as the man gave his waist a squeeze.
"I have to go," Itachi murmured. "I'll see you after lunch."
"Mmk," Naruto mumbled, stepping back. "See you later."
Itachi dropped another quick kiss onto Naruto's lips before leaving. Naruto waited a full five minutes before he dashed to the computer. Shaking the mouse cleared up the screensaver of floating bubbles, and revealed a log in screen. Naruto gulped slightly, and sat down, fingers poised over the keys.
Quickly, he tapped out the word Shisui and hit enter. He bit his lip for a moment as little Uchiha symbol turned in a circle before the words Welcome, Itachi Uchiha, flashed across the screen.
Naruto let out a deep breath in relief before reaching into his pocket for the USB. He plugged it in, opened the command box and took another deep breath.
Typing quickly, he activated the Shadow Possession Virus. For a brief moment, much to Naruto's amusement, a black silhouette of Shikamaru flashed on the screen before the desktop looked exactly the same as it always did. Naruto closed down the command box and moved the mouse down, aiming for the start menu, but paused, a folder catching his eye.
It was labelled Naruto.
Frowning, Naruto moved the mouse to double click on it, but his phone chose that moment to ring. Naruto quickly right clicked on the folder, hit copy and opened up his USB. Hitting paste, he dug his phone out.
"Hello?"
"You better be in his office."
"Ahh, Mr. Hyuuga," Naruto couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "How pleasant to hear from you again."
"Are you in his office?"
"I'm already done," Naruto snapped. "Calm down!"
"Good. He'll be here soon. Remember, eight o'clock Friday."
"Got it," Naruto hung up immediately, not wanting to hear anything else the man had to say. He frowned as he saw the folder was still copying. Just how large was it?
Sighing, Naruto spun around in the chair, looking out at the fantastic view. He just stared at the clouds and sky scrapers for a moment before spinning back to the computer.
After a moment, the window announced the folder was done copying. Exiting the window, Naruto safely ejected the USB before grabbing it and logging off. Setting the chair back the way it was, he quickly crossed to leave, his curiosity as high as his satisfaction.
--
Naruto was going to kill Tobi, it was as simple as that. He had rushed into their office, eager to see what the hell was on the 'Naruto' file, but Tobi had been there, and been bored. Now, three hours, a paper football tournament and five prank calls to Sasori later, Naruto was ready to kill him.
Commotion outside, loud enough to reach them even in their office, finally shut Tobi up. They both exchanged a look before hurrying out to see what was happening.
It seemed that every executive, VP and manager was out on the floor. They were standing around, laughing and clapping each other on the back. Tobi and Naruto stepped out into the hallway, and Kisame seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked, eyeing the happy men surrounding them.
"Pein," Kisame said with his own evil grin. "He showed up to the meeting, thinking we were going cave to his demands, and Itachi just turned the whole thing on him. It was fantastic. We even managed to hold him there for an hour. It was incredible to watch him squirm."
"Cool," Naruto agreed. "So that's why everyone's so happy."
"Yep," Kisame's grin grew. "Most of us are going out after work for a drink to celebrate. You two in?"
Tobi chirped his agreement, but Naruto's eye was caught on Itachi, across the hall and leaning against a wall, watching him with intense eyes.
"No thanks, Kisame," he heard himself saying as he began to move, back towards Itachi's office. "I think I'll be attending a private celebration."
Stepping back into the office, Naruto passed by Sasori's desk and straight into Itachi's office. Grinning, he sauntered over to Itachi's couch, stretching out on it and waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
Itachi always moved so gracefully, Naruto couldn't help but think. Like a panther. Even as he dropped his knees on either side of Naruto's body. Even as his hands slid up Naruto's shirt to race over his skin. Even as they fell into a shuddering heap on the couch, where all their grace should have faded.
Yes, Naruto thought as he allowed Itachi to devour him. Itachi was graceful, not only in his physical actions but in the way he conducted his business, his life.
After the whole mess was over, Naruto wished he had realized just how graceful Itachi was.
--
Surprisingly, the week flew by. Naruto had expected every day to drag on, but the time went so fast. They alternated between spending the nights at Itachi's stunning mansion and Naruto's shabby apartment. They had sex frequently, so much so that Naruto felt like a teenager.
So when Friday arrived, he had to force himself to act completely normal. He woke up wrapped around Itachi, initiated a bout of shower sex, allowed the man to drag him to work despite his own suggestion of crawling back into bed, and sulked for the morning over it. Lunch rolled around, and Naruto perked up. Itachi took him down to a nice ramen restaurant where he allowed Naruto to try and eat his weight in ramen.
The afternoon found Naruto lying on Itachi's sofa, clutching his stomach and moaning. Itachi had no sympathy for him, and simply ignored him and continued to work. As soon as his stomach-ache passed, he had crawled under Itachi's desk and proceeded to suck him to the edge of an orgasm. When he had Itachi swearing and panting he drew back, darting out of the room with an evil laugh.
It took Itachi less than five minutes to catch him and drag him back into the office to finish what he started.
All too soon it was five o'clock, and everyone had begun to head home, Naruto waited nervously for Itachi's invitation for dinner. It happened every afternoon.
"Naruto," Itachi didn't look up from where he was packing up his briefcase. "My house or yours tonight?"
"Um, actually neither," Naruto said, resisting the urge to wring his hands. "I... I'm meeting with my parents tonight."
Itachi paused, looking up at him with unreadable eyes.
"Do you need me to attend?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. Naruto shook his head.
"No, it's best if I do this on my own," he said with a shrug. "I want things to be good between us. I'm not gonna go work for them, but anything is better than nothing."
"A good approach," Itachi murmured. He grabbed the briefcase and crossed towards the door, Naruto hurrying to join him. "What about after?"
"I'll give you a call after," Naruto said. "I don't know what time I'll be free..."
"It doesn't matter," Itachi said, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Naruto's lips. "Call me when you can. Now, I'll drop you home."
"You mean Zetsu will drop me home. You'll molest me in the back seat."
"And you'll love it."
"...bastard."
--
As soon as Itachi was gone, Naruto hurried into the house, racing to his room. He dug out the boxes and bags he had stored under there and began to pack in a frenzy. Pausing only to put on a CD and turn the volume up dangerously loud, Naruto quickly tried to pack up everything he hadn't been able to subtly pack in the last week, in two and a half hours.
With fifteen minutes to spare, Naruto managed to gather up all his personal items and necessary clothes, leaving behind the bed sheets, furniture and kitchenware. He could always buy new ones.
At eight o'clock precisely the doorbell rang and Naruto quickly answered it. A number of burly men stepped straight into his apartment, followed by a small, petite girl of around seventeen with familiar eyes. Eyes just like Neji's.
"You are Naruto Uzumaki, yes?" she said, her voice soft but firm. Naruto nodded. "My name is Hanabi Hyuuga, these men will take your things to the waiting car. You will then be taken across town to a secure location where you will stay until you decide on which country you wish to move to. Any questions?"
"Um, yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "You related to Neji?"
"Neji is my cousin," the girl said. "we're leaving now."
Turning on her heel, she left the apartment. Naruto scurried after her, and was followed by the men, each carrying a couple of boxes. Hanabi led the way to a long black limo with tinted windows, opening the back door for Naruto. Naruto climbed in, watching as the men packed his things into a number of black SUVs. He settled in, opening the bag he had managed to grab and pulled out his laptop.
Starting it up, he dropped the bag to the ground of the car. To his surprise, a USB slid out. Frowning, Naruto reached down and picked it up, wondering where it came from.
His eyes widened as he realized it was the USB containing the Shadow Possession Virus. The one Shikamaru had told him to destroy as soon as it was used.
"Whoops!" Naruto quickly grabbed it. He was ready to break it when he remembered what else it contained. "Oh! The folder!"
Plugging it in and opening it up, he double-clicked on the folder labelled 'Naruto.' He eagerly leaned in, wondering what it held.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he found.
Photos. Hundreds and hundreds of photos. They were all labelled with a year, date and age. They dated from the day Naruto had copied the folder all the way back to when he was a baby! There were so many, and on closer inspection Naruto discovered they weren't all recently collected – the properties told him some had been collected years ago.
Itachi had been watching him for a very long time.
His breath coming quickly, Naruto quickly deleted the folder, both from the USB and the Recycling Bin. As soon as that was done he ripped the USB out, resting it on the floor of the car and quickly raised his shoe. He brought his foot down, slamming his heel onto the little device. It made a crunching sound, but otherwise looked unharmed. Naruto scooped it up and then scrambled forward to tap on the dividing screen. It slid down to reveal Hanabi sitting in the passenger seat.
"Um, can you run over this please?" Naruto asked, holding up the USB. Hanabi frowned, but took it anyway. "Thanks. And can you really crush it?"
"Um... sure," she said, giving him an odd look. The dividing screen went back up and Naruto crawled back to his seat with a slight blush. Being in a limo reminded him of all the times he and Itachi had spent in a limo...
The car rolled forward suddenly, and then stopped, throwing Naruto around. It reversed, repeated, and then repeated again. Naruto heard a door open and close, and then the door beside him was opening, and a plain looking man handed him a handkerchief.
"Your USB, sir," he said. Naruto took it and the man left, shutting the door firmly behind him. Naruto looked around, and then grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge. He unwrapped the handkerchief, dumped the broken contents in a glass, before uncapping the water and filling it.
There was no way anyone would be able to salvage it now.
--
Itachi Uchiha swirled the wine in his glass before taking a sip. He watched the fire dance before him as he savoured the delicious taste, allowing the warmth to sink into his body.
The door creaked open, and a maid silently crossed the room, holding out a piece of paper to him. Itachi took it with a nod, opening it as she vanished.
Itachi memorized the information written on the paper before nodding, and tossing it into the fire. He took another sip of wine before turning to his guests.
"Shall we discuss my plans for your son now, Mr. And Senator Namikaze-Kitsune?"
--
The house was plain, small and furnished. Naruto simply sat down on the bed, curling his knees up to his chest. He sat in silence for a moment before a single tear slid down his scratched face.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this..." he whispered. "It wasn't..."
He was supposed to be happy. He was supposed to leave with a spring in his step and relief in his heart. Not...all depressed. He wasn't supposed to feel like this! He shouldn't want to go see Kisame and Tobi. He shouldn't want to gossip with Haku in the cafeteria. He shouldn't want to crawl onto Itachi's lap and kiss him until they were both on the verge of fainting from lack of oxygen!
Itachi. How Naruto longed for him. Knowing they would never be together again made Naruto's chest ache. He just wanted him to be there, holding him, kissing him and making love to him.
Naruto's head shot up and his eyes widened. He wasn't... he couldn't be in love with Itachi, could he? But... the ache in his heart, the tears in his eyes, and the despair he was feeling seemed to indicate he was.
"No," Naruto moaned, falling down onto the bed. "I can't! I can't love him!"
But no matter how much he denied it he knew it was true. Somehow he had fallen in love with Itachi Uchiha.
"Oh God..." Naruto rolled over and sobbed into his pillow. "No! No! No! No! I don't want to be in love!"
--
"I think this has gone on long enough."
Neji Hyuuga paused, his pen hovering over some documents he was signing. He looked up, raising his eyebrows at his cousin who was standing in the door of his office. It was late, around nine-thirty, and Neji was sure he was the only one left at the office.
"Can I help you with something, Itachi?" he asked with a smile. Itachi's frown deepened.
"Yes," Itachi said. "I want you, your little pet Sabaku, and all his minions at the Royal Konoha Hotel in an hour. I've rented to Rose room."
Itachi turned on his heel, striding from the room and leaving a gaping Neji behind.
--
It was an odd, tense group. At one end of the room, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Asuma and Kiba stood huddled behind Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. Across the room stood Itachi, Sasuke, Neji and Kakashi.
"Why the hell am I here?" Sasuke grumbled. "I want no part in this!"
"Shut up," Itachi snapped. He then turned his gaze upon the group across the room. "All of you. You idiots think I had no idea what was going on? I always knew what was going on! I simply didn't care. So what if the company loses a couple of million a year, I will willingly give that up if it means that the three children of the late Senator Sabaku will vanish. You three still hold enough political power to cause trouble. Trouble I cannot control. You three are loose cannons. This solves everything."
"So why are we here?" Gaara asked, bravely stepping forward. Neji took half a step forward, but Itachi's arm flew out, stopping him from moving any further. "And how did you know?"
"Kakashi, send him in," Itachi ordered. "Neji, stay where you are. I'll get to you."
Kakashi quickly pulled his phone out, making a quick call. Seconds later the door opened to reveal Iruka.
"Hey, Iruka!" Kiba shouted, waving his arms. "You're late!"
Iruka smiled sadly at Kiba before crossing straight to Kakashi. Kakashi wrapped an arm around Iruka, who stared down at his shoes.
"I see..." Gaara's voice went an octave lower. "What do you want?"
"One thing," Itachi's voice was dangerously low. "I put up with your games, your stealing and everything. I put up with your corruption of my cousin. All I wanted in return was one thing.
"Naruto. All I wanted was Naruto. He is mine. He always has been. Ever since I was five and I saw Naruto on the cover of a political journal with his fathers I became intrigued by him. I continued to watch him as we both grew, but it wasn't until a year ago that my intrigue became full-blown obsession. I decided I wanted him for myself, to make him mine completely. And then you all came along, with your game. So I took the opportunity to take what rightly belongs to me.
"But now he's missing. I want to know where he is."
Itachi fell silent, his eyes roving over the group before him. They paused on Gaara when he saw the redhead's eyes flicker to Neji before flying away to the corner of the room. It was all the movement Itachi needed.
"Cousin," he turned to face Neji, who actually winced. Quite a display for the usually expressionless man. "Where is he?"
"...he's across town," Neji said softly. "I had an... agreement... with Gaara. On my part I provided Uzumaki with certain information, and got him out and to a safe location."
"And in return?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow. Neji flushed slightly. Itachi always made him feel like he was a child again, and his older cousin had caught him doing something less than proper.
"I'm staying with him," Gaara said, drawing Itachi's gaze. "I'm not leaving."
Itachi looked between the two men for a moment, noting the affection and desire in both their eyes, before nodding.
"That is something I can understand," he murmured. He straightened, looking down at Neji. "The address?"