Disclaimer: Yea, I don't own Naruto.
Thanks to all of my reviewers. I led the last bit of chapter twelve into this chapter just so that the two chapters could flow into each other. Pretty long chapter ahead. Anyway, let me know what you think.
The Way Things Are
Chapter 13
"Sasuke….I don't want to sound like a hypocrite….." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto's confusing statement. " I mean its important for us to take this slow….and to see where we stand and stuff…..But…..You know that whole "rebuilding trust" conversation we should still be having?"
"Yea?" Sasuke asked; His heart skipped a beat, hoping that Naruto wanted the same thing he wanted at this point.
"Ummm…." Naruto felt his cheeks swell with heat. "Let's just forget about it for now, ok?" Naruto gave a large, nervous grin and turned to face Sasuke. "Maybe we should just…..….Break all this tension, you know?" Naruto's hands squirmed around each other nervously.
"Hn." Sasuke scoffed humorously at the blonde before him. "Sure, dobe. I think I know how we can do that."
The boys moved forward simultaneously. Quivering lips turned into strong ones as they brushed their mouths firmly against one another's. They hesitated briefly, knowing that they should both be talking instead. However, passion struck them blind and forced both of the boys to push their bodies closer together. Flushed with a newfound and overwhelming fervor, Sasuke's tongue lightly wiggled itself on Naruto's bottom lip. Entrance into Naruto's mouth was quickly granted.
Warm, fervent breaths flew through Sasuke's nose. The tender exhales splashed Naruto's face devotedly like a summer breeze. Their tongues wrestled roughly in their standard battle for dominance. Sasuke's hand gripped the back of Naruto's neck. Naruto sent a hand meandering curiously up Sasuke's shirt. They pulled at one another, yearning for something more. Waves of ecstasy pulsed swiftly in the boy's veins. A sudden head rush fueled Sasuke's craving. Sasuke clawed furiously at Naruto's black undershirt like a wolf attacking prey. He ripped the shirt off and flung it to the ground in a disheveled, ragged heap. His hands possessively took hold of Naruto's supple obliques. Naruto pulled his lips away briefly.
"Teme….That's the…. second shirt…. you've destroyed." Naruto panted toward Sasuke. The comment caused Sasuke's mouth to curl just barely.
"Too much for you, dobe?" Sasuke challenged with lengthy breaths. Naruto smiled competitively.
"Bring it on, Sasuke." Naruto felt his lips instantly become engulfed by Sasuke's. The Uchiha's strong hand twisted lightly at Naruto's hair. Naruto knew Sasuke could be a little fierce. But, at that point, Naruto needed him to be more than just "a little" violent with him. "What is it about this bastard? I can't stop myself. Are these feelings really love?" The enigma surrounding those questions was truly mystifying. Naruto's whispers echoed into his unknowing soul, yearning for an answer that his feelings seemed to stubbornly refuse to reveal. Waves of desire overflowed into his body, serving as his psyche's only reply.
"Come on, teme. You call that rough? You're as flimsy as a leaf." Naruto muttered smugly.
Naruto had learned to like resisting Sasuke and fighting back. There was something about being unable to escape or fight off Sasuke's advances that made Naruto feel hotter than he'd ever felt. On the other hand, Naruto loved trying to dominate Sasuke as well. He hoped to overpower and control his friend at his own mercy.
Their struggle to control each other sent currents of unrivaled pleasure into their systems. In the end, they knew that whoever appeared to have less power over the other, after a lengthy fight, would submit willingly. The boys silently seemed to agree with that contract. "I won't lose." Naruto decided proudly.
Losing and gaining dominance sent equal, yet, different kinds of sexual euphoria into the boys' bodies. Even Sasuke, who found it humiliating to be dominated by anyone, discovered an odd sensation at the thought of being completely helpless to Naruto's sexual mercy. Still, he'd realized that he'd much rather come out on top. The challenge, and the thought of possibly losing, thrilled him. It also enticed Sasuke into questioning his ordeal. "Is this about power, love, or lust? What do I really think? I love him……..don't I? Does Naruto think this is about superiority and domination? Is he just attracted to me? Or does he love me?" Sasuke tossed the confusing questions aside.
"I haven't even started yet, Naruto." Sasuke rocked the blonde on his knees until Naruto was fighting to stay balanced. Sasuke's gripping hands pushed Naruto to the ground. Sasuke followed the blonde downward, their lips never parted. Naruto lay squirming on his back.
"No you don't Sasuke; I've got a score to settle with you after last time." Naruto threatened with a hint of underlying lust in his eyes. He grasped Sasuke's shirt and tugged Sasuke to the ground. The blonde succeeded in reversing their positions. They wrestled about endlessly. Sasuke pulled away from underneath Naruto. He stood and lifted Naruto by his shoulders, forcing them both to their feet.
Naruto pushed heatedly back at Sasuke. He pushed a second time, knocking Sasuke against a tree. Sasuke felt Naruto's thigh nestle strongly between his own legs. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, pinning the Uchiha to the tree. Naruto's thigh rubbed teasingly through the Uchiha's pants. It mercilessly provoked Sasuke's throbbing cock to cum right there.
Sasuke nuzzled his head into Naruto's neck. The blonde moaned intensely as Sasuke's mouth and wandering tongue explored every inch of the tan flesh. Sasuke used Naruto's momentary distraction to his advantage. He grabbed Naruto's side and hurled the blonde in a swift motion. Naruto felt his back rub against the jagged bark of a tree. He soon found that the tables had been turned on him. Sasuke grabbed the blonde's wrist with one of his free hands and pinned them above the blonde's head against the tree. Naruto writhed and squirmed to get free. Eventually, he succumbed to Sasuke's relentless attack on his neck.
Sasuke lifted his head to let his gaze meet Naruto's. The smug look of victory glinted inside obsidian orbs. Naruto felt a hand possessively clutch his bare chest.
"Possesively…." Naruto's mind was slowly released from the controlling power of sexual tension and euphoria it had been in. "What am I doing!?" The blonde's now released mind had a sudden revelation. A logical voice, unaffected by the craving Naruto had for sexual relief, spoke realistically to blonde. "He's using you! Don't let that bastard touch you anymore! Have you forgotten what he's done to you!?" Sasuke watched the blonde's pupils stare into space. He realized that Naruto's mind was concerned about something.
"Stop being so weak! Its time for you to realize that he does not love you! Love isn't important to that sick lunatic!" Naruto's eyes narrowed. He's come back to relieve his body's tensions. He just wants to use you!" Naruto's mind began arguing with itself. "No……he wouldn't………he doesn't……he can't!" Sasuke was about to ask the blonde about his condition. "He doesn't care about you! He'll kill if you get in the way of his relentless revenge." Naruto's subconscious hissed back.
Sasuke was about to lean forward, but was stopped by the sound of a stifling groan in the distance. "Kiba! Shit he's waking up! I almost forgot about him!" Naruto's eyes filled with panic.
"Naruto, just ignore him. He can find his way home." Sasuke sneered; The passionate moment was beginning to die down. Sasuke was more than just disappointed. Naruto pulled his body free and stared Sasuke in the eye.
"My apartment." Naruto commanded toward the Uchiha. "Give me five minutes."
"Hn." Sasuke huffed and gave an almost unnoticeable nod. He disappeared in a flash.
Naruto walked toward the other boy left in the grove. He quickly realized that he was still shirtless. He picked up his orange jacket from the ground and zipped it up along his body to avoid any suspicion from Kiba. "Great. Now I just have to worry about him noticing my messy hair and flushed face." His hand stretched downward to Kiba's shoulder. He shook the boy gently.
"Kiba, you awake?" Kiba's eyelids opened slightly. The chunin's pupils scanned back and forth. He sat up so suddenly that it made Naruto jump.
"What the hell!? Where am I!?" Kiba stood up and shook his head from side to side. His narrowed pupils stared suspiciously at Naruto. "What's going on here, Naruto?" Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head. Kiba saw past Naruto's nervous habit.
"Ha…..uh tell me, Kiba. Do you…… remember anything?" Naruto asked worriedly. Kiba exhaled and slumped his shoulders.
"No, Naruto." Kiba admitted honestly. "My ankle hurts a little…But other than that…I feel fine. What happened to me?" Kiba remained calm.
"Yes! He doesn't remember anything. Now, I've just got to come up with a convincing enough story to fool him!" Naruto's mind reveled.
"Kiba, you were attacked by some crazy looking shinobi from another village!" Naruto struck a confident pose. "Just when it looked like they had done you in with their poison, I beat them to a pulp with nothing but my bare hands! Honest! I didn't even use any ninjutsu. They didn't stand a chance against Naruto Uzuma-"
"Shut up, Naruto." Kiba scoffed. The boy rubbed at his ankle as he inspected the wound. "It just looks like a snake bite. I must have passed out." Kiba stared at Naruto who was now standing in a slump dejectedly. Kiba chuckled. "You didn't really think I'd believe that crap did you?" Kiba suddenly peered closely at Naruto. After careful inspection, Kiba noticed that Naruto's hair was no longer in shaggy spikes, but, in large, muddled clumps. Naruto's face was so red it was beginning to resemble a tomato.
"Geez……First the hickeys…. Now this. I don't know what you're up to, Naruto, but, I'm going home. I gotta make sure that this bite isn't anything serious." Kiba gave a friendly smile and retreated into the woods. "I'll see you later, Naruto!"
Naruto leapt toward a tree. He stopped on a thick branch and ran a hand stressfully through his messy hair. "Relax……If he's still here….If he went to the apartment……….." Naruto's bewildered mind paused for a moment. "Then, you know what to do."
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Sasuke sat on Naruto's bed with his arms crossed. "Five minutes…..Right dobe." Sasuke was beginning to lose his patience. He had arrived at Naruto's apartment within one minute. It had already been ten minutes since he had arrived, and Naruto was nowhere in sight. "I'll bet he and that dog are fooling around-"
"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice called out. He appeared in the room before the Uchiha with a confused look on his face.
"Yea. What's with the face?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"I didn't expect you to actually be here when I came back." Naruto approached the bed and sat down next to Sasuke. Sasuke scoffed and wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders.
"You told me to come. So I came. I'm trying to get you to trust me, dobe." Sasuke pulled Naruto closer. "And I also wanted to finish what we had only just started in that grove." Sasuke rubbed Naruto's thigh.
"Sasuke……..What is this to you? What are we?" The blonde waited for a response. Sasuke pulled his shirt over his head and then moved his hand to the zipper on Naruto's jacket. When the bulky training coat was removed, Sasuke pressed his chest against Naruto's. He pulled the boy into an embrace. They held each other, warm flesh tenderly caressing against tan skin. The lust filled moment was replaced by an overwhelming sensation of love. Rather than speaking, Sasuke let his body whisper words of undying compassion and dedication into Naruto.
"Don't let him control you." Naruto's mind commanded, interrupting the moment of blissful compassion. Naruto's feet slid onto the bed as Sasuke pulled the blonde underneath his gleaming, sweat covered torso. Naruto felt Sasuke's hand grab his hips roughly. "Stop him." Naruto gasped as Sasuke's palm brushed at the fabric of his pants, stroking Naruto's twitching cock. "I can't give into this. I'll test, Sasuke."
"Teme……" Naruto broke the wordless moment of gasping pleasure. "H-How long….How long do you plan on staying this time?" Sasuke sighed.
"I can't stay long." Sasuke noticed a slight flinch of Naruto's head as the Uchiha stroked the blonde's face. "But I wanted to leave knowing that there was some satisfaction between the two of us." Sasuke sneered; His voice was sultry.
"You see now? You're his play thing. His fuck-toy. Nothing more. He doesn't care whether you live or die. Can't you see that by now?" Naruto's wary thoughts emerged corrosively. "Or are you really that big of a fool?" Sasuke ran his hand slowly up along Naruto's abdomen.
"You're all mine now, dobe. Mine." Sasuke's words caused Naruto to shake his head lightly; He closed his eyes. Something began to overtake his body. It was anger, and a hint of lustful vengeance. "More than just a hint." Naruto affirmed.
A newfound strength surged through Naruto's body. His blue eyes lit with primal, red energy. "Take him for yourself. Make him feel what he made you experience twice. Make sure it doesn't happen a third time." Muscles slowly became more defined along Naruto's soft body. A steaming current of crimson colored chakra flowed freely from the blonde's figure dancing like a flame threatened to be put out.
"Dobe? What's going on? What's happeni-" A hard jab in Sasuke's stomach knocked the wind out of the Uchiha, painfully silencing him. Sasuke wrapped his arms around his abdomen. He rolled onto his side and defensively curled his body. A strange smell seared the sensitive, fleshy walls of Sasuke's nose. He looked down at the blow Naruto had landed. After a quick scan of his eyes, Sasuke realized that his flesh had been charred lightly. Sasuke wheezed as he tried to regain his breath. His attempts only lead to violent convulsions in his chest as his throat choked from the oxygen that was stolen from him. He felt a strong hand clutch at his wrists. Sharp nails dug into his hands as Naruto pinned the Uchiha's arms above his head.
Sasuke's eyes broke open as he discovered his new position under Naruto's heaving chest. His concerned eyes met with a pair of untamed slits.
"The Kyuubi! Naruto, what's happening?" Sasuke's arms fought ruthlessly to get free. When he realized that Naruto was beginning to scoff at his attempts, Sasuke kicked and slid his legs across the soft bed. He couldn't seem to grip anything. "Naruto, are you in there?" Sasuke asked worriedly. "The fox is trying to-" Naruto's free hand gripped Sasuke's throat, denying the helpless boy his voice and air yet again. "When that fox takes over, the dobe has the potential to overpower me. This could be bad."
"Shut. Up. Sasuke." The voice was Naruto's. "This isn't the fox. It's me. The fox is just feeding my anger a little." Naruto's grasp held strong on Sasuke's neck. Because of the fox's influence, Naruto couldn't help but feel some attraction to the sadistic way he was controlling and overpowering Sasuke. "Maybe its not because of the kyuubi's influence." Naruto's subconscious mused.
"Naruto…….stop…" Sasuke managed to cough out. "I'm not gonna…..fight with…you-anymore….I don't want to fight…" Naruto's constriction prevented Sasuke from saying anymore.
"Good. That will make this a lot easier for me." Naruto leaned forward and sneered. The hissing breaths seared at Sasuke's face like red hot embers. Naruto loosened his grip and let Sasuke speak momentarily.
"Dobe………stop b-being stupid……I said I was sorr-" Sasuke's speech was cut off by a swift slap to his face. Sasuke clenched his jaw, desperately trying to contain his rage. "OW!" Sasuke's voice cracked from the lack of oxygen. "Dammit, Naruto what do you want fro-"
"You just don't get it, Sasuke!" Naruto scoffed disgustedly. "This isn't just about you! You can't just come and go and do as you please with me. I am not a thing, Sasuke! We're friends!" Naruto exhaled weakly and began to calm down. "Maybe more than that…."
"Naruto….Why are you so angry? You seemed fine a little bit ago." Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"I know, teme. I was upset…..and I…..I just wanted you to hold me…..I had to escape from all that tension between us." Naruto's head bobbed downward. "But, I was wrong….I should've resisted you….." Naruto trailed off and watched Sasuke's chest rise slowly.
"Naruto………I love you dobe….You mean so much to me….." Sasuke loosened his muscles and let Naruto hold him without resistance. Naruto began to pant as a sick realization hit his mind.
"I could be dead, Sasuke." Naruto stared into Sasuke's face. "Because of you…..I could have died……twice…." Naruto spoke as though this thought had never entered his mind. His voice got stronger. "Does that mean anything to you?" The blonde argued viciously.
"Naruto…I'm sorry." Sharp huff escaped through Sasuke's body. "It's just…..Itachi……I have to……" Sasuke's hands began to wiggle weakly in Naruto's grasp. "Naruto…I just……. I just want to hold you." Sasuke closed his eyes dejectedly. Naruto had never seen Sasuke quite like this.
"No, Sasuke. I'm sorry too." Naruto placed his forehead lightly on Sasuke's brow. "But you can't always let your hands do the talking." Naruto whispered. "And I can't let my dick do all my thinking." Naruto allowed Sasuke's short, quiet breaths to describe the Uchiha's feelings. "I'm not going to lie. I want you, teme." Naruto caressed Sasuke's red face. "I really want you. But if we want this to work……I need to trust you….And this has to be more than a friendship with benefits." Naruto continued. "And you can't just tell me what to do….If you want this to work, you have to respect me."
"Naruto….I've made mistakes….Huge mistakes……But, I love you, dobe. I know I do." Sasuke's eyelids tightened.
"I'm not sure if you really do, Sasuke. I'm not sure if I can trust you enough to ever really love you either……." Naruto's voice cracked; He watched Sasuke's jaw clench; The Uchiha's atoms apple bobbed up and down.
"Give me one more chance." Sasuke pleaded dimly. "Two days. I'll stay with you here for two days." Sasuke opened his eyes. The fox's chakra had already begun to fade. Sasuke could have released himself at this point, but immediately decided against it. "Let me show you that you can trust me, dobe. I'll fix this. I won't lose you again."
Naruto closed his eyes as the kyuubi's chakra began to recede. It drained back inside the blonde's body abruptly. Naruto received an instant head rush and fell lightly on top of Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto sat motionless for a moment. Sasuke listened to Naruto's breathing closely, until he matched it with his own. Naruto's heart beat rhythmically with Sasuke's. After several more seconds, Naruto's eyes opened slowly. He rolled himself off Sasuke and laid silently beside the Uchiha.
Sasuke was already upset with Naruto's accusations. He refused to let the blonde ignore him any longer.
"Dobe." The back of Sasuke's fingers caressed Naruto's whisker scarred cheek. "I know you're mad, but……." Sasuke moved closer to Naruto.
"No, Sasuke." Naruto replied softly. "No, tonight I'm gonna hold you." Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's lithe figure. "And I'm not gonna let go. Not until you fall asleep." Naruto pressed his body against Sasuke's. "I don't know where we stand. But, if I really mean something to you…….Then be here when I wake up in the morning. I want to see you in the morning." Sasuke brushed Naruto's messy blonde hairs out of his face. He looked deeply into gleaming blue orbs. His tongue grazed across his lips briefly before he pressed his mouth tenderly against Naruto's.
"Trust me, Naruto." Sasuke sheltered the blonde's head in his shoulder.
"I'd like that, teme." Naruto wiped his hand lightly across Sasuke's stomach, examining the charred bruise he had inflicted upon the Uchiha. "I'm sorry if I lost control a little. Does it hurt?" Naruto moved his head back and looked at Sasuke's face. Sasuke stared right back at Naruto and ignored the question.
"Naruto….you're so…..tempting." Sasuke lips met with a vast field of blonde locks.
"Yeah, I know. But, be careful, teme. You know that I'm vulnerable to flattery." Naruto chuckled lightly, sending loving breaths across Sasuke's cheeks. "But, you're not getting anything from me tonight." Naruto taunted the Uchiha with a grin.
"Not even if I said how powerful of a ninja you've become, or how smart you are?" Sasuke mocked cruelly back.
"Then I'd probably have to ask who you are and what you've done with the bastard that I've grown to know so well." Naruto's emphasis on the word bastard only made Sasuke want to straddle the blonde more. The blonde's smile widened slightly.
"Dobe." Sasuke finished.
They sat holding each other in perfect silence. Both boys waited for the other to fall asleep and to lose the unspoken contest they had begun. Sasuke watched the blonde's head jerk and then loosen as he drifted in between the worlds of sleep and awake. Naruto pulled his head back into Sasuke's shoulder and began muttering silently to himself. His breathing began to become sluggish and relaxed. He took a final deep breath. His defined chest pressed warmly against Sasuke's.
"Sasuke…You smell……Really good." The Uchiha felt Naruto's blonde hair fall onto his neck and brush across his flesh like a soothing wheat field. He pulled the blonde's limp body into his arms and kissed Naruto's lips before he drifted into the comforting darkness of his mind.
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Kabuto stared at his bloody palms. However, the glint in his eyes only proved that he was more than content with the thick, crimson fluid that soaked his body. His fingers began to curl with success and vengeance.
"I've done it." Kabuto gloated in the empty room. "The Uchiha will regret not taking my life when he had the chance. He really has no idea who he is dealing with."
"Especially now." Kabuto chuckled to himself. Something was different about the medical ninja's laughter however. It slowly became maniacal and sadistically transformed into a psychotic cackle. He ran his finger down his face, coating his head with the blood that he had worshipped for so long. "Your death will not be in vain, my lord." Kabuto stood and walked into a dismally lit chamber in the dank hideout.
Kisame Hoshigaki stared at the charred chains that lay twisted across the floor like motionless snakes. He smiled slightly as he examined the burnt flesh that was stuck to the chains like glue. The smell in the hideout was overwhelming, and Kisame seemed to revel in the smell of fresh and old blood, smoke, seared flesh, and pure decay.
"Something interesting definitely happened here." Kisame spoke to the man behind him. "I think that what we've been told may actually be true. Orochimaru is finished." Kisame narrowed his eyes. "There's blood everywhere."
"But no sign of remains." The melancholy voice behind Kisame said.
"No, there are remains." Kabuto rounded a corner and stood before Kisame calmly. "I'm sure you can see them now, especially you." Kabuto gestured toward the man behind Kisame. "Itachi Uchiha." Kisame grunted.
"What's this fool up to?" Kisame asked irritably.
"So you've integrated what remained of Orochimaru into your body." Itachi stared apathetically at the mutilated body that belonged to Kabuto. Orochimaru's flesh had been combined with pieces of his figure. To any normal person, the sight would truly be breath taking.
Pale skin had begun to blend in discolored splotches along Kabuto's face. One of his pupils seemed to belong to Orochimaru as well. The medical ninja was covered in blood from head to toe. Torn muscles revealed themselves through ripped pieces of skin. His bare chest revealed more of the tarnished flesh pieces. Some had appeared to have been stitched along Kabuto's body. What appeared to be the result of years of sick and cruel experimentation was actually what Kabuto had managed to do in just a few hours.
"I have no intention of fighting, gentlemen." Kabuto stated calmly. His cracked lips began moving again. "I actually was hoping you would come. You see, I have a proposition I'd like to arrange with you." Kabuto reached toward his jaw and held it firmly in his grasp. With a quick flick of his wrist came the blood curdling wet crunch of tearing muscles and flesh. Apparently, Kabuto had dislodged his jaw and readjusted it manually. Part of a limp, long tongue slid out involuntarily.
"What are you after?" Kisame had no intention of helping the man that had served under the bastard that had betrayed Akatsuki and tried to take over Itachi's body. He gripped the hilt of his Samehada sword.
"Well, I have two primary objectives." Kabuto grinned. "And I think the Akatsuki can help me with both of them." Kisame chuckled and brandished his weapon, threatening the disfigured man.
"You have nothing that could ever be of use to us. Why should we help such a pathetic man like you?" The shark faced ninja swung his weapon toward Kabuto's shoulder. Kabuto stayed completely still.
"Kisame." A calm, commanding voice stopped the sword from striking its target by a few centimeters. Kisame grunted and withdrew his weapon. The medical ninja went on talking as though nothing had happened. "Explain." Itachi spoke in his normal demeanor. Kabuto grinned.
"When your brother killed my master……" Kabuto paused. "As I'm sure you're aware that it was he who killed Orochimaru……. He either destroyed or took possession of all of Orochimaru's scrolls and secrets. My first desire is to gain proper control of my new body and successfully gain dominance of Orochimaru's remains into my spirit." Kisame narrowed his eyes.
"Why the hell would Akatsuki help you revive the very man who betrayed our organization!?" Itachi ignored Kisame's yelling momentarily.
"So, you desire the information that I have on Orochimaru's various jutsu." Itachi stated coldly.
"Yes." Kabuto hissed. "I'm sure that when Orochimaru attempted to take host of your body that your sharingan gained the necessary information I require in gaining proper control of my body." Kabuto eyes glinted. "My second desire is, of course, vengeance. I ask when I fulfill my part of the bargain, that Akatsuki allow me to kill Sasuke Uchiha without disruption." Kabuto sneered.
"And what exactly is your part of the bargain?" Kisame scoffed.
"I can deliver you the final Jinchuriki that your organization seeks, Naruto Uzumaki." Itachi tilted his head very slightly as though he was somewhat interested.
"Done." Itachi concluded and turned to leave the hideout. Kisame followed obediently after grunting at Kabuto. Before either Akatsuki member disappeared out of sight, Itachi spoke up.
"The Jinchuriki must be alive when you deliver him to us." Itachi stated. Kabuto sighed and smiled to himself sadistically.
"I can't guarantee that his condition will be anywhere near healthy. However, I'll control myself enough so that he can live through the hell of the demon extraction process." Kabuto finished and watched the two men leave without saying another word.
Kisame walked behind his partner with narrowed eyes. The dim sun began to annoy is skin. "What are you up to, Itachi?" Kisame asked curiously as the pair entered a forest.
"I have no intention of helping him." Itachi answered back. "However, if he can prevent us from fighting meaningless battles, then we'll use him to our advantage. Once he's delivered us the Jinchuriki, then we'll dispose of him." Itachi concluded; Kisame could never really tell what was going on in Itachi's mind.
"What about your brother?" Kisame couldn't help a small smile from forming on his lips.
"Unless he has gotten any stronger, he means nothing to me." Itachi stated callously. "If he cannot kill someone as pathetic as Kabuto, then he deserves to die. This will also be an opportunity to see if Sasuke possesses the hate and power necessary to threaten me." Itachi leapt toward a tree. Kisame followed reflexively. "This whole ordeal is actually proving to be quite valuable. We of the Akatsuki will gain the nine tailed fox without having to reveal ourselves. My brother's involvement is an interesting benefit as well." The pair ominously disappeared into the thick brush of the forest.
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Sasuke seems to have started quite an unfortunate chain of events, hasn't he? And Naruto is giving him another chance. I'll get more into the swing of the plot in the next few chapters. Sorry if Kabuto was only briefly explained, but, his new disposition will become a fairly large part of the plot. The same goes for Akatsuki. Reviews are always helpful! This chapter was an interesting write for me, so please let me know what you think!