The Family Business
Tycho Kouros

Sasuke let his fist drop to his side, carefully analyzing the room – his brother, Iruka, Kisame, and an unfamiliar face; a muscled, rough man, his face bandaged chaotically. As the door to Naruto's bedroom opened, he studied this new addition as well – a small figure, immediately recognized by Sasuke as a female, with long, dark hair. However, upon seeing Sasuke, the physical reaction was very male; a vicious glare, with a slight movement of the chest outward and shoulders back, though the position relaxed almost immediately in submission as he walked beside the new man.

The man seemed to size both he and Kakashi up as well. The silence of the tense situation was broken by Kakashi, as he pushed past Sasuke and into the room.

"Ah, Iruka. My moments without you have been absolutely empty!" All of the attention in the room seemed to be on the way Kakashi approached Iruka – the way he seemed totally oblivious to the others in the room. But Sasuke knew better; he knew that Kakashi was fully aware of what was happening, just like he knew that Kakashi didn't care, so long as he got what he wanted. Sasuke was surprised, however, when the others merely watched him flagrantly move upon the the man with no reaction whatsoever. Sasuke knew as well as anyone that Kakashi played the fool, hiding his true capabilities, so he shouldn't have been surprised that Kakashi had succeeded in pressing his luck yet again.

Sasuke followed Kakashi, watching as the man dragged the longer haired guest behind him and out the door. Kisame nodded towards Sasuke with a weak smile, before heading towards the door, stopping to glance back at Itachi.

"I'll catch up." Kisame nodded, leaving the four men alone.

"You have to excuse them," Iruka explained, "but soldiers make all Parisians nervous. Especially soldiers visiting a citizen's apartment so close to curfew. It..."

"Is usually the cause of citizens disappearing in the middle of the night." Itachi finished, giving a apologetic glance to Sasuke. "We're very protective of our neighbors because of this. We were here visiting Naruto. We take one of our own being hurt as a personal offense; especially when the injured persons are close to us. Iruka and Naruto are very close to us."

"I'm sorry, but you are?" Sasuke glared at Kakashi, who seemed to have a feigned civility in his eye – just barely transparent enough to allow a protective intention show through. Itachi seemed to take it in stride – in true Uchiha fashion. Sasuke could see a hint of himself in Itachi as his brother smirked slightly, his posture seeming to reflect a superiority without any obvious change – it was almost as if the air had changed.

"Itachi." Sasuke wasn't surprised when Kakashi didn't show any reaction. The silver-haired man had never shown any reaction to Sasuke's attempts, and was probably immune to even Itachi's ability by now. He was surprised when Kakashi seemed to recognize something familiar in Itachi.

"Itachi..."

" – is his name." Sasuke cut in. He cast Itachi a tired look, an unspoken apology, but Itachi only smiled.

"I should be heading back. It's getting late." Itachi began to head for the door, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Wait. I... can walk you back." he choked out, clenching his jaw at the feeling of vulnerability. Kakashi seemed to view the offer as an admission of defeat, taking that moment to claim his victory.

"How very brotherly of you, Sasuke. Yes, Itachi, please – stay. I'd love to learn more about you." Sasuke made a hasty retreat into the bedroom.

"Sasuke!" He watched as the blond sat up quickly in excitement – and was forced back down just as fast when his body was slammed with pain. "Damn..." Sasuke walked up to the side of the bid, crouching down to be eye level.

"How are you feeling?" Naruto seemed to grin through his gritted teeth, a bitter chuckle slipping between deep breaths.

"Better. Itachi says I'll be out of bed in a week, maybe!" Sasuke smiled gently, nodding.

"I'm glad." After a few moments of silence, Sasuke noticed that Naruto didn't carry on the conversation with the same energy he had during the earlier visit. "Naruto?"

"Do you kill people?" Ocean blue eyes locked onto his – penetrating him. The question was so sudden that Sasuke felt himself unable to answer immediately. The answer was simple – yes. He killed people. He'd killed people before, and he'd kill people again. It's what he did – it's what his family did. Except Itachi. Suddenly, looking into the ocean blue eyes waiting for an answer, thinking of his brother – the answer wasn't so simple.

"I... have. Before. It's not a hobby or anything. I mean... yes." Sasuke caught himself babbling, and quickly cut himself off. Naruto seemed to think hard about the answer, staring somewhere over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Why?" Sasuke was beginning to get uncomfortable with where the questions were leading, but thought carefully before answering the question anyways.

"Because some people were doing things that they weren't supposed to, and I was told to stop them. Naruto, what is this–"

"If I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing, would you kill me?"

"No." The answer came so fast it surprised even Sasuke. He hadn't thought – he'd already said it by the time the question had registered. But watching Naruto analyzing him, he allowed a gentle smile and reaffirmed his answer. "Never. But what is this about?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in thought, before his usual smile reappeared and all seriousness was gone from the room.

"It's nothing, I guess I've just been in this bed too long and it's making me think about things too much." Naruto waved off with a laugh, but the conversation still bothered Sasuke. He nodded quietly, listening with half-interest as the blond babbled on.

"So, what's the rest of your family like?" Naruto suddenly asked, watching Sasuke with anticipation. He wasn't sure what to say at first – Naruto was probably expecting an answer about how they were all like Itachi; how his father was nice, how his grandfather was a kind and gentle man...

"They're like me, I guess." Sasuke finally said. He was confused, however, when Naruto smiled and nodded, not seeming to fully understand the answer.

"They must not be that bad then!" When Sasuke stared blankly at him, Naruto clarified, coughing slightly and blushing. "I mean, you're nice. And if they're like you, then..." An unfamiliar warmth spread through Sasuke's chest, his heart feeling as if it had skipped. He smiled, answering the question again.

"That wasn't what I meant. My father is very... busy. He always has been. He tends to be very serious and business-like. My grandfather is the same, in a way. He's not as serious, but he's much more business-like. They're both really powerful in the SS, so..." Naruto was watching him carefully again, clearly deep in thought.

"But you aren't like that." Sasuke shrugged quietly. "You shouldn't think you're like that..." Sasuke couldn't help himself from smiling, and moved himself closer to lean on the bed.

"So how did you end up here? With Iruka I mean?" He felt bad for not having thought the question through enough – Sasuke watched as a quick sting of pain flashed across his Naruto's face, before quickly being covered up again beneath the usual mask of happiness.

"My parents died before I was born. Well, my mom died giving birth to me. But my father died a few months before, in that war – the, uhhh... one with Syria. Yeah, that's the one. And they didn't know what to do with me, so they put me in an orphanage. I spent a few years there, and on the streets. The orphanage was really bad, so I'd run away a lot. Then they'd find me, send me back, and I'd leave again. Then one time, when I was seven, I ran away in the middle of winter because they didn't have enough food or something. There were a lot of kids in the orphanage after that big war, you know? Anyways, so I couldn't find any food anywhere else, and finally tried a school. I figured that maybe the lunch ladies would have some leftovers to give me or something. They were really nice. They gave me a sandwich and some water, and they let me get warm by the stove. So while I was doing that, a few of them went around and asked any teachers if they knew anything they could do other than send me back to the orphanage. Iruka offered, since he said he lived by himself and had the room for me. And he told me later that he was an orphan too, so he said he knew what I was going through and felt like it was his duty to help. He got me caught up in my education by teaching me things every night. And, so... here I am. I've pretty much stayed here since then." Sasuke didn't say anything – he couldn't say anything. He stared into Naruto's eyes, surprised at how numb they were. He'd been through so much, and yet he could talk about it as if he was talking about the weather or what he'd eaten for breakfast.

"Sorry..." was all he could manage, but Naruto only shrugged.

"No reason to be. I'm fine now. I have Iruka, and I have really good friends, and a safe place to sleep at night. Things are pretty good now." Sasuke couldn't argue with the smile on Naruto's face. The sounds of gunfire broke the silence, bringing Sasuke's happy vacation from reality to an end.

"I guess I should get going. I still need to walk Itachi back." He stood to leave, but a hand grabbed his and held firm.

"Visit me again?" Sasuke squeezed the hand gently, hodding.

"I promise." Naruto smiled – a yawn taking its place instead. "Get some sleep." Sasuke added with a chuckle.

Sasuke closed the door behind him quietly. When he looked up, he found himself being stared at by the three men. Itachi smiled gently, as if to put his mind at ease. It failed, however, given that Kakashi was grinning like a total idiot. He could tell that whatever their conversation had consisted of would haunt him for months. He walked towards the door, wanting to distance himself from Kakashi. Kakashi would have none of it, though.

"Sasuke, I wish I'd met your brother sooner. Some of the childhood stories he has makes me think of you in a completely new way! It explains so much! For example, I never knew you didn't like milk after having an accident trying to pour yourself a glass when you were three!" Sasuke clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from going for the man's throat. He turned to Itachi, who only shrugged.

"He's persuasive." was all he said, apparently deciding that it was enough of a reason to hand over secrets to the enemy. All Sasuke could do was sigh and head for the door.

"Come on, I still need to walk you home." Itachi stood and followed his brother to the door, waving a silent goodbye to Iruka and Kakashi. Sasuke, expecting Kakashi to follow him, turned to see the man already on the couch next to Iruka. Noticing Sasuke, he smiled – a smile that was nothing short of predatory.

"You can handle it, Sasuke. There are... things I'd like to discuss with Iruka." Sasuke quickly shut the door, not wanting to see any more of the molestation than he had to.

"He seems to have a soft spot for Iruka." Itachi said. Sasuke snorted.

"He has a soft spot for anyone or thing he thinks he can get somewhere with." Itachi chuckled at the comment.

"Maybe. Though, I guess I should say that Iruka isn't exactly beating him away with a stick. His last relationship didn't end very well, and apparently that was years ago. He hasn't been interested in anyone for as long as I've known him. So he must see something special in your friend."

"He is not my friend!" Sasuke pushed hard on the door to the apartment building as he made the statement, throwing it open.

"He cares for you, Sasuke. He may toy with you, but he takes a great concern in your well-being. You don't know how much of a relief it is to know that you have someone watching out for you in your workplace." Itachi said with a sudden seriousness.

"... I know." Sasuke finally relented. "I know that if I really needed him, he would be there to fight alongside me." Walking down the street next to Itachi, Sasuke suddenly found himself feeling like a child again – when he and Itachi would walk home together after school. Old emotions were bubbling up. And Sasuke couldn't complain – it was better to have his brother back than to think Itachi hated him. He much preferred the feelings of security.

"I don't think you ever told me. What exactly is it that you do here?" Itachi asked.

"Nothing important, really. I just work in administration – making sure people are doing their jobs, making sure supplies are being used appropriately, making sure things are running efficiently. You know, just keeping people from slacking off or fucking up too bad. It's mainly just a lot of inspections and paperwork." Sasuke said, heaving a deep sigh. "It's... boring. But other than being a lot of tedious work, I can't complain."

"You're safe, and that's all that matters to me." Itachi said. It was those kinds of comments that made Sasuke feel proud – proud to have a brother like Itachi. Proud to have Itachi again.

"So tell me about Naruto." Itachi suddenly said, changing the subject. "He says you've been visiting him every day." Sasuke nodded, looking around the dim street.

"Some guards were attacking him, and I took him home. And then I decided to check up on him. He's asked me to keep visiting him, so I have."

"It sounds like he considers you a good friend then." Sasuke gave Itachi a questioning look. "He hasn't been treated very well by the soldiers. Granted, he hasn't been treated very well by most people he's come across in his life. But the men stationed here seem to take a special interest in giving him trouble. He's made an exception for you, and that says a lot about his opinion of you." Sasuke suddenly began feeling hot. He couldn't explain it.

"He said I'm nice." Sasuke said, his breath beginning to feel shaky.

"You are. You always have been." Itachi said, and Sasuke could feel the heat begin to make him sweat. "... Sasuke?"

"He makes me feel things." Sasuke began. "He's like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a rainstorm. And even when he told me about his life, he covered it up with a smile. Even when he's in pain, he smiles. He... makes me happy, you know? I can be having a bad day, people being stupid and making me clean up their messes or something, and I'll think about him. And suddenly things aren't so bad anymore. Do you know what I mean?" Itachi smiled, nodding. They had stopped walking, and Itachi moved to lean against a building.

"Naruto is special in that way. He would jump through hoops to cheer a person up. Or throw himself in front of a tank to save another's life. He hasn't deserved all of the things life has given him –"

"He doesn't deserve me." Sasuke cut in, his gaze burning into the ground.

"You will never say something like that again, do you understand me?" Itachi said angrily, glaring into Sasuke's eyes. "You're an incredible person, Sasuke. And life hasn't been easy for you. I did my best to protect you from everything, but there was only so much I could do. That does not make you worth any less. My failures aren't yours to take the punishment for."

"Aniki..." Sasuke didn't care that he had reverted to his childhood name for his brother. He didn't care that his eyes stung, tears threatening to spill from them. Just like he didn't care that suddenly he was clinging to his brother, hugging him tight. Itachi brought his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, burying his head into Sasuke's hair.

"Naruto will be good for you, Sasuke. You need some happiness. And he needs a friend like you, who will keep him safe and protect him." Sasuke nodded into Itachi's chest. "Just be aware of something. You're right – he is a ray of sunshine in a storm. But you're one of the rain clouds. You're better than them – you'd never hurt him. But you need to be careful that you don't hurt him by doing something you know isn't right. You know what's right and wrong. So listen to your heart, alright?" Sasuke nodded and pulled away, leaning on the wall next to Itachi, quiet for a moment.

"He asked me if I killed people." Itachi didn't comment on the statement, he only listened. Like he'd always done. "I mean, what was I supposed to say? I couldn't lie to him. But I couldn't very well tell him, 'Yes, Naruto. I massacre people. I shoot people in the head and leave their bleeding corpses laying in the street.' But I can't deny it, either..."

"What did you tell him?" Sasuke let out a breath, a part of him comforted by the patience of his brother. It felt that he was confessing to Itachi as much as a conversation about Naruto.

"I said I was told to kill some people who were doing things they weren't supposed to. Which isn't entirely untrue. They were soldiers who'd been caught selling information to the Russians..." Itachi was quiet, staring off into the night sky. "Then he asked if I'd kill him if he were doing stuff he wasn't supposed to. I told him no, and it seemed to put his mind at ease. But he never told me the real reason why he was asking things like that." Itachi shifted, crossing his arms.

"He needed to know that you weren't like the others. You're an exception, Sasuke. There are some soldiers who will give us a bullet between the eyes just for the hell of it. So he probably just needed to hear you say that you weren't tone of them." Sasuke balled his hands into fists, thinking of the soldiers kicking Naruto.

"If I ever found out about it, I'd –"

"I know." Itachi cut in. He gave Sasuke a gentle smile. "I know you would."

"Sorry." Sasuke offered, but Itachi wave it off dismissively.

"It's alright. I've heard the same thing from Kisame dozens of times. It's just different hearing it from my baby brother." he explained. He pushed off of the wall. "We should keep walking. Even with permission, I don't like being out past curfew." Sasuke nodded and followed.

"So how did you and Kisame meet?" It was a question that had been on Sasuke's mind. And now that the two were alone, he felt as if he could ask.

"I'd been here for a few months. It wasn't so bad, living on the streets or in shelters when it was summer or fall. But it was winter, and it's an entirely different level of survival if you don't have some place warm to stay. Since I was new to the concept of being homeless, I didn't know how important it was to find a bed until it was already too late. I tried to live on the streets for a week or two, but it took its toll on me – I was sick, and it had starting snowing regularly. I wandered to different places, getting weaker as I moved around. I was near the docks when I finally collapsed. Kisame was working as a deckhand on a boat at the time, and they got into port some time after I blacked out. When I woke up, he'd moved me to the little room he rented for when he was on shore. He stuck by me for the week or two that it took me to start feeling better. I thanked him, and had planned on leaving, but he refused. He said he couldn't live with himself if he sent me back out into the cold, and I didn't have the strength to argue for very long. So we spent the winter together. We got close, and then before the winter was over we were dating. We've been together ever since." By the time Itachi was finished, Sasuke felt sick. The thought of his brother wandering the streets half-frozen was crushing to him – the brother who read stories to him at night, and let him sleep in his bed whenever he'd have nightmares. The brother who would help him with his homework instead of going out to play with friends.

"Don't think too much about it, Sasuke. Those days are over. I have a warm bed to sleep in, food to eat, a roof over my head... things are stable, now." Sasuke nodded, smiling sadly. Itachi had always been able to tell what he was thinking. Though, there was one thing he wouldn't expect, and Sasuke was curious.

"So, do you and Kisame... you know. Do stuff?"

"Sasuke–"

"You're my brother, Itachi, I can handle it." Sasuke added quickly. It was awkward, but it was something that brothers should be able to share. And anyways, it made Itachi uncomfortable, even if only momentarily. Itachi watched Sasuke's face, and finally answered.

"We do. We love each other, Sasuke. It's something we do to express that love." It answered one of Sasuke's questions, but it didn't answer everything like he'd hoped.

"So, do you... you know, like it? I mean, I guess you'd be the one who's... umm..."

"On bottom?" Sasuke nodded quickly, glad he didn't have to say it. Itachi noticed how quickly Sasuke had gone from confident to uncomfortable, and took the chance for payback. "I am. And yes, I do. That's one place where Kisame is very... gifted." Itachi couldn't help laugh at the look on Sasuke's face.

"Ok, that's all I wanted to know."

"What's wrong, Sasuke? You're the one who brought it up." Sasuke glared, giving his brother a playful punch to the arm when he realized Itachi's had done it on purpose.

"Come on, Sasuke. I still need to make dinner, and I don't want you walking through this city alone at night." Itachi offered. Sasuke started to protest, but his stomach, angry at him for having skipping dinner, took that exact moment – at the offer of food – to express itself, growling loudly before he could say no. Itachi smiled, and opened the door, ushering his brother inside. "You can have the bed tonight. It's more comfortable. Kisame and I can grab some blankets and sleep on the couch."

"I am not sleeping in the bed where my brother and his boyfriend have sex. I'll take the couch." Sasuke said. Itachi chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"The couch won't be any better, if that's your reason." Sasuke paled, staring at him in disbelief.

"Oh, God..."