Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.
Author's notes: Sorry it took so long. So here it is.
Chapter Eight: Problems of the Heart
Naruto couldn't suppress the smile lighting up his face. When he broke their kiss, he found Sasuke leaning towards him, looking up at him in a daze, lips parted, and face flushed. The blonde couldn't help but be smug that he put that blush on the raven-haired boy's cheeks, that he drew that look on the Uchiha's face, that he coaxed such a reaction from the normally stoic boy.
Sasuke kissed me back. Naruto smiled wider at the thought. At the sight of his smile, Sasuke blushed an even deeper shade of red and looked away. The blonde chuckled.
The raven-haired boy looked back at him and asked, "What? What's so funny?"
The bearer of the Nine-tailed fox shook his head, still chuckling. "I just never thought that you could actually look so... cute."
"Cute?!" was the incredulous remark.
Naruto nodded. "Yup, cute."
"..." Sasuke pouted as the other boy laughed.
As the blonde's laughter died down, they lapsed into an awkward silence, staring at the store on the other side of the street.
-----
Sasuke nearly jumped when a warm hand slipped into his. His eyes widened and he looked at the hand clasped lightly with his, following it up to the owner of said hand. He noticed the blush on Naruto's face and became all too aware of the heat rising to his own cheeks.
They just sat there very much aware of the other's presence but refusing to break the deafening silence that had descended upon them. Sasuke sighed contentedly and allowed himself to enjoy the blonde's company in peace until a thought flitted through his hazy mind.
"Umm... Naruto?"
"Huh?"
"What are we going to tell Sakura?"
"..."
"We can't possibly keep something like this from her you know."
"..."
"Well?! Say something, usuratonkachi! You're making me nervous!"
"Shit."
Sasuke slapped a hand on his forehead and sighed exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "That is so like you."
"I'd like to hear you say something better than that!"
The raven-haired boy narrowed his eyes and glared at the blue-eyed blonde. Naruto, you idiot, he thought.
Inner Sasuke took this moment to pipe up. Hell yeah!
What the hell are you doing here?!
I live here, you moron.
Go away.
Hell no! Besides, it would be interesting to observe Naruto's thoughts going downhill from here
Oh please, Sasuke snorted. Naruto's too optimistic for that.
Wanna bet?
...
"We're dead," the blonde said.
"Eh?" The young Uchiha's eyes furrowed at the statement.
"We are so screwed."
Ding, ding, ding! Bingo! Inner Sasuke remarked.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at his inner self. Shut up. "Now, you're exaggerating, Naruto. Sakura wouldn't kill us both if we break it her gently."
"Hmm... Yeah, you're right. She wouldn't kill us both."
Inner Sasuke's jaw dropped. Naruto, are you alright? You're actually agreeing with me
The raven-haired genin smiled smugly. "Of course, I'm right, you dunce."
"She'll only kill me."
"Eh?"
Sasuke's inner self bowled over in laughter, hand over his midsection.
"Shit."
Sasuke sighed in resignation. He's right. Sakura would definitely kill him if she didn't beat the crap out of him first.
He was a bit disappointed when Naruto let go of his hand as the curtains of the restaurant entrance rustled.
"Sasuke-kun? You've been out here for a while now," Sakura said as she poked her head out. "Oh, Naruto. You're here too."
She sounded a bit disappointed. Both boys garnered that she had probably come out here to have some "alone" time with the youngest Uchiha.
Inner Sasuke stopped laughing and stared at her in horror before screaming, Ack! Hell no! Stay away from me! Wah! Then the Uchiha's inner self fled back into the depths of the raven-haired genin's mind.
Come back here you useless wimp! Sasuke screamed at the retreating figment of his mind. It seemed as if his inner self loved to fool around when Naruto's around and would run off instead of helping him when it came to girls.
"Ah, Sakura... We, we were just about to go back in," the young Uchiha said. "Right, Naruto?" He looked at the blonde for confirmation which he got in the form of a nod.
"Oh..."
The silence between them was tense as none of them moved. It was stifling. Sasuke felt that if it didn't end soon, he was going to come out of the closet and spill his guts out to Sakura here and now.
"Ah! Sakura-chan! What color is your underwear today?" Naruto piped up.
The raven-haired boy stared incredulously at the blonde as Sakura went straight into her "beat-the-crap-out-of-Naruto" mode.
"Ack! No! Sakura-chan! That wasn't my intention! It just slipped out!"
"So you mean that you were thinking about it since this date started?!"
"Yes! Ack! No!"
"Naruto, you perv!"
As Sauke watched the two bicker, he noticed that the earlier tension had dispersed. He smiled at Naruto. The blonde really knew how to make him feel better. At least now, they could keep their little secret from Sakura a bit longer... at least until they could come up with a plan to tell her properly.
"Help!" By now, Sakura had resorted to strangle the loud-mouthed genin.
"I can't believe that you had the gall to ask!"
"Erg... Help..."
"You are such a pain!"
"...Err... Sakura?"
"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"
"Naruto's about to pass out," Sasuke said, pertaining to the blonde wheezing for air as well as turning blue.
Sakura merely stared at the blue-eyed boy as he slipped unconscious and went limp. "Eep!" She dropped him like a log.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted as she came out to look for them and saw the blonde in a crumpled heap on the floor.
"Oi, Naruto! Stop fooling around! This isn't funny."
Sasuke sighed. "Usuratonkachi."
-----
Itachi sat on a large boulder by a lake a bit far from the village but still part of Konoha's territory. He fingered the scars on his face.
I wonder what he'd think if he saw me now. Will he... Will he still want me? Will he still love me?
He sighed, dropping his hand and leaning back on both arms. No use thinking about this now... His gaze rested on the shimmering surface of the lake. It was peaceful and calm.
But peace never lasts. Peace is deceiving, lulling your senses, making you let your guard down. It is only a preparation for another war.
He may not have caught up with Renji and all traces of his twin's trail may have gone cold by now but he knew that the older Uchiha would be back. All he had to do was to watch Renji's prey and wait. All single-minded predators often leave an opening when they go in for the kill. And when that happened, Itachi would take the rare opportunity to catch him
The younger twin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He coughed, nearly choking. He grimaced. "I need a bath."
-----
Renji sighed as he looked out the window. Even with the late hour, the denizens of Otafuku have yet to sleep, the streets still bustling with life.
He was a bit relieved. Tendouji-san had yet to arrive and it seemed that he would not be coming in today. He did not want the man's lecherous hands on him. Kisame, on the other hand, was a completely different matter.
With his partner, he felt safer, a sense of security coming over him that his boss could not give him. What he felt for the Mist ninja, he didn't really know what it was. But he knew that it was different from what he felt for Kakashi.
"Oi, Renji-san."
The older Uchiha twin turned his gaze away from the street and looked at his partner. "What is it, Kisame?"
The shark-like man shifted his stance uncomfortably. "Err... You should get some rest. Standing there all night isn't going to do you any good." A slight tinge of pink colored the older man's cheeks.
Renji stared at him with a soft expression on his face, his lips curled into a small smile before he moved towards his bed. He sat on it and pulled off his shoes. It was quiet as he settled down under the blankets.
Kisame turned the lights off and the soft rustling of sheets indicated that his partner was settling down as well.
Renji-turned to his side facing away from the Mist ninja and watched the dancing lights that filtered through the window.
"It's cold..." he whispered. He felt a sense of dread at the thought of the unpleasantness that was sure to follow Tendouji's arrival.
He was startled when the bed dipped and another body settled behind him. He had not noticed his partner move at all. Arms went around his waist as he was pulled back against the other man's chest.
"Better?"
The Uchiha didn't reply. He could feel the warmth radiated by the man holding him. He could feel every breath Kisame took, ghosting at the back of his neck. He felt comfortable and safe, and realized just how much he needed the man to stay with him.
"Kisame?"
"Hmm?"
Their hands were interlocked with each other.
"Don't leave me..."
The larger hand squeezed his gently.
"I won't, Renji-san. I promise."
Comforted by Kisame's promise, Renji fell asleep, desolate thoughts held at bay by the older man's presence.
-----
Kakashi grimaced at the crick in his neck. He could feel pins and needles aching all over his body. His entire body had gone still from sitting still throughout the lengthy meeting.
The objective of the meeting was not laughing matter. News of suspected members of Akatsuki suddenly moving was disturbing especially when said members were going in Konoha's direction. With the village currently weakened as it was, there was only a slim chance that they would be capable of defending themselves from the S-ranked criminals. People were going to die.
It was going to be a lot of work to give the villagers a fair warning without inducing widespread panic. He also had to inform his students – Naruto, who is most likely the target; Sasuke, who would most likely do something rash; and Sakura, who was most definitely concerned her teammates' welfare.
He was so engrossed with his thoughts that he didn't realize where he was heading until he recognized the familiar path. It was the path leading to a small lake. It was Itachi who brought him there a couple of times in the past.
"I like it here. I can clear my thoughts and think better."
Speaking of Itachi, did he really see the prodigy in his room? Or had he dreamt that image?
"The cool fresh air helps calm my nerves and you could almost get lost in the shimmering surface of the water."
The jounin stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide, as the lake came into view. He could only make out the silhouette of the naked figure in the lake yet he already knew whom it was.
"I'm usually here when I'm not anywhere else. So..."Kakashi's body moved on its own accord and walked towards the young man. The raven-haired man was staring at him in shock. Even with the scars on his face, he was still beautiful.
"...if you need me..."
The young man opened his mouth to speak. "Kakashi, I –" He didn't get to finish what he was going to say as the jounin reached his hands out to cup the younger man's face.
"I'll be right here."
"Itachi..." Kakashi whispered as he pulled down his mask and leaned down to kiss the startled Uchiha.
-----
A man slowly made his way down the hallway and quietly slipped into a room undetected. The room was dark save for the lights that filtered in through the window but it was adequate enough for him to make out the sleeping figures on the bed.
He scowled at the sight. He had come here expecting to see his beloved Renji working himself in knots before his arrival. But he did not expect to find the little bitch to be slumbering peacefully in the arms of that goddamned shark!
Renji was his and his alone! No one was allowed to touch the Uchiha save for him. His hands fisted at his sides. He was going to have to remind the raven-haired young man of his place.
His lips spread into a sinister smile. But for now, I'll let you have your peace, Renji-kun. Because starting tomorrow, you won't be having it for a long, long time.
He turned and opened the door. Looking back one last time, he smiled wider. I'll make sure of it. Then he left, the door shutting with a soft click.
-----
Itachi couldn't believe it. Kakashi kissed him and was now holding him. He wondered if he was dreaming. He pinched himself.
"Ouch."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, nothing."
The jounin raised a brow. "Nothing?"
Itachi looked up. "I thought that maybe I was dreaming so... I pinched myself." He smiled sheepishly.
Kakashi flicked a finger on the Uchiha's forehead. "Baka."
Itachi put a hand on his forehead, suddenly remembering the times that he had done the same thing to Sasuke. Then he noticed the slight blush on the jounin's cheeks and followed the man's gaze down his body and he realized one very important thing. Eep! I'm naked! Wait... Why the hell is he staring at me like that?
The ex-ANBU captain turned beet red. "Kakashi, you pervert!"
"ARGH!"
-----
It had been awkward going back into the restaurant with Sakura and Hinata. One, it was because of what transpired between him and Naruto. Two was because all four of them had caused enough ruckus to be the center of gossip for the next couple of days. Yeah, lucky them.
Sasuke sighed as he walked Sakura home as expected of a good date. But I'm not good. I'm terrible, not just as a date but as a friend too. I'm so sorry, Sakura.
Upon reaching the doorstep of the Haruno residence, Sasuke bid the pink-haired girl a good night and turned to leave.
"Sasuke-kun?"
The youngest Uchiha stopped and looked back. "What is it, Sakura?" Whatever you do, Sasuke, don't break, he thought to himself.
Sakura blushed. "Well, anou... I was wondering... if you could give me a good night kiss."
The number one rookie's eyes widened. "Sakura, I..."
"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"
"I, I... I..."
"Yes?"
Sasuke closed his eyes and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry. I can't!" Then, he turned and fled, not wanting to see the hopeful expression on her face shatter.
I'm sorry, Sakura. But I love Naruto!He ran and ran until he was out of breath. As he stopped to catch his breath, he realized that without even thinking, he had gone to the path that led to a place where he and Itachi used to play hide and seek in. His brother would always be able to find him but he was never able to find the prodigy, not even once.
"Come and find me..." Itachi would taunt him softly in a singsong voice.
He could still remember it clearly as if it had only been yesterday since they last played. The sun was shining brightly as the lake below it glittered. His brother would be sitting on that large rock like always, watching him play in the water with a smile. Then, the genius would join him and they're laugh as they had a water fight.
He frowned as he heard voices near the lake. He hid himself behind a tree and peeked.
"Kakashi, you pervert!" Sasuke's eyes widened. He knew that voice.
"ARGH!"
And that one too, Inner Sasuke wryly said as he took this opportunity to pop out of nowhere and comment.
Sasuke scowled. Shut up and go away.
Hell no!
Why can't you just leave me alone?Hey! I'm you. Remember?
"Shit," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
Gee whiz. That's so supportive of you, was the sarcastic reply.
I hate you.
The feeling is mutual, dumb ass.
-----
Despite having been fully clothed now, Itachi could not help blushing a bright shade of red. Calm yourself down, Itachi. It's not like he's never seen you naked before. The thought merely encouraged him to blush even more brightly than before.
Kakashi was still staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed. He had not tied his hair yet so it cascaded down his shoulders and over his back.
"Hmm... It's not as if I haven't seen you naked before..."
Itachi felt his face grow hotter. He could swear that had it been physically possible, steam would be going out of his ears.
Kakashi chuckled. The prodigy squirmed. "It's not funny."
"Oh yes it is."
"No, it's not."
"It is."
The genius sighed and turned away. Looking down at his reflection on the water's surface, he asked, "You still feel for me... even with this scarred body?"
The jounin stopped chuckling, expression turning serious. "Itachi..."
"I mean, there are others who look better and would be better suited for you. And I'm also a criminal even if I didn't do it."
Arms wrapped around the prodigy, startling him. He could feel Kakashi's breath at the back of his neck.
"Idiot," the jounin whispered. "There is no one better looking and better suited for me than you. Whether or not you're scarred and a criminal, I will always love you."
Itachi closed his eyes and leaned back into Kakashi's gentle embrace, relishing the feel of the other's body. "I wish I could stay here with you forever."
"You can. Come back to the village with me. We can explain everything to the Hokage and clear this whole mess."
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"We don't have proof."
"..."
Itachi opened his eyes and stared up at the full moon. "I have to catch Renji. He'll be back here soon."
"I suppose so if the movement of the other members of Akatsuki is any indication."
"What?" The prodigy moved out of the older man's embrace to look at him.
"They're coming in this direction. They're most likely coming here to capture Naruto and destroy Konoha in the process."
-----
Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. First was Itachi's voice lacking the self-confidence that he usually associated it with. Second, Kakashi had just confessed what he felt for the prodigy. Lastly was the news of a possible attack some time in the near future.
Those bastards are after Naruto! The young genin scowled. I won't let them succeed.
Just then, someone draped over him, shouting into his ear. "Yo, Sasuke-chan!"
Sasuke screamed and lost his balance, sending both him and the newcomer tumbling out of hiding and rolling down to the lovers' feet by the lake. The young Uchiha sat up and whacked the one who startled him, nursing is aching back.
"Naruto, you idiot! That hurt!"
"Hey! How was I supposed to know that you were going to scream like a girl and fall over?!"
"A girl?! Why you little –"
Someone laughed.
"Sasuke?"
The raven-haired boy stiffened in response and looked behind him. Itachi was staring at him blankly while Kakashi was laughing.
He scowled. "What's so funny?" The jounin didn't reply but continued laughing. Sasuke bristled but stopped when he noticed that... Kakashi didn't have his mask on. The younger Uchiha blushed. He now understood the reactions of the people in the ramen stall.
"Aa!" Naruto screamed, pulling him out of his trance-like state. Three heads swiveled to look at the hyperactive blonde, staring at him in confusion. "Kakashi-sensei's face!" All three of them nearly fell over in exasperation.
Sasuke was the first to recover. "You just noticed, you dumb ass?!"
"What?! Who are you calling a dumb ass, you asshole!"
"What? Do I have dirt on it?" Kakashi asked.
Itachi sighed. "Idiots."
Minutes later, they found themselves sitting down. Sasuke sat opposite Itachi with Kakashi and Naruto on either side of him. He observed his brother's solemn expression, wanting to ask so many questions.
The older Uchiha noticed his expression and asked, "What is it, Sasuke?"
"Is... is it true... that you didn't do it?" the younger Uchiha hesitantly asked pertaining to the Uchiha massacre.
"I already told you before that, no, I didn't. Renji did it."
"But Kakashi said that he died when you were five."
Itachi glanced at Kakashi and sighed. "That's what they told everyone, even me. But the truth is that they had him hidden somewhere within the village that only a few knew about. Not even the Hokage knew of it. Had the Sandaime known, he would not have allowed it."
"So he did all these to get back at the clan?"
The genius nodded, expression grave.
"But why is he still prancing around, masquerading as you?" Naruto asked.
Itachi looked down. "Because I'm the one he hates the most." The other three fell silent. "It sounds strange I know. I suppose that you're wondering why when it all appears to be the clan's fault... It's... It's all because of me. I took the life he so wanted to have. If I hadn't become the Uchiha prodigy, he wouldn't have had to suffer."
"It was all my fault. I took everything from him."
-----
Sending Sasuke and Naruto home took a lot of effort on Kakashi's part. Sasuke had been reluctant to leave the brother, whom he was relieved to hear did not massacre the clan years ago, while Naruto was reluctant to leave the younger Uchiha's side. It was an interesting development between the two boys, one that Kakashi would love to tease them about but some other time. The youngest Uchiha had finally been persuaded to go home after several minutes of having Itachi assure him that his big brother wasn't going anywhere for a while and that he would be fine.
With both his students gone, Kakashi had pulled the prodigy into his arms and tried to win the next small argument that he was sure Itachi had already anticipated.
"Are you sure I can't do anything to convince you to sneak into my apartment?"
"No. You make it sound so... so..."
"Inviting? Tempting?" Kakashi offered.
"Perverted," the prodigy flatly said.
Kakashi sighed. It appeared that Itachi may still be sulking about being thoroughly exposed to his gaze earlier. Well, he couldn't help it if the genius still looked drop dead gorgeous despite the scars. Then, he suddenly remembered something.
"Did you happen to sneak in earlier tonight?"
"... Maybe."
"Hmm..."
"What?"
"Why didn't you join me in bed?"
Itachi looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. The prodigy pinched the older man's cheeks and refused to relent. "And risk getting caught, you perverted jounin?! You've being reading that perverted book far too much!"
"Ite, ite, ite!"
Then, the genius let go and sighed. "I didn't want to disturb your rest. You looked so tired out."
"So that means... you were thinking about it?" Kakashi said teasingly as he tried soothing his cheeks.
Itachi blushed and sputtered, "You, you, get your head out of the gutter, you pervert! Honestly, your level of perverseness is nearly the same as Jiraiya-sama's." The younger Uchiha twin turned away with a huff, suddenly remembering an incident in the past where the perverted sennin mistook him for a girl and peeped at him while he took a bath.
"Hmm... Itachi?"
"What is it?"
"I want you to be my bride," Kakashi said seriously.
The prodigy remained silent for a moment before replying quietly, "This is not the time to be joking about this."
The jounin frowned. "Who said I was joking? I'm dead serious. I'm asking you to marry me."
The ex-ANBU captain slowly looked back at him, eyes wide in shock.
-----
Sasuke and Naruto remained silent as they made their way back from the lake. Somewhere along the way, Naruto had slipped his hand to clasp Sasuke's own. Not that Sasuke was complaining.
He liked it, the reassuring feel of the blonde's hand. There was no need to say anything. Just being together was more than enough.
They had bypassed the fork in the road where they were supposed to part. But Naruto still remained and insisted that he walk him home. It was really sweet.
Upon reaching his door, Sasuke turned to look at the blue-eyed boy. "Thanks."
Naruto smiled and moved closer, pressing him against the door. The raven-haired boy blushed and he found himself kissing Naruto good night.
------
Morning came and Itachi remained seated on the large rock by the lake, replaying the conversation with Kakashi the night before. He couldn't sleep, his mind always returning to the same scene over and over again.
"I'm asking you to marry me."
Itachi stared at the jounin in shock. He didn't know what to say. Even if he ha wanted to say anything, he didn't think that he could find his voice.
"Well, you don't have to answer me now. I was thinking about when all this is over, we'd marry, move in together, adopt a kid or two, take care of Sasuke... I know it's a very big step to take. That's why I'm not going to rush you for an answer now. Just think it over." The jounin leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Good night."
Back then, Itachi had wanted to say "yes". But somehow he couldn't bring himself to. It was too sudden. There were so many things that could go wrong between now and after everything was over. He hated to admit it but he was scared.
Kakashi may want him now but what about later? Was everything merely said out of desperation? They had been apart from each other for a couple of years after all.
The Kakashi he knew back then may not necessarily be the Kakashi he knew now. Times change and so do people. The things he may see today may not be the same tomorrow. It was all so confusing.
The more he thought about it, the more he doubted that accepting Kakashi's proposal was the right thing. He didn't want to hurt the jounin with a flat out refusal but he couldn't tell the jounin yes either. He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid the subject of marriage forever. The mere thought of it was driving him crazy.
"Argh... Kakashi, you are such an idiot. Why did you have to ask me that now?" Itachi growled in frustration. And I'm such an idiot for falling in love with you in the first place. The ex-ANBU captain sighed. "What am I going to do?"
-----
Kakashi stared at the photograph in his hands. Had he popped the question too soon? Or was it too late? It was only now that he thought about it. Didn't the prodigy still love him? Or was the young Uchiha merely humoring him out of obligation?
"It's no use having these doubts now," the jounin muttered. But he was sure of one thing however and it was that the feelings he had for the genius still hadn't changed. He still loved Itachi.
By proposing to the other, he may have put a lot of pressure onto the younger man's shoulders, which was something he did not want to do.
Retracting his proposal now would make him seem too fickle. But he was really serious about it despite its suddenness. The only option he had right now was to wait for Itachi's answer.
He traced the surface of the picture in his hands with a finger. It was the photo of him and Itachi taken during the festival years ago. His gaze softened.
He really hoped that Itachi would say "Yes."
-----
Renji dropped the glass he was holding, allowing it to shatter on the wooden floor as the sight before him shattered any sense of peace and security he had gained the night before. "Tendouji...!"
He trembled under the weight of Tendouji's narrow-eyed gaze as the man stared at him, leaning casually against the wall. "Hell, Renji-kun. Missed me?"
The older Uchiha twin frantically assessed his current situation, looking for a way out, a means to escape the man's uncomfortable presence. And he found none.
He regretted having sent Kisame out earlier when he felt embarrassed about waking up in the Mist ninja's arms. How he wished his partner was with him now.
"What is it, Renji-kun? You don't seem that happy to see me," the older man drawled as he pushed himself off the wall and walked closer to the young man.
"Don't... don't come any closer," Renji stammered. He would've taken two steps back for every step Tendouji Eiri took if he wasn't already pressed back against the cold window pane. Kisame, help me...
His boss drew closer and closer until he was pressing his body against the younger man's own. His hands were on either side of Renji's head. His prey was staring at him with wide eyes like a deer caught in the headlights.
Renji squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away as Eiri leaned his head down and buried his face in the crook of the Uchiha's neck. "You have no idea just how much I've missed you. Would you like me to show you just how much I missed you?"
"...No."
Tendouji chuckled, his hands moving to grasp the younger man's shoulders tightly, causing Renji to wince. There was a fear in the young man's eyes that magnified when he saw the malicious expression on his boss' face.
"Is it because of that blasted shark? Is that it? Did you fuck with him?"
Renji's eyes widened at the accusation. "I... I..."
"I do believe you're forgetting your place, my little doll. You do remember what I'm capable of, don't you?"
The young Uchiha bit his lip, his head lowered. "I do remember..." Then his head snapped up. "But I don't care! Kill me if you want! I don't care!"
Tendouji's eyes widened a fraction at his outburst before narrowing them, a sinister smile spreading across his lips. "So you wouldn't care if I butchered that stupid shark for daring to touch what's mine now would you?"
"Leave Kisame out of this!"
Then, the door creaked open and Kisame walked in and froze at the sight of the two men, as they stared at each other.
Tendouji broke the silence that had descended. "Leave us, Kisame. You're an eyesore."
"But..." Kisame argued.
Renji opened his mouth to ask, even beg his partner to stay but his voice wouldn't come out when he saw his boss' expression.
"So you wouldn't care if I butchered that stupid shark for daring to touch what's mine now would you?"
Kisame was now looking at him worriedly, not moving from his spot, waiting for him to say something. The raven-haired young man's lips trembled. If he asked the Mist ninja to stay, the man would die. And he didn't know what he would do if he lost him.
He looked away and spoke, "Just go, Kisame."
"But..."
"GO!"
Kisame seemed hesitant but turned to leave. He looked back one last time before walking out. The sound of the door creaking shut indicated that his partner had already gone.
I'm so sorry, Kisame.
Renji didn't even realize that he was crying until Tendouji touched his tearstained cheeks and forced him to look straight into those cold, narrow eyes.
"It's good that you know your place," the man whispered as he licked Renji's cheek. "So... where were we? Ah, yes. I was supposed to show you just how much I missed you."
The young Uchiha tried his best to keep still as the man plundered his mouth with an invading tongue. But he couldn't keep himself from trembling in fear at what was sure to come.
Tendouji stopped and whispered into his ear, "Don't be shy, Renji-kun. Kiss me."
The older Uchiha twin tilted his head up, his lips slightly parted as the other man leaned down once more.
"That's a good boy."
-----
Outside, Kisame's hands were fisted at his sides, knowing just what was about to transpire yet too powerless to stop it. He wanted to barge in there and do something, anything to keep Renji from getting hurt even if it would cost him his life. Knowing just how powerful Tendouji was, he knew he would die if he interfered. It would have been fine with him had he had the confidence to take the man with him to hell and far from the young Uchiha.
Right now, anything he would do would be in vain. If he got himself killed, he would not be able to take Renji away.
I'm sorry, Renji-san.
-----
Getting called for a mission wasn't really a bad thing. It was only a bad thing when you're hiding a secret from one of you teammates with the guilt gnawing at your guts.
Sasuke dragged his feet as he made his way to the main office to meet up with Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi wasn't going with them. He was given a day's leave to recover from all the missions he had been doing lately.
And he's most likely going to spend it with my brother, the number one rookie genin thought wryly.
But I wanna spend time with my brother, inner Sasuke whined.
Shut up. Where's the mindless blabber when you need it?
Inner Sasuke shrugged. Dunno. I won't be here long anyway.
Sasuke raised a brow. Why the hell not?
His inner self looked over Sasuke's shoulder and screamed, Because she's here! And he ran off. See ya! Wouldn't wanna be ya!
Come back here you wimp! Sasuke shouted after his inner self.
"Sasuke-kun!"
The said genin's hair stood out on end. His body tensed and suppressed a shiver as goose bumps prickled his flesh. He hesitantly looked back at Sakura and said, "Ah... Sakura... Good... good morning."
The pink-haired girl smiled brightly as she came closer. And both of them walked together in silence. Sasuke resisted the urge to fidget. Guilt was clawing at him, taunting him for being such a big coward.
"Sasuke-kun? Anou... about the other night..."
Hell no! Don't ask me, Sakura!
"Why didn't you –"
"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" someone cheerfully greeted, cutting off his pink-haired teammate's question.
Both of them swiveled their heads and stared at a blue-eyed blonde wryly.
Sakura frowned. "Mou, Naruto! I was about to ask a very important question!"
Naruto grinned. "What? Were you about to let Sasuke guess the color of your underwear?"
His teammates raised their brows at him.
"So... what color is it?"
"That –"
"- question –"
"Never gets old!" Naruto laughed. He got a few seconds of laughing time in before Sakura went into "kill-Naruto" mode and started beating the crap out of him.
"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke commented. Deep down, he was relieved. Naruto came to the rescue just in time. Had Sakura actually finished that question, he knew that he would have spilled his guts.
He spent the rest of the day avoiding Sakura or at least being alone with her. He spent it mostly with Naruto even if they did bicker most of the time.
-----
Itachi felt his brow ticking. Why in the world was this problem being addressed to him? He was pretty sure that he didn't have a sign painted on him that says "Shrink." So... how in the hell did this happen? "You WHAT?!"
Oh yeah, perhaps it was because his little brother was now staring at him with those puppy dog eyes and being the big sucker that he is, he actually humored the boy.
Kakashi wasn't being much of a help given that he was currently sporting that perverted/amused look on his face. The prodigy was a bit relieved that the jounin still hadn't mentioned the proposal even once the entire day they'd been together though. But he digressed. He was supposed to be helping his foolish little brother and not thinking about his own problems.
"So, let me get this straight. You went on a date with Sakura, who's your teammate, and you guys had a double date with Naruto, the blonde team idiot and Hinata, another genin like you? Am I getting it right so far?"
Sauke nodded in affirmation, a bit surprised that his brother was actually getting the entire story despite the face that he had told it going about a thousand words a minute.
"Then, you kissed Naruto because you've had this crush on him for the longest time. And it turns out he feels the same. And now you feel guilty because Sakura likes you and Hinata likes Naruto." Itachi sighed exasperatedly. "I hate to say this, Sasuke but you social skills suck."
Sasuke bristled at the last statement. Briefly wondering though just how Itachi got the skills of a gossip queen.
Kakashi took this moment to comment. "Hmm... That's not going to be good for teamwork. Hmm... You should fix it."
"I know that, you perverted jounin!"
"You're going to have to come clean and tell her everything. You can't keep this a secret forever. It'll affect your performance," Itachi said.
"But –"
"I can't help you on this. You can only help yourself. Be a man and face the problem instead of running away from it." Hah! Itachi, you're such a big hypocrite, the prodigy's mind piped up.
Sasuke sighed. "I know... I just don't want her to hate me or Naruto. I never really meant for this to happen."
"There are a lot of things that we never counted on happening but we can only keep moving forward. Otherwise, we'll never get anywhere."
Sasuke left not long after. Itachi watched his brother go with a thoughtful expression on his face. It's so easy to tell someone else not to run away from a problem but it's harder to do in actuality.
He had spent the past few days thinking about Kakashi's proposal. But he still couldn't come up with an answer. The prodigy knew that it was a simple matter of answering with a yes or a no. But he still couldn't bring himself to answer.
Years ago, he would've said yes. But now he wasn't so sure.
A hand landed on his shoulder, jerking him out of his thoughts. He glanced at Kakashi and blinked at the sudden seriousness of the jounin's face.
"What is it, Kakashi?"
"About the other night, I'm serious about it."
Itachi bit his lip. "Kakashi, I –"
He wasn't able to finish as someone spoke up. "Well, well, well. When Renji said both of you looked alike, he really wasn't kidding."
TBC
Author's notes: Well, that's it for now. I hope you guys liked the chapter. I'm really sorry it took so long to update.
Anyway, please review.
Started: September 24, 2004
Ended: October 8, 2004