A/N: Hello readers!
The 1000-hit-mark surpassed - jackpot! Thank you all for reading this story!
Naruto spitted out the noddles and screamed, "WHAT?!" Did he just heard what he thought he heard? Sasuke's apartment?
Kakashi sighed heavily when he noticed how fast the two vampires disappeared and saw a black shadow next to the door, the face hidden behind black hair, before it went away without making a noise.
"I already told you you are in live-danger." he said, closing his book and feeling sorry for the raven. Sasuke got really in trouble and it seemed the blond was even worse than Kakashi himself when he had his 'accident'. "Itachi said it would be the best if you two spend as much time together as you can, so you will be safe anyway. And keeping you in the eye guarantees Sasuke's safety as well." he explained and the lad shook his head.
"I don't care! Who says that I have to stay with that bastard?!" the Uzumaki yelled, holding his head. He still felt a bit sick and weak.
"Naruto-kun, listen to me, please." the grey-haired asked, taking a deep breath. That was definitely going to be heavy and exhausting.
Kakashi lifted his hand and touched softly the injure over his red eye. "Do you know where I got this scar?" he asked, not for getting an answer but for the attention of the lad. It worked, Naruto calmed down and looked at him, eyeing the dark, hurt skin. The adult crossed his arms on the table, resting half on them. "I was twelve that time. I was outside at night because I wanted to show my father I was no child anymore. He gave me arrest, but I ran away." He closed his eyes, asking silently his father for mercy. If he hadn't been such a rebel the man would have had an easier live. "However, I went to the park of my hometown. It was my favorite place and I thought I could hide there. I was on my way when I suddenly saw a black shadow on a bank." He could hear the youth swallow. "... First I got closer but then I was scared and ran away, but I fell. My knee was bleeding and from one moment to the other I felt a heavy weight on me. The shadow had jumped on me and scratched over my eye before he licked up my blood."
The adult paused, clearing his mind. He still hadn't passed the fear completly, even if he had been with the man who attacked him for almost 15 years now. But before he could add something another voice kept telling the story.
"I was up to kill him, but – thankfully – Sasuke stopped me in time." the male said and the blond turned his head, seeing the raven from earlier coming into the kitchen. The man's face was neutral, but his red eyes showed he was one of them as well. The raven walked to a cupboard and filled a cup with a substance and drank it before he continued. "After that, Kakashi-san was observed by some 'cleaners' and I was banned. But, sadly, your situation is more difficult." he explained and laid on the working place, eyeing the two human.
"Itachi." the grey-haired said and the vampire sighed.
"Don't worry, Kakuzu will take care. As long as nobody loses a word, everything will be fine." he explained and Naruto saw how Kakashi relaxed a bit. "Let's get back to the story: You, Naruto-kun, are too old for being just observed. In the worst case not only you and Sasuke would be executed, but everyone you know as well."
The blond froze and stemmed, "Wh-what...?! E-eve... I know?!" Itachi nodded and took another nip.
"Easily. Iruka would have a car-accident and Gaara would get the golden shoot. That is why you have to keep everything you hear and see for you." the raven explained and crossed his arms over his chest, like he was thinking hard. Naruto just blinked shocked, asking himself if they were already dead. No... Other else he wouldn't be alive, too.
"We were so free to put a story in the world about you and why you moved together with Sasuke." Kakashi said after a while and the blond swallowed, deciding he would do anything to save those people. "You," the adult pointed at the lad, "... were on the street when Sasuke didn't see you. He was in his car and almost crashed with you, but he – luckily – missed you. You were so shocked, that you collapsed and the doctor said you might have some head-issues, so you need to be observed the whole day. Sasuke, having a brother who is a doctor and being responsible for your accident, immediately agreed to look after you. And since his home is nearer to the hospital and bigger than yours, you two moved together."
Naruto nodded, trying to understand the situation. Somehow his brain wasn't awake yet, his mind still too asleep.
But something, he couldn't name it, was excited by the thought he and the Uchiha would spend time together...
"You're so silent, Naruto-kun." Itachi said, slightly looking into the indoor car-mirror. The blond boy was sitting on the backseat, his eyes directed to the floor. "You don't have to worry. Kakashi, Sasuke and I will take care. You and your friends are safe." A weak smile was over pale lips. "But still, don't cause more problems, too, please." the raven whispered and parked his car.
The Uzumaki looked out of the window for the first time in the one hour long drive. He had never seen that place before, but it seemed to be some students apartments, very similar to his ex-living-place.
Suddenly his door was opened and Kakashi smiled weakly, "This is it. Our apartment is on the sixth floor. Can you stand up?" Earlier, in the neighbour town where Itachi and the grey-haired lived, the blond almost collapsed on the way to their car and had a nap on the backseat. Naruto nodded and put his legs out of the car before he stood up. It was in the middle of the night, the sky was black and cloudy. He blinked surprised because the skyscraper was really high and modern. He looked up, but his eyes were caught by a person on one of the balconies. The person had a bright skin and dark hair, his silhouette could be seen very well through the light which came out of the apartment.
For a few seconds they kept eye-contact, until the person turned away and stepped inside.
Naruto wasn't able to stop his beating heart anymore.
The three men walked inside and Itachi closed the door behind them. Naruto looked around, eyeing the apartment as far as he could.
It was simple and somehow sterile, but at the same time it looked alive. Here and there were some pictures and line arts, and a big, black bag was laid on the wall. The Uzumaki remembered, yes, that was the bag with Sasuke's paintball-weapon.
"You are late." a male voice said and the blond turned his head, seeing the older copie of Gaara.
"Sorry, Sasori-san." Itachi replied neutral. "Where is my Otouto? Did he behave?"
The red-haired nodded. "He took a shower and tried drinking some blood, but he threw it up. He was pretty calm, so I have send Deidara to our habitation." The raven nodded, looking somehow more relaxed than before. Of course he was, after all, Sasuke was his little brother. It was natural he cared about him, wasn't it?
"I prepared some coffee and hot chocolate. Do you want some?" suddenly mentioned youth asked, stepping into the corridor. Naruto's breath hitched, his tongue licked shortly over his lips. He was completely captured by those eyes, deep red, like fresh blood, which hypnotised him and seemed to whisper sinful things into his ear. That was only enforced by the inviting, pale lips, the white skin, cold like ice and the black, soft hair which hided the face once in a while, making it only more attractive.
But on the other hand that beautiful face had a cold expression, so distant and mad anybody would think twice to go nearer to him or not. And that was just the same Naruto had to think, his body already trying to move towards him on its own while his mind screamed out in fear.
"Coffee sounds great." Kakashi said, breaking the silence. Sasuke nodded before he started walking and guided the group into a bright, white room. The smell of chocolate and fresh coffee was in the air and the young raven opened a cupboard, taking out two cups and two glasses. One of the cups he filled up with coffee, the other one with hot chocolate before he put them on a small table which was in the kitchen. After that he put some cream, sugar and milk there as well before he turned to the glasses.
"Sasori, Itachi, which would you like?" he asked, opening the fridge and pointing at some bottles. "I have a 20, one 54 and a 33."
"I had a busy day... The 20, please." the older Uchiha answered and sat down next to the grey-haired, who was already putting his – empty – cup back.
"Me, too. I have a long day-watch." the red-haired said without looking away from Sasuke.
"On ice, Aniki?" the raven asked but the other shook his head.
"Not tonight, Nii-chan. But thank you." Sasuke nodded, starting to fill the glasses with a red substance. The blond blinked, sighing. Yeah, that must have been blood.
The younger Uchiha gave the full glasses to his guests before he took a big bottle of water and bowed slightly.
"I'm on the balcony, taking some fresh air. Help yourself if you need anything. And thank you all for taking care of us." he said before he left the room. Naruto followed him with his eyes, feeling some sad feeling inside and the desire to go after the raven. To be around him, close to him.
"You did a good job. He is polite." Sasori said, taking a swallow of his blood.
The Uchiha shook his head, replying, "My Nii-chan became so mostly by himself. Only the first few years were exhausting." A heavy sigh escaped the red-haired's pale lips.
"I wish Deidara would be like that as well." he complained, standing up and heading the corridor. "I will go watching TV. Everything is fine, I will take care if there should be any problems." Itachi looked up, a painful and tired smile over his lips, but he seemed to be very thankful to the red-haired. The Uchiha would have preferred observing his brother by himself, but it would only take even more attention if he missed more days in hospital. But he trusted Sasori, and somehow Deidara as well. Sasuke and Naruto were in good hands and in case he would arrive in 15 minutes after all – on foot, of course. The raven stood up, brought his glass to the dishwasher and looked over his shoulder to Kakashi, seeing he was done, too.
"It is getting late and we had some exhausting days lately. We should go home, shouldn't we, Kakashi-san?" he asked and the adult nodded, jawing under his cloth.
The blond suddenly hit his forehead and groaned angrily. That had been thechance to see the grey-haired's face! And what?! His stupid head turned to the fucking jerk and looked after that bastard's back instead!!
"Argh!!! I hate you, teme!!!" he screamed and turned all red when he noticed everyone was staring at him, including Sasori, who jumped up when he heard the scream and Sasuke, who was just behind the red-haired. Naruto swallowed in embarrassment and waved his hands, stemming, "I-it's nothing! Fine! E-everything is fine, believe it!!!"
The younger Uchiha shook his head and sighed, "I preferred the baka asleep..."
"Sasuke!" Itachi hissed and the raven lad sighed again, bowing his head slightly.
"I apologize my bad language." he said before he returned to the balcony. And right then it happened again, the Uzumaki looked after him with a dreamy and somehow sad shine in his eyes. After a while the others were still staring, so the blond got up and stretched his arms.
"I think I'm gonna have a bath..." he whispered, scratching his eyes.
He was tired, but one of the things he could absolutely not stand was smelling.
Naruto mewled happily when he dived into the warm water. He felt his body relaxing, sucking up the warmth and he started shivering slightly. A smile made its way over his face and the blond lifted his hand, smelling the new aroma of his skin. "Haaa~ this is true life!" he smiled, laying back his head and looking at the walls.
The tiles were all coloured differently and had various forms as well, building some kind of mosaic. Somehow it looked like a deep forest with all the kinds of green, the rare parts of blue, red and yellow being birds or small flowers. Or like the endless deep sea, so far under the surface that all was green, only little rays letting the fish show their strong, full colour. But since the Uzumaki saw Sasuke, saw his paintments and the pictures which he had gave Itachi for his apartment he was sure the Uchiha himself had designed that – or at least drew the plans for it. "Hm..." Naruto talked to himself, lifting his hand and watching the water flowing through his fingers. "The bastard is a real artist..."
He sighed and enjoyed the warm water when suddenly the door flew open, causing the blond to sit up.