-o0o-

Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the digital clock that sat on the nightstand near his bed. It was two o'clock on Sunday morning and in less than two hours he would have to meet up with his partner Kisame. The raven reflected on his recent mission and what it meant for the future of Akatsuki. After Itachi joined he had been "groomed" to become the perfect assassin. Madara knew that Hanzo had a thing for handsome men and he used that to their advantage. It took almost ten years of tedious assignments and missions until Itachi was deemed ready enough to take out the Salamander.

The old fool was practically in love with Itachi after a few dates; it was pitiful to think that a powerful man like him was defeated so easily. Itachi could only assume that now Pein had taken the role of de facto leader of Amegakure. The longer he stared at the red numbers on the clock his eyes started to lose focus and an image of his first victim's face came to mind.

After Madara signed the papers to become their legal guardian he had told Itachi that he would have his first job in less than a week. At the age of thirteen Itachi had the top grades in his class and had already skipped two whole grades. His bedroom walls were decorated with plaques from International Martial Arts competitions that he had come in at first place. He was already a prodigy by the age of six.

So when Madara told him that his first mission was to assassinate a decrepit old man, he thought it would be a piece of cake.

Madara had failed to mention that the man, Danzo Shimaru, was the leader of the Yakuza Root faction. He also left out the fact that the man was known pedophile that had a thing for dark-haired little boys. After that mission Itachi learned that the world was not the pampered life that his parents created for him. There was a whole other world out there and it was ugly and only the strong survived. Since then Itachi made sure to never underestimate his opponent and to never trust Madara.

Though, he could always have it worse. Sasuke was safe and innocent - in a sense. There was no blood on his little brother's hands and he would kill whoever to keep it that way.

The elder Uchiha blinked and stared at the ceiling instead. The weekend was too brief in his opinion and he would have liked to have spent more time with Sasuke. But as it would seem, the younger Uchiha had been preoccupied as of late. His little brother was currently dating his best friend, Naruto.

Fugaku, their father, was more than likely turning in his grave at the knowledge of his youngest sons' sexual orientation. Itachi allowed a small smile to grace his handsome face.

During the past two days Naruto and Sasuke had been joined at the hip - literally.

Unfortunately Itachi had seen a side of his little brother that he would have paid to never see, EVER. He could recall a time when Sasuke had the emotional responsiveness of a door knob, but look at him now. All in all, Itachi would rather his brother be a normal hormonal driven teenager than...someone like him.

Glancing over at the alarm clock again, Itachi decided to get out of bed and get ready so he could meet Kisame.

Besides Madara, whom Itachi loathed, the other members of Akatsuki were not that bad. Yeah they were all ruthless murderers, but they were not so bad. Itachi's partner Kisame was the closest thing he had to a friend and that spoke volumes. Kisame was ex-Kiri Anbu, he was known for tearing his victims to shreds with his blade Samehada.

The raven had witnessed Kisame "shred" his victims and now he made sure to stay far away from pulled pork.

-o0o-

After Itachi took a shower and gathered his supplies he made a stop by Sasuke's door. His hand was on the door knob, but he hesitated and decided to knock instead. A loud thump and a few muffled curses could be heard before the door cracked open revealing a very grumpy little brother.

Sasuke's neck and bare chest were covered in purple and red marks. His lips were still swollen from last night's 'activities' and he looked a little more relaxed than usual.

Itachi raised an elegant brown and then smirked.

The younger Uchiha noticed the hint of amusement in his older brothers' onyx eyes and he scowled.

"Itachi"

"Sasuke."

Cutting to the chase Sasuke asked, "How long will you be away this time?"

Itachi gave his brother a thoughtful look. "Not too long."

Sasuke noticed his brother's vague response but left it alone. He knew that Itachi would tell him everything that he needed to know, nothing more, nothing less. It had always been like this since they were kids and honestly the younger Uchiha was a little annoyed by always being left in the dark.

He knew that his brother had a job that would keep him away for weeks at a time, but he did not know what the actual job was. The only thing that the teenager knew for sure was that his brother loved him and had his best interest at heart. There was always food in his stomach and clothes on his back and he never had to want for anything. So instead of demanding the truth and showing his obvious annoyance he nodded his head.

The two brothers stared at each other and after a few moments Itachi left and Sasuke went back inside his room. They did not need words to convey their thoughts at that moment because their eyes said it all.

Be safe.

Itachi arrived at the usual location thirty minutes early. He was not surprised to see that his partner Kisame was already there. There were a few reasons why the raven could tolerate the large man and his punctuality was one of them. As he got closer to his partner's location he could make out another figure casually lying down with his hands behind his head.

The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes. If this man was here this was going to be a very difficult mission. Itachi inwardly groaned, but his face remained as impassive as always. He preferred to not go on missions with this man; he was too erratic and unpredictable.

The last mission they were on together the man slaughtered thirty guards while laughing maniacally and screaming, "This is in the name of Jashin you fucking non-believers!" It was a bloody nightmare.

Flashing a sharky grin, Kisame chuckled. "Well now that the gang is all here let's get down to business!" Itachi suppressed an eye roll and looked down to notice violet eyes eyeing him hungrily.

Hidan was up in an instant. "Hot damn Uchiha! You sure have filled out nicely! It's been like what? Three years since I last worked with you?" Hidan looked thoughtful before he continued. "Man Leader had me out in the bloody Land of Iron and I was freezing my fucking balls off, man not like I needed them there anyway! Fucking place only had one shitty whorehouse and..."

While Hidan continued to rant about the Land of Iron's lack of pleasure establishments, Itachi took in Hidan's appearance.

He was not ashamed to admit that Hidan was an attractive man. He was tall and nicely built with smooth peach colored skin and short platinum hair. Today he was wearing a tight fitted black mesh shirt and tight black leather jeans with a choker on his neck. Hidan's nails were painted a shade of dark green and his overall appearance screamed Rock Star.

It was just those eyes that unnerved Itachi; they were not dead like most people who killed for a living. Hidan's violet eyes were practically overflowing with life. Proving that the man was truly insane.

Hidan noticed Itachi checking him out and flashed a grin exposing pearly whites. "Maybe we can catch up during our mission? What do you say pretty boy?" He slowly licked his lips revealing a silver tongue ring. The Uchiha was unfazed, but Hidan didn't seem to mind.

Kisame watched the exchange "Is everyone in this fucking organization gay? Well except for me and Leader who is obviously banging Konan."

Hidan laughed, "Well let's see. Sasori is asexual, Deidara and I are bisexual. The Ice Princess Uchiha here is...well fuck I honestly don't know. And Leader banging Konan? Get the fuck out of here man! That prick wouldn't even know where to fucking put it!"

Kisame frowned, "Hidan you shouldn't speak ill of Leader!" The large man growled.

Before Hidan could start another rant, which Itachi knew would only upset his partner and start a fight, he cleared his throat. "Let us not lose focus on the task at hand."

Hidan stared at the Uchiha, but decided to drop it. Kisame gave his partner a toothy grin, "Always the responsible one of the group Itachi. The job will be in Kumo so we will be gone for a week at most. I will brief you guys once we board the jet. Let's head out!"

The large man turned to walk and Itachi started to follow as Hidan picked up a black duffle bag and slung it around his shoulders.

"Can't forget my goody bag." He looked at Itachi and winked.

Itachi could only imagine the types of "goodies" that were in that bag.

A sleek black Mercedes paralleled parked outside of Senju Preparatory School. The driver wore an annoyed expression on his handsome face. It was a quarter to five and they were going to be late. As soon as his last class ended, he went straight to the parking garage and rushed over. The traffic surrounding Konoha School of Law was always hectic because it was located in the business district. He stared at the entrance to the school as he tapped his finger impatiently on the steering wheel.

After a few minutes a beautiful teenage girl came running out of the building with a worried expression on her face. She looked up and noticed the parked sedan and made her way towards it. It was the summer, but the two teenagers attended school all year round. Because it was fun - okay that's a lie. They went to school all year round because Hyuga Hiashi was a dick.

When she reached the vehicle, she swung the door open and hopped in. The driver did not wait for her to fully close the door or put a seat belt on as he sped off towards their destination. The drive was silent, there was no music playing and only the sound of the driver's occasional scoff of annoyance could be heard. The young girl eyed the driver with a wary expression.

"Um Neji, I'm sorry. I had to meet with Ayame-sensei and..."

The driver, Neji gave her a soft smile, "It is fine Hinata, but you know how your father gets when we are late. I would rather not hear the 'Hyuga Inc. is approximately 15 minutes from Senju Prep speech today. "

Hinata nodded her head in agreement, "Yes. I agree."

-o0o-

At twenty minutes after five, the two Hyuga teenagers sat with their heads bowed while they both sat silently in seiza-style.

The CEO's office at Hyuga Incorporated was the size of a personal flat and was furnished with elaborate traditional Japanese decor. Hyuga Hiashi eyed the two bowed forms with a hard expression as he took a sip from his tea. He didn't think of himself as an unfair main, sure he could be harsh at times, but it was all for the good of his clan.

As he glanced at the still figure of his eldest daughter, he had to fight back a scowl. Hinata was too much like her mother; she had porcelain skin, fine waist-length indigo hair, and she looked so fragile. In Hiashi's eyes she was too weak and did not have the guts to take his place as CEO or head of the clan - both positions went hand in hand. He needed someone with a strong backbone and who wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty.

As Hiashi continued to sip his tea, his gaze fell on his nephew, Neji. His twin brother's only child was the son that he had always wanted. When Neji was seven he had already mastered the family's technique. He graduated as Valedictorian from Senju Preparatory and was offered a full ride to KSUL. At the age of nineteen, Neji's future was bright but he would never have the one thing that he truly desired.

Unfortunately, he would never have his freedom.

When Hiashi was named successor due to the fact that he was born a few minutes earlier than his twin brother. Hizashi felt cheated. At the time he believed that the company/title should have been shared, yet that was not the way of the Hyuga.

When his brother died Hiashi took Neji in and thought it best if he became Hinata's personal guard. He knew that the boy was too talented to play babysitter for some heiress, but what could he do?

The Hyuga clan had a bloodline that dated back to feudal Japan, and they had survived this long by sticking to tradition. Throughout history there had been the occasional prodigy born into the branch family, but that did not sway the Hyuga way. They would not become like the Uchiha clan that was practically extinct. So when Hinata was of age she would take her place as clan head and Neji will live to serve and protect her until she was married to a man Hiashi deemed suitable.

Carefully, Hiashi sat his porcelain cup on the matching saucer and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He stood and started pacing in front of his mahogany desk.

"Hyuga Inc. is approximately fifteen minutes from Senju Preparatory School..."

Neji almost rolled his eyes at the speech. He heard it every fucking time that he was late. In his head, he mocked his uncle as he said the speech along with him. It was programmed in his brain, hell he even dreamed about the redundant speech.

"...it takes 5 minutes to get to Senju Prep from the University." Hiashi continued. "And ten minutes to get here from there. So I fail to see why you two are twenty minutes late."

His uncle also failed to realize that it was a Monday and the traffic was shitty no matter where you were. Neji wanted to voice this, but his uncle did not tolerate interruptions. He was going to say everything that he needed to say and then dismiss them. Hiashi could care less about the opinions of his disappointment of a daughter and her 'servant'.

The clan head continued, "I called you both here to inform you that I am ready to start training Hinata to one day take over the company and clan. I had hoped that Hanabi could take over instead. But she is still too young and too hard to control." He said bitterly. "That is why I had to send her to boarding school in Wind country. Seeing that I am all out of options I have decided to start preparing Hinata to take over instead. Neji you will assist her until I feel as if she can handle things on her own. You will also continue to protect her until she is married to a man that I deem fit."

Neji only blinked at the news; he knew that Hinata was going to start her training for the position when she was in her last year at Prep. When he was younger and still naive he believed that the position would be given to him, but you cannot change your fate. He was born into the Hyuga branch family - born into a life of servitude.

"Hinata, your training will begin in December once you have completed the remainder of your classes. Until then Neji will continue to pick you up from school and take you to all of your other lessons. You two are dismissed."

"Hai."

The two teenagers stood up and bowed before leaving the office.

"If your father wasn't too busy having fancy tea parties up his ass he would notice that you were much stronger now."

It was true that Hinata was no longer the weakling that her father thought she was. Now the girl was more confident and had finally mastered the family's technique. Hinata's grades were just as good as her older cousin's, but her father only saw her flaws. After Hinata lost a public fight against her younger sister years ago, her father no longer paid attention to any of her progress. He didn't realize that Hinata's strength was in her compassion.

Smiling at her cousin, Hinata responded. "When I was a child I used to stay up all night and cry because my father would never acknowledge me." Then she shrugged. "But now that I am older...I don't think I really give a shit."

"Hinata! Did you just swear?"

Giggling, Hinata gave a sheepish grin, "I think Kiba may have rubbed off on me."

Neji scowled. "That damn Inuzuka. He better be lucky that he has been keeping you happy!" He didn't necessarily dislike Kiba; he was just doing his duty as the elder cousin. Besides, it was fun beating the crap out of the boy from time to time.

Inuzuka Kiba was Hinata's boyfriend. At first, Neji disapproved of the Inuzuka boy. However, he made his cousin happy. So Neji decided to step back and wait until the boy screwed up so he could punch his ass all the way to Wind country.

Hinata looked over at her the man. "Yes cousin, but who do you have to make you happy?" she quietly asked.

"You know better than anyone that I have no one. Especially not in that sense."

"Well maybe you should get out for once and find someone!"

Neji parked his car outside of the Hyuga estate. "So my shy little cousin is giving me advice now? That's a riot!"

"Seriously, Neji! You are still young, you're attractive and you're the smartest man I know. Who wouldn't want to get their hands on you?" A damn fool that's who. Hinata didn't understand why Neji couldn't see how much of a catch he was.

The brunette turned and faced his cousin, "Hinata, I understand that you want me to be happy and all that shit, but let's face it. I can't make anyone happy as long as I can't give them my full attention. Your father has assigned me to you until you marry. There is no way I can be with anybody before that."

Hinata did understand Neji's predicament. If it was up to her she would have released Neji from his duty years ago, but Hiashi's word was law. Well for now anyway. It was almost time for her father to retire, and she would be the new clan head. There were several things about her clan that she wanted to change, starting with the whole servitude thing. The notion was terribly outdated.

"Well Neji, if you don't have time to find someone to settle down with you could always just find someone to fool around with. Sex is a great way to relieve stress, you know."

Neji just stared at his cousin with a blank expression. The car was deathly silent and Hinata could have sworn that the temperature dropped a few degrees.

"That Inuzuka is dead!"

When Neji opened the door to his condo that evening he could feel the loneliness start to slowly settle into his heart. He walked straight to his bedroom without bothering with the lights; he was the only one that lived there so it was pointless.

After the death of his father he moved in with his uncle, but once he turned eighteen he used his small inheritance to rent the condo. His car was a gift from his uncle for his eighteenth birthday and Hiashi had offered to pay for the condo as well but Neji refused. This place was in his name and it was the only place where he was free to do as he pleased.

Once he was in his room, Neji reached for the bindings that held his hair in place and yanked it out freeing his long hair. Neji turned the water on in the shower to as hot as it could go and undressed before he stepped in. As the scalding water cascaded over his toned body he let the events of the day replay in his head.

He was still trying to process the new found information about his sweet little cousin. To think that Hinata was no longer a virgin. He was going to strangle that boyfriend of hers the next time he saw him. Well if Neji were being honest with himself he was not truly upset with Kiba, he was actually slightly jealous. For all that Neji had in physical appearance and intelligence, he was still a virgin. It wasn't as if he was against the idea of sex he had just never met anyone that made him feel like he wanted to actually give it a try.

He was also having a little trouble with his sexuality. When he was eight he was friends with a boy named Lee who he used to kiss behind the schoolhouse. The teacher had found them one day and called his uncle Hiashi. When his uncle asked him why he was doing that Neji replied that he enjoyed the feeling of the other boys' lips on his.

That night his uncle beat him until he bled and Neji never said a word to Lee again. Last he heard Lee was openly gay and engaged to be married in the fall. After that incident Neji tried dating girls because he was afraid to even look at boys in that way again. So in high school he dated Tenten; she was feisty, not like the other girls in school, and they would even spar together. The relationship didn't last long, for obvious reasons. However, the two became best friends in the end.

Since then Neji had not been in a relationship of any kind with anyone.

-o0o-

Once Neji stepped out of the shower and dried off he walked out into his bedroom and could hear his cell phone ringing. When he reached for the device he smirked at the name on the screen before he answered.

"Tenten, I was just thinking about you."

The girl on the other end sucked her teeth, "Sure you were! Keep telling me lies."

"I assure you that I only tell the truth."

"Yeah whatever! But I know how you hate talking on the phone so I will make this quick. I will be in town Friday and Saturday. So prepare the guest room!"

A small smile graced his face at the news; he had not seen his best friend in almost six months. Tenten went to school in Name no Kuna which was three hours away.

"Also..." there was a pause and Neji narrowed his eyes. He knew that the next thing his friend was going to say was something that he would more than likely not enjoy.

"Also..." Tenten continued. "I want to check out that new club. So mentally prepare yourself for that because you will be joining me!"

Glowering, Neji gritted his teeth. "I knew there was going to be a catch."

On the other end of the line she laughed. "See you in a week!"

- Let me know what you think!