Warning: Will eventually contain YAOI (BoyxBoy), Dark themes, mention of non-con, violence, swearing, mild BDSM.

-o0o-

Itachi slightly titled his head, giving Neji a clear view of his face. He noticed the splatters of blood that covered the man's handsome face and his dark eyes were dancing with mirth. With a sharp intake of breath, Neji took a step back. Oh no!

A slow smirk played at the corners of the other man's thin lips. "It's nice to see you again, Neji."

Neji's eyes widened as he took another step back. "Itachi?!"

Slowly, pale eyes looked over at the dead body that lay only a few feet away. Itachi followed his gaze as well and studied his handy work. Normally, he did not make such a mess; however, Sakon had put up a decent fight. In his annoyance Itachi went a little overboard with his kill. He could only imagine how he looked with blood all in his hair and on his face.

"You killed him?" Neji's voice was flat, more than likely from shock.

Taking his eyes off of the body, Itachi turned his attention back to the Hyuga. Now this was another inconvenience that he had to deal with. He only had one option; kill Neji and bury him along with Sakon. Such a pity, he would prefer to not kill any innocent bystanders, but Neji was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Itachi took a step forward with his hands raised in front of him in feigned surrender. "Relax Neji, allow me to explain."

The cognitive dissonance between Itachi's calming tone and the gleam in his eyes were not lost on Neji, who was now over his initial shock. His sharp mind immediately assessed the situation; out of habit he had already sized the man up last night and would unabashedly admit to himself that Itachi was far from a novice.

Fight or flight? Neji needed to make a decision soon.

Before he could adjudicate an astute strategy Itachi rushed him - consequently making his decision for him. All of Neji's extensive training had not prepared him for anything like this. His supple form moved fluidly through the narrow alley as he effectively dodged a kick to the head. However, Itachi was unyielding as he mercilessly attacked with a series of kicks and jabs. The speed and force of his blows were remarkable but now was not the time to fawn over the older man. While they fought Neji continued to analyze his opponent's moves; Itachi's fighting style was actually an impressive mix of various fighting styles. His unorthodox techniques made it difficult for Neji to predict any of his moves.

If he could just land a hit precisely on the pressure point in his neck he could fully paralyze him, thus giving him an ample amount of time to get the hell out of there.

As if reading his mind, Itachi leered at him as he continued his onslaught. "Do you think me foolish enough to allow you to get too close to me while in battle?" His powerful arm swung around in a haymaker aimed at Neji's temple.

Barely ducking under the forceful blow, Neji rammed head first into Itachi's torso. The drastic move went against all of his clan's teachings - he was taught that it was having the perfect strategy that led to victory. But right here, in the tawdry back alley, there were no rules.

Itachi was truly mesmerized by the gracefulness of the Hyuga; his long hair flowed behind him like a dark cloak. He was both surprised and impressed by the man's brash decision to tackle him head on. The impact caused him to stumble back a few steps, leaving him wide open for an uppercut that caused his teeth to rattle. Always the gentlemen, he returned the favor with a punch to the side of Neji's mouth.

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he watched Neji swipe his tongue slowly across the bleeding cut on his lip. The gesture was not meant to be erotic - Itachi knew that but it did nothing to stop the image of Neji writhing beneath him in immense pleasure from entering his mind. He decided that it was time for him to end their little 'foreplay.

"Your skills are better than I expected; however you lack one thing." Itachi swept his foot out knocking Neji into the hard ground. "You lack the intent to kill."

Neji propped himself up on his elbows and stared up dazedly at Itachi. The man's condescending tone should have grated on his nerves, but surprisingly it had the opposite effect. As Itachi stood over him- signature smirk in place- it was belittling. Yet the feeling was not as unpleasant as it should have been. Oddly enough it excited him.

Then the excitement suddenly evolved into arousal as he continued to gaze at Itachi through thick lashes.

Itachi was expecting the Hyuga to retaliate either physically or verbally, but the man only laid there staring up at him with glazed over eyes. Slowly, he ran his eyes over his entire form. Neji's hair was slightly tousled, a few strands stuck to the sides of his face. His cheeks were red from exertion and his overall appearance gave him a "just ravished" look. The precise moment that their eyes locked something passed between them- a silent admission of sorts.

A loud masculine laugh from the other end of the alley yanked the two men out of their stupor. Itachi cursed under his breath as he realized how much time he had wasted in one spot. It was supposed to had been a quick job; if Sakon hadn't have gave chase he would have not killed him out in the open. Itachi reluctantly admitted that he had been careless tonight.

Startled by the peculiar thoughts that were floating around in his mind Neji abruptly stood up. Without hesitation he took off running in the direction of the restaurant.

Itachi went to follow after him, but instantly remembered the body that lay only a few feet away. "Fuck!" He growled harshly under his breath as he watched Neji disappear out of the alley.

Using his key fob, Neji automatically unlocked his car door before jumping in. For an extra sense of safety he locked his doors before pulling his phone out. There were four missed calls from Tenten and a few text messages that he would ignore for now. His heart pounded loudly in his ear making it slightly difficult to hear as he waited for his call to get through.

On the third ring Tenten answered. "Neji! I've been calling-"

"Where are you?" He tried to disguise the panic in his voice, but it proved futile.

"Is everything okay? You don't sound too well."

Blowing out a shaky breath, Neji tightly shut his eyes and calmed his breathing. His voice was more stable when he spoke again. "I'm fine. Are you still at the restaurant?"

There was a slight pause on the other end - Tenten was more than likely trying to determine if he were telling the truth about his current state of being. He was still reeling from everything that had just transpired only moments ago.

"You had me worried there for a sec. Akio said that you just left in a rush, and I tried calling your phone but you wouldn't pick up. I'm at your place now, thought that you would eventually show up here."

"I will be there shortly." He hung up the phone and started his car. While Neji drove to his condo, the cogs and gears in his mind started turning. Now the right thing to do in his situation would be to notify the proper authorities. Frankly, he preferred to just act as if the corpse was only a figment of his imagination, but the image of Itachi covered in blood was deeply embedded in his mind.

Perfect, the guy from the club last night turned out to be a possible sociopath, what are the odds? Oh, and let's not forget about the bear fucking pornstar! Neji breathed out an irritated sigh. Maybe it was Fate's way of telling him that he was doomed to live a life of chastity. Well he did wait this long so why not prolong it until - let's see - forever!

Grimacing, he reminded himself of the fact that a person was actually dead and here he was pouting because he was going to more than likely die a virgin. Speaking of dying - he had an inkling that he was now on Itachi's "hit list". Who was to say that he actually even had a "hit list"? There was a possibility that he killed the man out of self-defense. However, Itachi seemed too relaxed for a person that had murdered someone out of protection. No, there was no doubt in Neji's mind that this was not the first time that Itachi had killed someone.

Neji scoffed. "To notify the authorities or not to notify the authorities -that is the question."

The drive to his complex was short, but he just parked and sat in the car for a while. When he was younger he had saw Itachi once at the annual Clan Gala. It was a pretentious event that allowed all of the major families in Konoha to come together and gloat over which among them were the snobbiest while they dined on expensively bland Hors d'oeuvres. Neji absolutely despised it.

Itachi was there with his family and a few members of his clan. Every person in the room wanted to meet the young prodigy- everyone except for Neji. He made sure to avoid the other boy at all costs that night; he had decided long ago that he did not like Itachi. It was more than likely due to the fact that he was also viewed as a prodigy of his clan, but unlike Itachi he would never have the chance of being Clan head.

Of course now he honestly did not care for the title that was once the dream of a naive child. Now, he only wanted something that was solely his- something that he would achieve on his own without the help of his surname. Along with majority of the city, Neji wondered what had become of Uchiha Itachi. After his parent's murder it was as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. Little did the oblivious citizens of Konoha know, Itachi had always been around - lurking in the dark shadows of alleyways.

The dangerous edge to Itachi was unmistakable; he had more than likely planned on killing Neji as well. Chuckling, Neji laid his forehead on the steering wheel, his body shook with uncontrollable laughter. Uchiha Itachi almost killed him tonight, yet he was barely suppressing a boner at the thought of the man.

Perhaps, being sheltered for majority of his adolescence had affected him in more ways than one. The normal reaction to stumbling across someone kneeling over a dead body in a dark alley was definitely NOT sexual arousal. But, his attraction did not necessarily stem from the possibility that Itachi killed people - it was more based on the raw power that exuded the man as he stood over him in triumph.

"Your fighting skills are better than I expected; however you lack one thing. You lack the intent to kill."

Neji could not explain the sensation that coursed through his veins at that moment- it was both frightening and exhilarating. Did that make him a thrill seeker? Was he now going to spend his free time gallivanting around the city in search of dangerous men? Once the laughing fit was over a sense of dread washed over him; his new found sexual fetish aside - there was still a crime that needed to be reported.

The question presented itself to him once more. "To notify the authorities or not to notify the authorities?"

Suppose that he did contact the police, they would of course question him on his reason for being in the alley in the first place. He would in turn explain to them about how uncomfortable he felt during a date from hell. By the end of the investigation it would be known that the person he was on a date with was a man. Neji could only imagine the look on Hiashi's face when he read the headlines.

"Breaking News! Hyuga Hiashi's nephew is Gay!"

While the article regarding the discovery of a murder victim and a possible serial killer would have a quaint spot on the back page. Yep, that was exactly how it was going to play out, Neji was convinced. The local media only seemed interested in high society's scandals, it was a sad realization, but it was the truth. However, bringing shame to his uncle did have a nice ring to it.

Neji's conscious was telling him that he was only making excuses because he did not want to turn Itachi in. How absurd, why would he care if Itachi was thrown away in jail for the rest of his life? Although deep down inside he desperately hoped that the man had a valid reason for what he did tonight. The thought of him being a serial killer did not bode well with him. It was all rather sardonic in his opinion; but he would just blame it on: daddy issues, a loveless childhood and other insecurities that he kept buried deep within.

Finally getting out of his car, he felt a little sore - the adrenaline from earlier distracted him from the pain. Looking up he could see that the light was on in his living room and it reminded him that Tenten was up waiting for him. She had always been the person that he confided in but could he open up to her about what had happened? Would he be able to admit that his attraction towards Itachi has now intensified?

Reluctantly, he made his way into his building and headed up to the third floor. Before he could open the door, Tenten swung it open and welcomed him with a stern expression. "Neji, where have you been?"

Neji stepped over the threshold, mindful of the way the woman eyed him from head to toe. "What happened?" Tenten asked in a voice that reflected the concern in her amber orbs.

"I went outside for a breath of fresh air and was cornered by a couple of hooligans. They roughed me up a little, but I was able to get away." The lie was out of his mouth before he gave it much thought. He felt disgusted with himself when Tenten placed her arm around his neck, comforting him. Like most things, he ignored the stab of guilt that he felt- it was a betrayal and he knew it.

The body bag made a loud thump as Itachi unceremoniously dumped it at the redhead's feet.

With a dull expression in his brown eyes Sasori bent down and unzipped the bag revealing a bloody corpse. "You've made quite the mess of things, how exactly am I supposed to identify him?"

Tersely, Itachi answered. "Check his left arm."

Doing just that, Sasori noticed the small serpent tattoo on the man's left arm. The snake's scales were purple, with hints of black. It was a clear indicator that Sakon had been a member of Sound. Standing up, Sasori pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hands. Itachi watched with barely retained vexation as the man walked behind the large desk and picked up an IPad.

"I will send the confirmation to Leader-sama and deposit the bounty into your account." His slender finger moved lazily across the screen." At the moment we do not require you for any upcoming assignments. Things have calmed down a bit since you disposed of Hanzo. Think of it as a temporary hiatus."

Now that was unexpected news, it was actually the best news that Itachi had received in a very long time. If the Akatsuki were going on hiatus it would give him the break that he needed. However, if idle for too long - he decided not to put too much thought into it. Itachi would think of at it as a relaxing vacation where he could spend time with his younger brother, but first there was a little problem that needed to be taken care of.

Itachi watched with unblinking interest while Sasori went to work on Sakon's body. "Are we done here?" he asked.

He wanted to give the artist his privacy and spare himself another traumatizing occurrence. Without looking up, Sasori nodded his head and continued surgically scalping the corpse. Every member of Akatsuki had their own areas of expertise; Akasuna no Sasori was a master of disguise.

The masks that he created were very - realistic.

Itachi briskly walked up the narrow staircase, the metallic scent of the blood that stained his clothes was doing strange things to him. A shower was the first thing on his 'to do list', then he was going to pay a certain Hyuga a visit.

During the entire drive to Sasori's he chastised himself for his carelessness; nevertheless the problem could be easily rectified. Nothing exciting had been mentioned on the police scanners as he listened in; just the usual petty thefts and robberies.

Still he needed to take care of Neji before he told anyone about what he saw. The local authorities did not pose a threat to him - he had been running circles around them for years now. It was Konoha's infamous rumor mill that worried him the most.

Neji was a member of high society, all he needed to do was mention Itachi's name in the same sentence as 'dead body' and the circus would be back in town. He refused to allow that to happen. Still, if he were being completely honest with himself he did not want to kill Neji. Simple as that. But it was his only option, wasn't it?

Uncertainty flooded him and Itachi shoved it away.

-oOo-

Itachi was utterly appalled by how easy it was to gather information on Hyuga Neji. Another reason why the city of Konoha would forever be oblivious to the Akatsuki's presence. They lacked the proper security to keep their citizens safe, though he was not going to complain because their incompetence gave him everything that he needed. Contrary to his initial belief, Neji was born a member of the Hyuga's Branch family. Neji's mother died during childbirth and his father was killed in a head on collision when he was eight. He was then taken in by his uncle, the Hyuga's clan head.

All Itachi wanted was an address; not the man's backstory, but now that he knew did it change anything?

He was still debating on that when he arrived at the man's condo. There was a chance that he wasn't even home. What did people do after coming across a dead body in an alley and engaging the killer in a brawl? Itachi really hoped that Neji wasn't the hysterical type; he didn't come off as such when they fought. The man's primary shock at seeing the corpse was a normal reaction, but it was like an internal switch had been flipped when he attacked him.

Neji's response was immediate - he did not hesitate or waver. When they were fighting his pale eyes were correctly analyzing his every move; if he were a lesser man Neji would have bested him.

Itachi opened his glove compartment and removed his handgun. He didn't really have a plan of action: no staking the place out or scaling the walls so he could climb in the window. No, he was going to knock on the front door and go from there. The Hyuga lived on the third floor, getting passed the security at the front desk was child's play for him. His gun was concealed in the holsters on his shoulders; the black blazer that he wore did a good job of keeping them hidden. As he stood in front of door 315 he could make out muffled voices, more than likely from the television. He made sure to stand to the side out of sight of the peep hole when he finally knocked.

The door opened revealing an attractive woman; Itachi recognized her immediately as the woman from last night. He wanted to face palm for not considering the fact that someone else would be here.

Using his Uchiha charm he flashed her a smile. "I apologize for knocking at this hour, but I am a friend of Neji's. Is he in?"

There was a special place in hell for people who blatantly lied to their best friends and Neji was sure that he had a one way ticket there. After he lied about being attacked by hooligans he fabricated other parts of his evening as well. Tenten, being the kind woman that she is, insisted on tracking the scoundrels down so she could teach them a lesson. A lesson from the weapons mistress translated to placing very sharp objects in very private places.

Neji shuddered at the thought of what she would do to him once she found out he lied to her. But it was for her own good, the less she knew about Itachi the better. The shower was well needed; it helped a little with relieving the soreness in his muscles. Neji came out of the scuffle with a few bruises and a cut on his lip; oh and let's not forget the large bruise on his ego.

What really pissed him off the most was the fact that he enjoyed every second of it. He couldn't recall the last time that he felt that excited over anything. To think that the cure for his mild depression was to have his ass kicked in a back alley. Who would have known?

Stepping out of his bathroom he could hear the sounds of feminine laughter coming from his living room. Neji frowned as he searched his bureau for a pair of sweats to throw on. His search didn't last long and he quickly got dressed. Opening the door to his room he could hear another laugh, a smooth baritone that floated to where he stood in the hallway. Familiarity tugged at him, yet he couldn't exactly place the voice - it sounded off.

Rounding the corner he could see Tenten sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch chatting happily with some guy. His back was turned to Neji giving him a view of long dark hair that was tied with a red bind at the nape of his neck.

Tenten noticed him immediately and waved him over. "Neji! Look who came to see you!"

Slowly, Itachi turned his head around and felt smug satisfaction as he saw Neji instantly tense at the sight of him. The muscle in Neji's jaw visibly clenched; the emotions in his pale eyes were easy for him to read. There was shock then irritation and - excitement?

But not one hint of fear: he had expected the man to start panicking and causing a scene that would have resulted in the death of Tenten as well. Itachi's mind backtracked to the last emotion that flashed in Neji's eyes. Excitement? He decided to file that away for later and focus on the task at hand.

Neji kept his gaze on the smug bastard that sat on his couch in his living room, holding a conversation with his best friend as if he belonged there. Scowling, he made his way to the love seat and sat down. The only thing separating him from Itachi was an oak coffee table.

Onyx clashed with pale lavender as the men stared intently at each other. Sporting a shit eating grin, Tenten looked back and forth between the two men. Her inner fan girl was threatening to break out of its confines and drown her in mind numbing bliss. She took a calming breath; that side of her had to stay hidden lest her reputation be ruined.

Clearing her throat, Tenten stood up. "I'm gonna go check on the tea, Neji why don't you sit and talk with Kenji! He came all the way here to see you so be nice." She winked at Neji before walking into the kitchen.

For a brief moment, Neji pondered on Itachi's use of a fake name: Did he often give people fake names? If so why did he tell him his real name? It was tiny, almost insignificant; the small contentment that he felt at that knowledge.

Once the woman was out of sight, Itachi finally spoke. Amusement danced in his dark eyes. "Tenten was just regaling me with your encounter with a couple of street thugs earlier this evening."

Neji hated the way he said his friend's name so casually as if he were an old friend. He crossed his arms defensively and lowered his voice. "Cut the bullshit. Whatever it is that you came here to do, get on with it. Just keep Tenten out of it, I haven't told her a thing."

"Who have you told?"

"I haven't told anyone about what happened. Nor do I plan on it." Neji said in a hushed tone.

Narrowing his eyes, Itachi leaned in. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

Before he could answer, Tenten came into the living room carrying a tray of tea. "Hope you don't mind Chamomile tea, Kenji. It's the only thing Neji drinks around here." She placed the tray on the coffee table and began pouring their cups.

"Chamomile is fine, thank you Tenten." Itachi smiled genuinely at her.

After the cups were filled and distributed, Tenten began her interrogation. "So, Kenji how long have you known my best friend? I don't think he has ever mentioned you."

"We actually met last night." Itachi casually said before taking a sip of his tea.

Amber eyes sparkled with delight, "You mean to tell me that YOU'RE the rich hottie from last night?"

Almost choking on his tea, Neji shot a scathing look to his friend. The woman completely ignored him, her attention was solely on the tall, dark and handsome man.

Itachi stared at Neji the entire time he answered. "Well, I suppose I am."

"Neji you turd! Why didn't you tell me that he was this attractive? Hell, I would have been eager to give up my V-card as well." Tenten attempted to whisper, but it was loud enough to be heard by the raven.

"Tenten, could you not?!"The words were a barely leashed growl.

Unfazed, the woman waved him off dismissively and faced Itachi who was watching the two interact with apt interest. The two bickered like siblings- an old married couple rather- it was quite entertaining.

"Neji can be such a prude at times. He wouldn't give me any of the juicy details." Tenten pouted her lips.

Itachi mused. "Yes, Hyuga's are known for being rather uptight." He was actually enjoying the woman's bluntness, she fondly reminded him of his partner Kisame. Then he reprimanded himself for having such thoughts at a time like this.

"Tell me about it!" Tenten laughed and Neji decided that he was at his wit's end.

"Well, Tenten it has been lovely, but if you don't mind I would like to speak with...Kenji alone."

"I'll bet! You just want me to leave so Kenji-kun can kiss all of your bruises away." She gave a contemplative look, then her face turned serious. "I really wish I was there , Neji. I mean I know that you can take care of yourself, but it would have felt good to test my new baby out."

It was Neji's turn to feel smug; the look on Itachi's face when Tenten pulled a jet black kunai out of -Kami-sama knows where- was absolutely priceless. Itachi eyed Tenten with a wary expression as she expertly handled the weapon; twirling it on one finger before switching it to the other. The woman flashed him a feral grin that would put Hidan's to shame. "I don't take too kindly to people fucking with my friends!"

Itachi wouldn't describe the feeling that he felt at that moment as fear- not in the least- but he would admit that the woman's mood swings did unnerve him. After her little show of skill, Tenten stood up and picked up her cup. Before she left the room she winked at him. "You just remember that, Kenji! Goodnight you two." With that the woman walked to the guest room and shut the door behind her.

The entire exchange felt normal, well besides the whole 'kunai' bit, but it made Itachi feel like he lead a normal life. It was a Saturday night, he was out visiting the man that he was dating and then the overprotective friend comes along and threatens him. It was all rather cliche, but he couldn't deny that he had been longing for something like this. He looked down at his cup of chamomile tea that he was holding. Mikoto , his mother, used to drink it. Being in Neji's condo made him long for things that he knew he didn't deserve.

The gun weighed heavy in its holster, reminding him of why he was there in the first place.

"Are you going to kill me now?"

Itachi's head shot up at the forward question. Killing was second nature to him; it was like walking or riding a bike. Taking someone's life never took this much contemplation on his behalf. His hand trembled slightly as he placed the tea cup on its saucer and placed them both on the coffee table. Was he - nervous? How absurd!

Looking at Neji now, the same emotions that he felt when he first saw the man standing near the bar last night were swirling around in his chest. Simply put- he yearned for Neji. Itachi wanted to invade the man's senses, his thoughts and dreams until the only thing that Neji lived and breathed for was him. That silent confession hit him like a landslide.

To think that his first crush would be on a man that he would have to kill.