Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, graphic adult themes, violence, angst, a good friend, and eventually yaoi love.

Hard to Read:

Chapter 10

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3 Weeks Earlier

"Why..?" he choked out, forcing it past the overwhelming fear rising in his throat, suffocating him.

Itachi tilted his head to the side as he regarded his little blonde captive. Naruto was still tied to the small bed he had kept in his favorite abandoned hideout. His clothes discarded, lying somewhere on the floor. The tears had stopped, but his eyes were still red and heavy, dulling the fearful blue eyes he had enjoyed staring into while he defiled the body beneath them. Just the thought of it excited him, and he could feel himself getting hard all over again.

But before he enjoyed him for a second time, he just couldn't pass up the chance to completely ruin him. "Why, you ask? Simple. You were in the way."

Naruto stared at him, confusion flitting across his features.

Itachi continued. "I chose you as my target for the Akatsuki because I saw how Sasuke felt about you." His eyes hardened. "And I needed to destroy it."

The naive blonde still didn't understand. Or maybe he couldn't think past the pain..

Itachi studied him with interest- like he had discovered some fascinating new animal in his bed, instead of the tormented, and brutally violated, shinobi that was actually there.

"Sasuke will gain unbelievable power, and he will restore the clan that I was forced to slaughter. A better clan. And you, Naruto-" he ran a hand through Naruto's hair, smirking when the blonde turned away in disgust. "You were getting in the way of that."

"Wh-what do I have to do with any of that? He.. he can restore the clan-" a sob tore through him as he forced himself to look back at Itachi. "You- you didn't.. you don't have to do this!!"

"No, I suppose I could've just handed you over to the Akatsuki. But.. I started to enjoy it." His eyes shined as he looked down at him. "The hunt, overpowering the infamous nine tails.. and having a taste of what my little brother found so.." his eyes trailed down Naruto's body, drinking in the sight of him, "- irresistible."

Naruto shook his head, biting his lip to muffle the whimpers crawling up his throat.

Why.. Why is he doing this to me? It doesn't make sense.. What does this have to do with Sasuke.? I just.. I don't understand.

I don't understand..

Itachi watched the helpless blonde with growing amusement until something deeper stirred in him. Seeing Naruto's panic- his confusion, his fear- lit a deep twisted flame inside of him. He could feel that burn pulsing through him- engulfing him.

He could barely contain it.

"I just kept wanting more.." Itachi whispered. He moved on top of the blonde again, a shock of pleasure slamming into him as he watched those blue eyes widen, filling up with a fear he could almost taste.

Itachi craved him.

Naruto flinched as the Uchiha leaned closer. "No, no please, don't- don't!!" He screamed, desperately trying to pull away, chakra rope rubbing his wrists raw.

Itachi pressed himself firmly against him, ignoring his pleas. "- and I still want more."

Naruto's eyes shot open. He looked up and saw heavy wooden rafters. Soft light was streaming in through the window, so it must be early morning or late afternoon. Something was tightly constricting his throat. Not enough to stop his breathing, but enough to be uncomfortable. He brought his hand up and felt a thick bandage wrapped all the way around his neck. He looked down and saw that he had a heavy comforter draped over him. His shirt was off again.

He looked around and soon realized that he was, once again, in the large bed in Sasuke's main bedroom- now the only surviving bedroom. He pushed himself up and found that while he was sore, he wasn't in pain. He carefully fingered the bandage around his neck. It just felt like a bad bruise.

But I cut it.. I know I cut it.

"In case you're wondering- yes, you did cut your fucking throat open in my kitchen."

Naruto jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice as he walked in. He looked away as Sasuke grabbed the chair from the corner of the room and dragged it over to the side of the bed.

He sat down with a deep sigh, running his fingers roughly through his hair. "God, Naruto... what were you thinking..?"

The blonde glanced over. Sasuke didn't look mad anymore. He looked.. tired. Deeply saddened by everything that happened, and completely drained trying to stop it. Naruto felt heavy guilt press down heavily on his chest, and settle low in his gut, as he watched his friend struggle with this. With what he had tried to do.

"I-" he swallowed, trying to get his voice to work. It sounded like gravel. "I'm.. sorry."

Sasuke looked over at him. "No you're not."

Naruto met his eyes, but didn't respond.

Sasuke dropped his head down, running his fingers through his hair again, struggling to control his agitation. "You're just sorry that I was there."

Naruto bit his lip. He didn't want to hurt him, but he didn't want to lie either. He looked up and found Sasuke watching him closely. "How did you.. umm- you know.." Naruto motioned towards his throat, not knowing how to say it.

"Stop you from killing yourself?" Sasuke finished for him.

Naruto looked away, but Sasuke kept his eyes locked on him. "You cut about a third of the way around before I could stop you." Sasuke clenched his jaw. Because I didn't fucking make it in time.

"I held back the bleeding long enough to slow it down, so I could wrap it, and then I.. removed the blood seal on the house."

Huge cerulean eyes shot over to him. "What?"

"So the nine tails could heal you."

Naruto ran his fingertips against the bandage around his neck. That's why I don't feel pain. The fox's chakra healed it.

"You didn't cause any permanent damage." Sasuke was still watching him closely, noticing the blonde touching his neck, wondering about his injury. "Guess it was lucky that I hid my knives.. the shard you found was sharp, but not long enough."

"I'll have to remember that for next time.."

Sasuke threw his chair back as he jumped to his feet. His eyes burned with rage as he glared down at him. "Is this some kind of fucking joke to you?" he snapped. "Do you actually think this doesn't affect me?" Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Sasuke slammed a hand over it, forcing him back down onto the mattress.

"Shut up. I'm done hearing bullshit apologies. You want to fix this- tell me why." He looked into Naruto's scared eyes, ignoring the desperate hands pulling on his wrist. Instead, he leaned in so Naruto could see his dark eyes, and the desperation sinking inside them.

"Please, Naruto. Just tell me why you're doing this."

The hands at his wrist froze and blue eyes stared up at him, panic slipping away, replaced with confusion and concern. For himself, for Sasuke- it was hard to tell. But it was better than Naruto being terrified of him.

He slowly pulled his hand away as he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, sitting close to him. Naruto sat up and leaned back against the headboard. He shook his head, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "Sasuke.. I- I can't.."

"He's still alive- isn't he?"

Naruto pressed his lips tightly together. He leaned his head back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. At anything else.. anyone else..

"And you think if you say something and reveal that, he'll come back for revenge."

Naruto closed his eyes, clenching them tight, but not before a tear slipped free, running down the side of his face.

"Whatever he did to you.. he knew you wouldn't want to tell anyone. So he knew his secret would be safe." Sasuke thought aloud, slowly putting the pieces together. "But what could be so horrible that-"

Naruto threw an arm over his eyes as he forced back a sob. "Please, Sasuke.. if you care about me at all- you'll let this go.."

He moved closer and pulled Naruto's arm down. The blonde hurriedly turned his head away, but the raven turned it back. Sasuke gently brushed away his tears with his thumb, not even realizing he was doing it until he saw Naruto's huge eyes staring back at him. He stopped, but left his hand on the side of Naruto's face.

An urge that Sasuke has been trying to bury for years was suddenly rising to the surface, and he wasn't sure if he was going to actually resist it this time. He had almost lost him twice now.. how much longer was he willing to wait? How many chances did he have left before Naruto was just.. gone?

"Naruto.." he said quietly, "can you really not see how much I care about you?"

Naruto's huge blue eyes flickered between intense obsidian ones, searching for a trick, a joke- but this.. this was real.

"I saw how Sasuke felt about you.. and I needed to destroy it."

This is what Itachi was talking about. He.. went after me because he saw that.., he looked back up at Sasuke's face.

That Sasuke..

Searching Naruto's eyes, the Uchiha leaned close.

That he..

He paused, mere inches away, studying him. "Naruto.." he breathed- a whispered prayer, a tender promise, a quiet plea.

He..

Sasuke slowly leaned in, eyes never leaving Naruto's face, as he softly pressed his lips against his own.

Loves.. me