I don't own Naruto nor do I make money from it.

Chapter Twenty-one

Sasuke panted raggedly as he parried another strike from Itachi's sword. His arm felt like porridge and sweat was dripping from his could barely keep up with his brother's attacks. He was fast—faster than he could have imagined.

"Are you tired already, Sasuke?"

A scowl spread across Sasuke's face. That faintly amused tone spurred him on like no other. "No."

"Then don't act like it."

Sasuke growled and swung his cutlass forward in an angry arc. Itachi was being a bastard today. It did not help that the image of him in the tub with Kisame's hands on him was still fresh in his mind. It was almost impossible to erase what he had felt as he stared at the two of them. It was a shock to his system that he had wanted to open the door and join them. The temptation to open the door and join the two of them still ate away at him. He had seen Kisame's eyes, they had gleamed with lust and...invitation? Or was it simply another taunt?

Kisame's barely concealed jabs were driving him to the point of insanity. Even now, he could feel Kisame's eyes on him and it was almost as arousing as Itachi's gaze. And that bothered him even more. What was his angle?

Was he trying to torment him? Was all this for his own amusement?

Sasuke did not find it in the least bit amusing. And now, he was attempting to concentrate while trying to keep Itachi from running him through during their impromptu spar.

When the blade of one cutlass sliced through the flesh on his upper arm, he was jarred from his thoughts to see Itachi's thunderous gaze and Kisame on his feet. He glanced at his arm and then back to Itachi. Without realizing it, Kisame had his sleeve up and was examining the wound.

"Where was your head?" he growled.

Sasuke opened his lips to reply, only to have no sound escape. Between Itachi and Kisame both touching him, any mild pain he felt was washed away in favor of a more erotic heating of his loins. They were not even trying to arouse him and he was already on edge from the innocent touches. "It's nothing."

"The hell it isn't." Kisame poked at the bleeding slash with a gentle finger. "You'll probably need stitching."

"It's fine." Sasuke snatched his arm away before he embarrassed himself worse than he already was. "I'll tend it later."

"Sasuke," murmured Itachi, his hand reaching out. "Infections are easily acquired here. You should be more mindful of your health."

"It's not that deep and I'll clean it well. Just leave it be." Sasuke pressed his torn shirt to the wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding and began walking down the beach to the trail leading to the main road.

"Sasuke, where are you going?" Itachi began to follow, but halted when Sasuke turned to face him.

Sasuke shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "I'm going to get this looked at. You don't need to come. I'll be fine."

Itachi looked as if he wanted to argue, but Kisame's hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and spoke in a low voice before nodded reluctantly. "Very well."

Sasuke smiled and turned from the scene before him before his emotions became visible on his face. He was so distracted by them that he was not sure how to find his equilibrium again and used the short walk to berate himself and question the direction of his thoughts. Until the previous night, he had not thought much about Itachi in that way. He knew his brother was attractive to men and women, but the truth of the effect Itachi had on him had not been driven in more clearly than the previous night.

And he was ashamed—ashamed of coveting his brother as well as his brother's lover. Kisame was just as desirable as Itachi for different reasons. He had thought that once he found Itachi, he would be able to finally turn his attentions to a girl and possibly woo her. Instead, he desired the only thing he could not have.

His arm was beginning to throb by the time he reached the house where Juugo resided with Shikamaru and Neji. He knocked and waited.

Bored eyes widened as they bore down on him when the door opened. "What in the seven hells happened to you?"

"Is Juugo here?"

Shikamaru shrugged and stepped aside. Juugo was coming from the back with a large crate of miscellaneous objects when he saw Sasuke. He immediately set aside his burden and rushed to Sasuke's side.

"What happened?"

Sasuke slid his gaze to where Shikamaru was watching with interest. Shikamaru arched a brow, but left the two alone. This was not a topic he was comfortable discussing in mixed company and he was grateful for Shikamaru's discretion.

"What happened?" repeated Juugo as he tugged Sasuke's shirt over his head and instantly began prodding the wound.

"Itachi and I were sparring on the beach and I was not paying attention."

"That's not like you, Sasuke," reprimanded Juugo.

Sasuke winced at the tone. "I had things on my mind."

"As is obvious by this cut. It should be stitched."

Another wince. "Can you do it? I would rather not parade my wandering thoughts before everyone."

Juugo looked indecisive. They had stitched each other up before while under Kakashi's command. For all the intelligent and sharply run ship, the ship surgeon had been a disgustingly filthy man. Neither was brave enough to risk infection under his care and chose to care for any wounds they might acquire themselves rather than allow him to touch them.

"Dan is a good man."

"Please, Juugo." Sasuke was not sure he could stand to have another man touch him now, not with his body still humming from the short attention from Kisame and Itachi. He only felt safe in Juugo's care.

Sasuke saw that Juugo was not happy about it, but nodded his head regardless and disappeared into what Sasuke assumed was his room, returning several minutes later with a dagger, needle, and thick thread. The dagger was placed in the hearth and the needle threaded. Juugo then fetched a bottle of rum from the larder and offered it to Sasuke, who shook his head.

"You know I don't like that stuff if I don't have to. I only drink it on ship when there is little else."

"It will ease the pain a little."

Again Sasuke shook his head. "I can handle the pain. Just sew me up."

Juugo shrugged his massive shoulders and took the dagger from hearth and pressed it to the edeges of the wound. Sasuke arched in the chair at the pain brought on by cauterizing the bleeding. It was the part he hated the most and was forced to bite painfully on his lower lip to keep from screaming.

Juugo sighed heavily and ran a soothing hand through Sasuke's hair as the pain dulled. He then pinched together the cut and began the task of sewing it closed. His stitches were surprisingly neat for someone not properly trained in the art of providing healing care. In a lot of ways, Sasuke regretted Juugo's life, even if his friend refused to speak on it. Juugo was too gentle for the life they led, yet it was foisted on him, first with Orochimaru and then Kakashi. If not for Sasuke, Juugo could have been free, but instead he had stayed to ensure Sasuke's care, going so far as to teach him to speak English.

As the needle was pushed through his skin, he realized it hurt just as bad every time. That bottle of rum was beginning to look appealing as the sweat began to trickle down his face. He might hold back tears or cries, but he could not hold back the grunts that escaped him.

"Fuck," he hissed.

"If you had gone to Dan, he might have had something that would have dulled the pain better than rum."

"Don't lecture me," grunted Sasuke. "Just keep sewing and get it over with."

With the last stitch knotted, Sasuke heaved a relieved sigh, only to give a loud shout as pain rocked up his arm. Juugo was unceremoniously pouring rum over the newly stitched wound. "Fuck, Juugo!"

"It will help stave off infection."

Sasuke snorted and clenched his hands in the material of his trousers until the pain eased to a bearable throb. "You could have warned me. I should kill you for doing that."

"I knew you would not let me if you knew." Juugo smiled and began wrapping the wound in a bit of cloth before plucking up Sasuke's shirt. "I'll wash this and return it to you. I know you're hopeless at getting the stains out."

"Are you my mother today?" growled Sasuke petulently.

"With you in this state, someone has to be. I've never seen you so on edge."

"It's...Itachi."

Juugo arched a brow and tossed Sasuke an overly large shirt before arching a brow. "It is always about your brother when it comes to your moods."

"I...want him."

"Want him? As lover want him?"

Sasuke nodded and watched Juugo closely to gauge his reaction. Juugo did not seem disgusted, though his expression was difficult to read.

"I asked you before if you desired your brother, mostly in jest. I am guessing that today you are able to answer the question with a bit more truth than I would have thought." Juugo tapped his fingers on the table. "Is this a wise route for you to start down? He has a lover and he does not seem the sort to share willingly."

"Kisame," muttered Sasuke. "He's been rubbing it in my face all day."

"Why is that?"

A flush dusted color on Sasuke's cheeks and he dropped his gaze to hide the embarrassment from being too evident. "I watched them last night."

"Watched them?"

Sasuke sent Juugo a pleading look and ran a hand through his hair. He watched as Juugo took in the information before his eyes widened. "And they saw you?"

"Kisame did." Sasuke left out the part where his lusts were extending to Kisame, especially after hearing the way he talked to Itachi last eve.

"I see." Juugo patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "I can't tell you what to do, but it would be easier if you found someone else to obsess on. I doubt your brother would have any desire to reciprocate and if your lusts are known, it could possibly injure your relationship. The same could be said if you pursued anything with Kisame."

Sasuke nodded and lifted a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "That's easier said than done."

"Sasuke—" Juugo sat forward, concern playing across his features. "You're playing with fire. You're brother isn't the same man he was in his youth. He's been with these men for a decade, just as you have been influenced by Captain Hatake, so has your brother been influenced by this lot. He would have no qualms with killing a man over a dispute."

Sasuke stood, anger flushing his cheeks. "Itachi is not like that."

"Yes, he is." Juugo sighed and leaned back in his chair. "But there is no point in arguing with you. He is your brother and you know best how to deal with him, just keep in mind that he might not be the same Itachi that you have envisioned. For better or worse, we're both a member of a pirate crew now."

Another wave of guilt washed away Sasuke's anger. This was not the life Juugo should be living. "You shouldn't have followed me."

"I would rather serve on a pirate crew with you, than be with the British navy alone. Either way I am going to be killing people."

Sasuke shifted his gaze away. "I'm sorry."

Juugo shrugged his shoulders and stood to walk Sasuke to the door. "I'm not. You mean more to me than you realize. You are my brother even if we do not share blood. I would follow you anywhere. You were the first person to see me as more than a monster."

Sasuke felt a small smile curving his lips. Brothers. It felt right. "I'll see you later, Juugo."

Juugo nodded and gave a small bow as Sasuke had taught him all those years ago. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Take care on what you decide, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded and made his way down the road. He had no intention of returning to the house he shared with Itachi and Kisame. There was still plenty of light in the sky and he was going to make the most of it by exploring the small village and some of the surrounding area.

As he was walking through the village, he noticed many of the villagers making their way down to the docks. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed them, only to stop where he stood as a large ship was going through the motions of docking alongside the Crimson Cloud.

"That must be the ship Asuma's wife was speaking of," he mused to himself.

He began moving through the small crowd, arriving just in time to see the crew of the ship disembark and rush to their waiting spouses and children. His brow arched as a large white haired man and a young blond man walked down the gangplank onto the dock. The way both carried themselves spoke of their standing in the ship hierarchy. This was the captain and his young companion was just as arrogant in his walk.

He thought it best he not draw attention to himself. Just as he was about to turn and make his way onto something more interesting, a hand landed on his shoulder and halted his retreat. He turned to see the large captain standing at his side. "You're a new face."

Sasuke bristled at the touch. "What of it?"

"And defensive. What do you have to hide?"

"Who said I'm hiding anything?"

The blond rolled his eyes and gave the white haired captain a playful shove. "Leave him alone, old man."

"You should be more cautious of strangers, Naruto. This island's safety might be threatened by strangers knowing our location."

"He doesn't look like a threat," said Naruto with a grin. "In fact...he looks a lot like Itachi."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Itachi is my brother."

Jiraiya and Naruto's brows shot into their hairline simultaneously. "So, he actually found you."

"It was a mutual finding."

Naruto grinned broadly and extended his hand. "My name is Naruto Namikaze and this old man is my grandfather, Jiraiya."

Sasuke accepted the shake cautiously. "Sasuke Uchiha."

"How long have you been on Tsunade Island?"

"Not long."

Naruto scoffed and glared playfully at Sasuke. "Yep, definitely Itachi's brother. I've never met anyone who talked less than him until you."

Sasuke shifted his gaze from Naruto to the infamous Captain Jiraiya and found narrowed eyes sizing him up as well. It took all his inner strength not to shift under that intense gaze. Those eyes were weighing his worth.

"Do you drink, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave a small start and glanced at Naruto. "No."

"Well, no one's perfect. Let's go to Sasori's tavern. He doesn't water down the spirits like some of those port towns." Naruto obviously was not taking no for an answer and dragged Sasuke along behind him.

If he had wanted, he could have fought and pulled himself free, but found himself now wanting to. Naruto's smile was as genuine as his unspoken offer of friendship. Sasuke had never had friends other than Juugo, and their friendship was more closely linked to brotherhood than mere companionship. Maybe Juugo was right and he should find something to distract him from Itachi until he could fully understand what he was feeling.

"Do they have something other than rum?"

"What's wrong with rum?" asked Naruto with a comical frown.

"Tavern rum is disgusting. It tastes like horse piss."

"What is your means for comparison?" Naruto roared with laughter. "Does that mean you've tasted horse piss?"

Sasuke froze and stared at Naruto before chuckling lightly. Juugo had said for him to divert his attention elsewhere. This was a very good start.

oOo

"I'm going to go look for him."

"Leave him be, Itachi." Kisame puffed lightly on his pipe while staring into the crackling fire in the hearth. "He's probably with his friend."

"It's almost midnight. He should have come home by now." Itachi ran a hand through his hair, pulling it free of its tie. "We haven't been in port long. He could have gotten lost."

Kisame chuckled and gave a few puffs to his pipe. "He's not a boy any longer. You should treat him like the man he is."

Itachi glared at Kisame. "Don't think I haven't seen the way you aggravate him. I may not know what you're saying to him, but it's obviously not something good. Leave him be, Kisame."

Kisame hummed a low sound. "You're blind if you think I don't see it."

"See what?" Itachi frowned. "What are you playing at?"

Kisame's silence was frustrating and Itachi had had enough. "I'm going to look for him."

He grabbed a thick cloak from a knob beside the door only to have it open and two very drunk young men tumble through and to the floor at Itachi's feet. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke giggled and rolled onto his back beside his young blond companion. Only one man on the island had hair that particular shade. Jiraiya must have returned to port this evening if Naruto was about.

"Where have you been?"

Two pairs of eyes stared up at Itachi, one dark and the other blue. It was Naruto who answered with a wide grin. "Drinkin'. I teached 'Suke how."

"I knew how to drink already, idiot." Sasuke's voice was not as slurred as Naruto's, but it was obvious to anyone that he was just as sloshed.

"But I made it fun."

Kisame moved to stand by Itachi and stared down at the two drunken men. "That much is obvious, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes blinked up at Kisame, his smile brightening a degree. "Ahoy, Kisame."

Kisame crouched beside Naruto and Itachi tugged Sasuke to his feet. "I think it's time you made your way home, Naruto."

Naruto frowned and his brow wrinkled as if trying to decipher the words. "I dun know the way."

"Idiot," snickered Sasuke as he leaned heavily on Itachi. "Don't even know his way home."

Itachi sighed heavily. "Kisame, could you take him home. I'm sure Jiraiya would appreciate it."

Kisame nodded with a chuckle and brought Naruto to his feet. Slinging an arm around Naruto's shoulder, he led him from the house and down the street toward the large house on the hill.

With Naruto gone, Itachi turned his gaze to Sasuke who was beginning to look ill. He was swallowing rapidly and his body was giving little shudders. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke groaned and gave a small gag. "Tachi...I think I'm going to be sick."

Itachi barely got Sasuke to his bedroom and a bedpan shoved in his hand before he was gagging and vomiting up the liquor he had ingested. His brother looked pitiful as he gagged and convulsed.

While Sasuke was hunched over the pan, Itachi left to pump up water from the well. Sasuke was laying half on his bed when he returned, the bedpan discarded on the floor. He wrinkled his nose at the acrid smell of vomit and dampened a bit of cloth to wipe at Sasuke's brow.

With the assumption that Sasuke had passed out from exhaustion and rum, he went about tugging off his boots and then pulling the overly large shirt from his body. He took note of the neatly bandaged wound on his upper arm. Unwrapping it revealed neat stitches and no sign of infection. Whomever had treated the wound had done so properly.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Sasuke did not answer, and in his drunken stupor, he did not expect him to. He simply needed to say the words.

As his eyes roamed Sasuke's body, he frowned. Sasuke was beautifully made. His body was a mixture of work hardened muscles and lean perfection. He was a bit stockier than Itachi, but no less beautiful with his ropey muscles and sun-kissed skin. It would not be long before everyone was chasing his brother in search of a taste of his body.

And that bothered him when it should not. Sasuke was his to protect, but he should not care if Sasuke chose to seek out physical comfort.

Itachi was turning to leave when Sasuke stirred and reached for him. The act surprised him enough to cause him to topple over onto Sasuke like a blanket.

He could smell the odor of sweat, rum, and vomit, but also that faint hint of the sea that was imbedded into every sailor. Sasuke had that scent. "Sasuke?"

"Mmm...Tachi." Sasuke leaned forward and nuzzled his face against Itachi's neck.

A ripple of shock worked down Itachi's spine at the feel of Sasuke's lips moving along the sensitive skin of his neck. What should not have happened, did as heat began pooling into his loins. When those lips began sucking, Itachi jerked away and almost tumbled to the floor.

Sasuke made several snuffling sounds before rolling over onto his side and filling the room with his faint snores. Itachi was not so easily relaxed. His hand lifted to his neck to find it still damp from Sasuke's lips and his trousers tented with an obvious arousal.

He was not sure what to make of the situation. Sasuke seemed unmoved in his drunken stupor, but it left Itachi with a strange sensation. In the past, it was only Kisame who brought rise to his lusts. He could remember with clarity when he began to feel lust for Kisame. It was such an addictive feeling that it still chased him, even now.

But to experience a similar reaction to his brother was unthinkable.

"Did you get him settled?"

Itachi turned to see Kisame grinning lazily at him. "That was fast."

"I ran into Jiraiya on the road. He said Sasori sent one of his boys to him, letting him know that Naruto was deep in his cups and neither him, nor his companion, would be likely to make it home unscathed. He might have been searching all night for Naruto if I had not met him. I'm actually surprised he didn't leave Naruto to sleep it out a roadside ditch."

"I see." Itachi took a step back and out of the room, unable to look at Sasuke the same. Something in him felt changed and it bothered him. He did not like change, especially when it concerned Sasuke.

"Is something the matter?"

Itachi shook his head and walked slowly to the bedroom he shared with Kisame. His mind spun wildly with what this could mean.

"Something is wrong. Did Sasuke say something to upset you?"

"No." Itachi frowned and turned his gaze to Kisame. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're walking around like a ghost." Kisame wrapped his arms around Itachi and instantly he was enveloped in warmth. Kisame always made him feel safe. He was the only one Itachi trusted to guard his back in battle.

"Tell me what is wrong."

Itachi shook his head. He could never speak it. The people of the village, though acknowledging of the relationship he shared with Kisame, were not completely at ease with it. What happened on the ships was accepted as a sating of a need, whether it was with another man or in the arms of a port wench. While they might be lenient towards his relationship with Kisame out of fear of retribution, they would never accept the same were he to become involved with his brother.

A small growl rumbled from his chest and he pulled away from Kisame, shaking his head violently. Why was he even considering the thought of sharing something intimate with Sasuke? It was not even an option for him.

"Itachi—"

Itachi turned to Kisame and immediately moved into his arms. Without thinking, or perhaps more to forget what he had felt before with Sasuke, he pressed their lips together. Tongues dueled and teeth clashed. Itachi wanted to hide inside Kisame, to be devoured by him.

Kisame growled into the kiss, his hands planting themselves on Itachi's hips and rolling their groins together. Their lips parted and Kisame stared down into Itachi's face with an intense gaze. The desperate nature of the kiss would be addressed, but the look on his face promised the discussion would be continued later.

Later was enough of a delay for now. Itachi tugged his loose white shirt from his body and then worked at the lacings to Kisame's shirt. He needed to feel him, to touch his sun-browned skin and taste the salt in his sweat.

Kisame's large and powerful hands pushed Itachi onto the bed and quick and deftly freed the lacings of his trousers. Their lips met again and Itachi's legs wrapped around Kisame's hips as he ground upward in his need. Kisame always did this to him. He drove him insane with need and his sudden attraction to Sasuke only intensified that need, turning him inside out with lust.

"God's teeth, Itachi, slow down."

But Itachi did not want to slow down. He wanted to be taken and consumed by this lust boiling inside him. He pulled away only long enough to push his trousers from his legs and then began stroking the rising erection bobbing upward from his groin.

He smirked at the added lust the sight of him masturbating brought to Kisame's eyes. He knew all the tricks to arouse him. His tongue darted out and swiped at his lower lip as the coil began to build in his groin.

"Stop," snarled Kisame, tugging his hands away and shoving Itachi's thighs upward.

Itachi arched his back so that his shoulders and head were the only parts of him touching the down stuffed mattress. He felt the shoving of fingers into his ass, slicked by the oil kept at their bedside. It was harsh and even bordered on pain. But he needed. He needed so badly.

When he felt the touch of Kisame's erection, he began panting and lowered a hand to begin stroking himself again. As Kisame's body nearly split him in two, he could not hold back the shout.

It was hard and fast. There was no gentleness. There was no calm.

This was a mating. It was everything he needed in that moment and come morning, Itachi knew he would have to disguise the limp that would manifest in his gait.

Kisame panted, his breath hot and heavy on his cheek. His hands gripped his thighs and it was certain that bruises in the shapes of fingers would form within hours.

And it was wonderful. Itachi stroked hard and fast at his erection. He was so engrossed in his pleasure that he did not realize his thoughts were betraying him and bringing an image of Sasuke into focus.

He saw him, laying sprawled out on his bed, shirtless with a hand pulling out an angry, red erection. He was unable to turn his mind's eye away as Sasuke panted and groaned as he worked his body into completion.

Without even realizing it, he was pumping himself at the same speed. He knew Kisame was driving into him with full force and reveled in it just as he reveled in the mental image of Sasuke bringing himself pleasure. The dual exposure was more than he could take, and he lifted a hand to his lips and drew blood from his fist as he muffled a scream and came in a series of wild convulsions.

Kisame pushed his legs higher and rammed inside him with even more force until his body shuddered and went still. Warmth gushed inside him in hard pumps as they both collapsed into the soft mattress.

The bliss was short—far too short.

After the bliss, came the shame he could not speak.

"Fuck me, Itachi." Kisame pulled away long enough to fetch a cloth dampened from the water pitcher and began cleaning Itachi's soiled body. "What the hell brought that on?"

Itachi shook his head and shuddered in the wake of his orgasm. "I don't know."

Kisame looked unconvinced, but let the issue slide for the moment. "You're troubled."

"It's nothing."

"It is never just nothing with you." Kisame pulled Itachi into his arms. "But, I'll drop it for now."

Kisame's understanding of how he worked eased Itachi's troubled mind. There was no man or woman who could claim to know more of his inner workings than Kisame. That Kisame trusted him to work his issues out on his own warmed his heart.

"Thank you, Kisame."

Kisame grunted and settled down beside him, letting them bask in the warmth created by their bodies. "Just don't take too long to talk to me."

"I won't."

As he lay curled beside Kisame, his mind could not let go of Sasuke. What was he going to do about these new, very unbrotherly desires?

To be continued.

AN: You all have Starstruck-Vanilla to thank for this chapter. She kept on me and kept on me until I finally sat down and wrote this. A big problem I had was I was not sure how to bring the three together. I was nearly to the point of tearing my hair out and that, along with other things made sitting down with this chapter difficult, but here it is. Enjoy.