DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (Except the OCs are mine!!)
Webs of Deception
Chapter Seventeen
My Dear Brother
"What's the problem in here?" asked Itachi as he entered Sasuke's bedroom. Taking a small glance at all the occupants within the room before keeping his vision on his younger brother. Who didn't look at all happy to see him.
"Ooooh......just the usual discussion of rampaging, slaughter and the stealing of newborn babies." stated Miki in an offhanded way. Which caused the three sets of eyes to turn and stare oddly at him. He shifted on his feet awkwardly, thinking maybe he went a little far with that statement. "Yup...."
"Anyway....." began Itachi while setting his eyes back on Sasuke. "......you two need to leave. I would like to have a private word with my foolish little brother."
Ruri stepped forward, trying to mask her concern for what she heard the younger raven confess. "I need to check his vitals before I leave. But he's being a little......reluctant."
Currently the two Uchiha brothers were in a fierce staring/glaring match. Itachi said without breaking the contact, "That has never stopped you before." a slow smirk forming of knowledge of what the woman would do to make sure she got her way.
The woman nodded curtly and approached the youngest Uchiha. Who broke the silent battle with his older brother and turned his glaring--now--red eyes to Ruri. "Don't you fucking come near me." he sneered in a cold tone. Though that didn't deter her in the slightest. She was used to many forms of deadly tones. Four the most deadlyest are from her own team.
On normal circumstances, she would force them into letting her check their systems. But she had a feeling that Sasuke wasn't going to be as corporative as the first time she forced a procedure check on him. She stared into his sharingan for a moment longer before disappearing from her spot.
Sasuke stood rigid, widening his senses to tell where she would reappear again. But he wasn't getting anything. He glanced over at Itachi, who was merely smirking at what he knew would come. Miki, on the other hand, looked kind of bored as he leaned against the door frame. But the playful glint in his eyes proved the contrary of what his body language portrayed.
A prick in the back of his neck caused him to curse colorfully in his mind. Knowing that he was caught. 'Dammit.....' He made an attempt to move his body but as he thought, he couldn't move.
Ruri moved and stood in front of him, purposely avoiding eye contact with him. Just in case he would try and enter her mind out of spite. She guessed, being on the same team as his older brother does have its perks. Thanks to fighting side by side with him, taught her a few things about the sharingan.
"This is for your own good." she said as she concentrated chakra into her right hand. It began to glow green as she positioned it at the top of the other's chest. "Now try to relax." Which only caused her to feel an intensified glare directed at. Of course, she ignored it and continued with her examination.
Once done, she reached behind and pulled the needle out of his neck. The owner of that neck, stretched his slightly stiff muscles and took a couple of steps away from the woman. Who said, "You're blood count is still a little lower than normal. So I'll advise, which you're probably not going to take, to rest the rest of the day before doing anything strenuous." She finished with a gentle smile before turning and walking towards the exit while saying, "If you'll excuse me."
"Go to Naruto's room. He's awake." informed Itachi. Causing Ruri to pause a second in her steps and nod her head curtly. Then she exited the room, heading in the direction of Naruto's counters.
Miki remained where he was. Personally he really wanted to see the discussion between the two Uchiha brothers. But when the eldest Uchiha informed him, "Naruto told me to ask you to bring him a dead jinchuuriki folder and not the oldest." He knew that was his discreet way in saying, leave. And that's what he did with a comment throw over his shoulder to Itachi, "Maybe you can whack some sense into him!" Closing the door behind him when he left.
Now it was just Sasuke and Itachi. Two people that shouldn't ever be left alone if it can possibly be helped.
After two minutes of standing perfectly still and glaring at one another, Itachi smirked and grabbed the chair that Miki used to sit in. Dragging it over to him and sitting down with his arms crossed. Another moment of silence followed with Sasuke keeping an eye on Itachi. Watching for any sudden movements.
"You should sit." stated Itachi in monotonous tone. "You heard what Ruri-san said. It's better if you do."
Sasuke scoffed as his eyes narrowed almost to slits. "What is this? You trying to be big brother again?" he sneered with slight sarcasticness lacing it.
The other's smirk only grew, partly expecting this. Actually he expected him to try to kill him again but.....hey, you can't be right about everything. In a blink of an eye, Itachi was gone from his seat and standing in front of his brother. And before the latter could do anything, he was shoved backward roughly. His body flopping and doing a bounce on the bed.
"I said sit." Itachi growled out. His irritation showing every so slightly. He then moved back around the bed at a normal pace and sat back down in the chair.
Sasuke growled deep in his throat and repositioned himself on the bed. His eyes still adorning the sharingan but spinning faster than when he was glaring at Ruri. But he kept his instinct to attack the other down. At least for the time being.
"What happened this morning, I will not tolerate it for a second time. Do I make myself clear?" his tone holding a deadly edge to it.
A mental clank resounding through Sasuke's mind as another piece of wood was throw into the fire. That flaming inferno being his anger. His killing intent flooded through the room and leaked out of it like water gushing.
This sudden rush of killing intent didn't bother Itachi one bit. He merely continued to stare amusedly at his inwardly rampaging younger brother. Knowing that this inner fit was going to reach the surface. And look, he didn't have to wait that long.
Good, he didn't like to waist time anyway.
"I don't know what the hell you think you're trying to do, Itachi!" Using as must venom when he said the other's name. "But this is my life!" 'Which you helped mess up. Just like him.' "What I do with it is non of your fucking business!"
"When your life intervenes with your well being, then it becomes my business. Because you're well being is my responsibility."
Snap.
"Your responsibility....." Sasuke said lowly with his head low. His bangs shadowing his eyes. "Your responsibility." he repeated with more force. "YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!" he roared, his voice echoing throughout the house. "You died being my brother when you killed our clan!! You HAVE no responsibility!! So stop trying to act like a fucking brother when we both know you're nothing but a murderous traitor of your own family!!"
Itachi has been known for being patient. Hell, he travels around with Naruto, he has to have patience. But surprising enough, he was finding himself becoming impatient with his younger brother's--as he's going to call it--tantrum. His glare directed at his younger brother narrowed, "Are you quite done?" his voice more menacing. "Because if you're going to continue on with your righteous speech about our dear family, then I prefer to leave the room."
"There's the door." he said shortly. Wanting nothing more at this moment than to not see the other's face.
He sighed, "No. Even if I would like to, instead of going through a long explanation." 'But what better way to encourage Naruto if I lead by example.' He quickly formed hand signs.
Which caused Sasuke, in instinct, to jump up from the bed and leap across the room to avoid what he thought was an attack coming. Itachi quark an eyebrow at the other when he was done. "Jumpy." And a smirk formed when his brother finally realized that nothing was going to happen.
"I performed a silencing jutsu." he informed because of the silent inquiry in Sasuke's eyes. "Naruto can hear everything that goes in this house. And he doesn't need to hear a few things I'm about to say."
Okay, Sasuke begrudgingly admits that, that statement might of got him intrigue just a little.
"So why don't you sit back down and I'll tell the real reason why I killed our clan."
Miki climbed the stairs to the second floor. His arms full with several thick folders on the Gobi jinchuuriki. The pile wobbled precariously when he almost lost his footing on one of the steps. He let out a relieved sigh that the pile didn't crash to the floor.
He continued to Naruto's closed bedroom door and kicked the wood to let the occupant of the room to--hopefully--know that he needed to open the door. And to make sure that the blond knew he needed to open the door he yelled, "Oi Naruto, open the door!"
Much to his surprise, the door opened the next second. Revealing his scowling blond Captain. Who whispered, "Be quiet." Then yanked Miki inside of the room by his cloak.
The white haired male stumbled awkwardly, once again trying to keep from dropping the folders and creating a large mess. When he luckily regained his balance, he quickly placed the folders on the bed. Then turned around with annoyance showing on his face, "Dammit Narut--" His mouth was suddenly covered by a tan hand. "Will you be quiet. You're too loud. I can't hear everything they're saying if keep talking."
A indignant look passed over Miki's features at the other's comment. But the latter ignored it and concentrated on ignoring the other voices in the house and only listening to the two in the other room not far from here.
The two stayed like this for a couple of long moments. Until Naruto's brows furrowed deeply when the voices suddenly stopped. 'Son of a bitch.' He growled lowly and released Miki's mouth. "Fuck. He put up a silencing jutsu. Sneaky bastard....."
"You know it's rude to listen on other people's conversation." said Miki. Which resulted in Naruto giving him a look that clearly said, 'Like you haven't done it before.' He moved around the male and crawled back on his bed. Once he was settled he said, "Thanks for bringing these up here. You know Ruri, if I tried getting them myself, she probably would of tied me to the bedpost."
Miki chuckled, remembering the last time that happened. He moved over to the bed and flopped on it. Causing some of the folders to topple over. "Yeah, no problem. What are friends for anyway."
"Ohhh, there's a million other things. But I think can deal with this." Naruto said with a wide grin, as he reached and grabbed the folder closest to him. He placed it in front of him but didn't open it. "Ne, Miki. You wouldn't by chance know if Sasuke remembered what I did, do you?"
The other's head shook slightly, "Noooo, I don't think so. He didn't even know how he got into his room. So, no."
Naruto let out the breath he was holding. "Thank god. I don't want him to think I was molesting him or something perverted like that. Especially when he was unconscious. I wouldn't give a damn if he was actually awake and knew what was actually happening but since he wasn't....." he let himself trail off as he remember the strong feelings that came along with the kiss. He wanted to feel that way again. But in order to do that, he has to spill his guts. Figuratively that is......
Miki blinked and tilted his head toward the blond. "But wasn't that what you were doing? Molesting him. Sure as hell looked that way. Or was I seeing wrong?" he chuckled again when he received a playful glare from his Captain. "Naruto is a pervert! Naruto is a pervert! Naruto is--" he was cut short with a hard whack on the head.
"Shut up!" the blond yelled as he grabbed a pillow and hit Miki square in the face, "They could hear you over there!"
Miki playfully glared at the blond as a wicked smirk appeared. "You know what this means, right?" he asked in a deadly serious tone. While his hand discreetly moved over to the other pillow on the bed.
Naruto blinked and tilted his head in a manner of confusion. "What?" But his answer came with a flying pillow to the face and a war cry of "Pillow fight!!"
Hook. Line. And sinker.
That's what Sasuke felt like. Because the next thing he knew, his body was back on the bed and waiting impatiently for Itachi to continued on. When the other only sat there, he snapped, "Well."
Which received a low snort from the older Uchiha. "For someone who was probably more than willing to kill me a moment ago, you sure are in a hurry."
Sasuke scoffed, "Well excuse me, but I want to hear what kind of bullshit you're going to spew."
"If it's just bullshit, then why do you even want to hear it?" When a more intensified glare came as a response, he concluded that he tortured his younger brother long enough. "I would have to say that it started after your seventh birthday. When you entered the academy and found your Abikaasa."
"My what?" the other asked accompanied with a lifted eyebrow.
"To make another long explanation short, an Abikaasa is the Uchiha form of mate. Where you emotionally and sexually devote yourself to only one person."
'Someone I devote myself to?' The only person he could think of that he would ever want to devote anything to was a certain blond. "Then who's my Abikaasa?" he asked, wanting to verbally confirm it. He didn't want it to be anyone else besides him.
Itachi had the most amused expression on his face. "I'll let you figure that one out. Anyway, I was the first one to take notice of your subconscious choice. And I made sure I was the only one to take notice for a while. Because I knew Tou-san wouldn't of liked your choice. But eventually Tou-san took notice and he was not at all pleased." His facial features held no more amusement but seriousness that held nothing. "Have you figured out who your Abikaasa is?"
"Naruto...." Sasuke whispered out without even thinking. He barely noticed the movement of Itachi's head nodding in silent confirmation that he was right.
"Yes. I was appointed as Naruto's guard when he was five. Since the villagers continually tried to harm him." This surprised Sasuke. He hadn't suspected the two to know each other before they met after Naruto left.
"So you can see why I took notice first. But as I was saying, when Tou-san found out that you chose the demon child of the village as your Abikaasa. He called a meeting among the Uchiha clan to discuss the matter at hand. Or as I would put it, the best way to get rid of the problem at hand. I was also required to attend this meeting. Of course I feign innocence of knowing such an, in their eyes, atrocity had occurred. I wanted to make sure I heard what kind of action they would take."
There was a short pause before Itachi continued, "At first they decided that it would be best to just assassinate Naruto." Sasuke lost a few shades in his complexion by hearing this. "Basically killing two birds with one stone. They thought they were doing a public service by finally getting rid of the demon child while saving the Uchiha name at the same time." A snort escaped his mouth. 'Fools they were.'
"There were several attempts on Naruto's life but I killed every one them. Blood or no blood. They're no family of mine to try and kill a mere boy for something that he couldn't of possibly of done. After these attempts, Tou-san stopped trusting me. There was no evidence of my involvement but I was suspected. And that was the same as being guilty in their eyes." His lip upturned into a smirk as he said, "But they were too afraid of me to confront me about it."
His weight shifted ever so slightly in his chair before settling once again. "The assassination attempts stopped, but that only meant they were planning something else. Something that gave them the rightful title of being monsters of this village....."
A thirteen year Itachi walked through the entrance of his family's residence, closing the door behind him. When he stood in the alcove, he could already feel the tense and somber atmosphere. Something was definitely going on. But decided to put it to the side when his stomach gave an involuntary growl. He took his dirty shoes off and slipped on his house shoes before proceeding to the kitchen to get a bite of something to eat.
He just got back from a short but boring mission of delivering a scroll to the neighboring village. Which only took a few hours. Extremely boring......
Walking into the dining room, he spotted the usual basket of fruit decoratively positioned in the middle of the dining table. He went over and grabbed a red apple from the assortment of fruit. Then headed to the sink and turned the faucet on. Washing the apple thoroughly before turning the water back off. Once, he shook the apple of the excess water, he took a bite. Absentmindedly chewing the piece as he stared at the far wall of the kitchen.
A voice called down to him from upstairs. "Itachi, honey, is that you?" His mother's voice, he could tell held fear within it.
"Yes, Kaa-san!" he yelled back. And within the next moment he heard hurried footsteps and his mother emerging through the entrance of the kitchen. Her eyes were red rimmed with evident tears stains on her cheeks. Looking disheveled and quite frantic. "Itachi, thank goodness!" She swung her arms around her eldest son and held him protectively.
Itachi disposed of the apple that was left forgotten in his hand to gods knows where. He wasn't aiming at any particular place. "Kaa-san, what's wrong?" His face and voice remained impassive but inside he was worried about her. She and his younger brother were the only people in his family that he actually cared for. The rest were power hungry fools and he could care less about them.
"Your father.....he's done something horrible......." A sob escaping her mouth as she pulled back and cupped his face with her hands. Her onyx eyes showing so much desperation that it made him a little nervous. He's never seen his mother like this. What could his father have done to cause such distress in her.
"I need your help Itachi. I know you were the one that defied the clan and protected Naruto-kun. And I'm so proud of you that you did what was right and not let them kill an innocent little boy." More tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she tried to repress a sob. "So I'm asking you to defy the clan again. To betray the whole village--" She sobbed. "--to protect your brother and to protect Naruto-kun."
"Sasuke?" He could understand why Naruto would have to leave but why Sasuke? Unless.....'No, Tou-san wouldn't go that far. Would he?' "Why does Sasuke have to leave the village?"
Mikoto removed her hands from her son and clutched them to her chest. A fraction of an inch away from breaking down. But she couldn't. Not just yet. She had to make sure her children were safe before she allowed it. And instead of answering the question, she turned and walked out of the kitchen. Knowing that Itachi would undoubtedly follow.
"Kaa-san!" he called after her. Following her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Her voice rambling nervously over her shoulder, "I already packed his things. Everything he'll need." They made it to the second floor and headed down the hall toward Sasuke's room. "Does Naruto-kun have many belongings? I've heard some awful rumors of the things they've done to the poor boy. I can always pack extra things for him--"
Itachi has had enough. He gently gripped his mother's arm, effectively stopping her movements and rambling. "Enough Kaa-san. What has Tou-san done?"
She choked down another sob as her gaze fell to the floor. Trying her best to be strong in such a situation. But her lip continued to quiver and the tears continued to flow as she reluctantly answered her son. "I-I overheard their meeting t-today.....and h-he agreed to the a-a-assassina-nation......of his own s-son....." Her hands, by now, were covering her face. Stifling her sobbing that finally escaped and racked through her body.
Itachi stood rooted to the spot. His features no longer impassive but showing an emotion of shock. His eyes flashing to his sharingan from the fact that his father would go so far as to kill his own son. And because of what? Because they were too bias to see that his chosen Abikaasa was an innocent boy.
"Please Itachi!" His mother begged while she bent forward and grabbed onto his shoulders. "You have to take them away! He may be my husband but I can't let him kill my son! I would never let him kill either of my sons.....And I can't let him kill Naruto-kun either! It'd destroy Sasuke! So please......I know this is so much to ask of you! I wouldn't even ask of this if you weren't the only one that I would trust to protect them!
They just have to get away from Konoha! It's the only way they're both be safe!"
"I agreed only to appease her. But I had other plans in mind. Because in her state of mind, she didn't take into consideration that Tou-san would of never let us go that easily. Yes, we would of got out of Konoha but we would have been in constant danger from hunter nins sent by the village and various ranked shinobi sent by Tou-san. I could of took care of them but I wouldn't be able to guarantee your's and Naruto's safety while I was preoccupied with the opponents. So instead of running, I eliminated the problem."
Sasuke was trying to take all of this in without losing his head like before. He kept taking in slow breaths and exhaling just as slowly to keep himself calm. He didn't want to comprehend the fact that his own family wanted to kill him. His own flesh and blood. Everyone.....no not everyone. "Why did you kill Kaa-san....? She didn't want me to get hurt....." His voice barely above a whisper.
A rare sadness enter the normally emotionless eyes of the eldest Uchiha. "That......was one of my few regrets." He paused for a second before explaining. "I had no intention on killing Kaa-san but as Tou-san was her abikaasa, she jump in front of my katana to save him. But it only killed them both." He let out a deep depressed sigh before letting his features return to their impassiveness. "That's when you came home."
"Where you tortured me with your mangekyou sharingan." Sasuke stated bitterly. Trying not to let his emotions run away from his control.
"It was a necessary action that needed to be taken." Itachi monotonously said. Causing Sasuke to lift an eyebrow, " A necessary action? Torturing me with the images of killing our clan was a necessary action?" Surprisingly enough, his voice remained calm and even.
"And what would you have done without that hate? It drove you to keep on living. To strengthen yourself. And that's what I wanted. Even if it was for--" A crashing thud came from the hall. "--revenge." Then Naruto's loud voice yelling, "Asshole!" Following with more loud thuds.
Itachi eyelids lowered to half mass in an annoyed manner. While Sasuke kept taking quick glances at the door every time there was thud or a loud voice yelling at the other. 'What the hell is going on out there?' And just like Itachi heard his thought, he rose and went to the door. Sasuke unconsciously followed, waiting behind him as he opened the door. Only to be flooded in the face with feathers.
Feathers?
They stepped out into the hall. The floor was littered with feathers with a few hovering around through the air. And little further down the hall were Naruto and Miki. About five other pillows sprawled around they're feet as they battled with each other with a single pillow in each of their grasps. Sending fierce blows to the other to try and gain ground over a playful pillow fight turned war.
The two separated from each other, not concerning themselves with the extra two pair of eyes watching them.
With Naruto being the closest to the Uchiha brothers, Sasuke could clearly see the tattoo of 'Asuka' on his arm. His brows furrowed and his body stiffened as he intently stared at the tattoo of some other woman's name. At this point his already screwed up mind was coming up with the worst possible ideas of why the name was there. Permanently tattooed on his lover's arm. Ex-lover.....
Itachi noticed the slight movement of Sasuke's body stiffening and glanced over at him. Seeing his eyes glued to something caused him to followed his younger brother's line of vision. And he mentally sighed, because he knew that Sasuke was thinking all the wrong things. Which is only going to make it harder for Naruto to tell him.
"Are you ready to give up blondie?!" yelled Miki with his pillow positioned like you would hold a sword.
Naruto scoffed, "Like hell shit-face!" Which in turn caused the other's eye to twitch in annoyance at the name the blond used to address him with.
A moment's silence followed before they both charged. But Naruto, who misplace his foot, slipped on a pillow and fell face first to the floor with a yelp. Miki choked on his own spit and stalled in his charge at the hilarious display of klutz-ism. Then he burst out laughing with absolutely no restraints of holding it in.
Naruto growled into the floor boards of the floor and used his foot to grab the pillow that was spilling feathers. And as his scowl turned into a smirk, his foot flew up. Letting the pillow fly and with perfect aim, it hit Miki square in his laughing face. Feathers flying everywhere when it made contact.
He rolled on his back and flipped himself back into a standing position. Once on his feet, he swirled on his heels and lifted the pillow still in his hand high above his head. Swinging it round and round until Naruto brought it down and hit Miki in his shoulder hard enough to knock him on his butt.
Miki regain his barrings from the unexpected pillow attack from the blond's foot. Only to be knocked down with another pillow attack by him. 'Oh hell no!' he screamed within his mind as he retaliated with his own attacks with his own pillow. And even picking up another one to do double attacks. So now they were attacking each other relentlessly.
But their fun went a little far when one of the pillows went astray and hit Itachi right in his face. And the two knew they did something bad, because they both froze exactly when the hit occurred. They're bodies and pillows in a tangled heap of standing mess as they slowly turned they're widened eyes to--the revealing nothing--Itachi.
The latter only mentally stated to himself, 'It's times like these when I wonder if I'm only babysitting a couple of brats.' as he walked passed the two. Saying to them, "Just pick up your mess when you're done." And he continued on downstairs to where he thought Ruri was.
Miki and Naruto let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on the floor. The former of the two exclaimed, "Man, we just dodged a kunai! It's a good thing he wasn't cranky today!"
Naruto nodded his head in agreement and turned it toward where Sasuke was still standing. They shared a look for a long moment before Sasuke broke it and reentered his room, closing the door behind him. He had a lot of things to digest and think over. It's not everyday where your world turns completely upside down in just two days. Everything you thought was the truth, wasn't.
And he still hasn't heard Naruto's side of the story. But he already knew that it wasn't what he was told or thought. Hmpf, he was still trying to get used to seeing him alive again. Just seeing those sapphire eyes that were uniquely his, it always sends his heart to his throat. Choking him......
Everything is just messed up. Everything has been messed up for a long time, he supposed. Longer than what he suspected......
6:47 PM
Gaara was still within the walls of the flower shop. Slowly going further into insanity from the constant colors of flowers that he was forced to stare at. He tried countless times to remove himself from the sickening walls but Kyoko forced him to participate in 'What do you think of this arrangement?' question every time a new arrangement was made.
And after today, if he gets out of the shop that is, he hopes he never has to hear that question every again. Actually he'll do better, he will never get into this situation ever again! EVER!!
He knew that Kyoko's displeasure of the previous arrangements were meant to annoy the two females that continued making different arrangements. Now, he could understand doing this a couple of times but over two hundred and fifty-six times was a little excessive. Damn, he didn't think her sadistic streak went this far.
Oh and look, here comes two hundred and fifty-seven.
Kyoko glanced at the beautifully made formal arrangement for a mere second before turning and asking the raccoon masked man, "What do you think of this one?"
The only male gave the same answer as he's done all day, "Hmn." And of course, why ruin the tradition, she took it as a dislike and forced them to redo it.
His body showed no visibly discomfort but he was mentally groaning in frustration at his situation. Praying to any god that might take pity on him, to get him the hell out of his shop......
