AN: I know I know the guilt I feel for not updating can't even be explained! First of all my laptop broke! Then my job hours became ridiculous I mean 5.30am wake ups ridiculous! Sorry to all of you, and thank you to the lovely messages I received asking about updates! They were all very kind

I don't own Naruto.

"The past is our definition.

We may strive, with good reason,

to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it,

but we will escape it only by adding something better to it."

Wendell Berry

One month previously...

"You are aware Itachi that this job would cover you for everything you 'value' in your pathetic life, the nice house, the fresh start, the time to spend with your darling little brother and not forgetting the wife the delightful Uchiha children you subsequently assume you will gain with you 'freedom' as you so put it" Thin pale lips sneered at the words.

"This job is not a requirement; this" Itachi glazed his hands over the open file upon his desk "This it is nothing more or less than simply you. You are attempting to create more destructive havoc. Not only is it a pathetic idea, it is completely unnecessary"

"For me, maybe. But you, not so much. You are completely aware to the fact that the last job was so much of a disaster that it cost more to complete and cover up the messy outcome than what you gained from the job itself."

"He was leaking information to the police! Of course it was going to become messy"

"Never the less Uchiha, that set up lost you your partner, and now, you find yourself in a big mess, after all with no partner to complete your next job, you gain no money, with no money you have no real chance at gaining freedom or you innocent conscience you are convinced comes with your freedom and with all that said and done, this mess leads to one thing, you remaining here, working for me, for the rest of your life as you try to gather a tenth of what you could make on this job."

Black eyes rose from the files on the desk and met the with the sneering face of Orochimaru once again, even after to working with the man for over fifteen years the sneer on his face made Itachi want to be sick, the tart burning taste that danced up his throat and wrapped itself around his tongue was making this a grave possibility.

"I fail to see why you cannot get one of your minions to do it Orochimaru. Why me? After all our work relationship is nothing to write home about much less our personal relationship. So why me?" Itachi raised one eyebrow whilst leaning back in his chair.

"Why not you? After all you find yourself in a slight predicament and I'm simply helping you out, for old times' sake after all once this is finished you'll be gone." Orochimaru's snake like eyes glinted at the thought

"As much as the words that drip from your mouth may please and win over the people you have wrapped so neatly around your finger they have very little effect on me Orochimaru, the likelihood of you doing something out of the kindness of your heart let alone for me is the same likelihood of you not screwing Kabuto... and remember I caught him with his lips wrapped so tightly around your dick not yesterday." Itachi smirked.

"He is simply good entertainment Itachi, you know he's great at relieving stress I could lend him to..."

Orochimaru's words were cut off by a knocking on the mahogany study door.

"Enter" Itachi voice rose in volume to ensure that the person on the other side of the door could hear him.

Both pairs of eyes turned and watched as the brass door handle dropped and the door was pushed open. Orochimaru allowed his eyes to run appreciatively over the younger Uchiha who had just stepped through the door

"Itachi I was wondering if you're free tonight you might want to... Oh you're busy, I'm sorry I'll come back"

"Not at all Sasuke we were merely tying up loose ends. What did you want to ask me?"

"Erm... do you want to go out for dinner? There a new restaurant opened near town, a few friends have recommended it from work" He smiled slightly at Itachi, disliking Orochimaru's presences.

"I'm afraid that simply won't be possible Sasuke, Itachi has just agreed to help me with a job so I require him tonight." Orochimaru smiled sickening sweetly to the youngest Uchiha.

"Oh. Oh okay then, sorry for bothering you." Sasuke made his way to leave

"But, how about tomorrow Sasuke? We can celebrate this been the last job I take"

"Last one? Really?" Sasuke's eyes lit up, Itachi smiled back at him, the elder Uchiha was fully aware of how much he detested Itachi's job regardless of the pay out and the benefits.

"That is" Orochimaru broke the silence "That is if we can find a third member"

"Third member?" Itachi turned and glared at Orochimaru "You mentioned no third member or our lack of one earlier"

"My dear Itachi, I was just about to. It's a large job and requires an extra pair of hands. Isn't it a shame Sasuke, that the last job that Itachi would ever need to do might not be possible because we don't have enough people" Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke glanced and began worrying his lip between his teeth.

Poor self sacrificing Sasuke, always willing to do whatever it takes to help his brother, even if it will be his end. Orochimaru smile slowly crept on to his face at the thought which timed itself perfectly with Sasuke's three word demise.

"I'll do it."

Back to present.

Two blue eyes sparkled with amusement as the owner of the pair pushed open the wooden door in front of him with one hand. Smirking at the site before him, he lent upon the dark door frame, tilting his head in doing so causing some of his sunshine bangs to flutter deeper in to his face. The rooms' occupant had yet to even react to his entrance.

"You know Mr Uchiha" he began "That ringing noise that filled the entire school not twenty minutes ago is called a bell. Bells when seen in school in today's society are used to signify something, in this case the end of the academic day."

The blonde forced his smirking lips into a more serious face, before moving further into the room, allowing the door to close with a sharp snap behind him.

"Anyway this bell, led this blonde to be waiting at the end of this corridor for this raven in front of me for the past fifteen minutes."

The raven in front of him made no sign nor movement in reaction to hearing the blond speak. Furrowing his brow the blonde spoke again.

"Sas?"

Still no response, moving to face the raven full on he tried again.

"Hey Sasuke?"

The blonde watched as the ravens' onyx eyes blinked twice effectively removing both the slight confusion and concentrated thought. The ravens hand unconsciously gripped the mobile he had just finished using tighter as he met two blue pools filled with worry.

"Hey you okay?" The blonde asked again.

The raven smiled slightly and placed his phone on the table.

"Yeah I'm fine. Sorry I was just thinking."

The blonde smiled again and all forms of worry melted from his face.

"Well, let us not do this 'thinking' thing too much, you ignored me! I feel distinctly neglected!"

The blonde jokingly pouted before turning to show Sasuke his back.

"Aw sweet cheeks, I'm sorry" The raven replied a playful tone decorating his words

The raven smirked as he stood, slipping his phone in to his pocket and then turning to place his full attention on Naruto. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the blonde and pulled him against his chest.

"Aw baby. I'm really really sorry." He nuzzled the blonde locks behind his right ear before resting his lips against the blondes' neck.

"Forgive me huh?"

"Oh I dunno..."

"Want me to help you decide?" The raven ran his hands down Naruto sides.

"Mm... Yes that would be very helpful"

The raven smirked before beginning to mercilessly tickle the blonde's sides.

"WAA! AH *Gasp* Saa... *giggle* skay *giggle* stoop... nooo... it... t...t..tickles!"

"Yes Naruto that is normally the side effect of one been tickled"

The blonde pulled away and ran to the other side of the room.

"That *gasp* was so mean"

The raven smirked again and began stalking over to where Naruto was standing.

"Sasuke..." the blonde looked uncertainly at the raven and raised a palm in defence. "Whatever you are thinking Uchiha stop it right now!"

Forty five minutes later the pair had left the school, a rather moody looking raven and a still giggling blonde. They had been kicked out once a cleaner had found them messing around the room she intended upon cleaning, They'd up turned tables, papers were everywhere not to mention an impressive fort styled corner Naruto had made out of chairs. The issue the Uchiha had was that this cleaner automatically believed Naruto when the blame for the state of the room was shoved towards the raven; he distinctly remembered the smirk on the blondes face as the cleaner smacked him on the side of the head with her broom and sent the pair out. The raven had sulked until the blondes tan fingers had tangled with his on their way out. All the while his mobile phone lay forgotten in his back pocket, after all choosing between thinking about a man who brought imitate death where ever he went or the blonde who was currently laughing at his own and joke and stole the ravens breath whenever he smiled at him. He knew hands down who would win his attention.

AN: Well there you go, I think this is a little short but I wanted to update quite quickly so you didn't think I was dead! Hope you enjoyed it, I realise that the interaction between Naruto and Sasuke is quite filler-ish but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. Drop me a review if you feel there is something missing, relationship wise between Sas and Naru or any other areas of the story or just a general review!

Ciao!