As promised, here's the new chapter in record time! Of course, it's also quite short, but hey, that makes it about the length of a regular update then, right? Anyway, thank you all for reading this far, and enjoy! The end is near...
54. Twitching Like a Finger…
Sasuke was trying his best not to laugh – really, he was – and, considering how Kiba's date had been going thus far, he thought hew as doing a pretty good job. They were all seated in a row at the Ichiraku ramen stand, with Sasuke sitting at one end and Hinata at the other. By the time they had reached the restaurant, it was already 5:20, though Hinata had not minded waiting. In fact, when they found her standing out in the snow in her purple fleece jacket and white boots, Sasuke thought she looked relieved, not angry.
That was Kiba's only lucky break so far that evening, however. In only half an hour, he had managed to spill ramen on his lap, split open the seat of his pants (which apparently were two sizes too small), and, most recently, accidentally elbow Hinata in the face.
Truly, it was turning into an absolute train wreck.
Glancing over at Kiba, Sasuke found him fussing over Hinata and her red cheek, for once not caused by excessive blushing. Naruto, meanwhile, was trying his best to salvage the date with some amusing anecdotes.
"Don't worry, Hinata – Kiba only does that to people he likes. I remember a few years ago we were playing soccer, and he tried to head the ball, but hit me in the face instead. I had a bloody nose, and we were both stunned for a minute or two," the blond said with a nervous laugh.
"I-is that true, Kiba?" Hinata asked, politely brushing the dog-boy's hand from her cheek.
Kiba reddened. "Yeah… I can get a bit clumsy when I get excited about something…"
Hinata flushed, and Sasuke was once again forced to hold back his laughter.
Not a bad line, Kiba… maybe you can pull this off after all…
"How's your ramen?" Kiba asked, hurriedly changing the subject.
"It's delicious! It's been so long since I had any," Hinata replied before scanning the room, observing the red stools, the worn countertop, and the modest, vaguely Japanese décor. "How did you even find this place? It's so small… I don't think I've ever even noticed it before…"
"I have to give Naruto credit for that one," Kiba confessed, giving the blond a nod. "He made it his mission to find the best ramen shop in town freshman year. Not that there were that many to choose from…"
"This was the winner by a long shot," Naruto interrupted, beaming with excitement. "It's where Sasuke and I went on our first date a few months ago."
"It wasn't really a date," Sasuke countered, rolling his eyes.
"Well, it sorta is now, right? Our first meal together, or something like that…"
"Umm…" Hinata piped up quietly, almost like a mouse. "Y-you two are… boyfriends?"
Sasuke and Naruto stared at the Hyuuga for a moment, both realizing quite suddenly the secret they had so casually revealed. Sasuke felt a twinge of panic and could see the same look reflected in his boyfriend's eyes. Then, just as quickly, he felt at ease, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. It didn't matter if Hinata knew, or if anyone else did: he and Naruto were in love. They had nothing left to hide.
"As a matter of fact, we are," Sasuke finally said with a smile. Then, to prove his point, he leaned over and planted a kiss on Naruto's lips, which the blond more than willingly accepted.
"I… I had a feeling," Hinata concluded as the couple backed out of the brief smooch. Sasuke shot here a surprised glance, startling her. "I-I mean, the way you two were always together… that's what the rumor was, at least…"
"Who's been saying that?" Naruto asked with a bitter tone. Evidently he and Sasuke suspected the same person: Sakura Haruna.
Hinata pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm… I think Ten-ten told me, and she heard it from Lee…"
Sasuke shook his head. Naturally, it would be overzealous Lee who spilled the beans. He could just see their mop-topped friend letting it slip out in an enthusiastic conversation, only to realize his mistake immediately thereafter. Glancing over at Naruto, Sasuke shrugged with an amused smile.
"Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag, eh?"
"So it would seem," Naruto replied before raising a hand. "Old man! More ramen!"
That was all that was said on the topic for the rest of the evening. Kiba seemed to relax and stopped inadvertently injuring his date, and actually began to joke around, telling stories and generally acting like his usual self. From what Sasuke could tell, this was working, because Hinata appeared delighted, laughing along in her quiet, sweet manner.
So it went for an hour or so, when Sasuke finally glanced down at his watch once more. It was seven o'clock.
"Well, guys, what do you say we take off?" Sasuke said, reaching for his wallet. "It gets dark so early now – and you still need to walk Hinata home, Kiba."
Kiba nodded as he pulled a few wrinkled bills from his pocket. "Not a bad idea. What about you two? Can you get home okay in this?"
Sasuke and Naruto looked back over their shoulders, only to see a wall of white as a snowstorm raged outside. The Uchiha sighed. "Well, my house isn't too far from here. Want to spend the night, Naruto?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
With that, Naruto and Sasuke paid for their food and rose, wrapping their jackets tightly around themselves. Standing near the exit, the blond turned to Hinata and waved. "Bye, Hinata! We should do this again sometime."
"Y-yes… that would be fun," the Hyuuga responded, her eyes locked on Kiba.
"Thanks, guys. See you later," Kiba said, returning the wave as the boyfriends stepped out into the storm.
Huddled close to each other for warmth, Naruto and Sasuke strolled through the icy streets, both feeling content. Little did they know that their newfound joy would soon abruptly shatter.
XXXXX
Kakashi and Iruka lay on the couch in the dark, both sweaty and exhausted – and for once, it was not due to hot, passionate sex. Somehow, in just a few months, Kakashi had forgotten how strenuous moving actually was. Moving all the boxes, furniture, clothing, and Iruka's other odds and ends inside had taken all afternoon. Fortunately, they had both managed to find substitutes for that day, but still, it had been a long day.
Glancing around the freshly painted, white den, Kakashi eyed the towers of boxes in amazement. How Iruka had managed to fit all of it inside his little apartment was beyond him. Of course, that was nothing compared to his wonder at how they had brought it all inside.
"Are you glad you came?" Kakashi asked, running his fingers through Iruka's hair, the other man's head resting on his chest.
"Of course," Iruka replied, staring up at his lover. "I have some concerns, but I think we can work it all out."
"Good – it'd never work if you didn't believe it was possible," the silver-haired teacher said, picking up the remote control. "Want to watch something? Jeopardy's probably on."
"You always beat me at that show… your brain is like a sponge of useless information," Iruka said, sitting up. "But… what the hell, bring it on."
"That's the spirit," Kakashi said, pressing the power button.
With a flash, the television illuminated the room, but instead of showing Alex Trebek's mustachioed face, it revealed an emergency news broadcast. Kakashi's eyes widened as he leaned forward, listening intently.
"This just in: at approximately 5:00 this afternoon, two convicts escaped from the Konoha Prison. The escapees have been identified as Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha, both of whom were involved in the recent Akatsuki Corporation scandal. Details are still sketchy, but it appears that the duo disarmed a guard who was intoxicated while on duty, and then used the apprehended weapon to disable and injure several other guards in their escape. These are only preliminary reports, so please keep with us as more details come in. In the meantime lock your doors and stay inside – the two are considered armed and extremely dangerous."
Kakashi felt his body go rigid, the remote slipping from his grip. It hit the floor with a dull thud just as his heart began to pound in his chest. It was Iruka who broke the silence, however, clasping one of his lover's frozen hands as he said, "Kakashi – you have to call Sasuke."
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi nodded and rushed into the kitchen for the phone. He picked up the cordless, his hands shaking as he pressed the phone to his ear. Again, he stopped in his tracks, his blood running cold.
The phone was dead.
Wait! My cell!
Reaching into his pocket, Kakashi pulled out his cell and flipped it open. To his dismay, the screen read "No service." Cursing, he slammed it on the counter and struggled to calm himself.
Damn this storm… probably blocking the signal…
"Kakashi!"
Iruka's cry of terror echoed through the house, causing Kakashi's head to snap to the side. He darted back to the den, turning the corner just in time to hear a window shatter. Scanning the room hastily, Kakashi found Iruka standing with his back up against the wall, brandishing a fire poker as his entire body trembled. He rushed over to the man, gently shaking him out of his stunned state.
"Iruka? What's going on?"
"Watch out!" Iruka cried, the blood draining from his face.
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Kakashi barely had time to register his lover's warning before he was struck in the back of the head. He crumbled to the ground, seeing only Iruka's feet before everything went black.
XXXXX
When Kakashi regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was that he couldn't move his arms or legs. The second thing was the sharp pain in the back of his head that nearly drowned out his other senses. A short distance away, he could hear Iruka's muffled whimpers. When the teacher finally opened his eyes, he could see only the grinning Kisame Hoshigaki, looming mere inches from his face.
"Looks like he's coming to, Itachi," the blue-skinned man announced with a chuckle. "What should we do with him?"
"I'll handle this, Kisame," Itachi responded, shoving his companion out of the way. He crouched down to get a better look at Kakashi as he sat bound to his chair, giving the teacher a dark glare with his eerie, red eyes. Kakashi could just make out the metallic glint of a gun in the man's hand. "All right, Kakashi. You know what I want. Now where is he?"
Kakashi was a bit angry he was wearing his mask – otherwise he would've spat right at the Uchiha's face. Instead, he only smiled, his eyes narrowing. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm no fool, Kakashi. I know you and Sasuke moved in here a few months ago – now where is he?"
For whatever reason, Kakashi laughed. Maybe it was at the futility of his predicament, or maybe Kisame had just hit him a bit harder than he thought. Either way, he was in hysterics. "You know… to tell you the truth, I don't know. He was supposed to be here helping us move in, but he took off. He could be anywhere."
Itachi sighed and rose to his feet, his eyes closed. "Kisame, help him remember."
Cracking his knuckles, the shark-man stepped forward with his usual sadistic grin. "With pleasure."
The blow came quickly and powerfully, striking Kakashi across the face with such force that his chair toppled over to the side. There, he could see a bloodied Iruka tied up in a similar position, his mouth duct-taped shut. Returning his gaze to Itachi, Kakashi spit a mouthful of blood into his mask. "Why do you care where he is? What are you going to do to him?"
"I can't tell you that," Itachi replied, his voice filled with melancholy. "You can tell me where Sasuke is, though. I don't want to hurt you, Kakashi. You were always good to us after Mom and Dad died."
Kakashi fumed as Kisame delivered a swift kick to his side. He cried out in pain as a rib snapped. "You mean after you killed them. "
Itachi crouched down, watching the teacher intently with his red eyes. "That's right… after I killed them. That's why I need to find Sasuke – so he can finally know the truth."
"And then kill him, too. Why not finish your little holocaust? You realize your brother has so much to live for, right? He has a family now, someone to love – something you stole from him! Why do you want to end that?"
Itachi paused, taking a deep breath before rising to his feet again, his back to Kakashi. "Kisame, get him to spit it out, one way or another."
Again, Kakashi heard the shark-man crack his knuckles. Moments later, a flurry of blows rained down on him. A punch to the face, a kick to the ribs, a stomp on his arm – Kakashi tried his best not to let his agony show, to endure the pain as he suffered blow after blow.
Then, just when he thought he'd reached his limit, he heard it: the front door unlocking.
Sasuke was home.
Wow, I'm just cruel. So many cliffhangers. What is Itachi there for? Why is he looking for Sasuke? And what will happen when the brothers meet once again? Find out next time in "For Naruto, Whenever I May Find Him," and remember: review!