"And who is this?" Itachi asked with a raised eyebrow when Sasuke brought Naruto home.

"None of your business," Sasuke growled. He tried to pull Naruto past his brother and up to his room, but Itachi immediately got in his way.

"Oh don't be like that, Sasuke," Itachi smiled. His smile didn't reach his eyes and it made Naruto feel like he was really unwelcome. He would have just suggested that he go home if it weren't for the fact that Sasuke was going to help him with his homework. "I just want to meet your new friend."

Naruto moved behind Sasuke almost immediately. He didn't like the way the older Uchiha was looking at him. It's not that he wasn't used to being looked at like he was the dirt on the bottom of someone's shoe, but the way Itachi did it was even more unnerving than usual. Especially when it's coming from your new boyfriend's brother.

"He's my boyfriend," Sasuke glowered. If he couldn't just slip past his brother, then it was better that he got the introductions done as fast as he could. And as straightforward so there was no chance of his brother twisting his words and making Naruto doubt him. Itachi had a way of doing that that had lost Sasuke several friends.

"And you didn't take him to come and see the family?" Itachi raised a brow. "Are you ashamed of him little brother?"

"Of course not," Sasuke growled. Of course Itachi would find a reason to chase Naruto away even without being able to twist his own words against him.

Naruto, however, didn't seem to take those words to heart. Instead of moving away from Sasuke as anyone else might've at those words, he moved closer and gripped Sasuke's shirt in a tight fist. "Excuse me sir," Naruto called attention to himself. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's very nice to meet you, but Sasuke promised that he would help me with my math for a test tomorrow and I'd really like to get to it so that I don't fail."

Both Sasuke and Itachi were shocked when Naruto spoke up. Naruto looked so shy and he had yet to really speak up to anyone, so it was a shock to them both when Naruto suddenly seemed to gain the courage to talk to Itachi who was a very imposing person to begin with.

"Very well," Itachi replied with a nod. He couldn't very well stop the two students from studying. Naruto had picked the perfect excuse to get away from the elder Uchiha brother.

Sasuke immediately tugged Naruto up to his room when Itachi stepped out of their way.

"And who might this be?" Itachi asked with one of his strained polite smiles that told Sasuke that he was not at all happy to have his younger brother show up so informally to an event like this and with a boy.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto smiled. He wasn't the shy boy that had first met Itachi. He had come into himself some time ago.

"Oh yes," Itachi twitched angrily. "I had thought that you went to an art school in America."

"I did," Naruto nodded, "but I've been back for some time now. Imagine my surprise to find Sasuke living in the very same city as me." Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that overcame him. He had watched Naruto slowly gain confidence while they were together, but he hadn't until now seen the fruits of it since Naruto always seemed to act like the shy one when around him.

"Yes," Itachi frowned. "What an unfortunate coincidence."

"It was fortunate indeed," Naruto smiled, pretending to mishear what Itachi had said. By his brother's face, Sasuke could tell that he wasn't buying it and that Naruto was delighted because of that.

"Why is he here Sasuke?" Itachi hissed.

"I was on a date with him," Sasuke shrugged, "but you interrupted us so we came here."

"It was a very lovely date too," Naruto smiled. "Sasuke was actually just taking me home." The insinuation that made Itachi growl being that if he had waited a little longer or not forced Sasuke to go immediately to the party he would not actually have to deal with Naruto.

"Well," Itachi forced a polite smile, "we're glad that you could join us during this event."

"Thank you," Naruto smiled. "I am honored to be here as Sasuke's date. I've heard that the girls he's been dating lately are not up to par." Sasuke smirked. Some of those females had been forced on him by his brother who thought they were perfect for him. Naruto had just unknowingly insulted his brother after knowingly doing so. He didn't think he had ever heard his brother so insulted in all his life. Most people either looked up to him or fear him. Even Naruto used to fear him, but that certainly wasn't the case now.

AN: Sorry guys. I know this chapter is short, but I haven't posted anything in so long that I thought I needed to get something out to hopefully get my creative juices flowing again. I hope you like this chapter anyway.