Thanks for the reviews. None of ya said which, if any, of my other stories I should start posting, so I decided it'll be one I started long ago and reminds me of my deceased grandparents. Look out for it if ya wana.

RuByMoOn17 - I'm glad 'cause that means I'm doing something right.

ScarletOfTheBlue - Hehe, I always loved him more than Sasuke…but that might have been 'cause of shallowness, so yeah…I've got an idea of his reaction and what you think is probably it.

lazeee and demented - Yup, I did. Go me and my updating prowess. Been searching for a job, but it still takes up less time than college. Yes, unfortunately Itachi has a curse seal, but it's all part of my master plan! Beta-ing?! Aw man, and I was doing so well…

DarkRavie - Heh, definitely. Two ends of the scale, hot and cute; I say, Go Team! Glad you like.

noone cares enough - Hehe. And people say I don't have a soft side.

TangoOFDOOM - The length of the chapters were a factor, but to be honest, nothing I could think of at the time to end the chapter worked, at all. I sorta just wanted to say: conversation over, Naru changes and they leave the flat. Talk about brain drain. The was I figure with Itachi in the manga is that his actions are different from his words, so I just wanted an excuse, I guess. Like a huge cover-up, and since Orochimaru's been using curse seals before he even left leaf (like with Anko and his 'new harvest'), I figure, why wouldn't he try it on the body he originally wanted? Hmm, theory thread…I might try that.

Watercolor Ink - Haha, not that you mention it, that's awesome; ya even got me wanting to draw it…if I have time, I might even. Glad you like, anyway.

Vixyfox - I know, I have a strange mind, huh? I'm just glad he was wearing boxers underneath. Oranges and chocolate syrup is really nice, as with wheat-a-bix and butter, yoghurt and banana or cream crackers and jam. Unfortunately, I can't have dairy any longer, so I can only have the crackers and jam from those now. cries

BeneathSecrets - Nope, ya didn't miss the wedding. Believe me, if you did, it would be tragic.. I'm glad that you like the progress; I hate it when in one chapter they dislike/hardly know each other and the next they pronounce they're love. It just doesn't happen. As for Itachi, except from when he's Benito, I'm making him like a colder version of a regular guy. Or at least the guys I know…wait they are crazy. I blame the curse seal! Really, he has ulterior motives for everything. 'Cause he's a guy (and what I do) he'll go in one shop, pick something up and be out. Simple.

DesperateLoveKoi - Lol. Hyper, me likey. More ItaNaru goodness coming. Update here!

taiyoukai-chan - Yeah, I stay up 'till five am sometimes…yet I'm still up before ten, weird. I actually have no idea how far the curse seal thing will progress, but it now has a comfy little bed in my plotline. I'm glad you like it; as does my ego.

Akirakun17 - Well I intend to answer them as the story continues, but as for Itachi's curse seal…it takes a major role in the plot and a significant piece in the change of Itachi's life. Basically, I'm gonna make Itachi's character deep, rather than how some people make him shallow. It's different to the Teme's curse seal, 'cause instead of being the heaven seal, it's like Kimimaru's. I'll go more into it later. Itachi is silently working out his own position within the Akatsuki and we'll delve into his mind a chapter or two after the wedding. Then things will really get fun. ;-) Itachi is the kind of person who takes things as they are and doesn't force ignorance, but the building emotions are reacting badly to his curse seal, which breeds hate. I'm not good at describing it, am I? I'm glad you liked the apology thing. Itachi seems to me, like the kind of person who doesn't use words to express himself. Hope you weren't to tired in the morning, btw.

All about Yaoi - Hehe, okay.

Tseu Tsumi - Yeah, I like that part, too. That's why I put it on the summery. The ironic thing is that if Itachi doesn't take him to be killed, he sort of will be betraying him in a way, huh? It just shows how much of a numbers been done on our little blond, ne.

FuriousDeragonmaji - Yeah, and they aren't even sleeping with each other…yet…;-p Seriously though, I've known people who have had affairs and I see the other 'half' fade away slowly inside but stick by them out of 'love'. Why do that if it's destroying you? No matter how many times I see it, I just don't understand. I don't understand this 'love' at all. I'm confused by the very word; with what I see it just can't exist, yet people use it all the time. This one emotion…

kameotoluvsgaara - Lol. Orochimaru bit loads of people. And I feel sorry for every one of them. Oh and he also bites hot girls; like Anko. Meow. You know what; I never get that whole 'changing of emotions' thing on my period…though Danielle says that's 'cause I hardly have any…And Itachi's getting more and more screwed up with his curse seal so the guys got a reason. Poor 'Tachi.

Sugar Crazed Duckie - Wow, that must have taken a while. Ah, the revenge thing will be…helped…by Itachi. After all, whom else would teach his little brother:-) As for romance, there's more in here. Not to worry with the not reviewing, though I did notice your funky name wasn't there beside the others. ;-p I like psycho analysing so that could be why there's a lot into the characters. And look at you; advanced classes. Wish they'd let me do that. Assholes. I was gonna do my French exam when I was thirteen, but I decided to study longer so I could do 'A' grade material and then they only put me in for 'C' grade at sixteen. I aced my mock 'A' papers as well. Bitches.

Jill BioSkop - Haha, really? Wow, that's an achievement and a half, that is. Thanks a bunch. The next chapter's up now though, ne.

the Crimson Eagle - Um, hehe. rubs back of head They're not the best; I just drew them and coloured them in in crayon. Sasu/Saku's kid's there, too…I gave her a big forehead…Am I a little mean? I'll put a link at the and of this chapter for you, ish.

Tsuzuki Misaki - Damn it; I know it's genjutsu and every time I write it the other way! I think it's part of my dyslexia. Kuso. Yeah, I got told about the suck instead of such think. I go through it 'cause I have to check the spelling manually (I do the same with lose and loose and I know the difference!) and added that in at last minute. The second you're probably right with 'cause I sometimes have trouble understanding sentences aren't proper 'cause of the damn dyslexia, too. Like, I'll say more prettier, when I know they can't go together; it just sounds right to me. Grr. Anyway, I think it's humility and Itachi only has a curse seal in my story, unless they add it in somewhere in the future. Glad it was okay minus the spellings and I'll put up some bending the truth in my profile for you.

NARUTO

Insignificant syllables were passed between either man for the duration of their journey to the main shopping street of Konohagakure. Itachi, though absent from both the village and it's shopping district for many a year, seemed to be following a familiar path to a specific location. 'Benito' was again the face of Naruto's companion, though the complete body shape was now Itachi's own. Whereas before, with Iruka, the height was an inch less and the shoulders slightly narrower, with this occasion, he reduced the transformation so that his chakra usage, detection and stability was more in his favour.

They stopped in front of a relatively large building that displayed a large range of formalwear. Naruto was bemused to see the kimonos that Itachi had, oh so graciously, suggested that he done for the planned wedding, standing proudly amongst the others. The Irotomesode Kimono was typically designed for weddings; and for close friends, bordering family, also. Of course, they were only for married women, and last Naruto checked, he wasn't either. He made a mental note to remind Itachi of that fact.

As the two walked into the store, they were heavily rewarded with stares, immediately followed by whispers. Once, before he'd become a genin, Naruto had to come to this place with the Hokage to purchase funeral wear. He'd asked back then why he'd need such dark clothes that nearly cost more than he could afford. He was glad for the Hokage's presence, for when he was younger, they refused him service; as well as jiji's choice to buy the clothes, though not for the purpose of his favourite nurse's death.

"Can't we go somewhere else?" Naruto shifted uncomfortably.

"No." Itachi firmly stated. "And ignore their insolence." He continued, not even sparing a glance to the blond.

"I don't like it here." He whispered, which caused Itachi's eyes to narrow and bring his concentration toward him. Sighing, he forced Naruto to his side, faked a smile and walked the racks.

"An idiot façade is annoying." Itachi grumbled, though still smiling and reaching into the Irotomesode Kimonos that Naruto desperately wanted him away from.

"I'm not a woman." Naruto growled back, though also smiling. "When will they stop fucking looking?"

"Can I help?" A smiling brunette asked the question from behind the, expressing a charm to her cheerful voice.

"No." Naruto snapped.

Itachi, however, smiled back forcefully, though a negative intent pulsed through him at that moment. "Ah, yes. My fiancé and I are searching for appropriate formal kimonos. I don't suppose you know the theme of the Uchiha-Haruno wedding, do you?" He mentally smirked at the girl's fallen face. He wasn't stupid or oblivious as to not notice someone's arousal toward him.

"Benito! Stop going around saying that so casually." Naruto buried his face in his hand in a mixture of shame, embarrassment and repressed anger.

"But koibito, are you not happy with me?" Itachi smirked.

"Are you trying to attract attention?" He growled lowly in response.

"Naru-chan, don't be so negative." Itachi scolded, milking the only enjoyment he received from this dreadful and degrading form. "Now, Miss; the theme?"

"I-I believe it's a pink, purple and blue floral theme, Sir."

"Dark, I presume."

"Generally."

Nodding briefly, Itachi moved toward the male kimonos, barely flicking through the dull and plain colours, before pulling out matt black formal one with a subtle midnight blue fade design at the bottom rim. The obi was of the same colour. Without any resignation, he merely selected it and coupled it with an unusual deep red haori (formal thigh-length kimono coat), before immediately grabbing a protesting Naruto back over to the Irotomesodes that the blond thought he'd been saved from.

"What the hell are you doing, bastard? I was still looking."

"To get your kimono." He simply stated, quickly bringing Naruto's attention solely on their destination.

"Oh, hell no!"

The blond made to turn back, but Itachi bought him harshly to his side once more, fixing his position there. Naruto blushed as the older male looked his form up and down emotionlessly, yet precisely, sizing him up for his style and structure. With only a little more time than it took to find his own, he found one in the many. It was as if he were searching for something specific when he'd discarded one orange design and turned with the second, smirking.

Naruto growled as he dumped it on him, though Itachi himself frowned alongside him. The orange was of a burnt shade with an intricate swirling thorn design creeping from the bottom of it to just below the waistline, lessening in its density the further upward it travelled. Turning once again, Itachi removed a red obi from another of the full kimono sets and replaces the dull blue on the one he'd previously chosen.

"What are you doing, moron? You can't do that!" Naruto whispered harshly and hurriedly, looking around in a paranoid manner as the eyes from around the store transfixed on the pair

"Customer satisfaction first. Try it on." He commanded.

"No. I'm not a friggin girl. And since we've come over here, they've been staring more. If you haven't noticed, we're two blokes in a female kimono isle." Naruto hissed.

"Hn. It is not their concern." He regularly stated, caring not to lower his voice like his companion. "I will acquire this, whether you model it before the event or not."

"It's not even floral. Or the right colours. What will Sakura say? She's bad enough without the raging hormones. I'll probably have a crushed skull by the end of it."

"If she knows what is good for her, she wouldn't bother."

"It-Benito. I can't afford this place." He frustrated looked downwards. "Maybe one kimono, but not two."

Itachi's lips twitched as he descended to the blond's ear. The action was natural and smooth, unlike Naruto, whom was jittery and nervous in response. "Are you forgetting, dear Naru-chan, that I am an Uchiha? Their riches are easily accessible to me."

"You went to the manor? What were you thinking? You could have got ca-"

Itachi easily claimed the blond's flailing lips, pushing hard into the cavern of his mouth. For a while, Naruto seemed to have accepted the act and relaxed toward it, until he suddenly pushed the Uchiha away and jerked his head back with resolve.

"Don't just think you can always get your way by forc-"

Ignoring the blond, Itachi repeated the process, smirking as he tried to squirm away. Naruto even growled to the man, but given the response to his ministrations, it only further amused his captor. Therefore, with a sigh, he gave in, waiting until the perfect moment in which he briefly bit harshly and precisely , though not hard enough to draw first blood. Naruto's eyes shot wide open with astonished surprise when he felt the responding, echoing vibrations of a low moan rumble from the throat so close to being attached to his own. Blue eyes met black in the second the lids lifted, showing the blond an amazing sight in a shadowed glaze shining deep in the depths of the Uchiha's irises.

In that moment, he could feel every inch of skin that Itachi's touch was gracing him upon; the hand on the back of his neck, cooling to the rapidly reddening skin; the parts of Itachi's form that were pressed too gently against his own; the weight of a second hand upon his arm, rested amongst the folds of the kimono Itachi forced upon it; the fingers of the first now spreading and curling into the hair they could reach; the tongue and lips, wet and so demanding of him, sliding against his own so perfectly.

And he wanted so badly to moan the bastard's name.

He gasped, whimpering as Itachi pulled from him. His mind was too confused to let him recognise which bastard he wanted it to be. Itachi or Sasuke? Itachi or Sasuke? As his widened eyes stared into the dark abyss of the opposing prodigy's own, the same sinful eyes that started all his doubting confusion, a lump caught dangerously in his throat and his stomach lightened. He knew he loved Sasuke; he hated himself for the inability to be able to stop. But…

Was he falling in love…with Uchiha Itachi…?

………………………………...

From the back of the store, Ino's mouth hung open in a gape. When she had first seen Naruto nervously enter, she'd been about to shout his name. He'd looked so nervous and out of place in the shop, she'd thought he might want company. It helped a lot that she hadn't seen him in a long time and she needed his cheerful optimism to chase away her creeping depression and lingering guilt. Technically, she knew she shouldn't be feeling anything of the sort, but still it hovered around every corner, in it's own unspoken truth.

When she saw the wonder he entered with, her thought turned to a little more 'who's your friend' than 'how are you'. And she truly did want to know. To her, it seemed that one day he just woke up and got sick of team seven. Then again, she probably would if she had to sit through another show of Sakura hanging off her future husband. Since they got engaged she hasn't heard anything else and she'd become annoying once again in her obsession. That's where the guilt seeped in. The black secret that she was keeping from her best friend.

As the unknown man dragged the blond to a female kimono isle, she became confused and immediately hid. She had a feeling that she wouldn't want to get spotted. Soon, as the word 'fiancé' came into play, she froze. Naruto was getting married? And to a person she's never even seen before? And gay…So maybe Sasuke and Naruto really were together, and that's why he left! It wasn't just in her head. She spied on them between the racks as they made their way through clothes here and there and she marvelled at the guy's fashion sense in mere minutes. She smiled dejectedly at their banter. Naruto deserved it, but so did she. And…What the hell are they doing!?

She felt the blood dripping slowly from her nose and calmly held her sleeve up to catch it. God, she never knew how hot Naruto looked when being dominated like that. She could hear the blood rushing in her head and felt her temperature rise. She heard something hit the floor and glanced over briefly to see that another girl had collapsed from overheat, she presumed. There wasn't that much blood down her, after all. She saw equal looks of disgust and interest toward the extreme public display, before she jolted her head back to the pair.

Damn it. They were finished already. She'd have to talk to Sai about drawing that; all she'd have to do is point out the other guy and she knew he could do it. It seemed strange that he was now Naruto's replacement, instead of Sasuke's. His permanent replacement, according to Tsunade-sama. As her euphoric mood gained back reality, it seemed Naruto's had, too. He looked frighteningly dejected and confused. The guy with him raised an eyebrow and she could tell he was asking what was wrong. Ino's heart skipped a beat at the beautifully tragic smile on the blond's face as he answered. She strained to hear and deduced something about reality catching up.

Maybe he was worried about Akatsuki and Sasuke's brother finding him?

She couldn't grasp the sudden need to strip his pain away. She knew that Naruto wasn't supposed to be unhappy, but then again, neither was she. As she watched the two males slowly buy their kimonos and leave the store, she wondered if he had been brought down by the same feeling of unrequited love that she had. She stood up, and narrowed her eyes in determination. There was something she had to do before she could ever even think of moving on; and that was to quell the hiding guilt. To make peace with herself and settle her aching heart. She didn't want to forever feel the need to refuse the good times like Naruto seemed to be.

With her resolve, she stood to go and confront Sakura. There was just some things she had to hear, and as her best friend and maid of honour, it was Ino's duty…even if it hurt her.

NARUTO

So, the next chapter has Sakura's view, Ino's revelations, when Sakura cornered Naruto into coming to the wedding and if I don't go overboard, we start into Sasuke's mind.

If anyone wants some tips on how to bend the truth and not lie, I'll post up some stuff on my profile.

ATTENTION: I have drawn and coloured the kits in a deviant art address. They're only crayoned and there's also Sakura's kid; their names, meanings, height and weight (based on America figures), etc. (Remove the spaces.)

http :// clazkunoichi . deviantart . com / art / SasuNaru-Kits-64107525

TIMELINE

October - (Late) SasuNaru begins.

November - (Early) Pregnant, (Around 10th) Party, (Late) Mission starts.

December - (Early) Mission ends, Sakura Pregnant, (Week later) SasuSaku marriage told, Naruto moves teams, (Late) Failed visits, Observe NejiHina, KakaNaru talk.

January - (Early) Kakashi makes a lie, NejiHina told to be false. (Mid) Sakura tries visiting. (Week later) last failed visit.

February - (Early) Questions of father stop, (Mid) Sakura's baby's sex, Sasu rapes Naru, Naru moves. (Late) Meets Sakura, Stops training.

March - (Mid) Finds Itachi, Saves Itachi, finds Itachi's curse seal, SasuSaku wedding

August - (Early) Naru's due date.

September - (Early) Sakura's due date.

In order of occurrences, tell me if I've missed anything and I'll add more as it's revealed.