Hello there everyone! You officially have permission to kill me now, I hope you know. Words cannot express how disappointed in myself I am at how late and bad I've been posting these chapters. Two weeks is such a long wait, I feel so bad.
Well, the beginning of this chapter is kind of bad as I've had a block for such a long time, BUT the end should be good as it got me over my glacier.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, THE CHARACTERS OR ANYTHING ELSE! I OWN NADA!
As always, enjoy!
Please please, just please, review and leave me feedback. You guys are the best I could ever ask for. I cried from joy out of how many followers I'm still getting as an author and for other stories. It just means so much to me.
P.S: If you don't get it, the bold lettering will mean it's spoken in another language.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking as best as I could to try and wash away the blur of waking up. The room was dim, thank god, and I was able to fully open my eyes to look around. I was in a hospital gown and lying on a hospital bed, the beep of a heart-rate monitor that was to my right filling the room. To my left was two empty chairs, one that had a jacket of a suit draped over it. I sighed, closing my eyes and attempting to recall why I was in this position.
"You're not constipated, are you?" I opened my blue vessels, smiling gently at the sight of my silver-haired guardian.
"Why do you say that?" He had a coffee in his hand when he sat at the edge of my bed. He took a sip, grinning afterwards.
"Your face was quite constipated," We both laughed together, a nurse coming in at the noise. She checked and recorded some details, letting both of us know that as soon as I was ready to go I could leave. "Naruto," The older man started once she had left.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to tell me why you weren't eating?" My mouth hung open slightly as I realized that I was in the hospital because of a mess I created. I didn't have an answer, sighing and running my hands through my hair out of slight frustration. "Naruto, you really have to be careful. That show was your biggest one and you didn't need to push yourself that far just for that. Everyone loved you, even if you didn't quite finish it."
"Do I still have a job there?"
He chuckled softly. "Yes, Naruto; you do." He turned serious again. "It was your fans that saved your job. Sasuke tried, and almost got the UDA board to agree with his choice, to get rid of your placement or degrade you but you've risen very far up in popularity. They're still rooting for you, Naru. I really just don't know what you were thinking, skipping meals and overworking yourself. I know that sometimes your issues can come in hand but I'm just..." It was his turn to run his hand through his hair, only he held it in place, and sigh before continuing. "I never want to see you in the hospital ever again; not after the last time, when I found you lying on the floor with a lighter in your hand and-"
"Kakashi, stop." He complied to the almost order, clearing his throat awkwardly and apologizing.
"Let's go home," I smiled, nodding in agreement.
"So really?! I've only been out for four days? God, it's felt like forever!" I heard a loud voice chirp outside and the snow crunch. I put down my phone, slipping my coat on before heading to open the door. When I turned the knob, I felt that it was already being jiggled open. I pushed on it gently, revealing a relaxed Kakashi and a...perplexed blonde?
"What is he doing here?" I looked dead at the confused idiot, my eyes narrowing and catching Kakashi doing the same in my peripheral vision.
"What do you mean what is he doing here? It's just Sasuke," The elder stated, his hands hiding in the pockets of his coat. The blonde growled, his shoe playing in the snow.
"I know that's Mr. Uchiha, I'm just asking what my boss is doing in my house?" This earned him widened eyes from both of us, Kakashi's more open than mine.
What the hell...?
I was going to ask what he meant when the older man put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, pushing towards the doorway. "Well I invited Sasuke here to take care of your house and watch over you for a little bit after you get out; it's just a safety precaution, Naru. That being said," I moved to the side to allow room for the blonde to be rushed inside, staring at Kakashi all the while. "Keeping you safe does include keeping you warm. Well, I must be off. Bye now!"
He closed the door, Naruto clearing his throat and walking into the kitchen to begin preparing some type of food. I kept my demeanor cool and quiet, sprinting to Naruto's room as I mentally panicked; how the hell was Kakashi supposed to explain this to me?
When I slammed the wooden door shut and locked it, I jumped at the urgent vibrating in my right pocket. I managed to whip it out through shaky hands and pressed the screen to answer it. "You have something to...explain?"
"Sasuke," Kakashi sighed and I could already note that he was inspecting me as well. "I had another doctor, as well as myself, thoroughly examine him. The brain is a very complex and unpredictable thing, something that most of the time changes our original theories. Neither of us saw any further inflammation a full twenty-four hours before he was released; he should've been fine!" I didn't know what was going on with me, but a sudden wave of sorrow floated into my veins and caused me to slump down against the large, frigid plank.
"Sasuke..." My eyes were open and frantically scanning around, just looking for something; anything to distract me. My lips were slightly parted, my breathing turning unstable and matching the race with my cold irises. "Sasuke, breathe. Listen to me, okay? Breathe and take slow, deep breaths."
I tried to follow his voice, to listen to him, but all it did was increase the speed of my heart's pumps. "Sasuke! Sasuke, have you ever experienced an anxiety attack before?" I tried to speak, the faintest hint of 'no' managing it's way through. "Naru..."
I didn't know what was going on, or why it was happening, but I had never had any kind of attack before. "Listen very carefully, okay? Naruto is very prone to panic and anxiety attacks, the latter which you are sort-of experiencing at the moment. Since you already know that your relationship with Naruto happens to be way more physically challenging than emotional, you might be experiencing part of what he is. You need to get out of this pit, and very, very soon.
"Naruto lost any recollection of your relationship, however weird it was, but technically it means that he doesn't experience any negative side effects if he distances from you. Since you still remember you're still affected, and it's only going to get worse. Sasuke, look very...very," He snickered softly at that part. "Very deep down in your soul. I know you want to save him, to know him; to love him. So get your white ass up and check up on my son or I'll come and kill you myself!" I held my breath, closing my eyes and letting my smartphone slip from my hand since he hung up and tried to focus.
It's for you and your very well-being. You need to get up and wake him out of it, for the sake of your own life! For yourself...just you.
I managed to open my eyes and slowly stand, trying to think of things that would anger me. I bust the door open, stumbling out and down the hall to weakly knock on the locked bathroom door. "N-Naruto!"
There was no response, which caused me to panic and begin to hyperventilate again, so I banged on the door as hard as I could. "Naruto!" I heard a bang and a wince, something that was followed by the opening of the door.
"Y-Yeah?" He was shirtless, exposing a moisten span of spotless tan skin and muscle that rippled as he breathed heavily. I kept my face blank and passive, internally jumping with relief and turning to exit quickly.
I did what I was told. I save Naruto, no; I saved myself.
"Naruto! Glad to have you back buddy!" Naruto grinned as he waltzed into the meeting hall and sat down in his usual chair. "The ladies have been crawling to see you again, ya know that?"
"Really now? I'm just glad you guys are letting me come back and dance." He look surprised, yet flattered, as he leaned back in his chair.
"Are you kidding!" Asuma chuckled to himself as he continued. "You're one of our hottest right now; we can't stand to let that go. Plus," He slid a folder to the other across the long piece of stained bamboo. As Naruto flipped through the files inside of it, he began again. "We all feel as if the feedback on your latest performance is enough to cover you for a while."
His face was slack in pure amazement, his eyes twinkling with delight. He closed the folder slowly, setting it on the table softly and exhaling shakily before turning his eyes to look up at me, and then Asuma. "Wow...this is...this literally feels like a dream to me. I can't thank you all enough,"
"No, Naruto; thank you. Because of you, our sales have gone up at an alarming rate of increase. Thousands of people are pre-ordering tickets to a concert we haven't even announced yet, all for you." Our CFO, Shikamaru Naru, pointed out.
"I just...thank you all so much,"
"We're not the ones who you should be thanking," I announced, a few others looking at me and nodding in agreement.
"Sir Uchiha is correct; you would most likely not be here without your fans. You must always, always remember to thank them." A still-unknown voice spoke up.
"Now, down to business! I realize you came back yesterday but you're super busy. I'm going to tell you that there's going to be a special interviewer here tomorrow afternoon, and she's special because she asks you questions about everything. I will tell you that if you feel uncomfortable or just do not want to answer any of her questions, do not hesitate to say 'next' and more on." The blonde nodded in understanding, messing with the inside of his mouth as he listened. "The day after that, which would be Friday I believe, one of our dances from Suna is going to come here to work on a collaboration with you."
My ears perked up, my lips curling into a frown and my eyes cringing at the mention of him.
The meeting was adjourned, Naruto ran off somewhere and I walked begrudgingly to my office. I shut it behind me, pausing when a sharp voice cut through the air. "Hello, ototo."
"What do you want?" I sighed.
"You will look at me when I speak to you." His native tongue rolled the words off like nothing, Japanese almost sounding foreign to me after the time I've spent here. I turned to face him, my dark eyes clashing with his.
"What the hell do you want?" I replied in the same language.
"I think you've forgotten that your life was in Japan and not in this country. I've heard some things, one of them being that you currently reside here. Another thing being that you reside here, specifically, because this Naruto, is it, is here." He smirked knowing that it would infuriate me, but the only sign of the feeling I gave out was a slight grimace. "What in the world were you thinking, baka? Moving here degrades our name, is that what you wanted?"
"You can't talk to me about degrading our name, Itachi; you know you've done way worse than I have.'' I was growing irritated, my words beginning to be more forcefully spat out than spoken.
"Ah, but you see my little brother,'' He came over to me and grinned as he did to all of his clients, a mocking glint of evil intent in his gray orbs. "The difference between me and you is that you learn how to cover them up, to hide them away. Or, in more harsh terms, to lie. It's always been the thing that's separated us, that made me the superior son of the Uchiha clan. You're weak and fragile, too honest and earnest to reach any real level of power."
"So tell me then, Itachi, where has all your superiority gone, your power and high-status? As far as I'm concerned, people don't even know your name anymore. They don't care to know, to bother, with the burden of your thick vowels." My voice raised and grew sharper, warning bells going off in my mind as a reminder that I shouldn't be raising my voice to Itachi. I couldn't help it, however; my irritation and anger was piling and catching up to me.
His eyes narrowed, his lighter pupils dimming and turning dull in a sign of fury. I stared directly into his, challenging him dangerously, and nervously, as I prepared myself for some type of intelligently sarcastic retort that would come back to bite me in the ass. "It seems you still don't understand, so let me say it in another language; maybe you'll get it then." He took a step forward, his long legs closing a third of the gap between us already. "Do you know the names of all the parents or sibling or children of the Queen, the President, the Emperor, the Dictator, or any higher power across the world? No, Sasuke, you don't. Just about everyone who isn't directly involved with the families of the higher statuses in our world doesn't. However, that doesn't mean that they aren't important.
"If the President's father were to come to visit you at work," He took another step, two-thirds of the gap between us captured and causing me to gulp and grip onto the side of my pants. "You would treat him as if he were almost, if not, the same as his son, correct? You see, you don't know the names of all of the generals or sergeants in the military, but if you know that they are important and if you were to ever cross one you would show some respect. That, Sasuke," He took a final step forward, his gaze peering down to me with too much of intimidating look to be normal. "Is the ultimate power. To know that people fear your very position without knowing very well who you are, to have people automatically respect you just because you are who you are. Do you understand now, ototo?"
"So why is it that someone stepped up and over you than, Itachi? Did I miss the little fact that you can't stand losing but actually suck when you have nothing?" I regretted each and every word as it slipped passed through my chapped muscles, each letter a drop of poison in my blood flow.
I tightened my jaw just before I received what I had predicted, the sting from his strong hand causing me to internally wince. I kept my head to the side, not daring to look at him as he scolded him. "You do not talk to me that way, Sasuke! Do not forget your place!"
I heard something from behind me and felt the air around Itachi shift, my eyes catching the sight of my sibling running his hand nervously through his hair. "Ah, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just come back later, Mr. Uchi-"
"No, stay." I couldn't move, groaning and sobbing both at the same time from the timing of Naruto's entrance. "Naruto, was it?"
"Ah, yeah. Do I...uh…" He trailed off, obviously intimidated by the other raven facing him.
"No no, you don't. I just happen to know who you are," He chuckled sweetly, something obviously so fake, and let some murmurs slip from him before he clapped his hands together. "Stand up right and act like the position they never should've given you." This was directed to me, of course.
I did as he told, scared even with the blonde in the room as my elder brother would still scold and punish me. When I looked towards the said man, he was moving further back into my office to make room for the other. "So Naruto," He looked to me briefly to make sure I had followed his words before he continued. "Do you know who I am?"
"Uh...Are you Sasuke's um, father?" I went rigid, anger plopping into the bottom of my stomach and singing my insides. Itachi remained calm on the outside, even though I know he was fuming to a certain extent as well, and smiled playfully to him.
"Ha, no Naruto. I'm Itachi Uchiha, CEO and current owner of UDA." His eyes were shut softly and his lips were pressed together gently in a soft smile, the obvious satisfaction at the other's bewilderment and amazement clearly boosting his already giant ego.
"Y-You mean like, of all of UDA?" He nodded curtly, opening his twinkling spectacles to look at him. "Wait...does that mean that Sasuke works for you?" I internally winced yet again, my anger peaked and making me hold back my emotions at the mention of our statuses in the company.
"This is true." My brother replied shortly, chuckling at the 'Oh my god!' face that Naruto currently held. "But Naruto, I was wondering if I could ask you a few things while you're here."
"Psh, anything!"
"How is Sasuke treating y-"
"He doesn't know that we're Mates, or that I moved here to stay with him not too long ago, Itachi. He lost part of his memory from an accident a week ago." I interrupted him, glad I made sure to mention that before something would slip and just further complicate all of our lives.
"Uh, I'm sorry; I don't speak Japanese. What were you saying?" Naruto laughed nervously as he spoke, scratching the back of his head out of his normal habits.
"Sasuke was just mentioning to me about the time that it was," Itachi pointed out softly as he glanced down at his watch. "Sadly, I must end this little chat and take my leave." I felt a monsoon of relief and cheer pour over me at hearing this, almost hopping on the balls of my feet in excitement. He began walked to the door, taking his time in his steps. "Naruto, if Sasuke ever picks on you, shows hatred or any type of negative emotion to you or maybe steps a little out of his place, please don't hesitate to contact me. You'll get my card soon enough."
My eyes followed him as he walked closer to me, pausing and glaring at him when he stopped next to me. "And you," His eyes held pure fire that was waiting to be released, a reddish tint glowering down to me. "You're lucky that your baka came into the room, or else you know I would've put you back into your place, Sasuke. Never forget where you stand, where I stand, and where you need to be. I don't give a shit if this blondie is supposed to be with you forever or just for dinner; your job is priority, and so is your publicity. I'll see you later, little ototo." He walked swiftly out the door after that, leaving the air filled with a complex air that made me too uncomfortable.
"Mr. Uchi-"
"Don't you dare say anything about this to anyone else, do you understand?"
"Sir, don't you maybe wanna talk about what happened? I don't know the situation and all but I mean he can't just-" The blonde put his hands out and shrugged, a persistence evident in his tone that irked me.
"Do you understand me, Naruto? You shouldn't forget that I'm not your friend, nor your partner; I am your boss, and I am above you. You follow me, and not the other way. Got it?" He nodded dumbly, something else obviously on the tip of his tongue. I turned my back to him, walking over the my escape and placing my hand on it's polished knob. "Oh, and another thing. Whatever you do, do not contact my brother. I will know, and I will see it that you won't be a dancer ever again, no matter where you go. Got it? Great." I flung the door open, not caring if it closed behind me or not.
I love you all! Thanks for reading and remember to drop a review, because often times you unblock my clogged brain!
I love you all so much!