Hey guys! So this chapter is a little shorter, well, because I am premiering my new story Brightly Dimmed , and because this chapter is kind of just a lead into the next one.

Disclaimer:I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! NOT NARUTO, NOT THE CHARACTERS, NADA!

Well, as always, I hope you enjoy! Please please please remember to review and CHECK OUT MY NEW STORY!

"Your leg isn't high enough Naruto!" I groaned and collapsed onto the ground, keeping my eyes closed even when I heard Sakura come over to me. "You have got to keep trying! Whatever happened to that 'I don't give up' attitude that you had when you were younger, huh?" I let a small smile drift onto my tan features.

"I'm not giving up. Do any of these exercises actually pertain to what I'm doing?" I took her a moment to think about it, which meant no good.

"Not really, no."

"Then why am I doing them!" I groaned and sat up, looking up at the pink haired girl standing in front of me. "Whatever, I guess I'll just keep doing whatever it is you want me to do." I stood and leant against the wooden bar along the mirrored wall.

"Look at me, Naruto." I hesitantly turned to look at Sakura, a scared question present on my face. "The point of this stuff is to help your body become more accustomed to the difference between you and I."

She began walking over to a chair in one of the corners, placing her bare right foot on the said piece of furniture. I then noticed ballet shoes, those of which she began to tie on her feet. Once she finished both sides, she retook her place in the center of the room, a control in her hand.

"I'll show you what I mean." She hit a button on the control and then slid it somewhere, and soft incline if music appearing in the room. "Think about your dancing while you watch me. Think of how you could out yourself to work with me in this selection." When the music started, she shuffled across the floor all swift and elegant, and then she went into a back bend, her hands staying a few inches off of the ground.

I hold and support her there, don't I?

She held it for a few seconds before immediately collapsing and rolling her left, somehow standing up right after and spinning in my direction.

I catch her when she collapses but I let her roll, so when she gets up it would be because I pulled her up and spun her to me.

She held her position on her toes and reached out to me, a vulnerable expression displayed on her gentle face.

I'm supposed to move away from her, right?

She closed her eyes and suddenly jumped to her left, her legs perfectly symmetrical on both sides. Her legs were parallel to the ground, something I knew I could never do. When she came back down she was faced the wall to my right, her weight supported by her left leg on its toes, as her right was held in a weird position. She seemed to be...air hugging?

She falls into my arms her and I'm supposed to hold her. I guess I could lean back into it too.

She continued on with her part of the routine, a thing she obviously practiced. When she was finished the music stopped and she took a moment to catch her breath before looking at me.

"There's things I cannot do without your help, even if I can try. So the routine won't look exactly like this."

"That's exactly right!" Tsunade came from the other room, standing in the doorway. "Naruto, I want you to step in and try to do your part of the collaboration." I sighed, walking towards Sakura and getting in our position to begin.

After another few hours of practice, Tsunade told the two of us that she was done for the day and that we couldn't leave until we at least got what were doing together correct. We both sighed, and I leant against the cool mirrors and Sakura told me she was going to get a drink for the both of us. When she was out of the room I jumped up, looking at the time to confirm we had enough left to finish.

I began trying a few if the thighs Tsunade wanted me to do, including body rolling and lifting Sakura. It eventually became a little too warm for me, so I almost tore my shirt off and threw it somewhere.

Damn shirt. I've been wanting to take you off all day.

I continued with my previous activities, stopping in a few places to correct my mistakes. I wasn't really good with ballet styled dance, but I was better at it than I was at salsa- that was complicated shit.

"Naruto..." I turned a bit to look at Sakura. She walked towards me, placing her soft hand on my mark. I jumped back a little, a strike of pain slithering down my spine. She stared at it with a look of worry on her face, a thing of panic in mine. "Your Mark..."

"What about it? Does it bother you? I'm sorry, I just figured since you've seen it before you wouldn't have a problem with-"

"No it's fine! I don't have a problem with it. Like you said, I've seen it before so. It's just..." She moved her hand back onto my shoulder and I winced, trying my hardest not to force that hand off of it. "It didn't look quite like this the last time I saw it."

I turned my head, looking at whatever nitch in the wall that I could to distract myself.

"It looks like it's been burned." She ran her thumb over the said area softly, concern fully present in her actions. I shuddered under her touch unintentionally.

"That's because it has been burned." She looked up at me. She was a few centimeters shorter than I was, maybe six or so, and I looked down at her. She looked so pained that I wanted to hug her, but she did before I could and it took me a few moments before I reacted and hugged her back.

"Was it because of me...?" I knew that she was hoping that I would say 'no', that I could say that it was just an accident and it had nothing to do with her. But if I was anything, I wasn't a liar; there was no way I couldn't say the truth.

I nodded slowly, a nervous swallow coming from the girl in my arms.

"I'm sorry."

I smiled, my eyes growing dead and my heart dying as I forced these words out. There is only one exception to my rule.

"It's okay."

I stared at the screen, my lip twitching and a curiosity striking within me. Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand, spinning her into his arms harshly and dropping her, only to laugh along with the girl now on the floor.

"Those two seem close." I gazed at Kakashi, who was to my left, through the corner of my eye. He was look at the screen too.

"Hmmm." Kakashi was quiet for once.

Sakura went somewhere, and Naruto stripped himself of his shirt while she was gone. My eyes went immediately to his Mark and then around, his profession definitely keeping his body in shape. He did some dance moves, and when she came back they seemed to be in a deep conversation.

"You know something you're not willing to tell me, huh?" I watched in slight annoyance as she attempted to touch his Mark, the blonde jumping back and sort of dodging it. After some more conversation, she touched it again. This time, I saw Naruto stiffen but he didn't move.

"Let's just say that they were...close." She pulled him into a hug, and when he hugged back I felt a pang of jealousy run through me.

"Kakashi, what do you mean by 'close'?" He was about to say something when his cell phone rang. I sighed, looking away from the two dancers.

I wonder what they were saying to each other.

I heard him end the call and I looked at him expectantly.

"Well, that was UDA." He stated simply. "We've got to head over there and leaves these two to work on their own for a few days. You have a newbie trying to get recruited and a special visitor." My eyebrow rose.

Special visitor?

As if the older man could read my thoughts, he shook his head and claimed that he knew nothing else. I sighed and took one last glance at the two in the video.

"Let's go."

Upon my arrival at the Konoha division, I was heavily greeted by Ino and some other people I didn't care much to know. I met with Asuma, asking for a portfolio of whoever the wannabe was, walking to my office and unlocking my door.

I stepped in and slapped the vanilla folder on one of the side tables in the room.

"Okaeri, ototo." I didn't look in the direction of the voice, my hands clenching and my muscles tensing at his sinful voice. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you, you know. Oh, but of course you wouldn't know; you gave me the incorrect address."

I sighed. "I have something called a cell phone, Itachi. I'm sure you know how to use it."

"Don't be a smart-ass." I bit the inside of my cheek. "I don't have to let you stay here. Do not complain."

"Why are you here anyway?"

"A little ducking show me a certain video that I could not refuse to converse with you about." He fiddled with the said video DVD in his hand, a calm look on his face as always.

It took me a moment to think and answer, my stomach twisting as I thought about what he could be referring to. It must've shown on my face, because Itachi was chuckling after I had finished thinking.

"You've become soft, ototo. If you could see your face you would laugh along with me. I guess I might really have to take some action regarding this Naruto, huh?" I was about to say something when he continued. "I certainly cannot have a bad influence acting upon my brother and changing him into something else but an Uchiha. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, right?"

How did he get a recording of that day? There's no cameras in my office, so how did he...

"I told you that you were to never speak with Sabuko again."

Wait...what?

"You think...you're talking about the one time I stood up for Naruto?"

"I don't know what you guys were talking about, because we're not allowed to display the sound, but you knew that you weren't supposed to say anything to him."

I scoffed. "He was going to use Naruto, the same way he did with me."

Itachi chuckled and then abruptly cut it off, signalling it's fakeness. "You should've let him, then, because whatever you just said about him 'using you' was a lie. How typical of you."

"What the hell do you think you're- I couldn't have just left him to Gaara like that! And what is this about lying?" I was fuming, my fist balling.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. After all, you were the one who specifically lied over and over again about being in that... thing with him. I had to cover your ass more than enough times to consider it a pain in the ass. Sasuke, I can't have this start again. I'd have to pull you from your position."

There was a silence and I shut my eyes in order to calm myself down.

"Do you even have a soul?" I whispered it, my eyes opening slowly and looking up at my older sibling. When he gave no response, I continued. "You're always so stoic and nonchalant, as if you didn't even have such a thing known as 'feelings'. You have never once called or seen me or talked with me if it wasn't for work; if it wasn't for this damn company!"

"That's because you aren't on my level yet; you're not a true Uchiha." He shuffled around a bit, organizing some papers he had. I look down at the ground and gripped onto the edge of the wooden table harshly. "I want you to stay away from the Uzumaki kid too."

I stilled. "What...?"

"You heard me." He began walking past me. I was about to move when he gripped my shoulder roughly. "And you know that I will not have to repeat myself for you to get the point, don't you?" He let go and slammed my office door shut.

I sat on the floor and leant against the wall, closing my eyes and letting out an angered yell that echoed through the large room.

Itachi.

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Love you all!