Shades Of Grey

A/N: This is the last chapter of Shades of Grey. I tried to end it on a happy note, hopefully with a good future in everyone's imagination for the characters. I plan to keep writing and have many ideas for storylines, but I'm in need of suggestions for pairings. Comments on what you would look for in the future would be wonderful. I'm open to any pairing, however unheard of they may be. I like challenges ^^ So, I hope you all enjoy. Thanks to all my readers and to Beca for Beta-ing the story.

Chapter12

Sasuke froze. Naruto was turning to the voice behind them. The jacket slid off his body as he threw his arms out in front of Sasuke. The boy started trembling as cold laughter echoed through his ears. Naruto’s hands dove into his pocket for weapons. His eyes was dark with anger, his canines showing as he bared his teeth.

“Come now, Otouto, surely you aren’t hiding behind someone else? Even our mother stood her ground against me,” Itachi drew his words out carefully, allowing more fear to overtake the younger Uchiha.

“Sasuke, what is he talking about?” Naruto hissed.

Itachi moved to push his hair back. Naruto shifted his feet and further braced himself. Sasuke regained power over his body and turned to face his brother.

“Itachi… Itachi killed our clan almost a year ago. He’s….”

Sasuke’s words failed him. Glancing back to Sasuke’s face, Naruto saw the blood limit in his eyes. Itachi saw it too. His face darkened.

“So, you’ve managed to activate your Sharingan. I’ve more reason to kill you now, Otouto. I had debated letting you live and join me.”

Naruto hissed at the man in front of him. Itachi looked down into his blue eyes once more. His own eyes showed the Sharingan identical to Sasuke’s. Naruto swallowed his fear. He wasn’t sure what the Sharingan was capable of, but he was sure he didn’t really want to find out.

“Don’t kill him. That’s my job,” Sasuke snapped.

“He’ll not lay a hand on you!” Naruto snarled, still facing Itachi.

Naruto didn’t wait for permission. He launched himself and the oldest Uchiha brother. He let out a scream and he lashed out with his kunai. Itachi dodged easily. Naruto pressed on with his attacks. Itachi was smirking as he moved gracefully backwards. When his back touched the gate to the manor, he went on the offense. Naruto quickly found himself laying on the ground. Itachi pressed one knee into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Just as Naruto managed to fill them air once more, he was screaming in pain. A kunai was driven into his shoulder to pin him to the ground. Itachi pulled himself up to face his brother. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

“Otouto, I’ll find you. You know how the Sharingan works. I’ll find your chakra,” he laughed into the cold night air.

“Uchiha Itachi.”

Itachi’s laughter died. He turned slowly to find himself staring at Kakashi.

“You have deserted Konoha. You were warned if you were ever seen here again you would be captured,” Kakashi continued.

Sasuke ran from behind his teacher and to Naruto’s side. Naruto’s hand was wrapped around the kunai.

“I-I can’t d-do it,” he managed.

Sasuke stroked his forehead. He muttered some reassuring words to the blonde before taking Naruto’s hand away and replacing it with his own. Naruto nodded. He calmed his breathing and waited for the pain to wash over him again. He grunted as the knife was pulled from his shoulder. Naruto struggled to sit up as fast as possible. Itachi’s back was turned to them. They didn’t see him pale slightly. What the boys could see was Kakashi’s face. His features were distorted in rage. He raised his hands in an attempt at a quick jutsu, only to find himself staring at an empty place were Itachi had stood only seconds before. Kakashi wasted no time collecting the boys. He healed Naruto before herding them into the manor.

“ANBU are standing by at the outskirts of Konoha. He won’t be leaving the town. Sasuke, are you ready to face him?”

“Hai.”

Naruto looked between the two. The entered the manor quickly, locking the door. Sasuke headed for his father’s old study as Kakashi lowered Naruto onto the couch. Sasuke’s arm were full of scrolls and weapons when he returned. A larger shuriken was on his back.

“Uchiha clan secrets. There isn’t time for us to learn them all.,” he said as he dropped the items next to Naruto on the couch.

Naruto and Kakashi each picked up a scroll. Kakashi lifted his forehead protector and revealed the Sharingan in his own left eye. He studied the scroll. Naruto followed in suit with his own scroll. He’d just managed to make sense of it when the three heard a crash from upstairs. Kakashi formed a barrier jutsu around them. Naruto was hauled to his feet, weapons pressed into his hands as they took a position in the middle of the living room. They waited silently for several minutes before the barrier jutsu was dispelled. Itachi glared at them.

“You cannot possibly hope to defeat me Sasuke.”

Sasuke clutched the shuriken tightly. A collective look passed through the group. Naruto grinned and stepped forward.

“Ne, ne! Watch this!”

Itachi resisted the urge to lodge a kunai in the boys heart immediately. The lopsided grin and joking tone had insulted him. Naruto raised his hands. He was gone with a puff a smoke and a naked girl with blonde pigtails and a wink replaced him. Itachi’s guard fell as he stepped back. Kakashi grabbed his arms and held them in place. Naruto’s jutsu dropped in time for Itachi to see Sasuke leap over the boy and rush his brother with his shuriken. Itachi’s Sharingan faded and his eyes widened. He saw his own blood arch forward slowly, like someone had slowed time to a crawl. Sasuke’s red eyes ripped into his brother’s soul. He slowly dropped to his feet. One blade of the shuriken was dripping in Itachi’s blood. Time seemed to restore itself as Itachi coughed. Blood ran down his chin. Sasuke folded the shuriken and dropped it. He stepped back.

“You’ll regret killing our clan, Itachi. Father may have put more on you, but you weren’t really the true prodigy.”

Kakashi waited until Sasuke turned away to use his teleportation jutsu to haul the bloodied Uchiha to the Hokage.


~Two weeks later~

Naruto smiled as he walked to class with Sasuke. His boyfriend scowled as usual. People were smiling and whispering as they passed through the hallways to get to class. Naruto let go to run ahead. He found Sai and was going about Sasuke having him move in. With his brother under the Hokage’s eye, Sasuke had been given full power over Uchiha assets. He’d sold the manor and bought a small house in Iruka’s neighborhood. Naruto had moved in the same day. Naruto had switched to part time work for Iruka. The boys had discovered Iruka was a retired ninja. Itachi had confessed to attacking the man in hopes of finding Sasuke. His brother had placed a tracking jutsu on the shop that signaled Itachi when Sasuke entered. Sai was patting Naruto on the head when class started and Naruto scrambled to his seat. On top of the desk was a small box. Sasuke had already turned to face the teacher. Naruto ignored the welcome back speech and slid the box to his lap before opening it. Inside was a new cell phone. It was one of the best available. And it was orange. Naruto turned it on and found a text message waiting.

‘No boyfriend of mine has a shitty phone.’

Naruto yelled and punched the air, phone raised with the fist to show the class. He earned himself a detention. Naruto and Sasuke were separated in classes for the first time. The news of Sai’s party seemed to travel among teachers as well. When lunch came, Naruto was nervous to enter the cafeteria.

“I’ll punch him if he messes with you,” Sasuke muttered.

Naruto laughed and took that as his invitation to find them a seat. Looking around, he saw the room pretty much in its usual state. He waved to Sai and Shikamaru before taking Sasuke’s hand and leading the way to his table. Sasuke tugged lightly and pointed over Naruto’s shoulder. They saw Ino pulling Sakura across the cafeteria in a hurry. The two were smiling and giggling as they ran. They slid into chairs flanking Gaara. He frowned at the realization that he was to be their new “stalkee.” Kankuro laughed at his brother from across their table. Naruto smiled, resisting his urge to laugh and tease his boyfriend about being forgotten by his fan girls. They finished their journey and dropped into chairs across from Sai. Sai was sharing his plans for another party, when Kiba dropped his lunch next to Naruto and sat down. He frowned at his food for a moment before turning to his best friend.

“I’m sorry, Naruto. I was shocked. I snapped. I know, it’s a pathetic excuse, but….”

“Man, shut up! You can be so annoying you mutt,” Naruto stuck out his tongue.

Kiba laughed as Naruto punched him lightly in his arm. Hinata sat next to Kiba, smiling.

“I swear, Uchiha,” Kiba said, suddenly serious and facing the boy. “Hurt him, and I swear I’ll fucking kill you.”

Sasuke eyed him, weighing Kiba’s words. He nodded sharply.

“Fair enough.”

Naruto sighed and leaned into Sasuke. He earned a kiss on his forehead and a collective “Aw!” from his friends. He looked up to Sasuke.

“So, Sasuke.”

“Hn?”

“You finally got the man of your dreams. What now?”

Sasuke winked and pulled Naruto up. He kissed the boy firmly.

“What else is there?”