Unanticipated Reunions and Alliances

Lots o’ reviews (all my repeat reviews!!! This is a first!):

DarkAngelJudus: You don’t know how happy I am to hear that! That lemon took me five days to write. ^_^
disembodiedvoiceofthedying: Thank you a thousand times! That must have been the longest review I’ve received. *hugs* One reason I write these—and definitely the reason I go all the way and finish them—is you guys who are kind enough to review. I didn’t realize how long that chapter was until I went to post it. I usually try to avoid any one chapter being that long, but couldn’t see a way to cut it in half. You see through me with Neji. That’s coming up soon.
krito1389: Glad you loved it. That lemon was the reason the chapter was delayed so long.
qwerty: Yeah, longer than I wanted, but glad everyone seems to think it was worth the length. ^_^
smint45: Thanks! The wet dream just had to get in there. I think everyone knows who Sasuke’s going end up with though . . . (not Juugo or that wouldn’t have been a dream. ^_-) Glad you liked the Madara fright. He’s hard to write because we’ve never actually seen him fight. Hopefully Kishimoto will catch up to me and give me a Madara fight to make my life easier. I think I won’t be glossing over anymore fights. Two big fights left!!!
Anonymous (on fanfiction.net): Thank you! I’m so relieved everyone liked the lemon. Seems a lot of fluids were involved (drool, nose bleeds, . . .). I do get reviews on Adultfanfiction.net too, but I get very few at all on fanfiction.net. ;_; I’m glad you like the humor! It’s not my strong point, but I have a snarky sense of humor in real life. I see Itachi and Kakashi as switches, both seme and uke, depending on the situation (me in real life ^_^). Itachi likes being doted on, but he’s got a sadistic side. I have decided to full out write the Madara and Danzo fights, so you can see Danzo get his. As for Itachi and Neji . . . That tension’s not going anywhere soon. I like the clan rivalry.
ishala8: Been thinking about what you said about Kisame. I guess it could have worked. He and Suigetsu would probably work well together, but in a story like this the tension would be too great, even for me, the queen of tension and drama. Kakashi wouldn’t like it. If I do another of these types of stories, maybe I’ll give it a try.

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I found a good cut off. I wanted to give you guys something and respond to your reviews (above).

----------

Itachi woke up still encapsulated in Kakashi’s arms, held like a teddy bear. Despite the long pleasurable night, Itachi still woke up aroused. Itachi’s shifting woke Kakashi.

“My hip hurts,” Kakashi complained.

“Good morning.”

“And I don’t think I can cum again for three days.”

Despite his words, Kakashi leaned over to kiss him, but Itachi shook him off. “It tastes like a rat died in my mouth a month ago. Shockingly your cum doesn’t taste all that good the next morning. Is your hip in socket?”

“Yeah.”

“Shower.”

“Right,” Kakashi yawned.

The water was hot when Itachi joined him after thoroughly scrubbing his mouth out. Kakashi noticed Itachi’s half hard erection.

“Want help with that?”

“I thought you were spent for the week.”

Kakashi eased two wet fingers into Itachi loose ass and stroked his prostate. Itachi leaned back onto Kakashi’s arm and rest his head on his shoulder. Kakashi kissed his neck and used his other hand to jerk Itachi slowly. Itachi moaned under the hot spray, completely pliant under Kakashi’s attentions. He whispered his lover’s name as he cam into Kakashi’s hand. Kakashi was going to offer his cum covered hand to Itachi but he shook his head.

“I just brushed my teeth.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Hurry up and finish washing so I can turn off the hot water. I know how painful dry orgasms can be.”

-----

Eight days. Danzo would be leaving Konoha in eleven days and Sasuke’s group would move out before hand and set up a temporary base inside the Land of Iron and use Karin, Neji, Juugo’s birds, Kakashi’s hounds, Sasuke’s snakes and hawks, Itachi ravens, and the Uchiha cats to search for anyone approaching the Kage summit. They had eight days left in this base and in eleven or twelve their mission might be over.

Sasuke’s anger at Danzo had blown away his lack of self worth for the most part. But he still secluded himself from the others. He sat in his room meditating with door open to feel his surroundings.

Suddenly he felt something was wrong. If he weren’t meditating, he may not have felt it. He picked up his sword and weapons pouch and wrapped his arms with the weapon summons he’d made to fight Itachi, ready to summon a maelstrom of weapons.

He crept out into the corridor, not knowing what to expect. He concentrated and felt a large, wild chakra coming from his right. He couldn’t identify it, though his brother probably could; he was far more sensitive than Sasuke. He knew this chakra was not Itachi’s; his chakra Sasuke would know anywhere. It was too large for anyone else in the hideout except Juugo and Neji. Neji seemed to exude chakra from every pore and it could fly out like solar flares when in battle, or training for that matter. But Neji’s was far more controlled than this. Juugo’s maybe? But if he had gone out of control someone would have come for him and Itachi could probably handle the situation as well.

The stone walls and the earth behind many of them blocked his Sharingan, but as the source of the mysterious chakra came closer, he could see it with his Sharingan: yellow with flares of green and red. It was familiar, but strange. Sasuke suppressed his chakra; maybe the intruder was having the same problem he was with the earthen walls and he would not detect him. He stopped dead, taking a fighting stance out of instinct as the source came ever closer.

A figure flew down one of the corridors which crossed the one Sasuke crouched in. The blur looked down the corridor in passing and skid to a stop once he registered what he saw. He hung onto the corner of the wall as he looked again.

Sasuke’s eyes went wide.

----

Itachi and Kakashi came into the kitchen for breakfast after everyone but Suigetsu had finished. Suigetsu was decadently spooning yogurt into his mouth. Itachi smiled at the display. Suigetsu noticed Kakashi was limping slightly.

“Oi, Itachi, you look like a cat with cream this morning.” Itachi’s smile now could almost be called manic. “Kakashi, little sore, are we?”

He only had one eye to go on, but Kakashi was definitely frowning at him. “It’s not what you think.”

“Hmmm?”

“Nearly dislocated my hip.”

Suigetsu clucked his tongue disapprovingly. Kakashi growled.

Itachi seemed younger. Scaring off Madara and just being at home with his lover and near his brother—as anti-social as his brother insisted on being—made him actually look and act more like his twenty-one years, if not younger. Being absolutely thoroughly fucked—having delivering a through fucking as well—and his in-shower orgasm helped. Itachi jumped up to sit on counter and the grabbed the remnants from what he could tell was his brother’s plate left on the counter. He chuckled at the complete lack of nattô on his plate; Sasuke really never changed, still hated the stuff. He kicked his legs as he ate the leftover piece of fish.

“Cream does sound wonderful in fact,” he said looking purposefully at Kakashi. Kakashi grumbled something about cat people and checked the refrigerator.

“Want it in a saucer?”

“That would be lovely.”

“Guess I was wrong about who the uke in the relationship was,” Suigetsu said.

Kakashi threw him another glare, but poured the cream into a saucer and handed it to Itachi who tipped it into his mouth rather than lap at it or slurp it. He smiled; truly a cat with cream.

Kakashi went to the rice pot and found it empty. He sighed and picked it up to clean it out. Itachi jumped down and took the pot from him. “You look like a scolded and put upon puppy.” He made quick work of the cold rice and started a new pot.

“Like I told your brother, you should learn to take better care of your pets.”

“Suigetsu . . .” Kakashi growled.

“My brother?”

“He ‘accidently’ killed Orochimaru’s Manda in order to escape an explosion like a month ago. Just before we met up with you all.”

“Manda,” Itachi mused. “Well, no great loss. More evil than his master.”

“That was Deidera,” Kakashi said. “I could smell him and Sasuke in the crater we found.”

“Zetsu told us about that. I think my heart stopped when he said Sasuke was dead. So he used Manda to escape the explosion. Quick thinking.”

Itachi sat on the counter again and resumed drinking his saucer of cream. Kakashi took a seat at the table, a little tenderly.

They chatted with Suigetsu, the subject turning eventually to swords and Kakashi started talking about his father’s sword, until the rice was done and the lovers started on rice, miso soup, and nattô, all of which took less time to prepare than the rice.

As they were finishing, Itachi felt his brother’s chakra flare and his Sharingan activated in response to his brother’s chakra. “Sasuke. Where’s Sasuke?”

“I think he’s meditating in his room,” Suigetsu said. “He’s avoiding everyone again.”

“Something’s wrong.” Itachi and ran off, Kakashi and Suigetsu following. Itachi sent a wave of his chakra out, filled with malevolence to draw the rest of the shinobi in the hideout out into the corridors. The trio swept the others in their wake. Itachi’s sensitivity to his own brother’s chakra made him aware of what was going on: he was fighting someone. As they approached, Sasuke’s chakra plummeted, but did not cease. And another chakra was retreating.

Sasuke lay in the middle of the corridor, unmoving. Itachi slid next to him. There was blood dripping down the corner of Sasuke’s mouth and his clothing was damaged over the right side of his abdomen. Kakashi knelt next to the wound, Sakura next to him. Kakashi moved the cloth aside.

“Rasengan,” he said.

Sakura and Itachi were startled; none of the others knew what that was.

“There are only four people who have ever been able to do it: The Third, Jiraiya, myself, and . . . Naruto.”

“Naruto?” Shikamaru said.

Karin was kneeling next to Itachi; she cradled Sasuke’s head and brushed the blood away. Sasuke stirred.

“Sasuke,” Itachi said. “Sasuke, what happened?”

“Naru . . .” was all he could say.

Sakura was opening his shirt and starting to repair the damage. Suigetsu was facing Shikamaru and Neji, his hand on his sword. Kakashi rose next to him.

“You’ll understand if we don’t entirely trust the two of you right now,” Kakashi said.

“Yeah, I understand, as troublesome as it is.”

Neji nodded.

“I didn’t speak to Naruto or signal him.”

“Nor did I.”

Sasuke gasped, but Suigetsu kept his eye intently on the two shinobi.

“Sasuke, tell me what happened,” his brother prompted again.

“Naruto. Looking for. Sakura. Tried to convince him. Attacked me. Didn’t want to hurt him. Didn’t think he would. Really hit me. Thinks I’m under. Genjutsu.”

“Well, I guess that proves who he loves more,” Kakashi said. Sakura took the time to slap at him.

“He must have run off hearing as many of us coming,” Juugo said.

“Probably in shock over what he’d done to Sasuke and that he didn’t fight back,” Kakashi said.

“He’ll go back to the village,” Shikamaru said. “He apparently believes you all kidnapped Sakura. He’ll tell the other shinobi who told him about it where we are and come for us. We have to find another hideout, further from Konoha.”

“It’s too risky to nab him and bring him back,” Itachi agreed.

“If he’s scared, he’ll fight,” Kakashi said. “And he clearly doesn’t trust any of us. The Hokage won’t like our taking him and having him anywhere near Madara would be disastrous.”

“How is he, Sakura?” Itachi asked.

“He’ll be alright. I don’t think Naruto used his full power.”

“We need to leave quickly before Naruto can get back to the village,” Neji said.

“Suigetsu, watch them.” Kakashi turned to Juugo. “You, Karin and I will pack. And tell those five as well. Itachi and Sakura, stay with him. I want us ready to leave within an hour.”

-----

Itachi wanted to carry his brother himself, but Juugo was much stronger than any of them. They flew through the trees towards the Land of Iron. Karin knew of another Orochimaru’s hideouts in that direction where they could regroup before setting out to the summit and hopefully nurse Sasuke back to full health by then.

Karin led the group with Sakura and Kakashi behind her, then Shikamaru and Neji with Suigetsu behind them to watch them, then Itachi and Juugo with Sasuke of his back, and Shin and his four followers behind them. Everyone was burdened with something; mostly all the food that was left in the base.

It made Itachi a little sad to be leaving that hideout; it had become home to most of them, especially those of them who would not necessarily be welcome back in Konoha. He silently cursed the Jinchûriki. He attacked his brother and endangered everyone and everything. They were so close to destroying Akatsuki. And avenging their clan. He knew Danzo was a major hindrance to peace between the village and the Uchiha, and Madara had helped Itachi kill them. Maybe once they were dead, he and Sasuke could move on; maybe even Konoha could move on. And that damn Jinchûriki had endangered it all.

No one spoke until they arrived at hideout on the edge of the Land of Iron. It was colder here, but there was no snow. Sasuke was put in his old room, which Karin was, somehow, familiar with, but had to use Suigetsu’s watery body to find the booby traps. Once Sasuke was safely ensconced, Itachi turned his fury at the potential traitors.

“How did you get a message out?” He raged at Shikamaru and Neji. “And why now?”

Kakashi came up behind him and put a restraining arm around him. “Calm down, Itachi. It probably wasn’t them.”

“Then how did that Jinchûriki find us?”

“Naruto’s a sage now. Sages are very sensitive to chakra. I don’t see any reason for anyone in our group to betray the others.”

“Unless it’s to protect that bastard Danzo,” Itachi growled.

“I’ve been warned against him before,” Shikamaru said. “If my father hints that he should be disposed of, I’ll definitely help you kill him.”

“Danzo has never been a friend to my clan,” Neji said. “I’ve been ordered by the Hokage to follow Sasuke’s orders and by Sasuke to follow yours and Kakashi’s orders if they do not supersede Sasuke’s. His order was to kill Danzo and that is what I will do.”

Itachi was still scowling at Neji, but he allowed Kakashi to pull him away. “If I find any evidence either of you had anything to do with this, I will kill you.”

Neji nodded; they all knew Itachi’s words were directed at him.

“Stay with Sasuke for now,” Kakashi told Itachi. Itachi nodded and went in the room, weary of traps.

Kakashi summoned his hounds. “Sasuke was attacked by Naruto. I think he found us with Senjutsu, but Itachi has doubts for obvious reasons. I want you all to stick around; guard and just keep an eye, and nose, out.”

“Will Itachi-kun be in charge of feeling us?” Shiba asked.

Kakashi frowned at him. “Maybe the Uchiha cats would be a better choice.”

“Itachi-kun’s spiteful nature is rubbing off on you,” Bisuke said.

“Enough,” Pakkun said. “Itachi’s not going to be nice to anyone until Sasuke out of danger. We’ll look after security for now.”

“Thank you.”

-----

Despite Itachi’s fears, Kakashi put Neji in charge of disarming traps. The process of making a base habitable was started again. There were no refugees in this base, too cold to choose to remain when presented with the option of leaving.

Sasuke was awake when Kakashi visited later that night.

“I really didn’t think he’d attack me like that,” Sasuke said without preamble.

“He’s been in love with Sakura for a very long time,” Kakashi said. “The idea that we had kidnapped her must have taken away all sense. Did he say how he found us?”

Sasuke nodded. “Senjutsu. Orochimaru could not hide from Senjutsu it appears.”

“Jiraiya always did seem to have intel on Orochimaru.”

“Then he can still track us here,” Itachi said.

“Shikaku will probably speak to him and put a stop to his search,” Kakashi said. “He must know how this situation has endangered his own son. Itachi, send your raven back to him; that way he will prevent Naruto from trying again.”

Itachi nodded and left.

“How’s your wound?”

“Hurts, but I’m all right. I should be able to fight in a day or two.”

“Sakura?”

“He is healing very quickly.”

“At least that will calm down your brother. He very nearly attacked Neji thinking he had betrayed us.”

“That fact he hasn’t attacked Neji yet at all is amazing.” Sasuke lay back down. “I trust Neji.”

“Have you told your brother?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t seem to make much difference.”

-----

It was hard to tell at a glance if a raven was seriously pissed off, but once it started moving or cawing, you knew. Shikaku just leaned his face in his hand and listened to the tirade.

Suddenly he realized the raven was finished. “One moment.” He stood and summoned an ANBU who was standing by. “Find Naruto and bring him here.”

Shikaku resumed his seat. “Your master isn’t killing my son, is he?”

“No. Kakashi and Sasuke convinced him it was Naruto’s Senjutsu that led him to us. But we’ve had to uproot so soon before the Kage Conference! We had another eight days to rest and prepare! Now we don’t!”

We, as if you were going to be fighting, Shikaku thought.

Naruto was brought in quickly. He looked rather dejected.

“You went after Sakura.” Naruto didn’t respond. “You should have come to Shizune or me first. What were you told?”

“Itachi kidnapped Kakashi and Sakura.”

“It’s true we can never completely be sure about the Uchiha with their Sharingan, but they can’t keep people under genjutsu 24/7. Lady Tsunade decided to believe them. Sasuke and Itachi have . . . reconciled. They, Kakashi, Sakura, and a few others have come together to destroy Akatsuki. Lady Tsunade sent Neji and Shikamaru to join them. They will go to the Kage Summit and confront any Akatsuki who try to attack the Summit. They already killed one Akatsuki, Itachi’s former partner. It was Itachi who figured out Jiraiya’s code even before you did. That tells us he really is the one who was Jiraiya’s informant and is on our side.”

“I can’t believe Sasuke would ever trust him.”

“That’s because you don’t know averything,” the raven cawed at him.

“Who are you?”

“He’s our go between to Kakashi’s group,” Shikaku said.

“If the rest of my team is going to the Summit, I’m going too.”

“No. You’re a Jinchûriki. Madara wants you. From what I’ve heard Madara is even worse than Pein. Let them handle Akatsuki.”

“Don’t worry about them,” the raven cawed. “They all, except the Kiri-nin probably, plan to come back to Konoha. You’ll have your team back. If they survive.”

“I’m going.”

“They’ll survive,” the raven said. “As long as that injury you gave Sasuke-kun is healed in time. And you’re not going. At least four of the best shinobi that have ever lived are among them. Leave the Uchiha to the Uchiha.”

“What do you mean?”

“The real leader of Akatsuki is Uchiha Madara. Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun will kill him. Itachi-kun’s been the kunai against his ribs for eight years.”

“If you’re wondering why you’re the only member of your team not with them,” Shikaku said, “Kakashi was the first to realize Itachi was on our side. He needed medical attention, so Sakura healed him by Kakashi’s request. She was with them when some of our shinobi grew suspicious and attacked Kakashi’s home. I don’t know at what point Sasuke joined them, but they needed Sasuke not to kill Itachi so they must have reached out to him.”

“Sasuke would never side with Itachi! That’s why he left! All he’s ever wanted was to kill Itachi!”

The raven cawed loudly to stop Naruto from yelling. He held up his wings in a threatening pose. “Do not judge Itachi! You know nothing! Sasuke knew nothing! Stay away from them and do not even think of attacking Itachi! If they need your help, they will send one us summons to ask for it.”

“You will stay away from Kage Summit,” Shikaku said.

“About that,” the raven said. “They will . . . intercept Danzo on his way back to Konoha if they have yours and Shizune’s approval.”

“They do.”

“Very well. If there is nothing else . . .” Skikaku waved dismissingly at him and he vanished.

“Do you really trust them?”

“We have little choice, but I trust Kakashi and Shikamaru. Like I said, genjutsu can only work for so long. Stay here and help us rebuild. They’ve moved to a more secure place anyway.”

-----

Sasuke was healing fine. Orochimaru’s healing powers where not on the level of the Kyuubi’s, but it was still a godsend. Neji sat on Sasuke’s bed while using his ability to see and manipulate chakra points to speed up Sasuke’s healing even more. Sasuke fell asleep while he was doing it and Neji was too preoccupied to sense Itachi approaching. A quick knock was all the warning they got.

Itachi froze at seeing Neji anywhere near his brother. “What the fuck are you doing?”

His brother’s voice woke Sasuke. “He’s not doing any harm ‘Tachi.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“But I do.”

Itachi fumed for a moment then, as calmly as he could, asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Neji was just opening up my chakra points. My chakra concentrating like that makes me a little tired, that’s all. I’ll be ready to start training with everyone soon, maybe even tomorrow.”

Itachi nodded and glared at Neji before leaving.

“I must apologize for my brother. I’ve only known him to be rude like that once.”

“No need. No doubt many members of my clan will treat you and him the same way. I’m almost done.” Neji resumed his task. “I should only leave them open like this for a short time, ten minutes or so. Do you want me to leave?”

“No need. I’ll probably sleep.”

“I’ll just meditate then.”

Sasuke hummed a response and fell asleep. Neji eased off the bed and sat in a nearby chair. He didn’t exactly mediate. Sasuke was still shirtless. It was cold in this base, but it wasn’t without heating. It was a bit on the warm side in here to aid Sasuke’s health so Neji didn’t feel a need to cover him with the blanket. It allowed Neji to stare. The scarring from the Rasengan would be minimal. The real damage had been internal. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but could have been.

Neji had not shown it—probably unable to show much emotion at all—but Neji had been frightened when they came across Sasuke’s body in that corridor. Not frightened of Itachi, that blame might fall on him, but frightened of losing Sasuke. They’d almost become friends in the last two weeks or however long they’d been underground together. Even before Naruto knocked him from his high horse, he would have been attracted the emotionally damaged Uchiha. And that was without mentioning his beauty.

Even when those lovely black eyes—the complete opposite and compliment to Neji’s white eyes—appeared not to carry any emotion, they always seemed to him to be sad. Even now while Sasuke lay asleep, his eyes spoke of deep pain. As Itachi cursed him, he cursed Itachi for causing that sadness in Sasuke.

Sasuke was good looking four years ago, but he was gorgeous now. Neji’d never been in love before. His uncle would be pissed.

He’d lost track of time and realized it’d been over ten minutes.

“Sasuke.” He knew better than to get too close to a sleeping shinobi. Sasuke stirred and whined like a puppy being woken. “I need to close the chakra points.”

“Yeah.”

Neji sat on the edge of the bed again and reverse the process he used before. With Sasuke back to normal, there was no reason for Neji to remain.

“I guess I’ll leave you to sleep then.”

Sasuke grabbed his wrist gently. “You don’t have to. Don’t want to be alone anymore.”

If Sasuke had been fully awake he would have wondered what the fuck was he saying. But Sasuke’s mind was still half asleep. Neji realized that, but that didn’t mean he was going to deny the Uchiha.

“I’ll stay.”

Sasuke hummed something and drifted off, his hand dropping back onto the bed. Neji stood there for a while watching the younger boy sleep. Eventually he went back to the chair and dozed off.

-----

They all worked hard to make the hideout safe and livable much faster than the last. Orochimaru’s bed was once again scorched and shaved of all of its previous owner’s presence and put in the room next to Sasuke’s for Kakashi and Itachi. Kakashi sat with his back against the wall and held Itachi in front of him. Itachi was distant thinking about his brother.

“He’s still in there.”

“Don’t worry about it, ‘Tachi. Naruto told Sasuke he found us with his Senjutsu. Neji didn’t betray us.”

“I don’t fucking care; I don’t want that Hyuuga anywhere near my brother.”

Kakashi held him tighter. “Your brother’s an adult. He can discern for himself if he should trust someone. And he’s far from the most trusting man. And Neji knows better than even think of touching Sasuke because I’m sure he’s afraid of you. You’ve made your animosity quite clear.”

“He was touching my brother.”

“You know what I meant. If Sasuke’s hurt because of what Neji’s done, you can break his neck, but I think he’s fine. Remember, I know all these Konoha shinobi far better than you. Neji’s arrogant, but he’s a good kid.” Itachi growled low in his throat. Kakashi kissed his temple. “I’ll go check on them.”

Kakashi knocked gently on the door. “What?” Sasuke called. Kakashi opened the door and found Sasuke unhappily waking up from his knock. He looked around and saw Neji also waking up in a chair.

“Neji, better get out of here,” Kakashi said. “Itachi’s irritable about you being near Sasuke.”

Sasuke growled.

“You can sound like your brother at times, you know that, Sasuke?”

“Itachi doesn’t choose my friends.”

“Take it up with him, but I’ve got live with him tonight.”

Neji stepped out passed Kakashi.

“I hate sleeping on my back!” Sasuke yelled at them as Kakashi shut the door.

Kakashi was surprised to find Itachi in the exact same position he left him: sitting on the bed staring at the door.

“He’s fine, Itachi. Irritated about having to sleep on his back again, something you can relate to I think, but he’s fine. Neji was just watching over him, in case he needed anything or the wound started paining him. Neji just dosed off.” It was an easy lie.

“Still don’t like it.” But Itachi was pacified. “I will never trust a Hyuuga.”

Again, Kakashi added mentally. “Neji isn’t Hideaki,” he said as gently as possible.

Itachi sent him a glare. “I don’t need to be reminded of that.”

“You’re reminding yourself. Neji was never very close to his clan until a few years ago. He only reconciled with his uncle because of the wakeup call Naruto gave them both during the chunin exams. The Hyuuga have changed, Itachi.”

“Katsuya tried to betray me.”

“As far as everyone in Konoha, save perhaps three or four people, is concerned, you’re still an S-class criminal. It wasn’t because you’re an Uchiha, it’s because you’re a missing-nin. The Hyuuga would be the only ones who could see you for what you really were.”

“The fact he’s Hideaki’s brother has nothing to do with it?”

“Hideaki’s dead and he shouldn’t have ever revealed anything about anyone in ANBU, even after you left the village. Neji is not like Hideaki.”

“Whatever.” Itachi lay down and turned to face the wall. Kakashi sighed, undressed and redressed into his night clothes, then slipped in behind Itachi. After a few minutes, Itachi pushed back against him.

“I know you’re right,” Itachi said in apology. “I just can’t trust them after what Hideaki did and with our clan rivalries. He tried to kill me.”

“I know Itachi. Just give Neji a chance. He seems genuinely concerned for Sasuke.”

“How concerned?” Itachi asked tensely.

“Not that concerned.” Kakashi began wondering about that, but both young men in question were unreadable on the best of days. “Sasuke is safe. As long as a certain blond stays away.”

----------
In the manga, Naruto says his chakra is yellow and the Kyuubi’s is red. I decided to make the Senjutsu chakra green (nature). I would have used blue, but I’m thinking most other people have blue chakra (yeah, the anime’s influence) and Senjutsu chakra should be a different color.

Just for clarity, Katsuya and Hideaki are non-canon.