Spartan Ninjas (Abandoned WIP)

Disclaimer: We do not own or gain any profit from Naruto.
Reviews are welcome.

Author's Note: for further reference here is a key to help you follow the story:
::this:: is a character's own personal thoughts

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Spartan Ninjas
~ Chapter Fifteen ~
By: Cecilia Tsukineko and Kirei Kitsue
Beta'd by Sammei

------------Tuesday Night-----------
"I wonder when we'll start getting replies for the first letters we sent out," Naruto said as he and Sasuke entered their room after a long afternoon and evening in Kakashi's office. Well, longer for Sasuke than for Naruto since Naruto'd had to leave early for wrestling practice.

Sasuke shrugged a little and set his backpack on the floor, settling down to rest on the couch. "As long as it takes for snail mail to reach them and then us..." he answered.

"I hope we sent them out in time..." Naruto murmured, sitting down in Sasuke's lap so that his back was snuggled up to Sasuke's chest.

Strong arms settled about Naruto's waist and pulled him tightly against Sasuke's body. "If it saves even a few of their lives, I'll be grateful... but... I'm more worried about you. I don't know them, and though I feel loose bonds to them because they are family... you're the one I love. If anything happened to you..." He trailed off, burying his face in the back of Naruto's neck.

"I know, love, I know... I feel the same way," Naruto said, nuzzling Sasuke's hair with his cheek. He was about to say more when there was a knock on the door. Curious, he got up to answer it. "Can I help you?" he asked the strange young man standing in the hallway. He was wearing a delivery uniform, and on the breastpocket of his shirt was the same symbol that was on the sweatcuffs Sasuke usually wore.

"Does Uchiha Sasuke live here?" the man asked politely. "I have a message for him."

"Uhm..." Naruto turned his head to look at his lover.

Standing, Sasuke came up behind Naruto and eyed the man at their threshold warily. "I'm him... What's the message?" ::What the hell's with the 'Uchiha-uniform'?!::

The young man held out a large envelope with Sasuke's name on it as he bowed. "A message from the current head of our family, sir. It is good to see that you are alive, sir. We have been worried."

Blinking a little Sasuke took the envelope and stepped back. "Let him in, Naruto..." he said absently as he opened the envelope and took out the pristine letterhead bearing the Uchiha family insignia. "Have a seat..." Sasuke offered once Naruto had closed the door behind the man. He was skimming the letter, or at least the first paragraphs, when he paused and went back to the beginning, starting over and reading it aloud:

Dearest Sasuke no Ouji-sama,

Your words bring this clan great sorrow, but also great joy. If we had not heard from you by your twenty-first year we would have elected a new family Patriarch. Now, though you are the youngest son of the valued and late Kawauso and Tane, we rest assured that we are once again under capable leadership.

Your brother, Itachi, is now in exile. He is a fool and our suspicions of him are now confirmed, for the entire Clan was forever wary and uneasy about him while you were a delight to stand in the company of. We regret immensely that the confirmation came at so great a loss.

We grieve for the loss of your family and extend our sympathy, empathy and comfort. I, especially, will miss your father and mother, but that I know of their fate allows me to rest at least a little easier. The long silence had begun to worry us immensely and no agent sent ever returned. We were relieved to note that you had altered the immediate accesses of the account but had been unable to find and contact you. We want you to know that you have the backing of this whole clan - your family - to do whatever is necessary in seeking retribution. And any who assist you will be rewarded. Greatly.

I am informed by many of the remaining Monarchs, and many more every day, that you have sent the same letter I have received to many families the world over. I assure you that your words of warning are spreading quickly. This Hatake Kakashi is not unknown to us, for he was once the friend of my brother's son, Obito. Trust him. He is a good, if very lazy, man.

I apologize for not going to meet you the weekend of your stay in Japan, but with all that has transpired lately my whole family is too busy. It took my five year old daughter's insistence that I watch 'onii-sama' on stage. Too late I realized it was you.

In any case, I have sent this letter along with Mikoto-kun to inform you of everything you will need to know. Ask him any questions you may have and he will answer anything that he is capable of answering. There will be no family secrets kept from you. I bid you reply so that I may know you and Mikoto-kun are still safe. You may find that every one of the Uchiha families will be responding to your letters, including those that were unknown and did not receive them. Every member of the family speaks fluent Japanese, so they will respond in that manner. I must go attend to my last business as Temporary Patriarch. Be safe, and hold onto your loved ones dearly, Sasuke-sama.

Secondary Patriarch,

Uchiha Amatto

"............................... What the hell is all that supposed to mean?"

"Let me see that!" Naruto exclaimed as he jumped up from his seat on the couch to look over Sasuke's shoulder at the letter, just as stunned and confused as Sasuke.

Mikoto had never sat down and bowed deeply to Sasuke. "If I may be excused to make a phone call before I explain, sir? Amatto-sama is expecting for my call as soon as you finished reading his message."

"Okay... here... the dorm phones don't make long-distance calls out, so use my cell." Sasuke handed him his cell and re-read the letter again to himself.

Mikoto took the cell and bowed low again. "My thanks, sir."

"Think we should call Kakashi? He needs to know about this," Naruto said to Sasuke as Mikoto dialed and began talking in rapid Japanese when the other end picked up.

"Call him from the dorm phone. It's local," Sasuke answered, reading the letter yet again. This couldn't be right! He couldn't possibly be the new Patriarch of his Clan!

Kakashi arrived just after Mikoto got off the phone. He had driven over as fast as he could after Naruto's call. "Okay, so what is this cock-and-bull story about Sasuke being the head of the Uchiha clan?"

"Pardon me, but it is not a story!" Mikoto insisted, taking offense. "It is true! Sasuke-sama is the heir to the position of Patriarch!"

"Easy, killer," Naruto said, locking the front door and pulling out the desk chairs into the middle of the room so that everyone could sit and see each other comfortably. He sat on the couch and Kakashi took a chair. "How about we just let Sasuke ask the questions since this affects him the most."

Mikoto nodded and waited for Sasuke to sit before sitting himself. "If I may ask you something first, sir?" he said to Sasuke.

"Yeah... I need to think a minute anyway..." Sasuke said a little shakily as he settled on the couch beside Naruto.

Mikoto took the other chair and said, "If it is not too bold, is it appropriate for your companions," he nodded at Naruto and Kakashi, "to be here for this? I will be telling you family secrets that are best kept from outsiders."

"Naruto is my lover. He is welcome to be privy to anything that pertains to me. Kakashi is working on the case involving my exiled brother Itachi and anything we can tell him that may help in the arrest of Itachi should be told to him," Sasuke stated, sounding no little bit offended.

"Forgive me, sirs, I did not know," Mikoto said earnestly, standing up to bow deeply to all three of them.

Kakashi just nodded in acceptance, not really offended to begin with, while Naruto just grinned sheepishly and said, "It's no big deal, really. It's alright, you can sit down."

Sasuke nodded, "Sit down... And tell me why Amatto-san would be possessed enough to think that I could possibly take over the position of Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan?"

"You are not expected to take over the position until your twenty-first birthday, sir," Mikoto explained as he sat down. "Until then Amatto-sama will continue to act as Patriarch in your stead. Your honored father, may he rest in peace, was the last Patriarch and your elder brother would be first in line after him if he had not given us reason to exile him. It is expected of you to take your honored father's position when you come of age as you are now first in line. It is tradition, sir."

"So I'm free until I'm twenty-one and then... I take over as Patriarch of an entire clan worldwide... I don't even know the first thing about being Patriarch... I don't even know anything about the Clan. Isn't that a bit of a risk to the Family?" Sasuke was tempted to find a way to get out of this. He knew that if he took this position, he wouldn't be able to hunt Itachi - if his brother hadn't been caught by then.

"Amatto-sama would be more that willing to teach you, sir, so that you may lead the family properly. Traditionally the Patriarch teaches his sons, or his nephews if he has no sons, how to be the Patriarch beginning at the age of thirteen. Unfortunately your honored father was slain before he could begin teaching you, but that does not mean you cannot learn what you need to know in two years. Again, Amatto-sama would be more than willing to help you until you are confident enough to no longer need him."

Naruto was feeling very overwhelmed by all this. Sasuke, the leader of a family that covered the globe? Naruto had known the family was huge but... this was just a little too much. Seeking to give comfort as much as to take it, he clasped Sasuke's hand tightly, resting their hands between their thighs.

Kakashi stayed quiet, processing all the information and thinking of ways to use it to help him track down Itachi.

If Naruto was feeling overwhelmed then Sasuke was feeling avalanched. Patriarch of an entire Clan!? His fingers tightened in Naruto's to the point of being just below painfully tight. "I... I have to get Itachi put behind bars first... I can't just drop everything that I've been doing for the last eleven plus years and run off to Japan. The police will never catch him without my help... and... I saw him do it. I couldn't do anything then, but I sure as hell can do something now, and I'm not going to just quit and hope the 'authorities' pretend to take care of it - No, offense Kakashi. Amatto-san will have to hold the position of Temporary Patriarch until I've put Itachi in prison. Then I'll learn to take over as Head of the Family if that is still my duty by that time."

"None taken," Kakashi said with a shake of the head.

Mikoto bowed his head in understanding. "A noble effort, sir, and one the family will be more than happy to support. But I must let you know that your brother has slain so much of the family that if you decline the position of Patriarch will be transferred completely to Amatto-sama and his children. As much of an honor as that would be for him, he is eager to see that you take on your rightful place in our clan."

"Is there a time by which Sasuke has to decide that?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, by his twenty-fifth birthday."

"Then I'll say this... if by my twenty-fifth birthday I haven't overtaken Itachi, I'll take up the seat of Patriarch. My father would have wanted it to be something like that," Sasuke said after a moment of silence.

Mikoto bowed his head again. "I will pass your words on to Amatto-sama. Is there anything else you wish to ask of me?"

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi briefly and then nodded. There was a question the officer had asked him several times that Sasuke had never been able to answer. "How does a family as big as ours function as a... _Family_? And I want to know personally how my bank account got so big..." Sasuke had always wondered that since the day he'd gained complete rights to it.

"The clan acts very much like an international organization. There is one leader, the Patriarch, that oversees the family as a whole. Directly beneath him are the Secondary Patriarch, the family Treasurer, Historian, and the Council of Lawyers. Below them are the regional patriarchs, the Monarchs, each of whom take care of the country they live in. It is the job of the Monarchs to make sure family members in their country are well off and free of both financial and personal trouble. To do this, the Patriarch gives each of the Monarchs permission to access the family bank account in Switzerland, which is hundreds of years old. Because you are the son of the last Patriarch you were given unlimited access to the account at birth, as was your brother. We have noticed that you took away his right to access the account last year and highly approve."

Naruto's eyes were just about falling out of his head. So _that's_ why Sasuke was so loaded! And this clan wasn't a family, it was a country!!

Kakashi could feel the beginnings of a sympathy headache coming on. Sasuke's mind must have been spinning.

Sasuke's casted hand lifted slowly and eventually made it to his temple, where he rubbed, closing his eyes and attempted to take in the enormity of it all. The pressure of his clasp with Naruto's hand did not ease. This was overwhelming and nearly unbelievable except... what choice did he have but to believe? Sighing he lowered his hand and looked Mikoto in the eyes. "Mikoto, was it?" And at that slightly older man's nod he continued, "I'll find you some accommodating rooms in a hotel. I want you to stick around a little while if your duties permit it. I want to talk with you still, but... I need to let this soak in. A lot."

"I already have a room in the Kellogg Center, sir. I will be staying here for as long as you need me. I have been given the job of your personal attendant." Mikoto stood up and then fell to his knees, prostrating himself to Sasuke. "I hope I will be able to serve you well, sir!"

Sasuke stared at him for a moment and then said slowly and firmly, "Mikoto... stand up and sit back down... and don't ever do that again..."

"As you wish, sir." Obediently Mikoto got back into his chair, looking very proud of his new position. "Have you any more questions, sir?"

Sasuke sighed and answered evenly, "No. None right now... I'll take you back to your place... so I can have a little time to absorb this." Standing slowly he released Naruto's hand and turned, bending over enough to cup Naruto's cheek and kiss his forehead. "I'll be right back," he murmured his lips brushing skin.

"I have to get back to the station," Kakashi muttered as he stood up. "I can take Mikoto over to Kellogg if you want, Sasuke, since it's on my way."

Sasuke nodded once but then looked to Mikoto even as he handed Kakashi the letter from Amatto. "Would that be okay, Mikoto?" he asked and then murmured, "I want that back," to Kakashi as the officer took the envelope in which the letter was once again enclosed.

"Whatever you wish, sir, I will do," Mikoto said, standing up now that Sasuke was standing.

Kakashi tucked the letter safely into the inside pocket of his jacket. "Mind if I make a copy of it for my records? And that way you'd get it back sooner."

"Sure," Sasuke said to Kakashi and then looked to Mikoto. "Sorry but if you don't mind... I'd like it if I could have a little while to myself to sort this out."

"Of course, sir." Mikoto pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Sasuke with a small bow. "This is the information of the room I am staying in so that you may contact me whenever you have need of me. Oyasumi nasai, Sasuke-sama," he said with a full bow. When he stood up he looked at Kakashi expectantly.

Kakashi nodded and said to Sasuke, "Go ahead and skip class tomorrow if you need to. You're ahead of everyone else anyway so it doesn't really matter but..." He shrugged. "See you two later. C'mon, sir prim-and-proper." Ignoring Mikoto's offended huff he led the young man out of the room.

"My head hurts..." Naruto muttered after they'd been gone for a while, rubbing at his forehead.

Turning from staring at the door, Sasuke looked down at Naruto who was still seated on the couch and then sat beside him. "_Your_ head hurts?"

"I'm dumb and thick-skulled, remember?" Naruto leaned against Sasuke with a sigh, trying to wrap his mind around everything they'd just been told. "Patriarch... more like president or king..."

"Whatever... I don't wanna think about it right now... It's still soaking in..." Sasuke muttered and slipped an arm around Naruto's shoulders, hugging him close and burying his face in Naruto's hair.

Sighing again, Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and held him close, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "As if our lives weren't complicated already..."

"I know... I'm sorry I dragged you into this bedlam..." Sasuke murmured, his warm breath puffing through Naruto's spikes.

"Mm, it's alright. If you had to go through this by yourself you'd go crazy."

Sasuke was silent a moment and then whispered a very heartfelt, "Thank you."

"For what?" Naruto asked softly, tugging Sasuke closer.

"Exactly this..." he said gently and kissed Naruto's crown tenderly. If Naruto hadn't come to be his savior, Sasuke would have stepped off the deep end he'd been walking towards. He hadn't even realized it, but he'd been dangerously close to snapping. He could see that only now because he had something to live for and had absolutely no reason to throw his life away to get retribution for his family and Clan.

Naruto pulled his head away to give Sasuke a confused look, but just shook his head as he decided it wasn't worth it to question. "You're weird," he murmured affectionately, giving Sasuke a soft kiss.

Sasuke's right hand came up to cup and caress Naruto's cheek as he rested their foreheads together after briefly return the gentle brush of lips. He was silent and just searching Naruto's eyes. He was seeking any sign of Naruto possibly getting fed-up with the mess that was Sasuke's entire life... and also thinking about what the letter had said about holding onto his loved ones dearly. He came to the conclusion that no matter what, _nothing_ would ever harm Naruto - _nothing_ - and so focused more on those vibrant blue eyes for several more seconds before closing his own and nuzzling the side of Naruto's nose with the tip of his own.

"How about we go to bed?" Naruto suggested quietly, nuzzling back. "Sleep on it, y'know? That way maybe this will all make more sense in the morning... Either that or whichever one of us is dreaming this will wake up," he added jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

With an amused snort, Sasuke pulled away and stood. "It's better than my plan... which was non-existent," he said and headed over to the dresser. He stripped right down to nothing and then pulled on a pair of black drawstring pants that hugged his bottom and extended under his heels with their length. The fabric was stretching and thin and smooth and almost silken to the touch while still possessing that cottony quality. Sasuke absolutely loved those pants for winter sleeping and it was getting close to being just that. However, since it wasn't yet winter, he decided to forgo a shirt altogether.

While Sasuke changed Naruto pulled out the bed and stripped down to his boxers. He dropped his clothes onto his chair and put the chairs back at the desks so they wouldn't trip all over them in the morning. "Lock the door, would you?" he asked of Sasuke as he hunted in his cubby for something.

"Sure," he said softly and did just that before heading back over to the couch. "What are you looking for?" he asked as he settled on the bed with one leg folded under him and the other still off the couch.

"Lay down on your stomach," Naruto ordered gently, pulling out a small jar of massage oil from his cubby. He had a feeling it would be hard for Sasuke to fall asleep tonight if he didn't relax first and right now no sleep was a bad thing.

Seeing the oil jar in Naruto's hand made Sasuke smirk a little but he did as he was told without a word, stretching out on his belly and letting his arms lay along his side loosely. He turned his cheek into the pillow and watched Naruto out of the corner of his eye. His left bang slipped and fell so that it hung in a lock over the very top of the bridge of his nose but he ignored it.

The scent of lavender wafted around them as Naruto opened the jar and spread some of the oil on his hands. He straddled Sasuke's hips and began to rub the oil into Sasuke's shoulders and neck, coaxing away all the tight knots he found there. ::First Itachi, then this Patriarch business... Poor Sasuke...:: As he moved down to Sasuke's upper back, Naruto leaned down to ghost tender kisses along Sasuke's neck.

Soft closed-mouth moans, sounds so much like the purrs of a cat that Sasuke vaguely had this image of himself as a panther essentially being bathed by its mate, escaped Sasuke and he let his eyes drift shut, allowing the knots to be eased away. "You're too good to me, Naruto..." he mumbled when Naruto paused to get a little more oil on his hands.

"I could be better," Naruto purred into Sasuke's ear, his voice low and husky, as he started on Sasuke's lower back. He made short work of the knots there and moved to Sasuke's arms. Sasuke looked absolutely delicious laying there, glistening from the oil, and Naruto couldn't resist nibbling on his earlobe.

"Please... be as good to me as you can... I've had a hard day..." Sasuke murmured as even his arms were worked free of tensions. The massage was making him warm, but the nibble to his ear had made him go from a little warm to nearly hot. It was a little amazing to find so small a 'touch' could ignite him so quickly.

"If you wish it, sir," Naruto purred teasingly, licking the patch of skin behind Sasuke's ear before kissing his way down Sasuke's neck and spine to the small of his back, kneading the back of Sasuke's thighs. Beneath the scent of lavender was Sasuke's own unique aroma and Naruto decided he very much liked the combination.

Tiny shivers ran infrequently down his spine with Naruto's kisses. Oh he wished it... Lying supine as he was at the moment, comfortable on his stomach, he wasn't inclined to move and if Naruto just kept going along the path he was treading...

Naruto kneaded Sasuke's legs all the way down to the ankles, his face following his hands to kiss and nuzzle him through his pants. He dropped kisses on Sasuke's ankles before sitting up and taking one of Sasuke's feet into his lap, beginning a very thorough foot massage.

"Oh..." Sasuke breathed and opened his eyes for only a split second before closing them again with a soft sigh. He might have been ticklish but that just demonstrated his sensitivity in certain areas... and his feet, like his neck and ears, were a definite erogenous zone.

Naruto spent a good half hour on each foot, kneading them and thus the rest of Sasuke's body into submission. When he'd effectively turned Sasuke into a massive puddle of mush he crawled up over top of him and lay down, acting like a human blanket and nuzzling at the back of his neck. "Feel better?" Naruto asked softly.

"Mm-hm..." came the throaty, quiet reply.

Sasuke could feel Naruto smile against his neck. "Good," Naruto murmured, kissing the base of Sasuke's neck before settling with a content sigh, using his lover's shoulder as a pillow.

The intimate weight of his lover lying on his back made the world seem distant and a lot less threatening at the moment. He was asleep before he even realized he was that tired.

TBC...