Sunlight in a Dark Room

Wah! I`m sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. D: Much thanks to my beta, AmuseMe for her wonderful work. :DDD

Enjoy.

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Chapter 14 – Consequential Uncertainty [Part 2]

Naruto fiddled with his left pant leg refusing to admit that he was nervous. The pair sitting across from him were regarding him with, what he figured was, contempt but he couldn’t tell for sure. Their expressions remained void of anything remotely emotional well, Sai was smiling. The jerk was always smiling like that; fake. And that is precisely why Naruto was not nervous. He was just a little tense. There, that’s a better word.

Forcing his own gaze away from Gaara and Sai, Naruto reached for the warm cup of tea in front of him. He unconsciously blew away the steam rising from the green liquid before he took a sip. The heat and flavour was slightly relaxing. He was glad that he brought his friends to the tea house. Although there were much stronger drinks he could have had, they were not quite appropriate for the occasion. He also figured Gaara nor Sai would appreciate that either.

“You seem to have gotten quite comfortable on this little adventure of yours, Naruto.” It was Sai who broke the uncomfortable silence.

Naruto felt his face heat up but he refused to look away. He was not ashamed of this; of the choices he made.

Naruto nodded, “I accepted it.”

He wasn’t sure if his friends understood that. He didn’t really understand it himself. Things had definitely changed and Naruto had changed with them. There wasn’t much more to it. He formed a deadly attachment that he really didn’t want to let go of. It was selfish of him yet he had already come to terms with that.

“Is that all?” Gaara asked in a quiet tone.

“I...didn’t know,” Naruto responded, “He was so meticulous, I assumed that no one could track us.” He paused for a moment before chuckling, “It figures that I’d underestimate my own village.”

“As well as your own friends?” Sai interjected, “I’m still learning, Naruto, but there are people who care about you, love you even. Did you not think we would come looking despite the hopelessness of the situation?”

A wave of guilt washed over him and he couldn’t help but turn away, “I’m sorry.”

“Explain.”

Naruto looked back at Gaara whose expression had relaxed somewhat allowing Naruto to ease up the tension in his own muscles. He took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

“I was training with Sasuke, the day I was taken, and he said some things that confused me so I wanted a little time alone. The ANBU guard that usually switch shifts with the Teme – yes, I know about them – hadn’t arrived yet. That’s when Itachi put some sort of sleeping jutsu on me. I was out for a few days, I think.

“I woke up and couldn’t use my chakra. It was almost completely blocked. I’m not completely sure how it worked but there was a second seal over the Yondaime’s that held back my chakra flow.”

“Is the seal still there?” Sai asked.

“No, but I’ll get to that later,” the blond answered before continuing, “It took half a week to get to the Akatsuki base in the Rock Country. As it turned out though, the seal – the same as the one I had placed on me – backfired and released the demon within the host.”

“Demon? Are you talking about the Kyuubi?” Gaara asked.

“No. The Akatsuki had caught another jinchuuriki, the Four Tails, and were in the process of extracting it.”

Gaara and Sai nodded their understanding.

Naruto continued, “The other members were trying to contain it as we arrived. Itachi left me in a room to help and disappeared somewhere. That fucking place was a huge labyrinth of mazes. I wouldn’t have been able to escape even if I tried. The bastard wasn’t even gone fifteen minutes and the four tails found its way to me. I’m guessing it could smell the Fox and followed the direction Itachi had come from. It attacked me before Itachi could get back. I’ve never felt so helpless before.”

“What form was it in?” It was Gaara who spoke.

“It was a black wolf. The human host had been overtaken. Itachi fought it for a few minutes as the other Akatsuki arrived. He got me out of the room and we were almost outside when there was an explosion that brought the whole fucking mountain down. Itachi created a barrier that got us out. You guys probably saw the result, eh?”

“Yes, it was quite the mess,” Sai affirmed.

“I don’t know if the other Akatsuki are dead. Neither does Itachi as far as I know but we headed east from there. He had to stop in Mikageishi for supplies and to rest. I was pretty beat up and...”

A small amused smile crept across Sai’s face, “Your kidnapper brought you to a lovely onsen to recuperate?”

Naruto’s eyes widened comically and he sputtered, “That’s...damn it Sai, let me finish!”

“By all means,” the black haired nin waved his hand, “but I’ve already heard this part from the hostess of the onsen. Quite a spiteful woman but pretty nonetheless. ‘A long haired man who has similar features to myself and his blond lover with blue eyes’. It was a gamble but I believed it to be you and your Uchiha.”

“He’s not...” Naruto attempted before Sai interrupted again.

“It’s too late to deny, isn’t it?”

Naruto didn’t need to answer.

“Itachi constantly checked the seal he placed on me and it turns out that it was in the process of breaking. It didn’t happen until about four days ago. I was ready to give up but he wouldn’t let me. He brought me out and I merged with the Fox. She’s...gone now,” Naruto’s chest tightened at the memory, “She let me live.”

Gaara understood Naruto’s feelings. He thought back to Shukaku’s extraction and the void left by it. The demon was ruthless and unrelenting but the change took some time to get used to. Gaara never felt more alone than he did then and it had taken a few months to adjust.

“The Kyuubi is gone?” Gaara spoke in his monotonous tone, “That may explain why your chakra is different.”

Naruto frowned, “I haven’t been able to test my abilities yet. Itachi’s injuries were pretty bad so I brought him here as fast as I could.”

“So you fucked him, eh?” Sai grinned.

Naruto’s eyes widened dramatically and his mouth dropped as he mumbled his response, “Well...you see...I...Him...”

“That is none of our business, Sai,” Gaara spoke up, “It is not important to the succession of our mission or is it going to be a problem, Naruto?”

He turned to look at the blond.

-----

Itachi was looking out the window when he heard the door open and close behind him. He sensed Naruto’s more distinct – and changed – chakra signature as he entered the inn. It was currently too unfamiliar for Itachi’s liking but the warmer energy Naruto emitted was steadily growing on him. Much like Naruto had when their journey had first began.
“You’re back,” Itachi stated without turning to look at the blond.

Naruto chuckled half heartedly, “Yeah. I guess I am.”

“I received a message not long ago,” the Uchiha nodded towards the discarded scroll on the bed.

He watched Naruto intently as he made his way slowly over to the half crumpled scroll. The blond gingerly lifted up the parchment and read its contents. Itachi noted the sudden tensing of Naruto’s expression before it relaxed and caught his gaze.

“So they lived.”

“Hn. As I’ve expected. They cannot die so easily, Naruto. We will be leaving in a few hours.” I suggest you make your choice was left unsaid.

Naruto flopped onto the bed and released a long, heavy sigh. It was one fucking thing after another. He closed his eyes and tried to find something – anything – positive about his situation. As if in answer, the bed dipped as Itachi sat alongside Naruto. He didn’t touch the blond as much as Naruto wanted him to. He supposed that this was one of Itachi’s ways of comforting. It didn’t particularly help but Naruto appreciated the gesture.

He rolled to his side to glance at the man that he had come to care for. Had his situation been a plot in a movie, he probably would have been throwing popcorn at the screen; angry at the main character for being such an idiot.

Naruto laughed at the thought, catching Itachi’s attention.

“Only you would be able to find some humour in your situation, Naruto.”

That was when he caught it. It was barely a movement but Naruto had seen it – an almost imperceptible curvature of Itachi’s lips.

A grin. Or maybe it was more of a smirk. Naruto wasn’t quite sure but it was something nonetheless.

A pleased smile broke past his sullen mood and enlightened his whiskered face. Naruto beamed wordlessly up at Itachi in anticipation of a response to this unprecedented moment. Unfortunately, the Uchiha merely arched an eyebrow at Naruto’s behaviour.

The blond sighed in exasperation and took a deep breath before he spoke again, “I like it when you frown but now that I’ve seen it, I think I’d like to see you smile more.”

Before Itachi could turn to him and deny any such occurrence, warm lips were pressing insistently against his own. He hadn’t even sensed Naruto move and the thought irked him. He answered his lover’s request with a more persistent one of his own. A pale hand lightly slid up Naruto’s arm to rest at the nape of his neck; fingers weaving through spiky blond hair. The purr of approval that vibrated through Naruto’s throat was, in Itachi’s opinion, very appealing.

Naruto was fisting the sheets on either side of Itachi’s legs. He hadn’t expected this reaction from the dark haired man. Okay, maybe he had. Naruto made himself more comfortable on Itachi’s lap while minding the older man’s injuries and slipped the thumb of his left hand under Itachi’s shirt. He idly rubbed the area above Itachi’s hipbone and did not miss the slight tremor run through the man below him.

They broke apart reluctantly; breathless and panting into the infinitesimal space between them. Naruto rested his forehead against Itachi’s and a light laugh permeated through the room.

“Is something amusing?” Itachi’s voice was low and sultry. His fingers were still threading through the blond’s hair.

“Things have gotten,” Naruto nodded as he paused to mull over the thought, “out of hand.”

“Yet here you are,” Itachi affirmed, pulling Naruto against him to capture his lips once more.

The Uchiha’s hands finally made their way under Naruto’s shirt to tease the skin just above the top of his pants reminiscent of what Naruto had done to him earlier. His fingers ghosted a path along Naruto’s front leaving goose bumps in their wake. They made their way to Naruto’s hips, squeezed the area in emphasis, and finally rested at the base of his spine. Itachi moved them in a slow and circular motion generating waves of – what felt like – electricity through his body.

Naruto groaned into their kiss and pushed back against the pressure of Itachi’s hands in encouragement. He was rewarded with a more thorough massage and, as the dark haired man’s mouth made its way to Naruto’s neck, a burning red mark on his pulse. Naruto knew it wasn’t going to last. He idly wondered if Itachi would feel even a little put out about it considering the type of man he was.

“We need to leave.” A whisper finally broke through the sounds of heavy breaths and moving lips.

Itachi nodded in affirmation, “You’ve made your choice?”

Naruto bit his lip in thought. Leaving with Itachi now meant that he could never return to Konoha. To his friends. To Sasuke. To a life void of what he discovered he could have. But where did that leave him and the Akatsuki? He hadn’t received a direct answer as to what they were going to do about them. As far as he knew, Kyuubi was gone and where did that leave Itachi’s mission?

Itachi understood what was bothering Naruto as soon as his conflicting thoughts crossed his mind. Naruto, he had learned during their time together, had become easy to read. He was an open book that the Uchiha could not help but study.

“You no longer hold the Kyuubi,” he stated.

Naruto nodded, idly fiddling with Itachi’s hair, “What are you going to do?”

“That is not my decision to make, Naruto.” ‘What you choose is what I will accept’ was left unsaid.

The blond sighed in resignation and rested his forehead against Itachi’s, “I want to be selfish.”

“Hn.” Another slight upturn of his lips. “Then we have some things to take care of.”

-----

Sai and Gaara sat in silence together after Naruto left. The black haired nin wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation and from the looks of him, nor could Gaara. Naruto was very much alive and he chose to stay; remain in the company of Uchiha Itachi. Naruto’s chakra signature was also rather disconcerting. It was completely different from what it was before. Naruto had explained the merger but did not go into any details.

Honestly, what were they going to say to the others?

“We are going to have to report this,” Sai finally spoke, “to the others as well as the Hokage.”

Gaara glanced at his unwelcomed companion before turning his gaze back to the cup of cold tea in his hand, “We do not.”

“You would rather have him with him than back at home?” Sai inquired, suddenly becoming very interested in what the Kazekage had to say.

“Naruto is not a fool. He has made his choice,” Gaara’s voice lowered with his next words, “I will not judge him for it.”

“You,” Sai smiled truthfully, “are a wise man, Gaara-sama.”

Ignoring Sai’s compliment, Gaara continued, “I would like to stay in the Mist a while longer. I trust him but he is still my friend.”

Sai nodded his understanding and made to get up when Gaara shot him a look that had him sitting back down. He arched an eyebrow in question and got his answer as the redhead brought his cup of tea to his lips to drink.

“I suppose you’re correct, Kazekage-sama,” he smiled, “We have a bit of time left to wait.”

Sai took his own cup to take in a small mouthful of the cooling liquid. The tea here was strong and came with a unique taste that he found he rather liked. He would have to visit this place again sometime.

-----

Sasuke leant against the side of a building, hidden in the darkness of the alley. It came to no surprise that he hadn’t found any information in regards to Naruto or Itachi. He tried to keep his expectations – his hope – to a bare minimum and he still felt useless and defeated. He was damn near ready to give up and he loathed himself for even considering the option.

Naruto was too important to believe that he was anything but alive.

He sensed Jiraiya before he poked his head around the entrance of the alley. Idiotic old man was still acting like a child.

“I take it you were unsuccessful?” Jiraiya hummed as he stepped into the shadows to stand alongside Sasuke.

“Hn.”

“Then I suppose that you had trouble in information gathering at the Ninja Academy, right?” Jiraiya looked smug.

Sasuke shot a look at the old man and growled out, “What did you find out?”

“Oh, not much,” the white haired man scratched his nose, “Only some witnesses that claimed to have seen someone fitting your brother’s description. I looked into it a bit more but that was all I could gather.”

“It’s enough,” Sasuke stated, “Who and where?”

A new surge of energy was recharging his system and he wanted to know every little, minute detail. If Itachi was around, then Naruto could be too. It was a long shot but it was worth putting some effort into. His anticipation must have been obvious.

“Hold up there, lad,” Jiraiya chuckled, “I don’t know anything for sure and we still need to exercise this mission with discretion. I don’t want you scaring possible witnesses away with that charming attitude of yours.”

Sasuke was about to retort when he sensed Sakura approaching. Schooling his image, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Daft old bastard.

“There was no record of either of them at the hospital here nor in the surrounding area,” Sakura informed her comrades all the while feigning ignorance of Sasuke’s irritation, “Have either of you heard from Gaara-san and Sai?”

Sasuke shook his head to answer her question before replying, “Jiraiya has found some witnesses that can only verify ‘seeing’ Naruto and,” he paused, “Itachi. He refuses to give me anymore information.”

“Well, we don’t want the boy rampaging through the streets of the Mist village, do we?” Jiraiya grinned broadly, “Besides, I would prefer to wait until we regroup before going over any findings.”

“So you found witnesses?” Sakura tried not to sound too hopeful.

Jiraiya nodded in affirmation, “I’d like to wait for the other two though. I’m thinking they’d have more info to work with.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, “What exactly do you mean by that?”

The old man chuckled, “Nothing, really but I’d prefer to wait for them either way.”

The Uchiha glanced at his pink haired teammate who indicated her acknowledgment with the barest of nods. Someone knew something and both Sasuke and Sakura had been left in the dark about it. And as aggravating as it was, the delay was inevitable.

-----

It was two hours before sunrise that Itachi had roused Naruto from sleep, much to his dismay. Itachi told him last night that they’d be leaving early but seriously, what the fuck? He had grown too accustomed to getting almost a full night’s sleep the last few days. At least, that’s what Itachi told him as he grumbled about ‘stupid Uchihas’ and ‘tireless bastards’.

Itachi also backed Naruto into a wall and claimed his ‘morning kiss’ while the blond was amidst his rant. Despite the fact that it was nowhere near gentle, Naruto welcomed it quite cooperatively and Itachi had succeeded in shutting him up.

Mission accomplished.

“Yeah, good morning to you too, Old Man,” Naruto murmured against the black haired man’s lips when they broke apart.

Itachi tensed upon hearing the name and Naruto grinned up at him in triumph.

“You are aware I am only five years older than you?” The Uchiha asked in an attempt to revoke that ridiculous handle Naruto had designated him.

The blond nodded, “You’re old enough.”

“Logically,” Itachi paused, “no, I’m not.”

Naruto looked at him, his face fixed with a serious expression, “Well, what do you think of when you hear ‘Old Man’?”

Itachi was quiet for a moment to actually stop and think about the question. ‘Old’ is what he hadn’t ever considered to ‘be’ in this lifetime. There were too many factors – too many things he’s done – that would hinder such a thing as ‘old age’. Sasuke’s strength was growing more and more with time and it wouldn’t be long before he caught up to claim his vengeance. After all, he was the one that stole Sasuke’s childhood. His life. His family.

Everything.

Itachi looked down into those amused blue eyes of the one person he hadn’t completely figured out yet and realized that he had yet again taken something else away from Sasuke.

Naruto’s laughter suddenly brought the older man out of his reverie.

“I can’t believe you were actually thinking about an answer for that,” the blond said after his mirth died down, completely unaware of what exactly his lover’s thoughts were.

“It was something to think about.” Was Itachi’s response before he pulled away to make his way to the other bed.

Naruto watched the older man pick up a few articles of clothing that had already been laid out on the bed. Now Naruto couldn’t help but notice something akin to amusement dance across Itachi’s eyes. He was sure of it.

He eyed Itachi warily as the garments were placed beside him. Daring a glance to his left, Naruto gripped the bed in an attempt to alleviate the sudden rage coursing through his veins.

That red headed bastard was going to die.

Beside him lay a plain blue dress; simple yet exuding an air of femininity. Whatever the hell that meant. Oh, but that wasn’t all. A lump of wiry, tangled brown hair accessorized the lovely blue ensemble as well as a small pouch of which Naruto hoped was not make up. Knowing that asshole though, it most likely was. The blond shuddered in disgust.

“It seems that Keisuke lied about your disguise,” Itachi commented in a dry tone.

Naruto, however, was able to pick up his enjoyment of this situation lacing the older man’s voice.

“Not another fucking word,” the blond growled.

Itachi obliged, of course. He was well aware how much of a bad mood Naruto would be in the duration of the day. Excusing himself to the adjoining bathroom, the Uchiha grabbed his own disguise to change into the plain attire. ‘Common folk’ disguise, as Keisuke would call it. He would have preferred not donning the wig but he, nor could Naruto afford using any chakra for a henge. The disguises would suffice until they were out of range of the Mist Village.

He was not fond of such airy clothing and made a note to discuss his distaste with Keisuke the next time they met. Should they ever cross paths again, that is. The loose, russet pants were a size too big; the length halting halfway down his calves. The fabric was rough and made his skin itch. He was unused to such clothing. The forest green shirt was no better. The sleeves were short but his arms were the only part of his body save for his face and feet that did not have to endure the scratchy, poorly made garments. The collar stuck out and coalesced to a point at the top of his chest. A drawstring that criss-crossed over the opening gave him an option of modesty that he chose not to take. It would look ridiculous.

Itachi sifted through the small sachet that came with his disguise and found the accessories he would need to make his facade complete. He undid his hair tie and brushed out the knots accumulated from sleep. Retying his hair, the Uchiha utilized the proffered bobby pins to hold up his pony tail and any other stray hair that would escape the wig. Once he was satisfied, he placed the auburn coloured hairpiece over top of it to complete the ensemble.

Itachi studied himself in the mirror and debated whether or not to put on the pair of coloured contacts. He preferred not to, disliking the way such things felt. His chakra levels were also still lower than he would have liked so his black Uchiha eyes would suffice as ‘normal’ eye colour. Naruto, though, would be a different matter altogether. His emotions ran rampant through those blue depths. It would be effortless for someone who knew the blond well to figure out who it was hiding behind that ridiculous disguise.

Finishing up with a light swipe of concealer under each eye to cover up the lines bequeathed to him by his father, Itachi exited the bathroom. His words died on his lips as he looked over the sight before him. Were he any other man, Uchiha Itachi would have laughed at Naruto’s expense. As it was, he merely expressed his amusement by the faintest of smiles that Naruto failed to notice due to his irate disposition.

“I swear I’m going to kick his scrawny little ass,” Naruto glared at his companion, “And then, I’m going to give him free reign of you. You two would make a wonderful couple.”

Itachi’s eyebrow twitched at the threat. Such an outcome was incomprehensible but as pissed off as Naruto was, he wouldn’t doubt the blond would try it if given the chance.

“You only need to wear it until we leave the patrolled borders of the Mist Village,” Itachi stated calmly, “There is no reason to be upset about your disguise.”

“Of course there is.” Naruto was complaining now, “He did this to spite me. Fucking bastard.”

“Indeed,” the Uchiha agreed, “You have ten minutes to finish up. Then we will leave. I’ve already paid the fees for the room.”

“Let’s just go now. I don’t want to wear this any longer than I have to,” Naruto grumbled, “I hate that asshole. Pisses me off...”

Itachi blocked out the next string of curses as he noticed the concealer smeared haphazardly over Naruto’s face. It was most likely done out of anger but with the chance of being seen, one would think it suspicious. Making his way over to Naruto, Itachi raised his hands in a way that told him he meant no harm. Naruto acquiesced with a slight nod of his head and Itachi reached up to spread the clumps of concealer over his lover’s face, blending it in.

“For someone who henge’s into a woman occasionally, one would think that you would know how to apply make-up,” Itachi commented.

“Yeah well I don’t usually have to do shit like this because my female counterpart is perfect,” Naruto bragged as he waggled his eyebrows at the taller man; anger seemingly forgotten, “How exactly do you know how to put this crap on?”

Itachi didn’t respond for a few moments as he finished fixing Naruto’s ‘mess’. His response was cryptic, however.

“I’ve learned many things over the years.”

Naruto frowned at him, “And?”

“It’s time to leave.”

“Don’t change the subject, bastard. Are you going to answer the question?” The blond demanded.

“No.”

“Well, I think you should. If not now, maybe later?” He sounded hopeful. He didn’t know a lot about Itachi and was certain that he had lead an intriguing life despite the killing and villainous occupation.

“Perhaps,” Itachi mused quietly, turning to walk towards the door, “There are things that need to be done until then.”

Naruto was quiet after that. He had a lot to think about yet and even though he made his decision, Itachi was still giving him a choice. There was something about the way the Uchiha was handling the situation that made Naruto nervous. He knew very well how obscure Itachi could be but there was just something this time around that had Naruto on edge. What? He did not know.

Naruto picked up his bag and followed Itachi out of their room. Closing the door behind him, he made his way down the dimly lit hallway to the stairs. Itachi was already at the bottom looking up; waiting for him. Naruto flashed a grin at him, his eyes glinting with mischief. He was rewarded with a questioning look and a slightly raised brow.

Placing a delicate hand upon the banister, Naruto, very slowly and as seductively as he could, walked down the stairs. Each step was positioned just so, swaying his hips in accordance to a silent tune.

When he reached the last step Itachi spoke.

“You make a very lovely female.”

Naruto deadpanned, “What the hell kind of compliment is that?”

“It wasn’t.” Was Itachi’s blunt response before turning around to exit the building.

Naruto muttered a few curses and crude names under his breath to the man he had found he cared far too much for. Stupid bastard. Sighing in defeat, he followed his Itachi out and into the crisp morning air.

This was going to be the last stretch of their journey and Naruto was prepared to face it head on.