Unanticipated Reunions and Alliances

Mad Murderer: Yes.
Anonymous on FanFiction.net: I’m guessing you mean what I’ll do with the curse seal. It’s coming up. As you’ll see, I have plans for Sasuke’s curse seal. Itachi and I haven’t forgotten about it.

Dude, I totally threw out just about everything I had written for this chapter. And I call Itachi mercurial. So this was totally re-written.
You know, this is officially the longest non-novel I’ve ever written? It’s true. Titus was only around 27,000 words, this one is topping 65,000 words and we’ve not even gotten to the big battles yet. This story will not be done by the New Year.
This chapter continues the theme of ‘Betrayal.’ Yeah. I was having trouble with the lemon (but I put a lime here instead and added a lemon because it made sense), so I knew this section of the story would take longer, so I cut it up. Maybe I’ll stick them back together later.
Naruto’s blundering was always something I had in mind for this story. It serves the purpose of getting our second set of love birds together. I should have been putting more relationship building in past chapters, but here’s a load of it along with a lime and lemon. Enjoy!

----------

Nine days until the summit. They were already very close to the Land of Iron and the location of the summit, so they didn’t need to leave for seven or eight more days.

Sasuke joined the others for breakfast and threw the nattô on his plate—which Itachi prepared for him—at Itachi. When Itachi laughed, Kakashi and Neji felt relieved. Itachi—at least when his brother was around—could be rather mercurial. If Sasuke was happy—or annoyed—Itachi was happy.

They were all together this morning so Itachi delivered the news he received from his raven when he woke up.

“Naruto’s been reprimanded for coming after us and Shikaku will endeavor to keep Naruto in Konoha. He also gave us the go ahead to kill Danzo.”

No wonder Itachi was in a good mood.

Sasuke was glaring at his brother and kneed him. Itachi’s look turned sore for a moment, then he looked at Neji, gave a small seated bow and said, “I apologize for suspecting you and threatening to kill you.”

“Thank you,” Neji said, “but it was a natural suspicion; an apology is not necessary.”

“Tell my brother that,” Itachi muttered.

Sasuke threw another gooey soybean at Itachi. “And never put nattô on my plate again.”

Itachi gave Sasuke a similar seated bow, but smirked this time. “My apologies. It will never happen again.”

Sasuke gave a self-satisfied smirk and continued his breakfast. “And I’m killing Naruto for making me sleep on my back, again.”

“Oh, don’t do that,” Itachi groaned. “I remember that Kyuubi bastard’s sinister chakra and would hate to have to deal with that thing myself.”

Sasuke managed a smirk, but Neji could see he was troubled by his brother’s words, not amused as the others had been. Well, Sasuke and Kakashi. Kakashi’s demeanor saddened. Why? Then Neji remembered: Kakashi was Fourth’s student. It was Kakashi’s sensei who gave his life to save Konoha from the Kyuubi.

It seemed Itachi sensed his lover’s mood. Itachi slipped his hand into Kakashi’s in way of apology. No one else seemed to notice Kakashi and Sasuke’s disquiet at Itachi’s words.

But why did it make Sasuke uncomfortable?

-----

Sakura did not give Sasuke the all clear to train that day. “Tomorrow,” she said. He sat cross-legged with his arms crossed, his sword leaning against his shoulder, and glared once she was done examining him and gave her report.

“I’m just supposed to sit here all day?”

“I’ll get some physical training in then we can fight a genjutsu battle,” Itachi said. “With Madera it’ll involve genjutsu, I have no doubt.”

Sasuke mediated for an hour. No one had come down into the base, all still above ground bashing away at each other. Sasuke was feeling left out and almost homesick; his life was training. He was tempted to sulk and return to his anti-social skulking.

This base was the smallest of Orochimaru’s dens; there wasn’t even a needlessly huge room dominated by a snake statue. At least he indulged Sasuke and Kabuto by making sure every hideout was furnished with strategy games. Orochimaru never played against them and these games were among the few times Sasuke could ever stand Kabuto’s presence.

Shikamaru had pulled the shogi table out of Kabuto’s room and placed it here in the receiving room. Sasuke laid out the pieces, created a clone, and basically played himself.

Someone finally came back down, but it wasn’t Itachi. Neji was rotating his shoulder. He came over to sit near Sasuke and his clone.

“I got caught between Shikamaru and your brother; nearly wrenched my arm off.”

“Did Sakura take a look at it?”

“It’ll be fine, but I’m done for the day.”

Sasuke turned back to his game; the clone never looked over at Neji, but continued to concentrate on the board. Sasuke was not inviting company, but Neji stayed; he took seriously what Sasuke said to him while half-asleep: ‘Don’t want to be alone anymore.’

“Have you played Shikamaru at shogi yet?” Neji asked.

“No.”

“I never heard of anyone being able to beat him. Are you good?”

“I usually beat Kabuto. I’ve haven’t played against anyone else in four years. I played Kakashi once or twice when I was in Konoha. My brother taught me the basics when I was seven. Wasn’t any good back then of course.”

“My uncle tells me I’m pretty good, but I know I’m no match for Shikamaru.”

“Hinata’s father,” Sasuke said simply.

“Yeah. I didn’t think you would remember her.”

“There has never been anything wrong with my memory.” But after he said that, Sasuke went still. Neji could see Sasuke knew there was something wrong with his memory. Sasuke pulled himself out of his thought. “I remember all the ‘rookie nine’ as Kiba called us. And then there was you three.” Sasuke moved a final piece and his clone disappeared. “You want to try your skill?”

Neji moved to where the clone had sat. The warmth he expected wasn’t there. He didn’t use shadow clones very often and was always surprised by their lack of body heat, but it was something that could always give the clones away. He found himself . . . disappointed.

“I heard Asuma was killed by the Akatsuki,” Sasuke said as they returned the pieces to their starting positions. “I expected more hostility toward Itachi from Shikamaru.”

“Itachi didn’t kill him.”

“Regardless.”

“He took his revenge.”

“Are you still working under that ridiculous sensei of yours?”

Neji gave a small laugh. “Yeah. Gai-sensei. He and Lee haven’t changed at all.”

“Was Lee a member of the team sent to bring me back?”

“Not really. He was gravely injured in his fight against Gaara, still too injured to come with us. But he underwent surgery after we left and he chased after us. He fought a shinobi who could grow more bones and use them as weapons.”

Sasuke looked up. “Kimimaru.” Neji looked up and met Sasuke’s eye. There was no emotion there, but it was a reaction and it intrigued Neji. He couldn’t have known the man. Or did he? “So it was Lee who killed him.”

“No. Lady Tsunade called in reinforcements from Suna. Gaara and Lee fought him, but Lee said their opponent was about to attack he and Gaara when . . . Kimimaru just died, succumbing to illness.”

“Never mention any of this to Juugo or in Juugo’s hearing.” Sasuke said and returned his attention to the board.

“They knew each other?”

“I’m not sure exactly how close they were, but Kimimaru seems to have been the most important person in Juugo’s life until he died. He was the only one who could calm Juugo. I’m his replacement.” Sasuke couldn’t avoid the hint of bitterness in that last statement. “I replaced Kimimaru for Juugo and Orochimaru. Before Kimimaru became ill, he was suppose to be Orochimaru’s next vessel. Despite the fact I was a bit young, Orochimaru sent those four after me. But I didn’t make it in time.” Sasuke smirked. “Itachi said he was prepared to delay me if need be. Just seeing him would have been enough to stop me completely.”

“Did you know Kimimaru?”

“No. I didn’t even see him when I emerged from the coffin. I just ran towards Orochimaru and away from Naruto.”

“I can’t believe Naruto attacked you. You are all he ever talks about. He wants to bring you home and become Hokage, that’s it. And date Sakura.”

“Well, most of that was clear when he found us. He was here for Sakura; he didn’t expect to see me. I think at first he thought I was an illusion, but his Senjutsu made him sure I was real. He accused Itachi of kidnapping Sakura. I told him she wasn’t a hostage or a prisoner and that if touched Itachi, I would kill him. That made him positive I was under genjutsu. He approached me, but I pulled my sword. I told him to leave, but he was bent on taking Sakura home. And now me as well.

“We fought for a few minutes, neither of us really wanting to hurt the other, but he was trying to hit me with chakra to bring me out of the genjutsu. I felt his chakra even when he didn’t touch me—sort of like your Jûken—but, even though I didn’t seem to come out his mythical genjutsu, he kept trying. He made two clones, they made the Rasengan and he used his real body to block my vision. I hadn’t activated my Sharingan, trying not to threaten him. I just wanted him to leave. I thought being less threatening would make him believe me.

“Once I was down, he realized he’d gone too far. He tried to pick me up, asking where Sakura was, but I didn’t answer him. Then he sensed all of you coming. He set me down and ran. He realized I didn’t put up much of a fight and I guess he feared my brother. He did say something about ‘what are they doing here?’ I guess he sensed you were with us.”

“I have to admit, I really believed if you met again, you would kill him. Naruto told us about the last time you met in that hideout in the Grass Country and when we tried to bring you back. Did you really try to kill him?”

“Honestly, I’m not even sure. The first time, yes, but I couldn’t deliver the final blow. I won, he was knocked out, but he accomplished what I told him he would never be able to do: put a scratch on my forehead. My headband was scored. If I hadn’t been wearing it, I would be dead.

“The second time, a few months ago, I really would have stabbed him if that pale bastard hadn’t stopped me. I figured if he was pathetic enough to die there by my hand like that, without out even trying to resist, it was the end of the road for him. Of course he never raised a hand against me in that fight. That pale bastard and Kakashi’s substitute were the ones who stopped me.

“But after the Kyuubi’s warning, I hesitated and the wood user caught me off guard. I did begin my ultimate finishing jutsu, but Orochimaru stopped me. Would I have killed Naruto? I was aiming for the wood user and the pale bastard. If Naruto and Sakura died . . . collateral damage. I still don’t feel anything for Sakura, I’m thankful for her skills right now, but I feel no friendship and certainly no love, but I don’t want to kill Naruto. The Kyuubi warned me I would regret it. He is the Jinchûriki and should not be killed. As Itachi said.”

He wanted to probe the subject of Itachi’s comment earlier, but Neji was smarter than that. But Sasuke had spoken with the Kyuubi; was that conversation the reason Sasuke reacted to Itachi’s joke the way he did? “What about friendship . . . love,” Neji added delicately, “for Naruto?”

Sasuke pulled himself from the game and leaned back. He looked at Neji, but he wasn’t seeing him. He considered for nearly a whole minute. “I’m not twelve anymore. The fond memories I have can’t be recaptured. I couldn’t fully relate to either of them then, my ability to relate to them now has only lessened. I see no future for our friendship. No, there is no love or friendship left. I have at least some connection to Kakashi, but to the others, nothing.”

“Is it just your brother’s relationship with him?”

“No. I don’t think anyone except Kakashi has ever understood me, emotionally. I shouldn’t tell his story, but I feel he understood what I felt. If those four of Orochimaru’s hadn’t found me then, I may have given up on wanting revenge on Itachi. I would have stayed.”

“I know a little of Kakashi’s history. His father, the White Fang, his teammates and sensei all dying before he was fifteen . . .”

“Yeah. Every family and friend he had was dead.” Sasuke grinned briefly. “And his lover gone.”

“My father was basically murdered by clan to save Hiashi, my uncle. I was left hating my clan and without a friend. I was so arrogant, as you put it, I couldn’t bring myself to make friends. It wasn’t until Naruto . . . kicked my ass soundly during the chunin exam that I fell off my high horse. But my history is nothing compared to yours or Kakashi’s. Makes me a little ashamed to hate everyone so much when I think about what you’ve been through.”

Sasuke’s eyes had drifted down to the board, but he was still leaning back. Neither of them were thinking of the game anymore.

“I later found out my father sacrificed himself because it was the one thing he could do by his own will. We are birds in a cage and that was the only way out for him and he took it. And he was able to save his twin brother’s life in the process. Not a bad end.”

“But like Kakashi, you father did abandon you. I’m sure your fathers loved you and Kakashi, but they chose what they thought was best. I know better than anyone how hard and how wrong that can be. My brother did the same. We were all stripped of our family’s because it was what others thought was best.” Sasuke smiled. “Welcome to the sad orphan club. You lack a Sharingan, but you do have your own doujutsu Kekkei Genkai.” Neji smiled back; Sasuke saw him as a peer. It wasn’t in skill or rank, but it was a level of comradely that didn’t exist between them before. And it gave him a smile from the Ice Prince. Ironically, it warmed him.

-----

Itachi came down alone while the others continued training, wanting to engage his brother in a genjutsu battle. He and his brother have been through hell for the last month or so, and this latest incident wasn’t likely to improve his mood. He wanted to keep him company and try to cheer him up. A little genjutsu battle was sure to brighten him merely from the fact he would be doing something, be with his ‘nii-san,’ and be training, something he noticed his brother apparently had a passion for. Another thing that was his fault.

But when came down, he heard something that he didn’t expect: Sasuke was laughing. Itachi hurried down the short corridor into the reception room. He found Sasuke and Neji sitting at the shogi board. It was obvious Sasuke was laughing at something Neji was saying.

Sasuke felt the anger radiating from his brother and turned to see him standing there. Neji looked as well and sobered. Sasuke was still cheered.

“Nii-san,” he called to him. “Neji was just telling me about the exploits of my friends in Konoha and his sensei.”

Itachi wanted to ask skeptically, ‘You have friends?’ but he resisted. He loved his brother, but knew what he turned him into: a lone wolf. He would have been glad to hear Sasuke being able to laugh in someone else’s company if it weren’t with a traitorous Hyuuga. But he was also a bit jealous. When Sasuke was young, Itachi was the only one who could make him laugh. The fact that a Hyuuga had accomplished what was now a miracle . . .

“Your sensei?” Itachi asked.

“Mai Gai,” Neji answered.

Itachi shuttered. At least it broke his bad—jealous—mood. “Absolute creep. He’s lucky I didn’t kill, or at the very least slap him. I could feel him leering at me.” He shuttered again.

Sasuke and Neji were staring at him in shock. Itachi found that amusing. “Is it so surprising?”

“He made a pass at you?” Sasuke asked.

“Well, no. But I know he was leering at me despite the fact he knew I was with Kakashi. I guess I really made a beautiful woman.”

He got an even more extreme reaction from that statement. He laughed. “Did no one tell either of you about my time in Konoha while I was blind?”

“This happened recently?” Neji asked.

“Just before Sakura exchanged our eyes.” Itachi transformed into Akane and said in a feminine voice, “Can’t really blame Gai-kun, can you?”

Sasuke remembered Kakashi making a comment about Itachi possibly turning into a woman to hide in Konoha, but didn’t realize he’d actually done it. He recovered first. “You could look less like an Uchiha. It’s little wonder you were recognized as one of us.”

“I was blind and never knew how long I’d have to keep this up or how quickly I’d have to transform. This was easiest.” Itachi let the jutsu drop. “I probably could have pulled it off if it weren’t for Hyuuga Katsuya. He’s the one who recognized my chakra and ratted me out,” Itachi growled.

“A Hyuuga chased you all out of Konoha? No wonder you don’t trust me. I swear I knew nothing and I will not betray you.”

“That’s not the only reason I distrust you, Hyuuga. I loathe every one of your clan.”

“Why don’t we have that genjutsu battle?” Sasuke said to break the tension. His brother tore his eyes from Neji and nodded. Neji cleared out without a word.

Itachi sat opposite Sasuke at the shogi board that Neji just vacated. The two pairs of Sharingan’s locked and they didn’t move.

Neji came back to the doorway to watch. He’s never seen a genjutsu battle before. It was of course not very exciting, the two brothers just sat there. There was no change in expression and no movement to tell Neji what was going on in their minds. He activated his Byaiguan. Their chakra was flaring in some areas, dying out in others as they tried to manipulate the other’s chakra and stop the other’s influence.

Sasuke had managed to land the first blow. Not only could they place the other in an illusion, but both brothers could see the other’s worst fears. Sasuke unhesitantly attacked one of those fears. As if they had not yet started the battle, they sat on either side of the shogi board. The raven appeared.

“Itachi-kun, Madera and Danzo have joined forces and they’ve killed all those loyal to the Hokage. They calm that the information you gave Akatsuki was all they needed to take over.”

“Itachi?” Itachi looked over to see Kakashi standing there. He looked betrayed.

“I swear I didn’t give them anything valuable, nothing that could lead to this. I never even told Kisame how to get through Konoha’s surveillance barrier.”

Sasuke stood up. “You utter bastard. I trusted you. I loved you. I was so close to forgiving you for everything!” He pulled out his sword.

“I should have never helped you, Itachi,” Kakashi said as he prepared his Chidori. “You broke my heart once just to come back and betray me again. You are a worthless creature Itachi.”

“As traitorous as father and the rest of our clan,” Sasuke said. “Leaves from the same tree do all have the same characterizes after all.”

“No, Sasuke, I swear, the destruction of Konoha was the last thing I wanted!”

“I thought my death was the last thing you wanted.”

“It is, I mean—”

“What? Did you pull the two of us out here so you could destroy the village but keep your little brother and your bed warmer?” Kakashi accused. “You selfish, miserable traitor.”

Something was nagging at the back of Itachi’s mind, but something else was suppressing it. Something was wrong. He backed away from his lover and brother as they loomed over him with the palpable desire to do worse than kill.

“Sasuke, please believe me.”

“Why should I? Everything you told me was a lie, everything I believed since that night was a lie. When have you ever told me the truth?”

“Sasuke,” he pleaded.

Snakes shot out from Sasuke’s sleeve. As ready as Itachi had been to give his life to Sasuke, a wave of self-preservation surged through him. He pulled out a kunai and severed the heads of the two snakes. He stood up and fought back. It was a fierce fight in the small room with the two Chidori users ganged up against Itachi.

After some minutes, Itachi knocked Sasuke off balance and grabbed him, holding him securely in front of him, stopping Kakashi from attacking.

“Please Sasuke, believe me, I never betrayed Konoha, never.”

“Why should I?”

“Please, I’m your brother.”

“You killed our parents and left me alone without any family, no one who cared for me. Some brother,” Sasuke sneered.

“Sasuke.” Itachi nearly sobbed his name.

Sasuke took advantage of Itachi’s momentary weakness and spun out of his hold. Itachi began fighting on pure instinct and ingrained training. Sasuke’s attack was ruthless. Kakashi got in behind Itachi. Itachi dodged his attack, but the Chidori pierced Sasuke’s chest. He fell into Itachi’s arms. He was dead. In a sudden rage, Itachi turned and plunged a kunai into Kakashi’s heart. The moment he did so, he realized what he’d done. Kakashi collapsed into him. The two people important to him, the only two, everything he loved, was dead.

“No! This can’t be real.” He mentally tore at the sense of wrongness in his brain. “Genjutsu.” Itachi cut off his chakra. The bodies vanished and found himself looking into Sasuke’s eyes.

Itachi let out a heavy breath. “Very good, little brother.”

To Sasuke everything went black. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back. Someone had put a pillow under his head and draped him with a blanket. Sasuke pulled the blanket more securely around his shoulders as he turned to lie on his side and go back to sleep. Like a fool, either unaware of the danger or too arrogant to acknowledge it as dangerous, he lay with his back to the rest of the room.

He was about to drift off when he felt a presence behind him. He didn’t move; it was just his brother, probably just checking on him after that intense genjutsu battle that had left him laying here unconscious.

“Time to finish what I started eight years ago,” Itachi said.

Sasuke turned onto his back to see Itachi holding Sasuke’s katana prepared to impale Sasuke with it. Thinking quickly, Sasuke activated Chidori and touch the blade. Itachi dropped it and fell back. The blade fell and impaled Sasuke’s side, but it wasn’t immediately lethal.

Sasuke pulled the blade out and stood. “Getting back at me for making you cower in genjutsu? You really are a traitorous bastard.”

Itachi was on his feet again. “Come on, Sasuke. Or are you still the weak little brother I left crying in the streets. Pathetic, weak, and useless. I knew you were hopeless as a shinobi, that’s why I left you; you were the only one I would never have to fear. A weak, pathetic baby always mewing in my shadow.”

Sasuke attacked. Itachi blocked Sasuke’s strikes with a pair of kunai. Itachi pushed Sasuke away. His vision blurred and instead of seeing Itachi with a look of contempt on his face, he saw him worried and fearful. He heard his voice as if from the other end of a long tunnel, “Sasuke, you’re in a genjutsu, stop. Please, come back to your senses.”

Sasuke shook his head, confused for a moment, but then Itachi attacked. Itachi’s begging voice came out of Itachi’s menacing face. “Get a hold of yourself.”

“You’ve grown so weak, your genjutsu is pathetic!” Sasuke yelled at him. He battered Itachi way, making him stumble and Sasuke took advantage of the situation and ran him through.

The room around him wavered and shifted slightly. But Itachi was still lying on the floor, blood pooling around him.

“Itachi?”

“Something was wrong with the genjutsu, I couldn’t stop it. I’m sorry, Sasuke.” Itachi died. Sasuke went down on his knees in the growing pool of blood. “Itachi? Itachi!”

Kakashi ran toward them. He bent down to his lover and checked his pulse. “He’s dead,” he said evenly.

Sasuke felt tears escaping his eyes. “No, please no, Itachi,” he pleaded softly.

He felt a kunai enter his chest and looked up to see Kakashi’s singe eye full of fury.

In a panic, Sasuke repeated a mantra in his mind over and over again. Genjutsu, genjutsu, it must be genjutsu, genjutsu . . . His head lulled over and the shogi board was light wood, not dark. He’d played Kabuto thousands of times over the last four years and every board was dark wood. With snakes carved into the sides. They were hard to see etched into the dark wood. There were no snakes on this board. Genjutsu. He momentarily cut off his own chakra and the world cantered and whirled until he was sitting upright again in front of a dark wood shogi table and his brother across from him.

“I hate you,” Sasuke said without feeling.

“You had me cowering and killing Kakashi,” Itachi reminded him in a breathless voice.

“Fuck,” Sasuke lay back. “I don’t want to do that again.”

“Problem is, you only escaped by finding a fault in the illusion, not through your own strength. And I took far too long to realize it was genjutsu.”

“We’ll have to work on that.”

“Not today.”

“No, not today.” Sasuke felt a presence and looked toward the doorway that led deeper into the hideout, but there was no one there. He knew Neji had been watching and left before Itachi would see him.

“Just don’t ever make me kill you again.”

“Never bring Kakashi into it again.”

“Agreed.”

“Ah.”

-----

Itachi went to his room, but Sasuke wanted some tea to relax with, so he went to the kitchen. He found Neji nursing his own cup.

“Over already?”

“Our genjutsu only takes a few seconds, sometimes just a moment.”

“Are you alright? You look pale. Er.”

Sasuke offered a weak smile and prepared his tea. “We were both rather cruel to each other. He’s gone to lie down.” Sasuke brought his cup to the table and waited for it to steep. He kept his cold fingers against the cup, absorbing its heat. “How’s your arm?”

“Sore.”

Sasuke took a sip of tea. He felt the warmth spread through his body. It wasn’t until now he realized just how bloodless that genjutsu battle had left him. He really must not look well.

Neji couldn’t look away as the look of bliss crossed Sasuke’s face and life crept back into his pale skin. When Sasuke opened his eyes, Neji was a moment too late in pulling his eyes away. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. Was Neji just admiring him?

He took the moment to admire Neji. Pale skin like his own, chocolate hair even longer than Itachi’s, that stiff manner, so full of control, so like an Uchiha. But that control seemed brittle around Sasuke. He had noticed that Neji held himself aloof and in tight control when dealing with others, but when he and Sasuke were close or alone together, Neji seemed to be just hanging onto that control. It would take so little to make that brittle control shatter. And Sasuke felt a desire to shatter it. Realizing it was really only his to shatter, Sasuke felt a rush of possessiveness. It was like a whirlwind begun with a blink of an eyelash. Sasuke was not in love, but he was certainly in lust all of a sudden.

He chided himself and pushed his desire away. So he wanted a shallow fuck, what was that worth? Doing something like that would only endanger the trust between them and endanger all their lives in a few days. Not to mention royally piss off his brother.

But then Sasuke thought about it even deeper. Ever since Neji arrived, Sasuke found himself opening up and saying far too much to him, more than he would even say to his brother, sensei, or comrades, old and new. He was . . . relaxed around Neji. Why? Neji was a mirror. Sasuke was also controlled and aloof. And to be perfectly frank, they were both supremely arrogant, but they were also supremely justified in that arrogance.

Now that the thought had been planted, it wouldn’t be going away anytime soon.

They drank their tea in silence. Sasuke stared at the table and never set the cup down, letting it warm his hands. So when Sasuke put his cup down more forcefully than Neji had, it arrested Neji’s attention.

“I have something that will take care of your shoulder in my room.”

“It wasn’t made by Kabuto, was it?”

“No. I got it off the black market. It’s from Konoha. Kakashi used to use it on my arm when he was teaching me Chidori. I was willing to sneak into Konoha to get some, but Orochimaru’s black market connections are invaluable.”

“Perhaps we should dismantle that trade as well.”

“I’ve kept his list of connections in case I ever needed anything my clan supply cache couldn’t provide. If we’re welcomed back to Konoha, I’ll hand the list over. If not . . . I think my brother and I will need that list.”

“Naruto won’t let them refuse you entry.”

“We’ll see.”

Sasuke led the older boy to his room and checked on his brother’s chakra; feeling nothing from him, he was sure Itachi was sleeping. He opened his door and kept hold of the knob as he waited for Neji to enter and shut the door behind him. Sasuke pulled his sword from his rope belt and leaned it against the headboard.

“Take a seat on the bed; it will be easier to apply that way.” Neji obeyed as Sasuke fished in one of his pouches for the small brown bottle. “Kakashi swears by this liniment and I haven’t found anything that works as well.”

Sasuke sat beside Neji and turned toward him. Neji turned his back to him, both of them now sitting in the same pose, with their right leg bent in front of them and the left hanging over the side of the bed. Neji unfastened his shirt and peeled it off a little nervously.

Sasuke poured some of the strong smelling liquid into his cupped hand, carefully recapped it with one hand, and set it aside. He poured the cold substance on Neji’s right shoulder, catching it before it ran down his back, and began gently rubbing it into the skin.

Sasuke’s hands were surprisingly soft and smooth despite the calluses. Both he and his brother had burns on their hands which left the skin smooth. His touch felt amazingly good. Sasuke used more force to work the deeper muscles of his shoulder, but Neji didn’t make a peep of protest; in fact he was suppressing the urge to tell Sasuke ‘harder.’ The thought stained his cheeks red.

Sasuke’s eyes were drawn to the scars on Neji’s back as he rubbed around the shoulder joint. Six kunai wounds and two larger ones: one near his left shoulder, the other above his right hip. He caressed the higher one then the lower.

“These look pretty bad. One looks like an exit wound.” Sasuke’s hands retreated back to Neji’s shoulder.

“It is. Your Ota friend shot me with arrows. The kunai wounds were from the same fight. Gave me this cut on my cheek as well.”

“I did more than emotional damage by leaving.”

“I chose to go after you. Most of us chose to; only Shikamaru was ordered to go.”

“You didn’t know what you were getting into. Genin should not have been sent after me.”

“Shikamaru was a Chunin. There were no other Chunin or Jounin available. I don’t have any regrets.”

“I do.” Sasuke’s voice was soft and almost too low to hear. The deep tissue massage faltered and became more of a rub down.

Unlike Naruto, no one would call Sasuke impulsive, but he bent down and kissed the scar on Neji’s left shoulder. He was not surprised when Neji didn’t jump away. Sasuke lapped at the silken texture of the scar and heard Neji moan quietly. Sasuke’s lips traveled upward to the unblemished skin between the scar and his neck. Feeling certain this was what the Jounin wanted, Sasuke’s right hand drifted down to caress his side causing his skin to pucker at the light touch. Neji gasped when Sasuke went from his shoulder straight to his hairline an inch behind his right ear. Sasuke just seemed to know the most sensitive spot on his neck.

“I’ll stop if you tell me to,” Sasuke whispered even as he let his hand travel around to Neji’s lean abdomen and then south across his clothed, growing erection.

“Don’t,” Neji gasped. Then he clarified, “Don’t stop.”

Sasuke readjusted himself behind Neji, trapping Neji’s hips between his bent knees. He carefully gathered Neji’s hair and pulled it over his left shoulder, letting his fingertips caress the other’s skin. The Jounin’s skin puckered again at the slight touches. Sasuke went back to mouthing Neji’s neck as he raked his fingers feather light down his back. Sasuke purposely let his kisses be audible. The sound emanating from so close to his ear was sending each of them straight down Neji’s spine.

“Wait, won’t your brother know?”

“Itachi’s asleep. I’m sure he’ll have something for Kakashi when he wakes up though.” The thought only enflamed Neji more.

Sasuke pushed Neji’s pants down just enough that the beginning of clef of his ass was exposed. Sasuke caressed his lower back and ignited all the sensitive nerve endings there. Neji’s head arched back and he moaned. One finger dipped into his valley and lightly drew up making Neji moan again.

Neji was in heaven. And it wasn’t just the feeling of Sasuke touching him and the wet kiss on this neck. Sasuke’s chakra was exotic. All the clans had a distinctive note to their chakra, but the Uchiha’s was almost spicy, definably fiery, but oddly reticent. And Sasuke’s scent. He had not physically trained today, but he had sweated during his genjutsu battle with his brother, bringing out a faint scent that was intoxicating. Neji wanted to bury himself in that scent that he couldn’t even begin to describe.

Sasuke’s hands traveled over Neji’s hips to his abdomen. One hand explored the muscles of Neji’s stomach while the other traveled up to a brown nub. Sasuke pressed Neji back into his own chest. Neji wanted to move his hips, up and down as if he were riding a cock or back into Sasuke’s warm body. He stayed still, not want to do anything to dissuade Sasuke from what he was doing.

Neji had never let anyone touch him like this in his life. He hated being touched, but he never wanted Sasuke to stop. When Sasuke shifted again, Neji felt the other’s erection pressing against his lower back. His body molded into Sasuke’s and he completely let himself melt into him, his head falling back onto Sasuke’s shoulder as he continued to wetly kiss his neck—though forced to shift to another part of his neck—and play with his nipple and caressed the nearly flawless expanse of his stomach. That hand drifted down to finger the corresponding scar to the one on his back near his hip, then down again to touch his clothed hardness.

“Sasuke,” he whispered. That word was spoken almost right in Sasuke’s ear and the bliss and hunger in it made him harder. He wanted to hear his name spoken like that again. He ran his teeth over the offered skin, threatening to bite him, mark him. Something in the back of his mind made him think, Mark him, like Orochimaru marked you. Normally, anything comparing him to Orochimaru angered or disgusted him, but right now that sounded like an excellent idea and one that made him harder.

A knock sounded at the door and they sprang away from each other as if they each had suddenly turned into magma. Sasuke adjusted his shirt and went to the door. Neji grabbed his shirt and started putting it on, but remembered why he came here in the first place and took his time preparing to put the shirt on and concentrated on controlling his breathing. Sasuke was at the door within moments. It was Kakashi.

“Itachi’s not complaining again, is he?” Sasuke said flatly as if nothing had happened between he and Neji.

Kakashi looked passed Sasuke to see Neji nonchalantly putting his shirt back on. “No, he’s asleep.” He sniffed the air and recognized the smell of liniment. Neji stood. “Your arm feeling better?”

“Yes. Thank you, Sasuke.”

Kakashi stepped back to let Neji out.

“Can I come in?” Sasuke allowed him in and shut the door.

“You battled Itachi?”

“Yes.”

“How badly did you two fuck with each other?”

Sasuke smirked. “Pretty badly. You killed me twice.”

“Do I want to know?”

“I had Itachi dodge your attack and hit me, killing me. Then Itachi had me kill him and you killed me in revenge. Actually I came out of the genjutsu before I died, obviously.”

“Sounds like you really went after each other.”

“I had some tea and was going to sleep too, but I offered Neji some liniment for his shoulder.”

“Was Itachi okay?”

“I think so.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. It wasn’t like it was before. We can feel how far is too far. We’ll try to raise each other’s . . . stamina. Madera will be merciless.” Sasuke’s eyes went blank for a moment. He feared what Madera would do to he and his brother. He remembered the catatonic state Itachi had put him in four years ago.

It alarmed Kakashi to see any kind of fear in Sasuke. He had trained Sasuke for nearly a year, he saw Sasuke in action on his first real mission, and observed him all that time except during the chunin exams. In all that time, he did not show any fear. He threw himself in to save Naruto without a thought for himself, he faced two higher ranked shinobi on his first real mission and dealt with them as well and as dispassionately as Kakashi himself. Seeing fear in an Uchiha’s face was disquieting.

“If you’re expecting it, maybe you can be ready to cut or disrupt your chakra. Or do it routinely during the battle.”

“Perhaps. I’m all right, Kakashi; worry about Itachi. I’m going to rest now.”

Kakashi nodded and left. Sasuke washed the liniment from his hands then collapsed on his bed. Having Kakashi in his room had driven away his erection, but he was left with the ghostly feeling of the other boy in his arms. He tugged the bedding out from under himself, curled up on his side under the bedding, and quickly fell asleep.

Neji, meanwhile, took a much needed shower. The hot water couldn’t wash away the feeling of Sasuke’s touch. He replayed it all again in his mind as he jacked off. He leaned his face against the cold tile and sighed Sasuke’s name. He reached back and teased his entrance, imagining it was Sasuke touching him. It didn’t take long for him to cum. It took a minute for Neji to recover, shake himself out of his stupor, and finish his shower.

Post orgasm, Neji wondered if he cursed Kakashi for his interruption or thanked him. Without Sasuke’s intoxicating presence, he was doubtful if getting involved with the youngest Uchiha was wise. Especially with a vengeful brother around.

-----

Kakashi took Sasuke’s advice and went back to the room he shared with his lover. Itachi was curled up, still dressed, on top of the blanket, clutching it. Kakashi climbed in behind his young lover and spooned him without removing his clothes either. Itachi backed into his warmth. Despite the heating Orochimaru had put into this base, there was still a chill in many of the rooms. Itachi woke up and turned under Kakashi’s draped arm.

“What time is it?” Itachi asked.

“Afternoon.”

“You are always so precise.” Itachi pressed his body against Kakashi’s, forcing Kakashi onto his back. “Are either of us expected anywhere anytime soon?”

“Not ‘til dinner. We all missed lunch.”

“No wonder I’m hungry.” Itachi kissed him and rubbed his body against his. Itachi straightened to begin removing his clothing.

“Is there a reason you’re so . . . eager?” Kakashi asked.

“Dreaming. Indistinct, lustful dreams.”

“About me?”

“I said they were indistinct. But they left me aching for you.”

“You’ve only been awake half a minute.”

“True. Why aren’t you naked yet?”

“I love you.”

“You better.”

Itachi finished stripping himself and helped divest Kakashi of his clothes.

“Maybe I shoulder shower first,” Kakashi said.

“You smell good.” Itachi reached for the oil. He leaned over Kakashi, supporting himself on one arm next to Kakashi’s shoulders as he reached behind himself to prepare himself. Kakashi watched Itachi’s face, enraptured by the expressions there.

Itachi used the same oiled hand to jerk Kakashi’s hardness while he kissed him. He withdrew, sitting straight up, and guided Kakashi’s erection into him. Kakashi forced his eyes to stay open to watch the Adonis bob up and down on his cock. Itachi was the very image of wanton licentiousness. Itachi stretched his arms over his head before bringing them down behind his head to release his long raven hair.

His hair had grown noticeably longer since the day he first approached Kakashi in the woods. It seemed a lifetime ago. How long had it been? Two months? He honestly had no idea. It didn’t matter anyway. Itachi was his and he was never going to let him go again.

Kakashi placed his hands on his slim waist. He wasn’t quite so emaciated anymore, but still unnaturally thin and beautiful. He was surprised he couldn’t see the impression his own length moving inside the lithe body.He didn’t try to hold or dictate Itachi’s movements as they became more desperate.

Itachi arched and threw his hair around as he shifted his hips to strike his own prostate over and over. He threw himself down on Kakashi’s chest to take advantage of another angle. A throaty moan sounded desperately in Kakashi’s ear. His teeth raked Kakashi’s collarbone. Watching Itachi flail about and listen to his desperation, Kakashi grabbed Itachi more securely and rolled him onto his back so that Kakashi could pummel Itachi’s prostate himself. He put two fingers on Itachi’s lips, inviting him to take them into his mouth. Itachi did so and audibly sucked on them.

Fingers now nice and wet, Kakashi pulled them away and used their lubrication to jack Itachi off as he approached his own orgasm.

“Fuck me harder, sempai,” Itachi begged. He clawed at Kakashi’s shoulders and tried to thrust back, but could hardly move pinned to the bed as he was.

They cam at the same time, Itachi crying out, Kakashi moaning. Kakashi turned onto his back, wanting to collapsed on Itachi, but ever mindful of Itachi smaller frame. They lay beside each other trying to regain their breaths.

Once recovered, “Really, what brought that on? It’s wasn’t the genjutsu battle, was it?”

“No, nothing like that. Although, no one has penetrated my mind like that since I was twelve when my family was training me. Maybe that had something to do with it.”

Movement caught Kakashi’s eye and he looked down to see Itachi swirling his fingers in the cum on his stomach.

“Don’t do that; I’m still not completely recovered from the time at the last base.”

Itachi hummed and stopped playing with the pearly liquid. “Maybe we should clean up and get dressed again.”

“You’re brother just went to nap. I swear, sometimes you two are just like cats.”

“Just now?”

“Just before I came in here.”

“How long was I sleep? I thought I was asleep longer than that.”

“He said he had some tea and was just then going to lie down.” Kakashi wasn’t such a fool to tell Itachi Sasuke had spent any time, innocent as it seemed, with Neji.

“He had more stamina than I do.” The statement was disbelieving.

Kakashi had to wonder if the connection between the brothers was the reason Itachi woke up so aroused. Just what did he interrupt between Sasuke and Neji? But that brought to mind the question: what was the effect on Sasuke when Kakashi and Itachi had sex?

“I don’t think you were asleep that long. Go back to sleep.”

-----

Sasuke, Neji, Itachi, and Kakashi were the last ones to arrive for dinner. All four acted as if nothing had happened earlier and they were all fresh from napping. Neji tried to avoid sitting next to Sasuke, but he was left no choice. He and Sasuke ignored each other.

Sasuke and Itachi began chatting about genjutsu and how they could improve their skills. Kakashi was happy to hear them able to talk about their father and cousins without either of them—at least outwardly—reacting negatively. They would even pause for a few moments as they hit each other with genjutsu. Kakashi sighed and shook his head at this. Brothers being brothers. But only the Uchiha would mess with and try to one up each other with genjutsu.

The rest of the table, even the refugees, chatted among themselves and it really felt like an extended family. Even Neji came out of his embarrassed shell and joined in a conversation with Suigetsu and Shikamaru. Juugo spoke quietly with Shin, Karin and Sakura were discussing something feminine enough for Kakashi to block them out completely while he spoke with the other four refugees. Conversations broke up and reformed in different configurations; even the brothers ended their genjutsu battle/conversation to speak to others.

Kakashi snaked an arm around Itachi’s waist to rest his hand on his lean stomach. Itachi shifted to lean back onto Kakashi’s shoulder. He lounged back comfortably while Kakashi sometimes petted his stomach. They had both become comfortable enough to admit their relationship openly in this group, though they wouldn’t be this free if they were in Konoha. Sasuke’s eyes darted to the possessive hand once, but otherwise seemed fine with the display.

It struck Kakashi that he was going to miss all this when it was over, this camaraderie and feeling of family. Then he wondered how many of them would survive the week. Time was closing in on them. He had to wonder if this motley group could take down the cofounder of Konoha and its current Hokage.

-----

The next mooring after breakfast, Sasuke would not even let Sakura check him out; he went out with the rest of the shinobi to train. At first, he felt that they were all treating him with kid gloves. That pissed him off.

Sasuke leaped up to avoid a kick from his brother and flipped up over his to kick Itachi in the back, sending him sprawling on the ground. He turned to Kakashi to toss a dozen Chidori senbon at him. Kakashi had no choice but to dodge. He made a shadow clone to divide Sasuke’s attention. Sasuke turned to the clone and performed the Dancing Leaf Shadow and his own Lion’s Barrage. The clone disappeared. Sasuke turned on Kakashi’s real body, swept his legs from under him and brought the blunt edge of his sword down to strike under Kakashi’s ribs.

“Dead.” Sasuke stood and pirouetted to face Itachi. Sasuke summoned and threw a Fûma shuriken parallel to the ground. Itachi crouched. When Itachi lowered his perspective, he saw the second Fûma shuriken under the first. Kage Shuriken no Jutsu. Rather than dodge, he pushed himself up just enough to allow the Fûma shurikens to fly over and under him without touching him. Then he saw a glint in the light; wires leading back to Sasuke’s fist. Rather than let the tension snap the release inside the rigged shuriken, Sasuke let the wires go and the shuriken continued to fly behind Itachi. Sasuke smiled at him.

“Those rigged shuriken would have gotten me,” Itachi said from where he landed on his hands and knees on the ground.

The bandages around Sasuke’s arms fell away. Itachi was wearing a plain black cloak like his Akatsuki one. As Sasuke his summoned weapons, Itachi seemed to pull corresponding ones out of nowhere to counter the ones flying at him. Their movements became a pair of blurs.

Once the weapons ran out, Sasuke activated his Chidori, but made it far less powerful than his normal Chidori. He rushed at Itachi as he had when he was twelve. Itachi caught his wrist.

“This is familiar,” Itachi said. But his smirk vanished when he was enveloped in a mild form of Sasuke’s Nagashi. Sasuke reached up and grabbed the back of Itachi’s neck as he tried to spin away. The blunt edge of his sword pressed against his throat.

“Dead. Twice.”

Sasuke pushed his brother away gently and turned to see Neji ready to take him on. Sasuke began by throwing his Chidori senbon. Neji used his Hakkeshô Kaiten to knock them away, but didn’t realize exactly what they were until he touched the first one. He couldn’t just bat them away. He knew that even if he used a weapon, the metal would just conduct the Chidori into his body. Neji changed tactic to dodge rather than deflect.

Everything seemed to slow down for Neji as he danced between the senbon. With his Sharingan, everything slowed for Sasuke as well. He moved in among another barrage of Chidori senbon. The senbon held the door open by making Neji’s Hakkeshô Kaiten useless, allowing Sasuke to get close to him. To the others without a Sharingan, the pair were a blur. Sasuke avoided every hit as did Neji.

Neji did not sense the clone Sasuke had sent around behind him. He had unfair knowledge, but he knew from the wounds on Neji’s back that there was a weakness in his ‘perfect’ defense. He judged where the weakness was by what appeared to be the angles the wounds were inflicted from. A single senbon hit Neji in the back. The charge caught Neji off guard; he hesitated and staggered. Sasuke caught the older boy by the throat.

“Dead.”

He turned to face Suigetsu who capitulated without a punch thrown; Suigetsu feared Sasuke’s Chidori.

The kunoichi backed away and Juugo didn’t move. Shikamaru took his turn. As the shadow sped out toward Sasuke, Sasuke jumped up and ignited a flash bomb. The shadows retreated back behind Shikamaru and it was bright enough to overcome Sasuke’s approaching shadow. Shikamaru was forced to cover his eyes; he didn’t see Sasuke coming. Sasuke grabbed Shikamaru’s shoulder and when Shikamaru dared to look, Sasuke had his sword point against Shikamaru’s chest.

“Dead.”

Sasuke pulled Shikamaru down with him as he ducked under a trio of kunai. Sasuke rolled away and turned to face Kakashi and his brother. He stared back into the three Sharingans, crouched with his sword in hand. Suddenly, or so it seemed to the others, Sasuke leapt up. In the place he just vacated, a Chidori hound burst up from the ground.

Kakashi grappled with Sasuke when he landed. Itachi appeared to jump up from behind Kakashi with three kunai ready. Held tightly by Kakashi, Sasuke could not move. A snake burst from his collar and coiled around Sasuke, deflecting the kunai. The snake bit at Kakashi’s hand as he coiled around Sasuke’s body, forcing Kakashi to let go, unaware what venom the snake might have. Sasuke jumped away.

The white snake was replaced by another Fûma shuriken. Sasuke threw the giant shuriken at Itachi who tried to defend against it with a simple kunai. The Fûma shuriken continued to spin and flared with Chidori, cutting though the kunai and threw Itachi, which turned out to be a clone. Even before Sasuke could know from the Fûma shuriken that that was a clone, he turned to grab the real Itachi, let Itachi’s momentum take him to the ground, but he used Itachi’s momentum to help him kick Itachi off him.

Sasuke jumped up and was suddenly next to Itachi as he got up. Sasuke kneed him, more gently than he would in battle, grabbed him, turned him to press Itachi’s back against his chest, and held a kunai to Itachi’s diaphragm.

“Dead again.”

He turned on Kakashi. Sasuke attacked and it wasn’t comprehended by anyone, but Kakashi had a number of cuts in his clothes.

Sensing no one willing to fight him any further, Sasuke sheathed his sword with a flourish. “I hate being coddled.”

“Point taken,” Kakashi said.

“I’ll rest a minute then fight Juugo alone.” He sat against a tree and watched the others start fighting each other. They were slower at first, having just had the stuffing knocked out of most of them, but then they seemed a little invigorate by Sasuke’s display.

Once he felt back at his full capacity, Sasuke stood and joined Juugo on the extreme end of the clearing.

“I want to fight you in your complete transformation,” he told Juugo.

“Will you transform as well?”

“Only if I find it necessary.”

Itachi was fighting Shikamaru and Suigetsu when he felt the chakra produced in Sasuke’s eyes, and contaminating his own, darken and send a chilling sensation throughout his body. He disengaged from the pair and looked over at Sasuke. He half transformed to use on his hand/wings to catch Juugo’s punch. Itachi’s eyes narrowed. He hated the fact Sasuke was using that curse seal.

He shook off the chill and was about to refocus on his fight, but he noticed that he wasn’t the one who stopped to look at his brother. Neji was staring with his Byakugan activated. Itachi could abide a Hyuuga’s presence only barely, but he could not stand for the Hyuuga spending time alone with, or staring at, his little brother.

-----

Lunch didn’t make things any better. Neji approached Sasuke and they fell into an intense discussion about Sasuke’s transformation. Itachi didn’t notice how nervous Neji was before the subject made both forget the scene the afternoon before. Itachi bristled. Sasuke felt his anger, but ignored his brother and his irrational hatred. Kakashi tried to help.

“Sasuke’s an adult; he can take care of himself. One bad Hyuuga does not mean they’re all traitorous scum.”

Itachi shuttered. “Sasuke needs to be warned about what they’re like.”

Once the younger pair separated, Itachi pulled his brother aside. He took him to the room Itachi shared with Kakashi.

“I don’t like how close you’re getting to the Hyuuga.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. The expression scared Itachi a little, but he hid it. “You’re my older brother, but you do not choose my friends.”

“Friends? With a Hyuuga?!”

“You’re not exactly in a position right now in my graces to be choosing anything about my life.” Sasuke didn’t raise his voice, but his tone was enraged. “Perhaps everything you’ve done on my behalf might have been right in order to save my life and my pride, but it’s also fucked up my life to the point I may not ever be able to even imagine having anything approaching a normal life. You don’t dictate any part of my life anymore.”

Contrite, Itachi deflated a little. “I don’t hate you, Itachi,” Sasuke said softer. “I do love you. But my personal life is completely out of your hands and is not your responsibility. I know Neji better than you and I feel I can trust him.” Sasuke sat down on the sofa dragged in here from Kabuto’s rooms. “Now, tell me about this bad experience you had with a Hyuuga.”

Itachi sat on the edge of his bed, facing his brother. “I’ll tell, just to make you understand why you can’t trust that clan. Hyuuga Hideaki was in ANBU with Kakashi and I. We were friends. At least I thought so. He was older than me—everyone in ANBU was older than me. Kakashi took us both under his wing, but Kakashi and I were always closer.

“We were friends for a few months. Then on one mission, Hideaki literally stabbed me in the back. I sensed him, but was only able to make him miss my heart. The kodachi went high and to the left, pierced my lung, but didn’t go all the way through. I collapsed. One could argue it was an accident or something except that he was about to stab me again.” He surprised Sasuke by swallowing, repressing emotion. “Kakashi stopped him by throwing two kunai: one hit the kodachi, knocking it out of his hand, the other went into his shoulder joint. He ran off. Neither of us ever saw him again. Kakashi made the report to the Hokage and I assumed Hideaki was kicked out of ANBU.

“I never even heard of him again until after I fled Konoha. I actually snuck into Konoha a few times to see what was going on; I told Kisame it was to see if I could get information on the Jinchûriki. It was during one of these visits I heard someone say that Hideaki was killed during a mission.

“I thought Hideaki was my friend—I also thought Shisui was my friend, but he was reporting on me to the rest of the clan. They both betrayed me. At least Shisui was torn about that, I know he was. I never found out why Hideaki tried to kill me. I can never trust a Hyuuga again.”

Sasuke couldn’t think of anything to say. “Itachi,” he said comfortingly, but he really couldn’t find any other words. He remembered that Itachi only had one friend that he was aware of: Shisui. He wondered if Hideaki’s betrayal was one of the reasons Itachi had so few friends. “I guess I can understand your distrust, but I trust Neji. I’ll remember your warning and I’ll be on my guard, but I trust him. I don’t ask you to do the same, but please, tolerate him.”

Itachi stared at his brother for a moment then nodded. “As long as you remember.”

“I will.” Sasuke got up and pulled his brother to his feet and embraced him. “I love you more than anything. I value your opinion; just don’t become the overbearing older brother, alright?”

Itachi held his brother tightly. “I’m just naturally protective of my precious little brother. I’ll try not to over step my bounds again.”

“Thank you.”