Blood (Sasu x Naru x Ita, others)

21: 追跡/ Tsuiseki/ Hunting

A dark clad figure stared down at the valley and the waterfall that hid the entrance to the cave that contained the King of Hell statue.

´Everything seems quiet and I can´t pick up on the scent of my target… but that doesn´t mean that he isn´t here, ` the cloaked nin thought while he descended the cliffs and tried his best to stay hidden in the shadows as much as possible to avoid possibly detection.

´… I am not alone… I can feel the presence of someone inside the cave… I guess my intuition was right then, ` he thought. ´Now all I have to do is to sneak up on them and kill at least one of them if I want to be able to return to Naruto and Sasuke in one piece. Maybe I should have left them a note to tell them where I went… oh well it´s too late for that now. ` He avoided the puddles of water and jumped from stone to stone with his Sharingan scanning the area for possible threats. The raven haired man then stepped behind the waterfall and passed the open gate and slipped into the darkness of the hidden cave.

´Alright… where are you two hiding?` he thought with a growing smirk gracing his featured when he felt the adrenaline make him feel high from the lust for carnage.

~ # ~

Naruto woke up to the feeling someone nibble at his earlobe. “Mmmm Teme how late is it?” he chuckled while cuddling closer to the naked body next to him.

“I don´t have a clue and I really don´t give a damn,” Sasuke hummed in amusement after he noticed that his lover was ticklish and reacted deliciously by bucking against Sasuke´s body when his lips travelled downwards to suck harder on the tanned skin.

He loved to be alone with his Dobe and intended to enjoy it as long as possible since it would only be a matter of time before Itachi would find them here… and then he would want to join their fun.

“Sasuke?” Naruto´s voice went from a happy chuckle to sound very confused in the matter of seconds.

“What is wrong Dobe?” the Uchiha asked, not really willing to remove his lips or eyes from the delicious neck.

“Itachi´s necklace…”

“What about it?” He asked the blonde just before his lips connected with the cold steel of his brother´s unique jewelry. “… Damn.”

“He left, didn´t he?” Naruto asked softly while the raven sat up and touched the chain around Naruto´s neck with his fingertips.

“Maybe…” The Uchiha sighed. ´Oh who am I kidding… of course he left… he´s just as pigheaded and strong willed like you Dobe. `

“Where would he go? You don´t think that he…”

“He surely is stubborn and stupid enough to go after Madara and Pein on his own… we have to find him before gets himself killed.” Both rose to their feet and got dressed as quickly as possible.

“Do we know where he is heading?” Sasuke asked the blonde who was the only one who was able to read bits and pieces of the older nin´s mind.

“Give me a sec,” Naruto said while he concentrated hard to get connected with Itachi´s trail of thoughts. “He has already left the country of the Rain… and is back at the country of Fire… I see a valley… and a waterfall-”

“Is he at the valley of end?” The Uchiha asked. He wished that it wouldn´t be the fact since both he and Naruto had too many bad memories connected to that place… and he didn´t feel like reliving those any time soon.

“No. This place is different and yet I think that I have been there before… I´m sure of it…” the blonde mumbled while trying to remember where he had seen that place before.

“Naruto?” Sasuke asked when the whisker marked nin stayed silent for a long time before his blue eyes widened in realization.

“I know where he is Teme. Itachi is at the place where the Akatsuki stole Shukaku from Gaara and killed him.”

“Lead the way,” Sasuke told him while hoping that they would reach Itachi before it would be too late. ´He´s an idiot for going after them alone…Damn it Itachi, are you on a suicide trip or something like that? `

~ # ~

An ear scattering explosion tore a huge hole in the cliff wall and created a new waterfall when Sasuke and Naruto reached the valley. It was obvious that Itachi had found what he had been hunting for and that he now fought against both Madara and Pein.

“Let´s lend him a hand,” Naruto called out to his lover before they both jumped down the cliff to aid the outnumbered nin.

“Take care of Pein, I´ll offer my assistance to Itachi,” Sasuke ordered. He caught the blonde´s nod before he changed his direction so that they would be able to attack from two sides at once.

~ # ~

Itachi was in great pain from the countless scratches and blows he had received from his enemy. They had mocked him and called him a whore, Madara´s whore which and angered the proud Uchiha till the point where his concentration slipped.

Pein had attacked and bit him while Madara had used the opportunity to bite Itachi as well. They had fed on his blood and had nearly managed to drain him before Naruto and Sasuke showed up.

´Damn that was a close call, ` Itachi sighed, relieved that his ass was saved for now.

“Are you stupid?” Sasuke growled at his brother while he fought against a smirking Madara. “…Or just suicidal?”

“I´m not stupid… I knew the risk of coming here alone,” Itachi hissed.

“Suicidal then,” the younger Uchiha stated coldly. “Why didn´t you wake us up? We only stand a chance against these guys when we work together as a team – you know that!”

“A lecture?” Itachi asked and sounded bored. “I didn´t want to disturb your little cozy get together.”

“… Hn.” Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes because it would be too dangerous to risk to lose his focus while facing Madara.

“And I´m not suicidal… I thought that I could handle it on my own, and then come back and have some fun with you two before you even realized that I was gone.”

“Oh and that´s why you left your necklace around Naruto´s neck?”

“Well that one was… you know… just in case that I…” Itachi sighed in defeat.

“In case that you died…Aniki we seriously need to have a long talk after this is over,” Sasuke hissed while blocking as many of Madara´s attacks as possibly. “Naruto wants to kick your ass for making him worry about you.”

~ # ~

The Rin´negan user was strong, fast and skilled and Naruto was grateful that he and Kyuubi had merged because it gave him heightened senses and reflexes. He was finally able to use his new found strength since Sasuke had cured his life threatening disease by turning him into a vampire.

Pein was indeed a vampire though he seemed to have a few trouble with his new abilities when he used his bloodline. It was almost as if the vampire virus and the Rin´negan fought each other, and it made Pein´s movement slow down and his attacks less lethal.

´I´d better take him out as fast as possible… before he learns how to control his movements better… but how? How do I kill a vampire? ` Naruto wondered. ´We are very different from humans… if I were to attack a human I would go for the vital organs; heart, lungs, kidney, brain or the mayor arteries in the neck, upper shoulder, thigh or wrists… but we don´t need our heart to survive… we don´t need air since we don´t need to breathe… and it would take too long bleed him to death. That would only make him weaker… but not kill him. `

´How did the vampire hunters kill the vampires in the old stories? ` the blonde wondered. ´Sasuke said that garlic didn´t work… neither does crosses nor holy water. What about a steak through the heart? Nah I don´t think that would work… but what about decapitation? That way the blood would leave his body quickly and without a head he is bound to die… `

´But if I kill him… what will that make me? `

#A shinobi who does his job kit, # the fox told him with a firm voice. # You are a shinobi and as such it is your duty to rid the world of those who try to destroy others… and he killed Jiraiya remember. #

´What?! Ero-senin is dead? But I-`

#He left Konoha after you and the Uchihas left after the incident with that pink haired breeder. He knew of your plans to face the Akatsuki and wanted to help you by gathering more information about them. # she told him.

´How… how do you know this? ` Naruto asked.

#Didn´t you see it in the minds of those four nin you sucked dry back in Ame-gakure? They knew. #

Naruto stared at the orange haired nin who came right at him. He had somehow blocked that vision out of his mind… though he knew that Kyuubi was right. He could see the memory of the Ame-nin he had killed. They really had witnessed how Pein had killed Jiraiya, and it stirred something inside of the blonde, something that made his cursed blood boil with anger and lust for vengeance.

“You killed Ero-senin…You killed my sensei!”

~ # ~

Itachi saw how his beloved blonde changed from using defense only to attacking Pein with a fierce roar. It was as if all of his animal instincts took over because his blue eyes bleed orange-red and he flashed his fangs angrily at his target.

“He needs fire to destroy Pein,” Sasuke called out to his sibling. “It´s the only thing that really hurts us, except for the sun.”

“Will you be alright on your own against that dirt bag?” Itachi asked his kid brother while his expression turned dark.

“Just kill the motherfucker and get back here as fast as possible aniki,” Sasuke hissed before spewing a fireball right at Madara.

~ # ~

“Rasengan!” Naruto buried the blue spiral sphere into Pein´s abdomen and forced the orange haired nin to his knees. “You killed the only man who has ever treated me like I wasn´t a demon. He cared for me in his own way… he was my friend and my mentor… he bought me my first ice-cream and talked to me like my opinion mattered to him… and you took him away from me.”

Pein glared up at the blonde with cold emotionless eyes. “He used to be my sensei as well. I outgrew him which makes it fair to kill him. The weak must die… that is the law of nature.”

“Oh cut the crap,” a pissed Itachi growled. “Naruto, step back while I roast this pathetic idiot’s ass.”

Naruto hissed in annoyance but still backed away when he noticed the change in Itachi´s eye color. Black orbs bled red as the Uchiha activated his advanced bloodline. Itachi didn´t even bother to use any of the weaker Katon no jutsu but went straight to the forbidden jutsu.

“Amaterasu!” Jet black flames engulfed Pein´s body. The orange haired man screamed in agony while he desperately tried to put the flames out. He stopped struggling before too long when the fire devoured his flesh before death was granted.

“Hn effective strategy,” the older nin chuckled before he forced the flames to die with help from the Mangekyou Sharingan.

“ITACHI!” Sasuke´s pained voice called out.

“What?!” Itachi spun around on his heel only to see his younger sibling lying on the ground with a hole in his stomach. Madara was nowhere to be seen and Itachi felt like something really bad was about to happen.

“Look out, behind you,” Sasuke groaned in pain while he forced himself to sit before his body was fully healed. Itachi´s eyes widened in surprise when Madara appeared before him, ready to strike at him.

The raven haired nin closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact, but instead of sheering pain he felt a hard chest press against his, and he could smell the too familiar scent of the young man he had come to love with all his heart.

He opened his eyes when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his back while something feel onto his shoulder when Naruto´s head came to rest there.

“I-Itachi… a-are you… alright?”

“N-Naruto… no,” Itachi opened his eyes and felt his heart ache when he realized what had happen. The blonde had stepped in between him and Madara, using his own body to shield Itachi´s heart.

Madara growled displeased while he dragged his hand out of Naruto´s back before licking the blood of his fingers. “Mmmm you taste good little one… maybe I should keep you alive and allow you to become my plaything. I´m sure that my maker would be envious of me if I had a toy as pretty and tasty as you, Naruto-kun.”

“Don´t even think of it. Naruto belongs to Sasuke… that is how it has to be and that is how it is going to stay,” Itachi growled. He looked into Naruto´s beautiful eyes and knew what he had to do to get rid of Madara fast… and he wanted to be the one who ended this shitheads life for all the pain he had put him through during the past.

“Sasuke… take Naruto and get the hell out of here.”

“… What are you up to aniki?” the younger Uchiha asked while struggling to get to his feet.

“I know how to end this but I need you to leave… it might hurt you too,” Itachi hissed. He scooped up the whimpering blonde and placed him into Sasuke´s embrace after placing a kiss on Naruto´s lips. He bent over and kissed Sasuke on the lips as well which took the younger nin by surprise.

“Go, I´ll be right with you,” Itachi said and ignored the confused look on Sasuke´s face.

“I love you both so much… so damn much,” there was a hint of sadness in the older nin´s voice. He reached up and caressed his brother’s cheek with a soft smile. “Never change who you are… you are both perfect the way you are.”

“A-Aniki… no don´t tell me that you are going to…” Sasuke´s crimson eyes widened in sudden fear.

“Don´t worry… I know what I´m doing. Now go.”

“P-Promise me that y-you won´t do anything s-stupid… like dying,” Naruto whimpered. Healing always hurt like hell and the wound he had received would have killed him if he had been a human.

“… Alright,” Itachi sighed while running his hands through the soft blonde tresses.

“Say, I promise,” the blonde insisted and Sasuke nodded in agreement.

“… I promise.”

“Good. Now we can go,” Sasuke said with a content smile. If Itachi promised to be careful then it would be fine or so he hoped. He tightened his hold on the blonde and left Itachi alone to face his nemesis.

´I´m sorry… but that is one promise I can´t keep… take good care of each other… goodbye. `

TBC